Radio World

Smuggled dinosaur bones? Scuba diving under a pyramid? Binaural audio recording onsite?

It’s all part of the third season of the “Overheard at National Geographic” podcast. For its production team, gathering field recordings from exotic locations and subjects is just another day at the office.

“It’s hard to be in the [National Geographic] office for five minutes without immediately seeing there are a million stories out there to tell,” says producer Brian Gutierrez.

“You walk around, and there’s an archivist who’s recording old transcripts of Jacques Cousteau. There are people coming back from remote islands [and] writing about volcanoes and earthquakes. It’s almost impossible to not tell this to other people in the way that we’ve been doing it on Overheard.”

Capturing That Field Sound

Hosted by National Geographic writer and editor Peter Gwin and executive editor Amy Briggs, “Overheard at National Geographic” tags along with explorers, photographers and scientists who uncover unlikely and unheard stories from the edges of the world.

“The tone of the show,” Gutierrez says, “is, ‘Hey, the world’s a big, amazing, crazy place full of interesting, fascinating stuff I bet you didn’t know.”

Often, no one is closer to these tales than the journalists themselves. That’s why, after wrapping the first season of the podcast, the team began training them to capture audio so the podcast could piggyback on location stories the magazine and television channel produce.

“One of the learnings we took away from season one was, ‘How are we going to push the show further, and how can we think of ways to incorporate more of that field sound into the show?’” says Whitney Johnson, director of visuals and immersive experiences at National Geographic.

Amy Briggs, co-host and executive editor of “Overheard at National Geographic.”

By outfitting journalists with handheld recorders like the Zoom H6 and Roland R-07, they’re able to bring back audio that puts listeners in the adventure right alongside them. Sometimes audio comes from less conventional sources, such as a GoPro camera that captured underwater sounds used in the episode “Scuba Diving in a Pyramid.”

But when they get the chance to go into the field themselves, the production team takes advantage of the opportunity.

“I went to a warehouse in Queens [New York] where a paleontologist had dinosaur fossils given to her by Homeland Security because they had been illegally shipped to the United States,” says Gutierrez.

“Just following her with the recorder and letting her tell her story, I think brings you into the moment more than just being in the studio.”

Bounce-back

Gutierrez embraced the challenge of creating a sense of place, even in a nondescript location like a warehouse. He pointed a shotgun microphone at a wall to get audio bounce-back when he interviewed the paleontologist, and used binaural omnidirectional condenser mics from Core Sound while walking through the spacious, Raiders of the Lost Ark-like trove.

“They’re these little microphones that are the size of medicine pills, and I clip them to the sides of my hat,” he says. “There’s this sort of 3D effect of being in a space, because the microphones are literally where your ears are.”

The hosts track their narration with Shure SM7B mics when they can record in the studio, but currently they both use a Zoom recorder and Sennheiser ME66 shotgun mic at their homes. Gutierrez works with two additional producers on each episode, which takes about six weeks from concept to completion.

Although the podcast plays off adventurous themes like the ones National Geographic magazine has explored for more than 130 years, the podcast creators set out to fulfill a different kind of mission in the audio medium.

“We were really interested in trying to develop a show that held on to the ethos of what makes a great National Geographic story — a commitment to really immersive storytelling and great characters—but [also what] was really appropriate for audio,” says Johnson. “We knew we were not trying to make the audio version of a magazine story, and that we had to create something that was unique and deliberately [a] podcast.”

This story originally appeared in our sister newsletter Podcast Pro.

 

The post Producing “Overheard at National Geographic” appeared first on Radio World.

From Radio World’s Who’s Buying What page.

The FM 3 kW transmitter from WorldCast’s Ecreso transmitter brand has been approved for acquisition by German association of regional public broadcasters, ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland).

WorldCast Systems Director of Product Marketing Gregory Mercier said, “The ARD specifications are acknowledged to be among the most demanding in the industry. We are honored that this organization has once again approved an Ecreso transmitter and proud that our product meets their standards for efficiency, reliability and robustness.”

Several Ecreso models have been approved for use by the nation’s public broadcasters and almost 2,000 are in use a release said.

The FM 3 kW is an FM transmitter that is compatible with Ecreso’s SmartFM technology.

 

The post ARD Approves Ecreso Transmitter appeared first on Radio World.

Getty Images/Pantan Kamsan

The Federal Communications Commission is offering deadline relief to certain AM radio stations in the United States that hold construction permits for FM translators.

The Media Bureau said it will accept COVID-19-related requests to postpone the expiration date for CPs from Auctions 99 and 100 that are due to expire by the end of June 2021.

The bureau “is aware that shutdowns associated with the pandemic have forced stations to halt construction, have disrupted equipment availability and deliveries, and have interrupted travel for tower and equipment installers,” it announced.

“In addition, the pandemic has compounded the severe financial difficulties experienced by many AM stations, including the significant loss of advertising revenue due to economic disruptions and the need to cover breaking news and air public service announcements relating to the pandemic.

“These financial difficulties, in some cases, may have caused AM stations to delay construction of authorized cross-service translators.”

The two filing windows date to 2017 and were part of the FCC’s AM “revitalization” initiative. The windows produced more than 1,700 construction permits for these new “cross-service” FM translators. Radio World has asked the commission how many of those CPs are now on the air and will report any reply.

Stations should submit a waiver request at least 15 days before the expiration date. Extensions can be no more than six months.

