NJBA Weekly Newsletter Friday, March 9, 2007

Daylight Savings Time To Start This Weekend

Tom Ray, engineering board member of the NJBA, reminds all stations that Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 11, 2007.  All stations holding time sensitive authorizations from the FCC must renew their authorizations and all station automation equipment must be readjusted to reflect the time difference.  This includes EAS equipment and GPS master clocks.  Remember, daylight time starts this Sunday under the new laws of Congress.  

Violence A Problem For FCC

Although the FCC is circulating a program to regulate violence among the Commissioners, just as they regulate obscenity, there are several problems. The most important one is to define violence.  According to Commissioner McDowell, the commission will duck that one by asking Congress to define violence. Meanwhile, the commission is struggling with developing recommendations for lawmakers that will protect children from violence without running afoul of the first amendment. 

EchoStar Defends Retransmission Deals

The Satellite TV Service, EchoStar, has defended over the air TV broadcaster’s rights to get retransmission consent money from Cable Companies. A number of cable companies, that have been getting TV stations signals for free and selling them to the cable subscribers, have been fighting station attempts to get a fair price for their broadcast products. Satellite and telephone companies have been paying TV Stations for years with no problem.  

Millions Of TV Sets To Go Black

In February 2008, millions of analog television sets will go black forever as the TV industry switches to digital TV.  A family will be allowed to get two $40.00 vouchers, on a first come first serve basis, as long as the vouchers last to purchase a converter box, which will down convert digital to analog signals so the old TV sets will still receive a station. Broadcasters have been asked by the FCC and Congress to help educate the public of this major change. Meanwhile, several members of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation told NJBA that the simple answer is to move the date for the transition back, to give both the industry and the public more time for the transition.  

RAB On-line Sales Training for Sellers

The RAB On-line Sales Training course is still available to NJBA member stations for ONLY $79.00 per course, a HUGE savings from the regular rate of $429.00 per course.  To order, contact Mary, 1-888-657-2346. 

2007 Mid-Atlantic States Convention

The Best of the Best deadline, April 5, 2007 is just four weeks away.

The Howard L. Green Humanitarian Award deadline has been extended to May 11, 2007.

Reminders: Keep your FCC inspection up to date.  It’s the cheapest insurance you can get.

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