Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 847, Volume 17, #14 for November 5, 2025

THE DST FIGHT CONTINUES
Daylight Saving Time is done for this year. There are many who want DST all year long – they are not parents of school-age children nor AM Daytimers. They want regular time to last all year. Why? If it is dark, it is more dangerous for kids, and if it is dark, there is no daytimer radio. In fact, if DST were year-round, some northern latitude stations might have no “Morning Drive” at all – sunrise could be well after 9AM at certain times.

All we can say is that we are happy to be on standard time all year in Arizona!

AS WINTER APPROACHES IN ALL AREAS
Yes, it is that time. Some of us are wondering where Fall went. Truly, though, the further North you are, you probably have seen some white stuff already. That means it is time for all us to do a survey of transmitter sites and check out the things you can do to reduce trips to those sites in nasty weather. Then, if it ends up that you really have to go there, what advance planning should be in place, what precautions would help ensure success.

It is our friend Jeff Welton this week. He has a list of items he things you should have on hand and will share them, plus see if you have some ideas we have missed.

We hope to see you on Thursday.

NOTE:  ARIZONA PRESENTATION TIME IS NOW NOON.

As usual, we meet at 2 PM Eastern (11 AM Pacific) on Thursday. Link requests are easily found at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ Our videos are also shown on the youtube.com/thebdrnet channel.

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

C-BAND UPDATE
The FCC is indeed interested in auctioning off more of the C-Band satellite spectrum. During the October Open Meeting, a proposal was set out for upper C-Band sales no later than July 2027. Mark Johnson from Linkup Communications discussed this situation with us last Thursday. You can see the video here.
 
DELETE, DELETE, DELETE
For the fourth month in a row, the FCC is proposing to delete rules – something like 396 rules in the wireless sector – spread over 19 Parts – that are no longer useful or relevant. Some relate to expired needs or were sunset over 20 years ago.

DELETE AM, DELETE FM, DELETE RADIO
Not only has Tesla dropped AM radios from its vehicles, but the newer models will no longer feature FM. There is already some legislative interest.

DIG, DELETE, DIG, DELETE, DIG DELETE
The FCC is seeking to accelerate the transition away from copper lines to all fiber IP interconnection for VoIP services. The Commission is seeking comments on the transition.

CALL BEFORE YOU DIG
NATE reminds folks that when construction occurs use the 811 number to have sites audited for wires, cables, pipes, etc.

MERGE, MERGE, MERGE
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will be bringing its management duties over to the IES (Illuminating Engineering Society). 
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

Some recent articles of interest:

Some recent items of interest:

• Is It Really EOL for Windows 10? – Barry Mishkind
• Join the Lunch Gathering – Thursday 2 PM Eastern
• Enforcement Watch – FM station spur on ATC channel
• Critter Control – Jeff Welton
• Why is 50 Ohms the Standard? – Barry Mishkind
• Reworking EAS – 26 Questions – Ed Czarnecki
• EAS: A Software Problem or Lack of MCP? – Chuck Helstein
• The Evolution of Broadcast Technology – Ron Schact
• Planning Your Studio Before You Build – Gordon Carter
• Understanding AM NRSC Measurements – James Boyd
• Dana’s Daily Deals

More newsy items here…

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

 
MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

Lawo continues to enhance its HOME Apps platform which empowers radio stations to build advanced audio/video processing and multi-format support into more efficient, dynamic media facilities.

= = =

Walmart is seeking to build the largest shipments of CastOS operating systems in their TVs, which include the acquisition of Vizio and Onn.

= = =

TESLA has roiled the auto and broadcast industry by removing FM radios in their new models.

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

 

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

• this week (11/3/25) For the first time in 35 years, the Top 40 on the Hot 100 does not include any rap songs. *
• 1 year ago (11/3/24) master musician, song writer, and producer Quincy Jones passed away at 91.
• 4 years ago (11/5/21) 10 were killed, hundreds injured when fans rushed stage at a Travis Scott performance in Houston.
• 4 years ago (11/5/21) Abba releases their first album in 40 years – and it was their last one.
• 23 years ago (11/8/02) rapper Eminem’s movie “8 Mile” opened, “Lose Yourself” from the movie hit #1.
• 35 years ago (11/3/90) Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby“ became the first song by a rapper to hit #1.
• 35 years ago (11/3/90) The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody“ returns to #1 in the UK after 25 years.
• 35 years ago (11/9/90) the IRS seized Willie Nelson’s assets.
• 56 years ago (11/6/69) Paul McCartney was shown on Life Magazine to prove he was not dead.
• 58 years ago (11/9/67) the first issue of Rolling Stone was published.
• 62 years ago (11/4/63) Newsweek published a story that Bob Dylan stole the song “Blowin’ In The Wind.“
• 63 years ago (11/3/62) the Crystals earned a #1 hit with “He’s a Rebel” – or did they?**
• 109 years ago (11/8/1916) David Sarnoff supposedly sent his memo proposing a “music box” to receive broadcasts.  A more likely date: 1/31/1920.

… and 130 years ago (11/8/1895) during experiments with electrical discharge tubes, German Physics Professor Wilhelm Roentgen stumbled upon what he would later describe as “X-rays.”

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

• 11 years ago (11/3/14) the new One World Trade Center officially opened in New York City, on the site of the Twin Towers.
• 31 years ago (11/8/94) Sonny Bono (Sonny and Cher) was elected to Congress. Sonny’s first name? Salvatore
• 77 years ago (11/3/48) newspapers reported Dewey was President, defeating Truman. ***
• 81 years ago (11/7/44) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented fourth term in office.
• 83 years ago (11/7/40) the Tacoma Narrows Bridge rocked, flopped, and collapsed.
• 102 years ago (11/4/1922) the entrance to King Tut’s tomb discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

… and 142 years ago (11/8/1883) Railroads introduced four standard time zones in the U.S.

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

THE EYES MAY NOT HAVE IT
There are only so many pixels the eye can see. Researchers Conclude Most Viewers Can’t Discern High Resolution – most viewers have trouble detecting 8K-or even 4K- resolution. This confirms what many in the broadcast industry have known for years. Above that point, a screen is giving our eyes more information than they can detect.

POWERING AI
One of the suggestions for providing the power AI is and will be consuming: nuclear fusion. Some info.

= = =

PLEASE INVITE A FRIEND
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.

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?

– – –

We sure do appreciate you spending time with our Newsletter. And even more so when you recommend us to your colleagues and friends.

barry

– – –

Yes … you might have seen it before, but we should do this: some extra stuff .. some important … some just interesting.

MORE DETAIL HERE
Those you who read the Newsletter might notice that more detail is
provided on some timely issues than on the BDR site, itself. That is one
reason we encourage you to invite your friends to subscribe. We are Opt-In
only… and we give you two promises (OK, four!):
(1) no inbox flooding – it is one-time-a-week, and
(2) we do not give out anyone’s address.. ever.
(3) no cookies are placed on your computer.
(4) no Google ads are grafted onto your computer screen.