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If you’re running an older tube transmitter, you might have had the thought: Should you continue buying tubes or would you be better off with a new transmitter? It’s a question that still faces many broadcast managers. Radio World’s September ebook explores the topic.

What factors should be weighed when making this important ROI decision? Are tube transmitters more rugged and forgiving? How much more efficient are solid-state designs? How do tube and solid-state compare in terms of failure modes, frequency agility and ongoing maintenance costs? What is the expected life of a tube today? And what else should engineers know about the costs of ongoing tube operation?

In two articles, longtime Radio World contributor Michael LeClair and Nautel’s Jeff Welton, winner of multiple engineering awards, took on this topic. Read it here.

 

The post Have You Bought Your Last Tube? appeared first on Radio World.

Build your own EAS receive antenna … Peruse the program of the Broadcast Technology Symposium … Learn about efforts to expand World Radio Day awareness in the United States … And see what the former offices of USA Digital Radio looked like after a gas explosion.

ALERTING
“We Are Accountable as Broadcasters”

Jamila Flomo makes the case for multilingual emergency broadcasting.

TECH TIPS
Seeking Enlightenment About Lightning Protection?

Jeff Welton, chosen SBE’s educator of the year in 2018, talks about best practices for preparing your transmitter site.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• World Radio Day Organizers Raise Profile
• BTS Explores Tech’s Role in Content Wars
• Construct an EAS Receive Loop Antenna

 

The post Inside the September 25th Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

One of the highlights of the annual Radio Show is the announcement of the winners of the NAB Marconi Awards, which are awarded to radio stations and on-air personalities to recognize excellence in radio. The award, named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi and established in 1989, honors both the public faces and the behind-the-scenes operators, from the best radio personality of the year to the best college station of the year.

For the first time in 2019, the awards also recognized the best radio podcast in the nation.

Winners came from across the country. From the northwest, the NAB recognized KIRO(FM) in Seattle as news/talk station of the year. From all the way to the southeast, the NAB honored WHQT(FM) in Hollywood, Fla., as urban station of the year.

[Read: Live From the Radio Show]

Small- and mid-market stations are routinely honored alongside their larger-market brethren. This year the NAB honored KIPR(FM) in Little Rock, Ark., as medium market station of the year as well as KWYO(AM) in Sheridan, Wyo., as small market station of the year.

The award is a long time coming for KWYO, which signed on the air in July 1934, making it Sheridan’s first radio station and the second oldest radio station in Wyoming. More than eight decades ago, KWYO began operation with a stack of 2,000 phonograph records that ranged from grand opera to jazz. The station now plays a classic country format.

Familiar big-market radio personalities also made the winners list: Ryan Seacrest was named network/syndicated personality of the year. Familiar big-market stations also were honored, including newser WTOP(FM) in Washington.

The Boston market also had its due this year when the duo Felger & Massarotti of WBZ(FM) were named major market personalities of the year. WBZ was also honored as sports station of the year.

The growing importance of podcasts were also celebrated. The NAB named WCCO(AM)’s “Denied Justice” as the year’s best radio podcast. The program was created in collaboration with the Star-Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis and was based on a series of uninvestigated rape cases.

In an article on the WCCO radio website, podcast creator Jordan Green said that “every time I called those women to get their stories for the podcast, we could sense that they were opening up a vein to bleed the worst day of their life … [in the hopes] that they could change what happened to the next girl, or the next boy. And they did change it. Let me tell you, the laws of Minnesota are changing.”

Following the initial airing of the podcasts, WCCO said that the Minnesota attorney general convened a sexual assault investigative task force to make recommendations for changes in state law.

The Marconi finalists were selected by a task force of broadcasters, and the winners were voted on by the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Selection Academy. Radio personalities and previous Marconi Award winners returned to the 2019 Radio Show to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the award. Emcees and presenters throughout the event included Delilah, Rickey Smiley along with Tom and Kristi of “The Bob and Tom Show.”

