Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 854, Volume 17, #21 for December 24, 2025

INTERNET TIME SERVICE ISSUE
It was an extended power outage – and generator failure – on the 17th that caused the NIST servers in Boulder, CO, to lose their lock for time reference accuracy – the power outage set time back 4.8 microseconds. Much of the system, including time.nist.gov, is fully back on line, but a few servers were still being cleared this week. Curiously, it was the second “event” this month. But, bottom line: yes there was a disruption but broadcasters need not worry.

C-BAND TIME EXTENDED
If you plan to SHARE your thoughts on the current plan to auction off the C-Band frequencies used by services feeding broadcasters, the FCC extended comments on C-Band for 15 days.

THE BEST AND THE WORST
True, the season’s main holidays all fall on Thursday this year, but not everyone will be with football, family, vacation, etc. We will be getting together at 2 PM on Thursday / 11 AM Pacific. The idea is to enjoy some interaction. The general topic will be sharing some war stories: The best and the worst things that you have seen happen during your career. Find out how crazed things were for your colleagues. The link request is, as usual, at www.theBDR.net/TLG/

Join us on Thursday at 2 PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific. The link request is on www.theBDR.net/TLG/

DID YOU KNOW?
There are now some 200 videos from our weekly zoom meetings, covering a lot of topics, at no charge. An index to those videos is also on www.theBDR.net/TLG/
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR – and you!

NAB IS GETTING READY FOR 2026
The NAB is now accepting registration for the 2026 Spring Show in Las Vegas, April 18-22, 2026. Perhaps of special interest is the North Hall renovations have been completed, but even more, we are promised the Radio Floor once again will be together in the Central Hall. Some of us who walked forever to get to the West Hall might even get to the South Hall this time.

FESSENDEN’S FIRST BROADCAST WAS NOT ON XMAS EVE
No, as we noted last week with the Marconi claim on transmitting an “S” over the Atlantic, Reginald Fessendens’ story of a 1906 voice and music Christmas Eve broadcast it is most likely not what has been repeated over the years: that it was the first. is one of those myths of early broadcasting that just won’t go away. Donna Halper makes the point that Fessenden was a pioneer. His pioneering work just did not happen as most think it did.

THE BRIGHT TIME OF THE YEAR
As we count down the days to the end of 2025, a lot of people reflect on the year. Some of it is good, some not so good. As we head to the 17th Anniversary of the BDR, we wish to thank all of you who read our posts and the companies that support and sustain  us. Please mention us to your colleagues. This newsletter is only one-time-a-week, and addresses are never given out.

YES, FM VS ATC INTERFERENCE CAN HAPPEN
Even when you are totally in compliance, you might get a call from the FAA. In Chicago, something happened to Moody Bible Institutes signal that affected the O’Hare Airport ATC (Aircraft Traffic Control). WMBI – 90.1 – quickly moved to cooperate with investigations of the apparent inter-mod product issue by dropping theirpower to 10 kW while the investigation continues.

CALMING THE VIEWERS IN CA
Starting on July 1, 2026, viewers of streaming services will notice a calming change. Like the CALM Act on broadcasting, California will, under Senate Bill 576, requires video-streamers – including FAST channels and local TV stations – to ensure commercials cannot be noticeably louder than the programs in which they are inserted. This should affect viewers in many other states who will be thankful to California.

THE LEANING TOWER OF KLOE
Wind damage in NW Kansas caused base insulators to crack, and three of four guy wires to fail at Goodland, KS, causing the tower to lean to the side and forcing KLOE off the air. The station informed listeners on its website, noting it would take an extended period to determine and pursue action to restore the station’s 305-foot tower.

THE TOWER IS STILL UP, BUT STATION GOING DOWN
AM license cancellations have been growing for the past several years. Most recently, WNAM in Neenah/Menasha WI has announced  the 78-year-old station will go off the air on December 31st. Insufficient ROI, a real problem for many stations, is a big problem. Even after trimming all possible expenses, in many markets, competition from other stations, from streaming, and other sources have dried up sales to the point that stations can not longer pay the bills. It is a sign that the industry continues changing.

ANNA’S ARCHIVE SCRAPES SPOTIFY
In a shock to Spotify, Anna’s Archive, reputed to be the world’s largest shadow library, claims to have “scraped” 300TB of music and data from Spotify. The haul, said to be covering 99% of “listens” on Spotify, has sparked legal action by Spotify, suggesting online archives may be in danger, just as the Internet Archive had been attacked by record labels last year.

SOUNDCLOUD USERS DATA AT RISK
SoundCloud confirmed it has been repeatedly hit by denial of service attacks. About 20% of their users’ data – email addresses and public profile information – was exposed in a recent attack. Users have reported VPN errors and connection failures resulting from changes made by SoundCloud. The company says passwords and financial data are still secure, SoundCloud users may want to review security procedures, especially being on guard for phishing exploits.

