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The author is membership program director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

Some of the great legends at my old community radio station were of the late-night in-studio musical performances. Some nights, local and touring artists who were fresh off a gig and a few drinks would shamble over to the studios near downtown, plop down in one of our sundry donated chairs, and weave stories about the road and what inspired all those songs. On more than a few of those nights, or early mornings, those musicians would take out their guitars and play a bit.

It was never polished or rehearsed. To crib the old Kanye West line, they were talking like it was just you and me.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Now What?]

And then there were times when the whole band and crew would roll up after last call, do a quick and dirty gear set up, and just jam live on the air with anyone who showed up.

Such moments are part of community radio’s spontaneity and history. Whether you are WFMU or KEXP or somewhere in between those coasts, live music on the air has been part of who we are. It is our repudiation of the spit-shined corporate sound of so much of commercial radio, which rarely includes local performers or organic sounds. Where it feels like big radio sold the soul of music, with nary an errant chord or impromptu laugh or weird song, for advertising dollars, community radio has embraced in-studio performances, with all their hiccups and informality. Community radio’s championing in-studio concerts has gone on literally for generations.

Will a post-coronavirus world mute the music?

Already, many U.S. states have postponed live concerts. Live Nation and Ticketmaster are scrambling to avoid a financial cliff amid canceled and delayed shows. And the live-performance outlook isn’t looking great in the future. Epidemiologist George Rutherford voiced a common sentiment among health experts when he said, “I realize tons of people make their living doing this stuff, but I see [concerts] as pretty far down the list [in terms of opening events back up].”

For community radio stations, how we move ahead with business as states reopen and caution is encouraged is still a serious matter. College and community radio have typically had a very open attitude about students, community members and the public having access to their facilities. It is likely few have done an audit of their volunteer and staff to determine who could be at risk for contracting COVID-19. And then there is the issue of the public: who enters the building, when and under what safety protocols?

Then there is the situation with guests, including musicians — some of whom have been in areas hard hit by COVID-19.

In the short term, community and college radio seeking to reopen for the still quarantined may take inspiration from the many livestreamed concerts available to the public. Such shows, shared on platforms like Facebook Live, could give your station some techniques for hosting a socially distanced performance.

A few stations have organized lineups of artists playing live or recorded from their homes as a virtual festival. Hot technology like Zoom can allow you to make a given artist a gathering host. Musical communities are doing something similar with the viral collaborations we’re all hearing about; stations could also bring people together in this fashion.

Reopening for in-studio performances will require a careful review of a station’s cleaning policies, building access and setting clear expectations of volunteers and guests. While getting back to creating memories is a laudable goal, it cannot come at the expense of the health of everyone.

 

The post Community Broadcaster: Does Music Die? appeared first on Radio World.

Inovonics has released new firmware for its Sofia line of SiteStreamer+ remote monitoring receivers. Models 565, 567 and 568 are the recipients of the free upgrade.

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

Leading the new items is a restricted login setting for casual users. Inovonics describes this as a “Look but don’t touch” setting allowing users to see readings and operate the units but not make any setting changes.

UDP streaming has been added as well, joining analog, AES3, AoIP (AES67) and Dante streaming options. Instructions for firmware updating are here.

Info: www.inovonicsbroadcast.com

 

The post Inovonics Updates Sofia Line appeared first on Radio World.

Since 1983, the North Carolina Reading Service has been bridging the reading gap for blind and print-impaired listeners, by providing live/recorded spoken-word news, weather, grocery store listings, obituaries and magazine articles to their homes and workplaces. 

NCRS (formerly called the Triangle Radio Reading Service) can be heard 24/7 over the web, live and podcasts and on Alexa-enabled devices; on cable FM and TV channels in Raleigh; and on SCA receivers tuned to a subcarrier of WUNC(FM) 91.5 FM, North Carolina Public Radio. 

For listeners beyond the immediate Raleigh/Durham area, MicroSpace Communications provides NCRS satellite coverage to reach all of North Carolina. The reading/audio production is done by approximately 150 volunteers at NCRS’ three-studio complex in an office park in midtown Raleigh.

