Tuesday, July 31, 2018
FTIOM & UBMP, August 5-11
From the Isle of Music, August 5-11, 2018:
Part 1 of 2 parts. Our special guest this week and next is Yasek Manzano, one of the young lions in both Jazz and Electronic Music in Cuba today.
Four options to listen to the transmission:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US). This has been audible in parts of NW, Central and Southern Europe with an excellent skip to Italy recently.
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
Also recommended:
1. Jetzt geht’s los!, an excellent program of early German Jazz produced by Radio Ohne Nahmen, comes on right before FTIOM on Tuesdays from 1800-1900 UTC on Channel 292.
Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, Sunday, August 5 & Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Episode 74 features some spectacular Bluegrass. If you think you that don’t like Bluegrass, we think that this episode will convert you.
The broadcasts take place:
1. Sundays 2200-2230 UTC (6:00PM -6:30PM Eastern US) on
WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
2. Tuesdays 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe. If current propagation conditions hold, the broadcast should reach from Iceland to Western Russia, Scandinavia down to North Africa and the Middle East, AND a long bounce to parts of New Zealand.
Also recommended:
Marion’s Attic, a unique program produced and hosted by Marion Webster featuring early 20th Century records, Edison cylinders etc played on the original equipment, comes on immediately before UBMP on Sundays from 2100-2200 UTC on WBCQ 7490 Khz.
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LR5D – Martín García Island, SA-055
The Radio Club Argentino (RCA), IARU National MS, announces that it will be active from Martín García Island (SA-055, ILLW AR-0022). Operation is scheduled from August 16th to 20th, including the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend. Operators: Juan Ignacio LU8ARI, Fernando LU1ARG, Carlos LU1BCE, Diego LU2CDE, Juan Manuel LU4CJM, Claudio LW3DN and Gonzalo LU3BGG will put […]
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Award Recipients Named by ARRL Board of Directors
-
On The Air
Special Event Stations, DXCC Program, W100AW W1AW QSLs via Bureau, Amateur Code, Contests, Operating Resources, QSL Service, Centennial QSO Party, NPOTA, Logbook of the World, Awards, W1AW, International Grid Chase 2018, Operating Specialties
Licensing, Education Training
FCC License Info and Forms, Volunteer Instructors/Mentors, Courses Training, Getting Licensed, License Certificates, Amateur Radio in the Classroom, College Students and Educators, Get on the Air, Volunteer Examiners, Lifelong Learning, What is Ham Radio
Membership
Member Directory, myARRL, Membership Certificate, Blind Membership, Join ARRL/Renew Membership, member feedback, Techquestion, OTA, Member Support, Membership Levels, Member Discounts
-
Read the full article at http://www.arrl.org/news/view/award-recipients-named-by-arrl-board-of-directors. STRAY SIGNALS does not claim ownership of the article.
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YB73RI – 73rd Anniversary of Indonesia
Validity of contacts: Start: 00:00 UTC – 10 August 2017 / End : 23:59 UTC 17 August 2017 All amateur HF bands including WARC Mode: SSB – CW – Digital Repeater, satellite, eQSO, Echolink or other relay methods are NOT permitted YB73RI/0 : Jakarta Special DIstrict. YB73RI/1 : West Java and Banten. YB73RI/2 : Central […]
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5E5E – Morocco
EA5EL, EA7FTR, EA1ACP and EB7DX will be activating this special call for National Celebrations in Morocco from 31 August to 3rd of September. QRV on SSB, CW & FT8. QSL via EA7FTR.
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The 2018 Lithuanian Hamfest. From DXNews.com
The tradition of summer radio amateur meetings in Lithuania goes back to 1989. This was at the end of the Soviet occupation, when the country was a republic in the Soviet Union.
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Why the C4 Class Is Critical for Small-Market Broadcasters
Stations like WLYB(FM) are a lifeline for rural towns like Livingston, Ala.
The author is owner and general manager of WLYB(FM) and president of Blackbelt Broadcasting in Livingston, Ala.
In 2013, we signed WLYB(FM) on the air in a community that didn’t have radio service.
Our permit was part of an early FCC auction.
When we visited Sumter County, Ala., one of the poorest counties in the nation, we saw a opportunity to serve this community; we were willing to invest in it and take the risk.
Growth has been slow. Many small businesses struggle (and close) month to month. Livingston, Ala., doesn’t have a car dealership, furniture store, hospital or many other businesses that are vital to a community.
Nearby York, Ala., has a hospital that has been on the brink of closure. The local grocery store closed over a year ago, and you’ll find only one fast food restaurant. With the exception of an insurance agency and a hardware store, downtown business is nonexistent.
Rural internet service is poor. Radio is still a primary source of community information.
WLYB(FM) stays on the air by reaching out to many communities, but a lack of a full-strength signal has been a issue. Many communities were abandoned by their station because they fled to serve large markets years ago. But we are there for community events, and promote small towns that wouldn’t otherwise have a voice.
Many residents travel to communities several miles away. Our station informs listeners on commerce options that are not available elsewhere. In some cases, we share information about community services that are important to the health and well being of our residents — services that many wouldn’t know about if it weren’t for our station.
Signal and reception challenges had been a hindrance for us. Tropospheric ducting, a limited signal (3.4 kW), and limited tower choices all have been issues.
But the listener doesn’t understand why some days they can hear us and other days they can’t. We have lost a few advertisers due to signal issues. With a limited amount of business and services available, this has been devastating blow to our operation.
Hundreds of other stations also face this challenge. They are limited because of FCC rules that are now outdated. It is time to save many small market stations and implement the C4 Class.
My station will not bump a translator off the air, interfere with any LPFMs or take revenue or market share from my competition. What it would do is allow us to serve all of our surrounding communities — and yes, serve the public interest.
Many Class A stations are at a crossroads. The C4 Class will allow many stations to continue serving small communities, where radio is still a vital part of everyday life.
The proposed Class C4 is a critical lifeline for our station.
The FCC is accepting comments on the FM Class C4 proposal (73.215) through Aug. 13.
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ARRL Board Adopts Volunteer Monitoring Program; Official Observer Program to be Retired
07/31/2018
The ARRL Board of Directors has adopted the recommendations of the Official Observer Program Study Committee, which would retire the 36-year-old Official Observer (OO) program and institute the Volunteer Monitoring (VM) program. The Board took the action at its July 20 – 21 meeting in Windsor, Connecticut, instructing that the transition “be implemented as soon as practicable.” Under the terms of the new program, current Official Observers will be invited to apply for appointment as Volunteer Monitors (VMs). The Board expressed its appreciation for the OOs and their dedicated volunteer service over the years.
The Board said the action is expected to re-energize enforcement efforts in the Amateur Radio bands and was undertaken at the request of the FCC in the wake of several FCC regional office closures and a reduction in field staff. Coordination of cases and evidence gathering would become the responsibility of ARRL Headquarters staff, while the FCC will retain the responsibility for final decisions regarding action in specific cases.
The study committee report spelled out the additional steps necessary to launch the Volunteer Monitoring program. Among them would be the appointment of a dedicated Headquarters staff member or an independent contractor working under the direction of ARRL Headquarters to administer the new program and interface with its participants. The Volunteer Monitoring program administrator would, among other duties, create a vetting and accreditation process for prospective Volunteer Monitors. The authority to accredit, appoint, and dismiss Volunteer Monitors would be assigned to ARRL Headquarters staff. Section Managers will continue to be a part of the vetting process for VMs, although they will not have appointment or dismissal authority.
