Radio World

Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (Photo courtesy Smithsonian Institution)

Established in September 2011 by UNESCO, World Radio Day celebrates the profound influence of radio technology in spreading diverse, democratic discourse. Because of the medium’s relatively low cost and massive reach, it remains one of the most accessible forms of communication.

At the National Inventors Hall of Fame, we have the privilege of honoring some of the world’s greatest inventors, several of whom have played a significant role in developing radio technology. In recognition of the 10th anniversary of World Radio Day, we invite you to learn about NIHF Inductee Reginald Fessenden, who is known not only for discovering amplitude modulation (AM) radio, but also for conducting the first radio broadcast.

A Varied Background
Fessenden was born on Oct. 6, 1866, in what is now Québec. The son of an Anglican minister, he studied at Trinity College School and later at Bishop’s College in Lennoxville, Quebec.

In addition to teaching, he landed a job as principal of the Whitney Institute, a newly formed school in Bermuda. It was there that he met his wife, Helen Trott, and became interested in the field of science.

[Read More from Radio World About Fessenden]

Fessenden later moved to New York City to work for fellow NIHF Inductee Thomas Edison. While he began as a tester at the Edison Machine Works in 1886, he impressed Edison so much that just one year later, he was promoted to the position of chief chemist at the newly built Edison Laboratory in West Orange, N.J.

Unfortunately, Edison’s companies ran into financial hardship during the late 1880s, and Fessenden was let go. Undeterred, he continued working in the field of electrical engineering and eventually returned to the classroom to teach at the University of Pittsburgh.

A History-Making Broadcast
In 1900, Fessenden left academia for a job at the U.S. Weather Bureau, where he was challenged to adapt radiotelegraphy for use in weather forecasting. Frustrated with the cumbersome and slow process of decoding radiotelegraphy messages, he began exploring ways to transmit voice. Through his experiments, Fessenden realized that combining radio waves with a locally generated wave of a slightly different frequency created an audible frequency that could transmit the human voice.

He continued developing this idea, which he named the heterodyne principle, and on Christmas Eve 1906 he used his technology to successfully transmit human voices from Brant Rock Station, Mass., to ships off the Atlantic coast. The ships at sea enjoyed a broadcast that included Fessenden playing “O Holy Night” on his violin and reading a passage from the Bible.

To ensure the broadcast worked, he requested sailors send him a letter describing what they had heard on the other end. Their responses confirmed that the transmission was a success.

However, it would take another 10 years for this modern idea of radio transmission to become commercially viable with the availability of electron tubes (also known as vacuum tubes) to serve as the oscillator.

Fessenden held over 200 U.S. patents, and thanks to his celebrated 1906 Christmas Eve broadcast, he is considered by many to be the father of modern radio.

Discover More World-Changing Hall of Famers
To learn about more NIHF Inductees whose innovations have helped improve the lives of people around the world, we invite you to visit our blog.

The author is a content strategist at the National Inventors Hall of Fame based in North Canton, Ohio.

The post Reginald Fessenden: Father of Modern Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Saga Communications station WCLZ(FM) in South Portland, Me., promoted the 14th Polar Bear Dip & Dash to benefit the Natural Resources Council of Maine and its efforts to fight climate change.

Before we get too much further into 2022, I’m hoping we can focus on making it a better world for ourselves and our listeners in as many ways as possible.

When you read the many summaries of the headlines 2021, you couldn’t help but notice that climate was one of the top stories. From extremely cold temperatures in Texas and record highs on the Pacific Coast to hurricanes and enormous forest fires, weather effects dominated the news.

Yet as I listen to commercial stations around the United States, I rarely hear the terms “climate change” or “global warming” mentioned other than news radio coverage. The exception is conservative talk radio, where the seriousness of climate change is still rejected as a left-wing scare tactic.

“Pluralistic ignorance” is a useful phenomenon to understand if our industry wants to help improve conditions we face with climate change, COVID and the economy.

Pluralistic ignorance happens when people misjudge beliefs and actions of others and then act accordingly, even when it goes against what they actually believe.

[Read More Promo Power Here]

A prime example of pluralistic ignorance comes from a 2019 survey conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. It discovered that the American public underestimates how many people in our country believe that global warming is real.

It might be surprising to you to learn that Americans on average think that only 54% of others believe that global warming is occurring, when actually 69% of Americans surveyed at that time really did believe it was happening. And the latest survey from September indicates that this belief about global warming has grown to 76% of the American public believing that “global warming is happening,” an all-time high since the program began its surveys in 2008.

Taos Communications station KTAO in New Mexico has been using solar power since 1991.

While I understand talk radio has an audience to serve, these stats make me wonder if its programmers are doing enough research to make sure that the once-sacred cow of poo-pooing climate change should be reassessed, even for their listeners.

After all, it is common for Americans of radically different political stripes to want the same thing. The crux of conflict is how it should be done.

Regarding policy proposals, an April 2021 Pew Research survey reports that among specifically conservative-leaning Republicans, 86% favor planting about a trillion trees around the world to absorb carbon emissions, 69% support tax credit for businesses to develop carbon-capture and storage technology, and nearly half support tougher restrictions on power plant carbon emissions. Those results are not what common wisdom might predict.

And if you take a look at the comparison maps of the Yale Program’s 2018 survey of Democratic and Republican views of climate change, you will see that most Republicans at least “somewhat agree” that global warming should be taught in our schools — and an astounding number at least “somewhat support” the funding of research into “renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.”

That’s a far cry from the notion that politically conservative Americans couldn’t care less about climate change.

Broaden the conversation
For most of the listening universe in America, it’s past time that stations started openly supporting climate change initiatives, or at least letting the conversation take place.

Where to start? There’s a 90-second piece called “Climate Connections,” produced five times a week by The Yale Center for Environmental Communication that’s on many public radio stations; it could use more support from commercial radio. If you’re interested, email editor@yaleclimateconnections.org. If not, Yale’s climate change focused websites https://yaleclimateconnections.org/and https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/ offer many ideas for how you can incorporate messaging into your programming.

There are even studies showing how the public views specific topics you may consider addressing.

Along with addressing the topic regularly, stations can help support local and national initiatives and execute promotions, events and concerts with the proceeds benefiting organizations working to fight climate change.

Taking political affiliation into consideration, it’s easy to find resources that support different climate change initiatives. Google “climate change solutions” or “climate change education” and you’ll find everything from Greenpeace to the Brookings Institution and the Senate Bipartisan Climate Caucus.

Is it possible to run all or part of your radio station using solar energy? KTAO in Taos, N.M., famously has been using solar since 1991. If you’ve got to “get it in the budget” for next year, there’s no better time to plan for the future than now.

