Industry News

From Radio World’s Who’s Buying What page.

The FM 3 kW transmitter from WorldCast’s Ecreso transmitter brand has been approved for acquisition by German association of regional public broadcasters, ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland).

WorldCast Systems Director of Product Marketing Gregory Mercier said, “The ARD specifications are acknowledged to be among the most demanding in the industry. We are honored that this organization has once again approved an Ecreso transmitter and proud that our product meets their standards for efficiency, reliability and robustness.”

Several Ecreso models have been approved for use by the nation’s public broadcasters and almost 2,000 are in use a release said.

The FM 3 kW is an FM transmitter that is compatible with Ecreso’s SmartFM technology.

The post ARD Approves Ecreso Transmitter appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission is offering deadline relief to certain AM radio stations in the United States that hold construction permits for FM translators.

The Media Bureau said it will accept COVID-19-related requests to postpone the expiration date for CPs from Auctions 99 and 100 that are due to expire by the end of June 2021.

The bureau “is aware that shutdowns associated with the pandemic have forced stations to halt construction, have disrupted equipment availability and deliveries, and have interrupted travel for tower and equipment installers,” it announced.

“In addition, the pandemic has compounded the severe financial difficulties experienced by many AM stations, including the significant loss of advertising revenue due to economic disruptions and the need to cover breaking news and air public service announcements relating to the pandemic.

“These financial difficulties, in some cases, may have caused AM stations to delay construction of authorized cross-service translators.”

The two filing windows date to 2017 and were part of the FCC’s AM “revitalization” initiative. The windows produced more than 1,700 construction permits for these new “cross-service” FM translators. Radio World has asked the commission how many of those CPs are now on the air and will report any reply.

Stations should submit a waiver request at least 15 days before the expiration date. Extensions can be no more than six months.

Waiver requests should be in the form of a letter submitted by e-mail to Robert Gates (Robert.Gates@fcc.gov) or Larry Hannif-Ali (Larry.Hannif-Ali@fcc.gov) of the Media Bureau, Audio Division. There is no fee. (Don’t use the Licensing and Management System for this request.)

Requests must specify how the pandemic or its economic impact has prevented timely construction. Evidence of justification might include financial statements demonstrating the pandemic’s economic impact on the permittee; affidavits or other evidence of the unavailability of components or tower crews; or copies of equipment orders.

The rules don’t provide for CP extensions; but the bureau wrote, “We will in appropriate cases grant a waiver of the construction deadline based on ‘rare and exceptional circumstances beyond the permittee’s control.’”

It added that this is specifically for CPs awarded to applicants in those two auction windows expiring on by June 30. “While other applicants and permittees are free as always to seek waiver relief, our public interest finding does not specifically pertain to other construction permits, applications or services.”

More information is here.

The post AM Translator CPs Get Some Deadline Relief appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World’s Fall Product Peeks webcast was a hit (you can watch it here), and now comes the sequel.

Join us for the next 30-minute Radio World webcast, and learn about more new products coming from radio’s leading technology vendors like Tieline and Wheatstone. We’ll also give you a special preview of the technical sessions of the upcoming virtual Radio Show.

Editor in Chief Paul McLane spends a few minutes with each manufacturer to learn what they are offering for radio broadcasters. This format is intended to be fast-moving so you can learn about new products without taking up a lot of your day.

We’ve had great feedback about our shorter, more accessible format, which is fast-moving so you don’t have to tie up a lot of your day. 

Joining us for a special segment is Skip Pizzi of the NAB, discussing the technical sessions of the virtual Radio Show in October.

Register here for this free Radio World webcast, and we’ll send you a reminder close to the date. 

The post Second Fall Product Peeks Webcast Explores More New Products appeared first on Radio World.

A new flight of audio and video spots is available to stations to highlight the role of local radio and TV stations in the United States.

The National Association of Broadcasters put out the spots focusing on broadcaster news and information.

This is part of its We Are Broadcasters initiative, launched in 2013 with the explicit goal of educating policymakers about their constituents’ reliance on local broadcasters. (One of its outreach efforts promotes use of the hashtag #BroadcastGood.)

“The new spots highlight the role local broadcasters have played in providing fact-based reporting and lifeline coverage of significant events nationwide over the past six months, including the COVID-19 pandemic, civil protests and unrest over racial equality, wildfires and hurricanes, and the 2020 political elections,” NAB stated.

Spots are available in English and Spanish. Find them here.

The post NAB Ad Campaign Emphasizes Local Broadcasting appeared first on Radio World.

National Public Radio has said it is modifying its “Consider This” podcast in collaboration with 12 member stations. The aim is to provide localized content versions for the 12 stations.