Waiver requests should be in the form of a letter submitted by e-mail to Robert Gates (Robert.Gates@fcc.gov) or Larry Hannif-Ali (Larry.Hannif-Ali@fcc.gov) of the Media Bureau, Audio Division. There is no fee. (Don’t use the Licensing and Management System for this request.)

Requests must specify how the pandemic or its economic impact has prevented timely construction. Evidence of justification might include financial statements demonstrating the pandemic’s economic impact on the permittee; affidavits or other evidence of the unavailability of components or tower crews; or copies of equipment orders.

The rules don’t provide for CP extensions; but the bureau wrote, “We will in appropriate cases grant a waiver of the construction deadline based on ‘rare and exceptional circumstances beyond the permittee’s control.’”

It added that this is specifically for CPs awarded to applicants in those two auction windows expiring on by June 30. “While other applicants and permittees are free as always to seek waiver relief, our public interest finding does not specifically pertain to other construction permits, applications or services.”

More information is here.

The post AM Translator CPs Get Some Deadline Relief appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World’s Fall Product Peeks webcast was a hit (you can watch it here), and now comes the sequel.

Join us for the next 30-minute Radio World webcast, and learn about more new products coming from radio’s leading technology vendors like Tieline and Wheatstone. We’ll also give you a special preview of the technical sessions of the upcoming virtual Radio Show.

Editor in Chief Paul McLane spends a few minutes with each manufacturer to learn what they are offering for radio broadcasters. This format is intended to be fast-moving so you can learn about new products without taking up a lot of your day.

We’ve had great feedback about our shorter, more accessible format, which is fast-moving so you don’t have to tie up a lot of your day. 

Joining us for a special segment is Skip Pizzi of the NAB, discussing the technical sessions of the virtual Radio Show in October.

Register here for this free Radio World webcast, and we’ll send you a reminder close to the date. 

The post Second Fall Product Peeks Webcast Explores More New Products appeared first on Radio World.

A new flight of audio and video spots is available to stations to highlight the role of local radio and TV stations in the United States.

The National Association of Broadcasters put out the spots focusing on broadcaster news and information.

This is part of its We Are Broadcasters initiative, launched in 2013 with the explicit goal of educating policymakers about their constituents’ reliance on local broadcasters. (One of its outreach efforts promotes use of the hashtag #BroadcastGood.)

“The new spots highlight the role local broadcasters have played in providing fact-based reporting and lifeline coverage of significant events nationwide over the past six months, including the COVID-19 pandemic, civil protests and unrest over racial equality, wildfires and hurricanes, and the 2020 political elections,” NAB stated.

Spots are available in English and Spanish. Find them here.

The post NAB Ad Campaign Emphasizes Local Broadcasting appeared first on Radio World.

National Public Radio has said it is modifying its “Consider This” podcast in collaboration with 12 member stations. The aim is to provide localized content versions for the 12 stations.

Those stations are Boston, (WBUR and GBH), New York, (WNYC), Philadelphia, (WHYY), Washington, (WAMU), Chicago, (WBEZ), Minneapolis/St. Paul, (MPR), Dallas/Fort Worth, (KERA), Los Angeles, (KPCC and KCRW), San Francisco, (KQED), and Portland, Ore, (OPB).

Each station will be able to add local stories to the “Consider This” they receive while other NPR stations will utilize the national feed of the program.

Concerning listener details, the “local” aspect is designated by the selection a “favorite” station and cross-referencing by location data and Nielsen Designated Market Areas.

More stations/markets can be added and are expected to be added. NPR is partnering with AdsWizz on the project.

A release says, “This national/local on-demand experience, a first not just for public radio but for the podcast industry as a whole, is made possible by public radio’s shared journalism and digital networks.”

NPR’s Senior Director for On Demand Programming Neal Carruth “This project is truly the best reflection of the public radio mission. … ‘Consider This’ is now a collaborative podcast that will know where users are and deliver them the news of the day from their community and beyond. It demonstrates what only the public radio network has the ability to do.”

 

The post NPR to Modify “Consider This” to Include Local Content appeared first on Radio World.

Shown in the new studios are Arthur Caruana and Father Joe Borg of Beacon Media Group. Photo by Matthew Mirabelli

From Malta comes this look inside the new studios of RTK 103FM, courtesy of AEQ. The facility features AoIP infrastructure and visual radio elements.

RTK Ltd. is the media company of the Catholic Church in Malta; it is owned by Beacon Media Group.

A team from DAB Electronica Ltd. led by Alan Gatt led the technical infrastructures and studio build.

“Studying different alternatives, eventually the system decided upon was entirely audio over IP based, except for the local inputs and outputs in terms of microphones, headphones and monitoring,” AEQ reported in a project summary.

Exhibo of Italy installed two auto-control operated studios using 12-fader AEQ Forum Split IP consoles. Studio One is a main studio with provision for three guests; Studio Two allows for am anchor or DJ to host up to six guests.

“Either studio can be controlled form either console thanks to the possibility to share all the stations audio resources over the AoIP network,” AEQ wrote.

“To make antennae, studio and playout switching simpler and automated, a NetBox32 MX with RTC option was installed, thus providing a 64×64 non-blocking routing Matrix for AoIP, analog and digital audio sources. This unit is used for format conversion, thus allowing for any analog or digital source to become part of the AoIP Multi-channel network.”

