Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 897, Volume 18, #12 for October 21, 2026

FORM ONE
Yes, you are tired of the reminders that Form One is due on the ETRS next week. But, to be truthful, it is not just Form One. With the NPT coming next month, your to-do list should involve a closer look at your EAS receiver. The tests using the Alaska and Puerto Rico codes might indicate you need to check your configurations – while never really tested before, the filters and relay instructions for the NPT code might need attention.

While you are at it: Do you have the latest software for your receiver? is you CAP connectivity to IPAWS solid? Are you monitoring the assigned sources and have good audio and levels? And, the password? 15 characters, right?

GETTING CLEAN AUDIO
Speaking of clean, clear audio, sometimes you are at the mercy of the EAS signal coming to you from another station. But you have a lot more control over all other inputs. We hope you did not miss Hank Landsberg’s discussion last week on the right way to get clean audio into your system. A replay is here.

SOME CHANGES AND NEWS FROM DAVICOM
Davicom customers may have heard that the company’s parent, Comlab Telecommunications, has been bought by Nyx Hemera Technologies. Immediately, users might be worried about supply and support. But not only will Nyx Hemera keep Davicom as an operating division, plans are to expand capabilities. This week we have representatives of Davicom – John Ahern, Louis-Charles Cuierrier, and Pierre Longtin – who will join us to talk about their latest products and to answer your questions as to the future.

Join us and find out more: tomorrow (Thursday) 2PM Eastern/11AM Pacific  Or catch us live on the youtube thebdrnet channel. Link invites are always 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.

Oh, one more thing: we do have a Tuesday Reminder list, if you wish to get a reminder email for each week’s program. Just reply to this email and ask!

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

 

THE NPT IS GETTING CLOSE!
Once Form One is filed and you have inspected your EAS receiver’s settings and alerted Programming and Traffic, you can just relax and await the NPT – the first in three years – still scheduled for November 17th at 2:20PM EST. (It is EAS only, no WEA this time.)

MEANWHILE, WE GROW CLOSER TO THE RENEWAL CYCLE
Cary Tepper reminds us that the FCC did issue a Public Notice aimed at the upcoming license renewal cycle. As with EAS configurations, it gives an opportunity to check and ensure all operations are in compliance, including the Online Public Information File. The FCC will be attention and reviews this year than in some recent past cycles.

Tepper emphasizes that the renewal season is the prime time for the FCC to exercise its statutory duty to check on how stations have complied with the obligation to operate in the public interest. Perhaps the key opportunity to prove this to the FCC is via the quarterly Issues & Programs list – including how stations handle issues that arise in areas like news distortion, equal opportunities for political candidates, hoaxes and the prohibition of obscene, indecent and profane content.

DON MUSSELL PASSES AWAY
Long time engineer Don Mussell was reported to have passed away at 75 over the past weekend. At one time the Pacifica Group Engineer, Don became a prolific consultant, contractor, and builder of large and small stations all over the country. In recent years, he was mostly found in Hawaii, with Hawaii Public Radio. Don was known for solving problems and helping many stations get on the air.

CUMULUS EXITS BANKRUPTCY – AGAIN
This past week, Cumulus re-emerged from bankruptcy. As part of the reorganization, the company was taken private to resolve approximately $550 million in debt, although retaining the same top management team.

CYBERSECURITY UPDATE
Yes, it seems there is a new warning each week. Things are speeding up. This week, news of a hack on the PHP programming language is triggering security updates to many programs and applications to protect against CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) exploits.

MICROSOFT CLEANS UP A LITTLE
To disrupt a phishing network, Microsoft has recently disabled over 20,000 accounts and blocked over 100,000 fraudulent domains. That is one company dealing with one scam, aimed at companies and working with healthcare and financial services.

REALLY: “DON’T MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM?”
The Central Register of Persons in Denmark has data on 8.8 million people. Recently there was a data breach. For some reason that probably will never be admitted, an IT company with access to the register was discovered to be using accounts with the password  … wait for it! … “123456” – can you hear the cursing? Oooouch!

FOR SALE
An AAT FM-150 transmitter, a Barix 500 exstreamer, and a Jampro JLLP-3 antenna lead the list of new items this week. These and more items are at: https://www.thebdr.net/buy-and-sell/

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

 

  Here are some of the more recent items of interest:

• Critter Control – Jeff Welton
• Getting Ready for Winter – Barry Mishkind
• Join the Lunch Gathering – Thursday 2 PM Eastern
• Enforcement Watch – No NPT Forms for 3 Year = $27k / NoV for 475% over power
• Getting Hear from There – Mark Durenberger
• The FCC EAS Proposals – where industry agrees … and where it doesn’t – Ed Czarnecki
• A Complete Station Audit is Important – Barry Mishkind
• A Free Tool for the New FCC EAS Password Rule – and More! – Ken Fine
• Do You Have the Right USB-C Cable? – Barry Mishkihd

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

 
MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

At the NAB New York Show, Broadcast Electronics showed the expanded AMX Silicon Carbide AM transmitter series, now at 1, 3, and 5 kW. Additionally, the new MTX compact FM transmitter was introduced, a direct-to-channel digital exciter technology and smooth upgrades to HD Radio – and DRM+ BE, and a new powerful HTML-5 responsive GUI incorporating multi-level security . Both transmitters feature high efficiency and a small footprint.

