THE VERMONT ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS 500A DALTON DRIVE COLCHESTER, VT 05446 (802) 655-5764 [email protected] The VAB Voice VOX COMPLETES CC DEAL Ken Barlow is back at the helm at CHAMP 101.3 in the Burlington market. The VAB VOICE August, 2008 Barlow’s VOX AM/FM group has completed its Satellite Radio Merger Gets Green Light from FCC purchase of seven former Clear Channel signals, in- Despite the opposition of mazin will stay in his role as cluding CHAMP, WCPV, terrestrial broadcasters and licensed to Essex, NY. many consumer groups, the head of the company. FCC finally gave its approval The companies also agreed The other stations include to the merger of the Sirius to freeze their subscription WEAV-AM, WXZO-FM, and XM satellite radio ser- WEZF-FM and WVTK-FM rates for three years and to vices. in the Burlington/ conforming ground-based give consumers the ability to Plattsburgh market and choose the stations they Commissioners voted 3-2 towers and receivers. WCVR-FM and WTSJ-AM want and pay less for certain (Michael Copps and Jonathan in Randolph, VT. Adelstein against) to permit The two companies have packages. the monopoly, valued at 3.3 about 18 million subscribers Barlow serves as Chief Op- Ten years ago, when the Billion dollars. between them. Most ana- erating Officer, while Bruce lysts believe the sluggishness FCC first issued licenses to the satellite radio firms, it Danziger serves as CEO. The companies must pay in the new car market will was with the warning that about 20 million dollars in work against the new com- pany, to be called Sirius XM they would never be allowed FM IS BACK IN SPRINGFIELD technical fines resulting from FM IS BACK IN SPRINGFIELD Inc. Sirius CEO Mel Kar- to merge. the placement of non- After a ten-year hiatus, FM radio service is once again emanating from Springfield, VT. FRIENDLY PIONEER SUBJECT OF NEW DOCMENTARY Governor Jim Douglas was Activists trying tion has formed the basis of a Lloyd Squier, Squier had on hand July 28 to officially to force the new documentary. “Tune In worked at the old Waterbury welcome the new WCFR- FCC to issue Tomorrow” will air at least Record , also owned by Whitehill. FM to the airwaves. The harsh new twice this month on Vermont Lloyd Squier instilled a steadfast new sister station to WCFR “localism” Public Television. commitment to local broadcast- -AM is broadcasting at 106.5 rules would be The program is the work of ing. MHZ. Both stations are well-advised His son, Ken, Waitsfield resident Ed Dooley owned by Bob Vinikoor’s to tune an ear has contin- of Mad River Media. He says he Koor Communications ued the local to Vermont. Lloyd Squier is a longtime fan of the station group. tradition, and conceived of the idea dur- Our radio stations have always resisting the ing WDEV’s 75th anniversary taken the mission of serving the clarion call of New studios for both sta- two years ago. tions have been built at 25 local community seriously, and computer Dooley combines new and his- Main Street. on the dial. at the top of the list you’ll find automation WDEV-AM & FM in Central torical footage and photographs Ken Squier and satellite Vermont. In fact, as far as local- to explain the enormous appeal music. WDEV The original WCFR-FM ism is concerned, WDEV has of the local legend. has been recognized as one of (later WTSM) was sold in been at it for 77 years now! WDEV went on the air on July the great locally-owned inde- 1998, and later relocated to pendent stations in the USA. The colorful history of Wash- 16, 1931. The station was Swanzey, NH. Koor Com- Check local VPT listings for munications has owned ington County’s first radio sta- owned by Harry Whitehill, who was assisted by future owner program airtimes. WCFR-AM since 2001. The VAB VOICE “C’mon Down and Get Ready for Digital TV!” RETRANSMISSION CONTRACTS UP FOR Legendary TV game show the Feb. 17, 2009 deadline cluding 39 of the top 50 RENEWAL host Bob Barker has signed nears. markets. More than fifty percent on to help spread the word ION will heavily promote about the coming transition Barker will appear in a num- the DTV tests in select mar- of the agreements be- to digital TV. ber of DTV public service kets, and stage a countdown tween cable companies spots, including a special to the test. Viewers will be and local TV stations will spot targeted at Wilming- told that may or may not expire on January 1, ton, NC. Wilmington sta- lose their picture, depending tions have agreed to make 2009. on their reception mode. the digital switch early, on Analog viewers will see September 8, to help meas- The contracts generally ure community reaction. their screens go blank for an Meanwhile, the largest TV unspecified period of time. run for three years, and Bob Barker group in the nation has an- Then, a message will pop up among those up for re- The longtime host of “The nounced it will conduct advising those viewers to Price is Right” has been “soft” tests of DTV in many visit the FCC’s DTV website newal are CBS, Hearst- hired by the National Asso- of its markets. or the ION website. Argyle Television, Nex- ciation of Broadcasters to star Broadcasting Group encourage over-the-air TV ION Media Networks runs Locally, the NAB has con- viewers to make the up- 60 full-power stations, in- firmed their Rolling DTV and Sinclair Broadcast grade to digital. Display will pay a visit to Group . Vermont next month. The In a news release, NAB Vice colorful mobile van lets visi- Broadcasting & Cable President for DTV Jonathan tors see the digital differ- Collegio said, “"Bob Barker ence for themselves. It is reports the average local is an American icon who is expected the display will pay station receives about 20 a visit to Chittenden County instantly recognizable to cents per subscriber per generations both young and on September 24. Keep an old.” Broadcasters are eye on the VAB website month. Meanwhile, ma- keenly interested in reach- Roughing up Adam Sandler in (vab.org) for updates on the feature film, “ Happy Gilmore .” jor cable stations receive ing out to older viewers as times and locations. 25 cents or more per month per subscriber. Class A LPTV Filing Freeze to Lift on August 4th One consultant says local The FCC has announced the freeze on filing certain Class A LPTV applications will TV stations collected 365 be lifted on August 4th. Previously, Class A stations had been frozen from expand- Million dollars last year ing their authorized contours and from changing channels while the DTV transition from retransmission was underway. Because Class A stations receive protection as primary stations, the FCC needed to lock those stations down until it had completed the DTV Table of deals. That number is Allotments, which it has now done. expected to climb. Accordingly, as of August 4th (nearly four years to the day that the freeze was first imposed), Class A LPTV stations will once again be able to seek to modify their Retransmission fees cur- contours and change channels. Applications filed prior to August 4th that requested rently account for 1.5 a waiver of the freeze will be treated as having been filed on the 4th. Thereafter, percent of a typical sta- changes will be on a first come, first serve basis. — David Oxenford tion’s revenues. Accord- NFL TO DEBUT COMPUTER STREAMING OF SOME REGULAR SEASON GAMES ing to a consultant SportsBusiness Journal reports the NFL is NBC-TV, starting with the season quoted by the magazine, about to go somewhere it’s never been: opener between the Washington Red- Computer screens. skins and New York Giants. The NFL that figure is expected to The magazine reports the NFL will use has never streamed any games in real jump to 4 percent by the network feed to stream the 17 Sun- time. It’s expected the NFL and NBC day night games that will be carried on will share any new advertising revenue. 2011-2012. .