Automation, scheduling and playout are from WideOrbit and connected to the AoIP network with Dante Virtual Soundcards.

“As Wideorbit allows embedding third-party commands as objects in their lists and schedules, the Virtual GPO protocols for AEQ equipment can trigger macros and salvos for any of AEQ’s AoIP networked equipment,” AEQ said.

“This becomes very handy when general programming is switching for news on the hour. The other way around, it allows the DJ to trigger the play-out, cue a song etc., directly form the console control surface or to start the control of the microphones in the other studio, etc.”

The studios use Sennheiser MK4 Condenser Mics and HM300 Headphones, as well as an AEQ Systel IP 16 Talk-show and phone-in system with three SystelSet+.

Visual radio support is provided by BroadcastPix video switchers. Each studio has three JVC HD PTZ cameras. Any channel or audio source in the installation can trigger a camera setting, video clip, transition or sequence available on the Broadcast Pix system.

AEQ Phoenix ALIO portable devices are used for remote/OB work, connected via 4G router or standard internet. “Normally Opus encoding is used for either voice-quality of full-bandwidth music.” Connectivity at the station is by a Phoenix Venus 3 with AoIP networking; the ControlPhoenix application allows a technician at the studio to control the local and remote codecs.

Two Phoenix Venus 3s with AoIP are used to create the studio-transmitter link and return telemetry.

Radio World welcomes photos and details of radio projects to show our readers how new technology is being deployed. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post New Studios Serve RTK 103FM in Malta appeared first on Radio World.

DHD Audio has introduced a firmware update for its broadcast audio mixing consoles, routers and control interfaces.

“New functions have been integrated to make operation easier, faster and more flexible,” the company stated. “Also being introduced are flat table-mount versions of the RX2 and SX2 mixers.”

DHD makes five audio consoles that can be paired with several cores of different capacities and equipped with a variety of interface modules. International Sales Manager Christoph Gottert said these products are used by both radio and TV stations.

“Our latest firmware additions expand the capabilities of version 9.1 which we announced in Q1. That update included support for Unicode character sets such as Chinese, Russian, Japanese and Korean, Snapshots App and Labels App, enhanced log-in, hot configuration and refinements to the DHD REST API,” he was quoted saying.

“We are now introducing two additional web apps, Assist App and System App, plus an advanced SNMP interface.”

DHD Assist app, right, and DHD audio mixer in the new flat-mount configuration.

Assist App is a browser-based application allowing remote operation of a DHD mixing desk from a tablet, laptop or desktop PC. The remote user can control fader and central modules and view the integral displays.

“Assist App enables a technician to support DJs during their daily operation without being on-site,” the company said. It’s compatible with DHD RX2 and SX2 mixers and TX touch panels.

System App provides control to configure and supervise a DHD system. Its interface includes IP address assignment and web connection management. “Detailed information for each module connected to the core is displayed, including serial numbers, temperature and uptime.” Local and IP-connected remote devices can be seen.

SNMP is for use where the mixers and routers are part of a large infrastructure and where devices are centrally managed. It’s available for XC2, XD2 and XS2 cores, and will be available for AES67/Ravenna interfaces this year.

DHD posted a video demo about these firmware features:

The post DHD Announces Console Firmware Update appeared first on Radio World.

The author is president of Henry Engineering in Seal Beach, Calif.

Weezer “Can’t Knock the Hustle” vs. U2 “Where the Streets Have No Name.” Image is from the original article; click the image to read it.

Please let me add my 2 cents’ worth regarding music tracks that have been clipped and trashed with “brick-wall” audio processing (May 27, Opinion section).

The next time your radio station receives a CD or file that has been brick-wall limited, simply return it to the sender with an impersonal form letter saying “The music you have supplied is defective and/or unsuitable for broadcast. We do not air any material that is detrimental to our listenership,” or words to that effect.

If a few hundred radio stations return a few thousand, refusing to air them, perhaps the music producers and record labels will fix the problem.

We can only hope!

Submit letters to the editor to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Letter: Another Brick Wall appeared first on Radio World.

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Broadcasters Clinic is now a virtual event scheduled for the same days as the original event, Oct. 13–15.

The latest news is that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will make his virtual presence know, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m.

[Check Out More Events on Radio World’s Calendar]

Also making appearances will be the NAB’s David Layer, Telos Alliance’s Mary Ann Seidler and John Bisset, Bill Bennett of ENCO Systems, Chris Crump of Comrex, Jeff Welton of Nautel, Dielectric’s Nicole Starrett, Jeremy Ruck and communication attorney David Oxenford.

 

The post Pai to Address WBA Broadcasters Clinic appeared first on Radio World.

CGR Radio Networks and the Northwest Audio Information Service in Vancouver, Wash., serve blind, visually impaired and older listeners with news and entertainment programming.

We told you about these services shortly after owner Gerald Gaule launched them seven years ago. He describes them as a labor of love.

Gaule worked under the late Jerry Delaunay at the former Golden Hours radio reading service of Oregon Public Broadcasting for 13 years. He credits him with helping influence his interest in public service broadcasting. Gaule is not only the owner of CGR/NAIS but the program director, music director and chief engineer, running these streams from his home.

Now a member of the International Association of Audio Information Services, CGR-NWAIS Radio has three online streams, all heard on the Voscast online platform. The main service also is carried on FM subcarriers of KFAE(FM) in Richland, Wash., and KPBX(FM) Spokane.

