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The Director of Sales for Capitol Broadcasting Co.’s WRAL-5 and WRAZ-50 in Raleigh-Durham is returning to Sinclair Broadcast Group to take on the top leadership post at its FOX affiliate serving the capital of the Old Dominion.

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In August 2016, Townsquare Media was on a slightly different path. Its Chairman and CEO was Steven Price. “The potential expansion of Townsquare’s live offerings” was so strong that Madison Square Garden Company, owner of some of the nation’s top entertainment venues and three pro sports teams, acquired an approximately 12 percent common equity stake in the publicly traded company.

Now, MSG National Properties LLC is shedding a big chunk of its stake in Townsquare, thanks to a repurchasing agreement executed by the owner of local radio stations in mid-sized and small-sized markets as well as a digital marketing solutions company and a digital advertising network.

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A new broadcast affiliate distribution agreement has been signed that will bring a Sinclair Broadcast Group digital multicast network known for its lineup of police procedural series to ABC Owned Television Stations across the U.S.

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The latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report is out, and with “March Madness” nearing its conclusion, at least on the parquet floor, one automotive brand fueled itself to the top of the list as it comes to spot plays last week.

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Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on transmitters.

Radio Kerry is deeply embedded in the Irish broadcasting scene as a full-service, commercial radio station. Nestled in the picturesque County Kerry, the station caters to the diverse needs of its audience in southwest Ireland.

Engineering & IT Manager Trevor Galvin said the station’s older transmitters had been experiencing persistent issues with power supply failures and other problems. Radio Kerry decided to install new equipment and ultimately chose Ecreso FM AiO Series from WorldCast Systems, purchased through their local distributor, Radio Services.

Galvin said the choice was made based on the overall efficiency, build quality and user-friendly interface. Also attractive were the hot-swappable power supplies and fan and the transmitter’s web interface, SNMP and logging, solidified the decision. Radio Kerry also was familiar with WorldCast from using APT IP codecs and Audemat RDS encoders.

Trevor Galvin

Radio Kerry’s commitment to operational cost efficiency led it to activate built-in software features like SmartFM, saving power costs and contributing to the station’s efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Galvin said the transmitters each took about an hour to configure and install, after bench testing. “We have seen energy consumption drop significantly at each site since installing the AiO.”

Info: www.worldcastsystems.com/en/

Interested in new products? Check out the free Spring Product Preview 2024 ebook.

The post Radio Kerry Finds Success With WorldCast appeared first on Radio World.

Wheatstone Layers user interface

At the NAB Show, Wheatstone will highlight the addition of Reliable Internet Stream Transport protocol to its AoIP technology. It also will show Layers software running on Amazon Web Services’ Global Accelerator.

Calling it “the Infinite Studio,” the company will highlight the combination of AoIP cloud and connectivity, to share media, workflows and resources across distances.

Wheatstone makes the WheatNet IP audio network of AoIP elements, and has expanded in recent years to the cloud and server realm with its Layers Software Suite, which includes mixing, streaming and FM software hosted on a local server or running on cloud data centers. 

At NAB it will discuss the benefits of Reliable Internet Stream Transport. “RIST connectivity provides the error correction necessary for real-time media delivery across any IP link,” it stated.

[“What’s RIST and Why Do You Need It?”]

And it will run Layers on AWS Global Accelerator, Amazon’s private network for media that offers high availability and security features suitable for 24/7 broadcasting. It also will show the SystemLink MPX over IP transporter.

On the studio side, Wheatstone will introduce the Lyric and the Verse consoles. These digital surfaces are “designed for Audioarts budgets but built to Wheatstone top-line console standards.”

Audioarts Lyric

The Lyric DML 12 and Verse DML 8 provide USB direct-to-fader inputs. The DML 12 includes Bluetooth. A Wheatnet IP app is available optionally for direct digital out put to a WheatNet network.

Features include three stereo program busses, AES3 inputs via RJ45, mic preamp(s) and built-in cue speaker.

