Industry News

The FCC and the NTIA say they will be working more closely together on spectrum issues.

The Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced an initiative intended to improve U.S. government coordination on spectrum management.

“The Spectrum Coordination Initiative will involve actions by both agencies to strengthen the processes for decision making and information sharing and to work cooperatively to resolve spectrum policy issues,” they said in the announcement.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the agreement with NTIA Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson.

[Read More of Our FCC Coverage]

“Now more than ever we need a whole-of-government approach to spectrum policy,” Rosenworcel said in the statement. “Over the past few years, we’ve seen the cost of not having one — and we need a non-stop effort to fix that.”

They laid out a plan to reinstate high-level meetings; “reaffirm” roles and responsibilities; and renew efforts to develop a national spectrum strategy. They also said they would “recommit to scientific integrity and evidence-based policymaking” and revamp their technical collaboration.

Among other steps, the FCC will participate as an observer in the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, while NTIA will participate as an observer in the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council and the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council.

The organizations wrote: “The FCC and NTIA jointly manage the nation’s radio spectrum resources, and the agencies have a long history of working together to ensure that spectrum policy decisions foster economic growth, ensure our national and homeland security, maintain U.S. global leadership and advance other vital U.S. needs.”

The post FCC, NTIA Seek Better Spectrum Coordination appeared first on Radio World.

He’s been with iHeartMedia for 14 years and has a 50-year career in broadcasting.

Come March 22, it will all come to a conclusion, as the Area President for iHeart in Alabama — Destin, Fla.-based Ray Quinn — will enter retirement.

Quinn has been in the role for iHeart since December 2007. He joined the company to take on the Alabama regional leadership role after serving as VP/Market Manager for Audacy Corp. predecessor Entercom’s Denver stations. Before taking that role in 2005, Quinn spent four years as VP/Market Manager of Entercom/Milwaukee. From 2003-2004, he held similar duties for Entercom in Madison, Wisc.

Quinn joined Entercom after spending 11 years with a company he helped launch in December 1988, Opus Media Group. It owned stations in Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; Jackson, Ms.; and Monroe, La.

Entering radio station ownership came after a market leadership role for American Media in San Antonio. He earned that position after serving as GM of Capitol Broadcasting-owned WMJJ in Birmingham, Ala.

In the 1970s, Quinn gained notice for serving as PD of WFIL-AM in Philadelphia. He took the job in September 1979, after serving as Program Director of WCBM-AM in Baltimore.

Outside of his daily duties, Quinn is highly involved in the community. In fact, the Governor of Kentucky recognized him as a “Kentucky Colonel” for participating in numerous charitable projects. Additionally, Quinn was awarded the March of Dimes “Order of the Battered Boot” for walkathon fundraising efforts over the years.

Quinn was named one of Radio Ink’s Best Managers in 2019 and was even recruited by the U.S. State Department in 1992 to provide pro bono consulting work to the first companies to be awarded commercial radio and TV licenses in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

“Ray is one of a kind. He is known as a unicorn of a leader with his passion, enthusiasm
and constant innovative thinking,” said Shosh Abromovich, Division President for
iHeartMedia. “He has impacted so many of our lives in this industry for the better. We
are beyond thankful for the many years Ray has led our teams and are truly excited for
him to enjoy this next chapter of his life.”

Quinn commented, “It’s been an amazing 51 years in radio and 14 years with iHeartMedia. Along the way, I’ve worked for and with some of the most intelligent people in the
business and I am grateful to iHeartMedia for allowing me to lead multiple markets in the
Southeast. While I will miss my team and the day-to-day battles, it’s time to pass the
torch to the next generation of leaders.”

iHeartMedia owns radio stations in the Alabama markets of Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Gadsden and Tuscaloosa.

In an effort to reflect modern campaign practices and increase transparency, the Federal Communications Commission has updated its rules about political programming and recordkeeping. The change takes effect March 14.

In late January, the Media Bureau at the commission released the order changing the way broadcast licensees, cable TV system operators, DBS providers and satellite radio licensees update their political programming and recordkeeping information.

It expanded the definition of the term “legally qualified candidate for public office” in an effort to better determine if a write-in candidate has made a substantial showing of a bona fide candidacy.

[Related: “FCC Adopts Revised Political Broadcast Rules”]

Generally, in order to be considered a legally qualified candidate, an individual must publicly announce an intention to run for office, as well as be qualified to hold the office and either have qualified for a space on the ballot or have publicly committed themselves to seeking election as a write-in. If they’re seeking election by write-in, they must make a clear, substantial showing that they are actually running for office.

