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Bureau issues Order adopting a Consent Decree resolving unauthorized assignment of broadcast licenses held by Tiffin Broadcasting II, LLC

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National Association of Broadcasters Chief Operating Officer Curtis LeGeyt

A music performance fee would not only be “unjustified as a matter of policy,” but is “financially untenable for local radio broadcasters of all sizes.”

That’s the message from National Association of Broadcasters Chief Operating Officer Curtis LeGeyt testifying at a Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee staff briefing. The topic was music rights within the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA.

LeGeyt reiterated several arguments that broadcasters have cited for years in this debate, and brought them up to date to include ramifications of the pandemic.

“Without reliance on subscription fees like our streaming and satellite competitors, local radio is supported by advertising alone,” LeGeyt said, according to his prepared remarks, released by NAB.

“With local businesses – including restaurants, retailers and car dealers – ravaged by this pandemic, that advertising revenue is currently on life support and further illustrates the policy interest in keeping broadcast radio’s costs down. For these reasons, Congress has repeatedly considered the recording industry’s arguments and chosen not to impose a performance royalty on free, local radio.”

LeGeyt said that radio’s place in American culture is not accidental. “It is the product of policy choices and a resulting legal framework that enable broadcast radio to remain completely free and dedicated to communities.” Among those, he said, is the DMCA. That copyright law, he said, may be in need of review, but “its music licensing reforms are an incredible success story.”

LeGeyt said the DMCA “enabled the growth of lawful music streaming to the benefit of recording artists whose revenues hit record highs in 2019, all while preserving a free and local broadcast radio model that continues to benefit those same performers and serve the public interest.”

He thanked lawmakers who have expressed support for the Local Radio Freedom Act, which opposes performance fees for broadcast radio.

“The recording industry is also well aware that NAB stands ready to continue discussions around alternative music licensing frameworks that could increase total royalties to performing artists while allowing broadcasters to expand our own streaming footprint,” LeGeyt also said. “However, any piecemeal terrestrial performance royalty unilaterally imposed on local radio stations is not justified as a matter of copyright policy and will further stress the economics of the current free and local broadcast model.”

The post LeGeyt Reiterates NAB Opposition to Performance Fees appeared first on Radio World.

The heads of two federal agencies are asking the nation’s governors to provide necessary access and resources to communications workers during the pandemic.

Radio and TV broadcasters are among the essential entities listed. Other networks include those related to 911 calls, telehealth, distance learning and telework. (The full list is at the end of this story.)

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs sent the letter, describing communications networks as “a lifeline during this challenging time.” CISA is a relatively new entity, established in 2018 and responsible for protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats.

The letter asked the states to follow guidance from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency updated earlier this month, specifically: Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce and Guidelines for Executives: 911 Center Pandemic Recommendations.

Among other recommendations it also asked the governors to “consider prioritizing the distribution of personal protective equipment to communications personnel when availability permits’: to understand that communications retail customer service personnel at service centers are critical for helping customers, especially low-income families and veterans; and to facilitate maintenance and repair of communications infrastructure by providing more online access to relevant government functions such as the permit process.

[Read the letter.]

Below is the list of infrastructure and entities that the FCC and CISA asked governors to treat as essential to COVID-19 response efforts:

• Businesses and personnel that provide communications support to medical and healthcare facilities, assisted care and living facilities, and people with disabilities;
• Radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, and Internet Protocol television (IPTV) providers;
• Telecommunications relay services providers and closed captioning providers;
• Public safety communications infrastructure (e.g., land mobile radio, broadband, Wi-Fi, high frequency radio, microwave, wireline, satellite voice, video, Radio over Internet Protocol, paging, data communications systems), including infrastructure that is owned, operated or maintained by commercial service providers in support of public safety and infrastructure in support of Emergency Communications Centers;
• Internet access service providers, telephone carriers, interconnected VoIP providers, mobile wireless providers, undersea cable operators, content delivery network operators, service integrators, and equipment vendors;
• Satellite operators; and
• Companies and individuals involved in the construction of new communications facilities and deployment of new and existing technology to address unprecedented levels of customer usage and close the digital divide for Americans who are sheltering at home.

The post FCC, CISA Ask Governors to Support Communication Networks appeared first on Radio World.

Should the FCC allow “zoned” programming for FM stations in the United States? Read what major broadcast organizations had to say about this in our latest issue. Also: IP studios for managers; making connections during a business crisis; and using privacy slats to deter vandalism at your transmitter site.

Read it online here.

