Radio World

Research from the latest NPR/Edison Spoken Word Audio Report suggests a significant uptick in listening to spoken word programming, especially podcasts. With a commensurate growth in the number and types of spoken word programs available, one might wonder how listeners discover and engage with the available options. The report turned up some interesting answers.

The short answer to the discovery question is that listeners resort to a number of options to find what’s out there. The average number of options among all demographics is four, although 55+ trails with two. The top three most popular methods are searching the internet, recommendations from friends and family and social media posts. Once again, the 18–34 and multicultural demographics appear to be the leaders in most categories.

The most common way listeners find new spoken word audio programming is by searching the internet.

The fourth most popular discovery method according to the report is video-based apps or websites such as YouTube or Twitch, which was named by 42 percent of respondents. Broken down by demographics, these are used by 58 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds, 49 percent of the 35–54 demographic and 21 percent of those 55+. Thirty-five percent of white respondents reported using video, while multicultural respondents came in second with 55 percent.

Discovery strategy is a must

Looking at the number of spoken word topics or genres named by respondents makes it apparent why some sort of search or discovery strategy is necessary. The average number of genres named by those surveyed is 10. The most popular spoken word topics, according to the research, are news/information, music and comedy/humor.

This report also tracks listening habits, which have shifted since 2019. According to the research, travel, history and biography are trending downward, while romance, games/hobbies and celebrities/gossip are seeing upticks. It is important to note these popular genres over-index with growing segments of respondents, suggesting they are influencing the spoken word ecosphere.

[Read more of our coverage of “The Spoken Word Audio Report”]

When posed with the statement “Spoken Word Audio engages your mind in a more positive way than other media.” 62 percent of those 18–34 agreed, as did 58 percent of the 35–54 demographic and 44 percent of those 55+. Forty-nine percent of white listeners agreed, while 63 percent of multicultural listeners said yes. The reported negativity of mainstream and social media has surfaced in other parts of The Spoken Word Audio Report, and might be an important takeaway for those working in radio.

The next statement posed to respondents was “Spoken word audio is made for people like you.” The responses are very similar to those from the previous statement. Sixty-two percent of those 18–34 agreed, while 66 percent of respondents 35–54 said yes. Of those 55+, only 47 percent identified with the statement. Fifty-four percent of white listeners agreed, as did 66 percent of those multicultural.

Attention to advertising

The research from this report also supports the idea that the young and multicultural demographics are more likely to pay attention to ads and sponsorships on spoken word programming.

Younger and multicultural listeners are more likely to pay attention to advertising in spoken word programming.

When asked the question “How often do you notice ads or sponsorships while listening to spoken word audio?” the averages were 22 percent frequently, 57 percent sometimes and 21 percent never. Young and multicultural listeners were in the lead on this one. Among those 18–34, 31 percent responded frequently, 59 percent said sometimes, and only 10 percent replied never. Twenty-eight percent of multicultural listeners noticed the ads or sponsorships frequently, 58 percent said sometimes and 14 percent replied never.

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

The post Young, Multicultural Listeners Seek Out Spoken Word appeared first on Radio World.

In:Quality Touch XLR SIP Codec

Moving studio-grade audio from point to point is much simpler thanks to browser-based programs that use the open source Opus codec.

One such modality is ipDTL from the U.K.’s In:Quality, which I’ve used with success. This web application the Opus codec and allows the originator to send up to six bidirectional links for connection.

This begs a question: How can this process be simplified for two-way sessions (voice overs, program and news contributions) that won’t tie up a laptop or desktop computer?

The founder of In:Quality, Kevin Leach, worked for the BBC as a producer and audio engineer. He says using ipDTL from a computer, is a process that depends on configuring settings such as audio device selection in the right order, to deliver studio grade audio. That’s not a problem for technical people.

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

Leach says In:Quality’s SIP codecs were designed to increase simplicity and reliability for those who want a simple way to connect to a radio station.

“Once you put everything in a simple box [Raspberry Pi ] it takes away a lot of complexity. The USB SIP codec lets a user connect using a simple USB microphone and headphones, or a USB soundcard. The XLR SIP codec has Neutrik XLR-TRS connections for analog audio, and can also be configured to move audio on any network that recognizes AES67 as a protocol. It is available in a plain version, Zero, that is externally controlled, and a touchscreen-controlled version, Touch.

Here’s what goes in that Raspberry Pi box: a software codec that uses the EBU 3326 protocol and SIP to make calls. The preferred codec is the open source Opus codec, but the software can recognize G.722, G.711 and, where still available and as part of a subscription, ISDN.

Purchasers of In:Quality codecs receive a one-year subscription to the sip.audio service, which is part of the In:Quality family. All sip.audio subscribers can make calls and connect to any other SIP device that allows incoming SIP calls.

The sip.audio website has a growing worldwide directory of facilities and contributors (subject matter experts, voice over artists, et al.) who are SIP enabled. When connecting these codecs, In:Quality strongly recommends that they be connected to a network via Ethernet. In:Quality cautions that some dynamic microphones might not work well with the XLR Codec, due to the available gain in the preamp.

I configured the XLR codec to transmit and receive audio through my Allen + Heath ZED-10. Settings and configuration for the unit were done from a laptop on the same network. Other settings and adjustments can be made from the codec’s touchscreen. Line level mix-minus codec transmit was fed via the ZED-10’s FX send; the line level codec receive was connected through a line level channel, and the codec was connected via Cat-6 to a network switch and router.

Clean audio was transmitted and received between my studio and In:Quality in Manchester, England, KHAS(AM) in Hastings, Neb., and WKBX(FM) in Kingsland, Ga.

Brad Beahm is the operations manager for KHAS/Platte River Media in Hastings, Neb. On a given Friday, he’ll have five separate football broadcasts on five separate stations in his cluster, between Hastings, Grand Island and Kearney, Neb.

“In the past we’ve used Skype and have had a few issues, like having a computer do a Windows update, sound card settings getting changed and forgotten Skype passwords. With the In:Quality SIP codecs, we give them the box and equipment, tell them to push the button for whatever station they’re on and go from there.”

Beahm has the XLR codec in his equipment rack. He deployed a Touch SIP codec for a newscaster who had to move from Nebraska to take care of a relative. The use of the codec allowed that newscaster to continue doing news for the morning show. When asked about the quality of the signal from Colorado to Nebraska, Beahm said “Our morning guy asked if the newscaster had a fan running during the newscast. The signal was clear enough that the fan in the background could be heard. That’s a good problem to have.”

Neal Ardman is the president of NIA Broadcasting and Broadcast Partners and WKBX in Kingsland, Ga. His station uses In:Quality codecs for hosts on remote and for high school football, for which the station will use a dedicated Verizon Mi Fi on Wi-Fi or 5G.

Ardman suggests that those using In:Quality equipment at home insure that there’s enough bandwidth on the home network. “Make sure the talent working from home has a good quality soundcard too, and that’s usually not the one that’s built into the computer.

He also shared a security tip about spoofed IP addresses: “Make sure that your router is set up to accept connections to your codec only from known IP addresses. That way, you don’t have to worry about spoofed IP addresses.”

The XLR Codec from In:Quality has a list price of $449 (Zero) and $499 (Touch with integrated touchscreen).

Paul Kaminski, CBT, is a veteran radio news reporter and host of msrpk.com’s “Radio-Road-Test.” Twitter: msrpk_com.

PRODUCT CAPSULE

In:Quality XLR SIP Zero and Touch Codecs

Plusses

• Low cost
• Clean audio using Opus codec
• sip.audio subscription included
• Web-based configuration
• Easy professional connections (XLR and TRS), no soundcard needed

Minuses

• Some dynamic mics may not work well with the XLR codec

Info: https://inquality.com

The post In:Quality puts a twist on the ol’ codec appeared first on Radio World.

In August we told you about the notice of proposed rulemaking submitted by Sennheiser that asked the commission to formally define the Wireless Multi-Channel Audio System as a new class of wireless mics. The company also requested that WMAS be allowed to occupy up to a 6 MHz channel bandwidth.

