This Week’s Newsletter

Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 859, Volume 17, #26 for January 28, 2026

ANOTHER STORM, ANOTHER CHANCE FOR RADIO TO SHINE
Cable news seemed to be 24/7 about last week’s storm – perhaps even more so than Minneapolis. But where radio can shine is bringing immediate news and clear information about current conditions, as well as good information about sources of local help. That is, if there is staff and electricity. There are a number of reports of stations that went live and stayed with it as best they could, even as over a million electrical customers last power. Those stations should be praised. (Let’s not talk about the stations that just ran the automation – or went off the air due to lack of generators.)

DIRS ACTIVATED
The FCC activated the Disaster Information Reporting System. The stated goal is to know which stations – as well as cable, VoIP providers. and wireless operations – are operating, which ones were off the air (at least 10), and offer FCC help with STAs, etc. The Commission did encourage local emergency managers to assist broadcasters who were struggling to stay on the air – or restore operations. Some states even issue “First Responder” letters for key personnel during emergencies.  

An additional aspect of the DIRS is the MDRI (Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative). While, together, these provide after-event information that may help during future emergencies, it also may be difficult in areas where the Internet is interrupted, for example, or station personnel are seeking first to get back on the air. The FCC asks that stations do the best they can.

OPEN HOUSE AT BROADCAST DEPOT
This week, tomorrow (on Thursday 29th), Broadcast Depot will have an Open House at their Doral (Miami) Florida home. If you are near enough, you are invited to stop in for information and lunch. If not, join us on zoom (or youtube live) for a look at the companies at the Open House. Mary and Tim will be there, too. As we say: learn things!  The link request is at:  www.theBDR.net/TLG/

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!

 

ISN’T INTERNET FUN?
Yes, as many of you discovered, we had a bit on an issue last week, and some pages did not come up as usual. The problem has been corrected but, if you see something “off,” please let us know.

COPPER THIEVES HIT KTFI
Last week we mentioned why attention to site security is more important than ever: copper prices have really jumped. (Clay’s article is here.) KTFI in Wichita, KS, where copper theft was reported as increasing over the past year, has been off the air for the past week due to copper theft and other transmitter damage. What have you done to improve site security? Please let us know.

NEXT WEEK IS THE SUPERB OWL
If you have a promotion aimed at a certain football game, unless you have specific deal with the NFL, using “official” in any promotion could be costly. The NFL is famous for monitoring a lot of sources and jealously guards their rights.

NOT AGAIN!
As of this moment, there is still speculation that we are going to do another government shutdown. That could affect FCC actions. Let us truly hope not!

FCC THIS WEEK TO REWORK 6 GHZ
At the Open Meeting this week, expect the FCC to issue new rules for expanding different uses in the unlicensed 6 GHz area.

NEW NCEFM TRANSLATOR WINDOW
Next month, according to a post on FCC.gov by FCC Chair Carr, there will be a vote for a first ever window opening for translators on the NCEFM band. Also, the Commission is to consider fixing problems with the Lifeline program to prevent fraud.

C-BAND PUSH-BACK CONTINUES
The NAB and NPR are among those actively pressing the FCC to not wipe out the C-Band frequencies used by broadcasters. The “Big Beautiful Bill” last summer directed the auctioning of “at least” 100 MHz of frequencies. The comments discuss the major disruptions to broadcast systems if the extra 80 MHz the FCC is thinking of adding to the auction are included.

NAUTEL MOVES THEIR NAB EVENT
For the past few years, it has been at the Flamingo. But this year, the Nautel Radio Technology Forum (formerly NUG) will be in the Main Ballroom at the Westgate (adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center). The program is not just Nautel specific and is open to all broadcast technicians. It starts at 8:30 AM Sunday, April 19 and concluded with a complimentary hot lunch. Sunday morning.

ARE YOU CANADIAN AND GOING TO NAB?
Three Las Vegas downtown casinos have set up a promotion through this summer to accept Canadian Dollars at “par” for certain purchases at the hotels. The program could save a lot of money – almost 30% at this time – and is worth checking out.

MICHMAB TO MEET IN JUNE THIS YEAR
The Lansing Broadcasters Engineering & IT Summit will be held this year June 2�3 at the Henry Center in East Lansing, bringing together broadcast engineers, IT professionals, and industry partners for two days of connection, conversation, and cutting-edge insight. The summit is hosted by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.

WILL AI REPLACE SEARCH ENGINES?
Recent efforts to monetize the AI chat models have created pressure for ads to be inserted as part of AI replies – and now for ecosystems to become more proprietary. With that as a warning of the future, companies are looking for ways to ensure their traditional sites do not lose user data they currently get (and often sell to third-party aggregators) to AI-based search apps.

