Radio World

Mike Erickson on how to pick a broadcast processor. John Bisset on preventive maintenance, counterfeit circuit breakers and acoustic wall treatments.

Ron Schacht on why his AM station’s FM translator might be a net minus. Also, Paul Shulins on the services being offered by his new company.

And product news from SurferNetwork, Tieline, PromoSuite and WideOrbit.

Read the issue.

The post Inside the July 21, 2021 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

State emergency communications committees pay attention.

The FCC’s the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has announced that July 5, 2022, is the one-year deadline for filing State EAS Plans via the ARS online filing system, and the deadline for compliance with both the State EAS Plan content rules (Section 11.21(a)(1)-(7)) and EAS designations (Section 11.18).

[Read: Emergency Alert Changes Pass FCC]

The agency adds, “The ARS is an online filing system adopted in 2018 to modernize State EAS Plan submissions, and provide uniformity across State EAS Plans, in terms of both format and terminology, while affording sufficient flexibility to accommodate each SECC’s unique needs.”

The post State EAS Plan Deadlines Announced appeared first on Radio World.

A Florida radio station has received a notice of violation from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau for alleged spurious emissions on frequencies beyond the FM band.

The FCC said agents from its Miami office inspected WQTL(FM) in Tallahassee, which is owned by Adams Radio of Tallahassee.

The rules state that any emission on a frequency removed from a station’s carrier by more than 600 kHz must be attenuated at least 43 + 10 Log10 (Power, in watts) dB below the level of the unmodulated carrier, or 80 dB, whichever is the lesser attenuation.

[Read: FCC Nixes $1,500 Liability Against FM Translator]

The FCC noted that WQTL’s effective radiated power is 2250 Watts, so emissions on a frequency removed from carrier by more than 600 kHz must be attenuated by at least 76.52 dB.

The agents found that WQTL’s fundamental frequency, 106.1 MHz, had a signal level of –24.35 dBm. The Enforcement Bureau’s agents said they conducted measurements on spurious emissions from WQTL’s transmitter on two frequencies. Emissions on 121.249 MHz had a signal level of –54.89 dBm, and emissions on 136.41 MHz had a level of –75.50 dBm.

“The spurious emissions identified … have signal levels in excess of the limit for such emissions determined pursuant to Section 73.317(d) of the commission’s rules,” the bureau wrote.

The commission did not say what prompted this inspection. It has asked the station for additional information concerning the finding and any remedial actions taken. It has 20 days to reply.

The post FCC Taps Florida Station on the Shoulder appeared first on Radio World.

In September, Clay Freinwald will step down from his role as chair of the State Emergency Communications Committee in Washington state.

He has held that volunteer position longer than the Emergency Alert System has existed. Indeed, in 1996, when Freinwald was asked — by Entercom engineer John Price and the late Jimmy Hocutt of the state’s Emergency Management Division — to chair the SECC, the task at hand was to help write the state EAS plan, because the FCC was phasing out the Emergency Broadcasting System.

Several of the people who joined the committee at that time are still on it 25 years later, including current Vice Chair Ted Buehner.

[Read: Washington State EAS Is Evolving]

Freinwald continues to work part-time at Northwest Public Broadcasting as a telecommunications engineer, where he recently was involved with a transmitter installation at KQWS(FM) in Omak, Wash. He also provides site services for four American Tower sites around Seattle; he does contract work for KIRO(FM) and KING(FM); and he helps out at Bustos Media station KMIA(AM) in his hometown of Auburn, Wash.

He wants to spend more time on those activities as well as life at home; but said he’ll be available to work in other SECC roles if needed. “I would like to continue to deal with monitoring assignments, as this is part of our new plan,” he told Radio World.

Freinwald, who for a decade also chaired the EAS committee of the national Society of Broadcast Engineers, received Radio World’s “Excellence in Engineering” Award in 2007, and he was honored by the National Association of Broadcasters in 2018 with its Service to Broadcast Engineering Achievement Award. He’s also the rare engineer to receive a “Broadcaster of the Year” award from a state association; the Washington State Association of Broadcasters bestowed that honor in 1997.

New Plans in Place

In September the Washington SECC will roll out WA-PAWS, for Washington Public Alert and Warning Systems, incorporating updates as well as items required by the FCC for the EAS plan.

That’s timely, given that Congress and the commission are pressing states and their SECCs for a more organized and structured approach to alert management. But it seems Washington is one state that doesn’t need prompting.

Among the nation’s SECCs, the one in Washington has been among the most visible. When the commission asks for public input on an alerting issue, the Washington SECC usually is among those who reply. When the FCC began work on its Alert Reporting System, the state committee helped out with the beta testing.

