Radio World

Larger radio companies in the United States are not the only ones that have run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission in its investigations of online political files.

The FCC Media Bureau has announced that it reached consent decrees with four more companies: Center Hill Broadcasting Corp., Cookeville Communications, North Shore Broadcasting Co. and W & V Broadcasting.

In each case the company filed applications for one or more station renewals but was unable to certify past compliance with the rules for political record keeping.

The FCC then put those applications on hold — a total of 19 stations across the four companies — so it could investigate.

Now, with these consent decrees, the investigations are ended.

[Related: “Big Radio Companies Settle With FCC on Political Files”]

Just as it did in announcing consent decrees with big “name brand” radio companies recently, the Media Bureau said the pandemic “has caused a dramatic reduction in advertising revenues which, in turn, has placed the radio broadcast industry … under significant financial stress.” It said disclosures by these four companies combined with the “exceptional circumstances” of a pandemic led it to the consent decrees rather than other action.

Each company agrees to appoint a compliance officer; develop a compliance plan, including a manual and training program; and submit reports to the commission’s Political Programming staff. The FCC now will release the “hold” on the pending license renewal applications.

The post More Radio Owners Agree to Public File Compliance Plans appeared first on Radio World.

The impact of the pandemic can be seen in the latest financial numbers from SiriusXM, as with most U.S. media companies.

It said revenue for the most recent quarter was $1.9 billion, down 5% compared to the same period a year before, and net income was also down, though its adjusted EBITDA in the quarter was roughly unchanged.

CEO Jim Meyer called its business “resilient” with “improving results and visibility into the remainder of the year.”

The audio company saw ad revenue fall 34% in the quarter, though it said it compensated for this through “substantial” expense savings.

“Despite the incredible economic stresses brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, our self-pay net subscriber additions grew by nearly 200,000 over the first quarter of the year, and we reported improved churn of just 1.6% per month with rising ARPU,” said Meyer.

[Read: Stitcher’s Flexible New Facility in Manhattan]

Among other recent actions, he said, “We opened up our SiriusXM service for free during a time when people needed news, information and entertainment and we saw millions of new listeners take advantage of it.”

Looking ahead, he noted the pending rollout of the company’s hybrid radio platform 360L in cars from Audi, BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, GMC brands and Volkswagen.

The company also has been in acquisition mode, and it pointed out that it has committed $428 million to acquire Simplecast and Stitcher and a minority investment in Soundcloud.

It says the Stitcher transaction announced this month will substantially advance its position in podcasting. Senior EVP and CFO David Frear said, “We are excited to offer advertisers an attractive path for audience-based buys, including to over 150 million North American listeners across our platforms.”

In the company’s Pandora business, ad revenue fell 31% to $211 million, and gross profit fell 55%. “Numerous categories of advertisers cancelled or paused orders during the second quarter in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, revenue declines moderated throughout the quarter.” Monthly Active Users and total ad supported listener hours for Pandora were down while average monthly listening hours per active ad-supported user increased compared to a year earlier.

SiriusXM has about 34.3 million total subscribers, of which 30.3 million are “self-pay” subscribers (the company also has paid promotional subscribers). Total Pandora subscribers at the end of the period were 6.3 million.

The post SiriusXM Revenue Is Down; Meyer Calls Company “Resilient” appeared first on Radio World.

The author of this commentary is a veteran engineer and Radio World contributor. Opinions are his own.

I’ve been attending webinars about ATSC 3.0 with interest. Not just because of the potential impact for TV, but as a reflection to what radio is or isn’t doing with technology.

I’m not sure ATSC3 is the savior to OTA TV, but at least they are trying some things.

They’re pushing the notion that it could be “more internet-like,” which might be like saying “the horse and buggy wrapped itself with a car body so it looks like a car.”

ATSC3 does offer more channels and a better compression method, and that is a benefit.

I’ve been contributing ideas in these webinars and have had personal contact from one of the moderators, who reached out to discuss some ideas.

For instance, I do think ATSC could be much more “effective” if the technology included “store & forward,” meaning content is being uploaded to devices (TVs, etc.) by the transmitter delivering packets to individual’s personal devices based on MAC address.

This way, maybe commercials could actually be “custom tailored” to individuals. Maybe initially a viewer who is a vegetarian might not see a McDonalds spot about a Big Mac, but they only see one about the salads. Maybe someday the spot actually is customized to even reach out to the individual even saying “Dan, this weekend the Museum of Discovery and Science is hosting a history fair,” where the ad truly is for you.

ATSC3 has the potential to do this, but is that not technology that HD Radio could also have integrated?

Zoning & Personalization

If it’s simply about adding “more channels” (like HD), how much further do we fragment the audience? If the eight Albuquerque iHeart FMs add three sub channels in HD, do they really make 24 times the revenue — or instead of getting $24 per spot, do they now get $3?

ATSC3 also could allow “zoning” of spots, the same as a group of FM translator guys want to do. But is changing the spot on a transmitter the best way to do this; or would be using digital technology to “silently” upload content into players be a much better way to target the audience (not just within “zones,” but even for customer taste and preference)?

Since GPS tied to digital radio (like ATSC3) could actually play a spot based on a restaurant coming up in the next few miles, wouldn’t that make a lot more sense?

What if you are a “steak lover” driving down a busy road with 20 restaurants, and your food preference was known “to your radio,” and the “store & forward” of the audio spot in conjunction with GPS information meant that when the stop-set occurred, your radio played you a spot for Outback, Texas Roadhouse or Ruth’s Chris Steak House. …

Better yet, what if that car radio used Wi-Fi for additional metadata or positioning and could report back to the radio station when it played that spot and to whom it played it (including date and time)?

