Telos Alliance Releases Voltair v2.3.2

The Telos Alliance®—parent company of 25-Seven®, makers of the Voltair® Watermark Monitor and Processor—announcedThursday the launch of the Voltair version 2.3.2 software update, providing important new features and enhancements available to all Voltair units.

Version 2.3.2—the first major field update since version 2.0 was released last year—is free, reinforcing 25-Seven’s commitment to customers seeking optimal watermarking system performance.Voltair.jpg

“Stations want to ensure that their watermark encoding is as good as it can be, and Voltair offers visibility and enhancement tools found nowhere else,”  says Geoff Steadman, Founder of 25-Seven.  “Voltair is still making a positive difference in registering meter count and overall watermarking performance, even in this post-eCBET world. Not only are we confident this is so, we see our users doing their own research and arriving at the same conclusion, while they continue to invest in Voltair technology.”

A major operator’s manual revision is part of the update, with new sections devoted to use of Voltair in conjunction with the Omnia.9 and Omnia.11 processor patch points for optimal processing performance. In addition to considerable "under the hood" improvements, Version 2.3.2 adds two significant new features: Encoder Distortion Testing and Display and Flexible Program Output.

As part of its calibration process, Voltair has always measured the level of distortion generated by the attached watermarking encoder. Over the years, 25-Seven has discovered that some encoders, even when not actually adding watermark tones, may add noise or distortion to the audio signal. If this distortion is too high, Voltair will refuse to calibrate to the encoder. Since the calibration data in 25-Seven’s system logs provides information about  signal health of individual encoders, the company decided to turn its field experience into a diagnostic feature. Firmware 2.3.2 adds a new “Calibration” section to the external web Information page that shows the results of this distortion testing, which can be useful for detecting encoders whose audio path may be distorting a station’s feed.

FCC Call Sign Activity For July 2016

During the period from 07/01/2016 to 07/31/2016 the Commission accepted applications to assign call signs to, or change the call signs of the following broadcast stations.

August 12 Radio History

In 1877...Edison invented the phonograph.

The phonograph, also called gramophone,  is a device introduced in 1877 for the recording and reproduction of sound recordings. The sound vibration waveforms are preseved in the form of a groove engraved into the surface of a rotating cylinder or disc. As the recorded surface rotates, a playback stylus traces the waveforms and vibrates to reproduce the recorded sound waves.

While other inventors had produced devices that could record sounds, Edison's phonograph was the first to be able to reproduce the recorded sound. His phonograph originally recorded sound onto a tinfoil sheet phonograph cylinder, and could both record and reproduce sounds. Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory made several improvements in the 1880s, including the use of wax-coated cardboard cylinders, and a cutting stylus that moved from side to side in a "zig zag" pattern across the record.



In the 1890s, Emile Berliner initiated the transition from phonograph cylinders to flat discs with a spiral groove running from the periphery to near the center. Other improvements were made throughout the years, including modifications to the turntable and its drive system, the stylus or needle, and the sound and equalization systems.

The disc phonograph record was the dominant audio recording format throughout most of the 20th century. From the mid-1980s, phonograph use declined sharply because of the rise of the compact disc and other digital recording formats. While no longer mass-market items, modest numbers of phonographs and phonograph records continue to be produced in the second decade of the 21st century.

In 1937…Comedian Red Skelton made his network radio debut on NBC's "Rudy Vallee Show."


In 1977...Cousin Brucie did last show at WNBC 660 AM,


In 2001...XM Satellite Radio began broadcasting in the US.


In 2003...longtime Richmond, Virginia DJ, Eric E. Stanley, died after a 3-year battle with cancer. He was 53. He was known for his program, "The Bebop, Boogie, and Blues Revue" heard first on WRXL, then WVGO and later on WJMO.




In 2004...NYC personality Chuck Leonard - WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS, WQEW, WNSW - died.

Leonard began at ABC's flagship New York radio station, Musicradio 77 WABC, under program director Rick Sklar in 1965. He broke the color barrier for all who followed — the first African-American to cross over from black R&B radio to (then-mostly white) mass-appeal radio.

