Industry News

A unique combination of an unsupervised tower structure and a radio contest gone awry led the Enforcement Bureau to levy a $125,000 civil penalty against a Florida broadcaster as part of a consent decree.

Magic Broadcasting II LLC was the subject of two investigations by two units within the Federal Communications Commission — the Enforcement Bureau and the Investigation and Hearings Division (IHD).

In 2018 the IHD began investigating a complaint that alleged that Magic Broadcasting’s station WILN(FM) failed to conduct radio contests in a fair manner. In the first instance, a complainant suggested that winners of an on-air radio contest were preselected. A scavenger hunt-like contest called Troll Tracker was initiated by WILN and ran for several weeks, even though the bureau alleged that a female listener allegedly solved the puzzle early on and was asked to sign nondisclosure agreements so that the station could continue the contest and entice the broadcast audience to keep listening through a long, drawn-out competition.

[Read: Contest Missteps Slip Up Two Texas Stations]

Likewise, in a second contest called Alexa Almighty, the station offered callers the chance to win prizes if they called into the station at certain times of day. But according to a complaint filed with IHD, it was impossible for the station to have conducted the contest as advertised because there was no live DJ on-air at the time the listeners were asked to call in. “Instead the station allegedly aired prerecorded calls between station employees and their friends posting as contest participants,” the IHD complaint states.

In these two cases, even though the Enforcement Bureau issued a letter of inquiry to Magic Broadcasting to seek more information, Magic Broadcasting could neither confirm or deny the truth of the allegations. The bureau said Magic also did not provide any evidence to rebut the issues in the complaint, although the broadcaster was repeated asked about these matters.

A second, unrelated issue appeared when, in September 2019, the Enforcement Bureau received an anonymous field complaint that an antenna structure had not been properly lit for more than a year. An agent from the bureau’s Miami Field Office investigated and determined that Magic Broadcasting station WVFT(FM) was licensed to operate from that antenna structure.

Magic Broadcasting admitted that it failed to monitor the state of the lighting system over a period of 453 days as required by FCC Rules, that it failed to immediately notify the Federal Aviation Administration that a light was out on the antenna structure as required by FCC Rules and that it failed to notify the commission of its acquisition in 2012 of the entire antenna structure itself.

Both of these two issues were resolved when Magic Broadcasting and the Enforcement Bureau agreed to enter into a consent decree. As part of the deal, Magic agreed to comply with several stipulations including that it create internal procedures to ensure compliance of the lighting system rules of the antenna structure, create internal procedures to ensure compliance with contest laws and live broadcast rules, and develop a compliance manual and training program for all employees to ensure the company complies with FCC Rules.

As part of the consent decree, Magic is also required to report any noncompliance with the aforementioned rules within 15 days of discovery of such noncompliance. Magic must also file compliance reports with the commission several times over the next five years.

In addition to following compliance procedures, Magic also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $125,000 in 20 installments of $6,250, the first of which is due 30 days after the effective date of the consent decree. If Magic defaults on any of the payments, the unpaid amount will accrue interest and the remaining amount will become immediately due.

 

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Business software tools developer Veritone has announced several changes for the good in its Discovery and Attribute advertising analysis software platforms.

According to the company, the Discovery ad campaign and analysis application now has more thorough campaign analysis; improved usage of Nielsen data, for those who subscribe; better report customization options; and new AI models for improved performance.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

The Attribute broadcast advertising attribution program now offers deeper analytic capabilities; better management and campaign prep along with improvements in administration and user management as well; and better understanding of broadcast integration with the internet; media.

Veritone President Ryan Steelberg said, “Our already comprehensive campaign search and analytics applications keep evolving as we work closely with our customers to continuously identify opportunities to help automate their processes. Further, we’re improving the interface to make it easier and more intuitive to deliver actionable intelligence that helps drive ad revenue and advertiser satisfaction.”

Info: www.veritone.com

 

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These transmitters seem like silent sentinels but they tell very good time.

It is nestled in a farmer’s field in southwestern Ottawa, Canada, in a protected area known as the Greenbelt, surrounded by miles of sprawling suburbia.

It is CHU, Canada’s own automated time station.

Operating from a 1940s-era transmitter building and three vertical antenna towers, CHU broadcasts automated voice time signals in both English and French 24/7.

Its broadcasts are transmitted on 3.33, 7.85 and 14.67 MHz, and are heard through central/eastern Canada and the eastern United States, plus many other areas of the planet on a regular basis.

