Radio World

Responding to Bob Meister’s letter (“Genset reset rethink,” Aug. 4 issue):

I couldn’t agree more with Bob on this matter! Safety should always precede convenience, particularly where electrical power is concerned.

There had to be a valid reason for the generator fault in the original situation described by John Bisset. Merely resetting it remotely without knowing the cause is bad practice.

The new transmitters I installed at my two (now-gone) stations featured automatic restarts — first two faults would pause then reapply HV, while a third would shut off and inhibit it. This was essential to protect the $10,000–$15,000 IOT finals from damage.

I declined to wire the transmitters’ fault-reset inputs to our remote controls in fear that a less-experienced MC op might destroy the finals or other expensive parts by repeated resets.

If you have spare status inputs on your remote, look into adding indicators that could warn you of impending problems and help you resolve little matters before they grow, or provide additional evidence that may help you decide between a simple “reset” visit and a major repair effort.

[Visit the Reader’s Forum for More Letters and Comments]

Also useful: temperature and light sensors; door switches; and fluid-detectors, which are easy to install and provide inexpensive insurance. Example: A simple “homebrew” pair of opto-isolators added to my Kohler transfer-switch alarm panel would confirm that all was well and whether we were on utility or generator power.

A personal note on safety: I’m truly grateful to have a touch of OCD. It has helped keep me (and others) alive when working anywhere near power.

Years ago, I was reunited with an old UHF TV transmitter that had seen better days. It featured a pair of doors that opened in front of a high-power Klystron (only 32 kV connections atop it!) along with various “deficiencies” like uncovered AC relays in another door and a “failed-shorted” interlock switch in yet other. A consulting engineer had come close to being electrocuted there months earlier, partly because the station engineer also misinterpreted his directions.

My mind insists on “pointing and saying” before I do anything potentially dangerous. Remember: You have many opportunities to get it right, but you may have only one chance to get it wrong.

Cheers and stay safe!

Michael Shovan, CBTE
fd&t technical services
Newburgh, N.Y.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

The post Letter: Genset reset rethink redux appeared first on Radio World.

KSJO(FM) in San Jose, Calif., is broadcasting geo-targeted radio advertising, according to technology supplier GeoBroadcast Solutions. The company said this was the first such field test with real radio spots.

The station aired several national breakfast promotions for Jack in the Box targeted to the areas of Livermore and Pleasanton along the I-680 corridor.

The station, owned by Universal Media Access and branded “Bolly 92.3FM, The Bay Area’s Bollywood Station,” has experimental authority from the FCC to test the GBS ZoneCastingFM booster system. GBS said its tests would continue during short parts of the broadcast hour through February.

The station also is experimenting with zoned traffic reports.

Jack in the Box CMO Ryan Ostrom was quoted saying the company is “only scratching the surface with our first test, and we will continue to lean into the unpacked potential of geotargeted radio activations.”

KSJO’s Brad Behnke, vice president and chief operating officer of station owner Universal Media Access, encouraged the FCC to allow such geo-targeting.

GeoBroadcast has asked the FCC to change its booster rules to allow this kind of content origination.

The post San Jose Station Tests Geo-Targeted Ads appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World is taking an in-depth look at “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” report this week.

In Part Two of Radio World’s summation of Edison Research’s “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” report we look at Edison Research President Larry Rosen’s findings on radio listening in the United Kingdom (and other countries), plus rates of radio/smart speaker ownership here and in the United States.

The report is based on 1,000 telephone interviews with U.K. residents 16 and older, during the fourth quarter of 2021.

U.K. radio listening

Based upon the complete mix of British AM/MW, FM, and DAB stations, 83 percent of the 16+ population surveyed by Edison Research listened to radio in the last week. By age group, this breaks down 80 percent for people 16–34; 84 percent for 35–54; and 80 percent for 55 and older.

Past Week Radio Listening in the U.K. (Courtesy Edison Research)

[Read more of our coverage of ‘Infinite Dial’ report]

“Some of you might be used to seeing slightly higher numbers from RAJAR for weekly listening,” said Rosen. “Let me remind you that this is a telephone survey where we’re just asking a single question about listening into the radio in any way in the last week, whereas RAJAR takes steps to jog people’s memories and remind them of all the cases where they might’ve listened to the radio.”

Compared to Canada’s 70 percent (18+), Australia’s 79 percent (18+) and the U.S.’s 59 percent (16+), the U.K. is doing pretty well in terms of radio listening.

“People are listening to the radio in the U.K., and they are remembering that they have listened to the radio in the U.K. in greater numbers than in these three other English-speaking countries around the world,” Rosen said.

Radio and smart speaker ownership

When asked, ‘Do you own a radio? Do you have a radio in your household?’, Edison Research found that 78 percent of U.K. respondents said yes while 22 percent said no.

Moreover, “Fourteen percent of people in the U.K. — consistent across age groups — said they have four or more radios in their household,” said Rosen. “So, you see, radio remains very central to the lived experience of people in the U.K.” He contrasted these numbers to the U.S., where 68 percent own radios (10 percent have four or more), and 32 percent do not.