Leonard began in the 11 p.m. to midnight slot, and continued working late nights and Sundays at the station until November 27, 1979. He did the 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. shift following “Cousin” Bruce Morrow and later George Michael. He also gladly handled weekend and fill-in work.

Leonard was the host of "Sneak Preview," a five-minute Monday-through-Saturday evening program on ABC's American Contemporary Radio Network, which featured newly released songs. He stayed at WABC until 1979, before moving to WXLO and WRKS.

In 2005...Newsradio KNX 1070 Newsradio in Los Angeles, left its studios at the CBS Columbia Square broadcast center and moved to 5670 Wilshire Blvd to join other locally owned Infinity radio stations.

KNX-AM had been housed at the CBS Columbia Square building for 67 years, in the heart of Hollywood.


In 2009...Rock WBCN in Boston closed its doors after 41 years on the air, and 98.5 "The Sports Hub" debuted immediately afterwards.



In 2011...WEMP 101.9 FM switched to FM News

Chicago Radio B96's Stylz And Roman Moving To Mornings On WUSN

CBS Radio has announced that Doug Stylz and Justin Roman have gone Country and will become the new morning show on WUSN 99.5 FM starting September 6.

The duo have been the highly-rate afternoon show on clustermate Top40 WBBM 96.3 FM for the past 10 years.

Doug Stylz and JustinRoman are lifelong Chicagoans who both started as promotion interns at B96 before they were teamed as evening co-hosts in 2004. Two years later they moved up to afternoon drive, according to Chicago Media writer Robert Feder.

Succeeding the duo in afternoons at B96 will be Eric Tyler, who was just hired as evening host. Tyler, a native of Rockford, Illinois, spent nine years at KBKS in Seattle, Washington, as afternoon personality, assistant program director and music director.

The moves are part of “refreshing” of US 99 under Todd Cavanah, vice president of programming for CBS Radio Chicago, and Jeff Kapugi, program director. On Monday, the station rebranded itself “US 99 Chicago’s Hottest Country.”

“This is a welcome and exciting refresh for this heritage Chicago brand,” Tim Pohlman, CBS Radio Chicago senior vice president and market manager, said in a statement. “Stylz and Roman are quality guys that work hard, play hard and can’t wait to engage the country music fans of Chicago. This is the perfect next step for these two talented personalities. I am very excited about the future of their show and about US 99.”

FCC Votes To Keep Most Media Ownership Rules

(Reuters) -- The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday voted to retain nearly all rules limiting cross-ownership of newspapers, radio and TV stations in the same market, a source familiar with the vote said.

The decision is a blow to struggling newspaper companies that have long pushed for the FCC to relax the restrictions. A spokesman for FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler did not immediately comment.

In June, Wheeler proposed retaining the existing rules barring companies in most instances from owning a newspaper and a broadcast TV or radio station in the same market, as well as other individual market limits on radio and TV stations with "slight modification," according to the summary of the proposal.

The Newspaper Association of America said in a statement in June it was "deeply disappointed" in Wheeler's proposal, saying it was "stunned that any policymaker in the internet era would propose to keep a 1970s-era law that prevents broadcast stations and newspapers from being owned by the same company."

Tom Wheeler

The group said Wheeler's proposal kept in place a "40-year-old rule that is more obsolete than the eight-track tape or the mainframe computer ... The result will be less resources for the local news on which our democracy depends."

Congress had ordered the commission in 1996 to review cross-ownership rules every four years but the FCC's most recent review, before Wednesday, was completed in 2006.

The agency in 1975 banned cross-ownership of a newspaper and broadcast station in the same market unless it granted a waiver, but allowed existing ownership structures to remain in place.

Wheeler proposed to modestly relax the rule by providing an exception for failed or failing newspapers or stations.

Republican FCC commissioners have urged the agency to scrap the cross-ownership limits.

The Pew Research Center said in a report in June that U.S. newspaper weekday circulation fell 7 percent and Sunday circulation fell 4 percent in 2015 - the greatest declines since 2010.

Advertising revenue at U.S. newspapers fell nearly 8 percent in 2015 - the steepest decline since 2009. The United States has shed more than 120 newspapers since 2004, Pew said.

