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Angela T. Ingram is senior vice president of communications for iHeartMedia’s Multi-Platform Group in Chicago and director of local advocacy and engagement for BIN: Black Information Network.

She was interviewed by Suzanne Gougherty, director of MMTC Media and Telecom Brokers at the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. MMTC commentaries appear regularly in Radio World, which welcomes other points of view on industry issues.

Suzanne Gougherty: How has your experience in radio in general and as senior vice president of communications for iHeartMedia’s Multi-Platform Group in Chicago specifically equipped you with the capabilities to successfully navigate BIN’s Local Advocacy and Engagement?
Angela T. Ingram: My career experience spans over three decades of management and spearheading marketing, community engagement and communication strategy for some of iHeartMedia’s top-rated radio stations in Louisville, Charlotte, New Orleans and Chicago.

iHeartMedia Chicago’s station brands are the foundation of the Chicagoland community. I have an immense responsibility to serve as the market’s link to the community. I fulfill that responsibility by building local and national partnerships through engagement with nonprofits, business and civic leaders and elected officials. The same holds true for BIN. While we are a national network, our core responsibility is to serve our local communities by ensuring BIN programming serves, reflects the realities of, communities in our affiliate markets.

[Read: Getting a Look Inside the BIN]

Gougherty: How do you navigate the two positions you hold — looking out for local stations as a core member of iHeartMedia’s Multi-Platform Group in Chicago while at the same time being the lead conduit for BIN affiliates?
Ingram: Community engagement is the foundation of both positions. The key is to determine the needs of local communities, encourage meaningful input from local business and civic leaders, and local market leadership. The final steps are to develop and execute a plan to address and support those needs. Chicago has an incredible team led by Matt Scarano, president of iHeartMedia Chicago. He truly believes in “superserving” the community and provides tremendous support that allows me to seamlessly navigate between the two positions.

Gougherty: Please share with us your special management traits, there must be many for handling your position at BIN.
Ingram: There is one trait that supersedes all others — integrity. If I lead with integrity, whether its iHeartMedia Chicago or BIN, our mission will be accomplished. The trust factor must be developed early on between the company and local communities. My primary responsibility is to safeguard that trust and ensure that our programming is commensurate with our local markets based on an honest ascertainment of needs and priorities.

Gougherty: Please share with us how your role as director of local advocacy and engagement best positions BIN in local communities.
Ingram: I am the connector between BIN as a network service and the local communities serving BIN affiliate stations, and charged with championing BIN’s mission to nonprofits, civic and business leaders, and elected officials. The mission should be clear in every local community that we serve — a dedicated, high quality, trusted source of 24/7 news coverage with a Black voice and perspective, focused solely on the Black community.

We have developed several benchmark initiatives to amplify BIN’s mission in affiliate markets. We produce a weekly public affairs show, “The Black Perspective,” featuring topical interviews and guests from local communities. We are also launching a monthly “Ask the Mayors” public affairs show to provide the unprecedented number of Black mayors in the United States a forum to spotlight their cities.

In most iHeartMedia markets, we have a Local Advisory Board that brings together business and civic leaders and iHeartMedia executives to engage in open discussion about how we can better serve local communities in the market. As co-chair of iHeartMedia Chicago’s LAB, with a diverse group of nearly 60 business and civic leaders, I have experienced first-hand the benefit of giving local communities a “voice” and staying close to those who monitor and shape public opinion.

In October, we are launching a virtual BIN Local Roundtable (BLR) with business and civic leaders from some of our affiliate markets to further engage and lend a “voice” to our local communities. We are also planning a quarterly BIN affiliate newsletter to share best practices and forge better collaboration between local markets.

Gougherty: With the pandemic especially last year, most of your affiliate communications took place on Zoom, Teams or other platforms. What were the challenges?
Ingram: The opportunity for face-to-face meetings is always the preferred communication.  That said, the virtual option turned a challenge into an opportunity to make important introductions and share BIN’s mission with local affiliates, business and civic leaders, Members of Congress, and even the White House.