Radio Receiver Ownership, U.K. and U.S. Compared (Courtesy Edison Research)

The differences continued when Larry Rosen looked at U.K./U.S. radio ownership and smart speaker ownership.

“Fifty-eight percent of everyone in the U.K. says they have a radio in their home, but don’t have a smart speaker,” he said. “20 percent say they have both the radio and the smart speaker in their home; 6 percent say they have a smart speaker but not a radio in their home. So, 6 percent of people seemingly have replaced radio in their homes with the smart speaker, and only 16 percent of people in their homes have neither a radio nor a smart speaker.”

Radio and Smart Speaker Ownership, U.K. and U.S. Compared (Courtesy Edison Research)

Meanwhile, 50 percent of Americans surveyed reported owning a radio but not a smart speaker; 19 percent said they owned both; 8 percent said they had a smart speaker but not a radio; and 23 percent had neither.

This last number caught Larry Rosen’s attention: “Here in the United States, we have more people saying that they neither have a radio nor a smart speaker.”

In Part Three of Radio World’s summary of “The Infinite Dial UK 2021,” we’ll look at the U.K.’s consumption of online audio.

The post ‘Infinite Dial UK’ Details U.K. Radio Listening, Ownership appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC recently threw out all eight applications for new NCE FM channels from a recently formed ham radio club in Washington state, citing “numerous significant and egregious technical defects.”

When the Media Bureau last month announced the settlement period for mutually exclusive applications filed in the recent window for new noncommercial educational stations, it also published a list of applications being dismissed due to technical defects.

The Fort Ward Amateur Radio Club was prominent on the list. The club, established in 2021 according to its website, is on Bainbridge Island, home of the historical Fort Ward WWII naval radio station. The club’s mission statement indicates that the club includes licensed amateur radio men, women, students and youths.

The FCC said it typically doesn’t review MX applications for technical defects at this early stage, but it made the effort to do so and the ham club’s technical defects were identified.

Attempts by Radio World to contact the Fort Ward Amateur Radio Club for comment were unsuccessful.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

The commission cited numerous technical conflicts in the club’s applications, including significant overlap caused to first-, second- and third-adjacent channels and co-channel licensees. It said the club also ignored interference treaty agreements between the U.S. and Canada.

A rejected applicant has one opportunity to file a minor curative amendment and petition for reconsideration, requesting reinstatement of the application, according to the FCC. Any amendments and petitions for reconsideration must be filed within 30 days of the dismissals.

“In order for an application to be reinstated, the amendment must correct all the application defects, propose only minor changes, comply with all the commission’s relevant rules, and not create any new application conflicts,” according to the rules.

Bainbridge Island is just west of Seattle across Elliott Bay from the city. The island is connected to Seattle by ferry, according to the city’s website.

The Fort Ward Amateur Radio Club was founded this year by Louis Charles Hoffmann Alloin, according to the club’s website.

The commission received almost 1,300 applications for noncom educational FM stations in the recent window. Out of those, there are 231 MX groups with a total of 883 applications.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post FCC Rejects Ham Radio Club’s NCE Applications appeared first on Radio World.

On Dec. 2, Croatian media regulator Agencija za Elektroničke Medije (AEM) announced plans to consider applications for national DAB+ concessions, as well as local DAB+ concessions in Zagreb and nine counties. Applications for the 20-year concessions are due by year-end.

According to a report in the newspaper Glas Istre, AEM believes there is public interest in launching new digital radio services, especially in the Zagreb region, despite the low number of DAB+ receivers in the country.

Comment on this or any article. Write to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Croatia Opens DAB+ Licensing appeared first on Radio World.

A new partnership between Triton Digital and Pocket FM will give media buyers additional access to the digital audio space in India.

The agreement will make Pocket FM’s OTT platform — a free podcast app and audio show that has grown into the largest audio OTT platform in India, the company said — available on the Triton Audio Ad exchange, giving buyers access to Pocket FM’s inventory through more than 30 demand size platforms via Triton.

According to the company, Pocket FM has become a top-ranking music and audio app, clocking in more than 40 million downloads and 2.7 billion monthly listening minutes. Listeners have access to more than 100,000 hours of programming via long-format content, audio shows, stories, novels and podcasts in eight languages through Pocket FM.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

Through the partnership, the companies said, Pocket FM media buyers will have access to Triton’s Yield-Op capability, an audio-first supply-side platform built for broadcasters, podcasters and music streaming services. Yield-Op offers users controls to set up deals, manage demand and optimize yield. Users will also have access to Triton’s Tap OnDemand, which enables streaming audio services and web-only audio publishers to streamline advertising trafficking and maximize revenue with dynamic audio ad insertion (DAI) as well as coordinate campaign trafficking, delivery and reporting.

“Consumption has grown significantly over the past 24 months, making digital audio an important medium for marketers seeking to reach this engaged and growing audience,” said Aditya Summanwar, director of market development for Triton Digital, adding that 57.6 million people in India as of 2020 were consuming podcasts on a monthly basis. “That makes India the third largest country for podcast consumption, following the U.S. and China,” Summanwar said.

