KBA WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

FCC REDUCES PROPOSED REG FEE HIKE

DOWN FROM 13% TO 7-8% INCREASE

On Friday, the FCC released a Report and Order in its annual rulemaking proceeding to determine the regulatory fees that its regulatees will pay for FY2022. The fee schedule adopted in this Report and Order establishes the final amounts that broadcasters will be required to pay later this month. Broadcasters secured a reduction in the fee increases that the FCC originally proposed, from approximately 13% to 7-8%, and the issuance of a Notice of Inquiry by which the FCC will take comments on proposals to change to its regulatory fee setting process going forward. Continue reading

CALENDAR ALERT

IMPORTANT DATES IN SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER 9TH

Your final opportunity to register for KBA's Annual Conference in Owensboro. Click here to register now.

SEPTEMBER 9TH

With the political advertising season now in full swing, broadcasters must be aware of the dates by which Lowest Unit Rate (“LUR”) periods begin for upcoming elections. On September 9, the LUR period begins for the General Election to be held on November 8 for all States and Territories.

SEPTEMBER 25-27

KBA Annual Conference in Owensboro, KY.

SEPTEMBER END OF MONTH

All commercial broadcasters will need to pay attention to actions which will likely come in rapid fire in the next two weeks, setting the deadlines for payment of the Annual Regulatory Fees that must be paid before the October 1 start of the next fiscal year for the FCC. Look for an Order very soon deciding on the final amounts for those fees. That Order will be quickly followed by a Public Notice setting the payment dates and procedures. Then watch for fact sheets from each of the Bureaus at the FCC. The Media Bureau fact sheet will cover the fees to be paid by broadcasters. Be ready to pay those fees by the announced September deadline, as the failure to pay on time brings steep penalties.

KBA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS TOMORROW

LBS WEBINAR FOR KBA MEMBERS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH @ 12PM ET

Why Winging It with Social Media Doesn’t Work for Broadcasters

Lori Lewis

LBS Social Media Expert

Building a brand in the social space can often feel overwhelming and elusive, especially with limited resources. Join us as we break down three specific techniques to elevate brand-building and audience development with those limited resources.

Structure: Let’s look at what a cadence might look like (what to post & when) and content pillars to keep content balanced, brand-aligned, and consistent.
Content Performance: Removing the guessing game and measuring efficiency; what content meets audience expectations, and identifying valuable content.
The Fan Experience: Replying to comments – acknowledging the audience - the less interested we seem to be in the audience, the less interested they will become in us.

It’s never too late to refine and reset your approach to social media. Be a part of this practical and informative workshop! Reserve your FREE webinar seat for the presentation airing live on September 13th at Noon ET.

ACT NOW TO PROTECT LOCAL NEWS

JOURNALISM COMPETITION AND PRESERVATION ACT

Americans need trusted news outlets like your local radio and television stations more than ever. These stations invest significant resources to provide high-quality journalism. But the dominant tech platforms, such as Facebook and Google, control access to trustworthy news online and often don’t pay for local news content on their platforms, which jeopardizes the future of local journalism.

This week Congress is considering legislation that would help ensure local news outlets receive fair compensation from Big Tech for access to their original content online.

Tell your legislators how much you value local journalism and ask them to support the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act.

ACT NOW

THIS WEEKS MEMBER PIC

THE WEATHER RADIO TOUR

SAM 100.7's Chris Allen programs a weather radio for a listener while broadcasting live from the Tompkinsville Ace Hardware.

JEFF SCHMIDT'S SALES TIP OF THE WEEK

READ THIS BECAUSE WE WROTE IT

Friday morning a meeting was scheduled with a couple of colleagues. Two hours before the meeting, the organizer sent an email: "Can we move the meeting to 1 p.m.?" My immediate (internal) response was, "why?" since no reason was provided. Whether you realize it or not, in both personal and professional situations, we have an internal desire to know why.

Wouldn't it be great if there were a word that would cause people to change behavior? It would be a word so powerful that it doesn't seem to matter what follows; when you use it, you can cause people to do things.

Psychologist Ellen Langer at Harvard University conducted a study that changed our understanding of human behavior. Read the details and see if you can pick out the magic word.

A researcher would spot someone waiting at the library copy machine and walk over with the intention of cutting the person in line. Then, the researcher would look at the innocent bystander and ask them one of three questions.

Version 1 (request only): “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the copy machine?”

Version 2 (request with a real reason): “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the copy machine, because I'm in a rush?”

Version 3 (request with a fake reason): “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the copy machine, because I have to make copies?”

Version 3 didn't make much sense. Using the phrase “because I have to make copies” was a fairly useless reason for skipping the line. Everyone waiting at the photocopier needed to make copies.

When the researchers analyzed the data, they found the following:

Version 1: 60% of people let the researcher skip the line.

Version 2: 94% of people let the researcher skip ahead in line.

Version 3: 93% of people let the researcher skip ahead in line.

Langer’s research, which soon became known as The Copy Machine study, was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The study became famous because it uncovered one of the most powerful words we can use to drive behavior: because. Langer's work proved that if we could justify a behavior in our brains (“I'm doing this because…”), we would perform the behavior even if the reason didn't make sense.

Sellers - use the word "because" in your client strategy presentations to validate the plan you created solely for them. Managers, incorporating "because" a lot will help your team understand what's being asked of them. It will make them more amenable to changes they might have previously deemed as unusual or uncomfortable.

We encourage you to use the word "because" whenever you are asking people to do something. Because we suggested you do so and it's a magical word.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can also connect with him by email [email protected] or on Twitter and LinkedIn.