Radio World

Tickets are now on sale for Radio TechCon 2019, which will take place Nov. 25 at IET London: Savoy Place. The U.K.-based conference is an opportunity for radio and audio engineers, technologists, managers and producers to get a crash course in the latest and future technologies that will impact the broadcast industry.

Areas of interest at this year’s conference will include the technological future of radio; the technology behind Brexitcast; a UX and UI mini-mastercalss; an inside look at Wireless’ new studios; the science and practicalities of acoustics; and a behind-the-scenes look at BBC’s latest radio technology.

In addition, the conference will offer chances to see presentations from sponsor companies, network with other radio industry colleagues and visit exhibitors at the mini trade fair.

Radio TechCon tickets cost £150 + VAT, which covers entry to all talks, the trade fair, lunch and cake. Discounts are available for members of The Radio Academy, the IET, Community Media Association, Student Radio Association, Audio UK, Sound Women Network, the Institute of Acoustics, AES and delegates from Radio TechCon’s Radio Technology Masterclass 2019.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.radiotechcon.com.

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Gary Cavell (center) of Cavell, Mertz & Associates was presented the 2019 Jules Cohen for Outstanding Broadcast Engineering. BTS President Ralph Hogan (right) presents the award to Cavell as the society’s Vice President Lanny Nass looks on.

The 2019 edition of the IEEE BTS Symposium wrapped up on Thursday, Oct. 3, but not before handing out a pair of awards to well-known industry veterans Gary Cavell and David Layer.

[Read: BTS Explores Tech’s Role in Content Wars]

Cavell was the recipient of the 2019 Jules Cohen Award for Outstanding Broadcast Engineering. Cavell is the president of Cavell, Mertz & Associates and has spent his 40-year career in the industry working in radio and television engineering management, facility design and construction, program production and system station system development. Earlier this year, Cavell was recognized with the 2019 NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award.

The NAB’s David Layer (left) is presented the 2019 BTS Symposium Matti Siukola Best 2018 Symposium Paper Award by BTS Presidnet Ralph Hogan. The award is presented the year after the paper is delivered.

The organization then honored Layer with the 2019 BTS Symposium Matti Siukola Best 2018 Symposium Paper Award for his paper, “Pilot All-Digital FM Field Test Project.” Layer is the vice president of advanced engineering for the NAB. Layer is a past recipient of Radio World’s Excellence in Engineering Award.

For more information about this year’s IEEE BTS Symposium, click here.

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The post Cavell, Layer Feted at 2019 IEEE BTS Symposium appeared first on Radio World.

Friday, Oct. 4, College Radio Day. is a day to recognize college radio stations nationwide. And every day afterward, it is essential to appreciate these community radio organizations and the way in which they serve their respective campuses and communities.

College Radio Day has been celebrated for nearly a decade. It kicked off in 2010 through the coordination of Rob Quicke of William Paterson University’s WPSC(FM) and Peter Kreten of WXAV(FM), Saint Xavier University. It has since evolved into an annual event where hundreds of college stations around the United States and, occasionally, other countries promote the work of college stations to educate and entertain.

In the age of Spotify, there have been a few think pieces that ask if college radio still matters. Certainly college radio matters. Not only do the stations provide valuable broadcasts locally, but they are wonderful institutions that give students opportunities to learn to produce media and, writ large, how to cultivate in themselves leadership and critical thinking skills. Although college radio is facing many challenges, it is incumbent on us to recognize its importance as an educational resource.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Just Give]

College radio is one of the most unique parts of the noncommercial radio system. Unlike a nonprofit specifically formed to operate a radio station, college radio stations have a licensee with a massive number of departments, funding priorities, needs and administrative and educational demands on university finances. Rarely does a campus radio station get a dollar devoted to its support; in many cases, stations may be partially or wholly funded by student fees or other monies divided up among whole divisions of campus life. While those funds are surely appreciated and valued, it should not be too surprising when college radio gets lost in the sauce of a campus soup that includes libraries, athletics, intramural sports, student government and so much more.

In this context, visibility for a college radio station really counts. In August, the University Station Alliance, led today by Virginia Dambach (who replaced now-retired head Craig Beeby), conducted a survey on trends in reporting structure among institutional licensees. A takeaway was that 82% of responding general managers reported that their stations are either “appreciated and respected” or “beloved” by their universities. The remaining 18% was split among, in order, licensees knowing what the station does, generally; distant relations; and ignored.

USA points out that reporting relationships may be a clue to better bonds. In its survey, 60% of respondents indicated they report at or above the associate vice presidential level while 40% report below the vice presidential level. More tellingly, the number of station general managers who report directly to one of the top institutional officers rose from 14% to 20% of respondents between USA’s 2009 survey and the 2019 survey.

How a station relates to campus higher-ups and their regard for the station as a part of the school’s brand is meaningful. University-licensed radio stations are in a curious place of late. While some are flourishing, others are being sold off by their home universities. To hear those in the college radio space relate it, religious broadcasters are most frequently the ones showing up to make offers. Such is not an unreasonable assertion: many of the biggest religious broadcasters have considerable resources, the nonprofit status to acquire said licenses and are noncontroversial to most people. And a cash-strapped university might be willing to consider such an offer. However, it’s up to those who care about stations, especially alumni, to constantly share college radio’s value proposition.

