Industry News

Franken FM stations may have some hope after all. The Federal Communications Commission has opened that door, at least a crack.

The commission has granted special temporary authority to one digital LPTV station that is also still operating an ancillary audio signal at 88.7 FM. The STA will allow it to continue its “FM6” operations for at least the next six months rather than shut down at the July 13 deadline.

Radio World has learned that the commission will consider similar STA requests until it decides how it will handle the FM6 issue.

Similar requests “will be considered”

KBKF(LD) in San Jose, Calif., which is licensed to Venture Technologies Group, converted to ATSC 3.0 digital operations earlier this year. It then requested special temporary authority from the FCC to continue its analog FM6 operations beyond the July 13 deadline for LPTV analog stations to complete their digital facilities.

KBFK airs contemporary Christian music from the Air1 Radio Network from the Educational Media Foundation. EMF in March urged the FCC to “act expeditiously” on the FM6 proceeding.

FM6 proponents say the ATSC 3.0 standard allows a station’s DTV signal to occupy as little as 5.509 MHz, which leaves room for an analog audio carrier that does not degrade the station’s DTV signal. FM6 operations may only be conducted on 87.75 MHz.

[Read our prior story “Time Running Out for FM6 Stations?”]

An FCC spokesperson told Radio World: “This STA will allow for such stations to continue operating, with conditions, until the commission determines how to act on the broader rulemaking. The STA operations will help inform such future action.”

This development doesn’t change the fact that analog LPTV stations must terminate analog television operations by July 13. “However, if other analog Channel 6 LPTV stations convert to digital 3.0 by the July 13 deadline and request similar STA relief, those requests will be considered,” according to a FCC Media Bureau official.

Paul Koplin, president of Venture Technologies Group, told Radio World in an email: “This provides Channel 6 the path forward to survive in a digital world. The technology works without interfering with other stations or its own signal.”

Ari Meltzer, a spokesman for the Preserve Community Programming Coalition (PCPC), a FM6 advocacy group, said: “This will prevent any disruption for listeners on July 13 and help establish a record of real-world operations for the open rulemaking proceeding.”

Operators of “Franken FM” stations have lobbied for several years to be able to maintain an analog output on 87.7 FM even after converting to digital TV6 service. Analog LPTV’s were allowed to request an extension to complete their digital TV facilities beyond July 13.

Nothing Ventured …

In its letter to Venture Technologies Group acknowledging the special temporary authority, the FCC emphasizes that the designation is temporary and there are conditions the licensee needs to meet, including making immediate modifications if any interference is reported.

The FCC noted in its STA letter that Venture had provided notice to all potentially affected Channel 5, Channel 6 and 88.1 FM stations in San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland and adjoining Designated Market Areas, telling them that it was beginning digital service with ATSC 3.0 video and an ancillary audio signal.

The letter was dated June 10 and signed by Barbara Kreisman, chief of the video division of the Media Bureau.

Venture Technologies Group also committed to making efficient use of the ATSC 3.0 video portion of the station’s signal. “Venture represents that KBKF(LD) will provide at least one stream of synchronized video and audio programming on the ATSC 3.0 portion of the spectrum on a full time (24×7) basis,” according to the FCC correspondence.

Venture must also submit several written reports to the FCC during the six-month period detailing any reports of interference to other licensed users and any interference between KBKF(LD)’s video and audio services that in any way limits the coverage of its video, according to the FCC.

The post FCC Throws Lifeline to an FM6 Station appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has confirmed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Commission, has selected the day it will conduct a nationwide test of the EAS and Wireless Emergency Alerts.

The date chosen: Wednesday, Aug. 11.

The time: 11:20am Pacific, or 2:20pm Eastern.

There is a backup date of August 25, should there be an unforeseen glitch that prevents the test from occurring on August 11.

All EAS Participants must renew their identifying information in ETRS Form One on or before July 6; the ETRS is now available for the acceptance of 2021 filings.

During the event, a test message will clearly state that the alert is only a test.

FEMA will transmit the EAS portion of the nationwide test through a hierarchical, broadcast-based distribution system, otherwise known as the “daisy chain.” Because the test will be disseminated in this manner, FEMA indicates that “full message text and multilingual messaging will not be available.”

FEMA explains, “[T]he intent of conducting the test in this fashion is to determine the
capability of the [EAS] to deliver messages to the public in the event that dissemination via internet is not available.”

The Media Bureau adds that testing the daisy chain will allow the FCC and FEMA to assess whether the national EAS would perform as designed, if activated, and help to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of broadcast-based alerting as part of our national emergency communications infrastructure.