Prefer to do your reading offline? No problem! Simply click on the digital edition, go to the left corner and choose the download button to get a PDF version.

The post Inside the May 27 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Bill Fike writes in to say that quite often he will receive, with a new piece of equipment, a power or audio cable or some other special connection cable. More often than not, the cable has been folded and tightly tied with a cable tie. Even after removing the tie, some of these cables will remain kinked indefinitely.

Bill has read that a heat gun can be used to warm up the cable and remove the kinks; but that’s a lot of work to go over the length of a long cable. Bill also worried about the risk of melting the inner conductors; some heat guns can get very hot.

Bill came up with an easy alternative method to relax the cable so it can be coiled or wrapped. His clothes dryer has a rack for drying sweaters, sneakers or other items that can’t be tumbled. He places the cables on the rack in the dryer, sets the dryer to high and runs it for about 10 minutes (Fig. 1). Some cables may need longer dryer time.

Fig. 1: A dryer rack holds cables as the dryer removes kinks (fabric softener sheets optional)

When you pull out the cable, it’s warm and relaxed. It can then be coiled or wrapped properly, and it won’t have kinks.

The first time Bill did this, his wife asked why the drying rack was out. When she heard the answer, she just slowly shook her head and walked away. Some people don’t appreciate a good idea when they see one.

By the way, Bill is an Audible Approved Producer. Audible defines this as “a master of the craft, the best of the best; they excel in audiobook production, performance, generate positive customer reviews, and provide the Author and Rights Holder with a professional and smooth production experience. They typically submit audiobooks that do not require a resubmission by QA, and their titles are not terminated for reasons related to the production or their professionalism. Audible Approved Producers are hand-selected by the ACX team for their skill.”

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Engineering consultant Frank Hertel is always solving problems. Recently, he found an interesting link while searching for an older two-lead virtual ground IC.

The link takes you to a 2000 Engineering Application Note by Bruce Carter of Texas Instruments. Titled “A Single-Supply Op Amp Circuit Collection,” it is ideal for those engineers who still fabricate special devices, instead of buying something “off the shelf.”

This in-depth article provides useful information regarding the design and use of op-amps, especially in single voltage supply applications. The author explains that one of the biggest problems for designers arises when the circuit must be operated from a single voltage supply rather than a dual ±15 VDC supply. The application note includes working circuits that should be helpful.

The full article can be accessed at www.add.ece.ufl.edu/4924/docs/TI_SingleSupply.pdf

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Speaking of op amps:

Dan Slentz writes that though he is far from the best bench tech, he has replaced his share of op amps over the years. At WHIZ in Zanesville, Ohio, the AM/FM studios were in a different building, and Dan had a static or ground issue where he was constantly replacing op amps.

Dan alleviated the problem by adding an odd diode to the input/output of the op amp. This didn’t affect the audio, but did discharge anything over 1V to ground. This greatly reduced the replacement of op amps in his distribution amps.

Fig. 2 The Sparkos Labs website offers some interesting finds.

As Dan was researching the issue, he came across “discrete op amps” that sounded interesting. A video associated with the site describes these devices as being better sonically. The company is Sparkos Labs; they use layered surface-mount devices mated to the familiar eight-pin DIP (Dual In-line Package) to create an op-amp alternative. In addition to a full data sheet, there’s a white paper on why discrete op-amps are superior to ICs.

PS: Dan keeps an eye via social media and enjoys seeing what “cotton-headed ninny muggins” are up to. (If you don’t know that phrase, watch the movie “Elf.”)

Today’s award winner is a hobbyist who built an FM transmitter powered by the 12 VDC of a car. With that kind of power, there’s small chance of this individual’s transmitter causing an interference problem. But what caught Dan’s eye was his closing statement, seeking referrals for upgrading to a higher-power transmitter!

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We’ll wrap up this column with a little history lesson that Dan found.

Prior to the advent of the tape cartridge machine was a device called the MacKenzie Program Repeater. As one of the first designs of continuous loop tape playback devices, the MacKenzie Program Repeater was used by top 40 radio stations starting in the late 1950s.

Fig. 3: Read about the MacKenzie Program Repeater at the ReelRadio website.

The MacKenzie Model 500 featured five decks stacked — though other models included up to 10 — all with a common capstan. Two independent tracks per magazine deck gave a total of 10 messages that could last up to 14 minutes. Tape was contained in mounted metal magazines.

Read about it at the ReelRadio website, which includes a drawing of how the tape was wound in the magazine. Visit www.reelradio.com/reports/mackenzi to read more.

