Radio World

Matt Levin is chief engineer for River Radio in Columbus, Ohio, and does contract engineering for several stations. Our interview with him is from the Radio World ebook “Trends in Audio Processing for Radio.”

Radio World: We’re asking users and manufacturers for their take on key trends in processing.

Matt Levin: I think the biggest development in processing is the shift from conventional dedicated hardware boxes to software that can run on a server with an alternative method for the MPX audio to get to the transmitter.

By shifting to software, it allows you to do your processing on your own server hardware, either on a physical box or in a virtual machine, or in the cloud via hosted services. Virtualization is the direction pure IT infrastructure went years ago and now the radio industry is finally embracing this concept from automation vendors to now processing vendors.

One of the keys to allowing this to work fully was the invention of the MicroMPX codec by Hans van Zutphen and his employee Mathijs Vos, and now through their collaboration with the Telos Alliance, we’re seeing products employing this technology. We are seeing further innovation by Telos and Nautel to synchronize the HD Radio and FM audio across the internet, which was the last major problem to solve before this becomes the norm for processing moving forward.

The other major benefit to this model is that it brings the cost of good processing capability down, as there is no expensive hardware box to design, build, maintain and support by the manufacturers. It’s just a server that most IT savvy engineers can maintain on their own, so really it’s a win-win for everyone!

RW: What should we know about differences in processing for various types of platform?

Levin: The needs are very different.

The worst thing an engineer could do would be to take the OTA FM signal and feed it into a web encoder. Low-bitrate webstream encoders do not deal well with a lot of density, or clipping, both of which are employed for FM OTA.

For FM OTA processing we are trying to overcome both the inherent noise in the FM analog broadcast system, and the road noise in automobiles, as studies have proven that most FM OTA listening is done while driving. Even with FM HD OTA we want some density there to overcome the road noise I spoke of, although you obviously don’t want all the clipping designed for the FM analog system.

Streaming in my opinion always needs its own separate processing which uses gentle, low-ratio compression, mainly for consistency between each piece of audio, and with some light lookahead limiting for peak protection on the encoder.

The other thing I’ve discovered through my own experience with low-bitrate webstream encoders, both MP3 and HE-AAC, is that they don’t deal well with excessive stereo enhancing or excessive warm bass/low mid-range material.

This seems to muddy everything in the codec, and too much stereo energy also causes havoc in the encoder, so careful shaping of the audio to pull some of the muddy area out, and use of very light spatial enhancing should be employed here.

Since podcasts deal primarily with speech, but are still typically low-bitrate-encoded audio files, the same rules apply from my previous streaming comments with the added aspect to keep the voice region clean, intelligible, and consistent.

RW: With “hybrid” platforms, a listener might tune to an FM but then drive out of market and the receiver switches to the online stream. What “matching” challenges does this present?

Levin: As this technology becomes more prevalent, paying attention to your web stream processing becomes more and more important, as it won’t just be in homes and offices anymore, but now in cars as well and for the masses.

This is where creating your “sonic signature” on both your OTA and your stream is so important. While the needs of processing for streaming differ greatly, you can still create a certain “sound” for your station that stays consistent on all platforms.

Take the time to listen to your FM, HD and web stream and come up with something that sounds comparable on all platforms.

RW: Where might further dramatic improvements in processing power come from?

Levin: Unfortunately, I think the needs today are more about trying to repair the damage done to the music by poor mastering techniques used by the record labels, and/or the damage done by using lossy codecs in the distribution process. Processing has become more than just compression, limiting and clipping.

Modern processors of today also have to repair the audio before it ever hits the compression stages. Different manufacturers are finding different ways to do this; these tools aim either to declip and add dynamics to audio that the mastering process has over-processed and over-clipped, or restore missing spectrum and remove artifacts from lossy compression.

Those that implement these repair tools in their processors have a cleaner product going into the compression stages, and will end up with a much-better-sounding product on the output, and I think we will continue to see more of these kinds of tools.

Additionally, there has been effort put into preparing the output audio or processors feeding low-bitrate codecs (i.e. streaming or HD) to prevent artifacts from being generated in the codec itself; all in an effort to get the best sounding audio to the user.

RW: We’ve also been asking folks if radio processing has attained such a condition of “hypercompression” that there has been little further change in how loud one can make over-the-air audio.

Levin: I have actually seen a significant amount of development from several of the leading processor manufacturers to create cleaner and cleaner clipping structures. Each employs different techniques to do this, so each has different side effects, but as a whole, the loudness levels we are able to achieve today while still keeping the audio clean and free of clipping grunge, distortion, and artifacts out of the top boxes on the market is actually a huge improvement over the boxes of 10+ years ago.

Now, how the engineers are turning the knobs on these boxes at their individual stations is another story. I think in some cases engineers are still abusing even these modern clippers and driving them past the point of sounding good, and further damaging the end user experience by over modulating significantly, causing massive amounts of distortion in modern DSP receivers.

I’m finding as I travel that most modern DSP-based HD capable receivers start to induce distortion on anything over 110%, and while many markets and engineers stay below this and can maintain clean audio, there are others that choose to carelessly overmodulate by as much as 140%, and you can imagine how bad that can sound on a modern receivers.

As much effort as the manufacturers have put into cleaning up the audio and providing a better product for the end user, it’s still up to the engineer installing and setting up their air chain and processing to make sure that they are using the tools at their disposal to provide the best possible product to their listeners.

I remember a day when radio sounded better than the music you would buy and listen to on your own, when processing actually improved the sound. With the power of modern processors, this is still possible today, but so many markets I’ve driven through recently this is sadly not the case. I long for the day when we as an industry strive for that goal once again, to sound better than the other streaming services and listening options out there.

RW: Could radio see loss of potential audience due to listening fatigue?

Levin: We as an industry are driving listeners away by bad practices, not only by overcompression, overclipping and overmodulating, but let’s add overusing Voltair to that list as well. I’ve traveled to some markets where all I hear is PPM tones adding flange effect and reverb effect to everything going over the air.

We have to do a better job of caring what our product sounds like if we hope to stay relevant in the future. Now sure, there may be some listeners out there who don’t care; but there are a lot that do.

While they may not be able to tell you why they can’t stand to listen to a particular radio station for more than a few songs or a few minutes before it drives them crazy or makes them want to turn the volume down, I wager that if you had the same content on a much cleaner-sounding delivery system, they would suddenly find it much less annoying and actually find themselves turning the volume up, instead of down or off.

Give listeners a reason to turn the volume up, make your station sound good!

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

 

The post Processors Are Tasked With Repairing Damage appeared first on Radio World.

The author is sales, marketing and PR manager for 2wcom Systems GmbH.

This article appeared in Radio World’s “Trends in Codecs and STLs for 2020” ebook.

These days most studios run their AoIP networks to produce audio content. In theory, keeping the studio’s contribution separate from distribution offers flexibility at all sites; and separating the audio portion from transmitting sources such as satellite, DAB+ or IP provides various benefits.

Practically speaking, it’s now necessary to change perspective: IP offers broadcasters significantly more flexibility for the transmission of content, so more and more broadcasters and recording studios are deciding to expand IP-based networks.

But broadband and fiber optic are growing at very different rates internationally. So in addition to the use of IP-based structures, flexible alternative distribution paths must be available.

[Check Out More of Radio World’s Ebooks Here]

This leads to the question of how best to link contribution and distribution. The answer is to keep it in segments, because an increasing number of stations are multimedia, streaming audio and video along their facility’s networks.

First Segment: Studio Sites

To connect the studio’s networks with the headend and finally all transmitter sites, we should consider several aspects for our audio setup. The AoIP codec chosen for this should meet at least five key requirements.

A typical facility distribution following the audio, left to right, from a studio through 2wcom digital audio IP encoders into the 2wcom multimedia over IP network cloud (MoIN). It then moves into available distribution channels — internet, DAB multiplex or satellite — and then onto broadcast transmitters.

First, it must be stable even when operating in WANs. This can be achieved by providing features for transmission robustness like redundant internal or external power supplies; software redundancy, e.g. forward error correction or SRT; and dual streaming or parallel streaming with different audio bitrates. Also, please consider a backup with an alternative source to ensure that your content is transmitted, say, via satellite in case IP lines fail.

Second, the codec must provide all audio formats normally used in a studio, like Enhanced aptX, most ACC profiles or MPEG formats, Opus, Ogg Vorbis, PCM and Dolby. Moreover, compatibility of the different frame sizes of AAC Profiles and Opus is important. Put each manufacturer through its paces to ensure that its products support all possible variants of an audio algorithm.

Third, the codec must support all common protocols as well as standards for internet interoperability such as Livewire+, Ravenna, AES67, EBU Tech 3326 or SMPTE ST2110 full-stack.

