Radio World

“We have work to do to put consumers first.”

Jessica Rosenworcel made her first remarks as the new acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission via video the commission staff on Monday.

She spoke about supporting “digital equity,” of policies that keep the public “cybersecure,” and keeping media policies current “while also honoring our longstanding values of competition, localism, and diversity.”

Rosenworcel is heading a panel that currently has two Democrats and two Republicans, until such time as the open Democratic seat is filled.

Below is the text of her remarks as provided by her office:

>>>

Good afternoon. It is an absolute honor to address you today as Acting Chairwoman. As you may know, last week President Biden designated me to take the reins of the Federal Communications Commission. I thank the President for the opportunity to lead this great agency at a time when its work is more important than ever before.

The FCC staff is not just uncommonly talented and knowledgeable about communications law and policy, it’s also an exceptional group of public servants. I think public service is a special calling.

I also like to think it runs in my family. I grew up mostly in New England, with pitstops in Southern Illinois and Northern New Jersey along the way. My father served in the Air Force and later went on to a career as a nephrologist in Hartford, Connecticut. For three decades he ran the city’s clinic for hypertension and kidney failure. My mother spent over two decades helping run a soup kitchen. And my grandfather before them served in the United States Customs Service right here in Washington. My great grandfather before that served the public in a different way—he swept the streets of New York.

As some of you may know, as a young lawyer I worked at the agency as staff. I then served in Commissioner Copps’ office before going on to work as counsel to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under the leadership of Senator Inouye and later Senator Rockefeller. So when I was first sworn in as a Commissioner, it felt like coming home. Because the fact of the matter is that we are a family here at the FCC, too. We share professional accomplishments. We celebrate life’s events together. We weather uncertain times together. But above all, we work hard together toward the same goal—advancing the public interest.

I know that doing all of this during the last year has been difficult. It seemed like overnight our daily routines pivoted from commuting to the office to working from kitchen tables and living rooms. We’ve all had to adjust to new ways of being that help keep us safe. All of this means many of us haven’t been together in nearly a year and I know I miss seeing you in the halls, grabbing coffee, and convening in our meeting rooms.

At home I find myself navigating this new normal, speaking at a video conference one moment, organizing a call the next, and reading the work of the agency all while also serving as chief Wi-Fi fixer and snack-maker in my household. In other words, I know this time is challenging.

This pandemic is not easy. If this virus has touched you or your family, know that you have my support and the support of the agency. Your safety and security are paramount.

To that end, I want to note that my predecessor did an exemplary job of keeping the agency staff informed and safe. I want to assure you that the existing remote work policies will not be disturbed by this transition.

As difficult as it is, this pandemic has also demonstrated how important our work is at the FCC. Because as a nation we need connections—physical and digital—that strengthen our mutual bonds. We benefit from communications that reach all and help us work, learn, be informed, enlightened, and entertained. And we need connections that can break down barriers that for too long have held too many back.

As if on cue, a new appropriations law has provided this agency with authority to help do just that. Congress directed us to establish an Emergency Broadband Benefit to expand access to high-speed connections and assist those struggling in the ongoing economic crisis. It tasked the agency with expanded support for telehealth and provided funding that will make our networks more powerful and more secure.

These efforts surely will take up time in the next few weeks, but they only scratch the surface. We have work to do to put consumers first. We have work to do to support digital equity, especially in communities that have been overlooked and underserved for too long. We need to advance communications policies that keep the public safe and cybersecure. We have work to do to continue our history-making wireless and auction policies that serve as a global model. We have work to do to build bridges and find common ground with our state, local, and Tribal partners. We have work to do to ensure that our functional equivalency policies live up to our responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have work to do to keep media policies current, while also honoring our longstanding values of competition, localism, and diversity. We have work to do to ensure that all students have the internet access they need for a fair shot at 21st century success, no matter who they are or where they live. And we have work to do to ensure open, reliable, and affordable broadband reaches 100% of this country—rural areas, urban areas, and everything in between.

All of this means every single person at this agency has something to contribute. From the dedicated staff in our field offices to the professionals that keep our agency running in Washington to the attorneys, engineers, and economists that populate our offices and Bureaus, know that your work matters. It makes a difference.

Finally, I’d like to close by recognizing Commissioner Carr, Commissioner Starks and Commissioner Simington. This agency is well-served by these men and their contributions, their interests, and their public service. I look forward to working with each of them in the days ahead.

We have a lot to do. I can’t wait to get started. Thank you.

The post Rosenworcel to Staff: “Put Consumers First” appeared first on Radio World.

The WorldDAB Automotive Working Group has a new chairman, Martin Koch, who succeeds Laurence Harrison.

Koch is head of development entertainment and car functions at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG.

The Automotive Working Group “brings together radio broadcasters and auto makers to collaborate on improving the DAB+ digital radio experience for drivers.”

Among its projects are to create guidelines on implementing DAB+ features; encourage enhancements to the in-car user experience for DAB+ and hybrid radio; and expand the group’s focus to cover the DAB+ user experience via voice control.

[Related: “Metadata, Keeping Radio Strong in the Car”]

In a statement released by WorldDAB, Koch was quoted: “As cars become increasingly connected, we need to ensure that drivers have access to a complete multimedia experience that combines a great user interface, rich content, and more importantly, a truly hybrid experience that offers seamless transition between broadcast, IP and on-demand.”

Harrison, director of automotive partnerships at UK Radioplayer, has chaired the WorldDAB’s automotive group since 2015. During his tenure, the AWG produced industry guidelines on the best user interface for in-car digital radios, made advances in enhanced antenna and network performance and increased broadcaster awareness of the importance of metadata for radio in the car.

