Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 831, Volume 16, #51 for July 16, 2025
DELETE, DELETE, DELETE PROGRESS
FCC Chairman Carr is aiming to get the DDD initiative working as soon as possible. To that end the Commission will be voting on deleting 40 rules/requirements, some of them dealing with broadcasters. There is a lot of dead wood to be cleared; Carr noted that the Rules still include “regulations for telegraph, rabbit-ear broadcast receivers and phone booths.” (While there may still be regs for phone booths, Clark Kent cannot find one when he needs it.)
THE MOVE ON C-BAND
Another Docket that should have your attention: the Commission’s move to free up more spectrum in the C-Band. Suppliers and broadcasters have spent billions of dollars to move users into the top 200 MHz of the C-Band, in favor of 5G use below that. There are proposals to give the rest of C-Band to the 5G users, which could leave broadcasters without the reliability of C-Band (Ku is not as solid, especially in storm situations).
EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOU BROADCASTING?
Since the FCC removed the requirement that stations have modulation monitors, a lot of stations have decided not to install/maintain them, often deferring to peak meters in/on the transmitter. On the other hand, having a modulation monitor can give you a lot more diagnostic information about the RF system.
Last week, Paul Kriegler (Telos Alliance) showed us some important tips on getting the best out of an audio processor. This week, Ben Barber, President of Inovonics will show us how a modulation monitor will let you better see what is going on, and provide some interesting information that is not as easy to get otherwise.
At our regular time/place: Thursday at 2 PM Eastern/11 AM Pacific. You can get the link at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ or www.youtube.com/thebdrnet
Also, you might be interested to know we are now booked until September, with one open week, with some great presentations. Check the same page for the list of upcoming presentations: www.theBDR.net/TLG/
