Radio World

The author is chief engineer of The Joy FM.

Playing the best in Christian Contemporary Music, listener-supported The Joy FM has been serving Florida, Georgia and Alabama for over 30 years. As part of the Radio Training Network family of stations, The Joy FM also supports multiple sister stations including WAFJ(FM) in Augusta, S.C., as well as KWND(FM) and KWFC(FM) in Springfield, Mo.

With more than two dozen transmitter sites in five states, audio-over-IP solutions are essential components of our multilocation infrastructure. Barix’s Instreamer and Exstreamer product lines are our “go to” codecs for a variety of critical use cases.

 

Backhauling EAS

Sister station LF Radio offers positive alternative, pop and hip-hop music, while our Joy Worship station supplements worship during the week. Joy FM supplies Joy Worship and LF Radio as HD2 and HD3 to six cities from our Sarasota, Fla., headquarters.

Of course, EAS must match between all of the subchannels at each site, so the same EAS that’s on HD1 must also be on HD2 and HD3. We run all of our HD importers for Joy Worship and LF Radio virtually in Sarasota, so we use Barix Instreamer 100s and Exstreamer 100s to backhaul the EAS from each location back to Florida.

At each of those six transmitter sites, a Barix Instreamer takes in the EAS from the HD1 and analog channel as well as GPIO from ControlByWeb, which provides Ethernet IO for remote relay control. The combination of Barix and ControlByWeb is ideal, as both are reliable and robust. Barix sends the EAS and GPIO to our Florida office, where we use Axia Pathfinder to do the logic switching between sources to provide the HD importers with either the music feed or EAS feed.

We also use Barix for another HD Radio use case. WAFJ in Augusta offers its own worship channel, The Song. We use Barix codecs to bring The Song down to our importers in Sarasota, so WAFJ listeners get The Song as HD2 (instead of Joy Worship) and LF Radio as HD3.

Secondary STL

We also use Barix codecs for our backup STL at most of our sites. We have nine independent stations in Florida alone, each with its own traffic breaks, liners, IDs and other elements that make them local. Each station is created and mixed in Sarasota, where a 1RU system encodes 14 Livewire feeds to AAC+ streams that are sent to an external server.

A Barix Exstreamer at each transmitter site pulls the stream, which then goes through level converters. The backup STL stream is always on, rather than on-demand, and a Broadcast Tools Audio Sentinel automatically switches transmission to the Barix-decoded stream if the main audio path fails.

All of our sites have at least two internet connections, if not more, with separate ISPs for fault tolerance if one of our internet providers has an outage. Our backup STL workflow has worked very well, as the Barix devices are so reliable and easy to work with.

 

Preferred Choice

I use Barix codecs for other applications, from confidence monitoring for PPM to simply distributing audio from my office throughout our extensive facility. Whenever I have a new need to get audio from Point A to Point B via an IP network, I’ll grab a Barix box. They’re robust, they’re cost-effective, and they can pretty much do whatever you need on the first try.

Info: Contact Barix at 1-866-815-0866 or www.barix.com. For international queries contact Reto Brader in Switzerland at +41-43-433-22-11.

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

 

The post User Report: Barix Powers Critical Infrastructure for The Joy FM appeared first on Radio World.

iHeartMedia will get a new FM CP in Sacramento after bidding more than $6.1 million in a just-concluded auction held by the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC held Auction 109 for new FM and AM construction permits. Sixty-seven bidders won a total of 97 CPs. (Here’s the list of winning bids in PDF form.)

The commission said the auction raised about $12.3 million in bids.

Half of that total came from a single winning bid by iHeartMedia’s iHM Licenses LLC, which won the Class B FM CP on 107.9 MHz in Sacramento, Calif.

The second largest net winning bid was from Radio Brands for a permit in Sanger, Texas, at about $2.3 million for a Class C3 on 104.1.

No other CP went for more than $300,000, and most were far less than that.

The smallest winning bid was $750, from Mekaddesh Group Corp. for a Class A FM CP in San Isidro, Texas on 98.9.

The winners must pay their down payments by Aug. 26. At the end of the process, licenses will be issued for an eight-year term.

The post iHeart Snags a Sacramento FM CP in FCC Auction appeared first on Radio World.

Ryan Star

The author of this commentary is co-founder and CEO of the social audio company Stationhead.

As the social audio phenomenon continues to evolve, traditional radio managers need to recognize that social audio isn’t just another social media format, or another way to stream audio content — it’s simply the future of radio.

The industry’s legacy players are becoming obsolete as new platforms seek to democratize the space for creatives and artists. Gone are the days of program directors playing the hits. It is now time for artists, creatives and fans to break the hits and take control of the airways.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

To date, traditional radio has been monodirectional and controlled by gatekeepers — but in the new world of social audio, revolutionary new platforms are allowing anyone and everyone to become a radio DJ or talk show host and be their own program manager. Creativity and control are now in the hands of the artists and fans who now have the resources and access needed to someday become the next Joe Rogan or Howard Stern.

 

Authentic Connection

If we have learned anything this past year, it is that the desire to connect has never been higher.

Our eyes are exhausted from Zoom meetings and scrolling through our phones. People are turning off screens and engaging in different ways: through their voice and the music they love. Audio has become a first-class medium, much like video did a decade ago.