2019 NAB Marconi Radio Award Recipients:
Legendary Station of the Year — KRTH(FM), Los Angeles
Legendary Station Manager of the Year — Dan Seeman, Hubbard Twin Cities and
Hubbard North, St. Paul, Minn.
Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year — Ryan Seacrest, Premiere Networks
Major Market Personality of the Year — Felger & Massarotti, WBZ(FM), Boston
Large Market Personality of the Year — Crisco, Dez and Ryan, KSTP(FM), St. Paul, Minn.
Medium Market Personality of the Year — Mike Street, WBTJ(FM), Richmond, Va.
Small Market Personality of the Year — Scotty and Catryna, KCLR(FM), Columbia, Mo.
Major Market Station of the Year — WTOP(FM), Washington
Large Market Station of the Year — KSTP(FM), St. Paul, Minn.
Medium Market Station of the Year — KIPR(FM), Little Rock, Ark.
Small Market Station of the Year — KWYO(AM), Sheridan, Wyo.
AC Station of the Year — KRWM(FM), Bellevue, Wash.
Best Radio Podcast of the Year — “Denied Justice Podcast,” WCCO(AM), Minneapolis
CHR Station of the Year — KRBE(FM), Houston
Classic Hits Station of the Year — WMGK(FM), Philadelphia
College Station of the Year — WRHU(FM), Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.
Country Station of the Year — KYGO(FM), Denver
News/Talk Station of the Year  — KIRO(FM), Seattle
Religious Station of the Year — KKFS(FM), Sacramento, Calif.
Rock Station of the Year — WRIF(FM), Detroit
Spanish Station of the Year — KLOL(FM), Houston
Sports Station of the Year — WBZ(FM), Boston
Urban Station of the Year — WHQT(FM), Hollywood, Fla.

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The post 2019 Marconi Award Winners Saluted appeared first on Radio World.

Letter decision granting Emmis' request for a waiver of the ownership rules to enable it to transfer control of its grandfathered Austin, Texas radio station cluster to its junior partner, Sinclair Telecable.

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The Media Bureau Announces Comment Dates in MB Docket No. 19-193, LPFM Technical Rulemaking, for comments addressing the NPRM, FCC 19-74

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The Federal Communications Commission is proposing to create a standardized set of rules when it comes to the listing of local public notices by broadcast applicants.

In a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) released at its September Open Meeting, the FCC proposed updating the current rule that says TV and radio broadcast applicants must give public notice to the local communities they serve when filing certain applications. The current rule requires applicants to provide written notice in a local newspaper or broadcast on-air messages that announce the filing of an application (or in some cases, to do both).

But because the notice requirements differ based on the type of applicant, station and application, the FCC said that the rules have become “needlessly complex.” Plus, given the ubiquity of online information sources coupled with the elimination of the main studio rule, and the transition from physical to online public inspection files, the current rules have become “anachronistic,” the commission said.

As a result, the FNPRM is proposing to modernize and simplify the public notice requirements, reducing the costs and burdens of the existing procedures, and making it easier for the public to participate in the licensing process.

“I remain strongly supportive of the merits of removing the newspaper publication requirement and other reforms and seek to move the item to final order expeditiously,” said FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly. But he said that any final proposal that supports what O’Rielly calls “burdensome information disclosures, additional script language or litigation traps for stations in the form of compliance burdens” will find O’Rielly in opposition.

In all, the FNPRM proposes to:

• Replace the current newspaper publication requirement with a written public notice posted online on a publicly accessible website that includes a direct link to the broadcast application in question;
• Simplify and standardize the public notice requirements for on-air announcements;
• Clarify the local public notice obligations of international broadcast stations and low-power FM stations; and
• Update the commission’s rules concerning public notice for stations designated for evidentiary hearings.

All four commissioners and the chairman approved the notice of proposed rulemaking. The FNPRM will be accepting comments in the ECFS database using Media Bureau Docket numbers 05-6, 17-105, 17-264.

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The post FCC Looking to Modernize Local Public Notice Rule appeared first on Radio World.

The Society of Broadcast Engineers has announced the recipients of The Harold E. Ennes Scholarship, Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship and John H. Battison Founder’s Scholarship and the Youth Scholarship.

These are awarded to individuals interested in continuing or beginning their education in broadcast engineering and technology. The Youth Scholarship is specifically for a graduating high school senior interested in broadcast engineering as a career.

SBE President Jim Leifer, CPBE, said, “Education is still one of the prime efforts of the SBE. These four rising engineering talents have earned their educational awards through the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust, and it’s an honor for us to help them achieve their educational goals in broadcast engineering.”

Harold E. Ennes Scholarship recipient is Nicholas Church of Rhinelander, Wis. In May 2019, Church began working as the director of operations and technology at WXPR(FM), a public radio station in Rhinelander. After earning his SBE Certified Radio Operator, he began his broadcast education towards achieving the SBE Certified Broadcast Technologist and Certified Broadcast Networking Technologist certifications. He has a B.A. in music with a management studies concentration from St. Olaf College and is drawn to technology including amateur radio, microcontrollers, programming and creating efficiency through automation, according to a release from the SBE. After earning his SBE Certified Radio Operator, Church began his broadcast education towards achieving the SBE Certified Broadcast Technologist and Certified Broadcast Networking Technologist certifications.