[Related: “Assembly Highlights Advances in WorldDAB”]

Also announced: Gregor Pötzsch, product owner DAB at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG, will chair a sub-group of the Automotive Working Group that is focused on enhancing the in-car digital radio user experience.

 

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Many radio pros know the Ross Video name mostly from the large hard-to-miss NAB Show booth, often posted near the entrance of the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention center. No radio thingies to see there.

No longer! Ross Video has teamed up with audio processing technology and equipment maker Orban to launch the Radio and Streaming Audio Processor for IP and AES67 digital audio networks. It includes HD Radio applications.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

Built around Orban’s OptiCloud along with Nielsen Watermarking, Dolby AC-3 Dolby Loudness Levelling technologies, the rackmounted hardware-based processor features two-band AGC, five-band compressor/limiter, a three-band parametric EQ, phase corrector, phase enhancer, bass EQ and limiter, downward expander, stereo synthesizer, Orban OPTIMOD loudness control, loudness control and 50 custom presets along with unlimited user presets.

Orban’s Mike Pappas said, “The broadcast community, including radio, is moving steadily toward software-based solutions for the broadcast air chain. The new softGear platform from Ross, which incorporates next-generation Orban processing along with Nielsen audio watermark encoding and Dolby audio, brings powerful tools to radio broadcasters. It’s available now – we have a launch customer who has ordered hundreds of channels — and the platform is backed by Ross’ 24/7/365 worldwide support.”

There will be a webinar discussing this Jan. 26, 11 a.m. EST. Info can be found at www.rossvideo.com/live.

 

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WRHU at Hofstra University on Long Island has been chosen by the Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences of America to receive the 2021 World Radio Day Award.

“The honor commemorates World Radio Day, established by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) and celebrated annually on Feb. 13,” the organization said in a press release.

“For this year’s award, the jury has highlighted the work done during the coronavirus pandemic, in light of UNESCO’s theme for the World Radio Day 2021 celebration, which is ‘New World, New Radio,’ in the sense that radio is a medium for resilience of our society.”

The award honors a U.S. station that exemplifies the best attributes of the radio industry. Recipients may be large or small, commercial or noncommercial, located in any market, and broadcasting in any language. The jury looks for stations that demonstrate ideals of localism, audience reach, community service, effective use of new digital platforms, diversity in program content and staffing, and financial and ratings success.

Jurors included representatives of Fletcher Heald & Hildreth, Radio Ink, The Weiss Agency, Talkers magazine, the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, McVay Media Consulting, Entercom and Radio World, which was represented by Editor in Chief Paul McLane.

WRHU is the first student-run station to receive this honor. The award was conceived by the Spanish Radio Academy to spread awareness of World Radio Day globally. The first U.S. recipient, named last year, was WTOP in Washington.

Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, saluted WRHU and its managers and staff “for carrying on their work throughout the pandemic and providing vital information to the community.” The station’s past honors have included three Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters.

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Here’s a technical reminder for some EAS equipment users. It comes courtesy of the Alabama Broadcasters Association but will be of interest more broadly.

ABA’s technical newsletter, written by veteran engineer Larry Wilkins, notes that several stations that use Sage Endec EAS units had stopped receiving the required weekly test (RWT) from IPAWS late in 2020.

“The problem was discovered to be a missing security patch CR rev5. This patch was not part of the original 95.00 update, since the patch was not issued till after its release,” the newsletter states. “It is now part of the 95.00 firmware.” You can download the patch here or via the original Sage firmware revision announcement.

Wilkins, who chairs the state’s EAS Committee, wrote that ABA also identified a few stations that were still operating with outdated firmware, which is another FCC violation.

“The fact that so many stations were missing the IPAWS RWT for several weeks is disturbing, since the Chief Operator should have noticed this during the weekly station log review,” he wrote.

“Remember the FCC rules require that the CO review the station log weekly and make notes of any missing or incorrect entries. Discrepancies that continue should be reported to engineering or management for correction. It is not enough just to print the log and put it a file; it must be reviewed and signed by the Chief Operator and report any problems to the correct station personnel.”

Not complying with these EAS issues, Wilkins concluded, can open a station up to a Notice of Violation and fine.

 

The post Reminder About Sage EAS Security Patch appeared first on Radio World.

An image from the Xperi website.

The DTS Connected Radio hybrid radio platform has a new name, DTS AutoStage.

Parent company Xperi introduced the name at the recent online CES show with the tag line “The global hybrid solution that works directly with broadcasters.”

The company’s George Cernat told Radio World that the change comes in the wake of Xperi’s merger with TiVo in June 2020.

“We integrated TiVo’s world-class music metadata and personalized content discovery engine with the DTS Connected Radio platform. This created a next-gen infotainment platform that is truly global and immersive.” He said the company felt that the name DTS AutoStage better represented the scope and implications of the product.

In a recent guest commentary, Xperi’s SVP, Broadcast Radio Joseph D’Angelo wrote about the platform: “Synergies gained from our merger with TiVo have accelerated deployment, enhanced our offerings and helped ensure unsurpassed security and operational support,” he wrote.

“TiVo’s massive music metadata platform and Xperi’s hybrid radio platform make an entirely new radio experience possible with premium radio content enhanced with visually rich data and deep content descriptors.”

Xperi is also the company that makes HD Radio technology.