The unassuming exterior of CHU in southwestern Ottowa.

CHU’s time service is operated by Canada’s National Research Council, with the station being remotely controlled from the NRC’s Montreal Road headquarters central Ottawa some 12 miles away. The time signals are based on CHU’s trio of atomic clocks on-site, which are constantly checked against the atomic clocks at NRC headquarters.

“We are equipped with 1960s-era 10 kW transmitters that have been highly modified over the years,” said Bill Hoger. He is the Research Council officer who maintains the unmanned station as part of his overall duties along with two other off-site technicians.

One of CHU’s three towers.

“Before we moved to 7.85 from 7.335 MHz in 2009 due to an ITU frequency reallocation, we ran 7.335 MHz at 10 kW, our highest output power at CHU,” said Hoger. “But after the move we got complaints from a person in New Zealand who said we were causing interference, so we cut our power to 5 kW peak.” (CHU’s other transmissions run at lower powers.)

CHU was launched as experimental station 9CC at the Dominion Observatory in downtown Ottawa. Regular time broadcasts began using the callsign VE9OB in 1929.

In 1938 it became CHU, and in 1947 the station was moved to its current flat rural site in a project to boost its transmitting power, enlarge its antenna farm and extend its reach.

Faraday cage blocks unwanted electromagnetic fields.

The idea behind VE9OB/CHU was to provide accurate time-keeping information to people across Canada, especially those in rural and remote areas who needed accurate time and didn’t have local access to it. The country’s vast spaces and its government’s determination to bridge them is why it has been a pioneer in national microwave and satellite communications for decades.)

Atomic clocks inside the cage.

“Initially our service was just a constant frequency with patterns of Morse Code pulses in it to indicate the time,” said Hoger. More Morse Code information such as station identification was added in the 1930s, with recorded voice time messages coming from a mechanical “speaking clock” starting in 1952. This system used recorded time announcements on film whose playback was controlled remotely by the clocks. “We then went to digital playback in the 1990s,” he said.

Generation and measurement of signals in the CHU control room.

In its early days, CHU had personnel on site, but today the station runs itself with occasional human intervention. Still, it has a following: “We receive listener reports from around the world, and send out QSLs (reception report cards) on a regular basis,” Hoger said. Meanwhile, the NRC keeps this 1940s-facility maintained and repaired.

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Attorney John Garziglia, a well-known presence in radio broadcast industry legal circles whose familiarity with the industry is rooted in his own past on-air and programming work, will retire at the end of this month.

Womble Bond Dickinson announced his pending departure and said media attorney Reid Avett, who recently joined the firm, will help lead its efforts in broadcasting.

According to a bio released by the company, Garziglia began representing broadcast clients in private practice in 1984.

“His focus in recent years has been AM radio revitalization, representing clients ranging from large broadcasting corporations to state broadcasters’ associations to small, local radio stations,” it stated.

“As part of this practice, Garziglia led the broadcasting industry’s efforts at the FCC to enable numerous AM stations to acquire and be awarded FM translators.”

Avett called Garziglia “A key architect of building a thriving broadcast practice, and we all are grateful for his work and leadership.” Marty Stern heads the firm’s Communications, Technology & Media team.

Garziglia has spent his entire private practice career at WBD and its predecessors. He worked at radio stations in St. Louis and Washington as an air talent and program director before going to law school. He began his legal career at the FCC, processing AM station assignment and transfer applications. He also prosecuted broadcast station license hearings for the FCC’s Hearing Branch before administrative law judges.

Garziglia’s writing and comments have appeared in Radio World many times. Just a sampling from recent years:

FM Translator, Booster Advocates Disagree in Origination Dispute (2020)

82 Broadcasters Want to Change the Definition of a Small Station (2019)

Garziglia: Main Studio Rule Is “an Easy Target” for Elimination (2017)

What Does President Trump Mean for Radio? (2016)

 

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Bill Hieatt, an engineer with business expertise who was known in radio for his work at GeoBroadcast Solutions and First Broadcasting, has died. He was 56.

At GBS he was chief technology officer. His death comes as the Federal Communications Commission has just issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to consider allowing the company’s geotargeting technology to be used on FM boosters in the United States.

Hieatt had oversight of the company’s technology operations, according to his LinkedIn page, including “system architecture definition, network infrastructure design, Single Frequency Network (SFN) RF coverage/field measurements/model tuning, project management, intellectual property development, patent applications, field trials, customer presentations/webinars, system and feature development, and more.”