Volunteer Monitor accreditation would be limited to a 3-year term, renewable by satisfying requirements necessary to ensure competency. A new Volunteer Monitoring Training Manual is in the final stages of development.
The administrator will create a target for the number of geographically distributed Volunteer Monitors. Preliminary plans would include up to five Volunteer Monitors per ARRL Section and up to 250 Volunteer Monitors overall.
In other duties, the administrator would “develop a rubric or other aid for program participants to highlight offenses and other criteria that the FCC considers a priority,” the motion said. The administrator also would be charged with organizing periodic webinars, highlighting technologies, techniques, and other continuing education topics that would assist, motivate, and better enable Volunteer Monitors. The FCC will be actively involved in the development and presentation of these training opportunities.
The new Volunteer Monitor program would continue to send notices recognizing good on-the-air operating practice. Under the new program, positive or negative operator notices eventually would be sent from ARRL Headquarters, not by individual Volunteer Monitors, in part to maintain their anonymity.
Another function of the Amateur Auxiliary — Local Interference Committees — will continue to be part of the total package, although their work is not directly addressable by the FCC.
The Board directed the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to study the feasibility and cost of developing a centralized, web-based IT system that Volunteer Monitors as well as ARRL and FCC staff could access, in order to maximize the efficiency of administering the modernized program.
The action further authorized ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, to terminate the standing Amended Agreement between ARRL and the FCC Field Bureau regarding the use of amateur volunteers and execute a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the ARRL and the FCC Enforcement Bureau. The MOU is under final review.
In other action, the Board:
- unanimously adopted recommendations of the ARRL Executive Committee to update ARRL’s Articles of Association and Bylaws (see the July 2018 issue of QST, p. 74, or refer to Minutes
Read the full article at http://www.arrl.org/news/view/arrl-board-adopts-volunteer-monitoring-program-official-observer-program-to-be-retired. STRAY SIGNALS does not claim ownership of the article.
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Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club Fires Up 1950s Vintage Gear for NASA on the Air Special Event – ARRL
07/30/2018
W5RRR, the Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club (JSCARC), is on the air as part of the NASA on the Air (NOTA) year-long special event — one of 12 NASA ham club stations participating in the event, which celebrates significant NASA milestones as the agency observes its 60th anniversary.
This week, JSCARC members will focus operations on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters, as well as on satellites. A commemorative 1958 vintage vacuum tube vintage station will be activated. It pairs a Johnson Ranger transmitter and Courier amplifier with a Hammarlund HQ-145C receiver, courtesy of Kenneth Goodwin, K5RG, a JSARC member.
“This station will be used to make CW, SSB, and AM QSOs,” Keith Brandt, WD9GET, said. “In addition, our other shack radios will use SSB, FT8, FM, CW, and SSTV to make contacts on all bands.”
A special 60th anniversary QSL card — designed by AB5SS — will be available with an SASE for contacts made only to JSC Amateur Radio Club, 2101 NASA Rd. 1 M/C AW7, Houston, TX 77058. A certificate is available for top stations that work modes and bands across the NOTA NASA centers.
Read the full article at http://www.arrl.org/news/johnson-space-center-amateur-radio-club-fires-up-1950s-vintage-gear-for-nasa-on-the-air-special-even. STRAY SIGNALS does not claim ownership of the article.
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Syllabus 2019
Following its approval by the RSGB Board in July, we are pleased to announce that Syllabus 2019 will be released during the week commencing 13 August 2018.
This will link with the publication of the first set of project communications in RadCom to give Members a fuller understanding of the milestones of the changeover.
We will also release a comparison document at the same time, enabling tutors to see at a glance what changes have been made between the old and new syllabuses.
Category: Front Page News, RSGB Notices
Read the full article at http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/rsgb-notices/2018/07/31/syllabus-2019/. STRAY SIGNALS does not claim ownership of the article.
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[POSTPONED] 5C9A – Los Farallones Island, AF-118NEW
NEWS UPDATE – Navy and Government permission has not been given therefore this planned expedition is currently postponed. JUNE 28, 2018 — Planning is now underway for an international team of IOTA activators to QRV from Los Farallones Island, AF-118NEW. Dates and full info to follow soon. Callsign 5C9A is requested.
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Gary seeks information about radio recordings by the Judica Cordiglia brothers
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary Wise (W4EEY), who writes with the following inquiry:
Have you (or your subscribers) ever investigated the supposed radio recordings of the Judica Cordiglia brothers of Italy back in the 1960’s?
Two YouTube videos just crossed my path which sparked the question.
The brothers allegedly recorded transmissions from failed Russian Manned Space flights before the successful flight of Yuri Gagarin. I remember reading about these when I was growing up. The second video contains a snippet of a voice recording from a supposed female cosmonaut as she reports rising cockpit temperatures before she died.
Click here to view on YouTube.
Click here to view on YouTube.
Spooky and sad if true – but certainly a part of radio history if it can be documented.
Wow–I have never heard of these recordings and as you say, Gary, this is quite sad if true.
Post readers: Does anyone have more insight about the Judica Cordiglia brothers recordings? Please comment!
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Updates to General Conditions
Southgate ARC – Ofcom has today updated one of our General Conditions and associated guidance relating to new ‘calling line identification’ requirements, which are due to take effect from 1 October 2018
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Sample Belgian ham radio exams online
Southgate ARC – Sample exams for the Belgian Basic and HAREC amateur radio exams are available to try online
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Planned outage of some RSGB services
Southgate ARC – The RSGB report a key webserver will be offline for essential maintenance from 21.00 on Tuesday, August 7 until 08.30 on Wednesday, August 8
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Ofcom update on local TV licensing
Southgate ARC – Ofcom has today published a decision on the further rollout of local TV services
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ILLW and even older lighthouses
Southgate ARC – A few weeks ago the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend team received an entry for this year’s ILLW event for a lighthouse built in 1747 at Skagen in Denmark and the comment was made that this was possibly the oldest lighthouse which had participated in the event
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HFCC announces the passing of its founder Oldrich Cip
Southgate ARC – Oldrich Cip, founder and Vice Chairman of the High Frequency Coordination Conference, known as the HFCC, passed away on 27 July following a sudden illness
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FaradayRF radio hams on Amp Hour podcast
Southgate ARC – Radio amateurs Bryce Salmi KB1LQC and Brent Salmi KB1LQD are interviewed in edition 401 of the Amp Hour electronics podcast
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ExoMars rover naming competition!
Southgate ARC – The UK Space Agency has launched a competition to name a rover that is going to Mars to search for signs of life
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Atmospheric radiation: New results for the Continental USA
Southgate ARC – As July comes to a close, sunspot counts are nearing a 10-year low. This is having a yin-yang effect on cosmic rays
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AMSAT Symposium and Banquet registration
Southgate ARC – Registrations and Banquet tickets are available on the AMSAT Store for the 2018 36th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting and the Banquet
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3W9JK/P 3W9JK Cham Island Vietnam. From DXNews.com
SP5APW will be active as 3W9JK/P from Cham Island, IOTA AS – 162, 15 – 22 September 2018 and as 3W9JK from Ho An, 22 – 27 September 2018.
