Industry News

The author is founder, College Radio Foundation and College Radio Day.

The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been significant. The difficult situation that many educational institutions find themselves in, of closing campus access to the community that uses it, affects college radio uniquely, and requires us to ask some questions of how we can continue to operate, and what we should do. For example, what does the current environment demand of college radio, what do we need to do? What are our FCC obligations during this time? How can we all share the burden we face together? How can college radio continue to function and even provide an important reminder to a worried public that radio is a lifeline and source of important information in a time of crisis? On a smaller level, what can college radio demonstrate to a university administration that it is not simply a fun activity, like other student groups on campus, but has a much larger reach beyond the university?

In a press conference on March 17, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said that “broadcasters are ideally situated to the task” of informing the public about important news updates and developments during this period. When the College Radio Foundation took a group of college radio students to the FCC building in Washington in September 2018, we met with Ajit Pai in person, who said, on record, that college radio “has long been a staple of the campus experience, providing a platform for students to have their voices heard and the opportunity to shape their identities. … College radio has united listeners across the country and throughout the world.” So, college radio has an important role to play, just as other broadcasters are also seeing what they can do at this time.

For our students, the impact from these campus closures has been decisive. From what we have seen so far, there has been a profound loss of social interaction among our students and, because they are no longer able to access the radio station and broadcast as usual, there has been a loss of a creative outlet and means of communication.

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The radio station offices are also a place where many students feel a second home-from-home, and the loss of that social space to connect with other students involved with the radio station is upsetting for them. Yet, it’s not just the students who are feeling this. Many people are feeling the anxiety and loneliness of a suddenly enforced period of self-isolation. There is a risk during this time that we can lose some balance in what occupies our thoughts and become too focused on every bit of new information about the coronavirus.

That means we run the risk of decreasing doing other activities that bring us happiness, fun and relaxation.

One recent article in Wired magazine titled “Don’t Go Down a Coronavirus Anxiety Spiral,” suggests that to maintain a healthy mental state, we should “limit how much information [we] consume about the coronavirus outbreak. Try to find a balance between being informed enough to make decisions about your life, but not so overloaded with information that it becomes stressful.” That sounds like reasonable advice.

We need to keep things in perspective, and we need to be calm if we can. My former mentor, Prof. Tim Crook, now president of the Chartered Institute of Journalists in the U.K., asserts that “the media have a responsibility to show leadership, calm, and perspective.” College radio can do that. That calm approach should be reflected in the way we operate our college radio stations right now.

So, I believe that during this time, college radio stations do not need to disappear. There are things that can be done, even when students are not on campus. There is even a possibility that college radio stations could play an important role in providing information to the campus community and the local communities in which they reside and serve. Even with the transmitters shut down, college radio stations, and those that operate them (faculty, staff, students and community volunteers) can still create community and content that can be shared with a wider audience.

College radio can also continue to serve as an important outlet for student expression and creativity, it’s just that we perhaps need to use different tools to do so. There is no reason why college radio needs to be silent during this time. We just need to adapt to these current circumstances and work together to ensure that the medium continues its important work of providing voices not heard anywhere else, and music and programming that no one else will play on the air. Yes, this is a challenging time, but now, more than ever, college radio is up to the task.

 

The post College Radio and Coronavirus appeared first on Radio World.

The author is general manager of WCLQ(FM).

WAUSAU, Wis. — Our station, WCLQ, is a noncommercial 90 kW ERP Christian station in Wausau, Wis. As a noncom that relies on a steady stream of donations to meet expenses, staying on the air with a reliable signal is crucial to us. Our old Continental tube transmitter was working fine but we were starting to bump up against the realities of keeping it operational in the long term. Our budget for tube replacement and related maintenance kept going up.

We also had an interesting situation with the transmitter — we’re on a hot tower with cell antennas and periodically have to reduce our power so maintenance people can climb the tower. This requires three to six hours of lower power operation, after which we would remotely call into the transmitter to increase the power again — and sometimes this didn’t work. 

Even worse, almost every time we went through this power reduction cycle, we had to send our contract engineering company out to retune the transmitter. The higher engineering costs involved in retuning, coupled with the higher tube costs and our power bill for keeping those tubes lit up all added up to the decision that it was time to purchase a new, more efficient solid state transmitter.

Our engineering firm, Optimized Media Group, is led by Alex Hartman. Alex now works for Nautel but was still an independent contractor at the time of our new transmitter purchase. Our conversation about a new transmitter began a discussion on tube costs. Alex told me that in the tube market, it’s “luck of the day” pricing — it can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 to replace a tube and the rebuilt tubes just aren’t lasting like they used to. Back when new tubes were readily available, you could get close to 50,000 hours of life out of a tube. Now the typical life span is between 18 and 24 months. 

The fact that our Continental was still working turned out to be one of the best reasons to replace it now. Alex noted that we could have an off-air situation at any time and potentially have to wait a long time for a critical part … and during that off-air time we would not be bringing in any money. Alex’s comment was “The time to do this is now, while the transmitter is working fine, and not when it’s a smoldering hot mess on the floor.” We also discussed the potential of HD Radio operation — we aren’t running HD channels yet but want to do that in the not-too-distant future. Purchasing an HD-ready solid-state transmitter and switching the Continental to a backup position made perfect sense to me.

At the Wisconsin Broadcasters’ Clinic in Madison, we did some serious shopping. Nautel’s NV20LT quickly jumped to the top of our list. The testimonials we heard from other users were all positive and from everything I have read and heard about Nautel, it was a confident move for us. We placed our order and the new Nautel unit went on the air in October 2019. It was a smooth switchover; our total off-air time was less than five hours.

