Radio World

The AirCheck tool is on screen at right.

The author is head of Audio and Innovation at Eurovision Sport, part of the European Broadcasting Union. EBU commentaries appear regularly at radioworld.com.

Rewind your memory, if you dare, to March 2020 and the start of the global pandemic. For radio broadcasters, there was a sudden need to adapt to new workflows from their sofas and closets.

But for one group of resilient and hardy journalists, this transition was relatively painless. Sports commentators have something in their DNA that allows them to easily connect to their studio centers from anywhere in the world and to start broadcasting.

[Read: EBU’s New Head of Radio Sees Opportunity, Peril]

The problem though was that often there was nothing for them to commentate on! The UEFA Euro2020 tournament was to be the big football event of the year, but that was quickly postponed as nations headed towards local lockdowns.

UEFA Euro2020 was set to be the first edition of the tournament to take place across many different countries — an idea conceived back in 2012, in more innocent times, to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the event.

Football has a remarkable ability to unite nations and to serve as a wonderful distraction in difficult times, something that made its absence in 2020 even more evident.

So, after a long year of waiting, fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief as the first match kicked off in June 2021 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The tournament, played across different European countries, as originally planned, was to prove challenging for broadcasters dealing with travel restrictions.

The European Broadcasters Union represents and unites broadcasters across Europe and the rest of the world, and around 40 of our radio members delivered coverage of the tournament to millions of listeners worldwide.

Many of those broadcasters deployed commentary teams to cover matches inside venues throughout Europe, while others decided to work from home, commentating off TV monitors in their studios.

For those working “off-tube,” UEFA Bookings provided a “radio international sound streaming service” over the public internet, delivering high-quality sound with watermarked TV pictures specifically for radio commentators.

The rights-protected service was delivered over the SRT and WebRTC streaming protocols to provide high-quality, reliable and low-latency pictures to broadcasters, freeing them from the traditional reliance on expensive satellite downlinks.

Another popular innovation introduced at this tournament was the Eurovision Sport AudioFoot AirCheck platform, designed for EBU radio members to share near-live emotions.

Football delivers raw and passionate moments that cross language barriers. For example, the Portuguese broadcaster RTP celebrates each and every goal with their iconic “Goooaaaal” shouts. Radio Nacional de España sounds dramatic, punctuating their commentary with music and sound effects. The BBC in the U.K. and ARD in Germany deliver a considered commentary style.

Yet no broadcaster can hold back their emotions when their team is about to drop out of the tournament or progress through to the finals.

All of these moments, no matter their language, can prove incredibly useful to producers and journalists looking to build a story of a tournament that stretches far beyond their own radio station’s boundaries.

Swiss start-up deliver.media developed a platform, dubbed AirCheck, to provide access to near-live recordings of the audio output from many of our members.

The platform is unique in its ability to scale using a distributed cloud architecture, currently recording over 240 radio stations. Mathieu Habegger, who established deliver.media, has years’ of broadcast experience behind him.

He created a simple and efficient user interface that does its best to abstract away all of the technicalities involved in the backend, allowing the producer to mark-in, mark-out and download any section of audio for use in their own features or live broadcasts.

We worked with the developers to further customize the platform to support the specific needs of sports journalists working in a pressurized environment.

Live sports data was ingested and embedded onto the digital audio files, making it incredibly easy to locate and download goal commentary.

In addition, a player was developed that could synchronize, display and download audio from multiple broadcasters at any one time.

For broadcasters, it is now incredibly easy to locate a goal from a particular match and to have instant access to the commentary from all of our broadcasters — this makes it so easy for us to reflect the emotions of football across Europe.

It also had some unintended uses. For example, on the second night of the tournament, Denmark’s Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch.

Our Senior Sports Producer Micky Curling was able to locate DR’s highly emotional commentary and make it available to other broadcasters within minutes of the incident. This would have been impossible without the new tool.

The platform also has a flexible data backend that allows users to ingest any type of additional metadata and commentary. deliver.media aims to make linear and audio content searchable in the future and are looking to use AI and deeper audio analysis to really enhance the user experience.

With deliver.media’s AirCheck tool, the innovation from UEFA, and of course the ongoing dedication from radio sports journalists across Europe, UEFA Euro2020 proves once again that football is an opportunity for nations to unite and celebrate a shared human experience.

 

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Then-Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is shown at a Senate hearing in 2020. She is now acting chairwoman. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

The FCC’s ongoing local media ownership review is in a state of flux without a confirmed chairperson leading it.

Since late January the Federal Communications Commission has been led by Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, and FCC watchers consider it unlikely that she would proceed with the 2018 Quadrennial Review of Media Ownership Rules until a chair is named by President Biden and approved by the Senate. As of mid-June the FCC remained split 2–2 along party lines.

But even when a chair is named — Rosenworcel or anyone else — we probably shouldn’t expect a Democratic-controlled FCC to relax ownership rules further.

Unanimous vote

Broadcasters got a big win in April when the Supreme Court unanimously upheld changes that the FCC made to ownership rules in 2017. The commission had a Republican majority when those changes were made.

The ruling in “Federal Communications Commission v. Prometheus Radio Project” allowed the FCC to abolish the ban on newspaper/broadcast and radio/TV cross-ownership, and relax several local TV ownership regulations. Court challenges have now been exhausted.

That outcome “effectively reinstates the rules adopted in the 2017 Recon Order,” according to a FCC spokesperson.

One attorney familiar with the process says the FCC is likely to tread lightly on further rule changes at least until a chair is named.

