Industry News

NRB 2021 is the upcoming event of the National Religious Broadcasters. The organization is moving ahead with a physical event. Radio World asked Daniel Darling, senior VP of communications for NRB, about its plans.

Radio World: NRB 2021 is slated for March, and we understand the organization intends to hold it in person, which would make it one of the first of our industry’s large events to go back to “boots on the ground.” What’s NRB’s thinking about this decision, and could it change?

Daniel Darling: We’ve been in consultation with our members and with the property (Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas) and are committed to following the protocols for the state of Texas. We feel very confident about March for a few reasons. First, there are several Christian gatherings of our size planned for the early spring window, including some in Texas. Many of our peers have opted to do virtual events, though they canceled gatherings that were in fall of 2020 or early 2021. We feel March is a good runway for us, given the expectation that a vaccine will likely have at least been distributed to the vulnerable population and the availability of new treatments.

The uniqueness of the NRB convention is the networking across a range of Christian media professionals. Our content is top-notch and some could be streamed online, but you cannot replace the in-person gathering, networking, and equipping that makes NRB special. So we anticipate a great turnout and a successful NRB 2021.

RW: What are your members and exhibitors telling you so far about their own intentions to travel and to be there, or any concerns they have?

Darling: We’ve surveyed our members a few times and we are hearing more and more positive feedback about the convention in March. There is a pent-up demand for those on our industry to meet with peers, to build partnerships, and to attend in-person gatherings. Our registration and sponsorship numbers are ahead of pace historically so we are cautiously optimistic for this year.

RW: The city and venue are different this year; tell us about that and about the benefits of the change.

Darling: The NRB convention has rotated cities in the past, though has most often been in Nashville. Texas is a really good location for us, as many of our members are headquartered either in the state or within driving distance or easy flying distance. Like Nashville, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a major hub for evangelical ministries and institutions. We’re also just thrilled with the venue: The Gaylord Texan. It is a wonderful meeting place with plenty of event and hotel space to ensure a safe, comfortable, and memorable gathering.

RW: What are the major show themes or issues that sessions of the convention are expected to explore?

Darling: We are continuing to serve our mission to both equip and advocate. On the equipping side, we’ll have content to equip a range of Christian media professionals, from radio and TV broadcasting to digital media such as podcasting, streaming, and social media. We also have a really large film presence with filmmakers showcasing a variety of faith-based films and new TV and streaming content. This year we are honored to host the ICVM Crown awards for Christian film.

We are also aware of how COVID has really pushed many churches and Christian ministries to take the next step in their digital presence, so we’ve made an intentional effort to emphasize digital innovation, with increased workshops on podcasting, streaming, and other digital tools. We’ve got experts from the various platforms, such as Faithlife, Rightnow Media, Vimeo and many others.

And on the advocacy side, we’ll have conversations about platform censorship, Section 320, FCC, rural broadband, religious liberty, and other topics.

RW: The pandemic has meant changes in the workflow for many organizations throughout the world of radio. Within the world of Christian broadcasting specifically, how has that played out, and how are daily operations different now than they were eight months ago?

Darling: We are hearing from our members how they’ve been forced to be innovative in terms of workflows. Many of our radio stations had to quickly move to a work from home model with hosts broadcasting from their homes. And our TV stations have had to innovate as well. Thankfully, we have very creative members who find new ways to broadcast, record, and create content.

And of course many of our members have continued a work from home model that many see as an ongoing option. COVID-19 has produced a major disruption in both the way we work and the advancing of innovation.

RW: There’s a “racial reconciliation panel” on the show agenda, what does that involve?

Darling: With the ongoing racial tension and the conversations that have arisen this year, NRB wants to help lead both the church and in society toward racial unity. So this panel will help us hear, listen, and move forward as diverse members share their experiences.

RW: How many attendees and exhibitors do you expect?

Darling: We expect a turnout close to what we’ve seen in previous years, several thousand attendees and hundreds of sponsors, though we are ever mindful of the unique conditions we are in during a global pandemic.

The post NRB Plans an In-Person Event in March appeared first on Radio World.

A coalition of public media workers is calling for a specific day — Nov. 10 — to serve as a way to highlight the need to take action when it comes to diversity.

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters said there have been too many public leaders defending systemic problems or reflecting criticism at those who complain, said Ernesto Aguilar, program director for the NFCB, which is leading the call for action. “It felt like time to say, ‘it’s not just you’ and remind those concerned about the need for public media’s evolution.”

