[SkyHub] FW: [BDR] FCC Still Down/EmPower Your Diagnostics

Jack Roland ke0vh at outlook.com
Thu Oct 23 09:26:01 EDT 2025 

READING TO ENJOY!

Jack E. Roland, KEØVH
www.skyhublink.com<http://www.skyhublink.com/> Repeater Linking System
[cid:image001.png at 01DC43EE.45B1A620]
https://www.youtube.com/@CapnJackFltSimChannel/streams
Wheat Ridge CO
303-704-3290

From: BDR <bdr-bounces at theBDR.net> On Behalf Of TheBDR via BDR
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 9:30 AM
To: bdr at thebdr.net
Subject: [BDR] FCC Still Down/EmPower Your Diagnostics

[Emacs!]
Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert...
This is BDR Newsletter 845, Volume 17, #12 for October 22, 2025

DEADLINES, SCHMEDLINES
As of today, the FCC is still closed. Reports are that even the ETRS Form One has stopped working. Almost all deadlines for things like Form One and Q3 Issues & Programs are delayed until the day after the FCC reopens.

But a major question is why? We already know that every time the FCC does a one day deadline - think Form Two on the ETRS - it always bombs and people sit for hours trying to file. A lot of folks think a minimum of five days should be available for any filing. Perhaps when they reopen to the mess, the FCC will reconsider one-day deadlines - especially in case of another shutdown, but more to the point as a general policy.

DST RUNNING OUT
We are just over a week until everyone returns to "standard time." If you have any legacy gear, this is the time to check it out and get ready for November 2nd at 2 AM.

EMPOWER YOUR DIAGNOSTICS
The FCC requires you to know the proper power and modulation limits of your transmissions. But there is a lot more diagnostic information that you really need to ensure everything is running as good as possible. EmPower is a system from American Amplifier Technologies that lets you look - and control - more aspects of your RF system. This week we are happy to have Matt Rigdon from AAT to show us and demonstrate how the EmPower system can help you.

Join us at the usual time: 2 PM Eastern on Thursday. We'll learn things together.  The link  information is on www.theBDR.net/TLG/

<http://www.thebdr.net/TLG/>
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[Emacs!]<https://www.aquabroadcast.co.uk/>
https://www.aquabroadcast.co.uk/


FCC FOCUS ON EAS RULES
Just before the government shutdown, the EB sent out notices reminding broadcasters (and other communications providers) of their obligation to comply with EAS rules. In a note from DC Communications Attorney Cary Tepper, he points out that "As you may know, last year the FCC resumed unannounced, spot inspections of broadcast facilities. EAS compliance was one of the subjects of those inspections." Stations should review EAS participants' obligations and review procedures so to not be in danger of getting an NOV.

DELETE, DELETE, DELETE UP NORTH
In an effort to "reduce regulatory burdens," the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced plans<https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2025/2025-265.htm> to change its regulations for radio<https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2025/2025-265.htm>, including potentially lifting the need to renew most radio licenses.

NOW DELETING FM?
The latest Tesla vehicles, Model 3 Standard and Model Y Standard will not feature radios at all, with FM tuners being eliminated. With  lawmakers trying to mandate AM radios, this is a frustration for broadcasters, should it set off a trend in the auto industry. Meanwhile, Toyota is set to debut SiriusXM's new 360L - their new audio platform - in the new 2026 RAV4 SUV. Other companies are looking to join the new platform.

AMAZON DOWN
If you had trouble with your Internet on Monday/Tuesday, you were not alone. there was a major outage that disrupted thousands of websites and popular apps hosted by Amazon Web Services, including some major airlines which, in turn, caused disruptions in flight schedules. While many broadcasters use an Internet path for program transmission, it should not be allowed to be one of those potential "single points of failure."

FOR SALE

A selection of power tubes from an estate are available. Spares? Dud? Take a look. Those and other items are on the Buy/Sell<https://www.thebdr.net/buy-and-sell/> Page<https://www.thebdr.net/buy-and-sell/>.


May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[[]]<https://www.gatesair.com/products/transmit-radio>
https://www.gatesair.com/products/transmit-radio


Some recent articles of interest:

  *   Why is 50 Ohms the Standard?<https://www.thebdr.net/category/how-stuff-works/> - Barry Mishkind
  *   Critter Control<https://www.thebdr.net/category/site-operations/> - Jeff Welton
  *   Join the Lunch Gathering - Thursday 2 PM Eastern<https://thebdr.net/the-lunch-gathering/>
  *   Enforcement Watch<https://www.thebdr.net/nal-watch-fcc-enforcement/> - FM station spur on ATC channe<https://www.thebdr.net/nal-watch-fcc-enforcement/>l
  *   Planning Your Studio Before You Build<https://www.thebdr.net/category/station-design-construction/> - Gordon Carter
  *   Troubleshooting 101 - What to do While You Wait for the Engineer<https://www.thebdr.net/category/maintenance-shift/> - Barry Mishkind
  *   Understanding AM <https://www.thebdr.net/category/fcc-rules-regulations/> NRSC Measurements<https://www.thebdr.net/category/fcc-rules-regulations/> - James Boyd
  *   Reworking<https://thebdr.net/category/emergency-alert-system/> EAS - 26 Questions<https://thebdr.net/category/emergency-alert-system/> - Ed Czarnecki
  *   EAS: A Software Problem or Lack of MCP?<https://www.thebdr.net/category/emergency-alert-system/> - Chuck Helstein
  *   Tube Rebuilding 2025<https://www.thebdr.net/category/broadcast-history/> - Reid Brandon
  *   The Evolution of Broadcast Technology<https://www.thebdr.net/category/broadcast-history/> - Ron Schact
  *   Dana's<https://thebdr.net/danas-deals/> Daily Deals <https://thebdr.net/danas-deals/>
More newsy items here<https://thebdr.net/current-news-items/>...


