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MicroMPX Is Designed Specifically for FM

Radio World - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 16:01

You may have heard the term MicroMPX and not been familiar with it. In the ebook “Trends in Codecs 2024” we asked Hans van Zutphen, founder and owner of Thimeo Audio Technology, to explain it. 

Radio World: What is MicroMPX and what should readers know about it?

Hans van Zutphen

Hans van Zutphen: MicroMPX is a specialized studio-to-transmitter or STL link codec. It transports a full FM composite MPX signal, including pilot and RDS, at a bit rate of only 320 kilobits per second, while ensuring perfect peak control. 

This technology allows for the generation and distribution of signals directly from the studio to multiple transmitters, eliminating the need for separate audio processors and stereo/RDS generators at each transmitter site. If you really need very low bit rates, the more aggressive MicroMPX+ codec can go down to 192 kbps.

We have designed MicroMPX specifically for FM. Making use of the known strengths and weaknesses of an FM signal, it avoids the typical artifacts associated with lossy codecs and it perfectly maintains peak control, even when using composite clipping, thus maintaining the integrity and quality of the broadcast signal.

RW: What inspired its creation?

Van Zutphen: We have been making FM processing software since 2007. We added a stereo/RDS encoder in our software 15 years ago, and a composite clipper shortly after that. This gives us access to the full signal, so we can take all kinds of things –—the stereo pilot, the stereo carrier phase, even the RDS data — into account in our clipper. 

This enables us to put more than 2 dB of extra loudness in the audio without clipping more, so the end result is louder, sounds cleaner and has more dynamics. On top of that, the fact that we know the total signal gives us real-time control over the RF bandwidth during FM transmission, which enhances reception quality.

Traditionally, most stations would send their raw left/right audio to transmitter sites and perform the processing there, or perform their main processing in the studio and then perform the stereo/RDS coding at the transmitter site, thereby losing all the benefits of composite processing unless there is a composite clipper at each transmitter and the processing is split between the studio and transmitter sites.

Sending the raw audio to the transmitter site is a good solution as long as the link is lossless. But using a lossy link will often seriously degrade the resulting audio. For an analog link, noise will be raised during quiet audio, and when using a lossy codec, many assumptions that the codec made about what’s audible will be voided by the processing, amplifying codec artifacts. 

In both cases, the input of the processor might sound fine to your ears, but the output can still be affected.

We received more and more requests from customers for an efficient solution to send the full composite signal from a studio to one or more transmitter sites, without excessive bandwidth consumption. Some of our customers would — if they used uncompressed MPX data — be sending more than 4 terabytes of data per day over the public internet, in some cases even over 4G or 5G or satellite links, without even counting backup links. 

Aside from the costs, just the amount of energy that’s basically wasted to send this much data over the internet is extreme.

As a company, we try to make at least one thing each year that nobody has done before, and this sounded like an interesting challenge. And our prior work gave us the expertise needed to do this. So we started to work on a codec, with a number of requirements:

  • Preserve audio quality, loudness and peak control.
  • Retain the advantages of composite clipping.
  • No effect on FM reception.
  • Reduce the bitrate as much as possible without breaking the other requirements.
  • If the original signal complies to ITU recommendation ITU-R SM.1268 (a specific RF bandwidth mask), the decoded signal must as well. Most audio processors don’t guarantee SM.1268 compliance (but ours do), and this is the one requirement that we dropped for MicroMPX+ to achieve even lower bit rates. 

When we started, we were aiming for bit rates around 600 kilobits per second. But we managed to go much, much lower.

RW: How does the growing use of the cloud influence radio codecs and how they are deployed?

Van Zutphen: With the move to do more things in a central location — be it the cloud or just in the studio building — the setup can be made much simpler and better sounding at the same time. 

I have seen several media groups that run more than 40 stations on a single server, which does everything: processing, watermarking (Nielsen PPM, Kantar, Intrasonics), and generating the full MPX signal with pilot and RDS, which is then streamed to the transmitter sites with MicroMPX. 