Until recently, NCRS’ audio production equipment was as old as the complex itself, and in dire need of replacement. Not only was its mix of analog mixers, reel-to-reel and cassette recorders dated — along with its ancient version of AudioVault automation software — but the entire infrastructure was worn out; so much so, that the complex simply failed during December 2017. 

Legacy equipment now on display.

“It was three or four days before Christmas,” said NCRS Executive Director May Tran. “The whole system just decided to take a break.”

NCRS’ adept engineers managed to patch the system back together after this breakdown, but more than Band-Aids were needed to keep this vital service running. 

Volunteer members of the Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 93 stepped in to give NCRS a much-needed technical makeover.

REPRIEVE

Retired electronics executive and long-time amateur radio operator Darrell Gordon (W4CX since 1968) had helped relaunch Chapter 93 in Raleigh, which had lapsed for a number of years. Elected as chapter chairperson, Gordon was looking for a public service project that would energize the engineers who had joined the group. 

Gordon was a volunteer at NCRS, and it didn’t take long for him to suggest a “studio refresh.”

“I didn’t really know what I was doing, but it just made sense to me to come up with a common project that we would all get behind,” said Gordon. “So I brought up the notion of updating one of NCRS’ three studios, with our members providing the expertise and labor at no charge; and they all got on board.”

May Tran thanks the engineers who did the installation, from left: Darrell Gordon, Dan Lane, Allen Sherrill and, far right, Keith Harrison.

To make this project happen, several Chapter 93 members and others formed a committee to handle the project. Pitching in were Allen Sherrill, Keith Harrison, Dan Lane, Ric Goldstein, Bob Schule and Richard Pascal.

Over a 10-month period, the committee came up with an engineering plan to bring NCRS into the 21st century. Its equipment list included audio over IP eight-channel mixing boards as well as computer-based automation and networking.

“Originally, we had only planned to do one studio,” said Gordon. “But when we were about 75 percent done, our members decided that we should do all three, since we now had real momentum. So we did.” 

Chapter 93’s members completely rewired the NCRS complex, and added advanced monitoring, studio switching and UPS power backups. The final product was really NCRS 2.0, because the complex is vastly superior to its pre-2018 version.

WHAT THEY INSTALLED

Chapter 93 member Ric Goldstein, based in Apex, N.C., is also an account manager with SCMS Inc, a long-established supplier of broadcast equipment. Working with Gordon and his committee’s recommendations, and supported by a company that Goldstein says believes in public service, he was able to provide NCRS’ new production equipment at significantly reduced prices.

“Keith and Allen installed PR&E DMX Digital Consoles with engines in all studios,” said Goldstein. 

Each of these boards comes with eight faders and is networked to NCRS’s brand-new AudioVault Flex Recording/Playout System. They also installed Wheatstone four-channel DSP-based Blade-3 voice processors, dbx/Orban audio processors and AoIP codecs made by Barix and Comrex. Also added were Tascam CD-200BT CD players for music; Samson Servo 120 power amplifiers; Cisco switches, routers and patch bays; and surge protectors and UPSes made by Tripplite.

As for NCRS’ legacy production equipment? One set of it was installed in the complex’s lobby, to remind people how things used to be done (without putting them through the pain of actually doing it this way). The rest was mercifully taken away.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Moving to the AoIP production infrastructure has made a big difference to NCRS. “We can do things much quicker, do more things like podcasts that we could never do before, without dealing with failures,” said Tran. “Things go much smoother now, thanks to SBE Chapter 93 and their rebuild.”

May Tran of the North Carolina Reading Service and Darrel Gordon, project director and SBE 93 chapter
chairman, hold the new control surface.

Moving from analog tape to digital production brought its challenges. “Our readers are all volunteers and they know nothing about broadcast equipment,” said Gordon. “So we had to train them to get them comfortable with the new system, which they now are.”

The generosity of SBE Chapter 93’s members has made a real difference to the 150-plus volunteers who keep NCRS running around the clock. In recognition of their efforts, the chapter was honored in the fall at the NCRS Gala dinner, meeting under the theme “Black and White and Read Across North Carolina.”

