[continued from previous message]

HD Radio transport architecture that allows for a location- and platform-agnostic air chain architecture bonding all broadcast services
into a single transport stream that ends at the transmitter exciter and originates from software-based air chains. 

Software-based air chain services, or ACS, can be virtualized or
containerized, allowing for a common implementation regardless of the underlying host platform, whether this is a physical on-site server, an on-premises data center or even cloud services like Amazon Web Services.  

To maintain consistent timing across the entire air chain, we synchronize
all air chain services to the high-quality crystal in the broadcast
transmitter all the way back to the air chain ingest in the cloud or other server, without the need for GPS or other synchronization. 

Critical to the architecture is a network protocol, based on MPX and E2X industry standards, and a buffer management algorithm that allows for
multiple concurrent synchronous backup air chains that always keep the transmitter on-air.

RW: What are the obstacles you’ve needed to overcome to design this?

Schmid: Since the main HD Radio channel is a simulcast of the FM, the FM
and HD1 audio must be very closely aligned for a receiver blending between
FM and HD to sound good.   

While off-air receivers exist that reactively align the FM to HD1 within
the broadcast chain, any correction must be done very carefully to
minimally impact a new class of HD Radio receivers that themselves attempt
to correct the alignment; these may disable your HD broadcast entirely if proper alignment cannot be found.  

Industry best practice for the latest fourth-generation HD Radio broadcast architecture is to install all components from FM/HD1 split to FM/HD1 join
at the transmitter site, to synchronize everything with GPS and minimize differences in the FM and HD1 audio paths. This is only a partial solution, complexifies the transmitter site and prevents the air chain from moving
into the cloud.  

All HD Radio generations including the latest have maintained the same feed-forward synchronization architecture from exporter to transmitter, splitting the FM and HD1 audio paths over synchronous and asynchronous air chain portions, leading to potential FM-to-HD1 time misalignment. I will
show that a synchronous air chain from split to join is the definitive
solution that makes the transmitter crystal the heart of the broadcast
system, rather than the exporter.  

This keeps everything in lockstep from the transmitter branching out toward
the air chain ingest. With a single clock lead, feed back synchronization
can now synchronize multiple air chains and keep them all in lockstep for
hot standby fail-over.


RW: Radio engineers and managers may be afraid of the cloud, having heard stories about security and reliability. What would you want them to know?

Schmid: Through software ACS, we can offer an unprecedented level of studio-transmitter link redundancy and network path redundancy, and now we
can also make the entire air chain redundant by cloning it. 

We can use multiple TCP/IP paths to harden the STL or any intermediate
network path; we also introduce both hot and cold standby air chains that
allow us to switch over to another instance of the air chain should any
portion of the air chain fail or require maintenance. Switchover can be
near hitless, unlike an exciter change over requiring an RF cycle. 

We have demonstrated the ability to switch to globally distributed air
chains without affecting FM/HD1 alignment; we demonstrated failover between Ohio, Oregon, Brazil and Nautel headquarters.  

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

The internet has never gone down globally, with the last partial global
outage affecting only DNS servers in 1997 lasting four hours while still providing direct connectivity; a minimum of five 9s of reliability and
internet infrastructure has improved since.  

The global internet is a self-healing organism. The last mile, namely the
STL, has been and will continue to be the weak link. A local backup air
chain can serve as a last line of defense even for emergency broadcasting
and alerting.

Security is a valid concern and it is a reality for all radio stations
unless they are willing to air gap the entire operation regardless of cloud connectivity. 

We are proposing to reverse the TCP/IP server/client relationship in
today’s HD Radio network architecture. 

The TCP server ought to be upstream in the cloud or data center to follow
the typical internet paradigm and make use of common security practices. By reaching out to an air chain server, the transmitter can easily traverse a firewall, without compromising the firewall by opening any port redirects
or dropping other security guards. 

Using Network Address Translation (NAT) and IP Masquerading, the IP address
of the transmitter is never revealed outside the firewall, eliminating a potential attack vector. No longer does the downstream transmitter have to trust that the incoming connection is valid; the transmitter reaches out.
We can authenticate with the upstream air chain using private/public key authentication to ensure we can trust it, as well. VPNs can also be used to further enhance security.

