Radio World

Hear from three Voice of America radio journalists seeking to provide studio quality sound from home while complying with social distancing best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chet Rhodes Special Project Manager, Studio and Production Operations

Radio World: VOA says the health crisis has “forced Voice of America’s nearly 50 separate newsrooms out of studio facilities and into its journalists’ homes across the world.” Focusing on the radio and audio services for the moment, describe the technical challenges that this raised, and how your team has gone about solving them.

Chet Rhodes: Very early during this crisis we had to send half of our radio staff home that operate the radio studios to self-isolate themselves. Staff from all over VOA stepped up to volunteer to run shows as the organization worked to move programing out of the building. As of today, all radio programming is being done remotely. Staff are producing shows at home or in the field and sending in files to be played out of our automation systems. Live programming, such as top of the hour newscasts, are being done with VOIP technology or over the cell phone network.

RW: What general technology platforms and specific products are you using and how do the pieces plug together?

Rhodes: We use a wide selection of software from Audacity which is free, to all the Adobe products such as Audition and Premiere, which have great audio editing tools.

RW: What has the impact of the crisis been on your air talent and on other staff?

Rhodes: People have been very supportive across the agency in working to keep our staff safe but also continue the mission of broadcasting the news to the global audience. Many on the staff have expressed concerns about safety, but at the same time they are offering suggestions on how to operate in this challenging environment.

RW: What is the strategy of the VOA technology team to react to the coronavirus, as far as its overall operational and technical processes are concerned?

Rhodes: By increasing the use of the use of social media and digital platformsk, VOA has been able to focus on moving people from working in the building to enabling people to work from home and produce content while doing so. Another key is to continue to improve the quality of the remote production for our sophisticated global audience.

RW: How “virtual” can your operations get, and how?

Rhodes: With radio, we can get completely “virtual.” All of our radio services have in place digital platforms to deliver content and by using something radio has used for years — a phone. We can still gather sound from anywhere and get it on the air. We are using streaming, podcasting and social media.

RW: Any specific technical obstacles have you encountered that you have had to solve, other than described above?

Rhodes: Working from the field has always been part of radio production, so in many ways we are going back to the basics; while some staff have not had to work at home at this pace before, staff has had to make sure the home environment, the Wi-Fi, the older home computer was ready to support everything needed. VOA has deployed laptops, and many staff also upgraded home systems.

Jim Stevenson in the D.C. VOA studio

RW: What lessons can other engineers and technical managers learn from what you’ve been doing these past two weeks?

Rhodes: Even with the staff working virtually, a core technical staff is still needed to work in the building to maintain our operations. Plans have been in place for years for various emergencies, we found that some were outdated, others impractical due to the nature of this emergency. Getting decisions made early on by VOA leadership that we would be working to get almost everyone out of our building was important, so we knew from the start the end goal and have been working towards that.

RW: Do you think these infrastructure changes will be permanent in any way?

Rhodes: The ability for people to work at home for broadcasting has been something looked at for a long time. This might accelerate that to give us more workforce flexibility. All the work done to support that remote workflow will likely remain in place in some way.

RW: What else should we know?

Rhodes: People will be overwhelmed during a situation like this. Support them, and provide the best tools you can and using online collaboration software make sure they can have support to learn how to use them quickly. A lot of training will be needed to support new workflows that are developed.

Martha Townes Managing Editor (Internet), East Asia and Pacific Division

RW: Much of the focus in the press release was about how your TV people are setting up remote facilities. Our readership focuses on radio and audio, but your radio teams too probably are “thinking visually” and setting up for on-camera work, yes?

Martha Townes: Because social media is such an important way to engage with our audience, our radio reporters have been “thinking visually” for many years. Our Indonesian, Thai, Lao, Khmer services, for example, regularly take a camera into the radio studio and broadcast their programs live on Facebook.

The shift to working from home has resulted in innovation and ingenuity.

In the absence of sound proof recording booths, our reporters from Korean and Burmese voiced reports in their closet. Our Khmer staff reporting to Cambodia improvised with blankets. VOA Thai replaced their Facebook Live radio show with a hybrid approach. They recorded their program as an mp4 video file that they posted on Facebook. They stripped out the audio from that recording and aired it on their traditional radio broadcast channels.