“Traditionally an FCC interim chair is unwilling to begin any new initiatives, or in this case conclude the review with any changes. Especially when the current commission is deadlocked,” the attorney said.

And the political world has continued to turn since then-Chairman Ajit Pai prioritized relaxation of media ownership limits.

Rosenworcel voted against the rule changes then; and she again made her feelings known in a statement following the SCOTUS announcement.

“While I am disappointed by the court’s decision, the values that have long upheld our media policies — competition, localism and diversity — remain strong. I am committed to ensuring that these principles guide this agency as we move forward.”

Congress directs the FCC to review ownership rules every four years and update them to reflect competitive changes that affect the radio and television business. The process is intended to allow reforms to reflect the evolving media marketplace. In addition, local ownership rules seek to “promote competition, localism and viewpoint diversity in today’s radio marketplace,” according to the FCC.

The current cycle will likely be completed late this year or early 2022.

The review does offer the commission an opening to change the radio subcap limit, observers said. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that launched the process mentions the “local radio ownership rule” as one of those subject to review.

And pressure to relax ownership rules further has increased in light of the economic hit radio took during the pandemic.

The current caps were adopted in 1996. They allow for an entity to own up to eight stations in the largest markets, no more than five of which may be in the same service (AM or FM). The limits drop in smaller markets.

The National Association of Broadcasters thinks that one party should be able to own up to eight FM stations in any of the top 75 Nielsen radio markets. It also has said there should be no FCC ownership limits in markets smaller than the top 75, and that AMs should not be counted against the ownership limits.

In addition, NAB hopes that radio owners that incubate the ownership of stations by new entrants into broadcasting would be allowed to own up to two additional FMs in a market.

NAB in its proposal cited a dramatic increase in competition from streaming and satellite radio. It said over-the-air radio should have a level regulatory playing field with the new competition.

“We should take a close look”

The association is optimistic there will be some movement on radio subcaps.

“We think there will be changes. It’s more of a question how far the FCC will go. A lot will depend on who the chair is. Everyone has a different opinion,” an NAB spokesperson told Radio World.

The spokesperson anticipated that the FCC would issue a notice to refresh the record and collect additional comments before releasing a final order — and that in fact happened in early June.

In inviting fresh comments, the FCC wrote: “Beyond reviewing the existing record in light of the passage of time, we also seek submission of new or additional information regarding the media marketplace that commenters believe is relevant to this proceeding,” mentioning the broadcast industry’s evolution since early 2019, the growth of online audio and video sources and the impact of the pandemic.

When NAB floated its subcap proposal in 2019, the largest ownership group was opposed to higher FM limits. According to an internal memo reported on several industry websites, iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and COO Rich Bressler described the NAB proposal as “bad for the industry” and worried “what NAB’s idea would do to the value of AM properties.”

Emails requesting comment from iHeartMedia leadership were not returned.

Matthew McCormick, co-managing member at the law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreath PLC, would be surprised if there were any significant further relaxation of ownership rules. “I think it is unlikely that a Democratic-controlled commission will adopt the NAB’s proposal to loosen the radio ownership caps,” he said.

Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, in a speech to the Media Institute in May, said it is not clear if consolidation will accelerate following the Supreme Court decision.

“I certainly have a renewed interested in using the next Quadrennial Review to ensure that the pillars of diversity, localism and competition are fully considered in determining what future media ownership regulation should look like,” said Starks, the other Democrat on the commission.

“We should take a close look at everything and see what makes sense in today’s markets.”

Starks compared today’s media ownership landscape to how it was just 40 years ago.

“In 1983 there were about 50 dominant media companies. Today there are five media conglomerates that own about 90 percent of the media in the United States, including newspapers, magazines, movie studios and radio and television stations,” he said.

David Honig, president emeritus and co-founder of the Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council, thinks it unlikely that this quadrennial review will result in further major changes.

“MMTC, along with NABOB [National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters], has asked the commission to maintain the local ownership caps, and we expect that to happen,” Honig told Radio World in an e-mail.

Others pointed out that as political administrations swing back and forth, so do priorities.

“A Democratic commission is unlikely to relax the multiple ownership rules any more than the Supreme Court required. [And] while the commission is tied 2–2, don’t expect controversial changes,” said Melodie Virtue, a communications attorney with Foster and Garvey PC.

More comments?

David Oxenford at Wilkinson Barker Knauer wrote on his blog earlier this year: “Now that the Third Circuit’s reasoning has been rejected, that still does not mean that the FCC, particularly a Democratic-controlled FCC, will automatically look to relax the radio rule.”

When Oxenford wrote that, he too anticipated that the commission would ask for more comments, as it eventually did. “In other words, any change in the radio ownership rules will not come quickly.”

But political volatility in Washington could also lead to a more unpredictable FCC, according to Scott Flick, a Washington-based attorney with Pillsbury Shaw Pittman LLP.

“The traditional Washington perspective on the FCC is that Democratic commissioners seek to regulate and Republican commissioners seek to deregulate. There was a period of time, however, where the views of an FCC commissioner were more informed by their background and experience than by their party affiliation,” he said.

“Whether it was the result of more flexibility in party ideology or a greater willingness to horse trade on issues to achieve the best overall result in that commissioner’s view, it led to a more predictable and consistent FCC.”

That consistency, Flick said, benefited everyone — not just those appearing before the FCC trying to build new businesses and business models without finding their plans upended every four years, but also “the FCC staffers themselves, whose job is made easier when the correct answer on a particular point is the same this year as it was last year, unaffected by perennial changes in commissioners and politics.”

The post Further Relaxation of Ownership Seems Unlikely appeared first on Radio World.