Fourth, flexible stream management must be possible in means of channel scalability and MPEG multiplexing facilities. This includes perfect network synchronization by supporting PTPv2 and 1PPS. Especially for audio description of live events, synchronization down to the microsecond is essential.

Fifth, management and control of each audio over IP codec of all studios in a network should be available remotely via PC web interface, supporting SNMP, Ember+, JSON or NMOS. The main system control should be accessible hands-on via local hardware control in case a WAN becomes inaccessible.

As a result of the above, all studios in a static or mobile network can fall back on a unified codec solution while keeping their independence. From a budgetary point of view, a system as described above provides the chance for all studios of a network to rely on existing AoIP setups.

Second Segment: Headend 

The demand for the perfect link at the headend implies all of the requirements mentioned above, plus NTP (Network Time Protocol) for network synchronization. Moreover, the solution should just collect the forwarded studio programs to make them available by simply transcoding the streams respectively to the different distribution sources — audio over IP, DAB+ or satellite. This could be achieved by a multimedia-over-IP network server software, flexible, integratable into existing structures in hardware, VMs or as a containerized cloud service.

A system setup that fulfills the requirements described above ensures a “non-locked-in” arrangement. The headend/multiplexing system and studio systems are not hosted on the same network but kept separate from each other; thus, it is possible to replace one or the other if needed without bringing the companion operation down.

An aside about virtualization. We are at the beginning of the use of virtualized products. Be aware that virtualization counts on maintenance. This goes along with the wishes I have often heard from our customers that a broadcast network should be expandable as easily as possible, add new services with a mouse click and mirror the configuration of one device to another.

Scalability can be notably improved by using virtualization strategies. The possibilities that have been introduced by Docker or VMware to copy instances, take snapshots or run them across multiple hardware devices are a great improvement to scale and maintain networks.

That also has a major impact on needed rack space. Thanks to virtualization, applications can share the same hardware or even run as a swarm across multiple hardware units with different hardware configurations.

As a result, the number of devices needed is reduced to a minimum, because server hardware has in most cases a lot more processing power than the specialized hardware of codec manufacturers. Thanks to AES67 and other AoIP standards, the requirements for real hardware interfaces are slowly disappearing, and that is opening the door for virtualized solutions dependent on an all-IP infrastructure. With high bandwidth and robust IP lines, audio processing in the cloud becomes possible. In consequence, manufacturers have to pick up the pace and offer their solutions as virtualized software.

Third Segment — Imagination

With a little imagination such networks have been utilized for a variety of transportation duties. Here’s a beginning list.

Web-based programming streams are taken in by a 2wcom multimedia over IP network. They can then be routed to a satellite program distribution path or down an IP path to transmitters.

Icecast/HLS to DVB Transport Stream Transcoding: This is used by a number of customers who want to make webstreams available on a DVB transport stream that can be sent in cable networks or via satellite.

Audio is directly fed into the 2wcom MoIN digital multimedia network, where it can be routed to a streaming encoder or directly to a content delivery network and then into web streaming.

Streaming Encoder: Software can also be used to feed a streaming encoder, for example, the Wowza streaming cloud; or the solution transcodes the audio signals to adaptive bitrate protocols like HLS that can be distributed to the end customer by using a CDN.

AES67 to WAN Bridge: With a great number of supported audio over IP protocols, a “multimedia over IP” network server can transcode signals from studio networks that use AES67, Dante, WheatNet, Ravenna or Livewire+ to a format that is suitable for wide-area networks. For example, the studio signals can be transcoded to Opus for a low-bitrate transmission with SMPTE 2022 conform error protection or using Secure Reliable Transport (SRT). That enables a studio-to-studio bridge that can overcome even stressful network conditions.

The author says solutions that support standards, protocols, multiple audio formats and redundancy enable the most use cases.

On-Demand Transcoders: The multimedia over IP network server software offers scalable activation of codecs in means of number and time. This allows flexible handling of alternative audio streams such as an audio description of a video, to guarantee accessibility for blind and visually handicapped persons. Or, when a multimedia contribution is produced, operators are enabled to process simultaneous audio commentaries for the video, station website, social media and the radio broadcast.

 

The post Digital Networks Must Facilitate Operations appeared first on Radio World.

The author is chairman of the WorldDAB Automotive Working Group and head of Development Entertainment & Car Functions at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG.

The EBU’s Digital Radio Summit took place online in February, featuring a wide range of speakers and presentations outlining radio’s multiplatform future.

Radio’s place in the car was high on the agenda throughout the day and I got the opportunity to share — in my capacity as chair of the WorldDAB Automotive Work Group (AWG) — some insights into the uptake of DAB+ digital radio in the car and highlight some of WorldDAB’s recent initiatives in this space.

Strong growth for in-car DAB+ across Europe

The European Electronics Communication Code (EECC) came into force at the end of 2020, meaning new passenger cars sold throughout the EU are now required to include digital radio capabilities.

As expected, this has led to a surge in the number of new cars factory-fitted with DAB+ in Europe since the start of the year, and this growth is set to continue as more countries introduce national regulation reflecting the EECC.

Italy —which introduced national regulation mandating digital radio in the car at the start of 2020, well ahead of its European counterparts — is leading the way in this respect, with 90% of new cars sold now including DAB+ as standard.

Creating a great user experience

Getting DAB+ into cars is merely the first step of the process — in order to guarantee radio’s place at the heart of the connected dashboard, we ought to provide drivers with a great user experience.

Through WorldDAB and the WorldDAB AWG network, we bring together radio broadcasters and auto makers and facilitate cross-industry collaboration with the aim of continuously improving the in-car multimedia experience.

The importance of metadata

Metadata plays a key role in providing a positive user experience in the car, as it enables the visual information, text and graphics (such as station name and logo, presenter, song title and album artwork) to be displayed on the dashboard while a specific station is playing.

The WorldDAB AWG recently launched a campaign underlining the important role visual information now plays in providing a positive digital radio experience for drivers — and offering guidance to broadcasters on how to use information they already have in the form of metadata to provide a richer experience for the driver.

UX guidelines

Having a common understanding of the user interface in the car is essential, which is why the WorldDAB UX Group — a subgroup within the WorldDAB AWG — published the user experience (UX) guidelines.

Aimed at broadcasters and manufacturers, the guidelines are updated regularly to reflect the changing dashboard and radio’s place in it as well as creating this positive user experience for drivers.

Keeping up with new technologies

Voice control and speech recognition are now essential features in the car dashboard, enabling drivers to search and change stations seamlessly while keeping their eyes on the road.

With that in mind, this year WorldDAB and its members — both vehicle manufacturers and broadcasters — will develop within the UX guidelines guides to using voice control along with providing further clarity to broadcasters on phonemes and their importance.

As well as voice control, the extended guidelines will include new information on hybrid radio and how hybrid, with DAB+ at the heart of it, provides a great digital radio user experience in the car.

Other key areas of focus for the AWG are Android Automotive — and specifically, determining how these new technologies and operating systems will integrate hybrid radio — as well as radio’s place in electric vehicles.

DAB+ at the heart of hybrid

On Wednesday 10 March, WorldDAB and the European Broadcasting Union will co-host a two-hour session where experts will share their insights on how broadcasters can keep radio strong in the car, with DAB+ at the heart of the hybrid radio experience. Register here to attend the virtual event.

The post Steps to a Greater Digital Experience in Cars appeared first on Radio World.

iHeartMedia is realigning its business operations by creating two new segments. The media company says it is making the adjustments to better reflect its increased focus on digital and improve visibility into the underlying performances of each segment.

The Mutliplatform Group will include the company’s 860 broadcast radio stations, Premiere Networks and its virtual and live events business. This group accounts for 75 percent of iHeartMedia’s revenue. Greg Ashlock will be its CEO.

The new Digital Audio Group includes podcasting and the company’s digital sites, digital services and digital advertising technology companies, including its pending acquisition Triton Digital. Conal Byrne becomes this group’s CEO.

“The company expects the Digital Audio Group will continue to grow as an increasing proportion of its business in the future,” it stated in its announcement, though it said the Multiplatform Group “remains the foundation business that has been at the heart of the company’s success, playing an important role in building its successful digital and podcasting businesses.

[Related: “For Radio, Audio Is the New Now”]

The divisions will report their financials separately and be run by different management groups, according to an iHeartMedia press release. Both segments will report to Bob Pittman, iHeartMedia chairman and CEO.

A separate Audio & Media Services segment includes Katz Media Group and software provider RCS.

Continued shift

“iHeartMedia is positioned to benefit in the continued shift of the broadcast and digital advertising marketplaces to data infused electronic platforms,” Pittman said during an earnings call Thursday.