Lekhena Sreng Reporter, VOA Khmer Service

RW: How has the situation changed your workflow? 

Lekhena Sreng: I see telework in a positive way except the real life social disconnection but we have social media to reconnect us for now. I started working from 5 a.m. in my living room, gathering all the texts and audios from the newscasters, reporters either in DC or Phnom Penh to record using my iPhone, edit the audio using Adobe Premiere, place the combined 60-minute show in our container for radio.

I talked to some of my friends and family, they all can’t tell I did it from living room but thought I go to work every day.

The post VOA Journalists Adapt to COVID-19 Crisis appeared first on Radio World.

Bill Baker

Radio stations and engineers are hearing a lot of questions from U.S. churches and hospitals inquiring whether they can legally set up low-power radio broadcasts to their parking lots. What’s the right answer?

We talked to Bill Baker, whose company Information Station Specialists provides radio solutions for emergencies and events, Traveler’s Information and Highway Advisory Radio and specialized legal unlicensed operations.

Radio World: This seems like a good time to pause and ask generally what the FCC rules allow.

Bill Baker: FCC “Part 15” rules set the parameters for short-range broadcasts, which can contain almost any kind of content and can operate on any standard frequency as long as interference to broadcasters does not result. A license is not required as long as the equipment bears a FCC certification number.

With the advent of international services such as Amazon, it is relatively easy to inadvertently purchase a foreign-made unit, which is quite illegal in the U.S. So the first question a buyer should ask is whether it has a certification sticker on the product. In this regard, purchasing from a U.S.-based manufacturer is usually the safest move.

This kind of communication service can be very effective at a point in which people are 1) in their vehicles, 2) in a slow-moving line of cars or parked and 3) in need of critical information that is pertinent. Virus treatment information can be critical to our physical health just as spiritual encouragement can be critical on a totally level.  Either way, the point of short-range broadcasting is to deliver critical information just when it’s needed most.

RW: Are both FM and AM broadcasts possible?

Baker: Yes. But the reason that AM band FCC Part 15 devices are most often preferred is because per the FCC’s FM Part 15.219 rules, the broadcast distance is so restricted as to make it unusable for more than a few feet. At 100 feet, the signal need to be gone. A drive-through restaurant that has the listener’s car hugging the building perhaps could utilize a FM system of this kind. But most people we talk to require more range to make such a communication system useful.

RW: Your own transmitter product operates under FCC rules Part 15.219, using a 3 meter antenna and 100 mw of power. What other equipment would a user require?

Baker: Short of an audio and a power source, the InfOspot product line provides basically everything else most operators need. You can send line level audio from a sound board or wireless pickup right to the transmitters live input. There is also a voice recorder/player onboard that some COVID test locations use to record messages for a repeating broadcast, on the fly.

RW: What kind of power or range limitations do the operators need to respect, in order to remain within legal limits? You said that there’s a  common misconception about Part 15. Can you explain?  

Baker: You have put your finger right on it. Part 15.219, while limiting the AM transmitter power and antenna/ground length, does not specify a signal intensity limit the way the Part 15 FM rules do. Therefore, it’s not possible to get out of bounds with the signal distance with a system like InfOspot.

RW: What else should we know?
Baker: Most FM Part 15 systems that you see advertised are not legal for use in the U.S. Buyer beware!

The post Low-Power Radio in the Parking Lot: What You Need to Know appeared first on Radio World.

Thanks for Dick Taylor’s commentary “Invest in People and Programming, Not More Signals.” If I may use an analogy here: Ocean City, U.S.A., is expanding its boardwalk to accommodate more commercial space for eateries.

Sounds great, right? There is the promise of more variety of food offerings for increasingly diverse populations, young and old. We’ll finally have room for more Asian, Latin, Caribbean and Middle Eastern fare that a number of people have been requesting, for decades.

Here’s the problem. The new spaces are being taken by chain restaurants, with no room for “mom and pop” independent vendors. The “new spaces” will only be an extension of what is already available, up and down the boardwalk: everyone’s favorite Italian and Mexican chain restaurants and another “Big Marty’s” burgers, greasy fries and funnel cake, all because “it sells.”

