Industry News

This story is excerpted from the free Radio World ebook “Plan B: Ensuring RF Readiness.” 

A transmitter site is the narrow neck of a bottle — the departure point before the audience receives our product. At most stations, the site is remote from the program source and is unmanned.

“Hardening” the site must involve more than fencing and signs. If you’re serious about your business and your signal, your plant must be robust, durable and capable of self-healing.

Generally speaking we have three areas of concern: security, functionality and provision. Each requires that you identify potential points of failure (PPoF); develop the best solution or methodology to strengthen or eliminate the weak points; and implement those changes.

Of the three, I am most involved in provisioning: Does the site have everything needed to operate properly, optimally and continually?

The list of items that could take you off the air is endless. PPoFs that might be found in any plant include poor system design or layout; equipment inappropriate or insufficient for the task; poor maintenance; and insufficient spares for items that wear and can fail without warning. Then are the many potential points of failure specific to a particular installation.

I have written it so often that we should use an acronym for it, but: You cannot afford anything less than the best when that item is in the mainstream of your business. One can skimp on office trashcans and amenities or client lunches. But if a piece of gear is in the air chain, it has to be the best and operating at peak. The audience knows a station by what it hears on the air; the signal and sound had better be terrific.

Ask Yourself

Some nuts and bolts of power provision:

Is your site getting its power from the best feed — not just the one that is most convenient for the utility?

Is your power tap on the neighborhood feed, or the area feed? The former can add thousands of additional feet of wire and dozens of poles to your circuit — not to mention that your plant may be on a common primary and secondary distribution, which means that your supply is very communistic; every fault and suffering on the system you will get as well, including noise, poor regulation, uneven phases.

Sometimes the solution is just to move your transformer feed to the top conductors on a multi-circuit pole. If your power quality (PQ) is truly poor, you may need a separate feed from a cleaner, more reliable supply point.

How about your supply transformers? Properly grounded? If on a pole, properly supported? Properly GEP wired, or a mess of 14 neutral splices under a single wire nut? Phases balanced? Clean sine wave, or showing artifacts of square wave issues from overloading? Can you fry eggs on the top of your pad-mounted transformer when all the users have their HVAC running wide open?

Each of these defects indicates a potential point of failure.

Gensets

Generators are the next line of power defense and involve their own maintenance requirements.

Periodic maintenance is a must. This is more than punching the date card on the attached tag.

Generators must be tested under load … all the loads! If one generator supplies all site users, all loads on that generator should be operated simultaneously on the generator for at least half-hour, every month.

With all loads present, is the voltage solid on spec, and not sagging when motors such as AC compressors start? Is the output frequency 60 Hz? Will it operate automatically in the event of any of the five critical failures (loss of phase; phase reversal; high or low line voltage; and total loss of power)? Are the block heaters running? If the unit is thermostat-controlled, is the thermostat functional and set at the appropriate coolant and ambient temperature?

No matter what, every generator should be exercised on a weekly basis for at least 20 minutes.

Batteries should be maintained on an appropriate trickle charger. The batteries themselves should be replaced on the recommended schedule of the generator manufacturer. If none is given, the batteries should be replaced on a three-year increment, but sooner if exposed to extreme temperatures.

Calculate the run time provided by fuel stored on site. Extensive backup generation may not be much help if you need it for days and only have fuel for a few hours.

For many reasons, keep fuel tanks as full as possible. Emulate cellular operators who place sensors on tanks to signal that a tank needs a fill. This level signal is usually a DC analog; your remote control can use this value as an alarm limit. When the tank is, for example, three-quarters full, you can call the fuel service to top off. A second value could be one-quarter full, so that you will be kept aware of how much longer the site can run during a long-term outage. One of my clients has a remote control with an action program that calls the fuel service automatically when either of these limits is reached.

All tanks should be protected from such dangers as falling ice, and secured firmly with fences and spill sumps. Locks on fills are a good idea, especially during times when diesel is expensive and liable to be siphoned from remote unsecured fuel tanks.

We mentioned spare parts. For to the generator, you should have at least two oil and two air filters on the shelf, as well as a set of fan belts and a complete change of oil plus a quart. You do not want to go hunting for these parts at 3 in the morning or when off the air.