Freinwald told me the group has historically tried to go beyond EAS by embracing all forms of public alert and warning. “Yes, Washington State’s program is different. We do what we feel should be done for the citizens here and are not limited by the FCC’s rules.”

He recalls being asked by the commission to send a copy of their state EAS plan, so he took a picture of its two large binders and asked if the commission really wanted copies of all of that information. (“We knew that one day we would want to change the title on the front of that binder.”)

[Read: Freinwald: Blue Alerts Offer No Tangible Improvements]

What might other states learn from the Washington experience?

“In many ways, our states are like ships passing in the night,” he said. “We all can, and should, be learning from each other. Washington has, perhaps, done a better job than some. Our goal to constantly improve is at the core of that.

“One of the biggest problems has been a lack of federal leadership and guidance,” he continued. “Some of this is based on the fear and/or respect for states’ rights, perhaps. The FCC recognizes this in that when states and territories submit their ‘plans,’ they get over 50 different approaches. The ARS will certainly help with this problem by providing some structure that has been lacking.”

But he noted that some states don’t even have a functioning SECC. “The fact that there is not a requirement to have one has not helped,” he said. “Clearly Congress was not happy with the situation in Hawaii, and this has started the ball rolling.”

He feels that the commission now is taking steps in the right direction that that it could do more. And he emphasizes that in Washington, EAS is a team effort.

“We work with a number of private and government entities. Communications is vital. We have email remailers for everyone in the state as well as one for the SECC members, and we do a lot of outreach and training.

“We have been blessed, and I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish,” he said. “This is not to say that we are perfect; we are far from it, and have a lot of work to do going forward. There is always room for improvement.”

The post Freinwald to Resign Washington SECC’s Chair appeared first on Radio World.

The author is senior solutions architect at Nova Entertainment.

When the 2000-vintage Klotz audio systems at Nova Entertainment Australia came up for replacement, the Technology & Content teams joined forces to design and deliver new spaces that more effectively captured, distributed and monetized content for multiple platforms.

Nova Entertainment operates stations in all major Australian capital cities. Because the Sydney site was the oldest and busiest, it was chosen first. The former system’s configurations were rigid by today’s standards and custom-designed only for live broadcast radio content. Due to capabilities, some studios went days without use, while others worked round the clock.

[Read more Radio World articles about audio consoles and mixers]

In recent years, content like podcasts have emerged as a major contributor to ongoing success as well as the now-inseparable video integration. Inspiration was therefore taken from numerous international TV studios as well as radio. Jago Design in the U.K. was engaged to help develop the initial concepts.

The technical design went out to tender a few years ago and a robust evaluation process followed.

In the end, the technology chosen was Lawo Ruby consoles and Power Core IP audio I/O and DSP nodes, Arista switches, Lawo VisTool and VSM, Riedel’s MediorNet video router, the Riedel Artist comms system, Philips Commercial Displays, Scala digital signage players, IHSE KVM extenders and routers, DMX lighting fixtures, and Panasonic PTZ cameras.

The Lawo ecosystem was chosen for its suite of relevant products under the one roof. As well as that, the Power Core, the building block of the system, was at an exciting point in its development and unrivalled for density and customization.

To maximize studio utilization and flexibility, each new space is designed as a blank canvas. Functionality is defined by settings saved in user snapshots, accessible by swiping an RFID building access card. Different scenarios are recalled in seconds. Control for audio, video, signage, lighting, KVM and more is through a single Lawo VisTool touch interface. When not in use, all settings are cleared and studios are turned off. When automated or network content is playing out, studios are bypassed.

System control is shared between Lawo’s VisTool, VSM and Line Scheduler systems. Studio touchscreen interfaces and user snapshot database management are handled by VisTool. VSM glues the discrete components of the system together, and Line Scheduler performs clever tricks to stitch studios together, as well as managing resources like codecs and interstate audio and video tielines.

The power of the integration between VisTool and VSM is put to good use, cross points controlled by VSM are visible to VisTool and able to be stored in user snapshots. This allows user snapshots to store settings for systems well outside its normal scope.

Now that Sydney is complete, the focus has shifted to other sites in the NOVA Entertainment network. Once rolled out further, the technology will connect sites together like never before with audio, video, intercom and control. An approach of “Any station, Any show, Anywhere” will allow any studio to go on-air to any brand nationally.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

Info: Jochen Richter in the U.S. at 1-888-810-4468 or for international queries +49-7222-1002-0 or visit www.lawo.com.

The post User Report: Nova Entertainment Rebuilds Anew in Sydney appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission wants to get a better sense of how effective the delivery of Wireless Emergency Alerts are.