[Check Out More Letters at Radio World’s Reader’s Forum Section]

Sound familiar? That’s exactly how commercial radio has operated since 1996. As with retail in Ocean City, it has nothing to do with adding more variety to the radio dial and everything to do with who controls the radio real estate under current rules and regulations.

We can thank the National Association of Broadcasters for the rider it succeeded in tacking on to the 1996 Telecommunications Act, signed by President Clinton, which increased the number of radio stations that one entity can own in any given radio market in the country (eight stations per major market, and now they want even more station per market). What this did in effect was reduce programming choices across the radio dial, slash payrolls and with it send more and more talented people out on the street.

When I hear someone say they think expanding the number of radio stations we have will improve anything, I laugh, given the current ownership rules. The “big boys” like iHeart own all the “blowtorch” signals everywhere and they homogenize everything they get their hands on.

Under the current “playing field,” expanding the number of radio stations we’d have would only expand the mundane. Instead of “57 channels with nothing on,” we’d have “88 channels with nothing on.” No imagination, no freedom for innovative people, just the same tainted focus group-driven pap.

For just once, I wish “gurus” like iHeart’s Bob Pittman would take a peek back to a time before FM radio became king in the radio marketing world in the 1960s, when circular polarization had just been perfected, but before that groundbreaking technical breakthrough pushed FM radio into the limelight. It was a time when the “inmates ran the asylum” with “underground FM” radio, before the top 40 radio doctors arrived around 1973. It was the most spontaneous, creative and fun time in the history of commercial radio. That is the kind of investment in people and programming that I think Dick Taylor is hinting at in his article; not to dredge up those old album rock tracks, but to bring back that wide-open spirit that has sorely been missing since that contrived “superstars” format arrived to mimic “hip FM” radio in 1973. People see through that kind of plasticity. The numbers show it.

If you want a clue, find a 1972 aircheck from KDKB(FM), Phoenix, to hear unbridled imagination and fun taking place, which included not only cutting edge music of the day, but well-produced (in-house) fake commercials and spoof commentary. It was a golden age of radio for boomers.

Pete Simon
Arvada, Colo.

 

The post Reader’s Forum: Bring Back Radio’s “Unbridled Imagination” appeared first on Radio World.

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

The coronavirus pandemic has ground many cities’ schools, businesses and civic life to a complete stop. Don’t tell that to dozens of fierce community radio stations though. They are continuing to bring news, music and togetherness for their isolated residents.

President Donald Trump has extended nationwide social distancing guidelines until April 30. What was once the White House’s “15 Days to Slow the Spread” initiative is now much longer. The administration recommends that Americans avoid gatherings of more than 10 people; work or attend school and other gatherings remotely whenever possible; and avoid eating or drinking at bars and restaurants. Even states like Florida, which had long resisted such orders have come around to this tactic for halting COVID-19.

That is not to say social distancing has been easy. Employment forecasts are looking dour. Families have had to adjust. And, importantly, our own sense of community is affected by being largely removed from what we traditionally know of where we live.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: COVID-19’s Threat to Community Radio]

For community broadcasters, the coronavirus pandemic has also been hard. Scores of college and community radio stations have been impacted by the choice of licensees to protect people and facilities. Some stations have many volunteers in vulnerable populations. Some managers have felt the risk of spreading the illness is too great and opted for full automation. All of these decisions are fair and appropriate. Such calls are rooted in local conditions. There is absolutely no shame in siding with safety.

When community radio stations can balance out health concerns and continue to broadcast their brand of unique programming, it is remarkable.

The New York Times chronicled a range of community radio stations fighting to stay on the air during the coronavirus pandemic, including WFMU, WWOZ and WOMR. But they are far from the only community radio stations doing all they can to continue despite COVID-19. WORT, KPFZ, KDNK, KEXP and WMPG are just a few of the stations delivering a variety of broadcasts involving in-studio volunteers, remote recordings, and other formats.

Their approach may be best framed by General Manager Jessica Evett, whose KRBX is also on the air. She said, “Music has the power to provide a shelter from stress, and we know our DJs and their playlists are a soothing influence that make us all feel closer, despite being apart.”

