Was it just me or did It seem like the Olympics were on FOREVER this year? True to anything in the news these days, it was filled with spectacular flair, controversy, moments that make up a perfect screenplay, not to mention the heroes and big disappointments.

Once all of it finally came to an end, the hangover wore off and the headlines began to fade and we awaited another spectacle as its replacement - like, perhaps the Democratic National Convention! Unless you look and listen closely, I can’t tell the difference between China and Denver. The faces are different but the competition is just as heated, the celebrity fanfare is similiar, controversy is abound and the politics are exactly the same. Luckily, these contenders are wearing more clothing. Also, I’m fairly certain we didn’t digitally enhance the fireworks here. I can’t wait to see what the McCain camp has cooked up to top Obamapalooza!

Either way, after November’s elections have come and gone, broadcasters are up the creek without a paddle…

By now many of you know that we were unsuccessful in our attempt to get a Reporter’s Shield Law passed in Massachusetts during this legislative cycle. There are a number of reasons, really. And most of those reasons are just as subjective and debatable as the arguments on both sides this debate. Regardless of who put more funding into the effort, who used their editorial power to publicize the issue or didn’t use it enough and who hates the media and who was on which side; the fact remains that our journalists must do their jobs while living in fear of being thrown in jail - a job that should be protected by the Constitution but isn’t. We are among the very few states without a Shield Law and yet one of the largest media markets in the country. I’ve heard the tales of the “Big Bad Media” and the sensationalize slams over and over again - but the reality is that our government needs to be watched and there are a number of credible journalists who have made it their life’s work to inform the public about the things they need to know. The problem is that the government is the one that won’t pass this legislation. Has everyone forgotten about the number of times a journalist has exposed flaws in the system and our elected officials and been 100% correct? Watergate? Eliot Spitzer? And I’m still waiting for the outcome of the underage Chinese gymnasts…

I don’t normally like to boast about one of our member stations over any others but today I’m willing to make an exception. The geniuses at the wonderful WROR FM (a Greater Media station) are celebrating Christmas in July with holiday music all day long. For those of you who don’t know me well enough to know my obsession with Christmas and all its musical glory, let me tell you - this is the GREATEST idea EVER. It’s hot out, I’m stuck in traffic and my gas tank is dangerously low and suddenly all is well because my friends at 105.7 are playing Carol of the Bells and I can’t help but smile. That’s it - no heavy political talk today because quite frankly, I am too excited about this to discuss anything else. That and I can’t stop humming Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree…

Merry Christmas!

I don’t understand people that take it upon themselves to violate other people’s property and have a total disregard for the law. Maybe I just let this stuff get under my skin - like the time our neighbors at the Cape dumped the remains of their lobster dinner over the fence into our backyard, or when someone cracked open three eggs in our mailbox on a cold winter day and they remained frozen in there until spring.

Over the years a number of our members have dealt with unruly pirate stations and their subsequent interference. Despite many licensed stations’ efforts, several continue to broadcast, ignoring the warnings, fines and other disciplinary action. Finally, the FCC is cracking down on them and clearing the air for our broadcasters:

Boston pirate told to pay up
Richard Clouden didn’t respond when the FCC sent him a notice of apparent liability for a $10,000 fine for operating a pirate radio station on 101.3 MHz in Boston. That failure to respond has sealed his fate. The Commission has now ordered Clouden to pay up. Stay tuned to see if he responds to that notice. Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood has become something of a hotbed for unlicensed radio operations lately. Just last month the FCC proposed to fine one of Clouden’s neighbors for operating a station on 106.1 MHz.

The passing of the great comedian George Carlin this week brings to light the ongoing controversy he ignited 35 years ago and continues to this day. His Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television bit got him arrested numerous times and sparked an FCC response, a Supreme Court ruling and many argue, the beginning of the Indecency Battle in this country. But did you know that only one man complained about his routine being broadcast over the airwaves to the FCC? His letter single-handedly changed the way broadcasters operate. (See a great AP article about this here.) Erring on the side of caution now more than ever, broadcasters watch their words and images like hawks. We have Carlin and Ms. Janet Jackson to thank for that. The other day, I heard a radio spot in which the word “sucks” was bleeped out. Do the FCC and Parents Television Council honestly think that by policing the airwaves, children won’t swear? I never heard Carlin’s comedy as a child, I never watched adult programming on television but I knew the words. In fact, as a first-grader in pee-wee soccer I swore after missing a goal and was sidelined until the end of practice. My mother was horrified. She kept me from watching grown-up shows, listening to certain music and my parents never swore in front of my brother and I. They neglected, however, to keep me from taking the school bus and playing at recess - the source of every curse word I ever learned as well as a boatload of other information I’m sure they would have done anything to keep from me as a child. Kids will be kids - kids learn things you don’t want them to know and do things you don’t want them to do. Besides, they have another source of all these obsenities that I didn’t have a child - cable. It’s up to the parents to have an open dialogue about such things to dispell the misinformation and teach them what is appropriate and when. 