The advantage, according to Sennheiser, is that by digitally combining signals from multiple devices into a 6 MHz channel, intermodulation issues would be eliminated while permitting denser use of the spectrum and reducing power density across the channel.

Sennheiser makes the case that spectrum demand has crunched wireless applications.

Shure has also been a supporter of the WMAS concept in general.

As we reported, the proposal had generated a flurry of comments from several parties, most generally in agreement with Sennheiser’s concept of WMAS but with varied suggestions on how it could be tweaked and improved.

Late this summer, followup comments were filed, with interested parties reacting to one another’s ideas.

Worried about interference

Lectrosonics expressed concerns that the proposed systems, by virtue of the wide bandwidths they occupy, will harm access to spectrum in situations where multiple operators must share a limited amount of spectrum.

It added its support to a key recommendation from the National Association of Broadcasters. Essentially, the NAB asked the commission to limit the use of WMAS to large events. Lectrosonics agreed with the NAB that the FCC should set a minimum threshold of 10 audio channels used by a single entity, and that the audio channels be under the control of a single entity, so that there would be a single point of contact for other wireless microphone operators.

[More: Wireless Mic Industry Debates WMAS Technology]

Lectrosonics agreed with Shure that the commission should permit Part 74 WMAS operations in the VHF-TV bands (54–72, 76–88 and 174–216 MHz), the UHF-TV band (470–608 MHz), the 653–657 MHz segment of the 600 MHz duplex gap, 941.5–944 MHz, 944–952 MHz, 952.850–956.250 MHz, 956.45–959.85 MHz, 1435–1525 MHz, 6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz (“6–7 GHz”) bands as proposed in the NPRM.

However, Lectrosonics disagreed with Shure’s idea that the commission allow unlicensed WMAS operations and adopt technical rules for Part 15 WMAS technologies.

The operation of unlicensed wideband WMAS systems in situations where spectrum availability is limited, said Lectrosonics, incurs the risk of interference to licensed wireless microphone operations. They added that unlicensed users can continue to operate narrowband wireless microphones as in the past.

Another slide from Sennheiser on changes in available spectrum. The top bar is a color key to the rest of the graphic.

Lectrosonics favors a sliding scale for Part 74 WMAS power levels. While Shure proposed power spectral density (“PSD”) levels up to 750 mW per megahertz for Part 74 users based on the 250 mW limit for LPAS devices and a minimum spectral efficiency of 3 channels per megahertz, Lectrosonics says in its experience, a power level of 50 mW is typical. This, the company says, should be taken as the basis for sliding scale power spectral density limits.

The company also weighed in on whether the commission should reallocate the 6–7 GHz frequencies now designated for wireless microphones. It sided with Shure, saying in part, “this allocation has great promise for wireless microphone usage and that wireless microphone manufacturers, including Lectrosonics, are planning to develop systems that operate there.”

Finally, Lectrosonics added that the commission should require a minimum spectral efficiency of three audio channels per MHz for WMAS technology, and the maximum bandwidth should be limited to six MHz, but no minimum bandwidth requirements should be imposed.

Not just for large events

Waves Audio Ltd. agreed with the value of harmonizing WMAS regulations with European Telecommunications Standards Institute standards, but disagreed with the use of the ETSI emission mask. That, it said, would force manufactures to use cost-prohibitive measures in order to comply. Rather, the company suggested the commission adopt the emissions mask Waves proposed in its own initial comments.

Waves advocates for the commission to adopt a minimum efficiency level of three channels per MHz. It noted that the proposed six channels per MHz advocated by the NAB was not tenable, and agreed with Shure, which said three channels was optimal.

Waves and Shure disagree as to whether the commission should mandate a measurement of audio quality, with Waves arguing against. It said the state of the art in wireless microphones delivers “unheralded fidelity,” that codec audio quality is a major source of innovation and that any attempt to regulate sound quality could stifle this kind of creativity.

A Shure image highlights the concept of scalability.

Waves disagreed with the NAB’s recommendation to constrain WMAS usage to large events, citing a number of reasons and calling this an artificial cap. A 10-channel minimum usage requirement would, according to Waves, probably cause users to take up more channels than they need just so they can use WMAS. Alternately, they might purchase both a conventional wireless microphone system along with a WMAS system.

Further, Waves wondered how such a requirement would be enforced. And even if it could be, the company said limiting use to large events would deprive smaller and mid-scale users of the advantages of WMAS; that in turn would slow the adoption curve, which would cause manufactures to reduce their investments in the technology.

Waves said the commission should scale WMAS bandwidth based on the number of carriers transmitted, rather than the number of audio channels used.

In this regard, the company strongly disagrees with the approach recommended by Shure, where the spectral efficiency of WMAS systems would be no less than an average of three channels per MHz across all channels, such that when using less than three audio channels a system must operate under the definition of narrowband.

Waves took issue with the NAB stance opposing WMAS operations under Part 15 at lower power. The company said that permitting Part 15 users will lead to higher and quicker adoption of the emerging standard, resulting in higher efficiency use of spectral resources overall.

Appropriate guardrails

NCTA—The Internet & Television Association focused on the need for coexistence measures for any WMAS operations in the 6 GHz band. It said the FCC thus would acknowledge the needs of wireless microphone users while allowing existing BAS and unlicensed users in the 6 GHz band to thrive.

Specifically, NCTA asked that the commission cap the total power permitted in a single WMAS channel; require that WMAS channelization be harmonized with BAS and 802.11 Wi-Fi channelization to avoid WMAS channels overlapping more than one of the channels of these other services; allow WMAS channels of up to six MHz, but not more; permit only Part 74 licensed WMAS use in 6 GHz; and restrict use to large events that require the use of many audio channels at the same time.

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ViacomCBS sided with the NAB in asking the commission to place limits on the use of the technology, to ensure that it does not impede broadcasters from engaging in newsgathering and coverage of local events of interest to their communities. The company added, “The spectrum needed for local broadcasters to operate wireless microphones is already scarce, and overbroad authorization of WMAS may exacerbate this problem. Appropriate guardrails on WMAS operations are needed to avoid disruption to local news and event coverage.”

One of several examples that Shure provided to the FCC of an application for WMAS bidirectional mics.

Sennheiser stated its support for preservation of a vacant UHF TV channel for wireless microphone use in all market areas of the United States. It said that petitions for reconsideration filed by both Shure and Sennheiser have broad support, with 183 of the 184 parties submitting comments supporting adoption of a vacant low-band UHF TV channel for wireless mic operations.

Cisco Systems, Facebook, Qualcomm and Intel filed jointly. They focused their reply comments on proposals for the 6 GHz and 7 GHz bands.

They began by noting that they all produce unlicensed technology and thus are now stakeholders in the band. The four companies do not believe that proponents have established a case for WMAS in 6 and 7 GHz. Noting that Sennheiser had not sought rule changes to permit WMAS in these bands, they believe the record casts substantial doubt on the technical wisdom of doing so.

At the same time, they believe the record reveals minimal use of wireless microphones under LPAS rules. The consequence, Cisco and Facebook wrote, is that there is “negligible” harm in directing wireless microphone operations to the other bands that have proven to have strong utility for the wireless microphone user community.

Finally, they said that allowing a WMAS allocation to proceed at 6 and 7 GHz creates uncertainties for unlicensed deployments that could slow the pace of innovation and uptake of new RLAN technology.

Do no harm

Microsoft Corp. stated its opposition to WMAS operations in the 6875–6900 and 7100–7125 MHz bands, asking the FCC to remove “needless regulatory uncertainty” and avoid economic harm.

Microsoft sided with the NAB in opposing unlicensed WMAS operations, which Shure and Sennheiser support. At issue, according to Microsoft, is the use of unlicensed WMAS operations as an opportunity to circumvent the FCC’s current eligibility threshold for unlicensed users to obtain a Part 74 license.

Shure responded to comments about the company’s recommended WMAS power levels of 750 mW per megahertz PSD and unlicensed 150 mW per megahertz PSD.

It noted that these are based on equivalency to power levels permissible under existing narrowband rules, and said they have worked very well for years without raising reported instances of interference to co-channel or adjacent channel operation.

