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Digigram has released a firmware update to its IqoyaX/Link and Iqoya Serv/Link IP audio codecs that will enable them to manage up to 32 mono or stereo full duplex IP streams during remote broadcasts.

The company says it added new graphical interfaces specific to the configuration and operating phases. In two clicks, users can place calls to the field or the studio. With the update, the codecs support SIP, direct SIP and symmetric RTP connections using the address book.

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

In remote broadcast mode, FluidIP integrates stream redundancy functions such as forward error correction or dual streaming with spatial or time diversity to establish reliable and resilient connections on unmanaged networks.

Additionally, Digigram says the updated firmware features low-latency audio connections and EBU/ACIP compliance for third-party codecs and SIP infrastructure interoperability.

Iqoya Serv/Link has the highest codec density in 1U, according to Digigram. In remote mode, it can manage up to 32 mono or stereo full duplex IP streams regardless of the audio encoding format and the audio connectivity; and when in the “program distribution” configuration, it supports up to 128 mono input and output channels and able to simultaneously encode, decode and transcode IP audio streams.

The post Digigram Adds Remote Capabilities for Iqoyas appeared first on Radio World.

One of the biggest stories so far in the year 2020 is the continued changes to radio integration in the car dashboard.

At the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in Las Vegas, iHeartRadio announced a series of major auto integrations for the company’s digital music, podcasting, and on-demand/live streaming radio service.

“[In] 2020 we will continue to expand our audio offerings and connect with more and more marquee technology companies to provide a seamless, unmatched audio experience to consumers,” said Michele Laven, president of the Strategic Partnerships Group for iHeartMedia.

[Read: Radio Seeks Its Future in the Vehicle]

Among the key integrations is a new standalone app for vehicles powered by Android Automotive OS. The app will be available for integration in the Volvo XC40 Recharge SUV and the electric performance car Polestar 2. The company is also linking up with BMW and General Motors to release a new app for the BMW ConnectDrive system and a new integration for future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicle models.

While iHeartRadio currently offers an in-vehicle experience for GM cars, the new app will be expanded to include access to podcasts and playlists in addition to live radio and a custom artist radio channel.

At the CES show, iHeartRadio also announced its status as an ecosystem partner with several new third-party auto integration companies. iHeartRadio plans to join forces on the Harman Ignite Marketplace, which links together in-vehicle apps and offers services like navigation, messaging, and media, as well as with LG on its webOS Auto platform, a rear-seat entertainment system.

The company also plans to work with SoundHound to bring iHeartRadio’s content to SoundHound’s Houndify voice AI platform and app and with Panasonic, by which iHeartRadio will be integrated into several next-generation in-vehicle experiences via the Panasonic infotainment platform experience SkipGen.

The 2020 CES show runs from January 7–10 in Las Vegas.

 

The post iHeartRadio Announces New Auto Integrations at CES 2020 appeared first on Radio World.

Radio companies want to be cool and hip, but they’re competing in a dramatically changed audio competitive environment.
Getty Images/Avesun

“The blood of the local radio industry will be on everybody’s hands if we do not get relief from these archaic and rusty shackles.”

That comment about regulation was made by Jeff Warshaw, the CEO of Connoisseur Media; and while the sentiment may be familiar to many in commercial radio, it was delivered in an unusual setting: the chamber of the Federal Communications Commission in Washington.

The FCC hosted a symposium in late 2019 to ask industry representatives about trends and challenges facing the radio industry. Anyone who wanted to compile a list of business challenges heard plenty to be worried about. 

The discussion, led by Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media, covered topics like music licensing fees, the future of AM radio, new revenue sources and minority ownership. And you knew regulatory relief was going to come up too.

UNLIMITED CONTENT

The speakers certainly were in agreement that the ways in which Americans watch, listen and read to content are evolving fast. 

“People are consuming media in different ways and in different places. There is an unlimited amount of content available now, but is it quality enough to attract listeners and in the places they need it?” said Hartley Adkins, president of Integrated Revenue Strategy for iHeartMedia. 

“If you have good content but someone can’t access it, or if you have poor content to begin with, it doesn’t work. … Even when you look at smart speakers, radio needs to be in position to deliver quality content in 2020 and beyond.”

At the FCC event (shown in a captioned webcast), Caroline Beasley emphasized the need for radio broadcasters to diversify their revenue streams. At left is Karen Slade, vice president/general manager of KJLH(FM) in Los Angeles.