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Inclusive Service Is the Future]

Public Media For All, a coalition of public media workers, is calling on the industry to recognize Nov. 10 as a day for reflection, learning and action. Calling it a first-of-this-generation kind of proactive remediation, Public Media for All is hoping that at least 500 people in the public media industry will use Nov. 10 as a day when they take the day off either to focus on their own mental health or to devote community service hours in an effort to bring attention to diversity, equity and inclusion issues.

“In the last few years, public media has had controversies across the nation,” Aguilar said. “The places are all different but the stories are similar — longtime hosts and managers behaving toward peers and subordinates in ways that do not exemplify a station’s mission; trends of people of color in the industry with identical stories even as they’ve been marginalized; and social media testimony exposing misconduct anonymously, as whistleblowers fear for their jobs amid public media’s economic contraction.”

“It felt like time to say, ‘It’s not just you’ and remind those concerned about the need for public media’s evolution that they are not alone,” he said.

Some of those steps of action and education might involve volunteering with local service organizations supporting communities of color or talking with stations, boards and managers about the importance of diversity for the future of public media organizations.

The public media space is ideal for leading the charge for the need for more diversity in media in general because public media has, for so long, centered the power of people’s lives and stories so it’s natural that this medium is one that is starting to take these matters more seriously, Aguilar said. However, it must be said that the media space as a whole, public and commercial, is having its moment related to diversity.

“The culture is changing, audiences expect better, and old excuses are less acceptable,” he said. “But here, as we are seeing in public media’s most high-profile incidents, institutions, staff and donors are no longer willing to suffer management complicity or leaders attempting to rationalize or slink away after presiding over misconduct.”

There are four silos of action on the Public Media For All’s website, actions that can be taken by people of color, by white allies, by organizations and by public media fans.

What’s most important is that — both before and after Nov. 10 — individuals and organizations make substantive commitments to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion. “Such efforts can only make our organizations even better,” Aguilar said.

The post Coalition Calls for Day of Action for Diversity in Public Media appeared first on Radio World.

A coalition of public media workers is calling for a specific day — Nov. 10 — to serve as a way to highlight the need to take action when it comes to diversity.

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters said there have been too many public leaders defending systemic problems or reflecting criticism at those who complain, said Ernesto Aguilar, program director for the NFCB, which is leading the call for action. “It felt like time to say, ‘it’s not just you’ and remind those concerned about the need for public media’s evolution.”

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Inclusive Service Is the Future]

Public Media For All, a coalition of public media workers, is calling on the industry to recognize Nov. 10 as a day for reflection, learning and action. Calling it a first-of-this-generation kind of proactive remediation, Public Media for All is hoping that at least 500 people in the public media industry will use Nov. 10 as a day when they take the day off either to focus on their own mental health or to devote community service hours in an effort to bring attention to diversity, equity and inclusion issues.

“In the last few years, public media has had controversies across the nation,” Aguilar said. “The places are all different but the stories are similar — longtime hosts and managers behaving toward peers and subordinates in ways that do not exemplify a station’s mission; trends of people of color in the industry with identical stories even as they’ve been marginalized; and social media testimony exposing misconduct anonymously, as whistleblowers fear for their jobs amid public media’s economic contraction.”

“It felt like time to say, ‘It’s not just you’ and remind those concerned about the need for public media’s evolution that they are not alone,” he said.

Some of those steps of action and education might involve volunteering with local service organizations supporting communities of color or talking with stations, boards and managers about the importance of diversity for the future of public media organizations.

The public media space is ideal for leading the charge for the need for more diversity in media in general because public media has, for so long, centered the power of people’s lives and stories so it’s natural that this medium is one that is starting to take these matters more seriously, Aguilar said. However, it must be said that the media space as a whole, public and commercial, is having its moment related to diversity.

“The culture is changing, audiences expect better, and old excuses are less acceptable,” he said. “But here, as we are seeing in public media’s most high-profile incidents, institutions, staff and donors are no longer willing to suffer management complicity or leaders attempting to rationalize or slink away after presiding over misconduct.”

There are four silos of action on the Public Media For All’s website, actions that can be taken by people of color, by white allies, by organizations and by public media fans.

What’s most important is that — both before and after Nov. 10 — individuals and organizations make substantive commitments to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion. “Such efforts can only make our organizations even better,” Aguilar said.

The post Coalition Calls for Day of Action for Diversity in Public Media appeared first on Radio World.

A highlight of the upcoming AES virtual convention, taking much of the month of October, will be a look at building and maintaining podcast studios. “Developing Versatile Performance Spaces for Podcast Production Studios” will be an on-demand session.

