Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 899, Volume 18, #14 for November 4, 2026

THE NCE WINDOW IS NOW OPEN!
NCE FM reserved band (88.1 to 91.9 MHz) translators can now be filed through the November 17th deadline (yes, same day as the EAS NPT). Applications should be filed as soon as possible on the FCC’s electronic filing system. Similar to NCE FM and LPFM, the FCC’s points system will be in effect, and should be carefully followed to have the greatest chance for success.

A NEW LINE OF COMPACT FM TRANSMITTERS
Broadcast Electronics new MTX transmitter line is not just thrifty on rack space, but it has a lot of features not always found in smaller footprint transmitters. Rich Redmond explained the MTX last week on our video presentation. Miss it? Not to worry, it is posted here.

AS THE INDUSTRY TURNS
Have you looked around recently for some of the companies you have dealt with over the years, only to find out they either are now a part of another company or they have actually just faded away? Between consolidation and attrition, we are dealing with fewer companies – and judging which ones will still be there for our future needs is getting harder.

We will talk about that this week. Join us and we can share observations and how to plan for future needs. Even with the time change, we are still at Thursday at 2 PM Eastern.  (True: Arizona will be at noon, with DST gone, Hawaii, one hour later than normal, too.)

Join us and find out more: tomorrow (Thursday) 2PM Eastern/11AM Pacific  Or catch us live on the youtube thebdrnet channel. Link invites are always at www.theBDR.net/TLG/

… and do not forget, on the same page we have hundreds of videos you can use on subjects you will want to learn about.

Oh, one more thing: we do have a Tuesday Reminder list, if you wish to get a reminder email for each week’s program. Just reply to this email and ask!   

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

 

US SENATE TO HOLD HEARING ON FCC COMMISSIONER
Next Tuesday, November 10th, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a hearing on the nomination of Republican Danielle Thumann Severs to the Federal Communications Commission. If the committee approves and it goes to the full Senate, she would be the fourth commission on the FCC.

EAS RECEIVER CERTIFICATION
As you prepare for the NPT this month, you might find on the log that some IPAWS CAP items have been rejected due to lack of “validation” … which usually means a unit that has not been updated for a while and the certificate has expired. Anyone needing the newest certification for your DASDEC can get it here.

EAS VIA SATELLITE
Getting warnings to people during weather events can be difficult, especially if cell coverage is thin. The “Mystic Alerts Act” named for the disastrous flood in Texas last summer, which killed over 100 campers and others, now sets a path for NWS warnings to flow from satellite to cellphone if local cell service is down or otherwise unavailable. Policies are now being developed, one of which is cell carriers will have tell users and the FCC about their usage of this transmission method. This is not an instant upgrade: rules are expected in early 2028, which would take effect in 2031.

A POSSIBLE REGULATION CHANGE FOR RELOCATING FM TRANSMITTERS
It can be quite expensive to move a station, and mileage requirements make it even more difficult to find an acceptable location. The FCC is considering whether to change the minimum distance requirements, so stations can more easily use existing towers to co-locate and save on costs. You can read current comments – or add your own until December 14th – via MB Docket 26-303                                     

WHEN TRANSLATORS MAY NOT TRANSLATE
The FCC has issued an NOV to a pair of translators in North Carolina. The problem is that the primary station was observed to be off the air during the daytime, yet the translators were operating as usual. This is a violation of 74.1263 (b) – if the daytime AM has not been operating, the translators must shut down, too.

SOFTWARE PAGE
You may be seen it, but in case you have not, the BDR has a software page with a number of useful programs and apps, most of them free. The EAS password Generator is now posted there, along with an audio generator you can pull up from anywhere you happen to be located. It is under Resources on the main menu. There are a few that we are working, like covpred and eslide, so we can compile them to work on current operating systems.

WINDOWS 11 24H2 SECURITY ENDS
October 13’s Patch Tuesday was the final security update for systems running 24H2. There will be no new security fixes, no matter what crooks discover. This is critical as this last Patch Tuesday had 1,408 fixes for vulnerabilities, one of which was a Windows Shell flaw already being used by bad actors to bypass the notification where Windows usually warns you about downloading files.

There is a free upgrade to deal with this. Check your “Start/Settings/System/About to see what is loaded on your computer. If it is 24H2, open Windows Update and install the newer version available.

353 MORE VULNERABILITIES
As if 1.408 did not get your attention, Google has been sending our major change in Chrome. To check on this, go to the three dots, then Help/About Google Chrome, and look to see if there is an update waiting for relaunch. Meanwhile, Google has begun rolling out a significant change to Chrome: the browser no longer flags sites as “not secure,” and now warns users, asking permission before connecting to any site that use plain old HTTP instead of encrypted HTTPS, protecting you from tampering and eavesdropping, which is a risk, but especially so on public Wi-Fi.

MORE SUPERMARKET WOES
If your local supermarket suddenly had no fresh/frozen food to buy, would there be local panic? Would you panic? We told out about the hacks in France that caused supermarket coolers to heat up, destroying food. This week, the attacks expanded, with supermarkets in seven more European countries – Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden reporting cyberhacks causing freezers to overheat, requiring them to toss inventory.