We caught up with Gaule to ask about how the project is going.

Radio World: Describe your operations.

Gerald Gaule: There are three services. Number One is the main service, offering news, information, community, educational and entertainment programming from many sources such as The IAAIS Program Share, ACB Radio, Pacifica Archives and more, as well as programming in over 40 languages for the blind from book readings, etc. Old-time radio and nostalgia are offered.

CGR Number 2 is more arts, entertainment and secondary reading services. Number 3 is a new Spanish service for the blind and visually prepared.

I also offer local news and programming that is not offered by any LPFM, and I try to think outside the box.

RW: How many people do you think you reach?

Gaule: I would say 900 to 1,200 listeners per day between the stations.

The numbers are nice, but even if there is only one and if I make a difference for a few minutes, if something they like made their day, it is priceless.

Listener ages are anywhere from 54 to 90.

RW: These seem like hard times for radio reading services. What’s your secret?

Gaule: It is very hard times. My operations are run from my apartment; I handle all the roles, from engineer to MP, PD, OM and all; and I work from here due to health and disability issues. Overhead is very low.

RW: How has the pandemic affected what you do?

Gaule: It has not affected me that since I work from home and even before it.

RW: What else should we know?

Gaule: It is a simple operation trying to go above and beyond. I am always looking to expand, to grow beyond the two FM stations KFAE and KPBX on their 67 kHz SCAs. I’d like to partner with any cable access channel or even through a TV digital sub channel, even for a few hours a day.

 

The post Gaule Serves Visually Impaired From Vancouver Apartment appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters has decided to move the 2021 NAB Show from April to October of next year.

President/CEO Gordon Smith broke the news in an announcement to the industry. The new dates are Oct. 9 to 13, 2021, in Las Vegas.

Also announced: the 2021 fall Radio Show will be held concurrently in Vegas.

The question of what NAB might do in 2021 with the huge spring event — after cancelling it in 2020 just a few weeks before the show in the face of COVID-19 — has been a pressing and closely watched one as the industry moved into autumn for the Northern Hemisphere and as organizations began planning next year’s travel (or lack of it) without clarity on when the world health situation would ease.

The decision affects a lot of people. Registration at the most recent physical NAB Show in 2019 was reported by the association at around 91,460 people, more than a quarter of them from abroad.

Smith said NAB was aware of “a good deal of reluctance around participating in large events in the first half of next year.” He wrote that the pandemic “remains a significant threat and the evidence suggests it will be well into next year before it could be under control in the U.S.”

He said NAB also had concerns “around being able to deliver the type of event in April that will not only drive results, but one that can be produced safely for all involved and without significant limitations on the experience.”

“Moving NAB Show to October means we are considering alternative 2021 dates for NAB Show New York, held annually in October,” Smith wrote.

“On the plus side, the 2021 Radio Show will co-locate with NAB Show in Las Vegas, as will NAB’s Sales and Management Television Exchange; and there is opportunity to add additional partner events.” (Next year’s Radio Show had been slated for New Orleans.)

An NAB spokeswoman told Radio World that the following year’s spring show schedule is not affected; that convention is scheduled for April 23-27, 2022.

Smith didn’t mention other shows by name but wrote, “We have done our best to avoid direct conflicts with other domestic and international events, and have reached out to allied organizations and partners to both share our thinking in advance and to offer to work collaboratively toward turning this into an opportunity for all.” The IBC Show is another large event around that time of year; it is slated next year for mid-September.

Earlier, planners of another big Vegas show, the 2021 CES, announced that their event this coming January would be held virtually

Also today, Chris Brown, NAB’s EVP of conventions, wrote to exhibitor partners, “We did not make this decision lightly and we’d like to thank you for your continued support and guidance over the last few months as we considered your feedback while also monitoring the ongoing health and safety concerns around the fight to contain the pandemic in the U.S., the projected state of the economy and travel restrictions around the world.”

Brown told exhibitors that the NAB Show staff “will be in touch in the coming weeks to review next steps to reserve your participation in the 2021 NAB Show.” 

The full text of Gordon Smith’s announcement is below:

Dear NAB Show community,

I hope that you and your loved ones are well and staying safe. Although we truly miss seeing you in person, it has been fantastic to observe the industry come together in many ways to work through these challenging times, and it has been our pleasure to do our part to create connections via our new digital initiatives.

As we look ahead to 2021 and beyond, our top priority is to deliver a successful NAB Show. We recognize the vital role NAB Show plays as a driver of innovation and an economic engine for the global media and entertainment industry. With that in mind, it is critical we act on your behalf and in a way that will best serve the long-term interests of the industry. We have worked diligently over the last few weeks and months monitoring a range of variables, including health and safety concerns, economic indicators, industry developments and travel restrictions, to gain an understanding of overall trends and future conditions for holding a major event in 2021. We have also reached out extensively to the show community to collect feedback.

Through all of this we have witnessed growing concern and uncertainty over what the next six months will bring; enough that there appears to be a good deal of reluctance around participating in large events in the first half of next year. The pandemic remains a significant threat and the evidence suggests it will be well into next year before it could be under control in the U.S. We also have our own concerns around being able to deliver the type of event in April that will not only drive results, but one that can be produced safely for all involved and without significant limitations on the experience.

