Industry News

The NAB Leadership Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2023 Broadcast Leadership Training (BLT) program. Applications are being accepted through May 31.

The BLT program is designed to prepare senior-level broadcast executives to advance as group executives or station owners. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply.

Now in its 23rd year, BLT is an executive MBA-style program that teaches the fundamentals of purchasing, owning and operating radio and television stations. As the foremost executive training initiative for the broadcast industry, the 10-month program prepares aspiring broadcast station owners and executives with the working knowledge to further their careers.

The 2023 Broadcast Leadership Training program will consist of weekend sessions held in-person at the NAB Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The starting session will be held in September 2022.

Broadcast professionals from all areas of the industry, including general managers, experienced sales managers and seasoned department heads, as well as regional and corporate executives, are encouraged to apply. Fellowship opportunities are available for women and people of color.

For 2023 sponsorship and speaking opportunities, please contact Tim Dotson, NAB Leadership Foundation Senior director of Development.

INTRODUCING THE CLASS OF 2021

NABLF also announced the 2021 BLT class graduates, who completed the program in November 2021.

“These talented broadcasters join the long list of industry leaders with roots in the BLT program,” NAB Foundation President Michelle Duke said. ” We look forward to watching their careers grow from this success and witnessing the positive impacts as new and diverse leadership advances our industry.”

With this class, more than 350 participants have graduated from the program.

The 2021 Broadcast Leadership Training Class graduates are:

• Melissa Begay, Operations Director, Native Public Media
• Robert Brooks, Digital Solutions Specialist, WHUR-FM in Washington, D.C.
• Cathy Cangiano, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Bonneville – Seattle Media Group
• Thomas Ciprari, Station Manager, KTMF-23 in Missoula, Mont./Cowles Publishing Company
• Leon Clark, Vice President and General Manager, KGTV-10 in Sacramento/The E.W. Scripps Company
• Tina Commodore, News Director, WFTV-9 in Orlando/ Cox Media Group
• Kate Doty, Director of Talent and Team Development, Morgan Murphy Media
• Susie Doucette-Pyle, Vice President and General Sales Manager, KRIV-26 & KTXH-20 in Houston/Fox Television Stations
• Alfredo Duran, President and Founder, Duran Media Management Services
• Blanca Esparza-Pap, Station Manager, KPHO-5 & KTVK-3/Phoenix
• Mariana Ferro, Regional Vice President, Sales Manager – National Sales, Univision Communications
• Andrew Givens, Station Manager and Director of Sales, KMSS-33 in Shreveport, La. (Mission Broadcasting)
• Ben Hart, President and General Manager, WJCL-22 in Savannah, Ga.
• Charity Holman, Station Manager and General Sales Manager, WVVA-TV in Beckley, Va. (Gray Television)
• Andre Holmes, Vice President, Financial Analysis, Gray Television
• Kari Jacobs, President and General Manager, WTSP-10 in Tampa
• Kim Parker, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Graham Media Group
• Nicole Ovadia, Vice President/Client Success, Mediaco and Emmis Communications of New York

The 2021 and 2022 program sponsors include Beasley Media Group, Bonneville International Corp., Cox Media Group, Fox Television Stations, Futuri Media, Graham Media Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television, Legend Communications, NAB, The Nielsen Foundation, Meredith Corporation, Morgan Murphy Media, The E.W. Scripps Company, TEGNA, Univision Communications, and Paramount.

The 2022 class is currently underway, will attend the NAB Show in April and graduate in June. For more information about the NAB Leadership Foundation or the BLT program, please visit, nabfoundation.org.

Since March 2015, she has served as the News Director for the ABC and CBS affiliates serving Springfield, Mass., and has spent the majority of her career at nearby WFSB-3 in Hartford, a former Meredith Local Media property.

Now, she’s earned a promotion in Western Massachusetts.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Nominations for the 13th Medallas de Cortez awards — the most respected honors in U.S. Hispanic radio — are now being accepted. If you know someone who is doing great work in Hispanic radio across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, don’t miss this chance to spotlight their efforts with a nomination.