Though the repeater found its way into top 40 radio, according to the article it was used initially at Disneyland and in Hollywood filmmaking. Louis G. MacKenzie, inventor of this device, received a technical citation for developing a selective sound effects repeater at the 1962 Academy Awards.

Contribute to Workbench. You’ll help your fellow engineers, and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Send Workbench tips to johnpbisset@gmail.com.

John Bisset has spent over 50 years in the broadcasting industry and is still learning. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. He holds CPBE certification with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

The post Let Your Dryer Work Out the Kinks appeared first on Radio World.

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Bob Groome, a former radio chief engineer who went on to a 41-year career in broadcast sales, marketing and technical support, died this month at age 77.

According to his Facebook page, he passed away May 17 at his home in Florida after a long battle with cancer. At his death he worked in sales engineering for RF Specialties.

“Although his working career extended an extraordinary 59 years, he was particularly proud of his technical position in 1963, working on NASA’s Apollo project, as a lead (PWB) technician for General Electric, on contract supporting NASA in Daytona, Fla.,” according to an obituary on his Facebook page.

“But his love of music and technology ultimately led him to the broadcast industry, beginning with his very first job at WOOO radio (1310 AM) in Deland, Fla. in 1961, as chief engineer and DJ personality ‘Bob the Bachelor’ and later, chief engineer at WGCL radio, Fort Myers, Fla., from 1969–76.”

Radio World readers will know him best for his work with numerous prominent equipment and service companies including Audio Associates, Harris Broadcast, Allied Broadcast Equipment, Arrakis Systems, Jampro Antennas, Electronic Research Incorporated (ERI) and RF Specialties.

“As a member of Society of Broadcast Engineers, Bob authored and presented papers at local, regional and national conferences. Bob presented to Mexico’s Ametra, Japan’s InterBEE and Canada’s CCBE meetings. He presented papers and was invited to attend engineering roundtables at professional conferences held by Texas Association of Broadcasters, Broadcasters’ Clinic, Iowa Public Symposium, Tampa’s SBE Symposium, among others.”

According to the obituary, Groome was a spiritual man and a devoted Christian. His interests included technical projects such as building an electric car, computers, collecting music, woodworking, and visiting the traces of the “old Florida” of his youth.

“He loved his wife [Philippa Jeffreys], Krispy Kremes, Rod McKuen poetry, the ocean, and Tina Turner. He watched ‘Young Frankenstein’ at least once a year. Everyone loved his crooked smile.”

Groome maintained a website, the Sweet Old Bob Website, www.bobgroome.us that includes FM and AM formula calculators “to help his radio broadcasting comrades with their work. This site is up and helping others at the time of this writing, and we hope to maintain this website to honor Sweet Old Bob, the wonderful husband, dad, brother, grandfather and friend who touched so many lives and will be dearly missed.”

A family service is planned at a future date.

 

The post Bob Groome Dies at 77 appeared first on Radio World.

Orban’s SmartRadio in use at online music station Studio Brussels

At Belgian public broadcaster VRT, online music station Studio Brussels launched a new digital channel, Stubru #ikluisterbelgisch, using SmartRadio. Three additional online radio streams from VRT, including ’90s and ’00s from its youth station MNM, were recently launched by VRT, also utilizing SmartRadio.

A cloud- and web-based radio-as-a-service platform developed by Broadcast Partners, SmartRadio provides a software-based product to broadcasters, consisting of microservices that run in a virtualized Windows environment. SmartRadio can operate either online for streaming and other services or can provide production, editing and streaming services to terrestrial broadcasters.

Orban Labs partnered with Broadcast Partners to add Smart Processing capability to this platform. Using Smart Processing, stations can select parameters for processing to create their own custom, unique “sound.” Algorithms used in Smart Processing are comparable to Orban’s Optimod hardware processors.

Radio World welcomes submissions for the Who’s Buying What column from both buyers and sellers. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Who’s Buying What” in the subject line.

The post Who’s Buying What: Online Station Studio Brussels Opts for SmartRadio appeared first on Radio World.

Tom LaBarge, CEO of GLxT Holdings

Tom LaBarge is CEO of GLxT Holdings and its manufacturing subsidiary GroundLinx Technologies. The company makes a system called Gradiance that it promotes as providing a new approach to electrical grounding.

Radio World: Don’t we know pretty much what we need to know about grounding?
Tom LaBarge: The necessity for electrical grounding has indeed been well known for over two centuries. But well known and well understood are not always synonymous.

