KAB TRANSMITTER
Vol. 48 No. 3
March 27, 2009
Chairman’s Message:
Joan Barrett, KWCH TV
I’m all a twitter these days … if you don’t know what that means, time to
catch up. Twitter is a new social media device. Basically, it’s a text or email,
that is only 140 characters long. Jim Ogle, the General Manager at WIBW is
the twitter aficionado … find him at twitter.com and then look for jimogle. (If
you are dying to see my twittering look up ksjoanbarrett – it’s not nearly as
exciting as Jims’.)
Our newsroom (reporters and anchors) is twittering – you can find breaking news, concert
information, etc. If you are on facebook (I am), you can also find stations with facebook pages,
communicating to their consumers. Kellie Michaels with KFDI radio in Wichita is my facebook friend
– she told me how I could win tickets to the ACM awards in Las Vegas. A news director from another
state posted a call for a news producer on his facebook page. The Wichita newspaper’s court reporter
regularly blogs from courtroom trials and hearings. Social media, social networking – it’s developing
at the speed of light.
I remember sitting in a morning editorial meeting about five years ago asking, “What’s YouTube?”
The challenge for those of us managing media properties is to keep up. We have to be using these
kinds of media so we know how they work, and what will and won’t work for our business units.
Much to the chagrin of my department heads, they were all assigned to create their own facebook page
and invite three friends – one commented he was quite sure he didn’t have three friends! Another –
found old high school and college classmates and had more than 80 friends in less than a month!
None of us have the money to hire more staff, or dedicate personnel to these kinds of trends and
developments, so it’s incumbent on all of us to get in the game.
Our challenge is to figure out how these new media tools can complement and enhance our current
business units. It’s imperative that broadcasters move quickly – we are watching what is happening to
the newspaper industry. The Rocky Mountain News closed – after 150 years publishing. Hearst
closed the Seattle Post Intelligencer, and says it may close The San Francisco Chronicle. Some
analysts believe that eight of the fifty largest daily newspapers in the United States could cease
publication in the next eighteen months. What’s the answer? That’s the million dollar question – but
it’s clear that sitting by and watching isn’t an option unless you want to put up a “Closed for
Business” sign. So – dive in – try something new. Share your success stories with Kent and I and we
will share in future issues. This is a time we can learn from each other – and keep broadcasting viable
businesses in our communities.
DTV Transition
Much of the smoke has cleared since February 17 when most of the TV stations in Kansas shut off
their analog service. Those stations continue to receive minimal calls about reception issues pertaining
to converter boxes and antennas. The other stations who are waiting until June 12 to shut off analog
and complete the transition still have to air spots and countdown clocks referring to the new date.
The coupon program is running again and I thought you might like to see some statistics through
March 18, 2009. There have been 440,000 requested in Kansas. National stats as follows:
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Approved households that have applied = 29,105,102
Coupons requested = 54,207,255
Coupons mailed = 51,297,543
Coupons expired = 17,030,750
Coupons redeemed = 25,748,265
Coupons active = 8,518,528
Average daily orders last 30 days = 46,937
Average daily orders last week = 35,832
Participating retailers / Locations = 2,223 / 31,877 Kansas Legislative Update
The legislature will have their first adjournment next week and take 3 ½ weeks off before returning
for the “Veto” session. This last week will be spent with debate on the floor of each house as bills from
one side get passed and sent to the other. With the exception of budget bills, most everything that was
heard in committees has either been passed out or is dead this session. Last month I updated you on
the bills of interest to broadcasters and I have updated in italics any bills that had changes since then.
(S is for Senate – H is for House)
S 117 (Support) – requires all political print ads including flyers, emails, etc. to have a
disclaimer much like the ones broadcast is required to have. It passed the Senate but was
defeated in the House Elections Committee.
S 135 (Support) – more clearly defines what constitutes an open meeting. Language was rewritten this year after it failed in a committee last year. It passed the Senate and was amended
in the House Judiciary Committee and just passed the House on its way to the Governor.