RIP George - whenever I swear just for the sake of swearing, I’ll think of you.

This week, in a not entirely surprising move, FCC Chairman Martin said he approved of the proposed XM and Sirius Satellite Radio Merger. As a broadcast advocate, it’s in my nature to be against this competitors’ merger but on the flip side, my business sense confirms what I’ve believed to be true all along – this means their format is not a threat to terrestrial radio.

Mergers usually result in the failure to thrive on one’s own and according to my friends at wisegeek.com, combine a profitable company with a losing company in order to use the losses as a tax write-off to offset the profits. They also say, “This form of merger may cause problems when two dominating companies merge, as it may trigger litigation regarding monopoly laws.”

Therein lies one of the major issues of this deal. It’s a monopoly. The other issue is that they are in direct violation of the FCC’s own interference rules and admitted as such – making the FCC’s presumed approval of the merger disturbing at best. And last year Bloomberg reported that at least one-third of the 800 antennas used by XM were “placed in unapproved locations or emitted signals that were too strong.”

The NAB reported that a 2006 study of 17 wireless devices commonly used to transmit audio signals from satellite radio devices and MP3 players to in-dash car radios showed that 13 of the 17 devices exceeded field strength limits set by the FCC. Six of the noncompliant devices exceeded strength limits by 2,000 percent, and one surpassed strength limits by 20,000 percent. The Associated Press reported in 2006 that such interference resulted in some Christian radio listeners being inundated by Howard Stern programming.

So what do you think? Will Commissioners Adelstein and Tate approve of the merger? Will the merger have any impact on over-the-air radio?

Two Bay State Broadcasters (and MBA members) are proving that local stations dedicated to public service still exist and are making a difference in their communities.

Patrick Costa of Costa-Eagle Broadcasting received Radio Ink Magazine’s Medallas de Cortez Award for General Manager of the Year at the Hispanic Radio Conference held in Miami recently. Costa not only serves a geographic community with his three stations - he serves a demographic community of Hispanic listeners. He takes pride in providing unique programming and public service through a Tropical format on WNNW and a Spanish News/Talk station at WCEC.

Milford’s WMRC AM was also recognized with an award recently - this one specifically for their dedication to Public Service. General Manager Tom McAuliffe accepted the Cary Simpson Award for Community Service from the International Broadcasters Idea Bank in Puerto Rico. McAuliffe purchased the station from his father a few years ago and has remained steadfast in their goal to serve their local community - from reading lunch menus and school closings, to raising funds for a local hospital’s Cancer Center, to broadcasting Red Sox games.

It goes to show that while the FCC may fear the days of true localism are over in broadcasting, Massachusetts’ broadcasters are setting the bar for their peers.

As if some of you may not already feel inundated with requests, FYIs and other useless tidbits of information from me, here’s another medium for me to let you know what’s going on in the Association. So for those of you that let our newsletters get buried under piles on your desk, lose my emails in a Junk Folder, or just plain ignore anything with a MBA logo on it, there’s no excuse any more. You will be in the know. If there’s some issue, event or other thoughts in my head you need to be aware of, you can subscribe to the Blog and keep up.

Here’s the first order of business: On Tuesday, June 17 we’ll bring our in-state and federal attorneys together to present an important EEO session. Everything from hiring and firing to what belongs in your Public File will be addressed as well as all your pressing legal questions that you haven’t had a chance to call the Legal Hotline about. It’s Tuesday, June 17 at the Sheraton Newton Hotel from 8:30 -12. All attendees will receive a Certificate for credit in their Public File. The cost is $25 per person for member stations and Management as well as HR personnel are encouraged to attend. And don’t worry, as usual, we’ll feed you. RSVP to me at deanna@massbroadcasters.org!