Technical support at the FCC...finally
Senate bill S.2881 -- the FCC Commissioners' Technical Resource Enhancement Act -- aims to provide greater technical resources to FCC Commissioners.
A deserved punishment for KWVE?
The reality is that EAS does not really work as well as it was intended. Editor Chriss Scherer does not believe any broadcast station should ever, as part of a standard plan, originate an alert.
Changing of the guard
Another RF expert takes over the RF Engineering column reins from John Battison: Jeremy Ruck. John is stepping back from his routine involvement with Radio magazine.
The spirit of coopetition
As the rules of business are bent and retooled to ensure success, coopetition is a way for two or more typical competitors to work together for their mutual benefit.
Marketing radio
For all radio does to promote itself as a consumer technology, it keeps coming up short.
Julius Genachowski joins renewed FCC
There's a new man at the helm of the FCC. Julius Genachowski has served as chief counsel to former FCC chairman Reed Hundt as well as being involved with media and telecommunications, so at least he joins the agency with some familiarity as to its function.
How's your attitude in this down economy?
As we look ahead for relief, we see the predictions: on-air ad sales look flat, but online has promise. The overall economic view predicts a better future.
Attending a convention is half the experience
So is it worth attending the 2010 NAB Show? I think so. And right now is the right time to begin planning to attend.
The 2009 NAB Show is Over
For years exhibitors have been talking about the quality of the attendees being good even though quantity had slipped. This year was the ultimate example of that with fewer attendees, but those who were there were serious buyers.
More connected than ever
Radio magazine has blogs, forums, and plenty of RSS feed options. And it's on Facebook and Twitter. It's easier than ever to stay connected to what's happening in radio broadcasting from Radio magazine.
Quality of service - Quality in manufacturing
A fellow engineer tells me about some recent equipment failures, and he is concerned about the quality of manufacturing. I understand his concern. There is an expectation for a professional product to provide reliable service. He is not expecting unrealistic support, but he is expecting the product to work.
President Obama's changes to the FCC
The bad taste of former Chairman Kevin Martin still lingers, but immediate efforts are being made to cleanse that memory. The first step was President Obama naming Michael Copps to be the interim chairman of the FCC.
Looking for change at the FCC
We're due for a chairman who can lead the FCC and make real progress. Who's the next chairman? Julius Genachowski, Don Gips, Larry Strickling and Blair Levin are some of the names I have heard.
16? Sweet!
While Radio magazine is celebrating the past 15 years, it actually traces its roots to 1959 when Broadcast Engineering magazine was first published.
Show support, get supported
When someone laments that attending the NAB Show in Las Vegas is too expensive or too far, I ask if he attends a regional show. Unfortunately, the wrong answer is too often given.
Still moving forward on HD Radio
Despite the slow and steady process of the HD Radio evolution, which has included some bumps along the way, there have been some recent innovations pushing the progress forward.
STL white spaces? Apparently so.
Because the frequencies in the 700MHz band are being auctioned for new uses, these frequencies will no longer be available for auxiliary uses, such as wireless mics. This was further reinforced by the FCC's recent ruling to ban wireless mic use in this spectrum.
How is HD Radio really doing?
We can all see that HD Radio appears to be moving slowly ahead. Recent news headlines of sub $100 receivers and the first portable (albeit far from being as portable as an Ipod) receiver are good steps to making HD Radio accessible
The business of engineering
As an engineer, you likely have a passion for solving problems. You see a challenge, identify possible solutions, formulate a strategy and get the job done. But while most engineers have excellent troubleshooting skills, many do not have the best business skills.
The next step in EAS
The FCC has an open rulemaking to update one aspect of public warning: the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The current EAS has been in use for more than 15 years, and by itself, it is an improvement over the EBS, but it still has shortcomings.