S 148 (Neutral) – The Silver Alert “asks” law enforcement develop a plan to publicize elderly
walk aways. I testified on this bill and we were able to keep any reference to Amber Alert or
any kind of mandate for broadcasters to air the information. Honestly, nothing changes in the
way broadcasters report missing persons - elderly or otherwise). It passed both houses and has
been sent to the Governor.
S 237 (Support) – I provided written testimony on this bill that would increase the criminal
penalty for scrap dealers who buy/sell copper and other metals. It requires the dealers to get
copies of driver’s licenses, and current information from people who bring in the scrap with the
hope that thieves would not go to scrap dealers, thus losing their prime buying source. It passed
the Senate and House and on the way to the Governor.
H 2082 (Neutral) –The bill would prohibit any person from advertising or conducting a live
musical performance or production in the state through the use of a false, deceptive, or misleading
affiliation, connection, or association between a performing group and a recording group. The bill
would permit the Attorney General or a county or district attorney to seek a temporary or
permanent injunction in such cases. I drafted an amendment that would exclude broadcasters
from liability if they unknowingly ran an ad for one of these bogus bands. This is to be debated
and amendment offered on the House floor anytime.
H 2348 (OPPOSE) – This is the bill that would remove the tax exemptions from all services in
Kansas and probably would include advertising. This was introduced in the House at the very
last minute and was assigned to the House Tax committee. At this time, it has not been
scheduled for a hearing. However it could be brought up during any budget discussions.
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The Status of EAS Revisions
I will be attending an EAS Summit in Washington next week and will have more to report on EAS as
it relates to CAP (Common Alerting Protocol). But here is a memo from Ann Bobeck at the NAB.
This WILL have an impact on your individual stations later this year
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been working to improve EAS for several
years. In 2007, the FCC amended its rules to “ensure the efficient, rapid and secure transmission of
EAS alerts in a variety of formats (including text, audio and video) and via different means (broadcast,
cable, satellite and other networks.” The FCC did not include wireless alerting because Congress
enacted the Warning Alert and Response Network Act of 2006 (WARN Act), which created a
voluntary obligation to establish a public warning system for wireless carriers.
The FCC’s 2007 decision also mandated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA)
publication of its adoption of a common messaging protocol based on Common Alerting Protocol
(CAP) standards will trigger a 180-day period for EAS participants (including broadcasters) to
develop the ability to accept a message using CAP. The FCC has not yet decided a time frame for
when broadcasters must be able to submit or deliver an alert using CAP.
NAB and other interested parties intend to submit comments asking the FCC to inject some flexibility
and reality into the 180-day period deadline. We will explain to the FCC that the current 180-day
trigger point will not allow enough time for broadcasters to work through the timeline of tasks needed
to comply with the mandate; for example, it could very well take all or most of 180 days just for the
manufacturers to run their equipment through the required testing procedure. Therefore, we intend
to urge the FCC to move the trigger point for the 180-day clock to the point where EAS CAP devices
have passed FEMA testing and are available for purchase, or some other reasonable point.
FEMA has not yet adopted CAP standards, however, on March 3, 2009, FEMA did open a 60-day
period for the public to submit comments on the EAS CAP standardization period through the
Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). Comments are due
May 2, 2009.
Another outstanding issue is whether the FCC will mandate multilingual EAS messages.
Organizations representing minority interests have proposed a Universal Emergency Broadcasting
Plan (UEP Plan) that would extend EAS to certain covered languages depending on locale. NAB and
other broadcasting organizations, particularly the Florida Association of Broadcasters (FAB) have
explained to the FCC that voluntary multilingual programs created jointly by state and local
authorities, local broadcasters and others make more sense than uniform, federally-mandated
standards.
FCC personnel witnessed first hand the success of such voluntary efforts during Hurricane Gustav
when first responders and local broadcasters efficiently and effectively coordinated multilingual
alerts. Pat Roberts of the FAB was instrumental during these efforts and is a leader in this area. FAB
and NAB will continue to coordinate with the FCC and FEMA on voluntary partnerships on
multilingual and other improvements to EAS to ensure timely access to emergency information for all
Americans.
