There’s a new VP/GM for the CBS and The CW Network affiliates serving Boise, Idaho.
New to the Sinclair Broadcast Group duopoly in Idaho’s biggest market is the former VP/GM of the CBS affiliate serving Champaign, Ill., a Nexstar Media Group property.
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New leadership for talent strategy at CBS News and Stations that its leaders believe “will enhance the organization’s recruitment and development” has been named by its presidents and co-heads, Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon.
The appointments are effective November 1.
The changes involve CBS News SVP Laurie Orlando, who will move into a new role overseeing talent strategy for the CBS Stations and local streaming unit, reporting to McMahon.
They also involve 20-year CBS News production and talent recruitment specialist Alison Pepper, who returns to the fold to take on the role of SVP for talent strategy for CBS News and Network streaming, reporting to Khemlani.
The new structure is part of “the evolution” of CBS News and Stations under Khemlani and McMahon, a move made by ViacomCBS “to unify all local to global newsgathering across all platforms.”
Orlando joined CBS News in January 2016 after serving as a top executive for ESPN, where she oversaw talent recruitment and development since 2008. She began her career in television in 1980 as a news intern with WRGB-6 in Albany, N.Y. In 1986, she worked as an intern for “Late Night with David Letterman” before moving onto positions with Showtime and Comedy Channel.
Pepper spent almost two decades at CBS, rising to senior producer for 60 MINUTES until taking a job as an agent at CAA in its Television – News and Sports Media group, where she represented on-air reporters, personalities and producers.
Pepper’s career at CBS News began as a page in May 2000.
The first of the broadcast media industry’s quarterly earnings reports surfaced on Thursday morning, as Meredith Corporation, which is in the final stages of the sale of its Local Media unit to Gray Television, released its fiscal 2022 first-quarter results.
With Barry Diller’s IAC purchasing the National Media arm, and all other assets, of Meredith, this will be the final Q1 report television industry observers and financial analysts will see from Meredith. And, as is typical in non-political years, tough comparisons are at play, explaining a 7% Local Media revenue decline.
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NATE, the tower association, has passed along a warning from 3M, a major manufacturer of safety equipment for the tower industry.
Select runs of the company’s DBI-SALA Nano-Lok self-retracting lifeline with anchor hook are under suspicion. First clue, they were manufactured between Sept. 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021, part/model numbers: 3101218, 3101219, 3101241, 3101198, 3101223, 3101224 and 3101249.
The concern is an improperly formed rivet for the top swivel eye that could work loose and fail. 3M has provided instructions on how to inspect the device. If the rivet is formed correctly and secure the unit is safe and can be used.
Check out the warning issued for specific details and what actions need to be taken.
No accidents have yet been reported.
The post Fall Protection Equipment Safety Alert Issued appeared first on Radio World.
The nation’s biggest owner of radio stations has repurchased and cancelled all of its outstanding shares of Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock. To do so, it used cash on hand, wiping 60,000 outstanding shares out of existence.
It is officially iHeartMedia Inc. subsidiary iHeart Operations Inc. that made the move, one that sees the audio content and distribution company behind iHeartRadio voluntarily repurchase the full balance of its $60 million preferred stock.
According to iHeartMedia Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman, it demonstrates the company’s commitment to strengthening its balance sheet and increasing free cash flow, while still maintaining “ample liquidity.”
Pittman added, “Repurchasing early allows us to realize interest savings, exit the most restrictive instrument on our balance sheet, and continue to reinforce iHeart’s commitment to improving our capital structure. This action continues to demonstrate our confidence in our business moving forward.”
The cash repurchase price for each Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock is $1,000, plus a premium equal to the remaining dividends required to be paid through the optional redemption date of May 1, 2022 — discounted at a negotiated rate. This results in an aggregate redemption amount of $64.35 million to be paid to the holders of the $60 million Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock.
On word of the repurchase, IHRT shares were up 22 cents to $19.81 in after-hours trading on Wednesday.
Following in Spot Inc.‘s footsteps in 2016 would have been a good move. Today, with respect to its finances, it is ill-advised.
Tell that to Jack Dorsey, the billionaire CEO at Twitter. His company’s shares plummeted Wednesday on Wall Street following the release of less-than-stellar Q3 2021 results.
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The Board of Directors at the Northern Virginia-based broadcast TV company that’s reportedly considering bids from Byron Allen and from a partnership between embattled investor Soohyung Kim’s Standard General and Apollo Global Management has declared a shareholder dividend.
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With Wednesday’s Closing Bell on Wall Street, 100 shares of Audacy Inc. stock would cost, minus any broker fees, $321.