So it has announced a new program of partnerships with 11 other government agencies. For the first time, it will survey these federal, state and local government partners about the delivery of WEA during the upcoming nationwide test on Aug. 11.

The FCC also has sent letters to wireless providers asking them to provide information on their performance after the test.

[Read: National EAS Test Will Focus on Broadcast Chain]

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel made the announcement.

“While the FCC has long required Emergency Alert System participants to report how nationwide EAS tests fared on their television and radio systems, this is the first time we will gather meaningful data about the performance of a nationwide Wireless Emergency Alert test,” Rosenworcel said in the announcement.

FEMA, in coordination with the FCC, will conduct the nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

For the WEA portion, a test message will be directed only to consumer cellphones where the subscriber has opted in to receive test messages.

Participating in the survey will be FEMA, the National Weather Service, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, Harris County (Texas) Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, New York City Emergency Management, Mendocino County (Calif.) Office of Emergency Services, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, City of Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, and the Utah Department of Public Safety.

The post FCC Wants Better Feedback About WEA appeared first on Radio World.

An Indiana public radio news station will be doubling down its efforts to reach even more listeners thanks to a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

The $983,000 grant to Indianapolis-based WFYI will allow its radio and TV stations to continue leading the America Amplified 2.0 public media program that is designed to meaningfully address local news and information needs through solid journalism practices. The initiative builds on the success of the first America Amplified, a CPB-supported partnership with public media outlets across the country.

[Read: CPB Announces Federal Grant Amounts]

Launched in 2019 to help strengthen public media’s ability to better incorporate community and citizen perspectives into the nation’s election coverage, the partnership also helped shape public media coverage of the coronavirus. One such venture under the previous grant was the establishment of weekly call-in radio shows co-hosted by public radio stations in different parts of the U.S.

With this current round of funding, WFYI plans to establish a team that will develop community engagement journalism practices at 20 public media stations around the country, with a particular focus on those parts of the nation that are often underserved by media.

“At WFYI, we believe engagement is the key to expanding audiences and deepening impact through all our public media platforms,” said WFYI President and CEO Greg Petrowich. “We’re pleased to have this opportunity to work with our colleagues at other stations to strengthen the role public media plays in their communities and learn from our shared experiences.”

[Read: Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media to Take Reins of Purdue Station]

As part of the 18-month grant, a four-person team hosted by WFYI will develop and implement community engagement journalism strategies alongside participating public media stations. According to WFYI, stations will be grouped in peer learning groups based on their shared interests. Subgrants will be distributed directly to those stations to fund their engagement initiatives.

“America Amplified demonstrated that community engagement is vital to public media journalism and a key to the trust that people place in their local public media stations,” said Kathy Merritt, CPB senior vice president, journalism, radio and community service grant services. “CPB is proud to support this initiative, which will extend engaged journalism across the system, enable stations to be more responsive to their audiences and foster public trust.”

The post $983,000 Grant to Help Public Media Stations appeared first on Radio World.

The radio station with a static video need, JVC Professional Video has announced a new line of PTZ remote operated cameras — 4K KY-PZ400NW/NB (pictured) and HD KY-PZ200NW/NB, for late summer/fall delivery.

Both cameras provide optimal streaming image quality and performance for remote production over the internet according to JVC. They are equipped with NDI|HX and SRT streaming, H.265/H.264/MJPEG encoding and VITC (vertical interval timecode) multicamera synchronization technologies.

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

JVC Professional Video Vice President Joe D’Amico said, “This new camera line marks many firsts for us at JVC, including our first PTZ camera to feature 4K streaming as well as our first PTZ with NDI|HX and SRT.” He explained, “(T)he JVC PTZ cameras now offer a high-quality, low-latency IP video transmission standard that is ideal for streaming in an ever-evolving media landscape.”

A third new camera, HD KY-PZ200W/B, provides a more affordable option for those without the need for NDI|HX.

The KY-PZ400N is equipped with a 4K 1/2.5-inch progressive scanning CMOS image sensor, has a wide angle of view (approx. 26.4mm @35mm equivalence), 0.5 Lux of minimum illumination and 16x digital zoom. The KY-PZ200N and KY-PZ200 feature an HD 1/2.8-inch progressive CMOS image sensor, as well as 20x optical zoom reaching out to 606.9mm @35mm equivalence. All three cameras have HDMI and 3G-SDI, RJ45 with PoE, RS232 and RS485 interfaces standard.

The three cameras also offer cameras include SRT, HTTP, RTSP, RTMP/RTMPS and standard protocols along with Network Time Protocol. NTP allows for multicamera synchronization for live event production — for the mixing and streaming of concerts, shows, sports and other live productions where image synchronization is crucial.