I recently had the opportunity to test out the new Movo UM700 USB Desktop Studio Microphone.

Movo Photo is an L.A.-based dealer that offers its own products along with those of others in the field of audio, video, photography and lots of accessories for those disciplines.

The UM700 costs about $100. The company markets it as “a Blue Yeti killer.”

To throw the specs out first, it stands about a foot tall on its desk mount and weighs just over 2 pounds.

It is a solid mic as far as its metal body and overall build, and certainly has the physical feel of a mic that will stand up to time, with a notable exception to be discussed.

It uses a 1/2-in he diaphragm and shows a frequency response (per manufacturer) of 20 Hz–20 kHz. As a USB microphone — no XLR — it’s limited to the world of PCs and laptops. It pulls its 5V power over the USB (at 150mA per manufacturer’s specification), and that is to power the internal headphone amplifier (using a mini 1/8-inch stereo jacks).

The sample rate listed is 48 kHz with a 16-bit depth. According to the company the headphone amplifier output impedance is 16 ohms, and headphone amp output frequency response is 15 kHz–20 kHz.

Choose your pattern

What makes this microphone unique for an affordable USB microphone is an adjustable polar pattern.

On the back of the mic are two controls. One for mic gain/sensitivity, and the other for pick-up pattern. By rotating a solid switch, it can have a stereo, cardioid, omnidirectional or bidirectional pick-up pattern.

The front of the mic has a headphone volume adjustment, plus a handy “mute” button (which illuminates to remind you that it is muted). It has a green indicator light to show you when it has a connection and is powered. One other feature is the 5/8-inch threaded opening in the bottom for a standard mic mount. Though you can’t swivel the mic on its included stand, it can be removed and used with a microphone stand, gooseneck or boom arm.

How does it sound? This is always a subjective question when working with microphones. So much relies on an individual’s own voice; mine is lower. For that it sounds decent.

It has a “proximity effect” to it, meaning you can “color” the audio quality of the mic by working it close or far. This is not something I like with mics in general, but some mics (like the EV RE320 and 20 series) are excellent at producing the same tonal quality no matter what the distance.

On the positive side, the adjustable pattern is a cool feature, and using a mic in stereo mode for some situations (like an interview where you only use a single mic) really provides an excellent “audible image” of the interview. You can hear the placement of the people in relation to the listener (or the mic). This is very nice.

The sensitivity is also a plus, though it should be noted that there’s enough gain to the mic to really increase noise as well.

Though I’ve had this mic for testing for about a month, there is a notable weakness. The micro USB connection on the bottom of the mic is flimsy. Mine is already loose and occasionally causes an intermittent issue.

That is a serious flaw and, in my opinion, likely to cause failure and a short life. Unless they redesign it with a much more robust connection (or full-size) USB, I wouldn’t recommend it because of that problem.

For the quality of the sound, features and otherwise robust built, it’s a shame that a 25-cent connection limits this microphone.

PRODUCT CAPSULE

Movo UM700 USB Desktop Studio Microphone

Thumbs Up: Nice sound, multipattern mic in USB connection format; compatible with Windows and Mac

Thumbs Down: Flimsy USB connector

Price: $99.95

For information, contact Movo Photo at 1-800-354-1739 or visit www.movophoto.com.

The post Movin’ on Up With the Movo UM700 appeared first on Radio World.

So here’s the buzz… if the unusual design of the King Bee II makes one think about Blue, that’s not an accident.

The same group that founded Blue (technically Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics) a couple of decades ago and built it into a major microphone player, are also behind Neat Microphones, the maker of the King Bee II (and the original King Bee along with other XLR mics and many USB mics).

Not surprisingly, the mic designs put out by Neat have been … eye-catching.

Neat was recently acquired by iconic computer sound card pioneer now computer gaming peripherals power Turtle Beach …

But back to the King Bee II. It’s a cardioid large diaphragm condenser aiming to be a studio mic rather than a computer peripheral. This mic has an XLR output. Following in the tradition of Blue, Neat points to quality electronics on the inside.

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

The target market includes the standard studio performers — electric guitar, acoustic instruments, drums along with voiceovers, podcasting and streaming content.

In addition it ships with the custom “Beekeeper” shockmount and “Honeycomb” pop filter. Price: 169.99

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

Info: www.neatmic.com

 

The post Neat King Bee II Takes Flight appeared first on Radio World.

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

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters has joined a range of organizations to submit comments in support of REC Networks’ Petition for Rulemaking. The petition, RM-11909, promises to be a game changer for rural communities, in NFCB’s assessment.

Why did NFCB sign on to expand LPFM? Low power stations represent an important moment in radio’s evolution in the U.S. REC Networks’ proposal is straightforward and intuitive. It would permit LPFMs in communities where it is possible to upgrade their signals. Currently, most LPFMs only go about three miles from their transmitters due to the existing power limits of a maximum broadcast power of 100 watts. An increase would help sparsely populated areas tremendously, and cause no conflict with existing broadcasters, where they are otherwise present.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Giving Mood]

Radio World recently shared some of the words of noncommercial broadcasters representing governmental, community and faith-based licensees. Many radio station representatives share that their outlets are assets in their communities. “Our little station has provided hyperlocal programming,” the comments from WVMO read, for example. In each of these stories is the spark of why many people get into radio in the first place. These broadcasters aim to make a difference locally. A signal increase would only deepen those area relationships.

In few places is our medium’s relationship more necessary as it is in far flung regions. With not nearly the number of broadcast options as one might hope in rural regions, low-power FM stations serve a vital purpose. They provide a sense of belonging, emergency response information, and a cultural gathering place where in-person meeting is more difficult due to the terrain. Stronger radio in these areas means stronger communities.