Wheeler's proposal also leaves in place rules barring mergers among any of the top four national television broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

DC Radio: Assault Charges Dropped Against WIHT's Kane

Kane

Prosecutors in Maryland have dropped an assault charge against Peter Deibler, the WIHT 99.5 FM radio personality known as Kane on the syndicated “The Kane Show,” according to The Washington Post.

Deibler was arrested and charged with second-degree assault after a May 25 incident at his Rockville, Md., apartment involving his estranged wife, Natasha Deibler, with whom he’s mired in a messy legal battle over their divorce and custody of their two children.

Natasha Deibler

Late last month, the Maryland state’s attorney dismissed the assault charge, determining that “the case should not be prosecuted,” a spokesman for the state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.

In June, a Montgomery judge refused to extend a temporary protective order the court had imposed keeping Peter Deibler away from his wife. During the hearing over the protective order, the judge questioned whether the alleged incident rose to the level of second-degree assault and indicated that the allegations were probably related to the couple’s ongoing divorce and custody battle.

“We have two people who are getting divorced — they dislike each other,” said Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence McGann. “They despise each other. They detest each other. They loathe each other.”

The state’s attorney spokesman said investigators had unsuccessfully tried to interview Natasha Deibler.

Nuehoff Promotes Mike Shamus To New Corporate Position

Mike Shamus

Neuhoff Communications has announced the promotion of Mike Shamus to the newly created position of Corporate VP of Programming and Content effective immediately.

“Shamus” as he is known, has served as Operations Manager and half of the popular “Shamus and Annie” morning show on Country WKOA 105.3 FM K105 in Neuhoff’s Lafayette, Indiana cluster for the last seven years.

“Shamus is a tremendous talent – a proven manager and leader with a great vision for growing and improving the Neuhoff product line up,” said Beth Neuhoff, CEO at Neuhoff Communications. “We are confident Shamus will take ‘Media Made Locally’ to a whole new level.

“We knew we had a rare opportunity to capitalize on Shamus’ vision for connecting with our audiences in meaningful and engaging ways,” said Mike Hulvey, COO, Neuhoff Communications. “With our recent expansion, Shamus is the guy to motivate and inspire our content and programming teams to create the best local media.”

Said Shamus of the promotion, “the Neuhoff stations and products are truly connected to the communities we serve. Knowing I can enhance that local audience relationship will truly solidify our position as the most important source of information and entertainment in the region.”

Report: 'Friends' Of Roger Ailes On The Way Out

Roger Ailes

With Roger Ailes gone, some of his longtime associates are also on the way out at Fox News, according to Brian Stelter at money.cnn.com.

"Longtime friends of Roger's dating back to the '70s are beginning to exit the building," a senior source said Wednesday.

Ties were already severed with five Ailes consultants, as New York magazine first reported. But another wave of departures is expected, two sources said.

Accord got Steler, tt is clear from interviews with people inside Fox News that the network has been shaken to its core.

Ailes is the only CEO Fox News has ever had. He launched the channel in 1996 and ran it as a fiefdom, grooming an entire generation of hosts, reporters and producers who feel indebted to him.

He set the cultural tone of the place.

With Ailes deposed -- one veteran staffer compared it to the sudden death of a Middle Eastern strongman -- there is widespread uncertainty about the status of on- and off-air talent alike.

At the moment, the Fox News executive leadership team remains in place. Acting CEO Rupert Murdoch and programming chief Bill Shine, who are said to be running the network side by side, are trying to stabilize things.

Meanwhile, there is a fresh focus on Ailes' spending habits.

Ailes, through Fox News, employed a number of longtime friends as consultants, for purposes that remain unknown.

One of the consultants earned $10,000 a month by submitting a monthly invoice to Fox.
Sherman reported on Sunday that "one of the consultants, Bert Solivan, ran negative PR campaigns against Ailes' personal and political enemies." He said Solivan and four others were dismissed.

Read More Now

Will Megyn Kelly Leave Or Stay?

Megyn Kelly

With Roger Ailes gone, will FNC's stable prime­time lineup of anchors remain intact? In particular, what will become of Megyn Kelly, whose contract is up for renewal next year?

