The partnership between Dielectric and SCMS completed a second year marked by increased investment in FM infrastructure, tower consolidation projects and coordinated customer service operations.
The collaboration exceeded projected sales targets across FM antenna and manifold combiner categories, supporting long-term planning beyond 2026.
FM Antenna and Combiner Sales Milestones
Through the third quarter, Dielectric’s FM antenna sales exceeded 100 units for the first time in 24 years. This performance was supported by SCMS’s customer relationships, technical expertise and direct sales engagement. The partnership also achieved a record annual volume of FM manifold combiner sales, including more than 20 units supplied to a national FM broadcast network in Africa.
“2025 has been a big year for RF investment, outpacing studio investment by a substantial margin,” said Matt Cauthen, SCMS, Dielectric. “Some of that is cyclical relative to the aging of RF plants. Perhaps more interesting is how changes within the tower business are buoying antenna sales.”
Tower Consolidation and Master Antenna Systems
Tower consolidation has increased the number of FM signals carried on individual structures, often exceeding ten stations per site. This shift has driven demand for FM master antenna systems and compatible manifold combiners capable of supporting multiple broadcasters from shared infrastructure.
Dielectric’s updated manifold combiner range and RingMaster Series FM master antennas address these requirements. Recent installations include a 10-station RingMaster antenna system and manifold combiner deployed at a Vertical Bridge tower site in the Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas market.
Recent Installations and Disaster Recovery Projects
SCMS has completed additional RingMaster antenna installations in Tallahassee and Gainesville, Florida, and Newport News, Virginia. Dielectric antennas were also specified for multiple disaster recovery projects due to accelerated manufacturing and delivery capabilities.
“Our partnership with SCMS has been impactful in many ways, including their ability to bring us into more FM projects earlier in the cycle,” said Keith Pelletier, President, Dielectric. “That alone has driven sales of our RingMaster antennas, which we introduced in June, far earlier than anticipated.”
Pelletier also referenced future expectations for Dielectric’s television business as ATSC 3.0 network deployments increase toward 2027.