[Related: “Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum”]

Anyhow, maybe someday this will be the future. Right now, it seems that digital TV’s new ATSC3 is getting a lot of “tire kicks,” and the innovators seem to be hearing ideas and considering. Once again, we’ll require TV manufacturers to also incorporate the technology.

And radio is very fortunate that it does not have to deal with cable companies. The cable companies will want to compress the data and minimize the bandwidth, and they’ll want to rent the consumer a “box” (at a month charge) to benefit from any new ATSC3 innovation, and that may be the nail in that coffin!

Radio, unlike TV, doesn’t have “the middleman” kicking the crap out of us on every turn like the cable guys, and what we put out is what lands in the radio. So if our own digital innovation (even with tighter FM bandwidth) can come up with new ideas, we could see radio re-invented (or re-innovated).

I’d like to see an analog/digital radio with an IP-based back-haul to/from the station and with digital storage. If this could happen, each radio to every listener could be customized, and radio could still be the “content provider.”

What Only We Can Do

I do think certain large companies continue to destroy radio because the innovation of technology MUST include strong localism or radio WILL be wiped out for internet.

Where my MP3 can never beat radio is with local info. Tell me that “Third Street is closed because of a house fire” or “there’s a big pot hole in Walnut Avenue” or that there’s going to be a great “antique festival this weekend in downtown Strasburg”— those are things my MP3 cannot do.

To me, that is radio … and that brings us together to do what only WE can do!

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

The post What Can ATSC 3.0 Teach Radio? appeared first on Radio World.

Commissioner Michael O’Rielly says rules created by the Federal Communication Commission to promote diversity in media have been a “complete failure.”

Speaking virtually to a luncheon audience of the Media Institute, the Republican commissioner said the “dearth” of African American ownership of local broadcast properties “is beyond embarrassing, resting in the low single digits.”

But he noted that the current state of affairs has occurred with FCC ownership limitations in place for decades.

“A very compelling case can be made that removing our limitations, in fact, would set the stage for more minority investment and ownership. Consider radio ownership, where allowing bigger clusters within a market could help stabilize, and alternately, enhance minority-owned stations in that market. Similarly, the same outcome could occur if the newspaper-broadcast limitations were struck as well, something the courts have approved numerous times, only to be foiled by claims of missing analysis.”

He credited Chairman Ajit Pai for leading an effort to adopt a radio incubator program that would entice broadcast owners to partner with minority small business entrepreneurs. “While supporting this initiative, I was unfortunately unsuccessful in my effort to extend the program to television as well,” he said.

“Alas, the entire effort was upended by a few squabbling industry participants and then captured by the legal morass that is the quadrennial [review]. Now, we effectively have returned to the broken status quo. Absent Supreme Court intervention, it will be years before any action is even considered again at the commission.”

O’Rielly said this outcome “represents a huge disappointment for the agency and a lost opportunity for society.”

“Mind-Boggling”

About media rules more broadly, O’Rielly thinks the entire federal media regulatory model “needs to be shredded.”

“The level of overregulation is mind-boggling. Ask yourself: Why does the FCC regulate where a broadcast tower is placed so long as it doesn’t cause interference with an adjacent market? Or, why does the FCC prescribe how a station should maximize OTA listeners or viewers when it is already in the broadcaster’s best interest to do so?”

Many of his remarks were about TV but overlapped with radio concerns.

“For example, in reviewing mergers, the Department of Justice has repeatedly and inexplicably failed to properly identify relevant advertising market participants,” O’Rielly said.

“We have seen the data. There is no question that in DMAs across the country, urban and rural, certain high-tech companies are taking an increasing share of local advertising. Yet, when, God forbid, two television or two radio stations in a market seek to combine, DOJ absolutely refuses to consider the existence of non-broadcast ad sales in its overall analysis.”

And he opined on the First Amendment, criticizing “certain opportunists” who claim to advocate for the amendment “but who are only willing to defend it when convenient and constantly shift its meaning to fit their current political objectives.”

He said, “We should all reject demands, in the name of the First Amendment, for private actors to curate or publish speech in a certain way. I shudder to think of a day in which the Fairness Doctrine could be reincarnated by some other name, especially at the ironic behest of so-called speech ‘defenders.’”

And he said the amendment’s protections apply to corporate entities, “especially when they engage in editorial decision making. It is time to stop allowing purveyors of First Amendment gibberish to claim they support more speech, when their actions make clear that they would actually curtail it through government action.”

O’Rielly’s nomination was recently approved by the Senate Commerce Committee and is awaiting action by the Senate. He is one of three Republicans on the five-member commission.

[Read O’Rielly’s text on the FCC website.]

The post O’Rielly Deems FCC Diversity Rules “a Complete Failure” appeared first on Radio World.

Codecs — and the remote, distribution and STL applications they serve — have seen a great deal of change in the last decade … or, perhaps more accurately, several waves of change.

Radio World’s new ebook explores this topic. In putting it together we sought input from equipment manufacturers and users in the field, asking them to describe recent trends, discuss how the technologies are being used and predict where they’re going next.

How are today’s technologies solving problems in new ways? How has the pandemic changed these trends further? What should someone know if they haven’t bought a codec or STL system in some time?

The experts we interviewed bring perspectives from organizations including 2wcom, AEQ, Barix, Comrex, Cumulus, Educational Media Foundation, Entercom, GatesAir, In: Quality, Multitech Consulting, SCA, the Telos Alliance and Tieline.

The transportation of high-quality digital audio has never been easier.

Read it here.

The post Trends in Codecs and STLs for 2020 appeared first on Radio World.

Radio companies are moving with caution when it comes to reopening their facilities; we checked in with a bunch of them. Also, Robbie Green shares lessons about station resiliency from his experiences in Houston. Switzerland moves closer to its FM shutdown. Buyer’s Guide looks at consoles and routers. And we present more “Radio at 100” history coverage: Tom Vernon recalls two classic Gates products, while John Schneider surveys the role of women in the early years of U.S. radio.