Gougherty: The social unrest of last summer had a major effect on local communities. Please share how you were able to position BIN affiliates as a community resource during this critical time.
Ingram: BIN was a trusted resource to local communities during a critical time in our history. Our focus then and now is to provide reliable, responsible and responsive service to the Black community. Whether it was BIN’s coverage of the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, to live coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial and verdict, to the inauguration of America’s first Black female vice president, BIN’s award-winning anchors and reporters provided up close and personal reporting of the news stories that affected our local communities on BIN affiliates and the iHeartRadio app.

Gougherty: The daily life of a director of local advocacy and engagement requires working closely with Tony Coles (BIN president) and Tanita Myers (VP/news operations) and Chris Thompson (BIN VP/network director) – please give an idea how you manage the process.
Ingram: Tony Coles has built and incredible team at BIN. I have known him nearly 14 years. We worked closely together when he was iHeartMedia Chicago’s vice president of programming.  Tony is an exceptional leader and I am honored to work with him again. I have great respect for Tanita Myers and Chris Thompson and their 24/7 commitment to the network. We combine our talent, experience and connections to ensure that our network programming stays true to BIN’s focus on Black culture, social justice, education, HBCUs, faith and religion, Black wealth and Black health.

Gougherty: A long week — how do you unwind and refuel?
Ingram: I am an avid reader and can easily read 4-6 books per month, sometimes more, to clear my mind and escape. I love to spend time with my husband, family and close circle of friends. The ultimate fuel for me is my spiritual relationship with God. More than seven years ago, I co-founded the iServe Women’s Ministry for our church and remain actively involved in that ministry, which includes co-facilitating a virtual weekly Bible Study with women from Chicago, Charlotte, Atlanta and Memphis.

 

The post Building the Public Interface of the Black Information Network appeared first on Radio World.

DAYTON, OHIO — For 25 years, he’s been a face of the newscasts at a Nexstar Media Group-owned NBC affiliate serving the Miami Valley of Ohio.

Come Thursday, he’ll be saying goodbye to viewers.

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Westwood One executive Pierre Bouvard has written a blog post that offers a rosy picture of just who listens to podcast, and what their disposable income portrait shows.

The median age of the podcast listener? It is 34, compared to 48 for AM and FM radio.

Bouvard also says the podcast audience is pretty upscale.

As first reported by Streamline Publishing’s Podcast Business Journal, Bouvard’s assessment of podcast listeners offers some robust findings.

Bouvard notes that not only are your listeners making decent money, they are educated.

“[Some] 53% of persons 18+ who have listened to an audio podcast in the past 30 days are employed in a white-collar occupation,” Bouvard says. He also notes that 39% hold management positions and 55% have a household income of $75,000+, making this group an audience advertisers want to reach.

Read Bouvard’s entire post HERE.

A Northern Virginia AM some 45 minutes from the Nation’s Capital has entered into a Consent Decree with the FCC to resolve a Public File violation.

It’s another learning lesson for other licensees about the importance of avoiding procrastination.

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Product manufacturers have not been idle during this past year and a half of business disruption.

Radio World’s new ebook provides a look at more than 50 new or pending products of interest to radio broadcasting and audio professionals, from leading manufacturers.

Listings include large product photos, feature descriptions and website information to learn more.

Whether you’re shopping for a microphone or looking to outfit a planned new facility with AoIP gear, you won’t want to miss the 2021 Fall Product Planner.

Read it for free.

 

The post Here’s Your 2021 Fall Product Planner appeared first on Radio World.

Riviera Broadcasting has changed its name to Desert Valley Media Group. The announcement was made by CEO Jeff Trumper.

“This name change represents a more localized name and now includes the many assets of the company,” it announced. Those assets include three formats on six FM frequencies, DVMG Digital Marketing, esports platform Chosen Rival Gaming and a video production division.

In the announcement, Trumper emphasized that the company serves only the greater Phoenix area.

