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Radio World

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Negative COVID Test or Proof of Vaxx Required at NAB Show

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 02:25 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/show-news/nab-show/negative-covid-test-or-proof-of-vaxx-required-at-nab-show


The NAB Show is 38 days away. Here’s an update on COVID-19 requirements.

A negative test result or proof of full vaccination will be required for
entry by all attendees, exhibitors, speakers and staff. Booster shots are
not required as part of “full vaccination,” but are recommended.

Masks will be recommended, but not required.

Touchless registration will be in place to get a badge. Meeting rooms and theaters will not be set at capacity to allow for socially distancing. Transparent partitions will be used in areas that require close contact
between visitors.

“NAB is working with health officials and expert consultants to monitor the situation and apply appropriate health and safety protocols for the
timeframe in which the show will be held,” NAB said on its website.

“This includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), the Las Vegas Convention Center
(LVCC) and other appropriate global, federal, state and local health organizations.”

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

An OnMed telehealth station will be available at the LVCC in the North Hall
to offer “on-demand, convenient and affordable” access to health care, including COVID-19 testing. NAB noted that the UMC Convention Testing
Center is also very close to the convention center and offers COVID-19
testing for travelers and attendees for $130, with results within 24 hours.

A free contact tracing mobile app from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services can notify a person if they have likely been exposed to COVID-19.

See the show website for more on these policies.

The post Negative COVID Test or Proof of Vaxx Required at NAB Show appeared first on Radio World.


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TAB Re-Launches "Technical Academy," Offers Trainings and Certifications

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:52 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/tab-re-launches-technical-academy-offers-trainings-and-certifications


This week, the Texas Association of Broadcasters announced the launch of
its Technical Academy, which aims to help Texas radio and television broadcasters manage the day-to-day technology infrastructure for their stations.

Delayed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Academy’s first offering — training and certification for radio station Chief Operators — is set for the week of May 2 in Austin, Texas.

The intensive, week-long course is designed to boost expertise among broadcasters by providing participants with a basic understanding of
broadcast station operations and the responsibilities essential to
maintaining a station’s daily operations as a Certified Radio Operator.

CROs work under the guidelines of a station owner/manager in compliance
with FCC regulations 47 CFR Part 73.

After completion of the four-day CRO training and testing, participants
will then receive a fifth day of training and testing for a TAB Chief
Operator certification. Certifications are contingent upon passing the
tests.

[See Our News and Business Page]

The Society of Broadcast Engineers’ study guides are the foundation of the CRO instruction, which will be supplemented with content and videos
developed specifically for these courses by broadcast engineers throughout Texas. The supplemental content highlights real-world demands for Chief Operators and provides key insights into new technologies.

At the May training, participants may elect to take their respective SBE Certified Radio Operator exams upon course completion. Exams will be administered by a SBE proctor. Additional training and testing will be administered for TAB Chief Operator course completion certification.

Longtime Texas broadcast engineer Gil Garcia is leading the Academy’s
initial offering with the support of engineers from stations throughout the state. Garcia retired in 2019 from iHeartMedia/Clear Channel Radio after a 55-year-long career.

TAB is offering these trainings at no cost to member stations, including
all instructional materials, SBE certification test fees, as well as
breakfast, lunch and refreshments daily. All training will take place at TAB’s Ann Arnold Center in Downtown Austin. Stations are responsible for
all travel and lodging costs, with TAB arranging a discounted group rate at
a hotel near the TAB office.

Similar training for TV station Chief Operators is planned for this fall.

Additional information and registration details for the Technical Academy
can be found on TABs website.

Submit news about your event to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post TAB Re-Launches Technical Academy, Offers Trainings and
Certifications appeared first on Radio World.


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FAA Report Recommends Update to Drone Rules

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 12:43 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/faa-report-recommends-update-to-drone-rules

Photo courtesy of QForce

Drone pilots, take notice: The Federal Aviation Administration committee is recommending new operational rules and certification criteria for uncrewed aircraft systems operating beyond visual line of sight.

The FAA Beyond Visual Line of Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee released
its final report earlier this month. The committee was tasked with
examining how current Part 107 of Title 14 rules (“Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems”) could be modified to
allow safe operation of UAS flying beyond the visual range of their pilot.
This would include systems that are operated by an off-site remote pilot.

[Related: “Drones Become Part of Radio’s Toolkit”]

The recommendations fall into five main categories that would require amendments to Part 107, as well as drafting of Part 108, a new section for Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Wiley Rein LLP recently outlined the recommendations, which include, among other recommendations, taking a risk-based approach toward regulation,
allowing automated avoidance tools, developing a new BVLOS-rated remote
pilot license, establishing a process for certifying UAS for beyond visual
line of sight operation, and allowing third-parties to participate in these devices’ operation. A more detailed analysis is available from Unmanned Airspace.

The trade group Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International
welcomed the report, noting that routine use of UAS beyond visual line of
sight is important to number of industry sectors, including infrastructure inspection, which could include broadcast towers.

