NJBA Weekly Newsletter, Friday, November 9, 2007

FCC To Hold License Renewal Hearing For WWOR-TV

The FCC is expected to publicly announce it will tentatively hold a license renewal forum for WWOR-TV, Channel 9, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, November 28 at Rutgers University. Groups that have filed petitions to oppose the renewal have been invited to participate, as well as the station. Senator Frank Lautenberg, an outspoken critic of the station, is expected to address the forum as well. Members of the public will be granted a two minute opportunity to speak before the commission.  

Fritts Group to Lobby For MPAA

The US Senate’s public records office has posted the fact that the firm headed by former NAB President and CEO Eddie Fritts has been appointed to lobby the federal government on intellectual property issues by the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA estimates that studios lose $6.1 billion dollars globally to piracy, which is considered the biggest threat to the movie industry. 

Radio Revenues Decline Shocks Industry

A decline in radio revenue of 7% for September has shocked radio executives across the spectrum. While revenues in small and medium markets are generally up or flat, in major markets across the country, revenue is dramatically down. Originally, forecasts called for September to be down about 1%, but the 7% decline is a real shocker. The numbers are supplied by the accounting firm Miller, Kaplan.

HD Rules Change For 2008

The HD Alliance will allow members to begin to monetize their HD 2 and HD3 programming through sponsorship opportunities. For the balance of this year HD Alliance members had agreed that their HD 2 and HD3 channels would be commercial free. In addition, Alliance members have agreed to pony up an additional $230 million dollars in promotional funds to support the advertising of HD technology into 2008.

In Other HD News:

Stations are urged to notify Arbitron of their HD 2 and HD3 channels, so that the research company can get prepared for multi-cast station reporting.

All stations that multicast must remember to identify each multicast every hour the same as they identify their main channel. Proper identification consists of the station’s call sign, followed by the program stream and then city of license. Something as simple as WWWW digital HD 2 Trenton.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

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