A software air chain has a tremendous advantage in that should it become compromised by a bad actor, like ransomware, delete the air chain,
eliminate the attack vector, restore the air chain to its last good image
and go back on-air.  

Maybe we are fooling ourselves into thinking that an embedded
hardware-based air chain is inherently more secure.  Embedded devices come with both proprietary and increasingly open-source software stacks, a
leading security concern — think log4j. Embedded devices often do not come with a complete software bill of materials, making a security audit
difficult. You may already be compromised and not even know it with the
limited system view that embedded devices provide.

RW: What else should we know?

Schmid: Broadcasters tell us that their HD rack, often at the transmitter
site, is their most complicated installation and proves to be error-prone.
We are acting on our vision to provide a transmitter that takes one or a
few simple IP addresses or URIs for all its content needs and push all the intricacies and station personalization into a better-managed software environment, where remote assistance can be provided.  

Looking beyond the easier technical HD upgrade, the software approach also provides a more cost-effective way of upgrading to HD Radio by converting
your typical cap-ex into an op-ex. Why not give HD Radio a try?

The post Nautel’s Schmid Talks Transport appeared first on Radio World.


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ARC Offers Liverpool FC Concept to Asia

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 10:18 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/global/arc-offers-liverpool-fc-concept-to-asia


Liverpool Football Club, one of the top teams in the English Premier
League, is looking to build a name for itself on air across Asia. Hong
Kong- and Sydney, Australia-based programming consultancy Asia Radio
Concepts is looking to work with radio stations throughout the Middle East
and Asia–Pacific to launch LFC Radio.

“ARC will work closely with interested radio groups to reprogram existing radio stations in terms of both music format and content offering, to
maximize audience reach in that respective market, and relaunch those
stations as ‘LFC Radio’,” stated ARC Director Guy Dobson.

The stations will carry LFC-related content, including match reports, news updates, and player and coach interviews.

[Read More Programming & Sales News Here]

“These stations will not only benefit from the content and sales expertise
of the radio executives at ARC but will be associated with one of the most respected and strongest brands in the world, Liverpool Football Club,”
Dobson said.

Since its founding in 1892, LFC has won 19 Premier League championships,
most recently in 2020, seven FA Cups, and a record nine EFL Cups. In international play, LFC has won six UEFA Champions League Cups, more than
any other English club, among other honors. As of 2022, the club is tied
with Manchester United for the most total competitive honors won.

After the initial rollout in Asia and the Middle East, ARC hopes to bring
the LFC Radio concept to other territories and regions.

The post ARC Offers Liverpool FC Concept to Asia appeared first on Radio
World.


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An Argument for Shortwave Radio, Its Benefits in Times of Crisis

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 09:21 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/guest-commentaries/an-argument-for-shortwave-radio-its-benefits-in-times-of-crisis


Radio World’s “Guest Commentaries” section provides a platform for industry
thought leaders and other readers to share their perspective on radio news, technological trends and more. If you’d like to contribute a commentary, or reply to an already published piece, send a submission to radioworld@futurenet.com.
Below is perspective from Ruxandra Obreja, consortium chairman of Digital
Radio Mondiale (DRM), in response to the commentary “Why Reviving Shortwave is a Non-Starter.

While there is no doubt that shortwave has been in decline over the past
two to three decades, the idea that the BBC and others have reintroduced shortwave now, during the Ukraine crisis, just as a PR exercise and as a
shrewd move to blunt the threat of getting reduced funding, seems a bit exaggerated. If nothing else, this would be quite an expensive PR maneuver wasting a chunk of the taxpayers’ money (about $5 million).

The authors of the article make a few assumptions which are only partly
true: there are very few shortwave listeners, as most have migrated to
internet and mobiles, the popular, paid, alternative sources. This is only partly true, as is the fact that there are still many shortwave hobbyists.
But we should not discard those 30-40 million listeners the BBC World
Service alone still has in Africa, for example.

The “revival” of shortwave would be an exaggeration, while a re-examination of a technology widely seen as a relic of the Cold War in Europe and
overdue for replacement in favor of the ubiquitous mobiles, digital FM, and internet radio is possibly nearer the truth.

Taking a wider view, we can state that shortwave never disappeared in most
of the world. However, in Europe, with its dense population and excellent infrastructure, the technique is considered power-hungry and unnecessary in times of peace and stability. Remember those times?