“We are a local media company in a sea of corporate radio companies … all our efforts are directly tied to serving this community and we believe that local businesses prefer to work with local companies.”

The post Riviera Broadcasting Is Now Desert Valley Media appeared first on Radio World.

Until now, it has been a Spanish Adult Hits station under the branding “La Suavecita” and an affiliate of ESPN Deportes Radio.

As RBR+TVBR first reported Monday, that’s about to change, with a different multicultural group the new target audience.

Now, details regarding the deal price and specifics are known, thanks to a Form 314 filing with the FCC.

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If your radio or TV broadcast station is looking for ways to thrive well into the future, you need to be selling diverse advertising solutions, says Christian Kligora, the SVP of Client Success at Marketron.

“With digital ad spending in the U.S. projected to hit $278.53 billion in 2024, up from $152.25 in 2020, the writing is on the wall: digital is a must,” he says in a thought piece provided exclusively to RBR+TVBR.

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LOUISVILLE, KY. — Viewers of the local CBS affiliate, owned by Hearst Television, now have the option of watching an additional hour of local news in the morning.

As of September 7, a 60-minute 9am newscast will air on the station.

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Every day, public relations professionals and hired research professionals seemingly release a new report that gushes over the continued growth of Connected TV, OTT platforms and “FAST” channels.

Here’s some sobering news for that camp, which may be a good bit of info for broadcast TV: the churn rate for four top OTT services in April was big.

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The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has presented the Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal to the former Oregon Senator who will be retiring as President/CEO of the NAB at the end of 2021.

Sen. Gordon Smith earned the honor for his “outstanding leadership” of the National Association of Broadcasters, where he has served as a “steady advocate for the broadcasting industry who has taken every available opportunity to promote ATSC 3.0 since we first started this important work on next-generation broadcast standards,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said.

Named for the former ATSC president who led the organization for two decades spanning both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0, the Mark Richer Industry Leadership Medal recognizes an individual or team “that demonstrates exemplary leadership in advancing the mission of ATSC and epitomizes the vision, tenacity and leadership qualities that were the hallmark of his leadership.”

Richer, who retired two years ago, presented the award on August 26. However, Smith was in Wisconsin, meeting with broadcasters at the state broadcasters association’s annual conference. As such, his appointed successor, NAB Chief Operating Officer Curtis LeGeyt, accepted the honor for Smith.

Smith became the NAB’s leader in 2009, “just before the technology we later termed ATSC 3.0 became a major focus of our organization,” Noland said. “Smith understood the value that next-generation television could bring to the broadcasting industry and he was instrumental in promoting the potential to NAB’s board and membership.”

The ATSC on Thursday also awarded its highest technical honor, the 2021 Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award, to Alan Stein, Vice President of Technology at InterDigital.

Stein currently heads InterDigital’s Visual Standards Team, where he manages a global team of senior technology experts who participate in major video standards organizations.

By Brian Galante

The recent FCC spectrum repack moved nearly 1,200 U.S. TV stations to new UHF and VHF frequencies, freeing spectrum for wireless broadband while leaving less for broadcasters to share.

Despite limited transmission resources — and new challenges that come with these changes —  CP Communications continues to successfully deliver RF coordination for major sporting events and other live programming.

It was business as usual this summer for ABC’s coverage of the NBA Finals in Milwaukee and Phoenix, but the MLB All-Star Game in Denver was more challenging because there were multiple events and networks. “Every time you add a network, you add more RF,” said Loren Sherman, a RF coordinator and field technician. “That made the All-Star Game a little more difficult to coordinate.”

When tasked with RF coordination of wireless transmission of video and audio for an event, CP assigns various entities to specific frequencies within the spectrum for the duration of an event. The purpose is to avoid interference with established spectrum users in the area, such as broadcast stations, as well as other temporary spectrum users that cover the event.

“I think what makes us unique, unlike most frequency coordinators, is that we also operate the gear,” Sherman explained. “We’re not just passing out a number and giving it to people. We understand how the gear operates, so we provide frequencies where the gear can work harmoniously with other pieces of gear. We’re one of the few that do both and we do both well.”