Related stories:

“DTS Connected Radio Adds Lyrics,” Nov. 2020

“Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum,” Sept. 2020

The post Xperi’s Hybrid Platform Is Now “DTS AutoStage” appeared first on Radio World.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel named Michele Ellison as acting general counsel at the Federal Communications Commission.

Tom Johnson steps down as general counsel and but continues to serve in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

Ellison, most recently deputy general counsel, is a commission veteran. “Ms. Ellison managed the multi-billion dollar transactions, bankruptcy and fraud portfolio,” Rosenworcel’s announcement stated. “She also has the distinction of being the first woman of color to serve as the agency’s chief of staff, chief of the Enforcement Bureau, and acting general counsel.”

Among her current roles she chairs the FCC’s Connect2Health Task Force, and has been involved in commission efforts on localism and on expanding communications opportunities for small, minority and women-owned businesses as well as developing countries.

“Ms. Ellison also played a pivotal role on national broadband planning under Acting Chairman Michael Copps, served as transition counsel to Commissioner (then Chief of Staff to Acting Chairwoman) Mignon Clyburn, and advised Chairman William Kennard as his deputy chief of staff.”

Rosenworcel also named Joel Taubenblatt as acting chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. He was deputy bureau chief.

And Don Stockdale moves to the Office of Economics and Analytics.

The post Ellison Is Acting General Counsel at FCC appeared first on Radio World.

Trade show conversations, like this one between Mark Goins and Stephen Denny in the GatesAir booth at the 2019 NAB Show, are an important part of building your personal knowledge network. Manufacturer salespeople and designers can be valuable sources of technical and career info. (Photo by Jim Peck)

When you’re an engineer, the employer judges you by your skills and knowledge. Let’s talk about knowledge.

A good engineer does not need to know everything, just how to find the answer. In the old days we had tons of books to refer to (I still have editions of the “Audio Cyclopedia” and “Radio Handbook” on the shelves). Manuals from companies like Ampex and Scully explained the principles of how the products worked. Today we have the search engines — but who can really rely on the unedited and curated database?

The best answers will come from your teammates in arms: other engineers. This is why organizations like the Society of Broadcast Engineers, Audio Engineering Society, IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers are important.

At local meetings, engineers gather and learn from headline speakers on new and innovative topics. Then the magic happens. Groups form and the engineers start to trade war stories. During these discussions you will hear about the idiosyncrasies of various equipment, how non-ordinary scenarios were solved and where the job openings are.

Unfortunately, online Zoom meetings are not the best for this, but it is still happening.

Associations and societies bring you together with people who have common career interests. Here, colleagues teased Nautel’s Jeff Welton, right, as he was honored at the 2019 Public Radio Engineering Conference.

Trade publications are fabulous when you can determine the difference between a good user report and sales hype. Learn which authors are good; you will eventually meet them throughout your career. Trade publications also let you know about current technologies and products, where to obtain the items and sometimes who is using them.

School is a great start for the engineer, but you should also take advantage of industry conferences and conventions.

Someday soon we’ll be able to attend major events in person again, where you’ll be greeted by huge exhibition halls. Yes, you get to see all the new and exciting equipment available for the right price. But you also get to meet salespeople and (if lucky) the designers of the gear you will depend on.

One thing to ask, because it is never obvious, is whether you can join their online user group. Sometimes the company hosts it, or it may be found on a common social media platform like Facebook. That’s a great place to read, ask questions, trade experiences.

Beyond the exhibit hall there are gatherings, technical sessions and standards meetings. The gatherings will be very broad and you can usually hear some notable speakers. The technical sessions will teach you about new technologies and techniques. Standards meetings will allow you to be part of the evolution of the technology.

Being a member of the organized technical community is essential. Going to conferences and conventions is great. Don’t be arrogant and think, “I don’t need to do this because I know everything.” (Yes, I have met such people.) You are never too old to learn, and technology is always changing. Don’t be ashamed to ask others questions; this is the only way to learn (Socrates agreed with this).

Remember: An engineer does not have to know everything, just how to find the answer.

David Bialik is a consultant who has held technical broadcast and streaming positions for companies like Entercom, CBS Radio, Bloomberg and Bonneville. He is co-chair of the AES Technical Committee for Broadcast and Online Delivery and a Senior Member of the SBE. Reach him at dkbialik@erols.com or 845-634-6595.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post Nurture Your Personal Network appeared first on Radio World.

The author is executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

As you likely saw on a screen near you, a flurry of activity has been the calling card of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Appointments and executive orders were only the beginning. However, one cannot stress enough how radio must be a focus. Not only can radio be a player in the many initiatives the new administration is set to launch, but it also needs the president and vice president’s attention.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Off-Air]

Our relationship with audiences as Biden takes office that may prove to be most crucial to our place in Americans’ lives. As political divisiveness hits levels rarely seen in the nation, what can the new administration do to engage radio? A few things, really.

Ensure greater investment in rural, locally staffed, educational media. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is not likely to be on the chopping block like it was when former President Trump tried unsuccessfully several times to gut it. And though CPB does a great job, the new administration is seeing the decline of local news and culture sources that all Americans are witnessing. Biden’s team must put attention on how real radio in communities — radio that is not voicetracked from elsewhere and able to respond to rural needs and emergencies, radio whose service is rooted in education — survives amid the pandemic.

Help streamline filings. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, at points criticized for his deregulatory zeal, resigned Jan. 20, making way for Jessica Rosenworcel, to be named acting chair. It’s probable that Pai’s legacy of simplifying the multitude of filings we do will continue after his departure. While it is important not to decimate rules that protect the public and its interest in an inclusive broadcast space, the new administration can certainly support smoothing out the processes that can be onerous, especially for rural community broadcasters.