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Comrex has added capability to its FieldLink product. FieldLlink Cloud now expands connectivity options using 4G/5G and WiFi to connect to the FieldLink in the pressbox, featuring easy connection and LCD control. A current “special” includes a year’s service at no cost with the purchase of a FieldLink sideline reporter.

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Broadcast Depot and Axeltech are featuring the YouPlay video playout system. The product is said to be intuitive, requiring little or no training to operate.

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NEXTGEN TV announced a new initiative for ATSC 3.0: it is developing Broadcast-to-Everything, or B2X, featuring a number of possible ways to transmit programs and information on the ATSC 3.0 foundation.

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The Fall Broadcast Convention Searson is slowing down:

• This week: NAB New York – Javits Center, NYC – October 21, 22
• Next Week: CCBE/OAB Conferences Toronto Canada – October 27, 28

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

 

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

• 2 year ago (10/20/24) a helicopter hit a tower in Houston; four were killed.
• 11 years ago (10/24/14) a satellite music show from Nashville spread a fake EAS alert. *
• 22 years ago (10/23/04) Ashlee Simpson’s lip-synching fails badly on Saturday Night Live. **
• 26 years ago (10/20/00) rapper Ice-T debuts on Law & Order: SVU as Detective Fin Tutuola.
• 38 years ago (10/22/88) Phil Collins hit #1 with a cover of “A Groovy Kind of Love.“
• 47 years ago (10/20/79) an instrumental by Herb Alpert “Rise” was #1 on the charts. ***
• 49 years ago (10/20/77) Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a Mississippi plane crash.
• 50 years ago (10/23/76) Chicago got its first #1 hit: “If You Leave Me Now.”
• 52 years ago (10/19/74) “Nothing From Nothing” made a #1 hit for Billy Preston.
• 59 years ago (10/21/67) Lulu’s huge hit “To Sir, With Love” was #1.
• 69 years ago (10/21/57) “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley went to #1 on the charts.
• 79 years ago (10/20/47) the notorious Red Scare kicked into high gear in Washington, as Congress investigated Communist influence in Hollywood.

… and 111 years ago (10/21/1915) AT&T engineers sent the first voice transmission across the Atlantic – from Arlington, Virginia to Paris, France, mostly as a proof of concept. (thanks: Ken Fine)

Here are a few more newsy-type items:

• 15 years ago (10/20/11) Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi is killed.
• 16 years ago (10/23/08) was Bloody Thursday with the worldwide stock market crash – most indices dropped 10% in one day.
• 21 years ago (10/24/03) The Concorde made its final flight from NY JFK to Londow Hearthow.  ..
• 24 years ago (10/23/02) about 50 Chechen rebels stormed a Moscow theater, taking up to 700 people hostage during a sold-out performance of a popular musical.
• 25 years ago (10/23/01) the Apple iPod was launched – and a juggernaut began to roll.
• 39 years ago (10/19/87) The US Stock market had its worst loss since 1927, dropping 22.6% in one day.
• 44 years ago (10/19/82) Auto maker John DeLorean was arrested in a $24 million cocaine deal.****
• 64 years ago (10/22/62) President John F. Kennedy announced U.S. spy planes had discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
• 65 years ago (10/24/61) the Lego brick’s design was patented. *****
• 95 years ago (10/24/31) the George Washington Bridge was dedicated. (It continues to be offered for sale by Rich Wood.)
• 97 years ago (10/23/29) was Black Thursday when the US stock market crashed – falling 11% in one day – and set off a worldwide depression.
• 125 years ago (10/24/1901) a 63-year-old schoolteacher named Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
• 158 years ago (10/18/1867) the US took possession of Alaska after buying it from Russia. Whose “Folly?”*****
• 174 years ago (10/18/1851) Moby Dick was published.

… and 244 years ago (10/19/1782) Americans defeated the British at Yorktown – Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a larger Franco-American force, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.

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

 

* The “joke” led to a $1 million fine being assessed against iHeart Media.

** She was “singing” but her lips were not moving.

*** “Rise” was the theme song for the TV show, General Hospital.

**** At trial, DeLorean, was acquitted, but he was on trial again soon. (His namesake car lives on – especially in the movie “Back to the Future.”)

***** Lego comes from “leg godt” – play well – in Danish.

****** It was called “Seward’s Folly” when Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska from Russia for $7 million – 2 cents an acre. Critics saw no value in the huge, distant place. Today, Alaska is almost 20% of the US land mass.

MIDWEEK BONUS

October: A time of beerfests, pumpkin pies, and drink spices.

Inflation hits pumpkins: in 1974, the winning pumpkin in the Safeway World Championship was 132 pounds. This year in Rhode Island, 3156 pounds …. that is like 17 – 20 people!  (It probably would not be allowed in most elevators.)

Inflation has – or could – affect even famous artists. Take a look here at the rapper 50 Cent, adjusted for inflation.

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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? 

PLEASE INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN US
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        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.

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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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