Read it online here.

Prefer to do your reading offline? No problem! Simply click on the digital edition, go to the left corner and choose the download button to get a PDF version.

New Gear

Summer of Products

Nine new or recent introductions you won’t want to miss, from Tieline, Henry Engineering, Wheatstone, Telos Alliance, Marketron, Lawo, Burk, StreamGuys and Digital Alerting Systems.

Metadata

Digital Radio Has Expanded Community Messaging

Xperi highlights the ways that broadcasters have used HD Radio metadata to convey information related to the virus.

Also in this issue:

• Remembering the Gates Sta Level and SA-39B
• Switzerland Inches Closer to FM Switch-Off
• “COVID Virginia” Was a Volunteer Miracle 

The post Inside the July 22 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

The author is the former chairman and chief executive of Greater Media.

The COVID-19 crisis has been devastating across multiple sectors of the U.S. economy — and the renewed threat posed by resurging rates of infection is troubling.

In the broadcast industry, where I’ve spent most of my professional career, big challenges are hitting radio markets and station groups all over the U.S., including in San Diego, America’s 16th largest radio market.

Total radio listenership in San Diego has been down by 40 percent, with commercial revenue plummeting and operating budgets slashed as a result. You’ve seen significant layoffs at radio stations and the disappearance of beloved on-air personalities with decades of listener engagement in San Diego.

This unprecedented series of events will test broadcast company leadership like nothing we have seen — in San Diego and nationwide. The broadcast industry is pivoting dramatically before our very eyes. So too are the restaurant and hospitality business, transportation and common carrier travel, retail, personal services and many other fields.

Stay close with your people

The transformative effect of COVID-19 on our economy won’t just be felt for a set period of time. It will change some businesses forever, inspire or motivate creative ideas for managing this new reality, and sadly inflict damage enough to end many enterprises completely.

Whether it’s broadcasting, manufacturing, service industries or retail, you cannot manage what you don’t understand. And the only way to genuinely understand how transformative events impact your team is stay as close to them and communicate with them as much as possible. That means reaching out and connecting daily with the men and women that make your company work. It means being present for them and being counted alongside them.

I’ve seen a number of incredibly valuable information tools emerge in the roughly five-month period during which COVID-19 has altered our social, behavioral and economic landscape.

This April piece from Harvard Business Review by three ghSMART management consultants demonstrates that the most important goal of managing through a crisis event is taking good care of your team. Significantly, these experts suggest that acting definitively with speed over precision is often necessary to keep pace with fast-evolving and impactful events.

A similarly timed report from MIT’s Sloan Management Review notes the importance of team leaders or middle-tier managers as organizational figures that “set the tone and serve as the voice of reality.”

What these company figures say and share and how they lead can be more influential than the actual CEO or other top-tier leadership. “Support the organizational stance; if you bash the organization or its leadership, employees will lose trust,” writes consultant Amy Leschke-Kahle, the piece’s author. “They need to be able to rely on their immediate leader for honesty and stability.”

And finally, consultant Jack McGuiness writes in Chief Executive magazine that practicing “positive accountability” is the most effective method for supporting teams working through unusual or uncomfortable circumstances. Bottom line: if you need to get someone back on track, begin the conversation with the things they are doing well.

Company or workplace leaders should be staying connected both literally and emotionally with their employees. Hold weekly town halls via Zoom or other remote technology. Have informal meetups online and make unexpected calls to staff just to check in and see how they are doing.

And always, always, be honest and forthright about what is happening with the economy and your company. In good times and in bad. When the news is encouraging or when the news is devastating.
There will inevitably be tough decisions made during such a 100-year economic weather event. But always remember to treat your people as you would wish to be treated. Information is an asset, not a liability. Share it properly and your team will hang in there with you.

Peter H. Smyth is now a senior consultant to American Media and is a member of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Read more about radio and the pandemic. 

The post Smyth: Stay Connected With Your Employees appeared first on Radio World.

The author is support engineer at À Punt Radio.

VALENCIA, Spain — À Punt Radio is part of the Corporació Valenciana de Mitjans de Comunicació. In the recent past we have been supplied by AEQ with an IP audio network based on Dante technology.

We have worked really hard to define and implement a solution that is flexible, reliable, easy to use and maintain, and long-lasting all at the same time.

The Central Control Room

Though the system features automatic Dante redundancy, we are planning a parallel AES/EBU digital-audio network to provide for an emergency audio contingency that would allow operation and broadcasting to continue via some simple patch switching.

Routing is performed by an AEQ BC2000 digital audio matrix with TDM technology, IP connected with Dante to the studios. The destination is Forum Split digital mixers. Two of these studios, dedicated to live music and music editing, incorporate an additional Yamaha TF1 console connected through the Dante network.

In the central control room are two AEQ SysTel IP broadcast telephone systems, three audio codecs, two radio multi-receivers, two DVB-S2 (HD satellite) and DVB-C/T (cable and DVB-T, both in HD) receivers, and two TV sets, monitoring selector, two dual VU meters, two EBU monitors, two FM program and one streaming processors.

Also, there are two main monitors for central control room listening, the BC 2000D audio matrix and two Netbox 32 audio-over-IP interfaces. The audio matrix installed is a scalable AEQ BC2000D router. It mixes, distributes and processes audio using TDM technology, sized with a total of 352 inputs and 352 outputs, 256 of which are AoIP Dante, 64 are AES/EBU digital and 32 are analog.

Eight patch panels are the matrix and AoIP interface inputs and outputs from and to analog and AES/EBU digital equipment connected to the matrix and AoIP. Also, an AES/EBU input and output from each studio is connected, providing an emergency wiring path.