Put vaccine education dollars into radio. The new administration would be wise to learn on radio for efforts around coronavirus as well as vaccine education. Pres. Biden has made COVID-19 response a cornerstone of his first 100 days. Such a drive will require a massive education campaign placing radio at the center. Even as more polls find little trust in media, radio’s bond remains steady. Pew Research and other pollsters say Americans remain skeptical of the vaccine, and they’ll need to be persuaded through expert interviews and information radio stations can effectively deliver.

Ask radio to educate about extremism. With white supremacy a potent topic on the American agenda, the new administration may consider how radio can help Americans understand and address issues locally. We in media can also reflect on how we can better contribute to cohesion instead of handing the microphone to the worst among us. A new study slams TV news for amplifying the voices of hyperpartisans to shore up ratings, but not because they widely represent Republicans or Democrats. Give credit to executives at Cumulus Media, who warned its hosts to stop spreading conspiracy theories that have buoyed the latest tensions. However, the more the new president can do with radio in the form of public education, the better off the country will be.

The Biden administration should look at radio’s position of trust in communities. The new president’s vision can be strengthened by prioritizing our content service for this new chapter of U.S. history.

The post Community Broadcaster: How Biden Helps Radio appeared first on Radio World.

The author writes on radio from Stockholm.

In “DAB Advocates Celebrated Growth in 2020” and “Assembly Highlights Advances for WorldDAB,” WorldDAB President Patrick Hannon claimed that 2020 was a good year for DAB+. I am disputing that. Slanted or exaggerated information about DAB have circulated over the years. Unfortunately, such information has indiscriminately been accepted by publishers in Europe and the U.S. The journalistic mission should be to uncover fake news within the media industry.

Many might not realize that WorldDAB is an organization with the purpose to promote the “Digital Audio Broadcast” brand introduced 25 years ago in the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden. Such a resourceful lobbying body will, of course, never tell us the full story complete with all the inconvenient facts regarding DAB. So, beyond the information barrage by DAB stakeholders, there are a lot of claims to question and investigate.

WorldDAB made some successful lobbying for an EU Communication Code requirement that car radio receivers in new passenger cars — not buses and trucks — must be able to receive “terrestrial digital radio. “But it is NOT a requirement “to receive DAB+.” This would be contrary to EU competition rules as there are also other system brands for terrestrial digital radio, e.g. the DRM system (established in India), HD Radio (used in the United States), Chinese CDR and the emerging global technology 5G Broadcast. In fact, the European Union has not recommended or defined DAB or any other system as standard for terrestrial digital radio. And probably never will.

Where are the DAB listeners, really? Introducing DAB in a country does not mean that listeners will abandon FM and broadband. Except for the U.K. WorldDAB has not presented any DAB listening figures. It is estimated that less than 1% of the world’s population today listens to DAB radio. In most countries “digital radio” is not DAB, it is radio on the internet.

After the fiasco in Norway the DAB stakeholders are smart enough to report only ”digital listening” which includes both DAB and on-line. Big attempts are made to hide the truth. But the Norwegian radio listener is not happy with the national transition from FM to DAB.

In neighboring Sweden DAB broadcasting still exists, but there are extremely few listeners. Why should they?

Since 1995 82 million DAB/DAB+ receivers have been sold in the world. This should be put into the perspective that there are more than 6 billion FM receivers and now more than 2.5 billion smartphones. The sale of standalone receivers is decreasing while the smartphone/connected car will be the only future radio listening platform to challenge FM radio.

The BBC, a pioneer of the development of DAB in the 1990s, now regards the internet as the most important platform for radio and television of the future. BBC is already successfully testing 5G Broadcast in Scotland.

Attempts to include DAB in smartphones have not been successful. A DAB receiver consumes more energy than a corresponding FM receiver. This is a decisive reason for the lack of a global consumer market for DAB. The prospects that DAB will become a major radio listening platform in the U.K. or elsewhere are slim. So why even go on trying?

There are no signs of DAB ever being accepted in the world’s 11 largest nations among them China, India, United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico and Japan, which together muster half the world’s total population.

Today most standalone receivers sold including in-car radio are capable for both FM and DAB. In Sweden a new car is a connected car. In a well-covered mobile broadband country this provides superior diversity and sound quality for radio online also in your car.

FM is still available as a robust emergency alert system (EAS) in most countries (except Norway). Finland has recently passed a national law requiring FM for all new cars.

Some countries will go for other digital systems for terrestrial radio such as DRM and HD Radio with better geographical coverage than DAB. These systems use current frequency bands for FM (VHF II) as well as shortwave and mediumwave (HF). Investing in short-range DAB transmitters will be too expensive outside metropolitan areas. This is already on the agenda in Australia, India, Brazil and Russia.

FM will probably be retained for decades in most of the world’s 220 countries and territories. Norway occupies a world-unique position as the only country where FM has been replaced by DAB for its national network (FM is retained for local radio). Switzerland might follow suit 2023. In Australia DAB is established in metropolitan areas, but AM and FM will be retained. Among the countries that have previously tested DAB and/or declined public investment at national level are Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain, Latvia, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, Ireland and New Zealand.

Some digital technologies are short-lived. Remember the CD, the DAT cassette. And watch out; Switzerland last year closed its terrestrial digital television network.