There are no shortage of college radio stations doing solid work. Jim Rand and the team at the University of Maine’s WMPG; Jennifer Kiser and student and staff leaders at the University of California Santa Barbara’s KCSB; and KBCS, Bellevue College’s powerhouse station, which recently appointed Dana Buckingham as manager, all are doing incredible campus/community collaborations and award-winning radio. May we together salute them, and the many college radio stations like them, doing cherished and thought-provoking media.

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The post Community Broadcaster: Changemakers appeared first on Radio World.

RUBI, SPAIN — Radio Rubí 99.7FM is the municipal station of the city of Rubí in Spanish Catalonia. Radio Rubí started its activities in November of 1979, with a primary mission of being a public service for the inhabitants of the city, providing an ample variety of content including news, sports and culture while allowing for the active participation of the citizens. In 1996 the station was bestowed with the Rosalia Rovira Award as the best municipal broadcaster in Spanish Catalonia.

From its beginnings, Radio Rubí has counted on equipment and technology from AEQ: mixing consoles, audio codecs or automation systems. A station with the profile of Radio Rubí looks for durable, reliable equipment that is easy to operate and cost efficient.

Radio Rubí is replacing its broadcast production equipment. As part of the renovation, it was decided to migrate its previous AEQ MAR4 automation system to the current AEQ AudioPlus platform in all their studios and news room.

AEQ AudioPlus offers new functionality and performance that adapts to the real needs, technical skills and budget of the majority of different broadcast stations at this day and age. AudioPlus incorporates everything necessary for manual or 100% automated playout, including remote control at a variety of levels. The same is valid for the actual content acquisition and programming — both musical and advertising. These functions can be accomplished completely automatically or manually, including the editing of contents.

The head of the technical department at Radio Rubí, Jordi Alba, explained, “The AEQ AudioPlus automation system is a perfect match for us and is an indispensable tool in our daily operations.”

Unlike other brands of applications that initially may be perceived as less expensive, this tool of the trade is suitable for small- to medium-sized stations. The capacity to produce and the quality of the programming generated are comparable to systems that the large networks are deploying but costing a fraction of what such stations may be investing in their automation.

The application is designed for Windows OS and uses SQL databases. The software comes with an efficient auto-installation wizard and is compatible with low-cost audio boards as well as more sophisticated choices, including Dante AoIP multichannel network connectivity.

The project to transition the AEQ MAR4 platform to the new AEQ AudioPlus system was coordinated by Mr. Xisco Caballero and Mr. Oscar Bastante of Radio Rubí and the AEQ System Services team at its headquarters.

For information, contact Peter Howarth at AEQ Broadcast International in Florida at 1-800-728-0536 or visit www.aeqbroadcast.com.

The post User Report: Radio Rubi Migrates to AudioPlus appeared first on Radio World.

From 1972–1974 I hosted a late-night telephone talk show on WOHO(AM), Toledo, Ohio. I was young, energetic and desperate to be heard over the airwaves. Fortunately I outgrew that compulsion by 1975, but for the time being I’d nap every afternoon and go into the station after dinner and meet with my producer who was responsible for lining up in-studio guests. These included professional wrestlers, comedians, people touting dubious weight loss programs, and conspiracy nuts who were eager to discuss their theories on alien abductions.

What is up with all the anal probes, anyway?

Then there were the occasional celebrities I’d get on the phone like Dionne Warwick, Captain Kangaroo, Moe Howard and Soupy Sales.

This program was called “Rap,” which at the time was slang for “talk,” not as it connotes today, “shouting inane rhymes about bitches and booty while flashing guns and jewelry.”

[Read: Adventures in 1970s AM: Visit to the Big Station]

We held trivia contests every Friday, a highly anticipated event by our callers who represented many walks of life. A lot of them worked the late shift at a hospital or the power company. Waitresses and cooks at diners were big fans too. Also in the group of folks that tuned in were students up studying, cab drivers, housewives with insomnia and so many more.

Our discussion on any given evening might center on an upcoming election or how to discipline teenagers. It might be open to all topics. On one of the latter evenings a woman named Betty called and proceeded to launch into a highly-detailed account of her recent ingrown toenail surgery. Normally I would have cut her off early in this narrative, but the way she told it, complete with sound effects, made for compelling radio. Another listener was a cross-country trucker who described the hallucinations he experienced after taking amphetamines while driving at 60 miles per hour.

Women confessed to affairs they had not yet admitted to their husbands. Men talked about their fantasies, one of which involved Raquel Welch and warm butter. A young man named Paul owned up to several crimes such as breaking into a store and defacing public property. One woman took the opportunity to “come out” as a lesbian, a brave move. That call brought the expected scorn from the religious right, yet also a surprising amount of support from similarly oriented people.

The “R” might be for “Rap.”