Shure also urged the FCC to align its WMAS regulations with the ETSI harmonized standard with respect to transmit mask requirements and intermodulation distortion limits.

The NAB’s own reply comments expanded on its concerns over spectral efficiency.

“While we continue to support the use of WMAS technology on a secondary basis subject to reasonable restrictions, we urge the commission to authorize WMAS only on terms that will actually help alleviate spectrum congestion rather than risk making it materially worse.”

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

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New cross-platform data sharing options are being released by Marketron, with connectors for Salesforce, HubSpot and Oracle’s NetSuite.

The company said this integration aims to simplify and automate sharing of data between Marketron’s traffic systems and those platforms. By streamlining data exchange, the connectors help reduce data silos, eliminate duplication and improve data accuracy, the company said.

The announcement was made by Greg Aimone, vice president of professional services and presales.

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

Marketron plans to work with customers to customize existing connectors as needed and can build additional connectors on request.

Using the Salesforce Connector, Marketron said, customers can sync Salesforce customer relationship management tools with Marketron data to keep accounts, contacts, opportunities and custom objects up to date. The connector can pull order details and order projection data into Salesforce, allowing clients to take advantage of Salesforce’s dashboards and reporting capabilities for sales teams. Customers can also use Salesforce as a proposal system.

HubSpot Connector allows advertiser and order summary data to populate HubSpot from Marketron, enabling account syncing and giving clients the ability to view historical and projected sales activity. HubSpot can also be used as a proposal system by Marketron users.

Using NetSuite Connector, Marketron can connect to a NetSuite account and keep it up to date with Marketron transaction and accounts receivable data. Users can automate the flow of data into the NetSuite general ledger from Marketron’s platforms allowing for quicker invoicing.

Send your new product news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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A recent issue of Crawford Broadcasting’s engineering newsletter “The Local Oscillator” touched on the subject of budget season.

Crawford Director of Engineering Cris Alexander, who also is the technical editor of Radio World Engineering Extra, urged his chief engineers to focus on infrastructure as they prepared their ’22 capital budgets.

Fig.1: This door at a transmitter site is made of steel, but the interior wooden frame is wood. It rotted from years of exposure to rain and wind.

CBC’s chief in Alabama is Stephen Poole, CBRE, AMD. He writes that seasons of heavy wind and rain have taken their toll at several of his sites.

For instance, at one transmitter building, Stephen noticed that the steel door had a loose hinge. Closer inspection showed that the heavy door had a wooden frame, and exposure to the elements had caused the wood to rot and pull away from one of the hinges.

So much for site security! But this is why we always look around with a fresh eye whenever we visit a site.

Stephen isn’t looking forward to the replacement project, because that door and steel frame were sold as a complete unit, and the frame is embedded in the concrete of the building. I’m not aware of a quick fix for his problem; ideas welcome!

However, when you are dealing with loose hinges on a wooden frame, here’s a tip that I picked up from a handyman years ago:

Fig. 2 (left): Toothpicks help build up loose screw holes in a wooden frame. Fig. 3: Place them deep into the screw hole as shown, then trim off the ends and reinsert the screw.

If a wooden door is sagging, it may be that constant use of the hinges has worn away the frame so there’s nothing for the screw that holds the hinge to “bite into.”

If the hinge screws just spin around when you try to tighten them, here’s a technique that may help. Remove the hinge screws one at a time and stuff several toothpicks into the worn-out holes. Shove the toothpicks in as far as they will go, then break off or cut the protruding excess so they are flush with the door or frame. Reinstall the screw. You should notice a markedly tighter fit as the screw bites through and compresses the toothpicks.

This is not a permanent fix but it should secure the door until you can schedule installation of a replacement door.

By the way, if the frame is rotted, try adding wood glue with those toothpicks.

When winter weather approaching, these tips may buy you a little time.

[Check Out More of Workbench Here]

Seal those crevices
In the same issue of the CBC newsletter, Mike Kernen, the chief of Crawford’s Detroit cluster, wrote about dealing with transmitter site pests.

Now is a good time to investigate any infestation, starting with wasps. Liberally spray wasp repellent around overhangs and vents. If you can arrange an overnight session, place one of those super-bright LED cordless flashlight inside your ATU or other outside enclosure (with the power off, of course!), and in the dark, look for any escaping light as you walk around the structure.

Mice and insects can squeeze into amazingly small holes and crevices. Seal any visible holes. Remember that for larger entry points, stainless steel or copper wool combined with a caulk-type sealing compound works best. Shop for stainless steel or copper wool in the kitchen supply department of a grocery, hardware or dollar store. (Regular steel wool will rust, causing its own set of problems.)

Do like Mike and include an electrical inspection of wiring to your towers. Combine this check with your quarterly tower inspection — whipping winds can loosen or break straps or black ties securing conduit.

The weather took a toll on one of Mike’s Austin Ring transformers that used to couple tower light AC voltage across the base of the tower. The primary winding needed to be rewrapped.

Again, with the power off, clean and dry the surface of the winding. Then brush Glyptal Red Insulating Paint on the transformer, followed by strips of gauze; allow them to dry, and then repaint. The Glyptal has a high electrical insulating characteristic. The idea is that the Glyptal and gauze form a smooth coating around the transformer core.

Glyptal is not cheap; a quart costs more than $60 on Amazon. But the compound effectively seals and insulates the Austin Ring windings.

Repairing and resealing is far more affordable than having to replace Austin Ring transformers.

Visit www.glyptal.com to read about its line of insulating and varnishing products. (Bonus tip: Put a dab of this paint on a nut you need to keep tight or on the edge of a potentiometer that shouldn’t be touched after calibration. It’s just a little extra peace of mind.)

Who knows where you are?
Advice that goes without saying sometimes needs to be said anyway.

Contract Engineer Allen Branch wraps up our inspection column by reminding us that whenever we’re headed to do work alone at a remote site, we should let someone know where we’re going and when we are planning to be back.

Also bring bottled water and a couple of protein bars in case the weather or a vehicle problem strands you. A roll of paper towels and a blanket in the trunk can come in handy. We have written before about other helpful supplies to keep at your remote site and in your car or pickup.

PS: Recently, one of Allen’s engineers went to a site and found several spent .22 caliber shell casings on the ground by the entry gate. There was no apparent damage, but let’s be careful out there.

John Bisset, CPBE, is in his 31st year of Workbench and has spent more than 50 years in broadcasting. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

Workbench submissions help your colleagues and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post Workbench: Toothpicks can help improve your bite appeared first on Radio World.

Audacy named Jeff Gonsales as senior vice president and market manager of its Minneapolis market.

“In this role, Gonsales will oversee the market’s portfolio of stations, which includes 830 WCCO (WCCO-AM), 104.1 JACK FM (KZJK-FM) and 102.9 The Wolf (KMNB-FM), effective Dec. 6,” the company announced. He succeeds Shannon Knoepke.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Gonsales started his radio career at WCCO as a merchandising account executive.

Regional President Rachel Williamson cited his experience in the Twin Cities and reputation for integrity. Gonsales has been with Hubbard Radio in St. Paul for most of the past two decades, including 10 years as director of sales.

He also is a former regional director of business development for what was then Clear Channel Radio.

Send your people news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Gonsales to Head Audacy Minneapolis Cluster appeared first on Radio World.

Consumers buying new cars cite radio as their No. 1 entertainment choice. That’s according to a new Edison Research survey across six countries. The survey was commissioned by WorldDAB and released during Session 3 of the WorldDAB Summit 2021 on Nov. 9. (Recordings of the sessions are on the WorldDAB YouTube page.)

WorldDAB commissioned this survey “to make sure the carmakers fully appreciate the consumer’s attitudes towards broadcast radio and broadcast digital radio in particular,” said WorldDAB President Patrick Hannon. “Our hope is that car manufacturers can use some of these insights when they’re planning their radio systems in the future, which we firmly believe need to be hybrid radio with broadcast at its heart,” said Laurence Harrison, director of automotive partnerships at Radioplayer Worldwide.

