Radio World

The Reciva web page bears the bad news at the top.

The Reciva internet radio aggregation platform, which provides the tuning systems for some internet/WiFi radios made by manufacturers such as C. Crane, Grace Digital and Tangent, is to shut down by April 30, 2021.

Radio World has been unable to find any reason for the shutdown issued by Qualcomm, which owns the Reciva platform.

Originally the shutdown was supposed to occur on Jan. 31, 2021, but that deadline was extended in mid-January.

A headlined message “Notice: With effect from 30th April 2021 this website will be withdrawn” appears on the radios.reciva.com website. It has led to despairing posts from many internet radio fans.

“When Qualcomm pulls the plug, it’s gone,” wrote Solo2, administrator of the Internet Radio Forum.

“In the meantime — and I suppose it goes without saying — do not buy a new or used WiFi radio that relies on Reciva as it will not function properly without the Reciva aggregator service,” said www.swling.com.

Coincident with Reciva’s imminent demise, C. Crane has been preparing to release the CC WiFi-3 internet radio. Unlike the earlier CC WiFi radio that ran on Reciva, the CC WiFi-3 uses the Skytune platform.

C. Crane posted this message on its own website: “We were happy to be one of first companies to offer ad-free Internet radio because it allowed anyone to listen to the world without a fee. Fifteen years ago, Ben [Terrell], the founder of Reciva, had a small staff to create the software and volunteers around the world to help manage the station streams. We are sorry, but Reciva’s software will soon not work anymore.”

To assist stranded CC WiFi owners, C. Crane is offering a number of replacement offers, including a half-price sale (US$60 plus shipping, until June 1) for CC WiFi owners whose sets are out of warranty. C. Crane has a post about the Reciva situation here.

Meanwhile Grace Digital is helping owners of its older WiFi radios (manufactured 2007 to 2017) that rely on Reciva.

“If you have a legacy internet radio, to help with the transition, Grace Digital will offer special one-time discounts to effected customers,” states the company’s Upgrade page. It adds that, “based on the current information provided to Grace Digital the presets will continue to function for basic internet radio stations … However, please note this strategy will only work with standard radio stations.”

Finally, Tangent has cross-posted a list of internet radios affected by the Reciva platform shutdown. Referring to its now-discontinued Tangent QUATTRO internet radio, “We as radio manufacturer do not have the possibility of offering an alternative software as the module and software is made by RECIVA,” said Tangent-Audio.com.

 

 

The post Reciva Internet Radio Platform Shutting Down appeared first on Radio World.

 

Idil Cakim is senior vice president, research and insights with Entercom. Devora Rogers is chief strategy officer with Alter Agents.

Idil Cakim

Life in our modern, always-on world has made for shorter attention spans as more options for information, entertainment, engagement and connection vie for our time. Today’s audiences jump from one media source to the next in a flash, giving brands only a few seconds to tell their story and call consumers to action.

When Entercom set out to discover how audio content and advertising fit into this equation, we wanted to understand how audio amplified messages and engaged audiences compared to other media. We designed a study to measure the impact of audio on audiences and define “engaged impressions.”

We employed a number of market research techniques to dive into how audiences consumed media and contextualize media choices they made as they: navigated their everyday activities; leaned in to get information about their communities; and sought entertainment.

Devora Rogers

Together with market research firm Alter Agents, Entercom decided on an approach consisting of a survey of a nationally representative population of adults, coupled with an agile neuroscience study by Immersion of individuals from the major U.S markets of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. We compiled the data to examine consumer experiences with audio such as over-the-air (OTA), streaming OTA and podcast versus other mediums such as TV, video, social, and pureplay platforms.

Immersion, the key metric in our study, is a scientific measure of emotional connection and attention. It reveals what audiences truly love and predicts their future actions.

Using our neuroscience partner’s platform, backed by 20 years of peer-reviewed science funded by DARPA, we measured variations in heart rate in order to understand what the brain values. We then coupled these findings with our survey results to create a multidimensional picture of media audiences.

Takeaways

Our findings fell into three core areas:

• Immersion, which predicts sales: Our data indicated that audio has the highest level of immersion among all the platforms. Linear TV and social media scored significantly lower. Immersion is predictive of sales at a very high analytical accuracy rate, surpassing 80%. The findings suggest audio impressions, which are more immersive, will yield sales. (Immersion is scored from 0 to 100; the higher the number, the more immersive the experience.)

Immersion Index:

Audio             57

AVOD            54

Digital video  54

Linear TV       52

Social media  52

• Impact, which is rooted in trust. When measuring variations in heart rate and brain activity, our researchers were actually reading biological signals of trust. Trust triggers memorability and action and is the underlying factor in audio impact. Our engaged impressions study found that the audio portfolio (69%), consisting of OTA, streaming OTA and podcasts, is significantly more trusted than other mediums such as TV (64%), social media (56%), YouTube (47%) and even Digital Pureplays (44%).

• Action, which moves business. Audio has a winning formula that moves people to take action. For example, we found that one-third of broadcast OTA listeners have taken action after hearing a host recommendation as part of a commercial (34%) or as part of their show (32%). Audio portfolios that blend local content and host recommendations to consumers create a ripe environment for advertisers and positively impact consumer action.

The findings from this study are critical for the audio industry, as they lay a data-driven foundation to “make the case” for the strength of audio.

As more and more mediums compete for audience attention, this study proves that audio can effectively reach, engage and mobilize audiences. Audio leads all other media formats in its natural ability to guide listeners into spaces where they are hyper-connected, open and receptive. Immersive audio experiences trigger memorability, trust and connection. Listeners are drawn in with a sense of community and belonging. And advertisers see consistent results.

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

Idil Cakim is senior vice president, research and insights with Entercom. She has devised marketing and communication strategies for Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations for 20 years.

Devora Rogers is chief strategy officer with Alter Agents, a strategic market research consultancy. She has led research teams, developed the methodology deployed for Google’s groundbreaking ZMOT research, and worked with dozens of global brands.

The post Audio Content Drives Unmatched Engagement appeared first on Radio World.

(Hansen-Spear Funeral Home)

John Burtle has died. His career included stints at technology companies Automatic Tape Control (ATC) and Broadcast Electronics, where he once held the position of VP of product development.

He was 80, according to an obituary on the website of Hansen-Spear Funeral Home in Quincy, Ill.

