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Line pressure

Every AM, FM or TV transmitter must be connected to an antenna via some type of cable, normally a coax line. Some lines are constructed with a type of foam between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, while others are hollow.

If your system has the hollow type of transmission line, it is imperative that some type of gas pressure be inside the line. Transmission lines can be vulnerable to corrosion if they are exposed to oxygen and moisture, the two main components that cause a corrosive reaction.

Properly pressurizing coaxial cables will keep moisture out and therefore prevents arcs inside the cable and it improves the power-handling capacity of the coax by increasing the breakdown voltage between the inner conductor and the shield.

Engineers often ask which is more effective, nitrogen or using a dehydrator. The answer is, “It depends.”

If you will be operating the transmission line at or near the power rating of the line, nitrogen will give more protection from arc over. For lower power levels, either will work.

A properly sized dehydrator will keep your lines dry and pressurized. Some, like this model from Kintronic Labs, have web interfaces to allow monitoring of pressures.

To keep moisture out, the transmission line must be kept at a positive pressure relative to the outside pressure. The pressure required is minimal indeed; maintaining excessive pressure can damage the line and waste energy.

When it comes to dehydrators, proper sizing is everything. If undersized, the unit must run longer in order to maintain pressure, increasing wear on the compressor and driving maintenance costs higher. An oversized dehydrator, however, creates pressure surges in the line. This causes the unit to constantly cycle on and off, again resulting in increased compressor wear and higher maintenance costs.

It doesn’t take much pressure; 3 or 4 psi is more than adequate to keep moisture out of the line and antenna.

The most important takeaway point is to have a method to monitor the pressure in the line and an alarm system to notify engineering of a sudden loss of pressure on the line. This could be caused by failure of the dehydrator or empty nitrogen supply. It could also indicate a pending failure in the line itself caused by a major gas leak created by lightning or even a bullet hole.

When installing a new line, it is advisable first to pull a vacuum on the line. This will remove all the moisture from the line. Then fill the line with nitrogen or dry air from a dehydrator. Do not use a standard air compressor for this purpose, since it will fill the line with normal air, which is full of moisture.

This type of failure will be extremely costly and time-consuming. Don’t neglect this important part of your transmission system!

This article was published in the Alabama Broadcasters Association Monday Coffee and Technical Notes newsletter. Learn about ABA’s engineering training academy at https://al-ba.com.

RW Engineering Extra welcomes submissions of stories that help readers solve engineering problems. Email: rweetech@gmail.com.

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The post Keep transmission lines high and dry appeared first on Radio World.

The author is executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

Noncommercial radio is about to see the biggest boom in years. The Federal Communications Commission announced the dates when it will accept applications for full-power noncommercial radio stations later this year.

The announcement is massive news for noncommercial broadcasting. The FCC is making license opportunities available nationwide for the first time since 2010. Following criticism of that 2010 window, the commission has placed limits this time on the number of applications one can make. With a cap of 10 filings per applicant this time, the playing field is as wide as it will be in more than a decade.

A bigger 2007 window saw more than 1,300 construction permits approved. It is hard to say how many we’ll see when the 2021 application window opens Nov. 2–9.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Hidden Figures]

Why does the new FCC application period matter? Noncommercial broadcasting has exploded in the last 20 years, more than doubling in number as AM and commercial FM are seeing declines. Every class of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and beyond is looking at Nov. 2–9 with high expectations. For publishers and community media, radio represents a foothold in legacy media that still counts a great deal. For faith-based organizations, radio means connecting with followers. For nonprofits with little previous relationship with media, radio can be a chance to reimagine their missions. And for the communities where stations may be approved, you’re talking about new possibilities for radio’s growth.

If you are interested in being one of those filers later this year, there are many items of interest.

Among the top priorities for filers is the application itself. FCC Form 340 is a very detailed document requiring applicants to present a broad range of technical, infrastructure and public disclosures as a part of the process. From producing proof that your nonprofit organization has the operating capital to run a station; to governance records; to engineering plans for your signal, antenna and more, filing your application will be a time-consuming process. You will want to review the application, select appropriate consultation, and act early to get it done.

You and your engineer will need to do the bulk of the work. It is on the aspiring broadcaster to propose a space that meets at least the minimum requirements and prove you are not stepping on others’ signals. This can be a complicated set of mathematics upon which you will work closely with your engineer.

Larger nonprofits interested in becoming broadcasters may want to get familiar with newer rules or consider retaining an attorney. In 2019, the commission took steps to streamline the application process, but still there are particular requirements of note. These revisions include declarations around governing documents of certain applicants as well as divestiture commitments.

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters last year hosted a primer on the full-power application window opening in November. There will be an updated discussion in July at the Wish You Were Here conference.

 

The post Community Broadcaster: New Radio Filing Is Here appeared first on Radio World.

Dennis Sloatman, left, visits with John Bisset at a trade show.