Taking all of this into account and in the interest of supporting the business, health and safety concerns of our show community we have decided to move the 2021 NAB Show, previously scheduled for April 11–14, to October 9–13, 2021 in Las Vegas.

With any difficult decision, there are trade-offs. Moving NAB Show to October means we are considering alternative 2021 dates for NAB Show New York, held annually in October. On the plus side, the 2021 Radio Show will co-locate with NAB Show in Las Vegas as will NAB’s Sales and Management Television Exchange; and there is opportunity to add additional partner events. Beyond this, we have done our best to avoid direct conflicts with other domestic and international events, and have reached out to allied organizations and partners to both share our thinking in advance and to offer to work collaboratively toward turning this into an opportunity for all.

With a new date set for the 2021 NAB Show we are looking at the entirety of the calendar next year with fresh eyes. We plan to continue bringing the industry together in a number of ways. In the short-term, we are excited about the online events planned for next month – the Radio Show (October 5–9) and NAB’s Sales and Management Television Exchange (October 14–15). These signature events, combined with our virtual NAB Show New York (October 19–29), offer dynamic content and engagement opportunities all month long to bring the industry together to restart, reengage and refocus.

We are also committed to creating new and meaningful experiences to engage and connect with you throughout the year on NAB Amplify. This dynamic, year-round digital platform will extend the impact of NAB Show throughout the year by providing opportunities for networking, discovery and education.

Since the early stages of the current global crisis, we have done our best to balance our decision-making with the long-term interest of NAB members and the wider media and entertainment industry. We have not made this decision lightly and have relied on a great deal of feedback from the NAB Show community. We are grateful to our stakeholders and partners for engaging with us and supporting our decision. Amidst all of this, we have been reminded of what a great industry we serve. As always, we look forward to working with you to provide vital events and services to support these efforts, and to invigorate and propel the industry forward.

 

 

The post Breaking News: NAB Moves Spring Show to Fall of 2021 appeared first on Radio World.

To celebrate 100 years of broadcasting, a Southern California radio station will take its listeners on a 10-decade listening ride — an audio time travel trip that will let it reimage itself using memorable jingles, audio sounders and soundbites from the past 100 years.

 It was in 1920 that KNX 1070 News Radio first launched when Fred Christian started station 6ADZ for the customers of his Electric Supply Co. Twenty months later, the electric supply company was issued the call sign KNX. Today, KNX reaches more than 1.24 million listeners across Southern California.

[Read John Schneider’s story “KNX: A Centennial Station”]

 This week the Entercom station has aired “KNX: A Century of Covering Southern California,” an eight-part on-air series commemorating its centennial anniversary and paying tribute to former employees who helped grow KNX 1070 News Radio into the only 24-hour news and traffic station in Southern California.

On the station’s official anniversary, Sept. 10, the station will take listeners down memory lane with everything from old advertisements to trendy jingles.

“The history of Southern California, this county and our world have been painted by so many legendary broadcasters over the years, which is a daily reminder of the historic brand that KNX is,” said Jeff Federman, regional president of Entercom Southern California.

[Read more stories about radio’s centennial celebrations]

KNX 1070 News Radio was a Southern California institution — it was on air before the Hollywood Sign appeared, the Santa Monica Pier and the Rose Bowl, according Ken Charles, brand manager for the station. “Just as iconic as any of our local treasures, KNX is a consistent part of the fabric of Southern California, serving as a breaking news resource for our communities, first responders and the nation,” he said.

Listeners can tune in to the celebration on KNX 1070 News Radio on air, as well as nationwide on the Radio.com app and online. Fans are also encouraged to connect with the station on social media.

 

The post KNX Celebrates 100 Years With Trip Down Audio Lane appeared first on Radio World.

Scott Dorsey wrote about a supposed Carrington event in 1972. I won’t dispute that. Maybe the solar activity was on that level.

I don’t think he meant to imply that due to our getting through the 1972 event, we have nothing to worry about now; but it is still important to point out that communications technology then was nowhere near as fragile and vulnerable to induced voltages on conductors as it is today.

The number of satellites in orbit at that time was relatively small. GPS was not in use or didn’t even exist.

Consumer electronics still consisted of a lot of vacuum tube circuitry. And telephones were all on twisted pair copper from central offices with Western Electric equipment, everything built to survive an atomic bomb blast.

Just look around right now and you’ll see that today we are substantially more at risk.

Submit letters to the editor at radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Letter: We Are Much More at Risk Now appeared first on Radio World.

The author is senior product development engineer, audio processing for Wheatstone.

We now know that audio processing is needed for streaming, and for many of the same reasons that processing is needed for on-air. We also know that we can’t paint streaming with the same audio processing brush.

Here is why:

Fast time constants can interfere with the codec. The conventional approach of applying multiband gain control followed by fast compression to build uniform loudness and density from one music source to the next works beautifully for on-air, but it doesn’t work for streaming. This is because applying fast compression time constants increases the intermodulation and other distortion products that causes codecs to make mistakes and remove or add frequencies that it shouldn’t.

That can be bad for any stream, but it’s especially bad for low-bitrate streams that don’t have a lot of data bits to begin with. Processors designed for streaming applications use adaptive algorithms and other less extreme measures to create uniform loudness between songs.

Peak Overshoot is a problem. Unlike analog, digital audio gets ugly once it tries to go past 0 dBFS, the point at which there are simply no more bits left and nasty distortion ensues.