With seven in 10 Americans being at least “somewhat worried” about global warming, it’s time to broaden the conversation about this crucial aspect of the future that we all share.

The post Radio, Influencing the Future for Good appeared first on Radio World.

YFM DJ Kutloano Nhlapo, also known as “Da Kruk,” hosts his “Sinday Social” radio show in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Almost three decades into democracy, radio is thriving in South Africa. Radio listenership in the country is consistently higher than the global average. And it in fact increased during the COVID-19 lockdowns of the past two years.

This is perhaps not surprising given that radio acts as a companion and that people were confined to their homes and so more likely to tune in, more often. But during the pandemic, radio has also played an important role in bringing educational broadcasts to youth who did not have access to the internet. People also listened to radio station podcasts during lockdown, and podcast listenership in South Africa is also higher than the global average.

Despite South Africa’s divisive history, I have argued that this is because radio listening provides background texture to everyday life. It’s a social activity which reminds people that there is a social world “out there” and helps them link to it.

The numbers
Radio is a universal mass medium in South Africa, since more people have access to radio receivers and broadcasts than they do television sets. In fact, radio remains the most popular and pervasive medium across the continent. This is despite the proliferation of cellphones, the growth of social media apps and on-demand streaming music services.

[Read More of Our Coverage of Radio Around the World]

One might assume that fewer people would listen to the radio given these technological innovations. But the most recent measurement figures show that radio audiences in South Africa continue to grow.

In 2021, about 80% of South Africans had tuned into a radio station within the last week, with most people still listening on traditional radio sets. There are 40 commercial and public broadcast stations and 284 community stations in South Africa.

Radio audience numbers in South Africa have not declined as they have in North America, due to an increase in streaming service options. There is, in particular, high listenership among young people, who listen to radio as a source of both news and companionship.

Vernacular radio
World Radio Day is a good time to reflect on the role of the medium in a country like South Africa, characterized by inequality and an ethnically divisive history under apartheid.

Historically, South African broadcasting has not provided a common space of public communication, but instead reinforced notions of separateness, in line with apartheid narratives of difference. As I argued in my book Broadcasting Democracy, people “consume” radio, making strategic choices about which stations to tune into on the basis of their personal or group identities.

Commercial music radio stations in particular are still often seen and sometimes even explicitly framed along racial lines. There is a plethora of radio stations in all 11 official languages available at the public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corp.

South African scholar Liz Gunner has shown how a station like the Zulu language Ukhozi FM has been significant in connecting with urban and rural listeners to navigate post-apartheid Zulu identity. Ukhozi FM has the highest radio listenership with nearly 8-million listeners. While during apartheid language and ethnic differences were used as a means to segregate citizens, today these are celebrated as part of a diverse “rainbow nation”.

The public sphere
Despite the continued popularity of vernacular radio, English-language talk radio stations and shows still attract African language speakers who frequently phone in and participate. This could be linked to the dominance of English-language media in South Africa and the fact that English media spaces are also often dominant.

In other words, despite the range of vernacular options, English stations are perceived as being sites of the public sphere and attract debate and conversation between a diverse range of South Africans.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

Regardless of language, talk radio shows are booming with vibrant conversations, highlighting the important role of radio as a space to bring together geographically diverse South Africans to debate matters of social and political importance.

Aside from identity, radio also plays a key role as a companion for people, as in this study where the majority of youth said that radio “keeps me company”. Another recent study confirmed that listeners often see their preferred radio station as a companion and feel a deep connection with both the station and its DJs.

Social media
While traditional listenership is growing in South Africa, people are also listening more online and interacting with radio stations in different ways, for example via social media platforms.

Whereas in the past listeners could only access radio hosts via calling in to the station, they can now easily and instantly reach them via apps like Twitter. And equally instantly receive responses. While calling in to a station usually implies negotiating one’s way past a call screener or producer and engaging on a specific topic, Twitter communication is often more casual, relaxed and personal.

Radio is thus no longer a one-dimensional platform or “blind medium”, and this is a key contributing factor to its growth. And radio listeners are able to now communicate directly not only with the station, but also one another.

Community radio
And with 284 stations, the role of community radio in South Africa also remains key to continuing to build and consolidate democracy. Originally designed as the “voice of the voiceless”, community radio emerged as part of the liberalization of the airwaves in the early 1990s. They were a key strategy in the repositioning of the apartheid-state media landscape.

Like many other organizations in the NGO sector, community stations have faced financial challenges after the withdrawal of international donor funds which sustained them during the apartheid period. But they are still flourishing, as evidenced by the large number of stations still in existence.

Stations like Bush Radio, the oldest community radio project in Cape Town, still boast an exciting lineup of alternative talk and music content. And smaller community projects like Rx Radio, a children’s radio project based at Red Cross Children’s Hospital, also play a key role in providing children’s entertainment produced by children themselves.

Radio plays a significant role in South Africa as form of education and entertainment. The diverse and vibrant range of stations is a unique feature of the South African media landscape.

Tanja Bosch is an associate professor in Media Studies and Production at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and the author of the book Broadcasting Democracy: Radio and Identity in South Africa. Her Twitter feed is @radionerd76.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.

The post Radio Is Thriving in South Africa: 80% Are Tuning In appeared first on Radio World.

(Photo by Pixbay)

The National Association of Broadcasters has laid out its top policy priorities for the 117th Congress with a list of policy priorities that include preserving local journalism in the age of big tech, increasing diversity in broadcasters, preventing harmful changes to advertising tax treatment, and ensuring broadcast ownership rules reflect the competitive marketplace.

Its list of policy priorities began with preserving local journalism in the age of big tech.

Noting that journalism and a free press are bedrocks of American democracy, the NAB said that while “free, accessible and reliable content remains in high demand, it is being undermined on multiple fronts.”

As the “advertising market has become dominated by a few giant online platforms, broadcast stations’ advertising revenues have significantly declined, making local journalism more difficult to support,” the NAB said.

“As Congress considers the competitive challenges and antitrust concerns raised by digital platforms and their impact on local news and information, it should support laws and policies that recognize and uphold broadcasters’ unique and essential role in democracy and a free press,” the NAB said.

[Read More of RW’s Congressional Coverage]

In opposing a performance tax on local radio stations, the NAB contended that a “performance tax would financially cripple local radio stations simply for airing music, jeopardizing local jobs, stifling new artists and harming local radio listeners. Broadcasters strongly support the Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 33, S. Con. Res. 9), a resolution that opposes a performance tax and is supported by more than 230 bipartisan members of the House and Senate.”

