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A “variable interest entity” of Nexstar Media Group has closed on a new Term Loan B Facility.

It has a seven-year maturity and bears interest at a rate of LIBOR plus 2.5%, with a 0% LIBOR floor.

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Cox Media Group, which owns 57 radio stations and over two dozen TV stations across 20 American markets, appears to have been hit by a ransomware attack, according to technology website, The Record. Technoblogger Matthew Keys had additional information.

According to reports, the attack took place early Thursday morning and is said to have hit internal networks and was all the group’s streaming capabilities. Live programming was also affected.

“This morning we were told to shut down everything and log out our emails to ensure nothing spread,” a Cox employee told The Record. “According to my friends at affiliate stations, we shut things down in time to be safe and should be back up and running soon.”

Sources told The Record that the company’s autonomous system, AS397123, has also disappeared from the internet default-free zone as the company attempted to deal with the attack.

The attack follows what was described as the “biggest-ever” attack on an Australian media company earlier this year.

In March Australian broadcaster Nine was forced to abandon its Sydney newsroom and revert to using whiteboards and moving production staff to other cities following a cyberattack.

This article is republished from TVBEurope.

 

The post Cox Media Hit by Ransomware Attack appeared first on Radio World.

What’s your favorite on-air mic and why? Which models do you turn to for remote work, newsgathering, live music?

June is Microphone Month at Radio World, so we have been asking a number of radio engineers, voice talent and other professionals to share their preferences along with any tips for getting the most out of microphones.

Several are below, followed by links to more.

Josh Rogosin Josh Rogosin

Broadcast/recording technician and technical director, NPR Music

As the audio engineer for the popular “Tiny Desk” program, Rogosin says Heil’s large-diaphragm dynamic PR 40 sounds great on a kick drum, with the PR 30 for guitar amps. He  loves the Cole 4038 ribbon for brass and drum overheads.

“Nothing looks like Ear Trumpet Labs’ handmade mics. Nadine sounds great on upright bass, Delphina has a nice full sound for strings and vocals with a nice low end. I love how you can angle the Chantelle wherever you need to focus it.”

Rogosin says he “adores” the ICON Pro from Earthworks for his home setup. “It’s a condenser that’s amazing at off-axis rejection, ignores table thump as good as any dynamic I’ve used but sounds so much airier than an SM7B without being such a gain hog.”

The Shure Beta 57A is the best mic he’s heard under $140 and has a nice hot output for a dynamic. “Sounds great on everything.”

Click the image to read Rogosin’s article at the NPR website about the mics he uses on “Tiny Desk.”

Rogosin says the Blue Hummingbird condenser mic is small, sounds great and the pivoting head makes it great in cramped spaces.

“The signature mic at the Tiny Desk is the Sennheiser MKH 418-S,” he concluded. “It’s crystal clear on vocals and the mid/side configuration is flexible enough to capture off-axis sources. I place it far enough away to see faces and avoid proximity effect and plosives.”

That said, he added, “Never underestimate the power of post-production to make or break a great sounding mic.”

 

David Antoine 

Chief technology officer, WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM | Newark Public Radio.

David Antoine

Antoine likes working with quality large diaphragm condenser microphones such as the Neumann TLM103, which he compliments for its “very smooth sound” when paired with right processor, especially for jazz or classical commentary.

“For a microphone that won’t break the bank I also like Audio-Technica’s AT4040. This mic works very well with female voices.”

Out in the field, he turns to the Shure SM58. “There’s a reason most of Shures wireless mic offerings have SM58 heads.”

Antoine doesn’t think you have to drop big dollars to get quality sound.

“Take some time to talk into a mic, listen to how it sounds with your voice or the voice of a good announcer. You can find its sweet spot and the settings that are right for a particular microphone.”

Also, don’t over-process or over-EQ a quality microphone. “If a mic is well designed and well-made it will faithfully reproduce the source, whether it’s voice or an instrument.

“Distance from the sound source matters a lot. Not too close, not too far. Again, take some time with the microphone and you’ll get the desired result.”

 

Randy Williams

Chief engineer, Learfield | IMG College

Working for a major sports operation like Learfield | IMG College, Williams has experience with headsets, and for live play-by-play he favors the Sennheiser HMD-26 II headset, finding it “extremely durable, repairable, with replaceable parts, and great noise reduction in loud venues.”