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EEO 1 Source Changes Name
The KAB provides a link to a comprehensive web site that assists stations with their EEO record
keeping formerly known as EEO 1 Source. The developers of EEO1Source have just launched
Broadcast1Source, a new, web portal for broadcaster compliance with EEO regulations, FCC
compliance and ePIF management. Broadcast1Source replaces EEO1Source and includes a number
of new and robust features to help you maintain compliance with FCC regulations. If you are a
current subscriber to EEO1Source, you can access the new site by using your username and password.
EEO1Source users that do not have subscriptions will be given a free, 15-day trial. Just login with
your username and password to start your trial. You can learn more about Broadcast1Source by
visiting www.broadcast1source.com, emailing contact@broadcast1source or calling (336) 375-2991.
View an online demonstration at www.broadcast1source.com/demo.
Year-long subscriptions to Broadcast1Source, which includes full access to job postings and
notifications, an alerts and reminder system and the ability to create EEO Public Reports in just
seconds, is offered to members of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters at a discounted rate of $65
per month for SEU’s of 12 or more employees, and $30/month for under 12 employees. That’s a
savings of 35% off the listing price.
Kappelmann Selected for Hod Humiston Award
The 2009 recipient of the Hod Humiston Award for outstanding contributions to
sports broadcasting is Brock Kappelmann of KSCB Radio in Liberal. He will
receive his award at the KAB Sports Seminar on May 6 in Kansas City.
Brock has been the radio voice of the Liberal area's local sports since 1998. He
has announced Liberal High School football and basketball since 1998. He has
announced Seward County basketball and baseball since 2001 and Liberal Bee
Jay baseball since 1998. Kappelmann was named the 2002 Interscholastic
Athletic Administrator Kansas Sportscaster of the Year.
Kappelmann has also won eight Kansas Association of Broadcasters awards with numerous second
and third place awards. He graduated from Augusta High School in 1993 where he played football,
baseball, and basketball and the University of Kansas with a degree in Broadcast News in December of
1997. He married his wife Ashley in 2002. They have two sons Brady (born 2004) and Brooks (born
2006). In his spare time (what spare time?) he serves as a “big” for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Sports Seminar May 6
The annual KAB Sports Seminar is scheduled for May 6 at Royals Stadium. It is a terrific day for
anyone associated with sports broadcasting in Kansas. Chairman Mike Sutcliffe puts together a great
series of round tables, and this year we have added sports sales. Fred White will also make sure he
coordinates with the Royals to have GM Dayton Moore, Manager Trey Hillman and the Royals
announcing team. The full TENTATIVE schedule is on our web site at
http://www.kab.net/Events/default.aspx
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Quarterly Issues Due April 10
By April 10, 2009, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial,
must prepare and place in their public inspection files a list of important issues facing their
communities, and the programs aired in the months of January, February and March dealing with
those issues.
Currently, these reports comprise the only legally required documents that demonstrate how a station
has met its public service obligations to its community of license and service area. However, the FCC
has adopted new rules for television stations that, among other things, will require the use of a
standardized form (Form 355) for reporting quarterly issues programs lists and significantly increase
the recordkeeping and reporting requirements facing television stations, as noted in this advisory.
Len Dawson Stepping Back from Anchor Desk
After 43 years as KMBC 9 News sports anchor, KAB Hall of Famer Len Dawson will move to a new
role as featured sports analyst. The new position allows Len to focus more time and attention on what
he truly loves, covering Kansas City Chiefs football as he will remain as analyst on Chiefs Radio
broadcasts. It also gives him more freedom to enjoy family and other personal interests. Len led the
Chiefs to Super Bowl IV and was named MVP in that game. He was named “NFL Man of the Year”
in 1973 and was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1987.
The Un Comfort Zone
The latest fad in motivation is the Law of Attraction or more popularly The Secret after the motion
picture and book by Rhonda Byrne. The idea being that if you use the power of The Secret you will
attract health, wealth and friends to you in abundance. The Secret takes an old idea and repackages it
for our today’s society.
The core idea is that your thoughts control the world around you. If you have positive thoughts, good
things come your way. If you have negative thoughts then bad things come your way. In other words,
if you wish hard enough for the things you want -- you will get them. Simple. Or is it? If it were
simple, then countless people throughout history would have figured it out over and over, and it would
not be much of a secret. Perhaps it takes a little more effort than suggested – or perhaps it is just a
pipe dream.