With lots of stations with similar content but different ad breaks or local news, running everything on a single system easily keeps all the signals perfectly in sync with each other, and the whole configuration can easily be copied to create backup systems. All that’s needed at the transmitter sites aside from the transmitter is a simple MicroMPX decoder, if the transmitter doesn’t accept MicroMPX directly.

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Categories: Industry News

NAB Adds Machiraju to Legal Team

Radio World - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 15:54
Nandu Machiraju

Nandu Machiraju has joined the National Association of Broadcasters as senior vice president and deputy general counsel.

“Machiraju will develop and advance NAB’s policy goals across a broad range of issues that concern radio and television broadcasters, leading industry advocacy on Next GenTV and addressing a variety of spectrum matters and other regulatory issues,” the association said.

He will report to Rick Kaplan, chief legal officer and executive vice president, Legal and Regulatory Affairs. Machiraju success Patrick McFadden, who went to Sinclair earlier this year.

Kaplan cited his expertise in regulatory matters and competition law. “Nandu will play a crucial role in NAB’s advocacy before the FCC, the administration and federal courts,” Kaplan said in the announcement.

Machiraju was a partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP, advising clients on antitrust issues and regulatory matters under the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice jurisdictions. He formerly held senior leadership roles at the FTC, including serving as attorney adviser to Chairman Joseph Simons. He began his legal career as an associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, focusing on antitrust issues.

[Read more industry People News.]

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Categories: Industry News

April Highlights of Radio Tech History

Radio World - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 15:45

This is the fourth installment in a recurring series that looks back at developments that have shaped radio broadcasting during the past 100 years, noting advancements and historical moments month by month. Read March’s story here

The forerunner of today’s ‘telemedicine’ virtual physician’s visits was predicted by futurist Hugo Gernsback in this April 1924 issue of Radio News magazine.

100 Years Ago – April 1924: “Tele-medicine” is featured on the cover of the April issue of Hugo Gernsback’s Radio News magazine. Dubbed the “Radio Doctor” and intended as an April Fool’s spoof, the device is described as being able to remotely take temperature and pulse measurements, monitor heartbeats, and allow a remotely-located physician to view patients via television.

The imaginary device even allowed the examining physician to deliver a handwritten prescription. (Gernsback had a knack for predicting future technologies and launched the world’s first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories.)

75 Years Ago – April 1949: All industry eyes are focused on Chicago’s Stevens Hotel, the site of the 27th annual NAB convention, which begins on April 11.

Main topics to be vetted are the impact of newly-arrived television on the long-established “sound broadcasting,” FM’s future, frequency allocations for new AM stations, and maintaining radio’s “security and stability in this helter-skelter electronic era.”

The convention’s engineering conference featured presentations on the NAB’s efforts to create a standard for magnetic tape recordings, tips on handling and storage of magnetic tape from manufacturer 3M, operation of 50 kW FM transmitters with high-gain antennas to provide ERPs of 300 to 600 kW, and a new GE “portable” remote amplifier weighing only 35 pounds.

50 Years Ago – April 1974: After languishing for nearly three decades, post-war FM broadcasting is finally beginning to gain consumer acceptance, so much so that the FCC has opened a window for comments on its proposal to tighten its 10-year-old AM/FM non-duplication rule from the current 50 percent duplication of programs to zero in markets of 100,000 or more, with exceptions being made for news or public affairs programming.

Also, the Electronic Industry Association (now the Consumer Technology Association) is arguing against a proposed radio “all-channel” rule requiring FM capability on all sets. The EIA says that an increase in factory-installed automobile AM-FM sets “obviates the need for passage” of the legislation. The EIA additionally stated that it would be “grossly unfair” to add the extra expense of dual-band capability to motorists, as FM reception is not that good in certain situations. It asserted that the marketplace would respond on its own as FM audiences grow.

