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MXL Releases Podcasting Bundle
Marshall’s microphone and accessories division MXL has packaged together some of its offerings into a podcasting bundle.
Called APS Podcasting Bundle, it consists of MXL’s BCD-1 dynamic broadcast microphone; its companion BCD-Stand; and the Mic Mate Pro XLR-USB digital audio interface/adaptor.
The heart of the bundle is the top-address BCD-1 microphone. It has a dynamic element, internal shockmount and tuned grille to combat unwanted noises. Its design aims to also have high side noise rejection.
The Mic Mate Pro offers gain and headphone controls with 16-bit 44.1/48 kHz conversion.
MXL Microphones Sales Director Trevor Fedele said, “In the last decade, podcasts have seen a huge surge in popularity, and our APS Podcasting Bundle provides the quality tools needed for those in this market. … With the creation of the APS Podcasting Bundle, studio-quality broadcasting technology is now within the reach of every recording enthusiast.”
The post MXL Releases Podcasting Bundle appeared first on Radio World.
EuroDAB Italia Begins Airing BBC World Service
MILAN — BBC World Service and EuroDAB Italia have entered into an agreement to broadcast the global network’s rich mix of BBC News, documentaries, business, sports, arts and science programs as a new service included in EuroDAB Italia’s DAB+ multiplex.
On Oct 9, Mary Hockaday, controller of BBC World Service English, and Lorenzo Suraci, president of EuroDAB Italia, officially launched the new service and presented the vision behind this agreement and their expectations for the future.
TRUSTED BRANDS
Mary Hockaday (left) and Lorenzo Suraci, EuroDAB Italia present, presented the vision behind the new agreement and their future expectations.Although about 30% of Italians can speak some English, including a large part of the younger generation, no English-speaking service is at present broadcast in Italy on regular basis.
“We live in a world with an infinite number of information sources and making a choice among those sources often makes us feel confused,” Hockaday said. “It’s wonderful to have such a diversity, but in this surrounding noise actually many people seek trusted brands, and they seek media and information they can trust.”
According to Hockaday, trust is at the heart of what BBC and BBC World Service can offer, including “accurate and impartial means and good information.”
In a world where everyone can have on his or her smartphone a multitude of headlines and news from all over the world and from as many different sources, Hockaday emphasized how hard the BBC World Service works to provide their listeners with a rich editorial mix with news but also information on business, sports, culture, technology, politics and stories.
DIGITAL CAPABILITY
The BBC World Service logo displayed on a visual-capable DAB receiver tuned to the EuroDAB Italia multiplex.“Whenever you turn on the radio, you will always find something engaging, informing, delighting and feeding curiosity within our offer ,” she concluded.
“We are very proud that BBC World Service choose the EuroDAB digital network to broadcast its content in Italy,” added Suraci. “It improves and extends the offer of the contents of our bouquet and helps the radio, in general, in an increasingly global world.”
DAB+ broadcasts are already available to 80% of Italians and that percentage is set to grow due to the Italian legislative requirement for all radios sold in Italy from Jan. 1 2020 to have digital capability.
[Read: Does 5G Make Sense for Radio?]
In Italy, 46% of new cars are now sold with DAB+ as standard, and according to the Italian media regulator AGCOM, radio is the second most frequently used media after television, while 68% of the population listens to radio for an average of 2.5 hours per day.
The post EuroDAB Italia Begins Airing BBC World Service appeared first on Radio World.
Tesla, Twain and McLane
RW Editor in Chief Paul McLane prepares for his time in the almost-Broadway lights with his fellow actors, Robert Alvey as Mark Twain and P.J. Ochlan as Nikola Tesla. They’ll be appearing in a special performance of “An Intimate Evening with Tesla and Twain” for an AES Show audience, Wednesday.
The post Tesla, Twain and McLane appeared first on Radio World.
15 Things You Can’t Miss at IBC2019
Would you like to get an early start on one of the industry’s biggest annual trade shows? Come along for a free webinar from Radio World International, hosted by editors Marguerite Clark and Paul McLane, on Sept. 4 at 3:30 p.m. CET.
Marguerite and Paul will provide a peek at new products they expect to create buzz; explore the newest digital radio sessions; and share what they’re hearing from our industry’s leaders about important tech developments and standards.
IBC is a huge and fabulous event, but it can also be daunting. With more than 55,000 attendees expected and more than 1,700 exhibitors covering 15 halls, the job of getting the most out of IBC2019 requires a lot of planning. Radio World International will help you learn about key pieces and products the show selected with the radio reader in mind.