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Entercom Reacts to USTN Lawsuit
After failed buyout negotiations, USTN alleges “fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility and misappropriation of trade secrets”
Entercom Communications announced that the company has ended its formal relationship with United States Traffic Network, but USTN says “not so fast!”
In fact, USTN filed a lawsuit against Entercom Friday in the 269th District court in Harris County, Texas. The court filing alleges that Entercom was in talks to buy USTN but backed out at the eleventh hour and then accused the company of “fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility and misappropriation of trade secrets,” according to a statement released by USTN. Furthermore, the suit alleges that Entercom benefited by actions that ultimately damaged USTN.
According to USTN’s statement, “Defendants on July 25th, sent written notification that the $1,300,000 payment had not been made, and that plaintiffs were in default under the April loan agreement. Defendants did this knowing that the deal had not closed on the 24th, knowing that under the terms the loan was to be rescinded, and knowing that they had repeatedly instructed plaintiffs to not seek additional financing, raise additional capital, or even hire an investment banker.”
With that in mind, USTN, as represented by Dallas law firm Sessions Fishman Nathan & Israel LLC, is seeking “material and punitive damages in excess of $5,000,000,” the company said. The case will be tried before Judge Dan Hinde.
[Read more: Entercom Takes Equity Stake in Traffic Provider]
In turn, Entercom released its own strongly worded statement, characterizing the lawsuit as “baseless, frivolous and frankly insulting.”
The statement also confirms that Entercom does indeed plan to sell “traffic and other short duration advertising” — as the broadcaster has done “on its own for many years,” according to Entercom, perhaps addressing the allegations that the company stole trade secrets during the course of its negotiations with USTN.
In the announcement, Entercom President and CEO David Field said, “We are relieved to no longer be mired by the difficult USTN situation that was inherited as part of the CBS Radio merger. We will move quickly to augment our strong internal sales organization to ensure that we realize the full value of this inventory.”
That was a significant change in tone from his statements in early May, when Field was quoted saying, “We are pleased to announce our new partnership with USTN. Their new management team has moved quickly to fix their issues and establish a solid business model following the company’s separation from its former corporate parent. We look forward to participating in their future growth as they capitalize on the significant opportunities in this attractive market segment.”
That statement was also preceded by Entercom taking back some of inventory from USTN, as Entercom notes in its more recent statement.
Entercom’s actions were foreshadowed by the company’s Q4 earnings report. In March, Randy Stine reported that “Entercom suffered a $4 million write down of revenues in Q4 related to its contract with United States Traffic Network;” in 2017, USTN provided about 2% of Entercom’s net revenue. However, in March, Field also indicated Entercom was then “currently negotiating with them on a new beneficial arrangement” and also “ working on alternative paths to mitigate the losses if USTN fails.”
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Monday, July 30, 2018
Entercom Reacts to USTN Lawsuit
After failed buyout negotiations, USTN alleges “fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility and misappropriation of trade secrets”
Entercom Communications announced that the company has ended its formal relationship with United States Traffic Network, but USTN says “not so fast!”
In fact, USTN filed a lawsuit against Entercom Friday in the 269th District court in Harris County, Texas. The court filing alleges that Entercom was in talks to buy USTN but backed out at the eleventh hour and then accused the company of “fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility and misappropriation of trade secrets,” according to a statement released by USTN. Furthermore, the suit alleges that Entercom benefited by actions that ultimately damaged USTN.
According to USTN’s statement, “Defendants on July 25th, sent written notification that the $1,300,000 payment had not been made, and that plaintiffs were in default under the April loan agreement. Defendants did this knowing that the deal had not closed on the 24th, knowing that under the terms the loan was to be rescinded, and knowing that they had repeatedly instructed plaintiffs to not seek additional financing, raise additional capital, or even hire an investment banker.”
With that in mind, USTN, as represented by Dallas law firm Sessions Fishman Nathan & Israel LLC, is seeking “material and punitive damages in excess of $5,000,000,” the company said. The case will be tried before Judge Dan Hinde.
[Read more: Entercom Takes Equity Stake in Traffic Provider]
In turn, Entercom released its own strongly worded statement, characterizing the lawsuit as “baseless, frivolous and frankly insulting.”
The statement also confirms that Entercom does indeed plan to sell “traffic and other short duration advertising” — as the broadcaster has done “on its own for many years,” according to Entercom, perhaps addressing the allegations that the company stole trade secrets during the course of its negotiations with USTN.
In the announcement, Entercom President and CEO David Field said, “We are relieved to no longer be mired by the difficult USTN situation that was inherited as part of the CBS Radio merger. We will move quickly to augment our strong internal sales organization to ensure that we realize the full value of this inventory.”
That was a significant change in tone from his statements in early May, when Field was quoted saying, “We are pleased to announce our new partnership with USTN. Their new management team has moved quickly to fix their issues and establish a solid business model following the company’s separation from its former corporate parent. We look forward to participating in their future growth as they capitalize on the significant opportunities in this attractive market segment.”
That statement was also preceded by Entercom taking back some of inventory from USTN, as Entercom notes in its more recent statement.
Entercom’s actions were foreshadowed by the company’s Q4 earnings report. In March, Randy Stine reported that “Entercom suffered a $4 million write down of revenues in Q4 related to its contract with United States Traffic Network;” in 2017, USTN provided about 2% of Entercom’s net revenue. However, in March, Field also indicated Entercom was then “currently negotiating with them on a new beneficial arrangement” and also “ working on alternative paths to mitigate the losses if USTN fails.”
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FCC Reaffirms $144,000 Action Against Alleged Pirate
Commission took action in 2017 against both the alleged operator and property owners
The Federal Communications Commission stands behind its decision in September 2017 to levy the largest fine to date against an alleged pirate operator and property owner.
It was back in 2012 that investigators first ran into Fabrice Polynice, a programming provider, along with Harold and Veronise Sido, who own property in North Miami where the station’s transmission equipment was allegedly located. After various complaints and investigations, in 2017 the FCC imposed a penalty of $144,344 against the three for their alleged longstanding joint operation of an unlicensed FM broadcast radio station on 90.1 MHz, which the FCC said Polynice operated from the Sidos’ residence in North Miami.
The investigation showed that Polynice actively promoted and broadcast unauthorized radio transmissions, while the Sidos made their property available and otherwise supported, participated in and acquiesced to the station’s operation.
“[This] item takes enforcement action against intentional violations of our rules by the landlords,” wrote FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly when the action was released. “I firmly believe that this is a vital step towards ending the practice of pirate radio operations. If the pirate is unable to find partners that enable the operation, it will have a hard time accessing our airwaves.”
[Read: In Largest Penalty to Date, FCC Fines Both Pirate Operator and Property Owner]
After the initial fine was proposed in 2017, Polynice and the Sidos responded to the FCC with several arguments as to why the forfeiture should be reduced or cancelled — citing lack of notice, lack of citation, impermissible selective enforcement, lack of evidence and an inability to pay the proposed forfeiture.
Among other issues, Polynice argued that he did not receive any Notice of Unlicensed Operation from the FCC and, therefore, he did not have notice that his actions were illegal, he said. Polynice also argued that the FCC is engaging in impermissible selective pirate radio enforcement and that it only has circumstantial evidence about the alleged broadcasts — seeing that the FCC did not directly witness Polynice actually broadcasting on the station, he said.