25 Years Ago – April 1999: Controversy continues to brew over the FCC’s proposal to authorize a new class of low-power FMs. Proponents argue that such a service is needed “to counteract bland programming on larger group-owned stations,” with the NAB says it’s not needed, and declaring that “we strongly believe that programming diversity has never been greater.

Radio World is flooded with letters and emails offering both pro and con opinions from readers. Comments range from “Communities like Santa Monica, Calif. are clamoring for signals of 10 watts or less” to “the proposal would severely hurt the small-business AM owner who would be unable to compete on the FM band.”

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Categories: Industry News

FCC License Numbers Track Growth in NCE FMs

Radio World - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 13:51

Here are the latest station totals from the FCC. These are the total number of licenses in each service in the United States as of the end of March 2024.

  • AM 4,427
  • FM commercial 6,663
  • FM educational 4,320
  • FM translators and boosters 8,913
  • Low-power FM 1,960

The number of AM station licenses continues to decline over time. It is down by 17 licenses from December and by 45 from one year ago. (A decade ago there were more than 4,700 AMs.)

The number of FM commercial licenses is relatively stable, down 18 from December 2023 but at the same number as a year ago.

The FM NCE category is growing, following the 2021 application window. There are 34 more noncom FM licenses now than three months ago and 101 more than a year ago.

The number of FM translators and boosters is down 14 from December and 26 from a year ago, and the number of LPFMs is down seven from December and 39 from a year ago.

But we can expect the LPFM numbers to start growing again soon as the impact of the window to apply for new stations takes effect.

We’ll also be watching to see what happens in the translator and booster category over time. Stations will be able to advantage of the FCC’s decision to allow geotargeting, which presumably will give a boost to boosters; but until the final rules for that are settled, the boosters will be under one-year experimental licenses. Perhaps the FCC also will see fit finally to break out translators and boosters as separate totals in its reports.

For a look at the trend lines for these categories over 10 years, see this post from January.

 

The post FCC License Numbers Track Growth in NCE FMs appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Idaho AM/FM Combo Sold To Heat Pump Pros

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:56

Ray’s has been offering heat pump services to Salmon and Challis, Idaho since 1971. It’s a family-owned operation, and always has been.

Now, the Infanger family is poised to add radio station owner to their business portfolio.

 

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Categories: Industry News

Wind Storm Knocks Down 2 Radio Towers Serving West Virginia AM

Radio World - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:56

A high wind storm with gusts reaching 90 mph hit West Virginia’s capitol on April 2, bringing down two of four radio towers serving WCHS(AM) and its sister station WSWW(FM).

WCHS is the flagship station of the statewide West Virginia MetroNews network, broadcasting news, talk and sports programming. The AM is licensed to Charleston, W. Va., serving Southern West Virginia and Southwestern West Virginia. WCHS is owned and operated by West Virginia Radio Corporation of Charleston (WVRC) Media and is the Primary Entry Point Emergency Alert System station for the state.

The AM broadcasts at 580 kHz with 5 kW by day and night. It is nondirectional in daytime from one tower, and directional at night from four towers. In addition to its main signal, WCHS is relayed by two FM translators broadcasting on 96.5 and 104.5, all of which were off the air on Tuesday.

In the aftermath of the storm, on Wednesday, MetroNews shared the following photo on its Facebook page depicting the two remaining broadcast towers at its transmitter site.

“Where once there was four — now stand two,” wrote MetroNews. “A sad sight this morning from Institute looking toward Jefferson as two of the four towers which transmit our 580-WCHS signal were flattened by Tuesday’s high winds.”

The two remaining, standing towers. Photo credit: MetroNews Network

In West Virginia, about 140,000 customers were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, or about 14% of all customers tracked in the state, per data from PowerOutage.us. More than 53,000 utility customers in West Virginia remained in the dark Wednesday night.