Rohan Nayak, co-founder and CEO of Pocket FM, said that the new partnership with Triton Digital will offer media buyers and publishers a deeper look into validated measurement of India’s growing digital audio consumption market. “In the coming months, Pocket FM intends to achieve 100 million users and introduce more genres on the platform, building the largest community of writers, artists and homegrown authors in India,” Nayak said.

Submit business announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Triton Digital, Pocket FM Ink Partnership appeared first on Radio World.

The newest version of the Global Radio Guide is out.

Penned by author Gayle Van Horn, this edition of the publication lists by-hour schedules that include language services, frequencies and world target areas for more than 500 stations. The guide includes listings of DX radio programs, websites, entries for time and frequencies for many stations as well as a group of unique transmissions available on shortwave radio bands.

The guide includes articles that look at the current state of shortwave receiver technology, technology product reviews, a guide to shortwave music programs from around the world, and current radio news.

In this issue, Van Horn delves into covering the radio broadcast services of the People’s Republic of China, looking at the local, regional and international medium-wave and shortwave networks run by China’s Communist Party, including the country’s largest and most widely broadcast radio station, China Radio International.

The 17th edition also includes introductory articles on traveling the world via shortwave radio broadcasts, tips on monitoring shortwave action bands and a frequency list of high-frequency non-broadcast radio stations worldwide.

The current edition of the Global Radio Guide is available on the Teak Publishing website and via Amazon.

The post Newest Edition of Global Radio Guide Hits the Streets appeared first on Radio World.

 

Work is done on a 3.8-meter single-feed antenna aimed at satellite SES-11. This particular facility in Christmas, Fla., supports a Hearst Properties site for WESH(TV).

USSI Global said it has helped satellite company SES complete the first phase of the FCC’s accelerated C-band clearing and relocation activities.

As part of the FCC’s program to encourage the rollout of 5G, SES is seeking to clear 280 MHz of the C-band spectrum. Broadcasters with satellite infrastructure are among the business sectors that have been affected by the overall process, as Radio World has reported.

“Phase I required SES to relocate all of its existing services that are received by Incumbent Earth Stations out of the 3700–3820 MHz band,” USSI Global stated in a press release. “USSI Global made the necessary equipment changes on all associated Incumbent Earth Stations.”

SES selected USSI Global as its primary vendor to help manage and execute the transition of Incumbent Earth Station filtering to mitigate risks of 5G interference.

“USSI Global served as the lead project management firm and was responsible for outreach, IT systems integration, field support management and status reporting.”

The work included research about site-specific details, and then design, procurement, installation and commissioning of 5G filters and antennas. USSI Global supported approximately 600 Phase 1 Incumbent Earth Station site transitions, which helped SES meet eligibility for the first accelerated relocation payment from the government.

The company said it also has supported the clearing of more than 100 Phase II sites so far.

The post USSI Global Supports SES in C-Band Transition appeared first on Radio World.

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies has named the 40 public radio stations, 16 public television stations, and 19 joint licensees participating in the Digital Transformation Project.

Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Digital Transformation Project is a virtual training program for public media senior leaders and their staff looking to apply best strategies and tactics to transform their organization’s digital operations and culture.

“CPB’s commitment to advancing innovation and diversity continues to be reflected through our strategic investments helping system leaders advance a digital-first, audience-centric approach,” stated Patricia Harrison, CPB president and CEO in a release.

The five National Multicultural Alliance Organizations — Black Public Media, the Center for Asian American Media, Latino Public Broadcasting, Pacific Islanders in Communications, and Vision Maker Media — will join the 75 stations to form four cohorts of 20 public media leaders participating in the nine-month program. The first cohort begins training in January with additional cohorts starting the program every three months.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

In addition to one-on-one and peer group coaching sessions, the program includes a series of educational webinars, work exercises, and resource materials that span the program curriculum.

“The selected participants are some of the nation’s most trusted sources citizens turn to for local news and information,” stated Poynter President Neil Brown. “Our partnership with CPB will help public media outlets build digital-first strategies that inspire an even greater — and more sustainable — connection to grow with their communities.”

According to Poynter, each public media CEO will work with their team on a specific digital performance challenge with clearly defined business outcomes, such as attracting and growing new and diverse audiences, increasing audience engagement, converting audiences to loyal members, and driving new revenues from digital channels.

“A focus on digital transformation will pay off for public media by establishing even greater audience engagement and loyalty,” Brown stated.

The 75 participating stations/networks are:

Alabama Public Radio
Alaska Public Media, Anchorage
Arizona PBS
CapRadio, Sacramento
Classical KING FM, Seattle
CoastAlaska, Southeast Alaska
Colorado Public Radio
GBH News, Boston
Idaho Public Television
Illinois Public Media
Interlochen Public Radio, Michigan
Iowa PBS
KAWC/KOFA, Colorado River Public Media/Border Radio
KAXE/KBXE, Northern Community Radio, Northern Minnesota
KCUR FM, Kansas City, Mo.
KGNU FM-AM, Boulder/Denver, Colo.
KJZZ FM and KBAQ FM, Phoenix
KLCC-FM, Eugene, Ore.
KNBA FM, Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Anchorage
KOSU-FM, Stillwater, Okla.
KPBS TV-FM, San Diego
KPCC FM, Southern California Public Radio
KTSU 90.9 FM, Houston
KUER-FM, Salt Lake City, Utah
KUNC FM and The Colorado Sound, Greeley, Colo.
KVIE TV, Sacramento
Maine Public
Marfa Public Radio, Texas
Mountain Lake PBS (WCFE), Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Nashville Public Radio
Nine PBS, St. Louis
NJ PBS
Northern California Public Media (KRCB/KPJK)
NPR Illinois
Oklahoma Educational Television Authority
PBS Fort Wayne
Pioneer PBS, Granite Falls, Minn.
Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting (WESA-FM and WYEP-FM)
Radio Milwaukee
St. Louis Public Radio
Twin Cities PBS (TPT)
USC Radio Group: KUSC, Los Angeles, and KDFC, San Francisco
Vegas PBS
WAMU FM, Washington, D.C.
WCNY TV, Syracuse, N.Y.
WDSE TV-FM, Duluth, Minn.
WERU Community Radio, Blue Hill, Maine
WFYI Public Media, Indianapolis
WGLT FM, Bloomington-Normal, Ill., and WCBU FM, Peoria, Ill.
WGVU Public Media, Grand Rapids, Mich.
WHUT TV, Washington, D.C.
WITF Public Media, Harrisburg, Pa.
WKAR Public Media, East Lansing, Mich.
WKMS FM, Murray, Ky.
WLIW TV/FM, Garden City, N.Y.
WMHT Educational Telecommunications, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.
WNET/Thirteen, New York, N.Y.
WNIJ FM, DeKalb, Ill.
WPSU TV-FM, State College, Pa.
WQLN PBS/NPR, Erie, Pa.
WRTI FM, Philadelphia
WSHU Public Radio, Westport, Conn.
WTCI-TV, Chattanooga, Tenn.
WUNC FM, Chapel Hill, N.C.
WUSF Public Media, Tampa, Fla.
WUWF Public Media, Pensacola, Fla.
WUWM FM, Milwaukee
WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, Iowa/Illinois
WVPE FM, Michiana
WVTF FM (Radio IQ), Roanoke, Va.
WXPR Public Radio, Northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
WXXI Public Media, Rochester, N.Y.
WYES TV, New Orleans
WYPR FM, Baltimore
Yellowstone Public Radio, Montana

The post 75 Public Broadcasters Selected for ‘Digital Transformation’ appeared first on Radio World.

Audio-Technica has long made well-regarded pro microphones with prices to match, but also has a growing presence in the prosumer realm, creating products at more retail-oriented price points intended for bedroom producers, content creators, streamers and the like. In recent years, A-T has been engaging the podcasting world with its AT2020 and AT2035 condenser mics, and now has stepped it up even further with the introduction of the AT2040 hypercardioid dynamic podcast microphone.

Audio-Technica AT2040 Hypercardioid Dynamic Podcast Microphone

Costing a very reasonable $99, this XLR mic does a nice job of providing its target users with a microphone attuned to the spoken word, while also landing under $100, thus attracting customers for whom the top feature is the price point. At that cost, yes, it’s entry-level, but it’s “good” entry-level, providing a decent product for those who will only ever buy one mic, while providing a solid first experience for emerging audio pros who will dive deeper into the company’s product ranges in years to come.

Out of the box

Right out of the box, the AT2040 makes a good first impression — it has a sleek design that looks good on camera, whether it’s a video podcast, work-from-home environment or Twitch stream. (The priority, of course, is how it sounds, but visuals are a valid concern for on-screen content creators.) The black finish isn’t easily dinged or scratched, and at 5.72” long and nearly 22 oz., it has a real heft to it.

Pulling it out of the box, it simply feels like you’ve purchased something of significance. The thick metal casing and strong grille are joined by a hard plastic AT8487 mounting clamp already attached, so it’s clearly made to withstand some abuse. The AT2040 is solid enough that if you accidentally bang it around, it will put a dent in your desk rather than the other way around.

Rounding out the accessories in the box are a threaded adapter for the clamp and a mic pouch.

In use

The AT2040 sports a hypercardioid polar pattern that does a nice job, even capturing the voice at a moderate distance and off-axis up to 90° (with the expected change in timbre, of course), as happens with users who aren’t disciplined about staying on-mic or perhaps don’t want the mic blocking them on-camera. However, when used like a proper broadcast mic, the AT2040 captures the voice very naturally; its large diaphragm gets the low-mids warm and out front, while the highs are curled back to provide shape but not rough edges.

[Check Out More Product Evaluations in Our Products Section]

One place where the mic particularly shines is its handling of plosives — pop filtering is provided by a multistage foam mesh windscreen inside, and it yanks plosives’ impact right down. The AT2040 does pick up stray clatter from usage, however. While there’s integrated shockmounting to reduce that, the mic is still best left untouched once it’s in a mic stand or boom, as handling and cable noise are readily picked up.

Overall

In all, it’s a solid first microphone; for many of its intended users, particularly the podcaster or streamer, this is all the mic they’re ever going to need. Meanwhile, for aspiring audio pros, it will make for a positive introduction to the Audio-Technica brand.