Dealing with Nautel in purchasing the new unit was fantastic. We had quality communication all around, absolutely no false salesmanship or techno-speak that I wouldn’t be able to follow. They knew how to speak to me as a GM. And, they were completely up front with the transmitter costs including shipping — nothing was hidden from me; there were no surprises.

Well, there was one surprise. The incredible quality of the packaging was mind-boggling. That transmitter was so well protected when it arrived! I am really impressed with Nautel’s shipping department.

We were hoping that putting the new transmitter on the air would help our coverage area, and we have been very pleased in this regard. The signal is both consistent and competitive. There is another station on our same frequency about two hours south of us and they had squeezed us out of a pretty significant listening area when they went on air. Now we’re getting good reports from people in that area that they can hear us nicely.

We’re excited about the new Nautel. The periodic power reductions for the cellular phone guys are not a problem at all, we just make some keystrokes on a computer via Nautel’s Advanced User Interface, and the return to full power is a painless process. Because the NV20LT is easily field-upgradable to HD Radio operation, we are now starting to plot out our HD operation ideas. We are looking into providing programming that will appeal to our full demographic and not just the younger people who like our current contemporary Christian music format.

We’re getting some cost savings as well. In the few months that we’ve had the NV20LT on the air, our power bills have been consistently lower than in the same period last year. Even better, maintenance costs are going to plummet. Periodic maintenance can be scheduled rather than having an emergency visit to retune a transmitter that didn’t return correctly to its full power. And, with a solid-state transmitter, swapping out modules can be done without going off-air at all! 

So, to other general managers who are wondering about why to replace your tube transmitter even if it’s still working … I say look at your maintenance budget, tube replacement budget and power bill, and a switch will make perfect sense.

For information, contact Nautel in Nova Scotia at 1-877-662-8835 or visit www.nautel.com.

The post User Report: WCLQ Leaves Tubes Behind for Nautel NV20^LT appeared first on Radio World.

This is how coronavirus response is playing out on the technical operations side of one of America’s leading major-market public radio stations. Rob Bertrand is senior director of technology for WAMU 88.5 American University Radio.

Radio World: What are we looking at in that white board photo?
Rob Bertrand: This is one white board in our technical operations area where we, as a team, are starting to “brain dump” the things we have been tracking individually. The situation is evolving so rapidly that a simple method, albeit crude, seemed like the best idea to keep all of us in the loop. We are figuring out what needs to be done short, medium, and longer term to achieve full remote operation.

RW: How “virtual” can you get, and why are you able to do so?
Bertrand: We plan to achieve 100% virtual operation. It will take several weeks to implement. We are leveraging Axia’s virtual console technology and the flexibility of an all-AOIP plant, combined with remote screen sharing tech like VNC and simple Remote Desktop to remotely control the Wide Orbit players in the studios. We want to keep our studio hardware the same to minimize the learning and configuration curve. Hosts and operators will literally control the same studio they normally do, they will just do it virtually. AOIP codecs like Comrex Access/BricLink/NX and Tieline VIA, as well as our Telos VX phones and PhoneBox screening platform are providing the connective tissue.

RW: What specific technical obstacles have you encountered that you have had to solve or are in process of being solved?
Bertrand: Firewall rules and various network snags are foremost. We are part of American University. While we operate a largely independent network, there are points where we intersect and must coordinate our activity. They are very focused on transitioning to remote learning right now. So weaving our work into that flow has been a consideration, but we’ve been able to accomplish what we’ve needed to together. There are also dozens of “little things” that usually lurk harmlessly in our backlog that are coming more to the forefront right now, at times requiring overnight work. Handling overnight work and dayside staffing with a small team is a challenge. I’m thankful our team is so committed to the work we are doing. Managing across different levels of internet connectivity at the homes of the hosts and board operators involved is also a challenge, but so far we have had good success.

RW: What has the impact been on air talent and on other WAMU staff?
Bertrand: We are learning as we go. There is no master plan for this. People always want to know what’s going on and when it is going to happen. The answers can be pretty fluid right now so patience and trust are key. It’s also critical that we as technologists keep the uneasiness of air staff top of mind. It can be tempting to say “you just need to do X.” But we need to remain mindful that they are dealing with the stresses of being the public name and voice of WAMU, doing that in an unfamiliar manner, and doing so from the otherwise private enclave of their home. Doing all that while also juggling parenting and other family commitments, while trying to deliver meaningful content is a real challenge. Our goal in the technology department is to create the most user friendly solutions we can and to be as responsive to requests as possible. We can’t take anything for granted or force talent into a workflow that isn’t intuitive for them at a time like this, especially. So we are working hand-in-hand with our talent to prototype and then iteratively improve these remote operations in-house, before deploying to home. This isn’t just setting up a remote with talent in the field and the board op back at the station. They need to be able to do it all, amid a rapidly changing environment.

RW: What lessons can other engineers and technical managers learn from what you’ve been doing these past few days?
Bertrand: One of the most important things we are doing is finding time to connect with one another as a technical team on a daily or near-daily basis. We give folks the chance to talk about what’s worrying them personally or professionally, as well as trying to find silver linings or things to celebrate where we can. Lots of people are depending on us to support them. We need to find ways to support one another as we go through this together.