“He was the force behind the BE automation products including the Control 16,” wrote his friend Chuck Kelly of Broadcast Electronics on social media.

According to the obituary, Burtle served in the U.S. Air Force and graduated from Chicago DeVry Tech School.

Andy Rector met Burtle while making a sales trip for ATC in the mid-1960s. Burtle eventually joined ATC, which would be purchased by Gates Radio, and he moved with the company from Bloomington to Quincy, Ill.

“John followed Larry Cervon when he purchased Broadcast Electronics and was instrumental in moving the BE operation [in 1977] from the Washington, D.C., area to Quincy,” Rector recalled.

Later in his career Burtle worked at ETC Computerland in computer training prior to retiring.

“John was a good friend and a fellow conservative,” Rector said. “He helped me put together a history of the broadcast tape cartridge machine which we presented to the Madison Broadcasters Clinic in 2008, the 50th anniversary of that device.” He called Burtle a great friend and fellow broadcaster.”Information about graveside services on Friday are on the funeral home website.

The post John Burtle Dies, Worked in Radio Tech appeared first on Radio World.

Tony Abfalter

Each year at Radio World we receive hundreds — if not thousands — of press releases about radio executives, general managers, air talent and sales people. We get very few about engineers. I like to celebrate them when I do.

Leighton Broadcasting in St. Cloud, Minn., wants us to know that it has a very special director of engineering and IT. He is Tony Abfalter, K0VSC, recipient of its MVP Award for 2020.

CEO Bob Leighton writes on his blog, “When the government called for a shutdown to protect against the coronavirus, we, like many others, had to quickly rethink how we worked … Our account executives were going remote but still needed access to company resources and new ways to connect with their clients. Our on-air announcers needed a safe environment to broadcast in and when they were self-quarantined due to potential exposure, they too, needed to be able to work from home.

“With the clock ticking, we called the department all station managers call when things aren’t working: engineering. …  Tony Abfalter was already formulating a plan.”

I contacted Abfalter to ask him to describe how he approached the pandemic.

“We had been focused on taking a look ahead on what could become problems in the future. While COVID-19 obviously was not something seen, our planning was easily adapted to it,” he replied.

“Over the past few years, broadcasters have had to take a look at some new challenges, like, ‘What if we can’t access the studios but still need to delivery timely, quality content? How do we do that cost-effectively? How do we make the process easy to implement on the fly?’

“Some of the solutions we implemented in building out this plan was moving to cloud-based services that can be accessed easily. The use of Microsoft 365 services, especially Teams, allowed staff to communicate and keep things moving. For remote studio live studio work the Comrex Opals we installed three years ago proved to be extremely valuable.” A secure VPN also was part of the process.

Bob Leighton said, “Tony accomplished all of this seamlessly and swiftly, which we considered exceptional and instrumental to our success, as an organization — a real MVP.”

Leighton presented the award in the original KFAM building in St. Cloud, Minn, recently refurbished in a retro style. “The remodel not only looks cool, but it allows our director of engineering to monitor and maintain all of our company signals from one location,” Leighton noted.

The family owned company has 190 employees, 64 RF/streaming audio sources, 26 format brands, six markets and one engineer.

Kudos to Tony Abfalter — and a tip of the hat to Leighton Broadcasting for highlighting the important contributions of radio engineering.

[Related: Read the Radio World ebook “Remote Radio Phase II.”]

The post Engineer Tony Abfalter Is an MVP appeared first on Radio World.

Shane Toven, CSRE CBNT, is senior broadcast engineer at Educational Media Foundation.

This article appeared in Radio World’s “Trends in Codecs and STLs for 2020” ebook.

Radio World: What’s the most important trend you see in the design and performance of codecs for remote or STL use for radio broadcast facilities?
Shane Toven: I see a trend toward combining multiple codec channels in a single unit. This helps with consolidation of facilities where multiple content streams and locations are involved. I also see codecs becoming more powerful as newer and more efficient encoding options are available.

The most exciting development that I see is increasing quality with less bandwidth usage. As broadcasters shift toward consolidating more facilities and interconnecting remote talent, this will be an important consideration for balancing quality versus bandwidth cost.

RW: How are today’s technologies solving problems in creative ways, or being deployed in your own facilities?
Toven: Codecs have been an invaluable tool for me, going all the way back to the original POTS codecs. Unfortunately, ISDN was not an option in rural Minnesota where I started my career. I purchased a Comrex Vector at my first station when that technology became available. It made a significant improvement in the quality of remote broadcasts when the options for connectivity in rural areas were limited.

Once IP connectivity started becoming more ubiquitous and there were an increasing number of IP codec options on the market, I took advantage of that to execute some very complex remotes, one of which involved live events at two different venues, and full talkback facilities between the studio and the two venues.

The latest application for codecs at my current facility has been converting multiple channels of audio on the AoIP network at the studio to encoded audio for carrying across lower bandwidth links. This conversion is done entirely inside the codec itself without any actual transition to AES or analog audio. Livewire I/O on one interface, codec I/O on the other interface. It really makes for a very nicely integrated solution.

[Check Out More of Radio World’s Ebooks Here]

RW: What role are codecs playing in this new world of at-home broadcasting?
Toven: Codecs have been critical in this role, though not in the traditional hardware sense. Some broadcasters have chosen to deploy hardware codecs for this purpose, but many others are using services such as CleanFeed or ipDTL. Both have advantages and drawbacks, but the biggest advantage of a software-based solution is ease of use and reduction in hardware costs. I could also envision a scenario where the codecs themselves become an integrated software component of a virtual infrastructure. Your smartphone becomes your codec and the talent can work from anywhere with very little hardware.

RW: How have AoIP technology developments been reflected in the look and function of codecs? 
Toven: AoIP has made implementing multichannel codecs much simpler. Instead of a rack full of AES or even analog audio wiring, the codec has no traditional audio I/O at all. One such product that we currently use is the Telos iPort. This streamlines the installation and implementation of codecs in our AoIP based facility considerably. The codec has very few physical controls and metering on it. Instead you have a 1RU box that can handle eight or more channels of encoding and decoding with all monitoring and control performed via the network.