For example, he argued that there was no evidence he was broadcasting from the shed on the Sidos’ property. Agents did not go into the shed, and that because the agents did not see equipment in the shed on the last site visit, he is not liable, Polynice said. He also argued that the proposed fine should be reduced or cancelled because of his inability to pay it, the FCC said.
The Sidos also responded to the Notice of Apparent Liability and said they rented the shed in their yard to Polynice but “were never involved with, or aware of, any illegal pirate station operating on our property.”
But after reviewing both responses, the FCC said it found no reason to cancel, withdraw or reduce the proposed penalty, and would assess the $144,344 forfeiture that was previously proposed.
“Contrary to Polynice’s argument, the commission did not need to find Mr. Polynice in the shed in which some of the equipment was operating in order to find him liable for operating an illegal station,” the FCC said. “Evidence demonstrates that Mr. Polynice produced radio programming for an illegal station, and advertised that he did so via social media available to the public.”
When it came to the Sidos’ response, the FCC said the couple had received numerous verbal and written warnings from the FCC regarding the radio station operating on their property over a period of years, including the fact that that radio equipment was seized from the shed on their property in 2012. The station’s broadcast antenna was plainly visible in the Sidos’ backyard, the FCC said. Additionally, in December 2016, Sido reposted on his Facebook page a 2014 video showing he and Polynice in the studio itself.
Initially, the FCC had proposed a much larger forfeiture — that of $710,000 — which was based partly on imposing a base forfeiture of $10,000 for each day the unauthorized radio station was operated. But the maximum forfeiture under the Communications Act in this case is $144,344. And although Polynice provided tax returns for three years that show an income of around $16,310 in each year, the FCC declined to reduce the proposed forfeiture “based on the longstanding and egregious nature of [the] misconduct.”
“A violator’s ‘ability to pay’ is only one of several factors the commission must consider when determining an appropriate forfeiture,” the FCC said.
O’Rielly directly addressed Polynice’s concern that he did not receive a Notice of Unlicensed Operation.
“The commission is not required to issue a citation to those operating a pirate radio station,” O’Rielly said. “Beyond not being required by law, in many instances involving pirate radio, issuing a citation can be counterproductive.
“In a game of whack-a-mole, locating and taking enforcement action against pirate operators is tough enough,” he said. “Warning enterprise pirates that you are on to them can send them underground, or onto another frequency, increasing the time it takes to get the pirate off the air.”
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Entercom Names Hartford SVP, Announces Other Programming Appointments
Appoints Cook in Baltimore, Toni-Marie in Portland and Acevedo in Denver
Entercom has named Stephanie Perl as the new senior vice president and market manager for its Hartford, Conn., cluster. The broadcaster also appointed Tom Cook to the role of director of music programming in Baltimore. In other programming news, Entercom named Toni-Marie assistant PD for KWJJ(FM) in Portland, Ore., and tapped Toshamakia Acevedo as music director for KQKS(FM) in Denver.
Effective Aug. 6, Perl will oversee WTIC(AM/FM), WZMX(FM) and WRCH(FM).
She previously was a local TV sales manager for Tribune Broadcasting’s WTIC and WCCT, the Hartford Fox and CW affiliates. Perl helped to establish the new broadcast location in New Haven and secured several exclusive strategic partnerships that participated in cross-media integration with Tribune Media.
Prior to that, Perl spent 17 years at CBS Radio Hartford, rising from an account executive to a general sales manager. She was responsible for the combined sales assets of WTIC, WZMX and WRCH along with also holding positions like director of strategic development managing nontraditional revenue and was the point person for CBS Interactive and EcoMedia Division.
In his new role in Baltimore, Tom Cook will oversee programming on WLIF(FM) and WWMX(FM). Prior to joining Entercom, he was the Michigan regional operations manager for Townsquare Media, where he oversaw programming for 23 stations in five markets. He also held ops manager and brand manager roles, as well as on-air and programming positions at Clear Channel Communications/iHeartMedia.
Toni-Marie will also host the midday drive from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (PT) in Portland, Ore. Prior to joining Entercom, Toni-Marie worked for Buck Owens Production Co., holding the roles of music director and on-air host at KUZZ and KRJK(FM) in Bakersfield, Calif. She previously also held assistant PD and music director positions at KWNR in Las Vegas.
Acevedo succeeds assistant program director, music director and afternoon drive host Michael Buhrman, who recently transitioned to Entercom’s KSFM(FM) in Sacramento as PD and afternoon drive host. In addition to her new role, Acevedo will also host the station’s afternoon drive from 3–7 p.m. (MT).
Acevedo was previously an on-air personality for sister station WJMH(FM) in Greensboro, N.C. She started her career in 2001 at WZMX(FM) in Hartford, Conn., as an on-air personality. Prior to joining Entercom, she held on-air roles at SiriusXM Radio and Radio One’s WRNB in Philadelphia.
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StreamGuys to Showcase New Automated Podcast Transcription and Captioning at IBC2018
BAYSIDE, CALIFORNIA, July 30, 2018 – The upcoming IBC2018 exhibition will provide the backdrop for the European debut of new audio transcription features in the SGrecast live stream repurposing, rebroadcasting and podcast management system from streaming solutions pioneer StreamGuys. Powered by the patented enCaption4 cloud-based, automated captioning technology from ENCO, the new capabilities enable fast, effortless generation of exceptionally accurate transcriptions and captions from recordings and uploaded files. StreamGuys will co-exhibit with ENCO in stand 8.A59 at the show, taking place September 14-18 in Amsterdam.
The SaaS-based SGrecast offers broadcasters a comprehensive platform for recording live streams and transforming them into revenue-expanding side channels and podcasts. The new enhancements enable users to automatically generate transcriptions of new or existing recordings, and to caption pre-recorded, archived files for web and mobile streaming. The resulting captions can be exported as SRT, WebVTT or JSON files, while complete transcripts can be saved for later use.
SGrecast’s new transcription abilities bring benefits to both content producers and their audiences. The cloud-based solution’s highly-granular search functionality can leverage the transcripts and captions to help operators find exactly the content they need in just seconds. Search precision is further empowered by enCaption4’s remarkably high accuracy, made possible by ENCO’s deep neural network approach to voice recognition. Individual speakers can also be identified and labelled to enhance subsequent searching. Content providerscan effortlessly publish feature-rich media players with captions, bolstering accessibility for hearing-impaired viewers while also supporting multi-lingual applications.
SGrecast’s enCaption-powered speech-to-text capabilities further deepen StreamGuys’ already-extensive portfolio of podcast production, monetization and management tools. In addition to the SGrecast platform, StreamGuys offers podcast hosting, dynamic advertising insertion and a robust, cloud-based delivery infrastructure that together form an end-to-end podcasting system spanning content creation through distribution.
StreamGuys director of technology Eduardo Martinez will also share insights and expertise with IBC conference-goers in the session “Power of the podcast: How to reach new audiences through audio,” taking place Friday, September 14 from 2:45pm to 3:30pm CEST. Eduardo will join expert co-panelists from The New York Times and ITV in exploring the latest podcasting business models and monetization opportunities.
