Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 886, Volume 18, #1 for August 5, 2026

FCC CYBERSECURITY CLOCK COUNTDOWN STARTS
The recent Order by the FCC to beef up cybersecurity has been published in the Federal Register. That means the new rules go into effect on September 29th regarding strengthening any part of your program chain that is connected to the Internet. Your EAS box is a prime focus, but audio processors, STLs (including RDS), all the way to the transmitters are under new scrutiny.

In addition to the strong firewall and attention to any updates for hardware and software, passwords are now required to be at least 15 characters, with no words is them.

More information and a FREE password generator program designed to be simple and easy for broadcasters is available here.

INPUTS NEED ATTENTION, TOO
Nobody wants the be caught by the old GIGO problem (Garbage In, Garbage Out) at any point their program system. Have you listened to your air product lately? Has a ground-induced hum somehow appeared? More importantly, have you listened to the EAS tests and activations lately? There are reports of missing tests and, worse, unintelligible audio coming down the system. (Just because your EAS log says a test was sent does not mean it got on the air!) Check with your SECC or the state broadcasting association to get help in resolving problems.

LIVE FROM TEXAS!
This week we are at the Texas Association of Broadcasters Convention and we hope our Thursday Gathering will originate from the TAB Exhibit Floor. Who will we meet? Will it be better than last year? Tune in and find out!


Our 331st Virtual Lunch Gathering will be on Thursday at 2PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific. Join us and learn things! The link request is at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ … 

… and do not forget, on the same page we have hundreds of videos you can use on subjects you will want to learn about.

… and … there is a Tuesday Reminder list, if you would like a reminder of the topic for the week.

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

 

FCC SETS AUCTION 114 IN PLACE
A new auction for FM CPs has been scheduled for February 2, 2027. 132 Construction Permits will be available, including 33 that were not sold – or were defaulted on – from the last auctions. Specific information, including a listing of available allotments in 35 states and the US Virgin Islands, is available here.

AM RADIO LOBBYING IS SPENDING BIG
Would you believe (sorry Don Adams) that nearly $9 million was spent just in 2026 Q2 to lobby Congress about the AM in Every Vehicle Act and the Local Radio Freedom Act? Yes, the halls were buzzing. The radio industry spent over $3.990 million pushing passage while the car and consumer tech industry (Toyota, Honda, GM, and the CTA) spent more than $4.9 to oppose the Acts.

FCC ACTION ON ABC STATIONS DRAWS A LOT OF WORDS
Whether you consider it merely a political move or not, the recent FCC move to review ABC’s licenses has generated over 150,000 comments with 2/3  of them in the last month. The FCC has a lot of reading to do.

FINANCIAL NOTES
As it maneuvers its way through the bankruptcy process, reports are that Alden Global will end up with a major voting stake in the re-organized Cumulus Media.

LOCAL TOWNS AND RF HEADACHES
Not strictly broadcast but cell site companies join many stations and homeowners which have fought with zoning issues and homeowner’s association issues. In Massachusetts, Verizon had to go to the State Supreme Judicial Court to affirm that a city board of health could not shut down a cell site because it was suspected of causing RF-related health issues. Federal law – and the FCC – pre-empts local entities.

ANNOUNCER CARRIES ON DESPITE TORNADO
Local observers call Meteorologist Jordan Ambrose of WDHN in Dothan, AL a hero for calmly staying on the air to give up-to-date info no a tornado in the area, even as it damaged to studio building. .

HOW DANGEROUS IS AI?
This week, Anthropic joined OpenAI in reporting their AI systems had hacked other companies. Anthropic’s Claude system breached three organization’s system. It was supposed to be test of security evaluations, but the AI agents managed to break out of their “boxes” and accessed systems they were not authorized. The big question: can this be stopped? The big answer: we don’t know.

FOR SALE
A number of consoles, transmitters, and everything in between are available, along with some ham gear – a lot of it at very cheap (or free) pricing for those willing to come get it. That listing and others are on the BDR Buy?Sell Page.
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

Here are some of the more recent items of interest:

• C-Band Passes Away From Broadcast – Danny Ray Boyer
• Join the Lunch Gathering – Thursday 2 PM Eastern
• Enforcement Watch – license cancelled after failure to respond
• Silicon Carbide Comes to AM Broadcasting – Tim Hardy
• A Free Tool for the New FCC EAS Password Rule – and More! – Ken Fine
• FCC Cybersecurity Order & NPRM – Barry Mishkind
• That FCC Fine is How Much? – Barry Mishkind
• IT Security for Broadcast Gear – Kirk Harnack
• Building A Maintenance Checklist – Barry Mishkind

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

 
MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

Henry Engineering has restarted production on two popular products: the AES DigiSwitch 3X1 and Sports Pod.  And more good news! They have reduced the price of the AES DigiSwitch 3X1, to just $395. They can be ordered now, they units will be in stock for delivery in about 4 weeks.