There is a phenomenon that many of my brethren in radio have discovered, namely that people listening to you over the air believe they know you and are your friend. I recall one wintry Friday night “Jill” called in and asked, “Hey, why don’t you meet some of your listeners for coffee after you get off the air?” At first the idea seemed absurd. Who would want to do that? As more callers chimed in, I decided I had little to lose because frankly I didn’t think anyone would show up. We, the audience and I, decided on a location, a local Big Boy that was open all night. Because none of the people who wanted to meet me had any idea what I looked like, I made up a ridiculous description: six feet four inches tall, 103 pounds, porkpie hat, and a tattoo on my left arm that said “Spiro Agnew.” I promised to be at the restaurant at a certain time and even promised to buy muffins for anyone who showed up.

I parked my car in the lot of the restaurant and trudged through the snow to the door. I entered the vestibule, stamped my feet and shook the snow off my coat before slipping into to a back booth. The waitress knew me and shortly brought me a cup of hot chocolate. I looked around and while there were a lot of people there I didn’t see anyone looking for me so I just relaxed and enjoyed a warm beverage on a frigid night.

After about 10 minutes a woman carrying a baby came over to me and said “Are you Ken R.?” I nodded and she started laughing. “You were kidding about being six feet tall and having a tattoo!” Then she turned to her friends and said “C’mon over, guys, he’s in the booth!” About 15 other folks came over and crowded in there with me. A couple of guys had to pull up chairs when there was no more room in the booth. I had forgotten about the silly self-description I had broadcast, but we all had a good laugh over it. We introduced ourselves and ended up having a jolly time.

And yes, I did buy muffins for anyone who asked.

Ken Deutsch is a writer who lives in sunny Sarasota, Fla., and has a book of these tales available, Up and Down the Dial. 

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The post Adventures in 1970s AM: Diary of a Mad Talk Show Host appeared first on Radio World.

Discover how at 75, Woofferton, the U.K.’s last public shortwave site is providing essential info to listeners globally via analog and digital broadcasts. Read about this and more in the October issue of Radio World International.

FACILITY
Radio Minerva Enters the Digital Age

Local independent station inaugurates new on-air studio

ONLINE
DJ-Run Internet Radio Station Thriving

BlastTheRadio.com started after John Mielke lost his on-air job

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

• In-Car Updates From Radioplayer, BBC Sounds
• Belgium’s Wallonia-Brussels Federation Redefines Radio Landscape
• Media Asset Management: Automation, Traffic/Billing

The post Inside the October issue of Radio World International appeared first on Radio World.

There will be one less FM translator constructed in The Last Frontier state after the Federal Communications Commission moved to dismiss and deny a request by an Alaska licensee to obtain several FM translator construction permits (CP).

In 2013, Alaska Educational Radio System Inc. (AERS) filed four applications proposing new FM translator stations serving Moose Pass, Palmer and Hope, Alaska. Soon after, Turquoise Broadcasting Co. filed petitions to deny those applications, alleging that AERS lacked the financial qualifications necessary to construct and operate those proposed translators.

Among other things, Turquoise pointed to a report that AERS filed in 2010 with the State of Alaska that showed that AERS had real and personal property assets of no monetary value.

[Read: AM Station Hit with $15,000 Forfeiture After Public File Lapse]

Afterward, AERS filed two additional applications — which proposed new FM translator stations serving Seward, Alaska. Turquoise jumped in again, alleging that AERS still lacked the financial qualifications to construct and operate the translators it proposed. Even though AERS responded to the petition to deny, its formal comments did not specifically address the allegations about its financial qualifications.

At this point the Media Bureau stepped in and dismissed the applications because it could not determine that AERS was financially qualified at the time it filed the applications. This is an important consideration. FCC rules state that before a grant of a CP for an FM translator can be made, applicants must have the ability to construct and operate the proposed facility for three months — without revenue — at the time they file.

When AERS filed a petition to review the finding — which the Media Bureau subsequently dismissed — AERS filed a petition again, which is when the commission itself stepped in to issue a ruling.

In a memorandum on Oct. 2, the FCC affirmed the bureau’s decision to dismiss the applications. AERS had two opportunities to provide helpful insights regarding its financial qualifications, but failed to provide any documentation that would have allowed the bureau to assess whether AERS had “reasonable assurance of committed financing sufficient to construct the proposed facility and operate it for three months without revenue at the time [the applications were filed],” the commission said.

Because of AERS’s failure to provide this information, the commission said, it formally dismissed the of applications and denied the licensee’s request for review.

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The post FCC Dismisses Request for FM Translator CP in Alaska appeared first on Radio World.

The author of this commentary is CEO of Play MPE.

Fred Vandenberg

Radio continues to thrive and grow in spite of decades-old predictions of decline. It remains (by far) the single most common way to hear a song. Predicting the future for radio comes with challenges as the digital age of music evolves. As the industry changes from the historical view of terrestrial radio broadcasts to a broader view that includes online streaming, radio will continue to thrive, so long as radio programmers, promoters and other behind-the-scenes curators find the right tech tools to enhance their product and boost their efficiency.