Caroline Beasley, CEO of Beasley Media Group and former joint board chair of the NAB, told the symposium that radio must commit further to its local communities while exploring new platforms, as her company is doing with gaming and other initiatives.

“We’re providing great local content via our local signals, but we need to be everywhere our listeners are. That is a business model significantly different than the over-the-air model. So we are making decisions on where to spend our resources. We are facing and making some very challenging decisions, especially now during budget season, thinking about next year.”

Beasley said radio revenue in its radio markets has declined 30% over the past 10 years. “Our piece of the advertising pie is shrinking. It is going to digital, so if we want to stay in business we have to diversify our revenue streams. At the same time our costs are going up because we are being forced to distribute our programming over multiple platforms.”

[Learn about Media “Efficiency” Vs. Media “Effectiveness”] 

The panel visited the question of whether such companies are in “radio” or simply “media.”

Jeff Warshaw, CEO of Connoisseur Media, said he considers himself in the radio business but that its definition has broadened. 

“The [traditional] radio business, the business of broadcasting over the air and monetizing that service to advertisers, is shrinking, and will continue to shrink until it becomes an unviable business,” he said. “Just because we can now take our content and try to monetize it against a myriad of competitors on multiple platforms, doesn’t mean that the radio business isn’t shrinking and getting more difficult each it year. It is,” he said.

“We are now competing with companies that are hundreds of times larger than the biggest radio broadcaster. They are selling subscriptions, they sell data and they sell devices. They are unregulated, and we are stuck with regulations that could have never foreseen the types of competitive pressures we are facing.”

NEW VENTURES, NEW COSTS

 Karen Slade, VP and GM of KJLH Radio in Los Angeles, said her view was not from “30,000 feet up like the other members of the panel, but more like 10 flights up,” which gives her a different perspective. 

“We have about 500,000 listeners; but I’m also trying to reach more through local programs across platforms. It becomes almost cost-prohibitive for me, because every new venture and every new platform comes with a cost,” Slade said. “When can I get a return? There is additional licensing involved. Sometimes the better you do, the more expensive it gets.”

Mark Fratrik, senior VP for BIA Advisory Services, said radio must press ahead to roll out additional digital services. “It’s really the only potential for growth they have.”

Fratrik, in charge of BIA’s advertising forecast, predicts radio will never return to the OTA ad revenue levels it saw before the recession ending in 2009. “It just won’t ever get back to that; and when you consider inflation, radio revenue is really down 30 to 40% from just over a decade ago,” Fratrik said.

Delivering quantifiable results is crucial, according to the panelists. “Digital makes that a lot easier. ‘Last-click attribution,’ if you will,” Adkins said. “Radio was a little slower to that new reality, but now that we are doing it, advertisers are more comfortable giving us their money because we can prove our performance.”

iHeart’s new AdBuilder platform aims to help advertisers, especially smaller businesses, use online tools to order audio commercials and then target deployment, without talking to a sales rep.

Adkins said iHeartMedia continues with efforts to make the buying of advertising “friction-free” for advertisers.

[FCC Takes Your Questions on AM All-Digital]

“We have something in beta right now called AdBuilder that includes a user experience similar to Facebook and Google and allows advertisers to share information about the business and spits out a commercial for them. Then they can purchase time on the formats targeting the audience they want without spending any time with a sales rep. That’s the sort of modernization we are doing,” Adkins said.  

Alfred Liggins, CEO of Urban One, said FCC regulations often leave radio broadcasters at a disadvantage in the current marketplace. 

“Basically, technology [companies] right now are eating traditional media. And they are eating traditional media from a standpoint of making media become a loss leader,” he said. “You [have] Amazon and Apple entering the business, and their core business is not to provide audio to provide local news and information, they want to sell more product and devices.”

Liggins said he is not under the illusion that radio can compete with Google and Facebook and Yelp. “They are technology platforms, and we cannot offer all of the services, even with our digital products, that they can. However, scale will be necessary in order to survive the onslaught of new competition,” he said.

The problem with digital for radio, Liggins said, is it “turns analog dollars into digital dimes, since there are so many entities taking a slice of the pie it makes it unprofitable. Yet consumer consumption patterns demand that we are serving that space. We have to modernize.”