WCHS shared photos of the wrecked transmitter site on Wednesday — taken by Ken Tennant, the director of engineering at WVRC Media.

As reported our @580WCHS Transmitter site was hard hit by the storm–losing two of the four towers which broadcast our signal. Here’s a look at the carnage from Engineer Ken Tennant . pic.twitter.com/lkOgz9NZhP

— Chris Lawrence (@WVOutdoors) April 3, 2024

In addition to WCHS, the tower site serves WSWW(FM), which is also owned by WVRC Media. WSWW is a country music-formatted station licensed to Craigsville, W. Va.

On April 3, WCHS shared on X that its three signals, in addition to WSWW’s FM signal, are back on the air.

We are back to broadcasting on the legacy station, 580 AM as well as FMs 96.5 and 104.5. 1490 WSWW has returned to regular programming.

Reds baseball has been delayed and you can hear the game this evening around 7:45 on 104.5, 96.5 FM and 580 WCHS! pic.twitter.com/NdUj7oCPxg

— 104.5 FM | 96.5 FM | 580 AM WCHS (@580WCHS) April 3, 2024

WCHS-TV, an ABC/Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, captured footage via drone of the two fallen towers, which was shared by WCHS(AM) staff on X.

Here’s a look from above at the aftermath of our tower collapse at the @580WCHS tower site on the ridge outside St. Albans. Tip of the cap to @wchs8fox11 their Drone Ranger for the pictures. pic.twitter.com/IkQPxwFCao

— Chris Lawrence (@WVOutdoors) April 4, 2024

According to CNN, West Virginia wasn’t the only state facing devastation from the recent storm. Sixteen tornadoes were reported Tuesday and Wednesday morning across Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, along with dozens of damaging wind reports, including gusts topping 100 mph in Kentucky.

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Categories: Industry News

Morning Host and GSM Buys Maine FM After Owner’s Death

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:45

Natalie Knox, a longtime local radio industry figure in Maine, in June 2023 lost her battle with cancer. This led to the involuntary transfer of control of a 50kw Class B FM in Winter Harbor, Me., to attorney Rebecca Sargent Jr., who is handling Knox’s estate.

Now, the licensee that Knox was a 50/50 owner of is selling WNSX-FM “Star 97.7.”

The buyer is an individual very familiar with the home for “smooth rock ‘n’ roll.”

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Categories: Industry News

A Treasure Coast FM Translator Donated To LMA Partner

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:30

It uses the FM frequency of 90.3 and has all but 4 watts, enabling this FM translator to serve the Florida city of Stuart, south of the St. Lucie River.

Soon, it will officially be in the hands of a large broadcast ministry.

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Categories: Industry News

The InFOCUS Podcast: Fred Hunter

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:02

He’s worked in television since 1976, and has been at his current station since 1997. Now, at a yet-to-be-disclosed date this month, Fred Hunter will conclude his career, stepping aside from his role at WBRC-6 in Birmingham.

Hunter spoke with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobson about his career, and the importance of weather to local news and broadcast television — as well as the “citizen journalist” in times of emergency — in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.fm.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Fred Hunter” on Spreaker.

Categories: Industry News

Nelson Peltz Fails In Disney Push. What’s Next For ABC’s Parent?

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:59

Shareholders of ESPN and ABC parent The Walt Disney Company have spoken, and based on the tabulation of its proxy solicitor, “it appears that Disney’s full slate of 12 directors has been elected by a substantial margin” over the nominees of The Trian Group and Blackwells at the company’s 2024 annual shareholders meeting.

While final voting tallies are subject to certification by Disney’s independent inspector of elections, and preliminary and final results will be included in the company’s forthcoming SEC filings, due in the next few days, it appears the battle waged by dissident shareholder Nelson Peltz for new leadership and a fresh business direction is over.

What’s next for Disney? Analysts at MoffettNathanson have shared their views on the matter.