The results of the Edison Research study were detailed by Tom Webster, the company’s senior vice president. “We did a survey of at least a thousand people [per country] in France, Italy, Germany, the U.K., the U.S. and Australia,” he said. “In all six countries, we looked at people who had either just bought a new car, a 2018 or newer, or were going to buy one in the next 12 months.” Webster added that weekly radio listenership across all six countries “is well over 80 percent.”

[Read more from Radio World about Digital Radio]

The big takeaway: “In all six countries, at the top [of the list] amongst recent car buyers, radio was most often cited as the top audio source that was wanted in the vehicle,” he said. “That’s given all of the other options that are currently available …. [and] one of the key findings of the whole study is that people think that radio should be standard in a car.” Conversely, well over 80 percent of those surveyed said they would be less likely to purchase a car if it did not come with a radio in it.

“The bottom line here is that radio [in the car] is an expectation for people,” said Webster. “Radio does exactly what they want it to while they’re driving, which is to be easy to use, to be free, to be entertaining, [and] to be informative.”

Tasked with giving the carmaker’s reaction to the Edison Research, Martin Koch, head of development entertainment & car functions for Volkswagen Group’s CARIAD, said, “my personal opinion is that radio is No. 1 in the car, but seeing this in … official research … really surprises me.” Speaking to Hannon and Harrison during their “Broadcast radio in the car audio entertainment landscape” segment, Koch added that, “I’m very happy with the results.”

In his presentation on “Integrating broadcast and connectivity in the digital dash,” NXP Semiconductors Senior Product Marketing Manager Jan Bremer spelled out the “must-haves” for modern car radios. “The unified station list has to become the de facto standard,” he said. “Seamless blending of analog, digital and IP radio is a must. We have to work to enhance the radio experience with digital radio and IP services like album art, station logos, lyrics … [And] it’s important that the user experience can be personalized.”

Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner wrapped up Session 3 with a call to action aimed at radio broadcasters.

“We can’t just sit on our hands,” Warner declared during her “What broadcasters are doing to thrive in the digital era” presentation.

“We’ve got to be talking about the importance of radio and in particular broadcast radio. Radio can’t be passive passengers during the journey towards the connected car,” she said. “Find the vehicle manufacturers’ contacts in your country, and reach out to them. Spread the word about the importance of broadcast radio. Lobby your governments for further regulations to enable broadcast radio to easily be found in new and connected cars.”

See Radio World’s coverage of WorldDAB Summit 2021 Session 1.

The post Radio is Top Entertainment Choice for Car Buyers appeared first on Radio World.

Entercom picked the Audacy name for a reason. Chairman David Field told his hometown newspaper the Philadelphia Inquirer that the old name no longer fit: “Entercom reflected radio only. We’ve outgrown it. It’s broader than that, and it also didn’t fit our aspirations.”

Audacy’s aspirations are now on full display in a wonderful new piece titled “State of Audio — What’s Next & What Advertisers Need To Know.”

It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to absorb this detailed 40-page promotional piece. Worth it? Yes! This is a must-read for everyone in broadcasting, podcasting, audio services or advertising. The nicely designed layout makes it easy to find sections that are of specific interest, but this statement of purpose is best digested whole.

It begins with a lovely, if hyperbolic line: “Advertisers who want to engage deeply with audiences are embracing Audio like never before.”

This intro makes me smile because it’s mostly true and offers promise for the future. The amusing part is that young media buyers will likely believe this line, not knowing much about broadcast radio’s many decades of dominance prior to television.

[Read More Promo Power Here]

While it may appear I’m poking fun here, I’m impressed with the way Audacy restates audio’s selling proposition saying, “New research affirms that Audio stirs emotion like no other medium.”

Audacy Chief Digital Officer J.D. Crowley states: “In a world where screen time has reached a new and sometimes uncomfortable peak, it’s the ears, not the eyes, that always connected most deeply. And it’s the ears that are generating the most excitement and energy in media today.”

So true. And it’s so important that a generation of advertising newbies receives this education.

There are sections of metrics that lay out the growth of smart speakers, podcasts and at-home listening. Audio is described as an immersive experience, beating out video, television and even social media. Your local sales staff should understand this playing field and be prepared to discuss it with clients.

There’s a terrific section on podcast listening, revenue generation, and a proposition on how to reach youthful audiences. Celebrities are rightly repackaged as Influencers with instructions on how to utilize their trust to generate results. I particularly enjoyed the “right moment, right message” section on how dynamic creative can run at just the right moment to match the weather, sports, or other events.

The final chapter paints a future for audio based on voice-commands (like shopping by voice), the cloud and the arrival of 5G. Nothing about the smart dashboard in a car, which seems like a miss.

The elephant in the room for our industry shows up on a graph from Edison Research on page 8, concerning the use of broadcast radio. There’s an attempt to paint a rosy picture with broadcast radio commanding the largest percentage of audio listening at 39%. If accurate, that’s a sad state of affairs. Those at the top would be wise to admit that it’s past time to invest significant time, energy and money into stopping this decline and determine how to start a resurgence for broadcast stations.

Audacy has proven its prowess at positioning new forms of audio for the future.

The fly in the formula: According to RAB/Borrell Associates data, digital ad revenue in 2020 hit $1.1 billion. This accounts for about 14% of total ad sales. While it’s fantastic to see digital sales growing for radio, without broadcast station revenue, the business model doesn’t work.

Can Audacy and other leaders leverage their clearly proven creativity to rejuvenate our core broadcast radio product? That’s a manifesto I hope to read in the near future.

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

The post Audacy’s Audio Manifesto Reviewed appeared first on Radio World.

This week, we’re taking a look at NPR/Edison Research’s new report on spoken word audio.

While the latest NPR/Edison Spoken Word Audio Report defines spoken word as anything other than music, podcasting is clearly the 500-pound gorilla in the room. The research suggests that podcasting’s share of time with spoken word audio has increased by 176 percent over the past seven years, up 16 percent in the last year alone, and that those who prefer to listen to spoken word most often via podcasts has increased by 27 percent.

[Read more our coverage of “The Spoken Word Audio Report”]

When the report parses the data by distribution of spoken word audio listening by platform, however, the results suggest that AM/FM radio has maintained a clear lead over podcasts, audio books and other platforms. That lead is steadily eroding though, falling from 79 percent in 2014 to 48 percent in 2021.

“The Spoken Word Audio Report” shows radio remains the most commonly used medium for listening to spoken word audio.

In addition to podcasts, mobile devices, according to the survey, are a key driving force in spoken word audio’s impressive growth. When broken down by demographics for share of time spent listening to spoken word audio on a mobile device from 2014 to 2021, the average increase is 278 percent.

The 18–34 demographic went from 19 to 51 percent, a 168 percent increase. Those aged 35–54 saw a 216 percent increase, up from 12 to 38 percent. Another big surprise in this report are the numbers reported for the 55+ demographic. In what seems to be a monumental game of catch up, they went from 2 to 18 percent — an 800 percent increase!

When the report breaks the numbers down by share of listening by content type of device, music is still the dominant player across the board. That said, mobile devices lead the spoken word segment with 35 percent, followed by AM/FM radio receivers with 29 percent. And the survey emphasizes that this 29 percent is actual over-the-air listening, and not listening to an AM/FM station’s stream. This is followed by computers with 27 percent and smart speakers with 24 percent.

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

The post Most Spoken Word Audio Listening Happens via Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Leadership changes are on the horizon for two working groups of the National Radio Systems Committee focused on important technical matters for U.S. radio broadcasting. One focuses on digital radio standards development, the other on radio metadata.

The NRSC is a technical standards-setting body co-sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, representing the transmission side of the radio broadcast industry, and the Consumer Technology Association, representing the reception side.

Alan Jurison

The NRSC’s IBOC Standards Development Working Group, which is a subgroup of the Digital Radio Broadcasting (DRB) subcommittee, will be chaired by Alan Jurison, a senior operations engineer with iHeartMedia. Jurison has served as chair of the NRSC’s Metadata Usage Working Group since 2012.

Jurison will be tasked with overseeing headline-making activities within the IBOC standards group. This work includes developing an NRSC guideline for all-digital AM radio stations and updating the NRSC-5 digital radio standard (the technical standard behind Xperi’s HD Radio digital radio system).

