Friday, February 12, 2016

TRACING THE HISTORY & DRAMATIC GROWTH OF FM TRANSLATORS


UPDATE!


After publishing the article below, I received new information in an email from Philip Shappard, National Operations Manager for Radio at Moody Bible Institute (MBI) regarding when the FCC first permitted national satellite-to-FM translator operations.
Mr. Shappard provided detailed information about Moody Bible’s extensive work on this issue culminating with a 1988 ruling that first allowed signals from satellites, microwave transmission and other terrestrial methods. MBI’s petition asking for the change was initially filed in 1984. It met significant resistance from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) including the addition of provisions that made it difficult to implement.
One of the provisions required the broadcaster seeking to feed satellite signals to translators to own and operate both the primary signal and the translator(s). Ironically, according to Shapard, this provision caused MBI to not pursue building FM translators after years of work and thousands of dollars of investment.
The 1992 FCC ruling mentioned in the story was a revision of the 1988 ruling that clarified delivery methods and opened the door a bit for independent FM translator operators to repeat satellite feeds from distant FM stations they did not own. This may be why the 1992 FCC ruling gets more attention that the formative FCC ruling in 1988.
On Monday 2/15 I will publish Shappard’s fascinating letter and look at the original intentions of the 1988 ruling and how things have changed since then.
-- Ken Mills

ORIGINAL STORY:


We are now experiencing The Last FM Translator Gold Rush. Everyday there is news about the avalanche of new FCC filings by AM broadcasters seeking FM translators. Recently the FCC decided that the way to “save AM” is to move AM stations to the FM via translators. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but that’s the way it is.

(Scroll down to see the year-by-year number of FM translators in operation.)

When and where did the FM translator business begin? Probably it started in 1963 in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.

Keith Anderson


Keith Anderson was making lots of bucks with cable TV microwave systems and VHF TV translators.  Anderson manufactured “boosters” for TV stations in the Rocky Mountain West.  This was around the time John Malone (who founded  able giant Tele-Communications Inc. – TCI) was hooking up his first cable subscribers in Casper, WY.

Around this time, Anderson was approached by religious FM broadcasters who were seeking a way to cover more territory.  They suggested he manufacture translators similar to VHF-TV translators for FM stations. Keep in mind FM broadcasting didn’t come into vogue until the 1970s.

Anderson’s units were low power devices initially 1-watt.  Soon, at the urging of FM broadcasters, Anderson began building 100-watt and 250-watt units. They worked pretty well and religious FM broadcasters bought quite a few of them.

One of the religious broadcasters who saw the potential of FM translators was Harold Enstrom, an engineer at Chicago's Moody Bible Institute. He was in charge of expanding Moody’s radio coverage.  He began tinkering and improving Anderson’s devices.

In 1975 Enstrom moved to Rapid City, SD (near Anderson’s workshop) and became part of Tepco Electronics. A broadcast equipment manufacturer, Robert Jones, approached Enstrom with an idea: Build and market solid-state FM translators that were more reliable and had better audio fidelity. A $385,000 Small Business Administration loan started the ball rolling.

Enstrom, in a 2004 Radio World interview by writer/engineer Scott Fybush [link] ispoke about the beginning of Tepco’s translator business:

“I began sending mailers to every FM station in the country. The pitch was this: If you locate a translator in the center of a small community, you can be heard just as well as a 100-kilowatt station 50 miles away.

Orders poured in and the Tepco translators became tremendous success. I was getting so many inquiries (about translators), after a while I didn't have time to write.”

Enstrom moved to Florida and founded FM Technology Associates. He continued selling Tepco Translators until his death in 2007.
Keith Anderson, who died in 2014, became a major player in the satellite TV industry. Tepco is still in business.  See more about them at [link].

YEAR-BY-YEAR GROWTH IN FM TRANSLATORS 
(data source: fcc.gov)


The FCC first reported the number of FM translators in use.

In 1992,the FCC allowed noncommercial FM stations to be fed remotely via satellite.

Also in 1992, the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) began feeding Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) K-LOVE nationwide 24/7 to translators.  

During the 1990s, other religious broadcasters such as the American Family Association and WAY-FM quickly started their own national FM translator networks.