The post Audio-Technica Offers ‘Good’ Entry-Level AT2040 appeared first on Radio World.

The Opal on one end of the “Great Night” production.

We started our podcast “Great Night” in January of 2009. We’ve gone through several names, and along the way we’ve had several Billboard-charted comedy albums and have developed a large and loyal subscriber base. Currently, we’re doing a live variety show every Tuesday night, with a video component that we stream over Twitch and publish on YouTube.

For 11-and-a-half of those 12 years, we lived in different states. For much of that time, we were doing the thing that has essentially become the default podcast comedy technique during the pandemic: We were using Skype and recording our audio locally, then editing it together in post-production.

But the delays and hiccups caused by Skype were intrusive, and we wanted to find a full-duplex solution.

We learned about the Comrex Opal from a friend of ours who works at The Blaze. We had some challenges configuring our IP networks, but once it was set up, it was easy for everyone to jump onboard and learn how to use it.

[Read More Buyers Guide Reviews Here]

We would use video from Skype and connect our audio through the Opal, and there was an immediate difference in our audio quality. Even when Skype was failing, the Opal audio would continue to be precise with low delay, and it felt as though we were in the room with each other.

Skype has been the standard for podcasting forever, but not because anyone likes it. If you get a group of podcasters together in a room, eventually they’re all going to complain about Skype. People use it because it works well enough and most of us know how to fix it when it’s broken.

But every conversation, every interview, every interaction has an ebb and flow that happens in the milliseconds between moments. Just as it’s not possible to have an in-depth conversation over walkie-talkies, it’s equally impossible to preserve that nuance over Zoom and Skype. You need full-duplex real-time audio if you want to create real magic in audio.

Only Opal has brought us that experience.

When we shifted to Opal, our audience noticed. We got a lot of feedback from our listeners about the change — they couldn’t identify exactly what was different, but it felt electric. Suddenly we were both able to talk at the same time without any delay.

We have this weird fixation on Billy Joel, and we’ve been making Billy Joel jokes and singing parodies of Billy Joel songs for a while now. Suddenly, once we got Opal, we could harmonize. We could overlap our jokes and pick up on what each other were saying without having to deal with Skype ducking our audio. We were finally able to do our material in the best way possible.

A lot of podcasters think audio quality issues can be solved by local recording, and certainly that can be edited together even though it adds another layer to post-production. But they really don’t realize what an audio delay does to active conversations.

In a medium that is all about where a conversation goes, whether it’s comedy or a panel discussion, high-quality and low-delay audio is irreplaceable. Opal is the solution that every podcaster doesn’t realize they need.

Info: Contact Chris Crump at Comrex 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.

The post User Report: Comrex Opal Makes Full-Duplex Audio Magic appeared first on Radio World.

Show hosts and station volunteers Steve Slentz and Larry Karoll are shown at the event.

December is a time of year when many radio stations perform particularly good deeds. One of them is low-power FM station WDNP in Dover, Ohio.

Radio World contributor Dan Slentz helped launch the LPFM station, and he reports that WDNP is now in its sixth year of conducting an annual Coat & Food Drive in partnership with the Salvation Army of Tuscarawas County.

“Usually we fill their truck with food and coats, but people give cash and other things that others can use,” Dan writes.

Lieutenant Andrew Allen of the Salvation Army giving a DNP mug and accepting a donation.

“Our thinking was that the station doing ‘Toys for Tots’ is awesome, but what if the kid doesn’t have a warm coat or the family is struggling to put food on the table? So we decided to focus on necessities.”

The local Pizza Hut provides its parking lot, the food and even some gift certificates for free pizzas. The radio station distributes logo mugs to each donor, and those mugs are sponsored, so there’s no expense to the station.

“It’s a good local promotion and helps a lot of people,” Dan says, adding that WDNP is run entirely by volunteers.

Submit news about your event to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Ohio LPFM Conducts Coat & Food Drive appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World is taking an in-depth look at “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” report this week.

In a bid to provide British broadcasters with the same market intelligence enjoyed by their U.S. colleagues, Edison Research conducted its first-ever “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” consumer measurement study.

Its conclusions are based on 1,000 telephone interviews with U.K. residents 16 and older, during the fourth quarter of 2021.

The original Infinite Dial survey, which is focused on U.S. consumer interactions with radio, has been conducted annually since 1998. Similar Infinite Dial surveys have been done in Canada, Australia, Germany, and South Africa.

The results of the first-ever Infinite Dial UK were announced in a Dec. 2, 2021, webinar hosted by Edison Research President Larry Rosen, and made possible through the sponsorship of Bauer Media and Spotify. This week, Radio World will be summarizing his presentation in five parts. In Part One, we’ll cover Edison’s findings on U.K. connected technology ownership and social media usage.

Connect tech ownership

According to Rosen, 83 percent of respondents to the Infinite Dial UK survey own smartphones, which is “just a bit lower than our estimate for the USA,” he said. This percentage is consistent across age groups. Meanwhile, 53 percent of those surveyed own an iPad or other tablet, while 25 percent own a smart speaker. The leading brand of smart speaker is Amazon’s Alexa, followed by Google Nest and Apple HomePod.