“The new automated transcription capabilities continue SGrecast’s hallmarks of enabling customers to unlock the full potential of their podcast content while minimizing manual effort and costs,” said Martinez. “ENCO’s enCaption4 engine ensures that transcripts and captions are created with exceptional speed and accuracy, and combines with the robust content management and search features of SGrecast to help customers find and repurpose content with captions faster and more easily than ever before.”
The integration of SGrecast and enCaption4 is the latest step in the strong partnership between StreamGuys and ENCO, which aims to seamlessly bring together streaming and automation workflows for the production and delivery of TV and radio programming including Visual Radio. StreamGuys multi-format encoding services help broadcasters deliver ENCO-driven program content to web, mobile and OTT devices, while SGrecast lets operators easily convert live streams into podcasts and launch new streams within ENCO’s DAD (radio), MOM (TV) or Visual Radio systems.
About StreamGuys, Inc.
In business since 2000, StreamGuys is an industry-leading service provider of live and on-demand streaming, podcasting delivery, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) toolsets for enterprise-level broadcast media organizations. The company brings together the industry’s best price-to-performance ratio, a robust and reliable network, and an infinitely scalable cloud-based platform for clients of any size to process, deliver, monetize and playout professional streaming content. StreamGuys supports many of the world’s largest Podcasts, global TV and radio broadcasters, video and audio production companies, houses of worship, retail and hospitality businesses, government organizations, medical and healthcare services, and live venues for sports and entertainment. The company excels in developing and deploying technologies for business growth and revenue generation, including dynamic ad insertion, Alexa skills, mobile streaming and detailed business and data analytics.
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Entercom Reacts to USTN Lawsuit
After failed buyout negotiations, USTN alleges “fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility and misappropriation of trade secrets”
Entercom Communications announced that the company has ended its formal relationship with United States Traffic Network, but USTN says “not so fast!”
In fact, USTN filed a lawsuit against Entercom Friday in the 269th District court in Harris County, Texas. The court filing alleges that Entercom was in talks to buy USTN but backed out at the eleventh hour and then accused the company of “fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility and misappropriation of trade secrets,” according to a statement released by USTN. Furthermore, the suit alleges that Entercom benefited by actions that ultimately damaged USTN.
According to USTN’s statement, “Defendants on July 25th, sent written notification that the $1,300,000 payment had not been made, and that plaintiffs were in default under the April loan agreement. Defendants did this knowing that the deal had not closed on the 24th, knowing that under the terms the loan was to be rescinded, and knowing that they had repeatedly instructed plaintiffs to not seek additional financing, raise additional capital, or even hire an investment banker.”
With that in mind, USTN, as represented by Dallas law firm Sessions Fishman Nathan & Israel LLC, is seeking “material and punitive damages in excess of $5,000,000,” the company said. The case will be tried before Judge Dan Hinde.
[Read more: Entercom Takes Equity Stake in Traffic Provider]
In turn, Entercom released its own strongly worded statement, characterizing the lawsuit as “baseless, frivolous and frankly insulting.”
The statement also confirms that Entercom does indeed plan to sell “traffic and other short duration advertising” — as the broadcaster has done “on its own for many years,” according to Entercom, perhaps addressing the allegations that the company stole trade secrets during the course of its negotiations with USTN.
In the announcement, Entercom President and CEO David Field said, “We are relieved to no longer be mired by the difficult USTN situation that was inherited as part of the CBS Radio merger. We will move quickly to augment our strong internal sales organization to ensure that we realize the full value of this inventory.”
That was a significant change in tone from his statements in early May, when Field was quoted saying, “We are pleased to announce our new partnership with USTN. Their new management team has moved quickly to fix their issues and establish a solid business model following the company’s separation from its former corporate parent. We look forward to participating in their future growth as they capitalize on the significant opportunities in this attractive market segment.”
That statement was also preceded by Entercom taking back some of inventory from USTN, as Entercom notes in its more recent statement.
Entercom’s actions were foreshadowed by the company’s Q4 earnings report. In March, Randy Stine reported that “Entercom suffered a $4 million write down of revenues in Q4 related to its contract with United States Traffic Network;” in 2017, USTN provided about 2% of Entercom’s net revenue. However, in March, Field also indicated Entercom was then “currently negotiating with them on a new beneficial arrangement” and also “ working on alternative paths to mitigate the losses if USTN fails.”
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Tieline Via – Cloud Codec Controller
https://content.jwplatform.com/players/QThoH1r3-4VPeniTr.html
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FCC Reaffirms $144,000 Action Against Alleged Pirate
Commission took action in 2017 against both the alleged operator and property owners
The Federal Communications Commission stands behind its decision in September 2017 to levy the largest fine to date against an alleged pirate operator and property owner.
It was back in 2012 that investigators first ran into Fabrice Polynice, a programming provider, along with Harold and Veronise Sido, who own property in North Miami where the station’s transmission equipment was allegedly located. After various complaints and investigations, in 2017 the FCC imposed a penalty of $144,344 against the three for their alleged longstanding joint operation of an unlicensed FM broadcast radio station on 90.1 MHz, which the FCC said Polynice operated from the Sidos’ residence in North Miami.
The investigation showed that Polynice actively promoted and broadcast unauthorized radio transmissions, while the Sidos made their property available and otherwise supported, participated in and acquiesced to the station’s operation.
“[This] item takes enforcement action against intentional violations of our rules by the landlords,” wrote FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly when the action was released. “I firmly believe that this is a vital step towards ending the practice of pirate radio operations. If the pirate is unable to find partners that enable the operation, it will have a hard time accessing our airwaves.”
[Read: In Largest Penalty to Date, FCC Fines Both Pirate Operator and Property Owner]
After the initial fine was proposed in 2017, Polynice and the Sidos responded to the FCC with several arguments as to why the forfeiture should be reduced or cancelled — citing lack of notice, lack of citation, impermissible selective enforcement, lack of evidence and an inability to pay the proposed forfeiture.
Among other issues, Polynice argued that he did not receive any Notice of Unlicensed Operation from the FCC and, therefore, he did not have notice that his actions were illegal, he said. Polynice also argued that the FCC is engaging in impermissible selective pirate radio enforcement and that it only has circumstantial evidence about the alleged broadcasts — seeing that the FCC did not directly witness Polynice actually broadcasting on the station, he said.
For example, he argued that there was no evidence he was broadcasting from the shed on the Sidos’ property. Agents did not go into the shed, and that because the agents did not see equipment in the shed on the last site visit, he is not liable, Polynice said. He also argued that the proposed fine should be reduced or cancelled because of his inability to pay it, the FCC said.
The Sidos also responded to the Notice of Apparent Liability and said they rented the shed in their yard to Polynice but “were never involved with, or aware of, any illegal pirate station operating on our property.”
But after reviewing both responses, the FCC said it found no reason to cancel, withdraw or reduce the proposed penalty, and would assess the $144,344 forfeiture that was previously proposed.
“Contrary to Polynice’s argument, the commission did not need to find Mr. Polynice in the shed in which some of the equipment was operating in order to find him liable for operating an illegal station,” the FCC said. “Evidence demonstrates that Mr. Polynice produced radio programming for an illegal station, and advertised that he did so via social media available to the public.”