Kelly's feud with Donald Trump catapulted both to the center of campaign 2016, and her ambitions stretch far beyond her nightly cable hour. Kelly's avowed role models of Charlie Rose and Diane Sawyer suggest two goals: the megamillion-dollar payday that in TV news now is only granted to those in the a.m. broadcast anchor chairs; and prestigious one-on-one interviews in primetime.

The first traditionally has favored smart, beautiful, personable blondes; the second, tenacious questioning acumen. Kelly, 45, qualifies on both fronts.

According to news analyst Charle Tyndall in an article for The Hollywood Reporter, FNC has spent so much time differentiating itself from all other mainstream networks and boasting that it has a radically different journalistic agenda and ideology ("fair and balanced") that it is not clear Kelly's star power (she reportedly already makes $10 million a year) would translate seamlessly.

Tyndall writes:

"She must have known her claim to internal investigators would eventually be made public, so she was delivering the coup de grace that would topple Ailes and transform the management structure at FNC. 

Her decision makes sense if she already had locked in an opportunity to leave and saw no downside to burning bridges. Equally, it makes sense as an internal power grab; with Ailes supplanted, she increases her chances of leapfrogging his acolytes Sean Hannity and, in particular, archrival Bill O'Reilly, to become the network's true star. 

As much as Kelly might aspire to be the next Rose or Sawyer, there is the sobering counterexample of Katie Couric, who demonstrates that a top star in one format can have little leverage in another. Does Kelly really want to end up as a Yahoo castoff? 

"So, with Ailes gone, is Kelly likely to follow him out the door? Unlikely. I bet she stays at Fox News. As its queen bee."

Report: Fox Scandal Gives James Murdoch Chance At Redemption

James Murdoch (Reuters)

If the scandal surrounding Roger Ailes has a silver lining, it may be for James Murdoch, according to Bloomberg.

It’s been a year since Murdoch, 43, assumed the role of chief executive officer at 21st Century Fox Inc. from his father Rupert and several more since he stepped down from a top job at the family’s other company, News Corp., over his handling of a phone-hacking scandal at the News of The World newspaper.

Yet the newly minted CEO’s management of the latest controversy -- the sexual-harassment allegations brought against the boss of its profitable Fox News Channel -- potentially casts him in a more positive light. By launching an internal investigation and quickly replacing the 76-year-old Ailes, his father’s friend and the channel’s chairman, James Murdoch is showing he’s learned from the criticism British regulators leveled four years ago when he led News International.

“He was swift in response, it was not left to fester, there was no cover-up,” said Claire Enders, CEO of the independent media industry research firm Enders Analysis Ltd. “He is cutting loose on an old pal of his dad’s as fast as possible and in the right way.”

Still fallout from the accusations against Ailes may not be over. Fresh claims of sexual misconduct have arisen since former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed her lawsuit against the news executive, and it’s possible more disclosures will put the company’s handling of the crisis in a harsher light.

Ailes has denied any misconduct and has said he’ll contest Carlson’s claims. Fox rejects comparisons between the Ailes scandal and the hacking incidents, pointing to its fast response to the Carlson lawsuit. James Murdoch shares responsibilities at the company with his older brother Lachlan, 44, Fox’s co-chairman along with Rupert.

James Murdoch | FindTheCompany

Back in 2012, British officials were asking similar questions and the outlook for James was bleak.

Revelations that News of the World employees had hacked into the voicemail of celebrities and other public figures cost him his job at News International. In addition, he had to step down as chairman of Sky Plc, and News Corp. in mid-2011 had to abandon its $12.6 billion bid for the satellite TV service.
At the time, News Corp. said the allegations that James failed in his duties as a director weren’t backed by evidence. Ultimately the Murdochs weren’t accused of wrongdoing, and no charges were brought against News Corp. James relocated to New York to rebuild his position within News Corp. as deputy chief operating officer.

Report: Arianna To Exit Huffington Post

Arianna Huffington, who co-founded the Huffington Post 11 years ago and built it into one of the largest digital media outlets in the U.S., says she will be leaving the company in the coming weeks to focus on a soon-to-launch startup dedicated to issues of health and wellness, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Ms. Huffington, who is 66 years old, had signed a new deal in June of last year to remain at the Huffington Post as president and editor-in-chief through 2019. But she said the contract allowed her to launch the new company, Thrive Global, while continuing in her role at the site.