Station listenership is growing and moving to new devices. According to Nielsen’s 2019 mid-year report, there were 7 million more weekly radio listeners in the U.S. than there were in 2016. Terrestrial broadcast is only part of the growth, as one of the most frequent use of a smart speaker is to stream a favorite FM station.

FINDING MUSIC

This is not to say that listeners’ habits aren’t shifting dramatically, because they are. These shifts and the change in expectations that go with them should give anyone pause. Radio professionals will need to find new and innovative ways of getting access to a broader range of content, more quickly, if they wish to compete with rising mediums such as streaming.

Identifying these technological solutions can empower radio professionals to make a positive push towards innovation. The concrete details of this push feel less than revolutionary, but promise to have a vital impact on the way radio programmers can work.

Professionals need the means to find new, appropriate music, anywhere, from any device, at any time. Bringing key tools to mobile, for example, should be an industry priority. Listening to, saving and sharing with colleagues should be easy. The music should be at the center, with technology simply serving to surface new tracks and make them easy to manage.

There are additional important layers that will be ever more essential to decisionmaking for radio teams, and they all involve data of some sort.

This may be contextual assets and information, images, videos, lyrics and other helpful materials that add to the tracks themselves. This data may include analytics and other guides that help a radio pro assess a track’s potential for exciting their audiences and working in their format. In short, the more data radio professionals have access to, the easier it will be for them to evolve with the current shift in expectations. Gaining a deeper understanding of how consumers engage with the music they hear will be key to leading the innovation needed to stay relevant.

The more seamless and accurate our tech tools are behind the scenes, the better radio will fare. It will be able to change and live on, without losing what it does so perfectly: present great music, with a touch of a button, in places and at times when listening is prized most.

Play MPE is a music promotion and delivery service that “connects content from the world’s largest major and independent labels, artists, promoters and managers to thousands of music’s top tastemakers and curators.”

Comment on this or any story to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post How Radio Can Usher in the Next Era With Innovation appeared first on Radio World.

The Arab States Broadcasting Union has announced that it will host a joint workshop with WorldDAB at its headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, that will focus on the opportunities DAB+ brings to radio, manufacturing, retail and automotive sectors. Specifically, topics will include how DAB+ is currently deployed in Tunisia and businesses can benefit from its growing market.

Members of the Tunisian Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Commerce, the National Broadcast Network Operator in Tunisia, Office National de Telediffusion, as well as representatives from the audio visual regulators, retailers, receivers, car manufacturers and ASBU directors.

This is the second workshop that has been hosted in Tunis this year on the DAB+ that followed the launch of regular DAB+ services in June—the first phase implemented the national multiplex that covers 51% of the country’s inhabitants, while the second phase will boost that number to 75% by the start of 2020. The multiplex hosts 18 DAB+ stations.

“WorldDAB is committed to assisting broadcasters and regulators in the MENA region, sharing best practices and key learnings from existing and established DAB+ markets, and helping manufacturers and retailers to realize the business opportunities and potential of DAB+ digital radio,” said Bernie O’Neill, WorldDAB project director.

The workshop, titled “Promoting DAB+ Services and Receivers,” will take place on Oct 10 at the ASBU headquarters. More information is available here.

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The post ASBU To Host DAB+ Workshop in Tunisia appeared first on Radio World.

BRUSSELS — Public broadcaster VRT’s Labo Radio is now using its first “Light Remote Radio Studio” for Studio Brussel and Radio 1 broadcasts.

Studio Brussel presenter Stijn Vlaeminck (center) controls the VRT main studio from his living room, together with Studio Brussel engineer Wim Reyniers (L) and Labo Radio engineer Geert Cantens (R).

The broadcaster first tested the new mobile studio with MNM presenter Peter Van de Veire, when he hosted the “Ochtendshow” (“Morning Show”) from New York. It then carried out a second trial for the “Bij Vlaeminck” (“At Vlaeminck’s”) Studio Brussel program, where DJ Stijn Vlaeminck produced the show from his living room.

Labo Radio is VRT’s radio “taskforce” for all of the station’s hardware and software systems used for radio production. In close collaboration with DJs, reporters and music programmers, Labo Radio is continuously developing solutions with a goal of helping radio staff produce creative content.

The Light Remote Radio Studio uses Peplink Pepwave MAX HD4.

The Labo Radio team is also involved with the design and implementation of VRT’s next generation of radio studios for the broadcaster’s future headquarters, which are expected to be ready in 2021. By means of “proof of concepts,” Labo Radio, together with the on-air department, is aiming to make the future radio studio more user-friendly and flexible through the use of new technology.

“The main idea behind the Light Remote Radio Studio concept is that for outside broadcasts, we only take the ‘remote control’ to the location,” explained Tom Hantson, VRT radio system expert and driving force behind the concept. “Audio sources like telephone, music, jingles or commercials remain in VRT’s main broadcast center, the presenter’s microphone signal and control of the audio sources are on location.”

The new concept consists of standard broadcast equipment like a DHD 52/MX console, a laptop controlling a Dalet Plus playout system, a Broadcast Bionics Bionic Studio telephone system, four Shure Beta 87 microphones or four Sennheiser HME headsets.

