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A new career center has been launched by the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society, designed to connect broadcast industry professionals across all disciplines and career stages with broadcast employers.

The new center, called the BTS Career Center, is designed to highlight the unique nature of members of this industry, said Ralph Hogan, president of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society. “Our members are highly appealing to employers because they’ve demonstrated a commitment to the highest levels integrity and training,” he said. “Providing our members with opportunities for professional development and career growth are core to our mission to serve the broadcast profession.”

[Read: Ben Dawson Honored With IEEE BTS Award]

The BTS Career Center is being hosted by YM Careers, a provider of job websites and career centers for organizations that serve specialized members. The career center is also unique in that it offers broadcast industry professionals and employers additional benefits such as the ability for job seekers to post anonymous resumes, options for employers to reach out to passive job-seeking broadcast industry professionals who do not visit job boards, integration of job content into social media channels, and the integration of career resources, training and other benefits offered by IEEE Broadcast Technology Society to members.

The career center is in line with the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society’s mission: to enhance industry professionals’ knowledge by keeping them informed of the latest research results and industry trends, and provide enriching educational and networking opportunities.

 

The post New BTS Career Center Launched by IEEE Broadcast Technology Society appeared first on Radio World.

If you want to tell the Federal Communications Commission what you think about its planned limit on applications in the upcoming window for new NCE FM stations, take note: The commission has now published the deadlines for comments.

In October, the FCC said it is seeking comment on its proposed limit for applications in the window that’s expected to open next year. The commission intends to cap the applications at 10 for any applicant, and that no party should have an attributable interest in more than 10 applications. [Read: “FCC Plans to Cap New NCE FM Applications.”]

Now the Media Bureau has set the deadline for comments at Nov. 20, and reply comments by Nov. 30.

Comments are being accepted in MB Docket No. 20-343. Comments may be filed via the commission’s ECFS website.

As we’ve reported, more than a decade has passed since the FCC accepted applications for new full-power NCE construction permits.

The window will allow non-profit organizations, schools and native tribes to apply for original CPs in the NCE reserved band, which is 88.1–91.9 MHz on the FM dial. Individuals cannot apply for NCEs. A separate window for additional new LPFMs is expected to follow.

The post FCC Sets Comment Deadlines on NCE FM Cap appeared first on Radio World.

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Joe Mack

Joe Mack has been named chief revenue officer of equipment manufacturer GatesAir. It is a newly formed position.

Meanwhile Rich Redmond has left the company after 23 years, a spokesman confirmed to Radio World. Redmond most recently held the title of president – managing director, international.

[Read: GatesAir Promotes Parikh to VP of Engineering]

“Joe will take ownership of global sales activity in his new role, with all regional sales leaders across APAC, CALA, EMEA and North America reporting to him,” the company stated in a release planned for Tuesday distribution and obtained by RW.

Mack will continue to report to GatesAir CEO Bruce D. Swail.

Rich Redmond

Mack has been with GatesAir and its predecessor Harris for 30 years. He was promoted to VP of sales for the Americas when GatesAir was formed in 2014, after holding leadership roles at Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division. “Joe was responsible for all U.S. spectrum repack sales efforts, which established GatesAir as the undisputed market share leader for broadcast transmission,” the company stated. He joined Harris through the acquisition of Midwest Communication in 1990.

Rich Redmond joined Harris in 1998, according to his LinkedIn page, and held several sales and business development roles. He has been a familiar face to visitors to the GatesAir booth at trade shows, and played an important role in that 2014 “carveout” of GatesAir from Harris six years ago. He started his career with Northeast Broadcast Lab in 1990. Redmond did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Radio World.

GatesAir is part of The Gores Group, a global investment firm.

 

The post GatesAir Names Joe Mack as CRO appeared first on Radio World.

A USSI Global field engineer performs maintenance on the satellite dish of a customer in Miami. Photo: USSI Global

USSI Global has launched a service to mitigate possible interference that may occur in the C-Band as broadcasters and cable networks transition from the lower 300 MHz band to make room for 5G services.

Operators of C-Band services in the 300 MHz band will be moved to what remains of the 200 MHz band by 2025. An auction for the spectrum begins in December, and the relocation of existing C-Band users in the 300 MHz band will occur with deadlines in late 2021, 2023 and 2025.

[Read: FCC Chooses C-Band Repack Money Clearinghouse Operators]

The new USSI Global interference mitigation service offers a full range of project management services, including site inspection, installation and commissioning. The company also can modernize all satellite systems and infrastructure, it said.

USSI Global, which is a turnkey provider of customized network, broadcast and digital signage systems and services around the world, plans to have a dedicated team of RF and satellite engineers work on each relocation project. It will offer C-Band users an option to offload network operation, monitoring and maintenance to USSI Global technicians, as well as a dedicated around-the-clock call center to respond to problems, the company said.

“The C-Band spectrum is occupied by television and radio broadcasters, as well as cable networks, that use satellite networks for contribution and distribution,” said David S. Christiano, USSI Global CEO and president.

“Our C-Band Mitigation Interference service will guide operators through complex, time-sensitive transformations and complete system upgrades that optimize their network infrastructure for the next generation. USSI Global brings together every project management and customer service element to ensure smooth transitions for our customers.”