In its digital (DRM) reincarnation, the shortwave transmitters are not
limited to the distorted, crackly broadcasts of the past. Transmitters are factory-fitted for Digital Radio Mondiale: the only digitization technique developed for shortwave. DRM shortwave gives broadcasters the possibility
to broadcast crystal-clear FM quality stereo sound, and even deliver images
and videos simultaneously. This can provide enormous benefits when
broadcasting to displaced people or populations under censorship using not
an antiquated technology but a 21st century one.

[Related: A Response to Why Reviving Shortwave Is a Non-Starter”]

So, while many see shortwave as “uncool”, it’s just because it’s relatively
simple and robust. Shortwave is simpler than comparable digital TV or new telecom-based services. In either analog or digital mode, shortwave works across long distances since it uses low frequency radio waves that reflect
from the upper atmosphere to deliver services beyond the horizon. New or upgraded digital transmitters can deliver either audio, data or a mix of multi-language content. Most importantly, shortwave broadcasts are also free-to-air, one-to-many, and listeners are untraceable. The signal can
come from another country or continent, remote from zones of conflict or emergency, unlike TV or mobile signals, which are much more local. By the
way, I have not seen many mobile and TV towers still standing in the
Ukrainian cities and villages under attack. And since shortwave
transmissions use low frequencies, the signal propagates through buildings
and other obstacles much better than higher frequencies, thereby reaching
into homes and basements. Today, analog receivers are still plentiful, as
are digital SDR solutions — the currently affordable phone and tablet
dongles provide other ways of receiving shortwave in both analog and DRM.
And technology already exists for affordable DRM receivers: manufacturers
are simply awaiting bulk orders.

If one of the many unforeseen results of the current crisis in Ukraine is
to encourage a focus on shortwave, let us not forget that what seems like
an old technology is just a simpler technology. Digital shortwave
broadcasting exists, is already deployed and is increasing in reach.
Receivers are the key and must be made widely available with both digital
and analog modes. There will be a cost, but this is surely negligible
compared to the human and material costs of a terrible war carried out
mainly along 20th century terrible practices.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

The post An Argument for Shortwave Radio, Its Benefits in Times of Crisis appeared first on Radio World.


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NAB Show Down Through the Years

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 08:53 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/show-news/nab-show/nab-show-down-through-the-years


This story was originally published by our sister publication TV
Technology. 

As we approach the 2022 NAB Show, lets take a look back on some of the past highlights of this indispensable part of the broadcasting scene.

It’s not possible to go back a full century as a starting point, as broadcasting didn’t really take off until 1922, and there was no show—or National Association of Broadcasters—until the following year.

Sufficient documentation does exist, however, for examining details of the
show held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of broadcastings emergence as
a societal gamechanger and major industry. (And though it may come as a bit
of a surprise, the NAB Show hasn’t always been held in April and in Las Vegas. Show dates have meandered throughout the calendar, and it wasn’t
until 1975 that it got to Nevada.)

90 Years Ago – 1932

St. Louis hosted the three-day NAB Show, which got underway on Nov. 14—just in time for a heavy snowstorm. Harold A. LaFount, acting chair of the
Federal Radio Commission opened proceedings with an address in which he
urged unity within the broadcasting industry to face the problems
confronting it and to keep American broadcasting “the best in the world.” Despite the Great Depression, a record number of broadcasters made it to
St. Louis for the 1932 NAB Show. This surviving photo indicates that many
of that number made it to the industry luncheon. (Image credit: NAB)

The new NAB president, Alfred J. McCosker, vowed to lobby for longer-term station licenses, as renewals then were required every six months. Sessions addressed other issues faced by Depression-era broadcasters, including copyrights, exorbitant network line charges and license fees for record turntables.

Engineering sessions included a presentation by Washington radio attorney
Louis G. Caldwell, who urged a move to long wave broadcasting by U.S. broadcasters to help alleviate band congestion and provide better service. (Long wave broadcasting, while successful in Europe and other regions,
never caught on in the United States.)

Television was not on the agenda, even though RCA/NBC had been conducting
tests on the new medium since 1929, and had recently established a
transmitter site atop New York’s new Empire State Building for testing the feasibility of VHF spectrum for TV broadcasting. Despite the “hard times,” the show boasted a record attendance of nearly 400.

