All posts by Gary Stigall

Local News

FCC Approves KUSI Sale to Nexstar

The FCC posted today that it had granted the assignment of the license for KUSI (TV) to Nexstar Media Group. In May, Nexstar announced that it agreed to purchase KUSI from the McKinnon family for $35-million. This will create a duopoly in San Diego with the recent acquisition of KSWB-TV from the Tribune Publishing Company. According to sources at KUSI, KSWB will move into the KUSI facility on Murphy Road since the sale includes that property and KSWB leases its space on Engineer Road.

KUSI has been an independent station since its creation by the United States International University in 1982 except for a 4-year period from 1995—1998 when they were affiliated with UPN. The station was initially built with all RCA gear from the cameras and tape recorders to the transmitter atop Mt. San Miguel.

Fred Swift has been the station’s chief engineer since Richard Large retired in 2013, 10 years ago. The pair had worked together for 29 years before that.

National

FCC to Allow Some TV Channel 6 FM Stations

The FCC on July 23, 2023 issued a Report and Order allowing a limited number of analog FM stations on TV channel 6 to continue to operate.

Photo by Robert Gonsett

Stations such as Venture Technology’s KRPE San Diego have been operating with Special Temporary Authorities to operate with a digital TV signal and analog FM on 87.7 or 87.75 MHz. These stations have proven capable of delivering an ATSC 3.0 signal compatible with the existing standards and yet continue to provide audio service compatible with most FM radio tuners.

The FCC also specifically stated that, at least for the time being, they would not allow the entire channel 6 spectrum from 82–88 MHz to be open to analog FM service, nor would they allow new stations to adopt the 87.7 analog carrier configuration.

Meetings

Celebrate August SBE Night at McGregor’s

Join SBE Chapter 36 at our after-work, in-person networking opportunity on Wednesday, August 16 at McGregor’s Grill, 10475 San Diego Mission Rd, San Diego, east of I-15 off Friars Road. This is an informal, no-host get-together for dinner and drinks. We’ll be there at 5:30 PM but come when you can. Parking here can be challenging, but there is authorized overload parking at the lot next door just west of the mini-mall where McGregor’s is located. There’s a trivia quiz at 9:00 that you can join if you’re into that.

National

FCC Announces LPFM New Station Filing Window

The FCC in late June announced a week-long filing window for new Low Power FM station licenses for the entire band in early November 2023. This will be the first filing window since 2013. Interested parties are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the application process. You can monitor the FCC’s LPFM web page for more information. San Diego applicants should know that there’s no open spectrum and that power limitations that apply near the Mexican border make interference-free operations unlikely.

Local News

The EAS Song

Some people can’t help but play with the artificial intelligence engine ChatGPT in ways that will make you cringe. Richard Rudman, EAS volunteer California State Emergency Coordination Committee Vice-Chair from Santa Paula sent us this little ditty he had ChatGPT compose. The best I can think of as a tune to sing it to is, “This Land is Your Land,” but the meter changes impossibly. Give it a go:

In the dead of night, when all is still,
A sound breaks through, a warning shrill,
It’s the Emergency Alert System, here to say,
Stay alert, stay safe, come what may.

(Chorus)
Oh, the Emergency Alert System,
A voice of caution, a call to listen,
When danger looms, it’s there to warn,
From storms to emergencies, day or morn.

(Verse 2)
Through the airwaves, the message spreads,
A lifeline in times of dread,
With its distinct tone and urgent plea,
It echoes across the land, for you and me.

(Chorus)
Oh, the Emergency Alert System,
A voice of caution, a call to listen,
When danger looms, it’s there to warn,
From storms to emergencies, day or morn.

(Bridge)
From tornadoes to floods, and everything between,
The EAS keeps us informed, a trusted machine,
With its alerts and updates, we stay aware,
In times of crisis, it shows it cares.

(Verse 3)
So let’s heed the call, when it rings out,
Follow the instructions, without a doubt,
For the Emergency Alert System is here,
To guide us through, to calm our fear.

(Chorus)
Oh, the Emergency Alert System,
A voice of caution, a call to listen,
When danger looms, it’s there to warn,
From storms to emergencies, day or morn.

(Outro)
So remember, my friend, when the sirens blare,
The Emergency Alert System is there,
To keep us safe, to keep us strong,
In unity, we’ll face whatever comes along.