What Can NABOB Members Expect In ’17?

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“This year is going to be a year of transition for all of us,” Jim Winston, President of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, said in a communiqué to members on Friday (3/3). “We experienced eight inspiring years with President Barack Obama, our first African American President. Now, the administration of Donald Trump has begun, and it is clear that it will produce many challenges for the African American community. As African American owners and managers of broadcast stations, it is important that we continue, and increase, our efforts to be the voices of our communities.”


Jim Winston
Jim Winston, NABOB

In order to make certain that NABOB continues those efforts, Winston says it is working to help all owners achieve business success.

This involves building on a number of accomplishments seen in 2016, he says.

What were those successful efforts?

“The FCC implemented NABOB’s proposal to allow Class C and D AM radio stations the first opportunity to apply to move existing FM translators during the filing window that extended from January 29, 2016 to July 28, 2016,” he notes. “Several NABOB members obtained FM translators for their AM stations through that process.”

The FCC is scheduled to implement the second phase of NABOB’s FM translator proposal later this year, Winston added, when the Commission will allow Class C and D AM stations to be the first stations to apply for construction permits to build new FM translators.

The FCC has not set the date for opening that filing window.

Meanwhile, NABOB is considering a 2017 reprise of its February 2016 Mediavest-NABOB “Madison Avenue & Minority-Owned Radio Partnership Forum,” held in New York.

“The event grew out of a commitment Brian Terkelsen, President of Mediavest, made to Sherman Kizart and NABOB at the NABOB Fall Conference-Power of Urban Radio Forum in October 2015,” Winston says. “Brian shared the idea with the 4As and several additional agencies got involved.”

The really historic portion of the event was the “speed-dating” process. For three hours, station owners and managers were able to meet with over 100 representatives from major ad agencies, including Starcom Mediavest Group, ZenithOptimedia, OMD, Horizon, Initiative, UM Worldwide, Dentsu Aegis, and Media Assembly.

“Station owners and managers reported that they were able to have meaningful dialogue with ad agency representatives that they could not have obtained on their own,” Winston says.

Commenting on the “speed-dating,” one NABOB member said, “We engaged close to 35 representatives from participating agencies that were representing a lot of brands that make sense for us. It was a tremendous effort.”

Winston also cited NABOB’s assistance in pushing for the FCC’s March 1, 2016 Enforcement Bureau advisory in which the Commission advised the public that operation of illegal pirate radio stations could subject both the operators and those who support their operations to substantial penalties.

“Many NABOB members experience ongoing harm to their lawful operations from illegal pirate operations,” Winston notes. “The advisory and letters, signed by all five Commissioners, were sent to real estate, advertising, public safety, and law enforcement organizations, and provided a strong message that the Commission is serious about enforcement of its statute and rules prohibiting pirate operation.”

Planning is already underway for NABOB’s 41st annual Fall Broadcast Conference and 17th Power of Urban Radio Forum, set for Oct. 11-12, 2017 at the Washington Marriott Georgetown Hotel.