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We, as modern educated people, need more proof. In order to make it palatable to the skeptic in us,
The Secret adds an element of science. We are told that quantum physics has identified that all things
at the sub-atomic level exist as both particles and as waves – constantly shifting between being solid
matter and being pure energy. It is then proposed that our thoughts create brain waves which in turn
influence the sub-atomic waves of the entire universe. The Secret claims that the more intent you are
in your wish the faster the universe will act upon it. Is it real, or is it VooDoo.science?
If real, it sounds wonderful! Now, if I understand correctly, if I wish real hard I can become a concert
pianist and play to a sold out audience in Carnegie Hall? I only see one hitch: I’ve never had a piano
lesson in my life. The Secret also presents the Law of Attraction as if it had been intentionally kept
hidden for centuries. That it was suppressed and held by a few conspirators so that they could control
all the wealth of the world. Unfortunately, that notion is nothing other than a marketing ploy to
generate interest in the book. It also contradicts the concept of Law of Attraction. The idea that a
select group of people have kept it away from the masses intentionally preys on the destructively
negative emotion of envy.
To the contrary, people who have understood the Law of Attraction have made numerous attempts at
sharing it with the world at large. The best example is Andrew Carnegie, who was one of the most
successful so-called “Robber Barons” of the Industrial Age. Carnegie hired Napoleon Hill to research
the most successful people in the world, how they got that way, and then record his findings in a book.
The book is Think and Grow Rich and was published in 1937.
The best thing about Think and Grow Rich is that it takes the mysticism out of the Law of Attraction.
So, for those of you who find wishing on a star a bit difficult to swallow as a method for acquiring
wealth, here is the real secret:
Identify your goal. Make a written plan to acquire that goal. Work your plan persistently. Give it
your time, attention and energy. The more time and effort you give, the quicker you will achieve it.
Visualize it coming to fruition. Draw it, illustrate it, photograph it, then keep it in front of you. Revise
your plan as your knowledge grows. Be open-minded to opportunities that arise that may deviate
from your plan, but still move you toward your goal.
The world’s most successful people were extremely focused on achieving one goal. They focused to the
exclusion of everything else including family, friends, lovers, recreation, entertainment, vacations and
hobbies. Next, tell everyone you know about your goal. Spread the word, so that people who can assist
you are aware of your intentions. I truly believe that positive minded people attract more
opportunities to themselves because they are so pleasant to deal with.
The formula is simple, but most of us compromise our goals because we want to enjoy a full balanced
life. A life filled with friends, family and good times. We focus on our goals when time allows, and in
turn, our goals take much longer to achieve. The true secret is staying focused on your goal.
Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want
to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on
Robert's programs please visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.
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KAB Board of Directors Spotlight
Each month we will highlight a member of the KAB Board so you can get to
know these terrific broadcasters who volunteer their time to steer the KAB.
This month it is Joe Jindra – KNCK/KCKS, Concordia…
He’s been in radio since 1974, starting at KNCK, Concordia, KS during high
school and has been in ownership & management since 1982. Joe has coowned and managed stations in Kansas, Missouri, and Arizona but bought
KNCK/KCKS in 1989. He’s a graduate of Cloud County Community College
and attended KSU. Outside radio, Joe is in his third term on the Concordia
City Commission and served one year as Mayor. In his spare time Joe and
his wife and I follow the Kansas State Wildcats Football team having traveled
to all twelve Big 12 football stadiums. They're also major league baseball fans and have visited 13 of
the 30 ballparks. In addition to travel, they go to movies, and attend live music programs.
Southwestern College Communication Day
Students and guests are invited to hear from Roger Ogden, former Denver, Colorado GM, at their
annual Communication Day March 31st in Winfield. Ogden was named the 2007 National Broadcaster
of the Year by Broadcasting and Cable Magazine. He was instrumental in the journalism industry for
helping bridge the gap between broadcast television, newspapers, and the Web. He is the former
president and CEO of the Gannett broadcast division.
If you have anything you would like to place in the newsletter send it to [email protected]
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