He prepared reports to the FCC and regulatory bodies, and developed intellectual property including at least two patents.

[Read a commentary by Bill Hieatt about geo-targeting.]

For several years at the beginning of this century, Hieatt was VP of engineering and software development for First Broadcasting, a merchant banker specializing in acquisition and development of U.S. radio stations and broadcast properties.

There he was responsible for new technology and software initiatives. In that job he identified radio station upgrades, developed proprietary broadcast allocation and RF propagation software and authored seven patents.

Hieatt worked for several other technical firms outside of broadcast during his career. Early on he joined Motorola Solutions as a graduate intern and became principal staff engineer. At one point he also founded a music label/media firm called GetGo Music Management.

According to his obituary he held a bachelors and master of science in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington and earned multiple MBAs.

The post Bill Hieatt Dies, Was CTO of GBS appeared first on Radio World.

Four new members will come together to serve on the board of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters — a group of individuals that will bring their knowledge of local, grassroots, community-minded radio to the NFCB.

The new members include station managers, general managers and an executive director from far-flung parts of the country. They are Amanda Eichstaedt, station manager/executive director for KWMR(FM) at Point Reyes Station, Calif.; Serah Mead, station manager for KZMU(FM) in Moab, Utah; Nathan Moore, general manager for WTJU(FM) in Charlottesville, Va.; and Kerry Semrad, general manager for KZUM(FM) in Lincoln, Neb.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Difference Makers]

“NFCB begins a whole new chapter on its board of directors,” said NFCB CEO Sally Kane. “We were delighted to see a broad slate of talented candidates step up.”

Mead and Moore were elected by membership, while Eichstaedt and Semrad are appointments. In addition, NFCB’s board has reappointed Carl A’see and Darrah Blackwater to full terms. Both were filling the terms of previously departed board members Marcellus Shepard and Jenni Monet, respectively.

Julia Kumari Drapkin and board President Sonya Green will conclude their service at the end of 2020, the NFCB said. Board members’ terms begin in January 2021.

“A sure sign of a healthy organization is lively interest in board service and we are so humbled to see that at NFCB,” Kane said.

NFCB also elected officers for the 2021 cycle including President Nathan Moore, Vice President Darrah Blackwater and Secretary Colin Andrews.

 

The post NFCB Introduces New Board Members for 2021 appeared first on Radio World.

Southern California has a new classical music radio format. It is on the AM dial. And it is broadcasting in HD Radio hybrid mode.

It is a particular combination — classical music, AM and HD Radio — that you aren’t likely to encounter much. But then again veteran SoCal indy broadcaster Saul Levine has never been one to do what everyone else is doing.

As we reported recently, Levine is excited about the possibilities for digital on the AM band, including the recent FCC vote to allow all-digital operation.

Since we posted that story in early November, Levine has flipped his 1260 signal in L.A. to classical music. But while the conversion of a low-rated oldies station back to commercial classical may be interesting, it’s his enthusiasm for doing it with hybrid HD Radio on AM that drew our attention, so we followed up to learn more about his thinking.

Levine went after FM listeners early, founding Mount Wilson FM Broadcasters in 1959 and launching classical on 105.1. He now airs country on that signal, while L.A. area listeners listen to classical on listener-supported KUSC 91.5.

But Levine, now 94 years old, seeks to “revive classical radio in Los Angeles and Southern California” by airing classical music on the 1260 signal. The AM station, until recently called KSUR and airing oldies, is now KMZT, for “K-Mozart.” Its classical format is also heard via its FM translator, online stream, station app and the HD4 multicast of Levine’s 105.1 KKGO.

Saul Levine at his office in 2012 with an earlier iteration of K-Mozart branding.

“Please do not miss the real story that hybrid technology allows KMZT 1260 to compete with a quality signal,” Levine wrote in an email, excited about what he called a virtually noise-free signal.

“HD has been around for a few years. Many engineers were first learning how to utilize it with a learning curve of mistakes to overcome. I now have two engineers who believe in AM HD hybrid and are making it purr like a kitten.”

It’s important to note that the station is not airing all-digital, though the FCC recently began allowing that option for AMs. Levine said he would throw that switch once HD Radio receiver penetration reaches 40 to 50%.

KMZT AM 1260 went on the air in 1947 as a 1 kW daytimer; its four-tower array is on its original seven acres in the San Fernando Valley. It now transmits with 20 kW daytime and 7.5 kW nighttime, with about 9 million listeners nearby. (Like many AMs these days, the site is now surrounded by residential development.)

