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Radio World

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Beasley Promotes Leonard to Operations Manager at WJBR

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:03 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/people-news/beasley-promotes-leonard-to-operations-manager-at-wjbr-fm

On Tuesday, Beasley Media Group announced that Chris Leonard has been
promoted to operations manager at WJBR-FM in Wilmington, Delaware.
Chris Leonard, operations manager at WJBR-FM
A Wilmington native, Leonard joined the station as a part-time promotions assistant and fill-in talent. He was later promoted to promotions and
events director in 2017, and then assistant program director in 2020.
In his new role, Leonard will continue to handle promotions and event
marketing for the station, including overseeing the annual Bridal Expo and
the Help Our Kids Radiothon.
“Chris is truly one of those people who can “do it all, and do it all well,” said Beasley Media Group Vice President and Market Manager Joe Bell. “His promotion to operations manager for WJBR is huge for the station’s continued growth!”

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Program Director Eric Johnson said Leonard is a talented, unstoppable force. Plus, he cares deeply about this community and our radio station, said
Johnson. There really is no one more qualified for this position.

In the company press release announcing his promotion, Leonard shared his feelings on the new role.
“I love that I get to work with a company that believes in me,” he said. “Working for the Beasley family is an honor and I am beyond excited to collaborate with the team to continue the incredible growth of Mix 99.5 WJBR.”

The post Beasley Promotes Leonard to Operations Manager at WJBR appeared
first on Radio World.


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Logiteks mixIT-18 Is Affordable IP Console

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 08:49 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/logiteks-mixit-18-is-affordable-ip-console


Rounding out Logitek’s mixIT series, the mixIT-18 brings an affordable AoIP console platform to stations needing extra faders for on-air or production applications. 

Logitek will feature it at the NAB Show this month.

This digital touchscreen package includes an 18-fader console and the 1 RU JET67 engine. The touchscreens provide quick access to metering, source selection, routing, presets, monitor assignments and other console and
router functions. 

Mix-minus is built into each fader so every remote source can have a clean
feed no matter where that source is routed on the console. Touchscreen
router controls can be used to control feeds to computers, codecs or the
air chain; programmable scene selects allow operators to save their
favorite fader configurations for their shows. 
Copy of Logitek mixit-18-straight

Along with 18 faders, the mixIT-18 has 12 mono analog inputs (six stereo),
two digital inputs, 16 mono analog outputs (8 stereo), two digital outputs, four mic inputs with phantom power, and a built-in cue speaker.

Networking is via AES-67, Ravenna, Livewire and Logitek’s JetNet, allowing interconnection with popular networking platforms; a Dante option is
available. Two Gigabit and two 10/100 Ethernet ports are provided. 

Connections to the JET67 AoIP router are made with quick connect terminal blocks, so no soldering, punch-downs or specialized crimping tools are
needed. GPIO is provided on a DB-15 connector and includes four inputs and eight outputs.

The mixIT-18 console package sells in the U.S. for $7,945, which includes
the JET67.

Fine more information on the company website.



NAB Booth: C3019

The post Logitek’s mixIT-18 Is Affordable IP Console appeared first on
Radio World.


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FCC Chairs Office Welcomes New Executive Staff

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:54 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/people-news/fcc-chairs-office-welcomes-new-executive-staff


Two new staff members are being tapped to serve as chief of staff and chief legal advisor to the chairwoman’s office at the Federal Communications Commission.

In mid-April, the new chief of staff for Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s office — Narda Jones — will rejoin the FCC after a stint at the White House where she served as the director of legislative affairs for the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prior to her time there, Jones served as
senior technology policy advisor for the Democratic staff of the U.S.
Senate Committee on Commerce, Transportation and Science. She also worked
with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) in 2014 after spending more than a
decade in senior roles in the FCC’s Wireline and International Bureaus.

“At a time when Congress has tasked the FCC with so many responsibilities,
I am excited to welcome back Narda Jones to ensure we can meet our mission
to connect everyone, everywhere,” Rosenworcel said. “Her unique combination of skill, expertise and record of service will be a major asset for my team
and the agency as a whole.”

The new chief legal advisor for the chairwoman’s office — Priscilla Delgado Argeris —  worked at Meta Platforms Inc. where she was focused on spectrum policy issues. Argeris previously served as Rosenworcel’s legal advisor and senior legal advisor focused on wireline and wireless issues during Rosenworcel’s tenure as a commissioner. Prior to joining the FCC, Argeris worked at the Washington, D.C., law firm Wiley Rein, where she focused on regulatory and litigation matters involving federal and state
communications law. Argeris received her undergraduate degree from
Princeton University and her law degree from New York University School of
Law.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

“It’s no secret that the FCC regularly handles some of the most complicated technical, legal and technological challenges of our time,” the chairwoman said. “Priscilla brings terrific skills and experience to her role, and I have no doubt that I and the agency will benefit greatly as a result.”