There are four deployed IP networks: main Dante audio-over-IP network; a secondary Dante network; voice/telephony IP network connected to the WAN provided by the telco; and the control network for all the devices.

The CPUs for all computers can be seen in the central control room: the ones providing service in the central control room and the ones serving the controls, studios and booths using KVM extenders.

Typical wiring between the central control room and each studio is composed of:

• Two video distribution cables (plus four more for the cameras in the Studios 1 and 3);
• 16 Ethernet cables for primary Dante AoIP; secondary Dante AoIP; IP telephony system’s handset; studio’s AES/EBU audio input/output; four KVM extensions; two cables for the device IP control network; one more for the audio matrix control panel; and five spare cables.

For journalist booths, wiring is simpler, with only eight Ethernet cables plus the two video ones.

A design criterion shared by AEQ and À Punt Radio is not to skimp on Ethernet wiring so the networks can be physically separated, greatly simplifying configuration and maintenance, reducing failures, providing physical redundancies and leaving available infrastructure left for future implementations.

Four radio studios have been installed around a Forum IP Split broadcast digital mixer, with 16 faders, and a separate audio engine. Forum Screen software application was added to help control, as well as an R128 loudness meter. The console communicates with the central control room using Dante, Netbox interfaces and other AoIP devices. It features analog microphone, line and headphone inputs/outputs and AES/EBU I/O to connect to the rest of equipment.

Also, two studios have been equipped with a camera automation system to produce visual radio by means of data command through the mixer’s Ethernet interface.

Communications management (including VoIP telephony and IP/ISDN audio codecs) is performed using their respective control software. SysTel IP management application was installed on a PC with touchscreen. Audio codecs are controlled using AEQ’s Control Phoenix, a dedicated piece of software.

All the required local devices (CD and USB media players, effects modules, active monitors, etc.) have also been included.

Journalist Booths

For radio journalists Capitol mixing consoles are installed.

A TV set connected to the console, allows for direct recording of radio and TV broadcasted signals. A Tascam playback/recording unit is used to insert and extract audio files. A broadcast telephone system terminal, allows interfacing calls with the automation system or sending them on air.

Besides the central control room matrix input and outputs, audio signals from any other location on the network can be requested for recording and/or editing. In the same way outgoing lines to the matrix allows the sharing of live work with any other studio or even putting it on air directly if required.

Installation of the equipment was by AEQ System Engineering Dept. under the coordination of Bernardo Saiz, supervised by Francisco Calabuig and the rest of engineers at À Punt Comunicació.

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 in the United States, contact AEQ Broadcast International in Florida at 1-800-728-0536 or visit www.aeqbroadcast.com. Elsewhere contact Gustavo Robles at AEQ in Spain at +34-91-686-1300 or visit www.aeq.eu.

The post User Report: À Punt Radio Relies on AEQ appeared first on Radio World.

Small group owner Adams Radio Group has announced a change at its Salisbury/Ocean City Md., cluster.

Market Director of Sales Johnette Cochran has been promoted to vice president/general manager of the market group.

[Send your people news to radioworld@futurenet.com]

Adams Radio Group CEO Ron Stone said, “ She walked into a market and found herself operating as the top management person on site in the most unusual

of circumstances. She has proven herself during these ‘worst of times’ to be not only a terrific sales leader but also a terrific leader in general. I could not be prouder of what she has accomplished in the past six months and cannot wait to see the results as she is now fully unleashed.”

Cochran has worked in the past for Townsquare Media, Alpha Media and Guaranty Media.

Adams Radio of Delmarva includes WGBG(FM), WOCQ(FM), WUSX(FM) and WZBH(FM).

The post Cochran Promoted at Adams Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World will participate in September’s “Best of Show Awards Virtual Edition,” which normally is conducted at this time around the annual IBC show.

The program is intended to honor outstanding products and help raise awareness for the new products and services, this year honoring products launched or featured around the virtual IBC Showcase event.

The awards are supported by Future’s media and entertainment technology brands TVBEurope, PSN, Radio World and TV Technology.

Until Sept. 2, manufacturers and retailers can nominate products that have launched since the 2019 awards.

For more information about the Best of Show 2020 Virtual Edition, visit the FAQ page. To nominate, visit the official website.

The post Nominations Open for Best of Show Virtual Edition, Fall 2020 appeared first on Radio World.

The spring 2020 Nielsen Audio Market Report will be the final one for nine small radio markets.

Nielsen Audio will discontinue its syndicated market report for Battle Creek, Mich.; Bend, Ore.; Billings, Mont.; Grand Junction, Colo.; New Bedford-Fall River, Mass.; Texarkana, Texas-Arkansas; Tri-Cities, Wash. (Richland-Kennewick-Pasco); Twin Falls-Sun Valley, Idaho; and Yakima, Wash.

The company released a statement:

“Like most commercial businesses, Nielsen Audio continually reviews the economic viability of doing business in all markets. If the audio marketplace in select markets cannot financially support measurement, we discontinue producing our syndicated market report in those markets. That is just business as usual, the typical expansion and contraction of our rated audio market list, which is the case with these nine markets.”

See the most recent list of Nielsen radio market populations and rankings [PDF].

The post Nielsen Drops Nine From Its Rated Market List appeared first on Radio World.

From Radio World’s People News column: Bill Richards is retiring after five decades in the broadcast industry.

He is product manager of a test division at RCS, where he has worked for nine years. Earlier he held key programming roles at Premiere Radio Networks and what was then called Clear Channel, now iHeartMedia.

“As product manager of RCS’s Test All Media division since 2011, Richards has been one of the key figures driving the group forward in the field of media and research technology,” the company stated in a press release.

“Richards has been responsible for overseeing the tremendous growth of Test All Media, which he founded in 2008 and was later acquired by iHeartMedia.”