The other piece is understanding that this is a shared learning process. There is no one person with all the answers. A hard timeline is laughable. We are developing rough plans as we go and constantly updating them as we learn more. We are being open with the people we support and underscoring that they are partners in this. We have to approach this work with open minds and a willingness to change plans at a moment’s notice. The more we learn, the clearer things become. But there is no one brilliant mind steering this all. The key is in connecting people with one another in a meaningful way and ensuring we are learning together. The AOIP tech that is enabling all of this is transformational. But it’s not out of the box nor are the answers obvious in a complex news environment. Focusing on people first and plans second has had tremendous impact and will continue to drive as much if not more success than the underlying technology.

RW: Do you think these changes will be permanent in any way?
Bertrand:  Some. Yes. We will have better production workflows for our talk shows. Things that we’ve been “meaning to get to” for a long time but are now critical. Will these work from home setups persist? I can’t imagine. But I can imagine a future where we deploy them for snowstorms and the like. Certainly all the different ways we are putting reporters and guests on the air will continue to be useful. Comrex Opal and Tieline ReportIt have been a real lifeline for ad-hoc news gathering and guests. They will no doubt stick around as part of our new arsenal.

RW: What else should we know?

Bertrand: We are also building a disaster recovery setup near our tower facility on the campus of American University just in case we run into trouble at our main facility. Our normal fallback facility is dealing with their own challenges, so we’ve had to improvise another DR location.

We are preparing for remote work, offsite operation, and potentially hunkering down in our facility for an extended period of time. Lots of contingency planning! And understanding that we can’t be too married to any single plan.

The post COVID-19 and Public Radio: WAMU’s Game Plan appeared first on Radio World.

This is one in a series of articles about what the industry is telling the FCC about all-digital on the U.S. AM band.

It’s time for all-digital AM to come to fruition — with as little delay and with as simple a transition process as possible.

That’s the message from two more broadcasting associations that are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to allow a voluntary station-by-station transition to an all-digital mode of operation by AM band broadcast stations.

[Read: Hubbard Radio Backs Push for All-Digital Option on AM]

These comments were filed by the California and Missouri Broadcasters Associations. They urged the FCC to adopt the MA3 digital operation rules as promptly as possible. A number of other broadcast organizations and associations have filed their own separate comments, as we’ve been reporting.

The California and Missouri associations said they believe that this proceeding is especially important to small towns and diverse communities where local AM remains the most relevant source of local news and information.

“AM broadcasters provide unique, community-based programming that distinguish them from other media sources in an increasingly competitive mass media market,” they stated. “Many local communities still have but one ‘community-oriented’ resource: their AM station.”

One of the biggest benefits of an all-digital operation is the improvements it could bring to the audio quality of AM broadcasts. Citing an NAB study and the results from an experimental license operated by WWFD(AM) in Frederick, Md., all-digital operations have the capability to significantly improve audio quality compared to hybrid or analog — most importantly when it comes to improvements from ambient noise and interference. Not only that, but troublesome first-adjacent-channel interference is all but eliminated with the reduced-bandwidth MA3 mode, the groups said.

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The filing noted a recent student on the audio quality improvements via AM all-digital. That study found that when a station switched to digital, its previously hard-to-hear analog signal became solid with no dropouts. With all-digital there was no additional, environmental noise. “[L]isteners who had previously refused to tune in WWFD because of poor quality, now comment on the high quality of the all-digital signal that produces noise free, high-fidelity programming,” the groups wrote in the filing.

The groups also said that AM all-digital MA3 mode can produce a respectable HD2 signal that has the ability to support a second local translator with a second, independent stream of programming, a benefit that HD Radio developer Xperi has recently been emphasizing.

“A small town’s single AM station can, therefore, effectively become a second local station supporting a second FM signal, multiplying the local sources of news and entertainment,” the associations wrote. “[A]ll-digital AM technology will improve the ability of diverse communities to better receive specialized programming tailored to their needs.”

Last but not least? The groups pressed the FCC to adopt a plan to convert to all-digital via a simple notification procedure. “There is no justification for a costlier or cumbersome procedure,” the groups said.

Learn about all-digital for AM in depth in Radio World’s recent webinar “Digital Sunrise for AM.”

 

The post California and Missouri Broadcasters Press FCC to Adopt All-Digital appeared first on Radio World.

Talent, engineers and manufacturers are  incorporating new COVID-19 best practices, building out new procedures and trying to keep their spirits up. Here’s what RW is hearing as of Thursday, March 19.

Stations that do find it necessary to continue in-studio work are implementing various new operational rules at a granular level. For instance WLOH in Lancaster, Ohio, informed staff, “There are four sets of headphones for guest use. After use, please do not return them back to the wall rack until they have been thoroughly wiped down with disinfectant.” The station has given each person their own SM7B windscreen. It wipes work surfaces every morning, instituted new glassware policies, is funneling interviewees directly in and out of the production studio without allowing building tours or meetings, and cancelled next month’s open house.

Humor is important during times like these, and broadcast engineers aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves. Here’s a meme that’s been circulating on social media, posted on Facebook and credited to the McGuire Show. 

The New Jersey Broadcasters Association has postponed its annual conference and gala. However, NJBA President Paul Rotella promised in the same announcement: “The show will go on my friends, if not this year, then next year.” The 2021 event is already scheduled for June 15–16. 

Manufacturer Wheatstone said it is “scaling our AoIP technology to adapt to unprecedented changes in how stations operate,” and it said it will continue to launch new products, connecting with broadcasters through webcasts and virtual meetings. Internally, while most of its staff are teleworking, “We are maintaining a small crew at the factory to ship products and provide support services as needed.” The company is based in New Bern, N.C.