During the quarter-century that DAB existed, the chances of a market breakthrough were significantly greater in the 1990s than today. Then the internet did not exist as a major media platform and DAB could attract with improvements as more channels than FM. Today, the system cannot offer the radio listener any competitive added value when mobile and fixed broadband are already established everywhere. And with FM retained as a global standard.

DAB tried to kill FM, but from behind came internet and killed DAB. There is a lot to learn from this. I look forward to read in-depth reports also based objective sources.

 

The post Is There Any Good Year for DAB? appeared first on Radio World.

Normally this is the time of year when technologists at the National Association of Broadcasters are finalizing their agenda for engineering and IT presentations at the spring NAB Show.

Those efforts have been pushed back, with the convention now scheduled for October. But Radio World checked in with NAB Vice President, Advanced Engineering David Layer for an update on the organization’s technology initiatives at the beginning of 2021.

He has been vocal recently about the coming impact of hybrid radios — radios that combine over-the-air and internet connectivity — and the consequent need for FM and HD Radio stations to register with RadioDNS. He expanded on that theme during this interview.

Radio World: How will COVID-19 impact how NAB funds technology initiatives going forward?

David Layer: I expect that in the near term we will be focusing our funding on technology initiatives prioritized by our board as we adjust to the new financial realities created by the pandemic.

RW: What are the highlights of current NAB PILOT projects?

Layer:  On the radio side, PILOT continues to work with Xperi and Hubbard to do a variety of all-digital AM radio tests, using of course Hubbard station WWFD, 820 kHz, Frederick, Md.

RW: What kind of tests, specifically?

Layer:  Possible test areas highlighted by Xperi and Hubbard in their most recent experimental authority application, filed in June of 2020, include expanded testing of the use of an HD2 multicast audio service — creating a second audio service in addition to the main program services, including experimentation with different audio bitrate sizes used, and audio formats, including parametric stereo. Also, the addition of different data services alongside data services already deployed now; testing of emergency alerts services and new advanced alerting services; testing the performance of MA3 vs. analog in different all‐electric vehicles; testing changes to the MA3 waveform by reducing the power level of the unmodulated pilot carrier level; and conducting building penetration tests of the MA3 all digital system vs. analog, and the MA1 hybrid system.

PILOT and Xperi also launched in October a collaboration focusing on radio implementation using Android Automotive, a new operating system that several auto OEMs have plans to deploy. We are working with Xperi and an international array of broadcasters to help build an engaging radio experience, continue to evolve the user interface and expand the hardware abstraction layer — the code that links the software and hardware in dashboard receivers.

RW: Can you summarize current activities of work groups of the NAB Radio Technology Committee?

Layer: Two projects initiated by the NABRTC’s Next Gen Architecture working group are now in the testing phase and were discussed publicly for the first time during the 2020 Radio Show.

The first is the development of the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder, a software implementation of Nielsen’s Portable People Meter encoder that can now reside within an audio processor. Early tests of this new encoder were conducted by Nielsen using AM radio stations. Additional tests are planned on FM stations in the coming months.

The second project in conjunction with Xperi is focused on improving and simplifying the inclusion of Emergency Alert System messages into HD Radio multicast channels. Broadcast equipment manufacturer 2wCom is producing a “capture client” device and shipping in small quantities to broadcasters involved in this project for on-air testing as a last step towards full production.

RW: You mentioned NAB’s work on developments involving hybrid radio. How significant are the recent iHeart/Audi announcement and Radio.com/DTS Connected Radio partnership?

Layer: These recent announcements have been very exciting — 2020 will go down as the year when automotive hybrid radio arrived in the U.S. With consumers now purchasing vehicles with hybrid radios, it’s vitally important that FM and HD Radio broadcasters register with RadioDNS, the not-for-profit organization that develops standards used by hybrid radio manufacturers for accessing broadcaster content over the internet.

All FM and HD Radio broadcasters should do two things to ensure that their stations are taking advantage of the hybrid radio receivers in Audi and BMW vehicles: first, create a Service Information (SI) file, which contains the basic metadata information needed by the hybrid radio receiver and second, register their stations with RadioDNS.

RadioDNS does not charge any fees for this registration. Broadcasters can do these things themselves, or they can enlist the aid of service providers, some of which can assist broadcasters in these tasks free of charge. NAB and RadioDNS co-produced a tutorial back in July to help broadcasters do these things. It’s available for free on-demand right now.

RW: What do you think about the uptake or lack of it for all-digital AM, now that FCC allows that option?Are broadcasters poised to take advantage of it?

Layer:  One of the best things to happen in 2020 for radio broadcasters was the adoption by the FCC of the all-digital AM Report and Order, establishing the all-digital AM service in the U.S., which broadcasters elect to use voluntarily.

I expect the uptake to be slow at first and to accelerate over time as the number of consumers with HD Radio receivers increases, thereby increasing the number of potential listeners.

RW: The pandemic has pushed the adoption of “work from home” strategies by broadcasters. Do you expect that to continue?

Layer: Anecdotally that would seem to be the case. I think it’s widely acknowledged that the pandemic has accelerated acceptance of “work from home” by the broadcast — and other — industries. There is no reason to expect that broadcasters won’t continue to make use of remote working.

RW: Are there any other technology trends broadcast engineers at the station level should be tracking?

Layer: I’ll take this opportunity to once again urge FM and HD Radio broadcasters to register with RadioDNS and develop their service information (SI) file. Now is the time for radio broadcasters to support these modern radio receiver technologies — the automakers are watching. Radio broadcasters’ level of support right now will no doubt be a factor in the future development of car radios by automakers.

RW: Can you tell us about any new NAB educational opportunities for broadcast engineers?