Prior to his role with RCS, he founded Bill Richards Radio Consultancy (BRRC), which created Rate the Music, an online research software that was acquired by iHeartMedia. Earlier he was  VP programming programming for Premiere, and then SVP of programming for Clear Channel.

“Throughout his tenure, Richards has held programming and consultant positions at well-known stations including KLUC in Las Vegas; KDWB in Minneapolis; WNCI in Columbus, KKBQ/93Q in Houston, KYUU/X-100 in San Francisco; and KIIS-FM in Los Angeles,” the company stated.

“He has also been recognized with numerous prestigious national industry awards throughout his impactful career as a programmer, including Billboard Magazine PD of the Year at KIIS-FM, Billboard Station of the Year at KIIS-FM, multiple Marconi Station of the Year awards at KIIS-FM during his tenure and Billboard Station of the Year at KLUC.”

He’ll spend time in Florida with his family.

Send People News information to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Bill Richards Retires From RCS appeared first on Radio World.

The Consumer Technology Association has announced that CES 2021 will take place as an all-digital experience rather than be held in Las Vegas, meaning that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry will continue into the early parts of 2021.

“Amid the pandemic and growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it’s just not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CTA. “Technology helps us all work, learn and connect during the pandemic — and that innovation will also help us reimagine CES 2021 and bring together the tech community in a meaningful way. By shifting to an all-digital platform for 2021, we can deliver a unique experience that helps our exhibitors connect with existing and new audiences.”

CTA bills the new format as an immersive experience that will allow attendees to discover the latest technology, bringing the global event to people’s homes and offices.

There was some initial hope that CES 2021 would be able to conduct its usual in-person gathering in Las Vegas, but as COVID-19 continues to linger in the U.S. and other places around the world, CTA is following in the footsteps of NAB, IBC and other major conferences to go virtual.

CTA says that it plans to return to Las Vegas for CES 2022, where it will combine the best elements of a physical and digital show.

Shapiro offered more detail on the decision to take CES 2021 virtual in a LinkedIn post.

CES 2021 will take place from Jan. 6–9. For more information, visit www.ces.tech.

The post CES 2021 Moves to All-Digital Experience appeared first on Radio World.

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association will soon lose its Number 2 executive — and its Number 1 advocate for broadcast engineers.

I realize that the latter title doesn’t actually exist on her résumé. But anyone who knows Linda Baun won’t dispute it.

Linda will leave the WBA and its foundation in September, taking early retirement and moving to Indiana to be closer to family.

In sharing this news with colleagues, she led an email with the quote, “Life happens when you’re planning something else.” She wrote to her boss Michelle Vetterkind, the president/CEO of the association, that “life-changing issues necessitate that I vacate my position.”

She has been with the association since 2006, involved in all manner of its operations including its Awards for Excellence program and Awards Gala, Student Seminar, winter and summer conferences, and numerous other events and training sessions. She coordinated the association’s EEO Assistance Action Plan, ran numerous committees and handled administration of the WBA office.

But outside of Wisconsin — and maybe inside the state too — she probably is best known for her work in helping to run the Broadcasters Clinic. That regional engineering-focused event existed long before she arrived but she is one of the people who has worked hardest to keep it relevant while many other regional events have dwindled. Clinic Committee Chair Kent Aschenbrenner calls her “the heart and soul” of that event.

Linda established her national engineering profile while working for 15 years for the Society of Broadcast Engineers; she did great work as its certification director at a time of significant growth in SBE’s certification programs.

She also is the spouse of Terry Baun, the retired broadcast engineer whose honors include the SBE Lifetime Achievement and Broadcast Engineer of the Year Awards, and whose dedication to the education and support of engineers she shares.

“Terry instilled in me the love for the engineers,” Linda told me. When she had the opportunity to become SBE certification director, he encouraged her to “run it like it was my company.” And his influence in her professional career did not stop there; Terry sent Linda’s résumé to the WBA when the association was looking for a vice president. “Did I mention he didn’t share that with me, before he did this deed?”

Michelle Vetterkind said Linda “earned a well-deserved reputation for always going above and beyond what our members expected of her and the extra special personal touches she added to every event.”

I can speak from my own experience that the phrase “personal touch” is exactly right in describing Linda.

In the WBA press release, Linda is quoted saying, “Who knew that working at a college station, a small-town radio station doing farm reports and logs, could lead me to a Christian station, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, and ultimately to the WBA?”

So I add my appreciation for Linda Baun. The industry is better for her and her work. Congratulations, Linda — don’t forget to bring an ample supply of cheese curds with you.

PS: Linda Baun is often heard to end her phone calls with “I just want to do the best job I can for our broadcast engineers.” I wrote that sentence last evening, intending to use it in the text above. A few hours afterwards, I received an email from her answering another question, in which she wrote: “Being a part of the SBE certification committee and the SBE was truly a wonderful experience. ENGINEERS are the BEST.”

See what I mean?

Paul McLane is the editor in chief of Radio World.

[Related: “Broadcasters Clinic in October Will Be Virtual Only”]

The post Linda Baun Will Retire from Wisconsin Association appeared first on Radio World.

Mid-size station group owner Spanish Broadcasting System has announced that it will be deregistering its common stock. The stock has been trading “over the counter.”

The company explained in a release that it was necessary to “reduce expenses and operate with utmost efficiency” during the global pandemic.

[Read: User Report: SBS FM Stations See Efficiency With GatesAir]

Furthermore, the decision would eliminate “the significant costs and administrative burdens of preparing and filing current and periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission.” The company noted the number of stockholders is relatively small, less than 300, allowing it to file a Form 15 Certification and Notice of Termination of Registration.

SBS is focused on the Spanish-speaking audience owning stations in markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico and it also provides programming and operates a small TV network, MegaTV.