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Categories: Industry News

Qligent Launches Station to Nation Vision Microservices

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:59
By Brian Galante
Special to RBR+TVBR

Qligent, the provider of cloud-based media delivery quality assurance solutions, is returning to the upcoming NAB Show with a product update, promising its users “a more efficient and economical monitoring and analysis platform.”

Qligent’s Vision 5 software release is based on a cloud-native microservices framework that allows a media organization to better serve distributed architectures for broadcast, cable, satellite and OTT/streaming networks.

Qligent developed Vision 5 to address the need for deeper end-to-end monitoring of next generation broadcast and MVPD networks, providing greater visibility across the entire media supply chain. Vision 5 uses a microservices approach that allows enterprise-level businesses to target core media services, including QoE/QoS/compliance monitoring, for specific media workflows, audiences and/or subscribers.

This, the company says, is especially helpful for broadcasters and MVPDs as they transition to remotely operated hybrid network models.

Qligent CEO Brick Eksten commented, “The microservices approach utilized in Vision 5 helps our customers as they move to hybrid networks, allowing them to scale on demand using cloud-native tools for both cloud/ground networks or the new linear networks that utilize OTT distribution and linear at the edge approaches. Vision 5 allows customers to use the same tools they use for managing the cloud or other high scale networks to conveniently deploy Vision as highly performant microservices, avoiding the forklift virtualization approach used in other systems. Vision 5 further integrates into the customer network by leveraging open standards and exposing modern APIs that the customer can utilize directly for deployment and monitoring of the network, allowing Vision to act as a central analytics, alarming and notification tool. This brings the monitoring by exception toolset to a truly enterprise scale. That same framework is designed with large, distributed architectures in mind, making it easier and more affordable to scale Vision networks to serve new locations.”

Vision 5 also offers a comprehensive monitoring and analysis solution for ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 signals. The Vision 5 release also builds in a detailed analytics platform to help users access underlying information on performance across the media supply chain through to the delivery point.

 

Qligent will show Vision 5 in Meeting Room W2079 (West Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center) at NAB Show 2024 from April 14-16.

Categories: Industry News

Radio Vendor Alliance Turns To AI

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:52

The recently formed Radio Vendor Alliance (RVA) has added another member to its
organization by stepping into artificial intelligence-powered services.

Radio Content Pro is now associated with the RVA, joining RadioFX, Envisionwise, Big Deals Media, Cool Radio Streaming, Rumple, Silverback Advertising, Radio Consulting Services, Navaquest and Frank Gerard Voiceovers.

“The RVA is all about preparing radio stations for the future and nothing says future
more than AI,” said Tom Dobrez, owner of Cool Radio Streaming and a founding member of the RVA. “With Radio Content Pro joining our growing organization, we are ever more positioned to help broadcasters be prepared.”

Tracy Johnson Media Group’s Tracy Johnson added, “Our product leverages artificial Intelligence to inspire creativity at the local station level. As we introduce our unique offering, the RVA will help us leverage their relationships to small and medium size markets around the country.”

Each vendor has submitted to a review process and their inclusion in the RVA has been
based on their proven track record of delivering fair market value services backed by
inclusive support. As a result, RVA offers a network of trusted partners that radio
operators can rely on to help them grow and succeed.

“The addition of Radio Content Pro compliments our current relationships with on air
products like Frank Gerard’s Voiceovers and Jon Holiday’s Radio Consulting Services
music programming and consulting services,” Dobrez said.

The RVA is a sponsor of the Small and Medium Market Radio Forum at the 2024 NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 13. 

Categories: Industry News

Applications

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 21:00
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Pleadings

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 21:00
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Actions

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 21:00
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Media Bureau Announces Comment and Reply Comment Deadlines for Second FNPRM Seeking Comment on Reinstatement of the Form 395-A Data Collection

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 21:00
Media Bureau announces comment (April 29, 2024) and reply comment (May 13, 2024) deadlines for on the reinstatement of the Form 395-A data collection.

