Industry News

Dear RW:

This is in response to Michelle Bradley’s earlier commentary about digital on the AM band.

Ms. Bradley’s observations were right on the money. The problem is not knowing the end game for the AM revitalization initiative. If Chairman Pai inferred that FM translators are part of a transition or “bridge” rather than permanent, as he told a Kansas Association of Broadcasters gathering in 2016, when do AM broadcasters flash cut to digital and turn their translator licenses in? What is the sunset date for analog AM?

Michi made the point that, “The automotive and radio receiver industries need to make HD Radio standard equipment, not a ‘luxury option,’ like with some manufacturers.” So when is the FCC going to step in and mandate HD Radio in all cars? It’s the only way this will happen.

She indicated that moving a translator 250 miles is only going to harm the opportunity for more, new LPFM stations, and I agree.

Repurposing Lo-VHF for other uses is an idea whose time has come. The majority of TV broadcasters don’t want the band. Existing Channel 6 TV stations can keep their channel or change it, but the FCC should not license any more TV stations on Channel 6, particularly to LDTV, nor give it away free as white space to parasites like Microsoft.

Let AM broadcasters migrate to an expanded FM band, formerly Channel 6, if they don’t want to stay on AM, and forgo their translators and open the channels up to LPFM.

The truth is that the AM revitalization initiative was an Ajit Pai pet project. I don’t think the Democrats are on board with giving more translators to AM broadcasters or in letting these broadcasters keep their translators indefinitely. In fact, the AM revitalization Initiative might look entirely different once Jessica Rosenworcel is made permanent chairwoman and another Democratic commissioner is installed.

That may be a good thing for the future of FM broadcasting.

The author is a retired TV station owner.

Send Letters to the Editor to radioworld@futurenet.com

The post Letter: Translators are a bridge to … what? appeared first on Radio World.

At 1180 kHz, an AM radio station licensed to Humble, Tex., serves the Houston market with a booming Class B signal. During daylight hours, it has 50kw from 2 towers. After dark, it has 3kw from four towers, situated off the Grand Pkwy toll road in the far northern portion of the Houston metropolitan area.

Until recently, it has been a Spanish Adult Hits station under the branding “La Suavecita” and an affiliate of ESPN Deportes Radio. That’s about to change, with a different multicultural group the new target audience.

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Among the many properties owned by Gray Television is WWBT, the NBC affiliate serving Richmond, a former Raycom Media station that was previously owned by Jefferson-Pilot Corp. Today, it uses VHF digital channel 10 for its PSIP of channel 12.

It is a sister station to WUPV-65 in Richmond, an affiliate of The CW Network. It has been in the family since 2006, and is a former Raycom property, too.

Soon, WUPV and WWBT will have an in-market sibling, thanks to Gray’s purchase of a low-power television station serving the Virginia capital city.

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DAYTON, OHIO — For the first time in two years, the Streamline Publishing Radio & TV team is congregating in-person to review what’s on the horizon for our industry brands, including RBR+TVBR, in 2022.

One of our participants brought along a most interesting accessory — a Sangean portable HD Radio that even has the ability to pick up an AM broadcasting in HD Radio. Who knew?

The better question may be “Who cares?”

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Until Friday, the possibility of fighting a multimillion-dollar lawsuit in Florida’s highest court was a very big one for Berkshire Hathaway’s television station offering ABC programming and a heavy dose of local news to South Florida.

Today, not only is the management at WPLG-10 in Miami breathing a sigh of relief, but its hefty legal fees are now poised to be paid for by the Miami Gardens, Fla., pastor that sued the station for $50 million.

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Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) has submitted its second quarter 2021 financial results to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

What does the company majority-controlled by Raúl Alarcón Jr. have to report for the three-month period ending June 30?

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The shutdown of FM broadcasting in Switzerland will take place on its original schedule by the end of 2024, not on an accelerated schedule that had been set out more recently.

That’s according to a digital working group run by the country’s radio industry and government regulator.

DigiMig (for “Digital Migration”) announced Thursday that VHF radio licenses will expire Dec. 31, 2024, the originally planned switch-off date that was set in 2014.

DigiMig has estimated that almost three quarters of radio use was digital as of the end of last year, a level of penetration that prompted a plan to advance the shutdown of FM to August of 2022 for the Swiss Broadcasting Corp. (SRG) and to January 2023 for private radio.

But now the group says that, although broadcasters in German- and Italian-speaking Switzerland were mostly ready for the earlier schedule, not enough radio broadcasters in French-speaking Switzerland would be prepared.

A later date also gives consumers more time for the changeover, it said. While almost all new cars sold in the country are now DAB+ compatible, it said, there is still a need for retrofitting many older cars to receive digital.

Further, broadcasters will save money with the postponement because stations won’t have to broadcast in both formats for an extended period of time.

The group indicated that by the end of 2024, DAB+ will have a stronger foothold in the market and that digitization of stations will have progressed further.