Dennis Sloatman recently retired from his position as vice president of engineering at SummitMedia. “After 51 years as a radio broadcaster, I’m finally getting out of the way for the next generation,” he wrote on social media.

“Now more time for mountain biking, hiking and messing with my control system projects. Overall, it’s been a good career.”

I took the opportunity to catch up with him about his career.

Paul McLane: How did you get started in radio tech?

Dennis Sloatman: I was a “broadcast radio nerd” growing up in Rockford, Ill., while listening to WCFL and WLS in Chicago, with the vainglorious hope that I could one day be a bigtime Chicago DJ like Larry Lujack and the “World Famous Tom Murphy.”

McLane: Tell us about your career path.

Sloatman: I began my career working at various stations in Northern Illinois: WRVI, WKWL, WRWC and WRRR as a DJ and unofficial “technical helper.” Then on to KHAK in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as an overnight DJ and ultimately, chief engineer, in 1977.

WDLS (for “Dennis L. Sloatman”) was a Part 15 100 mW AM station in Rockford, Ill., when Sloatman was a teen. Studios were in his basement.

Then I worked for Harris Corp. as a field service engineer in Quincy, IL.

Beginning in 1980, I worked for WORL, WMGF, WOMX, WLOQ, WMFE, WDBO, WMMO, WOCL and some others as chief engineer spanning 28 years, from 1980 to 2008, in Orlando, Fla.

Then I was chief engineer of the Cox four-station cluster in Richmond, Va., from 2008 to 2012.

While in Orlando, I taught electronics mathematics, electronic communications, electronic circuit analysis, A+ Hardware and A+ Software at Valencia College and University of Central Florida.

In 2012, I accepted a position as VP of engineering for the 10-station iHeartMedia cluster in Los Angeles, including famous stations such as KIIS, KFI and KBIG.

And then in 2016, for quality of life reasons I chose to move back to Richmond, Va., as VP of engineering for Summit Media where I  ended my career after 51 years in 2021.

At work for Harris.

McLane: Who were your mentors?

Sloatman: Early in my career in Cedar Rapids, my first CE job, my mentor was Robert F Burns — that’s right, “RF Burns!” I’d also have to recognize Larry Caldwell, chief of WRRR Rockford when I worked as his assistant engineer in 1975.

McLane: What are your feelings on stepping away from full-time engineering?

Sloatman: Relaxing! No longer on 24/7 call after 50+ years “being available at a moment’s notice.” I do miss daily solving problems and designing solutions, but I plan to direct those energies at other projects.

McLane: Looking over your major projects and accomplishments, is there one that stands out?

Sloatman: Well, one might expect I’ve built a great many studios, transmitter sites and broadcast facilities in Rockford, Cedar Rapids, Orlando, Michigan, Richmond and Los Angeles.

Clean room: Transmitters at SummitMedia station WKHK(FM) in Virginia.

All in all, I feel as if my part in turning the Los Angeles facility around and bringing modern technology and methods to the market was a highlight. In a similar manner, bringing professionalism and dignity to engineering management with SummitMedia is something I am proud of.

McLane: Would you encourage a young person to go into this field now?

Sloatman: First, I must say that I love the radio broadcasting business and being a lifelong problem-solver as a broadcast engineer. The exposure to almost every form of technology is exciting and challenging.

On the more negative side, I have to say I have always had a problem for what I perceive as a lack of appreciation by some managers for the vast knowledge and experience required of the modern broadcast engineer — electronics, RF, audio, FCC rules, control systems, computer and network technology, etc.

This lack of appreciation is made manifest by requests to the CE for handyman tasks such as changing lightbulbs, plumbing, hanging pictures, vehicle maintenance, etc.

I fully recognize that many of my brother engineers have no problem with this aspect, but I feel I didn’t devote my career and my engineering degree to be a handyman or anything less than a professional.

Therefore, yes, I would encourage young people to give it a good, hard look; but also I would make certain they are aware of what I perceive as the less attractive aspects of the job.

Now, this experience will vary depending upon the company and its management. Research is required before accepting a position. Some broadcast companies treat their engineers with respect while others act as if the engineer is chattel.

It’s difficult at best these days to find that one “right” person for the job, and I feel the industry sort of “shoots themselves in the foot.”

McLane: What else should we know?

Sloatman: I’d have to say the most enjoyable and rewarding part of my career came in the final decade when I managed a staff of 10 fantastic people in the IT and Engineering department in Los Angeles and later, the market engineers of SummitMedia. All great people and I will miss working with them.

Sloatman also joked on LinkedIn about his sense of relief: “No longer am I more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full o’ rockin’ chairs!” 

Comment on this or any story to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Now Dennis Sloatman Has Time for Mountain Biking appeared first on Radio World.