In terms of its policy priority of increasing diversity in broadcasting, the NAB noted that “the most impactful program to expand diversity in broadcast ownership – the Minority Tax Certificate Program – was eliminated by Congress in 1995. That program had provided tax incentives to those who sold their majority interests in broadcast stations to minorities, and broadcasters support legislation to reinstate it.”

“Broadcasters support the Expanding Broadcast Ownership Opportunities Act (H.R. 4871) and the Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act, also known as the Broadcast VOICES Act (S. 2456), introduced in the House and Senate respectively during the 117th Congress,” the NAB said. “Reinstating the Tax Certificate Program at the FCC would encourage investment in broadcast station ownership for women and people of color and dramatically help underrepresented voices realize their dreams of radio and television station ownership.”

The NAB also came out against preventing harmful changes to advertising tax treatment.

“Under the U.S. tax code, advertising is treated as an ordinary and necessary business expense deductible in the year it is incurred,” the NAB said. “In the last few years, some in Congress and in state legislatures have proposed changes to the tax treatment of businesses’ advertising as a means of raising revenue. These modifications would have a devastating impact on radio and television stations, as well as local newspapers, by discouraging businesses from advertising….Congress should oppose legislation that modifies the tax laws to make advertising more expensive for businesses.”

In terms of relaxing ownership regulations, the NAB stressed that “TV and radio stations are best able to serve their local communities when allowed to compete effectively in the marketplace….Broadcasters urge policymakers to support the FCC’s modernization of radio and TV ownership rules to reflect the current marketplace and account for the rise and increasing influence of digital media.”

More information on the policies that broadcasters will focus on during the rest of the 117th Congress is available at nab.org/advocacy.

The post NAB Lays Out Top Policy Priorities for 117th Congress appeared first on Radio World.

Infographic Courtesy Pure Digital. Click to embiggen.

A new study from digital radio manufacturer Pure Radio finds that for many Brits, radio now provides the soundtrack for their lives.

This is especially true 18- to 34-year-olds. The survey found that more than 62% of the younger audience segment is tuning to radio compared to pre-pandemic. Despite older listeners not changing their listening habits as dramatically, on average, more than a third of U.K. listeners find themselves listening to the radio more now.

In part, Pure Radio stated in a release announcing the survey findings, the increase is connected to working from home. A fifth of respondents noted they listen to the radio while eating breakfast or during the workday with 11 a.m. being the most popular time to listen to the radio. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they put on the radio to help combat feelings of loneliness.

[Related: “World Radio Day Focuses on Trust for 2022”]

The biggest difference in listening habits between younger and older listeners comes in an unexpected place — the shower. The survey found that the 18–24 segment was four times as likely to listen to the radio while washing themselves than those aged 45+ (20% of 18–24 respondents versus just 5% of those 45+). Younger listeners were three times as likely to listen to the radio during dinner than older listeners (18% vs. 6%).

When it comes to their preferred listening method, 27% of 18–34s said they found listening via a traditional radio receiver most convenient.

Pure Radio surveyed 2,000 Brits for the study to understand the trust people have in radio as part of a campaign connected to World Radio Day 2022.

The post Radio Listening Up Among Younger Brits appeared first on Radio World.

I think Fred Baumgartner’s article about OTA Next Gen ATSC 3.0 and the entire push to put it on the air misses a very important point: Why bother?

While he argues that ancient modulation on the MW band and even FM on the VHF band cannot compete with ATSC 3.0 on the UHF band for OTA distribution for most of the global audience, he forgets that wireless transmission in general is passe except for time spent in motion, commuting, etc. Fiber to the home is rapidly replacing copper circuits of all types and is far more reliable than any OTA signal.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

Do we need ATSC 3.0 to reach commuters? Nope. Sure, we could use its data formats with 5G OTA, but that’s really optional. Once you have an IP connection, any data format will work. ATSC 3.0 TV transmission, even synchronous repeaters, pales in comparison with cellular carriers, who will be providing thousands of cell sites in any one community.

If you look at rural areas, especially those with very hilly or mountainous terrain, OTA remains highly challenged. And that includes 5G cellular service. But many of these same areas are being rewired with fiber.

So, for that magnificent 8K TV screen, fiber will likely rule. For the kids in the back seats of the family van, do they really need 8K for the 24-inch screen built into the back rests of the seats in front of them?

In the world of Internet of things, will traditional TV license holders matter? Nope. These devices require two-way connectivity. Only the wireless carriers are in a position to expand and prosper. And at home, the bits can be uplinked more efficiently with wireless modems connected to the world via fiber than 5G.

The author is chief engineer of Monadnock Broadcasting Group and Saga Communications. Opinions are his own.

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

The post Why Bother With NextGen TV? appeared first on Radio World.

Spanish Broadcasting System has asked the Federal Communications Commission to allow foreign investors to indirectly own up to 49.99% of its equity in aggregate.

SBS filed a petition for declaratory ruling as a consequence of a litigation settlement under which certain investors would receive a combination of cash and new shares of SBS’s common stock.

SBS has radio holdings in multiple major markets including flagship WSKQ(FM) in New York.

“The issuance of the total number of shares required to implement the settlement could cause the aggregate equity foreign ownership of SBS to exceed … [the] 25% benchmark because some of these parties are foreign entities and/or individuals,” the commission wrote in a summary.

[Recently in RW: “FCC Grants iHeart Petition on GMEI Foreign Investment”]

The commission noted that SBS only seeks approval for foreign investors to hold up to 49.99% of the company’s total equity interests; it does not seek special approval with respect to its voting interests.

Raúl Alarcón is the only person or entity that would hold a 5% or greater voting interest, with an approximately 80% voting interest and 34% equity interest in SBS. “The remainder of SBS’s stock would be held by various domestic and foreign investors,” the FCC wrote.

The petition doesn’t seek advance approval for any individual or entity. SBS told the FCC that the request raises no national security, trade policy or law enforcement concerns “and will further the commission’s goal of encouraging foreign investment in the broadcast industry.”

The commission accepted its petition for review and will take public comment. Per its past practice it also will check with relevant executive branch agencies for any concerns related to foreign ownership of SBS.

Comments can be filed on the FCC website and are due March 14, 2022. They should reference MB Docket No. 22-61.

The post SBS Seeks OK for More Foreign Investment appeared first on Radio World.

A new study has found that those who commute to an office outside the home use radio more than two times as much as those who work from home.

The media research and content intelligence provider NuVoodoo Media Services recently completed its 19th Rating Prospects Study, which suggests that the industry has reason to be optimistic about increased radio listening in the months ahead.

“Through the earlier stages of the pandemic and in our January study, the data has clearly shown more upside for radio when the focus is on the out of home audience,” said Carolyn Gilbert, president of NuVoodoo Media Services. “As Omicron cases peak and recede, the portion of the radio audience that offers more impact to stations’ monthly report cards is best found and influenced outside the home, in cars and at work, especially during critical weekday prime listening periods.”