[Read: History and Mic Hygiene Are on AES Show Agenda]

Co-moderated by John Storyk, founding partner, WSDG Walters-Storyk Design Group, and WSDG Partner/COO, Joshua Morris, the panel will illustrate how dedicated podcast studios differ and how they are being used with respect to workflow as well as live performance production.

Panelists include Kevin Cole, senior director of programming/show host, KEXP(FM), Seattle; Jimmy Buff, executive director/show host, WKNY(FM)/Radio Kingston, Kingston, N.Y.; Steve Shultis, chief technology officer, WNYC Radio, N.Y.; and Austin Thompson, technical director, Gimlet (Spotify), Brooklyn, N.Y.; Los Angeles.

AES Show Broadcast and Online Delivery Track Chair David Bialik said, “The facility design session is usually one of the most attended.”

The post AES Show to Look at Podcast Studios appeared first on Radio World.

A highlight of the upcoming AES virtual convention, taking much of the month of October, will be a look at building and maintaining podcast studios. “Developing Versatile Performance Spaces for Podcast Production Studios” will be an on-demand session.

[Read: History and Mic Hygiene Are on AES Show Agenda]

Co-moderated by John Storyk, founding partner, WSDG Walters-Storyk Design Group, and WSDG Partner/COO, Joshua Morris, the panel will illustrate how dedicated podcast studios differ and how they are being used with respect to workflow as well as live performance production.

Panelists include Kevin Cole, senior director of programming/show host, KEXP(FM), Seattle; Jimmy Buff, executive director/show host, WKNY(FM)/Radio Kingston, Kingston, N.Y.; Steve Shultis, chief technology officer, WNYC Radio, N.Y.; and Austin Thompson, technical director, Gimlet (Spotify), Brooklyn, N.Y.; Los Angeles.

AES Show Broadcast and Online Delivery Track Chair David Bialik said, “The facility design session is usually one of the most attended.”

The post AES Show to Look at Podcast Studios appeared first on Radio World.

The author is senior vice president, Connoisseur Media.

WESTPORT, Conn. — At Connoisseur Media, we pride ourselves on our forward-thinking approach to technologies — especially those that help us engage audiences in new ways and give our advertisers intriguing new opportunities to reach consumers.

Advanced and evolving technologies drive our entire operation, which includes 13 radio stations and various digital brands in four markets: Frederick, Md., Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y., New Haven, Conn., and Metro Fairfield County, Conn..

When it comes to back-office systems like traffic and billing, we need technology solutions that will help our sales professionals negotiate and schedule advertising at maximum value.

Of course, any great traffic system needs to streamline and automate workflows and provide seamless, real-time access to consolidated sales, inventory and billing data. For more than 16 years, we’ve met these requirements with Marketron Traffic.

It is the “fan favorite” in our back office. It’s an integral part of our business and a popular solution with our traffic team.

The cloud-based platform gives all of our divisions transparency into the business from multiple locations. With this mature and easy-to-use solution, traffic personnel from various markets are able to step in and cover each other when needed. One of our markets even uses Marketron Traffic Hub — Marketron’s traffic management service — to handle all traffic department functions in that market.

Unified reporting

One of the strongest features of Marketron Traffic is the integrated reporting capability, which enables key personnel from every level of the business to work from the same set of data presented in a common format.

Based on their individual permission levels as governed by Marketron’s multilevel security, everyone — from sales managers at individual stations to GMs of station groups to managers at the corporate level — is able to access the reporting from a single, unified dashboard.

Even if a manager is only permitted to see a slice of the data, it’s the same data that will be reflected in larger data sets. This might seem like a simple capability, but it’s critical for avoiding confusion, reducing errors and unifying our teams.

With a clean cutoff for running reports and the ability to receive automated reports when we need them, we rely heavily on Marketron Traffic for managing key business metrics such as pacing.

Every morning, I get a PDF report in email with all of the data I need for daily management. It’s truly “set and forget it” — you give the system your own reporting parameters and it handles the rest. Without having to spend time churning out timely reports, our back office team is more efficient, and managers don’t have to spend their time pulling their own data out of the system.

Moving forward, we’re continuing to partner with the Marketron team as they refine their traffic solutions and introduce innovative new solutions.

For instance, we recently introduced the team to Marketron Pitch, an integrated digital ad platform that has allowed us to build up a substantial digital advertising business. Pitch takes into account the significant differences between digital sales workflows and more traditional radio, such as downstream partners that often need to be prepaid.