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Broadcast Depot is featuring the 25-Seven Program Delay Manager II from the Telos Alliance. 


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Arrakis Systems is featuring their H10 & H15 Analog Consoles, which can be controlled via software. The consoles are available with – or without the software for stand-alone use. 

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WorldCast Systems has announced their new control unit for Ecreso AiO Series transmitters.

Mid-Summer conventions Worth your attention
Great opportunities to check out equipment and services you are considering buying:

• The Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) is this week. They always put on a great show. This year, it will again be at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock (Bringing your family? The Water Park beckons!) on August 5th and 6th. The TAB is especially inviting folks from neighboring states this year.  Check it out here: TAB –  August 5 and 6.
• The Nebraska Broadcasters Association – August 13.
• The IBC will meet in Amsterdam, slated for September 11-14 at the RAI.
• The Wisconsin and Minnesota Broadcasters associations combine for the Broadcasters’ Clinic, September 14-16.
• The Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) has now opened registration for the Vancouver BC gathering October 5-7. The WABE program will include, among other topics, Proactive Broadcast Tower Maintenance and RF Sweeping of Transmission Lines & Antennas
• The NAB Show New York is scheduled for October 21-22.

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

 

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

• 3 years ago (8/5/23) Country music fills the top 3 spots on the Hot 100 for the first time since 1958. *
• 9 years ago (8/5/17) Sam Hunt’s “Body Like A Back Road” celebrated 15 weeks at #1 on the Country Chart.
• 12 years ago (8/2/14) Weird Al Yankovic got his first chart topping album with “Mandatory Fun.”
• 30 years ago (8/3/96) “The Macarena” began its reign atop the U.S. pop charts. (Very sorry if you start hearing it in your head!)
• 38 years ago (8/6/88) The first rap episode of Yo! MTV Raps aired. First Song? **
• 50 years ago (8/7/76) Elton John and Kiki Dee hit #1 with “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.“
• 55 years ago (8/3/71) Paul McCartney announced the formation of his new group: Wings.
• 57 years ago (8/8/69) the famous Beatles crossing the road picture was taken. Why was it famous? ***
• 61 years ago (8/7/65) Hermans Hermits hit with “I’m Henry VIII, I Am.”
• 62 years ago (8/8/64) The Beatles were in the middle of three weeks #1 “A Hard Day’s Night.“
• 69 years ago (8/5/57) American Bandstand went National.
• 100 years ago (8/6/26) Tucson Radio station KGAR began operations – the first in the city.

… and 168 years ago (8/5/1858) the First transatlantic telegraph call was completed.

And, here are some more newsy type items:

• 11 years ago (8/6/15) Hamilton opens on Broadway.
• 35 years ago (8/6/91) Tim Berners-Lee put up the first web site. ****
• 45 years ago (8/5/81) President Reagan fired 11,359 air-traffic controllers.
• 49 years ago (8/3/77) Radio Shack unveiled the TRS-80 – it featured 4 kB memory and a cassette!
• 63 years ago (8/5/63) the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed.
• 64 years ago (8/5/62) Marilyn Monroe was found, dead.
• 58 years ago (8/3/58) the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole.
• 81 years ago (8/6/45) the Atomic Bomb leveled Hiroshima.
• 82 years ago (8/4/44) Anne Frank was captured in Amsterdam.
• 92 years ago (8/2/34) Adolph Hitler became the “Fuhrer” (Leader).
• 112 years ago (8/5/1914) the first electric traffic signal was installed. Do you know where? *****
• 165 years ago (8/5/1861) President Lincoln imposed the first federal income tax by signing the Revenue Act. ******
• 168 years ago (8/5/1858) the first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed.
• 250 years ago (8/2/76) members of Congress affixed their signatures to an enlarged copy of the Declaration of Independence.

 … and 534 years ago 8/3/1492) Columbus set sail from Spain. Some say he discovered America. Many Native Americans say they knew it was here all along…. Worse: Columbus never really set foot in America. Just what he called the West Indies.

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

 

* #1 “Try That in a Small Town” by Jason Aldean
   #2 “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
   #3 “Fast Car” by Luke Combs

** Run-DMC.

*** The rumor was from the clues in the picture that “Paul is dead!” To this day, fans travel to the site to take their own pictures!

****  A copy from 1992 survives here. Do not prepare to be impressed.

***** Cleveland

****** Strapped for cash with which to pursue the Civil War, Lincoln and Congress agreed to impose a 3 percent tax on annual incomes over $800.

MIDWEEK BONUS

Do you need some incentive to save money? Maybe the largest Piggy Bank in the world can help.

How do you feel about vinyl? Some are quite passionate, despite the environmental aspects.

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PLEASE INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN US
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:
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PLEASE 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?

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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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Now … some extra stuff .. some important … some just interesting.

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