Liggins realizes terrestrial radio listenership continues to drop. “Persons using measured media is dropping significantly each year. There are so many more options. The time spent listening has significantly dropped,” he said. 

“A NEW MARKETPLACE OUT THERE”

The panel discussed AM radio and its future amid the possibility of future deregulation. 

“If ownership restrictions are loosened on FM, then what we expect to see is some of that content that you can only get on AM moving to FM,” Adkins of iHeartMedia said. “That could be the death knell for AM radio. AM is too important to us though. We feel there are plenty of opportunities on AM, the diversity is incredible whether it is sports play-by-play, Rush and Hannity and other content.”

Liggins of Urban One, though, was emphatic in answer to a question about AM’s survivability in the current marketplace: “I think it’s done. It’s just a matter of time. The fact of the matter is that AM content is already moving to the FM band, either on full-power FM stations or FM translators. Kids don’t know what the AM band is. It’s just an inferior listening experience.”      

When Fred Jacobs asked Caroline Beasley if her broadcast company is shopping for AM properties, she replied with a simple “no” and chuckled.

There was ample sentiment on the panel for further deregulation.

[Community Radio Seeks More Engagement]

“The blood of the local radio industry will be on everybody’s hands if we do not get relief from these archaic and rusty shackles,” said Warshaw. “It’s not fun and games. Radio is the one who provides local services. Spotify is unregulated. They are not going to promote anything locally. Pandora is not doing local news. Sirius FM is not raising money for local shelters. We couldn’t even get Apple to turn on the FM chip in the iPhone.”

The ability to “consolidate and have economies of scale has absolutely helped us increase news programming and increase public affairs programming,” he added. 

Fratrik of BIA Advisory Services summed up the tenor of the discussion: “For radio to grow and remain viable, it does need some level of relief from regulation that was fostered during an earlier period. We are in a different audio and entertainment environment, and certainly in a different advertising [one], and there has to be some recognition of that by the FCC and the DOJ that there is a new marketplace out there.”      

You can watch the video archive of the symposium at https://tinyurl.com/rw-fcc-symposium.

The post Audio Explosion Reverberates in Radio appeared first on Radio World.

 

Radio seems likely to keep up with the digital revolution in 2020. But can it attract younger listeners?

James Careless asks this question and others in the article “2020 Looks Good for Digital Radio, Smart Speakers.”

Also in this issue we look at what’s on tap for the European Radio & Digital Audio Show taking place this month, highlight recent NABA initiatives, unveil our 2020 European Radio Product Source List, and more.

Read the January issue of Radio World International here!

PRODUCT SOURCE LIST

2020 European Radio Product Source List

Your 2020 source for everything radio is ready! Find information on companies worldwide that offer products and services to media facilities

DIGITAL RADIO

Can an App Solve the DRM Receiver Problem?

Software solutions developed in South Korea may facilitate access to Digital Radio Mondiale

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

2020 European Radio & Digital Audio Show Unveils Program

WorldDAB GA: Collaboration Well Done, But More Is Necessary

Buyer’s Guide: Antennas, Transmission Line & Support; Power Protection 

The post Inside the January issue of Radio World International appeared first on Radio World.

The Digital Radio Mondiale standard for digital broadcasting in long, medium, and shortwave bands offers the possibility to transmit audio, text and pictures.

At work on the DRM app in AlgorKorea’s offices. Images courtesy of Dr. Soon S. Jarng, CTO, AlgorKorea.

A few broadcasters use DRM for both domestic and international transmissions. DRM’s largest problem is lack of receivers, especially affordable standalone ones.

Some listeners use an SDR, computer and free Dream software to receive the DRM signals, but this audience doesn’t make up the mass audience that broadcasters are looking for.

A FEW ISSUES

In addition, the Dream has two serious limitations: It can’t receive the latest DRM codec (xHE-AAC) and its current version is unable to receive MOT Slideshow.

Many international broadcasters will not commit to DRM transmissions because of the lack of receivers. There is an effort by some broadcasters to coordinate the purchase of thousands of standalone DRM receivers in the hope that this will jump-start the market for receivers. This effort is rather capital-intensive, however.

There are millions of Android and Apple smartphones and tablets already in use. What if they included an app that could receive DRM? What if that app could be coupled to the SDRs already in the hands of listeners?