Levine said the station has experimented with hybrid AM HD for a number of years using Nautel transmitters but that it wasn’t satisfactory and that, at any rate, AM HD was “under attack as a flawed technology.”

Since then, however, the transmitter amplifiers have been replaced; a new engineering team of Dan Feely and Tom White were brought in; new audio processing was installed; and more receivers are in the market. Clarence Beverage of Communication Technologies is the station consultant.

“We kept experimenting with hybrid and getting the audio to sound almost like FM on HD receivers and in stereo. One of the single events in moving us to classical music on AM was the installation of a Telos Omnia.7 processor, which knocked down audio noise in both analog as well as hybrid modes,” he said.

“With new HD radios arriving and FCC support, KMZT was ready to launch on Dec. 1. The audience response was positive and it is now anticipated that in a couple years when hybrid and HD set saturation reaches 40 to 50%, we will move to 100% digital operation.”

The big AM stations in L.A. are KFI and KNX, which are built on news/talk and all-news. KSUR’s oldies format earned only a 0.4 AQH share in the latest numbers from Nielsen Audio (November 2020 PPM 6+ Mon-Sun, 6a-12mid), while Levine’s KKGO FM country station drew a 2.4.

But Levine believes there’s a real opportunity here.

He reiterated that his company has invested about a half million dollars in the AM RF plant. “I consider the investment well spent and encourage AM operators to ignore their CPAs and invest in new equipment and hybrid technology. … The excitement is back in AM radio. Although I am a pioneer in FM radio I see a new opportunity in AM with hybrid HD.”

 

The post Saul Levine Is Fired Up for AM HD 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.

Reflecting on the year as it winds down, 2020 has been a year of many challenges. It has also been a time to appreciate our medium of radio as a uniter, when so much seems deeply divided. It’s also a time to rally to community media’s aid.

In August, Pew Research identified many trust gaps in media. No more than half of respondents have confidence in journalists act in the best interests of the public. An equal number think that other Americans have no confidence in the institution either. However, fully 75% still believe it is possible to improve Americans’ relationship with the media.

Surely more than a bit of distrust is driven by the commercial television news cycle. Columbia Journalism Review is among many media watchers to decry cable TV networks’ obsession with outgoing Pres. Donald Trump. Negative coverage, or stories that seem calculated to spark anger, fear or other emotions aimed at keeping people tuned in are central to the charge. Former MSNBC producer Ariana Pekary wrote of how one TV executive called their field a cancer. “As it is, this cancer stokes national division, even in the middle of a civil rights crisis,” Pekary reflected over the summer. “The model blocks diversity of thought and content because the networks have incentive to amplify fringe voices and events, at the expense of others … all because it pumps up the ratings.”

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Taking Chances]

While radio is not immune to toxic ratings-first leaders, we also have community-minded institutions that want to contribute to their cities and towns. Radio as a medium has long enjoyed more trust than other platforms. Community media, especially community radio, remains a steadfast part of this movement for a better, more trustworthy medium.

Tune across community radio and you will find a fascinating look into local subcultures, community news, area arts that fight to survive in spite of COVID-19, and an ideal of media access that can’t be extinguished, even decades into community media’s run. While commercial media organizations crater under the weight of layoffs and a loss of trust, they scramble for new engagement models, nonprofit status and ways of listening and integrating the audience into their daily work. But guess what? Community media and radio in particular has been doing that for generations. As one astute media observer told me, “community media are the hipsters of this engaged journalism trend today.” And that’s not too far off base.

Where community media struggles at times is around scaling this important outreach and storytelling. But with the year-end period upon us, that is where you come in.

From now until Dec. 31 is where nonprofits traditionally see the most generosity from their communities. These large and small gifts help nonprofits pay staff, sustain their initiatives, and dream big as they plan bold new efforts. In the case of community media, a gift’s impact is as easy to observe as turning to your television, radio or internet browser. Your gifts have immediate results by supporting broadcasting, and chipping through the walls of distrust we see in many towns.

Those giving back have many options. Whether it’s donating to a local community radio station or lifting up nonprofits helping our medium, such as OpenNews or the Maynard Institute, or even contributing to an admired nonprofit media outlet, your year-end donation can really help radio to thrive.

Repairing trust and bridging divides will be an ongoing process. If you are one of those good souls who gives back to your communities during the holiday season, do not forget community radio. This year more than most, stations have made a difference, but need your help to do much more.