Through the renaissance of audio, audiences and creators are realizing the power of their actual voice and the ability to connect to others without a “filtered” version of themselves. When people connect over audio, it’s completely authentic and without the pretensions that dominate every other social platform.

Fans are taking back the airwaves and changing the way we celebrate our favorite artists.

The technology of social audio democratizes radio so everyone can win. It creates a level playing field where the audience and creators can share content they’re passionate about in real time.

For example, in May 2021 more than 400,000 fans came together on Stationhead for a live streaming party for K-pop supergroup BTS’ new single “Butter,” which has been at the top of the Billboard charts since its release. Most bands or musicians would have to go on a three-year world tour to reach a comparable audience to the fans that showed up for that same event digitally.

Since then, we have seen thousands of fan-driven radio stations launch to celebrate their favorite artists and build community around the music.

 

Radio Managers, Listen up

In looking at other industries that have recently undergone similar cycles of digital innovation, we can see how the present disruption in audio will ultimately give power back to consumers who are ready for change.

A recent example beyond media of how technology has helped put power back in the hands of the consumer is the rise of ride sharing apps. Social audio is to licensed broadcasters what Uber has become to taxi drivers in New York City who were beholden to an outdated and unfair “medallion” system. Social audio — and especially the creators within the space — has given the entire ecosystem the freedom to make the choices that are right for their audiences and personal brands.

Within this period of change, there is opportunity for existing broadcasters large and small to meet a new generation of listeners where they’re ready to engage.

Radio managers today need to jump on board and consider their audience’s evolving format preferences or risk losing a generation of listeners and talent.

The emotional connection between an audience and the creators they follow is intimate and powerful, and is amplified when the audience is a part of the show itself. Much like the new generation of video stars born from YouTube and TikTok, the future of audio is starting today on these revolutionary new platforms.

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

The post Talk Hard: The Future of Radio Is Social Audio appeared first on Radio World.

Sajonisi Youth Radio, a regional community radio station in Port St John, South Africa, has selected an AEQ Forum digital console for its new Radio Sajonisi studio.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The Forum is a modular on-air console. The 12-fader unit at SYR is in the studio with the host and guests, though controlled by a board op.

Submit announcements for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post SYR Settles on AEQ appeared first on Radio World.

Photo: Sarah Pierce Photography

Former Star Tribune Media Chair Jean Taylor has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Public Media Group, its board has announced.

Taylor will start on Aug. 23. She succeeds Jon McTaggart. A seven-month search was conducted to fill the position.

[Read: APM Picks Riddle]

APMG Board Vice Chair Mary Brainerd said, “She is someone who leads with her values, who cares deeply about the role of public media and its importance … Her deep roots in our region, her experience in media and digital technologies and her understanding of APMG are important assets for our future.”

According to an announcement, during her tenure as Chair, Star Tribune was lauded and seen as a leader in the industry for its commitment to high-quality public service journalism, its digital subscription growth, and its strong financial results. Taylor was also President and CEO of Taylor Corporation from 2001 to 2010.

The American Public Media Group includes, Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and program producer American Public Media.

 

 

The post Taylor Takes Over at APMG appeared first on Radio World.

In every issue of Radio World Engineering Extra, Cris Alexander and the Radio World team provide ideas, best practices and problem solvers just for engineers.

Frank McCoy writes that old-school email origination clients need a little help with authentication.

Todd Dixon explains how to do some cool things with Paessler PRTG, for network monitoring on a budget.

Paul Kriegler of Telos Alliance delves into virtualizing your air chain.

Read it here.

The post Inside the Aug. 11, 2021 Issue of RW Engineering Extra appeared first on Radio World.

Darryl Parker has died.

For radio engineers, Parker for many years was the face of TFT, a company that manufactured STL, EAS and monitoring equipment.

His death was announced on his Facebook page by his wife Elizabeth Parker. He had been in hospice care with a neuroendocrine tumor and died Friday. He was 77.

TFT, based in San Jose, Calif., was established in 1970 in Santa Clara in the Silicon Valley. Parker held the position of senior vice president for many years, and was the person best known to engineers who purchased TFT equipment.

After that company closed in 2015, Parker offered support services to its former customers and assisted other technicians and engineers in doing so as well.

“Personally I want to help all the people who have helped me over the years,” he told Radio World at the time.

“A super nice guy,” one industry colleague told RW this week. “He tried his best to keep TFT afloat.” “A great man, always available and happy to help with whatever we needed,” wrote former NPR engineering executive Mike Starling on Facebook. “A gentleman,” said engineering veteran Tom Ray.

Parker was born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in the city of Terrill. He attended Southern Methodist University and earned his B.A. in classics and mathematics. According to his Facebook page he also studied high-tech marketing at Caltech.

Parker started in broadcasting by working at a local radio station that was owned by a friend’s family. He worked on-air and in news before moving into engineering. While in high school he also worked as a grip on the movie “Giant.”

Parker was not afraid to make a little fun of himself. “Wilbur the cat was Darryl’s best buddy for the last decade,” Elizabeth Parker said.

He also had a love of liturgical music; he started organ lessons when in grade school and played for dozens of churches in his life. “The Sunday before his last hospitalization he was at the organ bench,” Elizabeth Parker said.

Former professional positions also included director of marketing at Alligator Communications; president of Parcom Inc.; sales manager at MZB & Associates; and electrical engineering director at Texas State Networks.

