Industry News

LOUISVILLE, KY. — Viewers of the local CBS affiliate, owned by Hearst Television, now have the option of watching an additional hour of local news in the morning.

As of September 7, a 60-minute 9am newscast will air on the station.

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Every day, public relations professionals and hired research professionals seemingly release a new report that gushes over the continued growth of Connected TV, OTT platforms and “FAST” channels.

Here’s some sobering news for that camp, which may be a good bit of info for broadcast TV: the churn rate for four top OTT services in April was big.

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The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has presented the Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal to the former Oregon Senator who will be retiring as President/CEO of the NAB at the end of 2021.

Sen. Gordon Smith earned the honor for his “outstanding leadership” of the National Association of Broadcasters, where he has served as a “steady advocate for the broadcasting industry who has taken every available opportunity to promote ATSC 3.0 since we first started this important work on next-generation broadcast standards,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said.

Named for the former ATSC president who led the organization for two decades spanning both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0, the Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal recognizes an individual or team “that demonstrates exemplary leadership in advancing the mission of ATSC and epitomizes the vision, tenacity and leadership qualities that were the hallmark of his leadership.”

Richer, who retired two years ago, presented the award on August 26. However, Smith was in Wisconsin, meeting with broadcasters at the state broadcasters association’s annual conference. As such, his appointed successor, NAB Chief Operating Officer Curtis LeGeyt, accepted the honor for Smith.

Smith became the NAB’s leader in 2009, “just before the technology we later termed ATSC 3.0 became a major focus of our organization,” Noland said. “Smith understood the value that next-generation television could bring to the broadcasting industry and he was instrumental in promoting the potential to NAB’s board and membership.”

The ATSC on Thursday also awarded its highest technical honor, the 2021 Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award, to Alan Stein, Vice President of Technology at InterDigital.

Stein currently heads InterDigital’s Visual Standards Team, where he manages a global team of senior technology experts who participate in major video standards organizations.

By Brian Galante

The recent FCC spectrum repack moved nearly 1,200 U.S. TV stations to new UHF and VHF frequencies, freeing spectrum for wireless broadband while leaving less for broadcasters to share.

Despite limited transmission resources — and new challenges that come with these changes —  CP Communications continues to successfully deliver RF coordination for major sporting events and other live programming.

It was business as usual this summer for ABC’s coverage of the NBA Finals in Milwaukee and Phoenix, but the MLB All-Star Game in Denver was more challenging because there were multiple events and networks. “Every time you add a network, you add more RF,” said Loren Sherman, a RF coordinator and field technician. “That made the All-Star Game a little more difficult to coordinate.”

When tasked with RF coordination of wireless transmission of video and audio for an event, CP assigns various entities to specific frequencies within the spectrum for the duration of an event. The purpose is to avoid interference with established spectrum users in the area, such as broadcast stations, as well as other temporary spectrum users that cover the event.

“I think what makes us unique, unlike most frequency coordinators, is that we also operate the gear,” Sherman explained. “We’re not just passing out a number and giving it to people. We understand how the gear operates, so we provide frequencies where the gear can work harmoniously with other pieces of gear. We’re one of the few that do both and we do both well.”

CP technicians coordinate RF frequencies with specialized software while working closely with venue and local SBE coordinators. CP’s biggest challenge is finding enough spectrum for everyone when there’s simply less spectrum available. To accommodate all media clients during high-profile events, CP relies on receiving special temporary authority, or STA, from the FCC to use parts of the spectrum that are not normally available.

“If we’re going to use STAs, then we need time,” Sherman said. “We might start planning for something like the Super Bowl a month or two in advance, depending on how many two-way radios we need to coordinate everything.”

While RF coordination is similar for indoor and outdoor events, Sherman said he can usually get more frequency options in an indoor venue. “The venue will often provide protection from digital television stations,” he said. “Maybe they’ll attenuate that signal enough that it becomes a usable piece of spectrum inside that building. But outside, it is what it is.”

Different outdoor locations yield different results. Denver was “fairly difficult” to coordinate, Sherman said, based on the amount of DTV signals in the region. In contrast, Milwaukee has fewer DTV stations and limited interference with signals from nearby cities. However, CP’s message is that they have the experience, crew and technology to handle even the most challenging RF coordination jobs.

“We were nowhere near the amount of frequencies we coordinated in the 2019 NBA Finals, though some of that goes to the cities you’re in,” Sherman recalled. “Phoenix and Milwaukee are not the same as Toronto and Oakland. It depends on the area. Go to New York City – there is a lot of DTV filling the spectrum, and New Jersey’s right there, too. So now you have two large communities with DTV, and that’s going to fill the spectrum more.”

Inovonics has moved forward with a new firmware update for its remote monitoring
receivers for FM & HD Radio.

Those encompass the company’s INOmini SiteStreamers, models 635 & 638.

The latest firmware update adds RDS Radio Text Alarm features and modifies LED Header displays to the Web Interface.

Inovonics recommends that users download and install the new firmware updates at their earliest convenience.

It is recommended to Download the Hardware Profile before updating.

The new firmware can be downloaded by finding each relevant product page at www.inovonicsbroadcast.com.

Logitek Electronic Systems has moved its manufacturing facility to a new location in Houston.

The company is now located at 5403 Bissonnet Street, Suite B, Houston TX 77081.