The idea presented by REC Networks has its share of critiques. For as long as there has been radio, it feels like there have been tensions over space on the dial. However, such disputes are not nearly as prevalent in rural communities where, to quote NFCB CEO Sally Kane, there are more cows than people. Regardless, some argue possible conflicts should mean a complete halt on progress. But, with natural disasters and crying needs of communities for education and support, isn’t it wiser to be simply more responsive when issues arise, rather than stop everything? I tend to believe commissioners are professionals enough to handle matters as they arise.

The FCC has yet to consider REC Networks’ Petition for Rulemaking, but the overwhelming number of comments are an apt demonstration that, especially in rural communities, LPFM increases are an idea whose time has come.

The post Community Broadcaster: LPFM-250’s Time Is Now appeared first on Radio World.

Audacy has launched a podcast studio that’s intended to be the home of its sports digital audio content.

It is called 2400Sports. “The new studio launches on the heels of Audacy becoming the official audio and podcast partner of Major League Baseball,” the company said in the announcement.

“As part of that partnership, Audacy and Major League Baseball will collaborate on the production and distribution of official podcast programming for the league and its clubs.” That includes a new series coming this fall about past playoff highlights, as well as projects with the individual ballclubs.

Audacy also announced an agreement with podcast producer Jody Avirgan’s Roulette Productions to develop and create shows. Avirgan is former executive producer and host of ESPN’s “30 for 30” podcasts.

2400Sports joins Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studio along with podcast marketplace Podcorn as elements of the company’s podcast stable.

The post Audacy Launches Sports Podcast Studio appeared first on Radio World.

A committee that advises the Federal Communications Commission on diversity and “digital empowerment” in the media will have its mission broadened to cover the broader tech sector.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the Advisory Committee for Diversity and Digital Empowerment will be renamed the Communications Equity and Diversity Council.

“This committee is charged with providing recommendations to ensure that underserved communities are not denied the wide range of opportunities made possible by next-generation networks. Jamila Bess Johnson will remain the Designated Federal Officer for the committee, which will run for two years.”

The committee was created in 2017 with the goal of providing advice and recommendations about how to help disadvantaged communities and accelerate the entry of small businesses, “including those owned by women and minorities into the media, digital news and information, and audio and video programming industries.”

Rosenworcel complimented its work and described its members as including “some of the most talented civic-minded people in the communications industry, helping to open doors of opportunity that too often have been closed to women and minorities.”

But she said she hopes for “meaningful progress on these issues” of diversity and equity across the tech sector.

The current committee chair is Anna M. Gomez, partner at Wiley Rein, representing the Hispanic National Bar Association. Among current members who will be familiar to radio readers are Raúl Alarcón of the Spanish Broadcasting System, Caroline Beasley of Beasley Media Group, Skip Dillard of Emmis Communications, Nimisha Shukla of NJ Broadcasting/South Asian Broadcasting and James L. Winston of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters.

 

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Jason Church

From our “Who’s Buying What” page: WSIE 88.7 “The Sound” recently put in a bunch of Heil Sound microphones as part of a studio upgrade project. The mics were donated by the manufacturer.

The station at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville installed 14 PR30s as well as PL2T booms and PRSM shockmounts. The mics are being used in its main studio, production and voice tracking rooms.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

Jason Church is director of operations and general manager at The Sound. Heil quoted him as saying that at WSIE, students are taught skills that apply to traditional radio, streaming, podcasting, YouTube and other media. “They come here and work on real equipment and learn to present themselves on the air in a professional manner.”

The school and the manufacturer are both located near St. Louis. Their partnership was arranged by Michelle Levitt, marketing director for Heil Sound, who was contacted by a representative at the school about underwriting partners.

Users and suppliers are both welcome to submit news for “Who’s Buying What.” Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

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Clubhouse Drop-in audio chat app logo on the App Store is displayed on a phone screen. (Photo Illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

More than ever I am paralyzed by choice.

I first recognized this syndrome way back in the days of Blockbuster. I’d spend 45 minutes looking at movies and leave with nothing. I experience this now with Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and podcast platforms.

Trader Joe’s has capitalized on this uncomfortable consumer experience by offering fewer choices. Instead of 10 choices of mustard, there are two or three.

As I attempt to listen to the latest audio talk apps, 10 zillion podcasts and nearly every song ever released, I can’t stop thinking about choice.

In a world of many audio choices, broadcast radio is the solid utility. With finite choices on radio, it’s easy to decide; this obvious intrinsic advantage is one we take it for granted.

I hope the big guns in our industry are constantly engaging the auto industry regarding the ongoing expansion of the new immersive car dashboard. Ignoring broadcast radio’s placement on the evolving car radio real estate is perilous.

Stay focused

There’s no question that we continue to deliver our product to smart speakers, apps and other live streaming platforms, so we’re in the game and can continue to grow revenue.

However, let’s not lose focus! For the foreseeable future, we should continue to pour power into promoting broadcast properties and reasons to tune in. This is where radio wins.

[Related: “So, Where Does Radio Go From Here?”]

I’m not opposed to promoting listening on digital platforms, but there is limited air time and advertising money to invest in sparking interest for tune-in.

When I hear stations promoting listening on a smart speaker or app four times an hour, I wonder if the station is missing a chance to promote a reason to actually tune in. By now, don’t our audiences know we’re on all these platforms?

Growing audience on digital platforms requires a specific on-platform approach that is often missing from promotional strategy.

