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Here’s a fun pic to start your Tuesday.

This dizzying view shows a two-bay ERI 1180 Series master FM antenna in Detroit. This antenna is the primary for Cumulus station WDVD, a 20 kW station on 96.3 MHz, owned by Cumulus, and WYCD, a 17.5 kW station on 99.5 MHz, owned by Audacy, the former Entercom.

The antenna and combiner also provide auxiliary facilities for Cumulus station WDRQ.

“This was taken by the ERI crew that installed the antenna and transmission line run,” ERI’s Bill Harland tells Radio World after we saw it being shared on social media.

“The system included the antenna, a run of 4-1/16-inch MACXLine and an FM channel combiner. The photo was taken at the completion of the antenna installation in 2019.”

The antenna is at 240 meters or 787 feet HAAT, according to the handy site fccinfo.com.

Radio World loves pix of new or interesting technical facilities. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Look Down, Look Down, Detroit Is at Your Feet appeared first on Radio World.

NEW YORK — The Radio Mercury Awards’ Call for Entry for its 30th anniversary event will open on June 7.

For 30 years, the Radio Mercury Awards have celebrated creative excellence in radio and audio by honoring work that successfully harnesses the power of sound.

“In 2021, the Radio Mercury Awards reflect the current advertising environment for radio and related audio platforms, including broadcast commercials, integrated campaigns, podcasts, PSAs, jingles, sonic branding and music,” honors organizer RAB says.

Beginning this year, all entries will be open to work in any language for work that was broadcast, aired digitally, released or transmitted initially and primarily in the U.S. and its territories between June 1, 2019 and August 9, 2021.

Entries will be priced at $30 for all categories, except for entries for the student category, which will have no cost.

BBDO Atlanta Chief Creative Officer Robin Fitzgerald will return as the 2021 Chief Judge, after serving in the same role in 2020. In her role as BBDO Atlanta’s chief creative officer, Robin provides creative leadership to such clients asThe Home Depot, Georgia Lottery, Sanderson Farms and Honey Baked Ham.

Prior to BBDO Atlanta, Fitzgerald spent 15 years in Los Angeles, working at Crispin Porter + Bogusky and TBWA\Chiat\Day.

Finalists for the show will be announced in late September, and winners will be announced on November 17.

 

The Bosch Group’s Building Technologies division has announced the appointment of Ramesh Jayaraman to senior vice president and general manager  for business unit communications. To Radio World readers that means he takes over communications for Electro-Voice products.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Before Bosch, Jayaraman vice president and general manager, Asia-Pacific for Harman Professional Solutions. In addition, holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering and an MBA from the University of Illinois.

Jayaraman will be based in Burnsville, Minn.

Send your people news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Jayaraman Takes Over Comms for Electro-Voice appeared first on Radio World.

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Requested the substitution of UHF channel 18 for VHF channel 12 in the DTV Table of Allotments.

Requested the substitution of UHF channel 32 for VHF channel 9 at Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the DTV Table of Allotments.

Requests the substitution of channel 19 for channel 10 at Quincy in the DTV Table of Allotments.

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Requested the substitution of UHF channel 29 for VHF channel 12 in the DTV Table of Allotments

The Bureau enters into a Consent Decree with Slingshot Broadcasting Corporation

Triton Digital has expanded the reporting and categorization capabilities within its podcast platform, Omny Studio.

“To provide publishers with a more comprehensive view of the content published by their organization and/or networks, Omny Studio’s reporting functionality has been enhanced to include granular visibility into the total number of episodes and total minutes of audio content published,” iHeartMedia subsidiary Triton notes.

Triton added that its users can now see an overview of the tools that accompany the content, including ad markers, transcriptions, and Headliner videos. “This information can be compared to previous reporting periods and tracked over time, making it easy for publishers to trend both the creation and growth of their show portfolios over time.”

Additionally, podcasters using the Omny Studio platform can now add custom metadata fields to their content, including categories. “By utilizing custom categories, podcasters can increase the discoverability of their shows, helping them to appear in relevant user searches and as a result, grow their audiences,” Triton says.

“We are confident that these expanded and enhanced capabilities will provide our users with the insights and flexibility they need to continue to both create and share engaging content while growing their audiences.” said Mitchell Secrett, Omny Studio Product Manager at Triton Digital. “These latest feature releases further Omny Studio’s position as the leading enterprise-level audio management platform in the world.”