CP technicians coordinate RF frequencies with specialized software while working closely with venue and local SBE coordinators. CP’s biggest challenge is finding enough spectrum for everyone when there’s simply less spectrum available. To accommodate all media clients during high-profile events, CP relies on receiving special temporary authority, or STA, from the FCC to use parts of the spectrum that are not normally available.

“If we’re going to use STAs, then we need time,” Sherman said. “We might start planning for something like the Super Bowl a month or two in advance, depending on how many two-way radios we need to coordinate everything.”

While RF coordination is similar for indoor and outdoor events, Sherman said he can usually get more frequency options in an indoor venue. “The venue will often provide protection from digital television stations,” he said. “Maybe they’ll attenuate that signal enough that it becomes a usable piece of spectrum inside that building. But outside, it is what it is.”

Different outdoor locations yield different results. Denver was “fairly difficult” to coordinate, Sherman said, based on the amount of DTV signals in the region. In contrast, Milwaukee has fewer DTV stations and limited interference with signals from nearby cities. However, CP’s message is that they have the experience, crew and technology to handle even the most challenging RF coordination jobs.

“We were nowhere near the amount of frequencies we coordinated in the 2019 NBA Finals, though some of that goes to the cities you’re in,” Sherman recalled. “Phoenix and Milwaukee are not the same as Toronto and Oakland. It depends on the area. Go to New York City – there is a lot of DTV filling the spectrum, and New Jersey’s right there, too. So now you have two large communities with DTV, and that’s going to fill the spectrum more.”

Inovonics has moved forward with a new firmware update for its remote monitoring
receivers for FM & HD Radio.

Those encompass the company’s INOmini SiteStreamers, models 635 & 638.

The latest firmware update adds RDS Radio Text Alarm features and modifies LED Header displays to the Web Interface.

Inovonics recommends that users download and install the new firmware updates at their earliest convenience.

It is recommended to Download the Hardware Profile before updating.

The new firmware can be downloaded by finding each relevant product page at www.inovonicsbroadcast.com.

Logitek Electronic Systems has moved its manufacturing facility to a new location in Houston.

The company is now located at 5403 Bissonnet Street, Suite B, Houston TX 77081.

Logitek’s prior location, a short distance away in Houston, “was showing its age,” said Logitek President Tag Borland. “We had been there for over 20 years and it was an ‘analog-age’ facility. With our more efficient manufacturing methods and space-saving console designs that take up less room on the floor, combined with the fact that we haven’t been making VU meters for quite some time, we found that we could work just as well in a more streamlined space.”

Logitek has been in the broadcast audio space since 1979. It is first company in North America to offer a router-based digital console for Radio. Today, Logitek makes Networked Audio Consoles that run on Audio over IP technologies. Logitek’s  mixIT and Helix touchscreen-controlled consoles, as well as the virtual console Helix Studio, offer  networking options including AES67, Livewire, Ravenna, Logitek JetNet and optional Dante.

Logitek’s phone numbers remain the same as before: 713-664-4470 or toll-free at 1-800-231-5870.

 

Newly launched digital audio boutique Price Brothers has been tapped for creative and production services by voice dialogue platform Instreamatic.

A spinoff of long-time radio ad shop Oink Ink, Price Brothers was formed to meet the need for creative solutions for brands growing increasingly interested in new digital tools such as interactive audio.

“We’d been developing campaigns in the digital space for four years now and decided to carve-off a new entity that would focus solely on initiatives like dynamic audio &
interactive, as well as podcasting,” says Price Brothers co-founder Dan Price. “We wanted to position ourselves as the guys already doing great creative by the time brands would
eventually become comfortable implementing the new technologies.”