“The majority of people who have at least one smart speaker in their household have two or more, and 28 percent of people … have three or more,” said Rosen. “That’s a trend we’ve seen pretty consistently … People who get them tend to really like them and put them in multiple rooms around their house.”

Smart speaker ownership in the U.S. and U.K.

Social media usage

Eighty-six percent of respondents to the Infinite Dial UK study reported “they use some form of social media, including nearly everybody aged 16–34, and a very, very sizable majority of everyone over the age of 35 as well,” Rosen said.

Facebook has the highest level of brand awareness at 89 percent, followed by Instagram and Twitter at 85 percent and TikTok at 83 percent. Sixty-seven percent of people surveyed are aware of Snapchat, 58 percent have heard of LinkedIn and 55 percent of Pinterest.

[Read more of our coverage of ‘Infinite Dial’ report]

Actual usage of social media in the U.K. varies by platform and age group. The social platform used most often was Facebook (55 percent for 16+; 48 percent for 16–34; 56 percent for 35–54; and 62 percent for 55 and older). Second place was a tie between Instagram (9 percent for 16+; 14 percent for 16–34; 7 for 35–54; and 7 percent for 55 and older) and Twitter (9 percent for 16+; 7 percent for 16–34; 9 percent for 35–54; and 10 percent for 55 and older).

These were followed by:

• Snapchat (8 percent for 16+; 15 percent for 16–34; 6 percent for 35–54; and 3 percent for 55 and older);
• TikTok (7 percent for 16+; 10 percent for 16–34; 8 percent for 35–54; and 4 percent for 55 and older);
• Pinterest (5 percent for 16+; 3 percent for 16–34; 6 percent for 35–54; and 5 percent for 55 and older);
• Other platforms (7 for 16+; 3 for 16–34; 8 percent for 35–54; and 9 percent for 55 and older).

In another chart, Larry Rosen compared social media platform usage in the U.K. and U.S.

Social media platform usage in the U.K. and U.S. compared

“There’s a lot more usage in the United States of Facebook, Instagram. and Pinterest,” he said. “Snapchat is pretty equal; Twitter is a little higher in the United States. The two [social media platforms] that have higher usage just by a small amount in the U.K. as compared to the U.S. are LinkedIn and TikTok.”

All told, social media in the U.K. is a potent force for radio broadcasters to deal with, with Facebook being far and away the heavyweight in this market.

In Part Two of Radio World’s summary of “The Infinite Dial UK 2021,” we’ll look at Larry Rosen’s numbers on radio listening and radio/smart speaker ownership.

The post First-Ever ‘Infinite Dial UK’ Survey Provides Insights for U.K. Radio appeared first on Radio World.

It was interesting to read the shortwave article. It was also high time to address the issue of SW transmissions, as the death of radio, of shortwave and even of medium-wave is being aired again while the progress of streaming and podcasting is hugely hyped — again trumping global realities.

The article would have benefitted by stressing the actual huge size of SW listening. BBC World Service alone has an estimated weekly audience of 269 million, with radio delivering around 150 million.

This top international broadcaster has 200 transmitter sites, of which four are high-power AM, with 12 others hired. Content is distributed to 800 locations globally (often using SW) for direct broadcast or inclusion in partner broadcasts. And AM services reach many tens of millions across Africa and Middle East, the future potential audience of DRM shortwave as well.

[Visit the Reader’s Forum for More Letters and Comments]

The Radio World piece clearly was aimed mainly at the enthusiasts, as indicated by the receiver prices mentioned. The average non-enthusiast listener who has a laptop with connectivity would probably just listen to radio via the internet.

There is definitely merit in portable SDRs, which (depending on price) will likely keep some of the audiences and make it easy for them to pick up analog shortwave but also DRM.

India, China, Russia, U.K., even Brazil, Pakistan and other countries are testing, broadcasting or seriously considering shortwave DRM at the moment.

The natural and only son of analog SW, DRM, with its huge spectrum, energy and audio quality advantages, does not get a mention in the article, though. This is definitely a missed opportunity, as some of the big public broadcasters mentioned — BBC, All India Radio, Radio Romania, etc. — are already in this space and report excellent reception and increasing listenership.

Most of the new DRM receiver solutions cater for both the analog and digital versions of shortwave reception. Work is afoot to deliver more affordable receivers aimed precisely at the huge and less affluent shortwave markets of Africa and Asia.

Ruxandra Obreja, Chair
Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

The post Letter: Shortwave’s huge audience appeared first on Radio World.

When I started doing radio back in 1994, a camera in the studio was unheard of, but now it’s pretty much mandatory to have a streaming component to your show. It helps get your listeners more engaged in what you’re talking about and it helps you do more things.

For instance here at “The Shannon Burke Show” we have a watchmaker as a sponsor. We can have him in to demonstrate his collection of watches to the listeners.

[Read More Buyers Guide Reviews Here]

Towards the end of last year we found ourselves looking for an efficient streaming camera system. A lot of stations around here have employed someone to switch their cameras manually, and that didn’t seem like a very good move to us.

That was part of what led us to a BroadcastPix system. RadioPix is microphone-activated and the cameras just follow whoever is talking.

