NJBA Weekly Newsletter, Friday, September 28, 2007 

Ocean-Monmouth Remains Diary
Pierre Bovard, President of Arbitron People Meter, told NJBA’s President/CEO Phil Roberts that the subscribers to Arbitron in the 2 counties could not come to an agreement on the people meter, so Arbitron will place about 100 people meters in Monmouth county for the New York book, and place diaries in both counties for the local report. The agreement to disagree came after a year of meetings with the subscribers and Arbitron. 

Ford To Feature HD Radios
Ford Motors has announced that in 2008 it will manufacture an HD Radio that dealers can install as an option. Further, it will sell HD radios that be installed by dealers in present Ford Company cars. Not Fords, but Lincoln-Mercury’s will have HD Radios available for installation by dealers. Ford Motor Company is the first auto manufacturer to offer the HD Radio option across most of its lines. This will put pressure on other car manufacturers to have HD Radio available as a dealer installed option. 

Movers & Shakers 
Josh Gertzog, formerly of Nassau Broadcasting and a member of the NJBA Board of Directors, tells QuickNews that effective Monday he will be the new sales manager for NJBiz, the Daily Business paper, published in New Brunswick as well as NJBiz.com, the business papers website.  Josh resigned from the NJBA Board, as he is no longer in the Broadcasting business.

Joan Gerberding, formerly President of LocalFocus, a small market radio rep firm, will transition into the online category for Focus 360, the parent company. Localfocus will be renamed Interep Local Focus with Interep’s Senior VP Kay Olin assuming the duties of President of the new firm. 

First DTV Converter Box Approved
The NCTIA has approved the first converter box for the reception of HDTV on an anaolog set. The box will be manufactured in Korea by Digital Stream Technologies and be sold at Radio Shack. It’s expected to retail for $70.00. Congress is making available a $40.00 credit coupon, maximum two to a household for the purchase of converter boxes. The coupons will be honored at Radio Shack, making the out of pocket cost for the converter box $30.00. The boxes are expected to be stores in 2008, well before the DTV only date of February 19, 2009. 

Sound Exchange Tells NAB “No”
The company established by the recording industry to collect fees for playing records over the air finally responded to NAB’s call to negotiate rates by saying "No".  The matter is now in the hands of Congress. As of now, it would cost the radio industry billions of dollars.

Report Pirate stations to the FCC. www.fcc.gov/ed/pirix.

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