Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 791, Volume 16, #11 for October 16, 2024

Here are some things you might want to know about:

A NEW WINDOW
The FCC has released a Public Notice regarding a filing window for new NCE TV stations, full power and Class A. The one week Window starts on December 4th.

FORM ONE: LAST CALL
Just a quickie for those who planned this, but forgot: The extended date for filing your Form One on the ETRS is this week, October 18th.

COMMERCIAL DOWN AND NON-COMMERICAL UP
In another Public Notice, The FCC released its quarterly count of broadcast stations, noting a decrease in commercial stations and an increase in NCEFM’s.

TOWER 2, BALLOONS 1
Nearly 20 years to the day, a balloon in the Albuquerque Balloon Festival flew into the KKOB main tower. Unlike 2004, though, the tower did not survive.

IS ANYTHING SECURE?
A set of government computers were hacked by bad guys. Not so unusual, you think? How about if you knew the computers were air-gapped? Our goal this week is to discuss some of the ways that computer systems get compromised and what to do about it.


Join us tomorrow, Thursday. As every week, we will be live at 2 PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific. The link is available at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ … and we will again be on youtube live (you can subscribe to thebdrnet channel and get notifications).

This QR code will get you there.

BTW: if you subscribe, you can get an alert when videos start!BTW: if you subscribe, you can get an alert when videos start!

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

TRANSMISSION LIKE THAT HEARS
Well, you have to see what Gary Minker means about a line that hears. It is an interesting story that can be useful in maintenance efforts at your shop.

STAINLESS TOWER TO CLOSE DOWN
FDH Infrastructure, which acquired Stainless Tower three years ago, is getting out of the tower business. Those seeking data are advised to contact FDH as soon as possible.

FCC INQUIRY ON INTERNET DATA CAPS
Depending upon the “deal” you have with your cable or cellphone company, you may have anywhere from minimal data to unlimited data every month – and if you do not have unlimited, exceeding the cap results in either expensive fees or loss of Internet. Just figuring out where someone stands is not always easy. So, after receiving move than 3000 complaints, FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel has launched an inquiry on data caps.

MISSING TOWER NOW MISSING OWNER
The tower that went missing overnight in Jasper, Alabama has apparently been joined by the radio station’s owner/operator Brett Elmore, who passed away Monday night Oct 14th. At least his current location is known.

CUTBACKS ARE NOT ONLY IN BROADCAST
This was a bad week for employment. Boeing drops 17,000 workers, Walgreens announced the closing of 1200 stores, as did CVS, dropping 900 stores, and 7/11, which will reduce store count by 400.

STAND ALONE MS OFFICE TO RETURN
Those of you who signed up, perhaps grudgingly, for the Microsoft Office 365 subscription package may be interesting to know the latest Office 2024 will be a smaller package but a single purchase product.

FOR SALE
Looking for an 8 kW Nautel FM or a Dielectric antenna? How about an Audio Arts console or perhaps you are looking for parts for a Wheatstone A-6000. These and even more items are on the ForSale Page.

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

 

Some recent articles of interest:

• My Transmission Line Can Hear! – Gary Minker
• Backup Includes Audio Processing – Robert Leembruggen
• Join the Lunch Gathering – Thursday 2 PM Eastern
• Enforcement Watch: Failure to pay brings a stiff Notice
• The Loudest Do Not Always Win – Mike Langner
• The Western Electric Birdcage Revolutionizes Audio – Dave Felice
• Another Lost Art: Soldering – Ron Schacht
• You Really Must Listen – Barry Mishkind
• Really Communicating with Managers – Dana Puopolo
• Dana’s Daily Deals
• More newsy items here

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

 

MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

Broadcast Depot is featuring a deal on the RGBLink Mini MX All-in-One audio/video mixer.

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Lawo has announced the availability of the Lawo Virtual Sound Card (VSC) for macOS 14 (Sonoma) and later. This versatile virtual audio device enables seamless integration of Apple desktops and laptops into RAVENNA/AES67 AoIP networks. The free version is now available for download, offering basic functionality with one virtual audio device and two channels. Whether for AoIP infrastructure or studio applications, Lawo VSC enhances flexibility and scalability, bringing professional-grade audio to macOS users. Learn more and download the free version at: https://lawo.com/products/lawo-vsc/

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FDH International, which acquired Stainless Tower in July 2021 has reversed course and announced that it was leaving the tower business. Companies that desire data/documentation on installed Stainless towers should contact FDH as soon as possible.