The company reported fourth quarter 2020 revenue of $936 million on Thursday, a decline of 8.8% from a year earlier. It says it quarterly revenue deficits are narrowing as skittish advertisers return and the COVID-19 pandemic eases in parts of the United States. iHeartMedia previously reported a drop of 22% in revenue for Q3 2020 year-to-year.

iHeartMedia’s broadcast specific revenue was down 19% in Q4 2020 and down 26% excluding political, according to the financial report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company reported significant political advertising, totaling $168 million for the year, its best year on record. Digital continues to standout for iHeartMedia, according to Pittman. Growth in digital the final quarter of 2020 was 53% year over year, according to the company’s filing with the report.

For the year, the pandemic caused a significant decline in revenue of nearly 20% compared to 2019. Total revenue was $2.9 billion in 2020 compared to nearly $3.7 billion in annual results the year prior.

Pittman said the company hopes to return to 2019 revenue levels by the end of this year but a lot depends on the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines and the return of more advertisers.

Corporate expenses decreased 23.8% in 2020 compared to the year prior, according to the iHeartMedia SEC filing, resulting from cost reduction initiatives that resulted in lower employee compensation. In addition, the company’s modernization efforts delivered $50 million of in-year savings in 2020.

“The total operating expense savings resulting from our modernization initiatives and the operating cost savings initiatives that were developed in response to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic generated approximately $250 million of cost reductions in 2020,” according to the financial statement.

COVID-19 takes its share

Pittman on Thursday’s earnings call said: “Like every ad supported business we were hit by the pandemic. We responded quickly to the downturn and used this to speed up our adoption of new technologies and best practices while making lasting changes to our company’s operating structure.”

The company said it will continue to centralize resources into what it calls Centers of Excellence.

The company’s capital expenditures for the year 2020 were $85.2 million compared to $112.2 million in 2019. Those capital expenditures last year consisted primarily of investments in its programmatic platforms and IT software and infrastructure, according to the company’s SEC filing.

The company is more optimistic about spending as it projects cap ex of $165 million to $185 million in 2021.

iHeartMedia’s fourth quarter results fell in line with most of the mega radio group owners in this country. Entercom reported earlier this week its 2020 revenues in the quarter fell 23 percent year-to-year. Cumulus Media fared a bit better reporting fourth quarter revenues in 2020 declined 13.1 percent compared to a year earlier.

iHeartMedia President/COO/CFO Rich Bressler said during Thursday earnings call the company projects “its first quarter 2021 revenue will be down 11 to 13 percent when compared to the year prior.”

The biggest commercial radio operator in the United States — which has been acquiring audio technology companies in the past couple of years and just announced the planned purchase of audio measurement company Triton Digital for $230 million in February — failed to make a significant dent in its overall debt in the quarter, according to the SEC filing.

As of Dec. 31, 2020, the company had just over $6 billion in total debt, virtually unchanged from the end of September.

Honeycomb investment

Also in February, Honeycomb Investments Ltd., an investment vehicle funded by Global Radio investor Michael Tabor, announced it had taken an 8.8% share in iHeartMedia, according to SEC filings. Honeycomb’s investors own Global, the largest radio and outdoor advertising company in the UK.

The investment totaled $117.6 million, according to several reports. Just last year the FCC gave approval to iHeartMedia’s petition to increase its foreign ownership beyond the 25% limit.

In its 10K annual report to the SEC filed Thursday, iHeartMedia said: “Honeycomb filed a Schedule 13D with the SEC reporting ownership of more than 5% of our voting stock and equity. Honeycomb acquired its interest without our knowledge or control, and we are fulfilling our obligations under the Declaratory Ruling and the FCC rules with respect to Honeycomb’s interest.”

 

 

The post iHeartMedia Announces New Operational Structure appeared first on Radio World.

The latest report from Nielsen offers new insights into podcast listening trends — particularly when it comes to tune-in trends and category ad spending among diverse audiences.

Study after study has found that after a decade of audience growth, podcasts have become an appealing and reliable advertising platform. With more than 1.7 million podcast titles available for listeners to choose from as of the beginning of 2021, podcasts are boasting a track record of strong listener engagement — offering advertisers a means of more personalized connection, the Nielsen report said.

[Read: Reports Offer Insights on the Podcast Listener]

Specifically, the February 2021 Nielsen report found that podcast advertising — and notably, those podcast ads delivered by the podcast host — were driving stronger brand recall punch than more traditional forms of advertisements. A series of podcast effectiveness studies by Nielsen has found that host-read ads drive a brand recall rate of 71%, a scenario that subsequently creates high levels of consumer interest, purchase intent and recommendation intent.

The result is an estimated ad spend that is expected to eclipse $1 billion this year, the report said.

The growth seen from podcasts is good news to everyone — consumers, content creators and advertisers, Nielsen said — but as the podcast landscape broadens, “content creators and advertisers will be increasingly tasked with ensuring that their programs and messages align with who’s listening,” the Nielsen report said. “And when we look at audience trends, creators and advertisers should be focused on where the growth is.”

Specifically, the report notes that Hispanic and Black listeners are leaders in podcast consumption. Black consumers are more likely to take action such as visiting a retail location for more information as a result of listening to a podcast, the report said, compared to 8% of all podcast listeners. Hispanic listeners, on the other hand, have gravitated to podcasts more than any other, as the reach among this group increased from 1.1 million in 2010 to 6.8 million in 2019. That represents a growth rate of more than six times.

In addition, the report details that podcasting is also managing to withstand the effects of COVID-19. While the pandemic has altered traditional audio listening habits, when U.S. consumers were forced into lockdown, commuting to work decreased and audio consumption dropped. As the year progressed however, audio use — including podcasts — rebounded as consumers modified their media habits in the wake of life changes brought on by COVID-19.

The new Nielsen report also suggests that podcasting is ideal for brands looking to engage the right consumers with a well-tailored message as opposed to simply casting a big net and hoping for the best. “As the base of podcast listeners rapidly expands, those well-tailored messages depend on having a full understanding of who’s listening and to what,” the report said.

The report also tracks listening by age group, listening location, time of day, median age, median household income and gender breakdown.

 

The post New Report Reveals Podcast Trends Among Diverse Audiences appeared first on Radio World.

Bauer Media Audio said it plans to acquire Communicorp Group, pending regulatory approval.

“Through this transaction Bauer Media Audio enters the Republic of Ireland and extends its audio business to eight countries, further developing its position as Europe’s leading commercial radio operator with more than 55 million weekly listeners,” the organization stated in the announcement.

It said Communicorp is Ireland’s largest commercial radio group with a weekly audience of 1.75 million.

“The group comprises of Ireland’s only two national commercial radio stations Today FM and Newstalk, alongside local stations Spin 1038 and 98FM in Dublin, and Spin Southwest in Limerick, as well as leading digital radio sport station Off The Ball, digital audio exchange audioXI and aggregated listening platform GoLoud.”

The announcement was made by Paul Keenan, president of Bauer Media Audio, and Communicorp Chairperson Lucy Gaffney.

The Irish Times reports the sale is “understood to be for more than 100 million Euros.” It quoted Communicorp’s billionaire owner Denis O’Brien saying his decision was influenced by changing listening habits of consumers.

But in the announcement, Paul Keenan cited radio’s popularity in Ireland and said. Communicorp’s radio stations “are reaching record listening highs.”

Bauer Media Audio has broadcast radio, online services and podcasts also serving the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Slovakia. Its brands include KISS, Mix Megapol, Absolute Radio, Radio Norge, Radio Expres, Radio Nova, Radio 100 and RMF.

 

The post Bauer Media to Acquire Ireland’s Communicorp appeared first on Radio World.

Getty Images/Cavan Images

The Federal Communications Commission has issued a reminder that anyone involved in the change of ownership of a wireless communication tower must follow a certain notification process.

“This reminder is necessary because of inconsistent compliance with this process, and it reflects the importance of maintaining accurate records in the FCC’s Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) System, which functions to protect aircraft navigation safety,” it stated.

In February of 2019 the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau put out a notice announcing that the FCC was revising its ASR System with a new process for reporting changes in ownership of towers and other structures registered in the system. It made changes to FCC Form 854, Antenna Structure Registration, and the commission’s ASR website at that time.

“The ownership change application procedure is a two-step process that requires both the assignor (current owner of record) and the assignee (new owner of record) to take several steps,” the FCC now reminds us.

Those steps are to log into ASR, complete their respective portions of the application, and provide the signature of an authorized person.

“In the time since these changes were enacted, there have been a number of instances where ownership changes were not properly completed because one of the parties failed to complete the process. These failures made it difficult to identify the owner responsible for compliance with our Part 17 rules, led to complications in subsequent transfers, and resulted in other administrative inefficiencies.”

Part 17 of the rules covers construction, marking, and lighting of antenna structures.