The awards, sponsored by vCreative, will be presented at the Hispanic Radio Conference, June 22-23 in Miami at the Intercontinental at Doral.

Nominations can be made in seven categories:

• Marketer (may be someone from a station, an agency, or a client)
• National/Syndicated Personality
• Local Personality
• Program Director
• Sales Manager
• General/Market Manager
• Station of the Year

Nominations are now being accepted. The deadline is April 22, 2022.

The Medallas de Cortez awards presentation is one of the most inspiring and memorable aspects of the Hispanic Radio Conference. By recognizing excellence in Hispanic radio, these awards pay tribute not only to some amazing and dedicated professionals in Hispanic radio, they serve to energize and encourage others to follow their footsteps.

The awards are named in honor of Raoul Cortez, who founded KCOR — the first Spanish-language station in the United States — in 1946. Nominations are open to anyone, Hispanic and not, who is involved in Hispanic broadcasting. The goal is to make sure everyone dedicated to this segment of the industry has an opportunity to be recognized for their contributions to excellence in radio.

Click here to make your Medallas de Cortez nominations, and remember, nominations are due by April 22, 2022.

SPONSORS Platinum Sponsor Medallas de Cortez Sponsor Corporate Sponsors Participating Sponsors Media Partners

Steve Koenig speaking at the 2022 CES. “Consumers endorse options and abhor complexity,” he said.

A top Consumer Technology Association executive says the global technology market remains stout and that consumers are adopting new tech at an accelerated pace — all of which has implications for radio and audio companies.

Steve Koenig, vice president of research, says the future of tech innovation is healthy and fueled by demand from consumers for breakthroughs that add convenience and simplicity to their everyday lives.

He spoke after the conclusion of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

Among the announcements and debuts at the convention, the biggest headline was probably the simple fact that the convention was held in person.

But key trends showcased at CES included artificial intelligence and 5G, which Koenig believes will serve as the “connective tissue” for innovation and as the building blocks of the metaverse, this year’s buzzword.

Koenig said there’s plenty happening in audio.

“There was a lot of innovation [at CES] across the audio spectrum — featuring listening products, but also a variety of innovations that will impact the future opportunity of audio and, by extension, broadcast radio,” he said.

“A lot of innovation in personal audio, what we’re seeing in true wireless ear buds, for example, and in home theater and home audio. Smart speakers have populated and in some ways democratized listening around the house, since people tend to have several of them in dens, kitchens and bedrooms.”

‘Screenification’ in cars
Koenig also says the “visual element” is fast becoming a focus for audio products.

“In a lot of the vehicles shown at CES, there was a premium on monitors. For instance, Togg [a Turkish automaker] had a dashboard that was one giant screen, similar to the Mercedes-Benz Hyperscreen we have seen before,” he said.

He calls this the “screenification” of the automobile, and those bigger and additional video screens for both the front and rear seats have crucial import.

“Radio broadcasters need to utilize that space, because a lot of others are. Streaming audio and other connected services coming into connected vehicles utilize that screen real estate for drivers and occupants.” He said this development spotlights the importance of the metadata carried by many broadcast and streaming signals.

He sees the role of radio evolving as it adds various dimensions. “It is similar to what has happened to Next-Gen TV. It could be shopping, maps or other services that accompany the traditional broadcast service. I see this happening for radio broadcasters, which will increase opportunities for sponsorship and advertising deals. In the end, it’s a deeper engagement with the consumer.”

Broadcast radio’s familiarity to consumers is a strength, he said, but radio faces does face challenges as entertainment becomes more immersive.

“Broadcast radio is a very accessible and familiar medium, of course. We don’t track engagement, but what I can say is that consumers enjoy a mosaic of audio sources. Obviously podcasts and streaming music collections are growing in popularity; but still I think a lot of people enjoy radio.”

He declined to say whether he thinks broadcasters are doing enough strategically to adapt to increased competition, specifically in the dashboard. But he believes radio has a lot of options to amplify its business model and enhance the media experience for consumers.

