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Member stations of the National Association of Broadcasters got a chance to hear from its new president/CEO on Thursday, Jan. 20, when Curtis LeGeyt spoke in a virtual “town hall.”

He identified three areas he’ll focus on, according to a meeting summary: winning policy fights to help broadcast businesses thrive; engaging in “business-oriented initiatives prioritized by the organization’s membership;” and “restoring NAB Show’s preeminent stature as a destination for the entire broadcast community.”

LeGeyt praised broadcasters for their work during the pandemic and promised to champion tools and resources they need to serve communities.

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He spoke about his work on the Hill during his decade at NAB and the importance of stations being engaged with legislators and regulators. “You have the compelling story to tell about your stations work in their communities. And it is incumbent on all of us to ensure policymakers recognize the importance of our investigative reporting, emergency alerts and philanthropic efforts that local stations provide to their constituents,” he said.

Executive Vice President of Government Affairs Shawn Donilon talked about NAB’s legislative priorities including support for a law that would help broadcasters and other media in negotiating with “Big Tech” companies about how their content is shared. He also mentioned the Local Radio Freedom Act opposing a performance royalty on broadcast radio stations.

Donilon also gave an update on the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, which would provide news media with a tax credit for hiring and retaining local journalists, and on legislation to reestablish a diversity tax certificate program.

Presentations were also made by Rick Kaplan, NAB’s chief legal officer and EVP of legal and regulatory affairs, and Michelle Duke, chief diversity officer and president of the NAB Leadership Foundation. Duke highlighted a planned Broadcast and Community Organization Summit intended to strengthen relationships between broadcasters and community organizations that target diverse and underrepresented populations, as well as help broadcasters with diversity recruitment.

Comment on this or any article. Write to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post LeGeyt Lays Out General Priorities appeared first on Radio World.

In the fall of 2021 Comrex announced a new service that will deliver conferenced audio from multiple contributors to the company’s hardware codecs in high quality. We asked Chris Crump, senior director of sales and marketing, for details. This story is part of our latest Buyer’s Guide on telco and phone system products for radio.

Radio World: What is Gagl and what is its main application?

Chris Crump: Gagl is a new cloud-based remote contribution service from Comrex. For those familiar with Opal, it works in a similar manner using a common web browser for remote guests to connect. However, it connects to a Comrex ACCESS or BRIC-Link codec in the studio instead of dedicated Opal hardware.

We created Gagl for morning shows, reporters and guest interview situations where high-quality, low-delay audio is required and interaction between up to five participants is needed.

Wherever there is election coverage round-robin reporting, a Friday Night Football live scoreboard roundup, a highly interactive afternoon drive sports show with remote hosts, a charity telethon with presenters at multiple remote locations, podcasts or just simple one-on-one guest interviews, Gagl is a great solution.

To connect, the guest/contributor just needs a computer or smartphone with one of the commonly available web browsers, a decent quality headset and a good Internet connection.

RW: What sets this apart from services someone might currently use for this application?

Crump: There are several free services and some paid that broadcasters and podcasters are using but one thing that stuck out to us was that audio quality tends to be an afterthought with apps like Zoom and Skype where video is the primary focus. As a result, audio tends to suffer. Automatic gain control and echo cancellation make the audio quality even worse.

So we decided to really focus on clean, low-delay, high quality audio. It is something that we’ve been doing for over 60 years now and where we think Gagl will excel.

Customers that already use our ACCESS and BRIC-Link codecs are very familiar with the dependability and superior audio quality these provide. Gagl combines a very simple-to-use guest contributor interface with the broadcast reliable hardware that our customers depend on every day.

RW: Is it available now? What does it cost?

Crump: Gagl will be available about the time this article goes to press. People will be able to sign up for a trial period prior to purchasing a monthly or yearly subscription. Current details on Gagl and a link to the subscription site can be found at https://mailchi.mp/49b8b94b6a97/gagl-updates.

After a free 14-day trial period, Gagl customers will be billed at an introductory rate of $35 USD per month or $350 per year.

RW: Amazon Web Services had some technical issues that may be fresh in people’s minds. Is the cloud-based Gagl safe from problems like that?

Crump: A cloud service is basically an application running on someone else’s computer that uses the public internet. Given the litany of “blackhat” attacks, connectivity issues and power outages suffered by major service providers that we constantly read about, it is clear that no cloud service is immune from service interruptions.

We will certainly do our best to ensure the best results for our customers within the scope of what we can control. We’ve had very good results with our SwitchBoard Traversal Server over the years. As long as the power companies and ISPs hold up their end, we should be in good shape.

RW: What else should we know?

Crump: Comrex customers have overwhelmingly given our support team rave reviews. Technical support is free of charge and available in both English and Spanish. Gagl customers will enjoy access to our world-class support team to help them with hardware and platform-related issues.