In 1995, EMF started AIR1, another CCM format for slightly older listeners fed to translators nationwide.

According to published reports, EMF currently owns 
over 500 FM translators.

In 2010, the FCC allowed AM stations to be rebroadcast on FM translators.

In 2011, the FCC allowed HD channels to be rebroadcast on FM translators.





Thursday, February 11, 2016

WHAT TO EXPECT: BENCHMARKING NONCOM SUPPORTING MEMBERS


What I first moved from commercial radio to public radio in the 1980s I was amazed at the number of people who called to pledge their support to stations. Think of it: People actually call to pledge money for a service they get for free. What I’ve learned since then is that membership is an indication of the value listeners place on programming and the station that provides it.

Raising money from noncommercial listeners is part art, part science. But how do you know what to expect?  Is it possible to determine the number of people who theoretically should pledge?

 
Mike Wallace
Recently on the Public Radio Association of Development Officers (PRADO) e-list, public media fundraising consultant Mike Wallace [link], provided this simple formula from a DonorCentrics [link] report from a couple years ago:

• The number of contributing members should represent about 8% of your number of weekly cumulative listeners,

• Or, even better, the number of contributing members should represent about 18% of your core audience.

A station’s “core audience” (sometimes called the P-1 audience) is the number of listeners who tune-in during an average week to your station more than any other station. Nielsen Audio provides estimates weekly cumulative listeners and core listeners, typically as a percentage.

For example, KUT-FM in Austin had around 195,000 weekly cumulative listeners. KUT’s core audience – those folks who listen to KUT more than any other station – is around 37% of its weekly cume, roughly 72,000 people.

Then, to determine the benchmark for the number of supporting members, multiply 72,000 by 18%. The result: KUT should have at least 4,000 people pledging their support. KUT claims over 18,000 members, according to information on its website, so it far exceeds “average” expectations. (KUT also operates Triple A station KUTX.)

THE STAIRWAY TO GIVING (with apologies to Led Zeppelin)

Listening to a station is the most important variable that leads to supporting the station. The theory is: First a person listens to a station; then they listen to the station a lot, becoming a core listener; then they (hopefully) becoming members.

This dynamic is clearly shown in a 2011 presentation Wallace gave to the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference (PMDMC) in 2011. It answered some of the most basic questions:

WHAT IS THE GENDER OF PUBLIC RADIO CONTRIBUTORS?


WHAT IS THE AGE OF PUBLIC RADIO CONTRIBUTORS?

 
HOW FREQUENTLY DO CONTRIBUTORS LISTEN TO THE STATION?


 So, success in Noncom radio starts with the programming!






Wednesday, February 10, 2016

HEADLINES BY DATELINE: THERIAULT LEAVING CPB; NULL SUES PACIFICA OVER “LOST SENSE OF MISSION”





WASHINGTON, DC: BRUCE THERIAULT LEAVING CPB

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced on Monday 2/8 that Bruce Theriault, Senior Vice President for Journalism will retire in May 2016. Also retiring in May will be Jennifer Lawson, Senior Vice VP for Television & Digital Content. Joseph Tovares, currently CPB’s Senior VP for Diversity and Innovation will become Chief Content Officer to “…strengthen coordination and collaboration across television, radio, diversity and innovation,” a new position.

BRUCE THERIAULT

Public radio folks will miss Theriault. For more than a decade he was in-charge of CPB’s radio division and is praised for expanding public media’s journalism capacity through collaborative models such as Local Journalism Centers. Theriault has been an important advocate for independent producers including support for AIR’s Localore project.

Theriault exceled at relations with stations because he came from that world. He ran noncom stations in Alaska, helped create the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) and was Public Radio International’s (PRI) station relations for more than 13 years.

NEW YORK, NY: GARY NULL FINALLY FILES HIS LAWSUIT AGAINST PACIFICA

Potion and pill pusher Gary Null filed his long-threatened lawsuit against Pacifica Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. and several current former Pacifica executives including John Proffitt. Pacifica owns and operates WBAI, New York. Null has been on WBAI for 39 years and still hosts a daily Monday through program from Noon – 1:00pm – The Gary Null Show.