“They have to engage with a variety of different partners, whether it is automakers or other possibilities. But there is a chance to remake radio and align it with a more visual element and add appeal to consumers.”

The mobility sector at CES had more than 200 companies in the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, including automakers with self-driving cars and electric vehicles. Many vehicle exhibits exploited interior technology touting audio and video with additional media displays, Koenig said.

Broadcast radio was represented in the transportation section by Xperi’s exhibit of DTS AutoStage, its hybrid radio platform that merges IP connectivity and broadcast reception, promising a richer user experience similar to the offerings of digital pure-play services and satellite radio.

DTS AutoStage “is one of these market plays that is trying to deliver what consumers are asking for,” Koenig said. “Consumers endorse options and abhor complexity. So a platform or system to allow them to partake in a variety radio and audio streams across their interest areas will resonate.”

Consumer behavior
Supply chain issues and computer chip shortages were topics of conversation at CES, Koenig said, but much of the focus was on artificial intelligence, including how it can learn the behaviors of consumers across the audio ecosystem. He said companies are leveraging AI in more applications and every economic sector, from manufacturing to entertainment.

“AI is getting better so it can do more things. There are a lot of flavors of AI for consumers across different devices, from smart speakers and your phone to your new car. AI will learn behavior and knows what a person likes to listen to and it gets to a point where it is predictive. AI can learn patterns and help tech goods anticipate what the consumer expects.”

Autonomous automobiles open up a new world for media entertainment and productivity, Koenig said. The extension of that is the range of opportunities via screens through internet connectivity in the car cabin.

“When you consider how these technologies will allow consumers access to entertainment and content via the cloud, things will really start to get interesting,” he said. “Cloud computing and online gaming [in the car] will also be possible.”

CTA believes consumers maintain their appetite for new technology thanks in part to the “season of the pandemic,” Koenig said.

“We have seen historically high demand for consumer technology the past two years. By spending more time at home and needing to bolster work productivity, school and education and entertainment, consumers are leveling up their tec — smart home devices and smart phones. Smart doorbells. You can also include services like connected fitness and online ordering for groceries and even telemedicine. The level of adoption of new technology by households has been at an all-time high.”

Koenig projects that consumer spending on hardware, software and services in the United States will reach $505 billion, a 2.8% growth over 2021.

“Once consumers get a taste for these things, they tend to spend more on them. Why? Because it is delivering value and convenience and making life better.”

And then there’s the metaverse.

“The metaverse isn’t something we build and then we have it,” Koenig said. “To me it’s the next generation of the internet, with enhanced connectivity that will deliver increasingly immersive digital experiences through virtual reality. And these next-generation experiences will over time become inextricably linked to our physical reality.”

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

The post Visual Component Growing in Importance appeared first on Radio World.

iHeartMedia plans to use cloned voices to translate and produce podcasts, hoping to reach new markets.

It announced this week that it will use technology from AI software company Veritone for this purpose.

“iHeartMedia will leverage Veritone’s AI platform to make more shows across the iHeartPodcast Network available in multiple languages, helping to expand their podcast market,” they said in the announcement. “The first use case is to translate iHeart’s marquee podcasts for Spanish-speaking audiences.”

[Related: “Veritone Ramps Up Synthetic Voices”]

They quoted Veritone President Ryan Steelberg saying, “iHeartMedia will not only be able to scale to new markets with localized language translations but retain the brand value of their top talent’s voice, which is fundamental in podcasting. We are also partnering to develop synthetic voices for advertising and engaging content while reducing time-to-market and production costs for radio, podcasting and the metaverse.”

The companies said iHeart voice talent will be able to authorize Veritone’s synthetic voice solution to produce more podcasts, ads and additional audio in multiple languages “with the same energy, cadence and uniqueness of top talent.”

[Related: “Create Synthetic VOs Just by Typing”]

The post iHeart Will Use Voice Cloning to Amplify Podcasts appeared first on Radio World.

EarPeace has collaborated with NPR to create a line of custom branded earplugs based around newly patented EarPeace PRO earplugs.