Petition for Reconsideration of One Ministries, Inc. for Modification of the Television Market of KQSL, Fort Bragg, CA

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 21:00
Media Bureau denies the Petition for Reconsideration of One Ministries, Inc. for Modification of the Television Market of KQSL, Fort Bragg, California

The FCC’s Final Rules for Geotargeting Are Still Pending

Radio World - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 17:07

Now that the FCC has given its approval for FM radio stations in the United States to originate programming on boosters for a limited amount of time every hour, it must create final rules for processing, licensing and service.

In a further notice of proposed rulemaking opened by the commission this week, the FCC says many questions remain about the implementation of new rules to allow broadcasters to air targeted content different from the primary station’s signal. During this process, the FCC says it will allow licensees to convert an existing booster and use it to originate programming under a one-year renewable experimental authorization, which allows the commission to “closely monitor the rollout of the technology.” 

Notably, the FCC says it is imperative for it to adopt a notification requirement for program originating boosters. “This will enable the Media Bureau to keep track of which stations are using boosters to originate content and to respond to any complaints that may arise,” the FCC says in the NPRM.

[Related: “The FCC Will Allow FM Geotargeting“]

The FCC says it is not proposing to subject broadcasters to filing windows specifically for program originating booster stations. Instead, it proposes to continue processing booster applications — whether now with program origination under experimental authority or in the future, pursuant to adopted rules, on a first come/first served basis using existing application procedures.

Other issues are yet to be decided, including whether full-service FM primary stations should be limited to 25 program originating booster stations. The FCC also seeks comment on whether GeoBroadcast Solutions, which offers a system called ZoneCasting, should make its technology an open standard. The FCC writes in the Report and Order that the commission does not endorse a particular technical approach.

It also seeks comment on whether the FCC should adopt a requirement that broadcasters synchronize their primary station and booster signals to reduce and eliminate self-interference. “GBS’s engineering consultant emphasized in the comments that synchronization is critical to successful booster implementation,” the FNPRM states. 

In addition, the commission raises non-technical matters, and whether it should take steps to limit the potential for redlining by advertisers or licensees. “We seek comment on whether a safeguard in the form of a reporting condition might generally be useful to address non-technical concerns.”

The FCC also asks about what political advertising reporting requirements should be placed on boosters.

Interested parties will be able to comment on the FCC FNPRM once it is published in the Federal Register, and the NAB is expected to be among them. The trade association has vehemently opposed geotargeting, challenging it on both technical and business grounds. 

[Read more of Radio World’s extensive geo-targeting coverage here]

The post The FCC’s Final Rules for Geotargeting Are Still Pending appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

In-Vehicle Gaming Is an Essential Opportunity

Radio World - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 16:26

Radio World’s “Guest Commentaries” section provides a platform for industry thought leaders and other readers to share their perspective on radio news, technological trends and more. If you’d like to contribute a commentary, or reply to an already published piece, send a submission to radioworld@futurenet.com.

This year at CES, Xperi announced the development of a prototype feature we’ve been working on for our DTS AutoStage entertainment platform: in-vehicle gaming.

This is a completely natural progression for the platform, as connectivity, interactivity, voice interaction and personalization continue to converge in the vehicle cabin, setting the stage for a new and better entertainment user experience incorporating music, video and, now, gaming. 

Author Joe D’Angelo, senior vice president of broadcast radio and digital audio at Xperi

In-vehicle gaming and car radio are inextricably intertwined in this progression, which is why we see gaming as an essential opportunity for radio broadcasters.

There really is nothing new about games in the car, the innovation is in the execution. After all, playing games on long (and short) car trips has been around as long as the car (and the car radio), keeping driver and passengers alert and entertained, well before innovations such as the Walkman, CD players, iPods, iPhones or today’s in-cabin media platforms offered entertainment on-the-go. 