75 Years Ago – 1947

Television was unquestionably the focus of the Sept. 15-18, Atlantic City
Show, with RCA’s exhibition of a 6-bay antenna stretching almost all the
way to the 150-foot ceiling of the city’s convention hall. The antenna and
a mobile truck also on display were destined for Baltimore’s WBAL-TV
start-up after the show.
Television was a big hit at the 1947 NAB Show, with a 6-bay transmitting antenna constructed for installation at Baltimore’s WBAL-TV serving as an exhibit hall center point. (Image credit: NAB)

The 1947 event registered the highest attendance ever, with nearly 2,600 attending sessions and viewing equipment exhibits. In addition to TV gear, exhibitors also showed off facsimile technology, which was being touted as
a delivery mechanism to get daily newspapers into homes. (The top two
MHz—106 to 108 MHz—of the “new” FM band was originally designated for facsimile transmission.)
The 1947 show also featured this state-of-the-art OB truck that was
destined for Baltimore’s new Ch. 11 startup. (Image credit: NAB)

50 Years Ago –1972

The April 9-12 Chicago NAB Show marked the event’s golden anniversary and also the 23rd time it was hosted by the “Windy City.” Engineering sessions featured presentations on a number of contemporary topics, including maximization of video chain and transmitter performance (dual-redundant TV transmitters were just coming into their own).
The new ACR-25 2-inch videocassette machine took center stage at the Ampex booth during the 1972 NAB Show. (Image credit: Tim Stoffel)

There was also a “faceoff” of sorts between members of an FCC panel and station engineers. When asked about special training Commission field inspectors received on broadcast operations, the FCC rep’s answer was “none,” which raised a comment from a station engineer about this being obvious, as he’d had to instruct an inspector on proper use of a field strength meter.
RCA finally broke away from its large and heavy image orthicon camera
designs in favor of the much smaller Plumbicon. At the 1972 NAB Show, the company was showing both this new TK-44B Plumbicon color studio camera and
an equally new TK-28 telecine camera that could be supplied with either Plumbicons or less costly vidicons. (Image credit: Jay Ballard)

Out on the exhibits floor, Amperex was celebrating the recent delivery of
its 20,000 Plumbicon camera pickup tube, RCA was showing off its new TK-44B Plumbicon studio camera and TK-28 telecine camera, which could be supplied
with either vidicons or Plumbicons. Personnel at the Ampex booth stayed
busy explaining the feature set of the company’s new 2-inch cassette VTR,
the ACR-25 (and how it was superior to RCA’s TCR-100).

25 Years Ago – 1997

The move to digital television was high on the agenda at the April 7-10 Las Vegas NAB Show. A line in the sand had been drawn for analog switch-off by 2002, and this was not sitting well with attendees—especially operators of smaller market stations—due to the high cost of making the transition and uncertainty about recouping expenses.

A continuing debate over the best digital standard was also permeated the
show, with cases being made for both 720p and 1980i. (Kodak, still a big
player in TV production and broadcasting, advocated sticking with film
until video standards “shook out.”)
Transmitter manufacturers were tooling up for the move to digital
broadcasting and there were plenty of models—such as this new Acrodyne DTV unit—to choose from at the 1997 NAB Show. However, it would be a while
before anyone was offering a solid-state UHF transmitter for DTV service. (Image credit: Acrodyne)

Transmitter manufacturers reported a lot of interest in new digital-capable units; however, most of this was from “tire kickers,” with sales orders not expected until the following year. While there were plenty of digital-ready transmitters, broadcasters wanting to move to high-power solid-state UHF
models would have to wait.

As one large transmitter company UHF products line executive explained
things: “We are not ready to mass produce solid-state [UHF] DTV
transmitters at this point. No one in this business is.”

The post NAB Show Down Through the Years appeared first on Radio World.


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Nautel to Release New Transmitter

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:24 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/nautel-to-release-new-transmitter


Nautel has plans to announce a new, rack-mount “low to mid power” FM transmitter at the NAB Show.

While the transmitter company hasn’t yet released any details on the
product, it plans to do so in a webinar planned for Wednesday, April 20.

Jeff Welton, Nautel product managers and engineers will participate in the webinar.