The company will perform a full inspection of existing satellite facilities, after which its field engineers will manage all technical changes to the network infrastructure. It will update and repaint existing antennas as well as install new antennas, filters, IRDs and other components to modernized satellite networks. USSI Global will work with multiple suppliers while procuring new technology to get the best price, the company said.

USSI Global also will retune and repoint antennas to comply with frequency changes while enabling its clients to maintain uninterrupted service during the upgrade and transition, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

 

The post USSI Global Service to Assist C-Band Spectrum Users Relocate appeared first on Radio World.

Gordon Smith sent a video message about the elections to NAB members. Click to view.

Gordon Smith, a former Republican senator and now the president/CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, says it is “decisive” that Joe Biden won the U.S. electoral vote. Smith issued a statement this weekend praising Biden for “his patriotic love for his country and of his good heart for all his countrymen.”

This would normally be considered a fairly routine post-election compliment from a former Senate colleague, but it stands out in the 2020 political climate.

Smith, a Republican, issued his statement even though Trump has not conceded and has issued numerous legal challenges to the Biden win.

In a similar vein, former President George W. Bush on Sunday described the election as “fundamentally fair.”

Smith acknowledged Trump’s rights to judicial review of election results but said, “It is time to acknowledge the election of Joe Biden and to allow him the chance to bind our nation back together.”

Here is the text of Smith’s statement:

“It has been clear for days now that Joe Biden has been on track to win the popular vote in his run for the presidency. It is decisive that today he has surpassed the threshold of 270 electoral college votes. NAB congratulates Joe Biden on becoming president-elect of the United States of America.

“I was privileged to serve beside President-elect Joe Biden during my two terms as a Republican Senator from Oregon. I know Joe. I know his patriotic love for his country and of his good heart for all his countrymen.

“Working together on the Foreign Relations Committee, we routinely bridged the partisan divide to achieve important legislative accomplishments.

“And, during a time of personal tragedy for my family, when we lost our son Garrett, Joe was a source of support and solace. Because he too knew the pain of losing a child, he gave to me a steady, brotherly shoulder to lean on. Joe is a healer, the consoler-in-chief our nation has elected.

“With due respect to President Trump’s rights to judicial review of election results, it is time to acknowledge the election of Joe Biden and to allow him the chance to bind our nation back together.”

He posed a video message for NAB members regarding the elections. He highlighted the large turnout and the role of broadcasters in the process.

The post Gordon Smith Says Biden Won appeared first on Radio World.

Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's proceeding by David Goldman, on behalf of Space Exploration Technologies Corp.; Audrey L. Allison, on behalf of The Boeing Company; Jennifer A. Manner, on behalf of EchoStar Satellite Services, LLC and Hughes Network Services, LLC; Mike Safyan, on behalf of Planet Labs Inc.; Ananda Martin, on behalf of Spire Global, Inc.; Elisabeth Neasmith, on behalf of Telesat Canada; and Julie Zoller, et al., on behalf of Kuiper Systems, Inc.

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As required by the National Defense Authorization Act, the FCC Submits its Fifth Semi-Annual Report to Congress on Submissions by U.S.-Based Foreign Media Outlets

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The Federal Communications Commission will allow more foreign investment in iHeartMedia — up to 100%, subject to certain conditions.

“We find that the public interest would not be served by prohibiting foreign investment in iHeart, the owner of over 850 radio broadcast station licenses, in excess of the 25% benchmark set forth in … the [Communications] Act,” wrote Albert Shuldiner, chief of the Audio Division of the Media Bureau.

The FCC has the discretion to allow higher levels of foreign investment in a broadcaster’s U.S. parent company. iHeart asked to be allowed to exceed the 25% cap because, in coming out of bankruptcy last year, it issued new stock and special warrants but was required to seek approval to exceed 25% so that foreign investors could use their warrants to buy stock.

[Read: Cumulus Gets Thumbs up on Foreign Ownership Petition]

A 2016 commission order made it easier for U.S. broadcasters to seek this type of outcome. Since then, the FCC has eased or waived the 25% cap in several cases. iHeart’s role as the country’s largest radio station owner makes it notable, but the FCC recently also gave a similar ruling in favor of Cumulus Media.

“The FCC’s decision will enable holders of iHeartMedia warrants to have those warrants exchanged into Class A or Class B shares of iHeartMedia common stock,” the company stated. It said the ruling “will afford iHeartMedia flexibility to accommodate increased foreign investment that may result from share purchases by the public.”

The nine-page ruling includes a summary of the role and investment structures of the specific companies concerned: PIMCO Group and Invesco Group. iHeart had estimated that if their warrants were fully exercised, its foreign equity interests would be about 64% and foreign voting interests around 70.5%. iHeart emphasized that the investments mostly involve U.S. subsidiaries of businesses based in Germany and Bermuda, two close allies and trade partners.

In its petition, iHeart also argued that lifting the cap would serve the public interest by enabling it to better compete, incentivizing foreign investment and encouraging reciprocal opportunities for U.S. companies elsewhere.

The company will still have to obtain FCC approval for any new or additional foreign entity to control more than 5% (or more than 10% for certain institutional investors).

The commission rejected an argument by one petitioner that this outcome would put national security at risk. The FCC said the Departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security signed off, as long as iHeart abides by commitments it made to DOJ including designating a Security Officer who is a U.S. citizen and certain reporting requirements.

 

The post FCC Gives iHeart a Foreign Ownership Privilege appeared first on Radio World.