However I’d be remiss if I didn’t salute Clubhouse. This latest Talk app, is a natural social media evolution. Their promotional geniuses created demand and buzz by limiting listening to “invitation only.”

It was born on iPhone. Android arrived only in May.

Not listened yet? Browse topics, click on one and hear amateur hosts pontificate to micro-audiences. Raise your hand and join the conversation.

Sometimes it’s more like a conference call than a talk show. It’s sad news for Clubhouse that this is easy to replicate, as Clubhouse will be challenged by Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, Discord, Telegram, Reddit, Leher, Riffr, Spoon, and even LinkedIn.

A threat to local radio? Not in terms of obtaining consistently large local audiences, or competing for local advertising. Still, if I were searching for new talent, I’d be hunting for those rare natural hosts who could be groomed for radio.

What about podcasts? Talk about choices! I subscribe to 20. I listen regularly to four.

With hundreds of thousands of podcasts, discovery is an issue. The potential is huge with explosive younger listener growth.

Will podcasting steal hours from broadcast radio, or grow overall time spent listening to audio? I’m going with the latter, but so much depends on the quality of local radio. Jukeboxes will eventually fail. Winners will have compelling local talent; local information; local entertainment; local community involvement and yes even local news (bring it back!).

The future of local radio depends on the choices we make today.

[Read more Promo Power columns by Mark Lapidus.]

The post Your Listeners Have Many Choices appeared first on Radio World.

Talk about a really small mobile package for radio stations, Roland has beefed up its Go:Mixer Pro smartphone outboard audio mixer peripheral with features that a radio crew might find of use.

The battery-operable Go:Mixer Pro-X expanded support for Android and iOS mobile devices, a guitar/bass input pad switch, and the ability to use a headset mic or the inline mic on smartphone earbuds as a sound source.

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

Up to seven audio sources can be used: XLR microphone (with 48 V phantom power), electric guitar or bass, a stereo instrument like a keyboard or drum machine and two stereo line-level devices. The headphone jack supports an additional mic feed, and a loop back function allows music and other audio from a connected mobile device to be mixed in as well.

Go:Mixer Pro-X is equipped with both USB Micro-B and four-pole TRRS analog jacks, providing plug-and-play operation with most iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Three different cables ship with the mixer, providing connection to Lightning, USB-C, and four-pole TRRS jacks on mobile devices. Power is via four AAA-size batteries or through the device connection when the USB Micro-B connector is used.

The Go:Mixer Pro-X is expected to ship in August with a price of $149.99.

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

Info: www.roland.com

 

The post Roland Extends Go:Mixer Line appeared first on Radio World.

Streaming services provider Quortex has won a contract from the French radio/TV broadcaster and multimedia company M6 Group.

M6 will use Quortex I/O SaaS to stream its radio services. Both companies are based in France. M6 brands include radio stations RTL, RTL2 and Funradio.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The announcement was made by Marc Baillavoine, CEO of France-based Quortex, and Valéry Gerfaud, chief of digital innovation technology at M6 Group.

Quortex said it provides “an end-to-end, turnkey service, from the mezzanine feed to the end-user” and is compliant with HLS streaming protocol.

Gerfaud was quoted saying, “M6 Group is the first mover in the French market regarding HLS, and we are looking forward to upcoming developments, such as the integration of dynamic ad insertion and content protection.”

Submit announcements for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

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In People News: Don Brake has been promoted to become the new operations manager for Cumulus Media in Savannah, Ga.

That cluster includes country station KIX 96/WJCL(FM), urban outlet E93/WEAS(FM), urban station Magic 103.9/WTYB(FM) and classic rock station I-95/WIXV(FM).

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Brake will also be program director for KIX 96. He succeeds Gerry McCracken, who is retiring.

Brake will move from Beaumont, Texas, where he has been PD and host of a midday country music show. His background includes programming and operations positions for Cumulus and other companies in markets including Morgantown, W.Va.; Frederick, Md.; Binghamton, N.Y.; Harrisburg, Pa.; and Hagerstown, Md./Chambersburg, Pa.

The announcement was made by Regional VP Eric Mastel.

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

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Further relaxation of ownership rules seems unlikely, but the FCC now is seeking to refresh the record before it completes its 2018 Quadrennial Review.

Inexpensive adapters help with an AoIP EAS connection.

A radio station in Ontario is delighted with the money it is saving by switching to wind and sun power.

Also: Promo Power, apps from AIM and products from AudioLogger, Shure, MOVO, Inovonics and ENCO.

Read it here.

The post Inside the June 23, 2021 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

WorldDAB is highlighting the number of new cars in Europe that now ship with DAB+ as a standard feature.

“In the second half of 2020, over 80% of new cars in key European markets came with DAB+ radio as standard, a dramatic increase on the same period in 2019,” the organization stated in releasing a market report.

“This step-change reflects the impact of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC), which, from December 2020, requires all new car radios in the EU to be capable of receiving digital terrestrial radio.”

President Patrick Hannon was quoted saying that the numbers “demonstrate that DAB+ is firmly established as the core future platform for radio in Europe,” and he said progress in Germany, France, Italy and Benelux “has been particularly impressive.”

The report stated that as of the end of 2020, about 100 million consumer and automotive DAB/DAB+ receivers had been sold in Europe and Asia Pacific, “up from 92 million six months year earlier.”

The organization also released a detailed infographic with the rollout status in various markets in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The post WorldDAB Celebrates Automotive Penetration appeared first on Radio World.

Automation provider WideOrbit has snagged a big win, reaching agreement with Salem Media Group to covert its radio properties to WO Automation for Radio.