“VRT engineers developed this remote technology,” said Christophe Delplace, head of VRT Radio Support.

Tom Hantson (center) and Pieter De Coster (R) explain how the Light Remote Radio works to VRT CTO Stijn Lehaen (L).

“DHD already featured a ‘control link’ to control multiple cores with one console, or to split faders on a console over one or more remote users. The New York experiment allowed us to test this long-distance, and it proved successful,” Hantson added.

The Light Remote Radio Studio makes use of a dedicated IP VPN tunnel using Peplink Pepwave MAX HD4 router. “The big challenge was delay and jitter using the IP connection,” said VRT Radio System Engineer Pieter De Coster.

“Too much delay would have been disastrous for the on-air result. We achieved good results with a buffer in the VPN tunnel, but it had to be feasible for the presenter. In the case of New York, Van de Veire is an experienced DJ and he reported positive results with the solution.”

The current final version of the Light Remote Radio Studio includes a feature that allows the presenter to fine-tune the delay from the outside broadcast location, synchronizing the antenna output signal with the DJ’s headset. “It all comes down to establishing a balance between user-friendliness and the extra possibilities offered by this technology,” said Delplace.

“In case of an issue such as signal loss, the engineer in VRT’s broadcast center gets an acoustic warning signal and can take control,” added Hantson and De Coster.

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With a second Light Remote Radio Studio in production, outside broadcasts require less staff and logistics. Does this mean the end of OB-vans for the broadcaster?

“We face increasing demand for on-site broadcasts,” said Delplace. “In the past, we had to drive an OB-van or a truck with 10 flight-cases to the location, and two engineers for 12 hours for a standard production. The Light Remote Radio Studio is shipped in two compact flight-cases with one engineer, cutting the amount of resources and support required to about 60%. This allows us to answer increasing demand without increasing staff.”

In September, VRT’s Radio 2 will begin using the Light Remote Radio Studio for its Saturday morning show “Start je Dag” (“Kick off your day”), hosted by Kim Debrie. VRT’s Studio Brussel will also implement the solution on Fridays for an eight-hour radio broadcast from SME (mall medium enterprises) throughout Flanders, offering “music at work.”

The post VRT Rolls Out Light Remote Radio Studio appeared first on Radio World.

Four NAB members have been selected by Pilot as the recipients of grants designed to fund paid engineering or media technology internships in the spring of 2020. They are stations are WISR(AM)/WBUT(AM)/WLER(FM), Butler County Radio Network in Butler, Pa.; KNXV(TV), Scripps Media Inc. in Phoenix; WNKY(TV), Marquee Broadcasting in Bowling Green, Ky.; and WKAR(AM/FM/TV), Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.

[Read: NAB’s Pilot Seeking Proposals For AI-Inspired Innovation Challenge]

The program, which began this past spring, is in partnership with the NABLF to help grow technical and engineering talent. The recipients are NAB members that do not currently offer engineering or media technology internships. Also as part of the program, NAB provides resources to help identify and support interns, including having them attend the 2020 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

“Pilot and the NAB Leadership Foundation remain committed to assisting NAB member stations in attracting the best and brightest new candidates to a career in broadcast technology,” said Sam Matheny, NAB’s executive vice president and chief technology officer.

Since it was initiated, the program has provided technology internship grants to 13 organizations.

For more information on the program, visit nabpilot.org/techinterns/.

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The post NAB’s Pilot Announces Spring 2020 Internship Grant Winners appeared first on Radio World.

The pace of mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. broadcast industry is slow.

According to Kagan, a research group of S&P Global Market Intelligence, U.S. broadcast station M&A volume was $215.1 million in the third quarter of 2019, the lowest quarterly volume since late 2016.

“In the radio business, the largest deal of the quarter took place in New York, where Emmis Communications Corp. partnered with investment firm Standard General L.P. and founded a new public company, Mediaco Holding, which will own and operate Emmis FM stations WBLS and WQHT,” the company noted. “Standard General will pay $91.5 million in cash and a $5 million note receivable to Emmis, while Emmis will have a 23.7% minority stake in the new company.”

Radio station deal volume in millions, as of Sept. 30, 2019

The second-largest radio deal was Stephens Media Group’s acquisition of Mapleton Communications, which agreed to sell its 29 FM and eight AM stations, together with a number of boosters and translators, for $21 million.

Another notable sale, done in two parts, was 12 AM stations and seven FM translators from Salem Media Group to Starboard Media Foundation, the parent company of Immaculate Heart Media, for $16.9 million.

In the TV sector, the only major deal of the quarter was the announced sale of KMBH(DT) in Harlingen, Texas, from MBTV Texas Valley LLC to Entravision Communications Corporation for $2.9 million.

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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Jim Pattison Broadcasting operates 47 radio stations in four Canadian provinces. Twenty-two of our stations use WideOrbit Automation for Radio Version 4.0. One of the main benefits of WideOrbit V4 is AFR Mobile, an iPhone and iPad app that allows full control of WideOrbit from anywhere.

AFR Mobile gives our users full control of the on-air product, including the ability to start and stop events, play hotkeys, make changes to the playlist and record new audio files. But for most of our users, the voice-tracking function is the most useful.