We’re currently testing a new beta version of Pitch that integrates seamlessly with Marketron Traffic; the result will be an end-to-end electronic workflow for our digital business from proposal to invoice.

With Marketron as our mainstay traffic partner, our radio business is poised for the next generation of profitability. With everyone in the company speaking the same financial language based on accurate and up-to-the-minute data, managers don’t have to work for the reports they need to make informed decisions that facilitate revenue growth.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information, contact Todd Kalman at Marketron at 1-612-790-8464 or visit www.marketron.com.

The post User Report: Connoisseur Finds Marketron a “Fan Favorite” appeared first on Radio World.

The author is senior vice president, Connoisseur Media.

WESTPORT, Conn. — At Connoisseur Media, we pride ourselves on our forward-thinking approach to technologies — especially those that help us engage audiences in new ways and give our advertisers intriguing new opportunities to reach consumers.

Advanced and evolving technologies drive our entire operation, which includes 13 radio stations and various digital brands in four markets: Frederick, Md., Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y., New Haven, Conn., and Metro Fairfield County, Conn..

When it comes to back-office systems like traffic and billing, we need technology solutions that will help our sales professionals negotiate and schedule advertising at maximum value.

Of course, any great traffic system needs to streamline and automate workflows and provide seamless, real-time access to consolidated sales, inventory and billing data. For more than 16 years, we’ve met these requirements with Marketron Traffic.

It is the “fan favorite” in our back office. It’s an integral part of our business and a popular solution with our traffic team.

The cloud-based platform gives all of our divisions transparency into the business from multiple locations. With this mature and easy-to-use solution, traffic personnel from various markets are able to step in and cover each other when needed. One of our markets even uses Marketron Traffic Hub — Marketron’s traffic management service — to handle all traffic department functions in that market.

Unified reporting

One of the strongest features of Marketron Traffic is the integrated reporting capability, which enables key personnel from every level of the business to work from the same set of data presented in a common format.

Based on their individual permission levels as governed by Marketron’s multilevel security, everyone — from sales managers at individual stations to GMs of station groups to managers at the corporate level — is able to access the reporting from a single, unified dashboard.

Even if a manager is only permitted to see a slice of the data, it’s the same data that will be reflected in larger data sets. This might seem like a simple capability, but it’s critical for avoiding confusion, reducing errors and unifying our teams.

With a clean cutoff for running reports and the ability to receive automated reports when we need them, we rely heavily on Marketron Traffic for managing key business metrics such as pacing.

Every morning, I get a PDF report in email with all of the data I need for daily management. It’s truly “set and forget it” — you give the system your own reporting parameters and it handles the rest. Without having to spend time churning out timely reports, our back office team is more efficient, and managers don’t have to spend their time pulling their own data out of the system.

Moving forward, we’re continuing to partner with the Marketron team as they refine their traffic solutions and introduce innovative new solutions.

For instance, we recently introduced the team to Marketron Pitch, an integrated digital ad platform that has allowed us to build up a substantial digital advertising business. Pitch takes into account the significant differences between digital sales workflows and more traditional radio, such as downstream partners that often need to be prepaid.

We’re currently testing a new beta version of Pitch that integrates seamlessly with Marketron Traffic; the result will be an end-to-end electronic workflow for our digital business from proposal to invoice.

With Marketron as our mainstay traffic partner, our radio business is poised for the next generation of profitability. With everyone in the company speaking the same financial language based on accurate and up-to-the-minute data, managers don’t have to work for the reports they need to make informed decisions that facilitate revenue growth.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information, contact Todd Kalman at Marketron at 1-612-790-8464 or visit www.marketron.com.

The post User Report: Connoisseur Finds Marketron a “Fan Favorite” appeared first on Radio World.

Coming in November is the 100th anniversary of the birth of modern radio broadcasting. In this issue, Radio World features a special report by James O’Neal about how KDKA came to be the standard-bearer for an industry.

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.

Regulation

AM Advocates Watch and Worry

The chief of the FCC Audio Division deems the AM revitalization effort “a big success story,” but critics fault the effort for not going far enough and focusing mainly on adding FM signals. What comes next?

Digital Radio

Taking the Fear Out of Hybrid Radio

A session of the virtual Radio Show will focus on RadioDNS and how U.S. broadcasters are beginning to support hybrid radio capabilities.

Also in this issue:

• Workbench: Time to Prepare for Ice and Snow
• Buyer’s Guide: Media Asset Management/Automation
• College Radio Grapples With Pandemic’s Implications

The post Inside the September 30 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Coming in November is the 100th anniversary of the birth of modern radio broadcasting. In this issue, Radio World features a special report by James O’Neal about how KDKA came to be the standard-bearer for an industry.

