On September 19, WKAR Public Media and MSU ComArtSci hosted a NextGen TV Day at their East Lansing studios. The long session featured ATSC 3.0 demos, with presentations from partners working with WKAR’s experimental ATSC 3.0 television station. Gaian Solutions Founder/CEO Chandra Kotaru discussed ATSC 3.0’s ability to provide rich media in education for those… read more
Radio Insight reports that Midwest Communications has brought back the WFAT call letters and imaging to Michigan. “The Fat One” has returned with a classic hits format via AM/FM translator simulcast WFAT-AM (930)/W274AQ (102.7) in Battle Creek. The stations had been simulcasting WNWN-FM (1560)/W238AL (95.5) (Kalamazoo). The WFAT calls were last in Michigan on what… read more
On September 12, E.W. Scripps Broadcasting’s WXYZ and WMYD-TV (Detroit) held their annual “If You Give A Child A Book” Telethon. The effort is part of the nationwide If You Give A Child A Book effort conducted by parent company, the E. W. Scripps Company, and the Scripps Howard Foundation. Viewer donations were targeted to put… read more
On Tuesday, Jackson Radio Works’ WKHM-AM/FM and the Commonwealth Commerce Center hosted a Community Career Day from noon to 6 p.m. at the Commonwealth Commerce Center in downtown Jackson. Over 20 employers and businesses in a variety of industries as well as staffing agencies were on hand to accept resumes, possibly have on-site interviews with… read more
Listener-supported WCSG-FM (Grand Rapids) will soon be broadcasting from a new home with ceremonies on September 12 marking the beginning of a $5.7 million remodel of a former church building on the Cornerstone University campus. The new building will provide radio employees with over 12,000 square feet of usable space and promote a refreshed vision… read more
By: Seth Resler, Jacobs Media Strategies This week, I’ll publish the first episode of season five of the Worldwide Radio Summit podcast. It’s a conversation that I had with Julie Talbott, the President of Premiere Networks, that was recorded at the conference in the spring. Towards the end of the interview, we discussed the Broadcasters… read more
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Governor Gretchen Whitmer urged Republican legislative leaders to quickly send her budget bills before their weekend “getaway” for a GOP political gathering, saying she needs as much time as possible to review and sign them by a September 30 deadline. Republicans countered that they would take final votes… read more
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP On September 17, the FCC announced that the due dates for Biennial Ownership Reports, which had been December 1 of this year, will now be January 31, 2020. The Order announcing that action is available here. The FCC notice says that this additional time is needed to make updates… read more
A few months ago you may have responded to a survey regarding your interest in airing or streaming certain live local high school sporting events. With the positive results of the survey, we wrote a letter to the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and to President Mark Uyl requesting further discussion with the Board… read more
The past Friday, September 13, WPBN-TV (Traverse City) celebrated its 65th anniversary. The station began broadcasting on February 13, 1954 on Channel 7 and was owned by the Biederman family and their company, Midwest Broadcasting, along with WTCM-AM 1400 (now 580). Company president Les Biederman had signed on WTCM, Northern Michigan’s oldest radio station, in… read more