[Related: “Switzerland Inches Closer to FM Switch-off”]

The website Radio Central reports that in recent months, the FM shutdown has become more of a political issue, and that more voices had called the FM sunset into question.

“In July, media pioneer Roger Schawinski submitted a petition to the federal government with over 60,000 signatures against the shutdown of the VHF transmitters,” Radio Central reported. “After a meeting with Schawinski, the National Council’s Transport and Telecommunications Commission (KVF-N) also called for an in-depth examination of the consequences of not switching off VHF radio stations.”

It quoted Schawinski saying more than a million Swiss cars are unlikely to have DAB reception.

In 2017, Norway became the first country to migrate from FM to digital.

Read Radio World’s free new ebook “Trends in Digital Radio.”

The post Swiss FM Shutdown Reverts to Original 2024 Date appeared first on Radio World.

As Lou Grant, he was one of the more beloved television characters ever seen in prime-time. As a real-life leader, he served as President of the Screen Actors Guild, prior to its merger with AFTRA.

Now, Hollywood and the world are pausing to remember the life and achievements of Ed Asner.

Asner was 91 years old.

“There have been few actors of Ed Asner’s prominence who risked their status to fight for social causes the way Ed did,” said current SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, best known for her role on the original Beverly Hills 90210. “He fought passionately for his fellow actors, both before, during and after his SAG presidency. But his concern did not stop with performers. He fought for victims of poverty, violence, war, and legal and social injustice, both in the United States and around the globe.”

Asner created one of the most memorable roles in television history — the gruff but loveable newsman Lou Grant on two hit television series for CBS: the comedy Mary Tyler Moore from 1970–1977, and the drama Lou Grant from 1977–1982. His five Emmy Awards for that role, plus two additional Emmys, set a record for the most Emmys ever awarded to a male TV actor. He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2001, Asner received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.

Asner was born on Nov. 15, 1929 in Kansas City, Mo., as the son of Orthodox Jews who had emigrated from Russia. He moved to New York in 1955, where he appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. In 1961, he packed his bags and went to Hollywood, where he worked on the films El Dorado (starring John Wayne) and They Call Me Mister Tibbs (starring Sidney Poitier).

Early TV credits include appearances on “The Fugitive,” “The Mod Squad,” and “Ironside.”

Despite a resume heavy with dramatic roles, in 1970 Asner was cast as Lou Grant. His fierce but funny persona was summed up in the pilot episode, with his perfect comedic reading of the line in which Grant informs Mary, “You got spunk … I hate spunk!”

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ran for seven seasons to high ratings and critical acclaim. When it went off the air, CBS took the unprecedented step of spinning off a drama from a comedy. Lou Grant premiered in 1977, and took the character from a Minneapolis TV station to a Los Angeles newspaper room. Despite the change in tone, Asner made the new format work. The show tackled social issues and earned Asner an additional Emmy for his portrayal, making him the first actor to win an Emmy for a comedy and a drama for the same role.

Asner was elected Screen Actors Guild president in 1981, and was a frequent presence on the picket lines during the joint Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA 1980 TV/Theatrical strike, which affected a multitude of productions, including his own Lou Grant. In September 1981, Asner addressed a crowd of 8,000 trade union members at Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park at a Solidarity Day event, and was elected Screen Actors Guild president six weeks later, winning 52% of the vote.

When CBS canceled Lou Grant, Asner claimed it was in retaliation for his political views.

Just weeks later, the Actors’ Equity Association honored Asner with its Paul Robeson Award, given in recognition of an individual or organization demonstrating “concern for and service to fellow humans, respect for the dignity of the individual, freedom of expression, universal brotherhood and the artist’s responsibility to the profession and greater society.”

In 1983, Screen Actors Guild members showed their approval of Asner by electing him to a second term as president, where he garnered 73% of the national vote.

Asner declined to seek a third term as Guild president, passing the gavel to his successor, Patty Duke, in 1985.

He continued to keep busy as both a performer and a political activist. In fact, he won over a whole new generation of fans by voicing “Carl Fredricksen” in the 2009 Pixar feature “Up.”  In 2013, at age 83, he was touring his one-man stage show, “FDR,” portraying President Franklin Roosevelt.

Asner was married twice, to Nancy Sykes and Cindy Gilmore, and had four children: Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles.

One in a series about exhibitor plans at the 2021 NAB Show.

Doug Ferber is Tieline’s VP sales for the Americas.

Radio World: Doug what looks to be the most important tech trend at the NAB Show?

Doug Ferber: The first thing that comes to mind is the continued or expanded use of long-term remote broadcasting from home. Radio broadcasters will want higher-quality setups now that a decision has been made that more talent will be working from home permanently. Because of this, flexibility to add new air talent from anywhere using scalable, high-capacity AoIP solutions will also be imperative.

Technological consolidation and centralization will begin to take on momentum. The trend towards more consolidation will have a profound effect on the size and buildout of the main studio.