Read the author’s series “The Big Picture of the Small End of Power Generation,” about how to choose and install a generator:

Part 1: The Good, the Bad & the Noisy

Part 2: Sizing and Selection

Part 3: Pragmatics 101

Part 4: Putting It All Together

The post Hunt Down Those PPoFs in Your Power Provision appeared first on Radio World.

Content creator hardware specialist Elgato has launched its first microphones, Wave 1 and Wave 3, aimed at podcasters, recordists, YouTubers and streamers, developed in partnership with Austrian microphone manufacturer Lewitt.

Both mics feature a cardioid condenser capsule and an onboard A/D converter (24-bit/48 kHz for Wave 1 and 96 kHz for Wave 3). They also sport a proprietary Clipguard “anti-distortion” technology that Lewitt developed for the mics. This reportedly analyzes input in real time and automatically provides the additional headroom that is needed before sending signal on to the computer.

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

The mics each have a steel grille for protecting the capsule, as well as a centralized control dial/button for adjusting headphone volume. On the Wave 1, a push of the dial will mute the mic, while the dial on Wave 3 allows users to also adjust input gain a mic/PC monitor crossfade.

The mics connect via a USB Type-C port on the back, located next to a standard 1/4-inch headphone jack.

Accessories sold separately for the mics include a dual-layer metal mesh pop filter, and a specialized shockmount with multi-adaptor to fit most boom arms.

Both microphones ship with Elgato’s Wave Link app, a basic mixer for tackling multiple channels going into a project, whether a podcast, game audio streaming, or something else. The software handles up to nine channels and can output two separate mixes simultaneously.

The Wave 1 microphone runs $120, while Wave 3 runs $160.

Info: www.elgato.com

The post Elgato and Lewitt Team for Wave Podcasting Mics appeared first on Radio World.

Logitek has added Dante digital networking as an option for its Jet67 multiformat AoIP engine.

Designed for radio applications, the company says that the Jet67 provides an option for broadcasters who need access to various forms of audio networking at an affordable price.

It carries onboard AES67, Ravenna, Livewire and Logitek JetNet networking to enable interconnectivity with most other equipment in the studio. Stations that also operate Dante-enabled equipment can also communicate with the Jet67.

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

The power behind Logitek’s new mixIT touchscreen consoles, the 1 RU Jet67 provides multiple analog and digital inputs and outputs, mic inputs with phantom power, multiple mix-minus buses, and EQ/dynamics control along with routing functions. Logitek’s advanced touchscreen console, Helix, may also be operated with JET67 although some features such profanity delays are not available.

Logitek President Tag Borland said, “We designed Jet67 to take care of everything a small- to medium-market radio broadcaster will need, with no hidden surprises in the equipment costs. Other budget-minded mixing and routing engines require the purchase of external microphone processors, dynamics processing or even networking options. Jet67 has all of these and when paired with the mixIT surface, brings a highly versatile touchscreen console to even the smallest operation.”

Info: https://logitekaudio.com.

The post Logitek Adds Dante Module Option to Jet67 Engine appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission has finalized the 2020 regulatory fees for U.S. broadcasters, and there’s little joy for radio. See the finalized new fee schedule at the bottom of this story.

The commission rejected arguments that radio regulatory fees should be frozen at prior levels. It wrote, “The radio broadcasters’ arguments … reflect an incomplete understanding of the methodology that the commission has used for years.”

The National Association of Broadcasters, among others, had mounted a particularly forceful effort in its public comments this year about the need for relief.

[Read: “NAB Again Goes to the Mat Over Fee Increases”]

But the FCC said freezing fees for one group would have to come at the expense of other regulated parties. And it said an unexpected drop in the number of radio broadcasters from 2019 to 2020 means the remaining ones have to bear more of the burden.

But it did put in place some steps to help broadcasters whose businesses have been whacked by the pandemic.

We asked attorney Francisco R. Montero, partner in Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, to break it down for us.

Radio World: Whom were you representing in this proceeding about regulatory fees? 