Updating that standard is a task undertaken by the group every five years.

“Having Alan as the new [IBOC group] chair is a great development,” said Glynn Walden, consultant to Audacy and co-chair of the DRB subcommittee. “Alan has been a major contributor to NRSC technical documents and done an outstanding job at the helm of the [Metadata Usage Working Group].”

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

David Bialik

As for the Metadata Usage Working Group, consultant David Bialik of David K. Bialik & Associates takes the helm as chair. The working group is a subgroup of the Data Services and Metadata Subcommittee, chaired by Steve Shultis, CTO of New York Public Radio.

Right off the bat, Bialik will be responsible for leading the development of NRSC-G304, a guideline for streaming audio metadata.

“David’s expertise in the area of streaming for broadcast audio will be put to good use as the new chair,” Shultis said. “Radio broadcasters rely increasingly upon their audio streams and the NRSC is eager to help develop better standards in this area.”

Jurison succeeds Randy Woods, who until recently was with New Hampshire Public Radio. Bialik succeeds Jurison as chair of MUWG.

The post NRSC Names New Chairs for Working Groups appeared first on Radio World.

Have you harbored a dream of tracking down modern-day pirates? Two new job positions recently opened by the Federal Communications Commission may give you that chance.

The FCC recently posted two openings for field agents as part of the commission’s Enforcement Bureau. The first position is located in Chicago; the second is in New Orleans.

Both positions revolve around enforcing regulations, resolving radio frequency interference, educating users and investigating unlicensed radio operation violations (thar be your pirates).

Posted salary range: roughly $92k–$132k.

The position includes performing fieldwork, serving as a point of contact in matters of fixed and mobile radio direction-finding and interference resolution, and participating in enforcement and engineering projects with regional or national applications. Candidates must be able to operate and understand all field-ready technical equipment, including RF spectrum analyzers, field-strength meters, radio frequency radiation survey meters and radio receivers.

[Visit Radio World’s Business and Law Page]

The position also requires candidates to initiate official notices of violation, participate in regional emergency planning meetings, serve as a local expert in emergency communications restoration, and assist in planning bureau enforcement and compliance workshops.

A certain amount of field ruggedness is required, too. Agents will operate an SUV during routine field activities, which may happen during adverse weather conditions or in darkness.

The position has clear eligibility requirements too — either a degree in professional engineering or a combination of education and specialized experience.

The official announcement has further details on the positions and applicants can apply directly on the USAJOBS website. Job applications are being accepted through Nov. 22, 2021.

The post FCC Looks to Fill Two Enforcement Agent Positions appeared first on Radio World.

In 1970, 15-year-old high school sophomore Paul Tinkle joined WCMT(AM/FM) as a “cleanup” boy. 

Today he is the president and part-owner of Thunderbolt Broadcasting, which includes one AM and four FMs as well as seven translators (Tinkle calls them “local FMs”) that serve northwest Tennessee and parts of Kentucky. He is also a former member of the NAB Radio Board.

He recalls that years ago, when an engineer took ill for several months, Tinkle suddenly realized how little he knew about his own facilities. So he started to bone up.

Today he advocates for owners and managers to participate in the creation of maintenance programs and technical documentation, and encourages them to become familiar with their facilities and with basic engineering concepts. 

His engineer visits Thunderbolt’s RF sites monthly, checking everything from the ASRN sign to the tower lights and replacing transmitter filters. Each RF site has a metal bookcase filled with equipment manuals; and Tinkle’s cellphone has the names of dozens of engineers and suppliers he could call if necessary, to help if he had an urgent problem. 

Paul Tinkle wrote the following list of 57 assorted ideas, tips and best practices. He shared it with Radio World for our ebook “Mission-Critical: Maintaining Your Transmitter Site.”

A documentation shelf, two sizes of ladder and a Shop-Vac are at the ready.

1) Purchase a label maker, and see that all equipment is labeled using the name you commonly use when referring to it. Label everything in your service rack. Label the front and back of each piece of equipment as well as where the plugs and wires are inserted.)

2) Label STLs, Marti units and other RF equipment. Include call signs. Note the date each piece of equipment went into service. Do the same for computers, noting their install date. Label the front of each satellite receiver with the name of the program associated with that receiver. Include the serial number on the front.

3) Label your station “calls” on remote gear including headphones, power cords and of course phone and RF equipment that is used on the road. Take a photo of your remote gear with your smartphone or camera.

4) Learn how to read and take transmitter meter readings. Take the actual readings occasionally to stay fresh. Know the transmitter codes and all passwords relating to everything you own. Keep a central log of passwords, and make sure key personnel know how to access it. Change factory default passwords when new equipment arrives.

5) Make sure all EAS equipment includes written instructions on how to perform an EAS test. Keep instructions in the control room.

6) At an AM station, inspect your antenna tuning unit (ATU) at the tower base to check for snakes, birds or other unwelcome intruders or problems.

7) Confirm that your Antenna Structure Registration Number (ASRN) is displayed clearly at the tower site, that your fence is structurally sound and the gate is locked.

8) Inspect your guy wires for damaged insulators. Inspect tower anchors for possible damage due to mowing or lightning. Keep your tower site mowed and neat. FCC inspectors often can tell who’s doing a good job of taking care of their license just by looking at the grass; at least give them a good first impression.

9) Keep a spare set of keys to everything you own. Put it in your vehicle or hidden at the tower site.

10) Keep a journal or notebook — not just a legal pad — at the remote tower site; mandate that anyone who enters the tower building log tower readings and the time they came in and out of your building and the site. Keep a copy of your “vital” records — e.g. the license — in a binder, in plastic sheets. This includes STL (license) path information and transmitter info. Having these at the tower site allows you to access information like transmitter power out (TPO) quickly.

11) Keep a spare tube and parts kit for your transmitter and other vital equipment close by. This includes a fan.

12) At the tower site, keep a set of basic tools and a first aid kit. Also put in a supply of drinking water, paper towels, hand sanitizer, toilet paper and a cot for resting. Engineers may need to take a break, especially if they’ve been working on equipment all night. At some remote sites, for instance where weather might shutter someone in, consider supplies for a longer-term stay such as blankets and non-perishable food. 

13) Change or clean all filters on transmitters and HVAC units.

14) Clean all transmitter and computer filters monthly. Suck out the dust for longer life!

15) Keep a Shop-Vac or similar wet/dry vacuum at the site to help keep the building and equipment clean.

16) Store several flashlights and batteries in your building (including studio control rooms too). Check your smoke detectors annually for performance. Change batteries when you adjust your clocks twice a year.

17) If you have a generator, check it monthly and exercise it weekly. Ensure that you have extra oil and coolant. Check the fuel level. Log it in your journal and write down the hours it was exercised. Put it “online” at least every month.

18)  Personally inspect your towers at night to confirm that all bulbs are burning. Inspect the tower to confirm it will pass FCC paint regulations.

Tower and site inspection sheet.

19) When a bulb goes out, document that you have notified the appropriate officials. Keep the Flight Services NOTAM line phone number (877-487-6867) and your ASRN at hand. Store the ASRN for each site in your smartphone.

20) At AM stations, confirm that your annual NRSC Occupied Bandwidth Measurement and Frequency Test was done within the past 14 months and have it ready for the FCC upon request.

21) Visually inspect your STL, Marti and other auxiliary antennas. Are they secure on your service tower? Check that wind has not damaged or loosened radials.

22) Walk around the back of your radio station and transmitter building to see if anything is out of place. This could be anything such as loose cables, vandalism damage, or strange visitors — cats, rats, snakes, deer, bear, opossum, turkey or groundhogs.

23) Keep spare tools in your vehicle including an air pump for flat tires or slow leaks that happen while you are at the tower site. It will happen.

24) Keep wasp/hornet repellant available. Always have duct tape on hand. It can fix most problems.

25) Show full- and part-time employees where vital controls are located including the electrical breaker box. Label your breakers in the electrical box.

26) Communicate with your engineer regularly, especially if something doesn’t seem right.

27) Instruct part-timers how to turn on and turn off vital equipment such as a backup transmitter.