The current industry specifications to achieve compliance in a grounding installation are woefully outdated and dangerously anemic with respect to the electronics-rich culture of contemporary society.

Even “enhanced” grounding systems exclusively rely on a humble ground rod — inspired by Ben Franklin — which, in fact, has only a single point of primary dissipation for fault currents, as well as no capability for high-frequency dispersion.

Regardless, engineers continue to specify not only antiquated technology, but also inaccurate models of grounding performance and on point-in-time resistance-to-ground measurements made with low-voltage, low-frequency test equipment.

“Significant research is now available that shows dissipation of dangerous fault currents can be accomplished very successfully if novel combinations of new materials and electrode structures are employed.” — Tom LaBarge

These meters cannot capture the dynamic characteristics of an entire fault event. Thus, the limitations of basic ground rods, combined with grounding system designs built only to achieve snapshot-quality resistance measurements, result in much less than optimal protection of the broadcasting plant.

However, significant research is now available that shows dissipation of dangerous fault currents can be accomplished very successfully if novel combinations of new materials and electrode structures are employed.

Such designs can properly manage high frequencies in these currents, as well as more efficiently disperse all aspects of a fault pulse over time through better management of differences of impedance in elements of a grounding system.

Existing technology — as discussed within the broadcasting industry for many years — is not able to achieve these essential results, thus causing increasing failures of critical equipment.

In fact, there is a tremendous amount of new information to review and understand with respect to effective grounding — particularly as the financial and operating demands of broadcasters evolve.

RW: You’ve said systems can fail “in spite of their adherence to commonly accepted design standards.” It sounds like the standards themselves need to change, no?
LaBarge: We absolutely advocate for standards to be changed — based on a new understanding of fault current characteristics, dramatic limitations of present grounding technology and the shortcomings of contemporary grounding system analysis techniques.

The quantity and sophistication of electronics required in broadcasting of any type, whether commercial, public safety, industrial or transportation, among many other uses, has leapfrogged the published performance goals of traditional grounding. We seek to be the change agents toward substantially improving protection of expensive equipment, and reduction in injuries and loss of lives.

RW: Your GroundLinx Gradiance system aims to provide a solution. What is it?
LaBarge: Through the use of novel combinations of materials not previously found in grounding devices, these products are capable, first, of non-sacrificially dissipating current frequencies exceeding 60 MHz, the point where copper begins to lose effectiveness, and second, creating an “impedance gradient” that dramatically reduces the possibility of reflection of a fault current, throughout the event, back into systems and devices that a grounding strategy was designed to protect.

Traditional ground rods are not able to offer these protective features. With GroundLinx Gradiance systems we’ve reimagined and redesigned the “business end” of grounding to protect the super-sensitive electronics of the contemporary broadcast plant at a significantly higher level.

An image from the GroundLinx Gradiance website. (Click on the image to view a larger version.)

RW: What are the major deficiencies in common grounding systems?
LaBarge: In a nutshell we can group major causes of the significant deficiencies into two megacategories: absence of research and development over several decades, and a general lack of understanding of the physics behind grounding performance overall. Additionally, within the world of traditional grounding, there is little consensus on system design standards.We’ve heard it said that if one puts 10 grounding design engineers in a room, 11 opinions will emerge.

In terms of industry codes, grounding has always been an exercise, necessary to achieve a stated resistance-to-ground target — which is of very limited value with respect to true, full-fault-event dissipation. This rote activity is repeated all over the world. As a result, the U.S. insurance industry alone reports over $1 billion in lightning losses every year. (This excludes fire damage initiated by lightning.) European Union organizations site “billions of Euros” lost annually due to lightning and fault current events.

Due to antiquated modeling, inaccurate representations of fault current behavior and a “We’ve always done it this way” attitude, the use of everything from highly insufficient conductor size or deployment, to exclusive reliance on soil moisture, to creation of “ground loops” that allow fault currents to return to structures and equipment, the range and amount of dangerous errors in grounding system design are rather amazing.

As an example, at a recent site inspection at an eastern U.S. larger-market television tower, three chain-link fence posts embedded in concrete were being used as grounding for this tower more than 1,000 feet tall. Not surprisingly, the facility suffers equipment damage exceeding $50,000 annually.

Reviews at smaller-market radio facilities nearly always show major disregard for grounding necessities. As a result, off-air time, or signal disruption events at a minimum, are far too common.
In all cases, the throttling of major fault currents into small ground rods, regardless of quantity, that have a huge disparity in impedance relative to surrounding soils (and possibly amendments) far too often results in completely insufficient dispersal of the fault, and therefore equipment damage, or worse.

