Local News

TEGNA Sells KFMB AM-FM

Days before the dawn of the new decade, the TEGNA group sold the KFMB radio properties for $5-million to Local Media San Diego.

According to radioINSIGHT.com, the deal does not include rights to continue using the 78-year-old call letters, nor does it include any of the property at Santee (AM transmitter), Kearny Mesa (studio), or Mt. Soledad (FM transmitter).

Local Media San Diego currently leases three Mexican-licensed FM stations: CHR “Z90” 90.3 XHTZ, Alternative “91X” 91.1 XETRA-FM, and Rhythmic AC “Magic 92.5” XHRM.

TEGNA bought the three KFMB stations in December 2017 for $325-million and owns no other radio broadcasting properties, so the radio sale was expected.

It’s going to be interesting watching what happens with KFMB-AM since that entity has not turned a profit in recent years. Technically, the KFMB-AM Harris DX-50 transmitter is nearly 30-years-old. Its programming leaves it at the bottom of the San Diego market Nielsen ratings list.

Colleagues speculated that iHeartMedia might buy the KFMB radio properties, but they own the maximum number of FM stations allowed by the FCC for the market and are financially strained as a group.

Apparently, KOGO-AM has plans to multiplex on the KFMB-AM towers in Santee, though the 300-foot towers are electrically short for 600 kHz.

Best of Site, Commentary

The FCC Wants Comments on “Franken-FMs”

The Media Bureau of the FCC issued a Public Notice last week seeking comment on whether channel 6 analog LPTV stations should be able to continue to operate after the deadline to switch to digital.

FCC Logo

Even after the 2009 TV broadcast transition to digital, the FCC allowed LPTVs to continue to broadcast in analog until 12 months after the completion of the post-incentive auction repack, due for a July 3, 2020 completion. This means LPTVs would have to make the digital switch by July 3, 2021.

This aural service on TV channel 6 has taken the pejorative term “Franken-FM” due to the distorted analog TV broadcast technology that boosts the power of the FM aural carrier, increases the modulation, sets the pre-emphasis to match that of the FM broadcast band, and usually runs a video slide show or fixed graphic in the visual portion of the signal. This is all done to add an FM station to the market. Venture Technologies, based in Los Angeles, has placed these stations all over the country, including KRPE-LP in San Diego, on Mt. San Miguel. Most home and car radios can receive this signal on 87.75 MHz, and such stations generate marketing materials promoting “87.7 FM.” Venture Technologies leases its signals to third-party programmers.

Comments must be in to the FCC 45 days after the comments solicitation is published in the Federal Register.

Continue reading The FCC Wants Comments on “Franken-FMs” →
Commentary

FCC Proposes Allowing All-digital AM

Making Waves – Commentary

The Federal Communications Commission last week adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that recommends giving AM stations the flexibility to voluntarily adopt all-digital broadcasting.

FCC LogoIt hasn’t been easy to watch AM broadcasting slowly wither as stations go mute after low listenership and sales. It seems like every week we hear of another AM station downing its towers and selling its land to housing developments.

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai has taken a special interest in doing what he can to prop up AM broadcasters, first with his initiative that gave them some access to low-power FM translator channels, with mixed results that, in fact, did nothing for the actual AM spectrum.

Should AM stations be given the right to adopt all-digital modulation? Continue reading FCC Proposes Allowing All-digital AM →

Meetings

Annual Holiday Luncheon at 94th Aero Squadron

Another year is coming to an end–can you believe it? December is the month we set aside for a simple sit-down lunch to catch up with each other. No agenda, no presentation. 

Please join us at the annual Society of Broadcast Engineers, San Diego Chapter 36 holiday banquet, Wednesday, December 18 at 12 noon at the 94th Aero Squadron, 8885 Balboa Avenue, San Diego. Note that we’ll be on the covered-protected outdoor patio. Everyone is welcome. Dielectric and RF Specialties of California are sponsoring this luncheon–no charge to you.

National

FCC Grants 60-day Grace Period for IPAWS Update

According to a Public Notice from the FCC, EAS participants will not have to update their IPAWS certificates by the November 8, 2019 deadline. 

FEMA and some EAS participants expressed concern over the timeframe, saying that it was not sufficient time. As a result, the FCC issued the public notice to inform EAS participants about Section 11.35(b) of the commission’s rules, which allow for operations to continue “without the defective equipment pending its repair or replacement for 60 days without further FCC authority.”

EAS participants will have until January 7, 2020 to complete the IPAWS certificate updates.

Instructions for updating certificates for the DASDEC EAS devices are here. 

Users of SAGE EAS equipment should have completed a software update by now. More information is here. If you haven’t already, you need to purchase the software update for $349, and SCMS is a dealer. 

Society of Broadcast Engineers