Most of us have probably played word and observation games such as “I Spy” or “Spot the License Plate” in the car to pass the time, or enjoyed games served up on car radios such as “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” “Say You” or local and sports trivia and “name that tune” games on local stations. 

Games are, in fact, part of the DNA of radio. 

Radio’s heritage

If you go back to the origins of radio programming in the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, much of the content consisted of quiz game shows that tickled the mind, starting in 1923 with radio’s first quiz show, “Brooklyn Eagle Quiz on Current Events,” and the 1930s’ “Information Please” and “Dr. IQ.” 

Today, gaming of every kind is ubiquitous across media channels and on the upswing. According to IDC, Gen Z spends 14.9 hours a week with digital gaming on average, while consumers overall spend an average of 9.4 hours, with the hours spent on gaming by younger millennials, older millennials and Gen X expected to rise in the next year. 

Meanwhile, rapid innovation in the in-dash entertainment landscape means that, although radio continues to be the most listened-to media in the vehicle, new digital alternatives loom, enabled by the explosion in cellular IP networks and capacity, putting radio’s dominance in jeopardy. In-cabin innovation is reflecting this, with gaming already launched in Tesla, Mercedes and BMW.

So it is increasingly critical that broadcasters stay several steps ahead of this curve and, given the success that radio historically has had with games, the category presents a major opportunity to engage audiences. 

With this in mind, Xperi and DTS are developing a new gaming capability designed to keep broadcasters involved, and radio front, center and relevant, to the in-cabin experience. 

Of the three categories of gaming emerging for integration in new cars — Driving Games, Passenger/Rear Seat Entertainment Games and Console Games — we are initially focused on audio driving games, those designed around content using an audio interface that is safe for drivers to play and that, in many ways, reflects the success of the earliest games played in-vehicle, but with all the benefits of DTS AutoStage’s global platform.

Big opportunity

We believe this will translate well into our in-cabin platform, providing major opportunities for broadcasters to create new game content relevant to their particular music genre, or their specific information focus, that can run alongside broadcast radio shows — just as enriched metadata is already enhancing, reinforcing and making broadcast content more immersive. 

For example, a “Name That Tune,” or “Guess That Lyric” game could run alongside musical programming or a series of games that incorporate local, regional and national trivia and sports quizzes can be generated, all of which can help stations extend their brand and increase stickiness. And, because of the personalization of the DTS AutoStage platform, entering a contest or game could be hands free and automatic, making it deeply user-friendly.

As we develop our new gaming functionality, we are looking at multiple use cases, from a way to kill time while an EV vehicle is stopped and charging, to waiting in line to pick up kids from school or, like those old school in-vehicle games of “I Spy” or “Spot the License Plate,” a way to keep the driver’s mind alert and stimulated, and bored passengers engaged. Of course, as vehicle automation and ADAS systems advance, the technological sophistication of these games has the potential to advance. 

But, in the end, a game is a game, simple or complex, and the human instinct to play, to test the brain, to know the answer to a piece of trivia, to name a tune, or to fill in a missing letter in a word is a core form of entertainment, one that is poised to provide exciting and almost limitless possibilities for the future in-cabin entertainment — a future in which radio will, and must, play a central role.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

The post In-Vehicle Gaming Is an Essential Opportunity appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Carr Slames Rosenworcel Push For ‘Biden Internet Control Plan’

Radio+Television Business Report - Wed, 04/03/2024 - 16:12

So much for all of that cordial bipartisanship seen just days ago with the 5-0 decision to push “ZoneCasting” forward with program origination on an FM booster for up to three minutes per hour.

The Wednesday morning announcement that Jessica Rosenworcel wishes to undo Ajit Pai‘s decision to erase a Tom Wheeler-era FCC decision to place Title II classification on broadband — “net neutrality,” in everyday parlance — was slammed by the senior Republican on the FCC.

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