The FAA first approved on a limited basis beyond visual line of sight operations in early 2021. The rulemaking committee for this issue was established in June 2021, and its report was originally expected in
November.

The next step for the FAA will be to advance a rulemaking process to update
the regulatory framework.

The post FAA Report Recommends Update to Drone Rules appeared first on
Radio World.


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KOMO Stations Officially Flip Call Signs

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/komo-stations-officially-flip-call-signs


KOMO in Seattle is now KNWN.

We knew that change was happening, but now it’s official. It is one of the latest call sign changes reported by the FCC for the month of February.
KNWN (formerly known as KOMO) changed its call sign in February.

Actually, it’s two of them, because new licensee Lotus Seattle Corp. has changed KOMO(AM) and KOMO-FM to KNWN(AM) and KNWN-FM, respectively.

Sinclair Broadcast Group exited the radio industry last fall with the sale
of three stations in Seattle to Lotus Communications. They were “News Radio” KOMO(AM/FM), hot AC “Star 101.5” KPLZ and “Talk Radio 570” KVI.

According to a press release at the time, the historic KOMO call letters
stayed with Sinclair, which owns KOMO(TV) in the market. (Wikipedia has a history of the station and call sign.)

Read the FCC’s Call Sign Actions for the month of February here.



The post KOMO Stations Officially Flip Call Signs appeared first on Radio World.


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Simington Highlights Rule Burden on Smaller Broadcasters

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:39 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/simington-highlights-rule-burden-on-smaller-broadcasters


FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington would like the commission to take “a
fresh look” at some of its rules that may be burdensome to small, family-owned broadcast stations.

He made the comment in a virtual “fireside chat” during the National Religious Broadcasters convention, which was held this past week in
Nashville.

“Many broadcast rules apply identical burdens to organizations of five full-time staff, and of 500 full-time staff,” Simington said, according to
a summary released by his office.

“While a license to broadcast on the airwaves is held in trust for the benefit of the American people — and consequently some standards of operations must be met by every broadcaster — I would support a fresh look
at some of the commission rules considered most burdensome to small, family-owned broadcast stations to see if public interest is served by
their equal application to every broadcast organization.”

NRB also posted a summary of the session.

[Read RW’s recent interview and profile of Simington.]

The post Simington Highlights Rule Burden on Smaller Broadcasters appeared first on Radio World.


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Inside the March 16, 2022 Issue of Radio World

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 09:27 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/resource-center/digital-editions/inside-the-march-16-2022-issue-of-radio-world

In the pages of RW this week you’ll find stories about small-market radio hacks. Changes to the FCC’s radio rules. A college station that trains students in operations and engineering skills. Lessons of a successful
local radio podcast initiative. And repairing an ice-damaged FM broadcast antenna.
Also, we preview radio business themes and sessions of the NAB Show.
And Buyer’s Guide looks at transmitters. Learn about new offerings from Nautel, GatesAir, Information Station Specialists, WorldCast Systems
Broadcast Electronics, Rohde & Schwarz.

Read it here.

The post Inside the March 16, 2022 Issue of Radio World appeared first on
Radio World.


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EBU Evolves Digital Radio Summit

Posted: 16 Mar 2022 06:32 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/show-news/more-show-news/ebu-evolves-digital-radio-summit


The 2022 European Broadcasting Union Digital Radio Summit is the last one
in that form.

Instead of a standalone summit on digital radio, the EBU announced, the association of public-service broadcasters plans to fold its content into a larger conference focused on media distribution in general.

[Read Our Coverage of the 2022 EBU Digital Radio Summit]

“In its next incarnation, DRS will transform into a theme that runs through
a larger conference, making it simultaneously less monolithic, more
pervasive, and more context-driven – much like the medium of radio itself
is likely to evolve,” according to the EBU’s statement.

The first iteration of this new conference is planned for November 2022, although specific dates have yet to be set.

The post EBU Evolves Digital Radio Summit appeared first on Radio World.


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FM Translator Owner in Chicago Faces $8,000 Forfeiture

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 02:06 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/fm-translator-owner-in-chicago-faces-8000-forfeiture


The licensee of an FM translator in Chicago is facing a possible $8,000 forfeiture after several anomalies were discovered during its license
renewal process.

The commission says these problems came to light when an individual, Albert Adam David, filed an objection to the renewal application, saying that
Windy City Broadcasting, licensee of W280EM, made false statements in its application.

David said that the July 2020 application not only failed to reveal that
the signal had been silent since May of that year, but that it failed to request special temporary authority for such a move.

He said Windy City falsely claimed it had been rebroadcasting station WTMX
for several years. Instead, David said the station had been rebroadcasting
the HD2 of WLEY. He asked the commission to deny the application.

Windy City told the FCC that the objection should be dismissed on
procedural grounds because he did not properly serve it to the licensee. It also said it had amended its application to reflect that the station had
gone silent and that it had been rebroadcasting WLEY, not WTMX, prior to
going off the air. It said the failures were inadvertent and have since
been corrected.