Layer:  The NAB Leadership Foundation hosts a Technology Ambassador Program, and NAB updates educational opportunities at nab.org/education. We’re also excited to convene the industry in October at NAB Show, which will collocate with Radio Show and AES.

The post At NAB, a Focus on Hybrid and the Dash appeared first on Radio World.

The COVID pandemic may freeze some activities but the audio world hasn’t completely stopped.

One example is the Audio Engineering Society and its new president, Jonathan Wyner who started his term on Jan. 1.

[Read: 2021 AES Show Will Co-Locate With NAB]

Wyner is a familiar face to AES leadership having spent 30+ years in various roles including board of directors, board of governors and on numerous society committees.

As an audio professional, he has been a professional musician, audio engineer, author, technology developer and educator at Berklee College of Music.

“The AES is the most varied international assemblage of experts, thought leaders, researchers, manufacturers and practitioners of audio in the world,” said Wyner. “During our recent fall event we had attendees from 82 countries. Each of us has our individual interests and goals for our work, but a passion for audio ties us together. There are so many interesting and exciting developments taking place in the world of audio.”

Wyner takes over from previous president, Agnieszka Roginska.

 

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The author at work in the Earforce studio.

AMSTERDAM — Earforce is a recording studio that handles a range of tasks. We do mixing and post-production, and periodically record music for use in documentaries and other media.

In the past few years, however, podcasting has become a large part of our business. We produce the sound and make sure everything sounds beautiful, but we also help businesses and other podcasters develop content.

Our goal is to help our clients reach their audience, and also share the stories they want to tell.

As an audio engineer, my responsibilities have extended as we’ve gotten more into podcasting. I have always done a lot of recording and audio production, but these days I also produce podcasts and help write scripts, in addition to whatever else needs to be done.

Many of our podcasts involve interviews and other conversations that we need to record. When COVID hit in March, we had a whole string of podcasts that were cancelled because the country went into lockdown. Many of our podcasters were afraid to come to the studio, or their companies wouldn’t allow them to visit.

We obtained the Comrex Opal phone/IP audio interface because of the pandemic, and it has allowed us to continue producing content.

We use it to allow guests to call into a podcast from their laptops, and sometimes we’ll also record conversations over a connection between two Opal units. Additionally, we’ll use it to monitor voiceover recording for commercial and ad reads — it allows us and our customers to listen in high quality and give notes while our voiceover talent is recording.

Opal is about as easy as a solution like this could be to use. Basically, you just click on a link, then click “connect” and it works.

We still sometimes have difficulty getting interview guests to understand it, but we also have difficulty getting people to plug in their headphones. Nothing is truly foolproof. I have a routine where I remind people to check their connections and remind them to click the button, and even though some handholding is required, we can always eventually get it to work.

Opal helped us keep some of our podcasts recording, that would have otherwise been cancelled. We do a podcast with the pharmaceutical company Springer Healthcare called “The GP in Corona Times” (title translated from Dutch). We called general practitioners throughout the Netherlands using the Opal, and recorded their stories about COVID and their patients. The audio quality was significantly better than it would have been were we to use a phone or Zoom (or a similar streaming service). Our host was also connected to the studio from home with Opal. We couldn’t have produced it without that equipment.

I think Opal is definitely worth buying. The price point is low enough that it pays for itself. Good audio is so important — if you hear something in high quality, even if you don’t know anything about audio, it just feels better to listen to. Especially these days with everything going remotely, the Opal definitely comes in handy.

For information, contact Chris Crump at Comrex in Massachusetts at 1-978-784-1776 or visit www.comrex.com.

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

 

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Ron Gangwer, left, with Steve Tuzeneu

From our People News page: Connecticut station WIHS(FM) recently honored Ron Gangwer for his service to the station over 20 years.

Gangwer is program manager and an on-air host; he joined the staff of the non-profit Christian outlet in 2001.

Gangwer is a former sixth-grade teacher and school administrator. Steve Tuzeneu, at right in photo, is general manager of WIHS, the call letters of which stand for “We’re in His Service.”) The station is owned by Connecticut Radio Fellowship and emphasizes “live and local” content.

Send People News items to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

 

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Radioline announced the launch of a radio app that’s compatible with the new premium Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch. It said it is the first such app outside China.

“The application offers a wide range of content to listen, with real-time control of the mobile app from the watch, in a simple and elegant UI,” the organization said in a press release.

“With one touch, users can easily start /stop the program and save their preferred shows, podcasts or stations in the favorites. They can also control the volume and see the station or podcast name.”

The announcement was made by Xavier Filliol, COO of Radioline, and Rico Zhang, president of the smart wearable and health products line at Huawei Consumer Business Group.

Radioline, part of Baracoda Co., was founded in 2012 as an online radio service and now promotes itself as a global radio provider with access to 90,000 radio stations plus podcasts. Its content is distributed through a range of partners. Its content is consumed on devices such as smartphones, PCs, connected TVs and certain in-car digital products.

Radioline also recently partnered with Swisscom to offer an Android radio application on the latter’s blue TV Platform.

 

The post Radioline Adds App for Huawei Watch GT2 Pro appeared first on Radio World.

President Joe Biden named Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel as acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Rosenworcel, a Democrat, joined the commission in 2012. Before that she served as senior communications counsel for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and practiced communications law.

With the departure of former Chairman Ajit Pai and the inauguration of the new president, the FCC has an open Democratic seat and a 2-2 division by party.

The FCC has never had a female permanent chair; Mignon Clyburn held the acting chair for six months in 2013.