We see this situation in well over 90% of the sites we review.

In our experience, U.S. broadcast facilities of all types and applications are generally designed to achieve compliance with the current published standards and codes. They are often tested and certified to comply with specified static/point-in-time resistance-to-ground readings. However, as I said, such measurement is only a snapshot of system performance made with simple test meters — which cannot emulate the performance of a grounding system over time during a major fault event where over 30,000 amps and 250,000 volts at frequencies exceeding 200 MHz may be encountered.

Broadcasters need to up their grounding game, and do so quickly.

RW: What else should we know?
LaBarge: Steep waveforms at the initiation of lightning strikes and fault surges are now understood to contain a simultaneous mélange of frequencies that often exceed 100 MHz. It is the inability to deal with this toxic onslaught that is often to blame for signal loss, equipment damage and worse. Immediate dissipation of the high-frequency barrage — before its reflection back into equipment can occur — is paramount. Unfortunately, copper is only optimally effective up to 60 MHz, and loses effectiveness quickly above that level. Therefore, rethinking of grounding system materials and structures, and overall grounding strategies, is necessary.

Quite simply, the “criticality” of greatly improved grounding in broadcasting operations through attention to fault frequencies and grounding impedance mismatches cannot be overstated. For operating consistency and financial prudence, we encourage radio broadcasting engineers to become far more “acquainted“ with grounding systems of their facility.

Information about the company’s grounding systems can be found at www.groundlinx.com.

Radio World welcomes comments on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post Grounding: GroundLinx Advocates for New Approach 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.

Many community radio stations are hosting virtual meetings for board members, volunteers and staff. It is a new world for many. But how do you avoid Zoom disaster?

Stations have long flourished on the aesthetic of community, which means face-to-face interactions and groups of people gathering together. For many, video conferencing is something their stations have never done before. However, there is no reason to stress out. The etiquette of virtual meetings is not much different than what you’re used to.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Remote Forever]

At the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, we have hosted weekly video conferences on Zoom since the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as webinars and meetings of various sizes. NFCB has been holding such gatherings for several years. As a facilitator, I have seen many video conference successes and fails. How can you and your organization do Zoom well? Here are a few recommendations.

Turn on Your Video
Little is more off-putting to fellow staff and volunteers than someone who won’t bother to turn on their video, or who has not worked out kinks with their audio and video before showing up. In this pandemic period, where so much is done through online meetings, video is crucial in building trust and engagement. Video also keeps you engaged; people can see you multitasking or being distracted, so consider this your time to give your all to the meeting at hand. Short of your background being distracting or inappropriate, video should be on. Body language, eye contact and rapport still matter.

Set Meetings to Mute on Entry, and Mute Yourself to Start
I once heard that unmute was today’s Reply All. And it is true! If your station is hosting meetings of five or more, your facilitator will make everyone’s day by setting the meeting to mute all initially. We need to remember that people are at all kinds of places when they join these meetings. People’s significant others and families may be in close proximity. Dogs are scampering about. As well, if you are attending a meeting, no one wants to hear your side conversation about breakfast or, worse, an unflattering opinion about someone on your call. Click Mute and save yourself embarrassment and worse.

Private Chat Is Not Private
Related to the above, do not say something in a private chat that you would not say in the public meeting to co-workers or other volunteers at your station. Also, do not be creepy. Those are rules of thumb for life, but apply doubly for Zoom, which permits meeting hosts to get full chat transcripts, including of those that are sent privately between two parties in a meeting. Thus, you will find stories like this one, this, and this one, where people are shocked to discover their meetings were littered with rude, profane or abusive backchannel conversations, and the perpetrators of such soon learn they are in hot water, or out of a job, for violating organizational policies.

Use Chat Liberally
Chat boxes are wonderful to share links, insights and other resources others can look back at later. Save your on-microphone time for something you do not wish to type out, or that will resonate more with other volunteers and staff when it is spoken, rather than typed.

There are many tutorials about lighting, headsets and other matters related to video meetings. However, the basic rules of video meetings are not far from in-person success tips. Zoom forward and help enhance your stations as much as possible!

The post Community Broadcaster: Four Zoom Tips for Community Radio appeared first on Radio World.

FCC denies and dismisses Petitions filed by G.I.G. of North Dakota, Gray Television Licensee, and Parker Broadcasting of Dakota License, concerning requests for reinstatement of the license of DKCPM(TV), Fargo, ND, as well as other matters