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In this Report and Order (Order), the Federal Communications Commission declines to adopt rules proposed in the Commission's 2015 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 30 FCC Rcd 6711 (2015) (2015 NPRM) in this proceeding and, therefore, terminates the proceeding. While the Commission continues to support unlicensed white space devices and wireless microphone user operations and continues to believe they serve important interests, based on the record of this proceeding and in light of other actions it has taken during the years since the rules were proposed, coupled with the increased burden that its 2015 proposal would place on the use by broadcasters of spectrum in the more consolidated TV band that now exists following the Incentive Auction, the Commission finds that the rules proposed in the 2015 NPRM would not serve the public interest. In reaching this conclusion, the Commission finds other actions it has taken since the 2015 NPRM to support white space devices and wireless microphones are the preferred avenues for the continued support of these services. Accordingly, the Commission terminates this docket.

Three public media companies are working together to train broadcasters to develop programming for podcasts.

PRX, PBS Kids and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced a new project called the Ready to Learn Podcast Accelerator, a podcast training and development program for producers looking to create educational content for children. The program will take place virtually over 16 weeks starting in May and run through September. As part of the program, five production teams will be chosen to develop and create family-friendly audio content through a processing- and skills-development podcast program that will touch on everything from preplanning through the production process.

Creators in the program will receive 16 weeks of virtual podcast training led by PRX, a nonprofit media company, in tandem with children’s programming experts from PBS Kids. That training will include workshops, webinars and intensive sessions focusing on concept development, audience, community engagement and production values. The selected groups will also receive $10,000 in funding to assist with production and operational expenses. The deadline to apply is March 19.

The three companies are encouraging production teams with a demonstrated level of interest in children’s storytelling and education media to apply. In addition, independent production teams, public media station teams or teams from U.S.-based media organizations are encouraged to submit new podcast ideas for the children’s media landscape, especially content that centers on diverse voices and communities.

Content may be submitted in any genre, but should center on introducing children ages 4–8 to the world of work. This includes exposure to a variety of career and job options as well as development of social and emotional and executive functions.

The application submission window is open through Friday, March 19. More information can be found at the program website here.

 

The post Public Media Companies Rally Together on Podcast Training appeared first on Radio World.

Bott Communications, Inc. enters into Consent Decree to Resolve Political File Investigation

License Revocation Proceeding for Radio Stations in the Auburn, AL Market

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Issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $3,000 to Blount County Broadcasting Corp. for failure to timely file a license renewal application for Station WBCR(AM), Alcoa, Tennessee

Newly released field testing done by Sony Electronics shows that delivery of a NEXTGEN TV signal via ATSC 3.0 signals can be done successfully, and with nearly zero reception trouble.

That’s the latest ATSC 3.0-related news from Pearl TV, the business organization of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in making NEXTGEN TV a success.

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In May 2011, Educational Media Foundation agreed to purchase a Class C3 FM licensed to Okeene, Oklahoma. Its ownership of the property was short-lived, as it later saw for-profit FMI Media and non-profit Libertad En Cristo Ministries obtain ownership of this station.

Most recently, it was poised to become a Highway 64 Media-owned property. Now, that’s not going to happen.

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The founder and CEO of Diya TV, serving South Asian consumers, has been active in recent weeks for his agreements to purchase low-powered TV stations in various locales across the U.S.

His latest deal will put him in the middle of the biggest DMA in America.

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In early November 2020, the No. 1 audio media company in the U.S. received an affirmative Declaratory Ruling from the FCC in response to its request to increase its authorized aggregate foreign ownership from 25% to 100%.

With the decision by the Pai Commission, iHeartMedia gained the ability to become fully foreign-owned, should it choose to go that route.

That’s not likely, but a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing getting lots of coverage in the British press confirms iHeart ownership has just gone “Global” — sort of.

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A pair of South Dakota TV stations are being spun to a broadcast ministry — a deal brokered by Kalil & Co. that fully transitions a property (and its full-time satellite partner) that had been one of the original FOX network affiliates.

In fact, the sale was greatly influenced by Gray Television‘s 2020 acquisition of the intellectual property associated with that 33-year-old broadcast station.

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Here’s something you may find weird: The time spent watching television increased across 2020. Yet, eMarketer analysis finds, viewership “plummeted” last year.

The data suggest television was punished by COVID-19 in very much the same way broadcast Radio was.

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The Digital Division of Nexstar Inc., a subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, has selected from within to fill the newly created role of Chief Revenue Officer and EVP of Revenue Operations.

At the same time, new SVPs of local and national digital sales, respectively, have been named by Nexstar Digital.

Now in the CRO seat is Lori Tavoularis.

She reports to Nexstar Digital President Karen Brophy and will oversee all revenue-related functions including national, local and programmatic sales and digital marketing services.

Brophy said of Tavoularis, “Lori has the expertise and business acumen to allow us to build new digital offerings and bring top-tier advertising solutions to clients.”

Tavoularis first joined Nexstar in June 2019, overseeing digital revenue and operations. Before that, she served as the as the Head of Supply for the Global Advertising Business at Rakuten. Before that, Tavoularis was SVP of Digital Revenue and Operations for Tribune Publishing, where she oversaw all of the company’s digital revenue operations.

Tavoularis commented, “We have a tremendous foothold both locally and nationally, reaching 116 unique markets in the United States. I look forward to building on that foothold in partnership by developing and enhancing our product offerings.”

Helping Tavoularis are Jennifer Scilabro, who takes the role of SVP of Local Digital Sales, and Wil Danielson, who becomes SVP of National Digital Sales.

Scilabro, whose maiden name is Jennifer Guerrieri, was VP of Sales Enablement at Cleveland-based Harvest ROI, a sales-focused HubSpot Platinum Solutions Partner.

Danielson previously served as the Digital Division’s Head of Revenue and Client Success, overseeing sales, operations and fulfillment.

A division of FOX Entertainment paving an advertiser-based video-on-demand (AVOD) platform for the company is expanding its news content.

To accomplish this, it is partnering with four broadcast TV station ownership groups, which have agreed to provide live local news feeds.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW RBR+TVBR ON FACEBOOK!

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Borrell Associates on Thursday (2/11) released the second in a series of reports that examine 2021 spending plans for a dozen different types of local ad buyers.

This 14-page analysis, drawn from a survey of 373 local businesses that buy TV ads, shifts focus to Broadcast TV Advertisers.

What are they planning as the pandemic subsides? What’s their uptake of TV’s targeted competitor/ally, streaming video?

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Robin Szabo has served as President of Szabo Associates since 2006. If you’ve never heard of this company, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, go chat with your CFO or the collections department!

Szabo Associates began life as a media collection services operation in 1971. Why? Was Radio plagued with a collection of deadbeats?

That’s just one of the questions Robin answers in this latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by DOT.FM.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Robin Szabo” on Spreaker.