Intelligence Briefs

One of the most important documents for any radio or TV station is FCC form 854-R. This is the tower registration form required for each tower over 200 feet and puts into writing the coordinates to be reported to the FAA for tower-beacon light outage. The registration number on this form is required to be prominently displayed on or close to the tower, with large enough numerals to be read from the closest public access to the tower. In some cases, rented towers owned by non-broadcast entities and the tower owners were not aware of this requirement. Here's what Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner has to say about that faux pas.

"Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own."  One Forbes contributor, former Media Life editor Gene Ely, just penned a guest commentary with the provocative headline "In The IHeartMedia Bankruptcy, Expect A Major Selloff Of Radio Stations." Really? We asked top D.C. attorneys and one broker for their opinions. Here's what they say.

The D.C. Circuit has just issued a long-awaited decision involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). According to Scott Delacourt and Eva Reed of Wiley Rein LLP, this has "widespread implications for broadcasters and other media companies that rely on modern calling equipment (including text messaging) to reach their audiences." How could this decision, which resolves an appeal of the FCC’s 2015 Omnibus TCPA Order with a unanimous panel but a split decision on the merits, impact your radio or TV station?

Among the dozens of e-mails Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner dumps each day with nary a glance was one that caught his attention well before hitting the "delete" key. The note to Benner suggested the FCC was about to focus on AM directional antenna compliance. "I normally keep pretty good track on what the current FCC fine-focus is, and this was news to me," Benner says. "I could locate nothing from the commission or the various publications I scan each week." Is AM directional antenna compliance a new concern to put on your radar?

In this guest Media Information Bureau column, Tribe Pictures CEO and Creative Director Vern Oakley discusses how "fake news" is old news and why "fake video" is the new threat — thanks to emerging technology that will allow the manufacturing of authentic-looking video your staff may not be able to flag as phony. Reading this could very well keep your stations' integrity in check.

The 2018 Infinite Dial Study by Edison Research and Triton Digital, unveiled Thursday, offers radio industry professionals the latest research in digital audio, social media, mobile, smart speakers, and podcast consumption. What's the biggest takeaway from the latest report from Edison and Triton? The two most talked-about sectors in audio today—podcasting and Smart Speakers—post significant gains in this year’s study, compared to 2017.

On Tuesday morning, a seismic sale of an FM radio station in the Windy City rocked the radio industry. WLUP, known as "The Loop," was sold. Many were quick to lament the loss of a station viewed as iconic. Our Editor-in-Chief sees it differently: It's a perfect example, he says, of how the radio industry fails at keeping brands meaningful. On the contrary, the company buying WLUP is an expert in creating brands with strength and lasting power.

Believe it or not, TV went digital a long time ago. This is why so many U.S. homes have TV set-top boxes and there exists a plethora of over-the-air broadcast sub-channels. It is also the reason The Nielsen Company had to change the basis of its TV-measurement system from tuner frequencies to network codes embedded in program content. The digital TV discussed today is a bit different from those early days, thanks to "over-the-top" (OTT) apps. What does this mean for broadcast TV, and what does it mean for advertisers? Guest Media Information Bureau columnist Ed DeNicola, Head of Television for Cambridge Analytica, chimes in on the subject.

A new global study on who is paying for streaming video services shows the U.S. and Canada far and away the leading nations where "OTT" is eating away at cable TV. Here's a look at how many households are paying for these services, and what the worldwide SVOD outlook is for the next five years.

As featured Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner on February 17 prepared the first draft of this latest column, he was fielding panic calls and e-mails from frustrated broadcast licensees attempting to file their FCC biennial ownership reports after being warned of substantial fines for failing to do so. Benner attempted to access the appropriate FCC database, mimicking what these licenses had experienced. He quickly realized their frustration.

Seeking balance is critical in today’s hectic and chaotic life. Media Information Bureau contributor Kelly Orchard, M.A. LMFT spent years in a cycle of chaos of her own making ... until she was forced to stop due to a health crisis. This led Orchard to find a new purpose in teaching and guiding others to slow down and enjoy the journey. In her latest column, Orchard shares her thoughts about the power of radio, and how one song from Huey Lewis + The News triggered a flood of inspiration.

Over recent years, smartphone innovation has slowed. Developments from major vendors have trickled in, with refinement of functionality being brought to handsets, rather than leaps of innovation. Smartphones have no sign of disappearing; they remain one of the most widely used devices. However, there is certainly a lull in terms of market growth and buzz surrounding the products. What does this mean for broadcast media, given the voluntary rollout of the Next Gen broadcast TV standard and the push for FM chips in all smartphones, including those running on iOS systems? 

Throughout 2017, popular brands witnessed the power of "Black Twitter" and the brand impact of socially conscious Black consumers. Through social media, Black consumers have brokered a seat at the table and are demanding that brands and marketers speak to them in ways that resonate culturally and experientially—if these brands want their business. With African Americans spending $1.2 trillion annually, brands have a lot to lose, a new study from Nielsen illustrates for broadcast media professionals seeking increased ROI through a highly important consumer group.

For those of you who truly enjoy researching, learning, writing and exposing serious questionable conduct by parties in power, the most difficult thing we face is deciding, from among hundreds of topics, the subject for a column. For Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner, there's a specific criteria that is followed. This includes responding to requests from readers in a potential bind with the FCC. That's exactly what Benner has done in his latest exclusive offering to RBR+TVBR Members.

Among the many e-mails that arrived this week at RBR+TVBR was an item about a digital media Leviathan that immediately struck a chord. It involved teens, and their ever-shifting social media habits. The takeaway: Teens and Tweens are fleeing Facebook. Sound familiar, radio?