Salem has 99 radio stations. WideOrbit said 56 of those in the top 25 U.S. markets.

Scott Foster is senior VP of engineering at Salem Media Group.

The announcement was made by WideOrbit VP of Radio Automation William “Dub” Irvin and Salem SVP of Engineering Scott Foster.

“Implementations are set to begin in July 2021 and will complete in 2023. Once implementations begin, 13 of the top 20 radio operators in North America will be powered by WO Automation for Radio,” the company said in its announcement.

Version 5 of the automation software was released this year; the manufacturer emphasizes its improved remote voice tracking capabilities and native apps to run live shows remotely.

Salem is an existing user of WO Traffic; the software company said integration with the automation platform will enable live log editing, playlist delivery, real-time reconciliation and automatic start and stop date synchronization between the two.

The automation system will also integrate with Salem’s MusicMaster music scheduling system.

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This is one in a series of articles from the ebook “The Real World of AoIP.”

This story is excerpted from the ebook “The Real World of AoIP.” Click the cover to read it for free.

Radio World recently asked several manufacturers to identify the most important technical development or trend in the use of audio over IP.

“The biggest trend in 2021,” said Greg Shay, CTO of Telos Alliance, “is the empowering of live broadcast facilities to use the full range of IT industry resources, including public and private server resources, global fiber optic networks, failover redundancy, all at global competitive costs, and the personnel to support it all.”

He said the experience of the pandemic supercharged the demand for broadcasting from anywhere, from home, and forced less reliance on purpose-built facilities.

“Both sides, the broadcaster and the IT service provider, have learned more of what it takes to operate the Professional broadcast facility over IP,” Shay said.

“Social networks blazed a trail for personal broadcasting, using no more end equipment than a phone. The hitch is that it ‘works when it works, as well as it works.’ I maintain this is not due to the underlying technology but comes from assumptions made in how it is deployed.”

So far, he noted, professional broadcasters produce content with highly hardware-centric facilities.

“Where is the coming together in the middle? Is all that hardware plant, duplicating the global IT infrastructure, really required to reliably create, produce and deliver professional commercial content?

The answer to produce the reliable, always-on broadcast channel, Shay said, is to leverage the same global IT infrastructure that underpins the social networks, but with the resource allocation and planning for consistency needed by commercial users.

“It is not good enough ‘if it works when it works’, it has to always work,” he said.

“Audio over IP was the entryway for getting professional audio broadcasting onto the IT infrastructure. The IT infrastructure providers are now becoming aware of the needs and requirements of the commercial professional broadcasters, and are stepping up the level of their services, both operationally and contractually, to meet those needs.”

The post Greg Shay on AoIP Empowering Broadcast appeared first on Radio World.

Vittoria is a dual-Dante digital audio network controller and engine.

According to Glensound, Vittoria was initially designed for a specific project — serving as a backbone for a large legislative debating chamber. It proved successful and was put into commercial product development.

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

Each of its two independent Dante networks has 32-channels of audio inputs and outputs for up to 96 kHz or 16 channels at 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz. In addition there are fully redundant power supplies and word clock in and out. Glensound says that the sample rate converters between the networks are “high-quality” and they support sampling rates between 44.1 kHz and 192 kHz. The networks can operate at different sampling rates.

Due to its original mission, to operate as part of the technical installation within a legislative chamber, the Vittoria network audio bridge has a strong firewall between the two networks. In essence one network cannot see the other network.

Glensound Managing Director Marc Wilson said, “There is increasing demand for products that provide isolated Dante networks or can work in Dante and AES67 simultaneously and independently of each other … This is something we have been asked for in recent years and we are very pleased to introduce Vittoria for this very specific but increasingly important application … and fulfills a growing need with the broadcast and sound markets.”

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

Info: www.glensound.com

 

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Several changes to U.S. radio technical rules are on the agenda for the July 13 meeting of the Federal Communications Commission.

“We’re cleaning up our broadcast radio rules,” wrote Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. She said a notice of proposed rulemaking will be voted on that is intended to fix rules that are “redundant, outdated or in conflict with other rules.”

If this NPRM is approved, the commission would then take public comments on these proposed changes, for final action later.

What follows is a summary of the changes. The full proposal is posted on the Radio World website.

Maximum Rated Transmitter Power for AM Stations

This proposal would change section 73.1665(b) to remove the maximum rated transmitter power limit for AM stations.

“We tentatively conclude that an equipment limitation on potential transmitter power is outdated and unnecessary given our current reliance on actual operating antenna input power as the most accurate and effective means of ensuring that AM stations adhere to their authorized (nominal) power limits.”

The change would remove the maximum rated transmitter power for AM stations as set out in an appendix and delete a corresponding table.

NCE Community of License Coverage

This would change two rule sections that were adopted in 1997 to “harmonize” with the NCE FM community coverage standard in another section, which was adopted later.

“This change will create consistency across different rules regarding the requirement for community coverage for NCE FM stations,” the commission said.

The requirement in the newer section that stations reach 50% of their community of license or 50% of the population in their community would replace the more general requirement in the older sections stating that the station must cover “a portion of the community.”

“We propose to amend these two rules to state that an NCE FM station operating on a reserved channel must provide a predicted 60 dBμ signal to at least 50% of its community of license or reach 50% of the population within the community.”

FM Transmitter Interference to Nearby Antennas

The third change would eliminate section 73.316(d), “which we tentatively conclude is an unnecessary burden on applicants.”

The commission said this rule is used rarely and it tentatively concluded that the rule “does not prevent interference to any significant degree, if at all.”

