KBA WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

MAY 2, 2024

LEADING THE PACK

WAVE-TV FIRST WITH HDR PROGRAMMING

It's Derby week in Kentucky and Gray Television's WAVE-TV is leading the nation, becoming the first affiliate of a major network to broadcast all of its programming using High Dynamic Range (HDR) with Dolby Vision and immersive sound using Dolby Atmos.

The “always on” feature ensures that all of WAVE’s local and network content, including more than 30 hours of Gray’s live, local coverage from Churchill Downs starting with WAVE’s local morning news at 5:00am on Monday April 29 through the late evening news at 11:00pm on Saturday May 4 and including the key horse races in between, will all be in HDR with immersive sound.

“With HDR and immersive sound, WAVE’s programming will pop. Viewers will immediately notice the enhanced contrast between the brightest and darkest colors on the screen,” said John O’Brien, WAVE’s general manager.

RACING INTO THE FUTURE

KBA ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

KBA's Scholarship Committee is proud to announce the 2024 recipients of both the High School Scholarship Fund and the Harry Barfield Scholarship.

KBA HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The KBA High School Senior Scholarship is awarded to children of individuals who are currently employed at an active KBA member radio or television station. This is a one-time scholarship to be strictly used toward the recipients postsecondary education plans. Each recipient listed below will be awarded a $2,100 scholarship.

Chair Baldwin - Daniel Baldwin of WDRB

Cooper Bartlett - Marvin Bartlett of WDKY

Isaac Bischoff - Tim Bischoff of K.E.T.

Kiersten Caudill - Patricia Caudill of WQXE

Victoria Crum - Tonya Crum of K.E.T.

Elyce Miller DeJaynes - Jackie DeJaynes of WNKY

Nathaniel Eatherly - Candyce Eatherly of WDRB

Rebecca Gordon - Anne Gordon of K.E.T.

Greyson Jernigan - Julie Milam of WNKY

Harper Lewis - Charles Spivey of Louisville Public Media

Sidney Manning - Wayne Manning of WLEX

Madelynn Mason - Traci Mason of WHOP

Garrett Milby - Greg Milby of WKMO

Elizabeth Pollio - Kim Williams of WHAS

Annabelle Ruiz - Peter Ruiz of WDRB

Addison Walker - Brian Walker of WQXE

HARRY BARFIELD SCHOLARSHIP

The four students listed below will be awarded a scholarship of $3,500 each. The Harry Barfield Scholarship is available to students who are currently majoring in broadcasting or communications at a college or university in Kentucky. The scholarships are awarded through a competitive application process which includes academic achievement, recommendation of a faculty member, extracurricular activities and a 500 word essay.

Anna Hunsinger - Asbury - Media Comm & Multi Media Journalism

Matt Johnson - Morehead State - Convergent Media Arts

Adison Schanie - Western Kentucky - Broadcasting

Josie Simpson - University of Louisville - Communications

PICKING UP SPEED

AM RADIO BILL NEEDS FINAL PUSH

What's happening: Congress is holding a hearing on legislation that would ensure Americans continue to have AM radio available in automobiles.

Why it matters: More than 80 million Americans depend on AM radio each month for news, entertainment and critical safety information. Removing AM radio from vehicles is a dire public safety risk. Despite this, some auto manufacturers have begun discontinuing AM radio from the dashboard.

Take action: Urge your members of Congress to support legislation that keeps AM radio in cars.

ACT NOW

DOWN THE STRETCH

SALES ROADSHOW MAKES THE TURN FOR HOME

It has been a busy week for the 2024 KBA Sales Roadshow with stops in Paducah, Owensboro, Bardstown and Lexington. The Roadshow heads to Morehead today before wrapping up the week in Somerset tomorrow.

Thank you to our special guest Derron Steenbergen and all who signed up to participate. The Sales Roadshow is another complimentary member service provided to member stations of the Kentucky Broadcasters Association.

THIS WEEKS MEMBER PIC

IT'S A PHOTO FINISH

Several members of the WNKY-TV family styling for the 5th Annual Pre-Derby Gala to support Down Syndrome of Southern Kentucky.

We want to promote YOU! Send us your staff additions, promotions and special events. Email Chris at chris@kba.org

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM A PILOT

Travel always provides a wealth of lessons and stories about patience, human nature, and handling inconvenient circumstances. When you travel, things happen that you can’t control, and it can test your reaction, patience, and ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Tammy Greenberg, SVP of Business Development of the RAB, shared her story, and it provides some great lessons to leaders on how to manage through this constant and massive change in our industry. Tammy’s plane had a few delays, and Tammy shared:

“You won’t believe what happened. The pilot came off the plane to the gate area, grabbed the microphone, and told us all what was happening. Then we boarded the plane, and as we were seated, the pilot came out of the cockpit again, stood at the front of the plane, and took the mic from the flight attendant. He apologized for the situation, gave us an update, and told us he was pretty sure he could make up the time in flight.”

As I thought about the story, there are five specific things the pilot did that we, as managers, can all learn from:

Visibility – He didn’t hide in the cockpit (office) and deal with the situation alone. He came out in front of the passengers on several occasions.
Details – The pilot didn’t just say we have a situation we’re dealing with. He was specific about the issues and how he intended to solve them.
Validation – The pilot acknowledged the discomfort and potential anger this could cause passengers. He provided empathy for the situation and how it was affecting them.
Authenticity – The pilot didn’t use corporate doublespeak, he was authentic and human when sharing the details and the impact on the passengers.
Frequency – The pilot didn’t know how long the problem would last, so he provided frequent updates so passengers never had to wonder what was happening.

Our industry's complexity and rapid change can quickly throw a team into chaos. Using these five lessons from the pilot can go a long way to helping your team adapt to and work through change.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can also connect with him by email JSchmidt@rab.com or on Twitter and LinkedIn.