He is survived by his wife, a sister, two children, his step-daughter, three grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, and brother.

Services will be announced later. “At Darryl’s wishes, he will be scattered in his beloved Texas at a later date,” his wife told Radio World.

The post Darryl Parker Dies; Was Face of TFT appeared first on Radio World.

Photo: Pexels – Michael Judkin

Local broadcasters are urging the Senate to provide tax credits to stations that staff up their newsrooms, citing, in part, Big Tech’s “devouring” of their local ad market.

In a letter to Senate leadership, all 50 state broadcaster associations called for passage of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.

They said the bill “would provide local newsrooms a lifeline that would enable them to sustain, and in some cases, significantly improve the critical public service these local media outlets provide their communities.”

The associations said that lifeline is needed in part because their advertising market has been disappearing, “devoured by massive online technology platforms.”

The bill, which was introduced last month by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, along with Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), would provide tax breaks for stations as well as small businesses that support local media with their ad dollars.

The goal, according to the bill’s sponsors, is to “revive and sustain trusted local media,” in which broadcast TV and radio play a central role. The credits go to support local newspapers, digital news operations, TV and radio.

 

The post Broadcasters Push for Local Journalism Tax Break Bill appeared first on Radio World.

U.S. consumers have been resuming their pre-pandemic activities, including spending and listening, according to Nielsen Audio.

“[A] rising tide of optimism headlines the American experience as we continue to emerge from the disruption caused by the virus,” wrote Managing Director Brad Kelly. “Nielsen’s ongoing series of audio consumer sentiment surveys is reporting the highest levels of consumer confidence that we’ve heard since the COVID crisis began.”

The company has released its latest “Audio Today” report, focusing on consumer sentiment. The trend lines are sunny, though the data were gathered up through May and June, so they may not reflect the most recent concerns about coronavirus variants.

“Audio use is on the rise,” Kelly wrote. “It’s being driven (pun intended) by increasing levels of mobility and traffic on our roadways. Among the employed, two thirds are now working outside the home, up more than 70% since the height of lock-down in the spring of 2020. As a result, the AM/FM Radio audience just recorded its highest levels in over a year across Nielsen’s PPM markets. Radio remains America’s top weekly reach medium, and an essential part of the daily media diet for millions.”

Kelly said while listening migrated into the home during the past year via smart speaker or mobile device, Nielsen now sees an audience shift back to pre-pandemic habits, with in-car and out-of-home consumption increasing.

Nielsen Audio also reported that podcasting attracted new listeners, particularly from home, and that podcast consumption is on the rise. “The past 18 months have proven the resiliency of podcasts, despite the major life changes brought about by COVID-19,” the company stated.

Its updated charts for weekly reach and average quarter hour listening are shown below.

 

 

 

The post Nielsen Audio Cites “Rising Tide of Optimism” appeared first on Radio World.

Note the Comrex Access codec, with its optional mixer, in its traveling case in the lower right corner.

The author is host of Walmart’s “The Bo Show.”

Walmart Radio was created in the late 1990s. It was discontinued temporarily in 2008, and Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs switched to playing CDs over their PA systems. But a CD can only hold so much music, and it hit the point where store associates knew what time of day it was based on the song that was playing.

In 2015, during a meeting with the CEO of Walmart, a store manager said that they really needed Walmart Radio back. It was reintroduced on the spot.

I am a manager in the corporate affairs and corporate communications team for Walmart and Sam’s Club, and my primary job is to oversee the radio aspect of our stores and clubs. I also host “The Bo Show,” which airs live in all locations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoons.

We run it just like any other terrestrial radio show, except we syndicate in a retail environment. I do interviews with celebrities, shout-outs for associates, take calls from customers, and play games on the air — the kinds of things you’d expect to find on any national radio show. Additionally, my colleague hosts a morning show called “Live with Antonio,” and we’ll regularly do remote events along with other special programming.

 

Packing a Punch

I’ve worked in radio for over 20 years, and spent much of that time working in terrestrial radio. In that time, I’d used plenty of Comrex gear, and I really liked it.

During the pandemic, we realized that we needed to upgrade some of our equipment. The TV division of Walmart was using some Comrex stuff already, so the name was familiar. When it was time to shop for new equipment, I thought, “Hey, this is a good company, I know the stuff — let’s give it a try.”

During the pandemic, when the main office itself shut down, a lot of our associates began working remotely. Our stores were still open, though obviously with limited capacity; and we wanted to be able to do our show, even though we couldn’t be at the studio.

We owned a single Comrex Access 2USB unit, but that wasn’t enough to handle everything we needed to do since we were all about to be working from home. So we purchased several Access NX units, the newest portable IP audio codec from Comrex, so that we could give them to everyone who needed one.

We also needed a studio codec that could handle multiple remote connections at once. After bit of research, we chose the Comrex Access MultiRack, which can handle up to five connections with any kind of Comrex IP codec simultaneously. Once everything was installed, we were off to the races!

One of the things I like about the Access NX is that it’s small, but it packs a punch. It has a lot of bells and whistles, especially when you add the extra mixer.

I’ve used it with Wi-Fi, cellular networks and also with a hardwire connection through a cradle point. The battery lasts quite some time, so you can get through a good two- or three-hour broadcast on battery power alone when connected to the mixer. Without the mixer, it can last up to 5 hours.