His choice for studio recording is the Shure SM7B, for its “warm vocal reproduction, wide frequency response and great noise reduction outside the cardioid pickup pattern.

Randy Williams with some of his favorite gear.

For home studio or podcasting setups, he recommends the Blue Yeti or Blue Snowball for their low cost, reproduction quality, multiple patterns and easy setup — “almost completely plug-and-play.”

Williams urges mic users to really know and understand the demands of a given venue or studio setup, in terms of noise, acoustics and size.

“Then have a strong understanding of the microphone capabilities and pickup patterns to maximize the quality of the vocal reproduction. Pop filters and windscreens can be lifesavers!”

Finally, he said, have a solid understanding of the difference between condenser and dynamic microphones and when to use each style.

 

Martin Stabbert 

SVP/Engineering, Townsquare Media

For studio mics, and if cost isn’t a factor within reason, the Neumann BCM104 would be near the top of his list. 

“To my ear, it offers a nice proximity boost but still maintains a pleasant spectral balance. The single-pattern design is also well-suited for most studio applications and the body doesn’t have any external switches to invite unauthorized adjustments.” It’s also easy to clean, which is more important than ever.

“That said, the real workhorse and one of the best values in the broadcast studio has to be the Heil PR-40. Its cardioid pattern and conventional, end-fire physical design and lack of switches makes it easy to use and difficult to misuse.”

He finds the frequency response of the PR-40 smooth and likes its high-end boost for a touch of brightness. “It is an excellent option for most applications and hard to beat from a cost/performance perspective.”

For remotes, basic PA or MOS interviews, the Shure SM58 and Sennheiser e835 are his staples. “Both are even available with an on/off switch for applications that might benefit from it. Simple, rugged, familiar to all and competitively priced.”

Stabbert’s favorite handheld for an interview that might end up on video is the Sennheiser MD46, with its camera-ready matte finish, low handling noise and suppression of wind and extraneous noises.  

“The pattern is officially described as cardioid, but I think it behaves a little tighter than that. The extra length and weight can become a concern when adding on a wireless transmitter, but that would be the only potential issue worth noting.”

 

Read more of our coverage:

My Favorite Mics: Joan Baker, voice talent, author and coach

My Favorite Mics: Ira Wilner, Monadnock Broadcasting Group and Saga Communications of New England

Working With Mics: Rob Byers, Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media

 

The post Today’s Microphones Offer a Buffet of Choices appeared first on Radio World.

The Jacobs Media TechSurvey2021 is out, and as always, it reflects both consumer adoption of new media technology and the social environment it evolves in. For 2021, the survey says some areas were heavily impacted by COVID-19, while others continued on their established trajectory. Of course, there are always surprises.

The annual media- and brand-usage pyramids fall into the “business as usual” category, with little change over the past year. In usage, the leader is still TV/video, followed by smartphones and AM/FM radio. Brands are led by Facebook, down four percentage points from last year with 68%, followed by Netflix and the respondents’ home station stream, referred to in the survey as P1.

The 2021survey results for AM/FM radio are a mixed bag. Overall, listening is trending down, especially among younger demographics, but it was headed that way before COVID. On the plus side, localism remains a key secret of success. The number who strongly agree that a local orientation makes the difference has trended upward from 43% in TS 2017 to 49% in TS 2021.

AM/FM has, according to TS 2021, picked up some momentum this year. The number who reported listening more in 2021 increased from 15–23% over the previous year. While those listening less also increased two percentage points to 13%, that loss, according to Jacobs, is largely explained by those who later in the survey reported spending less time in their cars as a result of COVID.

High on the surprises part of TechSurvey 2021 are the reasons that respondents suggest for why they tune in. Six out of ten who answered say that personalities are a main reason they listen to radio. Of those, CHR and hot AC fans seem to value them the most. TechSurvey’s data suggests this is part of a larger trend.

Over time, the long-standing appeal of music on the radio seems to have been replaced by the popularity of its personalities as a main reason to listen. This trend began with TS 2014, music and personalities reached near parity in 2018, and since then, the trend clearly favors personalities. No reasons are posited for why this switch might be happening.