The chairwoman also thanked her departing acting chief of staff, Travis
Litman, who served as a “steady hand and trusted confident” over the last seven years. Litman served as chief of staff and senior legal advisor to Rosenworcel when she was a commissioner and, prior to that, he held a
variety of roles at the commission, including serving as an attorney
advisor in the agency’s Wireline Competition Bureau. Litman also served as counsel to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
where he provided assistance to the committee’s Communications, Technology and Internet subcommittee. Before entering public service, Litman practiced communications law in Washington, D.C., after graduating from Lewis & Clark College and the University of Colorado School of Law. 

“From the very beginning, Travis has provided sound counsel and leadership and we couldn’t have accomplished so much without his support, knowledge
and guidance,” said Rosenworcel.

The post FCC Chair’s Office Welcomes New Executive Staff appeared first on Radio World.


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A Look Inside WRMI

Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/global/a-look-inside-wrmi-its-european-broadcasts


Once again, Russia has dropped an Iron Curtain across the flow of
independent news from the West. Add the millions of Ukrainian refugees on
the move and damage to the country’s infrastructure, and the need for reliable, objective information in this war zone is as pressing now as it
was at the height of the Cold War.

Yesterday, we published a conversation with Jeff White, General Manager of
WRMI and Secretary-Treasurer of the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters, about WRMI’s pivotal role in transmitting much-needed content to Eastern Europe via shortwave radio.

Today, we have an inside look into WRMIs broadcast space.
WRMIs transmitter building exterior
WRMIs satellite receive dishes
WRMIs transmission line and antennas
WRMIs main control room, feat. Jeff White
WRMIs audio systems, feat. Jeff White
WRMIs transmitter control systems
WRMIs row of 100 kW transmitters
A view from WRMI studios

[Related: WRMI at Heart of SW Broadcasts to Russia, Ukraine]

The post A Look Inside WRMI appeared first on Radio World.


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Why Reviving Shortwave is a Non-Starter

Posted: 04 Apr 2022 02:01 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/guest-commentaries/why-reviving-shortwave-is-a-non-starter


Is there a shortwave radio revival taking place? If you never listened to shortwave and know nothing about the medium, it would be very easy to
believe this.   

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a flurry of articles gave the
impression that shortwave is about to be reborn, especially after the BBC announced it would beam shortwave to the region for 4 hours a day.
Guest commentator Keith Perron, Radio Netherlands, Radio Canada
International, and BBC World Service

In Florida, a commercial station (Radio Miami International) used public donations to beam Voice of America and Radio Free Europe programs. Romania (which still possesses transmitters) puts on Ukrainian language news.
Vatican Radio does the same. There are calls in Australia to restore that countrys shortwave broadcasts.

Here lies the problem: who is listening? Thousands, much less millions, of shortwave radios are not somehow hidden away in attics, though some commentators assert that people in Russia, particularly those with Cold War memories, will suddenly begin using shortwave to get around Putin and Xi Jinpings firewalls.

Shortwave used to be a key tool to get news and information to areas where television and radio were highly censored. But after 1991 things started to change. Audience numbers started to drop around 1993 and this continued
into the 2000s. BBC cut all shortwave broadcasts to eastern Europe. Voice
of America, Deutsche Welle, and others sharply reduced or dropped use of shortwave. 

Audiences were simply not listening anymore and had migrated to the
Internet where numerous alternative sources became available.

Today, shortwave hobbyists assert that there is great value in beaming shortwave to Russia where a Putin crackdown closed independent media and
pushed western reporters out.
Guest commentator Daniel Robinson, White House, congressional and foreign correspondent for Voice of America

But this is like claiming there is a VHS revival, because a few VCRs may
still be floating around. At one time, there may have been millions of shortwave radios across the region.  But no longer — gone are the days of people huddling around radios. 

There are reasons why some broadcasters encourage recent talk about an
alleged revival of shortwave. One involves funding.  

Why would the BBC begin new shortwave beams to Russia and Ukraine, for four hours a day, but in English?  One answer – the BBCs Royal Charter ends in 2027 and there are calls to end the TV license fee that funds just over 75%
of the budget, including the World Service which until a few years ago was funded by the foreign office. 

BBC has tried hard to remain relevant in a world where listeners and
viewers access more information and entertainment from other services and
only pay for what they want. 

So, this move can be seen as a PR stunt aimed at blunting the drive to do
away with the license fee and show the BBC to be still important in times
of crisis.  

In a familiar game in Washington, in times of crisis the U.S. Agency for
Global Media runs to Capitol Hill lobbying lawmakers to increase its budget (over $800 million in FY2022).

USAGM uses a range of statistical tricks to falsely inflate audience
numbers – all the better to coax Congress to provide more money. The agency asserted year to year increases of 50 million and 60 million in 2016 and
2017. Members of Congress raised not a single question about this. 

Shortwave audience numbers are very difficult to measure. Some of those now urging a revival cite figures from 30 years ago. 

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

When BBC and others dropped shortwave to China, proponents called it a bad
idea because of the Great Firewall. China has been blocking websites for
more than 15 years that it deems detrimental to the Chinese Communist
Party. 

China blocks Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and other social media
platforms.  But people still use VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to access news sites.  The Russian government blocks these sites too, but they can
still be accessed.

The USAGM also acts as a funding conduit for money going to anti-Internet censorship tools.  But in new legislation sponsored by Robert Menendez
(D-NJ) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) we see a contrast.