Having used this gear for a year, I think it’s one of the best upgrades we’ve ever made. It was essential during the pandemic. We could connect from home, and I could also log into the user interface remotely if there was ever an issue. The flexibility on it is just amazing — it’s one of the best units I’ve used in my radio career.

Info: Contact Chris Crump at Comrex at 1-978-784-1776 or visit www.comrex.com.

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

The post User Report: Versatility of Access Keeps Walmart Radio Flexible appeared first on Radio World.

Movo continues it surge into the audio equipment market with another microphone, a versatile USB desktop and smartphone mic, the UM300.

According to Movo, the UM300’s three-capsule array captures 48 kHz/16-bit broadcast quality sound resolution. It offers cardioid and omnidirectional patterns.

A single knob controls gain, headphone level and muting. It is compatible with Windows, Mac and along with Android smartphones.

[Read: Movin’ on Up With the Movo UM700]

Movo CEO Ben Halberstam said, “We noticed the low-quality audio and video that people were experiencing while using their built-in or outdated microphones during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and wanted to provide better solutions that won’t break the bank.”

At a price of $69.95 it would be easy to stock-up on a few for ENG and remote content production or hand-off to the interns without worrying about losing an “expensive” microphone.

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

Info: www.movophoto.com

 

The post Movo Ships Another Microphone appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcasters are working hard to try to get the FCC to reverse course on its plans to increase their user fees, in part to pay for the better broadband maps Congress has demanded of the commission.

The FCC pays for its operations through user fees–as well as auction proceeds when it comes to covering the expenses of conducting those.

National Association of Broadcasters president Gordon Smith last week was on a phone conference with acting FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel to talk about the special appropriation of $33 million for the FCC to implement the Broadband Data Act, legislation that Smith and other NAB executives on the call said provided “no benefit whatsoever to broadcasters.”

[Read: Broadcasters Face Higher FCC Regulatory Fees]

They said that despite that, broadcasters would wind up fronting about 16% of what were costs unrelated to their operations. The FCC fees are based on how many full-time employees are used to regulate a particular service.

NAB has told the FCC that not only is making them pay some of the broadband mapping freight unfair, but that it violates statute, a point they reiterated last week, saying that passing along costs attributable to broadband does not square with the requirement that the FCC take into account factors related to which entities benefit from broadband mapping. “Had it done so,” they said, “the commission would have no doubt concluded that broadcasters – and more specifically the Media Bureau — are not involved in implementing the act.”

They invoked the pandemic, including the rise of the Delta variant, as reason that the increase would be hard to absorb, increases they can’t pass along to their audience–as say, could ISPs via their monthly bills.

 

The post NAB’s Gordon Smith Urges FCC to Reverse User Fee Hike appeared first on Radio World.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council has called on the Federal Communications Commission to adopt seven new initiatives it says can better advance diversity and provide racial justice within the media industry.

At no time since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s has it been more important that the FCC affirm that it cares about issues of racial justice, said the MMTC in a letter submitted to the commission on Aug. 4.

“The FCC’s long and malodorous history of minority exclusion should both haunt and motivate all of us,” the organization said, adding that numerous proposals to advance racial justice in media and telecommunications have stalled. It is not uncommon for the agency to take 20 years or more to act on a proposal that would advance opportunities for multicultural communities and consumers, the organization said.

[Read: Getting a Look Inside the BIN]

“Today, the FCC carries the enormous responsibility of overseeing one-sixth of our national economy, including some of America’s fastest growing industries and greatest exports, and are the trustees of the First Amendment,” the organization said. “No federal body has a greater need to create and preserve racial justice than the Federal Communications Commission.”

As a start, the commission should ensure that minority voices have access to competitive technical facilities. Even though minority broadcasters are voices and conscience of their communities, these broadcasters often must compete using inferior technical facilities, according to the group.

The MMTC also pressed the commission to act on several pending proposals that would advance minority broadcast ownership. Some of these include granting an FM booster rule change that would authorize FM radio geo-targeting, creating a new station class known as C4 that would double the power of hundreds of small FM stations and repealing the rural radio policy that deprives small broadcasters of the opportunity to improve their signal coverage.

The organization also wants to see the commission establish a ubiquitous equal procurement program, similar to the cable procurement rule, which ensures that women- and minority-owned businesses have a fair chance at winning major contracts by requiring cable MSOs to disseminate major procurement opportunities (like laying fiber or installing equipment) broadly enough to reach eligible minority- and women-owned companies. Not only does this help these organizations grow and provide jobs, it helps drive down the prices. In addition, a more diverse pool of multiple suppliers of a key product will deepens the pool of talent and entrepreneurial mettle, it says. “Ubiquitous equal procurement opportunity would be a classic ‘win-win’ for everyone,” the organization said.

The commission should also ask Congress to restore and improve the tax certificate policy and create a tax credit for donating a station to a training institution. The 1978–1995 tax certificate policy “was by far the most effective vehicle for advancing minority broadcast ownership,” the MMTC said, noting that the policy quintupled minority broadcast ownership over the 17 years that it was in operation.

The organization also pressed the FCC to include diversity, equity and inclusion impact statements in all applicable rulemakings. “What gets measured gets done,” the MMTC said. “The commission should seek comment looking toward adoption of a universal policy where every rulemaking of general applicability will contain a diversity, equity and inclusion impact statement.”