FOR SALE
The latest items include a big bunch of parts for Continental transmitters, an Orban 8100, and some Talking House transmitters. Check these and other items out on the ForSale page.


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

 

Here are some of the more recent items of interest:

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

                       
                       MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

                      Several Manufacturers, including Nautel, Telos Alliance, Camect Video Security, SuiteLifeSystems, Axel Technology, and more will be at the Broadcast Depot Open House – tomorrow – Thursday at their offices. They will be joining us on our Zoom meeting at 2 PM Eastern …

                      = = =

                      Changes in the consumer electronics. There are a number of reasons, but one might be how low pricing has become, even for large screen TVs. In any event, it appears Sony is getting out of the home entertainment business. As part of a joint venture, the home entertainment business will be controlled by TCL. Even the Bravia brand of televisions are to be made by TCL, under the plans that have been announced thus far. Meanwhile, while the industry awaits the re-alignment, Sony has announced a new pair of turntables, a successor to the PS-LX310BT.

                      = = =

                      LEGO                      marks 70 years since it opened in 1955 with a seried of Star Wars minifigures and intelligent bricks – tiles that contain sound sensors, light sensors, color sensors, and an embedded digital ID that lets the bricks interact. Coming soon to a galaxy not far away.

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

                       

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

                          • 10 years ago (1/30/16) David Bowie’s first #1 album -“Blackstar” –  in the US hits 20 days after he dies.
                          • 12 years ago (1/27/14) Taylor Swift’s Twitter and Instagram accounts were hacked, with fake tweets going to 51 million fans.
                          • 12 years ago (1/27/14) Billy Joel starts a monthly “residence” at Madison Square Garden. It lasts nearly 10 years.
                          • 16 years ago (1/31/10) Taylor Swift and Beyonce sweep the Grammy Awards.
                          • 20 years ago (1/26/06) Garth Brooks “Double Live” album is the first to be certified Double Diamond by RIAA.*
                          • 41 years ago (1/28/85) “We Are The World” brought many singers together to record the song for USA for Africa. **
                          • 62 years ago (1/25/64) the USA launched Echo 2, its second communications satellite.
                          • 68 years ago (1/31/58) the US launched its first satellite: Explorer.
                          • 93 years ago (1/30/33) “The Lone Ranger” debuted on Detroit radio.

                          … and 100 years ago (1/26/1926) John Logie Baird demonstrated TV transmission.

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

                          • 40 years ago (1/28/86) the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch, killing all aboard.
                          • 43 years ago (1/26/83) Lotus 1-2-3 debuted as the spreadsheet to have. What did 1-2-3 stand for?***
                          • 54 years ago (1/27/73) The Paris Peace Talks brought an end to the Vietnam war.
                          • 62 years ago (1/29/64) “Dr. Strangelove” debuted in theaters.
                          • 76 years ago (1/31/50) President Truman announced the invention of the H-Bomb. (The Japanese already knew…. )
                          • 78 years ago (1/30/48) Mohandas K. Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, was assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist.
                          • 81 years ago (1/27/45) the concentration camp at Auschwitz, Poland was liberated.
                          • 80 years ago (1/29/36) the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elected its first members in Cooperstown, New York. ****
                          • 188 years ago (1/26/1838) Tennessee passed the nation’s first prohibition law.
                          • 238 years ago (1/26/1788) Captain Arthur Phillip guided a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia.

                          … and for you deep history buffs: It was 526 years ago (1/26/1500) when Vicente Yanez Pinzon found Brazil. As you might guess, however, the Brazilians were unaware they were lost.


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

                                               

                                              * 20 million copies were sold.

                                              ** 45 stars took part in the recording.

                                              *** The app was said to be as easy as 1-2-3. Interestingly, it only was able to be marketed because VisiCalc failed to patent their  prior spreadsheet app.

                                              **** Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson, and Walter Johnson.

                                              MIDWEEK BONUS!

                                              Have you been inside the Sphere in Las Vegas? It has proven so popular that now, a 6,000 seat Sphere is planned for the Maryland area near Washington, DC.

                                              HOW TELEVISION REMADE FOOTBALL
                                              An interesting article from the Texas Broadcast Museum by Tom Moore traces how television turned football into the huge empire that it is.

                                              HOWDY NEIGHBOR!
                                              Each state has its own “welcome” sign … and there are stories for most of them. Take a look here.

                                              …and where did each state get its name? You probably know a few, but here they all are listed.

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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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