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

 


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

• 1 year ago (10/13/24) Taylor Swift opened “The Eras Tour” in theaters. It quickly became the top-grossing concert film ever made.
• 47 years ago (10/15/77) Debby Boone hit #1 for 10 weeks with “You Light Up My Life.“
• 48 years ago (10/16/76) the #1 spot on the pop chart was taken by “Disco Duck.“ (It was last novelty song to do so.)
• 50 years ago (10/19/74) “Nothing From Nothing” made Billy Preston a #1 hit.
• 58 years ago (10/17/64) it was Manfred Mann who hit #1 with “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.“
• 67 years ago (10/14/57) the Everly Brothers topped the charts with “Wake Up Little Susie.“
• 101 years ago (10/16/1923) the Walt Disney Company was founded.

… 105 years ago (10/17/1919) the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was officially launched as a public company.*

And here are some “regular news history” type items:

• 13 years ago (10/20/11) Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi was killed.
• 35 years ago (10/17/89) an earthquake near San Francisco killed 63.
• 37 years ago (10/19/87) The US Stock market had its worst loss since 1927, dropping 22.6% in one day.
• 42 years ago (10/19/82) Auto maker John DeLorean was arrested in a $24 million cocaine deal.**
• 47 years ago (10/18/77) Reggie Jackson aka “Mr. October” hits three homers in three swings.
• 51 years ago (10/17/73) OPEC states declared an oil embargo against the West. Do you remember the lines?
• 60 years ago (10/14/64) Nikita Khruschev was ousted as Soviet Leader
• 65 years ago (10/17/59) Control Data Corporation (CDC) released their CDC 1604 computer, the world�s fastest computer at the time and the first commercially successful fully-transistorized computer.
• 77 years ago (10/14/47) Chuck Yeager was the first to break sound barrier in the X-1 rocket plane.
• 91 years ago (10/18/33) R. Buckminster Fuller filed to patent his Dymaxion Car. ***
• 93 years ago (10/17/31) Al Capone went to prison for tax evasion.
• 107 years ago (10/15/1917) Mata Hari was executed by the French.  (Actually she was more myth than spy.)

… and let’s reach way back for a few more interesting ones:

• 157 years ago (10/18/1867) the US took possession of Alaska after buying it from Russia. Whose “Folly?”****
• 174 years ago (10/18/1851) Moby Dick was published.
• 231 years ago (19/16/1793) Marie Antoinette was beheaded. 
• 232 years ago (10/13/1792) the White House Cornerstone was laid.
• 243 years ago (10/19/1781) Americans defeat the British at Yorktown – effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.

… and 257 years ago (10/18/1767) the Mason-Dixon line survey was completed.

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

 
* Originally, GE held the controlling interest in RCA and built a lot of the early products, including transmitters. Eventually, there was a split, but decades later, GE purchased the company.

** At trial, DeLorean, was acquitted, but he was on trial again soon. Still, his namesake car lives on – especially in “Back to the Future”

*** It was granted in 1937.

**** It was called “Seward’s Folly” when Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska from Russia for $7 million – 2 cents an acre. Critics saw no value in the huge, distant place. Today, Alaska is almost 20% of the US land mass.

MIDWEEK BONUS

Global warming/Global cooling: Debating man’s effects is reasonable, but take a look at millions of years of history.

Has your robot vacuum cursed you recently? Some have reported a shocking event.

DID YOU KNOW?
New research analyzed vocal interactions between 30 dogs and 49 humans across five languages and found that humans naturally adjust their speech patterns when talking to dogs, using a slower tempo that matches the dogs’ receptive abilities. The findings show that humans talk to dogs at a rate of three syllables per second, which helps dogs understand commands better, highlighting the different vocal processing systems in humans and dogs.

HOW MANY CUSTOMER SUPPORT PEOPLE DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?
If you have ever been frustrated by the costs to repair a piece of equipment, it might not surprise you to learn the changing a light bulb in some GE microwave ovens can cost as much as $400.

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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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Now … some extra stuff .. some important … some just interesting.

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