In November 2020, RBR+TVBR first reported on the October 16 signing of an Asset Purchase Agreement that would see the transfer of ownership of a pair of UHF properties to Soohyung Kim-led Standard Media Group from Sinclair Broadcast Group.
The FCC last week gave its blessing to the sale.
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In one of the final acts of the Pai Commission, the FCC on Tuesday adopted a Report and Order modifying technical rules to promote the expanded use of distributed transmission systems, or single frequency networks (SFNs), by broadcast television stations.
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As of today, Northern California Public Media has used a 120-watt signal to reach such Mendocino County towns as Healdsburg, Cloverdale and Windsor. To bring its programming to listeners in Santa Rosa, a 16-watt translator at 90.9 MHz was brought into the mix.
Soon, everyone north of San Francisco will be able to hear NoCal’s programming. It’s buying a Class B1 commercially licensed FM and converting it to noncommercial status.
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On Twitter and via pen and paper, Ajit Pai offered words of thanks to FCC staff and the agency’s Commissioners, as his final act as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Pai’s goodbyes came just hours after the Commission released a parting shot aimed at departing President Donald Trump: It denied a request to stay its unanimous decision to authorize Ligado Networks to deploy a low-power terrestrial national network using portions of its licensed spectrum.
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A low-power FM station has agreed to enter into a consent decree and settle an ongoing investigation into whether or it violated the FCC’s underwriting laws. The resulting consent decree calls for the Athenian Multicultural Study Club to implement a compliance plan and pay a civil penalty of $10,000.
The Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission received a complaint alleging that on May 13, 2019, Athenian — licensee of LPFM station WPLP(LP) in Athens, Ga. — broadcast an advertisement for a for-profit entity, a direct violation of the FCC’s underwriting laws.
[Read: LPFM Handed $15,000 Penalty After Allegedly Promoting 14 Businesses On Air]
In April 2020, the Enforcement Bureau issued a letter of inquiry to Athenian, complete with audio samples of the advertisements that were allegedly broadcast that day. An attorney for the licensee responded soon after and acknowledged that the station had broadcast underwriting announcements on behalf of for-profit entities between May 2019 and April 2020.
In addition, Athenian revealed that in the 12 months before receiving the letter of inquiry from the FCC, Athenian had aired nine announcements with similar promotional references.
The FCC gives special regulatory consideration to noncommercial educational stations — including LPFMs — by imposing fewer regulatory requirements and exempting them from annual regulatory fees. This is because noncommercial educational broadcast stations provide a unique service to the public and, via LPFM stations specifically, give the public a radio service that is both commercial-free and specifically focused on local communities.
“That flexibility, however, is not unlimited,” the Enforcement Bureau said in its investigation of the Athenian case, noting that FCC has long prohibited NCE stations from airing commercial advertisements.
In this case, the Enforcement Bureau agreed to enter into a consent decree with Athenian to end the bureau’s investigation into Athenian’s violation of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC’s underwriting laws. To settle this matter, Athenian admitted that it broadcast prohibited commercial advertisements in exchange for consideration. In addition to the civil penalty, the compliance plan calls on Athenian to designate an official compliance officer who can help the station develop, implement and administer the compliance plan and ensure that Athenian complies with the terms and conditions. That involves notifying employees about the consent decree, establishing a set of operating procedures and reporting any future noncompliance with the underwriting laws, among other rules.
The post Georgia LPFM Agrees to Consent Decree and to Pay $10,000 Penalty appeared first on Radio World.
On January 4, 2021, the newest entrant in the ever-expanding OTT universe bowed.
It’s Discovery+, from Discovery, and the promotional thrust of its rollout has been focused on, ironically, drawing consumers from MVPDs.
A marketing blitz is underway for Discovery+, and it is nearly exclusive to cable TV.
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While online language learning platform Babbel remains the biggest user of spot radio, according to the latest data from Media Monitors, commercials tied to the continued prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 virus are now being joined by spots promoting vaccination.
For the week ending January 17, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention was the No. 2 paid advertiser using broadcast radio, behind Babbel. It accounts for some 56,300 spot plays detected by Media Monitors.
New at No. 7? An effort from Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer, as COVID-19 vaccines roll out from Pfizer and Moderna across the U.S.
What does the remainder of the Spot Ten look like? More of the same, with Progressive, The Home Depot, Bank of America and GEICO continuing their long string of activity at broadcast radio.
It’s been a challenging year for radio industry pure-play Saga Communications. But, after a late October 2019 dip of its stock to nearly $17 a share, this audio-focused company appears to be in recovery mode.
How it performed in the final three months of 2020 will be made known on the second Friday in March.
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Chairman Ajit Pai issued this statement on departing the Federal Communications Commission today. Pai, a Republican, was named to the FCC by President Obama in 2012 and designated chairman by President Trump in 2017. Earlier he had worked for four years in legal roles in the general counsel office. He departs as President Biden prepares to take office.
“Serving the American people as Chairman of the FCC has been the greatest honor of my professional life. Over the past four years, we have delivered results for the American people, from narrowing the digital divide to advancing American leadership in 5G, from protecting consumers and national security to keeping Americans connected during the pandemic, from modernizing our media rules to making the agency more transparent and nimble. It has been a privilege to lead the agency over its most productive period in recent history.
“None of this—not a single action, big or small—would have been possible without the incredible staff of the FCC. They are remarkable public servants who brought to the task each day their expertise, diligence, and collegiality. As I’ve had the chance to tell them during farewell events over the past week, they are inspiring public servants. I’ll miss working with our engineers, economists, attorneys, 24/7 public safety staff, consumer outreach teams, policy experts, administrative staff, and many others. Their accomplishments are even more remarkable considering that they have been working from home for the past ten months, as the FCC became one of the first federal agencies to implement comprehensive telework. I thank each and every one of our staff for their outstanding service to the Commission and to the country.
“Thank you to the American people for their support during my time at the FCC. I look forward to the next adventure.”
Pai’s office posted a list of what he considers the commission’s most important accomplishments during his term. He also posted a thank-you video message to FCC staff.
[Related: Read Radio World’s 2017 interview with Pai as incoming chairman.]
The post Pai Says Farewell to FCC; Read His Statement appeared first on Radio World.
In your latest issue of Radio World:
The FCC wants to know what you think about FM geo-targeting … NAB’s David Layer talks about tech initiatives for 2021 … Joe D’Angelo on why Xperi is excited about DTS Connected Radio … WJMC rushes to put up an emergency antenna … and lots more.
The post Inside the Jan. 20, 2021 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.
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