The recommended peak input level for most codecs is around –3 dBFS so a limiter is necessary to ensure that level is never exceeded. But not any old limiter will do. Aggressive limiting and its byproducts can be problematic because codecs can multiply the audibility of limiting to the point of being objectionable, and often at the expense of removing frequencies that add to the quality of music.

A good streaming processor will avoid aggressive limiting altogether. This is why in the case of StreamBlade, we designed the processor to anticipate overshoots earlier in the processing stages and designed specialized final limiters that don’t add the program density that can set off issues with the codec.

Nope. Just nope. We learned quickly that clipping is not a good idea for peak control of program streams because it creates harmonics that aren’t in the original program and because the encoder doesn’t know what to do with that. In some cases, it throws bits at the bad harmonics, so you actually get more … bad harmonics.

Clipping byproducts can sound much, much worse once a codec gets a hold of them. The good news is that streaming doesn’t need the pre-emphasis can of worms that got FM broadcasters into heavy clipping to be competitive, so clipping isn’t necessary or even desired for keeping peak levels in check.  

Stereo, not so much. Big swings in L–R can trick certain codecs into disproportionately encoding stereo energy rather than more “up front” and audible program content. We experimented with various codecs and bitrates in our lab and in the field, and we found that stereo can be applied in most cases if it’s done consistently and without the big L–R swings that skew the codec algorithm in favor of L–R over original content. The exception is extremely low bitrates, in which case mono is preferable.

The picture at left represents what happens if you use aggressive compression on encoded audio similar to that used in FM processing. Extreme time constants create distortion that not only mask subtle detail but cause the encoder to allocate bits to that distortion instead of to the desired program content. Less detail makes the audio sound “blurry.” Added distortion is bad for any stream but it’s especially bad for low-bitrate streams that end up with less of the original audio as it is.

Comment on this or any article to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The author is Wheatstone’s audio processing senior product development engineer and was lead development engineer for the company’s StreamBlade audio processor and WheatNet-IP audio network appliance.

The post Processing for Streaming vs. On-Air appeared first on Radio World.

An RCS Zetta layout view. Click the images in this story to view them in more detail.

 

The author of this tech tips commentary is director of sales engineering for RCS.

Zetta is a modern enterprise piece of radio automation software build by RCS, the worldwide leader in radio software, that can ingest mp3, wav and AAC files, convert them to a default audio format, automatically set the trim in, time out and segue points, and nondestructively normalize all audio with pitchless stretch and squeeze.

Needless to say, it’s a very powerful piece of software that can cater to any broadcaster.

So let’s dive into five things you may not have known that you can do in Zetta.

1.) Starting with customizing your Zetta user experience, did you know that users can have their own layouts, color schemes, attributes, and Library folders, and Administrators can control their staff with proper user right restrictions?

Configure Zetta the way you interpret Zetta. Create multiple layouts — one for on-air and another for production.

RCS Zetta Asset Types; click to view detail.

Users can define their own asset types (see above) or folders within the Library:

Configuration | System | Asset Types

as well as their own custom fields, like an “Outcue for Spots”:

Configuration | System | Custom Fields

Custom Fields; click to view detail.

 

For Administrators, define a user Role and Organization, then assign it to a specific User:

Configuration | Roles, Organization, Users

2.) What about integration? The majority of RCS products can make live, real-time updates within Zetta.

Users can automatically send their Aquira traffic log to Zetta with Aquira Sync, remotely broadcast live with Revma’s Conference App and keep your library and schedules in sync with 100% live GSelector Music Scheduling integration. Maximize your staff’s efficiency by adding audio, metadata and schedule changes — including live reconciliation, which are instantly reflected in GSelector or vice versa.

Users are no longer forced to make a change in automation and then repeat the process for your music scheduler.

3.) Zetta also allows markets to stay connected and share assets with Site Replication or Z-Cast. Simply put, think of Site Replication as a “pull,” in which users can share audio and metadata.

If Market A would like to be in sync with Market B, then we would configure Site Replication. If Market A merely wanted to send Market B certain audio, like spots, then they could utilize Z-Cast, which acts as a “push,” sending Market B Market A’s audio and metadata.

4.) As we continue to develop remote workflows, Zetta is equipped with Zetta2GO. It’s not an app or a download from an app store but a simple URL.

Zetta2GO allows users to continue to control the on-air product, broadcast live, add audio, make changes to the schedule and voice track from any device that has access to the Internet and proper securities, like a VPN.

Is your company limited on studio space? While in the office, quickly access Zetta2GO from any desk or have your production director work from home, importing mass audio files that are instantly available in your Library while your talent is safely broadcasting from the studio. Start with a Location:

Configuration | System | Location

and create a Zetta Auto Import folder:

Configuration | System | Auto Load

RCS Zetta Auto Load; click to view detail.

5.) Next, it’s time to talk about the cloud, specifically, Zetta Cloud Based Disaster Recovery.

Available now, create a next level of redundancy by automatically backing up your audio, metadata, schedules and SQL backups directly to the Cloud. Zetta Cloud is not a Virtual Machine, but rather designed using Amazon Web services, following best practices and securities.

RCS Zetta Cloud screen. Click to view detail.

When a disaster strikes — be it a natural disaster like a fire or flood or a malicious cryptoware attack —users can quickly pivot to Zetta Cloud and enable the sequencer from their phone, getting your product back on the air, allowing your staff to properly assess the situation.

