NJBA Weekly Newsletter, Friday, April 27, 2007

In Memoriam

51 year old former WCTC talk show morning personality Bernard Spigner is dead.  Spigner spent 8 years at Shadow Traffic in New York City, was General Manager of Shadow’s DC operations, GM at Long Island’s Sunrise Radio Network and Assistant Producer of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets games for Radio and TV. He also was a reporter for WCBS AM and TV and WINS, all New York City.  Most recently, he was director of communications for the New Jersey Exposition Authority. He is survived by his two year old son Robbie and his wife Deborah. His death was sudden and unexpected.

Sussex Broadcaster Fights Rare Cancer

WSUS PD/Operations Manager and air personality Vince Thomas (Toscano) has been diagnosed with the rarest type of cancer.  He is the only person in the United States with this type of cancer; along with 18 or 19 persons who have this cancer in the entire world. The station will host a breakfast fundraiser for the Toscano family Saturday, June 2, 2007 from 7:00AM-12:30PM at Liberti’s Restaurant, Sussex, NJ. Tickets are on sale at WSUS/WNNJ AM-FM/Max 106.3 studios, 45 Mitchell Ave., Franklin, NJ. Contributions from broadcasters in the state are welcome.  A 501(c) account is being established by the Toscano Family and will take a little time to get established.  Vince’s story is a sad one.  You can read about it by visiting his web site. Just click on this link: www.caringbridge.org/visit/vincenttoscano . Broadcasters in the state are encouraged to spread the word of Vince and his families fight.  

Music Industry Organizes Against Broadcasters

The Recording Industry Association of America is spearheading an effort on Capitol Hill to get the laws exempting broadcasters from paying a performance right to artists and record labels changed to require such payments. They have been, according to Roll Call, the Capitol Hill Newspaper, quietly hiring lobbyists to help in their cause and organizing musicians, performers, and record labels to try and get the law changed. If they are successful, broadcasters will have to pay an additional fee, above ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for playing music on the air. Record Companies now get paid by both satellite radio and streaming web companies. They consider that a precedent and want to collect from broadcasters as well. The broadcasting industry has not paid fees to recording companies and their talent as a quid pro quo for promoting sales of records by playing them on the air. The recording industry tried this in 1955 and their efforts were defeated by broadcasters. Be prepared, this is going to become a long and dangerous fight just after the summer and into next year. 

Southern New Jersey is part of the region where the FCC has called for a 700 MHz band utilization meeting on May 22 at the Delaware River Port and Bay Authority Police Department, Interstate 295 and New Castle Ave., in New Castle, DE.  Anyone can attend this public meeting.

Remember: Conference registration is opened. www.njbroadcasters.org

Please run spots promoting the Howard L. Green Humanitarian Award as often as possible.  Thanks! 

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

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