TEAMVIEW PROBLEM

A recent discovery of a bug in TeamViewer will allow a host to execute code on a viewer’s computer. This affects most OSs –  Windows, macOS, Linux and the Android Remote Control app..

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

 

  Here are some of the more recent items of interest:

• You Cannot Make This Up! – Mike Langner
• Critter Control – Jeff Welton
• Getting Ready for Winter – Barry Mishkind
• Join the Lunch Gathering – Thursday 2 PM Eastern
• Enforcement Watch – No NPT Forms for 3 Year = $27k / NoV for 475% over power
• Getting Hear from There – Mark Durenberger
• The FCC EAS Proposals – where industry agrees … and where it doesn’t – Ed Czarnecki
• A Complete Station Audit is Important – Barry Mishkind
• A Free Tool for the New FCC EAS Password Rule – and More! – Ken Fine
• Do You Have the Right USB-C Cable? – Barry Mishkihd

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

 
MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

The big news this week is in the continuing consolidation of broadcsat industry suppliers. Fortunately, none of the recent moves will cause a disruption to users.

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It was just announced that opertation of the popular site FCCinfo.com has been transferred to MaxxKonnect. The folks at Cavell, Mertz will continue to be involved as collaborators and advisors.

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Despite the retirement of Don Winget, BroadcastTools products and support will not disappear – they are moving under the Inovonics umbrella. Ben Nason will stay on at this time to keep the strong knowledge base for support available.  Phone numbers and email will continue as normal.

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Similarly, there is no need to worry about supplies and support at ERI. It will continue in Chandler, IN as usual, even under new ownership. Again, phone numbers and emails will continue as usual.

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

 

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

1926 This year was a fascinating period of the 1920s growth in radio. Nearly 700 stations were now on the air in the US, and there was chaos as the Department of Commerce had a hard time to control them. Some stations jumped frequency and power levels without direct authorization. In the end, the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) was established in February 1927 to bring some order to the industry. (The FRC required stations to show they were operating “in the public interest, convenience, or necessity.”)

• 1 year ago (11/3/25) For the first time in 35 years, the Top 40 on the Hot 100 does not include any rap songs. *
• 2 years ago (11/3/24) master musician, song writer, and producer Quincy Jones passed away at 91.
• 5 years ago (11/5/21) 10 were killed, hundreds injured when fans rushed stage at a Travis Scott performance in Houston.
• 5 years ago (11/5/21) Abba releases their first album in 40 years – and it was their last one.
• 41 years ago (11/2/85) The Miami Vice soundtrack featuring the #1 hit from the TV Show topped the charts.
• 36 years ago (11/3/90) Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby“ became the first song by a rapper to hit #1.
• 36 years ago (11/3/90) The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody“ returns to #1 in the UK after 25 years.
• 57 years ago (11/6/69) Paul McCartney was shown on Life Magazine to prove he was not dead.
• 63 years ago (11/4/63) Newsweek published a story that Bob Dylan stole the song “Blowin’ In The Wind.“
• 64 years ago (11/3/62) the Crystals earned a #1 hit with “He’s a Rebel” – or did they?**

… and 100 years ago (11/1/1926) RCA took over AT&T’s 25 station network and the NBC Network was born.

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

• 12 years ago (11/3/14) the new One World Trade Center officially opened in New York City, on the site of the Twin Towers.
• 26 years ago (11/2/00) the first residential crew arrived aboard the International Space Station.
• 39 years ago (11/1/87) Microsoft released Windows 2.0.
• 78 years ago (11/3/48) newspapers reported Dewey was President, defeating Truman. ***
• 79 years ago (11/2/47) Howard Hughes flew his “Spruce Goose” on its first and only flight. Built with laminated birch and spruce (hence the nickname the Spruce Goose) the massive wingspan was longer than a football field.
• 81 years ago (11/7/44) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office.
• 86 years ago (11/7/40) the Tacoma Narrows Bridge rocked, flopped … and collapsed.
• 106 years ago (11/4/1922) the entrance to King Tut’s tomb was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

and … 514 years ago (11/1/1512) Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling was exhibited to public for first time.

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

 

* The last time before that when there were zero rap songs in the top 40 of the Hot 100? You have to go back all the way back to Feb. 2, 1990 …One of the reasons: all 12 songs from Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, have been lodged in the top 40 the past three weeks,

** Now follow this, if you can: He’s a Rebel, written by Gene Pitney for the Shirelles (who declined to record it) was actually recorded by the Blossoms – but credited to the Crystals – so Phil Spector could beat Vickie Carr’s version to the market. The Crystals were said to be quite surprised to learn they had a hit record they had nothing to do with!

*** Can you say “oops”?

MIDWEEK BONUS

SMITH CHARTS
Analyzing a network using a Smith Chart can be very effective. If you have not used one recently, or would just like to know more, here is something for your spare time.

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PLEASE 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? 

PLEASE INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN US
We sure hope you are finding the BDR and the Newsletter to be of value to you. If so, there are two things that you can do to ensure the BDR keeps pulsing along:
        1. Invite a colleague or a friend to sign up for the Newsletter. Since it is only one-time-a-week, you will not be accused of flooding their in-boxes!
        2. Anytime you deal with one of our sponsors, letting them know the BDR is important to you will make them happy – and ready to keep on supporting the BDR.

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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