Like most broadcasters today, our on-air talent is responsible for recording voice tracks for our stations in our other markets. We have found that AFR Mobile is faster and easier to use than other voice-tracking solutions, including WideOrbit’s Distant City Voice Tracker. We have purchased 14 iPads for use by our staff to record voice tracks, and we have installed iPad holders in our production studios to hold the iPads. The iPads are integrated with Axia Livewire network for the best audio quality, and connect to our Wi-Fi for connectivity to our LAN. The DJ can quickly connect to the remote station and record all of the voice tracks for their shift.

We also have one remote DJ that records voice tracks from their home studio. We supplied this DJ with an iPad that connects to our infrastructure via our VPN over an LTE  cellular network connection. Voice-tracking works great even when used with only a cellular connection.

In addition to voice-tracking, we have used AFR Mobile for remote broadcasts. Earlier this year, during the opening of a new children’s hospital, we used AFR Mobile to record drop-ins from the hospital. AFR Mobile uploaded the drop-ins to one of our local stations for broadcast, and WideOrbit’s Friendship Server automatically distributed the drop-ins to our other markets for broadcast. This works well but we found that we had to test our audio levels before the broadcast. This was because AFR Mobile does not normalize audio after recording. A useful  improvement to AFR Mobile would be the ability to normalize audio after recording.

Now that our users are comfortable with AFR Mobile, we have also used AFR Mobile for five live remote broadcasts without a board operator. The DJ uses hotkeys on AFR Mobile  to turn their microphone on and off.  In the next month, we plan to adapt this work methodology for a mobile studio for use in remote broadcasts. Our goal is to give the DJ the same experience in the remote studio as in the main studio, with a Tieline audio link, virtual Axia faders, and AFR Mobile.

Installation of AFR Mobile is easy. The app is available as a free download and it connects to our infrastructure via our own VPN, so we have control of who can connect to our system. If one of our AFR Mobile users leaves their job, we can disable their access to our automation system simply by disabling their VPN connection.

We have shared some feedback with WideOrbit about improvements that could be made to AFR Mobile, In addition to normalization, our users have found that the dark colors of AFR Mobile are difficult to see in bright sunlight, so a “bright” mode would be helpful.

For information, contact WideOrbit in California at 1-415-675-6700, Option 2, or visit www.wideorbit.com.

The post User Report: WideOrbit App Puts Remotes in Charge appeared first on Radio World.

RFmondial has added a new member to its line of LV-series of DRM modulators and exciters with an advanced multiplexed DRM modulation designed specifically for the FM band.

This new DRM system allows for the parallel generation and transmission of up to six pure digital DRM channels, or in combined analog and digital “simulcast” mode, on one traditional analog FM channel or up to four DRM channels.

Stefan Galler, managing director of RFmondial, said the new DRM modulators give “the ability to freely mix and combine analog and multiple digital DRM signals, in adjacent channels, with individually varying power levels, supporting single frequency networks, allows broadcasters, network regulators and frequency planners a new dimension of possibilities for planning and operation of digital radio networks.”

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In recently filed comments on the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on EEO Compliance and Enforcement, the NAB suggests a new method for promoting diversity in the broadcast industry instead of reworked or increased rules and regulations, which the organization says are overly burdensome on broadcasters.

Claiming that broadcasters already take appropriate actions toward promoting diversity in the industry because of the benefits it inherently provides both their business and communities they serve, NAB criticized the current rules, saying that they “push the outer limits of constitutionality,” put significant burdens of time and expenses on stations to fill out required paperwork and claiming that data from the last 17 years say that the regulations are effective as possible.

[Read: EEO Supporters Oppose Any Big Change in Threshold]

NAB thinks a new, streamlined process could be beneficial for diversity efforts and on what is expected of broadcasters.

“Instead of taking the easy, familiar path of focusing on additional rules and regulations, the commission should center its efforts on two areas in particular,” the statement reads. “First, the commission should take pro-active, concrete steps that will actually increase employment diversity,” like raising public awareness for equal employment opportunities, expand industry education and facilitate connections among job applicants and employers. “Second, the commission should take steps to reduce unnecessary burdens on broadcasters, especially small stations,” specifically citing audits on stations regarding EEO rules.

“Rather than writing new rules, the commission should join the NAB in rolling up our sleeves and making a real dent in the challenges broadcasters face in hiring the most diverse workforce possible.”

The FCC was required by the federal court in its upcoming quadrennial review of media ownership rules to consider the impact of its policies on broadcast diversity. Related, the U.S. Third Circuit Court recently vacated earlier deregulation efforts dealing with media ownership diversity by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, saying the commission failed to adequately gauge the impact.

Read the full comments from NAB here.

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The post NAB Believes FCC’s EEO Rules Can Be “Streamlined” appeared first on Radio World.

DAVENPORT, IOWA — Regional Media partnered with Radio Workflow in September 2018. Throughout our first year, we have improved our productivity in sales and budgetary goals, team collaboration and overall success of our 14 radio stations.