RW: What will the codec of the future look like, if we use one at all? 
Toven: As connectivity continues to improve, we may in fact not require codecs anymore. I can envision a time where we are able to pass multiple channels of uncompressed AoIP between facilities directly. This would further simplify installations by eliminating one more step in the chain and improve audio quality by reducing the number of cascading codecs, a problem that has plagued engineers since the early days of bit-reduced encoding. I think what will become more important rather than codecs in this scenario is precision timing sources synchronized to GPS.

The post Increased Quality, Less Bandwidth appeared first on Radio World.

WideOrbit is out with a new version of its WO Automation for Radio.

Version 5.0 includes important enhancements for broadcasters with “distributed operations,” aka remote work.

It said these improvements help users manage station operations with a decentralized staff; run programming from home or elsewhere via mobile devices; manage content and playlists remotely; and integrate with other systems like MusicMaster and WO Traffic.

“WO Automation for Radio version 5.0 modernizes remote voice tracking capabilities to extend the complete in-studio experience to remote users,” the company said.

“Native apps can be installed and operated from virtually anywhere there’s an internet connection, on almost any device, including desktop environments running macOS, Windows or Linux, as well as on iOS mobile devices.”

Also new, a “Stop Media Asset Workflow Action” allows on-air assets to be stopped automatically or on-demand. And “Content Import Prioritization” streamlines the downloading of important content first whether from local drives or FTP sites.

The post WideOrbit Expands Remote Support appeared first on Radio World.

Years ago I took a firearms safety course. I remember the instructor saying, “The safety on a gun is a mechanical device. And any mechanical device can fail.” I’ve learned that this admonition about mechanical devices was true.

I think we can all agree that seemingly mundane matters involving our devices and tools are often ignored. The problem is that minimizing them can create glaring, noticeable problems.

I like to call these “mechanical distractions.” Our broadcast gear is electronic, yes; but these are machines that produce a product. In a concert venue or a church or any place with an installed sound system, the best sound system is the one you never notice. The system is built in such a way that the mechanical distractions are minimized.

A radio broadcast is much like an installed sound system. We want a listener to tune in and consume our product, not making mental notes about a technical aspect of the broadcast. This article presents examples of such minutia.

The Most Obvious: Processing

If 40 people provide 40 differing views on processing, that’s normal. It is a passionate and subjective topic.

If a loudness war is raging in the market, we may be pulled into doing things with processing that defy basic fundamentals. On the flip side, if we’re the only format in the market, we might be aloof about the processing.

Both are bad practice.

Processors like these are at their best when listeners can’t hear them working.

If we have achieved the “loudest” station in the market, is it smoking the final clipper? Is the multiband working so hard that listener fatigue is inevitable? Has audible distortion taken the place of clarity?

On the other hand, suppose we have a country format. Do listeners continually turn the station up and down because the processing is hardly doing its job?

Final processing is the hallmark of the station’s persona in the market. Set aside regular times to do some critical listening. Whether loud and aggressive or relaxed, the processing must serve your demographic without noticeable mechanics.

RDS and PAD

Metadata quality control should be within the purview of the programming department. However, an extra set of eyes never hurt anyone.

As radios evolve into virtual dashboard computers, RDS and PAD become more important. Over the last two years I became the self-appointed RDS and PAD czar at our cluster. Our engineering department works endlessly to make sure these ancillary services work properly.

This car radio stays in the TOC. If RDS looks bad here, it looks bad in someone’s car.

So when “Laddy Gaga” appears on the radio, or “020121-MU10004” or “Solitaire FT. Gucci Mane & Migos w./ Lil’ Yachty RADIO EDIT CLEAN VERSION,” it drives me insane.

In response, I’ve practically written a book for our programming staff that spells out artist and title formatting standards. Additionally, I’ve manually instituted these standards in our 13,000-song database.

“It’s not my job!” Well, that’s most likely true, but poorly formatted, misspelled or inconsistent RDS and PAD data is an embarrassing distraction that reflects poorly upon the station. When a listener looks at the name of a song, they shouldn’t start laughing about a spelling error.

Little, Little Tiny Edits

Now that we’ve put our noses in programming business, let’s go down the hall to the production department.

When orders stack up, the production team becomes the busiest group in the building. They churn out spot after spot.

That is when editing slip-ups happen. They are usually slight, but if they go unchecked, they can become an unnecessary mechanical distraction. Should engineering mention production issues to production? This is tricky territory, requiring an open, friendly environment for dialogue.

One example is cutting off a breath or editing a file in such a way that a breath happens unnaturally. This does the product a disservice. Also, splicing together the same voice from two recording sessions is a noticeable distraction. Some production folks add compression and dynamics in post that cause a regular and familiar voice to sound unnatural.

If the midday guy voices a spot that plays during one of his stop sets and the processing is spectacularly more aggressive than the regular studio mic processing, the listener will hear a mechanical change — a distraction.

One last thing that pertains to production and air staff is mic placement. Ever see the ad where the girl talks into the end of a side-address mic? So talk periodically with the on-air and production people. The mic is a mechanical device that can cause mechanical distractions when used improperly.

Stop Hurting Ourselves

Ssometimes we engineers get in our own way. Whether through complacency, lack of knowledge or lack of funds, we “let things go.”

I know of an RJ-45 connector right now in our TOC that needs replacing. It causes problems when it fails. Have I replaced it yet? Well, by the time you read this I will have!

Radio broadcasting has become data transfer before our eyes. One of these RJ-45 jacks going bad can ruin the day. Periodically check to make sure they’re seated and that the cable-connector junctions are not pinched or strained.

The point is, loose ends add up and can become noticeable to listeners.

How could I have prevented that four minutes of dead air? A silence alarm could have sent an email and I could have remoted in and fixed it.

Or the main transmitter failed and now we’re off the air until I can get there and switch it to the aux. Maybe it’s time to look into an improved Burk or Davicom remote system?

The PD keeps complaining about distortion on VoxPro. “Well, she’s off her rocker.” Yes, she probably is, but she needs you to take some time and fix the audio levels in the studio!

Be a People Person

When an engineer starts complaining to programming and production about how they’re doing their jobs, we can expect friction. Engineers don’t like it either.

However, reducing mechanical distractions doesn’t have to be contentious. Foster an environment of open dialogue, humor and camaraderie. That way, when we see typos on the RDS or hear a choppy radio ad or when the programming team hears a problem with the processing or something is up at a transmitter, a simple text, email or phone call won’t be an affront.