“I thank the president for the opportunity to lead an agency with such a vital mission and talented staff,” Rosenworcel said. “It is a privilege to serve the American people and work on their behalf to expand the reach of communications opportunity in the digital age.”

In a statement, Rosenworcel’s office said she has “worked to promote greater opportunity, accessibility, and affordability in our communications services in order to ensure that all Americans get a fair shot at 21st century success. From fighting to protect net neutrality to ensuring access to the internet for students caught in the Homework Gap, she has been a consistent champion for connecting all. She is a leader in spectrum policy, developing new ways to support wireless services from Wi-Fi to video and the internet of things.”

The National Association of Broadcasters issued a statement applauding the announcement: “She is a dedicated and experienced public servant who has demonstrated great aptitude in leading communications policy during her tenure at the commission.”

 

The post Rosenworcel Is Named Acting FCC Chair appeared first on Radio World.

A DHD Audio RX2 control surface installed at NRJ Norway.

DHD Audio has announced that Norwegian radio broadcaster NRJ Norway now has new digital audio mixing and routing system based on the German company’s equipment.

Soundware Norge was the contractor. The installation consisted of an RX2 mixer surface and an XC2 core router/processor with an AES67 audio-over-IP interface.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

Soundware Norge Sales Manager Ketil Morstøl explained that the new equipment can handle both audio and video and is a dry run for audio and video configurations that will be installed at new studios for NRJ Norway parent P4.

“The goal of this pilot is to evaluate a complete upgraded technical infrastructure for both audio and video production, forming the ideal studio for the P4-Group which is moving to new facilities later this year,” he said. He added, “The P4 group recognized the ergonomic and technical advantages of DHD mixers some years ago and now uses them across its various studios in Norway and Sweden.”

According to DHD Audio, the 1 RU rackmounted XC2 core can handle DHD control consoles of up to 44 faders and link various DHD I/O modules. The RX2 control surface is based on control surface modules which can be combined and configured to match a wide range of radio and TV production environments. The design also scales easily from small production units with 6 or 12 faders to large consoles with up to 60 faders.

Users and suppliers are both invited to send news about recent installations and product applications to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post NRJ Norway Chooses DHD Audio appeared first on Radio World.

A promotional image highlights benefits of the DTS Connected Radio platform.

 

The author of this commentary is SVP, Broadcast Radio at Xperi.

At the start of a new year, it seems like many people are wondering about what’s next. After all, in 2020 — otherwise known as the Year of Utter Uncertainty — the idea that something else was going to happen took on an entirely new edge, with memories of lockdowns and Zoom calls. It should not surprise anyone that radio has been vital through it all.

Radio creates a feeling of personal connectedness, community and belonging. Expanding that value around the world, and across content channels, is what has driven our work innovating radio through DTS Connected Radio.

It converges technology and partnerships to make possible engaging, rich, multimedia content that is global, accessible, consistent and relevant.

If that sounds impossible, well, for the right company, with passion and commitment to broadcast radio, it is not. Here we are, with the only global connected hybrid radio ecosystem — just launched in the new Mercedes S-Class, with more to come.

DTS Connected Radio’s ecosystem comprises tens of thousands of radio stations globally, our TiVo metadata catalog and so much more.

Now Playing, at-a-glance information gives users real programming choices in a visually rich interface.

Synergies gained from our merger with TiVo have accelerated deployment, enhanced our offerings and helped ensure unsurpassed security and operational support. TiVo’s massive music metadata platform and Xperi’s hybrid radio platform make an entirely new radio experience possible with premium radio content enhanced with visually rich data and deep content descriptors.

Especially notable is TiVo’s content aggregation, discovery and recommendation engines, which make content easier to discover for a richer listening experience — all harmonized through an ecosystem that delivers a unique, consistent and verified content experience from broadcast to in-vehicle.

Importantly, DTS Connected Radio’s platform is the only one in the world that caters to the unique requirements of both broadcasters, who retain content control, and automakers, who get a turnkey, secure and global solution.

Always delight the consumer

DTS Connected Radio is all about delighting the consumer.

Because the content is so engaging, and interactive, radio can outclass pure-play digital audio platforms that are crowding out space on vehicle infotainment systems.

It starts with the ecosystem: built on rich multimedia metadata experiences sourced directly from broadcasters, enhanced with our content library and harmonized to deliver a unique end-user experience in the car.

The listener enjoys an immersive experience where they can “favorite” a station, get detailed station information, give a thumbs up or down on programming, as well as access a global events database for concerts, performances, museums, festivals and more.

Quality, accuracy and completeness

Back when we started developing DTS Connected Radio, we shared the concept with automotive clients who offered detailed requirements. Paramount was global support and consistency across nearly 50 countries.

Meeting this initial requirement wasn’t easy, but we’ve exceeded it with over 75,000 stations, in nearly 80 countries.  All this content resides in a global ecosystem that is fully integrated, secure and ready to meet the high expectations of automakers and radio listeners around the world.

Here’s a bit of insight into how we’ve made that happen:

Content Aggregation: To do this globally requires an entire infrastructure that includes content management, station integration, content distribution, service optimization, operational support and more. Radio station partners can join our platform through a variety of approaches. Most have chosen robust direct integrations, others have leveraged aggregation platforms. We also ensure that all publicly available information from regional sources is included. This first step of content aggregation is critical, but is only the beginning of delivering a global, commercial hybrid radio solution.

