March 2020
From the President/CEO…
Dear MAB Members, Like many of you we are working with a very small staff as requested in the Stay at Home/Stay Safe Order by the Governor. There is one, or sometimes two of us, in the office to answer phones and help our members who must stay on the air. Here is what we…
Read MoreWDIV Survives in-house Coronavirus Scare
Tell us how your station is dealing with COVID-19. What are your plans with your staff, with social distancing and work from home? Let us know at dkelley@michmab.com. Graham Media’s WDIV-TV (Detroit) already had 80% of its staff working from home as of this past Monday (3/23). But that number quickly grew to 90% late…
Read MoreWhat The $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill Means For Broadcasters
Note: As of 5 p.m. Thursday (3/26), the $2 trillion coronavirus bill that passed the Senate late Wednesday night still needs to be approved by the House and signed by the president. The massive, $2 trillion coronavirus relief package contains a number of provisions designed to help the broadcasting and entertainment workforce, including workers with…
Read MoreWMOM-FM Ludington Sold
Patrick Lopeman’s Bay View Broadcasting has sold WMOM-FM (Pentwater/Ludington) to Hit Radio Media, LLC of Greenville. The application was filed with the FCC on March 25. Hit Radio Media is equally owned by Jim Chesley of Greenville, Steve Leach of Cape Coral, Fla., and Jeff Lobdell of Grand Rapids. Chesley is a director and stockholder…
Read MoreFCC Indefinitely Postpones FM Auction – Will Refund Upfront Payments and Dismiss Pending Applications
The FCC has decided to postpone the planned auction of vacant FM radio frequencies (Auction 106) indefinitely. The auction, which was scheduled to begin April 28, included six construction permits in Michigan. The FCC has said that they will refund upfront auction payments Public Notice (here) and provide instructions for securing such a refund. The…
Read MoreCPB Gets $75 Million in Emergency Funds
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting gets $75 million in emergency funds in the $2 trillion coronavirus bill that passed the Senate late Wednesday night but still needs to be approved by the House and signed by the president. The money is to keep up facilities of noncommercial TV and radio stations and to help stations,…
Read MoreNAB Update: Two New FCC Notices Helpful to Broadcasters
By: Rick Kaplan, General Counsel & EVP, Legal and Regulatory Affairs National Association of Broadcasters NAB and individual broadcasters continue to work on a daily basis with the FCC to try to address concerns you and other broadcasters have raised during this time of national crisis. I am pleased to report that the FCC announced two…
Read MoreDigital ‘Don’ts’ for Radio in the Age of Coronavirus
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies There’s never been an event like the current pandemic in the history of modern radio. I was working at WBCN in Boston when the planes struck the Twin Towers on 9/11. While that was a horrific and heart-wrenching experience, the event itself was a quick surprise, taking less than…
Read MoreLongtime Detroit Radio/TV Host Bob Allison Dies At 87
Longtime Detroit radio and TV host Bob Allison passed away Wednesday, March 25 at age 87. Allison was the host of the popular radio show “Ask Your Neighbor,” which began on WWJ in 1962 and has been airing on WNZK-AM in recent years, co-hosted with his son Rob. Other Detroit stations Allison worked for include…
Read MoreEssential Planning for Broadcasters Facing Coronavirus Restrictions on Access to Facilities and News Events
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP With more and more states, municipalities, and other authorities issuing shelter-in-place warnings or other restrictions on travel, and with more station facilities likely to be closed temporarily because of exposure to the COVID-19 virus, broadcasters need to be planning on how to continue to operate their facilities in the…
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