The post SBS to Deregister Stock appeared first on Radio World.

NAB’s technology innovation initiative, Pilot, has announced it is accepting submissions for the fifth annual Pilot Innovation Challenge. The Innovation Challenge is just one of Pilot’s initiatives meant to support different parts of the innovation cycle.

The prompt for the 2020 Pilot Innovation Challenge is: “Develop a working prototype to improve real-time decentralized collaboration while managing live and recorded audio/video from multiple sources for media production in a limited bandwidth environment. Broadcasters should be able to implement the prototype as a supporting element within their current environment.”

More directly, contestants are tasked with creating prototypes that address limitations caused by remote television and radio operations while being able to support current production environments.

“This year’s challenge looks to answer a timely question that has surfaced in the broadcast industry,” said John Clark, Pilot executive director. “We are eager to see how technologists, many of whom are facing similar challenges, innovate to enhance remote production and overcome hurdles caused by physical distance, varying bandwidth speeds and remote operations.”

Individuals, teams, companies, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations can apply. Up to five finalists will be selected by a panel of industry experts, who will be notified by the end of September. The winners will be announced during the NAB Show New York Digital Experience in October.

Funding up to $150,000 will be allocated between as many as two winners. In addition to funds, winners will receive relevant mentorship, development feedback and a trip to the 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas to demonstrate the prototype.

The deadline to apply for the 2020 Pilot Innovation Challenge is Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. ET. For more information, visit www.nabpilot.org/challenge.

The post NAB’s Pilot Accepting 2020 Innovation Challenge Proposals appeared first on Radio World.

The author of this commentary is CEO of Access Europe. Access Europe launched the first mobile web browser in the 1980s and now facilitates media consumption outside of the home and in the connected car.

As we enter a new era of driving experiences, basic radio and rather awkward bring-your-own-devices (BYOD) are unlikely to satisfy drivers and passengers as the only forms of in-car entertainment.

Today’s consumers want access to all the services they are currently using on their phone and at home while on the road, the car original equipment manufacturers understand this and are all evaluating the best way to deliver on the potential of the connected car concept. As BMW board member, Pieter Nota, suggests: “It’s not just about having big screens in your vehicle, it’s about the content you can have on those screens and what you can offer that’s so important, in terms of things like the best possible integration of music in your vehicle.”

The combination of smart software with stable 4G and advanced 5G cellular networks unlocks a future in which the car becomes an OEM-branded communications hub that offers entertainment, BYOD access and value-added services.

The relatively low cost of shipping 4G systems in a car has already seen a rise in its inclusion in next-generation vehicles. Around 75% of cars will be connected to the internet by 2025, and connected functionality has moved up the list of features consumers value. A 2018 survey by mobile app developer Metova found over half of consumers have a car that connects to the internet through their mobile device and 33% prefer streaming audio over radio largely due to convenience.

While 66% of buyers are increasingly prepared to change their entertainment service providers and content packages for one that is available in their vehicle in order to gain better connectivity and seamless access to in-car entertainment.

5G Mobility Benefits

4G networks are already widely deployed and provide a pathway for high-speed connectivity across audio, compressed video and two-way communication for BYOD and onboard apps. In Europe, new car models approved for manufacture after March of 2018 must have the 112-based eCall emergency number system installed which uses a cellular modem within each vehicle.

Although 4G is ideal for streaming low bandwidth content, the cellular connectivity that will be fitted into all new cars is likely to be 5G ready — allowing a software/SIM upgrade to take advantage of new networks as they arrive to the market.

This move to 5G is more than just a gimmick; due to the short wavelength of 5G radio signals, cars with larger and better-integrated radio antennas will be able to transfer data at higher speeds with lower congestion at lower latencies and thus offer superior reception than that of smartphones. With the car acting as a reliable 5G access point, the ability to project a Wi-Fi hotspot for occupants provides increased reliability and performance across the entire journey for drivers and passengers alike.

With connectivity built in, automobiles finally gain several real-time capabilities that aid driver comfort, safety and utility. From instant updates for traffic and route guidance, to delivering new forms of infotainment such as streaming audio services and video for rear-seat passengers. 5G means, that for example, the car’s Wi-Fi and its built-in in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system will be able to seamlessly blend different audio inputs from national and local HD Radio, from across the world, to Spotify and to a much greater standard than streaming directly from your mobile device.

[Related: Read more articles about radio and the connected car.]

IVI acts already as a connectivity hub allowing various media formats — via Bluetooth and USB drives — to be merged into a single source of entertainment. The next-generation IVIs will also be a central access point to the services offered by the OEMs, allowing them to shape these in the most attractive and efficient way for the driver and passengers.

Infotainment Unlocked

The connected car approach will also allow car brands to offer integrated infotainment services through partnerships with existing or emerging music and radio services. In a similar paradigm to the smartphone market, vehicles are likely to be a showroom with connected services that are enabled through activating pre-downloaded apps within the IVI — along with companion apps for mobile devices. Playing a key role in how car brands are perceived.

As the automotive and digital media industries continue to evolve, car manufacturers are recognizing that the key to differentiating themselves is in building digital and software-based services around the car. But unlocking the potential for creating new relationships with drivers and building customer loyalty is through entertainment and next-generation radio services. This means the way we use cars is about to change and for the audio industries, this presents a unique opportunity to evolve its offerings, enter new territory and keep its services at the heart of the driving experience.

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

The post Entertainment Content for the Connected Car appeared first on Radio World.

The author is project director of RadioDNS. His commentaries appear regularly in Radio World.

RadioDNS has a mission to accelerate the growth of hybrid radio by establishing standards that reduce the costs and complexity of implementation. There’s growing adoption of our technical standards, but not all the impediments to growth are technical.