Nautel’s current line of FM transmitters include the high-end GV Series, 3
kW to 80 kW; the more value-minded NV-LT Series, 3.5 to 40 kW; and the VS Series, a rack-mount line in several power levels of 300 W to 2.5 kW.

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

The post Nautel to Release New Transmitter appeared first on Radio World.


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Translator Faces $9,000 Penalty and Consent Decree After Objections

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 07:13 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/translator-faces-9000-penalty-and-consent-decree-after-objections


An Illinois translator station looking to renew its license now faces a
$9,000 civil penalty and a consent decree after questions were raised about
the licensee’s candor and forthrightness during the license renewal process.

However, the objections raised by an individual slowed but did not stymie Centro Cristiano de Vida Eterna from receiving a green light to renew its license.

The objections raised questions as to whether Centro violated certain rules when it came to operation of translator W252AW in Chicago. The objections raised by an individual named Albert David questioned whether or not Centro
had constructed its translator as it said it had, if the translator
received timely authority to remain quiet for more than 30 days, if Centro complied with station identification requirements and if the translator had been operating when its primary station — WRLL(AM) in Cicero, Ill. — was not broadcasting.

The first step of the Media Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission
was to issue a letter of inquiry asking Centro to explain the potential violations.

Weeding through the many procedural and substantive issues that followed,
the Media Bureau said that many of David’s pleadings were reliable. But the bureau also rejected other allegations.

For example, the bureau rejected David’s allegations that the translator
was never constructed, never resumed operations and falsely claimed it was silent due to transmitter issues, all which would have been violations of
the FCC Rules. In 2019, Centro answered an operational status inquiry
letter sent by the bureau certifying that Centro did not make false claims regarding the construction of the translator.

The bureau also rejected the assertion that the translator failed to resume operations prior to one year of silence, which would have automatically
expired the station’s license. According to the bureau, the station went silent on March 6, 2020, and resumed operations on March 5, 2021, after receiving special temporary authority (STA) to operate at lower power. The bureau also accepted the station’s assertion that it went silent due to a brief technical issue on the evening of March 6, 2021 — a date that David claims the station was definitely not on the air — and then resumed operations the following day. David conceded to the bureau that he was not
able prove that the translator was not on air prior to March 7. As a
result, the bureau found that the license did not automatically expire. 

[See Our Business and Law Page]

The bureau also rejected David’s allegation that the translator failed to follow station identification requirements. Centro confirmed under perjury
that it did and David said he had no evidence to refute that.

But the bureau did conclude that Centro failed to comply with several FCC
Rules including the silent STA rule, the translator rebroadcasting rule and
the truthful and accurate statements rule. 

First, the bureau said Centro failed to tell the commission that it had
gone silent and it failed to request an STA when it should have. 

Second, the bureau said Centro violated FCC Rules by rebroadcasting its
primary station while WRLL was off the air. 

Finally, the bureau said Centro provided inaccurate information in its pleadings and its initial response to the commission’s letter of inquiry letter by claiming that the translator was not rebroadcasting when its
primary station was off the air. Specifically, the Centro adamantly
maintained that it did not broadcast any programming while the primary
station was off line — saying any broadcast would have been simply static — only to relent when shown conclusive evidence that the transmitter had in fact been broadcasting WRLL programming. It was only at that point that
Centro admitted an Internet-only feed was the culprit.

Based on these issues, the bureau suspended processing the application and pressed forward with its investigation.

Ultimately the bureau and Centro negotiated terms of a consent decree to address those violations. That decree requires Centro to make a civil
penalty payment of $9,000 and meet other terms. If those terms are met, the bureau plans to grant Centro’s license renewal application. 

The post Translator Faces $9,000 Penalty and Consent Decree After
Objections appeared first on Radio World.


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NAB Says Broadcasters Could See Big Hike in FCC Regulatory Fees

Posted: 07 Apr 2022 06:50 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/nab-says-broadcasters-could-see-big-hike-in-fcc-regulatory-fees


The National Association of Broadcasters is predicting a hefty increase in
the annual regulatory fees broadcasters pay if the FCC maintains the same methodology to determine this year’s collections. 

NAB says broadcasters could be stuck paying a 10% hike in regulatory fees
and appears poised to fight any such increase. The projected increase is sparking backlash and a call for the commission to revamp the process by
which it establishes those fees. 