As broadcasters we present an on-air product in which the transport mechanism must be transparent. There should be nothing mechanically distracting between the jock’s mic and the listener’s speakers. Attention to detail and purposeful camaraderie go a very long way in creating a great product.

Chris Wygal is chief engineer for Summit Media Corp. in Richmond, Va.. He began a full-time career in radio broadcasting in 2002 and has been writing for broadcast trade publications since 2005.

 

The post Little Problems Can Cause Big Headaches appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World has a fresh look starting with this issue, in a format that’s intended to brighter, cleaner and more enjoyable for you to read.

Also:

An AoIP project helps Denver stations prepare for the new normal. Ford’s Scott Burnell says radio stations are missing an easy opportunity to compete better in the dash. John Bisset and Chris Wygal share tech tips. Entercom execs talk about audio’s power to engage.

All that and more in the March 3 edition.

The post Inside the March 3 2021 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

The National Black Radio Hall of Fame has inducted more than 35 individuals and groups into its hall of fame roll.

Combining the 2020 and 2021 inductees into one class, these individuals are being recognized for the impact they’ve had on radio and in the wider community. The nonprofit organization, which was established in 2010, recognizes the contributions of personalities and pioneers of African-American radio.

The awards honor individuals in several categories including Community Service Artist of the Year, Gospel Radio Personality and the National Terrestrial Talk Radio Award. The awards also recognize individuals through the National Black Radio Hall of Fame Posthumous Award. This year that award was given to six individuals for their contribution to radio including former Baton Rouge radio host Guy Brody, radio host Yvonne Daniel who was part of the first all-female team on WSDM(FM) in Indiana, and Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg who cultivated a 48-year career as a Detroit R&B DJ and station owner.

Other awards include the Lifetime Media Achievement Award given to Joe Madison, known as “The Black Eagle,” who served as a talk radio host and civil rights activist who broke the Guinness World Record for longest talk show marathon when he stayed on the air 52 hours to raise funds for the Smithsonian. Talk show hosts Joyce Littel and Derek Boazman were also honored as were House Music Pioneer Award winners Bobby Holiday and Requaya Ward.

The complete list of 2020 and 2021 winners can be found below.

In addition to recognizing Black voices and promoting the historical perspective of African-Americans in national radio, the organization also offers educational and scholarship programs to connect communities to increased higher learning opportunities.

2020/2021 National Black Radio Hall of Fame Inductees:

National Black Radio Hall of Fame Posthumous Award — Guy Broady, Yvonne Daniel, Big George, Burke Johnson, Martha Jean the Queen, Irene Johnson Ware

Radio/Music Career Artist of the Year — Bobby Rush

Community Service Artist of the Year — Tony Terry

Radio Media Specialist Award — Harry Lyles, Lyles Media Group

Lifetime Media Achievement Award — Joe Madison, “The Black Eagle,” the Madison Show

Special Black Radio Original 13 Award Presentation — Given by Jill Gibson for Dorothy Brunson Family, Marshall Thompson the Chi-Lites Willie Martin “Perculator”

African-American Radio Promoter Award — Ted Astin, Arlinda Garrett, Leroy Little

African-American Station Owner Award — Mutter Evans, The Davis Group, Roscoe Miller

Community Service Personality Award — Derrick Chatman, Monica Pearson

Talented Sisters of Radio Award — Carol Blackmon, Shirley Ellis, Renee Miller

Talented Brothers of Radio Award — Mitch Faulkner, Bill Gay, Doug Steele

Gospel Radio Personality Award — Twanda Black, Melissa Summers, Larry Tinsley

Hip Hop Radio Personality Award — Dncredible Freddie Fred, Ryan Cameron, Greg Street

House Music Pioneer Award — Bobby Holiday, Requaya Ward

National Terrestrial Talk Radio Award — Derek Boazman, Joyce Littel

 

 

The post New Members Inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame appeared first on Radio World.

Getty Images/skaman306

Another round of employee cuts at iHeartMedia last last week appears to include reductions in engineering departments at its broadcast operations.

Jerry Del Colliano in the online newsletter Inside Music Media put the number of iHeartMedia broadcast engineers cut at 39 as of Friday, with some of them expected to continue as contract help at stations.

Del Colliano reports that iHeartMedia will rely on a more regional approach to engineering staffing, in line with the company’s ongoing changes to its technology infrastructure and workflows. The company also is expected to outsource more of its engineering work as it continues to seek cost-cutting measures amid a weaker economic environment caused by the pandemic.

RadioInsight also reported on engineering cuts in a story Friday.

An iHeartMedia spokesperson declined to confirm the engineering staff cuts and offered no further comment to Radio World.

As we’ve reported before, the company has been building workflows around centralized content distribution centers that it calls AI-enabled Centers of Excellence. Its modernization initiative has resulted in layoffs in programming, sales and engineering, according to those familiar with the developments.

iHeartMedia was already sharing engineers between markets in many cases, sources have told Radio World. Following cuts in early 2020, the company created emergency response teams handle major technical crisis.

The company has never described the exact role of the regional hubs, but the technical overhaul of operations includes more remote voicetracking and a move of some broadcast operations into a cloud-based platform. It is consolidating some broadcast facilities and downsizing others, according to sources familiar with its plans.

The company has been downsizing headcount. According to its most recent 10K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as of Feb. 22, it had approximately 10,200 employees. A year ago, according to investor filings, it had approximately 11,400 employees.

Here’s how iHeartMedia described its modernization efforts to the SEC in a recent filing: “In January 2020, iHeartMedia announced key modernization initiatives designed to take advantage of the significant investments that the company has made in new technologies to build an improved operating infrastructure to upgrade products and deliver incremental cost efficiencies,” it stated.

“This modernization is a multi-pronged set of strategic initiatives that we believe positions the company for sustainable long-term growth, margin expansion, and value creation for shareholders. As targeted, our investments in modernization delivered approximately $50 million of in-year savings in 2020, and we remain on track to deliver annualized run-rate cost savings of approximately $100 million by mid-year 2021.”

Del Colliano, a skeptic of iHeartMedia’s recovery plan since it emerged from bankruptcy in 2019, was again critical. “This is an attempt by iHeart, always looking to assuage public opinion, that technology is the bad guy when in reality the actual savings are not coming from innovations in broadcast equipment or internet technology, but from sustained attempts to reduce their 10,000+ workforce by as much as possible as soon as possible,” he wrote.