More Info: www.comrex.com or +1 (978) 784-1776

The post Comrex Gagl Is a New Remote Contribution Solution appeared first on Radio World.

On September 20, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by One Ministries, Inc. (Petitioner), requesting the allotment of reserved noncommercial educational channel *4 to Fort Bragg, California, in the Table of Allotments as the community's second local service. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to allot channel *4 at Fort Bragg. The newly allotted channel will be authorized pursuant to the Commission's application and selection procedures for reserved noncommercial educational television stations.

On July 28, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by KVUU-TV Broadcasting Corporation (Petitioner), the licensee of KVUU, channel 9, Henderson, Nevada, requesting the substitution of channel 24 for channel 9 at Henderson in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 24 for channel 9 at Henderson.

AETC requests the allotment of reserved educational channel *4 at Vernon, Alabama.

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RBR+TVBR EXCLUSIVE

There was Aereo. More recently and perhaps more infamously, there was Locast.

Each of the now-defunct services provided broadcast TV channels via an IPTV service, and each were criticized by the nation’s “Big Four” networks and the NAB for skirting retransmission consent accords.

Now comes a new “virtual Over the Air” streaming service offering a “local broadcast bundle” based on one’s location. And, the company offering the service, says, it is the first and only legal platform seen yet in the United States.

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The division of Comcast Cable that provides media and entertainment technology to content providers, operators, and advertisers has launched a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering designed to help companies understand and analyze video (live and on-demand), audio, and closed captions to create actionable metadata around content assets, generate and manage new content, improve advertising efficiency, and streamline operations.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Leadership Foundation is now accepting entries for the 2022 Celebration of Service to America Awards.

The Celebration of Service to America Awards, presented by Bonneville International and Hearst Television, honors the impact and excellence in community service and philanthropy by local radio and television stations across the country.

The 2022 Celebration of Service to America Awards entry window will close on Tuesday, March 8 at 2:59am Eastern. All stations and broadcast ownership groups are encouraged to enter their best community service efforts from the past year.

Both NAB members and non-members are eligible to enter. Award categories are based on DMA rankings and market size:

• Broadcast Ownership Group
• Large/Major Market (TV DMAs 1-50, Radio Markets 1-50)
• Medium Market (TV DMAs 51-100, Radio Markets 51-150)
• Small Market (TV DMAs 101-210, Radio Markets 151-300)

Three finalists from each television and radio category will be notified in early April.

Winners will be announced at the in-person awards event in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, June 7, where finalists, celebrity guests, past honorees and policy makers will come together and celebrate the important work of broadcasters across the country. A special one-hour broadcast event will also air in summer 2022.

Additional information about the awards, including sponsorship opportunities, rules and event details, is available at ServiceToAmericaAwards.org.

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NEW YORK — The only competition exclusively devoted to radio and audio, created 30 years ago “to encourage and reward the development of effective and creative radio commercials,” has selected its 2022 chief judge.

This sees the 31st annual Radio Mercury Awards turning to a Campbell Ewald creative leader.

Taking the seat as chief judge this year is Alejandro Ortiz, Executive Creative Director at the ad shop. In his role Ortiz leads the creative teams in New York, for a number of clients, including Empire State Development, INY, Port Authority of NY and NJ, a number of spirits and beverage brands at Constellation, and the New York Power Authority, as well as Shamrock Farms.

Before his time at Campbell Ewald, Ortiz spent 14 years in New York working at Casanova//McCann for clients such as UNICEF, Coca-Cola, Denny’s, U.S. Army, Microsoft and U.S. Postal Service, among others. His work has won over 140 creative awards, including three Radio Mercury Awards, Cannes, Clio, The One Show, LIA, Art Directors Club and New York Festivals, etc. He has also participated on juries for the Radio Mercury Awards, Addy’s, Ad Stars Festival, New York Festivals, Ojo de Iberoamérica and more.

The annual Radio Mercury Awards, produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), draws entries from advertising agencies, production houses, radio stations and educational institutions across the country.

“Ale is a multi-faceted creative leader who we have known for many years as he was building his creative reputation,” said RAB President/CEO and Radio Creative Fund Chair Erica Farber. “We have truly benefitted from his support of the Radio Mercury Awards, not only as a winner, but as a passionate judge.”

Call for Entry for the 2022 Radio Mercury Awards will open in a few weeks. To learn more information on this year’s Call for Entry guidelines and deadlines, go to https://www.radiomercuryawards.com/.

The Hearst Television business unit that independently produces and distributes original programming for broadcast and cable TV, as well as streaming services, has promoted two individuals.