When it came to the Sidos’ response, the FCC said the couple had received numerous verbal and written warnings from the FCC regarding the radio station operating on their property over a period of years, including the fact that that radio equipment was seized from the shed on their property in 2012. The station’s broadcast antenna was plainly visible in the Sidos’ backyard, the FCC said. Additionally, in December 2016, Sido reposted on his Facebook page a 2014 video showing he and Polynice in the studio itself.
Initially, the FCC had proposed a much larger forfeiture — that of $710,000 — which was based partly on imposing a base forfeiture of $10,000 for each day the unauthorized radio station was operated. But the maximum forfeiture under the Communications Act in this case is $144,344. And although Polynice provided tax returns for three years that show an income of around $16,310 in each year, the FCC declined to reduce the proposed forfeiture “based on the longstanding and egregious nature of [the] misconduct.”
“A violator’s ‘ability to pay’ is only one of several factors the commission must consider when determining an appropriate forfeiture,” the FCC said.
O’Rielly directly addressed Polynice’s concern that he did not receive a Notice of Unlicensed Operation.
“The commission is not required to issue a citation to those operating a pirate radio station,” O’Rielly said. “Beyond not being required by law, in many instances involving pirate radio, issuing a citation can be counterproductive.
“In a game of whack-a-mole, locating and taking enforcement action against pirate operators is tough enough,” he said. “Warning enterprise pirates that you are on to them can send them underground, or onto another frequency, increasing the time it takes to get the pirate off the air.”
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Entercom Names Hartford SVP, Announces Other Programming Appointments
Appoints Cook in Baltimore, Toni-Marie in Portland and Acevedo in Denver
Entercom has named Stephanie Perl as the new senior vice president and market manager for its Hartford, Conn., cluster. The broadcaster also appointed Tom Cook to the role of director of music programming in Baltimore. In other programming news, Entercom named Toni-Marie assistant PD for KWJJ(FM) in Portland, Ore., and tapped Toshamakia Acevedo as music director for KQKS(FM) in Denver.
Effective Aug. 6, Perl will oversee WTIC(AM/FM), WZMX(FM) and WRCH(FM).
She previously was a local TV sales manager for Tribune Broadcasting’s WTIC and WCCT, the Hartford Fox and CW affiliates. Perl helped to establish the new broadcast location in New Haven and secured several exclusive strategic partnerships that participated in cross-media integration with Tribune Media.
Prior to that, Perl spent 17 years at CBS Radio Hartford, rising from an account executive to a general sales manager. She was responsible for the combined sales assets of WTIC, WZMX and WRCH along with also holding positions like director of strategic development managing nontraditional revenue and was the point person for CBS Interactive and EcoMedia Division.
In his new role in Baltimore, Tom Cook will oversee programming on WLIF(FM) and WWMX(FM). Prior to joining Entercom, he was the Michigan regional operations manager for Townsquare Media, where he oversaw programming for 23 stations in five markets. He also held ops manager and brand manager roles, as well as on-air and programming positions at Clear Channel Communications/iHeartMedia.
Toni-Marie will also host the midday drive from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (PT) in Portland, Ore. Prior to joining Entercom, Toni-Marie worked for Buck Owens Production Co., holding the roles of music director and on-air host at KUZZ and KRJK(FM) in Bakersfield, Calif. She previously also held assistant PD and music director positions at KWNR in Las Vegas.
Acevedo succeeds assistant program director, music director and afternoon drive host Michael Buhrman, who recently transitioned to Entercom’s KSFM(FM) in Sacramento as PD and afternoon drive host. In addition to her new role, Acevedo will also host the station’s afternoon drive from 3–7 p.m. (MT).
Acevedo was previously an on-air personality for sister station WJMH(FM) in Greensboro, N.C. She started her career in 2001 at WZMX(FM) in Hartford, Conn., as an on-air personality. Prior to joining Entercom, she held on-air roles at SiriusXM Radio and Radio One’s WRNB in Philadelphia.
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StreamGuys to Showcase New Automated Podcast Transcription and Captioning at IBC2018
BAYSIDE, CALIFORNIA, July 30, 2018 – The upcoming IBC2018 exhibition will provide the backdrop for the European debut of new audio transcription features in the SGrecast live stream repurposing, rebroadcasting and podcast management system from streaming solutions pioneer StreamGuys. Powered by the patented enCaption4 cloud-based, automated captioning technology from ENCO, the new capabilities enable fast, effortless generation of exceptionally accurate transcriptions and captions from recordings and uploaded files. StreamGuys will co-exhibit with ENCO in stand 8.A59 at the show, taking place September 14-18 in Amsterdam.
The SaaS-based SGrecast offers broadcasters a comprehensive platform for recording live streams and transforming them into revenue-expanding side channels and podcasts. The new enhancements enable users to automatically generate transcriptions of new or existing recordings, and to caption pre-recorded, archived files for web and mobile streaming. The resulting captions can be exported as SRT, WebVTT or JSON files, while complete transcripts can be saved for later use.
SGrecast’s new transcription abilities bring benefits to both content producers and their audiences. The cloud-based solution’s highly-granular search functionality can leverage the transcripts and captions to help operators find exactly the content they need in just seconds. Search precision is further empowered by enCaption4’s remarkably high accuracy, made possible by ENCO’s deep neural network approach to voice recognition. Individual speakers can also be identified and labelled to enhance subsequent searching. Content providerscan effortlessly publish feature-rich media players with captions, bolstering accessibility for hearing-impaired viewers while also supporting multi-lingual applications.
SGrecast’s enCaption-powered speech-to-text capabilities further deepen StreamGuys’ already-extensive portfolio of podcast production, monetization and management tools. In addition to the SGrecast platform, StreamGuys offers podcast hosting, dynamic advertising insertion and a robust, cloud-based delivery infrastructure that together form an end-to-end podcasting system spanning content creation through distribution.
StreamGuys director of technology Eduardo Martinez will also share insights and expertise with IBC conference-goers in the session “Power of the podcast: How to reach new audiences through audio,” taking place Friday, September 14 from 2:45pm to 3:30pm CEST. Eduardo will join expert co-panelists from The New York Times and ITV in exploring the latest podcasting business models and monetization opportunities.
“The new automated transcription capabilities continue SGrecast’s hallmarks of enabling customers to unlock the full potential of their podcast content while minimizing manual effort and costs,” said Martinez. “ENCO’s enCaption4 engine ensures that transcripts and captions are created with exceptional speed and accuracy, and combines with the robust content management and search features of SGrecast to help customers find and repurpose content with captions faster and more easily than ever before.”
The integration of SGrecast and enCaption4 is the latest step in the strong partnership between StreamGuys and ENCO, which aims to seamlessly bring together streaming and automation workflows for the production and delivery of TV and radio programming including Visual Radio. StreamGuys multi-format encoding services help broadcasters deliver ENCO-driven program content to web, mobile and OTT devices, while SGrecast lets operators easily convert live streams into podcasts and launch new streams within ENCO’s DAD (radio), MOM (TV) or Visual Radio systems.
About StreamGuys, Inc.