Where survey respondents are typically working. (Courtesy NuVoodoo Media Services)

The report found that among those working in any capacity, just 12% report using radio most in a home office setting. Those numbers almost triple to 32% when working outside the home. Differences were also seen among all respondents, those who were likely to participate in ratings surveys (RPS Yes), and those who use radio for an hour or more each day (RPS 60). Less extreme differences were seen between at-home and out-of-home listening to digital streaming platforms (DSP) and other audio sources, although out-of-home workers were greater audio consumers regardless of the chosen medium.

The survey found a clear difference in listening habits between at-home workers and those commuting to work outside the home. (Courtesy NuVoodoo Media Services)

On Feb. 16, 2022, the study and findings will be presented in a 40-minute webinar that will explore how often listeners use streaming apps like Spotify and Apple when compared with how often they use and listen to local AM/FM radio streaming apps. The webinar will look at radio station marketing strategies, including social media, connected TV, direct mail, direct outdoor and telemarketing, and will take a deep dive into the use of smart speakers, car audio systems and podcast listening trends.

The survey was fielded nationwide at the start of January 2022 to 3,298 listeners across all PPM markets. The webinar on the report’s findings will be begin at 1 pm Eastern on Feb. 16.

The post Study: Those Working Outside the Home Listen to More Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Thresa and Michael Gay

Every now and then we are fortunate in our industry that a startup crops up to bring us some really cool problem-solvers. Some of these firms come and go. Some products are acquired by other companies (the old Dannager Audio Works Plan B silence sensor comes to mind). Some suppliers become industry stalwarts.

We have long-standing manufacturers like Henry Engineering and RDL that have built special widgets for years. Relative newcomer Angry Audio has a growing variety of solutions.

Now a company called NotaBotYet is on the scene with its own line of creative products for radio broadcasters. The startup was founded by wife-and-husband team Thresa and Michael Gay.

[Check Out More Product Evaluations in Our Products Section]

Early glimmers came while Michael was helping his daughter build her first robot, named the C-Bot, and trying to come up with a cute name to put on the circuit board. Because this was just the foundation of the project, he wrote “NotaBotYet” on the board.

Fast forward about six months to a studio build when one of Michael’s engineering colleagues spent days, literally, days, soldering 15-pin connectors for an Axia node. Michael thought, “There has to be a better way.” So he worked out some circuit board designs, and put the “NotaBotYet” name on them again.

That little breakout board was noticed by Dave Kerstin of distributor Broadcasters General Store, who said, “Hey I could probably sell a lot of those! Think you can make more?”

Thus in 2015, NotaBotYet was born.

Thresa is president of the family firm. “My degree is in education. I’m a mom, which qualifies for doing just about any job on the fly. For our company, I was in a position that I could balance starting a company — finances, sales, management — with home life — finances, sales, management.”

The NotaBotYet Howler Monkey is named for the loudest land animal.

Michael’s day job is vice president of engineering for Cumulus Media, but in his spare time he is the product designer for NotaBotYet. And their teenage daughters Tesla and Cianna help out.

Tesla, the 16-year-old, loves technology and has built her own gaming computer. (“Yes, she was named after Nikola Tesla,” said Thresa Gay. “I did marry a radio engineer. She was named Tesla before Tesla was cool.”)

Sample work
NotaBotYet makes a bunch of cost-effective solutions to resolve radio installation quandaries. They include the NotaBotYet Axia Relay, Axia GPIO Breakout, Six-Channel WheatNet Logic or Axia Livewire GPIO Relay, Yellowtec LITT Signaling Device Interface, Easy Relay, On-Air 85, Tally Helper 100 & 500, the Howler Monkey Precision Studio Headphone Amp and the Studio Jam and Expansion Jam.

An example of how Howler Monkeys can be daisy chained.

They’ve also built clever mounts for installing video cameras in radio studios.

Consider the Howler Monkey Headphone Amp system. It is designed to mount around the studio at guest locations; it uses standard RJ45 connectors and Ethernet cables. (And why is it called “Howler Monkey”? Because the howler monkeys of Central and South America are among the loudest creatures on land.)

It’s so well built and designed, I had to open the case to check out the construction. These headphone amp boxes have both 1/4-inch stereo and mini headphone jack, so no adapters to hunt down. You can daisy chain five of these (so you don’t need five “wall wart” power supplies all over) and you can chain the audio via Cat-5 from one to the next, or feed them individually from your analog DA, Blade or Node. Retail price is $320.

Studio Jam can help add multicolor accent lighting around the studio in an inexpensive and creative way.

Then there’s the Studio Jam, a fun device that can be used to create cool lighting effects in the studio based on GPIO connections from your audio board or AoIP gear.

These days, with studios “on camera” via social media and video streaming, an “ugly studio” won’t do. So NotaBotYet created this box to help add multicolor accent lighting around the studio in an inexpensive and creative way. Use it to cause lighting in the room to change color, depending on a GPIO trigger. Maybe the highlights glow red during an EAS! Or as various guest mics open, maybe the room — or even just the boom arms — might change color. Retail price is $340.

Another slick device worth mentioning is the On-Air 85, a universal 12V On-Air light that can be controlled by the Axia, Wheatstone or generic GPIO system.

Unlike more traditional on-air notification systems, this very small device provides the power to your 12V on-air light. It simplifies the wiring and connection to an output of the GPIO to the On-Air 85, and the On-Air 85 to the light. Simple and safe, avoiding any 120V AC wiring, and using easy low-voltage wiring.

A room with lighting controlled by Studio Jam. The NotaBotYet graphics have been Photoshopped in.
Besides the “Steady On” mode, there are 14 flashing patterns you can choose, so this device can certainly be used as the interface for a “phone” GPIO, “door” GPIO, or even “Coffee is READY!” GPIO. Retail price is $140.

Keep your eye on NotaBotYet for more creative ideas. Check out what they have, and if there is something you need, tell them. They’re open to helping you meet that need for the tough-to-solve problem.

The website is www.notabotyet.com and includes a list of its U.S. and international dealers.

The author is chief video engineer for the Cleveland Orchestra and a veteran radio and TV engineer. He wrote about the Elgato Stream Deck in January.

The post NotaBotYet Has SolutionsForYou! appeared first on Radio World.

From our Who’s Buying What page: CGI announced that the South African Broadcasting Corp. is using its dira system at eight of its radio stations and will roll it out to the other 11 this year.

Dira is a playout, production and music scheduling platform.