Radio receivers used to be simple devices. They varied in terms of support for FM/AM, stereo and RDS, but the broadcaster could generally be confident that what they transmitted was what the listener heard. As radio receivers have added more functionality, the opportunities for the listener experience to diverge from what the broadcaster intended has increased.

Sometimes this divergence is simply a misunderstanding. Many auto manufacturers started to include radio station logos in their cars, which made radio more visually appealing, but they didn’t realize how frequently stations and logos change, so they made no provision for the logos to be updated.

Logos got out of date, or entirely wrong as stations rebranded, and broadcasters became frustrated that they couldn’t fix it. With the best intentions, manufacturers had implemented a great idea very badly.

[Related: “Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum”]

Conversely, many broadcasters tried to circumvent restrictions on displaying dynamic text in the vehicle by “scrolling” their RDS station names, in complete contravention to the standards. As well as being a generally pretty poor experience, it frustrated manufacturers’ development of better interfaces to broadcast radio, and even regressed radio in some vehicles. Some broadcasters even misused the emergency signaling protocols to “hijack” listeners to their stations.

Most controversially, a radio was released that supported album art/visual content from radio stations, but utilized an internet connection to add preroll audio adverts to broadcast radio, and insert advertising into the radio station’s visual stream, without a station’s knowledge.

Mistakes have been made on both sides. Some times with good intent, sometimes not so. But each time the assumption was “this will be OK.”

Our latest activity is to be clearer about what “OK” looks like for radio, recognizing that the opportunity for there to be disagreements about what “OK” is has grown in line with the additional functionality that connectivity brings. Whilst our scope is hybrid radio, we think some of our thinking might also be useful for streaming and digital broadcast radio.

Our “Radio Device Metadata Terms” is an attempt to codify acceptable use of content made available by radio stations for radio devices.

It’s a standard template agreement that broadcasters can adopt if they think it describes how they’d like their metadata and content to be used. We think a standard is valuable because it dramatically reduces the complexity of working out what “OK” looks like, and establishes a consistency that allows manufacturers to make a radio that works for the majority of radio stations globally.

Much of it is pretty obvious: Don’t change the radio station logos, don’t edit or rewrite content provided by the radio station. Don’t add your own unauthorized content (or advertisements) to a radio station’s content.

Some of this is putting into writing things that should be clear now. The radio station should have all the necessary rights to distribute the metadata and content, and they should stick to the technical standards. They should be reasonable about how long content (like logos) can be stored before it’s deleted.

Nevertheless, it has taken time to consult and discuss these issues with all the stakeholders, because it inevitably creates some changes and places some (reasonable) restrictions in place in order to get consistency. We’ve taken input and circulated multiple drafts of the agreement so that people can understand how it will help and affect them.

We hope to publish the first version of Radio Device Metadata Terms on our website in the autumn. The key attributes are:

• It is a standard document which broadcasters and manufacturers can refer to, but RadioDNS isn’t a party to any agreement. Our role is to enable the market, but not participate or intermediate.
• Broadcasters can voluntarily adopt it by linking to it from their RadioDNS metadata. If a broadcaster adopts it, manufacturers should abide by it, but RadioDNS won’t be a party to resolving any disputes.
• If a manufacturer agrees with the terms, they can use all the content from any broadcaster globally offered under the terms.
• The terms don’t cover all use cases, and they don’t preclude any cases. If a broadcaster and manufacturer want to do something outside the scope of the terms, they can create their own agreement between them. That could be by extending the terms, or completely replacing it.

We’ll be providing guidance on how to implement the terms to both broadcasters and manufacturers. We hope it allows broadcasters and manufacturers to move forward with hybrid radio faster, with fewer chances of misunderstandings. We expect it to be widely adopted during 2021.

You can learn more at the Radio Device Metadata Terms portion of our website.

RadioDNS is funded by its members, and provides a uniquely non-partisan environment for stakeholders to discuss and resolve issues surfaced by the evolution of broadcast radio enabled by combined broadcast and IP. We’re really proud that our members represent every sector of the global broadcast radio industry.

Comment on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post RadioDNS Aims to Establish Metadata Consistency appeared first on Radio World.

With this issue, Radio World expands its readership to the international broadcast engineering community. We welcome the new readers to Radio World’s longest-running feature Workbench, and look forward to interacting with you, sharing tips and suggestions that make your job easier and more efficient.

MOVs

Longtime Workbench contributor and Malaysia resident Paul Sagi has been editing local science textbooks and scientific research papers in a variety of fields since retiring from broadcast and computer work.

Paul writes that much in life depends on timing. Since electric surges travel at a finite speed, the speed of current through the conductor, which is estimated at 98% of the speed of light, MOVs (Metal Oxide Varistors) must switch on fast — in nanoseconds.

Surge suppression is a race between the surge current impulse and the MOV. Placement of the MOV has to be between the power (or data) input and the protected components. It must be close enough to the power (or data) input, and far enough from the protected electronic components, that the MOV can be turned on (or at least turning on) before the surge reaches the components.

In Paul’s case, he placed the MOV right next to the phone line input of a DSL splitter, not 3/4 of an inch  away. He drilled holes through the printed circuit board (PCB) of his DSL splitter to add an MOV right next to the phone line jack. While inside, he replaced the original GDTSS (gas discharge tube surge suppressor) with a MOV because the MOV has a much quicker response time.

On the way to the DSL splitter, the phone line (Cat-5e Ethernet cable, green/white pair) passed through a surge suppressor he made with a 130V MOV. Between the DSL splitter and the modem was (you guessed it) another MOV surge protector and more Cat-5e Ethernet cable, green/white pair.

This brings to four the number of MOVs that Paul installed to take the punches from the lightning. Paul reports that over the years, he’s lost an MOV or two but never a modem. Timing is everything.