Once we had the system settled in with our Wheatstone board it’s been fantastic. We haven’t had any issues.

The monitor that it runs off sits back in my engineer’s area; he turns it on at the beginning of the show and we’re off to the races. It just works.

On the rare occasions when we’ve had to call somebody about it, mostly when we were getting up and running, the BroadcastPix folks were attentive.

We have two moving cameras installed at the moment in high-up positions. We’ve got a small table with four positions, and the boom mics would be in the way if they were stationary on the table. But saying that, we’re looking at getting a third camera and we’re toying with a tabletop unit for the center of the table so we can get a closeup of myself or the guests.

I’ve not used any other modern systems, but when looking at other people’s shows, a lot of the time the picture is terrible. The quality is just not there. Our pictures are great, and it’s all from a system that we just set and forget. It’s just rock ’n’ roll, it’s fantastic.

For product information contact Patrick Murphy at BroadcastPix at 1-978-600-1100 or visit www.broadcastpix.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.

The post User Report: BroadcastPix Brings the Video appeared first on Radio World.

The author is director of production technology for Vox Media.

Tieline Report-IT in use at Vox Media.

Vox Media is a leading independent media company, and the Vox Media Podcast Network is one of the largest collections of popular podcasts spanning technology, news, pop culture, futurism, current trends and more.

Our portfolio features the most relevant and respected editorial properties including Vox, New York Magazine, The Verge, The Cut, Eater, Vulture, The Strategist, Polygon, SB Nation, Intelligencer, Curbed, Grub Street and Recode.

Tieline’s Report-IT Enterprise app is an important tool within our technology offerings and it helps us tell stories that affect our audience’s daily lives and entertain as much as they inform. Podcast producers and hosts primarily use Report-IT to interview remotely located guests outside of the company, because the app facilitates high-quality recordings and simple file uploads.

How It Works

The Report-IT Enterprise app is a free Android or iOS download for guests. They download the app and then we send them a URL link created by Tieline’s TieServer Console.

When the prospective user clicks the link it launches the app and automatically authenticates and logs each guest in. The guest then just taps “Connect” to dial a secure Tieline codec (Gateway, Merlin, Merlin Plus, Bridge-IT) at one of our studios. When they connect they can communicate in real time with hosts at our studios in New York, Washington, San Francisco or elsewhere.

Sometimes guests have accessories they plug in to improve listening and sound quality during the interview, but often they just use the phone itself, which usually provides pretty good quality these days.

[Read More Buyers Guide Reviews Here]

High-fidelity audio is automatically recorded as a file on a guest’s device as they chat directly to Vox Media’s producers and hosts. At the conclusion of their interview it is securely uploaded directly to a server over Wi-Fi or cellular for ingest and editing as required.

In my experience, achieving high sound quality and simple file delivery are our biggest challenges. Uploading or sending files can be a huge challenge with nontechnical guests. Report-IT helps us deliver the best possible recording quality from our guests with simple file delivery to our servers. This is a great option for Vox Media Podcast Network producers.

We also use Tieline’s Cloud Codec Controller software, which provides remote control over critical Report-IT functions like input gain, as well as record functions on the app. This makes it easy to adjust settings remotely if a nontechnical person is on the other end.

Ease of Use

We use Report-IT multiple times each week and ease of use is everything with our external podcast guests. The simplicity of configuration regarding file uploads and connection points is crucial to the workflow. The app’s user interface is simple. Plus, it’s easy to connect, record and then seamlessly upload a recorded file.

Producers appreciate the reliable file delivery and quality of recordings. I particularly like the user interface and how you can have different user accounts configured for specific Tieline codecs and server folders etc. It’s very flexible for automation.

Achieving high-quality sound and reliable and timely file delivery of recorded interviews are our biggest challenges. Report-IT delivers superb features and a robust solution at a great price. The app helps achieve the best quality possible from our guests as well as easy file transfer, which keeps our talented producers happy.

Info: Contact Doug Ferber at Tieline at 1-888-211-6989. For international queries contact Charlie Gawley in Australia at +61-8-9413-2000 or visit www.tieline.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.

The post User Report: Vox Media Uses Tieline Report-IT for Interviews appeared first on Radio World.

The New KSVY Antenna Setup with the Panels Aimed

Community radio station KSVY(FM) in Sonoma, Calif., recently installed a new directional antenna system that is delivering improved coverage.

Bob Taylor is chief operator and manager of the station, which features an all-volunteer air staff. He told Radio World the station wanted higher elevation for improved reach. It looked for a site that was non-residential and that could provide generator support.

“The old site was on the outskirts of Sonoma on a side road with mixed tree coverage in low residential,” he said. “The new site is approximately 620 feet higher on a bald mountain with an unobstructed view. Hammett & Edison was a major contributor in filing for the project and guiding us through the needs of the FCC.” The former site remains available as a backup location.

The station airs at 91.3 MHz. Its new array uses two Kathrein Broadcast SIRA line FMC 05 broadband circular polarized FM panels. The panels are vertically stacked, with one skewed 12 degrees and the other skewed 328 degrees to achieve the desired pattern.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

Each panel is fed equally in phase and amplitude. Panels are mounted to a 4.5 inch OD pipe. The harness and main 7/8-inch foam feed line are dressed to the mounting pipe and routed vertically out of the aperture of the antenna. The pipe is mounted on a wooden pole.