In the suit, Null alleges that Pacifica failed to deliver or delayed delivery, pledge-drive premiums provided by Null, and “illegally duplicating plaintiff’s multimedia products, and printing and applying false labels.” Null alleges a number of trademark and intellectual property infringements that have hurt Null’s reputation and tarnished his business brand.

Null's financial charges may or may not have merit.  In addition to financial reimbursement Null is asking the Court to assess punitive damages based on a novel premise: Community radio stations are distinct from other commercial and noncommercial stations because that have a higher standard of trust than other broadcasters. Here is a portion from Null’s complaint:

Therefore, Null feels he has been damaged by Pacifica’s “loss of a sense of mission” and a “betrayal of trust” of its listeners. According to published reports, a former WBAI board member and a Null supporter, Pacifica faces up to $320 million in fines if the suit is successful, which is far from certain.

BANGOR, MAINE: NEW “INSTANT FM STATION” WILL BE 24/7 CLASSICAL






Maine Public Broadcasting Network is acquiring W291CO 106.1 FM serving Bangor.  The new FM station will rebroadcast Classical WMEH-HD2. Other public radio operators should learn if a HD-to-FM translator option is possible in their area. But, don’t wait because the demand for FM translators has never been higher.  The coverage area for Maine’s new translator should what can be done with 250-watts.



LAKE MARY, FLORIDA: LATINO PUBLIC RADIO CONSORTUM SEEKS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


Latino Public Radio Consortium LPRC) – an advocacy organization created in 2007 to increase Latino employment and Latino listening to public radio, is searching for a new Executive Director. The founders of LPRC included Silvia Rivera, the late Ramirez, Hugo Morales, Victor Montilla, Florence Hernandez-Ramos and Ginny Berson.
LPRC has contracted with Livingston Associates to conduct the search for the new ED. See more about the gig at [link].
The Executive Director will be able to work virtually from any location. Must be bilingual - English and Spanish.
To learn more about Latino Public Radio Consortium visit [link]. 
FINALLY. A MOMENT OF ZEN…


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE BEST NONCON CONFERENCE OF THE YEAR: The 16th Annual NON-COMMvention




Like you, over the years I have attended many, many radio conferences: NAB, Radio & Records, Public Radio Programmers (PRPD), The Conclave, even NRB, praise the Lord. My favorite is the NON-COMMvention – the annual meeting for folks working in noncommercial Triple A radio, music and related industries.

The 16th Annual NON-COMMvention is being held May 18-20 in Philadelphia. It is hosted and produced by WXPN, in association with media sponsor The Top 22 [link]. (Scroll down the see the definitive history of the NON-COMMvention.)
 
Dan Reed
Like the previous NON-COMMventions, conference founder and producer Dan Reed is planning meetings, guest speakers and live music showcases. The NON-COMM is held at WXPN’s World Café Live, adjacent to the station’s studios. They will be serving tasty music from breakfast until lights-out. This year’s headliners include Bonnie Raitt, The Jayhawks and Big Head Todd & the Monsters.

There are so many things to like about the NON-COMMvention: Industry panels are purposefully relevant and informative, networking is easy and collegial and it is affordable! Folks from Triple A stations pay as little as $160 and other industry folks pay $200. Complete conference details are available at [link]. 

HISTORY OF THE NONCOMMvention

The first NON-COMM was held in 2002. TripleARadio.com co-sponsored the NON-COMM with WFPK from 2002-2007. In 2005 conference producer Dan Reed moved to Philadelphia and WXPN.

The late TripleARadio.com writer Mike Lyons – his column was called The Forest – captured the early essence of the NON-COMMvention in 2007. The following are Mike’s words courtesy of TripleARadio.com:

Mike Lyons, Radio & Music Hero
 LOUISVILLE, THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES 

"Hold this" asked singer-songwriter Tift Merritt.

"As you wish," I suavely replied, witnessing the lightning search for a capo in her purse. Which I was now holding.

I had been simply walking around the riverboat Dixie Belle on the Ohio River at the second NON-COMMvention when Tift and I ran into one another in a small room near the bow of the Belle.

Tift was to perform for the programmers on the boat and was rapidly trying to get herself prepared when she ran into me.