For further information regarding the nationwide EAS test, contact Maureen Bizhko, Attorney Advisor, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at 202-418-0011 or maureen.bizhko@fcc.gov; Rosemary Cabral, Attorney Advisor, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at rosemary.cabral@fcc.gov; or Christina Clearwater, Deputy Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at christina.clearwater@fcc.gov. 

It signed on the air in 2009 as a Class A FM serving the Adirondack Mountains town of Saranac Lake, N.Y. Since January, it has been one-half of a Variety Hits operation branded as “Lake FM,” with coverage of nearby Tupper Lake provided by that second FM.

Now, a deal is in the works sending the Class A to a new licensee.

It sees noted longtime media executive turned licensee Randy Michaels agreeing to its sale.

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DTV America Corp. has of late been an entity fully controlled by HC2 Holdings, today led by Wayne Barr and until nearly a year ago by Philip Falcone.

As part of a capital-raising campaign led by HC2’s current leadership, DTV is spinning a group of low-powered TV stations in various locales.

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In Boston, WBZ NewsRadio has begun a 100-day celebration leading up to its 100-year anniversary.

The station, owned by iHeartMedia, passes the century mark on Sept. 19 and is thus one of the oldest in the United States. It originally was located in East Springfield, Mass., and first broadcast from Boston in 1924.

[Read: Remembering the Early Days of KWTX]

“WBZ NewsRadio is set to celebrate 100 years of being a legendary cornerstone of the Boston media landscape, broadcasting the latest headlines and news coverage on 1030 AM,” it announced.

“The station will celebrate on-air and online with short stories and photos of memorable moments in WBZ’s rich history.”

The announcement was made by Market President Alan Chartrand and the market’s VP of News, Talk & Sports Rob Sanchez.

They highlighted the station’s “heritage brand” and its strength as a local news source.

Interesting tidbit: In the earliest days, the station announcers were not allowed to use their names, just their initials. Chief announcer Arthur F. Edes was known as EFA, according to the station’s website. Gordon Swan, who would later become WBZ’s program director, was known as AGS.

Radio historian and Radio World contributor John Schneider noted recently that WBZ was the first radio station to receive a commercial broadcasting license. (Pittsburgh’s KDKA, he noted, was licensed as a “Commercial Land Station,” a category that had existed for years before, and on the night of its famous election returns it was using the call sign 8ZZ.)

WBZ has a whole section of its website dedicated to celebrating its history with fun photos and timelines.

The post WBZ Celebrates 100 Years appeared first on Radio World.

The EAS spotlight will be on broadcasters on Aug. 11. The national test of the Emergency Alert System that day will not involve the internet IPAWS portion of the system as it has in the past. That’s because federal officials want to make sure the traditional broadcast daisy chain is reliable if the internet is not available during an emergency.

As we reported earlier, the test of EAS and the Wireless Emergency Alert System will take place Aug. 11 at 2:20 p.m. EDT with a backup date of Aug. 25.

Now the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission has announced details and also has made the EAS Test Reporting System available to accept 2021 filings. All EAS participants — including most U.S. radio stations — must renew their identifying information using ETRS Form One by July 6.

FEMA will transmit the EAS portion of the test only through the familiar broadcast distribution daisy chain, not the internet using the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System this time. Even though EAS participants must be able to receive alerts from both, FEMA wants to determine the capability of EAS to deliver messages in the event that the internet is not available.

“Testing the daisy chain will allow the FCC and FEMA to assess whether the national EAS would perform as designed, if activated, and help to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of broadcast-based alerting as part of our national emergency communications infrastructure,” the FCC wrote.

FEMA will initiate the WEA portion of the test using the State/Local WEA Test category for the first time.  Only subscribers who have opted in to receive WEA tests will receive that message. Participating CMS Providers are required to transmit the State/Local Test message and enable subscribers to opt in to receive it.

The commission also reminded EAS participants of steps to take to be prepared, including ensuring that their EAS gear has the latest software and that it can receive and process the NPT code and “six zeroes” national location code. Further recommendations are in the FCC notice.

In addition to filling out Form One by July 6, EAS participants must fill out Form Two on Aug. 11 or 12 for “day of test” info; and Form Three is due Sept. 27.

Filers can access ETRS on the FCC website. You can update previously filed forms in ETRS by clicking on the “My Filings” menu option. Broadcasters can pre-populate Form One by completing the FRN and Facility ID fields but should doublecheck the data.

