Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 8609, Volume 17, #27 for February 3, 2026

YES, SUMMER WILL COME
With so many states enjoying (?) the winter storms of the past few weeks, we sympathize with those of you dodging falling ice. It is worth considering potential issues – some that could take you off the air – as the thaw begins in places where solid icing built up: (1) falling ice can be dangerous to the transmitter building, your car, and you (a helmet is not ; (2) eventually the ice does become water, and potential leaks in the building roof could harm equipment and allow the site to get overgrown with plants/vines/bushes/trees/etc; and (3) the tower will need to be inspected – excessive ice weight could contribute to tower/guy wire damage or even tower failure.

AND THE FCC IS OPENING WINDOWS
Perhaps not throwing open physical windows, but the FCC has made more and more information available during this month’s Open Meeting that it intends to open an application window for non-commercial translators. Owners of NCE FMs, Non-comm AMs, and LPFMs, can apply for translators in a window expected later this year. Efforts are being made to prevent speculator applications, including a cap of 10 applications for any company (less for LPFMs). Additional windows are posited, but the FCC plans to lift the freeze on LPTV applications.

WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE
Whether or not the windows are open (pun intended, I think), cold weather can have an effect on transmitters – not quite the same as high heat, but there is something to consider. Jeff Welton is our guest this week, with some maintenance tips for transmitters in unusual temperatures. And, as he is wont, Jeff will have a number of neat tricks and tips to build great maintenance programs.

Join us tomorrow (Thursday) and enjoy the information. Jeff will always answer any transmitter questions. Can you stump him? 

Join us Thursday at 2 PM Eastern /11 AM Pacific, and let us learn things. The link request is, as usual, at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ Yes, you can see us on YouTube live – but joining us on zoom makes it easier to ask questions and discuss issues.

May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

UPDATE ON 6 GHZ
Last week, the new GVP (Geofenced Variable Power) rules for 6 GHz were approved. Comments were made about how the latest generation of Wi-Fi routers have really upper speed and throughput. The FCC action will now open a number of options for broadcasters, including outdoor Wi-Fi and IoT devices, used for live remotes (anyone remember NEMOs?) and making more frequencies and power levels available for stable broadcasts.

JUST WHAT HAPPENED JANUARY 14?
If you are not a Verizon customer, you may not have noticed the nationwide outage last month. The FCC is looking into what happened – and why. As some stations found out, program feeds were interrupted. Newsgathering was hampered. And more. The report to come might be instructive on making broadcast systems more reliable and secure, even during emergencies.

ECONCO TO SHUTTER OPERATIONS
Those of you still feeding tube transmitters and needing a rebuild from Econco, you may wish to note the company (now known as MPP  – Microwave Power Products) will stop accepting rebuild orders in April, and completely close the facility in Woodland, CA by September. MPP cites tariff increases for recent price increases which have driven sales down. Choices for rebuilding are dwindling.

THE BD OPEN HOUSE
Broadcast Depot held an Open House at their Miami offices last week, with seven companies representing 10 brands exhibiting. Some were new products from well-known companies, like Telos, Nautel, and Enco. Some newer products and ideas came from Camect, SuiteLifeSystems, and Axel Technologies. You can see some of this on the video from our live presentation last Thursday, by clicking here.

A REGIONAL CONVENTION TO VISIT
Perhaps the largest regional convention during the Summer is the Texas Association of Broadcasters. A Wide range of exhibtors and seminars will be presented at the gathering in Round Rock, Texas. Set for August 5th and 6th this year, it will again be at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center. (TAB will return to downtown Austin next year.)

THOSE DAILY DEALS
After a week of moving and snow drifts that kept him at home, Dana is back with his daily deals. Take a look here, there are some things you might need – and some you might not, but sure taste good – at special prices.

May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

Here are some of the more recent items of interest:

Here are some of the more recent items of interest:

• Keep Your Copper in the Ground – Clay Freinwald
• Join the Lunch Gathering – Thursday 2 PM Eastern
• Enforcement Watch – Not the NOV you would want to get
• The Rewards of a Broadcast Career – Mike Vanhooser
• What Do We Really Know About Reginald Fessenden – Donna Halper
• Aqua Cobalt – Designed to Work – Ted Nahil
• Y2K – Tempest in a Computer Code – Barry Mishkind
• The Most Heralded Radio Failure – Don Kimberlin

May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 
MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

During February, Wheatstone is offering up a steep discount (60% !!) on Version 7 software for qualifying VoxPro units as a last chance to update from VoxPro version 4 to the latest software.