28) Place combination locks on all gates and tower entrances. Cover them with a piece of rubber tire and a potato chip clip to keep moisture out and prevent freezing.   

29) Keep good records about your equipment, including pictures of all devices. Your smartphone is your friend.

30) If you ship a piece of equipment for repair, tape your business card to it. Use your label maker and put your company’s name on the equipment. (If you put your bumper sticker on it, they will definitely know whose it is.)

31) Be proactive. Ask your engineer what they need to do their job better. Sometimes it’s just an extra roll of tape or a new soldering iron. Sometimes they might tell you something really important that you didn’t know.

32) Document everything. Keep a paper trail for things you do, things the engineer does, things that need to get done, things that got done and things that are undone.

33) Write or print legibly.

34) Teach others in your radio station family the important things. Any DJ/announcer, office manager or newsperson might have to fill in suddenly.

35) If you have a remote vehicle, drive it yourself, inspect it for damage and keep a service record. Check the tires and alignment. It may pull to one side or make a noise; it may need to be cleaned of trash. If connected to remote gear, make sure you have tested it personally.

The station vehicle is well supplied.

36) Inventory any play-by-play equipment. Learn what needs to be replaced or repaired and is being treated professionally. Put headphones in one- or two-gallon plastic freezer bags, available at your local grocer or box store.

37) If there’s a problem at the transmitter site, tell your engineer you want to come watch or hold the flash light — to learn, to help and to keep them company. 

38) Find out where the FCC rules are kept in the radio station, tell the staff and encourage everyone to read them. 

39) Participate in your state’s Alternative Broadcast Inspection program. This is great insurance. It helps your engineer keep equipment running smoothly and in tolerance, and keeps your staff aware of EAS rules.

40) When in doubt about FCC rules and regs, contact your FCC attorney. Spend the money to keep your radio station legal. It’s better to spend money on engineering than wait and send money to the FCC to resolve a Notice of Apparent Liability.

41) Get to know people in the technical community. Network at your state broadcast association’s events. Keep contact names of helpful people at key equipment suppliers. Ask your engineer, “Who are the people you would want me to call if you were in the hospital?

For the engineers

42) Engineers: “Communicate before you medicate.” Let the manager or PD know that you’re planning to take the station off the air. Sometimes really are better than others for routine service.

43) Ask for the equipment you need to keep the station running smoothly. Ask again and again. Research your request with costs and how they will help the station, whether to stay on the air or to clean up noise.

44) Remember to put things away after you have completed a project. Put all the fasteners (nuts and bolts) back in the equipment.

45) Keep good notes. 

46) Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Slow down when working with RF. Turn off the main power to the transmitter. If you disconnect the failsafe, remember to put it back in place and confirm it’s functioning. Work with a partner if at all possible.

47) Provide your password to the manager so they can be helpful to you when you’re unable to come right away.

48) Make a date with the manager to show them what you believe needs to be done to assure that the radio station continues to run smoothly. 

49) Make sure you have all the spare parts you need to keep your radio station on the air.

50) Show your manager the projects you have accomplished.

51) Neatness matters. Labeling is a must.

52) Date everything regardless of when it was received, installed or pulled out of service.

53) When there is an emergency and you get the call, communicate with management when you are likely to appear on the scene.

Final thoughts

54) Managers: Emergencies are never so big that it you need to put the engineer in harm’s way.

55) Managers: Don’t try to fix what you don’t know how to fix. Engineers should not need to fix what you’ve tried to fix.

56) Managers: Be patient with your engineer.

57) Engineers: Be patient with your manager.

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

The post 57 Tips from the Manager’s Engineering Notebook appeared first on Radio World.

Audix has introduced the A231, a large-diaphragm studio vocal microphone intended for use in lead and backing vocals, spoken word and voiceover applications, and acoustic instrument miking.

The A231 features the same gold-plated brass band as found on Audix’s SCX25A instrument mic, but inside the new microphone, there’s a 33 mm true condenser featuring a tensioned diaphragm with gold deposition all the way to its far edges. According to Audix, this produces a diaphragm area approximately 25% larger than that of a typical large-diaphragm condenser mic. Meanwhile, a cardioid pickup pattern offers a predictable proximity effect and exceptional off-axis rejection.

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

The capsule feeds circuitry designed for quietness, while an active driven shield is employed in an effort to protect the signal path from interference and capacitive coupling. A specially designed internal shockmount is also used to dampen handling noise, enabling the A231 to be used for both studio and live applications.

The A231 capsule is suspended by the internal shock mount behind a double-woven steel alloy mesh grille and seated in the precision-machined aluminum body. Primarily intended for vocals, voiceover and spoken word, the Audix says that the A231 is designed with an aim to provide power, detail and controllable proximity effect due to its cardioid polar pattern with smooth off-axis response over a wide frequency range.

The A231 can also be used on acoustic instruments, able to handle 140 dB maximum SPL even as the mic itself has a low 12 dBA equivalent noise level, making it appropriate for delicate sources like upright bass and strings. The mic itself offers a 128 dB dynamic range.

The A231 is available now for an MSRP of $949.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: https://audixusa.com

 

The post Audix A231 Studio Vocal Microphone Launched appeared first on Radio World.

A proposal to allow computational directional FM broadcast antenna pattern modeling in the United States is a step closer to being approved.

The Federal Communications Commission says it believes that the proposed rule change “would provide regulatory parity and ongoing relief for both antenna manufacturers and FM broadcasters while maintaining the integrity of our licensing requirements.”

We had reported earlier that the idea was advancing at the  commission; now the FCC has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking asking for comments.

The commission’s text makes clear that it thinks this is a good idea, but it expressly also asks for help from “engineers, broadcasters, antenna manufacturers, and other interested parties” to help clarify some issues raised by the proposed rule.

The proposal was made in a joint petition from Dielectric, Jampro, Radio Frequency Systems and Shively Labs, all of which make antennas, as well as broadcaster Educational Media Foundation.

Currently, the rules for verifying FM directional patters require physical modeling and measurements.

The FCC noted that verification of directional patterns through use of computer modeling is permitted in both AM radio and TV/DTV and is a familiar concept to the commission and the industry.

It says more than 2,000 full-service FM broadcast stations, which is more than 20% of them, use directional antennas. The change would allow any of those stations that replace existing antennas to avoid the expense of field measurements. It would apply not only to applicants for new FM facilities, but to FM licensees applying for facility modifications.

[Read the full NPRM text.]

The commission also said that given the demand for FM spectrum, “we anticipate an increase in the use of directional antennas. We believe those future broadcast applicants would benefit from this proposal.”

Among questions being asked by the FCC are whether this change could increase the risk of interference to adjacent stations; whether the commission should adopt a particular computer program or underlying model; if not, which computer modeling software programs it should accept for verification; and how FCC staff should confirm the accuracy of such models.

“Perhaps most importantly, we are interested in comments from broadcasters, engineers and manufacturers who have used both computer modeling of FM directional antennas and physical models of the same, and who can discuss their experience regarding the accuracy of computer-modeled antennas vis-à-vis the performance of such antennas as installed.”

Comments in MD Docket 21-422 will be due 30 days after the NPRM is published in the Federal Register, which hasn’t happened yet.

The post FCC Opens NPRM to Allow Computer Modeling for FM Antennas appeared first on Radio World.

The impact of Qualcomm shutting down its Reciva internet radio aggregation platform earlier this year continues to reverberate through the internet radio manufacturing industry. The loss of this platform means Reciva-enabled internet radios can no longer connect to audio streams on the web — rendering them effectively useless.

Grace Digital’s page for users affected by the Reciva shutdown.

Sangean Electronics is one of the manufacturers left stranded by the Reciva shutdown.

“The official date was April 30, 2021,” Sangean Marketing Director Andrew Wu said. “The response we got [from Qualcomm] was, ‘We have decided to withdraw this discretionary service, for business reasons. We wish you well in finding alternative solutions’.”

“It’s not the first internet radio platform to shut down,” said Wu. “But it is the first time for a supplier to not offer any viable solutions.”