In business since 2000, StreamGuys is an industry-leading service provider of live and on-demand streaming, podcasting delivery, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) toolsets for enterprise-level broadcast media organizations. The company brings together the industry’s best price-to-performance ratio, a robust and reliable network, and an infinitely scalable cloud-based platform for clients of any size to process, deliver, monetize and playout professional streaming content. StreamGuys supports many of the world’s largest Podcasts, global TV and radio broadcasters, video and audio production companies, houses of worship, retail and hospitality businesses, government organizations, medical and healthcare services, and live venues for sports and entertainment. The company excels in developing and deploying technologies for business growth and revenue generation, including dynamic ad insertion, Alexa skills, mobile streaming and detailed business and data analytics.
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SDRplay RSP1A Aluminum Metal Case kit now available on eBay
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Ladd, who notes that the SDRplay RSP1A aluminum metal enclosure kit is now available on eBay.
The price is $29.95 shipped and the kit includes:
- 1x Black aluminum metal enclosure with two labelled side panels
- 1x Black semi-hardshell carry case
- 1x Thermal pad to keep the RSP1A cool and mechanically stable inside the enclosure
- 1x Accessory set including enclosure screws, GND lug bolt set and 3M anti-slip rubber feet
- 1x Tecsun AN03-L seven meter long wire antenna + 1x Matching SMA Adapter
- 1x 11cm to 48cm portable SMA telescopic antenna
Thanks for the tip, Mike. I’m definitely pulling the trigger. What a great upgrade and price!
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CQ MERDEKA Event
Special event callsigns to support the 61st Malaysia Independent Day 2018 Date: Start – 01 August 2018. End 01 September 2018. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO THIS WEBSITE: http://www.9mdxc.com/cq9m 61st Anniversary Celebration of the 61st Anniversary Celebration of SPECIAL STORY SPECIAL STATION. OBJECTIVE: To promote Malaysia’s country and its 61st independence with the welcome […]
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Entercom Names Hartford SVP, Announces Other Programming Appointments
Appoints Cook in Baltimore, Toni-Marie in Portland and Acevedo in Denver
Entercom has named Stephanie Perl as the new senior vice president and market manager for its Hartford, Conn., cluster. The broadcaster also appointed Tom Cook to the role of director of music programming in Baltimore. In other programming news, Entercom named Toni-Marie assistant PD for KWJJ(FM) in Portland, Ore., and tapped Toshamakia Acevedo as music director for KQKS(FM) in Denver.
Effective Aug. 6, Perl will oversee WTIC(AM/FM), WZMX(FM) and WRCH(FM).
She previously was a local TV sales manager for Tribune Broadcasting’s WTIC and WCCT, the Hartford Fox and CW affiliates. Perl helped to establish the new broadcast location in New Haven and secured several exclusive strategic partnerships that participated in cross-media integration with Tribune Media.
Prior to that, Perl spent 17 years at CBS Radio Hartford, rising from an account executive to a general sales manager. She was responsible for the combined sales assets of WTIC, WZMX and WRCH along with also holding positions like director of strategic development managing nontraditional revenue and was the point person for CBS Interactive and EcoMedia Division.
In his new role in Baltimore, Tom Cook will oversee programming on WLIF(FM) and WWMX(FM). Prior to joining Entercom, he was the Michigan regional operations manager for Townsquare Media, where he oversaw programming for 23 stations in five markets. He also held ops manager and brand manager roles, as well as on-air and programming positions at Clear Channel Communications/iHeartMedia.
Toni-Marie will also host the midday drive from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (PT) in Portland, Ore. Prior to joining Entercom, Toni-Marie worked for Buck Owens Production Co., holding the roles of music director and on-air host at KUZZ and KRJK(FM) in Bakersfield, Calif. She previously also held assistant PD and music director positions at KWNR in Las Vegas.
Acevedo succeeds assistant program director, music director and afternoon drive host Michael Buhrman, who recently transitioned to Entercom’s KSFM(FM) in Sacramento as PD and afternoon drive host. In addition to her new role, Acevedo will also host the station’s afternoon drive from 3–7 p.m. (MT).
Acevedo was previously an on-air personality for sister station WJMH(FM) in Greensboro, N.C. She started her career in 2001 at WZMX(FM) in Hartford, Conn., as an on-air personality. Prior to joining Entercom, she held on-air roles at SiriusXM Radio and Radio One’s WRNB in Philadelphia.
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StreamGuys to Showcase New Automated Podcast Transcription and Captioning at IBC2018
BAYSIDE, CALIFORNIA, July 30, 2018 – The upcoming IBC2018 exhibition will provide the backdrop for the European debut of new audio transcription features in the SGrecast live stream repurposing, rebroadcasting and podcast management system from streaming solutions pioneer StreamGuys. Powered by the patented enCaption4 cloud-based, automated captioning technology from ENCO, the new capabilities enable fast, effortless generation of exceptionally accurate transcriptions and captions from recordings and uploaded files. StreamGuys will co-exhibit with ENCO in stand 8.A59 at the show, taking place September 14-18 in Amsterdam.
The SaaS-based SGrecast offers broadcasters a comprehensive platform for recording live streams and transforming them into revenue-expanding side channels and podcasts. The new enhancements enable users to automatically generate transcriptions of new or existing recordings, and to caption pre-recorded, archived files for web and mobile streaming. The resulting captions can be exported as SRT, WebVTT or JSON files, while complete transcripts can be saved for later use.
SGrecast’s new transcription abilities bring benefits to both content producers and their audiences. The cloud-based solution’s highly-granular search functionality can leverage the transcripts and captions to help operators find exactly the content they need in just seconds. Search precision is further empowered by enCaption4’s remarkably high accuracy, made possible by ENCO’s deep neural network approach to voice recognition. Individual speakers can also be identified and labelled to enhance subsequent searching. Content providerscan effortlessly publish feature-rich media players with captions, bolstering accessibility for hearing-impaired viewers while also supporting multi-lingual applications.
SGrecast’s enCaption-powered speech-to-text capabilities further deepen StreamGuys’ already-extensive portfolio of podcast production, monetization and management tools. In addition to the SGrecast platform, StreamGuys offers podcast hosting, dynamic advertising insertion and a robust, cloud-based delivery infrastructure that together form an end-to-end podcasting system spanning content creation through distribution.
StreamGuys director of technology Eduardo Martinez will also share insights and expertise with IBC conference-goers in the session “Power of the podcast: How to reach new audiences through audio,” taking place Friday, September 14 from 2:45pm to 3:30pm CEST. Eduardo will join expert co-panelists from The New York Times and ITV in exploring the latest podcasting business models and monetization opportunities.
“The new automated transcription capabilities continue SGrecast’s hallmarks of enabling customers to unlock the full potential of their podcast content while minimizing manual effort and costs,” said Martinez. “ENCO’s enCaption4 engine ensures that transcripts and captions are created with exceptional speed and accuracy, and combines with the robust content management and search features of SGrecast to help customers find and repurpose content with captions faster and more easily than ever before.”
The integration of SGrecast and enCaption4 is the latest step in the strong partnership between StreamGuys and ENCO, which aims to seamlessly bring together streaming and automation workflows for the production and delivery of TV and radio programming including Visual Radio. StreamGuys multi-format encoding services help broadcasters deliver ENCO-driven program content to web, mobile and OTT devices, while SGrecast lets operators easily convert live streams into podcasts and launch new streams within ENCO’s DAD (radio), MOM (TV) or Visual Radio systems.
About StreamGuys, Inc.