Tomorrow’s main studio will be significantly smaller or eliminated completely. If not eliminated, it will have a mix of higher-capacity hardware and cloud-based solutions to reduce rack space requirements and provide more support for remote contribution.

There will be renewed talk and focus on failover, redundancy and backup. And I would not be surprised to hear that analog’s days are now numbered.

RW: What will be your most important news or theme?

Ferber: Our engineering team never stops innovating and has been extremely busy in the last 12 months enhancing Gateway codec streaming capabilities.

Initially compliant with AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-30 for audio transport, in a few short months we have added compliance with NMOS IS-04 and IS-05. These standards deliver discovery, registration and ultimately control for ST 2110 AoIP streaming.

We have added support for WheatNet-IP in a continuation of our partnership with the folks at Wheatstone. Most recently we added support for phase-locked 6 channel (5.1 or 6.0) or 8 channel (7.1 or 8.0) surround sound streams, and phase-locked 4 channel audio streams. An upcoming release will also deliver Ravenna interoperability and other exciting new features, so stay tuned for more.

RW: How is your latest offering different from what’s available on the market?

Ferber: With the introduction of the Gateway 4-, 8- and 16-channel codecs, Tieline now has a “leaner” product line than in the past. I equate the Gateway to the space shuttle, while all the rest are merely Sputnik. It has the channel density to consolidate your studio hardware, more failover than can be imagined, and the ability to syndicate to enough locations to allow you to get rid of the expensive satellite delivery service that you may have been using. AES67 out of the box, WheatNet friendly and overall feature-rich.

I’m confident in saying that there is nothing on the market today that can challenge the Gateway on quality, capability, and bang for your buck.

RW: How has the pandemic affected Tieline’s business?

Ferber: Between the pandemic and the introduction of the Gateway in December, we have been very busy. Our fiscal year ends June 30, so in the Americas — including Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central America, South America.

— our business last year was up, likely as a result of the increase in remote broadcasting equipment needs as well as the introduction of the Gateway line. Sales of the Gateway have been robust from the start.

Globally, sales have not been affected much by the pandemic, even though there have been challenges in various markets such as travel restrictions, lockdowns, etc.

RW: In what way will your booth plans or customer interactions differ because of the pandemic, if any?

Ferber: We will be making NAB decisions right up until we are at the airport headed to Las Vegas. Our team from Australia won’t be with us this year, as it’s logistically difficult for them to travel, but the entire team from our U.S. office will be there on the floor of the convention center. As far as customer interactions are concerned, we will be following CDC guidelines and will have plenty of free hand sanitizer available. We want to meet with as many of our customers as possible while in Las Vegas.

Each year Tieline has a codec giveaway, so come by to see the new Gateway, pick up some cool Tieline swag and let us scan your NAB ticket to enter in the codec drawing.

Info: tieline.com

The post Tieline Broadens Gateway’s Feature Set appeared first on Radio World.

This interview is excerpted from the ebook “Automation: The Next Phase.”

Arrakis Systems was one of the earliest digital automation manufacturers. Ben Palmer is president of the company.

Radio World: How has the pandemic changed workflows for automation?

Ben Palmer: Fortunately, when the pandemic started, most of the automation software world already had the remote features built-in ready to go.

For example, our APEX automation software always had the ability to be remotely controlled and operated. Things like scheduling, voice tracking, live assist, all of this can be handled anywhere with an internet connection and some basic hardware.

As a result of the pandemic, we simply saw our customers begin using these features on a larger scale. Studios would often have a single staff member in the studio, with the rest of the live crew doing their shows from home. Scheduling, reconciliation, audio management, all managed remotely.

Had the pandemic happen 10 years earlier, it would have been a much tougher scenario. One question is whether this will become the new norm, or will it go back to how it was?

RW: What capabilities does automation have today that you wish more broadcasters knew about?

Palmer: One bright spot of the pandemic was how it opened our users’ eyes as to what the automation could do.

In the early ’90s when we first released digital automation, I feel like it was a gradual process for customers to understand the power of a software-based automation system over the old cart and CD systems. It was much like this prior to the pandemic. Most didn’t fully appreciate the flexibility that had already existed; now it is impossible not to.

That said, it is important to recognize the importance of security. I’ve noticed that some automation systems, and software, use proprietary “security” and are using open ports on their routers. This can lead to some security risks that can easily be exploited, giving a stranger keys to your studio. It would be smart to do a security audit for your studios.

RW: What does virtualization mean to you and how does it affect your products and customers?

Palmer: Virtualization is a great tool. Both our automation and console products utilize the latest features, and it makes all the difference in the world. Even though the pandemic has been a unique experience, life emergencies have not been unprecedented. Throughout the years we have heard of studios taken down by floods, tornadoes, cats (true story, a cat took a studio off the air).

Virtualization has enabled these users to take their studios and run them from their homes, RV or anywhere they need. Being prepared is important, and a lot of it is simply realizing what features are already built-in to their existing systems.

The post A New Appreciation of Software’s Power appeared first on Radio World.