“Thank you, thank you, and thank you to SBE Chapter 93 for your time, dedication and expertise,” said May Tran to the gala’s assembled guests. “Everything is possible at NCRS because of our wonderful SBE volunteers.”

The post New Gear and SBE Volunteers Boost NCRS appeared first on Radio World.

The Audio Engineering Society is seeking to raise $500,000 by June 1 in order to ensure its continued operation during the COVID-19 crisis. 

According to an announcement this week, AES has traditionally been kept afloat by events, which have been disrupted or cancelled due to the pandemic. Therefore, AES is reaching out to members and other industry stakeholders to participate in a fundraising campaign.

Thus far, according to AES President Agnieszka Roginska, the society has received about $23,000 in donations, and others have renewed or extended their AES memberships by paying their dues ahead of schedule. AES also suggests purchasing gift memberships as a way to support the society and its membership.

AES says it can accept contributions via the AES website or PayPal (use paypal@aes.org). 

The campaign also has taken notes from public broadcasting’s playbook, introducing a special “sustaining member” status for those who contribute at the $400 or $500 levels; the status would last through July or December, depending on the amount.

The post AES Kicks Off $500,000 Fundraising Initiative appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters is supporting a grassroots campaign encouraging Congress to aid local broadcasters who have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic via funding and paid advertisements. 

The association is targeting the next round of funding in the Paycheck Protection Program, seeking to expand the PPP to cover broadcasters with more than 500 total employees. (Both chambers of Congress passed another stimulus package Thursday earmarking $500 billion in COVID-related spending, according to the AP.)  

Additionally, they are asking the federal government to pay for local radio, television and newspaper advertising. Here is specific language created by NAB with ideas for the proposed ad content: “information on medical resources, status of testing sites, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health awareness, access to small business loans and other critical governmental information.” 

NAB suggests that Congress allocate “an additional $5 to $10 billion for direct funding for local media advertising” as well as redirect “current U.S. government advertising campaigns (such as those promoting the Census) to local news and media outlets.”

Here’s a link to the “ask” form NAB created to help communicate with Congress about this issue. NAB shared it with local radio and TV stations, who were in turn asked to distribute it among their staff. Listeners and viewers are also encouraged to reach out to their senators and representatives.

As of Thursday evening, NAB says the effort had prompted more than 2,000 emails sent to Congress on the subject.

Thus far, NAB reports that there is bipartisan support for its requests, citing multiple letters and individual statements from members of Congress in both parties and from the Senate and the House of Representatives seeking to assist local media organizations.

The post NAB Campaign Targets Coronavirus Aid, Federal Ads for Local Stations appeared first on Radio World.

Jim Hendershot

This is one in a series of interviews about legal, unlicensed low-power broadcasting and how these systems are being used during the coronavirus crisis in the United States. 

Radio Design Group in Oregon is planning to introduce a low-power AM transmitter to support current interest in specialized, very local radio broadcasting. It calls the project Parking Lot Radio.

Jim Hendershot is president.

“After the lockdown order for Oregon, I got a call from an old friend who is a retired missionary,” he said. “The congregation where he attends was looking for a solution to holding services while maintaining social distancing. Many churches have gone to online broadcasting, but many of the folks at this church are older with limited or no internet capability. The thought of a drive-in church appealed to the congregation, and so they were looking for a transmitter solution to send audio to car radios.”

[Related: Look for FCC Certification When Buying a Part 15 FM Transmitter]

Hendershot said he wasn’t satisfied with the legal range of available low-power FM transmitters, “and the church was unwilling to buy one of the higher-power illegal units.”

“The AM Part 15 rules allow for a stronger signal than the FM rules. Since super hi-fi stereo isn’t really necessary, and AM can be made to sound really good if done right, I decided to go with AM.” The unit will come with a basic wire antenna but could be attached to a whip up to 3 meters per FCC regulations. “We’re still investigating the range, but we figure it will be enough to cover the average parking lot,” he said. “If more area needs to be covered, more units can be used, and we are designing the system to work well in that environment.”

Units will be sold direct at first. Hendershot projects a price of under $250, though that is not set yet.