The commission is reminding all parties to transfers of ownership of registered towers that they must comply with the process in the Ownership Change Public Notice. 

“Further, we recommend that parties complete the change of ownership in ASR as part of the sales transaction, rather than leaving the ASR ownership change to be completed at a later date. If the ownership change application process is not properly completed by both parties, the ASR system will identify the wrong entity as the owner, which may result in the wrong entity being held responsible for a tower it no longer holds and may slow down future transfers of ownership for current owners. It could also impact aviation safety by preventing or delaying lighting outage reports from reaching tower owners and thus delay subsequent FAA notification and repairs.”

It noted that its Licensing Support Hotline is available on weekday business hours to help with the online application process at (877) 480-3201 option 2; TTY (717) 338-2824.

The post FCC Issues Reminder About ASR appeared first on Radio World.

A slide from the IABM report focuses on the audio supply chain. (Click here to enlarge.)

The pandemic has changed some priorities in the global audio business, according to IABM.

In its latest “Audio Sector” report, the association writes that pandemic lockdowns have had “significant and sometimes surprising” effects in audio, which it calls an “important, but sometimes unheralded” sector of broadcast and media.

IABM is an international trade association based in the U.K. It released the following takeaways; its full report is available to members.

It said:

• COVID-19 “has led to a realization of the importance of audio quality, as disruptions hit production standards.”
• The pandemic has “incentivized consumers to increasingly stream audio-only content,” prompting growth in areas such as podcasting.
• From a technology perspective, “audio virtualization and remote production deployments have accelerated out of necessity, while other trends such as immersive audio have slowed down.”
• Some audio business drivers such as the move to easy-to-use products have accelerated.
• Demand in live sectors such as music and theater has plummeted “while other buyers such as streaming, smaller audio content creators and some adjacent markets have increased investment.”
• The audio supply chain has been hit by the cancellations of events and productions more than it has been helped from new waves of spending from remote working, production, streaming and small audio producers.
• And “some audio technology suppliers have pivoted to cater to the needs of new segments, as well as to accommodate the health and safety requirements of the pandemic in some sectors.”

IABM quoted its Head of Knowledge Lorenzo Zanni saying that while live events took a back seat, and stay-at-home viewers accepted lower-quality video, “the importance of high-quality audio really came to the fore.”

He said the pandemic also saw a “huge increase in the streaming of audio-only content, particularly podcasts and audio books, particularly among younger audiences.”

 

The post COVID-19 Prompted Focus on Audio Quality appeared first on Radio World.

What’s next for remote audio?

Broadcasters invented whole new workflows when COVID-19 sliced through the industry.

But almost a year later, Radio World now looks ahead —  to ask what our industry’s new normal for remote audio will be, and how future workflows and infrastructure designs might be different because of the pandemic experience.

Find out what we learned from broadcasters like New York Public Radio, Saga Communications, Gimme Radio, the University of Southern Colorado, Los 40 Principales Granada, Relevant Radio and Silver Lake Audio.

And learn what manufacturers such as AEQ, Comrex, ENCO Systems, Lawo, Prodys, RCS, Telos Alliance, Tieline and Wheatstone are doing to support these new workflows.

Read it here.

The post Remote Radio Phase II: A Radio World Ebook appeared first on Radio World.

Dan Gunter is principal of Alabama Broadcast Services LLC, a contract engineering firm headquartered in LaFayette, Ala. He saw a presentation that I did for the Alabama Broadcasters Association’s Engineering Academy in which I discussed infrared cameras made by FLIR.

Fig.1: The FLIR One Pro, bottom, is a thermal camera for smartphones.

Last year, Dan bought a model that plugs into his smartphone. He says it has more than paid for itself. (The FLIR One Pro costs about $400.)

Here’s what Dan wanted to share with Workbench readers. He was at a client site to check a Harris SX-5A AM transmitter that had repeatedly blown the silver-mica capacitor in the output third harmonic filter section. Those cost about $800 apiece.

Dan got the FLIR camera ready so he could quickly shut down the SX-5A, open the rear door and grab an IR temperature reading to see how hot the capacitor was getting. He attached the infrared camera to his phone and activated the app so he was seeing real-time IR imaging.

But in getting ready to inspect that transmitter, Dan happened to sweep the camera over the rear door of another rig, a BE AM5E, and discovered a potentially serious problem there. He saw a “hot spot” in the image indicating much higher temperatures at one of the twin cooling fans at the bottom of the BE transmitter’s rear door.

Measured with the FLIR One Pro, with a measurement “box” as defined in the FLIR PC software (Fig. 2), he saw that the cabinet over the blown fan was as hot as 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature was only 76.6 degrees in the area of the working fan.

Fig. 2: The back of the BE5E transmitter. Note the uneven color between the left and right fan grills.

Because these fans are behind a metallic filter in a recessed area of the door, they’re normally out of sight. And you would not see them in operation if you opened the rear door of the transmitter’s cabinet because, for obvious reasons, the transmitter must be powered down first (or the interlocks will shut it down for you).

Dan notes that this AM5E had a history of repeatedly blowing PA modules. The latest suffered a major burnout that charred the components beyond recognition on about a third of the circuit board, even melting the casing off a relay. That repair cost around $1,500.

So Dan began to investigate. He discovered that the “hot” fan was not running. In fact, he had to take a hammer and reshape the perforated metal portion of the door where the fan mounts, because it was pressing against the center of the rotating fan blade/spindle. This had apparently caused the fan to burn out. In looking at Fig. 3, the suspect fan is to the left, just above the copper strap.

Fig. 3: The left-hand fan was not working; Dan replaced it.

Before and after replacing the burned-out fan, Dan used the FLIR camera to measure the temperature of the transmitter’s cabinet. By replacing the fan, he decreased the temperature of the cabinet by around 15 degrees Fahrenheit in the areas adjacent to and above the PA modules. Dan suspects that the actual temperature of the PA modules and of the area inside the transmitter dropped by that much and more.

When he places his hand on the transmitter cabinet, it now feels to be at or very close to room temperature instead of noticeably warmer than ambient room air. The temperatures were notably different after replacement of the fan and resolving the fan motor binding issue, as seen in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4: FLIR imaging shows both fans are cooling properly.

All this to say that Dan now makes it a habit to “scan” his transmitters, especially in the areas of air exhaust, intake and fans in order to spot problems such as blown fans or blocked air flow.

In the case of transmitters and transmitter rooms with lots of noise (I bet you’ve never encountered such a problem!), IR imaging can catch a lot of things that would otherwise be almost undetectable until the transmitter goes down.

We’ll tell you next time how his repair to the first transmitter turned out. Dan also said he is looking forward to producing more “how to” and technical videos on YouTube after a brief hiatus. We look forward to them.

Flashback

Last weekend I came across a YouTube video of The Seekers, in the Abbey Road studio, apparently recording their song “I’ll Never Find Another You” in 1964 (“There’s a new world somewhere, they call the Promised Land …”)

Posted by Rich963, it’s a pretty neat video featuring 1960s recording technology, though I noticed that the console VU meters weren’t moving for part of the video even as the group sang! A nice job of lip synching. Nonetheless it’s a fun peek inside a music recording studio of nearly 60 years ago.

As you watch, there’s one other apparent “flaw.” See if you can pick it up as you view the video.

John Bisset has spent over 50 years in the broadcasting industry and is in his 31st year writing Workbench. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. John holds CPBE certification with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award. Workbench submissions are encouraged, qualify for SBE Recertification, and can be emailed to johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post Workbench: IR Camera Spots a Dead Cooling Fan appeared first on Radio World.

Nautel has added two topics to its schedule of webinars about broadcast technology, scheduled for alternating Wednesdays in March.

On March 3 the company covers “All-Digital AM featuring the NX Series” to answer questions about the MA3 mode of HD Radio now that the FCC has allowed its use.

“Many broadcasters have asked what is involved in upgrading, what the different modes mean, and if there is any benefit for their particular situation.”

On March 17 a webinar will explore “FM Digital, featuring the Nautel HD MultiCast+ (HDMC+) HD Importer/Exporter.” Nautel cites discussion in the industry about the pros and cons of fixed-purpose embedded hardware vs. software implementations, especially involving HD Radio importer and exporter components.

“This webinar will review the evolution of HD Radio for FM, the development and features of the HDMC+, and will cover some of the capabilities of this powerful tool.”

Register at https://nautel.com/webinars. Nautel webinars qualify for ½ SBE recertification credit.

 

The post Nautel Plans March Webinars appeared first on Radio World.

The Comrex Access NX Portable at courtside, lower left, supporting live coverage of a Stetson University basketball game.

The author is owner of Airwaves Audio.