The post Reports: iHeartMedia Makes Cuts to Engineering Staff appeared first on Radio World.

Two radio station licensees in Florida have received notices of violation from the Federal Communications Commission for spurious emissions.

In one case, the commission believes a low-power FM station was causing interference to aviation frequencies at Orlando International Airport. In that instance, the Enforcement Bureau issued a notice of violation to WBVL(LP) in Kissimmee, Fla., licensed to Sucremedia Inc.

The commission says the Federal Aviation Administration began receiving interference to aviation frequencies on Dec. 15, 2020. The interference was reported to the Enforcement Bureau on Dec. 26. The next day, the bureau’s Miami office investigated.

It said WBVL is licensed on 99.7 MHz at a maximum effective radiated power of 89 Watts, but the FCC said its agents measured excessive spurious emissions from the station transmitter on six frequencies — 114.145, 115.850, 118.385, 120.995, 134.585 and 135.765 MHz.

The rules in this situation require that the LPFM stop operations within three hours. The FCC says it made numerous attempts to contact the station but that WBVL didn’t go off the air until at least 41 hours later.

Once WBVL was off the air, the interference to the Orlando International Airport ceased.

In a separate case this week the Miami office issued a notice to Cornerstone Broadcasting Corp. for spurious emissions on 133.0626 MHz that the FCC attributes to Cornerstone’s FM translator at 97.3 in Deland, Fla. That translator serves WJLU(FM) in New Smyrna Beach.

In both cases the FCC has instructed the licensees to provide information about the emissions and any steps they have taken to resolve the situation, while reserving the option of taking further action.

The post Fla. LPFM Gets Interference Notice appeared first on Radio World.

Imperative Audio has launched its first product, the PVB, a portable vocal booth. The booth is designed to provide the space and acoustics of a typical vocal booth, but in a collapsible form factor.

Intended for podcasters, recording pros, singers, voiceover artists and broadcasters, the PVB sports a light aluminum cylindrical design with a circumference of 324 centimeters/127.5 inches and an opening of 80 centimeters/31.5 inches, making it spacious enough accommodate performers for extended periods without a claustrophobic atmosphere.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

When its five legs are retracted, the PVB sits at 118 centimeters/46.5 inches and can be used for amp isolation and miking in the studio. At full height with its legs extended, the PVB stands at 210 centimeters/83 inches, and it can be used with an open top or with an optional acoustically treated roof that can be added securely. The roof features a channel which allows users to lower an overhead mic stand into the booth. The vocal booth ships with an accessory bar, bookstand, storage bag and for a limited period, a free LED light.

Inside, the booth features three layers of acoustic treatment; when used with the optional roof, the PCB offers a reported 0.07 secs reflection time (RT60 in accordance with ISO 3382-2 Measurements) and an average of 28.4 dBa reduction (One-Third-Octave Spectrum LZeq in accordance with IEC 61260).

The PVB runs $1,499.

Info: https://imperativeaudio.com

 

The post Imperative Audio Launches PVB Portable Vocal Booth appeared first on Radio World.

Every two years, the Federal Communications Commission now is required to publish a Communications Marketplace Report that assesses the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace in the United States. The FCC recently released the second such report.

Broadcasting is one of the many market segments included. The report makes for interesting reading and I recommend you check it out. The discussion of the audio market, including radio, appears on pages 142–156.

Here I thought I’d share six charts from the report that capture various aspects of the FCC’s discussion about trends in U.S. radio.

Station count

The FCC noted that the number of AM and FM stations licensed in the United States, below, has remained steady in recent years, while the number of LPFM stations has increased. It reminded readers that new stations are possible only through new allocations and award of licenses, either via an auction in the case of commercial stations, or a comparative system for non-commercial stations. (Also see my recent related story that compares the 2020 numbers to the year 2000.)

Top 10 radio station owners

To secure the highest ad rates and to compete for advertising market share, the FCC reminds us, stations strive to gain the largest audience of listeners possible to maximize the price for ad time sold. Below it ranks the top 10 largest radio station owners, by revenue.

“These owners control stations that are not confined to particular geographic regions; they are spread out across various geographical markets.” (And here’s a link to what the list looked like in 2006, though from a different research source.)

U.S. terrestrial radio revenue

The FCC observed that radio ad revenue had been virtually flat between 2010 and 2019 but that 2020 was expected to see a drop of around 15% due to the pandemic. “While these numbers are preliminary, the predicted decline in advertising revenue is substantial.”

The chart below also indicates that revenue never fully recovered from the recession following the 2008 financial crisis.

“In a recent report, S&P Global predicts that advertising revenue for terrestrial radio stations will face a tougher road to recovery from the pandemic-induced recession compared to broadcast television stations.”

The chart also captures the growth in revenue from online radio compared to OTA.

Stations by market size

The next image is a scatterplot of the number of stations within a market against the market size, measured by rank.

“The number of radio stations available decreases as the market size decreases, suggesting more choice in markets with higher populations. Not shown in the table, however, are additional choices that listeners have that include satellite and online radio …”

Programming formats for terrestrial radio

The commission said interference issues may have contributed to AM stations favoring talk formats relative to music; 63% of FMs identify with a music format, while only 34% of AM stations do. AMs favor Spanish and ethnic, news, sports, and talk. The percentages of stations that air religion are similar for AM and FM stations. Public and education format stations predominantly use FM. Nearly half of LPFMs are music; about 36% provide religious community programming.

US terrestrial and online radio weekly audience

“While broadcast terrestrial radio remains dominant in some respects … the gap in usage between broadcast terrestrial and online audio has declined over time.”

Over the past decade, the number of listeners to terrestrial radio grew annually around 0.55% on average, while annual growth in online radio was 29%. (Though part of online growth was due to listeners accessing AM/FM broadcasts online, the FCC said the figure below “illustrates the dynamic nature of audio as listeners continue to access online radio across a diverse range of devices.”)

The post Radio by the (FCC) Numbers appeared first on Radio World.

Radio One Licensees, part of Urban One, is the latest radio ownership group to sign a consent decree with the Federal Communications Commission over online public files.

The commission continues to announce settlements with owners large and small in an initiative that became public  last summer.

That’s when it announced agreements with six major groups including Alpha Media, Beasley Media, Cumulus Media, Entercom, iHeartMedia and Salem Media Group. Since then it has announced many more.