That’s still not even close to the revised price target one financial analyst just put on a single share of Spotify stock, lauding the streaming audio company for an “excellent” Q3 2021 report card and an outlook that is “quite strong.”
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ANNAPOLIS, MD. — For 24 years, he’s served as a partner at radio industry programming and sales data and insights consultancy Research Director.
Now, after 40 years in the radio industry, he’s announced his retirement at year’s end.
On December 31, Charlie Sislen will conclude a career that began in 1981, and since 1997 has exclusively involved his role at Research Director.
Sislen comments, “It has been a pleasure being part of Research Director for the past 24 years. I woke up every day excited not only about what would come next, but also more importantly the people I would interact with. I enjoyed every conversation with Research Director’s amazing team, our tremendous clients, and everyone who makes our industry great.”
Sislen thanked his partner, Marc Greenspan, who he says had the vision to bring him into the company.
Sislen continued, “I am leaving a phenomenal team, whose hard work made my role as the face of the company easy. They made the difference for every one of our clients. Now is the time of my life where I must shift my focus from my career, which I love, to my family and my community. Research Director and the radio industry will always be in my heart.”
Sislen’s transition is already underway, with much of his duties being handed to new Director of Client Services Karen Morriss.
She was most recently a senior account manager at Nielsen Audio.
There is a way to buy radio advertising that is thousands of times better than using ratings points.
What, pray tell, could that possibly be? The Southern California Broadcasters’ Association (SBCA) has the answer, thanks to a study conducted for the advocacy group by Nielsen — the very company delivering audience measurement via Nielsen Audio ratings every month to local radio.
According to SCBA President Miles Sexton, the study demonstrates the power of impression-based buying for the AM/FM radio industry.
The findings, SCBA reports, show that agencies are increasingly using impressions to evaluate media, while also demonstrating the usefulness of impressions to evaluate radio and digital using a common metric.
According to the study, the benefits of impressions-based buying offers increased granularity over ratings and adds value to more dayparts and easier comparison across markets.
The SCBA also notes that it gives audio and digital platforms the ability to capture all of their audiences no matter where content is consumed.
Additionally, the study showed that impressions also provide a brand safe environment for advertisers looking for premium impressions at the local level.
“The importance of combining radio and digital advertising effectively cannot be overstated, and impressions are clearly where the industry is headed,” Sexton commented. “As radio continues to evolve within the digital ecosystem, the building blocks of a successful cross-platform campaign will include impressions.”
Today, some 54% of agency professionals are now buying on impressions.
SCBA-Nielsen Impressions 10-27-21
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On August 2, television stations located in Illinois and Wisconsin were required to file applications for license renewal for terms expiring on December 1.
Two stations failed to do so.
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Since October 19, the musicFIRST Coalition-backed American Music Fairness Act has gained the support of nine House of Representatives Members.
It suggests the lobbying efforts of Florida Democrat Ted Deutch and former Congressman Joe Crowley have turned an important corner on Capitol Hill.
The NAB reminds us that those seeking to impose new royalty fees on broadcast radio stations have much more work to do.
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“The last year has placed the media industry at a crossroads, and it’s clear that the chosen path ahead is the road less traveled,” remarks Bill Livek, Executive VP and CEO of Comscore. “The marketplace is no longer willing to settle for a measurement source that relies on small panels to drive decision-making for a multi-billion-dollar industry. Rather, the appeal of the future is a transparent path built on a stable, reliable methodology and a foundation of proven technology, which captures the shift change of modern viewership consumption.”
With that, Livek has made it clear that Comscore has “pioneered” the modern technology powering the future of media measurement. And, the company executive trumpets that view in what he calls “an open letter to the industry.”
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GatesAir announced that 10-band audio processing software from ATC Labs is now part of its Intraplex IP Link 100c hardware codec and Intraplex Ascent cloud transport platform.
“The embedded software innovation … can save Intraplex IP Link customers thousands of dollars in auxiliary equipment,” the manufacturer said.
“Broadcasters who activate this accurate high-resolution audio processing functionality within either product will eliminate the costs and rack space of an external audio processor, while achieving exceptionally bright and open sound.”
[Read: GatesAir Adds Native Livewire Support to Intraplex Ascent]
The announcement was made by Deepen Sinha, CEO of ATC Labs, and Keyur Parikh, vice president of engineering, GatesAir, which will demonstrate the integrated solutions at IBC2021.
Sinha was quoted in the announcement: “Higher-resolution audio processing brings far better control to broadcasters as the technology affects only the specific and targeted audio characteristics. In Perceptual SoundMax, high-resolution audio processing technology is combined with psychoacoustic principles and wide-band perceptual models, which ensures the greatest possible accuracy in tuning the sound quality for each application.”