“The contract, won via a competitive tender process, has seen the SABC invest in CGI’s full dira Solution Suite, including Onair Player, Highlander, Scheduler, Startrack, Orion and Broadcast Report,” the supplier said in a press release.

“The proof of concept and subsequent implementation by CGI has achieved the SABC’s goal to enable dira’s use throughout the company’s radio environment, from sales, sport, news and current affairs to education and drama.”

The announcement was made by Nada Wotshela, group executive for SABC Radio, and Michael Thielen, vice president of radio solutions at CGI.

Wotshela said a feature of particular interest is a Commercial Player that plays radio ads within a specified window of booked time. “This will assist with accurate reporting and also ensure that skipping of advertisements, which leads to revenue losses, is a thing of the past,” Wotshela stated.

CGI acquired SCISYS Group PLC, the previous developer of dira, in 2019.

The post SABC Adopts CGI’s Dira Platform appeared first on Radio World.

Tascam has launched three podcast system bundles for its Mixcast 4 Podcast Station with built-in recorder and USB audio interface. They were designed to streamline content creation for podcasts, live streaming, event production and voiceover work.

The three bundles can accommodate up to four people with four microphones and four headsets so users can tailor their setups to accommodate both show personnel and guests.

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

Key to each bundle is the Mixcast 4 Podcast Station, the TM-70 Dynamic Broadcast Microphone and the TH-02 Studio Headphones. The main difference between each of the three Mixcast 4 bundles is the number of TM-70 microphones and TH-02 headphones included — Bundle No. 1 includes one set of each; Bundle No. 2 includes two sets of each; and Bundle No. 3 includes four of each.

The Mixcast 4 Podcast Station is available as a single entity for those already in possession of microphones and headphones. The company says the three available bundles create system packages that represent a cost-effective solution compared to the expense of acquiring the individual components necessary to form a complete system.

For more information, visit www.tascam.com.

The post Tascam Intros Mixcast 4 Podcast Station Bundles appeared first on Radio World.

The Society of Broadcast Engineers today said it will hold the 2022 SBE Leadership Development Course, a three-day intensive program focused on successful leadership and management for broadcast engineers, Aug.3-5, in Atlanta.

The course explores the nature of leadership, the difference between being a manager and being a leader, how to build a winning team, the importance of attitude in the leadership position and insights into communication.

Instructing the course will be Frank Pianki, Ph.D., a professor of management who has served at Anderson University since 1998. His balanced background blends academic ability and professional experience.

Pianki earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona, an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University and a doctorate from Indiana University.

Before his academic career, Pianki had nearly 20 years of experience working in business and industry. He has worked as chief operating officer for a healthcare organization and vice president of operations for a manufacturing company.

The cost of the program is $670 for SBE members and $725 for non-members.

Registration is available online.

The post Frank Pianki to Teach SBE Leadership Development Course appeared first on Radio World.

Computer modeling allowed me to set up a new four-tower 50 kW array from scratch in just one day.

It wasn’t too long after I started fooling around with computers in the mid-1980s that antenna modeling became a thing. NEC and MININEC were the prevalent modeling engines, and the source code was out there in the public domain.

At some point, I began playing with models of medium-wave monopole antennas, simple nondirectional radiators. While those simple models were somewhat useful, they didn’t really do a whole lot for me. Now, if I could model a directional array and get an accurate prediction of the driving point impedances, that would be worth something.

And so it was that I started playing with directional models. The challenge was not in the physical geometry of a directional array. It was coming up with a set of drive voltages and phases. I experimented but had little to no success, and I eventually gave up, moving on to other, more pressing things.

Eureka!
Fortunately, some very smart people were working on the problem, people like J.L. Smith, Ron Rackley, Jim Hatfield, Jerry Westberg, Ben Dawson and others.

They figured out that you had to compute the individual tower current moments for unity drive, then with that information and the theoretical directional parameters, solve a set of simultaneous equations to get the normalized drive voltages.

Those drive voltages, each expressed as complex numbers, could be applied as sources in the model, and the resulting tower moments would equal the theoretical directional parameters.

After the brain trust figured that out, I was able to write some code and create a computer program that would do the whole thing, taking array geometry expressed in either X,Y,Z format or in distance/azimuth from a reference tower, then taking the theoretical directional parameters (ratios and phases) and turning that into a model that I could calibrate to real-world impedance matrix measurements and produce an output including driving point impedances, voltages and currents; element current distribution, and both near- and far-field E- and H-field values.

This tower serves Crawford station KBRT in Los Angeles. We caught the sunset on one of our security cameras. You might be able to make out a hawk sitting on a guy wire waiting for his dinner.

New FCC rules permitting “proofing” of AM directional arrays went into effect in 2008. I filed my first model-proof that summer, and I’ve never looked back.

The moment-method modeling proof option has been great for our industry. Aging arrays that needed a lot of very expensive fieldwork could be brought into adjustment very quickly in many cases, and new installations could be tuned up in days if not hours.

Today, you can look through the FCC database and you’ll see many occurrences of the telltale file number prefix “BMM,” indicating a moment-method proofed facility. Many of those are model proofs I have filed.

Needless to say, I’m still a believer.

The trap
Fast forward to 2021. Last year, a group of engineers and broadcasters (more really smart people) petitioned the FCC for a rule change that would allow model proofing of FM directional antennas. That rulemaking, at this writing, is in process.

FM directionals, which constitute a reported 20% of all full-power FM facilities, have long been a problem for engineers. I got caught in the FM directional “trap” back in the mid-1980s and had to petition the FCC for a variance to get a facility on the air.

The usual process is first to determine the maximum ERP in every direction of interest, whether a target service area or toward a protected station or border, then develop a theoretical antenna pattern based solely on the coverage and protection requirements.

That ideal or “envelope” pattern then is specified in the construction permit application. When the CP is granted, the envelope pattern is sent to the antenna manufacturer, who will do range measurements using a model based on detailed information about the mounting location provided by the permittee. The manufacturer will make tweaks, adding and moving around parasitic elements to get as close as possible with the measured pattern to the supplied ideal or envelope pattern.

The “trap” occurs in that zone between meeting all the protections and making the required RMS, which by law must be 85% of that of the authorized pattern. Sometimes the measured pattern will meet all the protection requirements but come up short on RMS. That’s what happened to me way back when.

The sure-fire way to avoid this situation is to have the antenna manufacturer develop a buildable, measured pattern and file that pattern instead of the envelope or ideal pattern with the CP application.

Then, when the time comes to file the license application, that same pattern is filed as the “proofed” pattern. All protections are met, and the RMS is 100%.

But that entails some financial risk. You have to pay the antenna manufacturer to develop and fully proof a pattern, with no assurance that the FCC will grant the application. That risk can be minimized with careful attention to detail in the application process (and leaving some white space between interfering and protected contours), but if there’s one thing I have learned from 40+ years of filing FCC applications, it’s that anything can happen.