Those stations are Boston, (WBUR and GBH), New York, (WNYC), Philadelphia, (WHYY), Washington, (WAMU), Chicago, (WBEZ), Minneapolis/St. Paul, (MPR), Dallas/Fort Worth, (KERA), Los Angeles, (KPCC and KCRW), San Francisco, (KQED), and Portland, Ore, (OPB).

Each station will be able to add local stories to the “Consider This” they receive while other NPR stations will utilize the national feed of the program.

Concerning listener details, the “local” aspect is designated by the selection a “favorite” station and cross-referencing by location data and Nielsen Designated Market Areas.

More stations/markets can be added and are expected to be added. NPR is partnering with AdsWizz on the project.

A release says, “This national/local on-demand experience, a first not just for public radio but for the podcast industry as a whole, is made possible by public radio’s shared journalism and digital networks.”

NPR’s Senior Director for On Demand Programming Neal Carruth “This project is truly the best reflection of the public radio mission. … ‘Consider This’ is now a collaborative podcast that will know where users are and deliver them the news of the day from their community and beyond. It demonstrates what only the public radio network has the ability to do.”

The post NPR to Modify “Consider This” to Include Local Content appeared first on Radio World.

From Malta comes this look inside the new studios of RTK 103FM, courtesy of AEQ. The facility features AoIP infrastructure and visual radio elements.

RTK Ltd. is the media company of the Catholic Church in Malta; it is owned by Beacon Media Group.

A team from DAB Electronica Ltd. led by Alan Gatt led the technical infrastructures and studio build.

“Studying different alternatives, eventually the system decided upon was entirely audio over IP based, except for the local inputs and outputs in terms of microphones, headphones and monitoring,” AEQ reported in a project summary.

Exhibo of Italy installed two auto-control operated studios using 12-fader AEQ Forum Split IP consoles. Studio One is a main studio with provision for three guests; Studio Two allows for am anchor or DJ to host up to six guests.

“Either studio can be controlled form either console thanks to the possibility to share all the stations audio resources over the AoIP network,” AEQ wrote.

“To make antennae, studio and playout switching simpler and automated, a NetBox32 MX with RTC option was installed, thus providing a 64×64 non-blocking routing Matrix for AoIP, analog and digital audio sources. This unit is used for format conversion, thus allowing for any analog or digital source to become part of the AoIP Multi-channel network.”

Automation, scheduling and playout are from WideOrbit and connected to the AoIP network with Dante Virtual Soundcards.

“As Wideorbit allows embedding third-party commands as objects in their lists and schedules, the Virtual GPO protocols for AEQ equipment can trigger macros and salvos for any of AEQ’s AoIP networked equipment,” AEQ said.

“This becomes very handy when general programming is switching for news on the hour. The other way around, it allows the DJ to trigger the play-out, cue a song etc., directly form the console control surface or to start the control of the microphones in the other studio, etc.”

The studios use Sennheiser MK4 Condenser Mics and HM300 Headphones, as well as an AEQ Systel IP 16 Talk-show and phone-in system with three SystelSet+.

Visual radio support is provided by BroadcastPix video switchers. Each studio has three JVC HD PTZ cameras. Any channel or audio source in the installation can trigger a camera setting, video clip, transition or sequence available on the Broadcast Pix system.

AEQ Phoenix ALIO portable devices are used for remote/OB work, connected via 4G router or standard internet. “Normally Opus encoding is used for either voice-quality of full-bandwidth music.” Connectivity at the station is by a Phoenix Venus 3 with AoIP networking; the ControlPhoenix application allows a technician at the studio to control the local and remote codecs.

Two Phoenix Venus 3s with AoIP are used to create the studio-transmitter link and return telemetry.

Radio World welcomes photos and details of radio projects to show our readers how new technology is being deployed. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post New Studios Serve RTK 103FM in Malta appeared first on Radio World.

DHD Audio has introduced a firmware update for its broadcast audio mixing consoles, routers and control interfaces.

“New functions have been integrated to make operation easier, faster and more flexible,” the company stated. “Also being introduced are flat table-mount versions of the RX2 and SX2 mixers.”

DHD makes five audio consoles that can be paired with several cores of different capacities and equipped with a variety of interface modules. International Sales Manager Christoph Gottert said these products are used by both radio and TV stations.

“Our latest firmware additions expand the capabilities of version 9.1 which we announced in Q1. That update included support for Unicode character sets such as Chinese, Russian, Japanese and Korean, Snapshots App and Labels App, enhanced log-in, hot configuration and refinements to the DHD REST API,” he was quoted saying.