Congress will not shovel millions of dollars to USAGM to rebuild shortwave.
It will send $75 million to the Department of State and USAID, and $50
million to USAGM for “Internet freedom and circumvention technologies.” 

Hobbyists and members of the amateur radio community are piling on
governments in Canada, Australia and Sweden to revive shortwave. But
purchasing new transmitters costs millions, and for an audience which is practically nonexistent. 

Look at how information is reaching people in Ukraine and Russia. Its still through social media and encrypted apps like Telegram. Even President
Zelensky uses social media daily to get his message out.

In North America and Western Europe shortwave has always been very niche.
So, people who have heard of it but never listened are being misled now on
the reality of its status.

Elsewhere, such as in Myanmar, shortwave was still widely used as of 1999
for news and information, even as mobile networks were being stood up and
after the first smart phones were introduced.

Even in 2007, mobile phones and data plans there were still far out of
reach for the average person. By 2018, phones had dropped to less than $50
and data plans ranged from $8 to $15 a month. By 2018, it was nearly
impossible to find a shortwave radio.

This happened too across the rest of southeast Asia, the Pacific, Africa
and eastern Europe.

So, as much as it may hurt to say, calling for a shortwave revival is
wishful thinking. In 2022, Ukrainians and Russians need 21st century
solutions, not a legacy technology primarily being kept alive by hobbyists.

Keith Perron worked with Radio Netherlands, Radio Canada International, and
BBC World Service from 1990 to 2012.  Daniel Robinson was White House, congressional and foreign correspondent for Voice of America.  

The post Why Reviving Shortwave is a Non-Starter appeared first on Radio
World.


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Upgrades Made to FCCs Electronic Comment Filing System

Posted: 04 Apr 2022 01:14 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/industry/fcc/upgrades-made-to-fccs-electronic-comment-filing-system


The Federal Communications Commissions Electronic Comment Filing System
(ECFS) is getting a makeover.
On Monday, the commission announced its ECFS has undergone an initial
system upgrade — the first of many to be introduced in the coming year.
This update transitions ECFS to a cloud-based platform, which will make the system scalable and more agile, according to the FCC.  In addition,
reCAPTCHA functionality has been added to the system.

Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the comment system is an important part
of the FCC’s legal process.
“Our comment filing system is a critical avenue for public input that we
need to keep up-to-date,” said Rosenworcel. “Today’s effort is a start to do just that and I want to thank the FCC staff and contractors who have
made this possible.”
The commission said this first phase of the multi-phase ECFS upgrade effort will enable development of new functions that take advantage of the
upgraded technology platform.
To access the Electronic Comment Filing System, visit the FCCs website.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to
Radio World.

The post Upgrades Made to FCCs Electronic Comment Filing System appeared
first on Radio World.


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Sixteen More NCE Applicants Get Tentative FCC Nod

Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:24 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/sixteen-more-nce-applicants-get-tentative-fcc-nod


The FCC has named another 16 tentative winners of construction permits for
new noncom educational FM stations. 

The Media Bureau has been working its way through the 231 groups of two or
more mutually exclusive applications that it received in its recent filing window for new NCE stations. 

In this batch, most of the groupings involved four or five mutually
exclusive applications.

Group 8A: Eufaula Christian Radio proposes to serve Cuthbert, Ga.

Group 9: National Association for the Prevention of Starvation proposes to serve Elkmont, Ala.

Group 15: Full Potential Ministry proposes to serve Dover, Ark.

Group 23: Cheyenne Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. (CBFI) proposes to serve Wilhoit, Ariz.

Group 24: Ondas de Vida, Inc. proposes to serve Dewey-Humboldt, Ariz.

Group 38: Ondas de Vida, Inc. proposes to serve Silver Lakes, Calif.

Group 39:  Modesto Independent Media proposes to serve Los Banos, Calif.

Group 40: La Nueva Broadcasting, Inc. proposes to serve Joshua Tree, Calif.

Group 57: Ethree Group, Inc. proposes to serve Cypress Quarters, Fla.

Group 69: Legacy Broadcasting proposes to serve Blairsville, Ga.

Group 78: Fairmont Area Catholic Radio proposes to serve Fairmont, Minn.

Group 130: Full Potential Ministry proposes to serve Coahoma, Miss.

Group 135: Church Planters of America proposes to serve Hoffman, N.C.

Group 176: Saint Francis Xavier Church proposes to serve Carrier, Okla. 

Group 204: Brazos Tv, Inc. proposes to serve Hamlin, Texas

Group 224: Araiza Revival Ministries, Inc. proposes to serve Glenville,
W.Va.

(The FCC order contains a detailed discussion of how it arrived at those tentative selections.)

Now follows a 30-day period to allow petitions to deny. If there are none,
the FCC grants the application. 

In the recent window, the commission received almost 1,300 applications.
Out of those, there were 231 MX groups involving a total of 883
applications. 

In early March the FCC named 15 tentative recipients of other MX groups,
and in late March an additional 19.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

The post Sixteen More NCE Applicants Get Tentative FCC Nod appeared first
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