David responded saying there’s no requirement to serve his informal objections to the licensee, which he submitted through the FCC’s Licensing and Management System. He said that since Windy City acknowledged it had
made false certifications and was silent without authorization, the Media Bureau should dismiss the renewal.

In August 2021, Windy City alerted the Media Bureau that the station had resumed operations and changed its primary station to WOJO(HD2).

The Media Bureau found that David’s objection meets the procedural requirements for an informal objection and that the objection did not need
to be served on the licensee. Filing the objection using the LMS system includes the proper certifications, the bureau said, so it rejected Windy City’s call to toss it.

The bureau agreed with David that the station had been improperly silent.
The rules require an FM translator licensee to notify the commission of
intent to discontinue operations for 10 or more consecutive days. They also
say commission approval is required for discontinued operations for longer
than 30 days.

In this case, the translator was silent for almost a year (Aug. 17, 2020,
until Aug. 4, 2021). The licensee should have notified the commission of discontinued operation by Aug. 27, 2020. The bureau also said Windy City
failed to request an STA on time.

It further decided that Windy City failed to keep its pending application updated. When information in a pending application is no longer accurate,
the applicant must amend it within 30 days, but the FCC said Windy City did
not do so for more than three months. It also failed to amend the
application within 30 days after it resumed operations to reflect that it
was back on air and rebroadcasting WOJO.

It found that Windy City had been rebroadcasting an unauthorized primary station for a significant period of time and failed to notify the
commission of this change.

The bureau has since issued a notice of apparent violation with a $8,000 forfeiture. But it said the violations were not serious enough to warrant
an evidentiary hearing, and it found no pattern of abuse in Windy City’s actions. So it said it would grant the renewal once this forfeiture
proceeding is resolved.

Windy City has 30 days to pay or file a statement seeking reduction or cancellation of the fine.

The post FM Translator Owner in Chicago Faces $8,000 Forfeiture appeared
first on Radio World.


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Exhibitor Preview: Electronics Research at NAB Show

Posted: 15 Mar 2022 12:42 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/exhibitor-preview-electronics-research-at-nab-show


Planning for the 2022 NAB Show is ramping up, and Radio World is asking exhibitors about their plans and expectations.

Bill Harland is the Vice President of Marketing at Electronics Research,
Inc. (ERI), which will be found in the new West Exhibition Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Radio World: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trend that radio professionals should be watching for at the 2022 NAB Show? Bill Harland, Vice President of Marketing at Electronics Research, Inc.

Bill Harland: The increasing application of AI and cloud-based platforms to create content, perform playout scheduling, and improved workflows over the
air and to multiple online streams.

RW: What will be your most important product news or exhibit theme?

Harland: ERI has developed several new components that are used in
television and FM filter and combining systems. These improved hybrids, directional couplers, and bandpass filters have significantly improved electrical performance over the previous generation of these items built by
ERI and reduced system cost and time to delivery.

RW: If you are introducing a new product or feature, how is it different
from what’s available on the market?

Harland: ERI has always manufactured loop-coupled FM bandpass filters. We believe this approach is superior to the iris-coupled cavities used by
other manufacturers. The filter systems can be disassembled for shipment to
the site and easily reassembled and made operational. The filter design
makes it easy to modify the channel combiner system for frequency changes
or to add new stations to the system.

RW: Another antenna manufacturer has recently announced a pylon FM antenna. What is ERIs take on that type of antenna?

Harland: The limited details Dielectric has released to date make
evaluating the practicality of the “broadband slot” array that appears to be a new type of Master FM Antenna difficult. We can tell you that ERI’s experience [includes] building most of the large master FM antenna combiner systems in the U.S.

Master FM Antenna and combiner systems, with five or more FM stations
operating with hybrid HD Radio, require significant peak voltage and a high average power handling capability. If this product is a cavity-backed
slotted array scaled up to work at FM frequencies, it will not have the
peak voltage handling or average power capacity required. It is also
unlikely that it can be designed to be free-standing at the top of a tower
to provide an actual nondirectional azimuth pattern.
ERI HY0244 High Power 3 dB FM Hybrid combiner/splitter. Available with any combination of ERI flanged connections from 3-1/8-inch through 9-3/16-inch, both “crossover” and “non-crossover” configurations. (photo via ERI)

RW: How has the lack of physical trade shows for the past three years
affected your company’s clients or your own business?

Harland: ERI has been busy finishing our backlog’s last few repack
projects. Our FM antenna and combiner business has returned to levels above what they were before the repack caused a significant increase in tower
work costs.

RW: Anything else we should know about your products or show plans?

Harland: We are just looking forward to once again having the opportunity
meet face to face with customers in the new West Exhibition Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Electronics Research booth: W6505

The post Exhibitor Preview: Electronics Research at NAB Show appeared first
on Radio World.

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