Has the music industry gone into a slump, producing fewer hit songs?

Have radio personalities become more mainstream in their presentation and delivery?

Or could it be a bit of both?

One wonders.

 

The post Amidst Social and Economic Upheaval, Radio Continues to Flourish appeared first on Radio World.

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Announces the status of short-form applications to participate in Auction 109

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Bohn Broadcast Services made several business announcements, most notably a name change.

The technical services company founded by Josh Bohn has rebranded as The MaxxKonnect Group (TMG).

“TMG will continue to focus on providing MaxxKonnect Wireless connectivity solutions, as well as expanding broadcast technical integration services across the U.S.,” it stated in an announcement.

MaxxKonnect is also the name of its high-speed internet service designed for transmitter sites and remote broadcasts.

“TMG will also expand our equipment sales and turnkey service offerings.”

Joe Myers joined the company as sales manager. He has worked in broadcast sales at Broadcast Electronics, Northeast Broadcast, ENCO and DJB.

Also, the company hired Emily Hager as office manager. Her background is in education and retail; she will handle inventory and logistics operations, sales support and customer interaction.

And support engineer Micah Dempsey was promoted to operations manager of TMG; Josh Bohn called him “my right hand on daily operations.”

The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Pelham, Ala. It provides technical and turnkey services, connectivity solutions and broadcast equipment sales. Its repair arm is based in Dallas.

 

The post Bohn Broadcast Is Now The MaxxKonnect Group appeared first on Radio World.

Spencer Bynes will take the reins for iHeartMedia’s Texas operations.

He was named area president to oversee the Beaumont, Bryan, Corpus Christi, McAllen and Waco markets, which include 29 radio stations. Bynes reports to Division President Nick Gnau.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

This is his second stint with IHM; he was director of talent management and talent acquisition for five years before starting a consulting business.

Gnau complimented Bynes’ “contagious” energy “and his ability to develop teams and talent.”

Bynes was VP of business development for Lee Hecht Harrison’s southern region; prior he was managing partner and co-founder of Accendo International Consulting.

“He has more than 25 years of demonstrated business acumen and proven strategic and tactical success in a diverse group of industries,” the company said in the announcement.

Send news of radio engineering and executive management positions to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Bynes Will Lead iHeart’s Texas Stations appeared first on Radio World.

One hundred and fifty-eight initial applications to participate in Auction 109 have been received by the Federal Communications Commission.

That auction of 136 FM and four AM construction permits is scheduled for July 27.

The FCC says 107 of the applications arrived complete, 50 more require additional information, and one was rejected.

Applicants whose information was incomplete or deficient (here’s the list) will get a letter instructing them to resubmit by June 16.

Applicants accepted for filing must make an upfront payment by the same date; if the applicant later becomes a winning bidder, it will have to fill out a longer-form application showing its qualifications to hold a CP or license and its eligibility for any bidding credit.

Many applications named only one permit, but some are pursuing numerous permits. Those include 3D Built, ColdTrain Media, Estrella Broadcasting, Mainstreet Broadcasting Co., Mekeddesh Group, Michael Radio Co. and Tracy K. Wood (here’s the list of completed initial applications).

One application, from 2820 Communications, was rejected because the FCC isn’t accepting any in this auction for a noncom educational station that is mutually exclusive with any application for a commercial station.

If multiple short-form applications pursue the same permit, the CP will be decided by competitive bidding.

The FCC expects to release the final list of applicants that are qualified to bid in early July, along with schedules for a mock auction and the first day of actual bidding.

Details are on the FCC’s info page for Auction 109.

 

The post FCC Receives 158 Applications for CP Auction appeared first on Radio World.

Its stock price hasn’t been this high since March 2015. With a 1-year price target of $18.67 in place, Townsquare Media has successfully weathered the COVID-19 pandemic storm by already offering comps to 2019.

This led the Wall Street whizzes at Zacks Equity Research to conduct an assessment on Townsquare’s stock. They conclude that TSQ, while enjoying swift share growth, is a good investment to consider today.

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Lotus Communications, which is agreeing to purchase Sinclair Broadcast Group‘s lone radio properties, has decided to part ways with a TV property of its own as it doubles-down on serving the Western U.S. as an audio-centric company.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW RBR+TVBR ON FACEBOOK!