Remember those smart people I mentioned, the ones who have petitioned for a rulemaking that will allow model-proofing of FM antennas? Their proposal will solve the problem of the “trap” as well as saving all the time, trouble and cost of FM directional antenna range measurements.

In the latest issue of RW Engineering Extra, we feature a white paper on computer modeling of directional FM antennas by John Schadler of Dielectric. John provides some compelling arguments for this, and I think you’ll find it interesting.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that the FCC will very shortly enact the requested rule change in some form to permit model proofing of FM directional antennas. While there are differences, the engineers at the Media Bureau have certainly seen the benefits and reliability of AM model proofing, and that undoubtedly carries some weight.

The result for broadcasters will be no more RMS/protection traps, no more range measurements, and a reduction in time between order and delivery of custom directional antennas. Patterns can be fine-tuned to fit the application with engineering time being the only cost.

I think that’s pretty doggone cool.

The post FM Directional Computer Simulations — Why Not? appeared first on Radio World.

John Robinson, P.E., has been named the new vice president of structural engineering for Electronics Research Inc.

This is his second stint with the company, where he worked for 23 years and was senior engineer of the Structural Division.

“Robinson rejoins ERI from Hodge Engineering, a structural engineering consulting firm where he was the principal engineer for their Tower Engineering Group,” ERI said in its announcement. Robinson succeeds James Ruedlinger, who left to pursue other interests.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

He is a registered Professional Engineer in Indiana and 17 other states. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the TIA TR-14 Engineering Committee for Structural Standards for Communication and Small Wind Turbine Support Structures.

The announcement was made by President/CEO Tom Silliman, who welcomed Robinson back and added, “We also value and support his participation on the TIA TR14 Committee as its work is critical to our installations subsidiary.”

Robinson is a graduate of the University of Evansville and holds undergraduate degrees in civil and mechanical engineering as well as a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post John Robinson Rejoins ERI appeared first on Radio World.

Stephen Dubner (left) and Dr. Steven Levitt

You’ll be able to get your freak on at the NAB Show this year.

Stephen Dubner and Dr. Steven Levitt, co-authors of the “Freakonomics” book series and podcast hosts on the Freakonomics Radio Network, will keynote the session “Why the Media & Entertainment Industry Should Think Like a Freak” on April 27.

Described by NAB as some of the “leading minds in next-step thinking,” the duo has insight into “leveraging new and transformative perspectives to boost innovation and implement measurable business applications.”

NAB Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Global Connections and Events Chris Brown said the media and entertainment community is learning how to navigate the evolving ways of interfacing with data, content and networking.

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

Dubner and Levitt were approached in 2003 to co-author “Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything.” The book, which applied economic theories to questions about everyday life, has sold 7 million copies and been translated into 40 languages.

Dubner is an author, journalist and radio and TV personality. He is host of the “Freakonomics Radio” podcast, which airs on NPR stations and receives 8 million monthly downloads. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker and Time.

Levitt is an economist, author, researcher and podcast host. He is a tenured professor and the director of the Gary Becker Milton Friedman Institute for Research in Economics at The University of Chicago. He hosts “People I (Mostly) Admire” on the Freakonomics Radio Network.

The post Freakonomics Co-Authors Want You to Think Like a Freak appeared first on Radio World.

Digital sales for local U.S. radio stations generated $1.5 billion in 2021, a growth of 33%, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau’s annual report on digital activities.

The findings highlight efforts of stations to drive results for local advertisers, said Erica Farber, RAB president and CEO. “The focus on the importance of digital training has produced dividends for stations and sellers alike,” she said.

The report showed that the average station made $36,250 in digital revenue in 2021 with the average market cluster making $1.6 million. Top-performing market clusters made more than $10 million, even in some of the smaller markets, RAB said.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

“I’m happy to report that we underestimated radio’s digital determination when we published last year’s report,” said Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, which compiled the report and predicted that radio sales would increase 18%.

“It’s quite impressive, especially when you see that little stat that shows how digitally savvy radio sales reps are in the eyes of local advertisers,” Borrell said in the RAB’s announcement.

The 47-page report covers the activity of some 3,000 radio stations. The findings are part of the RAB and Borrell’s 10th annual report “Finally, A Digital Bounty: Radio’s Digital Sales Rise 33%.” That annual report analyzed online ad revenue from 3,645 radio stations, survey responses from 1,107 local radio buyers and comments from 256 radio managers.

The post Radio Stations’ Digital Sales Increased by 33% in 2021 appeared first on Radio World.

Photo Courtesy Dick Taylor

Twelve year ago, radio broadcast engineer Tom Ray, penned these words: “Unless we give Joe Consumer a reason to go out and purchase an HD Radio for his car – until he can obtain it easily and at a reasonable cost, and a device that works – I fear HD Radio is going to go the way of FM quad and AM stereo, relegated to the scrap pile of history.”

Tom Ray wrote his article for Radio World when he was the vice president/corporate director of engineering for Buckley Broadcasting/WOR Radio in New York City. He was a strong and vocal supporter of HD Radio and his WOR was one of the first AMs on the air with an HD Radio signal. So, any broadcaster that read Tom’s article, “HD Radio Shouldn’t Be This Hard,” should have taken it as a wake-up call about steps the radio industry needed to take to stay relevant in their listeners’ lives.

Buying a New Car in 2010
Tom is a loyal Ford customer, so when his Explorer went to the automobile graveyard with 230,000 miles on it, Tom wanted to get a new Ford Escape, equipped with HD Radio. The only problem was, Ford wasn’t putting HD Radios into their Escapes, instead, they were pushing Satellite Radio. (Tom noted that his wife listened only to Satellite Radio in her car, saying “in her opinion there is nothing worth listening to in New York’s Hudson Valley, 50 miles north of New York City.)

This should have been yet another radio industry wake-up call about its future.

I encourage you to click on the link and read what Tom Ray wrote a dozen years ago about how difficult it was to put an HD Radio into a new car which, at that time, didn’t offer OEM HD Radios and how he, as a broadcast engineer, was totally frustrated trying to install an aftermarket one.

Streaming Radio at Home
Since Christmas 2017, when my wife gave me my first Amazon Echo smart speaker, our Echo family has quickly grown to four of these devices. There is nowhere you can be in our home and not ask Alexa for something.

Since 2017, all of our in-home radio listening is via streaming.

While we also occasionally streamed radio in the car, on all of our road trips from 2018–2021, SiriusXM always seemed to be offering a 3-month free listening trial that I can honestly say we enjoyed the listening to. But, I’ve never been a subscriber, because other than road trips I spend very little time in the car.