These cases are all essentially the same. An owner files for a station license renewal, and the FCC Audio Division suspends the process because online public files aren’t kept up. The licensee acknowledges that and promises to takes steps including appointing a compliance officer, creating a compliance plan and reporting back to the commission by a certain date.

The commission for its part acknowledges that the pandemic caused a dramatic reduction in ad revenues, causing the industry significant financial stress, and drops its investigation. No money changes hands.

In the case of Radio One, the process was prompted by the license renewal application for station WHHL(FM) in Hazelwood, Mo. The FCC said Radio One was unable to certify compliance with the public file requirements during the past license term and failed to certify compliance in its applications because it did not comply with the Political Record Keeping Statute and Rule.

The post Radio One Joins Public File Scoldees appeared first on Radio World.

Two public media companies are celebrating the successful competition of a five-year, multimillion dollar fundraising campaign that worked to transform public radio in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and American Public Media (APM) announced the successful completion of “Inspired by You,” a campaign designed to better serve audiences in Minnesota by making some transformative changes to public radio.

[Read: User Report: MPR/APM Build Links With Burk]

The campaign, which launched in summer 2015 and had a goal of raising $75 million by December 2020, passed that goal by raising $98.3 million in all. The funds raised were a combination of cash gifts and planned gift commitments to help transform the organizations’ public service priorities.

“The ‘Inspired by You’ campaign has changed our trajectory as a media organization and accelerated our progress toward being a more equitable, inclusive, diverse and accessible public service,” said Jon McTaggart, president and CEO of American Public Media Group.

Even through the pandemic and recession, “the extraordinary gifts from individuals and institutions enabled us to invest in new ways of connecting with larger and more diverse audiences and with each other,” McTaggart said.

MPR and APR used $53 million in cash gifts to invest in new digital programming, technology and innovation efforts. According to the organizations, advancements in digital technology and on-demand programming have positioned the two organizations to deepen their relevance and connect with audiences in new ways. Planned gift comments that totaled $45.5 million will further strengthen the organization’s endowment.

The impact of the “Inspired by You” campaign has served audiences in many ways including expanding investigative journalism projects and better reflecting audiences in Minnesota. Specifically, campaign support allowed Classical MPR to identify new ways to introduce young people to classical music while the opening of the Glen Nelson Center, an innovation hub and co-working space, worked to boost diversity in Minnesota media.

The funding also allowed the organizations to raise awareness about critical issues impacting APM and MPR audiences through programs like The Water Main, which focuses on a variety of water issues, and the program “Call to Mind,” which fosters new conversations about mental health. Funding also allowed the organizations to increase media coverage of key issues including a program called “Color of Coronavirus,” which calculates the disproportionate effect that COVID-19 was having on people of color.

“I am amazed and humbled by the generosity we’ve seen since launching ‘Inspired by You’ five years ago,” said Randi Yoder, senior vice president and chief development officer of APM. “This is a recognition by our community and funders across the nation of the importance of public media in our daily lives and longevity of its mission.” In turn, Yoder said, this generosity allowed APM to redefine the role that a public media organization can play.

“We have the potential to form connections, introduce new voices, and inspire change — we are so much more than a radio station,” Yoder said. “This period of national rebuilding is when our public service is needed most.”

 

The post Public Media Campaign Raises $98.3 Million to Modernize Minnesota Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Monoprice has launched an expanded podcasting/streaming bundle centered around its Stage Right microphone. Augmented with an accessories package, the bundle is intended for entry-level use.

The Stage Right Complete Podcasting and Streaming Bundle includes a USB condenser mic, a pair of headphones, a mic stand, and other accessories. The headphones can be plugged into the USB microphone’s headphone jack so users can monitor without the need for additional hardware.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

The headphone volume level can be adjusted independently of the microphone output level using the headphone volume knob on the mic.

The USB condenser microphone itself features a 16-bit/48 kHz sampling rate, and comes with a broadcast-style mic boom, pop filter, mic clip, mount bracket and windscreen.

Info: www.monoprice.com

 

The post Monoprice Launches Stage Right Podcasting Bundle appeared first on Radio World.

Another legendary AM news station owned by Entercom is expanding its footprint via the FM dial.

The company said that starting March 22, KMOX(AM) in St. Louis, which broadcasts on 1120 kHz, will simulcast on an FM translator at 98.7 MHz. The translator previously simulcast KFTK, “97.1 FM Talk.”

The KMOX branding will be “News Radio 1120 AM 98.7 FM – the voice of St. Louis.”

Entercom made a similar FM news move in Pittsburgh recently at KDKA. And in November in Philadelphia, it added an FM signal to carry the news programming of KYW(AM).

In St. Louis, it said the FM frequency of KMOX “will be heard throughout the city’s business district including downtown, Clayton, midtown, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights and Kirkwood.

The company also adds “The Dave Glover Show” to its afternoon lineup; the show had been on KFTK.

The announcement was made by Senior Vice President and Market Manager Becky Domya and Brand Manager Steve Moore.

Moore was quoted in the announcement saying, “It’s important that KMOX is available on multiple platforms in order to keep the listeners in the business district informed with the latest news throughout the city.”

The station is also heard on the RADIO.COM app and website.

 

The post KMOX Will Add an FM Signal appeared first on Radio World.

Volunteers prepare to install solar panels on the roof of the KUHS studio building.

It’s not easy running a low-power FM operation. Raising funds to build the station, construction of studio and transmitter facilities, growing and training a volunteer staff, creating a format that serves your niche and of course, the endless need for fundraising all have to be mastered.

One misstep in any of these areas can cause the organization to flounder. In spite of all these challenges, KUHS(LP) in Hot Springs, Ark., appears to have hit one out of the park.

Its combination of out-of-the-box engineering solutions, enlightened management and innovative fundraising has created a cultural resource for central Arkansas that has been operating successfully since 2015.

KUHS also holds the distinction of being the only solar-powered station in the state.

Powered by the sun …

The station story began when Zac Smith, a tuba player and amateur radio operator then living in Winston-Salem, N.C., read about the FCC’s plans to allocate part of the spectrum to LPFM.

“I thought, ‘How cool would it be if there were a deejay booth in a coffee shop and you could drop a tune, or talk about your latest philosophical revelations?’”