The rule update adds two items to the existing list of activities that a station can use to determine if a write-in candidate has a bona fide candidacy. One is the use of social media; the other is the creation of a campaign website. Other previously listed activities include making campaign speeches, distributing campaign literature, issuing press releases, maintaining a campaign committee and establishing a campaign headquarters.

In its order, the commission also amended its political file rules. It requires entities to maintain not only records of each request for advertising time but also records of each request for advertising time that communicates a message relating to any political matter of national importance.

It also amended the rules to specify which records must be maintained in online political files for both candidate ads and issue ads. These records include:

• whether the request to purchase advertising time is accepted or rejected by the licensee
• the rate charged for the advertising time
• the date and time on which the communication aired
• the class of time that is purchased
• the name of the candidate to which the communication refers and the office to which the candidate is seeking election or the election to which the communication refers or the issue to which the communication refers
• the name of the candidate, the authorized committee of the candidate and the treasurer of such committee
• the name of the person purchasing the time; the name, address and phone number of a contact person; and a list of the chief executive officers or members of the executive committee or of the board of directors of such person

“These revisions ensure that the political recordkeeping rules fully and accurately reflect statutory requirements [and will] foster greater transparency about the entities sponsoring candidate and issue ads,” the commission wrote.

The post FCC Updates Political Programming, Recordkeeping Rules appeared first on Radio World.

The saga of Roger Wahl, a convicted felon who has been ordered to appear at a March 8 virtual initial status conference as part of a FCC Hearing Designation Order, has apparently entered a surprising new chapter.

As Wahl could see the license cancellation and call letter deletion of his 630-watt FM radio station atop Mt. Hunsrick, serving Somerset County, Pa., it now appears that a long-lost equity holder in the FM has emerged — or so the person alleges.

FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Hinckley Halprin late Monday (2/14) released an Order revealing that the Presiding Judge in the HDO received an e-mail from a woman named Julie Barth.

Barth claims to have an ownership interest in WQZS-FM 93.3, licensed to Meyersdale, Pa.

What does this mean for Halprin, Wahl, and the entire HDO?

First, the Presiding Judge is treating Barth’s email as a petition to intervene, pursuant to section 1.223(c) of the Commission’s rules. And, Barth’s email is being placed into the record of the proceedings.

What is Barth’s “primary aim?” As Halprin explains, it is to inform the Presiding Judge of her alleged ownership interest in WQZS, with the ultimate goal of receiving proportional compensation if the station is sold. She outlines the circumstances of how she came to acquire the alleged interest, along with other details regarding her financial stake in the station.

Barth’s knowledge of this proceeding is limited to what has been reported in local media, and this led to her sending an e-mail to the Commission.

If Barth indeed has attributable interest in WQZS, a whole other series of problems could erupt for Wahl, who has indicated to the FCC that he is the individual owner of the FM. And, as the FCC sees it, Wahl as 100% equity interest holder still stands to see his license revoked due to his felony conviction and related misdemeanor convictions, which have been well reported by RBR.com and media in Western Pennsylvania.

Importantly, Barth did not offer information that Halprin says will assist the Presiding Judge in the HDO. Furthermore, it is not the role of the Presiding Judge to validate Barth’s claim. “That is a matter for private litigation,” Halprin reasons.

Barth’s allegations may, however, provide the basis for enlarging the issues to be considered in this proceeding, pursuant to section 1.229 of the Commission’s rules, if further investigation indicates that Wahl has misrepresented the ownership status of WQZS to the Commission.

How could Julie Barth suddenly emerge, as if this were a soap opera script being played out in real life?

RBR+TVBR has learned that she is the widow of Andreas G. “Andy” Barth, who passed away on January 22, 2012.

Andy Barth was a partner in the now-defunct Target Broadcasting, in which Barth and Wahl each shared equity interest in WQZS.

Did Andy Barth’s interest pass on to his widow? Alternatively, did Wahl simply absorb it? Was their legal documentation confirming Andy Barth’s equity interest in WQZS, or was it a handshake partnership?

These questions won’t be addressed by the Presiding Judge at the FCC, which will retain its focus on the fact that Wahl is a convicted felon — one would could next see a misrepresentation case surface at the Commission while private litigation ramps up.

Meanwhile, RBR+TVBR has confirmed from a local source that Wahl on Tuesday (2/15) returned to hosting the WQZS morning show. It was his first appearance since Tuesday, January 11, one day before back surgery — a matter that led to the cancellation of the ALJ’s pre-hearing conference. Wahl was heard interviewing two guests about an upcoming local event.