We were presented with this new, fast-growing Consumer Relationship Management System, and it was easy to get acquainted with. It is an easy, simple to use system. Through detailed, well-instructed demos and tutorials from Radio Workflow, my team and I were able to learn how the system worked in order to get the most out of its features.

Radio Workflow has a 24-hour support team available to answer our questions and adjust anything in our system to suit our needs. They do a great job ensuring our knowledge of the system and providing different tips on how to optimize our use of it.

Before partnering with Radio Workflow, we used another system for our sales, keeping track of our accounts, production, etc. My team at Regional Media is able to merge our accounts and documents easily with Radio Workflow. We can view a list of all of our accounts and organize them based on seasonal businesses, current clients of ours, along with prospective business. Radio Workflow allows us to keep better track of our progress and set/achieve monthly goals throughout the entire company.

Regional Media works with our clients to ensure they are getting the most out of their advertising with our radio stations; and Radio Workflow gives us the tools to do this efficiently and professionally. Through their digital proposals and contracts, our advertising campaigns are broken down concisely for our clients to review with multiple options, choose what suits them best, convert everything to a contract and sign, all from any web browser on any computer. My team along with our clients enjoy how accessible this cloud-based system is. We have increased our closing ratio, increased our client return and earned more new businesses since partnering with Radio Workflow.

In addition to its customer relationship management elements, Radio Workflow is notable for its production features and traffic merging capabilities. Using Radio Workflow in production removes the possibility for error and allows us to work more efficiently with our production team. We input all of our production orders in one place, including our scripts, any necessary media and additional files, along with instructions for what needs to be included in the production order. Our production team accesses all of this, produces the spot and provides our sales team with finalized projects in Radio Workflow.

We keep better track of the spots we have running, when they will expire, and what still needs to be completed. Radio Workflow keeps our entire team in-sync from production to sales and management with lower probability for human error as everything is at our fingertips through its cloud-based format.

Radio Workflow will soon release their own traffic system and we will integrate that, allowing us access to everything we need under one domain. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them.

For information, contact Robert Maschio at Radio Workflow at 1-855-973-1145 or visit www.radioworkflow.com.

The post User Report: Radio Workflow Provides Dividends to Regional Media appeared first on Radio World.

The author is an Earle K. Moore Fellow at the Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council.

Jamila Flomo

According to a 2011 Census Bureau report, 21 percent of the U.S population speaks a language other than English at home. Yet many of these individuals find themselves at a profound disadvantage when emergencies strike because very few of America’s radio stations routinely transmit emergency information in widely spoken languages other than English.

Notably and infamously, in August 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, close to 100,000 Spanish-speaking individuals were left with no radio lifeline after the only Spanish language station in New Orleans was knocked off the air.

To date, the FCC has no multilingual emergency broadcasting requirements. “It means that if you speak only Spanish, and a hurricane hits, you are on your own,” said Brent Wilkes, the former CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens. Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports extending alerting to the non-English speaking populations, stations have the choice to provide emergency information only in English.

America has no national language, so it is imperative that the broadcast marketplace ensure that those who do not speak English still receive life-saving information during emergencies.

NEXT SOLDIER UP

The idea of requiring EAS in languages other than English is not a new concept and can work if each local area has a “designated hitter” selected in advance to broadcast in languages other than English. The concept is based on the U.S. Army’s training of platoons: If a soldier goes down when the platoon is taking a hill, another soldier takes his or her place, and the job still gets done.

In 2018, this idea worked when three radio station groups voluntarily cooperated to provide vital information to Spanish-speaking residents to communities threatened by Hurricane Florence. At the request of MMTC and LULAC, Miami-based Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) voiced and transmitted Spanish-language alerts for Cumulus Media and Dick Broadcasting, which serve Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head.

The execution of the process was quite simple. According to Dick Broadcasting’s Aaron Wilborn, “Broadcasters can pick up the phone and in two hours it can be broadcast, put on the air and done.”

These broadcasters made it possible for 22,000 Hispanic residents in Myrtle Beach and 21,000 Hispanic residents in Hilton Head to receive information about health care issues, avoiding injury, shelters and where to find missing bodies after the hurricane hit. The initiative worked because “[w]e are accountable as broadcasters and license holders,” said Jesus Salas of Spanish Broadcasting System, the largest Hispanic owned media company in the United States.

“These companies are an example to other broadcasters of the essential services that they should provide to the public they serve in times of disaster,” said MMTC President Maurita Coley. “America’s broadcasters should engage now, in this hurricane season, to save the lives of everyone, no matter what languages they speak.”

Got an opinion on an issue of importance regarding radio technology, management or regulation? Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post “We Are Accountable as Broadcasters” appeared first on Radio World.

OTTAWA, Ontario — On Nov. 10, 2014, DJ John “Milky” Mielke and his fellow on-air talent at Ottawa’s CKKL(FM) — BOB-FM — were unexpectedly laid off when CKKL changed its format from’70-’80-’90s pop to new country. In response, Mielke launched his own internet radio station BlastThe Radio.com from his basement studio. RWI covered his efforts in 2015: Radio Station Not Required.