EarPeace PRO features a contoured design that conforms to the natural shape of the ear canal, featuring a tuned acoustic mesh filter intended to replicate the sound signature. Recently granted a second patent for the proprietary earplug design their utility patent, PRO aims to handle the mismatch between the shape of the ear and plug better. The earplugs use less material to expand in the ear canal, minimizing unwanted bunching and slit leaks. According to the company, the plugs’ oval, offset wave-shaped design permits the filters to perform at peak capacity.

“EarPeace are among the best earplugs out there and have used them literally at over a thousand shows. My ears thank you,” stated Bob Boilen, creator/host of NPR’s “All Songs Considered” and “Tiny Desk Concerts.”

“Unless I’m mixing and recording at the Tiny Desk, I’m using hearing protection at concerts. EarPeace has been one of my go-to brands for years. Do your future self a favor and protect your ears,” said Josh Rogosin, Tiny Desk audio engineer and technical director for NPR Music.

The post NPR, EarPeace Team Up for Hearing Protection appeared first on Radio World.

Tired of the traditional networking happy hour? The 2022 NAB Show has something new for you — NABiQ.

Innovation consultant Maria Duloquin will facilitate nine 90-minute competition-style events focused on the NAB Show’s content pillars: create, connect and capitalize. Participants will be grouped into five six-member teams to collaborate on a solution to common challenges facing the industry.

“This dynamic ‘hackathon’ format allows attendees to collaborate and draw on their collective experiences to create the next great out-of-the-box solution for our industry,” said Chris Brown, NAB executive vice president and managing director of Global Connections and Events.

[Read More of Our NAB Show Coverage]

“Building on diverse knowledge under a tight deadline is a sure-fire way to foster innovation,” said Duloquin. “Teams listen to each other, prioritize ideas, and define the most powerful solutions in an intense but incredibly rewarding experience!”

Supported by Cynopsis and ProVideoCoalition, the challenge events include leveraging new technology in video production, preparing for the future of delivery and utilizing audience insights. The complete list of challenges and registration information is available here. Each competition is followed by time for informal networking, and winning solutions will be shared with the entire NAB Show community and via NAB Amplify.

The post NABiQ Challenges Participants to Innovate appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission has finalized a series of changes to its technical rules covering U.S. broadcast radio.

Many of the changes are bureaucratic — cleaning up wording and inconsistencies. But some have meat. For instance, some Class D NCE stations may now be able to increase power and coverage as well as enjoy more flexibility in site selection.

On Thursday the FCC released its report and order that eliminates or amends rules it says were outdated or unnecessary. The changes “better reflect current developments in the radio industry and ensure that our technical rules are accurate, up to date and consistent,” it wrote.

“In so doing, we increase transparency and certainty for broadcasters while eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens.”

Radio World reported earlier on the planned changes.

[Related: “FCC Takes a Broom to Radio Technical Rules”]

The commission adopted almost all the proposals set out earlier except that it kept its “proximate interference” rule.

Here is what the commission did:

The FCC removed the maximum rated transmitter power limit for AM stations, saying it had received no opposition.

“[A]n equipment limitation on transmitter power is outdated and unnecessary given our current reliance on actual operating antenna input power as the most accurate and effective means of ensuring that AM stations adhere to their authorized power limits.”

It said elimination of this restriction will allow AM stations of any class to use transmitters of any rated power, “benefiting the AM service by broadening the market of transmitters available to stations, enhancing the secondary market for AM transmitters and reducing the number of transmitters that need to be disposed of.”

It eliminated an inconsistency between sections of the rules involving NCE FM community of license coverage.

Two sections currently state that NCE stations must demonstrate that they cover “at least a portion of the community of license” when submitting certain types of applications. But another section established the current standard that NCE stations must cover 50% of their community of license or 50% of the population in their community with a 60 dBu signal strength predicted contour.

The old language was changed to conform to the current standard.

It updated signal strength contour overlap requirements for NCE FM Class D stations to harmonize with a less restrictive section of the rules that applies to other NCE FM classes.