Click Here for More from the RBR+TVBR Archives

Ray Quinn, area president of iHeartMedia’s Alabama area, will retire on March 22.

“Quinn has been with iHeartMedia for 14 years and has worked in the broadcasting industry for over 50 years,” the company said in its announcement.

“He has held leadership positions at several stations throughout his extensive career, including vice president/market manager for KOSI(FM), KALC(FM) and KQMT(FM) in Denver; WMYX(FM), WXSS(FM) and WSSP(AM) in Milwaukee.; WOLX(FM), WMMM(FM) and WBZU(FM) in Madison, Wis.; and many more.”

Among the prior broadcast groups for which he has worked are Entercom, Opus Media Group, American Media and Capitol Broadcasting.

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It noted that the governor of Kentucky had recognized Quinn as a Kentucky Colonel for participating in numerous charitable projects. He was awarded the March of Dimes “Order of the Battered Boot” for walkathon fundraising efforts over the years. Quinn was recruited by the U.S. State Department in 1992 to provide pro bono consulting work to the first companies to be awarded commercial radio and TV licenses in Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

Division President Shosh Abromovich described Quinn as “a unicorn of a leader with his passion, enthusiasm and constant innovative thinking.”

The Alabama area of iHeartMedia includes the Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Gadsden and Tuscaloosa markets.

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Ray Quinn of iHeart to Retire appeared first on Radio World.

A provider of media workflow software presently run by CEO Susie Hedrick is welcoming a SVP of Technology to the company.

He’ll oversee the production development team, platform operations, security and IT.

Now at vCreative is Drew Cain. He most recently held senior engineering roles and oversaw mission critical cloud infrastructure projects at Simpli.fi, helping to design, code and deploy products designed to optimize workflow. There, Cain also aided in the development and manufacture of omnichannel programmatic advertising products across various multimedia categories.

“vCreative is on a tremendous growth trajectory, adding new services and more value for our customers at a rapid pace,” Hedrick said. “Drew is a proven technology leader who has demonstrated how important the overlap of technology and business enablement can be. It’s his blend of digital experience, vision, innovation, and trusted leadership that made him the perfect candidate for the role.”

Cain added that he’s thrilled to join vCreative during an “exciting period of growth and change in the industry.” He adds, “As advertising spend continues to transition from linear to digital, we will work together to accelerate the delivery of new products, features, and integrations with a focus on enabling the ongoing future success of our customers. vCreative has a fantastic reputation as a trusted partner to the media industry and I look forward to being part of such an incredible team.”

An ANGA GOM “Restart” has been confirmed.

On May 10, some 300 confirmed exhibitors and high-level conference speakers will gather in Köln, Germany, as “Europe’s leading Exhibition and Conference for Broadband, Television & Online” is moving forward with a delayed 2022 in-person gathering.

The three-day affair looks to be one of the world’s biggest post-pandemic events for the visual entertainment and media industry. Due to various stand enlargements, the total space of the European and North American exhibitors is already at the level of the last ANGA COM show held in 2019.

The gross exhibition space for the first 300 exhibitors is already more than 20,000 sqm.

“We receive growing optimism of our exhibitors every day,” says Dr. Peter Charissé, Managing Director of ANGA COM. “The broadband and media industry is facing a new and splendid level of investment. In Germany, for example, with its more than 40 million households, network operators and a steadily growing number of international investors have announced to invest many billions in new fiber infrastructures. All leading fiber operators will be prominently represented in the conference program. ANGA COM will be the first major industry meeting with early summer conditions. With 15-meter high exhibition halls, a huge foyer and the popular open air plaza with food trucks, our location has never been more attractive.”

The complete conference program of ANGA COM 2022 will be published in March. Conference topics include OTT, AppTV, Video Streaming, Fixed Mobile Convergence, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Smart City and Smart Home and the political, legal and regulatory issues of the broadband and media industry.

— With reports from correspondents in Kaiserslautern, Germany

Registration for conference and exhibition visitors is now possible online at www.angacom.de. 

A schematic for an Oscilloscope “Circuit Octopus”

You probably have a junk box of components, but can you identify all of them? And do you know whether they all work?

I came across a neat video prepared by amateur radio operator W2AEW, a 10-minute tutorial on checking components. The video gives an example of performing simple component testing using a curve tracer or “Circuit Octopus” and an oscilloscope.

It describes the Octopus, then delves into how to check resistors, diodes, transistors and even capacitors. When feeding an oscilloscope with the test fixture, you can identify open or shorted components. Here’s the link for the video: https://youtu.be/Gwo3pEH7hUE.