In addition, the commission should put more bite behind its equal opportunity employment rules and begin prosecuting licensees that primarily recruit new employees by word of mouth. “[D]espite the continuing prevalence of low minority representation in influential broadcasting jobs, the commission has not brought a single discrimination prosecution since 1994,” the MMTC said. The commission should also commit to collaborating with the Department of Labor and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission to investigate what the MMTC calls “abysmal diversity performance” displayed year after year by many high tech platforms.

The MMTC also wants to see the commission correct deficiencies that it sees in the radio incubator program. This program, which was established in June 2021, needs one update: it should only allow for incubation waivers in similar-sized markets.

Finally, it says it is time for the commission to ensure there is widespread access to multilingual emergency information, the organization said. The MMTC and the League of United Latin American Citizens have repeatedly asked the commission to ensure that basic information in widely spoken languages such as Spanish be available in the wake of major storms. This is a step that can be taken with minimal regulatory intervention and will immediately support and protect multilingual populations in emergencies, the group said. “It is simply unconscionable that a person’s lack of English fluency can become a matter of life or death in an emergency situation,” the MMTC said.

The MMTC hopes that the commission will seize the moment it now finds itself in and take a stand.

“Hopefully, looking back on 2021, future students of history will recognize the FCC as an agency that seized the moment and swiftly affirmed its commitment to racial justice by undertaking initiatives that will ensure that equal opportunity is present in our most influential industries,” the MMTC said.

 

The post MMTC Outlines “Racial Justice” Initiatives for FCC appeared first on Radio World.

iHeartMedia is joining forces with a French multimedia group to curate a slate of its podcasts for a French audience.

iHeartMedia and the NRJ Group recently announced a strategic partnership in which the two will develop, translate, distribute and monetize iHeartRadio original podcast content for French listeners. The first translated podcasts will be available on the iHeartRadio app, in France on NRJ Group’s platforms and elsewhere in the last quarter of 2021.

As part of the partnership, NRJ Group will distribute certain iHeartRadio original English-language podcasts across its apps and websites and will lead the monetization efforts in France. NRJ Global will also leverage the supply-side platform Yield-Op from Triton Digital, a company recently acquired by iHeartMedia.

[Read: iHeartMedia Discloses Q2 Financial Results]

The partnership illustrates that demand for podcasts has become a global one. “[It’s] beginning to grow meaningful fanbases around the world,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. The partnership allows NRJ to tap into iHeartMedia’s archives of existing programs for translation and allows both companies to co-produce new shows to better support the French podcast creator community, he said

The podcasts that will be translated include “Stuff You Should Know,” the first podcast to surpass one billion downloads, the company said. The podcast was launched in April 2008 and educates listeners on science, history, urban legends and other topics. Other shows to be translated include “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” “BrainStuff,” “Cabinet of Curiosities” and “Missing in Alaska” among others.

The partnership will also include new co-produced podcasts featuring French talent.

NRJ Group said it is pleased to be working with iHeart on a shared mission: making high-quality entertainment podcasts available to the widest audience. “This deal enables us to significantly enrich our offer to French listeners while clearly positioning NRJ Global as the top reference in France for the monetization of podcasts,” said Cécile Chambaudrie, NRJ global president and CEO of NRJ Group Digital Activities.

 

The post iHeartMedia Partnership to Bring Curated Podcasts to French Audience appeared first on Radio World.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel gavels the July FCC online meeting to order. The four commissioners all supported opening the notice of proposed rulemaking.

The FCC is moving to clean up more broadcast radio technical rules.

The four commissioners voted unanimously in July to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that identifies seven technical rules they want to eliminate or at least revise. The vote, and the subsequent publication in the Federal Register, will start a public comment process toward final action.

Some changes are more significant than others, but radio observers told Radio World that all will benefit broadcasters and allow them to operate more efficiently.

[Read: Comment Deadlines Are Set in Tech Rule Review]

Former Chairman Ajit Pai made it a theme of his tenure to eliminate outdated and redundant technical provisions for broadcast radio stations. But acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel too has identified rules worth revising or trimming.

The proposed changes include clarifying some conflicting technical provisions, as well as eliminating the maximum rated transmitter power limit rule for AM stations.

The FCC believes the latter is “outdated and unnecessary,” given the commission’s reliance on actual operating antenna input power as the most accurate and effective means of ensuring that AM stations adhere to their authorized power limits.

The commission also wants to eliminate a requirement that applicants demonstrate the effect of any FM applicant transmitting antenna on nearby FM or TV broadcast antennas, calling this rule seldom used.

It also plans to update the noncommercial FM community of license coverage requirement to create consistency across different rules for NCE stations. Specifically, the FCC proposes that “the requirement that stations reach 50% of their community of license or 50% of the population in their community should replace the more general requirement that the NCE station cover a portion of the community.”

 

“Reasonable and Prudent”

Bob Weller, vice president for spectrum policy at the National Association of Broadcasters, says the association is working with its members to ascertain whether there are particular benefits or concerns about the FCC’s plans.

“Most of the proposed rule changes seem reasonable and prudent. It’s always good to eliminate or clarify rules that are in conflict with other rules. But we want to ensure that those internal conflicts are resolved in a way that no broadcasters are harmed,” Weller told Radio World in an email.

NAB expects to work with the FCC in its ongoing review of regulations and possibly comment in greater detail on one or two of the specific changes, Weller said.