When she secured Series A funding for the new venture late last week, she said it had become clear she could no longer continue running the Huffington Post.

“I really thought I could do both, but as we started building it up, I realized that it really needed my full attention,” she said in an interview. “It is important to know when one door closes and another opens and I felt that moment had arrived.”

Her continued role at her namesake site—which was acquired by AOL Inc. in 2011 for $315 million—had become unclear after AOL was bought by Verizon Communications Inc. for $4.4 billion last year.

Read More Now (Paywall)

BIA/Kelsey: Local TV Stations Becoming Local Media Companies

BIA/Kelsey analyzes opportunities and hurdles for the local television industry in the newly published report, Local Television Stations: Maintaining an Important Presence in 2016 & Beyond. The report examines TV’s position in the competitive media landscape, with a look at a range of influences, from the many viewing options now available to consumers, to the variety of revenue streams the industry is embracing.

“Although local television will experience new challenges, its overall position remains strong and valuable to the media marketplace,” said Mark Fratrik, chief economist, BIA/Kelsey. “For certain advertising groups, it continues as an important local platform. Still, the industry must continue building out digital channels to reach local communities and deliver valuable access points for advertisers.”

Included in the report is a look at recent station sales transactions and the increased activity expected this year and beyond. It also covers regulatory and legal issues associated with local television station ownership, including the anticipation of tightening of the rules governing existing relationships between local television stations.

Viacom Outlook Cut By Moody's

Viacom Inc. needs to slash its dividend and improve its poor performance to avoid a cut to its credit rating, Moody’s Investors Service said, changing its outlook to negative from stable.

Bloomberg is reporting Viacom, owner of MTV and Comedy Central, was spared an immediate downgrade of its Baa2 rating during the ongoing dispute over control of the company, Moody’s said Tuesday in a statement. A court fight between controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone and Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman could lead to a shift in strategy, Moody’s said.

Credit-rating companies are re-examining the Viacom as it combats dual crises: a flagging business and a fight for control. Fitch downgraded Viacom last week. The company paid out more than $600 million in dividends in the past year and has net debt of $12.1 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Moody’s calculates Viacom’s debt at about 4.1 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, and says the company needs to reduce that ratio below 3.25 in the next 18 months.

Viacom, based in New York, declined to comment.

Viacom Inc. (VIA) Stock Price | FindTheCompany

The stock has declined 47 percent over the past two years as the company has suffered steep declines in viewership of its U.S. cable networks. Advertisers have followed young viewers from Viacom’s channels to YouTube and Facebook, leading to eight straight quarters of shrinking domestic advertising sales.

Fed Court Spanks FCC Over Broadband

(Reuters) -- A federal appeals court said on Wednesday the Federal Communications Commission could not block two states from setting limits on municipal broadband expansion, a decision seen as a win for private-sector providers of broadband internet and a setback for FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.

Cities in Tennessee and North Carolina had sought to expand municipal broadband networks beyond current boundaries, but faced laws forbidding or placing onerous restrictions on the expansions.

The FCC voted 3-2 in 2015 to issue an order seeking to pre-empt those state laws, saying a 1996 law required it to remove barriers to broadband investment and that the municipalities wanted to expand service into areas with little or no internet service.

Wheeler criticized the decision that "appears to halt the promise of jobs, investment and opportunity that community broadband has provided in Tennessee and North Carolina."

He said since 2015, "over 50 communities have taken steps to build their own bridges across the digital divide. The efforts of communities wanting better broadband should not be thwarted by the political power of those who, by protecting their monopoly, have failed to deliver acceptable service at an acceptable price."

Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said that "rather than wasting its time on illegal efforts to intrude on the prerogatives of state governments, the FCC should focus on implementing a broadband deployment agenda to eliminate regulatory barriers that discourage those in the private sector from deploying and upgrading next-generation networks."

Ajit Pai

USTelecom, the trade group that represents internet service providers including AT&T and Verizon Communications Inc, praised the decision as "a victory for the rule of law."

