Barry Mishkind

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 829, Volume 16, #49 for July 2, 2025

JULY!
OK, you know that. But did you know today is exactly the mid-point of 2025? 182 days before and 182 after. We are on the downhill side of 2025!

DEADLINE DAY
As we enter the Third Quarter, just the reminder for folks that the Issues & Programs Lists need to be uploaded by the 10th. By the way, if your cluster has stations with different Cities-of-License, your I&P lists probably should not be exactly the same – especially if one area is city and the other rural. These official records show the efforts each station has made to serve the needs and interests of its City of License.

BACKUPS
Will you be working on Thursday – all day … half a day … not at all?  What about if you become ill?

Perhaps that means you need a backup person to keep an eye on things for you. Backup is good. And not only in terms of people. What about your backup transmitter? Generator? etc. Planning for those times when you or your transmitter are out-of-service is the main topic this week. Jeff Welton from Nautel will again share his thoughts on how we can ensure we can handle all will be OK despite the increase in entropy around our lives.

Please join us, 2 PM Eastern, 11 AM Pacific … for an interesting conversation. You’ll be glad you did.

At our regular time/place: Thursday at 2 PM Eastern/11 AM Pacific. You can get the link at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ or www.youtube.com/thebdrnet

Also, you might be interested to know we are now booked until September, with one open week, with some great presentations. Check the same page for the list of upcoming presentations: www.theBDR.net/TLG/


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


ABOUT THOSE OLD/DORMANT RULEMAKING PROCEEDINGS
Bring in the broom! Over the years, the FCC has directed attention to some 2,057 inactive potential Rulemaking proceedings, including a large number in the Media Bureau. Next week (July 9th) is the deadline to Comment on any of the items, some as old as 35 (!) years. Reply comments are due July 24th.

HURRICANE SEASON ROUNDTABLE
The FCC has decided to host an opportunity for communications, power, and public safety workers to discuss ways to better communicate during storm seasons. The roundtable is open to the public, streamed on the 7th (next Monday).

GENERAL WORKER SAFETY
Work zone safety remains a critical priority to protect workers, drivers, and pedestrians in and around ctive sites at all times, not just during storm/disaster events. NATE – The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association has released a new work zone safety guideline publication. Check it out here.

REMEMBER THE DAYS
There was a time when radio stations were “out in the field” every week, especially during those weekend remotes from auto dealers. Listeners could meet the jocks, get some pizza and soda, perhaps win a prize, and, of course, meet the dealer’s salesmen. It was a great way to boost audience recognition of dealers – and other companies that would sponsor remotes. Flash forward to 2025 and a recent study shows more than a third of listeners cannot name an auto dealership where they could shop for a vehicle.

FOR SALE
Some items worth your attention this week. A Scala PR-950 paraflector. And someone is looking for a Gates 5 AM transmitter. There is a lot more there, too. Take a look.
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

 

Some recent articles of interest:

            More newsy items here…

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

             
             MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

            The Telos Alliance has released software updates for:

            = = =

            Digital Alert Systems’ Bill Robertson was our guest last week on our weekly Zoom Presentation. Did you know you could “automatically” attach a translation – or an advertisement – to any EAS test or alert? Check out the video.

            = = =

            Shure continues to celebrate their 100th anniversary with the release of four new products.

            Take the Tour of their recent Infocomm booth.

            And their 100th anniversary? Check this out!


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

             


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

                  • 14 years ago (7/3/11) Little Richard performed in a wheelchair at the “A Capitol Fourth” in Washington, DC.
                  • 16 years ago (6/30/09) Spinal Tap began – and ended – their One Night World Tour. Where? *
                  • 23 years ago (7/1/02) Sirius Satellite service began.
                  • 28 years ago (7/2/97) “Men in Black” premiered in theaters.
                  • 30 years ago (7/1/95) Wolfman Jack passed away; heart attack at 57.
                  • 40 years ago (7/3/85) Back to the Future was released, featuring the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12.
                  • 46 years ago (7/1/79) the first Sony Walkman was sold in Japan.
                  • 48 years ago (7/2/77) Theme from Rocky hit #1 on the charts. (“Gonna Fly Now“).
                  • 53 years ago (7/1/72) Neil Diamonds “Song Sung Blue” hit #1.
                  • 55 years ago (7/1/70) American Top 40 with Casey Kasem debuts. The #1 hit that week? **
                  • 55 years ago (7/4/70) Casey Kasem first hosted American Top 40.
                  • 61 years ago (7/4/64) the Beach Boys scored their first #1 hit. ***
                  • 62 years ago (7/4/63) WWVB began operations at 60 kHz.
                  • 71 years ago (7/5/54) Elvis Presley recorded “That’s All Right (Mama)” – his first studio session.
                  • 84 years ago (7/1/41) Commercial TV stations were first licensed. First up: WNBT, NY.
                  • 84 years ago (7/1/41) the first true TV commercial aired in the US. On WNBT ****
                  • 97 years ago (7/2/1928) the first experimental TV station was licensed.  (W3XK)
                  • 102 years ago (7/1/1923) the first network was set up: WEAF/WMAF.
                  • 114 years ago (7/1/1911) the Radio Division was created as part of the Commerce Department.
                  • 115 years ago (7/1/1910) Public Law 262 initiated licensing of wireless radio operators.

                  … and 128 years ago (7/2/1897) Marconi got his first patent in England.

                  How about a few “general history” items as well:

                  • 14 years ago (7/8/11) Atlantis was launched on the final mission of US Space Shuttle program.
                  • 18 years ago (6/29/07) Apple released the first iPhone.
                  • 20 years ago (7/1/05) the last of more than 4.4 million Ford Thunderbirds was produced.
                  • 30 years ago (6/29/95) the American space shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir to form the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth.
                  • 28 years ago (7/1/97) At midnight Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese rule in a ceremony.
                  • 28 years ago (7/2/97) “Men in Black” premiered in theaters.
                  • 33 years ago (7/2/92) the One Millionth Corvette was built (it took 39 years).
                  • 40 years ago (7/3/85) Back to the Future was released, featuring the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12.
                  • 41 years ago (7/1/84) the PG-13 rating debuted.
                  • 46 years ago (7/1/79) The first Sony Walkman went on sale.
                  • 61 years ago (7/2/64) President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.
                  • 79 years ago (7/5/46) the bikini swimsuit was first shown. *****
                  • 89 years ago (7/2/37) Amelia Earhart disappeared. No, she was not RIF’d by a Consolidator.
                  • 94 years ago (7/7/31) work began on the Hoover Dam.
                  • 97 years ago (7/7/1928) Sliced Bread was first produced in Missouri.
                  • 104 years ago (7/5/1921) Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing World Series. (“Say it ain’t so, Joe!”)
                  • 141 years ago (7/4/1884) France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States.
                  • 249 years ago (7/2/1776) … let’s see .. .what could possibly have happened during that week in history?

                  …. and 412 years ago (6/29/1613) the original Globe Theatre burned to the ground. It was rebuilt in the following year.


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

                     


                    * Wembley Stadium, London

                    ** Three Dog Night’s “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)”.

                    *** Beach Boys: “I get Around”

                    **** for the Bulova Watch Company.

                    ***** The name came from the island where US atomic tests were done.

                    MIDWEEK BONUS
                    Friday is a National Holiday … you might have noticed. But if you want to consider history, the Declaration of Independence was actually produced on July 2, 1776, but as stated by the National Archives the document was not signed by delegates until August 2nd. If you want to celebrate twice, we will not complain.

                    = = =

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

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