Francisco Montero: I was representing a consortium of state broadcast associations made up of the Colorado Broadcasters Association,  the Florida Association of Broadcasters, the Puerto Rico Broadcasters Association and the Oregon Association of Broadcasters.

RW: What is  your reaction to this outcome and to the FCC’s reasoning?  

Montero: I was very disappointed by the FCC’s response. Our group as well as the NAB and other broadcasters made very valid arguments as to why the broadcasting community needs relief from regulatory fees during the COVID pandemic.

Broadcasters are lifting a very heavy load in serving the public and communicating invaluable public service information on multiple crises occurring across the country all at the same time. Broadcasters are concurrently suffering massive losses as a result of a collapse of advertising revenue. The federal government is providing assistance to businesses and to individuals during the pandemic, tangible financial assistance through loans and tax filing extensions.

The FCC has provided some relief from regulatory filing obligations. But when it came to regulatory fees. No such relief was offered.

RW: The commission did respond to calls for more flexibility for payors (like radio stations) in light of the pandemic. You described these as “wins” for radio stations. Can you list those and briefly explain in a few sentences what each one means for radio stations. 

Montero:

1. Simplified filing procedures for financial hardship waivers and requests for deferments, to make it marginally easier to request every doctrine or waiver of the regulatory fees.
2. Simplified process with no hurdles for installment payment plans, to enable broadcasters to request the ability to pay regulatory fees over time rather than in a lump sum;
3. Reduction of the interest rate charged for installments plans and elimination of the large down payment requirement. That this would be considered a “win” is indicative of how low we’ve set the bar. But we’ll take whatever we can get;
4. Elimination of administrative fees charged for late payments and for installments plans;
5. A temporary lift of “red lights” to allow for filing of waiver requests. If a broadcaster owes money from previous years they are slapped with a “red light,” which freezes their ability to file applications or request other types of relief from the FCC.

RW: What happens next in regards to the mechanics of these processes, like the financial hardship waiver? 

Montero: The order directs the FCC’s Office of Managing Director to put out a public notice with more details on the financial hardship waiver,  as well as the installment payment option (presumably to spell out how many payments or the duration of the installment plans).

RW: What else should we know?   

Montero: We’re still waiting for the FCC to announce the date that regulatory fees will be due. But most speculations are that the filing deadline will likely be Friday, Sept. 25.

The post Radio Stations Get No Relief on FCC Fees appeared first on Radio World.

The author is president of Communications Technologies Inc. in Marlton, N.J.

Thanks for keeping up the quality of the RW family of broadcast publications in this difficult time.

Just a quick comment. I liked your article “GroundLinx Advocates for New Approach,” and I do think it was informative and accurate.

The article did give the impression, my perspective for sure, that their grounding system was unique. It is not, and the chem ground approach has been around for decades. Two links as an example; see here as well as here.

The problem has been that, unfortunately, buyers do not normally want to spend the money to install these types of systems.

The post Letter: GroundLinx Innovation? appeared first on Radio World.

U.S. radio stations have two weeks left to decide whether to take their “lump sum” reimbursement in the C-Band repack.

Phones are still ringing like crazy at companies that are involved in satellite infrastructure.

“Over half of the radio stations still don’t understand that they have a choice for the lump sum,” said John Joslin of Dawnco. “We know, because we are talking to dozens of stations per day now.”

“They can get the lump sum if they file by Sept. 14 — otherwise only free filters and gear from the satellite operators,” he continued.

[Related: “Takeaways From the NAB’s C-Band Webinar”]

“I just spoke to a tiny little radio station in Arkansas who bought a new dish from us in 2016, which has a dual-pole feedhorn,” Joslin continued.

“Two years ago she registered that dish. Now she will get the $17K lump sum when she files for the lump sum by Sept. 14. Her only cost will be for the $500 phase-2 filter in 2023. She can put the $16K remainder in her pocket.

“If she had not heard about the lump sum program, she would have only received a free filter from SES,” Joslin concluded. “How crazy is that?”

A common question is whether a station needs to hire a Washington lawyer or firm to file, especially if they are accustomed to doing their own legal work for cost purposes. Joslin recommends using a qualified firm that has experienced staff and connections to process the lump sum filing. “It is possible to file on your own, but you need to find the needed documentation on the FCC website, which can be difficult. Most importantly, if you make a mistake, the FCC isn’t very forgiving.”