That thought led to Smith partnering with broadcast engineer Bob Nagy and Bill Solleder, founder of Hot Springs non-profit Low Key Arts. Their 2013 application was approved by the commission, and they spent the next 18 months raising $35,000 and preparing for sign-on.

The first step was finding a transmitter site. Smith and Nagy scouted the peak of nearby West Mountain, which was covered with cellular, radio and emergency service towers. They found a long-vacant AT&T microwave relay building that was available.

The KUHS transmitter is located in this former AT&T microwave relay building on top of West Mountain.

The power had been disconnected, and the two quickly did the math to calculate their LPFM’s power needs. They determined that a solar installation would be more cost-effective than restoring commercial power, and estimated a two-year payback period. The system cost $2.75/watt including batteries. Since the installation work was all volunteer, there were no labor costs.

Nagy designed a 2.4 kW solar system for the site, and took steps to keep as much of the equipment running directly off DC as possible, avoiding power-hungry DC-to-AC inverters.

The station purchased a Bext exciter that ran on 24 VDC. Nagy designed a system to convert the solar system’s native 12.8 VDC to +5VDC and other voltages for ancillary equipment.

Initially, the KUHS solar system used lead-acid batteries for power storage, which Smith admits was probably not the best choice.

“They were the least expensive option, but they turned out to be very high maintenance. Corrosion of the battery terminals was an ongoing issue, and the cells had to be kept topped off with deionized water.  Even worse was the damage to our other equipment from the corrosive gasses they released.”

When it came time to replace these, the station used 200 Ah sealed lead acid batteries — more expensive but virtually maintenance-free. The battery system has enough juice to power the transmitter site through a cloudy winter week.

In 2016, KUHS also installed a 6 kW solar array on the roof of the Hot Springs studio. It powers the lights, studio equipment and a portion of the HVAC. The system has a grid tie, so excess power is sold back to the power company. For that installation, they paid $2.15/watt. There was a lot of volunteer labor in the project, but the switchgear was installed by a licensed electrician.

To get programming from the downtown Hot Springs studios to West Mountain a mile and a half away, they selected a Cambium Networks 5 GHz WiFi system with PoE (Power over Ethernet). A pair of Barix boxes provided the A-D and D-A conversions.

… and by volunteers

KUHS took steps to upgrade in 2018. The frequency was changed from 97.9 to 102.5 MHz to reduce interference from other stations. A Pira P132 RDS encoder was purchased to add text to the signal, and a BW V2 30W TX exciter was purchased for better sound and remote management. The frequency swap was celebrated with a gala event at the local theatre.

Station DJs do a dry run with remote gear prior to a live broadcast.

The station runs with a staff of 60 to 65 DJs. One of the key factors for its success is that everyone at the station, including Smith and Nagy, is a volunteer. Smith said the idea came from Nagy.

“He was really adamant about that. He said that at every volunteer station he had been at, the moment you raise enough money to get one person on part time, everybody quits putting in the effort. They’re like, ‘Well, let the paid person do it.’’’ He adds that part of the KUHS culture involves urging volunteers to ask for help when they need it, but also emphasizing that no one is going to do your work for you.

Smith’s real job is brewmaster for the SQZBX Brewery and Pizza Joint, which is in the same building as KUHS. The two businesses sometimes fertilize each other, with visitors to the station patronizing the brewery, and brewery customers discovering KUHS.

A KUHS promotion asked listeners to post pictures of their pets on Instagram. Favorites were posted by the station, and the first-prize winner was awarded a radio.

The programming philosophy for KUHS is providing community access and airing eclectic genres of music that are neglected by mainstream media. Smith uses a community garden analogy to describe the programming.

“We’re not maximizing our slice of the radio spectrum for money, rather we’re maximizing it for access.” Volunteer DJs have a love for a particular type of music that they think is underrepresented on the airwaves of Hot Springs. Each one stakes out a 1-2-hour shift to bring their musical passion to the community.

Planet Sounds, hosted by DJ Modest, features all genres of world music. Sonny Kay, Danny P and Operator OT host “Finally Friday,” where they play “motivational, agitational and otherwise propellent punk and pop” guaranteed to get a Friday night moving. And “Half Machine Lip Moves” is where you’ll hear “alien soundtracks from the industrial underground,” bringing you EBM, industrial, power electronics and noise, dark ambient, no wave, synthpunk, cold wave/minimal wave, noise rock, the experimental sounds of inner and outer space, and more.

Unusual for 21st century century radio, the KUHS studios have turntables, and several of the volunteers build their shows around various genres of esoteric vinyl.

Most vinyl DJs bring their own material. The station has a small library of around 200 LPs, 50 singles and approximately 200 CDs. Most were donated when the station started.

“With the internet what it is in terms of a musical resource,” Smith said, “I decided early on that being an archivist was not going to be our strong point. With 60 or 70 DJs, what would you collect with limited space?”

Holding down a full-time job while managing KUHS requires some thoughtful time management. One trick Smith utilizes is automation.

“One of our board members is a programmer, and he has been able to automate a lot of small tasks I need to do and glue them together with Python.”

KUHS is a member of the Grassroots Radio Coalition, an offshoot of public radio that focuses on community access and volunteer involvement in station operations. In 2016, the station hosted the annual Grassroots Radio Conference.

The annual budget for KUHS is about $12,000. That relatively small number is possible due to the combination of an all-volunteer staff and regular contributions from a stable financial base that includes several large benefactors, major contributors and numerous Hot Springs merchants. Additional revenue comes from music festivals. All of this makes Smith very grateful, “No one really wants the job of going door to door asking for money.”

The post LPFM Powers Up With the Arkansas Sun appeared first on Radio World.

The author is a broadcast contract engineer who has a unique way of measuring the carrier frequency of the AM stations in his care.

Making off-air frequency measurements of AM broadcast stations can be a bit of a challenge.

Unless you are at the transmitter site and have a high-level RF sample of the transmitter output available, it’s unlikely that you can use a frequency counter to make the measurement. Another method has to be used to measure the low-level (millivolt-range) off-air signal. I have found an easy, “zero-beat” method that works reliably.

I use the following complement of equipment:

• Field intensity meter (such as PI FIM-21/41, RCA WX-2 or Nems-Clarke 120);
• RF signal generator with 0.01 Hz adjustability (such as Agilent E4430B);
• GPS-disciplined 10 MHz reference oscillator (such as HP Z3801A) and antenna;
• Loop antenna (such as Chris Scott LP-3).