CLERMONT, Fla — I own a small production company called Airwaves Audio that does live TV and radio remote production. I’ve worked for several years with ESPN on shows like “Mike & Mike” and “Rusillo & Kanell” to cover events like the Super Bowl and Major League Baseball All-Star games. I also engineer large broadcasts with multiple stations for organizations like Disney. 

It’s a lot of coordination. In addition to handling the technical side, I manage the moving pieces to ensure everyone can be on the air when they need to be.

We started using Comrex equipment in the early 2000s. We tried it for the first time for a mass live broadcast from a Disney cruise ship.

We had made several attempts to connect an ISDN line to the ship, and it just wasn’t happening. So we set up 24 Comrex Access codecs, and ran them simultaneously over the ship’s internet back to the studio. It really saved our bacon on that job, and we never looked back. Comrex has been our number one IP audio codec choice since then.

As an engineer, my favorite part of Access NX Portable is the screen. While I sometimes have a headset and listen to every second of the broadcast, in most cases I set up the equipment, explain how to use it, and then step back. If I have to make sure everything is working during the show, it’s much easier to see the large Access NX screen than the smaller interface on the original Access. And the LEDs in the knobs make it easy for me to keep an eye on levels from a distance — it’s reassuring to know that no one is clipping and the audio sounds good. 

When I first took the Access NX Portable out of the box, I was struck by how it was organized. It’s done the way that I would do it. The channels are clearly delineated, and are color-coded and labeled. When there’s a problem, time speeds up and you’ve got to jump in and fix it ASAP. And I can do that with this because Access NX is so user-friendly.

When I’m out in the field, about 80% of the people I run into these days are using Access NX. ISDN was once the default, but that’s now all but gone. 

When I’m on a job, and I’m told that we’re going to be using a Comrex, I feel a sense of relief because I’m familiar with the software and the interface and I know what we’re getting into. 

I recently did the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. My client requested a somewhat elaborate setup, so I had to get there 5–6 hours ahead of time to get it done.

As I finished and sat down, I looked through the glass wall of the booth next to mine, and saw a couple guys with an Access NX. They got in the door and were set up in 10 minutes, and I was instantly jealous of how simple their day was going to be. If I had the choice, I’d always pick Access NX. 

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information, contact Chris Crump with Comrex in Massachusetts at 1-978-784-1776 or visit www.comrex.com.

The post User Report: Access NX Serves Airwaves Audio appeared first on Radio World.

Responding to record cold in Texas along with related consequences such as loss of power for days, the Broadcasters Foundation of America is making one-time emergency grants of up to $2,000 each to qualifying individual broadcaster industry employees based in Texas.

Broadcasters Foundation of America Vice President Peter Doyle explained, “Broken pipes, power outages, displacement, and more have brought devastation to many of our colleagues. The foundation’s Emergency Grant Program is set up with a streamlined vetting process that allows us to move quickly and get checks to those in desperate need. We’re asking every broadcaster in affected areas to help us get the word out to those who may need our assistance.”

Those interested in seeking aid may visit https://broadcastersfoundation.org/apply-for-help. According to a release, once at the webpage, choose Emergency Grants on the right to get to the Emergency Grant & Disaster Information Request Form. According to the release the foundation has heard from employees of Tegna, Nexstar, Radio One, Entercom, Fox and others.

 

The post Broadcasters Foundation Offers Aid for Texas Broadcasters appeared first on Radio World.

Fry’s Electronics has gone out of business.

“After nearly 36 years in business as the one-stop-shop and online resource for high-tech professionals across nine states and 31 stores, Fry’s Electronics, Inc. … has made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently as a result of changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” it stated on its website.

“The company will implement the shut down through an orderly wind down process that it believes will be in the best interests of the company, its creditors, and other stakeholders.”

It said it began the wind-down today, Wednesday. “It is hoped that undertaking the wind-down through this orderly process will reduce costs, avoid additional liabilities, minimize the impact on our customers, vendors, landlords and associates, and maximize the value of the Company’s assets for its creditors and other stakeholders.”

It said it was reaching out to customers with repairs and consignment vendors to help them understand what this will mean for them and the proposed next steps.

One veteran engineering told Radio World, “These guys were a great alternative to RadioShack, especially out west!  A shame to see them go.”

The post Fry’s Electronics Closes Its Doors appeared first on Radio World.

Current IPAWS architecture is shown in an FCC graphic.

 

The Federal Communications Commission now has released more details about its plans for improving emergency alerting.

Among other proposed changes, state EAS plans would no longer be publicly visible on the FCC website, for security reasons.

As we’ve reported, the FCC has been instructed by Congress to review the current SECC system, explore internet alerting, gather information about false alerts and take other steps.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced this week that alerting will be on the agenda for the commission’s March open meeting.

[Read: “The FCC Will Explore Internet EAS”]

Now the 52-page draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry has been released.

The NPRM would:

• Propose rule amendments to combine the current non-optional class of WEA “Presidential Alerts” with FEMA Administrator Alerts into a new alert class called “National Alerts.”
• Propose to amend the annual State EAS Plan reporting rule to require certification that SECCs have held a meeting in the past year, propose to provide a checklist of required information for annual State EAS Plan reports, and propose to amend the commission’s rule for review and approval or rejection of annual State EAS Plan reports.
• Propose rules for the FEMA administrator or a state, local, tribal or territorial government to voluntarily report EAS or WEA false alerts to the FCC Operations Center.
• Propose a rule to require repeating EAS messages when certain authorized EAS alert originators want a message repeated, and to ensure EAS Participants are technically capable of repeating.

And the Notice of Inquiry would:

• Seek comment on whether it is technically feasible to deliver EAS alerts through the Internet, including through streaming services.
• Seek comment on whether and how to leverage the capabilities of the Internet to enhance the alerting capabilities of the radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers that currently participate in EAS.

Among the many items in the proposal is a stipulation that state EAS plans, which are currently accessible on the FCC website, would not be publicly available there except for names and some contact information of the SECC chairs.

This is because “disclosure of the plans, at least in form where each plan is one place and in a uniform and easily searchable format, could highlight potential vulnerabilities that malefactors could exploit, thereby potentially hindering emergency planning efforts.”

 

The post FCC Releases Details of EAS Proposal appeared first on Radio World.

The author is senior solutions consultant for the Telos Alliance.

This article appeared in Radio World’s “Trends in Codecs and STLs for 2020” ebook.

Radio World reports there are more than 22,000 licensed radio stations in the United States. Of these, more than 15,000 are tallied by the traditional accounting of full-power AM and FM stations. Low-power FMs, translators and FM boosters add about 7,000 more.

The vast majority of these stations employ some kind of audio link from the studio or other origination point to the transmitter site. That’s a lot of studio-transmitter links.

Changing STL Technologies
What kind of STL was used by the first radio station where you worked? Forty years ago our main STL choices were these:

1. Equalized program lines from your local phone company;
2. Discrete (L/R) 950 MHz (band) TX/RX radios — one for mono, two for stereo;
3. Multiplex (MPX) 950 MHz (band) TX/RX radios.

More choices arose during the 1980s — digital choices — such as the QEI CAT-LINK, which transported FM MPX over a T1 or E1 telco link, and Dolby’s 950 MHz STL transmitter/receiver pair. More audio data-reduction codecs allowed further choices in the 1990s, both in wired and wireless STL systems, including stereo and even multichannel digital STL systems.

[Check Out More of Radio World’s Ebooks Here]

Most of these used either T1/E1 telco circuits or worked in the 950 MHz band in the United States, and other UHF bands for other countries. The 21st century brought upgraded digital RF STLs as well as a variety of budget-priced analog composite systems.

By the end of the 20th century, both wired and wireless STL systems began having some serious challenges. Telcos became less interested in supplying equalized program circuits — so much so that most stopped accepting orders for new circuits. And, in major markets — often with clustered tower sites — the 950 MHz RF band had no room for additional users.

Today, it’s nearly impossible to even order new T1/E1 service, and observant engineers can easily see the deterioration of their telco’s outside wire plant.

In some markets, ISDN usage became “unlimited,” so a few broadcasters employed either dial-up or “nailed-up” ISDN service with ISDN codecs at each end. These days, ISDN service is withering and new connections are generally not available.

Despite the disappearance of old telco services and the congestion in some areas of the 950 MHz band, engineers actually have more STL choices than ever before.

The key to new STL options is internet protocol — IP. And the best news about IP is that it can be transported in more ways than you might think.