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.

Regulation

AM Advocates Watch and Worry

The chief of the FCC Audio Division deems the AM revitalization effort “a big success story,” but critics fault the effort for not going far enough and focusing mainly on adding FM signals. What comes next?

Digital Radio

Taking the Fear Out of Hybrid Radio

A session of the virtual Radio Show will focus on RadioDNS and how U.S. broadcasters are beginning to support hybrid radio capabilities.

Also in this issue:

• Workbench: Time to Prepare for Ice and Snow
• Buyer’s Guide: Media Asset Management/Automation
• College Radio Grapples With Pandemic’s Implications

The post Inside the September 30 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission will vote this month on whether to allow AM stations in the United States to convert to all-digital HD Radio if they wish to do so.

Commission watchers have expected some action this year. Commissioner Ajit Pai announced the planned vote on his blog, calling AM revitalization “a passion of mine.”

Based on anecdotal evidence, the commission will likely approve it.

The details of the proposed report and order are expected to be public shortly. Among questions to watch for are whether all-digital AM operation would be allowed both day and night; what provision the FCC makes for a station to change its mind later; and whether the commission will waver from its stances on not allowing the use of other platforms like Digital Radio Mondiale and not allowing multicasts of an AM digital signal to be carried on translators.

Industry support

Industry comments on the idea of allowing optional all-digital operation have generally been favorable, with the caveat that any such transition must be voluntary.

It’s unknown how many owners would take advantage of the option, at least right away. The amount of real-world broadcaster experience is limited to only two stations that have tried it, one of which soon turned it off during the day after hearing listener complaints, and later ended its testing.

One veteran engineering professional told Radio World recently that he sees “no major U.S. radio companies showing any interest in investing in AM all-digital; and that for many owners, keeping their AM stations on the air now is pretty much just about retaining their FM translator footprint rather than keeping the AM on the air on its own merits.”

[Related: Read our special report on the AM revitalization effort to date.]

But the possibility that the FCC would allow a station to go all-digital is notable, and marks a potentially important milestone in the overall expansion of digital technology on U.S. radio stations.

If an AM station turns on all-digital transmission, listeners with analog-only AM radios will not be able to hear the signal. For that reason, for many years broadcasters swore that they’d never consider it.

But with the AM band’s ongoing problems; with more HD Radio receivers available in recent-model cars that can receive the signals; and with many AM owners now able to reach their markets with FM translators, the idea seems at least marginally less scary. Calls to allow the all-digital option have increased in recent years under the commission’s AM revitalization umbrella.

“Due to a number of technical constraints of the AM band and limitations of the HD Radio hybrid mode, fewer than 250 AM stations have implemented hybrid operations,” Pai wrote Monday.

“This October, the commission will vote on a Report and Order that would give AM broadcasters the option to convert to all-digital operations, which offer listeners a higher quality audio experience over a greater area.

“Since all-digital broadcasting would be on a voluntary basis, AM operators would decide for themselves if the transition is right for them and their listeners.”

Pai pointed out that WWFD in Frederick, Md., which has transitioned to digital AM through special temporary authority, has gone from having no ratings in the market to a being a Nielsen-ranked station.

“This hints at digital AM’s potential to bring AM stations back from the brink of extinction to become competitive players in the market.”

[Watch Radio World’s webcast “Digital Sunrise” for AM Radio.” ]

Three AM stations have received STAs to operate with all-digital AM; only one is currently active.

Hubbard’s WWFD has been using all-digital for three years. WIOE in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently tried all-digital both full- and part-time but now is not using it; the owner has said listeners weren’t ready. WTLC in Indianapolis has an STA but its owner Urban One has expressed disappointment that the FCC  did not approve its request that multicast channels of the AM test signal be rebroadcast over those two FM translators.

It has been seven years since then-Commissioner Ajit Pai hosted a session at a spring NAB Show exploring various possible futures for AM radio including an “analog sunset.”

At that time, then-CBS Radio Senior Vice President of Engineering Glynn Walden deplored AM solutions that “nibble around the edges.” The AM band, he said at that 2013 session, “is a hostile environment,” and Walden called for the commission “to declare an analog sunset” and for AM radio to move to an all-digital service.

Few broadcasters then or since have spoken publicly about any such enforced “sunset,” and this month’s planned vote to allow all-digital goes nowhere near that outcome.

The post The FCC Will Vote This Month on All-Digital AM appeared first on Radio World.