John Mielke behind the mic at BlastTheRadio.com in his Ottawa home. Credit: BlastTheRadio.com

Today, BlastTheRadio.com (aka “BTR” to its many fans) continues to stream Milky’s live show 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., plus content from other contributors who have joined BTR’s roster and automated music playout 24/7. It all originates from his house in suburban Ottawa, Canada.

“When we started it was just me on the air,” said Mielke. “But as things have progressed we’ve been able to add other on-air shows. Veteran broadcaster Brian Kelly was the very first to reach out to us wanting to participate. He voices tracks six hours both Saturday and Sundays now.”

Also playing on BTR are podcasts from a number of former Canadian radio DJs such as Jesse and Jenna, Scotty Mars, and Jeunesse; plus weekday sports reports from Bruce Barker. Many of these are recorded in BTR’s “Podcastle;” a studio put together in Mielke’s dining room.

The studio at BlastTheRadio.com. Credit: BlastTheRadio.com

“We’re working with a number of local clients to develop podcasts for them,” Mielke said. “Some of that programming is also sourced for on-air broadcast, and I’ve just started hosting a weekend countdown show that airs Saturdays and Sundays.”

STEADY INCREASE

Since launching in 2015, BTR’s audio stream has racked up almost 600,000 “Listens” (unique streaming sessions), and built a fiercely loyal fan base in Ottawa and around the world.

“Initially we started off on one streaming platform — making it very easy to see just who was listening and when,” said Mielke. “Over the years we’ve added other audio streams in order to serve our audience via our phone app, smart speakers, and most recently an in-studio video feed.”

To build its brand awareness among Ottawa radio listeners, Mielke takes BTR on location whenever he can.

The “Podcastle,” a podcasting studio created in Mielke’s dining room. Credit: BlastTheRadio.com

“We co-host an annual Superhero Breakfast where families are invited to a local restaurant to have pancakes with their favorite superheros,” Mielke said. “I emcee countless events. Every Christmas several of us install Christmas lights in exchange for a donation to a local crisis line, and we solicit donations on Taffy Lane [a street in Ottawa where every house is decorated] over the course of two weekends. Plus we make bumper stickers and magnets available at various locations as well.”

“Our fans are our biggest form of advertising, really,” he added. “They take it upon themselves to do things like put www.BlastTheRadio.com on computers on the sales floor of the local Best Buy, or on cellphones at various mobile retailers. They also send me countless photos of them having spelled out BTR or even BlastTheRadio with monogrammed coffee mugs and towels they’ve found at stores.”

PROFESSIONAL FREEDOM

BTR’s new voice announcing booth was built inside a repurposed personal sauna. Credit: BlastTheRadio.com

Like the commercial radio station Mielke used to work at, BlastTheRadio.com is a money-making venture. Given that BTR is very much a one-man-band, “ad sales are the big challenge as I’m busy hosting a daily show, uploading content, producing podcasts and producing station imaging; plus I have other businesses that I run,” he said. “The sponsors we do have are people who have come to us through — mostly — word of mouth.”

“I’m very lucky in that I run a successful web enterprise that services conventional radio (www.MilkmanUnLimited.com) that provides me with an income,” Mielke continued. “I do some voice work for local clients as well as a few international ones. Most recently I was signed-on to be the voice of ABC Local Radio Networks’ New Country format.”

Challenges aside, Mielke loves being the voice of BlastTheRadio.com, and doesn’t regret leaving on-air work behind.

“Online is the most freedom I’ve ever had in a 30-plus year radio career! “ he said. “I can’t think of anything more exciting than being at the forefront of what is going to carry the medium I love so far forward.”

The post DJ-Run Internet Radio Station Thriving appeared first on Radio World.

If you’re running an older tube transmitter, you might have had the thought: Should you continue buying tubes or would you be better off with a new transmitter? It’s a question that still faces many broadcast managers. Radio World’s September ebook explores the topic.

What factors should be weighed when making this important ROI decision? Are tube transmitters more rugged and forgiving? How much more efficient are solid-state designs? How do tube and solid-state compare in terms of failure modes, frequency agility and ongoing maintenance costs? What is the expected life of a tube today? And what else should engineers know about the costs of ongoing tube operation?

In two articles, longtime Radio World contributor Michael LeClair and Nautel’s Jeff Welton, winner of multiple engineering awards, took on this topic. Read it here.

 

The post Have You Bought Your Last Tube? appeared first on Radio World.

Build your own EAS receive antenna … Peruse the program of the Broadcast Technology Symposium … Learn about efforts to expand World Radio Day awareness in the United States … And see what the former offices of USA Digital Radio looked like after a gas explosion.

ALERTING
“We Are Accountable as Broadcasters”

Jamila Flomo makes the case for multilingual emergency broadcasting.

TECH TIPS
Seeking Enlightenment About Lightning Protection?

Jeff Welton, chosen SBE’s educator of the year in 2018, talks about best practices for preparing your transmitter site.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• World Radio Day Organizers Raise Profile
• BTS Explores Tech’s Role in Content Wars
• Construct an EAS Receive Loop Antenna

 

The post Inside the September 25th Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.