NAB Show Booth: W1731

[Read about 50+ new products in the latest Radio World ebook.]

The post Wheatstone to Feature the “Infinite Studio” appeared first on Radio World.

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Telos Alliance is expanding the Omnia Forza line of software processors.

The new Forza FM, coming in May, will be delivered as a container that can run on an on-premises COTS server or on a cloud-hosted platform such as AWS.

The original Omnia Forza product for HD, DAB and streaming audio launched last year and is now branded as Forza HDS.

“Forza FM maintains the same five-band architecture, but its wideband and multiband processing stages have been optimized to meet the unique demands of FM radio,” Omnia said in its announcement.

It features the Silvio clipper used in Omnia.11 and includes processing for HD-1 with a built-in diversity delay. Its FM stereo generator will feed both µMPX and linear MPX over IP outputs.

Forza FM uses the same single-page HTML5 UI introduced with Forza HDS. It uses smart controls to adjust multiple parameters with one control, which makes operation easier by less-experienced users.

Info: https://telosalliance.com/forza.

[Read about 50+ new products in the Radio World Spring Product Preview 2024.]

The post Omnia Introduces FM Version of Forza appeared first on Radio World.

Our friends Jeff and Joe Geerling are at it again, posting another in their series of entertaining videos that explore technical concepts at radio stations.

Watch the three-minute video below. Jeff has also blogged about it at www.jeffgeerling.com.

[Read our profile of the Geerlings published last year.]

The post Geerlings Make a Hot Dog Talk … With RF appeared first on Radio World.

By Brian Galante
Special to RBR+TVBR

NASHVILLE — TNDV founder Nic Dugger has been seeking ways to inject the dramatic look that digital cinema cameras produce into his live television and event productions for years. Despite some creative workarounds that generated that tell-tale look and feel, technology limitations made the efforts fall short of achieving the desired goal in all its glory.

That has now changed, thanks to broadcast production technology from two big players.

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By Brian Galante
Special to RBR+TVBR

Hitachi Kokusai will highlight a new live production package at NAB Show 2024 that bundles its Z-HD6500 HD camera with its CU-HD550 camera control unit.

Supporting multiple HD formats to 1080p, the Z-HD6500 camera’s design seeks to reduce the system complexity for content creators while incorporating the latest technical innovations from Hitachi.

Its visual quality is enhanced through three 2/3-inch CMOS image sensors with a global shutter to enable the capture of BT.2020 color gamut compliant video. The global shutter technology reduces unwelcome artifacts such as banding and flicker that may occur when capturing video in broadcast studios with LED lighting and large LED displays.

The Z-HD6500 boasts F10 sensitivity of 59.94 frames per second (fps), and therefore enables high-quality acquisition in reduced lighting, while a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 62dB for images exists.

“The camera’s sleek, advanced design enables superior color reproduction, while its HD workflow enables seamless multi-format productions and supports both High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Standard Dynamic Range (SDR),” the company says.

Hitachi Kokusai’s CU-HD550 camera control unit was re-developed as a companion for the Z-HD6500. The CU-HD550 can output HDR or SDR and provides camera operators with two return video feeds for live monitoring. The CU-HD550 displays that feed on the Z-HD6500’s viewfinder, which is enabled through the CCU’s built-in cross-converter and frame synchronizer.

“Our longtime customers consistently return to Hitachi cameras because of the price-to-performance ratio and the strong technical support that they receive both through Hitachi Kokusai and our channel partners,” said Kenneth Cyr, National Sales Manager at Hitachi Kokusai. “We are excited to offer our customers an exceptional camera solution for varied live production environments that offers consistently flawless performance, vibrant and lifelike colors, and remote control capabilities that allow camera operators to concentrate on framing professional shots.”

The Z-HD6500 and CU-HD550 will be on display form April 14-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Hitachi Kokusai exhibits at Booth C4516.

The vMVPD access to Major League Baseball has just expanded — just in time for the start of the 2024 season.