More stations are getting creative with their coronavirus communications. Steve Huber shared on Facebook that some broadcasters have been showing their solidarity via RDS messages, including the one shown at left, which reads: “We’re all in this together.”

Due to the unfolding situation, international broadcast technology company Worldcast Systems announced its teams will cease traveling, the majority of its staff will now work remotely, and they will no longer allow visitors at their offices in Belfast, Ireland; Miami, Fla.; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. However, they plan to continue processing orders,manufacturing and delivering products while following safety recommendations, although Worldcast cautions that some deliveries may be delayed or postponed. The announcement also indicated they are working on “digital experiences” in order to fulfill business engagements but did not explain what these will entail.

The post Broadcasters Carry on, Promoting Best Practices and Continuity appeared first on Radio World.

As the U.S. deals with the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, FEMA has shared how the Integrated Public Alert Warning System can be used to inform, alert or warn the public.

Describing it ultimately as “a matter of local judgement,” IPAWS—which can include EAS alerts for broadcasters and WEA alerts for wireless providers—can be used to convey health orders, detail curfew information, notify of assembly guidelines/restrictions and to advice of other COVID-19 related information.

With EAS alerts IPAWS users can send up to two minutes of information via text-to-speech or pre-recorded audio in English and Spanish. Updates have also been made to WEA alerts, in which groups can include a phone number and hyperlink as well as send a 90 second and 360 character messages in English and Spanish.

When planning to use IPAWS, it is encouraged that groups send messages to the IPAWS Lab to test the message as well as new IPAWS capabilities. There is also the IPAWS Message Viewer to verify that messages will be sent out and appear as intended. The IPAWS Lab can be contacted at fema.ipaws.lab@awtestlab.com.

Additional best practices that IPAWS highlights includes reminders that EAS uses event codes and that groups should be aware what events will be carried by local broadcasters.

For more information, contact IPAWS@fema.dhs.gov.

The post IPAWS Guidelines for Coronavirus Shared by FEMA appeared first on Radio World.

The author is owner of Kline Consulting Group LLC.

It’s time to build that new studio (or upgrade an existing one) and everyone on the team is excited. Whether you are constructing a brand new facility or simply renovating it, there are common considerations to keep in mind to ensure you are satisfied with the end result.

1. What’s ideal? From the outset of designing your new studio you need to ask what the meaning of “ideal” is. After all, there are many opinions on what the ideal studio looks like. Ask your colleagues, program directors, managers and do some online research. Chances are you will get a lot of feedback with varying responses. Write all of them down and prioritize what’s important.

This list will likely get filtered and organized based on your budget, timeline and resources. The important takeaway here is that you first think about what is ideal and then define it. Not in a vacuum, but with the meaningful input of your end-users, stakeholders, engineers, and thorough research. Be creative. Be different. But don’t forget an ideal studio should always include good engineering practice.

2. Organization and structure. Put a project management team in place from the onset. Your project may be just one small studio, or it may be a building full of content-generating technology. It may be limited in scope and budget or it may be very large with many moving parts. Regardless of the project extent, you should have a clearly defined decision-making structure in place.

This will help with prioritization and refinement of the myriad of design requirements that you will encounter. When you have several passionate individuals on a design team it takes leadership and structure to make balanced decisions. Studios rarely get built without outside help. Contractors and system integrators may occasionally need assistance navigating a problem or unexpected hiccup. The project leader should be empowered to coordinate and delegate as necessary to deal with such an event.

Good structure also helps to avoid budget issues and schedule delays. As the lead engineer and/or project manager, make sure you are in on the design phase early so you can incorporate critical requirements into the drawings. I’ve seen too many studio designs that were “backed into” because things such as HVAC, MEP, the lobby, the kitchen, or the office space had been designed (perhaps commissioned) before important broadcast technical design considerations were integrated.

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I’ve also seen leases signed before the technical design team was consulted. Roof rights (and access), satellite dish placement, telecom availability, floor load capacity, microwave path, generator availability and restrictive landlord regulations are just some of the critical issues a person who is not experienced in broadcast technical requirements may overlook.

3. Reflect on user experience and user interface. Build a modern, impressive and user-friendly studio. Examine every inch of the space you are designing very closely. Carefully consider every decision you make about the location and placement of objects in each individual room. Start with the furniture layout as this is crucial.

Credit: Gary Kline

Furniture design can improve the quality of the on-air content because the layout and look sets the mood (and interaction) in the room. Invest in the nicest looking and well-constructed studio furniture your budget will allow. Things such as video monitor placement, mic arm style and height, lighting, ergonomics, line-of-sight, windows, workspace, control surfaces, table and chair height and room size/layout will have an impact on the user (and guest) experience. Also, consider consolidating different software systems (playout, editing, contesting, call screening, social media, etc.) into one or two screens. This eliminates the wall of monitors many studios have. It also allows for a better and more efficient user interface, while improving line of sight to the other talent or guests in the room. There are different opinions about what constitutes a good interface and experience for the user. Some people want lots of buttons and flashy lights. Some take a minimalist approach with very little “tech” in the room. Some studios incorporate glass screens for the mixing desk, bypassing the traditional tactile faders and knobs often used. Some people want to sit down, some want stand up and some studios have motorized adjustable furniture height, etc.