He said this improves audio quality with consistent loudness and minimizes listener fatigue.
“This processing also inherently reduces the perception of artifacts introduced due to digital compression codecs, which are integral to audio transport solutions.”
The post GatesAir Adds Audio Processing to Intraplex Gear appeared first on Radio World.
Radio and television executives have had few opportunities to share their perspectives, projections, and visions for the broadcast industry in-person for the last 18 months.
That’s one primary reason why Forecast 2022 is the C-Suite Event of the Year — with attendance from radio and TV’s top leaders confirmed.
Will you be among them?
With a full-day of panel discussions and keynote addresses, there’s nothing like Forecast 2022. And, with a “no outside press allowed” promise, getting all of the details from Forecast 2022 simply means you have to be there.
Who will be there?
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO BE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE. REGISTER NOW BEFORE THE PRICE INCREASES $200 ON NOVEMBER 1! Debra OConnell — President, Networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, The Walt Disney Company Bill Wilson — CEO, Townsquare MediaFEATURING
… and others to be announced shortly!
Forecast brings together the best and brightest talent in broadcasting and advertising to forecast the coming year, and to discuss the trends and momentums that will affect ratings and revenue. From Washington to Wall Street, Forecast focuses on what’s ahead in the broadcast community’s future and how to prepare for its opportunities and challenges.
Don’t hesitate: Join today’s industry leaders and be part of the discussions and debates about what’s ahead for radio in 2022 and beyond.
Register now for Forecast 2022. Act now and save $200! Complete agenda HERE.
The newly announced Range Rover will include SiriusXM’s hybrid radio system 360L.
The announcement was made by Jaguar Land Rover North America and SiriusXM. The vehicle — the price of which starts at $104,000 — will be available next spring and is the first Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle to offer the 360L platform, but its use in more Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles is planned.
[Read: Maserati Signs on for SiriusXM 360L]
“By model year 2023 SiriusXM with 360L will be standard in Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles equipped with the PIVI Pro infotainment system,” the companies said.
In 2020, BMW was the first carmaker to introduce some models with the new platform, and Maserati was the first to make it a standard feature.
SiriusXM with 360L is one of a new generation of radio listening platforms that combine over-the-air reception — in this case from a satellite — with streaming content delivery. Features include on-demand content, personalized recommendations and Pandora stations.
New vehicle owners in the United States will get a three-month trial subscription to a SiriusXM Platinum Plan.
The post New Range Rover Includes SiriusXM 360L appeared first on Radio World.
NEW YORK — Ad-supported streaming local television news service Haystack News has helped bring The E.W. Scripps Co.-owned Newsy expanded reach on the platform the digital multicast network originally used to connect with consumers — an “OTT” app.
Live streaming of Newsy on Haystack News commenced Wednesday (10/27). It further widens Newsy’s reach, which grew substantially with its addition to over-the-air broadcast signals on October 4.
Branded as an “opinion-free national news network,” Scripps has 14 news bureaus across the U.S. dedicated to Newsy, which provides 17 hours of daily news in a manner not to dissimilar to the PBS News Hour and without talk shows offering news stories and roundtable observation with a political slant — a feature emblematic of the U.S.’s three heritage cable news networks.
Newsy dates to 2008, when it sold news and content as a third-party provider. In January 2014, Scripps bought the operation for $35 million, and launched a OTT-only news channel around the brand. In September 2017, to grow Newsy’s audience, Scripps replaced Retirement Living Television (RLTV) with the formerly digital-exclusive network. This cleared Newsy on cable television systems. That ended on June 30 as a direct result of Scripps’ merger with ION Networks, and the decision to transition Newsy to a digital multicast channel.
— Editing by Adam R Jacobson
It’s no secret that I love all things aviation. There’s nothing better in my view than slipping the surly bonds of earth and launching into an azure sky of still, smooth air and watching the Earth move beneath my wings.
It should be no surprise, then, that I subscribe to a stack of aviation magazines.
In AOPA Pilot a few months ago, columnist Natalie Bingham Hoover, writing about diagnosing and solving problems with general aviation aircraft, hit upon a principle that has great application in broadcast engineering.
The writer asked her aircraft mechanic the secret to his ability to diagnose and isolate aircraft problems so quickly.
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His response: “It’s simple. Always start with the easiest solution. And if you still can’t figure it out, then go from the known to the unknown.”
Those words just about jumped off the page at me. They describe, in a nutshell, the process I have used for 40+ years in troubleshooting broadcast systems and equipment. Before I’d read that, if asked I would have been hard pressed to describe it so succinctly.
Train Wreck
Years ago, we had a young resident engineer living at the transmitter site of our Los Angeles radio station, which was a three-tower 10 kW directional AM.
