Early-Bird Absolute Last Chance Registration Extended to March 4!
Thats it! No more procrastination. You know you want to take advantage of that GLBC discount, so why haven't you registered? We've extended this discount just for you! Register today: GLBC may be the conference that changes the way you do business. Download a registration form and fax it to us or simply register online here.

A Message From Roy Williams (click to view):
Roy Williams will be presenting two sessions at this year's GLBC. On Tuesday, March 10 from 2 to 5pm, Roy presents "What To Expect in 2009: Ready to Play Leapfrog?". On Wednesday, March 11 from 8 to 9:30am, Roy presents "Tomorrow's America: Humulity and Simplicity are the New Motivators."

Complete details on the Roy Williams presentations along with the entire to-date GLBC schedule can be seen on the MAB web site here.

Don't miss Roy Williams at GLBC this year!

GLBC 2009 Speaker Commentaries:
David Martin: The Brave New World of Ad Supported Media: One Speaker, Three Screens
Right before our eyes advertising is being reinvented and broadcasters are in a great position to benefit. Print, radio and television are taking on new roles becoming part of an emerging and larger mediascape driven by text, audio and video.
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GLBC Offers Unique Opportunities For Students!
Michigan students have their chance to learn about the broadcasting industry and network with people currently working in the broadcasting industry. For a special student rate, they can attend GLBC and take advantage of all sessions, networking opportunties, and attend the High School and College Awards luncheon. Click here for registration information. Sessions at GLBC geared to students include "Careers In Sports Broadcasting" and "Marketing You."


Stay, Learn and SAVE!
Amway Grand Hotel Offers HUGE Discounts for GLBC attendees! A limited number of rooms are being held at the deeply discounted GLBC group rate at the Amway Grand Plaza, which is connected to the DeVos Place via skywalk:

A savings of $91-$94 dollars per night! Call the Amway Grand at 800-253-3590 and
mention the Michigan Association of Broadcasters to receive the special reduced rate.

*Rates subject to lodging tax of 8% and 6% Michigan sales tax.

MAB Celebrates 60 Years of Service to Michigan Broadcasting
The Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) continues a year-long celebration of 60 years of service to Michigan broadcasting. To commemorate this milestone, we are introducing a new logo. From now until June, we will highlight each decade culminating with a celebration during our Annual Meeting and Leadership Retreat at the Grand Hotel in July. Last month, we focused on the 50s (see here); this month, we move into the 60s.

We want to hear from you as well! Tell us about your memories from the past through our new interactive option.

A Look Back at the MAB: The Second Decade

Spin back to the 60s:

Michigan entered the 1960s with 104 licensed AM radio stations, 41 licensed FM stations and 22 licensed television stations. On the radio, J.P. McCarthy began to "rule the roost" on WJR/Detroit. Ernie Harwell began providing radio commentary for the Detroit Tigers. Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg came to Detroit in 1963, first working at WCHB, then at WJLB. She played rhythm and blues and later soul and gospel music. During the 1967 Detroit riots, she calmed the rioters by preaching and praying on her radio show.

The power of television increased dramatically in the 1960s. When a tanned, relaxed John F. Kennedy debated a tired, pale Richard M. Nixon in 1960, their faces had more impact on viewers than their words. Television became America's collective memory. TV covered Kennedy's assassination in 1963, escalating war in Vietnam, antiwar protests and the 1967 Detroit riots.

In 1967, Congress became convinced of the need for a national educational radio and TV network and passed the Public Broadcasting Act, paving the way for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). Michigan schools and colleges established stations to broadcast courses and to give students hands-on broadcasting experience.

Just before the decade began, Berry Gordy Jr. borrowed $800 to start up a recording business, opening Motown Records in a rented house on Detroit's West Grand Boulevard. By 1964, Motown was the largest and most successful independent record company in the country. Part of his successful formula was mixing his songs to sound good on transistor and car radios. The 1960s also introduced the country to Michigan's Bob Seger. Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone Magazine once said "In Michigan, (Bob Seger) might as well be a Beatle."

• MAB Presidents/Chairmans through the association's second decade included James H. Quello, WJR/Detroit (1959); Elmer A. Knopf, WFDF/Flint (1960); Don DeGroot, WWJ/Detroit (1961); Les Biederman, WTCM/Traverse City (1962); Willard Schroeder, WOOD/Grand Rapids (1963); E.L. Byrd, WILS/Lansing (1964); Harold W. Waddell, WKBZ/Muskegon (1965); Michael O. Lareau, WOOD/Grand Rapids (1966); Charles D. Fritz, WXYZ/Detroit (1967); Gene Ellerman, WWTV/Cadillac (1968); and Franklin G. Sisson, WWJ/Detroit (1969).