“We are now introducing two additional web apps, Assist App and System App, plus an advanced SNMP interface.”

Assist App is a browser-based application allowing remote operation of a DHD mixing desk from a tablet, laptop or desktop PC. The remote user can control fader and central modules and view the integral displays.

“Assist App enables a technician to support DJs during their daily operation without being on-site,” the company said. It’s compatible with DHD RX2 and SX2 mixers and TX touch panels.

System App provides control to configure and supervise a DHD system. Its interface includes IP address assignment and web connection management. “Detailed information for each module connected to the core is displayed, including serial numbers, temperature and uptime.” Local and IP-connected remote devices can be seen.

SNMP is for use where the mixers and routers are part of a large infrastructure and where devices are centrally managed. It’s available for XC2, XD2 and XS2 cores, and will be available for AES67/Ravenna interfaces this year.

DHD posted a video demo about these firmware features:

The post DHD Announces Console Firmware Update appeared first on Radio World.

The author is president of Henry Engineering in Seal Beach, Calif.

Please let me add my 2 cents’ worth regarding music tracks that have been clipped and trashed with “brick-wall” audio processing (May 27, Opinion section).

The next time your radio station receives a CD or file that has been brick-wall limited, simply return it to the sender with an impersonal form letter saying “The music you have supplied is defective and/or unsuitable for broadcast. We do not air any material that is detrimental to our listenership,” or words to that effect.

If a few hundred radio stations return a few thousand, refusing to air them, perhaps the music producers and record labels will fix the problem.

We can only hope!

Submit letters to the editor to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Letter: Another Brick Wall appeared first on Radio World.

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Broadcasters Clinic is now a virtual event scheduled for the same days as the original event, Oct. 13–15.

The latest news is that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will make his virtual presence know, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m.

[Check Out More Events on Radio World’s Calendar]

Also making appearances will be the NAB’s David Layer, Telos Alliance’s Mary Ann Seidler and John Bisset, Bill Bennett of ENCO Systems, Chris Crump of Comrex, Jeff Welton of Nautel, Dielectric’s Nicole Starrett, Jeremy Ruck and communication attorney David Oxenford.

The post Pai to Address WBA Broadcasters Clinic appeared first on Radio World.

CGR Radio Networks and the Northwest Audio Information Service in Vancouver, Wash., serve blind, visually impaired and older listeners with news and entertainment programming.

We told you about these services shortly after owner Gerald Gaule launched them seven years ago. He describes them as a labor of love.

Gaule worked under the late Jerry Delaunay at the former Golden Hours radio reading service of Oregon Public Broadcasting for 13 years. He credits him with helping influence his interest in public service broadcasting. Gaule is not only the owner of CGR/NAIS but the program director, music director and chief engineer, running these streams from his home.

Now a member of the International Association of Audio Information Services, CGR-NWAIS Radio has three online streams, all heard on the Voscast online platform. The main service also is carried on FM subcarriers of KFAE(FM) in Richland, Wash., and KPBX(FM) Spokane.

We caught up with Gaule to ask about how the project is going.

Radio World: Describe your operations.

Gerald Gaule: There are three services. Number One is the main service, offering news, information, community, educational and entertainment programming from many sources such as The IAAIS Program Share, ACB Radio, Pacifica Archives and more, as well as programming in over 40 languages for the blind from book readings, etc. Old-time radio and nostalgia are offered.

CGR Number 2 is more arts, entertainment and secondary reading services. Number 3 is a new Spanish service for the blind and visually prepared.

I also offer local news and programming that is not offered by any LPFM, and I try to think outside the box.

RW: How many people do you think you reach?

Gaule: I would say 900 to 1,200 listeners per day between the stations.

The numbers are nice, but even if there is only one and if I make a difference for a few minutes, if something they like made their day, it is priceless.

Listener ages are anywhere from 54 to 90.

RW: These seem like hard times for radio reading services. What’s your secret?

Gaule: It is very hard times. My operations are run from my apartment; I handle all the roles, from engineer to MP, PD, OM and all; and I work from here due to health and disability issues. Overhead is very low.

RW: How has the pandemic affected what you do?

Gaule: It has not affected me that since I work from home and even before it.

RW: What else should we know?

Gaule: It is a simple operation trying to go above and beyond. I am always looking to expand, to grow beyond the two FM stations KFAE and KPBX on their 67 kHz SCAs. I’d like to partner with any cable access channel or even through a TV digital sub channel, even for a few hours a day.

The post Gaule Serves Visually Impaired From Vancouver Apartment appeared first on Radio World.