Let’s edit and append our list to delete nonviable options and add new options:

1. Equalized program lines from your local phone company;
2. Discrete (L/R) 950 MHz (band) TX/RX radios — one for mono, two for stereo;
3. Multiplex (MPX) 950 MHz (band) TX/RX radios;
4. ISDN codec (came and went over a 30 year period);
5. T1/E1 link (unavailable for new installation and dying quickly);
6. Digital, discrete (L/R) multichannel 950 MHz (band) TX/RX radios;
7. Satellite delivery (L/R) using audio codecs;
8. Discrete (L/R) audio using IP audio codecs with appropriate IP connectivity;
9. Public internet;
10. Fiber;
11. Cable;

iii. DSL;

1. 4G LTE carrier;
2. Wireless ISP;
3. Satellite;
4. Managed, wired IP link;
5. Private, wireless IP link;
6. Linear, discrete (L/R) audio using AoIP (Livewire+, AES67) with appropriate IP connectivity;
7. Managed, wired IP link;
8. Private, wireless IP link;
9. FM Multiplex (MPX) using µMPX bitrate-reduced multiplex technology (for FM);
10. Public Internet;
11. Fiber;
12. Cable;

iii. DSL;

1. 4G LTE carrier;
2. Wireless ISP;
3. Satellite;
4. Managed, wired IP link;
5. Private, wireless IP link;
6. FM Multiplex (MPX) using linear multiplex technology (for FM);
7. Managed, wired IP link;
8. Private, wireless IP link.

That’s quite a list of options we have now. And, yes, several sub-items regarding IP transport are duplicated. However, that’s to make a point: As our society’s reliance on IP connectivity grows, so also grow our options to acquire and use it on a reliable and professional level.

Key Criteria
We engineers generally have three key criteria for our studio-transmitter links:

1. We’re seeking at least five 9s of reliability. That translates to about 26 seconds per month or 5 minutes and 15 seconds of downtime over an entire year;
2. Audio quality. Every moment of audio that we broadcast to the public will traverse our STL. There’s no room for any compromise here; it really must be perfect;
3. We should consider both capital expense and operational expense (cap-ex and op-ex).

Let’s consider each of these three criteria, comparing traditional and IP-based STL systems.

Purpose-Engineered STL Systems
Purpose-built RF STL radio systems are generally considered to be reliable. They tend to work well 24/7/365 throughout their service life expectancy of perhaps 10 to 20 years. They tend to be thoughtfully engineered and well-built.

They should be, as some of these STL systems cost well over $15,000 for just the radios. Add-ons may include additional audio channels, ancillary data, serial transport, etc. Add to this the cost of antennas and coax cable for effective service at 950 MHz and a full-featured, purpose-built radio STL system can top out at $30,000 or more, plus tower crew installation. A full backup system will likely double that capex expense. The good news is that there is likely little or no continuing operation expense (op-ex), unless tower space and/or building rooftop rental is required for a given installation.

Lower-end RF STL radio systems can cost far less than the example above. A basic FM MPX STL radio pair can be purchased for under $4,000, though the antenna/coax/placement expenses would be similar to those above.

Audio quality of RF STL systems can range from “acceptable” to “pristine.” Purely analog RF STLs balance between wideband system noise and demodulated distortion. Any distortion of any type in the system will end up being demodulated at the STL receiver and retransmitted by the main FM signal. Traditional digital RF STL systems deliver crystal-clear audio with a very low noise floor. However, many of them are limited to about 15 kHz of top-end audio transport. The brick-wall filtering required is, indeed, audible on some of these systems when A/B compared to 20 kHz STL systems in which only the FM audio processor is doing pilot-protection filtering.

Finally, unless the digital RF STL offers linear audio transport, there will be some kind of psychoacoustic coding algorithm involved. And most likely the aggressive, multiband FM audio processor will follow this coded audio in the chain. The net effect is exaggeration of any coding artifacts in the station’s audio.

Some key benefits of 950 MHz RF STL systems are:

• Robust, reliable operation;
• Independence from third-party service providers;
• Op-ex costs ranging from “reasonable” to zero;
• Excellent expected equipment lifespan;
• Digital systems that offer very clean audio with low noise.

Some downsides to 950 MHz RF STL systems include:

• RF congestion that implies interference potential;
• Lack of RF coordination, which continues to result in occasional problems;
• Susceptibility to malicious interference;
• Higher capex costs, potentially much higher;
• One-way communication — no inherent return path;
• Psychoacoustic coding algorithms producing artifacts that are exaggerated by aggressive audio processing;
• Audio sampling (bit depth) likely only 16 bits.

Purpose-built wired STL systems typically depend on an incumbent telco provider for T1/E1 service or some other tariffed connection. These have had some assurance of reliability from the telco and, at least in the past, were given priority for clearing any faults. Indeed, before telcos became more interested in providing IP connections, such dedicated circuits as T1s and the like were considered very reliable, with “backhoe fade” being the most prominent risk. These days, anecdotal evidence suggests that T1 and similar services are no longer a priority for incumbent carriers.

Some key benefits of purpose-built, wired STL systems are:

• Robust, reliable operation;
• Immunity from malicious interference;
• A variety of user-end connection options — audio, data, POTS extension, etc.;
• Excellent expected equipment lifespan;
• Two-way communication with optional equipment.

Some downsides of purpose-built, wired STL systems include:

• Dependence upon telco service providers;
• Poorly-maintained telco cable plant that portends more faults;
• Higher capex costs, potentially much higher with optional add-ons;
• Psychoacoustic coding algorithms producing artifacts that are exaggerated by aggressive audio processing;
• Audio sampling (bit depth) likely only 16 bits.

Similar to digital RF STL systems, the audio is often brick-wall filtered at 15 kHz, with the attendant audible coloration of such filters. Also, psychoacoustic coding algorithms deteriorate the audio slightly, with exaggerated effect after the FM processing that follows.

IP-Based STL Systems
IP-based STL systems can be generally divided into two categories — linear and “coded.” Another disambiguation of IP-based STLs could be “wired” and “wireless.” However, we can also use wired and wireless IP transport methods at the same time, or with one backing up the other.

Linear IP STL systems will transport digital audio perfectly with the same 1s and 0s that go into such an STL being delivered to the far end. Twenty-four-bit, 48 kHz-sampled linear audio typically requires about 2.5 Mbps to transport. While this audio delivery is basically perfect, it typically depends on having zero packet loss. This zero-error scenario is often provided through redundant IP paths between the endpoints.

Coded systems will use some kind of coding algorithm to reduce the bitrate required for transport. The audio codecs in such STL systems are generally configurable from a wide range of bit rates, and perhaps even a selection of coding algorithms. Bitrates that are appropriate for broadcast audio range from about 128 kbps up to 756 kbps, depending on the chosen codec. Modern coding algorithms offer some “error concealment.” For example, the AAC family of algorithms claims inaudible error concealment with up to 20% of random packet loss.

Linear IP STL systems are particularly good for broadcasters in that they are absolutely transparent to the audio. Every sample of audio data from the studio arrives exactly the same at the transmitter site. The IP transport path must provide excellent packet delivery performance in a linear IP audio system. Indeed, a common approach to implementation is to simply extend the audio over IP network at the studio out to the transmitter site. With this approach we assume the AoIP audio channels we need at the transmitter already exist on the studio’s AoIP network. By providing a qualified IP path to the transmitter site, we can “subscribe” to the desired audio channel(s) from the studio.

One example of such a system is at Delta Radio in Greenville, Miss. The studio and rack room were fully Livewire AoIP already. A robust 5.8 GHz IP-radio link was established to the transmitter site, 13 miles away.

The only audio equipment required at the transmitter site, apart from the IP radio, is an Axia xNode. Four linear stereo channels are received there via the Axia xNode. For remote monitoring, there are four linear stereo return channels over the same IP connection. All this audio is 20 kHz in bandwidth, using 48 kHz digital sampling and 24 bits per sample. The aggregate data rate across the IP radio link is about 10 Mbps in each direction. A thorough explanation of this system, including IP radio performance considerations, is available in this article.

Other examples of IP-radio STL systems are becoming more and more commonplace, from stations in rural Australia and small Pacific islands to the largest radio markets in the U.S.

IP radios may be licensed or unlicensed, depending on the RF band selected for operation. While not an absolute guarantee against interference, licensed IP radio paths tend to be secure and free from such interference. An RF path and interference study is required as part of the licensing process. Unlicensed IP radio pairs are likely to work well in rural or uncongested areas, but careful consideration and backup planning are suggested for unlicensed operation in built-up urban locales.

Coded IP STL systems offer several advantages in terms of bandwidth requirements and recovery from packet loss. While a linear IP STL, as discussed above, needs a near-perfect IP transport path to work properly, a coded-based IP STL is less stringent. Codecs generally offer more packet buffering, error concealment and reordering of packets arriving out-of-order than a linear system. While audio codecs themselves will cost more than, say, a simple “node” AoIP endpoint, they offer more flexibility in their IP connection’s requirements. For example, using audio codecs at each end, one may install an IP radio link pretty much “out of the box” and have a working STL. One may also use public internet for either the main or backup link between codecs.