Design your UI/UX so that it makes the most sense for your needs. This may require considerable research, time and a team effort to produce a good plan. Organize meetings and interviews with the end users and listen to them. Their input is valuable, as they will use the studio every day. Additionally, your architect, interior designer, studio furniture vendor and even Google can help you with creative ideas.

4. Acoustics. Stellar room acoustics probably has more to do with the quality of how the announcer or live performance sounds than the fancy electronics you just purchased. Do not underestimate the significance of this. In most radio studio environments, you don’t want a “live” sounding room because that will take away from the intimacy and intelligibility of the air talent.

We’ve all heard the hollow or echo effect in a poorly built studio when one or more mics are open. Instituting proper isolation so that there is no sound leakage outward and no external noise inward is imperative. There are ways to quantify isolation such using an STC rating. There are different STC ratings for materials such as sound panels, doors, windows, and external walls. Budget and design requirements will dictate your choice for a minimum STC rating. Each room has its own set of design criteria. Take a newsroom for example. That space may not require isolation, hoping that the inherent background room noise adds additional credibility over the air.

This topic is too large to cover everything here. Just keep in mind that acoustical design involves specialized construction techniques and materials, something your architect, interior designer, or acoustical consulting engineer can help you with. If you don’t have the budget to hire a consultant, there are many acoustic design examples online in addition to books and articles. Reach out to your engineering buddies or a mentor and ask them for advice.

5. Future growth and expansion. It helps to group this subject into categories: Physical growth inside the existing space, growth into an external location, technology upgrades of existing infrastructure, and expansion into new technologies. As you think about the future, here are just a few things to deliberate. Will you need additional studios later? How many? To serve what purpose? Is a particular studio that you are constructing firmly dedicated to a purpose that could change later? Did you leave enough expansion space for additional studios, offices, technology, or a surprise request?

Can you add new studios, streams, metadata, storage, and production capability, etc. quickly and cost-effectively? Did you box yourself in with a tech platform that won’t scale as you grow? Did you choose an audio protocol that is too proprietary?

Did the business office review your key suppliers’ finances to ensure they will be in business long-term? Have you studied broadcast technology trends to understand what the world might look like in three to five years? Does your physical plant and technology platform lend itself toward those future trends? Again, these are just a few things to think about. So remember to consider the future and its potential impact on what you are building today.

6. Speaking of technology. What technology will you use? Is there an organized approach to defining and selecting the technologies, which will be the cornerstone of your build out? Almost everyone builds his or her new radio studio using a digital platform. Which AoIP platform and protocol(s) will you use? Is it compatible with other popular formats and equipment?

If your facility will be producing video such as visual radio, branded content, or podcasts, have you carefully researched what equipment is needed to do that? Do you understand the special requirements that a podcast creator might need as it relates to technology? Do you have a visual radio strategy and technical plan? (see Radio World ebook Trends in visual Radio 2019.

Do you have a media asset management system in your plans? Will you index your audio, so it is searchable? Metadata for audio content is a hot topic these days. Will your metadata content look consistent across HD Radio, DAB, and most importantly, hybrid radio/connected car?

Did you include the digital team in these discussions? Will you build a large legacy TOC (rack room) or will you make use of the cloud where possible? Have you considered using virtualization to aggregate and manage things such as console engines, audio processing, streaming, codecs, transmission, and many other functions?

Have you researched the latest trends in production software and workflow for audio and video? Are you building a live performance space? Does it incorporate the proper technology needed by musical acts? The list goes on but in short research as much as possible to ensure that you’ve made informed technology decisions in your design.

7. Social Media. Do you have a mediacentric IT fabric to support the specialized requirements of bandwidth-heavy digital audio and video? Is your facility optimized to communicate with your listeners given we live in the age of numerous voice and video apps and use them to engage with the audience? Can you put a Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp or mobile app on the air easily and reliably?

Do you support cellular HD voice calls? A simple POTS request line is no longer enough on its own to connect with the audience. Do you support real-time high-quality feeds to YouTube? FB Live? IGTV? Twitch? Do you plan to incorporate automatic speech-to-text intelligence so that some or all your content is searchable? Did you plan for a social media dashboard UI in the studio? You can track real-time audience sentiment using specialized software now — why not show that on that dashboard?

There are software and hardware products available to aggregate the relevant various social media platforms for broadcasters that are very powerful.

8. Security. Given the security breaches and ransomware attacks that have become reality, and considering how almost everything at the radio station connects to the internet, are you prepared? Do you have a security-aware culture in place? Your new studio and facility design should have an IT security framework, which would include redundancy, backups to the cloud, and a quick restoration plan. No studio design should ignore the potential for externally introduced malware. Do you have segregated networks and layers of security that surround them? Did you design each aspect of your studio and office technology with cybersecurity in mind? A simple firewall isn’t enough. Most experts agree it is not a matter of if, but when — so have a plan in place. (See Radio world ebook Cybersecurity and Studio Disaster Recovery.

9. Innovate. Don’t be afraid to innovate and think outside of the box. So many studios look similar — a desk, chairs, microphones, computer monitors, panels on the wall, fancy track lights, and a window. There is nothing wrong with that. However, some very modern facilities are being designed to look different from the typical studio layout. Avoid the typical console and chair cookie-cutter studio.

Design for the user experience and to enhance the on-air product. Design the workflow for the users so that it is easier and less time-consuming to do their job. Design a studio that can increase station revenue. Here’s an example of thinking outside the box: Do studios still need walls? There are examples of studios being built without walls nowadays or without physical consoles. There are also studios designed in the cloud, which allows for a less techy studio but more room for the talent. Sometimes, less is more.