Broadcast engineering experts contacted for this story generally are supportive about the cleanup.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

One longtime observer of the commission said these updates are “safe and sane” deregulatory efforts and constitute a “clearing of regulatory underbrush” of outdated technical rules. “The changes being proposed appear to be mostly administrative in nature, harmonizing rules and eliminating inconsistencies from some areas and clarifying others,” according to this expert.

Veteran broadcast engineer Ben Dawson, consulting engineer with Hatfield & Dawson, said he is “delighted the FCC has set out to clean up” outdated broadcast rules, in particular the maximum rated transmitter power limit rule for AMs.

“No one has paid any attention to this rule for decades, and the transmitter manufacturers no longer design their products in the old power limit series anyway,” Dawson said.

Another rule that is mostly ignored, he said, is the requirement that applicants demonstrate the effect of any FM applicant’s transmitting antenna on nearby FM or TV broadcast antennas.

“It serves no useful purpose except in the rare case where there is a new installation that really does mess up an existing one — FM antennas improperly interleaved, for example,” he said.

However, one observer said that the “co-location rule” for FM stations provides legal teeth to a longstanding FCC policy that broadcasters who are “second in time” are “first in responsibility” to resolve interference problems due to proximity. “An FCC policy is subject change and may be difficult to enforce, while a rule carries clear legal standing,” he said.

Another FCC watcher, Chris Imlay, general counsel of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, said that efforts by the FCC to ease broadcast regulations and clean up old rules began in earnest during the Reagan administration.

“It was a feverish effort to pare away overly limiting broadcast rules, to try to get broadcasting closer to a print media level of regulation,” Imlay said.

“After that, the biennial review dockets looked for rules that were outdated or needed updating. Advances in the reliability of broadcast equipment and reliable automation justify elimination of outdated technical regulations to some extent,” Imlay said.

 

Update to a Fill-in

Imlay thinks the redefinition of AM fill-in areas will be perhaps the most helpful and relevant change.

The commission wants to amend the definition of an “AM fill-in area” when an FM translator simulcasts an AM station. It says its change would “create consistency” across different rules governing fill-in translator transmitter siting.

“It seems to me that by far, that’s the proposed rule change that will be most helpful, at least for AM radio broadcasters with FM translators,” he said.

“The rules have been inconsistent. Making these two rules consistent alleviates an anomaly that is confusing, to say the least.”

The FCC also plans to update the signal strength contour overlap requirements for noncommercial Class D FMs to bring those rules in line with the contour overlap requirements for all other noncommercial FMs.

The proposal states, “This change will allow Class D stations greater site selection flexibility as well as the opportunity to potentially increase their coverage areas.” The commission proposes that “the time is ripe to extend the otherwise universal 100 dBu contour overlap standard for second-adjacent channels to NCE FM Class D stations.”

The FCC believes the 100 dBu standard “is a better gauge of potential second-adjacent channel interference than the 80 dBu standard.”

According to Laura Mizrahi, vice president of the consulting firm Communication Technologies, “The NCE-FM Class D second adjacent channel interference ratio most definitely should be consistent with all other services. It’s been +40 dB or the 100 dBu interference contour for all other FM services for a long time now. High time to give the second-class Class Ds some relief here.”

Asked if these changes might mean a lot of new business for broadcast engineering consultants, she said no.

“There may be some modest increase, if only from a curiosity standpoint, from some Class Ds, but from my perspective there isn’t likely to be a huge influx of inquiries, since this would only benefit existing Class D facilities, of which it is believed very few would be able to benefit from the change.”

 

Border Issues

As part of the NPRM, the FCC is also seeking to eliminate a requirement for broadcasters to protect grandfathered common carrier services in Alaska operating in the 76–100 MHz frequency band, “since there are no common carrier services remaining in this band in Alaska,” according to the FCC.

The notice would also tweak allocation and power limitations for broadcast stations located within 320 kilometers, or about 199 miles, of the Mexican and Canadian borders.

Bert Goldman, president of Goldman Engineering Management, believes this particular update will affect broadcast licensees, particularly in the planning of translators.

“Codifying and updating some of the rules in Parts 73 and 74 will make things easier and will allow for some improvements of translators along the border. I have filed several translator applications near the Mexican border, and trying to decipher and apply the international treaty requirements for translators near the border is maddening,” Goldman said.

[Read: FCC Finalizes Changes to Part 95 Rules]

“These changes should simplify the application process and allow for more reasonable facilities.”

But Goldman is one of several observers who told Radio World they would like to see further action from the commission on outdated radio technical rules.

“I think it’s a good start, but they’re certainly not taking any risks. In my opinion, this NPRM is an attempt by the FCC to get something passed without creating a lot of pushback. It’s extremely benign,” Goldman said.

“I’d love to see the commission take on some really meaningful reregulation that helps broadcasters and consumers, and not just the biggest voices in the room.”

One industry veteran said he agrees that the rulemaking is conservative and not controversial. “This is what we have seen so far from Rosenworcel, who doesn’t want to rock the boat while an acting chairwoman,” that person said.

And Ben Dawson said the FCC should consider updating rule 73.51, which deals with determining operating power. “The only part worth retaining is a reworded section (e)(1), which would require use of the manufacturer’s stated final amplifier DC-to-RF efficiency factor.”

The text of the NPRM is on the Radio World website at https://tinyurl.com/rw-tech-rules. Interested parties may file comments and replies at www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings. Specify proceeding MB Docket No. 21-263. Comment deadlines had not been published as of late July.