To learn more about the Omny Studio platform, contact OmnyStudio@tritondigital.com.

This is in response to Michelle Bradley’s commentary, “Even More to All-Digital AM.” Ms. Bradley’s observations are right on the money.

The problem is not knowing the end game for the AM revitalization initiative. If Chairman Pai inferred that FM translators are part of a transition or “bridge” as he said to a Kansas Association of Broadcasters gathering in 2016 and not permanent, then when do AM broadcasters flash cut to digital and turn their translator licenses in? What is the sunset date for analog AM?

Michi made the point that, “The automotive and radio receiver industry needs to make HD Radio, standard equipment, not a ‘luxury option’ like with some manufacturers.” So, when is the FCC going to step in and mandate HD Radio in all cars? It’s the only way this will happen.

I totally agree when she indicated that moving a translator 250 miles is only going to harm the opportunity for more, new LPFM stations. Repurposing low VHF for other uses is an idea whose time has come. The majority of TV broadcasters don’t want the band. Existing Channel 6 TV stations can either keep their channel or change it but the FCC should not license any more TV stations on Channel 6, particularly to LDTV (or give it away free as white space to parasites like Microsoft). Let AM broadcasters migrate to the expanded FM band (formerly Channel 6) if they don’t want to stay on AM, forego their translators and open the channels up to LPFM.

The truth is that the AM revitalization initiative was an Ajit Pai pet project. I don’t think the Democrats are onboard with giving more translators to AM broadcasters or in letting these broadcasters keep their translators indefinitely. In fact, the AM revitalization initiative might look entirely different once Jessica Rosenworcel is made permanent chairman and another Democrat-appointed commissioner is installed. That may be a good thing for the future of FM broadcasting.

Daniel Brown
Owner, Zebra Radio (Part 15), 1610 AM
Retired TV station owner

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

The post Letter: AM Digital – What Is the End Game? appeared first on Radio World.

U.S. stock markets fell on Monday, with the Dow Industrials dipping 54.34 to 34,327.79. The Nasdaq composite index was down 50.93 to 13,379.05.

How did media issues fare to start the week? AT&T was off 2.6%, while Discovery Inc. shares finished the day with a 5% decline.

The Discovery dip was a mild surprise, as shares were on the rise ahead of the Opening Bell on word that it was acquiring WarnerMedia in a blockbuster Reverse Morris Trust-fueled merger. Yet, DISCA finished at $33.76, falling $1.79 per share on exceptionally heavy volume of 88.34 million against average volume of 15.2 million shares.

AT&T, which also saw exceptionally heavy trading volume, saw “T” slip $0.85 to $31.39.

Elsewhere, Urban One shares improved to $5.43, up 4%, as Saga Communications’ recent burst in share value appears to be fizzling. On Monday, a 7% decline put SGA at $21.84.

Also on the downturn is Audacy, which sits at $4.18 after a 4 cent decline.

Educational Media Foundation is primarily known as a buyer. Thus, it is rare when the owner of the KLOVE and Air1 Christian music networks decides to part ways with a property.

That’s just happened, in West Virginia.

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Early Monday, the big merger news in the cable TV industry became official: WarnerMedia is becoming part of Discovery Inc.

Interestingly, the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report shows a big decrease in the number of promotional spots for Discovery+, the OTT arm launched January 4.

Is the coming tax-free merger the reason, or a mere coincidence?

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Amid the self-promotional announcements from iHeartMedia, including podcast pitches, there’s a shining example of how a brand has taken to AM and FM radio and established itself as a top-of-mind job search source.

Indeed, the use of spot radio is a success story worthy of sharing with CMOs across the U.S.

As seen in the latest Spot Ten Radio report for the week ending May 16, Indeed is the big No. 1 among fully paid advertisers, topping Progressive, Babbel and GEICO.

In fact, Indeed competitor ZipRecruiter may wish to increase its radio budget to better compete with its rival. While the job search category is burgeoning for radio, the spot differential as seen by Media Monitors suggests ZipRecruiter has room for growth — and for becoming a household name via AM and FM.

Warner Tillman is parting ways with an AM/FM combo that includes an FM translator and no less than four boosters designed to give that FM station coverage of Eastern Washington’s largest metropolis.

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