Streaming Radio in the Car
In October, while enjoying my latest free 3-month trial for SiriusXM radio, I decided it was time to bring my in-house streaming radio habit into both of our cars. We own a 2006 Subaru Forester and a 2009 Honda Accord.

The Subaru doesn’t have an AUX input, the Honda does.

Streaming in the Subaru was accomplished with a Bluetooth receiver that will broadcast on any FM frequency (88.1 works best). In the Honda, this same device’s output was plugged into an AUX receptacle.

The result is, as soon as either my wife or myself enters one of our cars, the Nulaxy KM18 immediately pairs with our iPhones. I installed the AINOPE Car Phone Holder Mount to hold our phones, and keep them easily accessible to control whatever we would like to listen to.

Total cost for each car: $33.43. Time to install, virtually nil. I just plugged the Nulaxy KM18 into a power port and it was operational. The AINIOPE holder easily clamps to an air vent on the dashboard and holds any smartphone.

Unlike the nightmare that Tom Ray experienced back in 2010 trying to put HD Radio into his car, this installation by me, a non-engineer, was a piece of cake.

A Call to Action
I recently sat in on a Radio World webinar called “A Call to Action, radio’s existential battle for the dash.” Paul McLane, Managing Director of Content/Editor in Chief of Radio World at Radio World/Future U.S., hosted the webinar and did an excellent job. However, one particular piece of information shared during the presentation that I thought was crucial was, how Mercedes-Benz was equipping their vehicles’ radio screens with the following pre-sets: SiriusXM, FM, AM and TuneIn Radio.

TuneIn Radio is the App I use for most of my radio listening, but why was it chosen by Mercedes-Benz? Turns out the answer is, “TuneIn’s radio stations can be accessed worldwide in 197 countries on more than 200 different platforms and devices.” TuneIn says it “provides the displaced radio listener a connection to home with local, national, and international stations anywhere they go and on any device.”

In other words, why would any audio consumer need DAB, DAB+, Digital Radio Mondiale, HD Radio, AM or FM when they can receive any radio station in crystal clear audio via streaming?

With the exception of the proprietary content offered by SiriusXM, everything else is available via streaming at no charge.

Cellular Plan
Now it goes without saying, that streaming consumes data. Each cellphone service provider offers different plans and different price rates. My wife and I are on Verizon’s unlimited phone/text/data plan. We have no landline phone in our home and our iPhones are our lifeline to being connected with each other, our family, our community and the world.

I’ve found streaming radio in our cars provides us with audio quality that is pristine. There’s no buffering or dropout, and it’s been a more reliable signal than AM, FM or SiriusXM radio, especially when traveling through tunnels.

Streaming Apps
I thought you might be interested in knowing what streaming Apps I have on my iPhone, here’s the current list:

• TuneIn Pro
• Audacy
• Pandora
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• NPR ONE
• YouTube
• Simple Radio
• StreamS
• Apple Podcasts
• AccuRadio
• 650AM WSM
• Stitcher

Why I Prefer Streaming My Radio
We live far enough away from Washington, D.C., that radio signals for WTOP or WETA experience lots of noise and dropout, depending atmospherics, sometimes making them totally unlistenable. However, their streams are always crystal clear.

This fall Sue and I escaped to Cape Cod for a week and when I get on the peninsula, I love turning on WFCC – Cape Cod’s Classical station – 107.5 FM. Now with streaming radio, I can dial up WFCC on my TuneIn radio App and listen when we’re back home in Virginia.

Full disclosure, I am the midday DJ on WMEX-FM in Rochester, N.H., But even if I weren’t on the station, WMEX-FM would be my No. 1 pre-set for streaming. Gary James, the station’s morning man and program director, puts together a music mix that I find absolutely fabulous. It’s the music of my life.

Which brings me to another important point, radio today is global. No longer is your radio station competing just with other local stations, but radio that is streaming from anywhere on planet Earth.

Streaming also makes it possible for ON DEMAND spoken-word radio, also known as podcasts, to be easily available in the car.

Simington on Streaming
FCC commissioner Nathan Simington recently addressed Ohio broadcasters saying, “content delivery power had shifted away from broadcasters – stations and networks – and toward ‘online platforms,’ something he thinks the FCC needs to recognize in its quadrennial review of media ownership regs.”

He warned that: “Online media platforms are growing rapidly and threaten dominance over traditional media platforms; and Broadcast advertising revenue has flatlined, having been siphoned off from higher margin online platforms.”

The Future is Streaming
88% of the world’s population now uses mobile broadband as its main source of internet access, and nearly 90% of homes in the United States now have internet streaming. 2021 saw an estimated 22% ad industry growth rate, which Magna Global said was “the highest growth rate ever recorded” by this agency, beating a 12.5% growth rate recorded in the year 2000. The caveat however is, digital dominated traditional advertising raking in 64.4% of the growth in ad spending.

RAIN reports “The U.S. recorded music industry will exceed a 48-year revenue record set in 1999 (based on current estimates),” all coming from revenues paid by streaming music services.

The Harvard Business Review recently published “4 Principles to Guide Your Digital Transformation,” by Greg Satell, Andrea Kates and Todd McLees. In it, the authors wrote, “digital transformation is not just about technology. We’re desperately in need of a shift in focus. Leaders must inspire and empower their entire organization to boldly reimagine their work environment, customer needs, product offering, and even the purpose of the enterprise.”

Tom Ray was the proverbial “canary in the coal shaft” back in 2010, with few paying attention. Sadly, based on the early news coming out of the 2022 CES in Las Vegas, nothing has changed.

We’re living in a communications revolution,
bringing about changes that will be both
permanent and irreversible.
Revolutions never maintain or preserve the status quo.

This article originally appeared on Dick’s blog, DickTaylorBlog, where you can find more of his musings.

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

The post Why I Stream ALL My Radio Listening appeared first on Radio World.

A peculiar thing is happening to drivers of some Mazda’s operating in and around the Seattle area, and it could be caused by images displayed on dashboard screens.

Car owners are reporting their car radios are locking on 94.9 MHz leaving them unable to change the tuner. The only models affected are 2014–2017 Mazdas equipped with factory-installed HD Radios.

KUOW(FM) in Seattle, the NPR station that operates on 94.9 MHz, says it is hoping Mazda or Xperi can help. The radio station confirmed Tuesday on its website it is aware of the issue and has received complaints.

Mazda drivers have been complaining of the issue for several weeks, according to reviews of Reddit threads.

Some commenters on the discussion forum say the infotainment systems are “either locked up or constantly rebooting” and inevitably locking up on 94.9 MHz. Some drivers also have complained on the discussion board about not being able to make calls using the infotainment systems while driving.