Robert Greenberg Scholarship is Chris Gamelin of Middletown, Ct.. His interest in broadcasting began when he was 12. He learned how radio worked and started his own internet radio station and collected money to build a professional studio. According to a release, he has improved his radio skills at WNHU(FM), the University of New Haven and WQUN(AM) at Quinnipiac University. He is currently a student at the University of New Haven, hoping to finish his part-time schooling soon. Gamelin has also worked as an assistant engineer at Entercom, and is now a maintenance technician at WFSB(TV). He has learned to operate UAVs.

John H. Battison SBE Founder’s Scholarship has been awarded to Sadie Levy. She recently graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she worked on various school productions as a Digital Media Dept. intern. Additionally, she was awarded scholarships to study digital electronics in pre-college programs at both The Cooper Union and New York University. This past summer, she completed a media internship in a New York City government office. According to an SBE release, these opportunities made her realize that she would love to contribute to the field of recording and new media. She plans to major in electrical engineering, with an interest in media production, at Northeastern University in Boston.

Andrew Marcus Heller of Two Rivers, Wis., received the Youth Scholarship. His father owns two AM radio stations. Andrew was the first person to turn on WTRW’s solid-state transmitter at age three, and then again, WGBW’s 12 kW transmitter at Denmark, Wis., at 11 years old. He has been involved in his high school audio/video efforts. With a 3.9 grade point average in his senior year, he was accepted to the science and engineering program at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.

Each scholarship worth $1,500

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The post Ennes Educational Trust Scholarship Recipients Announced appeared first on Radio World.

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic, Oct. 15–17, is a highly anticipated annual event for radio broadcasters. Like a miniature NAB Show it offers a wealth of information from a show floor along with useful sessions. Radio World is previewing several of those upcoming sessions.

Craig Bowman is senior vice president, Broadcast Technology, for Futuri Media. He’s going to preach the podcasting gospel that will help broadcasters maximize brand ID and revenue opportunities, in “Maximizing Your Content ROI With Podcasting,” Oct. 15, 1 p.m.

Radio World: Is it safe to say that “Podcasting” is the word of 2019 for radio broadcasters?
Craig Bowman: It’s definitely the word of 2019, but that’s not to say that it’s a fad. Podcasting has become a term so generic that it’s become synonymous with any spoken word, on-demand audio content. In fact, a huge study Futuri did with the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications found that 70% of people who say they listen to podcasts do so on YouTube, which doesn’t support what traditionalists refer to as podcasts.

RW: At first glance podcasting might seem to be a rival or threat to radio broadcasters. Is it?
Bowman: Podcasts are only a threat to radio broadcasters who don’t get in the game. Radio broadcasters know great audio, so it makes perfect sense for broadcasters to embrace podcasting. Podcasts are a great opportunity for radio to time-shift their content so that listeners can interact with it on their terms, as-well-as a vehicle to allow their talent to be more personal with the audience. Podcasts allow your talent to share their hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. and better connect with your existing audience without sticking to your on-air clock. Discovery of this content then leads to more listeners to the daily broadcast. Creating a personal connection for your brand and personalities with your listeners is key to your success.

RW: How can a broadcaster/station owner take advantage of podcasting for their own benefit?
Bowman: Using podcasts to distribute longer-form, brand-appropriate content than you may be comfortable airing on your station. You could, as an example, podcast an entire city council meeting using chapter markers to allow listeners to skip to the subject of interest. Podcast full-length interviews with artists, programs about local interests, etc. To flash back to “the day” you could publish a podcast to your smart device every morning with school lunches, is there an assembly at school, and every parent’s nightmare, “Today is Picture Day.” Podcasting creates an outlet for all of the radio elements which have come to be known as clutter.

RW: Can podcasts be profitable for the broadcaster?
Bowman: Yes. Preroll, dynamic midroll, live reads, etc. It’s important to keep in mind that the revenue in this space may not match what you get for your terrestrial efforts today, but it will certainly grow and is worth your attention. And branded content, when done well, can be huge. Go to that auto dealership with one of your younger personalities and pitch a series on buying your first car — what to look for, how to get financing, how to maintain it after purchase, etc. The personal connection between a podcaster and a listener makes this a prime (and by that I mean rate) opportunity for live endorsements!