MLB Network has been added to the “core channel lineup” for Hulu + Live TV.

With this addition, Hulu + Live TV is offering boasts similar to those from Fubo that it is a top destination for baseball fans.

Thanks to the presence of MLB Network, Hulu + Live TV will have more than 100 nationally broadcast MLB games. Hulu says it can go further thanks to RSN agreements.

Nevertheless, having both Fubo and Hulu + Live TV in the mix for MLB Network shows that having a traditional MVPD — or direct broadcast satellite providers Dish and DirecTV — is no longer necessary if you’re a fan of Major League Baseball.

 

NEW YORK — The Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) has taken a fresh look at streaming trends, and how they may be influencing marketers’ plans. With a look back to 2023, how many predictions and trends were not only proven true, but have in fact accelerated?

Ad-supported streaming is accelerating quicker than anticipated.

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The 2024 Major League Baseball regular season officially began on Thursday, and FuboTV is celebrating with new partnerships with four American League teams — including the 2023 World Champions.

The “sports-first” vMVPD, through newly signed arrangements, will enjoy Fubo in-stadium and digital branding in addition to fan engagement opportunities at the home of the Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, respectively.

Fans will also have an opportunity to try Fubo for free.

Fubo is the home of MLB.TV, MLB Network, MLB Strike Zone, regional sports networks, local broadcast networks carrying MLB games, and national sports networks ESPN and FS1. Most recently, Fubo expanded its league coverage through carriage agreements with Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) and the New York Yankees’ YES Network.

 

Getty Images/Rundstedt B. Rovillos

Have you seen strange insect images on security cameras at your transmitter sites? The picture above is from a stock art library but if you see something like this on your cameras send us a photo! Contract Engineer Stephanie Donnell says the magnification can be reminiscent of horror films of the 1950s and ’60s! 

Spring is a good time to treat rain hoods, transmitter building overhangs and other spots where insects prefer to nest. Wasp and hornet spray will discourage nesting insects for several weeks and prevent you from getting stung.

Hardware checkup

The beginning of spring brings bugs but is also an ideal time to evaluate any infrastructure that was exposed to winter weather. 

Hall Communications Lakeland Chief Engineer Steve Tuzeneu said his satellite dish needed attention, so he turned to Linkup Communications President Mark Johnson for tips on repainting the dish. Mark offered a three-step process. 

First, inspect the dish to ensure that the metal underneath the original painting is not damaged. Then clean the dish thoroughly with a cleaning compound that will remove both grime and mold (and any peeling paint!) 

Mark cautions against using a pressure washer even at a low setting. The impact of the water can deform the dish parabola.

Finally, use good marine paint. On the Lowes or Home Depot websites search for marine paint or boat paint for a variety of choices.

On a separate note: Steve has a Radio Systems Millenium console in a production studio but the original T-hook key for lifting the front of the board was missing.

Steve solved the problem by using a paint can opener, as shown in the photo.

Stuck on you

Paul Sagi writes from Kuala Lumpur to tell us he loved Bill Traue’s “belt and suspenders” approach to protecting wired remote control systems, as we discussed in October. 

In that same column we shared a tip from Rolf Taylor about printed labels. Paul relates that the Dymo label on his wife’s stethoscope was affixed 50 years ago and is still there! If you’ve ever had to remove or replace a Dymo label, I’m sure you’ll agree that they are long-lasting.

If it walks like a duct …

Patch-cord “combs” can be repurposed to hold AoIP cable dongles. Don’t have the budget for metal combs? San Diego’s Marc Mann has a tip: Grab a spare section of slotted wire duct.

Made out of a flexible polymer, the duct “fingers” easily spring back after bending to permit adding or removing cables. Even a short section can hold a variety of cables or adaptors.

Although ductwork can be obtained through Amazon, Marc suggests checking out “low-voltage” distributors in your area. These wholesale suppliers carry a range of wire management products as well as cameras, security/access and intercoms, that you may find useful.