Logitek’s prior location, a short distance away in Houston, “was showing its age,” said Logitek President Tag Borland. “We had been there for over 20 years and it was an ‘analog-age’ facility. With our more efficient manufacturing methods and space-saving console designs that take up less room on the floor, combined with the fact that we haven’t been making VU meters for quite some time, we found that we could work just as well in a more streamlined space.”

Logitek has been in the broadcast audio space since 1979. It is first company in North America to offer a router-based digital console for Radio. Today, Logitek makes Networked Audio Consoles that run on Audio over IP technologies. Logitek’s  mixIT and Helix touchscreen-controlled consoles, as well as the virtual console Helix Studio, offer  networking options including AES67, Livewire, Ravenna, Logitek JetNet and optional Dante.

Logitek’s phone numbers remain the same as before: 713-664-4470 or toll-free at 1-800-231-5870.

Newly launched digital audio boutique Price Brothers has been tapped for creative and production services by voice dialogue platform Instreamatic.

A spinoff of long-time radio ad shop Oink Ink, Price Brothers was formed to meet the need for creative solutions for brands growing increasingly interested in new digital tools such as interactive audio.

“We’d been developing campaigns in the digital space for four years now and decided to carve-off a new entity that would focus solely on initiatives like dynamic audio &
interactive, as well as podcasting,” says Price Brothers co-founder Dan Price. “We wanted to position ourselves as the guys already doing great creative by the time brands would
eventually become comfortable implementing the new technologies.”

One of those new technologies is interactive voice ads from Instreamatic served on voice-activated devices. It enables listeners to personally engage with audio ads in an interactive dialog. And it was Price Brothers’ early work with the platform that caught the eye of the developers of the technology. Simon Dunlop, CMO at Instreamatic says, “In approaching the creative for this innovative new audio advertising format, Price Brothers was able to quickly grasp its storytelling power and deliver outstanding ideas and production for us and really bring the format to life.”

As creative partner to the platform, Price Brothers will be called-upon when brands wish to elevate their interactive concepts. It’s all about the experience, says Price. “I think a lot of early users aren’t used to testing the limits of the tool. They set up their ads to react in a certain way based on a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response from the listener. We look for ways to involve the listener; we make him or her a participant in the dialog and even drive how the experience unfolds. That’s true engagement.”

Not only has Price Brothers already created several campaigns for Instreamatic using voice technology, they’re currently developing work promoting the platform itself, set to be
served on iHeartMedia digital channels later this summer. Price is particularly excited by that assignment. “This is the exact type of work we’d hoped to be enlisted for back when we first had the idea for the new shop,” he says.

Stas Tushinskiy, CEO & Co-Founder at Instreamatic, echoes the sentiment. “The Price Brothers were among the very few producing really smart Interactive ads right from the beginning.”

Since May Price Brothers has also completed an ambitious dynamic audio effort for long time client Staples and continues to produce the podcast “The Pod Spotter.”

#GALSNGEAR, in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), will host the Emerging Leaders Women’s Career Accelerator program at the 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The one-day program will take place Tuesday, October 12 and include multiple networking opportunities and two leadership workshops.

#GALSNGEAR works to ensure women in media tech gain visibility at industry events, access to the latest technology, and high-level networking and educational opportunities.

“We’re excited to partner with NAB to bring our Women’s Career Accelerator to NAB Show, empowering emerging leaders ready to advance their careers in screen media,” said director/producer and #GALSNGEAR founder Amy DeLouise.

The first leadership workshop, titled “Elevate Your Leadership Effectiveness,” will use a personalized leadership assessment and breakout sessions to help participants identify their natural leadership style, strengths, challenges and priorities. A second workshop, “Propel Your Leadership Brand,” will explore how to engage and align a personal leadership brand in-person and across digital channels.

The current schedule of events is available here.

“#GALSNGEAR educational and networking events at NAB Show have consistently supported and amplified women in media, entertainment and technology. The #GALSNGEAR Career Accelerator brings together a new generation of leaders gaining valuable professional skills to advance in their chosen careers,” said April Carty-Sipp, executive vice president, Industry Affairs at NAB, “I’m even more thrilled to participate in the program this year and do my part to help empower and encourage women in this business.”

With a big splash and public relations blitz, H.R. 4130 was introduced June 24 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Six House Members signed on to the bill.

Since then, the “American Music Fairness Act” has completed stalled out. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it awaits further support or its eventual death, handing another defeat to House Members Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).

At the same time, the non-binding resolution opposing “any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge” on local broadcast radio stations has gained even more support. As of August 30, 12 Members have added their support.

Among those supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA): the Ranking Republican on the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — She has worked in private practice representing entertainment, banking and technology clients on copyright, trademark and patent matters. Most recently, she served as Associate General counsel of the U.S. Copyright Office.

Now, this American University Washington College of Jaw graduate is the VP of Public Policy at the NAB.

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Taking the role is Anna Chauvet. She reports to EVP/Government Relations Shawn Donilon.

“Anna enjoys sterling credentials as an expert in copyright law, including deep knowledge of the music licensing regime,” said soon-to-retire NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith. “Broadcasters will benefit from her experience as the industry navigates a range of critical policy issues affecting radio and television. We are excited to welcome her to the NAB team.”

During her time with the Copyright Office, Chauvet worked on a wide range of legal and policy matters, including spearheading four rulemakings to implement provisions of the Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (MMA). She also helped formulate litigation strategy and inform the U.S. government’s views in copyright litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court and district courts.