Paul Kriegler says there haven’t been radios, in the traditional sense, on the dashboard for well over a decade. New developments like DTS Autostage have changed the game for streaming as well as FM—on the automotive dash. Find out how to best process your FM over-the-air signal and stream to sound their best on today’s new digital dashboards. You’ll also hear from team Omnia on where we are with the OmniaXII.
Join us via Zoom on May 19th at 11:30 AM PT. This meeting organized by SBE Chapter 47, Los Angeles.
About Paul
Paul Kriegler gained experience as OM, GM, and PD in markets large and small. He joined Telos Alliance in 2017 working with Frank Foti and Team Omnia to make AM FM HD and streaming audio sound better, while sharing good engineering practice and advice along the way.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has officially announced plans to conduct an auction for FM radio construction permits beginning in February 2027. Designated as Auction 114, the event is designed to expand opportunities for new voices in the media industry and ensure that broadcast spectrum is utilized effectively.
The upcoming auction will offer a total of 132 construction permits in the FM broadcast service. Notably, nearly 100 of these permits have never been offered to the public, marking a significant milestone in radio spectrum availability. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that the auction is a key component of the agency’s strategy to strengthen competition in the radio marketplace while modernizing outdated regulations.
After nearly three years of editing, revisions, and delays, an updated San Diego County EAS Plan has been formally submitted to and signed by the California EAS Committee State (SECC) Chair, Richard Rudman. He will include the plan in the state set to be submitted to the FCC.
San Diego County EAS participants should download, review, and save a copy of the new plan. The SBE Chapter 36 newsletter and EAS newsletter have each issued a link to the new plan. If you are managing one or more EAS participating stations in San Diego County and have not received a newsletter with this link, you should sign up for at least the EAS newsletter here. Request a modified EAS Plan at the bottom of the page here. A public link to the EAS Plan is never published.
Revisions include:
Deletion of information about the VHF backchannel that hasn’t been in use for years.
Deletion of information about telephone messaging that is insecure and no longer in use.
Addition of LP2 stations KPBS-FM and KRAM (FM). KLSD (AM) remains an LP2 station.
Addition of information about Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations and their sources for national emergencies.
Improvements to language and clarity.
Participants can change their listening assignments to include the new LP2 stations, but otherwise should not need to make any changes. Specifically, if a station you manage technically is currently receiving KOGO and either KLSD or KPBS successfully, you will not need to make any changes to your system. If you have been receiving a substitute station because you can’t receive KLSD, you should adjust your system to receive and relay KPBS as your LP2 station. In Borrego Springs, KRAM is now your LP2 station. If you can’t receive at least two stations, contact the EAS administrator for assistance. A substitute can be granted with a letter of permission.
While adding an NWS weather station or Primary Entry Point (PEP) station to your EAS system is okay, it is not required (unless you are managing an LP1 and/or LP2 station).
As part of a nationwide reduction of force, iHeartMedia laid off local veteran lead engineer John Rigg on April 14, 2026. Besides San Diego, John had been supervising crews in Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Honolulu.
John joined Clear Channel Communications as Director of Engineering in 2006. (Clear Channel later renamed itself as iHeartMedia.) He had been a staff engineer and later radio engineering manager at KFMB-AM-FM-TV from 1994 until 2006.
Multiple sources say the Phoenix regional lead engineer was laid off, as well.
According to the Legacy website, Richard Lee Lochmann (80) of Chesterfield, VA, passed away at home on March 28th, 2026.
Rich Lochmann. Photo from Legacy.com
Rich was born on August 10th, 1945, in Des Moines, IA, to parents Lewis and Betty Lochmann. He graduated from Valley High School, West Des Moines, IA, in 1963 and enlisted in the United States Army the following year. He served with the 3rd Armored Division until his honorable discharge in 1967.
After returning home, Rich attended Concordia College, where he met his wife, Kathleen. They married on July 19th, 1969, and shared over 56 loving years together. For 44 of those years, they resided in San Diego, California, where Rich was Director of Engineering for KFMB Television until his retirement. In 2020, he and Kathy relocated to Chesterfield, VA, to be closer to their son and daughter-in-law.
Rich loved fishing, hunting, and running. He served as President of his family’s church, Christ the Cornerstone, and was a Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 1212 in San Diego. More recently, you could find him and his son working on projects around the house, cooking delicious meals on the grill or smoker, and enjoying good wine.
Rich is survived by his wife, Kathleen; son Timothy and daughter-in-law Andrea of Midlothian, VA; mother-in-law, Mavis Fritz, of Sioux Falls, SD; sister-in-law Margaret (Jim) of Sioux Falls, SD; brother-in-law Dan (Belinda) Fritz, of Madison, SD; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
I worked with Rich for 14 years at KFMB-TV, and I appreciated his hands-off management, largely trusting his staff to initiate and carry out improvements and maintenance. He provided the funding and managed the messy stuff behind the scenes. We shared stories over beers for years after my departure, and I will always miss those times. —Gary Stigall