Let there be light

In a previous column I shared a recommendation from Ed Walters, K8DI, that you always carry a good LED flashlight in your tool bag. With that in mind, enjoy this YouTube video: www.youtube.com/shorts/3Y8rX5EuzkQ.

It won’t fit in your tool bag, but it sure is bright. (Try not to get sucked into watching hours of YouTube shorts!)

Don’t worry about “bugging” us … send your tips! Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post Use Marine Paint for Your Satellite Dishes appeared first on Radio World.

Travel east of Hood River along the Columbia River separating Oregon from Washington, and you’ll reach The Dalles — home to a Classic Country AM with an FM translator.

Pending FCC approval, it will have a second FM translator serving this community.

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As the head of Rockwell Media Services, Morgan Skinner has become known as a broadcast media consultant and broker. He’s also generated controversy over the years, including a 1988 spat with Bonneville International for using the “KSLI” call letters on a just-acquired FM in St. George, Utah.

Now, a Utah non-profit Skinner is associated with is donating an FM translator in a rural area of Nevada.

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Logical Channel Spectral Mapping, Service Mode MP11. From NRSC-5-E HD Radio Air Interface Design Description Layer 1 Document FM Y_IDD_1011s.

MP11 is the widest-bandwidth backward-compatible HD Radio extended hybrid service mode and provides a commercially viable method for stations to get increased HD Radio audio or data capacity while maintaining backwards compatibility with analog FM. 

The story behind the extended hybrid service mode MP11 is interesting, and the global COVID-19 pandemic paused publicity of the successes and deployment of the mode. 

MP11 was conceptualized in the original NRSC-5 documents circa 2005 and authorization for extended hybrid mode operation was adopted by the commission in 2007. However, it was not developed for commercial use until almost a decade later. 

It was initially thought (more than two decades ago) that the risk of “host interference” or digital-into-analog interference on the same station of this widest extended hybrid service mode might be too great. The thought at the time was that broadcasters would consider this mode when there were more digital radios in the marketplace than analog. It was surmised that broadcasters would have to disable FM RDS and FM stereo, and revert to monoaural FM only. 

However, advancements in transmission technology have shattered those early theories.

When Xperi started developing the current Generation4 (Gen4) HD Radio platform circa 2014, they included a commercialized development for service mode MP11, and included a feature called PAR2 Carrier Protection, which is an advanced peak-to-average ratio reduction scheme for the HD Radio RF signal. 

This advancement was not something envisioned or even possible with the hardware resources the industry had a decade prior. With PAR2 Carrier Protect, there is a way for broadcasters to “have their cake and eat it too.” Stations can remain fully competitive with a stereo FM signal, with analog RDS, and simultaneously transmit in the widest extended hybrid service mode (MP11) without host interference.

Presented at the 2019 Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference at the NAB Show, David Layer of NAB and Michael Rhodes from Cavell, Mertz & Associates outlined the results of extensive lab studies that were performed by PILOT, NAB’s innovation initiative. These tests were conducted with the participation of Xperi and Nautel and are documented at length in a white paper included in the 2019 BEITC Conference Proceedings. 

This groundbreaking research proved to the industry that MP11 was a viable option for broadcasters.

In the real world

At iHeartMedia, we had been testing MP11 on Gen4 for a little over a year in our own labs. Receiver compatibility seemed acceptable, but we were waiting for completion of the more extensive compatibility studies that were underway before putting this service mode on the air.

With the PILOT findings in hand, iHeartMedia set out to find a candidate station to perform MP11 field tests. We were looking for a station that had a full complement of Gen4 HD Radio transmission hardware. Requirements included low-level, common mode FM+HD amplification with a Gen4 Exgine exciter, and a transmitter that had sufficient headroom to support the 1.5dB power increase that occurs switching from MP1 to MP11.

The company’s WTUE(FM) in Dayton, Ohio, went live with MP11 on July 1, 2019, and has been transmitting in that mode continuously since that date. 