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TORONTO — One of Canada’s biggest media companies, which includes 39 radio stations and 15 broadcast television stations among its holdings, has completed an agreement to amend and restate its existing syndicated senior secured credit facilities with its bank group, led by RBC Capital Markets and TD Securities.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The afternoon news program of NPR is the latest inductee into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

The honor will be bestowed upon All Things Considered at the 2021 NAB Show. Executive producer Cara Tallo and host Ailsa Chang will accept the award at the NAB Show Welcome event on Monday, October 11, at 9am Pacific in Las Vegas.

ATC made its debut broadcast oon May 3, 1971, airing on 90 public radio stations. Today, it airs for two hours each weekday and for an hour each Sunday.

In addition to Chang, ATC hosts include Audie Cornish, Mary Louise Kelly and Ari Shapiro. On weekends, the program is hosted by Michel Martin.

“For a half a century, ‘All Things Considered’ has engaged, educated and entertained countless listeners about the news and culture affecting our lives, while serving as a showcase for the importance of public radio,” NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith said. “It is a fitting tribute that we induct this landmark program of radio history into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame as it celebrates its 50th year on the air.”

The NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame recognizes radio and television personalities or programs that have earned a place in broadcasting history. Explore the complete list of past inductees here.

“All Things Considered” will be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made by National Association of Broadcasters President/CEO Gordon Smith.

The iconic public radio program will be honored at the NAB Show in Las Vegas in October. Executive Producer Cara Tallo and host Ailsa Chang will accept the award.

“ATC made its debut broadcast 50 years ago on May 3, 1971, airing on 90 public radio stations,” NAB stated in the announcement. “Now broadcasting live every weekday for two hours and for one hour every Saturday and Sunday, ATC is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time news radio program in the country.”

“Hosted by Chang, Audie Cornish, Mary Louise Kelly and Ari Shapiro and on weekends by Michel Martin, ATC airs coverage of the most important news of the day, reports from NPR correspondents in the U.S. and around the world, thoughtful commentaries, interviews with newsmakers and features on arts, music and entertainment.”

In this image from the NPR website, the staff of “All Things Considered” celebrate its 10th anniversary in 1981. Click the image to see an NPR timeline.

NAB noted that ATC has been honored with the George Foster Peabody Award, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and the Overseas Press Club Award.

Recent radio inductees include Cathy Hughes, Elvis Duran, Delilah and Mike & Mike.

[Read our profile of John Records Landecker, the 2020 radio recipient.]

Iconic radio people inducted earlier include the likes of Walter Winchell, Wolfman Jack, Ronald Reagan and Kate Smith. The Hall of Fame began in 1977.

The post NAB Will Honor “All Things Considered” appeared first on Radio World.

Alfred “Pat” Robertson III is the licensee of a Class A FM radio station licensed to Elaine, Ark.

He’s agreed to transfer control of this station, and it will soon be under the ownership of a Michigan-based operator of Contemporary Christian Music stations.

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From 2011-2016, he served as the Director of Talent Management and Talent Acquisition for iHeartMedia markets in the Lone Star State.

Now, after operating his own consulting business and working at a talent development and transition company, he’s back in a top leadership role putting him in charge of five iHeartMedia markets in Texas.

Spencer Bynes has been named Area President for the Texas area.

This will see Byrnes oversee the Beaumont, McAllen-Brownsville-Weslaco, Waco, Corpus Christi and Bryan-College Station markets for the nation’s largest licensee of radio stations.

Bynes reports to Nick Gnau, Division President for iHeartMedia.

“Spencer has been a proven leader throughout his career, his energy is contagious and his ability to develop teams and talent are unmatched,” Gnau said. “I am extremely excited for Spencer to lead these markets and expand our community efforts as well as our revenue and rating footprint in the great state of Texas.”

Bynes has most recently served as VP of Business Development in the Southern Region for Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH). Prior to joining LHH, he was Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Accendo International Consulting.

“I am excited about my return to iHeartMedia,” Bynes said. “The growth and transformation of this organization have been phenomenal. I am looking forward to working with my team to build sustainable, long-term growth for our clients and shareholders.”