“The shutdown was difficult on both the brands and customers who used Reciva-based devices,” said Greg Fadul, CEO and cofounder of Grace Digital, another internet radio manufacturer. “For Grace Digital, it’s been very difficult. We are a family-run business and we were partners and friends with the Reciva team. However, over the years Reciva was sold twice and the companies that acquired them decided that they would no longer support the legacy servers.”

Why did Reciva shut down?

Qualcomm has not responded to Radio World’s requests for interviews about the Reciva shutdown. However, internet radio manufacturers who supported this platform have offered several reasons for its demise.

First is the complexity and cost of running the Reciva platform. “Back in 2003 the processors in internet radios were extremely slow and had little memory, so Reciva’s strategy  was for its servers to perform the heavy lifting with the radio only performing the basic streaming function,” said Fadul. “Their server system was not simply an internet radio station aggregator, but a high-end global array of dozens of servers located in key cities around the world. The server network provided radio authentication, managed log-ins for premium services, and various settings and configurations for the radios, among many other functions.”

[Read More Internet Radio Stories Here]

Fast-forward 18 years and quality internet radios perform all those functions on the radio itself without the costs of an intermediary array of servers.

The C. Crane CC WiFi-3 is one of the receivers affected by the Reciva shutdown.

To make matters worse, “there was no path to upgrade due to the age of the code and its incompatibility with new hardware,” said Bob Crane, president of radio equipment firm C. Crane.  “In addition, there are no longer people who fundamentally understand the ins and outs of this proprietary code and programming. The original software was also burdensome and slower than new chips.”

Despite this, Crane said he believes the driving force behind Qualcomm’s Reciva shutdown was the cost of maintaining its global server system. With manufacturers having moved to newer and more self-contained internet radio-tuning systems, Qualcomm had to cover this cost without receiving any revenue to pay for it.

“The Reciva problem happened in part because there was no recurring income for the founders,” said Crane. “This is why every software developer on the planet — think Adobe, Microsoft, and Oracle — has switched primarily to subscription-based purchases because there has to be some way to fund ongoing maintenance and future development.”

Manufacturers scramble

As reported by Radio World in March 2021 (“Reciva Internet Radio Platform Shutting Down“), internet radio manufacturers are doing their best to assist Reciva-stranded listeners.

At C. Crane, “we accelerated our new CC WiFi 3 internet radio into production as quickly as possible based on Skytune.net,” said Crane. “We also developed a program to take care of our Reciva-based CC WiFi owners, offering them a graduated discount that took into consideration how recently they’d purchased their older sets. We tried to offer a reasonable solution with proof of purchase and a cutoff date so we could take care of as many people as possible.”

“Since Grace Digital did not own the Reciva radio software — we only licensed the code, which means we could not change the radio software – there was unfortunately nothing we could do to save the old Reciva-based radios,” Fadul said. Fortunately, his company had launched its own self-maintained aggregation platform in 2018 to support its new generation of internet receivers.

“To help our dedicated customers with the transition to our new platform, Grace Digital offers discounts to purchase new radios,” said Fadul. “The vast majority of people understand the situation and realize the shutdown was out of our control.”

Over at Sangean, “we contacted the responsible parties to work on possible solutions, but we weren’t given any options that would allow our Reciva devices to continue working,” said Wu. “Therefore, we took the responsibility and offered our newer internet radio devices to our customers at a loss. It’s a very unfortunate situation and it is our desire to ensure all our customers are pleased, but that’s just not always the case. However, the majority took our offer and were satisfied with our response.”

Reality of business today

At first glance, the logical conclusion to be drawn from the Reciva shutdown is never to purchase a device that relies on third-party servers to function.

The problem with this conclusion is that it ignores the fundamental nature and ubiquity of third-party server solutions on the internet. “Any platform that uses a server is at risk of going down or being shut down,” said Fadul. “Basically anything such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Facebook, your cell phone, and even plain old POTS lines use servers/databases.”

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But this is just the tip of the iceberg: “All software platforms are probably at risk when you think about the countless updates and the ‘required’ new equipment purchases we all probably made over the last 15 years,” said Crane. “I am guessing that even Alexa may have a meltdown for the original units at the 15-year mark if you observe the software and hardware upgrades Amazon has issued so far. And even Sirius is looking at sunsetting one of their older platforms,” as reported by thedesk.net on September 21, 2021.

The business reality of “limited lifespans” even applies to broadcast radio. For instance, although AM radio remains viable in North America, the U.K. government’s just-released Digital Radio and Audio Review says that national AM (a.k.a. medium-wave) services should be closed down, due to the AM audience declining to 3% of all radio listening there.

Protecting listeners

Given this reality, the best internet radio manufacturers can do — and are doing — to protect listeners is to make their latest models multi-platform capable.

For instance, Grace Digital allows users to save and display up to 100 presets on their latest internet radios. “The radio presets do not relay on our servers to play,” said Fadul, “so even if we had a short or long server outage it would not affect your ability to play those 100 stations. It would also not affect your ability to play SiriusXM, Pandora, Bluetooth, or Chromecast.”

“It took us years to develop and optimize the software, but we learned from the Reciva shutdown and put all the software in place to make sure that we do not have this issue again,” he added. “Live and learn.”

As for the Reciva shutdown threatening the very existence of internet radio as a viable consumer technology? Bob Crane isn’t worried. Although he acknowledges that smart speakers “dwarf the sales of internet radios, it would be unwise to underestimate the dedication of radio listeners who have a preference to the way they listen,” he said.

“With smart speakers you give part of your private life up to a large company for marketing. Internet radios made by us and others don’t track you at all. It is more of a personal experience well-suited for a person who thoroughly enjoys and relies on radio,” Crane said.

This is why C. Crane, Grace Digital, and Sangean plan to keep developing and selling internet radios — Grace Digital has two models planned for release in 2022 — despite the risk of future Reciva-like platform shutdowns. “Standalone internet radios offer the convenience and simplicity of enjoying various radio streaming services,” said Wu. “They are not only viable, but trending.”

The post With Reciva Dead, Internet Radio Manufacturers Manage the Fallout appeared first on Radio World.

This week, we’re taking a look at NPR/Edison Research’s new report on spoken word audio.

The research behind the latest NPR/Edison Spoken Word Audio Report suggests an explosive growth in listening to that medium, particularly among young and multicultural demographics. This begs several questions: Why, what motivates them? How long are they listening? Is it more or less than in the past?

The Spoken Word Audio Report shows increases in listenership for spoken audio rising fastest among younger and multicultural demographics.

While not part of the formal quantitative research, NPR and Edison conducted in-depth interviews with several respondents for additional background about their listening habits, including the why part of the equation.

[Spoken Word Listenership Increases 40% Since 2014]

The results — many are seeking a different point of view from what they’re hearing on social or mainstream media. Typical of the responses, “… I really like the idea of seeing things from different sorts of perspectives.” Another said, “I want to know about different parts of the world, country, different things like that.” And, “I do think it provides different perspectives on stuff that we don’t see in the media every day.”

Another frequent response from participants is that spoken word audio provides them with an inward view, as well as an opportunity for self-improvement and introspection. One respondent said, “it kind of helps me understand more about how to be more successful and try to be more financially well-off.” Others replied, “… so I can improve my positivity within myself that way and I can spread it to others.”

Additional comments included, “You hear other people call in and someone who has a similar problem gives you an idea to try that you can apply to your situation or whatever,” and, “I can take things from each podcast that can help me become a better mom or be a better girlfriend or, eventually, be a good wife. So that’s why I like to listen.”

The research suggests respondents have an average daily listening time of 2 hours and 6 minutes for spoken word content. Compared to five years ago, 51 percent of those surveyed said they are listening to spoken work more than in the past; 31 percent say it’s the same, while 18 percent are listening less. Those numbers skew upwards for the younger demographics and multicultural listeners, down for older listeners, and stay more or less even for white listeners.

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

The post Spoken Word Audio Provides Listeners New Perspectives, Introspection appeared first on Radio World.

This continues our coverage of the recent online WorldDAB Summit 2021.

Digital Radio UK launched worked to educate retail staff about the advantages of DAB.