[Watch a free webinar from the Alabama Broadcasters Association.] 

[Read other recent coverage at https://www.radioworld.com/tag/c-band.]

The post Questions Continue to Fly in C-Band Repack appeared first on Radio World.

For gathering and reporting the news, capturing audio for film and television, or making sure reporters have each and every comment for a sideline interview — all with exceptional audio quality and RF performance, Shure says its AD3 plug-on wireless transmitter fits the bill.

The latest addition to the Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System, the AD3 transforms any XLR microphone into a digital wireless microphone. It offers wide-tuning, encryption features high-performance radio, and spectral efficiency, making it ideal for various types of broadcast reporting.

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

Additionally, according to Shure, the AD3 was designed to provide portability and connectivity, all while still offering the reliability and professional performance that are synonymous with the company brand. Out-of-the-box, the AD3 includes a patent-pending locking mechanism with an XLR connector design, a user-friendly control menu, OLED display that is easy to read in poor lighting conditions, and a sweat, moisture, and debris resistant build. The transmitter also includes a pouch, belt clip, USB-C cable, and supports both conventional AA and Shure SB900A rechargeable battery options.

Shure says, “The plug-on transmitter enables field reporters, audio professionals, and on-set sound engineers’ access to a rock-solid portable audio solution that perfectly complements the power of Axient Digital.”

Info: www.shure.com

The post Shure AD3 Plug-On Handles Multiple Duties appeared first on Radio World.

News from the connected car front: Entercom has announced the launch of its first native automotive application on certain General Motors vehicles.

“This initial launch will feature Radio.com as a native, in-dash application in nearly 7 million compatible Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac vehicles,” the company stated.

Radio.com, a broadcast and internet platform that was launched 10 years ago by CBS Radio and is now owned by Entercom, is the digital home for Entercom’s content across its portfolio of stations and affiliates.

“With this app, drivers with compatible vehicles can now seamlessly access the leading digital audio and content platform through embedded technology beginning on Sept.15,” it stated

The announcement was made by David Rosenbloom, VP of corporate business development for Entercom.

He said this will give drivers another way to connect with stations and talent, “regardless of the market they live in.”

The post Entercom Places Radio.com Native App in GM Vehicles appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission wants to hear from you on changes it proposes to make to the its application fee schedule, including common applications for FM and AM radio stations.

In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released in late August, the commission invited comment. The changes would affect a broad spectrum of filings processed by the commission: applications, modifications/renewals of wireless, television and satellite licenses, applications to participate in auctions, formal complaints and certain petitions.

The actions are designed to simplify and streamline what the FCC calls an overly complex fee schedule.

“This rulemaking provides an opportunity to bring this set of fees into the 21st century by lowering fees to account for processing efficiencies where appropriate, adding new fees for applications that were implemented after the original fee schedule was adopted, and eliminating fees for applications that no longer exist,” the commission said in its notice.

Among the changes, the commission is proposing to streamline its list of application fees by consolidating eight separate categories into these five: Wireless Licensing Fees, Media Licensing Fees, Equipment Approval Fees, Domestic Service Fees and International Service Fees. The commission also proposes to reduce the total number of application fees from 450 to 167 while also including some new fees.

Broadcasters may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the FCC is proposing to reduce a number of application fees for the AM and FM radio service. For each category, the commission offers an explanation of the reasons for the increase of decrease, such as the need for significant legal analysis or substantial engineering review. By estimating the actual direct labor needed to process a typical application, fees will be more closely tied to the actual effort of processing of applications, the FCC said.

For commercial FM stations, the category with the largest drop is the new construction permit, which the commission is proposing to decrease from $3,975 to $3,295 (a drop of $680). Applications with an increase include the FM radio minor modification application (from $1,110 to a proposed fee of $1,265) and the FM license renewal application (from $200 to $325).

The commission plans to outright remove the main studio request application for AM and FM radio. For AM radio, it is also proposing to eliminate the AM remote control application.