The webinar was sponsored by: Comrex, Digigram, ENCO, GatesAir, Rohde & Schwarz, StreamGuys, The Telos Alliance, Veritone and Wheatstone.
The post 15 Things You Can’t Miss at IBC2019 appeared first on Radio World.
Inside the October 9th Issue of Radio World
Find your modulation “sweet spot.” Build a solid-state mic preamp. Plan a visit to the WBA Broadcasters Clinic. Create a YouTube channel. And take a look inside the new studios of America’s top-billing radio station.
BROADCAST LAW
Radio Eyes Advantages of Deregulation
With the commission backing off numerous requirements, how will broadcast ownership groups respond?
FACILITY PROFILE
Inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center
Two dozen photos from Radio World’s recent video webcast tour of WTOP in Washington.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Deter Stinging Insects at the Transmitter Site
- “THAT Thing” — A Solid-State Mic Preamp Project
- National VOA Museum Asks for Your Support
The post Inside the October 9th Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.
Inside the Oct. 16 Issue of RWEE
“Today, wiring changes are done with a mouse, making and breaking crosspoints in software.” If you are nodding in agreement, RW Engineering Extra is for you! Find out who said it by browsing your latest issue.
DIGITAL RADIO
Upgrading an AM to All-Digital: Why, How and Lessons Learned
Dave Kolesar and Mike Raide update you on the WWFD project.
YOUR CAREER
What Does “Value Engineering” Mean to You?
Sometimes, plans need to be adjusted to fit the available dollars.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- What Does a Broadcast Engineer Do, Anyway?
- Phasing Quadrature Amplification
- Make the Most of Your Uncompressed Opportunities
The post Inside the Oct. 16 Issue of RWEE appeared first on Radio World.
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New FM Construction Permit Auction Set for April 2020
A new round of construction permits are about to be up for auction.
The Media Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission introduced Auction 106, a new FM broadcast construction permit auction scheduled to commence on April 28, 2020.
Auction 106 will offer 130 construction permits for FM broadcast allotments, including 34 permits that were either defaulted upon or not sold or in earlier FCC auctions. The commission released a list of those vacant FM allotments, which include teeny Texas hamlets like Milano, Texas, population app. 400, as well as populous urban thoroughfares like Coalinga, Calif.
The bureau plans to follow the commission’s standard auction procedures — a multiple-round auction format that offers every construction permit bid at the same time and consists of successive bidding rounds in which qualified bidders can place bids on individual permits. Bidding usually remains open until bidding stops on all permits.
The auction will be conducted over the internet using the FCC auction bidding system, although bidders will also have the option of placing bids by phone. The bureau is also proposing to stop, slow or speed up the bidding if the process is proceeding at either a sluggish or a too rapid pace.
As in earlier auctions, the bureau proposes that applicants submit upfront payments as a prerequisite to becoming qualified to bid.
But before things kick off, the bureau and the Office of Economics and Analytics is seeking comment on a variety of auction-specific procedures relating to Auction 106 — including the proposed open bidding process, how much upfront payment should be required for each CP and the proposed opening bid amounts.
The price range for construction permits in Auction 106 vary wildly. On the low end sits permits for $750, such as ones in Wamsutter, Wy., and San Isidro, Texas. Compare that to the upfront payment of $100,000 — and the subsequent minimum opening bid of $100,000 — for a CP in California’s capital city of Sacramento. Mid-level bids include Huntington, Ore., for $45,000; West Rutland, Vt., for $25,000; and Gackle, N.D., for $15,000.
The initial bidding schedule will be announced one week before bidding starts via a public notice.
Comments on Auction 106 can be made through the FCC ECFS filing system using AU Docket No 19-290. The commission is also requesting that all comments be submitted electronically via the email auction106@fcc.gov.
FM broadcasters who have questions can reach out to the Audio Division within the Media Bureau at 1-202-418-2700.
The post New FM Construction Permit Auction Set for April 2020 appeared first on Radio World.
Dosch to Devote Full-Time to Angry Audio
Mike Dosch will be leaving his role with equipment manufacturer Lawo and focusing full-time on his recently launched company Angry Audio.
Separately, his new company also will acquire the StudioHub wiring infrastructure line.
Dosch joined Lawo in 2014 with the title of director of virtual radio projects and later was named senior product manager radio. Prior, he was president of the Axia Audio division of the Telos Alliance; for 10 years before that he was with Pacific Research & Engineering, where he started as a console designer and worked his way up to VP and COO.
His company Angry Audio makes small problem-solving devices that it happily refers to as “gadgets and gizmos” targeting audio needs of the radio broadcast market. Products are sold through a number of U.S. and international dealers. Examples include the Guest Gizmo and the Bidirectional Balancing Gadget. A recently introduced Bluetooth Audio Gadget is intended to make it easier to put a smartphone on the air.