The section says that applications proposing the use of FM transmitting antennas within 60 meters of other FM or TV broadcast antennas must include a showing as to the expected effect, if any.

The FCC says it is not aware of any industry complaints of this kind of interference over the 70 years that the rule has been on the books.

NCE FM Class D Second-Adjacent Channel Interference Ratio

Next, the FCC wants to change a section that sets out signal strength contour overlap requirements for NCE FM Class D stations, “to harmonize the requirements with the more permissive standard applied to all other NCE-FM stations.” It said it wants to be consistent across different NCE FM station classes regarding contour overlap limits.

“We tentatively conclude that the current Class D contour overlap requirement is not necessary given the proven efficacy of the less restrictive requirements for other stations and anticipate that this change will allow Class D stations greater site selection flexibility as well as the opportunity to potentially increase their coverage areas.”

Back in 2000 the commission said this change was warranted but it deferred action because of the pending creation of a low-power FM service.

“The LPFM service has now been established and is currently a relatively mature service, so we tentatively conclude that the time is ripe to extend the otherwise universal 100 dBu contour overlap standard for second-adjacent channels to NCE FM Class D stations.

Protection for Grandfathered Common Carriers in Alaska in the 76-100 MHz Band

Here, the commission would delete a requirement that radio stations in the 76–100 MHz band protect common carrier services in Alaska. It said there are no such services remaining.

Earlier, existing common carrier operations had been grandfathered in with the understanding that they would gradually move to other parts of the spectrum.

AM Fill-in Area Definition

The FCC wants to tweak the definition of “AM fill-in area” in one part of the rules to conform to the requirement in another part that the “coverage contour of an FM translator rebroadcasting an AM radio broadcast station as its primary station must be contained within the greater of either the 2 mV/m daytime contour of the AM station or a 25-mile (40 km) radius centered at the AM transmitter site.” The goal is consistency across the rules for fill-in translator transmitter siting.

International Agreements

Last, the commission plans to amend the allocation and power limitations for broadcast stations within 320 kilometers of the Mexican and Canadian borders to comply with current treaty provisions.

-The 1991 U.S.-Canada FM Broadcasting Agreement contains minimum distance separations but offers contour overlap parameters for short-spaced stations to demonstrate compliance, so the FCC wants to remove a reference to the agreement and include contour overlap-based protection for short-spaced stations. It would also replace an existing table with updated minimum distance separations agreed upon in 1997.

-Similarly, the commission wants to remove a reference to the 1992 U.S.-Mexico Broadcasting Agreement and include contour overlap-based protection for short-spaced stations.

-It proposes to update sections governing FM translators located near the Canadian and Mexican borders, to conform with the relevant treaties.

-Last, it would revise language about translator power limitations near the borders. The changes are intended to codify the international agreements, so if the NPRM passes, the commission will ask commenters “to focus on whether the proposed changes properly implement the relevant treaty provisions rather than suggest changes to any of the agreed-upon limits.”

The post Radio Technical Rules to Be Cleaned Up appeared first on Radio World.

Proponents of a power increase for LPFM stations in the United States can point to hundreds of comments in favor of raising the maximum power level for many stations to 250 watts. But the National Association of Broadcasters continues to express strong opposition.

The Federal Communications Commission is considering a proposal from REC Networks that would amend Parts 73 and 74 of the rules to create an LP-250 class of service with an effective service contour of about 4-1/2 miles. This would be in addition to the current LP-100 service. The proposal also would set a maximum HAAT for new or modified LP-100 facilities of about 1,480 feet.

The commission modified its low-power FM rules in 2020 to allow for engineering improvements that improved reception of some LPFMs and opened up options for station relocation. At that time it rejected a bid to allow 250 watts, and a recent FCC decision affirmed the actions in that order.

REC Networks in the meantime submitted a fresh proposal that it believes resolves the FCC’s earlier concerns. Comments on that were due yesterday, and the vast majority favor an increase, citing the benefit to local communities.

However, NAB urged the commission to reject the petition, saying it is similar to petitions that have already been rejected on technical and policy grounds. It says the proposal would risk significant overcrowding of the already congested FM band, cause increased interference with other services and take LPFM beyond its original intention as a hyperlocal service.

Passionate support

The support for REC’s “Simple LP250” among grassroots advocates revealed the passion of some LPFM listeners and station operators.

“In Chicago, WLPN(LP) has been on the vanguard, with 24 hours of programming in multiple languages, with a focus on serving the historically underserved members of the community,” wrote radio listener Keefer Dunn. “Allowing a station like WLPN to increase its signal strength would allow it to reach more Chicagoans on the South and West sides, two areas of historic underinvestment.”

The proposal is supported by WQFB(LP) in Flagler Beach, Fla. “With an increase in power WQFB has an opportunity to obtain additional underwriters and listeners … to assist with the funding needed for equipment upgrade and additional programming and staff,” the station wrote.

Wayne Johnson, station manager for WGPG(LP) in Battle Creek, Mich., told the FCC the station would be thankful for any power increase to enable it to increase coverage area.

“Our signal strength is very weak, causing a lot of static in the main business district on the south side of town. This discourages our listeners from continually listening to our broadcast as they travel through town. We are a religious station and we believe that we are providing unique programming to the Battle Creek residents. It would really help our effectiveness if the maximum wattage output was raised from 100 to 250 watts,” Johnson wrote.

KFXY(LP), licensed to Mesa, Ariz., commented: “KFXY supports this small increase in power as it would help our station and many others with getting our signal into buildings in our 60 dB and fighting off interference from distant stations.”