“We agree … that there is no reason to continue treating Class D stations differently in this context.” When the FCC updated these rules in 2000, it deferred including Class D NCE stations to accommodate the establishment of the low-power FM service.

“Because the LPFM service is now mature, it is appropriate to extend the general contour overlap limits to Class D NCE stations. We anticipate that the less preclusive requirement will create opportunities for NCE stations to increase power and coverage, as well as provide them with greater site selection flexibility.”

It eliminated four obsolete provisions that require radio stations operating in the 76–100 MHz band to protect grandfathered common carrier services in Alaska. “Our licensing databases indicate that there are no common carrier services remaining in this band in Alaska.”

It tweaked the definition of “AM fill-in area” in one part of the rules to conform to a later definition, which states that the “coverage contour of an FM translator rebroadcasting an AM radio broadcast station as its primary station must be contained within the greater of either the 2 mV/m daytime contour of the AM station or a 25-mile (40 km) radius centered at the AM transmitter site.”

Currently, one section refers to the lesser of these two distances. The NAB said the current wording “may inadvertently prevent many AM stations from operating FM translators within their 2 mV/m contour.” The FCC agreed, so the relevant section now defines an AM fill-in area as: “The area within the greater of the 2 mV/m daytime contour of the AM radio broadcast station being rebroadcast or a 25-mile (40 km) radius centered at the AM transmitter site.”

Finally, the commission adopted several changes that relate to coordination with Canada and Mexico.

It updated a rule that contains minimum distance separations between U.S. and Mexican or Canadian FM stations, to reflect treaty requirements. The FCC noted that the NAB was concerned that the updated requirements appear to impose greater minimum distance separations on Class A FM stations than is currently provided for in the rules, so NAB asked the FCC to confer “grandfathered short-spacing” status on existing U.S. stations; but the FCC said such “grandfathering” is not necessary.

It also updated the rules regarding stations near the Mexican border. At NAB’s suggestion, it clarified that, for the purposes of a table associated with the relevant rule, U.S. Class C0 assignments or allotments are considered Class C.

It adopted an NAB suggestion about how distances are calculated for the border agreements. It also updated the rules to eliminate inconsistent language and reflect current treaty requirements applicable to FM translators.

But the FCC did NOT adopt a proposal to eliminate the requirement that applications proposing use of FM transmitting antennas within 60 meters of other FM or TV broadcast antennas must include a showing as to the expected effect.

The National Association of Broadcasters had objected, saying this would weaken the FCC’s “newcomer policy,” under which a party constructing a new or modified facility is responsible for eliminating objectionable interference to existing stations.

The commission noted that in the FM service, it has rarely if ever expressly relied on the rules as a means of implementing the “newcomer policy,” but it concluded that the rule provides useful guidance for broadcasters. “We do not wish to introduce uncertainty or ambiguity into situations where it does not currently exist.”

[Read the complete FCC order.]

The post FCC Finalizes Changes to Radio Tech Rules appeared first on Radio World.

The VIAC ticker symbol is no longer in use. That’s unfortunate for the company known now as Paramount Global to Nasdaq. On its final day under the old ticker symbol, a $6.41 single-session slump was seen by the company formerly known as ViacomCBS.

In midday trading on Friday, things weren’t much brighter for Paramount.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Do I feel like I have a mission to succeed for the format in a Top 5 market? No. I feel like I have a mission to succeed for Susquehanna and the people who work for me. 

Those words were shared by Joel Folger in a column appearing in the January 30, 1998 edition of Radio & Records. Speaking to columnist Sky Daniels, Folger was fresh off of a run as the top programmer of KDGE in Dallas. With 15 years in the market that included a well-remembered run as PD for Rock-oriented Top 40 KEGL “97.1 The Eagle,” Folger was now programming the short-lived KKZN.

In 2000, he’d jump into consultant work, and consistently served in this role until a setback tied to a recent stroke. He made “tremendous progress,” AllAccess.com reports. Yet, that couldn’t prevent a fatal heart attack suffered Thursday by the veteran radio industry figure.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)