The notice of proposed rulemaking also offers changes to the FM translators and boosters application fee, including a proposed reduction in the fee for processing an FM translator new construction permit from $835 to  $705. The translator/booster applications with the biggest proposed change include both the FM translator license assignment and the FM translator transfer of control application, both of which the FCC is proposing to raise significantly — from $160 to $290 — due to legal analysis and significant attorney review and supervision.

The notice proposes to continue to exempt the noncommercial educational broadcast service from having to submit these types of application fees.

Among fees for commercial AM radio, the FCC wants to reduce four, raise eight and remove two outright.

The one with the largest drop in commercial AM is — ironically — an application with the highest level of complexity; but it also one the FCC doesn’t see much: an application for a new construction permit. The FCC is proposing to drop that from the current rate of $4,415 to $3,980.

The highest proposed increase in commercial AM is the minor modification application. The FCC is proposing to raise that from $1,110 to $1,625. Other significant jumps include the AM radio directional antenna application, which would increase from $835 to  $1,260. Another  jump: the short-form AM radio license assignment from $160 to a proposed fee of $425.

Applications with a planned decrease include the long-form AM radio transfer of control application (from $1,110 to  $1,005) and an AM radio new license application (from $725 to $645).

In addition to seeking comment on the newly proposed cost-based fees, the FCC wants to hear whether it should further consolidate and streamline proposed fees to ease the burden of administration and simplify compliance.

Comments will be due 30 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register using the FCC’s ECFS database using Docket Number 20-270.

The post FCC Proposes to Significantly Revamp Its Application Fees appeared first on Radio World.

The recent swell of debate and social tension about race in the United States has brought additional focus on the experiences of Black radio engineers employed in the industry.

When news stories discuss the percentages of minorities in radio jobs, their focus is usually on ownership or radio business management. But the Black population is definitely underrepresented in U.S. radio broadcast engineering, most technology observers agree. Why that is, and what should be done about it, are less clear.

Radio World reached out to a number of African-American technical professionals who hold positions in radio or associated businesses to ask about their experiences in broadcast engineering. Some told us that Black engineers are sometimes reluctant to speak about their obviously low numbers in the field. Several engineers we contacted declined to be quoted.

“Treated me with respect”

David Antoine is project engineer and support engineer for Lawo Inc., which designs and manufactures advanced networking audio controls. 

He said his experience in broadcast has been mostly positive.

“My peers in the industry have treated me with respect. I enjoy a good name and reputation at this point in my career. I am on a first-name basis with many of the movers and shakers in the industry,” Antoine said.

Antoine said there have been some job opportunities for which he wasn’t considered, though he felt qualified. 

“However, I’m not one to play the race card. It may have simply been that they found a better, more qualified candidate. I do believe that it has been up to me set my course and get what I need to position myself for the right opportunity when it comes along,” he said.

One incident in particular left Antoine questioning the sincerity of a potential employer. 

“There is a small radio group owner here in the tri-state area [of New York]. I applied for the chief engineer position when it was posted. I went in for an interview that turned into a three-hour get-to-know-you discussion. A few days later I received a letter from the GM thanking me for the time and the discussion, and that he was looking forward to us working together. As you can imagine I was very excited.

“I waited, one week, two weeks and three weeks. I put in a call to the station and was told ‘the GM was very busy, did not remember talking to me and that the position was filled.’ Needless to say, I was a bit stunned. I’ve had similar instances happen afterwards with other broadcasters. Same outcome,” Antoine said. 

A lack of inner-city curriculums teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics — STEM — could be a reason for the ongoing lack of diversity in radio engineering, Antoine said. 

“In experience from years in the industry, my honest observation is there are not enough interested qualified candidates for the career field of broadcasting,” Antoine said. “Broadcasting and AV does not pay as well as IT, web development, programming and related computer-centric fields. 

“I have found it is hard to convince young people in general to look into the career paths on the ‘cable side’ of the microphone or camera. I find this to be true in broad sense where race or ethnicity of candidates is concerned.”

But Antoine, whose experience in the broadcast industry began in the 1970s, said it’s time for further discussion of the state of race relations in this country. 