Fig. 1: Equipment setup

The physical setup is shown in Fig. 1, and the measurement procedure is as follows:

1. Connect the equipment as shown. The loop antenna can be oriented in any way and should be placed about a foot away from the FIM.
2. Tune the RF signal generator to the frequency of the station to be measured, then tune the FIM to that signal. It is not necessary to calibrate the FIM; it will only be used to receive the station and the actual field intensity reading is unimportant. You don’t even need to listen to the signal on the speaker or headphones. Set the meter to LIN mode, not Log mode.
3. Disconnect the loop antenna from the RF signal generator or disable its RF output. Orient the FIM to maximize the signal coming from the station. Adjust the FIM’s Range switch and Gain controls for a mid-scale indication (3–6) on its meter.
4. Reconnect the loop antenna or enable the RF output of the signal generator and adjust its output level so the meter swing remains within the limits of the scale. Set the RF output level based on the position of the FIM’s Range switch: for the 1 V/m range, start with –20 dBm; set it lower by 20 dB for each lower position of the Range switch. On my setup, I need around –10 dBm feeding the loop antenna for a usable indication on the FIM’s 1 V/m range. If necessary, change the RF signal generator’s frequency up or down by a few Hertz to see the meter swing back and forth due to the beat frequency.
5. Adjust the RF signal generator’s frequency to zero-beat the station so the meter swing is minimized and eventually stands still. Go right down to 0.01 Hz steps. Take your time as you get near the exact frequency, as the meter will be moving up or down very slowly. Make sure you’re not at a maximum or minimum of the zero-beat cycle. You want a position where changing the frequency up or down by 0.01 Hz causes the meter indication to reverse direction, indicating you’re as close as you can get. With practice you can dial in the exact zero-beat frequency in less than 30 seconds. Read the station’s exact carrier frequency on the RF signal generator.

Stations running IBOC, most of which are locked to a GPS reference frequency, are usually very close to their assigned frequency, within 0.1 Hz. Most modern analog transmitters will show some seasonal drift with temperature.

I am currently checking the carrier frequency of four local stations. The IBOC station (that is not using an external GPS antenna) has drifted up 0.04 Hz over five years. The others tend to move up or down by as much as 3 Hertz as the equipment temperature changes. The FCC rules require the carrier frequency to be within +/- 20 Hertz, so a few Hertz won’t matter.

[Subscribe to Radio World Engineering Extra]

I’ve been using this method for more than eight years with results that match or exceed the commercial frequency measuring company’s reports.

I have the equipment listed above, but you can make substitutions if necessary. For example, in place of the Chris Scott loop antenna, a couple of clip leads and a series 30-50 ohm resistor can be used to form a loop that can be loosely draped on top of the FIM’s loop antenna. Even a short whip antenna can be used on the signal generator if the FIM is close enough to it.

An RF signal generator that lets you specify a frequency within 1 Hz or better can be used as long as it can utilize a 10 MHz reference signal. The carrier frequency you measure will only be as accurate as the equipment you have available to measure it with.

The 10 MHz reference signal could come from a rubidium oscillator, which has been adjusted to zero-beat a GPS-disciplined oscillator (GPSDO). These can often achieve accuracies of 0.0001 Hz on the 10 MHz signal.

An AM radio with a VTVM or DMM on its AVC line can also be used as an indicator if you don’t have an FIM.

RW welcomes your Tech Tips, email us at radioworld@futurenet.com.

The author is an amateur radio operator (WA1MIK) and FCC licensed contract radio engineer in Southern Connecticut. Email him at mailto:wa1mik@comcast.net.

The post Broadcast Frequency Measurement Methodology 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.

One of the stranger media industry stories surfaced last week as a cautionary tale for any organization not taking its leadership role seriously.

Nonprofit news outlet FairWarning closed Feb. 20 after allegations of inflammatory remarks by editor Myron Levin came to light on Twitter. According to a job candidate, Levin brushed off concerns of FairWarning’s lack of diversity in its board and staffing, offering various questionable hot takes in the interview. Controversy ensued. The staff went public to say Levin, who had already been planning to step down after an executive search, should resign.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Unspoken]

Those involved in media for any length of time have seen other scandals play out similarly. In most cases, the leader in question apologizes and steps aside, so that the media organization can continue its needed work and retain the trust of its audience. In a jaw-dropping move, Levin and the board penned spirited defenses of the editor and a rebuke of the candidate. While charging the candidate of distorting the interview and making a point of saying he wasn’t hired, Levin does not outright say the account is a lie, either. The board then told the aggrieved staff they were out of jobs and that the whole operation was dissolving. Current dives further into this bizarre turn of events.

What can other organizations learn from such a colossal governance and leadership flop? How can your radio station avoid such issues?

First, whether you are interviewing job candidates, volunteers or prospective board members, it’s important to remember that they’re interviewing you as much as you’re interviewing them. Word choice matters. Such conversations are formal exchanges about your organization, its values and your leadership style. When you’re looked at as a resource, it’s at times easy to forget those conversations are not simply between you and the person you’re talking with, but are a chance to convey your organization’s vision for how its workplace functions.

Second, no matter if you believe Levin is completely innocent, covering up, or falls somewhere in the middle, clearly the subject of accountability bears reflection. At times, our words may not have been heard as we think they should be when someone else hears them. And when they aren’t, the old-school go-to of blame the listener does not cut it in today’s world. Salting your response by presenting others’ accounts as an “attack,” or cloaking yourself in self-righteousness only makes you look guilty. Apologizing and humbly accepting how one’s words were heard and pledging to do better shouldn’t be so hard, yet people sometimes make it so.

Finally, governance training for media organizations, especially nonprofit radio stations, is essential. Nonprofit boards have historically been taught that they have three core responsibilities. Among those is what is called the duty of loyalty, or operating the organization in its best interests above personalities. Boards supervise executives and, when it is time, replace them to ensure continuity of services, so that the nonprofit keeps delivering what its constituents expect. It may be hard for any established media organization to comprehend how a nine-person board (including Levin) would simply shut down a media outlet in response to criticism. In many instances, a lack of board training may be the issue.

 

The post Community Broadcaster: Things Fall Apart appeared first on Radio World.