All three cameras are available in black or white exteriors to best match the studio color scheme. They are compatible with JVC’s RM-LP100 remote camera controller, JVC’s KM-IP6000/4000 live IP production suites and a variety of other options from vMix, OBS Studio and NewTek

Prices: KY-PZ400N — $2,599 (MSRP); KY-PZ200N — $2,099 (MSRP); and KY-PZ200 — $1,899 (MSRP).

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

Info: http://pro.jvc.com

The post JVC Pro Video Offers New PTZ Camera Line appeared first on Radio World.

The author is chief technology officer, Great Eastern Radio.

What a difference a year makes.

Before COVID-19, the ideal console was one that could fit every conceivable studio permutation from here to the next decade. In fact, that’s what we got when we purchased the Wheatstone D75 consoles and TDM router system for Great Eastern Radio’s regional studios in West Lebanon, N.H.

That worked until last March, when we sent our staff home and discovered that we didn’t need all the studio space we thought we did. We decided to rent out half of our three-story facility to a bank and consolidate studios for eight stations into a little over a floor.

I had 30 days to move six studios into half the space.

Custom Interfaces

Those big, capable D75s had to go, along with miles and hundreds of pounds of wiring, which would be replaced by one Cat-5 cable.

I have been buying WheatNet-IP I/O Blades one or two at a time over the years to manage HD Radio audio, figuring the TDM router would eventually be replaced by WheatNet-IP audio networking. I already had one foot firmly in the IP world, so it was a simple matter of adding to that world with an IP-12 console for the main studio.

The IP-12 is a nice entry-level IP audio console that takes up a lot less space than the D75, but because it is self-contained, it has a similar feel as the D75.

[Read more Radio World articles about audio consoles and mixers]

I ordered the IP-12, plugged it into my existing Blades, and an AoIP studio was born. For talent, the change was minimal, which was great, because I had some big changes in store for the rest of the move.

Due to COVID it had become increasingly evident that talent could do a lot from home, but at times they still needed to be able to voicetrack or produce a show in an acoustically treated room with all the right mixing and processing tools.

So we purchased 4 x 8-foot WhisperRoom with a small dropdown table where our talent could park their laptops or tablets, plug into the WheatNet-IP through an Ethernet connection and call up sources and route audio and processing from a virtual mixer on their laptops that I created using ScreenBuilder.

The idea of setting up “glass” consoles in Whisper Rooms was partially borne out of the necessity to save space and partly because these could serve a real need. Wheatstone’s ScreenBuilder made making a custom “glass” console with a touchscreen interface fast and easy.

ScreenBuilder is an app for building your own interfaces into WheatNet-IP. In my case, I was able to drop and drag metering, faders and buttons onto a screen and script them to tie into the elements in the studio.

For example, I tied in virtual tallies to the Comrex Opal codec gateways in the main studio/rack room so that when a guest joins a show remotely, our talent will be able to see that he’s connected.

Most of the scripting was done using ScreenBuilder’s Wizard although I did create a few lines of code myself and “borrow” a few lines from a Wheatstone integrator (thanks, Danny Teunissen) for a few minor customizations.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

More info: Jay Tyler at Wheatstone in North Carolina at 1-252-638-7000 or visit www.wheatstone.com.

The post User Report: Wheatstone Tools Facilitate Streamlining appeared first on Radio World.

Future Plc, the parent of Radio World, announced the appointment of Cindy Davis as content and brand director of AV Technology.

Since 2015, she has been a contributing editor to Future’s AV Technology (AVT) magazine, writing features and its Manager’s Guide series, as well as contributing articles to sister publications Systems Contractor News (SCN) and Sound & Video Contractor (SVC). In 2016, she helped launch the AV/IT Summit. She also developed and moderates the New Era AV/IT webcast series.

As the principal of CustomMedia.Co, Davis created multiplatform content for AVT, SCN, SVC and consumer electronics publications TWICE and Residential Systems.

The announcement was made by Carmel King, vice president of the company’s B2B Tech Group.

Davis is former publisher and editor-in-chief of Electronic House. From 2009 to present, as principal of CustomMedia.Co, she developed content for associations such as IEEE Standards Association and AVIXA, for Future and for numerous AV/IT companies.

The post Future Names Davis Content/Brand Director of AVT appeared first on Radio World.

Stories of advertising success abound across the radio industry — if you know what you’re doing. That’s one assessment from Veritonic, a marketing company that tracks trends in audio and identified 10 brands that “got audio right” in the first half of 2021.

Thankfully for the industry, there continues to be an increased focus on audio marketing, the company said in a recent blog post — despite the changes wrought by the pandemic. Podcasts, for one, have held their worth throughout the pandemic; according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, podcast advertising revenue is expected to exceed $1 billion this year and $2 billion by 2023.