 




After I helped her dig the capo out of her purse, she thanked me graciously and then knocked out a terrific 20-minute set.

Her first ever performance done while bobbing up and down on a boat in the water. She nailed it.

That was how I spent my first two hours in Louisville.

 


Two hours just wasn't enough for Gerry Weston and Dan Reed however. Especially at a radio convention.

Gerry Weston

Dan was the PD of WFPK. Gerry was the head of the Public Radio Partnership, a homegrown Louisville operation that ran the three non-commercial FM's in the city. WFPL-FM was the NPR/All-News station. WUOL was your classical station. And WFPK was one of the best non-commercial AAA stations in the country.

But when the radio programming and trade conventions were held - the non-comm's were only slated perhaps a single two-hour panel discussion at best.
It was almost as though the increasingly successful and booming non-commercial portion of the radio business was an afterthought.

It was. To the old guard and the old habits of the radio business.
 
So, in 2001, Gerry and Dan established the NON-COMMvention in Louisville, to be held every May. Triplearadio.com came on board as a co-sponsor immediately.

This would be an opportunity not only for the music programmers to see and hear work by new and established artists, it would enable people to exchange stories about their funding, equipment, legal matters and trends in the field of non-commercial broadcasting. And it didn't have to be crammed into two hours on the last day of the Boulder AAA Summit.
Seelbach Hotel

The first NON-COMM in 2001 attracted just over 100 folks. It then increased dramatically during the next five years until it peaked at over 600 when the convention took place in Philadelphia in 2005. By then Dan Reed had become the MD/APD of AAA non-comm leader WXPN, the home of the successful syndicated AAA program "The World Cafe".

Now, the NON-COMMvention permanently moved to Philadelphia starting in May 2008.

Before we go - let me gather some memories of my annual trips to Louisville:

"I'M SORRY BUT WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST SHUT UP!!!"

Norah Jones
Those were the words of, then newcomer, Norah Jones when the registration for the convention was, unfortunately one year, set up in the bar of the Seelbach Hotel concurrent with her debut performance on the Seelbach bar stage.

My god, you know how loud radio and record people can become, especially when reuniting for the first time in a year for many. Jones' soft, contemplative ballads simply weren't in sync with that social roar.

But after letting off her young steam, she dazzled the crowd. And made me a fan of hers forever.

Squeeze

The most charming rush of a performance came the next year when Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze simply went unhinged while performing his solo songs and tunes from the Squeeze catalog while dancing joyously, guitar in hand, the spirit just flowing out. Pulling mussels from a shell, sure, but Tilbrook pulled us up and down 4th Street that afternoon across from the Brown Hotel delivering one of the best, unexpected surprises I ever experienced at a convention.

Then there were the revelations. Unknowns who impressed immediately. From Tift Merritt to Mindy Smith to Nellie McKay to "who is that?" girl, Ingrid Michaelson.

 
Patti Smith
Oh, and then there was Keller Williams, who opened with Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta", Patti Smith, T-Bone Burnett and Patty Griffin's little poocher scrambling into my hotel room. Woof. I've had a great time with the talent in Louisville.

Weston and Reed had been on the right track. Listening to non-commercial radio in America doubled between 1994 and 2004. Fund-drives started to become shorter and more effective every year. Rotations tightened, tempo became more important and by 2004, led by the major market signals at WXPN in Philadelphia, WYEP in Pittsburgh and WFUV in New York City, AAA Non-commercial radio stations had developed a more flowing daily music presentation, away from traditional block-programming.

By 2004, commercial AAA programmers were showing up in droves to the NON-COMMvention!

One reason was that non-commercial radio was the only part of the radio industry showing growth.

Ratings were up. Fund-raising was up. New facilities were being constructed. Non-commercial AAA was playing terrific music and sincerely COMMUNICATING with a well-to-do, previously under-served audience. Baby-boomers with money and musical memories and an open mind for new artists and sounds. And it was the only radio format gaining listeners (other than Spanish).

Now, the NON-COMMvention [has moved to] Philadelphia. But we must all treasure the memories of Louisville and the people who worked so hard to make this AAA convention such a success. I'm amazed we didn't burn down either the Seelbach or the Brown.