“It is a shame that it took the video of George Floyd being suffocated to bring the conversation to the forefront and for some of the masses to realize that the discussion needs to be had,” he said. 

“Disbelief as to who I was”

Ben Hill, chief engineer for Entercom Communications station WIP(FM) in Philadelphia, said current social discussions leave him “hopeful and optimistic, but at times cautious and weary, hoping America will live up to its promises” when it comes to acceptance of all races. 

“I have been on a number of Zoom meetings on race relations and church meetings discussing race and policing in America. I am suspicious of anyone who says ‘all lives matter’ so nonchalantly. The ongoing discussion along with action is very important,” Hill said.

Hill, who has served 43 years in a variety of roles as an engineer, chief engineer and tech manager, said he has been in uncomfortable situations because of his race throughout his long career. 

“I have gone to conventions and seminars and station tours, and it was surprising to many because I was the only black engineer they had ever seen. ‘Who is the engineer?’ they would ask, looking right past me, only to realize that the guy with his hand up was the engineer. This has happened on job interviews, at sports stadiums and at businesses and nightclubs where we were remote broadcasting. 

“I make sure I have a station shirt or jacket and have my business cards ready to show with my ID. I have been stopped and questioned as to who I was at events and why I was there. I don’t really remember many colleagues being grilled this way. Disbelief as to who I was an issue,” Hill said.

He said at times over the years he has “felt prejudiced by some White colleagues,” though he describes his experience working at CBS and Entercom as “excellent.”

“I have been mentored by a number of great engineers and station managers over the years. In some situations I have felt I needed to be the very best and strive harder to be on par with their knowledge and expertise of the equipment,” Hill said.

“That’s why I always felt like I had something more to prove. Pressure to succeed in a White world is an issue for us of color.”

“We still have a lot of work to do”

Tobias Poole is another longtime veteran of the radio engineering ranks; he is operating director for noncommercial WRTI(FM) in Philadelphia. He manages all aspects of the technical operations of the station, including the installations of transmitters and repeaters across the Delaware Valley, including New Jersey, Harrisburg, Mt. Pocono, Pa. and Delaware.

Poole said while it is true radio engineering is predominantly White, he feels the industry is slowly changing. 

“It is not like it used to be. Things have changed. Radio and TV now offer better opportunities for more minorities to enter the field; but we still have a lot of work to do,” he said. “The best advice I can give is to pick the road you want to travel, make a pathway, and go for it.”

Poole says current discussions including the Black Lives Matter movement are long overdue, both in broadcast circles and across the country. It helps to “open up dialogue that leads to change and opportunity for underrepresented minorities to achieve and succeed in the communications industry,” he said.

Poole believes that the number of African-Americans in technical positions such as IT, production and studio engineering continues to rise, while the number of radio engineers has not.

“I wish I had a good answer for this, but it really could encompass a number of things. Business culture, unions, politics, race, lack of mentors, opportunity and beliefs could all play a role. I’ve heard stories about it over the years,” he said. “Since the beginning of radio, minorities have been excluded, discriminated against, and encouraged not to get involved because the hiring belief was that broadcast engineering was not for them. 

“Like so many industries, hiring minorities would have meant there would have to be an internal industry shift in how minorities were perceived, especially as it impacted their seeming proficiency in comparison to their White counterparts. In radio, this could trickle down easily and explain why there are so few minorities hired,” he said.

Poole, who holds a bachelor of science degree in communication from Ohio University, wonders if more career doors would have opened for him if he were White, but also notes an overall “ceiling effect” in his chosen field. 

“On a different pathway, who knows? Perhaps I could say yes (to more opportunities). I had to train my mindset to overcome roadblocks like anyone else,” he said. 

Poole, who plans to retire at the end of this year after 33 years at WRTI, said his experience at the Temple University-based station has provided an excellent opportunity “to really share, teach and mentor individuals from all diversities who might not have otherwise been given the opportunity to go into the broadcast business.”

Next issue: What employers and industry organizations told us about diversity in engineering.

Comment on this or any story, including your own experiences regarding race in the radio industry. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line.

The post Blacks Are Few in U.S. Radio Engineering  appeared first on Radio World.