 

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The three biggest U.S. podcasts by audience size are “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “The Daily” and “Crime Junkie.”

That’s according to Edison Research, which has released its latest quarterly list of the top 50 U.S. podcasts.

The list is shown at bottom.

Edicson Research SVP Tom Webster was quoted in the announcement: “This is the second anniversary of the Podcast Consumer Tracker, and the top shows have been fairly consistent over that time. Because our research covers the entire space, regardless of publisher or listening application, we have been able to report that stability even as the space continues to evolve.”

The company’s Podcast Consumer Tracking Report is a measurement service that measures relative audience size and demographics of all podcast networks. Podcast networks and technology platforms are its target customers.

He added that the company sees “some marked differences between people who primarily get their podcasts through Apple Podcasts, those who primarily use Spotify, and those who mainly use YouTube. The character of the shows — and of the audiences — differs by platform,” but did not publish those details.

The post Top-Performing Podcasts Are Consistent appeared first on Radio World.

Deadlines have been set to give the FCC your feedback on its proposed changes to technical rules for broadcast radio.

Comments are due Sept. 7, and reply comments are due Sept. 20. You can file via the FCC comment system. Click “Submit a Filing,” and enter 21-263 in the Proceeding field.

The commission wants to change a section of the rules to remove the maximum rated transmitter power limit for AM stations.

[Read: FCC Finalizes Changes to Part 95 Rules]

It wants to change two sections to “harmonize” with the NCE FM community coverage standard in another section.

Another change would eliminate a rule that involves FM transmitter interference to nearby antennas.

Also, the FCC wants to change a section that sets out signal strength contour overlap requirements for NCE FM Class D stations to be consistent across different station classes.

It proposes to delete a requirement that stations in the 76–100 MHz band protect common carrier services in Alaska.

It plans to tweak the definition of “AM fill-in area” in one part of the rules to conform to the requirement in another part.

And it proposes to amend the allocation and power limitations for broadcast stations within 320 kilometers/200 miles of the Mexican and Canadian borders to comply with current treaty provisions.

The full proposal is posted on the Radio World website.

 

The post Comment Deadlines Are Set in Tech Rule Review appeared first on Radio World.

One of the most familiar radio brands in big-market U.S. news radio now has an online Spanish version. Audacy has launched “1010 WINS Noticias.com.”

The company described is as a multiplatform digital audio offering that includes a dedicated website.

[Read: Audacy Recaps Q2 Earnings]

“The site will deliver the same energy, resources and trusted content for news as 1010 WINS, providing original content, audio and video podcasts and a daily newscast for download — all in Spanish,” the company said.

The announcement was made by Brand Manager Ben Mevorach of 1010 WINS.

“1010 WINS Noticias will also aim to create a unique value proposition for advertisers through multiple opportunities to reach consumers, included co-branded targeted social media posts, mobile app display ads and custom email newsletters, as well as homepage takeovers,” Audacy announced.

 

The post WINS(AM) Adds an Online Spanish Version appeared first on Radio World.

We told you recently about the introduction of an audio utility app called AudioLogger to the U.S. market. Now Benztown has signed an agreement to market and distribute it.

The company announced its relationship with Tracy Johnson Media Group, under which it will market and distribute AudioLogger to U.S. radio stations.

The app makes it easier for stations to repurpose audio for various applications. It was developed by broadcaster Alain Claise in Belgium. Tracy Johnson says it is used on approximately 250 stations.

[Read our interview with Tracy Johnson]

“With AudioLogger, all station staff can instantly access, manage and share audio for any station in the world,” the companies said in a release.

“Broadcasters can access audio for airchecks. The sales team can send proof of performance audio and live reads to advertisers without filling out a production request. And stations can even convert any audio segment into attention-getting videos to post online with just a couple of clicks.”

They highlight the app’s dashboard and the fact that it can monitor other stations in their market or company or elsewhere. Users can also export music logs and playlists, which, the companies said, “could replace expensive music monitoring services.”

Benztown also offers audio imaging, production libraries, voiceovers, programming, podcasting and jingle production, and has a major syndication arm as well. The company was co-founded by audio veterans Andreas Sannemann and Oliver Klenk of Germany and Dave “Chachi” Denes of the United States.

 

The post Benztown to Distribute AudioLogger in U.S. appeared first on Radio World.

Military mothers face unique challenges when it comes to celebrating occasions like Mother’s Day. WHUR teams with FedEx to host an annual luncheon just for military moms.

Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington, owns WHUR(FM), one of the few university-owned commercial stations in the country.

Considered a standalone radio station because the school owns no other full-power stations, WHUR nevertheless consists of seven entities: the flagship FM, which is heard on 96.3 MHz; three additional HD Radio multicast channels; two SiriusXM channels; and GlassHouse Radio, a student-run podcast operation.

The original content for all these outlets is created in one building on campus that also houses the university’s public TV station WHUT.

While the stations play music that appeals to underserved segments of the Washington community, many hours each week are dedicated to community outreach and public service.

Because of its year-round dedication, WHUR this year received the NAB Crystal Heritage Award, an honor reserved for stations that have earned five Crystal Awards. Only 10 stations have been given the Crystal Heritage Award by the National Association of Broadcasters.