Separately, Angry Audio is acquiring the StudioHub product line, which it currently resells, from Radio Systems and developer Mike Sirkis.
“Angry Audio is buying StudioHub and will soon begin manufacturing the entire StudioHub line including cables, adapters, panels, breakout boxes and hubs, matching amplifiers, etc.,” Dosch told Radio World in an email.
[Related: “Radio Systems Turns a Business Page”]
“Additionally, we will be providing spare-parts support for products previously manufactured under the Radio Systems brand. Millennium consoles for example will soon be supported by Angry Audio. We’ve moved into a bigger space to accommodate the expanded product line and hope to have operations humming along next month.”
Dosch said his last day with Lawo will be next week.
The post Dosch to Devote Full-Time to Angry Audio appeared first on Radio World.
Deter Stinging Insects at the Transmitter Site
Tom Johnson and I were talking about pests.
Fig. 1: Eaves and overhangs at unmanned transmitter buildings can attract stinging insects.We met at the Alabama Broadcasters Association and Larry Wilkins’ Engineering Day seminar; and as we talked about bugs infesting transmitter sites, Tom shared the picture in Fig. 1.
I don’t know many engineers who care for wasps, hornets or other flying, stinging insects. Tom’s photo is a great reminder to spray under eaves, and around door and window frames — any place that’s protected from the weather.
Unfortunately, with cold weather approaching, it’s not just vermin that seek shelter from the cold. An unoccupied transmitter building or AM antenna tuning unit is an ideal home for insects and rodents. Make sure it is sealed.
ATUs in particular can attract unwanted guests. If your ATU has a light fixture inside, wait til it’s dark and then turn it on, then walk around the ATU looking for any escaping light (remember to look underneath, too; and also watch out for the “hot” tower). Any holes you spot, perhaps where bolts once held coils or other components, are “welcome signs” for insects, and usually the proper diameter for these insects to squeeze through. Plug those holes with RTV or caulk.
Remember also that before opening the ATU door, pause to watch whether stinging insects are flying around. They may have infested your enclosure already.
Check that entry panels or doors to the ATU also fit tight; again look for light leakage. Remember that field mice can squeeze through amazingly small crevices.
Tom waited till dark, then sprayed that nest and its occupants.
When I did contract work, a client was losing their satellite signal every day at dusk. I stood on a ladder and unscrewed the LNB. A swarm of angry wasps escaped the nest they built inside. How we didn’t get stung — or break a leg, frantically jumping off the ladder — still amazes me.
As I mention in my Workbench sessions, a one-liter clear plastic water bottle fits nicely in the throat of a satellite feed horn and will prevent infestation. As for your building, a good spritz of wasp and hornet spray applied under all the overhangs on your building is good preventive maintenance.
* * *
San Francisco contract and project engineer Bill Ruck writes, “Been there, done that.” He was referring to the electrolytic capacitor woes we described recently.
Back around 1967, Bill learned about electrolytic capacitors working at a hi-fi store. Rule of thumb in those days was (1) if they’ve “puked their guts” by exploding, replace them; (2) if not, replace them anyway.
Since then, Bill’s experience is only worse. Many times he has traced spurious outputs of an FM exciter to the power supply oscillating and modulating the carrier.
Recently, Bill had two BE FX-30 exciters with that problem. The issue was traced to the FMO module. The problem was that the FMO is potted and to dig out the potting compound to replace the capacitors would take a lot of time and was no longer cost-effective. The group owning the exciter preferred to purchase a new exciter rather than put a lot of money into reconditioning something that was over 30 years old.
Bill adds a few more nuggets to consider:
1. Although high ESR (equivalent series resistance) doesn’t cause “ringing,” it does let an unstable amplifier oscillate. Furthermore, most three-terminal regulators can be defined as an “unstable amplifier” and will oscillate. Bill learned in his own home-built power supplies to put a 1 uF tantalum bead capacitor and a 0.1 uF ceramic disc capacitor as close to the regulator IC input pins as possible.
2. Always put in 105 degree C electrolytic capacitors. They’re slightly larger and slightly more expensive but they last a lot longer.
3. It takes the same effort to remove capacitors from a printed circuit board to measure them, than to just replace them. Yes, Bill can measure ESR and capacitance, but he does that only to confirm his suspicions, after putting in new low ESR 105 C replacement capacitors.
In summary, Bill writes that these days, component level repair is less cost-effective than during his misguided youth; but if you do make these repairs, replace!
