Industry News

Beyerdynamic is eyeing emerging content creators with the introduction of its new Pro X line, comprised of both its DT 700 Pro X and DT 900 Pro X headphones, and its M 70 Pro X dynamic and M 90 Pro X true condenser microphones. Designed with live streaming and recording in mind, the series can be used flexibly in all situations.

The closed-back DT 700 Pro X can be used for production in a studio as well as on-the-go on a laptop, tablet or smartphone. Taking things a step further is the open-back DT 900 Pro X — a pair of circumaural studio headphones intended for use in professional monitoring, mixing and mastering.

Each model makes use of the new Stellar.45 driver, based around a strong neodymium magnet and a lightweight voice coil made of copper-plated high-tech wire. Used in conjunction with a newly developed three-layer speaker cone with integrated attenuating layer, the Pro X headphones have an efficient driver system with a 48-ohm impedance.

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Both models come with two mini-XLR cables, which can be changed and replaced with other connection options. Contact points with the wearer are intended to be soft, with smooth gray velour ear pads and soft memory foam in the headband to allow several hours of wearing. The headband itself sports spring steel bracket construction.

The M 70 Pro X is intended for broadcasting, podcasting and streaming, while the M 90 Pro X is better suited for recording vocals and instruments. In addition to providing low-noise signal at all volumes, the mics each have an elastic system suspension as well as a stable microphone spider to reduce unwanted sounds like footsteps, hand grips or keyboard noise. A pop filter ensures that breathing noises and harsh plosive sounds are softened.

The M 70 Pro X has been optimized specifically for speech, and to almost completely block out surrounding noise in acoustically challenging environments, the company says. Meanwhile, the M 90 Pro X is an XLR microphone for recording; offering a balanced signal-to-noise ratio, it is intended for vocals, instruments and voice-overs. The new product series features a minimalist black design consisting of premium and interchangeable parts such as capsule, circuit board or connector.

The DT 700 Pro X and DT 900 Pro X are now available at a recommended retail price of $299, and the two microphones M 70 Pro X and M 90 Pro X are available from a recommended retail price of $299 and $349.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: north-america.beyerdynamic.com

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For those with moderate to severe eczema, there’s a pharmaceutical product that’s gotten a lot of exposure thanks to a spot television campaign.

Total up those spots, and this brand tops them all in the latest Spot Ten TV report from Media Monitors.

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The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers announced today that Barbara Lange will step down as the society’s executive director at the close of 2021, which marks the end of her current contract. Lange has served in this role for 12 years.

SMPTE says Lange guided the organization “through a dynamic period of growth, extending the society’s leadership as a global standards organization, and working closely with staff, volunteers, members, and the SMPTE Board of Governors to make SMPTE a more inclusive organization that brings value to individuals and organizations across the media and entertainment industry.”

“Of all that SMPTE has achieved during my tenure, I’m most proud of how we’ve transformed the society into a modern organization that remains very relevant 105 years after its founding,” said Lange. “I’ve had the honor of working with so many impressive people to help SMPTE thrive and continue to play a vital role in supporting the media industry. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of the home office staff and SMPTE volunteers, the society today stands ready for any future challenge.”

Achievements

A short list of SMPTE achievements during Lange’s tenure includes the creation and institution of a new, more comprehensive three-year strategic business plan process; reimagination of the SMPTE brand and the Society’s web presence; the launch of the SMPTE Digital Library; completion of a successful capital fundraising campaign and celebration of the society’s centenary; publication of more than 200 engineering documents including groundbreaking standards such as SMPTE ST 2110, SMPTE ST 2067 (IMF), and SMPTE ST 2084 (HDR); production of the first virtual presentation of the society’s annual technical conference; successful navigation of the pandemic through the acquisition of government support and loan forgiveness; and the launch of the innovative Rapid Industry Solutions (RIS) program.

Through technical conferences and an expanding offering of educational programs and courses, SMPTE has educated tens of thousands of professionals, helping to further their knowledge and careers. Both individual and corporate membership increased in the past decade, and the number of SMPTE Sections worldwide increased to include India, Pittsburgh, Poland, and the United Kingdom, while nearly a dozen new student chapters were launched during Lange’s tenure.