This young man had a good head on his shoulders but he didn’t have a lot of directional AM experience … okay, he didn’t have any. But he was willing to live alone at a transmitter site on an island off the California coast and keep an eye on things.
One day he called me and said that the whole directional pattern was screwed up. None of the parameters were anywhere close to correct. It was a train wreck. I could hear the near-panic in his voice as he conveyed the situation to me.
I didn’t know that array well at the time. It was a 1952-vintage system and used a tank-type power divider with jeep coils, something I had no direct experience with. But in an effort to calm the new engineer down, I started asking some questions:
Is the station on the air?
Yes, it’s on.
What is the common point current?
It’s normal.
How is the transmitter behaving? What are the meters telling you?
It looks about like it always does.
With that short exchange, I began to get a picture of an array that seemed to be operating normally despite the antenna monitor indications.
I suspected a sample system problem, and because it was affecting the indicated parameters for all the towers, I thought that the problem might be in the sample for the reference tower.
To confirm this, I sent the engineer out with the field intensity meter to look at all the monitor points, not an easy task on that island. This job was a half-day affair with a lot of off-roading to interesting locations.
A few hours later, he called: monitor points normal.
That sealed it. The array was fine. We were dealing with a sample issue.
I grabbed some test equipment, caught a flight out to L.A., took a helicopter to the island and within a very short time had found the issue: a shorted (or mostly shorted) sample line to the reference tower.
Fixing the problem took a lot longer than finding it and involved a lot of digging. But we did find the buried lines, identified the one with the problem and spliced in a new piece, replacing a 3-foot section that had gotten waterlogged. After that, all was well on the monitor.
When something like that happens, we tend to think the worst, and sometimes it is the worst. But we have to discipline ourselves not to jump to that conclusion.
We have to start with the easiest solution and work our way through to the harder stuff. We must eliminate the things we most easily can first and go from there. And whether or not a particular troubleshooting step identifies the issue, it is not wasted. With each step we remove one variable from the equation.
If, on the other hand, we jump to an unsupported conclusion and start turning knobs, we add a whole bunch of new variables … unless, of course, we get lucky and somehow manage to hit on the cause of the problem by accident. Hey, it happens.
Known to Unknown
But suppose that we have eliminated all the easy stuff and still haven’t isolated the problem. What then?
That’s where the “known to unknown” process comes into play.
If you can find a similar part, device or circuit that is working correctly and compare it to the one that’s not, you may well be able to figure out the problem.
It may be a matter of subbing in a known good part or board to see if that makes a difference. In the case of the directional array problem, it was a matter of comparing the TDR display of a known good sample line to that of the suspect line.
If it’s not possible to compare or substitute components or assemblies, another option is to compare voltages, currents, waveforms or impedances to known good values or examples.
In days gone by, manufacturers would often note such known good values on the schematic or in notes. Experienced engineers, after completing a project, often record such values in a notebook, a log or even a note affixed to the end of a transmission line. Those benchmarks can help isolate a problem.
The point is that jumping to unsupported conclusions or performing troubleshooting steps out of order is a waste of time, effort and a psychological drain.
Going back to the aviation mag column, the writer concluded by saying that “with our airplanes, like so many things in life, the first step in solving a problem is simply believing we are capable. After that, a little common sense helps. And … remember that the right solution is often the simplest one.”
That has certainly been my experience over the years.
The author is director of engineering for Crawford Broadcasting and technical editor of Radio World Engineering Extra.
The post The Right Solution Is Often the Simplest appeared first on Radio World.
Bonneville International announced several significant executive promotions as part of a strategic focus on growth.
“With this structure in place, we are well-positioned to support our existing business and develop in many new areas of opportunity,” said Bonneville President Darrell Brown.
Scott Sutherland has been promoted from his role as Market Manager for Phoenix to EVP/Regional Media Operations to directly oversee the Denver, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle markets, with the Market Managers reporting directly to him.
Tanya Vea has been promoted from her role as Market Manager for Salt Lake City to EVP/Content and Media Operations to lead content and digital strategy for the company. Vea will also continue to lead TV and radio operations for the Salt Lake market, where Bonneville is headquartered.
Jason Englund has been promoted to the role of EVP/General Counsel, succeeding Mike Dowdle. Englund had previously led the HR function for the company, along with acting as Associate General Counsel.
Former General Counsel Dowdle will work with Brown to lead Bonneville’s strategic initiatives as the new EVP of Business Affairs and Strategy.
Matthew Sadowski has accepted the role of SVP of Business Intelligence and Analytics. He will lead and build analytics and business intelligence functions.
Kent Nate, Bonneville’s EVP/CFO, will continue to lead finance functions.
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