Content Validation: This is where the real work begins, as the content takes shape within the DTS Connected Radio platform. The validation process starts with ingesting radio station feeds and ensuring accurate matching and integration into the platform. This process is supported by automated analytics and assets verification, as well as hand curation, localization and confirmation by a dedicated team of subject matter experts.

Content Enrichment: We enhance the user experience through premium content integration, including leveraging our TiVo music metadata library of over 40 million tracks, artist biographies, song lyrics in 14 languages and global events that have been curated by location, station format and programming.

Infrastructure: Network Operations and Security: To meet automotive requirements, we’ve built a global network, geographically deployed and redundant with 24x7x365 support. The system has coverage wherever a vehicle may need to connect, and an unmatched level of security. That includes rigorous requirements such as recurring third-party security audits (we consistently achieve an A rating). Given the scope of the deployments, and number of concurrent connections, we’ve ensured the platform is dynamically scalable, able to handle 5 billion queries daily, and architected to meet the peak-loading requirements of local markets.

Services API: Our unique services interface is designed to ensure exceptional response time, security and privacy, while offering flexibility to our automotive partners. It’s the integration and connection point with consumers, and includes adherence to privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA), copyright enforcement, content stream protection and content moderation at a localized level. It also enables us to infer consumer engagement to provide consistent metrics and analytics to our broadcaster partners.

A new connected reality

We believe that at the heart of DTS innovation is the ability to harmonize and do so securely — worldwide. It’s what drives the user interface and the interactivity of the experience.

In a world gone mad by the noise of social media, this is the “what’s next” that creates a consistent and rich experience, validated by our experts and bolstered by our content. For broadcasters it puts the real value of radio on a global scale and in a personalized way for each and every listener.

That’s what’s next. And now.

View Joe D’Angelo’s Radio Show presentation “DTS Connected Radio: Looking Under the Hood.”

The post DTS Connected Radio: A Global Enhanced Radio Experience appeared first on Radio World.

A low-power FM station has agreed to enter into a consent decree and settle an ongoing investigation into whether or it violated the FCC’s underwriting laws. The resulting consent decree calls for the Athenian Multicultural Study Club to implement a compliance plan and pay a civil penalty of $10,000.

The Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission received a complaint alleging that on May 13, 2019, Athenian — licensee of LPFM station WPLP(LP) in Athens, Ga. — broadcast an advertisement for a for-profit entity, a direct violation of the FCC’s underwriting laws.

[Read: LPFM Handed $15,000 Penalty After Allegedly Promoting 14 Businesses On Air]

In April 2020, the Enforcement Bureau issued a letter of inquiry to Athenian, complete with audio samples of the advertisements that were allegedly broadcast that day. An attorney for the licensee responded soon after and acknowledged that the station had broadcast underwriting announcements on behalf of for-profit entities between May 2019 and April 2020.

In addition, Athenian revealed that in the 12 months before receiving the letter of inquiry from the FCC, Athenian had aired nine announcements with similar promotional references.

The FCC gives special regulatory consideration to noncommercial educational stations — including LPFMs — by imposing fewer regulatory requirements and exempting them from annual regulatory fees. This is because noncommercial educational broadcast stations provide a unique service to the public and, via LPFM stations specifically, give the public a radio service that is both commercial-free and specifically focused on local communities.

“That flexibility, however, is not unlimited,” the Enforcement Bureau said in its investigation of the Athenian case, noting that FCC has long prohibited NCE stations from airing commercial advertisements.

In this case, the Enforcement Bureau agreed to enter into a consent decree with Athenian to end the bureau’s investigation into Athenian’s violation of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC’s underwriting laws. To settle this matter, Athenian admitted that it broadcast prohibited commercial advertisements in exchange for consideration. In addition to the civil penalty, the compliance plan calls on Athenian to designate an official compliance officer who can help the station develop, implement and administer the compliance plan and ensure that Athenian complies with the terms and conditions. That involves notifying employees about the consent decree, establishing a set of operating procedures and reporting any future noncompliance with the underwriting laws, among other rules.

 

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Chairman Ajit Pai issued this statement on departing the Federal Communications Commission today. Pai, a Republican, was named to the FCC by President Obama in 2012 and designated chairman by President Trump in 2017. Earlier he had worked for four years in legal roles in the general counsel office. He departs as President Biden prepares to take office.

“Serving the American people as Chairman of the FCC has been the greatest honor of my professional life.  Over the past four years, we have delivered results for the American people, from narrowing the digital divide to advancing American leadership in 5G, from protecting consumers and national security to keeping Americans connected during the pandemic, from modernizing our media rules to making the agency more transparent and nimble.  It has been a privilege to lead the agency over its most productive period in recent history.

“None of this—not a single action, big or small—would have been possible without the incredible staff of the FCC.  They are remarkable public servants who brought to the task each day their expertise, diligence, and collegiality.  As I’ve had the chance to tell them during farewell events over the past week, they are inspiring public servants.  I’ll miss working with our engineers, economists, attorneys, 24/7 public safety staff, consumer outreach teams, policy experts, administrative staff, and many others.  Their accomplishments are even more remarkable considering that they have been working from home for the past ten months, as the FCC became one of the first federal agencies to implement comprehensive telework.  I thank each and every one of our staff for their outstanding service to the Commission and to the country.

“Thank you to the American people for their support during my time at the FCC.  I look forward to the next adventure.”

Pai’s office posted a list of what he considers the commission’s most important accomplishments during his term. He also posted a thank-you video message to FCC staff.

[Related: Read Radio World’s 2017 interview with Pai as incoming chairman.]

The post Pai Says Farewell to FCC; Read His Statement appeared first on Radio World.