RW: Is there more to podcasting than the obvious/what is the on-demand ecosystem?
Bowman: There is, unquestionably, a market for on-demand audio — not just original podcast content that you don’t broadcast on-air, but by making great broadcast available in an on-demand, time-shifted fashion so listeners can access it even if they weren’t able to catch it live, or if they want to hear it again. Radio is entering the same renaissance that television did a long time ago when the DVR started to get market penetration. People wanted their TV content available to watch when they were ready to watch it, not when TV stations insisted on playing it. Repurposing audio not only gives your audience a choice when they consume your content but with PPM encoded audio a station can receive credit to the original broadcast if listened to within 24 hours! As mentioned before, pushing your content to as many locations as possible increases the discoverability of your brand beyond the scan button or the billboard.

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The post Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic Preview: Podcasting appeared first on Radio World.

The author is membership program director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

With noncommercial radio station pledge season in full effect, these delightful media organizations are pulling out all the stops to get you to donate. There are socks aplenty available as thank you gifts for your gift. Would a warm hat motivate you to give? How about a candle that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker? Your local station has concert tickets, books and any number of incentives to get you to pick up the phone or go online.

Typically, a donation to your local station will get you one of the fancier premiums when you give $10 per month on up. All well and good if you are a longtime listener or someone used to the noncommercial radio pledge drive. But what if all this is new to you, or you’re worried about making that big of a gift? The lingering concern among many stations is that these numbers as we know them might turn away first-time donors.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Acting on Equity]

What if your community radio station tried something altogether different?

For stations constantly on the hunt for financial support, messing with established protocols might seem improbable. However, this is precisely the bet a group of stations are placing, with the help of one of their stations’ most recognizable names.

Ira Glass is known around the world as the host of “This American Life,” a radio sensation for decades. Glass is also a fixture during radio on-air fundraising. He’s done some of the most legendary and successful pledge drives, including telling listeners they don’t need to donate and calling up people who don’t donate, who are turned in by family and friends. Here is a sampling of some of these humorous spots from years past.

This year, Glass has come back with the most surprising of suggestions: just give $1.

Radio fundraising types may find that number a little shocking, especially when you discover it comes with streaming thank-you gifts. But credit Glass and almost two dozen stations with the temerity to spark a conversation with new donors. This level is a clever way of introducing them to what is referred to in the noncommercial radio space as a sustaining membership.

The aging of noncommercial radio’s base and the need for fresh members is an ongoing issue nationwide. Glass is one of many people thinking deeply about what inspires people to give, and how do stations make the giving process as easy and welcoming as possible to those reluctant to make a larger commitment. This latest experiment is an effort to win new donors, particularly those accustomed to giving-by-text and making small gifts in the digital era. In this effort, these new members will receive in the coming months emails written by Glass himself, encouraging them to take their $1-per-month donations up higher.

Many community radio stations have tried these sorts of initiatives. Do they work? Time will tell if this one knocks it out of the park, though having Ira Glass on your side is a huge boost.

Even if your station doesn’t have a heavy hitter like Glass to help, this kind of model could be tried near you. Or maybe it is a little too risky. Getting $12 annually could hurt some stations, surely. However, one thing is certain: your station cannot afford to not try bold moves to bring in new donors. Your station and its unique local programming depend on future generations.

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The post Community Broadcaster: Just Give appeared first on Radio World.

“Since its origins, radio has been shown to be the most useful medium of social communication for humanity.”

Jorge Álvarez

So states the home page of World Radio Day, celebrated in February of each year. An offshoot, the Academy of Radio Arts & Sciences of America, seeks to raise awareness of World Radio Day in the United States.

Radio World asked Jorge Álvarez, president of the Spanish Academy of Radio, about the effort.

Radio World: What is the history of World Radio Day and why was it created?
Jorge Álvarez: It began when I realized that the United Nations had established World Television Day and World Press Freedom Day, but that there was not a World Radio Day.

I sent a letter to the director general of UNESCO, Kōichirōō Matsuura, in January 2008, requesting the establishment of World Radio Day. The response from UNESCO was positive, indicating that the government of Spain would have to make the formal proposal.

So the Spanish Academy of Radio collaborated with the Permanent Delegation of Spain to UNESCO, for three years, to prepare a proposal to be presented at the 187th Session of the UNESCO Executive Committee in Paris in September 2011.

Initially, we choose October 30 as World Radio Day as a tribute to the famous radio broadcast of 1938, “The War of the Worlds,” which had the support of a large number of radio broadcasting associations of the five continents. However, after an intense debate of the 58 countries represented in the executive board of UNESCO, the date chosen was February 13, the anniversary of the birth of United Nations Radio in 1946.

In November 2011, the General Conference of UNESCO, formed by 96 member states, finally proclaimed February 13 as World Radio Day. In 2012, the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations endorsed this proclamation, thanks to the proposal of the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations, with the collaboration of the Spanish Radio Academy.