10. Ask for help. It’s ok to ask for help. Every one of us has conferred with others to brainstorm or solve a problem at one point. Your architect, general contractor, electrician, mechanical engineer, and colleagues are there to help and share knowledge. Tour other stations.

Some of the best studios incorporate ideas from other creative designs. Dig into the thousands of photos online of cool radio and recording studios. Your studio furniture vendor has worked with many layouts across various projects. They will be another great resource for you and can, in many cases, share drawings and photos.

Build a well-thought out facility that achieves your team’s goals using all of the resources and expertise available to you.

The post Ten Tips to Help You Build Your Best Studio appeared first on Radio World.

Radio is evolving, engaging and also enduring! Radio World is proud to note the upcoming 100th anniversary of the famous “first commercial broadcast” with a series of articles all year long celebrating the many historical and modern faces of radio. Look for three special stories in this issue.

Read it online here.

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

SPECTRUM
C-Band Plan Aims to Limit Broadcast Disruption

The FCC’s package includes reimbursement to displaced stations — if they registered earlier.

NEW PRODUCTS
Buyer’s Guide: Transmitters

Learn why your industry colleagues chose the particular brands and models they did.

 

HISTORY SPECIAL

• Proof of Performance, 1970s Style
• Brave New Radio Airs Live From Marconi’s Home
• 3XN: When a Dairy Farm Became a Radio Blaster

The post Inside the March 18 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Radio professionals and audio companies are beginning to heed the call for “social distancing” while continuing to do their jobs as first informers during this critical time, as of Wednesday morning.

The Society of Broadcast Engineers asked its chapter chairs to refrain from holding in-person meetings for the next two months. Instead, SBE encouraged them to “meet virtually through any capabilities you may have available to you,” according to an email shared by Chapter One Chair Paul Kaminski.

Westwood One‘s blog explored how the coronavirus situation has “shifted the American workforce and altered habits,” including percentages of people working from home. Ipsos did a national study for Cumulus and Westwood One. Read the findings. 

Artificial intelligence company Veritone says its three main AI offerings — Veritone Essentials, Attribute and Digital Media Hub — will be free for the next two months. The company hopes its cloud-based software will mitigate “business disruption” from coronavirus and the sudden shift to remote work. 

Alan Peterson’s temporary basement studio

Radio World friend and national production director for Radio America Al Peterson wrote in to share how he’s handling his new work from home situation. He’s quick on his feet: “Within two hours of the notification, I had this mess assembled and patched together from old idled components stored in my basement and garage. One dual-core computer was set up as a DAW using Reaper software and FTP’ing show files back and forth to the network. A second underpowered PC handled VoIP duties, with everything mixed through a 1997 Mackie 1202 connected to long-retired M-Audio Delta audio interfaces. Talkback was via an MXL ribbon mic and, with no landlines coming into my house anymore, the ‘call-in’ line was my cellphone jerry-rigged to the Aux I/Os of the mixer.” 

Peterson told RW he plans to improve his setup over the weekend — “I’ll be ‘prettying up’ the cabling for safety, adding to my VoIP capabilities and mounting everything to make sense and not topple down on me.” 

He also pointed out that Cockos Inc. is offering a temporary gratis license for the Reaper audio production software to help those social distancing.

Beasley’s WMMR uses metadata to urge listeners to practice social distancing, wash their hands and communicate other coronavirus advice.

Streamer TuneIn has introduced a Coronavirus News channel populated by local stations and national networks, as well as relevant podcasts. Importantly, listeners can search by state to ensure they’re up to date on the situation in their area. 

Radiodays Europe announced the 2020 event has been rescheduled for Dec. 13–15. It will still be held at Portugal’s Centro de Congresses de Lisbon. All tickets purchased for the original March dates will be honored.

In Philly, radio engineer Benjamin Woodring posted this photo on social media noting the use of metadata by radio station WMMR to send public health messaging.

The New Jersey Broadcasters Association sent out an email to members with information about COVID-19 and urging them to follow protocol to prevent the spread of the disease.

To learn more about broadcasters’ efforts earlier in the week, check out our industry updates from Monday and Tuesday. 

The post Radio Pros Social Distance, Companies Offer Software Trials and More appeared first on Radio World.

GettyImages/ jaroszpilewski

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s aggressive timeline to reallocate part of the C-Band for advanced wireless services, including 5G, is now on full display. Radio entities are starting to look ahead to the possible infrastructure implications and costs.

The C-Band is a 500-megahertz segment of spectrum now used by satellite companies to distribute audio and video content to broadcasters and cable systems. Pai’s plan, which he detailed in February in draft form and which was approved in late February, would make the lower 280 megahertz of the C-Band (3.7–3.98 GHz) available for flexible use, including 5G, through a public auction, which the chairman wants to begin in December.

Incumbent satellite services are to be repacked from that 500 MHz to the upper 200 megahertz of the band (4.0–4.2 GHz). The FCC’s goal is for incumbent earth station operators to be adequately transitioned and able to continue operations without interruption. 

In addition, there will be a 20 megahertz guard band (3.98–4 GHz) cleared during the process to prevent interference. The fixed satellite services community agreed with the FCC that 200 megahertz of spectrum is sufficient to support current satellite services and even allow for some expansion of services.

Relocation costs of the band’s current users will be covered, according to the chairman’s plan. The FCC acknowledges new satellites will need to be launched and filters replaced on earth stations as part of the repack.