Meanwhile, programmers can continue to control the air product, voice track and add new audio. When the disaster has passed, disable Zetta Cloud and return to normal operations.

Shortly, users will also be able to bypass their VPN, voice track from Zetta Cloud Based Disaster Recovery and the asset will properly land in your local Zetta Library.

Between user customizations, integration, market synergy, remote workflows and embracing the future of the Cloud, it’s easy to see why Zetta is a modern, flexible, and powerful piece of radio software.

Radio World welcomes product tips, best practices and other articles to help readers get the most out of their product investments. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post 5 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Do in Zetta appeared first on Radio World.

The author is with law firm Fletcher, Heald and Hildreth, on whose blog this article originally appeared.

On Sept. 4, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission released a Public Notice laying out the procedures governing the filing of requests for waiver, reduction, deferral, and installment payment plans for the 2020 regulatory fees.

As we explained in a blog post regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s Report and Order announcing the 2020 regulatory fee methodologies, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic the Commission has streamlined its procedures for requests for relief due to financial hardship.

Unfortunately, while filing for relief is easier, it appears that the bar remains high in order for regulatees to receive relief from their regulatory fee obligations. On the other hand, the Commission has lowered the bar for getting an installment plan and has waived the usual 10% down payment requirement.

Requests for waiver, reduction and deferral for financial hardship

As in past years, a request for waiver, reduction, or deferral of the 2020 regulatory fees based on financial hardship must be filed on or before the regulatory fee payment deadline – Sept. 25, 2020.

The request must be accompanied by (1) either full payment of the regulatee’s 2020 regulatory fee amount or a request to defer payment; and (2) financial documentation demonstrating the financial hardship of the regulatee.  In order to demonstrate financial hardship sufficient to justify the request, the regulatee must show that it lacks sufficient funds to pay its 2020 regulatory fees in full while maintaining service to the public.

Generally, financial documentation sufficient for grant of such requests include:  tax returns, a balance sheet and a profit and loss statement (audited if possible), 12-month cash flow projections, and a list of officers and highest paid individual employees with each person’s compensation.  In light of the pandemic, the Commission is loosening its interpretation of financial documentation and is also accepting banking and investment audit records, accounting ledgers and journals, and loan documents – including balances owed.

For individual regulatees (as opposed to businesses), the Commission is now accepting: wage statements; documents demonstrating non-wage income; real estate valuations and mortgage documents; bank, credit card, and loan statements; account numbers and balances for all cash accounts and investments; and monthly income and expense summaries.

As in the past, waiver requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and only granted where extraordinary circumstances warrant relief. The FCC has been exceedingly stingy in recent years, rarely, if ever, granting relief. We shall see if the pandemic creates sufficient circumstance to soften that position.

Requests for installment payment plans

Requests for installment payment plans for 2020 regulatory fees also must be filed by Sept. 25.  Such requests must include financial documentation sufficient to demonstrate that the regulatee cannot pay its 2020 regulatory fees in full by the deadline.  The Commission will work with regulatees on a case-by-case basis to determine what financial documentation is necessary to file such requests.

The Commission, however, will not grant installment payment plan requests unless the regulatee:  (1) executes an installment payment agreement; and (2) resolves all outstanding debt to the FCC – which may include:  full payment of the debt, payment of a reduced amount, curing all defaults under existing installment payment plans, and/or combining existing installment debt into the 2020 regulatory fee installment payment plan.  For granted installment payment plan requests, the FCC will ease its typical payment terms, including the reduction of the installment interest rate and waiver of the 10% down payment requirement.

Red Light Rule waiver

As we discussed in a previous article regarding the 2020 Regulatory Fee Report and Order, the Commission is waiving its “red light rule” to permit regulatees owning money to the FCC to file requests for waiver, reduction, deferral, and installment payment plans for 2020 regulatory fees.  In the Public Notice, however, the Commission notes that the waiver of the red light rule is limited to requests filed on the basis of financial hardship and installment payment plan requests – requests for waiver, reduction, and deferral filed on a basis other than financial hardship by regulatees on “red light” will be dismissed.

In order to grant appropriate requests for relief from 2020 regulatory fees for regulatees on “red light”, the regulatee must satisfactorily resolve all outstanding debt to the Commission – which may include:  full payment of the debt, payment of a reduced amount, curing all defaults under existing installment payment plans, and/or combining existing installment debt into the 2020 regulatory fee installment payment plan.

Filing of requests

All requests for relief from 2020 regulatory fee obligations may be combined into a single request and filed via email, along with the necessary supporting documents, to the following email address:  2020regfeerelief@fcc.gov.

Should you have any questions regarding requests for waiver, reduction, deferral, or installment payment plans for 2020 regulatory fees – or wish to make such a request – please contact your attorney.

The post FCC Releases Guidance on Requests for Fee Flexibility appeared first on Radio World.

iZotope has launched the latest edition of its long-running audio repair and enhancement software with the release of RX 8, introducing a variety of new features for recording, podcasting, post and broadcast pros. The company has also released RX Post Production Suite 5, and announced the upcoming launch of Music Production Suite 4.