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A reminder that the NAB Show is coming up sooner than we think. The NAB extended the Free Floor Pass registration until this week (Feb 6thy) at NAB.org. Use code EM18. The regular Floor Pass is $219 ($159 for NAB members), so, if you are unsure you are going but might do so, sign up now.

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Exhibiting companies have already gotten their booth assignments for NAB. Lawo‘s note this morning reminds us that most of the Radio-TV floor will be in the Central Hall. If you are starting your list of booths to visit, Lawo’s number will be C2108 – where they will display the HOME apps platform with features from start to finish that bring all factors in the studio and remote access together.

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Shure has brought out a new broadcast mic array to build “immersive live audio.” The DCA901 simplifies production and increases flexibility. For example, you can manually steer lobes to isolate areas – or let the Auto Position to orient the array. Internal DSP includes EQ, compression, delay, and even auto-mixing.

May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

Do You Remember? This week in history:
Broadcast related items:

• 19 years ago (2/4/07) Prince closed his Super Bowl Half-time show with “Purple Rain.”
• 23 years ago (2/3/03) Phil Spector was arrested and convicted of murdering Lana Clarkson.
• 28 years ago (2/6/98) Austrian Singer (“Der Kommisar“) Falco died in a car crash at age 40.
• 33 years ago (2/2/93) Bill Murray keeps waking up to “I Got You Babe” .. *
• 33 years ago (2/2/93) Willie Nelson settled a $17 million tax debt with the IRS for $9 million+.
• 37 years ago (2/3/89) “Wild Thing” version by Tone Loc is first rap single certified as Platinum.
• 41 years ago (2/7/85) Sinatra’s “New York, New York” became the official anthem of NYC.
• 43 years ago (2/5/83) Totos “Africa” hit #1.
• 45 years ago (2/7/81) Kool & the Gang hit #1 with “Celebration.“
• 46 years ago (2/7/80) Pink Floyd played “The Wall” in LA – and an actual wall was built between the band and the audience.
• 47 years ago (2/3/79) The Village People�s “Y.M.C.A.” spends three weeks at #2, never makes it to #1, until **
• 48 years ago (2/4/78) The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” hits #1 for four weeks. 
• 52 years ago (2/2/74) Barbra Steisand got her first #1 with “The Way We Were.“
• 53 years ago (2/3/73) Elton John�s first #1 in the US: “Crocodile Rock.”
• 56 years ago (2/7/70) Shocking Blue hit #1 with “Venus” .. 16 years later, Bananarama did the same.
• 62 years ago (2/7/64) The Beatles arrived in New York City for their first visit. “Beatlemania” swept the USA. (Please! Go listen to any Beatles record – and smile)

… and 67 years ago (2/3/59) was “the day the Music died.” Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and “The Big Bopper” died in a plane crash – and inspired Don Maclean’s “American Pie.”

Here are a few other “newsy” items of interest:

• 22 years ago (2/4/04) Facebook was launched.
• 34 years ago (2/7/92) The European Union treaty was signed.
• 42 years ago (2/7/84) Navy captain Bruce McCandless II became the first human to perform an untethered space walk.
• 52 years ago (2/4/74) Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
• 60 years ago (2/3/66) the Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to make soft landing on the moon.
• 74 years ago (2/6/52) Elizabeth became Queen of England.
• 139 years ago (2/2/1887) Groundhog Day is celebrated for the first time in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

… and 371 years ago (2/2/1655) New Amsterdam (present-day New York) became a city.

May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

* Yes, the movie was Groundhog Day. And, yes, we sure loved the commercial Bill Murray did for Jeep.

** In 2024, Donald Trump sent the song to #1 for six weeks in the US.

MIDWEEK BONUS

Closer to Fusion?

Researchers in China report an record from keeping high-energy plasma stable. However, the 30-65% gain is not quire enough to reach the goal: net positive power production. Some details here.

State Naming
From where did your state’s name come? You might know … or maybe not. A list is here.

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PLEASE INVITE A FRIEND
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TELL US WHAT’S WHAT
There are so many areas into which we would like to expand, but it is feedback from you that helps us decided where to go first. Are you interested in a certain piece of gear or technology? Let us know. Even better, would you be willing to do a user report and share your experience?

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We sure do appreciate you spending time with our Newsletter. And even more so when you recommend us to your colleagues and friends.

barry

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Yes … you might have seen it before, but we should do this: some extra stuff .. some important … some just interesting.

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