Veritonic compiled a list of the top 10 podcast advertisers, noted for at least one creative attribute, be it aesthetically appealing audio, a humorous spot or successfully persuasive ad.

Top 10 Podcast Advertisers
Salesforce
chiliPAD
Zander Insurance
TD Ameritrade
Fundrise
Mini
NetSuite
Cash App
Hyundai
Parade

The software as a service company Salesforce, for example, jumped from the number eight spot in 2020 to number one in 2021 due to its ability to consistently create ads with strong recall. Other companies like the cool bedding company chiliPAD saw its advertisements score well because of the emotional attributes they built into their advertising, including a sense of familiarity and the jovial conversational tone between its podcast hosts.

Veritonic also ranked the top 10 radio advertisers for the first half of 2021. The industry can expect to see a 10% increase over the course of 2021, something the company calls a “considerable rebound” after the setbacks that were wrought by the pandemic.

Top 10 Radio Advertisers
Owning
Brakes Plus
CuriosityStream
Pennzoil
Little Caesars
LinkedIn
Roman
Cabinet Discounters
Sit ’n Sleep
PNC Bank

Companies with strong advertisements included Little Caesars, which uses humor and sonic branding (think of that “Pizza–Pizza” tune) to set itself apart from the competition. Other strong advertisers include LinkedIn and Pennzoil, which both enticed listeners with offers for free deals and promotions.

In its blog, Veritonic also reiterated the success that advertisers are having with sonic branding. It pointed to a recent study that found that consumers were more consistently able to identify a brand when the name of that brand was tied to an audio melody.

A weekly rating of audio advertisements are searchable on the Veritonic website including sample clips and a description of the audio scoring system that the company uses.

The post Brands that Cracked the Advertising Code in 2021 appeared first on Radio World.

Over the last 24 years our little local radio station grew from serving a single city to having a network of 13 radio stations with studios in five cities.

Whether we were doing a live remote down at a local car dealership or trying to air live content from another city, it always involved having an operator in a local studio monitor levels and turn channels on or off on the board.

Then COVID hit, and addressing concerns that had lingered for a very long time became urgent. Fortunately, we had been researching options that would afford multiple personnel the flexibility to monitor, operate and execute full control of the network from any remote location.

[Read more Radio World articles about audio consoles and mixers]

Remote control of on-air programming has been around a long time, so that was no issue. Remote operation of control room mixers has been around a little while, and remained an option. But to truly give full control of the entire radio station (and network) to all our on-air staff consecutively narrowed things down to only a few options.

We wanted the ability to “do radio” without a “physical radio station.”

One of them was a clear winner. We took the leap and ordered the Axia iQs virtual mixing console. In a nutshell, the iQs is a 1RU computer that is routed to a central switch. It utilizes as many xNode Livewire digital network interface units that you may require, each capable of four inputs and four outputs of digital or analog audio signals along with GPIO options all routed to the switch.

Once set up, you have a virtual mixer that you can operate from a touchscreen monitor in a traditional radio studio, or from a laptop in your house, or from a cellphone on your boat. At your disposal are all of the capabilities of a large-scale studio (or network of studios), and you are able to configure and control them from anywhere.

The xNodes have a proven track record of reliability, but having a small one-rack unit replace a four-foot radio console with 300 wires attached to it was a bit of a stretch. And to think that the only cable attached to this “virtual console” was a single about the width of a straw.

Removing the miles of cables running to our studio and replacing a $20,000 18-fader digital console with a touchscreen monitor took a little faith. Especially when we were told that we were the first station in Canada to do so.

We anticipated a steep learning curve and were prepared to spend a month converting our main studio, four sister studios and 13 broadcast locations. But the engineers at Telos Alliance have made this system so user-friendly that we were using it within seven days of installation.

Axia has made this system user-definable and expandable. iQs has our staff amazed at its simplicity, our engineer thrilled with its flexibility and our accountant happy as a clam with the price.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

Info: Cam Eicher at The Telos Alliance at 1-216-241-7225 or www.telosalliance.com.

The post User Report: KFM Takes Leap of Faith With Virtual Mixing appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC’s Media Bureau is extending comment and reply deadlines for the update of the 2018 Quadrennial Review.

Originally set July 1, for Aug. 2 (comments) and Aug. 30, (reply), the new deadlines are now Sept. 2 (comments) and Oct. 1 (reply).

[Read: FCC Wants More Input Before Finishing Rule Review]

On July 12, the FCC was petitioned by Common Cause, Free Press, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, and the National Association of Broadcasters for the extension. The groups suggested the dates accepted.