A South Korean company, AlgorKorea, has developed a series of apps to do just that. AlgorKorea is best known for developing hearing aid firmware, according to Dr. Soon S. Jarng, CTO and founder.

HOW IT WORKS

AlgorKorea didn’t develop the apps with the intention of solving the DRM receiver issue. They developed them to resolve a problem with FM hearing aids used in classrooms.

So how do they work? The DRM+SDR version couples the popular and inexpensive RTL-SDR to an Android device with a USB OTG adapter.

The diagram shows how the DRM+ app connects to a phone or tablet.

The DRM+ app is compatible with both Android and Apple devices and couples to the SDR using audio cords. A common and inexpensive resistor/capacitor needs to be soldered into one of the cords.

The app can receive MOT Slideshow, DRM texts and Journaline, a text news/information feed. AlgorKorea says it’ll continue to develop DRM apps. “We’re working on another new app (an inexpensive SDR dongle) for the Msi SDR Panadapter, added Dr. Jarng.

Apps will play an important role in solving the DRM receiver problem and Algor’s offerings appear to be just the beginning.

Hans Johnson has worked in the shortwave broadcasting industry for over 20 years in consulting, frequency management, and sales.

The post Can an App Solve the DRM Receiver Problem? appeared first on Radio World.

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Media Bureau will host a webinar reviewing the functionality of, and changes to, the Commission's revised Children's Television Programing Report on January 23, 2020

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Using the CES 2020 show as a launching pad, SiriusXM is showing a dockable satellite radio, the SiriusXM Tour.

The set consists of a removable touchscreen module and a number of docks, providing the ability to use the same radio in the home, outdoors or in a car. It will also offer voice command control and the ability to use the internet via Wi-Fi.

The SiriusXM Tour is expected to be available to the public in May.

The post SiriusXM Releases New Hardware Receiver appeared first on Radio World.

Opponents of illegal broadcasting scored a major and long-anticipated victory today: The Senate (finally) passed the PIRATE Act Wednesday.

Short for “Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement,” only one hurdle remains for S.R. 1228: President Trump’s desk. 

The legislation also represents a coup for FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, who has championed the anti-piracy enforcement actions recently.

In response to the act’s Senate passage, National Association of Broadcasters President/CEO Gordon Smith said, “This legislation provides stronger resources to help the FCC combat illegal pirate radio operations, which not only interfere with licensed radio stations but also public safety communications and air traffic control systems. We look forward to the President signing the PIRATE Act into law.”

[Six Things Broadcasters Should Know About the PIRATE Act]

In February 2019, the PIRATE Act was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives for the second time. The anti-piracy bill was first introduced during the 115th Congress and passed in July 2018, but it wasn’t taken up by the Senate until 2019.

The post Senate Passes PIRATE Act appeared first on Radio World.

A pair of noncoms licensed to the University of Arkansas will pay a $76,000 civil penalty after admitting to violating the FCC’s underwriting laws.

KBPU(FM) of De Queen, Ark., and KTYC(FM) of Nashville, Ark., will also implement a five-year compliance plan coordinated with the Enforcement Bureau.

Both noncommercial education stations are managed by Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas.

In September 2016, KBPU(FM) and KTYC(FM) ran multiple announcements that “promoted their for-profit underwriters’ products or services and contained qualitative descriptions and comparative language, pricing information, and/or calls to action” over the course of three days. A complaint with a transcript was filed (EB-IHD-17-00024914) against the university. As part of the consent decree, the university admitted that the transcript is accurate, despite retraining staff on underwriting rules.

The University of Arkansas will now be required to make four payments of $19,000 to the U.S. Treasury and will also file regular compliance reports to prove they are taking steps to ensure these violations do not occur again.

The order was adopted and released Jan. 7. Read the order and consent decree (DA 20-12) here.

The post U of Arkansas NCEs Admit to Underwriting Oops appeared first on Radio World.

Bob Dillon

The author is senior vice president, Connected Radio for Xperi.

Not long ago, Gene “Bean” Baxter said goodbye to KROQ(FM)’s “The Kevin & Bean Show” after 30 years on the station’s signature morning drive-time show. He left behind a legacy that stretched across generations of listeners and traveled far beyond the Los Angeles basin. It’s fair to claim, in fact, that the “World Famous KROQ” lived up to its tagline in part due to the magic of shows like this one. 