Another IP-based STL method has appeared in the past few years. It’s an FM MPX transport codec over IP. This is similar in connection to the audio chain as an MPX RF STL; the FM audio processor is placed at the studio, and the full MPX signal is carried to the transmitter site where it’s wired to the FM exciter directly. These MPX over IP systems also appear in both linear and coded varieties.

Linear MPX STLs require anywhere from 3 to 7 Mbps to faithfully sample and transport an FM processor’s MPX output. These systems may not offer any error correction but usually do offer connections for dual-path redundancy.

An interesting application of MPX-over-IP technology is to use one FM audio processor to feed identical audio to several FM transmitter sites. There’s no need for separate FM audio processors at each site.

More recently, an interesting and useful method has arrived for coding the FM MPX signal to transport it at a much lower bitrate.

The trade name is µMPX (or Micro-MPX). This proprietary method does not use psychoacoustic coding. Rather, it’s a novel application of mathematical data reduction that is well suited for the FM MPX signal. It is “well-suited” because artifacts of the µMPX algorithm tend to fall in time and frequency where they don’t affect the perceived audio. And, unlike psychoacoustic codecs, precise peak control is maintained through a µMPX STL system. The minimum bitrate for µMPX systems is 320 kbps, with a maximum of 576 kbps. The algorithm also offers dual IP path redundancy as well as forward error correction to rebuild occasional lost packets.

(Click here to enlarge.)

The IP transport(s) for µMPX can be Public Internet, IP radios, Wireless ISP, etc. or any combination of those.

Some key benefits of IP STL systems are:

• Highest audio quality using 20 kHz (48 kHz/24-bit) linear audio;
• Lower-performance IP connections can use coded audio;
• It’s likely the lowest cost option, even with redundant IP path cost;
• Robust, reliable operation with redundant IP paths;
• Additional uses thanks to IP connectivity, e.g. monitoring, backup, disaster recovery, etc.;
• Two-way communication inherent in IP connections and AoIP;
• One-to-many distribution for single-frequency networks;
• µMPX distribution that offers excellent MPX performance at modest bitrates.

Some downsides of IP STL systems include:

• IT networking skills are needed for most robust configurations;
• Where applicable, psychoacoustic coding algorithms result in artifacts which are exaggerated by aggressive audio processing (does not apply to linear configurations);
• Ultimate reliability is based on having at least two IP paths for redundancy.

IP-based STL systems easily offer the most flexibility in terms of connection options. If a private, high-quality IP link, using enterprise-grade IP radios, for example, can be obtained, then two-way linear audio is the best option for perfect audio transport. That same high-quality IP connection can also be used for remote transmitter control, remote backup, disaster recovery options, security video surveillance, remote telephony and so much more. If only public internet or lesser-grade IP radio paths are available, then coded audio at the highest available bitrate makes sense.

In either case, having more than one IP path is truly important for redundancy. We know that packet loss and occasional outages from internet service providers can be a problem.

(Click here to enlarge.)

The transactional business world, as well as the worlds of social media and entertainment, are now dependent on IP connectivity. For broadcast engineers this widespread dependency implies competitive low cost and wide availability of IP transport. Moreover, this active marketplace of IP equipment and services is delivering flexible system solutions; redundant systems and connections; and generally better audio performance that we’ve heard before.

Wrapping It Up
Radio broadcasters truly have more options than ever for their studio-to-transmitter link technology. Traditional 950 MHz RF links work well enough in most situations. Analog systems do exhibit some noise, while digital 950 MHz links may be constrained by filters and less bit-depth, or by audio coding artifacts. IP-based solutions afford engineers more options, including the possibility of the most pristine linear audio link they’ve ever experienced.

The post More Choices Than Ever for Radio STL appeared first on Radio World.

A phone displays a presidential emergency alert test message in 2018 in New York City. (Photo Illustration by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Congress wants the Federal Communications Commission to take steps to improve emergency alerting around the country. So that will be on the agenda when the commission meets in March.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC will consider new rules to keep the public informed. This will implement the READI Act, which was part of the federal government’s defense authorization legislation for fiscal 2021 (the bill on which Congress overruled a veto by President Trump in January).

The READI Act instructs the FCC to take several steps, most of them in consultation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Notably, it tells the commission to examine the feasibility of updating EAS to enable or improve alerts to consumers through the internet, including through streaming services, and to report about this to Congress.

Given the ubiquitous nature of the internet in American lives, this stipulation could lead to the biggest change coming out of the bill.

“We’re proposing updates to the way Americans receive emergency alerts wherever they are — on their phones, on television and on radio,” Rosenworcel wrote in a blog post, previewing the March open meeting of the commission.

But also of interest to broadcasters is an instruction from Congress regarding State Emergency Communications Committees.

In the next six months, the FCC is supposed to encourage states to review the makeup and governance of their individual SECCs (and to establish an SECC if one doesn’t exist). Congress then wants each state committee to meet at least annually to review and update its state’s EAS plan and to submit an updated plan to the FCC, which the commission is supposed to review and approve or reject.

The FCC is also supposed to establish a “State EAS Plan content checklist” for SECCs to use when reviewing their EAS plans.

In addition to those two issues, the READI Act requires the FCC to establish a way to receive reports of false alerts under the Emergency Alert System or the Wireless Emergency Alerts System, so it can track them and study their causes.

And the commission was told to modify the Emergency Alert System to provide for repeating EAS messages while an alert issued by the president, head of FEMA or other appropriate parties is still pending. This applies to warnings about national security events such as missile threats, terror attacks or acts of war, not to typical local EAS events like weather warnings.

The post The FCC Will Explore Internet EAS appeared first on Radio World.

Getty Images westend61

Consumer demand for one-to-one digital audio is a powerful economic force in the 21st century. Depending on your perspective, radio companies are either embracing the trend or being forced to do so. Either way, companies continue to diversify in the burgeoning audio marketplace.

The ongoing digital transformation is redefining how audio gets consumed in the home, the car and elsewhere, as Americans turn more often to their smartphones, tablets and connected speakers for audio content.

Observers who spoke to Radio World say all signs continue to point to continued growth of podcasts and on-demand content as personalized media plays a larger role in this overall audio ecosystem.

[Related: “So, Where Do We Go From Here?”]

The dramatic pivot in audio delivery is of critical interest to radio entities that engage consumers in the increasingly cluttered media environment. It leaves C-suiters searching for the latest accoutrement to accent their digital audio catalogs.

The trend is reflected in how “radio” companies now describe themselves.

Cumulus promotes itself as an “audio-first media company” that has broadcast, digital, mobile and voice activated options, including the Westwood One Podcast Network. SiriusXM — which owns Pandora and Stitcher and has an investment in SoundCloud — calls itself “North America’s leading audio entertainment company.”

iHeartMedia would probably contest that, given that iHeart lays claim to being “the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month,” with a quarter of a billion monthly listeners, “a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S.”

CEO Bob Pittman has pushed the company toward new audio offerings.

“Podcasting is wide open and the sky is the limit. It’s sort of an on-demand version of radio. We see it as an extension of radio,” Pittman said during a quarterly earnings report in 2020. Just this month the company announced another planned audio-related acquisition, that of Triton Digital.

The podcast business is thriving, with growth driven by consumers embracing on-demand audio; and radio firms have participated. Research from Borrell & Associates and the RAB shows that over 70% of radio stations produce locally-focused podcasts.

Entercom is another company emphasizing the power of audio. It released a study at the virtual CES 2021 show showing that the nature of audio content makes it more engaging for audiences than other media. The study tracked “immersion,” defined as “a scientific measure of emotional connection and attention,” and found that audio ranked highest in the test.

The proliferation of audio seems to be pushing radio broadcasters to adopt mobile apps and tech innovation to further their reach. And those efforts are expected to accelerate as hybrid radio in connected cars and voice activation tools like Amazon’s Alexa Auto proliferate. Understanding the “skills” required to integrate with new audio services will be critical for radio broadcasters, experts say.

“Every channel matters”

Jeremy Sinon, VP of digital strategy for Hubbard Radio, said the company is quickly moving to digital, as in its partnership with PodcastOne in the on-demand space.

“We have a strong focus on our mobile apps, web listening and smart speaker listening. We also continue to focus on consumption via video on platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Every channel matters and they all warrant attention,” Sinon said.

Hubbard Radio launched PodMN, a mobile app dedicated to local podcasting in Minnesota, recently. “The project has helped build a closer connection with podcast consumers in the state as well as local podcasters,” he said.

Beasley Media Group recently announced a partnership with Entercom to be included in the Radio.com platform.

“One of the most important benefits of these partnerships is incremental distribution. We engage our users where and when they are on our O&O assets — live over the air, live streaming, and time-shifted streaming,” said Todd Handy, chief digital officer for Beasley Media Group.