May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[Emacs!]<https://lawo.com/products/new_crystal_radio/>
https://lawo.com/products/new_crystal_radio/


MANUFACTURERS' NEWS

The WABE - Western Association of Broadcast Engineers - in Canada - had a very successful convention in Calgary, with over 375 in attendance over the three day event. The confab was said to be the beginning of the vision to have a cross-sector broadcast, live production, AV, post-production, film techie show (which some called the "mini NAB of the North")

= = =

NAB IN NY
One of the last broadcast conventions for the year is in New York City today and tomorrow, with an emphasis on expanding the use of AI.

= = =

It is an 80th anniversary now for Sennheiser. A look back and some current promotional pricing can be found here<https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us/about-us/80-years>.

= = =

It was hard to read much this week without some mention of AI - including the hugh increase in deep fakes , AI Slop, etc. Some users report their favorite media are overwhelmed with the number of fake pix and videos. Broadcasters need to take care not to be scammed.

= = =

OpenAI has entered the browser war by releasing its Atlas AI browser, built around ChatGPT.

= = =

Apple's new M5 Chip is now in its latest products - an upgraded CPU and 10-core GPU with neural accelerators - four times the performance of the M4 chip, and includes an improved AI features.

= = =

AI is also at the heart of Microsoft's latest update to Windows 11. The artificial intelligence-focused upgrades focus on enhanced AI voice chat features.

= = =

With AI so important to the computer industry, Google has introduced an "AI Vulnerability Reward Program" with a $30,000 payment for identifying bugs in AI products such as Google Search and Gemini. While not specifically AI oriented, Apple will offer as much as a $2 million reward for identifying bugs in its software.

= = =

Part of what is needed to power all these AI new features is the capacity of Aligned Data Centers. Recently a group including BlackRock, Nvidia, Microsoft, and xAI, agreed pay $40 Billion for ADC, the largest ever data center deal.


May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[[]]<https://eriinc.com/>
https://eriinc.com/


Do You Remember? This week in history:
Broadcast related items:

  *   1 year ago (10/20/24) a helicopter hit a tower in Houston; four were killed.
  *   8 years ago (10/25/17) Kenny Rogers, retiring after 60 years, has a star-studded farewell concert in Nashville.
  *   11 years ago (10/24/14) a satellite music show from Nashville spread a fake EAS alert. *
  *   21 years ago (10/23/04) Ashlee Simpson's lip-synching fails badly on Saturday Night Live. **
  *   25 years ago (10/20/00) rapper Ice-T debuts on Law & Order: SVU as Detective Fin Tutuola.
  *   37 years ago (10/22/88) Phil Collins hit #1 with a cover of "A Groovy Kind of Love."
  *   46 years ago (10/20/79) an instrumental by Herb Alpert "Rise" was #1 on the charts. ***
  *   48 years ago (10/20/77) Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a Mississippi plane crash.
  *   496 years ago (10/23/76) Chicago got its first #1 hit: "If You Leave Me Now."
  *   51 years ago (10/19/74) "Nothing From Nothing" made a #1 hit for Billy Preston.
  *   58 years ago (10/21/67) Lulu's huge hit "To Sir, With Love" was #1.
  *   68 years ago (10/21/57) "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley went to #1 on the charts.
  *   78 years ago (10/20/47) the notorious Red Scare kicked into high gear in Washington, as Congress investigated Communist influence in Hollywood.
... and 110 years ago (10/21/1915) AT&T engineers sent the first voice transmission across the Atlantic - from Arlington, Virginia to Paris, France, mostly as a proof of concept. (thanks: Ken Fine)

Here are a few more newsy-type items:

  *   14 years ago (10/20/11) Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi is killed.
  *   17 years ago (10/23/08) was Bloody Thursday with the worldwide stock market crash - most indices dropped 10% in one day.
  *   20 years ago (10/24/03) The Concorde made its final flight from NY JFK to Londow Hearthow.  ..
  *   23 years ago (10/23/02) about 50 Chechen rebels stormed a Moscow theater, taking up to 700 people hostage during a sold-out performance of a popular musical.
  *   24 years ago (10/23/01) the Apple iPod was launched - and a juggernaut began to roll.
  *   38 years ago (10/19/87) The US Stock market had its worst loss since 1927, dropping 22.6% in one day.
  *   43 years ago (10/19/82) Auto maker John DeLorean was arrested in a $24 million cocaine deal.****
  *   63 years ago (10/22/62) President John F. Kennedy announced U.S. spy planes had discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
  *   64 years ago (10/24/61) the Lego brick's design was patented. *****
  *   94 years ago (10/24/31) the George Washington Bridge was dedicated. (It continues to be offered for sale by Rich Wood.)
  *   96 years ago (10/23/29) was Black Thursday when the US stock market crashed - falling 11% in one day - and set off a worldwide depression.
  *   96 years ago (10/25/29) Secretary of the interior Albert B. Fall, found guilty of accepting a bribe while in office. ******
  *   124 years ago (10/24/1901) a 63-year-old schoolteacher named Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
... and 244 years ago (10/19/1781) Americans defeated the British at Yorktown - Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a larger Franco-American force, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.


May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[[]]<https://hubs.li/Q03LBwvw0>
www.telosalliance.com<https://hubs.li/Q03LBwvw0>


* The "joke" led to a $1 million fine being assessed against iHeart Media.

** She was "singing" but her lips were not moving.

*** "Rise" was the theme song for the TV show, General Hospital.

**** At trial, DeLorean, was acquitted, but he was on trial again soon. (His namesake car lives on - especially in the movie "Back to the Future.")

***** Lego comes from "leg godt" - play well - in Danish.

****** Fall was guilty in Teapot Dome scandal - the first individual to be convicted of a crime committed while a presidential cabinet member.

MIDWEEK BONUS

Inflation hits pumpkins: in 1974, the winning pumpkin in the Safeway World Championship was 132 pounds. In 2023... it reached ... 2,749 pounds. Yes ... over one ton<https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2025/10/19/largest-pumpkin-this-year-weighs-over-2346-pounds/86750689007/>.

Inflation has - or could - affect even famous artists. Take a look here at the rapper 50 Cent, adjusted for inflation. <https://50centadjustedforinflation.com/>

Test your audience's literacy. Which of these following words are legitimate?

  *   Bumfuzzle
  *   Snickersnee
  *   Wabbit
  *   Collywobbles
  *   Snollygoster
  *   Quomodocunquizing
  *   Taradiddle
  *   Borborygmus
  *   Kakorrhaphiophobia
  *   Absquatulate
  *   Slubberdegullion
The answer<https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/real-words-that-sound-fake>.

= = =

PLEASE INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN US
We sure hope you are finding the BDR and the Newsletter to be of value to you. If so, there are two things that you can do to ensure the BDR keeps pulsing along:
        1. Invite a colleague or a friend to sign up for the Newsletter. Since it is only one-time-a-week, you will not be accused of flooding their in-boxes!
        2. Anytime you deal with one of our sponsors, letting them know the BDR is important to you will make them happy - and ready to keep on supporting the BDR.

PLEASE TELL US WHAT'S WHAT
There are so many areas into which we would like to expand, but it is feedback from you that helps us decided where to go first. Are you interested in a certain piece of gear or technology? Let us know. Even better, would you be willing to do a user report and share your experience?

- - -

We sure do appreciate you spending time with our Newsletter. And even more so when you recommend us to your colleagues and friends.

barry

- - -

Yes ... you might have seen it before, but we should do this: some extra stuff .. some important ... some just interesting.

MORE DETAIL HERE - YOU HAVE PROBABLY READ THIS BEFORE...
Those you who read the Newsletter might notice that more detail is provided on some timely issues than on the BDR site, itself. That is one reason we encourage you to invite your friends to subscribe<https://www.thebdr.net/newsletter/>. We are Opt-In only... and we give you two promises (OK, four!):
(1) no inbox flooding - it is one-time-a-week, and
(2) we do not give out anyone's address.. ever.
(3) no cookies are placed on your computer.
(4) no Google ads are grafted onto your computer screen.

(Need to change your address? No problem. Or, what can we do to make the BDR more useful to you? Just reply and send us a note about what you like, or what you think is missing.)

unsubscribe from this Newsletter<https://www.thebdr.net/contact/>

The Broadcasters' Desktop Resource · 1440 W. Canada Verde Drive · Tucson, AZ 85704 · USA


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2542f5ff.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 53962 bytes
Desc: 2542f5ff.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0007.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2542f63e.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 958 bytes
Desc: 2542f63e.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0008.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2542f65d.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 54878 bytes
Desc: 2542f65d.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0009.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2542f6bb.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 20030 bytes
Desc: 2542f6bb.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0010.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2542f709.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 50925 bytes
Desc: 2542f709.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0011.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2542f747.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 47259 bytes
Desc: 2542f747.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0012.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2542f796.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 59023 bytes
Desc: 2542f796.jpg
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0013.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 185710 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0001.png>
-------------- next part --------------
An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed...
Name: ATT00001.txt
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/skyhub/attachments/20251023/ef6d515f/attachment-0001.txt>

More information about the SkyHub mailing list