 
Brown Hotel - at the corner of 4th and Broadway
For Dan Reed, he so enjoyed his life in Kentucky that he gave his, once, hometown several more years of his idea and never, ever forgot who to thank. I thank him for giving me a chance to see Churchill Downs, The Louisville Slugger factory, Hunter Thompson's boyhood home and the bridge from which Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) threw his 1960 Olympic gold medal into the Ohio river.

For Gerry Weston, one of the most talented managers in radio. (Westin is now GM of WICN in Worchester, MA.) For six years the AAA  non-commercial community has been meeting at the corner of 4th and Broadway in Louisville, what the city historians call "The Magic Corner".

—Mike Lyons




Monday, February 8, 2016

PREMIERE: NONCOM NEWS HEADLINES



Monday, February 8, 2016

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO: KRCC DROPS MUSIC, ADDS NEWS


NPR News and Triple A dual-formatted KRCC announced that music is being dropped during weekday afternoons and will be replaced with NPR/WBUR’s Here & Now and PRI’s The Takeaway with John Hockenberry. The schedule changes start Monday, February 15th. KRCC, a major factor in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, joins a growing list of stations in medium-size markets focusing on a single format during peak listening hours.

SACRAMENTO: CLASSICAL KXPR LOOKING FOR A GREAT MORNING HOST


Capital Public Radio (“CPR”) in Sacramento is hiring a new morning drive Classical music host/producer. CPR is a very successful organization that operates NPR News KXJZ and Classical KXPR. According to station manager Carl Watanabe: It’s an opportunity for the right person to join a supportive and tight-knit team of enthusiastic radio and web producers.
Sacramento is a growing metro area in one of the most beautiful parts of Northern California. The city has a notable arts scene with a diverse educated population and excellent quality of life. CPR is an important part of life in Sacramento. To learn more about the gig, go to [link].
SOMERVILLE, NJ: EDISON RESEARCH & TRITON DIGITAL TO RELEASE NEW INFINITE DIAL REPORT
RAIN reports [link] the next update of Infinite Dial, the highly praised media usage and consumption study, will be previewed with a Webinar on March 10th. This will be the 24th edition of the innovative cross-platform study that provides an in-depth look at a number of trends in media usage and consumption habits, with a special focus on streaming media, radio, mobile media, podcasting and social media behaviors. Registration is now open for the Webinar at [link]. It is open to a limited number of folks, so act now to participate.
WASHINGTON, DC: LPFM STATIONS PUSH FOR FM TRANSLATORS 

Old timers may remember a time when FM translators were an afterthought for most broadcasters. Now they are the go-to way to get on the FM dial.  TOM TAYLOR NOW [link] reports that advocates of LPFM stations are proposing that LPFM operators be allowed to participate in next year’s FCC auction for new FM translators, part of the FCC’s initiative to move AM stations to FM. The demand for FM translators has never been greater and the prices to purchase them keep escalating. The irony of this proposal is that FM translators sometimes have better coverage than LPFMs themselves.
LAS VEGAS: KNPR IS SEARCHING FOR A NEW PRODUCER FOR STATE OF NEVADA  


One of public radio’s fastest rising shops is KNPR, Las Vegas. As we reported in January [link] KNPR had a 35% growth in estimated weekly cumulative listeners between Fall 2014 and Fall 2015. KNPR’s State of Nevada, a daily one-hour interview and talk program has become essential listening, part of KNPR’s strategy to be Nevada’s news outlet of record.  KNPR’s management and programming are top notch. You can the complete job description at [link].
  
NEWS YOU PROBABLY CAN’T USE: EVERYBODY HAS A TENT POLE


Everybody knows NPR News stations have tent poles – the spike in listeners for Morning Edition and All Things Considered.  The truth is, virtually every business has key times-of-the-day when activity surges.  A case in point is the popular dating/hook up site OK Cupid [link]. According to the Washington Post, OK Cupid and Tinder commissioned Nielsen Research to study user traffic.  Below is chart showing the top-line results: Peak hours are evenings 6pm – 10pm. A smaller spike also happens around 9am, probably for the “nooner” crowd.