“Each EAS participant should file a separate copy of Form One for each of its EAS decoders, EAS encoders, or units combining such decoder and encoder functions,” the FCC wrote.

The post National EAS Test Will Focus on Broadcast Chain appeared first on Radio World.

“Every presentation is a performance,” says veteran public relations executive Rosemary Ravinal, who has emerged from the pandemic as a Zoom etiquette expert for the professional work force.

“It is a performance with a specific audience in mind, concise content, delivered with energy and authority,” she writes in this new column. “Whether you are doing a virtual presentation or in-person, there are common best practices that will ease your discomfort and greatly improve your impact.”

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Fueled by stronger than anticipated digital advertising results, respected Wall Street financial analysts at MoffettNathanson are raising its 2021 overall U.S. ad growth estimate.

This offset will be partially offset by lower than expected broadcast and cable advertising.

But, what do the radio advertising trends look like? Senior Analyst Michael Nathanson offers a few details.

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On September 19, 1921, one of America’s oldest radio stations will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

On Friday (6/11), the 100 day countdown to a century of serving New England began for a station currently offering an all-News format, owned today by iHeartMedia.

WBZ-AM 1030, a Class A 50kw directional facility using 2 towers on the opposite of Nantasket Beach, Mass., is the station already saluting itself. This will see on-air and online vignettes recalling the most memorable moments in the station’s history.

“For a station to broadcast for 100 years is nothing short of amazing,” said Alan
Chartrand, Market President of WBZ parent iHeartMedia/Boston. “Listeners and advertisers
consistently utilize this heritage brand as evidenced by WBZ’s continued ratings and
revenue success. People lean into objective news sources to remain informed and none
has been more dependable than WBZ NewsRadio.”

Rob Sanchez, Vice President of News, Talk & Sports for iHeartMedia in Boston, added, “WBZ NewsRadio is defined by our strong, unmistakable presence in the communities we serve. As the media landscape continues to evolve, our reach has only increased as WBZ listeners have adopted streaming on smart devices and the iHeartRadio app.”

With FM accessibility via WXKS-FM 107.9 HD2, the primary listener connectivity point for WBZ remains its booming AM signal, which covers all of eastern Massachusetts; Rhode Island; southern New Hampshire; and coastal Maine. At night, WBZ’s signal expands to much of the Northeast. While a Class A, it shares that designation with a Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, radio station.

The WBZ of today features all-news programming from midnight to 8pm weekdays, and Nightside with Dan Rea from 8pm until midnight. Saturday evenings feature talk programming, while The Ric Edelman Show holds the 10am-noon Sunday slot.

WBZ is one of the original Westinghouse radio stations, and has been at its present dial position since 1941. It was a member of the NBC Blue Network, and then switched in 1942 to the Red Network. That lasted until August 1956, when a dispute over daytime programming led WBZ to take on a “MOR” music approach. At this time, legendary hosts including Dave Maynard entered the WBZ annals of history.

In the 1960s, WBZ became a Top 40 station, competing with WMEX. But, in 1969, WRKO had emerged as the market’s hit music leader. This led WBZ, even with its much bigger regional signal, to shift toward Adult Contemporary as it adopted a more Full Service approach, incorporating Sports programming and Talk shows.

In 1985, as many AMs were doing, Full Service programming gradually faded. By the time the Persian Gulf War began in 1991, all music programming was done. This resulted in WBZ becoming “Boston’s News Station.”

Meanwhile, WBZ’s ownership was still associated with the old Westinghouse, this time as a CBS Radio property with Viacom a part of its historical ownership lineage. With CBS Radio’s merger with Entercom, now Audacy, in 2017, the company opted to swap WBZ — along with a group of other stations — to iHeartMedia.

A “digital cartop network” is one that can run ads and other content on top of ride-sharing vehicles; and Cumulus Media just did a deal with one.

The company signed an agreement with Adomni, an ad platform with 460,000 “out of home digital screens” in the United States.

[Read: Cumulus Stations Support DTS AutoStage]

It means that in markets where Cumulus has radio stations, Adomni becomes its exclusive ad partner to local businesses for the Uber OOH cartop ad network.

“Uber OOH is the official Uber digital out-of-home national advertising network which, in partnership with Adomni, features two-sided internet-connected, video-enabled screens on the tops of Uber vehicles,” they said in a press release.

The announcement was made by Dave Milner, EVP of operations at Cumulus Media, and Jonathan Gudai, CEO of Adomni.

Milner said this gives Cumulus another platform to offer to its advertisers.

The post Cumulus Signs Ad Deal for Uber Cartop Screens appeared first on Radio World.