Even the mayor of Monona, Wis., wrote on behalf of WVMO(LP), which is licensed to her city: “WVMO went on the air in August of 2015. Since that time the radio station has become a tremendous asset to Monona and the east side of Madison, Wis. Our little station has provided hyperlocal programming,” wrote Mary O’Connor.

O’Connor hosts a weekly interview segment on the station called “Monona Lowdown” in which she answers citizen’s questions and updates the community on the latest happenings.

Opposition

NAB based part of its opposition to LP-250 on the potential of overcrowding a congested FM band.

“Moreover, (a power boost) is simply unnecessary. The FCC has already bent over backwards to improve LPFM service coverage by permitting the use of translators, boosters and other measures,” it wrote.

“Essentially, LPFM advocates are asking that LPFM stations be permitted to enjoy the same (or even greater) coverage as full-service Part 73 FM stations, but without the same public interest and regulatory obligations. Such an obvious end-run around the commission’s rules would set a dangerous precedent.”

NAB continued: “The petition still fails to justify a total overhaul of LPFM service. FM broadcasters report that too many LPFM stations already transmit at higher than authorized power or from an unauthorized location, cause frequent interference and hinder translator service, among other problems, under the current 100-watt regime. Allowing LPFMs to substantially increase their power would unnecessarily exacerbate these harms.”

If REC’s proposal is ultimately approved, NAB asks that the FCC create a system for ensuring technical compliance by LPFM stations.

NAB said it understands “that authorizing LP-250 service would allow some LPFM stations to slightly expand the reach of the few LPFM stations that actually provide meaningful local content,” but on balance, “it is far more important to preserve reliable access to the news and information provided by incumbent radio broadcasters.”

The FCC, which has indicated another filing window for new entrant LPFM construction permits is on the horizon, says there is no reply comment period for this petition.

The post LP-250 FM Petition Draws Lots of Interest appeared first on Radio World.

Does it really matter if your broadcast facility is just a little off — say 256 feet — from its permitted coordinates? What about if those coordinates are more than two miles off?

Those were the issues up for debate between the Federal Communications Commission and a low-power broadcaster in Nevada who is now is left with an expired license and deleted call letters after failing to convince the FCC that an unauthorized broadcasting claim was just a simple mistake.

Back in early August 2019, Chinese Voice of Golden City filed an application to modify its license for KQLS(LP) in Las Vegas to correct the coordinates of its antenna site.

[Read: LPFM Station Faces $25,000 FCC Penalty]

An “inadvertent error” led Chinese Voice to actually operate its facility 256 feet away from the spot specified in the license, the broadcaster said. Chinese Voice was confused why the FCC granted its initial application in mid-August 2019 and then four days later rescinded the license grant, saying that it was never told why —  the station continued operating in full compliance with the commission rules, albeit at a location 256 feet away from its licensed spot.

Chinese Voice said that since its Chinese-language programming serves the public interest, the FCC would do well to grant the station a Special Temporary Authority to keep broadcasting at the same site.

The Media Bureau responded to say that while the licensee correctly determined that its coordinates were off by 256 feet, any change in station geographic coordinates can only be made after a construction grant permit has been approved. That means that Chinese Voice has been operating at an unauthorized site for more than a year.

The actions from those kinds of unauthorized actions are significant: expiration of the license and deletion of call letters for stations operating at an unauthorized facility for 12 months or longer. As a result, the bureau dismissed both the earlier modification application request and the request for an STA and outright deleted the station’s call sign.

Chinese Voice filed a petition for reconsideration but that too was denied. The facts of this case do not support reinstatement of the license, the bureau said, for two reasons. One, Chinese Voice used a license modification application to request the coordinate change (which is the wrong way to go about it). Two, the FCC can only reinstate an expired license when failure to broadcast at the proper site “was for a compelling reason beyond the licensee’s control.” That was not the case here, the bureau said.

Chinese Voice tried again, filing an application for review and asking the bureau to review its earlier decision. It was at this point that the results of the Enforcement Bureau’s 2019 investigations were revealed.

The Enforcement Bureau found that even though the station admitted that it had been using a mobile facility to operate 256 feet away from the official permit site, it also subsequently relocated the station —without commission approval — to a different rooftop location that is nearly 2.3 miles from the permitted site. Following Enforcement Bureau inspections, Chinese Voice then stopped operating from that site and resumed operations at its mobile facilities.

Failing to mention that the station had been operating for 15 months a spot more than 2 miles away was a significant finding. In its final opinion and order on the matter, the Media Bureau found that Chinese Voice may have “withheld material information … and made incorrect statements to the commission … when it repeatedly claimed that the station’s actual transmitter site was never changed.” As a result, the bureau speculated that the licensee had perhaps “engaged in misrepresentation and/or lack of candor.”

The result: The call letters for KQLS have been deleted and the license has expired. Looking ahead, the bureau said it will require Chinese Voice to attach a copy of its final reconsideration order to any broadcast application filed within the next five years.

The nonprofit Common Frequency called the decision a “major let-down,” saying the FCC’s final opinion and order reveals a weakness in LPFM rules. How accurate does an LPFM permittee need to be when building their facility, asked Todd Urick, program and technical director of Common Frequency. “The commission’s Section 73.1690(c)(11) of the rules gives leeway to many facilities that currently are not exactly on the cross-hairs of their licensed coordinates. Is that same comfort not extended to LPFM?”

“This oversight in the rules needs further clarification or amendment within the LPFM rules,” he said.

 

The post LPFM Sees Call Sign Deleted After Unauthorized Broadcasting Claim appeared first on Radio World.