To drive DAB+ receiver sales in Europe, the radio industry has to educate consumer and retail sales staff more effectively. How to do that and more were addressed during Session 2 of the WorldDAB Summit 2021 on Nov. 9. (Recordings of the sessions are on the WorldDAB YouTube page.)

To motivate consumers to buy DAB+ receivers, they first have to understand what DAB+ is all about. Jacqueline Bierhorst, project director with Digital Radio Netherlands, outlined how this education is being delivered in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium in the presentation “Working With Retailers to Help Listeners Upgrade to DAB+.”

“The Netherlands has a 360-degree campaign to influence behavior and improve the actual use of DAB+,” said Bierhorst. “The campaign has been heard and seen on radio TV, through native ads and Facebook links, out of home, on the back of trucks and online video. On top of that, we have a collaboration with the five biggest Dutch retailers.” The payoff, she said, “All these efforts have resulted in a great uplift of sales [with a growth of] 271 percent.”

Meanwhile, “Digital Radio Germany is very active and a great inspiration for other countries,” she said. “The team in Germany made sure that all retail staff get guidance and new updates on DAB+ and its advantages. This makes sure that the shop seller is well-informed and can give a good explanation of DAB+ to customers.”

[Read more from Radio World about Digital Radio]

Then there’s Belgium, where this year “the first joint national DAB+ campaign was aired a two-week radio campaign aired on the main French- and Flemish-speaking stations, starting on Sept. 13 in association with the retailer Vanden Borre,” Bierhorst said. Again, both national efforts are increasing DAB+ receiver sales in their respective markets.

Similar promotional efforts in the United Kingdom were touched upon during a session about “Working With Retailers to Train and Educate Their Staff,” presented by Ford Ennals, chief executive officer of Digital Radio UK.

In the U.K., “digital radio sales are challenging,” Ennals said. To find out why, Digital Radio UK surveyed audio sales staff, most of whom were in their mid-20s.

The results: Young audio sales staff tend to view radio as being “more for older people,” said Ennals. “When they’re pressed [by customers], ‘Should I buy a smart speaker or a digital radio?’ they would advise consumers to buy a smart speaker because they see it as an easier and perhaps a more sexy sale.”

Based on this knowledge gap, Digital Radio UK spent the past six months educating sales staff about the full benefits and options provided by DAB+

One way to sell digital radio to consumers is to outline how “green” its transmission system is compared to conventional FM broadcasting. One real-life comparison was offered during “Environment — Bavaria’s DAB+ Green Report,” which was presented by Veit Olischläger, head of technology, media management and public relations for Bayerischen Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM), the Bavarian public-service broadast operator.

BLM compared the FM and DAB power consumption levels, on a per-service basis, for two Bavarian broadcasters. The results were impressive: “The given FM power consumption for Bayerischer Rundfunk is around 1,000 megawatt hours per year, and on the DAB side it’s 261 megawatt hours, which results in a reduction of 75 percent,” Olischläger said.

A Bavarian study found a 75 percent increase in energy consumption to reach the same audience with digital radio versus conventional FM.

Similar savings were seen for the private radio broadcaster Antenne Bayern. “The energy consumption on FM is higher … [while] the energy consumption on the DAB side is slightly reduced to a slightly reduced data rate,” he said. “Overall, the reduction is 85 percent for the private network.”

The final Session 2 presentation was titled “Performance — GfK Analysis.” It reported trends in consumer electronics sales.

The bare facts: “Total 2021 spending was up versus 2020,” said Max Templeman, insight director for consumer electronics at research firm GfK. Digital radio sales only showed “a small value increase,” he said. “Germany, France, Italy and Belgium increased share of total Europe DAB sales, but the Czech Republic saw the highest growth rate.”

As well, “over half of all DAB sales occurred online in quarter one this year,” said Templeman. “DAB radios over €200 still provide a healthy market share and gain importance in quarter four.”

See Radio World’s coverage of WorldDAB Summit 2021 Session 1.

The post Educating Consumers, Sales Staff Key to Building DAB+ Receiver Sales appeared first on Radio World.

The IBC show is a “go.”

After weighting tightened COVID restrictions announced by the Dutch government late last week, the show organizers announced Tuesday morning that the show will take place as scheduled starting Dec. 3 in Amsterdam.

The IBC cited “determined industry support” for the event to proceed.

“The announcement follows a decision at [Monday’s] IBC Partnership Board meeting to continue with the planned event because it can be delivered safely and create the essential business momentum that the industry needs,” it stated.

“We will forge ahead with our IBC Digital offering to ensure that whether onsite in Amsterdam or onscreen at home the industry can come together,” said Chief Executive Michael Crimp in the statement.

Crimp acknowledged the “waves of concern” prompted by the government action last week, but said that examination of the new rules and consultation with The RAI facility showed that “not much changes with regards to the safety plans we had already put in place. We will still have the perimeter fence around The RAI and thorough COVID status and health screening on entry. We will make a number of adjustments to our safety management and operational protocols to make sure the guidance is clear, and the event is safe for exhibitors and visitors.”

The show hours have been adjusted so participants “can make the most of their visits.” Crimp said, “I can definitely see breakfast and lunch gatherings being the mode of networking at this year’s event. Let’s save the big parties to 2022 and focus right now on re-connecting and driving business.”

[Read the full announcement text.]

IBC2021 show opening times will be:

Friday              03.12.21         09:00 – 16:30

Saturday         04.12.21         08:30 – 16:30

Sunday            05.12.21         08:30 – 16:30

Monday          06.12.21         08:30 – 16:00

The post Despite Tightened Restrictions, IBC Show Will Proceed appeared first on Radio World.

Mike Everhart

Alpha Media has operations in 42 markets around the United States, stretching from Alaska to South Carolina, comprising about four dozen studio locations and 200 or so FM and AM licenses.

Director of Engineering Mike Everhart is one of several engineers I interviewed for our ebook “After the Masks Come Off.”

He told me that Alpha’s leadership has been putting lessons of the pandemic into practice.

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

“You’ll see it in future iterations of our studio builds. We’re entering a right-sizing operation in the Portland, Ore., market right now; and we’re looking at a move-and-build in another market in the next year or so that will take a lot of those lessons into account.”

The company was already heading down this road, he said, due the cost of construction, which Everhart said has ballooned well above the rate of inflation; a general decline in radio revenue in recent years; and the possibilities that technology brings for enabling remote work and creating more flexibility in the use of infrastructure.

“Those forces have come together and forced us to rethink the way we do these facilities,” Everhart said.

“We’ve been reducing the physical footprint. We’ve been reducing studio counts. We’ve been looking at hoteling workspace as opposed to dedicated individual workspaces, in the office as well as the studio. A person does not have a dedicated workspace all the time.”

A design principle of engineering is to seek efficiency, he said; but Alpha Media’s analysis has shown that traditionally radio is inefficient in their use of space, with low occupancy rates of desks and studios. He attributes this to a cultural paradigm in which a brand’s identity is wrapped up in the control room, where you build a culture to share with an audience.

“What we’ve found is that the culture and feel of a brand is what comes out the speakers and the feelings engendered in the audience members. It doesn’t come from the space, it comes from the head and the heart of the people producing the programs.”

With all that taken into account, and given the costs of building facilities and the expense of commercial real estate, “It doesn’t make sense to keep doing things the way we’ve been doing things.”

I enjoyed putting this particular ebook together and invite you to read more from Mike Everhart and other top engineers. Find it at radioworld.com/ebooks.

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

The post Your Culture Doesn’t Come From the Studio Space appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcast audio software tools developer Futuri Media has announced an update to its Post podcast creation system.

New tools include an in-app audio editor “designed to save production time, speed up distribution of timely content, and enable audio brands to quickly make simple edits to their on-demand broadcast content to keep people listening longer,” according to the company

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

Customizable widgets have been added that aids in branding embedded audio. Ad insertion has also been with improvements in ad marker and mid-roll capabilities.

Futuri adds that third-party destination publishing is better, chapter markers are enhanced and analytics deeper.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: https://futurimedia.com

 

The post Futuri Updates Post Podcast System appeared first on Radio World.