Regulatory fees are collected to cover the FCC’s operations, including employee salaries, rent and other related overhead. The system is designed
to charge each industry whatever expense it takes for the agency to
regulate it. 

President Biden in March signed the appropriations bill for Fiscal Year
2022 that gives the FCC the authority to collect $381.95 million in
regulatory fees from the industries it regulates. The commission collected
an estimated $374 million in 2021 from all the industries it regulates, including broadcasters, cable and phone companies, internet providers and satellite operators. 

Rick Kaplan, general counsel and executive VP at the NAB, says an increase
for broadcasters is inevitable “if the FCC insists on clinging to its outdated and inaccurate methodology for determining who is responsible for subsidizing the commission for what amounts.”

NAB wants the FCC to review a governing statute that mandates the
commission adjust its fee collection methodology to ensure the full-time equivalent number of employees within bureaus and offices accurately
reflect the time and costs attributed to the industries they oversee.

“Once again, a substantial portion of the Commission’s FY 2022 budget request covers the costs of the Commission’s broadband-related activities, from which broadcasters receive no benefits,” NAB wrote in recent comments
to the FCC

It continued: “NAB urges the Commission to adhere to its statutory mandate
to take into account benefits received by fee payors and ensure that its forthcoming FY 2022 regulatory fee proposal adds a fee category for
broadband service providers and/or reallocates broadband costs amongst only those fee payors that benefit from the Commission’s broadband activities.”

Kaplan in the NAB letter acknowledged that further analysis and a new rulemaking proceeding may be necessary to make the changes to the current
fee structure. NAB is asking that broadcasters be exempted from paying for broadband costs. The group notes the FCC last year appropriately exempted broadcasters from paying for the commission’s broadband data mapping activities. 

[See Our Business and Law Page]

The NAB estimates that more than 500 employees at the commission currently
are dedicated to working on broadband initiatives. That includes nearly two-thirds of Media Bureau staff, according to the NAB.

“Given the substantial and increasing amount of time and resources the Commission devotes to broadband related activities, the Commission should
not delay adding a fee category for broadband service providers,” Kaplan says.

The NAB recognizes it may not be possible to perfectly align fees with the costs of regulating a specific industry, but asks the FCC to at least
consider a reallocation. The FCC did issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(MD Docket 21-190) last year asking whether it should adopt fee categories
to collect fees from unlicensed spectrum users.

The NAB launched a major campaign in 2021 to convince the FCC to collect at least some fees from Big Tech companies. Broadcasters have complained they
are unfairly subsidizing FCC operations that have nothing to do with broadcasting. NAB previously estimated broadcasters use 0.07% of allotted spectrum but account for at least 16% of the FCC’s entire budget while offering a free service to the public.

The FCC is expected to release its regulatory fee proposal in May.

The post NAB Says Broadcasters Could See Big Hike in FCC Regulatory Fees appeared first on Radio World.


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Rotella Raises Daylight Saving Concerns With Pallone

Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:31 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/rotella-raises-daylight-saving-concerns-with-pallone


Broadcasters in New Jersey are pushing Congress to consider the impact on
AM broadcasters if Daylight Saving Time becomes permanent.

One suggestion: Give all AM stations a common, earlier “power up” start time that would stay the same all year long.

Paul Rotella, president/CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association,
wrote to the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee about this issue. The chairman is a fellow New Jerseyan, Rep. Frank Pallone.

Rotella was commenting on a bill, introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio and
recently passed by the Senate, that would make DST permanent and do away
with the twice-yearly “changing of the clocks.”

“If this legislation is adopted, many, if not most, AM stations will lose
an hour of morning drive with no or reduced power,” Rotella told Pallone, “and no one seems to be addressing the issue.

“Simply put, AM ‘day timers’ and ‘directionals’ will not be able to power
up in the dead of winter until approximately 8:15 in the morning, thereby losing most of the precious and important morning drive time segment of
their broadcast.”

He said the FCC should not force AMs to “power down,” especially if they can show they are not interfering with other signals.

The NJBA also would like FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to consider a change to the rules to permit that all AM stations have a common, earlier “power up” start time year-round. “This would be similar to the current Pre
Sunrise-Authority (PSA) reduced power granted many AM stations, but broader
in scope.” Rotella suggests it be set for no later than 7 a.m.


[continued in next message]

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