A radio in a 2014 Toyota Tundra is tuned to the HD4 channel enabled by MP11. HD1 and HD2 are on the standard hybrid P1 partition enabled by service mode MP1. HD3 is on the extended hybrid P3 partition enabled by service mode MP3. HD4 is on the extended hybrid P4 partition enabled by service mode MP11.

In our implementation, we were looking to create an HD4 program in the additional 24.6 kilobits-per-second P4 partition. The conversion couldn’t have been easier. We needed to load the latest firmware into the existing transmitter/exciter (earlier firmware versions did not support MP11), and we installed a (then new) Gen4 GatesAir FMXi 4g Exporter. We provided the HD4 audio via AES audio of WONE(AM) Dayton, which offers a sports/talk format.

WTUE was chosen not only because the Gen4 transmitter had the headroom but also because Dayton was a convenient place to test. We had engineering resources nearby in Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis to support the tests. On the day we launched, we were able to have several engineers at key locations within the WTUE coverage area with a variety of different receivers to immediately discern if there were any issues with digital-to-analog host interference. 

As the PILOT lab tests established, no host interference was found, and none has been reported since we signed on. WTUE is approaching five years of operation in service mode MP11. See video below.

We had envisioned reporting our successes at the 2020 and 2021 NAB Shows. Both were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the travel restrictions and health and safety concerns at the time. 

Advancements in HD Radio IBOC extended hybrid service modes has made headlines more recently, with Radio World reporting on Hubbard’s successes on WWWT(FM) (see “Hubbard Turns on an HD5 Audio Channel)”. Their addition of an HD5 program using the additional bandwidth offered by extended hybrid service mode MP11 is a great use case, and the industry welcomes Hubbard and others who may consider this latest option. 

Benefits of MP11

While much time has elapsed since the lab and field tests began, it is great to see broadcasters like iHeartMedia and Hubbard using this mode to provide additional digital services to the public. 

This additional bandwidth can be used for additional audio services, helping with AM station and FM translator re-broadcasts. It also helps increase the diversity of formats providing content to underserved audiences.

Service mode MP11 will not work with older Generation-3 HD Radio Importer/Exporters, transmitters or exciters. PAR2 Carrier Protect also cannot run on this hardware, as it is computationally intensive and exceeds the resources of the hardware. 

However, there is broad support for MP11 in today’s transmission marketplace. Xperi and the manufacturers have all been forward-looking, putting the advancement in their current line of products while not porting it to hardware that is considered borderline obsolete. It’s hard to believe, but the Gen3 framework is nearing 20 years old.

It is recommended that Low-Level, Common-Mode FM+HD amplification be implemented when broadcasting MP11. That is the only method that has been thoroughly tested in the lab and out in the field. The use of older combining methods is generally not supported and not recommended.

As of March 2024, three transmission equipment manufacturers offer products that have implemented MP11:

• Gen4 Importer/Exporters:
  • GatesAir FMXi 4g Embedded Importer/Exporter
  • Nautel HD MultiCast+ Importer/Exporter
  • Rohde and Schwarz HDR-900 Embedded Importer/Exporter
• Gen4 Transmitters:
  • GatesAir Flexiva Low Powered + High Power (FAX + FLX) Series
  • Nautel GV2 (Updated hardware/software is potentially available to update a GV to GV2)
  • Rohde & Schwarz THR9 FM+HD Series

While receiver support of extended hybrid service modes is difficult to project, it is safe to say there are millions of vehicles on the road today that can decode new audio channels in the P4 partition of MP11. As time goes by, more automotive receivers will be in the marketplace to tune in to the additional content enabled by the MP11 extended hybrid service mode.

Past Links:

Hubbard Turns on an HD5 Audio Channel (January 2023)

NAB Radio Technologists Look Ahead (April 2020)

Symposium Examines Changing Radio Landscape (November 2019)

Evaluating Higher-throughput HD Radio Mode With the PILOT Radio Test Bed (July 2019)

 

The post The Story of the FM IBOC MP11 Mode appeared first on Radio World.