According to the FCC, “The Joint Filers explain that, as more than two years have passed since the original comment cycle in this proceeding was completed, there have been many economic and legal developments in the media industry in that time. The Joint Filers state that they and other interested parties need additional time to address the many complex economic and legal issues through research, updates to previously filed material, and new information.”

[Read: Further Relaxation of Ownership Seems Unlikely]

The Media Bureau said that while it doesn’t normally grant extensions, “an extension should enable interested parties to present more complete and thoughtful comments to the commission, we agree with the joint filers that both the parties commenting in the proceeding and the commission should benefit and that the extension should not disadvantage any party.”

The post FCC Media Bureau Extends Deadlines for 2018 Quadrennial Review appeared first on Radio World.

Marking the company’s 25th anniversary, RME has launched the Fireface UCX II, featuring 40 I/O channels in a compact half-rack size.

The unit offers up to 20 recording and 20 playback channels, SteadyClock FS, built-in parametric EQ, USB direct recording and full standalone functionality.

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

The Fireface UCX II houses two mic/line preamps in XLR combo configuration on the front panel, along with two digitally controlled line/instrument inputs, followed by a headphone jack, various control buttons, a display, and the main volume knob. At the rear is a set of 10 analog balanced line inputs and outputs, MIDI I/O, ADAT I/O, AES/EBU and S/PDIF I/O, USB 2.0 as well as a switchable Word Clock I/O.

The onboard digital DURec (Direct USB Recording) functionality allows any input or output of the Fireface UCX II to be recorded directly to a USB storage device. This means DURec uses the integrated DSP which provides standalone operation without the need for a computer.

SteadyClock FS on the unit is the latest clock and jitter rejection technology from RME. Based on a femtosecond clock, SteadyClock FS reportedly reduces jitter when converting from and to analog over digital formats.

The unit also comes with the TotalMix FX DSP mixer offering routing and monitoring options, as well as the DIGICheck analyzer allowing it to measure and analyze the digital data feed in both directions.

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

Info: www.rme-usa.com and U.S. distributor www.synthax.com

The post RME Launches Fireface UCX II USB Audio Interface appeared first on Radio World.

Acoustical design in podcast and webcast studios is the topic of an upcoming online presentation by the AES NY Section.

It will be presented by Sam Berkow of SIA Acoustics, a division of Robert Derector Associates, and hosted by David Bialik.

“When considering setting up a podcasting studio, equipment selection is often the first, second and third consideration. However, to achieve high-quality sound, the acoustics of the space should also be considered,” the organizers wrote in an event summary.

“We will discuss the design issues of smaller studios. Issues of room acoustics, acoustic isolation and ambient noise levels all should be part of the planning for a pod/webcasting facility. Practical solutions for addressing these issues will be presented.”

It will be shown on the AES NY Facebook page on Wednesday July 28 at 3 p.m. Eastern, and is open to anyone to watch.

The post Berkow to Speak About Designing Podcast Spaces appeared first on Radio World.

Continental Electronics says high-frequency radio communications can be used to protect the satellite network that provides connectivity for America’s military.

The manufacturer, which is noting its 75th anniversary, notes that satellites are susceptible to jamming, eavesdropping and futuristic warfare tactics such as electronic A2AD, or “Anti-Access/Area Denial,” attacks.

But it says Wide-Band High-Frequency (WBHF) technology in particular can help ensure secure communications.

Given Continental’s history in broadcasting, Radio World caught up with President Dan Dickey for an emailed update.

Radio World: Dan, happy 75 to Continental. Radio engineers familiar with Continental will be interested in learn about what the company is doing in the area of wide-band high-frequency technology.
Dan Dickey: For Beyond Line of Sight Communication (BLOS), the military has been using high-frequency technology since the 1930s. Typically, these radios would transmit with a bandwidth of 3 kHz. This equates to a slow 9600 bps data transfer rate.

When you put this into perspective, this is slower than dial-up modems we used in the early 1990s.

CEC has developed a state-of-the-art, solid-state transmitter capable of operating at 48 kHz, which equates to a transfer rate of 240 kpbs. This provides a much faster data link, and with the known resilience of HF BLOS communication, old HF communication networks are becoming new technology again. It has become a resilient alternative to vulnerable satellite communication systems.

CEC’s digital HF solid-state transmitters incorporate many features that CEC has proven in the field for other transmission bands for other applications. CEC has applied its vast digital signal processing experience to create a very linear, low-noise system. CEC’s HF broadband experience makes operating anywhere in the 2 to 30 MHz range fast and effortless.

In addition, by implementing our proven solid-state amplifier liquid-cooling approach, CEC is offering an extremely efficient and power-dense solution, requiring much less floor space than previous air cooled systems.