All three versions of RX 8 — Advanced, Standard and Elements — have notable updates. Exclusive to Advanced is the new addition of Spectral Recovery and Wow & Flutter. Spectral Recovery restores frequencies above 4 kHz, helping turn bandwidth-limited audio into clearer, more articulate recordings. Meanwhile, Wow & Flutter corrects pitch variations and fluctuations associated with tape, vinyl and optical transfers. Wow can be used to fix longer, sustained pitch drift, while Flutter is intended for use correcting pitch variances that occur at faster rates.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

New to both Advanced and Standard versions of RX 8 are Loudness Control and Guitar De-noise. Loudness Control loads preset loudness targets, helping users conform production audio to broadcast requirements, and monitor levels using the built-in numeric and history plot readouts for integrated, short-term and momentary loudness. Guitar De-noise aids in the removal of unintended sounds like electrical amp noise, string squeaks and the like.

All three versions now sport a 32 audio tab limit, and have the addition of horizontal scrolling built into the Spectrogram Display. Additionally, the Music Rebalance and Batch Processor features in both Advanced and Standard have been updated.

Wow & Flutter Module

iZotope has also released RX Post Production Suite 5, which includes RX 8 Advanced, Dialogue Match, Neutron 3 Advanced, Nectar 3 (with Melodyne 5 essential), Insight 2, RX Loudness Control, Relay, Symphony 3D and Stratus 3D by Exponential Audio, and Tonal Balance Control 2, plus a one year all-access pass to Groove 3, a video training tool.

Additionally, the company announced that Music Production Suite 4 will ship this fall, which will include RX 8 Standard, Ozone 9 Advanced, Neutron 3 Advanced, Nectar 3 (with Melodyne 5 essential), Insight 2, NIMBUS by Exponential Audio, and Tonal Balance Control 2. Those that have purchased Music Production Suite 3 after Sept. 2, 2020 will receive a free upgrade to Music Production Suite 4.

All three versions of RX 8 are being released with reduced introductory pricing — Elements ($99); Standard ($299); and Advanced ($999). RX Post Production Suite 5 has an introductory price of $1,499.

Info: www.izotope.com

 

The post iZotope Releases RX 8 Audio Repair Software appeared first on Radio World.

The author is with Griffin Communications in Oklahoma City, Okla.

I saw Mark Persons’ two articles this year on “Best Practices for AM Directional Systems.”

I too have used silicone to lubricate contactors, but I found over the years that often it collected dirt and dust in the contacts and sometimes just didn’t seem to really fix the issue with sluggish contactors.

I was able to fix a particularly troublesome contactor by switching to a dry lubricant using graphite because it wouldn’t get “gummy” over time.

WD40, CRC and Blaster offer aerosol delivery of graphite dry lube. It delivers via liquid and then evaporates, leaving the dry lubricant behind.

Submit letters to the editor at radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Letter: Lubricating Contactors appeared first on Radio World.

Stan Walbert

Stan Walbert is CEO and marketing director of MultiCAM Systems. The company uses an AI algorithm to choose the best video camera presets based on who is speaking, then emulates how a human operator would switch. A longer version of this appeared in the Radio World ebook “AI Comes to Radio.”

Radio World: What does the term “artificial intelligence” mean for your company and its products for the radio market?

Stan Walbert: Radio stations are now considering themselves as “content creators,” and they need to be able to deliver content in the most interesting form for their audience. Nowadays that means video first, in an increasing number of cases.

Since people don’t have the resources to do everything by themselves, they need to rely on AI to help create natural-looking video that engages the audience. The AI must act as a human would do to make the content interesting. The shots must look natural. What stations really need to avoid is setting up something that is boring with very few shot angles, or something where the shots are jerky in movement.

[Related: “AI Will Help the Industry Reinvent Itself”]

There is a big difference between dummy algorithms, macros and scripts, and AI. AI is the only one that can provide videos that make the show look natural. When you watch stations that use MultiCAM to create their visual experience, you will find you end up focusing on the video content and not the fact that it is “video for radio.” That is because of the AI, because it helps the station create something that you would normally need an entire camera crew and director to create.

Our stations are content creators, no matter what format they are providing. This technology gives radio stations a major “assist” into extremely well-produced video content.

RW: How is this different from other products or technologies on the market?

Walbert: There is no other product that uses AI for visual radio. MultiCAM is the only company that uses AI for visual radio. Our AI reproduces what directors are doing when they produce live videos. This is based on our experience of being in broadcast production for over 10 years; that is how we came up with the AI for this.

RW: Give an example of how the use of this AI changes the workflow for a typical user of your products.

Walbert: With MultiCAM radio, you can create entire programs without additional staff needing to be involved in any of the day-to-day workflow. This is groundbreaking technology because it allows radio stations to compete for content creation in both video and audio areas. In the past without our technology, there may have been a static camera shot or a few camera movements. The novelty of that wears off quickly.

In my opinion, what we are producing with automated almost works better than someone being there could. The reason for this is that AI allows the cameras to respond immediately; and frankly, no human could keep up with that. AI allows the station to avoid what we call “Aquarium visual radio.” This is where it is a static shot.

RW: Describe the development process.

Walbert: We spent a lot of time thinking about how we ourselves did this in our production work. For example, we would never as humans pick two shots with the same angle to follow each other. We emulated the rhythm of how a director would act, and we implemented that. We studied this extensively because we ourselves are from the broadcast production background, so we have looked at how these shots are made. We combined that with our knowledge of robotics and automation.

We are at the very beginning of where this technology can take this industry.

The post How AI Helps Create Natural-Looking Video appeared first on Radio World.