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An Alabama licensee is facing a forfeiture of $6,000 for failing to file renewal applications on time.

Jimmy Dale Media LLC was required to file a renewal application for its two stations — WFMH(AM) and WMCJ(AM) — on Dec. 2, 2019. That date meets the Federal Communications Commission requirement that a license renewal should be filed no later than the first day of the fourth calendar month prior to expiration of the license.

In this case, the Media Bureau said the applications were filed on March 30, 2020. Initially, the bureau said, Jimmy Dale Media gave no explanation for the late filing. But in an amendment to the application filed on July 16, 2020, the licensee said that it was struggling financially and working days and many nights to keep the station on air. The licensee also stated that he was not advised by legal counsel as to the FCC rules for the license renewal process. The licensee has since joined the Alabama Broadcasters Association in an effort to stay up to date on filing deadlines and other requirements and indicated that the company “will sincerely endeavor to comply with all FCC rules and regulations” in the future.

[Read: Failure to File a Renewal Application Trips Up Two Licensees in Louisiana]

In response, the Media Bureau applauded the licensee’s efforts to ensure compliance with the commission’s rules going forward. But these efforts do not excuse or mitigate the violations. FCC rules and the commission’s own Forfeiture Policy Statement establishes a base forfeiture amount of $3,000 for failing to file a required form in a timely manner. The bureau may also adjust that amount based on the gravity of the violation and the degree of culpability.

In this case, the licensee did not dispute that the renewal applications were filed late. And the commission does not give do-overs to those who violate the rules because they were unaware of the guidelines. In addition, even though the licensee said the stations were struggling financially, it provided no documentation that would allow the commission to evaluate the licensee’s ability to pay.

“The commission has repeatedly held that corrective action taken to come into compliance with the rules is expected, and does not nullify or mitigate any prior forfeitures or violations,” the bureau said.

Based on those factors, the commission proposed the full $3,000 forfeiture amount for each late-filed application for a total of $6,000. The commission said it would grant the renewal applications after the forfeiture had been paid — assuming that no other issues arise.

The FCC’s action is a notice of apparent liability for forfeiture. The broadcaster has 30 days to pay or file an argument on why the penalty should be reduced or cancelled.

 

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We don’t usually delve too deeply into radio programming or format specifics, because music is a specialized world of its own within radio. But December is the time of year for “top song” lists, and here’s another fun one.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers released its list of the top 25 ASCAP Holiday Songs, highlighting the work of its member artists.

“Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” takes the #1 spot as the most-played holiday hit, according to an ASCAP analysis of streaming and terrestrial radio data,” the organization stated.

The song was written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff and published by Universal Music Group Publishing, Sony/ATV, Kobalt Music and Tamal Vista Music. ASCAP noted that Carey posted a holiday message to fans including a shoutout to radio.

The organization also noted that Johnny Marks has three entries on this list, “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

So below are the year’s top 25 most played ASCAP holiday songs, meaning they were written or co-written by ASCAP songwriters and composers. The ranking is based on an analysis of ASCAP streaming and terrestrial radio data.

1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff (1994)
2. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Meredith Willson (1951)
3. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Johnny Marks (1962)
4. “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish (1948)
5. “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne (1945)
6. “Jingle Bell Rock” by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe (1958)
7. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Johnny Marks (1958)
8. “Last Christmas” by George Michael (1984)
9. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Edward Pola and George Wyle (1963)
10. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin (1944)
11. “Winter Wonderland” by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith (1934)
12. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie (1934)
13. “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin (1941)
14. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Johnny Marks (1949)
15. “The Christmas Song” by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells (1946)
16. “Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)” by Oakley Haldeman and Gene Autry (1947)
17. “Home for the Holidays” by Robert Allen and Al Stillman (1954)
18. “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano (1970)
19. “Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season” by Kay Tompson and Irving Berlin (1942)
20. “Santa Baby” by Joan Javits, Anthony Springer and Philip Springer (1953)
21. “Frosty the Snowman” by Steve Nelson and Walter E. Rollins (1950)
22. “Jingle Bells” by James Lord Pierpont; Frank Sinatra version arranged by Gordon Jenkins (ASCAP, 1958)
23. “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson and Greg Kurstin (2013)
24. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Dr. Seuss and Albert Hague (1966)
25. “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande and Savan Kotecha (2013)

 

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