Media Bureau releases Public Notice announcing May 24, 2021 as the date that revised DTS rules for full-power TV stations will become effective

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Rocky Mountain Radio Group, LLC enters into Consent Decree to resolve political file investigation

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U.S. financial markets were largely in recovery mode on Friday, after concerns that the Biden Administration would increase capital gains taxes sent general indices down sharply on Thursday.

How did media stocks fare?

Townsquare Media gained 11 cents to finish at $9.88.

Also gaining ground: The E.W. Scripps Co., up 16 cents to $22.99.

Sinclair Broadcast Group also improved nicely, with a 26-cent rise to $32.62.

Heading downward on Friday was TEGNA, which is again fending off a quest by dissident shareholder Standard General for a greater presence on the company’s board of directors. At the closing bell, TGNA was at $20.97, off 19 cents.

 

Bay Area entrepreneur Ravi Kapur has emerged in recent months as a buyer of low-power TV stations.

He’s grabbed another one — this time in the birthplace of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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An AM/FM combo serving a community to the south of Cape Girardeau, Mo., is being sold.

The stations air a Country format and offer a simulcast to local listeners.

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Nearly six months ago, local media reported that a 25kw Class C3 FM serving a rural area to the north of the Twin Cities was being transferred to a new owner.

Now, paperwork at the FCC has finally been filed that confirms the plan.

Who’s the buyer? A longtime owner and operator of radio stations in Minnesota.

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RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION

Last night I had quite the dream. I was running a radio station, somewhere. There was lots of activity. I was at a desk, typing on a computer, using RCS Selector to put the final touches on a Top 40 radio station’s playlist.

If only it wasn’t a dream.

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He is a Michigan Law grad from Saskatchewan with experience at Brightstar Corp. and, most recently, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

How does the professional experience of Nathan Simington, the newest Commission on the Federal Communications Commission, give the agency a whole new perspective on how to consider its policies and rules?

“Well, I think my experiences in the private sector, particularly with cellular devices and long-term deals, gives me a somewhat unusual perspective at the Commission,” he says in an exclusive interview.

Get the full story on where Nathan Simington stands on bringing “light touch” regulatory policies and rule “modernization” to broadcast media ONLY by receiving your copy of the Spring 2021 RBR+TVBR Special Report — our latest magazine. It’s also the ONLY home of the much-anticipated Broadcast Television’s Best Leaders ranking of 2021. And, it arrives in subscriber e-mail inboxes Monday at 11am Eastern!

SUBSCRIBE NOW TO RBR+TVBR TO SECURE YOUR COPY TODAY!

 

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How one interprets research is key to understanding the root of any problem, or sniffing out all of the facts, when it comes to something that could greatly impact your employer — or your job.

That’s why RBR+TVBR had to put the sniff test to a report stating that, based on a poll of U.S. adults aged 18-29, local TV news leads compared to other sources.

Yes, that’s true. But, the real story is just how few Americans in this age group are tuning to local TV news — or any other news source, for that matter.

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More and more consumers are choosing streaming video packages and are opting out of pay-TV video bundles.

The finding from S&P Global Ratings affirms the belief that “cord-cutting” hasn’t ceased, despite pandemic-fueled reports of a resurgence in MVPD subscriber rolls.

And, S&P Global Ratings views more cord-cutting and fewer pay-TV bundles as a negative for the entire television sector’s credit quality.

It’s a new view on the impact of MVPD abandonment among U.S. video content consumers, leaving a strong broadband internet connection as the lone reason they’d be a customer to Comcast, Charter Spectrum, Cox or any other entity some still view as the “cable company.”

The report, “How The Decline In The U.S. Television Ecosystem Could Squeeze Credit Ratings,” updates S&P Global Ratings’ U.S. pay-TV video subscriber forecast, which it based on a rollup of our individual company forecasts.

S&P last updated its forecast in January 2020.

“Even though cord-cutting trended downward in the second half of last year compared to the first half, we estimate the rate of legacy pay-TV subscription losses was modestly worse in 2020 at about 7.9% versus 7.3% in 2019,” S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Naveen Sarma said. “We’ve updated our pay-TV video subscriber forecast and, in this report, discuss how any changes could affect our ratings on companies in the pay-TV ecosystem.”

The report notes that the ratings impact of the decline of pay-TV on the cable sector will be muted due the strength of its broadband service. Media companies will feel the heat on their TV operations, but it’s difficult to say which companies could face negative rating actions because many have diversified businesses.

Importantly, S&P notes that this report does not constitute a rating action.

To view the report in its entirety, please click here.

Nielsen Holdings plc has selected its newest member of the company’s board of directors. She took her seat on Wednesday (4/21), and will also serve on the board’s audit committee.

The news came as Nielsen revealed when it will share its first quarter 2021 financial results.

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On January 12, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by KRCG Licensee, LLC (Licensee), the licensee of KRCG, channel 12 (CBS), Jefferson City, Missouri, requesting the substitution of channel 29 for channel 12 at Jefferson City in the DTV Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 29 for channel 12 at Jefferson City.