“Under Barbara’s leadership, SMPTE has become a truly international society committed to facilitating industry interoperability through industry standards, making relevant education accessible to all industry members, and fostering a vibrant and inclusive membership community,” said SMPTE President Hans Hoffmann. “Every organization faces difficult times, and the pandemic crisis over the past 18 months presented new and unexpected challenges for all of us. Despite these challenges, and thanks to transformational work directed by Barbara over the years, the society has truly established itself as a home for media professionals, technologists, and engineers around the world. We thank Barbara for her tremendous work in leading SMPTE into its second century, and we wish her well in her future endeavors.”

Succession

Lange will be engaged in the transition of leadership to her successor. In searching for a new executive director through an objective process, the SMPTE Board of Governors will focus on candidates with the capacity to build on the significant progress made by Lange and SMPTE’s home office team. Further information on the search process will be forthcoming on the SMPTE website at smpte.org.

“For us it is important that the new leader understand nonprofit organizations and the digital transformation of our industry, and that they can work with the SMPTE home office to build on their many achievements,” added Hoffmann. “We look forward to a leader who will embrace the society’s commitment to being a diverse and inclusive society, and who can further transform SMPTE to generate value for our global membership and foster ongoing growth. As the media industry is in an unprecedented and constant evolution, this work will be both challenging and rewarding.”

Lange’s final column in the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal as executive director will be published in the November/December issue. In it she details many of the milestones and achievements that have made SMPTE the stable, forward-looking organization it is today.

“Living through this pandemic, it really makes you think about your life. As I neared the end of my SMPTE contract, I realized I am now ready to discover the next steps of my career,” added Lange. “I am passionate and interested in several new directions. From working to increase the diversity in technology, particularly girls taking up STEM fields, to studying the growing concerns around sustainability in media tech, there are plenty of areas to focus my attention and offer my skills. While I will miss working daily with my SMPTE family, and particularly the home office team in White Plains, I look forward to new opportunities ahead.”

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Marshall Electronics has launched an entry-level PTZ camera, the CV605 5X HD60 IP PTZ camera. This new offering rounds out the Marshall family of PTZ cameras, providing a high performing option at every price point, the company said.

The CV605 camera features a 5X optical zoom range with a simultaneous 3GSDI and IP interface and uses a professional-grade 2-megapixel sensor to capture crisp HD video at up to 1920 x 1080p resolution at 60 fps, the company said.

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The wide-angle optical zoom lens offers 85-degree angle-of-view through 20 degrees (15 mm) with smooth transitions and an additional 10X digital zoom range.

“Marshall’s straight-forward design and ease-of-use make the CV605 an exceptional value where budgets are limited,” says Tod Musgrave, director of cameras for Marshall Electronics. “One of the key features on this model is the wide angle of view, which is unique for a PTZ camera and perfect for small- to medium-sized production spaces.”

The CV605 has a low-latency 3GSDI output as well as IP ethernet with multiple protocols supported. Easy one-cable to camera setup provides up to HD video, audio, control and power (PoE) over one cable with IP (H.265/H.264) and 3GSDI simultaneous outputs with audio embedding, the company noted.

The camera is designed for a wide variety of projects including live broadcast productions, courtroom capture, corporate video, government assembly, sportscast, newscast, reality television, concerts, house of worship and many more.

The CV605 PTZ camera also offers exceptional low-light sensitivity, ensuring a clear picture in variable and challenging lighting conditions, the company said.

Marshall recently partnered with NETGEAR, the provider of networking products in the professional audio/video market, to ensure easy setup and management of all Marshall IP camera models. Collaboration for compatibility and integration is something Marshall has been focused on for almost a decade, and this approach will continue into the future.

The camera is available in black or white with simultaneous outputs through 12GSDI, 6GSDI, 3GSDI, HDMI, USB, IP, SRT, NDI and HDBT optional outputs.

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Info: www.marshall-usa.com

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency formally announced the modernization of PEP facilities at WBZ Boston with a brief ceremony this past week.

Primary Entry Point stations are the first link in a distribution chain that provides emergency information to all of the roughly 20,000 broadcast stations in the United States. There are a total of 77 PEP stations that form the core of the Emergency Alert System.

EAS requires broadcast stations to install equipment that monitors these PEP stations and allows them to relay critical information in the event of a national emergency.

The event took place at the WBZ transmitter site in Hull, Mass., where FEMA has completed the delivery of an upgraded “all hazards” shelter containing backup transmission equipment designed to continue operations under all conditions.

The shelter includes a generator with a 60,000-gallon fuel tank and a separate studio that can be occupied for up to 60 days. It has been hardened to remain usable in the presence of chemical, biological and nuclear hazards.