Memories! Listen to a recent interview with 1956 MAB Chairman Carl E. Lee here:

Celebrate with us! Share photos, audio clips, video clips and other memories from the past 60 years. Let us know here.

Reaping the Benefits of Education
by Diane Kniowski, Chairman, Michigan Association of Broadcasters and President/General Manager, WOOD-TV/WOTV-TV, Grand Rapids

If you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to take a minute and review the speaker and session line-up for the 2009 GLBC. You see it by clicking here. National speakers such as the Wizard of Ads Roy Williams, David Martin and Peter King offer a unique educational opportunity at a great low rate, and in a convenient location. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to better yourself and your station. Make plans to register for the GLBC today!

While it is very important to educate ourselves, it is also extremely important to educate our lawmakers, the newly elected and the incumbents, on the value of free-over-the-air Michigan broadcasting. During a recent Legislative Reception in Lansing, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of our newly elected officials and, like a college student on the first day of school, they are excited and eager to serve. I encourage you to take the time to contact them.

I hope to see you in March at the GLBC!

Seven Michigan Stations Now 100% Digital
Even with the deadline for the digital transition extended to June 12 (and lots of confusion regarding who can transition when), 7 stations by MAB count have made the transition from analog to digital-only broadcasting.

This list of 7 includes early converters WLLA-TV/Kalamazoo (November 7, 2008); WFUM-TV/Flint (November 18, 2008); WHTV-TV/Jackson (December 1, 2008) and WKAR-TV/East Lansing (January 13, 2009). Three Michigan stations turned off their analog signals for good on the original February 17 deadline: WMYD-TV/Detroit, WPXD-TV/Detroit and WILX-TV/Lansing.

One television station in the state was denied a February 17 analog shut-down by the FCC.

The majority of stations in the state will transition on the new June 12 date, although some are planning a pre-June 12 analog turn-off. A full list of Michigan television stations and their scheduled transition dates is available here.

Michigan's DTV Helpline, sponsored by Don-Lors Electronics, has extended its service to state residents through June 12. This line will now be a supplement to a new, national helpline opened by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC helpline will refer callers in Michigan to the Don-Lors number in the event they are not able to fully resolve any issues.

Thomas Appointed Operations Manager for Clear Channel/Detroit
Clear Channel Radio has appointed Todd Thomas as its new Operations Manager for the company's seven station Detroit cluster, replacing Dom Theodore who was recently named VP of Programming for the six CBS/Detroit stations. Thomas joins the Detroit stations from a similar position with Clear Channel in Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut. Thomas is expected to be on the job in Detroit in mid-March.

WGER/Saginaw Re-Brands and Names New PD.
Nextmedia's WGER-FM has replaced its longtime "Magic" moniker with a new one. The station is now known as "Mix 106.3". The station named Flint native Brian Figula as its new program director. He joins the station from a position at WDVD-FM and WDRQ-FM in Detroit. The station has also replaced a syndicated morning show with a locally-hosted program.

Format Change in Manistee
Lake Michigan Broadcasting's WMTE-FM has shifted its format from oldies to classic hits. Michiguide reports that this is the first format change for the station since signing on in June of 1994. WMTE Program Director Tim Harris told the MAB that the change is being well-received in its market.

Listeners Respond: Morning Host Re-Hired in Ann Arbor
After budget cuts resulted in the layoff of a popular morning DJ at Cumulus Media's WQKL-FM/Ann Arbor, fans complained to the station as well as to the station's corporate headquarters plus started a Facebook group calling for the return of the personality. And it worked. Martin Bandyke, who had been with the station since 2006 before his layoff earlier this month, will rejoin the station on March 2.

A station spokesperson stated " the return of Martin Bandyke says much about the value of a personality who is tuned and connected with their community, furthermore it says much about the value of LOCAL radio to the LOCAL community."

Phil Lamka Memorial Golf Outing Set For June 6
The fourth annual Philip C. Lamka Memorial Golf Outing will be held Saturday, June 6 at Dunham Hills in Harland. Phil Lamka, an active member of the Michigan broadcast community, died in 2005 as a result of complications from an interstitial lung disease. The outing benefits the FACES Foundation (Family and Caregiver, Education and Support) which was founded in Phil's memory by his wife, Sharman. FACES reflects, acknowledges, and advocates for the many "faces" of those living with, and caring for patients with life threatening pulmonary diseases.

For more information, go to www.thefacesfoundation.org. Anyone who would like to donate items for the event's silent auction can contact Tom O'Brien at thomas_obrien@westwoodone.com, or call 248-357-4411.