Paul also has an APC by Schneider Electric. The model is EasyUPS BV650I-MS UPS/AVR combo, and it works well. But even though Paul bought it from a Malaysian chain of computer stores, it was supplied with USA power outlets. The electrical outlets in Malaysia are the British type. The tip here is to have a good adapter for your AC cables.

Head for the Tunnel

Fighting the gummy residue after duct taping remote broadcast cabling on the floor or pavement is the bane of most remote engineers. The problem easily disappears with Tunnel Tape.

This patented, 3-inch-wide tape has adhesive only on its edges. This creates a stick-free “tunnel” in the center of the tape, where wires and cables can pass and not be affected by the adhesive on the edges.

The tape has some other benefits as well: You can easily tear the tape by hand, it is puncture-resistant, and it can be lifted and repositioned several times without losing adhesion.

A 3-inch by 40-foot roll runs just under $25. For larger cable bundles, the tape is available in 4-inch widths, at a slight increase in price.

Specifications and ordering information can be obtained at www.cableorganizer.com/tunnel-tape.

Low-Cost Software

Florida projects engineer Dan Slentz alerts readers to more free and low-cost metering software! This time it’s from UK-based Darkwood Designs  (www.darkwooddesigns.co.uk), which offers a variety of software meters including VU, PPM, multi-channel level meters, all supported by Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10  only.

From the home page, click on “More PC Software” to download a slick Audio Test Generator. This level meter includes a digital readout and is combined with a Sine Wave Test Generator. Ideal software for your shop, workbench or laptop for field applications.

Dan also came across a new and useful YouTube video for owners of Moseley 6000 series studio/transmitter links. It describes the process to change operating frequencies on this equipment, but it also includes useful servicing tips. To find the video, enter “Moseley 6000 Series STL Pair Frequency Change” in the YouTube search block.

Another Software Tip

Readers may remember Dan’s earlier submission of free drawing software, similar to Visio, called Draw.IO.

The company has released another free software version called Flowchart Maker & Online Diagram Software. It’s ideal for developing flowcharts and other engineering diagrams.

Here’s the link.

Put it in the Dryer

San Diego’s Marc Mann found Bill Fike’s suggestion of using a clothes dryer to persuade AC cord sets to relax a great idea.

However, Marc urges caution. Bill’s model Maytag is similar to Marc’s 16-year-old Maytag.  The drying rack in that model and other early models were the subject of factory recalls, because when mounted, they allow lint to bypass the filter and accumulate in various areas of the heating and vent train, possibly causing a fire during normal use.

Marc’s model (Fig. 2) requires the user to remove the filter to mount and utilize the rack. The issue is that anything that would come loose while drying would pass directly through and likely get lodged in the squirrel cage fan. Bill’s model evidently uses a different rack mounting method.

Anyone who has the older style of dryer, which requires removal of the lint filter for rack use, should ensure they first remove any adhesive labels on the cords, which once heated could come loose and cause issues as they float around inside the dryer.

John Bisset has spent over 50 years in the broadcasting industry and is still learning. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. He 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 and can be emailed to: johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post Workbench: Welcoming a World of New Readers appeared first on Radio World.

The author is director of engineering for the WXPN Radio Network.

PHILADELPHIA — WXPN(FM) is a long-time user of Logitek consoles — and by “long-time” I mean decades.

I arrived at the station in February, 2002. At that time we were looking at products to replace an aging Logitek Perfectionist console. We’ve used the original ROC-10, Remora, and Numix consoles at our facility since 2002. Their long life is backed up by the fact that our original Remora-4, purchased 18 years ago, is still in service!

Last year, we decided it was time to replace the two remaining Numix-12 consoles that had been installed in 2004, and of course we checked out Logitek to see what was available from them. We wanted to have a similar feature set to the Numix but with a smaller footprint — however, we didn’t want to lose any physical controls such as the number of faders on the surface. Having the console sit on the tabletop rather than requiring a furniture cutout was also an important consideration for us.

Our search resulted in the purchase of two Helix-12 consoles. The Helix series is Logitek’s entry into touchscreen control of audio consoles, and it’s nice. These consoles provide really easy access to bus assignments, EQ, limiter and compressor controls. Our two new Helix units are in the backup on-air control room, which is mostly used for production, and in our newly redesigned “World Café” production studio. “World Café” is produced by WXPN and distributed by NPR to over 200 U.S. radio stations.

I’ve been working with Tag Borland and John Davis at Logitek for my entire time at WXPN. They have guided me through my initial introduction to the world of networked audio systems, two major system expansions, multiple upgrades, and thousands of questions. It’s rare to nonexistent to work with the same people at the same company for so long. Their knowledge of the product, ease of accessibility for support and pleasant and calm demeanor is unmatched in the industry.

With this installation, since we were dealing primarily with a console replacement in each studio, we really didn’t need assistance from the factory. My only issue was a problem with source names not displaying — but if I had read the manual, I would have saved myself and John a five-minute phone conversation.

We have a range of users at WXPN, ranging from college students who have never entered a radio station to serious radio veterans. They’ve always enjoyed our Logitek consoles, but of all the different features offered over the years, I’ve received the most positive comments on the touchscreen features on the Helix. It’s so much easier for users to access the various controls, and something as basic as panning two sources opposite to each other during a recording for easier post production is now used more often than ever. We also rely on aux sends for a handful of important tasks, and our users have commented that the way the touchscreen displays the on/off status along with the touch controls is superior to the mechanical push button type on older consoles.

Logitek continues to be a very good value for the money, and it’s a pleasure to work with them.

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 John Davis at Logitek Electronic Systems in Texas at 1-713-664-4470 or visit www.logitekaudio.com.

The post User Report: WXPN Upgrades With Logitek Helix appeared first on Radio World.