One of those new technologies is interactive voice ads from Instreamatic served on voice-activated devices. It enables listeners to personally engage with audio ads in an interactive dialog. And it was Price Brothers’ early work with the platform that caught the eye of the developers of the technology. Simon Dunlop, CMO at Instreamatic says, “In approaching the creative for this innovative new audio advertising format, Price Brothers was able to quickly grasp its storytelling power and deliver outstanding ideas and production for us and really bring the format to life.”

As creative partner to the platform, Price Brothers will be called-upon when brands wish to elevate their interactive concepts. It’s all about the experience, says Price. “I think a lot of early users aren’t used to testing the limits of the tool. They set up their ads to react in a certain way based on a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response from the listener. We look for ways to involve the listener; we make him or her a participant in the dialog and even drive how the experience unfolds. That’s true engagement.”

Not only has Price Brothers already created several campaigns for Instreamatic using voice technology, they’re currently developing work promoting the platform itself, set to be
served on iHeartMedia digital channels later this summer. Price is particularly excited by that assignment. “This is the exact type of work we’d hoped to be enlisted for back when we first had the idea for the new shop,” he says.

Stas Tushinskiy, CEO & Co-Founder at Instreamatic, echoes the sentiment. “The Price Brothers were among the very few producing really smart Interactive ads right from the beginning.”

Since May Price Brothers has also completed an ambitious dynamic audio effort for long time client Staples and continues to produce the podcast “The Pod Spotter.”

#GALSNGEAR, in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), will host the Emerging Leaders Women’s Career Accelerator program at the 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The one-day program will take place Tuesday, October 12 and include multiple networking opportunities and two leadership workshops.

#GALSNGEAR works to ensure women in media tech gain visibility at industry events, access to the latest technology, and high-level networking and educational opportunities.

“We’re excited to partner with NAB to bring our Women’s Career Accelerator to NAB Show, empowering emerging leaders ready to advance their careers in screen media,” said director/producer and #GALSNGEAR founder Amy DeLouise.

The first leadership workshop, titled “Elevate Your Leadership Effectiveness,” will use a personalized leadership assessment and breakout sessions to help participants identify their natural leadership style, strengths, challenges and priorities. A second workshop, “Propel Your Leadership Brand,” will explore how to engage and align a personal leadership brand in-person and across digital channels.

The current schedule of events is available here.

“#GALSNGEAR educational and networking events at NAB Show have consistently supported and amplified women in media, entertainment and technology. The #GALSNGEAR Career Accelerator brings together a new generation of leaders gaining valuable professional skills to advance in their chosen careers,” said April Carty-Sipp, executive vice president, Industry Affairs at NAB, “I’m even more thrilled to participate in the program this year and do my part to help empower and encourage women in this business.”

On March 10, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to an amended rulemaking petition filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Gray), the licensee of KSNB-TV, channel 4 (NBC/MyNetwork), Superior, Nebraska. Gray requested that the Commission delete channel 4 from Superior and allot it to York, Nebraska in the DTV Table of Allotments and substitute channel 24 for channel 4 at York in the Table consistent with the technical parameters set forth in its Amended Petition. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to delete channel 4 from Superior and allot it to York, and then substitute channel 24 for channel 4 at York consistent with the technical parameters set forth in its amended petition.

On June 16, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Corridor Television, L.L.P. (Petitioner), the licensee of KCWX (MyNetwork), channel 5, Fredericksburg, Texas, requesting the substitution of channel 8 for channel 5 at Fredericksburg in the DTV Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 8 for channel 5 at Fredericksburg.

In this document, the Commission seeks to update the record in MB Docket No. 98-204, regarding how the Commission can recommence the collection of data on the FCC Form 395-B, as contemplated by the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Act).

With a big splash and public relations blitz, H.R. 4130 was introduced June 24 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Six House Members signed on to the bill.

Since then, the “American Music Fairness Act” has completed stalled out. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it awaits further support or its eventual death, handing another defeat to House Members Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).

At the same time, the non-binding resolution opposing “any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge” on local broadcast radio stations has gained even more support. As of August 30, 12 Members have added their support.

Among those supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA): the Ranking Republican on the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee.

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