First Law Enacted During Obama Presidency Favors Employees
by Benjamin Steffans, Butzel Long
On January 28, 2009 President Obama signed into law the first new statute enacted during his presidency: the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act ("Fair Pay Act"). This new very employee-friendly statute nullifies Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., a pro-employer United States Supreme Court decision, and will apply retroactively as if enacted on May 28, 2007 to claims pending on or after that date.
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Radio Needs Your Help... Yes, You!
by Peter Smyth, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Greater Media, Inc.
It seems these days that Washington, D.C. is where the action is, where the decisions are being made that will hopefully snap us out of this economic storm that has been raging for months now. It's a story that gets played out nightly on your news chanel of choice.
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Understanding Digital Television Reception Problems
by Carl Sundberg, KMTR-TV (Eugene, ORE) Engineer
Without question, it's easier to receive the old analog TV channels than the new DTV channels. The reason is very easy to understand. If you are listening to drum beat where this is a very loud echo, you can count the beats easily as long as the beat is very slow. As the drum beats speed up, it gets hard and harder to tell if you are hearing the primary beat or the echo and at some point, that echo makes it impossible to be able to count the actual beats.
download pdf

House Announces Committee Leaders
House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-17th) has announced committee assignments for the 2009 - 2010 House Session. Seven House Democrats return to their chairmanships in the 95th Legislature and four Republicans will straddle both appropriations and policy work.

The House consists of 67 Democrats and 43 Republicans this term and while it's rare for several members to serve on both the appropriations and policy committees, four GOP members will be doing just that this term: Darwin Booher (R-Evart), Kevin Green (R-Wyoming), John Proos (R-St. Joseph) and Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton).
For a complete list of committee chairpersons, click here.

Lawmakers and Broadcasters Connect in Lansing
MAB’s annual Legislative Reception, held February 11, has been hailed a great success by both members and lawmakers. More than 30 MAB members, 50 state lawmakers and their staff from around the state were able connect as they enjoyed the comfortable surroundings and fine Michigan-themed cuisine at the Lansing Radisson.

The event allowed MAB members to share the many issues facing our industry in the coming year. As a result, lawmakers were better able to understand that their local broadcasters are more than just another local businesses, but also the valuable agents in preserving a community’s safety and integral purveyor of public services. In addition, the timing of the event was opportune, as members came prepared to bring lawmakers up to speed on what to expect locally from the DTV transition.

More photos (click on image to see larger photo in pop-up window):

Get the latest legal updates by reading the MAB Legislative & Legal Monitor!
The MAB Legislative & Legal Monitor is published as neccessary with the latest information important to broadcasters. Not receiving the monitor? Please email Dan Kelley at dkelley@michmab.com to sign up TODAY!

Past issues are available in the Members Only section of the MAB website. Click here to view the latest Legislative & Legal Monitors.

Broadcast Performance Royalty Bills Introduced
Both sides are lining up again to fight the battle over broadcast performance royalties. Legislation was recently introduced in Congress, HR 848, that would impose a performance royalty for the use of music on broadcast stations. This new fee, or “tax,” would be in addition to the royalties already being paid to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, which are collected to compensate composers of music. The new “performance tax” would be paid to the performers of the music and the record companies.

MAB, in coordination with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and the other 49 broadcast state associations, will continue its fight to oppose the legislation, arguing that musicians have always received fair compensation through the free promotion given through exposure of their music on broadcast stations. And while the proponents of the tax cite that satellite and Internet radio have to pay the royalty, MAB has been quick to point out that there are vast differences between subscription-based services and free over-the-air radio.
The legislation introduced in the newly installed 111th Congress is very similar to the bill submitted during the 110th Congress.

At this point, more than 100 members of Congress, including three from Michigan have signed House Concurrent Resolution 49. The resolution, also known as the “Local Radio Freedom Act,” was introduced on Thursday, February 12 as a bipartisan effort to oppose any new performance fee on local radio stations. MAB anticipates an identical resolution to be presented before the Senate in short order. MAB will continue to work with Michigan’s congressional delegation to fight any effort to impose new fees on local radio stations.

Radio broadcasters should know that the challenge from the recording industry has again been issued, and there will be a major fight ahead that could very well dictate the future operations of many broadcast radio stations. Click here for the talking points and the bills.

LPFM - Low Power FM Station Drop in's Threaten Reception
HR 1147 , "The Local Community Radio Act of 2009" was introduced on Feb. 24th. The bill would allow thousands of low power FM station to be licensed and would do away with the third adjacency protection rule. The bill quotes a statement made by the FCC claiming that "we are committed to creating a low-power FM radio service only if it does not cause unacceptable interference to existing radio service."

What interference is acceptable? A host of reasons why the FCC thinks LPFM Community Radio stations are necessary is listed in the bill. If the economy were not difficult enough the radio industry now to fight Performance Tax as well as LPFM. To read the LPFM bill, click here.