 

“Giving Listeners”

WHUR sponsors a Rolling Food Drive. General Manager Sean Plater, left, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, center, are shown taking part in a presentation to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank.

“Service is a huge part of what we do,” said General Manager Sean Plater.

“We hold an annual toy drive for kids in October and a coat drive in December. Then for the last 40 years we have dedicated a day’s programming to our Food2Feed event, during which we collect canned food and take donations over the phone and online for about 12 hours. We even ask students to go out with buckets to collect money. All proceeds go to the Capital Area Food Bank and Shabach Ministries.”

Denise McCain is executive director of the Family Justice Center of Prince George’s County in Maryland, an organization affiliated with the circuit court in that area.

“Over the last three years, WHUR donated 300 toys to families who would have otherwise been unable to provide presents for their families curing the Christmas holiday,” she said.

“We also received 60 boys’ and girls’ coats varying in sizes from newborn to adolescent to keep children warm. I can’t tell you how much this has meant to the survivors and children we serve in Family Justice Center.”

The station sponsored a three-day fundraiser in 2010 called “Holding on to Haiti,” benefiting Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children. Haiti had suffered a major earthquake earlier that month. The effort raised more than $42,000. Students who formed a “Bucket Brigade” collected most of the donations.

The station also has an ongoing event to assist Howard University students travel to various cities around the world to work on whatever the local communities need. It’s called Helping Hands, and WHUR runs it during spring break each year.

“We have some of the most giving listeners in the world, if you just tell them what you are trying to do,” said Plater. “For example, we held a radiothon, “Give Me Shelter,” to help build a house for women and children who deal with domestic violence, and we had people stopping our mobile vehicle on the street to donate cash.”

McCain also worked with Plater on Give Me Shelter.

“This initiative raised over $800,000, increasing the number of shelter beds from 18 to 42. We value our partnership with WHUR,” she said.

Another beneficiary of WHUR’s efforts is the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.

“We worked together with Sean on opening up the totally rebuilt first African-American YMCA in the world, named after a slave called Anthony Bowen,” said Donnie Shaw, director of community relations-DC.

“Sean has remained accessible to the Y, always returning phone calls with a smile. He’s a Y Guy!”

 

In a Digital World

The Food2Feed event has been held for four decades. It generates canned food and cash donations for the Capital Area Food Bank and Shabach Ministries.

WHUR, which streams at www.whur.com, also was an early adopter of digital radio. On Jan. 21, 2004, it became the first commercial station in the D.C. area to deploy HD Radio.

Then in 2006 WHUR-World launched on its HD2 channel, with jazz, hip-hop, blues, African-American folk and music from other parts of the world. WHUR-World was a two-time winner of the NAB Multicast Award.

Recently, the HD2 relaunched as “The Quiet Storm Station,” a 24/7 channel celebrating the iconic Quiet Storm R&B format that was created at WHUR in 1976 and has proliferated on the airwaves of many other stations.

“We’re very excited to celebrate this format, especially as the station heads towards its 50th anniversary in December 2021,” Plater said.

Another campus station, WHBC, has moved from carrier current to WHUR’s HD3 channel. WHUR’s HD4 is DC Radio, run in cooperation with the Washington city government. It carries hearings and local community content.

The annual “Protect Your Dream” campaign.

The two SiriusXM channels are programmed by WHUR personnel. In 2011 the satellite company leased several channels to third parties, including Howard University, to fulfill a condition of its merger.

Channel 141 is known as “HUR Voices,” and it combines music and talk on issues of importance to people of color. Channel 142 (HBCU) focuses on the Black college experience and includes viewpoints of alumni, current and prospective students nationally.

 

Making It All Work

It takes a lot of people power to run a complex operation like this.

Plater said there are 40 full-time employees and about 15 part-timers, all of whom are paid.

Frank Ski is afternoon drivetime host. He’s shown at a station Toy Drive.

“We also have up to 60 nonpaid students working with us throughout the semester. The students get involved in all aspects of operation including engineering, programming and sales. We talk with them to understand their listening habits because the younger generation consumes radio in a different way. Of course they are hoping for jobs when they graduate, so we use the same automation and other equipment here at WHUR that they will find elsewhere in industry.”

Plater said that the aim of WHUR staff is to talk with the audience, not to the audience.

“Almost everything on WHUR is locally-oriented, and while our morning program, “The Steve Harvey Show,” is syndicated, we still have a segment called ‘Taking It to the Streets.’ This runs about two and a half minutes every hour, and it’s local content. Then we have something different between 7 and 7:30 p.m. on WHUR, a news show called ‘The Daily Drum.’ It starts with an update of news headlines and then goes into an interview section with local politicians, shows on COVID, anything that relates to the community.”

To give the community yet another forum during the pandemic and social justice protests, the station set up a listener response phone line to let people express themselves. Listeners can speak out about whatever is on their mind and those calls are played back on the air.

 

Looking to the Future

Plater said that the biggest challenge he faces is just trying to stay ahead.

“We are a standalone going up against large companies in a large market, and we’re competing well,” he said. “But we have to continue to provide the best product we can. From a service standpoint we can never lose those things that make us special, like that community connection.  That means staying relevant to our audience on all of our channels.

“But another goal of mine is to continue to develop the next generation of broadcasters, and part of that is helping the students understand how great this industry is and what opportunities exist. I want to bring the next generation along to love radio as much as I do.”

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