[Read More Top News Stories from Radio World Here]

KUOW shared with Radio World a statement provided by Mazda after its dealerships in the Seattle area began receiving complaints from frustrated drivers about the problem.

“Between 1/24–1/31, a radio station in the Seattle area sent image files with no extension, which caused an issue on some 2014–2017 Mazda vehicles with older software. Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has distributed service alerts advising dealers of the issue.”

Mazda continued: “While dealers are currently experiencing parts delays due to shipping constraints, MNAO will support impacted customers with replacement parts. These customers should contact their local Mazda dealer who can submit a goodwill request to the Mazda Warranty department on their behalf, order the parts, and schedule a free repair when the parts arrive.”

A KUOW spokesperson said the HD Radio system in the vehicles “pulls images from an NPR tool and uses the KUOW logo when there is nothing from NPR to use.” It’s unclear how widespread the problem is, according to the radio station.

Xperi, the developer of HD Radio, said its “assessment is that there was a formatting issue with the transmitted data.”

The company’s statement continued: “We have worked with the station to address it, and we do not believe there are any ongoing issues with car radios in the market.”

Some Mazda owners posting on Reddit theorize the images with no extensions likely corrupted lines of code in Mazda infotainment systems. “We have not received any information from Mazda on which specific file they believe triggered the issue,” the radio station spokesperson said.

Here is the statement KUOW posted on its website earlier this week:

“KUOW is aware of an apparent issue between our signal and some Mazda infotainment systems, causing radios to reboot when they connect to KUOW’s 94.9 FM signal. We have been in contact with Xperi, the company who owns the technology behind HD Radio, and have given them complete access to our transmitters to investigate what is causing this issue.

“Our operations team is doing everything they can to support them in finding a quick resolution. We also appreciate the assistance of listeners who helped alert KUOW to this issue and have provided additional information to aid the investigation.”

The post Radio Mystery for Some Seattle Mazda Owners appeared first on Radio World.

Deadlines have been set to file comments in the latest NPRM from the Federal Communications Commission concerning emergency alerting.

As we’ve reported, the commission has a notice of proposed rulemaking that it says would improve the clarity and accessibility of visual Emergency Alert System messages to the public, particularly to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. In a companion NOI, the commission asks questions about broader measures to enhance the Emergency Alert System’s overall functionality and accessibility.

The NPRM presents proposals for modifying the text associated with national EAS messages, including pre-stored templates for NPT messages, and it proposes requiring “triggered” CAP polling.

The NOI asks, among many other questions, whether it would make sense to use legacy EAS only for the Emergency Action Notification (EAN) and NPT, but require use of CAP for all other alerts, and if legacy EAS can’t be reasonably modified to allow alert originators to distribute text to transcribe a two-minute audio message, whether the legacy EAS architecture should be redesigned altogether.

You can read Radio World’s recent story about the NPRM and NOI.

Now the deadlines are set. Comments on the NPRM are due March 11, and replies are due March 28. Comments on the NOI are due April 11 and replies by May 10.

Read the full proposal at https://tinyurl.com/rw-eas-4. File comments to the FCC at www.fcc.gov/ecfs/. To read others, enter 15-94 in the “Specify Proceeding” field.

The post Deadlines Are Set to Comment on EAS Changes appeared first on Radio World.

While the media industry has experienced its share of frustrations over the last two years, it has also seen one particular platform demonstrate steady, stable upward growth — despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

All in all, said Edison Research Senior Vice President Tom Webster, “It was an eventful year for podcasting.”

Edison Research recently announced its list of the top 50 podcasts of 2021. The list ranks podcasts by audience size based on the Podcast Consumer Tracking Report, a service that measures relative audience size and demographics of all podcast networks.

Last year the most popular genres were true crime, comedy and news programs, Webster said, although the list reveals a vibrant and diverse list of programming.

For the second year in a row “The Joe Rogan Experience” sits at the top of the list, a long-form interview and conversation podcast run by comedian Joe Rogan. The program recently made headlines when Neil Young and other musicians began demanding Spotify remove their music from the service due to Rogan and some of his guests’ promotion of misinformation about COVID-19. In addition, a video complication emerged of Rogan using an ethnic slur to describe the Black community. (Despite this, Spotify Technology CEO Daniel Ek said the platform would not cancel its $100 million licensing deal to be the exclusive host for the podcaster’s program archive, although some episodes have since been removed.)

The number two spot in 2021 belonged to The New York Times’ “The Daily,” a 20-minute weekday news roundup followed in the third spot by “Crime Junkie,” a weekly true crime podcast created by the Indianapolis media company audiochuck. Number four is “This American Life,” a weekly public radio program and podcast produced by NPR station WBEZ(FM). The top five is rounded out with the iHeartRadio program “The Stuff You Should Know,” focusing on obscure and captivating topics like how fortune cookies are made and how the game rock/paper/scissors became a decider of things.

A review of the networks on the top-50 list includes both well-known media sources and smaller media companies. iHeartRadio, The New York Times and NBC News sit in the top 10 as well as smaller media companies like audiochuck, Exactly Right and Earwolf. The top-50 list includes a few media networks with multiple popular podcasts, including NPR with its programs “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” “Planet Money,” “Up First” and several others. PRX is distributor for three top-50 podcasts, “TED Talks Daily,” “The Moth” and “Welcome to Night Vale,” while the Cumulus Podcast Network has two programs on the list, “The Dan Bongino Show” and “The Mark Levin Show.”

When compared to 2020 — the first year Edison Research began compiling and ranking U.S. podcast listening trends — the top four podcasts on the 2021 list exactly mirror the top four podcasts of 2020. The fifth place podcast in 2020 was “My Favorite Murder” by Exactly Right, which swapped places with “Stuff You Should Know” to drop to number six in 2021.

Investigative topics remained popular, including the serialized audio narrative and investigative journalism podcast “Serial,” along with true crime podcasts like “Criminal” and “Morbid: A True Crime Podcast.” Newcomers to the 2021 list include a twice-monthly weird fiction podcast focused on the imaginary town of Night Vale, a place rife with intriguing residents and conspiracy theories that has since spawned several books, albums and live shows. Other podcasts in 2020 that dropped off the list in 2021 include the design podcast “99% Invisible” and “Lore,” a podcast exploring the stories and people behind our strangest folk stories.

The top-50 list was compiled by Edison after gathering 8,000 online interviews with weekly podcast consumers in the U.S. aged 18 and older. The list tracks usage from the first quarter to the fourth quarter of 2021.

The full list is below.

The post Top 50 Podcasts of 2021 Court Crime, Comedy, Fiction appeared first on Radio World.