* * *
Fig. 2: Find this DIY rat trap at the YouTube link in the text.
Our Workbench Malaysian connection, broadcast engineer Paul Sagi, found an interesting YouTube video that we’ll call “Curiosity Killed the Rat!” Here’s the link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T-KJMM55A9A
Paul comments that it appears that clear box sealing tape was used to hold the grain, and the “ramps” appear to be floor tiles, placed so the underside faces up. Placing two ramps on opposing sides permit some rats to balance out each other, a single ramp may be better. Finally, for remote locations, Paul suggests affixing the ramp to the bucket, so it doesn’t fall.
My comment? I sure hope this isn’t someone’s transmitter site! That’s a lot of rats.
I also hope you’ll contribute to Workbench. You’ll help your fellow engineers and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Send Workbench tips and high-resolution photos to johnpbisset@gmail.com.
John Bisset has spent 50 years in the broadcasting industry and is still learning. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. He holds CPBE certification with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.
The post Deter Stinging Insects at the Transmitter Site appeared first on Radio World.
Community Broadcaster: A Cautionary Tale
The author is membership program director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.
This week’s big news in community radio was all about layoffs at Pacifica radio station WBAI(FM) in New York and termination of its existing programming. The seriousness of the situation is a bellwether to conversations community media must have about relevance.
WBAI is certainly an iconic noncommercial radio station. It has hosted a veritable who’s who of cultural vanguards, especially in the 1960s. From Bob Dylan to Malcolm X, WBAI has been fondly remembered by fans for such history. Unfortunately, those glory days are long gone.
When I wrote for Radio World about the Empire State Realty Trust $3 million judgment against WBAI and Pacifica in 2017, matters were already quite dire. Pacifica audits noted a listener support decline between 2007 and 2017 in the millions. The California Attorney General’s Office and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Inspector General launched probes in 2015 and 2011 respectively over management issues. WBAI had seen crashes in 2009 and 2013, and its internal strife, inability to make payroll and subsidization by other Pacifica outlets had been in public circulation for years. WBAI folks, a smart and interesting bunch to be sure, have long contended what may seem to be farfetched theories, from essentially embezzlement by its licensee to its owner kneecapping the station staff and volunteers for their liberal orientation and willingness to host marginal programming under the free speech banner.
[Read: Community Broadcaster: Changemakers]
Indeed, any publication that termed this week’s action stunning or a shock clearly must be excused for not paying attention to a crisis decades in the making.
Pushback to Pacifica’s decision was swift, including a state court intervening in the situation. However, it may be unclear how influential a New York court injunction to prevent layoffs and program changes will be. After all, Pacifica is a California nonprofit organization. The network’s payroll and WBAI’s federally assigned license (and thus programming placed on it) are both based far from said court’s jurisdiction. This story is developing.
Regardless of what happens to WBAI, the health of community radio as a whole is always a concern. What can stations learn from this issue?
As I conveyed to radio station WORT this week, community radio stations should always ask themselves about how they are truly listening to and serving local listeners with content they are passionate about and rely on. It is not difficult to figure out why WBAI, at 99.5 FM and in a city of eight million people and with one of the nation’s top median household incomes, could muster only 78,500 weekly listeners (according to Nielsen Audio) and not cover basic expenses. An old friend at Radio Research Consortium, noncommercial media’s data clearinghouse, once shared, listeners tell you what they think of your programming with their ears and wallets. Every station should track what their local fans think, and be responsive to area needs. That can be hard, given the many perspectives that are part of a station, but centering listener experiences with our stations must always be a priority.
Careful financial monitoring and adopting an approach to problems that sees them as a shared responsibility should also be a part of any station’s ethos. When tensions arise, the easy way out is to cast blame on others. Difficulties such as those experienced by the community radio space this week might have been averted with more swift, productive actions, and buy-in from everyone. All community stations might be wise to unify in times like these.
And finally, every station would be well served to take the lead in telling its story. In times of trouble, explaining one’s vision and where one hopes to be reassures listeners and tells donors you have a solution. Once a station loses control of its narrative, it is hard to regain credibility. Pacifica’s message posted on WBAI’s website is a start, in this instance.
Noncommercial radio observers may recall the WBAI move is not without precedent. In May, Humboldt State University shuttered its volunteer-based programming and laid off staff at KHSU in a bid to reorganize. A Humboldt State University advisory review identified a need for financial review of university investments, a realignment of the station’s operations and other issues for the licensee. One can hope WBAI’s reorganization is successful, and that all of community radio takes a cue from what’s happened to make the best media possible.
The post Community Broadcaster: A Cautionary Tale appeared first on Radio World.
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