The group said the FCC should "concentrate on eliminating federal regulatory impediments to innovation and investment - where there remains to be much that can and should be done."

The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee's municipal electricity provider since 2009, has offered high-speed broadband internet service to residential and commercial customers in its 600-square-mile service area. About 63,000 subscribe to the service. Residents in neighboring communities have asked to use the service.

Wilson, North Carolina in 2005 constructed the backbone of a fiber-optic network connecting all city-owned facilities that was expanded to a municipal broadband network now known as "Greenlight."

The city offers phone, internet and cable services which it says are cheaper than its private-sector competitors. The city also provides free Wi-Fi service to its entire downtown area and each of the top seven employers in Wilson is a customer. Individuals in five neighboring counties have also sought to join.

The FCC has noted that companies in Tennessee, including Amazon.com Inc and Volkswagen AG, use the service in Chattanooga.

Fort Walton Beach Radio: Chris Kellogg New OM For Cumulus

Chris Kellogg

Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Chris Kellogg as Operations Manager for its five-station cluster in Fort Walton Beach, FL, where he will oversee operations for Rock WKSM 99.5 FM, AC WNCV 93.3 FM, Country WYZB 105.5 FM, Top40 WZNS 96.5 FM and News/Talk WFTW 1260 AM.

He will also serve as Program Director for WNCV and WFTW and On-Air Co-Host of the WNCV morning show with Co-Host Lisa Captain.

Kellogg moves to Fort Walton Beach from Columbia, MO, where he was Operations Manager for Cumulus Media-Columbia/Jefferson City for the past 12 years. Kellogg has deep experience in programming formats including: Adult Contemporary, News Talk, Classic Hits, Oldies, Classic Rock, AAA and Country.

Previous OM Hayden Green will continue to program Top 40 station WZNS/Z96 as full-time Program Director, a position he has held for the past 16 years. Green also remains on-air as Host for Afternoon Drive on Z96. He has served the station cluster in a number of different roles since 1993.

Pete DeSimone, Regional Vice President, Cumulus Media, said: “The addition of Chris to our team will afford us the additional focus we need to continue to grow our ratings and revenue. We are excited to have the collective firepower of this dynamic programming team at work for our brands, listeners and advertisers in Fort Walton Beach/Destin.”

Kellogg said: "Pete has created a terrific atmosphere in Fort Walton Beach/Destin to foster radio excellence and I appreciate his confidence in me. I’m excited to collaborate with the programming team and create an engaging morning show with Lisa Captain for WNCV listeners."

Baltimore Radio: The Sports Junkies to Simulcast On CSN

WJZ 106.7 FM The Fan has announced, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 6, Sports Junkies hosts John Auville (Cakes), Eric Bickel (E.B.), Jason Bishop (Lurch) and John-Paul Flaim (J.P.) will bring their popular radio show to television for the first time in their remarkable 20-year careers.

CSN Mid-Atlantic will present a live simulcast of 106.7 The Fan’s “The Sports Junkies,” which can now be viewed — as well as listened to — throughout D.C., Maryland and Virginia, weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. From your bed to car stereo, you can now sync your entire morning with The Sports Junkies.

“The Sports Junkies are the most dynamic radio personalities in Washington, with a dedicated fan base of listeners on radio, streaming, and via podcast,” said 106.7 The Fan Program Director Chris Kinard. “We’re thrilled to work with our partners at CSN on this important brand extension of 106.7 The Fan’s original programming.”

The four hosts have appeared regularly on CSN since their 2013 debut of “Table Manners,” a weekly guest-driven show on which they discuss over dinner sports and lifestyle topics with prominent figures in sports, politics and other realms of entertainment. They have also made frequent guest appearances on CSN providing analysis on D.C.’s local professional teams.


“We are excited to be a part of the CSN family once again,” said Flaim. “Now, even more people can see our horrendous fashion sense on a regular basis!”

“We’re excited to be teaming up with CSN Mid-Atlantic again,” said Auville. “We have to be an upgrade over fitness gadget infomercials… I think.”

“C’mon. You know I’m not good at that,” said Bishop, upon request for comment. “Put one down for me, but make me look smart.”