The Broadcasters' Desktop Resource

... edited by Barry Mishkind - the Eclectic Engineer

This Week’s Newsletter

Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 806, Volume 16, #26 for January 29, 2025

MT WILSON DODGES NEAR DISASTER
The videos were clear, the Eaton fire in LA was right at the roadway surrounding the main transmitting building at Mt. Wilson – home to 49 broadcast stations. Fortunately, the flames did not cross the road. Unfortunately, a land-mobile communications building was destroyed, leaving only the power meter. Some damage to coax was reported on adjacent Mt. Harvard. Overall, the major concern at Mt. Wilson was keeping the generators running for several weeks, and getting enough fuel delivered to keep going.

THE AFTERMATH IS RARELY QUICK
It often takes a while for communities – and broadcasters – to recover from a major event. Western North Carolina and surrounding areas are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and even with the rains, some LA stations will be doing repairs for a while. In both places – and others – a number of broadcast workers have lost their homes. Reconstruction takes time and affected folks often find temporary housing difficult to find and expensive. Bottom line: as with other issues, it is a good idea for every broadcast company to consider emergency housing and repair protocols that will not only get the station back on the air, but provide for staff living arrangements.

GETTING THE WORD OUT
For several decades, EAS has been the backbone for carrying warnings and information in disaster zones. In some respects EAS has been the doorbell or alarm to let people know something bad may affect them. In most markets, at least one station then takes the lead in providing updates and information needed. Results vary, often depending upon whether the local emergency managers make a point to cooperate with broadcasters. Sadly, the myriad of agencies and jurisdictions in many markets can make accurate information a scarce commodity in the middle of a panic situation.

So… what can be done? Is WEA going to replace EAS? Or, is there something stations can do to be more relevant and crucial to the well-being of their market? These are among the questions we will discuss tomorrow (Thursday) at 2PM /11 AM Pacific. We hope you will join us and perhaps even take part.  The link, as usual, is at www.theBDR.net/TLG/



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


FCC INVESTIGATIONS
Last week we noted the dropping of four complaints to the Commission regarding content broadcast and the First Amendment. To the chagrin of some, the FCC has re-started three of the four complaints about some of them. What level of accuracy and clarity that broadcasters should manifest is definitely a question. Whether the FCC, a partisan run agency, is the right place for determining who is right and who is not may be the proper place.

IS AI ALREADY HIDING IN THE CLOUD?
Shades of Max Headroom! Our discussion last week about how radio can take advantage of the cloud included comments from Andrew Scaglioni related to how automation and the Cloud can combine with AI to produce full programs. If you have not heard it, you might like to check it out. A wide range of other discussions also can be found here.

A FAST TURNAROUND IN WEATHER REPORTS
In the past couple of weeks, viewers in a number of cities were faced with the elimination of all local meteorologists. The uproar was so fast and loud that the company involved began back-tracking and restoring the local weather folks. The lesson: viewers (and listeners) do care about the quality and quantity of information dispensed by broadcasters.

HAMCATION 2025
Orlando, FL is the host for this year’s Hamcation, February 7-9th.

BLU-RAY AND MINIDISC EOL?
Sony has announced the end of production of recordable Blu-ray discs, MiniDiscs, MD Data discs, and MiniDV discs due to declining sales of the media. Users that wish to ensure they have such products to use might consider purchasing some now.
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

Some recent articles of interest:

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

       
      MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

      NAB is approaching…. April 6-9.  The Registration Page is here.

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      If you are planning to go and would like a free Floor Pass, Nautel’s code is NS9564. Others will become available in the next week or so.

      Nautel will hold another NUG seminar at the Flamingo Hotel on Sunday, April 6th, at 9AM. Reserve a seat here.

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      WorldCast Systems has released an update to its Audemat DAB Probe monitoring software. The upgrade is free of charge for owners with service contracts.

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

       


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

        • 9 years ago (1/30/16) David Bowie’s first #1 album -“Blackstar” –  in the US hits 20 days after he dies.
        • 11 years ago (1/27/14) Taylor Swift’s Twitter and Instagram accounts were hacked, with fake tweets going to 51 million fans.
        • 11 years ago (1/27/14) Billy Joel starts a monthly “residence” at Madison Square Garden. It lasts nearly 10 years.
        • 15 years ago (1/31/10) Taylor Swift and Beyonce sweep the Grammy Awards.
        • 19 years ago (1/26/06) Garth Brooks “Double Live” album is the first to be certified Double Diamond by RIAA.*
        • 21 years ago (2/1/04) saw Janet Jackson�s famous wardrobe malfunction. (The $550k fine was voided by a court.)
        • 22 years ago (2/1/03) the Space Shuttle Columbia burned up during re-entry, killing all aboard.
        • 40 years ago (1/28/85) “We Are The World” brought many singers together to record the song for USA for Africa. **
        • 40 years ago (2/1/85) saw Glenn Frey�s acting debut with his song “Smuggler�s Blues” on Miami Vice.
        • 43 years ago (2/1/82) Late Night with David Letterman debuts. His first guest? ***
        • 61 years ago (2/1/64) The Governor of Indiana banned the Kingsmen�s version of “Louie Louie” as pornographic – and took it to federal court.
        • 61 years ago (2/1/64) Before they even got here, the Beatles “I Want To Hold Your Hand” hits #1.
        • 67 years ago (1/31/58) the US launched its first satellite: Explorer.
        • 92 years ago (1/30/33) “The Lone Ranger” debuted on Detroit radio.

        … and 99 years ago (1/26/1926) John Logie Baird demonstrated TV transmission.

        Here are a few other “newsy” items of interest:

        • 39 years ago (1/28/86) the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch, killing all aboard.
        • 42 years ago (1/26/83) Lotus 1-2-3 debuted as the spreadsheet to have. What did 1-2-3 stand for?****
        • 43 years ago (2/1/82) Intel debuted the 80286 microprocessor.
        • 52 years ago (1/27/73) The Paris Peace Talks brought an end to the Vietnam war.
        • 61 years ago (1/29/64) “Dr. Strangelove” debuted in theaters.
        • 75 years ago (1/31/50) President Truman announced the invention of the H-Bomb. (The Japanese already knew…. )
        • 77 years ago (1/30/48) Mohandas K. Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, was assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist.
        • 80 years ago (1/27/45) the concentration camp at Auschwitz, Poland was liberated.
        • 79 years ago (1/29/36) the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elected its first members in Cooperstown, New York. *****
        • 141 years ago (2/1/1884) “Oxford English Dictionary” debuted.
        • 187 years ago (1/26/1838) Tennessee passed the nation’s first prohibition law.
        • 237 years ago (1/26/1788) Captain Arthur Phillip guided a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia.

        … and for you deep history buffs: It was 525 years ago (1/26/1500) when Vicente Yanez Pinzon discovered Brazil. As you might guess, however, the Brazilians were unaware they were lost.


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

           

          * 20 million copies were sold.

          ** 45 stars took part in the recording.

          *** Letterman’s first guest was Bill Murray. He then sang “Physical” while doing an aerobic routine.

          **** The app was said to be as easy as 1-2-3. Interestingly, it only was able to be marketed because VisiCalc failed to patent their  prior spreadsheet app.

          ***** Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson, and Walter Johnson.

          MIDWEEK BONUS

          Not floppy disks are not entirely abandoned. Can you think of some of tech that is still more common than one might think? Here are a few.

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

                barry

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