It features a 10 kW AM transmitter and a rack full of transmission equipment including IP codecs, a broadcast mixer and even an interview position with separate microphone. The shelters are made of welded steel and protect the electronic equipment from damage that could be caused by electromagnetic pulse events.

The facility upgrade is part of a program to upgrade all 77 of the PEP stations in the United States, as authorized by an Act of Congress in 2015. WBZ is the 13th station to receive the all-hazards upgrade.

WBZ was built in 1921, and marked its 100th anniversary on Sept. 19. On that date 100 years earlier, WBZ broadcast from the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield with 100 watts of power.  It subsequently grew to a 50,000 watt directional array, operating as a clear-channel station with nighttime coverage extending thousands of miles. It is now owned and operated by iHeartMedia Boston, part of iHeartMedia.

WBZ Radio Personality Dan Rea, host of “Nightside with Dan Rea,” acted as master of ceremonies for the event, introducing a lineup of speakers from iHeartMedia, FEMA and both state and local politicians.

The lineup included Alan Chartrand, Boston market president, iHeartMedia; Manny Centeno, IPAWS program manager, FEMA; Jeff Littlejohn, executive VP engineering and systems integration, iHeartMedia; Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts; and Antwane Johnson, director of IPAWS at FEMA.

In his remarks, Johnson traced the history of the EAS system, noting that WBZ began broadcasting 30 years before the first U.S. government emergency communications system, CONELRAD, was introduced in 1951 by President Truman during the Cold War.

“All of that stuff was retired in 1963 with the establishment of the Emergency Broadcast System, almost coincidental with the Cuban Missile Crisis, by President John F. Kennedy,” he continued. “In 1995 the FCC issued rules establishing the Emergency Alert System that we know today,” said Johnson.

Markey, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, spoke at length about childhood memories listening to WBZ, and his own Cold War experiences as a boy in the “duck and cover” drills held in schools.

But recalling how his father would listen to WBZ for emergency weather information, he quickly pivoted to the importance of radio as an emergency communications system and the need to defend its role.

“And we’re going to stop these automotive industry officials from thinking the only radio that’s going to be on in a car is Sirius that you have to pay for,” said Markey. “The whole key to our national network of information is that it’s free,” for all people in the United States, he said.

“That’s really what we’re celebrating today… this long, long partnership that has existed between WBZ and FEMA and every citizen that depends upon them, including me.”

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From the Who’s Buying What page: ENCO said its DAD automated playout system is being used to run the onboard radio station on the new Carnival Corp. vessel Iona.

The big ship sailed from Southampton, England, on its first voyage in August. The 1,130-foot-line vessel is driven with liquefied natural gas and has 17 guest decks. And it can carry a pretty good sized radio audience — it accommodates up to 5,200 guests and 1,800 crew. It is operated by Carnival’s P&O Cruises subsidiary.

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The ENCO system is used for the Cruise Radio service on the ship. Useful Media Company out of the U.K. provides the radio equipment and automated programming. Music scheduling is through ENCO DAD’s Ensemble music scheduling system; other elements such as on-ship promotions use rotating cuts. New content is sent to onboard operators on disc once a month.

“Cruise Radio is the only ‘as-live’ radio service at sea, and is unique to each of the P&O Cruises ships,” ENCO wrote in a press release. “Played over video from the bow camera and streamed to every cabin on each ship, Cruise Radio combines music with radio elements including imaging, jingles and bespoke commercial packages advertising onboard services, shows and activities.”

The service also provides documentary music programming, historical retrospectives and ship information.

Useful Media also runs Cunard Radio aboard the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, owned by Cunard Line.

Send news for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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For those married to the smartphone, Shure has a toy for you, the MV88+.

A stereo/figure 8 condenser microphone of petite size, the MV88+ is designed for smartphone use, providing an upgrade in audio performance. It features Lightning and 1/8-inch/3.5 mm connectors on the rear.

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The MV88+ is available alone or in a video kit with a Manfrotto PIXI tripod, phone clamp, and mount, as well as iOS and USB-C cables.

Shure says that the free ShurePlus Motiv audio and video apps can control the MV88+’s pick-up patterns, as well as set gain and control the limiter, compression, EQ, and monitor mix. Price: $199 for the mic alone, or $249 with the video kit.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: www.shure.com

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The 2021 Midwest Broadcast & Multimedia Technology Conference has been postponed until next year.