RW: What role does the academy play?
Álvarez: The Spanish Academy of Radio was the promoter of the World Radio Day initiative and made a great effort for more than three years collecting support from radio stations around the world and from the different permanent delegations at the UNESCO executive board, to get the vote in favor of the establishment of World Radio Day.

In addition, the academy took the initiative to create the International Committee of World Radio Day, formed by the most important international organizations of broadcasting of the five continents. We’re honored that ITU is represented too.

For more information and to download free photos and documents, you can visit www.academiadelaradio.es/wrd/history.html and https://premiosradiotelevision.com/index.php/2018/01/19/origen/.

Officials gather for a UNESCO World Radio Day meeting in Paris in 2017.

RW: And what is the purpose of the World Radio Day Committee?
Álvarez: Shortly after UNESCO’s proclamation of World Radio Day, the Spanish Radio Academy created the World Radio Day Committee, which held its first official meeting on Sept. 11 in Madrid at the International Press Center. One year later, the committee hosted another meeting in Madrid with the participation of UNESCO’s General Director of Communication, Janis Karklins. In 2013, the committee along with 16 organizations met in Paris at Radio France Headquarters.

The purpose of this committee is to collaborate with UNESCO every year on the organization of the World Radio Day celebrations, proposing the slogan of celebration and the various activities to be developed. Usually, this committee meets twice a year at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. I was the first president of this committee; since 2014, the it is coordinated by Giacomo Mazzone, director of institutional relations of the European Broadcasting Union.

RW: Describe the effort to develop awareness of World Radio Day in the United States.
Álvarez: The academy considers it very important to promote events to celebrate World Radio Day in the United States.

Each year the official WRD website, worldradioday.org, incorporates a world map where is possible to record the celebrations and events planned by radio stations and institutions. We realized that the United States recorded few events and so the academy wanted to start a promotion in this country, especially when radio stations in the Spanish language are increasingly important.

In 2018 the Academy awarded the WRD prize to radio station WURN, “Actualidad 1040 AM” in Miami, Florida. The prize is sponsored by international equipment manufacturer AEQ. This was the most important World Radio Day event held in the U.S. that year.

RW: You recently presented the World Radio Day Award to the National Association of Broadcasters.
Álvarez: The NAB was one of the broadcasting organizations that supported the academy in its proposal to UNESCO to establish World Radio Day. In February I visited NAB headquarters in Washington, along with with my communication director Fátima Estramiana, to present the award to Sen. Gordon Smith. The event was attended as well by the ambassador of Spain in Washington, Mr. Santiago Cabanas.

Jorge Álvarez presented the World Radio Day Award to NAB and its President/CEO Gordon Smith in February.

RW: What actions would you like American radio organizations to take in the future? What else should we know?
Álvarez: I would like radio organizations and any radio professional to join the Academy of Radio Arts & Sciences to work closely together in the World Radio Day celebrations in the United States. For more information you can visit the website, radioacademy.us.

At this time, the Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences is forming a jury of radio professionals to award the World Radio Day Award 2020 on Feb. 13; the jury is being coordinated by Frank Montero, a prestigious communications attorney based in Washington. Prospective judges are encouraged to apply by emailing academy@radioacademy.us.

WORLD RADIO DAY COMMITTEE

The 19 members of the WRD Committee are the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU); Association of European Radios (AER); Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD); World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC); Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU); African Union of Broadcasting (AUB/UAR); Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC); Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU); Permanent Conference of Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM); European Broadcasting Union (EBU/UER); Egta; International Association of Broadcasting (IAB); Islamic Broadcasting Union (IBU); International Telecommunication Union (ITU); International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF); Public Media Alliance (PMA); Spanish Radio Academy; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); International Radio and Television Union (URTI).

The post World Radio Day Organizers Raise U.S. Profile appeared first on Radio World.

BMW cars have a brand new feature available to drivers in Europe and North America, the Service and Program Information standard from RadioDNS.

The standard is being used in BMW’s vehicles to gather station logos directly from radio stations to keep dashboards updated.

The logos are updated over IP for FM stations, updated over DAB EPG for DAB services.

[Read: In-car Updates From Radioplayer, BBC Sounds]

BMW joins Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche to include the standards. For radio stations to be able to participate in this service, they need to publish their metadata to RadioDNS’ standards. To do that, visit RadioDNS’ website.

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The post BMW Vehicles Now Feature RadioDNS appeared first on Radio World.

At the request of SSR Communications Inc., the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 264A at Caliente, Nevada, as the first local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 264A can be allotted to Caliente consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules without a site restriction. The reference coordinates are 37-36-02 NL and 114-30-32 WL.

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