The Report and Order specifies “reasonable relocation costs of the C-Band’s current users will be covered through reimbursement by the winning bidders in the C-Band auction,” according to the FCC. 

STATION COSTS

There are provisions within the order that spell out reimbursements to incumbents, such as radio stations, that have C-Band earth stations that will be affected by the relocation of spectrum (see Reimbursement Considerations section ). There are approximately 20,000 receive-only dishes in the contiguous U.S., according to the FCC.

“There has been extensive discussion of the work and costs that could be incurred by incumbent earth stations, those who were properly registered with the commission. And the possible costs they’ll be reimbursed for, such as new filters, potentially labor costs to re-point antennas or installing of new antennas,” according to a senior FCC official.    

Details on eligibility requirements and how stations would submit for reimbursement are expected later in 2020.

At least one source believes that a substantial number of small rural radio and television stations and private networks that rely on C-Band programming failed to submit registration filings and so presumably will be ineligible for reimbursement funds. 

Groups like the NAB, SBE and Westwood One urged stations to register during the FCC’s 2018 window. But the source, who works in the satellite infrastructure part of the industry, believes that possibly thousands of earth stations used by radio stations may remain unregistered because the application fee and burdens of registration were cost-prohibitive for some providers. 

The FCC acknowledged such concerns in its draft but wrote that it will not open another window for the registration of earth stations. 

“I estimate at least 25% of radio stations did not register their C-Band downlinks before the deadline, and they will be cut off from reimbursement of their costs to upgrade dishes,” according to the source. “Their decision may have cost them each $1,000 to $5,000 because new equipment must be installed on their dish to block upcoming 5G cellular interference.”

The insider says the FCC’s reimbursement plan is “quite generous” and will protect the majority of radio broadcasters but that unregistered earth station owners will have to pay for the new gear out of their own pockets. 

“That might be a $500 dish filter and a few hundred dollars for labor to repoint it, but what happens if the dish has marginal reception already? It might become unusable, and then you need a new $4,000 dish and more money for a new pad,” he said. 

“EXTRAORDINARILY COMPLEX”

The National Association of Broadcasters called Pai’s plan “an important step toward ensuring a stable C-Band ecosystem following reallocation,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton. 

National Public Radio has been pressing the FCC for clarity about the financial ramifications of a massive C-Band migration of satellite earth-stations. NPR has a lot riding on the FCC’s decision since the Public Radio Satellite System depends on C-Band for distribution of programming to approximately 1,278 public radio stations.

“Because the process to clear the lower portion of the C-Band for 5G services and to repack incumbent C-Band users in the upper portion of the band will be extraordinarily complex, NPR has encouraged the commission to invite public comment at key points as satellite operators’ transition plans and activities progress, so that any deficiencies may be identified and resolved,” it wrote.

NPR, according to an ex parte notice about its communications with the FCC, proposed measures to ensure reimbursement of all transition-related costs incurred by current C-Band users and to mitigate interference from new 5G services.

The FCC, which says it has broad support for its C-Band plan across Capitol Hill, expects the cost for all incumbents to transition in a repack to range from $3 billion to $5 billion, which includes new satellites and filters on earth stations. Specifically, the FCC estimated earth station costs in the range of $1 billion to $2 billion for repacking transponders, filter installing, re-pointing earth station dishes and antenna feeding. 

Pai says the FCC is committed to covering all relocation costs incurred by satellite operators and broadcast networks. His draft Report and Order cautioned: “We recognize that incumbents may attempt to gold-plate their systems in a transition like this. Let us be clear: Incumbents will not receive more reimbursement than necessary, and we require that, to qualify for reimbursement, all relocation costs must be reasonable.

“We expect incumbents to obtain the lowest-cost equipment that most closely replaces their existing equipment or, as needed, provides the targeted technology upgrades necessary for clearing the lower 300 megahertz.”

In an ex parte notice of its own, the NAB said it understands the interest in “avoiding gold-plating of facilities during the transition,” but “the commission should not require or allow the clearinghouse to second-guess specific commitments already made by the satellite operators that are necessary to ensure continued service, or specific technology choices made by programmers. This is particularly important because there will not be one-size-fits-all solutions for the transition.”

Under an accelerated relocation incentive package, Pai’s plan will allow fixed satellite operators and other incumbents to tap a pool of another $9.7 billion if they meet the accelerated milestones. The FCC specifies it will offer incumbent space station operators the option to accelerate the repack process for the lower 120 megahertz during Phase I of the accelerated relocation, which needs to be completed by Dec. 5, 2021. To be eligible for Phase II payments, operators must clear the remaining 180 megahertz by Dec. 5, 2023. 

Pai’s plan requires the 280 megahertz of spectrum to be transitioned to flexible use in the United States by Dec. 5, 2025.  

“We find a mix of carrots and sticks best accommodates the need to clear FSS operations out of the lower 300 megahertz as quickly as possible to facilitate new terrestrial, flexible-use operations and the need to preserve the content distribution ecosystem now contained in the C-Band,” according to the proposal. 

The FCC for now will retain C-Band operation in areas outside the contiguous U.S. It excludes Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico from being repurposed for terrestrial wireless use.  

The lower 280 megahertz of the C-Band will be made available for flexible use, including 5G, through a public auction (Auction 107), which the chairman wants to begin in December. Pai did not disclose how much the FCC hopes to generate from the spectrum auction to 5G service providers. 

The push for deploying advanced wireless services has been high on Pai’s agenda, observers said. The FCC’s 5G FAST plan is to free up more spectrum for wireless carriers and promote wireless infrastructure deployment, according to FCC filings.  