RW: Who are the typical users of this technology?
Dickey: The military and disaster response teams use high-frequency radios for communications. This is a very robust and secure form of long-distance communication that does not rely on satellites. Instead, it uses multiple HF transceivers in various locations to form a digital wireless network, except the distances between nodes is hundreds or thousands of kilometers.

With the growing threat of satellite jamming and manipulation, HF communication is seen as a low-cost secure alternative. However, higher transmission bandwidth is needed to carry the desired payloads across long distances. In the past, 3 kHz was a typical bandwidth for the analog HF communication links. With WBHF, the payload bandwidth is extended up to 48 kHz allowing more information to be transmitted increasing the value of this robust form of communication.

RW: Can you give an example of a recent sale or installation that typifies this application?
Dickey: We are in the process of assembling a prototype system for testing and evaluation. We will be releasing more information on our solution in coming months.

RW: A common comment we hear is that “shortwave is dying.” You presumably feel otherwise, so how would you answer such comments?
Dickey: It is true that over the past several decades, the number of shortwave broadcasters has reduced.

Our opinion here at Continental is that many of the European and American broadcasters believe that they can reach their audience or listeners via the internet.

However, this is not true for many listeners outside of North America, Europe and developed Asian countries, such as Korea and Japan.

Imagine how many billions of people in Asia, Africa and South America do not have access to the internet. Typically the broadcasters who want to reach these people across oceans and borders are either nonprofit or government broadcasters. People in these regions rely on shortwave radio to receive information. Many of these systems have been in operation for many years and we are seeing an increase in demand to upgrade these transmitter systems.

RW: Is Continental still active in making and selling to the broadcast marketplace?
Dickey: Absolutely. CEC remains true to our broadcast origins back to our founding in 1946. We continue to supply shortwave transmitter systems around the world, with our most recent installations in Korea, Saudi Arabia and most recently, a complete 500 kW transmitter system in the U.S. CEC also re-entered the TV market in 2017 with our CTX line of transmitters.

RW: What else should we know about Continental’s current direction and business strategies?
Dickey: Organized in 1946, CEC is celebrating our 75th anniversary this year. There are thousands of CEC transmitters installed around the world. Today, Continental Electronics offers a full range of products for LF, VLF, HF, VHF, FM, S and X Band as well as high-power amplifiers for any applications in such markets as medical, science, industrial, government and military communications, space communications, PNT (navigation), and radar to name a few.

When customers need a high-power RF solution for their application, they come to Continental Electronics.

The post Continental Highlights Benefits of WBHF Technology appeared first on Radio World.

PromoSuite announced a product that it says enables radio stations to manage their digital creative process with customizable workflows.

“PromoSuite Digital allows teams to create, approve and post all digital assets from start to finish, without ever having to leave the platform,” the company said in an announcement.

CTO Chris Bungo was quoted saying the offering gives clients the ability to create custom order forms and workflows for each of their digital channels including websites, social media pages and YouTube channels.

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

It’s described as a collaboration platform that connects members of a digital team who are involved in the process of selling, producing, approving and placing digital assets.

It was developed by a team led by VP, Product Design and Development Rey Mena.

PromoSuite Digital, PromoSuite Production and PromoSuite Promotions are built on the company’s PromoSuitePlus platform. The company says functions independently but can also work cohesively together. PromoSuite Promotions will complete the PromoSuitePlus platform next year.

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

Info: https://promosuite.com

The post PromoSuite Introduces Digital Workflow Product appeared first on Radio World.

A discussion about updating the commission’s personal radio service rules will be part of the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Meeting on Aug. 5.

The commission is considering granting three petitions of reconsideration to the Part 95 Personal Radio Services Rules, a set of guidelines last updated in May 2017 when the FCC reorganized and amended rules governing various short-range, low-power radio services — including the CB radio service, general mobile radio services (GMRS) and family radio service (FRS).

[Read: Rosenworcel Wants to Update Political Programming Rules]

The changes up for debate would allow FM to be used as an optional modulation scheme for all existing CB radio service channels and allow automatic or periodic location and data transmissions in the GMRS and FRS, which are channels often used during recreational activities and during emergencies and natural disasters.

The order would also correct typographical errors and rule changes to Part 95 that inadvertently changed the medical device radiocommunications service rules, also known as MedRadio.

The commission decided that the public interest would be served by making some additional rule changes as suggested by the three requests for reconsideration filed by Cobra Electronics, Motorola Solutions and Medtronic.

When the FCC last considered changes to Part 95 rules surrounding CB radio, the commission declined to permit use of FM frequency modulation, leaving AM amplitude modulation and SSB single side band as the only permitted voice emission types. At the time, the commission concluded that such a change might substantially change the character of the service, saying that the “alternative modulation techniques would be incompatible with the existing equipment base.”