A NEW “EXPLOIT” TO CONSIDER – DEVICE LINKING
A new exploit is centered on users of WhatsApp accounts. It is called GhostPairing. According to researchers, users are tricked into linking to the attacker’s device after clicking a malicious link from a “trusted” contact hijacking their account and information.

AI MEETS BLACKOUT
Waymo had to pull all its autonomic taxis off the road after a widespread power outage in San Francisco killed the traffic lights. The taxis could not determine what to do and essentially froze. The company said it will have to make programming changes to continue the march of AI controlling more and more aspects of our lives. (No one would want to be stuck in a taxi going nowhere!)

FOR SALE
Someone is seeking an EL Marsden A1.6 VHF Transmitter Rack. That and other items are here for your perusal.

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

 

Some recent articles of interest:

• What Do We Really Know About Reginald Fessenden – Donna Halper
• Join the Lunch Gathering – Thursday 2 PM Eastern
• Enforcement Watch – EAS tones on public radio stations: $86,400
• Aqua Cobalt – Designed to Work – Ted Nahil
• The Most Heralded Radio Failure – Don Kimberlin The Quiet After the WABE: A Reflection – Tessa Potter
• Inside the EmPower: Intelligent Control – Matt Rigdon
• Resisting the Spam Flood – Mike Langner
• Critter Control – Jeff Welton
• Dana’s Daily Deals

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

 
MANUFACTURERS’ NEWS

While most manufacturers of critical products will have support personnel available over the next week, you may find the sales department a bit harder to locate, as many take off from Wednesday, December 24, 2025, until January 5, 2026. If you have an operations headache in the next 8 days, a dose of patience will help cope with it all.

===

The Telos Alliance wants you to know that keeping CALM satisfied on steaming video can be handled by their products that are designed to audit the current ad chain, fix loudness issues now before regulators in your state do so, and include automatic qualtiy control and reports. The company plans workshops and a web broadcast with Q&A to help prepare for this change.

===

Heading to Anaheim, CA for NAMM in January? Among the exhibitors, Lawo will be showcasing the way they have leveraged IP-based technologies and software-defined workflows to change how they are handled from broadcast stations to performance venues to houses of worship, and stadiums. A lot of excellent ideas will be on view January 22-24th.

===

If you are trying to compare different products and cannot get to a regional or national convention, Inovonics offers an on-line opportunity to see and actually manipulate their gear. Go to their Live Online Demo Center take a look!

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

 

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

• 23 years ago (12/28/03) Michael Jackson, released on bail, tells 60 Minutes he was innocent of molesting a teenage boy.*
• 52 years ago (12/25/73) “The Sting” debuted … Newman/Redford, and Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” hit #1.
• 55 years ago (12/26/70) George Harrison was the first solo Beatle to hit #1 with “My Sweet Lord“
• 78 years ago (12/23/47) Bell Labs announced the invention of the transistor.
• 88 years ago (12/24/37) NBC formed the first full-sized symphony orchestra just for radio.
• 93 years ago (12/27/32) Radio City and its Music Hall was opened.

… 97 years ago 12/23/28 NBC completed its 56-station, the first permanent coast-to-coast network.

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

• 36 years ago (12/22/89) the Berlin Wall was opened – and soon was demolished.
• 39 years ago (12/23/86) Voyager was the first aircraft to fly around the world without refueling.
• 79 years ago (12/26/46) Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
• 41 years ago (12/27/44) President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered his secretary of war to seize properties belonging to the Montgomery Ward company because the company refused to comply with a labor agreement.
• 93 years ago (12/27/32) Radio City Music Hall opened with movies and stage shows.

…and 130 years ago (12/28/1895) the first commercial movie opened – in France in Paris’ Grand Cafe. (No it as not the first in the Rocky series – nor a Tom Cruise action movie!

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

 

* Jackson was acquitted on all counts 18 months later, but never returned to his Neverland Ranch.

MIDWEEK BONUS

Anyone who has taken their family to Disneyland (or DisneyWorld) knows that it costs more than it did. Did you know that when Disneyland opened, the price of a ticket was $1.00 … and that included 9 cents “Fed. tax.” Soon, it was $2.25, but that included eight A, B, and C tickets for the rides.

On the other hand, the most costly ticket to a 1965 Beatles concert was $5.65 (about $58 in 2025 money). Today, the *average* price of a ticket to a Taylor Swift concert last year: $204 – but with a resale price of $3,800 – not including parking, food/drinks, or T–Shirts.

Want to see more? Click here.

= = =

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.