There are hundreds of schematics for building your own Octopus. Stephen M. Powell’s design, shown above, is one of the simplest.

Old law, new take
Over the years consultant Frank Hertel has contributed many useful ideas for readers of this column. Frank’s brother, Johnny, likes to delve a little deeper into electronics.

He writes that he recently came across a list of electricity definitions. Most were familiar, but three jumped out at him:

The first is 1 Ohm, which was defined as the resistance of a column of mercury (at the temperature of melting ice) of a uniform cross section of 1 square millimeter and a length of 106.30 centimeters.

One Volt is the electromotive force that produces a current of 1 Ampere when steadily applied to a conductor with the resistance of 1 Ohm.

One Ampere is the unit of current strength. It is the current which, when passed through a solution of nitrate of silver in water (in accordance with certain specifications), deposits silver at the rate of 0.00118 of a gram per second. The flow of electrical current is measured in Amperes or Amps, using an Ammeter.

Kind of relates Ohm’s Law in a new way, doesn’t it?

You need a shrink
A number of years ago, 3M developed a product called Cold Shrink as a weather seal for cabling. Broadcast engineer and frequent contributor Dan Slentz called this line of cable joints and terminations to my attention and wondered why he hadn’t heard of it before now.

3M Cold Shrink pre-stretched tubes effectively seal coax connectors from weather.

When it was released, I recall that each Cold Shrink tube was pretty expensive, much more costly than other forms of connector weather-sealing. Apparently as the product has evolved, its cost has gotten more reasonable.

So what is Cold Shrink tubing? It’s an expanded tubular rubber sleeve, and 3M found a way to stretch the diameter of the tubing so it will fit over an RF connector.

[Check Out More of Workbench Here]

The sleeve is kept in its expanded state with a wound plastic core. After the sleeve is positioned over the connector to be weatherproofed, you unwind the plastic core. As the plastic core is removed, the expanded rubber begins to shrink, forming a constant radial pressure seal around the connector and cable.

An image from the 3M website shows installation of Cold Shrink for an underground cable run.

Originally designed for the power industry, Cold Shrink tubes are ideal for outside RF connections in the broadcast industry. Plus, in addition to protecting connectors, Cold Shrink tubes conform to the water seal requirements of ANSI C119.1.

See the video Dan found at the website of Thorne & Derrick International at www.powerandcables.com/cold-shrink-tubes/.

3M itself has a useful info page that we’ve linked at https://tinyurl.com/rw-coldshrink.

Can you imagine trying to use a torch to heat shrink a standard weatherproofing boot up on a tower? Keep this product in mind for your next tower cable run.

John Bisset, CPBE, has 50 years in the broadcasting industry and is in his 31st year writing Workbench. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. He is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post Use an Octopus to Check Components appeared first on Radio World.

With shares at their lowest value in a decade, discarding the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, investors may be intensely awaiting the latest fiscal report card for Nielsen Holdings plc.

When will the nation’s dominant audience measurement and consumer data analysis house share the company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2021 results?

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He has had a “unique” path to success. Now, 2022 NAB Show attendees will get to hear all about it, as Byron Allen has agreed to appear in a flame-free “fireside chat” scheduled for Wednesday, April 27 at the Las Vegas event — the NAB’s first since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allen will be interviewed by retired NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith, who now serves as a special adviser to the organization.

The discussion is on the calendar for a 9:15am Pacific start.

Allen is the President/CEO of Allen Media Group and Entertainment Studios, and has emerged as a media mogul, with broadcast TV stations just one component of his empire.

It is Smith’s goal to have Allen engage in a two-sided conversation in which both the former U.S. Senator and the TV industry star “discuss the steps in their professional careers that helped them achieve success.”

The chat will serve as the centerpiece of the NAB Show Executive Leadership Series session. Allen and Smith also plan to address their respective roles as advocates and leaders in the broadcast industry and the “enduring value” of local television in an ever-changing marketplace.

Allen Media Group owns 27 television stations in 21 markets, and could grow exponentially in the coming months and years.

Allen also partnered with Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2019 to acquire 21 Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) — a story often overlooked by national media.

Meanwhile, Allen’s Entertainment Studios, which predates the owned-station operation, produces and distributes syndicated program and sells advertising for 67 broadcast and cable television programs.

THE GORDON SMITH SHOW As previously reported, the retired U.S. Senator and former NAB head will receive NAB’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, at the 2022 NAB Show.