The Report and Order establishes a Relocation Payment Clearinghouse to manage the intake, payout and auditing of relocation funds for incumbents. It also establishes a Relocation Coordinator to oversee the technical aspect of the transition and develop timelines, according to a senior FCC official. The commission will require satellite operators to submit a transition plan by this summer describing the estimated costs and the necessary steps needed to clear the bottom 300 MHz of spectrum.

The NAB in February asked the commission to allow satellite customers to comment on each satellite operator’s transition plan before approving it.  

The C-Band Alliance, which included satellite operators Intelsat, SES and Telesat, had originally proposed a private sale of the spectrum, which was rejected by the FCC. The C-Band Alliance has since dissolved. 

SES and Telesat issued statements praising the FCC’s leadership on the issue following the release of the Report and Order in February. 

However, some industry observers still worry the FCC spectrum auction could face legal challenges and delays. Bloomberg Law reported in early March that Intelsat is considering a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing if the FCC fails to boost the compensation levels paid to operators for vacating part of the C-Band spectrum. The FCC has said it won’t reconsider.

Intelsat is eligible to receive up to $4.87 billion in proceeds, according to the Report and Order, which is about half of the compensation pool. 

The FCC makes the argument that there is plenty of room for all of the lower C-Band to be repacked to the upper 200 MHz.  

“In March 2019, the most recent month of data collected, the combined FSS downlink capacity and usage of the 66 satellites was, respectively, 59,427 megahertz and 33,138 megahertz in total with 19,961 megahertz of usage providing service to the United States (i.e., 33.59% of the total capacity of the 66 satellites),” a senior FCC official wrote in an email to Radio World. 

The FCC adopted the C-Band Report and Order at its open meeting in late February, bypassing a notice of proposed rulemaking. The FCC expected to open a comment period on the auction procedures.

Chris Imlay, general counsel to the Society of Broadcast Engineers, said fairness in spectrum allocations decision-making is rare, because there is almost always a preferred outcome determined in advance. 

“In this case, the FCC’s only real priority was to roll out 5G, and try to keep up with the rest of the world in the process,” he said. “A more fair way to proceed, as I saw the matter, would have been for FCC to internationally harmonize the 5G mid-band spectrum allocation, and match the European plan to use 3.4-3.8 GHz instead of 3.7-4.2 GHz. Had FCC done this, the C-Band would have been left largely alone.”

REIMBURSEMENT CONSIDERATIONS 

Here’s what the FCC C-Band Report and Order says about reimbursements for operators of incumbent earth stations:  

For incumbent earth station operators, we expect the transition will require two types of system changes that may occur separately or simultaneously: earth station migration and earth station filtering. 

First, earth station migration includes any necessary changes that will allow the earth stations to receive C-Band services on new frequencies or from new satellites once satellite operators have relocated their services into the upper portion of the band. For example, in instances where satellite transmissions need to be moved to a new frequency or to a new satellite, earth stations currently receiving those transmissions may need to be retuned or repointed in order to receive on the new frequencies or from the new satellite. Such a transition requires a “dual illumination” period, during which the same programming is simultaneously downlinked over the original frequency or satellite and over the new frequency or satellite so that the receiving earth station can continue receiving transmissions from the original frequency or satellite until it retunes or repoints the antenna to receive on the new frequency or satellite. 

Earth station migration may also require the installation of new equipment or software at earth station uplink and/or downlink locations for customers identified for technology upgrades necessary to facilitate the repack, such as compression technology or modulation. 

Second, passband filters must be installed on all existing earth stations to block signals from adjacent channels and to prevent harmful interference from new flexible-use operations. Earth station filtering can occur either simultaneously with, or after, the earth station migration. All of these earth station migration actions must be coordinated with satellite transponder clearing in order for earth stations to continue receiving existing C-Band services during and after the transition. As such, we expect relocation costs to include the cost to migrate and filter earth stations, including costs to retune, repoint and install new antennas and install filters and compression software and hardware.

Some commenters request that the commission give incumbent earth station operators flexibility to replace existing earth stations with fiber in their transition planning. We agree that providing incumbent earth station operators flexibility may allow them to make efficient decisions that better accommodate their needs. But we also recognize that replacing existing C-Band operations with fiber or other terrestrial services may be, for some earth stations, more expensive by an order of magnitude. 

As such, incumbent earth stations operators will have a choice: They may either accept reimbursement for the reasonable relocation costs by maintaining satellite reception or they may accept a lump sum reimbursement for all of their incumbent earth stations based on the average, estimated costs of relocating all of their incumbent earth stations. We require incumbent earth station operators (including any affiliates) to elect one of these two options, which must apply to all of each earth station operator’s earth stations, in order to prevent any improper cost shifting. And we require the decision to accept a lump sum reimbursement to be irrevocable — by accepting the lump sum, the incumbent takes on the risk that the lump sum will be insufficient to cover all its relocation costs — to ensure that incumbents have the appropriate incentive to accept the lump sum only if doing so is truly the more efficient option. We direct the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to release a Public Notice announcing the lump sum that will be available per incumbent earth station as well as the process for electing lump sum payments by September 30, 2020. 

The commission will allow reimbursement of some soft costs — legitimate and prudent transaction expenses incurred by incumbents that are directly attributable to relocation. We define soft costs as transactional expenses such as engineering, consulting and attorney fees. We find it reasonable to establish rebuttal resumption that soft costs should not exceed 2% of relocation hard costs.

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