Soon after, a petition for reconsideration was filed by Cobra requesting that the commission reconsider and permit FM operation as part of an optional dual-modulation scheme for CB radios, meaning that a CB radio could have both AM and FM capability. In its filing, Cobra stated that this “would allow users to enjoy the benefits of FM, if they so choose, while ensuring every new radio sold could communicate with all the existing radios in the field.” The company pointed out that a dual-modulation approach has been used successfully in other countries for many years and would benefit both professional and recreational CB users in terms of providing better quality and clarity.

The commission agreed and concluded that allowing manufacturers to add FM as an optional modulation scheme will not substantially change the fundamental nature of the CB radio service and would improve the user experience.

“Continuing to mandate AM capability while permitting dual modulation will provide benefits to CB radio users who will have an additional modulation option, while maintaining the basic character of the service,” the commission wrote in its order on reconsideration. “The addition of FM as a permitted mode will not result in additional interference because users who hear unintelligible audio on a particular channel can simply select another channel or switch modes.”

The commission said that parties planning to incorporate FM mode into CB radios will need to obtain a grant of certification under the commission’s equipment authorization rules.

The commission will also consider allowing automatic or periodic location and data transmission on all GMRS channels, even though in its previous report and order it concluded there was not enough formally recorded discussion in the FCC comment database to consider it. Based on the supplemental record received in this new proceeding, however, the commission concluded that the public interest will be furthered by allowing automatic or periodic location and data transmission on all GMRS channels. This is in contrast to the earlier changes, which only permitted manually initiated data transmissions.

The safety of radio users in remote, outdoor locations will be increased by having more frequent location information available without repeated manual requests, the commission said in its report. In addition, in an emergency situation involving individuals who are disoriented or otherwise unable to send manual transmissions, the automatic transmission of location information could enhance search and rescue operations.

The commission also agreed to fix typographical errors, clarify language within the Part 95 rules and correct unintended substantive changes made in earlier changes as part of this petition for reconsideration.

The post FCC to Consider Changes to Part 95 Rules appeared first on Radio World.

Marketplace is partnering with Westwood One to offer a 60-second “Marketplace Minute” to public radio stations.

“Twice daily, the one-minute program provides up-to-the-moment economic news in Marketplace’s signature accessible style. ‘Marketplace Minute’ will be available on participating public radio stations starting in August,” the organizations announced.

[Read: APM Picks Riddle]

It is a co-production of American Public Media and the Cumulus Podcast Network. The show will also publish three times daily as a podcast and as a smart speaker briefing on Amazon, Google and Apple devices. It’s available on Apple iPhones through Siri.

The new short-form content joins the stable that also includes “Marketplace,” “Marketplace Morning Report” and “Marketplace Tech.”

The announcement was made by Chandra Kavati, vice president of distribution and underwriting at American Public Media, which distributes Marketplace programming. She said it means stations can offer timely updates throughout the day.

Here is a sample of “Marketplace Minute.”

The post Public Radio Gets a “Marketplace Minute” appeared first on Radio World.

Wheatstone said it plans a million-dollar investment to increase its production capacity.

The company, headquartered in New Bern, N.C., said it is making large component buys and an investment in new factory equipment.

“The goal is to double production in its New Bern factory where all Wheatstone and Audioarts products are made, from machining, fabrication, screening and circuit board surface mount to final testing and AoIP system configuration,” it stated in a release.

[Read: Wheatstone Rolls Out the Blade 4]

Wheatstone quoted Production Manager Matt Wilson saying that by keeping manufacturing in-house, it can respond more quickly to changes and have better control over a “volatile” supply chain.

Additions to the factory include a second multi-axis CNC mill and a larger-format brake press for precision metal work. Wheatstone also was an early adopter of surface-mount manufacturing technology, and plans to add another surface-mount machine to its floor to support manufacturing of its consoles, Blades and audio processors.

The company said its recent orders include a multimillion dollar contract that includes WheatNet-IP audio console surfaces, network devices and system preconfiguration for 24/7 studios in 32 U.S. markets, “with the majority of completed systems to ship through September.” It did not identify the customer.

Manufacturers of broadcasting equipment are among those hit by the global instability in component availability. “Lead times on everything down to diodes and capacitors are insane,” Wheatstone’s Dee McVicker said, so the company has increased its materials inventories. “We’re sitting in a really good place, having been able to meet the requirements for one of our largest orders to date plus meeting all of our usual production runs with plenty of parts to spare.”

The post Wheatstone Beefs Up Factory Capacity appeared first on Radio World.