“By partnering with these platforms, we gain the opportunity to meet not only our current audience members where and when they are when they’re not on our O&Os, and also to be exposed to and engage with potential new audience members.”

Beasley Media Group, which has long been partners with the iHeartRadio app and the TuneIn app for streaming, has embraced podcasting; for instance it created the bPod Studios Networks where it’s innovating in other podcast-adjacent spaces, Handy said.

“The intent there is to not only meet current and potential audiences where they are, but also to bring them fresh, engaging content that in some cases is part of our general programming, and in other cases is more long-tail and niche focused.”

Finding ways to engage audiences through multiple distribution channels is what drives Beasley’s digital development, Handy said.

“Hybrid radio is the next evolution in that engagement. It combines the large reach of broadcast with online interaction, making radio even more powerful and dynamic. Hybrid radio will allow listeners to engage with content and marketing messages they hear in the car. This will increase radio attribution and overall advertising effectiveness,” Handy said.

Beasley Media Group also has invested in SpokenLayer, a leading provider of short-form voice and audio content for virtual assistant and connected devices, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Short bites, daily habits

National Public Radio continues to invest development resources in its digital platforms, including station streaming, the NPR One app, NPR podcasts and the Alexa skill, according to Michael Smith, chief marketing officer for NPR.

Smith says the nimbleness of audio and the ability present it through new technology is critical to NPR’s growth.

“The new platforms have allowed us to create different kinds of content because the format has changed. People today are listening to what I call short bite or daily habit podcasts. Just 10- and 15-minute shows. It presents new opportunities to present NPR audio,” Smith said. “Therefore you have these new podcasts that deal specifically with finance or politics.”

NPR’s short daily podcasts include “Up First,” which is produced by the “Morning Edition” team, and “Short Wave,” which comes from the NPR Science Desk.

Smith, who leads NPR’s business development team, says the lines between what is a podcast and what is an Instagram post are blurring. “People are even consuming podcasts on YouTube,” he said.

In addition, there is growth in interest among younger audiences finding NPR programming on the new distribution channels.

“Younger listeners are eager to engage in news and information presentations but on the platforms they are already comfortable with. On social media and smart phones. That opens up a whole new audience for us,” Smith said.

He said research shows that the median age of NPR’s podcast listening audience is at least 15 years younger than the traditional terrestrial radio audience.

NPR is firmly entrenched in the podcasting ecosystem. Podtrac says it had 20 million unique listeners in the U.S. in December, with nearly 193 million streams and downloads.

Findings from a study by NPR and Edison Research in 2020 showed spoken word audio in the United States had increased by 30% in the past six years. Some of the biggest growth is among 13- to 34-year-olds.

Meanwhile, digital advertising continues to accelerate for commercial broadcasters, according to AdsWizz, as the number of mobile devices accessing digital audio grows.

The digital audio advertising platform said in its annual Podcast Trends report there was an 81% increase in advertising impressions between January and September 2020 among the publishers it works with.

iHeartMedia’s digital revenue was up 16.5% year-over-year in Q3 2020 with most of that growth attributable to podcasting, which grew revenue 73.6% compared to the previous year. The iHeartPodcast Network remained the biggest podcast publisher in December 2020 among the entities measured by Podtrac.

The country’s largest radio group acquired Voxnest at the end of 2020 and is now able to provide podcast advertisers with additional targetable inventory by allowing the effective and efficient monetization across an entire range of podcast inventory on our programmatic platform, said Carter Brokaw, president of digital revenue strategy for iHeartMedia.

“This additional inventory and the application of Voxnest’s programmatic capabilities will increase the monetization of iHeartMedia’s full range of podcasts and advance the podcast marketplace for both buyers and sellers,” Brokaw said.

iHeartMedia’s SmartAudio project, Brokaw says, is a data-driven platform for the total audio marketplace, which includes broadcast, streaming and podcasting.

“We look to establish benchmarks of success by measuring results of radio campaigns with total iHeart universe delivery, insights and attribution data. This allows for a much more holistic view of campaign performance from demand generation to preference building to demand fulfillment.

“We can now look at cross-platform audiences and attribution as one and enable brands to connect with consumers across multiple content touch points,” Brokaw said.

Triton Digital is among the digital technology companies that provide audio publishers with streaming services and automated buying services. A company official reported during a presentation on Jacobs Media’s Virtual Tour of CES in January that programmatic digital ad sales have grown significantly in recent years.

The company reported total global spending on programmatic digital audio between 2018 and 2020 surged 213%. Triton’s exchange totals 13,000 live streams and podcasts.

[Subsequent to initial publication of this article, iHeartMedia announced plans to acquire Triton in a $230 million move to further broaden its acquisition of companies and technologies related to the wider business of audio. Other recent audio-related additions at iHeart include Jelli, Radiojar, Unified and Voxnest.]

Attribution is critical

Radio broadcast companies continue to search for ways to monetize their digital initiatives.

Bonneville International’s Audience in Motion (AIM) program gives advertising clients access to audiences across multiple digital properties. Those include display, video, audio streaming, social, native or sponsorship and programmatic opportunities.

The broadcaster is streaming audio over multiple outlets, said Jennifer Williams, director of digital media for Bonneville International, including Spotify, Pandora, Google Play and SoundCloud, in addition to the company’s owned and operated network.

And ad attribution is imperative, Williams says, now that clients expect it.

“In the past, we used to compete with budgets that had attribution, now we complement and extend the ad recall. We have been able to help prove ROI by including audio tactics in a traditionally digital campaign.”

Bonneville International is focused on an initiative to increase its video pre-roll and smart speaker options on its streaming services, Williams said.

“To be able to add a visual element to those initially logging on via web, and a catchy intro to those using at home devices in their new office set up will be a been a fun new way to show the evolution of audio,” Williams said.

 

The post For Radio, Audio Is the “New Now” appeared first on Radio World.

Summit Technology Group says it has added features to its ATMOS Weather Reporting product, including an IPAWS integration that provides more natural-sounding emergency alerts.

“Stations that choose to ignore optional EAS alerts can instead provide an unobtrusive, natural-sounding announcement in its place to convey the same message,” the company said.

“Furthermore, users can use ATMOS’ advanced scripting language (known as ATMOS Markup Language) to create scripts that suit their station branding and include their station name or slogan. When integrated with automation, the product can produce an alert announcement and gracefully insert it into the playlist.”

ATMOS is used by radio and TV stations to automate weather reports in a natural-sounding manner. It uses customizable script templates and AI-powered synthesized speech.

Summit President Paul Stewart was quoted in the announcement saying the intent of the IPAWS integration was to improve public safety in creating alerts that deliver the message without a robotic voice and are delivered without preempting a station’s programming.

“We heard far too often that optional alerts were being ignored on account of the National Weather Service voice engines sounding too robotic and jarring,” he said.

Summit worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement the interface needed to receive IPAWS alerts, he said. The interface is built on a cloud-based process that is hosted by redundant, geographically-separated tier-3 data centers.

Also new, Sponsor Manager provides a tool to manage advertisers and underwriters and appending their messages to weather reports.

“The new tool allows a user to create a sponsor, write a script, schedule the message and even track the number of times the weather report was performed. This is important considering each weather report may be aired numerous times an hour as prescribed by a station’s format and audience behavior,” the company said.

While the concept isn’t new, Stewart said, the environment makes it easy to edit, synthesize and schedule messages.

Also, ATMOS can now integrate with EAS equipment manufacturers, providing the ability to automate Required Weekly Tests from within ATMOS or through most automation or playout software suites. “This functionality is especially useful when inserted into a playlist to provide graceful execution of RWTs that do not interfere with programming or traffic breaks.”

ATMOS can be configured to provide a linear PCM (wav) file for ingest into automation or can be configured to play out the audio report directly. Subscribers are delivered a desktop application compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10, and Server 2014 or newer.

The post Summit Integrates IPAWS in ATMOS appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters announced a digital campaign called “Voices From the Field,” that is intended to highlight stories of broadcasters using first-person accounts.

The first segment features Shomari Stone, general assignment reporter for WRC-TV in Washington, who talks among other things about his experiences covering the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

“The campaign, part of NAB’s ‘We Are Broadcasters’ initiative, will spotlight how broadcasters are using their expertise, experience and dedication to local broadcasting to serve their audiences and uplift their communities,” the NAB stated in a press release.

Subjects will share why they became broadcasters and what they are passionate about in their careers.

“The campaign will focus on local reporters, on-air radio talent, photojournalists, broadcast engineers, producers and editors to highlight the people responsible for delivering news, weather, emergency information and public affairs programming to local communities.”

NAB said the campaign will use podcasts, video interviews and Q-and-As.

 

The post NAB Celebrates Broadcast Voices appeared first on Radio World.