In business since 2000, StreamGuys is an industry-leading service provider of live and on-demand streaming, podcasting delivery, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) toolsets for enterprise-level broadcast media organizations. The company brings together the industry’s best price-to-performance ratio, a robust and reliable network, and an infinitely scalable cloud-based platform for clients of any size to process, deliver, monetize and playout professional streaming content. StreamGuys supports many of the world’s largest Podcasts, global TV and radio broadcasters, video and audio production companies, houses of worship, retail and hospitality businesses, government organizations, medical and healthcare services, and live venues for sports and entertainment. The company excels in developing and deploying technologies for business growth and revenue generation, including dynamic ad insertion, Alexa skills, mobile streaming and detailed business and data analytics.
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3W9JK & 3W9JK/P – Vietnam
Jacek, SP5APW informs DX-World that he is going to visit Vietnam in September. He will work from Cham Island (AS-162) during 15-22 September and then 22-27 from Hoi An (mainland). The callsigns are accordingly: 3W9JK and 3W9JK/p (for mainland operation). He will be ready to operate 6-20m SSB using IC-7300 plus 1.2 kW PA (SP7SP) […]
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Web services scheduled downtime
A key RSGB webserver will be offline for essential maintenance from 21.00 on Tuesday, 7 August 2018 to 08.30 on Wednesday, 8 August 2018.
The following services will be unavailable during this period –
- Membership Services portal
- Band plans and information
- Club Finder and Exam and Course Finder
- Cadets Foundation Licence application
- RSGB Shop
- UK Events planner
- NoV applications
- Website search facility
- RadCom digital edition
- Website contact forms
- Videos not hosted on YouTube
- RSGB Forums
- National Radio Centre website
- ARDF website
If you are planning to visit Bletchley Park on Wednesday, 8 August 2018, please make sure you download your vouchers by 20.59 on Tuesday, 7 August 2018.
We will keep you updated if there are any changes to the planned work schedule, which is being undertaken by a third party service provider on the RSGB’s behalf.
Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Category: Front Page News, GB2RS Headlines, RSGB Notices
Read the full article at http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2018/07/30/web-services-scheduled-downtime/. STRAY SIGNALS does not claim ownership of the article.
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The Shipping Forecast featured on 99% Invisible
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric McFadden (WD8RIF), who notes that one of my favorite podcasts, 99% Invisible, has featured The Shipping Forecast in their latest episode:
Four times every day, on radios all across the British Isles, a BBC announcer begins reading from a seemingly indecipherable script. “And now the Shipping Forecast issued by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency,” says the voice over the wire. “Viking, North Utsire; southwesterly five to seven; occasionally gale eight; rain or showers; moderate or good, occasionally poor.” Cryptic and mesmerizing, this is the UK’s nautical weather report.
The Shipping Forecast is “part of the culture here,” muses Charlie Connolly, author of Attention All Shipping: A Journey ‘Round the Shipping Forecast. “It’s a much loved institution. People regard it as poetry.” Connolly grew up listening to the forecast. Even now, as an adult, he sets his alarm so he can tune into the early morning forecast.
The story of this radio program starts (well before the BBC itself) in the 1850s with a man named Admiral Robert FitzRoy. He was the captain of the Beagle, the ship that brought Charles Darwin to the Galapagos.
FitzRoy had a long, sometimes controversial career, but later in his life he became fascinated with the study of weather prediction.[…]
Continue reading and listen to this episode at 99PI.
As many of you know, I’m a big fan of The Shipping Forecast and have featured it in past posts. Thanks for the tip, Eric!
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HFCC Announces the Passing of its Founder, Oldrich Cip
(Source: WRMI & HFCC)
HFCC Announces the Passing of its Founder Oldrich Cip
Oldrich Cip, founder and Vice Chairman of the High Frequency Coordination Conference, known as the HFCC, passed away on 27 July following a sudden illness.
Oldrich was involved in radio since he was a child — first as an amateur radio hobbyist and later as a staff member of Czechoslovak and then Czech Radio in the international broadcasting departments. A college graduate in the field of Humanities, he spent most of his working life as a frequency manager and schedule planner. For a number of years he hosted a DX program on Radio Prague under the pen name Peter Skala.
After the end of the Cold War, he believed that broadcasters from both sides of the conflict should come together and develop a new system of planning and coordination for shortwave broadcasting. This led to the establishment of the HFCC in 1991. Oldrich was Chairman of the HFCC until 2015. Since then, he was a Vice Chairman of the group.
Oldrich lived in Prague, although he frequently spent time in his country house, where he enjoyed woodworking, guitar and country music, vintage graphics, photography and time with his family. His son Vladislav said he spent his last day there: “He enjoyed a quiet evening in the country house, with our families, all four grandchildren around, no symptoms of anything bad coming. All of a sudden, he suffered probably a heart attack or stroke. An ambulance arrived immediately but he died a few hours later.”
Oldrich was married with two adult sons, Oldrich Jr. and Vladislav. Vladislav is the HFCC Secretary who manages the day-to-day operations of the organization.
From 1953 until 1997 Oldrich was an employee of Czechoslovak and later Czech Radio in Prague. He worked as a technical consultant for Czech Radio from 1998 to 2010. He specialized in planning schedules and frequencies, international coordination and distribution of shortwave radio programs for foreign countries.
Beginning in 1959 and for more than 25 years, Oldrich produced a weekly English-language program “Radio Prague Calling All Radio Hobbyists,” using the nom de plume Peter Skala. In the program, he answered questions from shortwave listeners in many countries and covered a variety of scientific and other topics from the radio industry.
During the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968, Oldrich used his technical expertise to aid the “free Czechoslovak Radio,” putting himself in danger in an effort to provide factual news and information about the events taking place. Thanks to the large number of smaller facilities of Czechoslovak Radio scattered all over Prague and complicated infrastructure that connected them, they were able to continue broadcasting for quite some time.
In the period of reforms around the year 1968, he established secret contacts with his colleagues from Western radio stations. He re-established the contacts after the fall of communism and started an initiative to eliminate interference on shortwave. He became the Chairman of the HFCC, which has continued to meet twice each year in different parts of the world for shortwave stations to coordinate their frequency schedules for the coming broadcast season, thus eliminating interference before each season begins. The principles of international coordination were incorporated into the ITU’s International Radio Regulations during the 1997 World Radio Conference.
Oldrich was also an adviser to the Government of the Czechoslovak Republic in the preparation of the first Radio and Television Broadcasting Act after 1990, as well as a member of several EBU and ITU radiocommunication working groups. At the HFCC, he spearheaded the International Radio for Disaster Relief project whereby shortwave stations have allocated specific frequencies in each band for the transmission of emergency information in the event of natural disasters around the world.
Jeff White, Oldrich’s successor as HFCC Chairman, said: “The shortwave broadcasting and listening communities have lost one of our most important proponents. The contributions of Oldrich over the years are simply unequalled. He was a humble man, but people in this industry realized the importance of his work. And he has left us a lasting legacy — an organization which has largely eliminated interference on the shortwave bands, and it has enabled stations to use less power to reach their target areas with a good signal. For that, he will always be remembered.”
Oldrich Cip was also a frequency consultant for WRMI. His assistance was greatly appreciated.
For more information, contact Jeff White, HFCC Chairman, at jeff@wrmi.net.
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