It also raises two very good observations about the power of radio: that there’s something tangibly personal and rich about the broadcasting, and that as the world grows smaller —  radio becomes more inclusive and empowering. 

After all, one doesn’t have to be from Los Angeles to appreciate Kevin & Bean. The value and the significance of the content produced travels far beyond one spot on the map. In fact, it’s possible that the power of radio —  personal and real entertainment – has never been greater. That’s good news for everyone who values access to rich content — and the ability to choose what they’d like to consume.  

ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS ARE ENDLESS

Creating choices for entertainment is perhaps greatest inside your vehicle. Inside the cabin of today’s newer cars is a plethora of options, all of them good. You can connect your personal device via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto; there are satellite networks that deliver programming in hundreds of different ways and categories. On-board apps abound, full of playlists that continuously pump the music at you 24/7. 

The DTS Connected Radio Live Guide shows Now Playing information for each tunable station, enabling station choice based on what’s playing.

Then there’s radio. And it’s a stronger option today than ever before, thanks to the widespread adoption of HD Radio and the emergence of hybrid radio.

Our version of hybrid radio is DTS Connected Radio, which combines over-the-air broadcasting (analog, HD Radio and DAB+) and corresponding metadata (via IP) on a global scale. This convergence creates three very important benefits: 

Deeper and more fulfilling content for users: The combination of data with broadcast enhances the discovery of quality programming. In fact, one of the challenges around broadcast radio going digital is choice — especially in North America with HD Radio, where multi-casting has expanded the number of sources by over 2,000 stations. In addition, today’s modern digital platforms give users the ability to search via many different ways, including voice activation. Hybrid radio also provides that level of enhanced discoverability. There’s a rich visual interface so you can search for content, and the availability of information for all radio stations in a market in under one second. It combines the search-and-sort value of online experiences with higher quality radio programming available in the user’s market.

Affordable change at a global scale for automakers: There’s no mistake that the car dash is changing, getting more complex and more expensive. There’s increased connectivity and hardware, along with new regulations in Europe — and probably soon in North America — that require a module that’s basically a cellular modem in the car for emergency response. Hybrid radio leverages what automakers already are legally required to have as a part of their vehicle technology offerings. The only service that that can deliver that level of affordable infotainment inside a vehicle is radio. Automakers have already made an investment in the digital tuner; they’re now also required, in certain markets, to add a connectivity module for regulatory purposes, and emergency response. Hybrid radio brings these two components together, leverages the investment and creates enhanced radio — the only truly free medium. Automakers can now deploy an enhanced content platform through investments that they’ve already made — with broadcasters who are already on board. It’s affordable, rich content on a global scale, a single radio platform that delivers a consistent and enhanced user experience across analog, HD Radio, or DAB+ radio.

[DTS Promotes “Connected Radio” Project]

Sharper listener insights for broadcasters: The value of metadata doesn’t stop at the album name. Indeed, the real value is in user listening habits. For DTS Connected Radio, once the car is turned on the radio immediately connects to our service. Let’s say a session starts with a vehicle in Los Angeles. We know the radio station, and how long they listen before jumping to another station or service. All the while, we’re sending data to the user, creating a two-way feedback flow that we measure and send back to the station. The radio station can learn why they tuned in, and what made them leave. Did they tune to another radio station? Shut off the car, or did they drive out of coverage? How long did they listen? Ultimately, that’s all available audience flow data over time. Hybrid radio — at least DTS Connected Radio — is able to provide a measurement of their total audience and how that audience flows in and out of their station throughout the day. 

A DTS Connected Radio Now Playing screen shows image and text for currently playing content along with station metadata.

Overall, DTS Connected Radio enables automakers to create a common experience across analog and digital broadcasting. It pairs broadcast programming with IP-delivered content, all from the vehicle’s IP connection. The combination of analog programming and its corresponding metadata creates a richer, more valuable content experience — and one that’s affordable at a global scale for automakers. 

There’s a very real quality to the content that radio brings to listeners. Globally and regionally, it’s a vital part of how we enjoy life and expand our own personal horizons. Radio is unique in that way. As it moves forward toward a hybrid system of digital information and broadcast programming, it is evolving into a scalable format that brings the best of those real moments to an on-demand and two-way system of information sharing — done across a digital, affordable and global platform. 

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post Hybrid Radio Breaks Out  appeared first on Radio World.