During Construction of KSVY’s New Antenna Setup

“The change has been dramatic,” said Taylor. “Elevation being the key here, dead spots and shadows in our area have nearly vanished completely. We also gained a population increase of approximately 120,000 due to the new pattern including the Petaluma, Cotati and Napa areas.”

A fundraising campaign included donations from a “Signal Booster Society” to support the project.

Taylor said KSVY has been an important resource for Sonoma Valley in the most recent emergency situations with severe fires and public safety power shutoff events.

“The local radio continues to be a crucial part of an emergency plan,” he said. “These situations where the first responders are busy doing what they do best require someone to get reliable information to the common person when the internet isn’t available.”

The Sonoma Index-Tribune recently wrote about the project and reported that KSVY first filed an application for a construction permit for a new antenna in 2008 but didn’t have the funds to build one at the time.

Radio World invites both users and suppliers to tell us about recently installed new or notable equipment. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Sonoma FM Station Ups Its Game With Panel Antenna appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC is giving more time to people who want to comment in its “resilient networks” proceeding.

This is the NPRM that, among other things, could lead to a requirement for broadcasters to have backup power at their transmission sites.

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau extended the first comment deadline by 10 days to Dec. 16, with replies now due Jan. 14. The Edison Electric Institute requested the extension.

[“FCC Disaster NPRM Discusses Backup Requirements”]

The FCC notice of proposed rulemaking asks for comment on proposed rules to improve communications reliability during disasters.

The proposal considers changes to the Disaster Information Reporting System, or DIRS, the web-based system used by broadcasters and other communication providers to report service outages to the FCC. Participation currently is voluntary; the proposal asks if it should be mandatory to participate following a disaster.

The NPRM also seeks ways to mitigate the effects of power outages on communications networks after major storms and other events.

The FCC in the proposal asks detailed questions about how backup power can be deployed to reduce the frequency of power-related service disruptions. The commission raised the possibility of requiring backup power for participants in DIRS and NORS, the Network Outage Reporting System, and that list includes broadcasters.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post More Time to Comment in ‘Resilient Networks’ NPRM appeared first on Radio World.

The 2022 NAB Show has issued a call for technical papers and panel proposals for the Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology (BEIT) track of the NAB Show Conference, held at the 2022 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

BEIT, which runs from April 24 to 26, is designed for broadcast engineers and technicians, contract engineers, broadcast equipment manufacturers, distributors, engineering consultants, R&D engineers, IT professionals and related media technologists, the NAB said.

The program features technical papers addressing the latest opportunities, challenges and solutions facing broadcast engineering and media industry IT professionals around the world.

In issuing the call for proposals, the NAB Show organizers said they are looking for presenters with fresh ideas and unique perspectives on key trends and technologies driving the future of radio, television and general media creation and delivery.

All paper and panel proposals should be submitted online through the 2022 BEIT Call for Papers and Panels portal.

Proposals are subject to peer review, and those featuring original research or highly regarded speakers receive most favorable consideration, the organizers said.

They also noted that all content proposed should be presented in a tutorial, non-promotional form. Proposals overtly promoting company products or services will not be accepted, although proposals explaining the underlying technologies used in broadcast products or services may be considered.

The deadline for BEIT paper and panel proposals is Jan. 14, 2022. Proposals selected for inclusion in the 2022 BEIT program will be announced in February 2022.

Additional information and forms for submitting a proposal can be found here.

The post NAB Show Now Accepting Technical Paper and Panel Proposals appeared first on Radio World.

Dear RW: Thank you for the article in the Sept. 1 issue by James Careless, “Shortwave Radios Keep Up With Tech.”

When I worked for VOA — actually the International Broadcasting Bureau, later called the Broadcasting Board of Governors and then the U.S. Agency for Global Media — I believe upper management thought people in Djibouti had high-speed internet and laptop computers. In reality they lived largely in small huts made from corrugated roofing iron. They were lucky to have a radio.

When I was 12, my uncle had a TV shop as a second job. He fixed up a 1930s model radio with shortwave bands beside AM. It had the tubes with six or seven pins, shaped like a Coke bottle. I listened to VOA, the BBC, Radio Moscow and HCJB out of Quito, Ecuador.

[Visit the Reader’s Forum for More Letters and Comments]

This experience led me to ham radio, a job at the local radio station to earn money for college, a role at 17 in helping to build KFTW in Fredericktown, Mo., a degree in electrical engineering and, at the end of my career, the job with IBB.

The first time I ever doubted what I heard on the radio was when Radio Moscow announced that the East German secret police had discovered a tunnel into East Berlin to smuggle spies into the German Workers Paradise. I thought “that was really people trying to get out of East Berlin.”

Decades years later, long after the collapse of the Soviet Union, I found out that the CIA had tunneled into East Berlin and tapped the phone lines of the secret police!

David R. DeSpain, P.E., W0BCG
Ft. Worth, Texas

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

The post Letter: Shortwave memories appeared first on Radio World.