Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 887, Volume 18, #2 for August 12, 2026

YES, CYBERSECURITY IS IMPORTANT, BUT NO NEED FOR PANIC
The FCC’s Order to enhance cybersecurity with better firewall formulation – covering any internet-connected part of the program chain – and longer passwords is set to be in operation at the end of September (26th). It is a wise move to make plans to comply as best you can, but since FCC policy is not fully in place as yet, it is hard to know exactly how parts of the Order will be handled. For example, there are more than a few products that can not handle 15-character passwords.

One key point: Whether the FCC does something – or not – you need to be more secure today than in the past. AI driven hackers are banging at the door. Protect yourself. Is any of your equipment here?

NEW COMMISSIONER IN THE WINGS?
President Trump has nominated Danielle Thumann Severs to fill the vacant Republican seat on the FCC. Of course, this is pending Senate approval, which could be slow as no one has yet been nominated for the vacant Democratic seat. (The FCC requires a quorum of three to conduct business.)

OBTAINING UNOBTAINIUM
Most of us have been there at one time. Something happened and a replacement part is needed. But, when you seek the part or service advice – only to find out the part is no longer made and no one has stock, what do you do?

Join us on Thursday for a discussion with Jim Stanford and others on what tactics work to find and acquire unobtainium.  We’ll have some fun…


Our 332nd 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!

 

AUCTION 114

If you are interested in bidding for any of the stations in the upcoming Auction 114, you will need to act soon: Short-form applications must be filed electronically – on the the FCC�s new Auction Application System – between September 14 and 30 (along with initial upfront payments due by December 3rd.) The Auction is scheduled for February 2, 2027.

For the first time in a broadcast auction, applicants will file through rather than the platform used in past FM sales.

OWNERSHIP CAP LIFTED … MOSTLY
The FCC, as expected, voted 2-1 to end the rule preventing any company from owning stations reaching over 39% of US TV households. Instead, the Commission plans to review applications on a case-by-case basis with a goal to better foster broadcasters’  public interest obligations, including increasing investments in local programming. The NAB was pleased, some other groups were not. There is a good chance some legal maneuvering is coming up on this soon.

In a related matter, the Commission has indicated a policy that up to 100% of the ownership of US broadcast licensees can be under foreign ownership in relation to a petition by Connoisseur Media.
 
THE REPACK REFUND
When the FCC auctioned of the top of the UHF band in 2016, reducing the highest TV channels from 83 to 36, it retained some money for compensating stations for their expenses for involuntary frequency changes. The Commission just announced that $881 million was left unused, and was returned to the US Treasury.

THAT CALL FROM ANNA GOMEZ? BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY
A Consumer Alert was issued from the FCC, noting that scammers are claiming to be FCC Commissioners and employees, demanding money and personal information to forestall an investigation. Like many such scams, this has no basis in any FCC action.

EAS GEOTARGETING
One of the enhancements proposed to the EAS by the FCC’s NPRM is geotargeting with circles and polygons instead of FIPs codes. How “broadcasters” could generally use geotargeting is unclear. (How about actually using local place names that locals and tourists can identify?) If you have comments, the FCC will accept them until August 31st. Use PS Docket No. 15-91 or PS Docket No. 15-94 on the FCC ECFS.

GET PERMISSION FIRST!
A Wisconsin AM (and its translator) were tagged by the FCC for an unauthorized transfer of control. A Consent Decree was setup with a contribution to the US Treasury.

AND PAY THE FEES!
Eternity Media Group, LLC Licensee of WHJA(AM), Laurel, Mississippi was tagged for failure to pay some $17k for regulatory fees over the past 7 years. As usual, if it reaches this point, failure to pay can result in revocation of the license.

LEGACY STATION ENDS
San Francisco station KZAC (originally KSFO) 560 AM has turned in its license after being unable to sell the station as part of its bankruptcy proceeding. The station lasted just under 100 year, before going silent in March 2025.

FOR SALE
Have you got some old ND5 parts hanging around? There is someone looking for them. Other wants – and for sale – items.
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

Wheatstone has made an arrangement with Broadcast Depot to carry its products in the US – in addition to the existing setup for distribution in Latin America.

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WorldCast Systems announces the Ecreso SwithOver. SwitchOver uses tech from the Ecreso and Audemat lines to manage primary and standby transmitter redundancy, along with site visibility.

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

• This week!  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:

• 17 years ago (8/15/09) U2 broke an attendance record at Wembly Stadium with over 88,000 fans.
• 30 years ago (8/15/96) “The Macarena” hit the top of the music charts. (Please don’t do that!)
• 31 years ago (8/12/94) Woodstock 2 was held in NY. 350,000 attended.
• 40 years ago (8/14/85) Michael Jackson bought the Beatles’ publishing rights for $47 million, then selling a 1/2 interest to Sony for $95 million. Macca was not happy.
• 42 years ago (8/11/84) Ronald Reagan joked during a voice check that he had “outlawed” Russia and would begin “bombing in five minutes.” The audio was promptly leaked. The Soviets were not amused..
• 46 years agoi (8/11/80) Johnny Cash sung a duet of “Jackson“ with … Miss Piggy on the Muppet Show.
• 53 years ago (8/11/73) American Graffiti opened in the US and the Wolfman howled!
• 57 years ago (8/15/69) the Woodstock Music Festival happened – three days that had a major effect on music and culture.
• 60 years ago (8/13/66) The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City“ hit #1.
• 61 years ago (8/14/65) Sonny and Cher hit #1 for three weeks with “I Got You Babe.”
• 61 years ago (8/15/65) The Beatles became the first group to headline in a US stadium. The screaming girls actually drowned out the band!
• 89 years ago (8/10/37) the Electric String Corp was awarded the first patent for an electric guitar.

.. and 114 years ago (8/13/1912) the Radio Act of 1912 signed by President Taft and began regulation of broadcasting – licenses were now required, but easy to get: all you had to do was ask!

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

• 3 years ago (8/10/23) Virgin Galactic flew its first tourists to the edge of space
• 6 years ago (8/10/20) Jimmy Lai was arrested in Hong Kong as China tightened the laws.
• 23 years ago (8/14/03) a power blackout hit NYC during sizzling weather.
• 32 years ago (8/14/94) the terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal was captured.
• 45 years ago (8/12/81) the IBM personal computer was released.
• 49 years ago (8/10/77) the “Son of Sam” was arrested.
• 91 years ago (8/14/35) FDR signed the Social Security Act.
• 180 years ago (8/10/1846) After James Smithson donates $500,000. President Polk signed a Bill to authorize the Smithsonian Institution.

… and 233 years ago (8/10/1793) The Louvre Museum opened in Paris.

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

 

MIDWEEK BONUS

WHEN FICTION MEETS REALITY
The Greenlink interconnector, a $580 million undersea power cable project between Ireland and the United Kingdom, has been rerouted. Apparently, the original route might disturb a beach memorial to Dobby, the house-elf from the “Harry Potter” series. (“Pilgrims”‘ to the site were in the habit of leaving a sock to honor the house-elf, leading to problems at the environmentally sensitive beach.) “Hundreds of calls” were received complaining about the original route, leading a company exec to complain about a fictitious  character from a fictitious book causing him to reroute the cable.

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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.

MORE DETAIL HERE – YOU HAVE PROBABLY READ THIS BEFORE…
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