They’re taking “expanded sales, marketing and distribution roles” at the entity formed in September 2021 that has its roots in Litton Entertainment, rebranded at the start of 2022.

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Steve Jones

Steve Jones has been promoted to CEO and president of Skyview Networks. He previously held the role of COO/president since joining the firm in 2019.

“Ken Thiele, founder and CEO, moves to founder and executive chairman of the board, where he will continue to engage in a high-level advisory role for the company,” the company said in the announcement.

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Thiele credited Jones with diversifying and expanding the company’s business portfolio, “resulting in a substantial revenue and market share increase.” Jones worked earlier at Disney/ABC, leading business units at ABC News Audio and ABC News Digital.

He said that despite the pandemic, Skyview has been growing fast in network audio sales, syndication and distribution.

Jeanne-Marie Condo continues as executive vice president.

Skyview Networks describes itself as a “broadcast technology, syndication and national network sales solution company reaching half of all Americans weekly through 9,000 radio station relationships.” Its clients include ABC Audio, CBS Audio, Local Radio Networks, Alpha Media USA, JackFM, The Weather Channel, The Associated Press, Hubbard Broadcasting, Cox Media Group, professional and collegiate sports organizations and two state news networks.

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

The post Steve Jones Is New CEO of Skyview Networks appeared first on Radio World.

It’s a broadcast technology, syndication and national network sales operation known for providing services to ABC Audio, CBS Audio, Local Radio Networks, Alpha Media USA, JackFM, The Weather Channel, The Associated Press, Hubbard Broadcasting, Cox Media Group, professional and collegiate sports organizations, and two state news networks.

It also has a syndication portfolio for such programs as The Dana Cortez Show and Nick Cannon Radio, and enjoys ties to Quu’s ad-sync technology.

Skyview Networks has established itself as a radio industry leader. Now, one of its top C-Suite figures is being promoted to CEO.

Earning the promotion is COO Steve Jones.

In his new role, Jones will lead the sales, content, broadcast distribution and technology company “as it continues to build on a successful period of growth and innovation,” Skyview says.

Jones joined Skyview in 2019. Since then, the company says his efforts have helped Skyview in achieving an expanded and diversified business portfolio.

What does this mean for Ken Thiele, Founder and CEO? He’ll become Skyview’s Executive Chairman of the Board, and continue in a high-level advisory role for the company.

“Over the last 25 years, Skyview has evolved into a dynamic solutions leader in network audio, and through our enduring growth, we have always maintained a commitment to innovation and quality,” Thiele said. “I have had the privilege of working alongside Steve both as a client and as a leader within our company—he embodies these characteristics, which are also matched with an unyielding drive for excellence, keen business sense, and distinguished experience. I am privileged to welcome him to the role of CEO.”

Prior to joining Skyview Networks, Jones spent many years at ABC under the ownership of The Walt Disney Company, leading business units at ABC News Audio and ABC News Digital. He was named Radio & Records “News Executive of the Year” in 2005 and 2007), among other industry accolades received across his career.

“Steve is the consummate leader with total dedication to our employees, the industry and most of all, the growth of Skyview. He guides each step with intelligent, strategic thinking and is sought after by industry leaders for counsel,” Jeanne-Marie Condo, EVP at Skyview Networks, added.  “It has been a privilege for me to partner with Ken and I thank him for this insightful decision. I am excited to continue working alongside Steve taking Skyview to the next level.”

In August 2021, RBR+TVBR first shared the news that Larry Fuss was once again poised o become the owner of a 1,000-watt AM and its FM translator serving a small city in Mississippi. Why? A reversal of his 2011 sale of the properties was in the works, as the buyer couldn’t keep up with his payment schedule and was some $50,000 behind.

Now, Fuss has a buyer for the properties.

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Gray Television has been an active buyer in recent months. And, we’re not talking about its now-concluded deals with Quincy Media, Inc., or Meredith Corporation.

Gray is an investor in low-power television stations. It’s now asked the FCC for approval for another LPTV deal.

On January 13, Gray signed off on an asset purchase agreement that, pending Commission OK, will give it ownership of WMJN-LD in Huntsville, Ala.

The seller is James and Carol Henderson-led Emanuel Broadcasting Corp., which is earning $330,000, from the LPTV spin.

WMJN uses a PSIP of Channel 29 and is assigned to digital Channel 32. At present, it is a Heartland-affiliated station with Retro TV on DT2, and Rev’n on its DT4 multicast channels.

Will this continue? That’s what locals are likely asking as WMJN will become a sibling to NBC affiliate WAFF-48.

Asked what the company’s plans are, a source close to the situation replied, “We are just working on improving [over-the-air] reception where good opportunities present themselves.”

WAFF’s HD multicast channels are comprised of Bounce TV, Circle, Laff and Grit.