Earlier this month, six organizations met with FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, Media Bureau Chief Holly Saurer and Sanford Williams, Special Advisor to Rosenworcel. The groups requested the meeting to lobby for the rule change that would allow broadcasters to target smaller communities with local content and ads.
The NAB and many of radio’s larger groups are opposed to GeoBroadcast’s Zonecasting technology. They have cited everything from the cost to implement to interference to revenue disruption.
Zonecasting proponents argue that every other form of media has this capability, and the radio industry needs to innovate to keep pace since the industry currently is in decline. They say the technology has been tested and there is no interference.
The technology would be voluntary for interested stations and could only be used for up to five minutes per hour. The disagreement has pitted large broadcasters against small and medium broadcasters.
The groups in the meeting with The FCC were:
The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council
Roberts Radio Broadcasting
JAM Media Solutions
Kizart Media Partners
Covington (counsel to GeoBroadcast Solutions)
National Newspaper Publishers Association
The group told Rosenworcel that the rule change will benefit minority-owned stations, minority owned businesses seeking to advertise on radio, and minority audiences that will hear new targeted content, including hyper-local weather and traffic information. And that it adds smaller businesses to the advertising pool. Businesses that cannot afford the rates of the larger stations
Testing has been done at Roberts Radio Broadcasting’ s WRBJ-FM in Jackson, Mississippi and at KSJO-FM in San Jose. Advocates for the technology state that, “These tests demonstrate that the booster systems can be designed to improve the signal for parts of the market with minuscule transition areas.”
It’s unclear when the Commission will make a decision on the rule change.