The company is documenting the project on a website. The design of the Parking Lot Radio includes a balanced audio input, which Hendershot says is compatible with professional sound boards, rather than a 1/8 inch stereo plug that hooks up to a computer or MP3 player. “We did this knowing that the average user would more likely have a ‘real’ sound system rather than a cheesy karaoke machine or some other such piece.” The system will be manufactured in the U.S.

[Read more: Low-Power Radio in the Parking Lot: What You Need to Know]

The post Oregon Firm Plans to Introduce “Parking Lot Radio” appeared first on Radio World.

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Proposal Would Expand Video Description to 40 Additional Television Markets

FCC seeks comment on expanding video description requirements to increase programming accessibility to blind and visually impaired Americans

FCC adopts rules modernizing the LPFM technical rules to provide more regulatory flexibility for licensees

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Jim Houser

Educational Media Foundation has hired Jim Houser as chief content officer, a newly created role. He will report to EMF CEO Bill Reeves beginning next month, when he will begin to split his time between Rocklin, Calif., and Franklin, Tenn.

Houser will work on streaming and marketing strategies, oversee its podcast platform and the integration of its digital and programming initiatives. He will also supervise the future vice president of radio and vice president of marketing, the K-LOVE and Air1 program directors, as well as other directors and senior managers.

According to the announcement, Houser has three decades of experience working in Christian-formatted radio and music, beginning with college radio and then joining Colorado-based Focus on the Family, where he edited the organization’s daily broadcast and then created a weekly syndicated Christian music program. He then was hired to Capitol Christian (formerly known as Sparrow Records) and later became a managing partner at Creative Trust.

The post Jim Houser Named EMF Chief Content Officer appeared first on Radio World.

The author is director of engineering for Leighton Broadcasting.

CLOUD, Minn. — St. Cloud is ranked as market number 187 by Nielsen. But for those of us at Leighton, it might as well be market #1. This is home to our six stations and the headquarters for Leighton Broadcasting, which owns stations in six other markets in Minnesota and North Dakota. 

As a college town, the population of around 70,000 skews mostly on the younger side. There are around 75 stations that can be picked up on the dial here, and competition for listenership can be fierce, especially for our top 40 station KCLD(FM) 104.7. 

INSTALLATION

A few years ago, we installed the Wheatstone X3 FM audio processor on KCLD and have been pleased with the performance. KCLD is known to draw a large audience, billed as the most listened-to station in central Minnesota. We regarded the X3 as the best processor on the market at the time, until Wheatstone came out with the X5. 

We had heard about some of the new X5 advancements — better highs, in particular — and in July 2019, we decided to take it out for a test drive. 

PROCESSING

The unit arrived on a quiet weekday. We know our way around Wheatstone processors, having owned X1s, AM-55s, FM-55s and, of course, the X3. But we immediately saw that the X5 was different. It is probably the company’s most complex processor yet, although the UI is surprisingly easy to navigate. Within a half hour, we had the X5 up and running and our settings dialed in for the most part.

Then we started listening. We had heard about the X5’s new LimitLESS clipper, that it was an innovative approach to clipping and HF pre-emphasis that lets you turn up the highs while controlling peaks. But we were in no way prepared for the actual difference it can make on-air. Suddenly, the high-end was very transparent, much more transparent than anything in the market. We were listening to a much wider, fuller sound and most incredible, we couldn’t detect any additional IM byproducts as a result of processing. 

We drove around and listened to it in our homes, cars and everywhere, including the overheads at the gas station. 

This thing really kicks it up a notch or two on the dial. Also impressive is the processor’s automatic logger feature, which logs every change to the unit, from remote log-ins to audio failover to preset changes. That feature will come in handy for troubleshooting and for dayparted presets, for example. 

The X5 exceeded our expectations. The official stamp of approval came when we not only purchased the X5 for our top 40 station in St. Cloud, but also additional X5s for several other stations in this and other markets. 

For information, contact Jay Tyler at Wheatstone in North Carolina at 1-252-638-7000 or visit www.wheatstone.com.

The post User Report: Leighton Gives Wheatstone X5 the Ol’ College Try  appeared first on Radio World.