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AIR WAVES official newsletter of the massachusetts broadcasters association
 
Letter from the Editor
As Nigel Tufnel once asked, “Most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?”
Eleven, is the answer, of course, and the MBA and the National Association of Broadcasters have been at eleven in 2015 when it comes to advocating for you in Washington. 

So far in less than six months of 2015 we have successfully secured co-sponsorships of the Local Radio Freedom Act from Representatives Mike Capuano, Bill Keating and Stephen.  Senators Markey and Warren joined Senator Al Franken in a letter to the FCC regarding “effective competition” designations for cable providers.  Representatives Capuano, Keating, Lynch and Jim McGovern signed a letter to House leadership asking to maintain the full deductibility of advertising for local businesses.  Most recently, Senators Markey and Warren were involved in helping to keep the FCC Boston field office open to solve future interference issues and combat pirate radio.

It’s not as sexy as the Sound Bites or the thousands of dollars in scholarships we award each year but our “boots on the ground” advocacy, along with the NAB’s presence on the hill goes a long way to maintaining broadcasters standing into the future.

If you see members of our Congressional delegation over the summer be sure to thank them for their help in keeping radio and television strong.

Sincerely,

Summer 2015 vol 3 • No. 2
In This Issue
Letter from the Editor

Boston FCC office to remain open

Have your station inspected

New creative for "We Are Broadcasters"

Sound Bites 2015

Regional EAS test this fall
 
Revised FCC plan will keep Boston field office open
Last week Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler released a statement about his revised plan to keep fifteen FCC field officers open instead of the original plan, which called for only eight.  The Boston field office is now among those to remain open.

In a statement released shortly after the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced the agreement, MBA Executive Director Jordan Walton expressed the gratitude of local broadcasters that “Senator Markey’s and Senator Warren’s engagement [ensured] that the Boston field office remains open and available to address spectrum issues in the Bay State.”

 ... READ MORE  >>
 
Get your ABIP inspection!
Avoid surprise FCC visits with ABIP
There are few things scarier in broadcasting than staring down a large FCC fine.  Simple, easy to overlook violations with your studio or public file can mean fines in the tens of thousands of dollars.  The solution to sleepless nights, tossing and turning and worrying about an unexpected FCC visit is the MBA’s Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP).


... LEARN MORE ABOUT ABIP >>
 
NAB releases new creative for "We Are Broadcasters"
Two years ago, NAB launched the We Are Broadcasters campaign to educate lawmakers on the unique importance of free, local broadcasting. To date, nearly 1 million spots have been aired by stations across the country.  If your station is participating, thank you. 

The NAB has recently released new creative for the We Are Broadcasters campaign.

Campaign instructions can be found here and click here to download the new spots for both radio and television.  This campaign is open to both NAB members and non-members.

... READ  MORE >>
Save the Date for Sound Bites!
It's time to save the date for the 2015 edition of Sound Bites, the MBA's Annual Meeting and Mingling event!

We're hard at work to secure some great speakers and entertainment for this year's event.

Our Call for Entries for the MBA Broadcasting Awards will be in your mailboxes shortly after the July 4th holiday. Now's the time to collect your best news stories, commercials, promos and PSAs that aired between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. 

Stay tuned to MassBroadcasters.org for more information!
 
 
MBA to participate in regional EAS test
Voluntary test likely in mid September
New England states will be participating in a voluntary test of the Emergency Alert System this fall.  The test will send a National Periodic Test (NPT) message through IPAWS.

The test, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will be the second such test conducted in the United States.  The first, performed in September 2014 involved Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.  EAS devices, other than Gorman Redlich models, will need to be reprogrammed.  FEMA will be conducting webinars to assist stations in reprogramming their boxes.

It is widely rumored that a future national EAS test will use the NPT code so it is an opportunity to get a leg up ahead of the next national test.  This test will not be a substitute for a required weekly or monthly test.  There are also no required reporting requirements, although the MBA will likely issue a survey to stations.

More information will be released in the future.
 
 
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