It had been set for Nov. 17, produced by a partnership of state broadcast associations in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

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“It has become apparent that we cannot host an in-person event that delivers an outstanding experience for our attendees, our exhibitors, and our speakers,” the Ohio Association of Broadcasters wrote in an email to its community.

“The challenges of the current environment have left us with too many uncertainties to present a meaningful in-person event. While we are disappointed not to be able to conduct this year’s conference, we would be more disappointed about an event that falls short of what our participants have come to expect.”

The OAB decided not to convert it to a virtual event and instead plans to hold the event in 2022 on a date to be announced.

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Registration charges for both exhibitors and attendees are in the process of being refunded.

Approximately 180 engineers and broadcasters attended the conference in 2019, which drew 50 exhibitors.

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

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Five years ago, Snapchat was the app that radio industry air personalities sought to master. Today, Instagram and TikTok rule, with Pinterest and Facebook still key as Truth Social makes its debut with the support of U.S. President Donald Trump.

It now appears Apple’s privacy changes have made things worse for Snapchat parent Snap Inc. It missed Wall Street revenue estimates with its Q3 2021 results, resulting in a sharp drop in its share value on Friday.

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The Consumer Technology Association is knocking a proposal from the National Association of Broadcasters asking the FCC to impose new regulatory fees on unlicensed spectrum users. CTA argues the NAB proposal is contrary to current law, would stifle innovation and have a sweeping impact on the consumer technology market.

NAB has been aggressively pushing for an update to the regulatory fee categories so that unlicensed spectrum users, especially large tech companies, pay an annual regulatory fee similar to those already paid by broadcasters. CTA says the fees would defy precedent and hurt consumers, app developers, device makers and small businesses that rely on unlicensed spectrum.

The FCC this fall scrapped a plan to hike this year’s radio regulatory fees and instead set those fees equal to those collected in 2020. The FCC’s original proposal would have raised radio’s annual regulatory fees on average of 8% this year. NAB and all 50 state broadcast associations balked at the proposed rate hike.

[Read: Rosenworcel Calls for 6G Initiative]

As part of the FCC’s Report and Order setting the 2021 regulatory fees for broadcasters in August, the commission released a companion Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The NPRM asked for comment on adopting new regulatory fee categories and the legal basis for assessing regulatory fees on unlicensed spectrum users.

CTA says it believes the NAB proposal is contrary to commission precedent. “It also would raise serious administrability concerns, be impossible to implement in a nonarbitrary manner, and have significant implications for regulatory fees in contexts beyond unlicensed spectrum,” the CTA wrote in comments filed this week with the FCC. “Further, NAB’s proposal would undermine the enormous innovation made possible by the commission’s long-running and successful approach to unlicensed spectrum.”

The group, which represents a wide variety of consumer technology companies and is led by CEO Gary Shapiro, says NAB’s proposal overlooks that companies using unlicensed spectrum already defray commission costs in important ways.

Identifying those unlicensed spectrum users and determining the regulatory fees they should pay would be difficult, according to CTA. “Unlicensed spectrum users include consumers, state and local governments, corporations, nonprofit organizations, schools, libraries, and many more groups. Those unlicensed spectrum users do not impose discrete and well-understood duties on the Commission as licensees and other regulated parties do.”

CTA continues: “Potential beneficiaries of unlicensed spectrum subject to NAB’s proposed regulatory fees share little in common other than their use of unlicensed spectrum.”

In addition, unlicensed spectrum users receive no rights or protections from the FCC, CTA commented. “Wireless spectrum licensees receive exclusive rights to particular spectrum frequencies, which they monetize by offering services using that exclusive spectrum.”

Because of the differences between entities currently subject to regulatory fees and unlicensed users, NAB’s proposal raises a host of administrability concerns, CTA concludes in its comments.

Acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel specifically asked at the time of the NPRM “how if changes were made, can they be done in an administrative way?”

Reply comments on the NPRM (MD Docket No. 21-190) are due Nov. 5.

Here is a snippet of the questions being asked by the FCC:

• What would be the proposed methodology for assessing regulatory fees on unlicensed spectrum users, noting that unlicensed spectrum users include a significant number of equipment manufacturers, such as appliance and other home goods equipment, many of which neither apply for nor require authorization by the commission?
• Alternatively, should the commission assess regulatory fees on large technology companies based on a different basis, such as any advantages they receive because of the commission’s universal service or other activities?
• Are there other categories that should be added, deleted, or reclassified?

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