Ingenious radio stations have created many schema on the fly. Whether it is programming produced at home and uploaded directly to automation, shared via Dropbox, or dialed-in to the live studio, the solutions are as varied as the stations themselves. Unfortunately, several stations have been forced to develop a means to continue broadcasting quickly, because they did not have contingencies. Yet they continue to do admirable programming in a time when they are much needed.

The moment has offered plenty of innovations. For example, KVRU(LP) created coronavirus education announcements in many languages. Stations are creating book clubs, doing virtual town halls and more.

The longtime narrative about community radio is one of want. Our reputation is of small staffing, few resources and operating on the edge. Yet in a time of incredible uncertainty, community radio surety has been outstanding. Stations that have managed to keep original programming in spite of the odds deserve much regard for their commitment and service.

The post Community Broadcaster: Salute to Stations Fighting On appeared first on Radio World.

The Broadcasters Clinic is famous for its prize drawings. Clinic Chair Kent Aschenbrenner and an exhibitor try his luck at a previous event.

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association is seeking presentation proposals for this fall’s Broadcasters Clinic.

The event is scheduled for Oct. 12–15 in Madison, but Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Vice President Linda Baun noted in her proposal solicitation that she expects the “new normal” may distract or delay potential participants. Therefore, WBA is getting a headstart on the process, Baun wrote in her email.

Baun asks, “Do you have unique perspectives or ideas on trends and technologies as we move forward to the future of radio, television, and online media technologies?”

If you have an idea, send an email to Baun detailing your proposed topic, a brief synopsis and the name of the presenter. Submissions are due by April 30.

Baun also highlighted a message of solidarity: “Together, we will make it through these times and look forward to getting us all together again in October.”

The post Broadcasters Clinic Opens Call for 2020 Speakers appeared first on Radio World.

Roger Lanctot

The author is director, automotive connected mobility of the Global Automotive Practice of Strategy Analytics. 

As technology consumers we make tradeoffs.

We let Google peer into our online activity and email communications and we even accept annoying advertisements tied to our browsing activity in order to access free email and browsing. We tolerate smartphones with diminishing performance from Apple — even after Apple admits that the diminishing performance is deliberately-inflicted obsolescence to push us into our next iPhone upgrade. We accept Tesla’s privacy violations in exchange for an awe-inspiring driving experience and software updates.

Along the way we have surrendered our privacy and so much more. Now Tesla Motors may be asking us to surrender free over-the-air broadcast radio.

According to the notes describing the latest software update for owners of 2018-made Tesla’s and earlier (using MCU-1), the latest optional software update (which carries a $2,500 price tag but adds Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and Twitch) removes AM/FM radio and SiriusXM. 

This is the often-cited downside of software updates — the potential to obtain improved system performance while sacrificing previously desirable functionality.

While Tesla’s decision only impacts older Tesla’s, it nevertheless highlights the strangely tortured relationship between the broadcast radio industry and Silicon Valley. The issue is a common thread traceable to Apple’s refusal to activate the FM chips built into its phones — and Google’s decision to ignore “terrestrial” radio as part of either Android Auto or Google Automotive Services.

Google, Apple and Tesla have all turned their backs on the broadcast radio industry in spite of the wide reach of radio — a reach that exceeds that of television — and the fact that it is free, localized content ideally suited to consumption in a mobile environment. Tesla’s decision likely only affects a sliver of Tesla owners given the cost of the optional upgrade and the limited in-vehicle enhancements, but it has the ominous tinge of something more sinister.

The Tesla software update, focused as it is on adding streaming video and a $9.99/month subscription — for owners not already on the company’s premium service tier — points to a streaming-only approach to content delivery. Just as satellite broadcaster SiriusXM felt compelled to offer an IP version of its content, Tesla appears inclined to shift all content delivery to IP reception.

The strategy makes sense for a company delivering cars on multiple continents with varying local broadcast protocols and metadata. Shifting radio reception to IP delivery vastly simplifies the in-dash configuration and, in the long run, may enable some hardware content reduction in the form of deleted tuners and antennas. This is particularly relevant in the run up to 5G adoption — a technology upgrade that will require the additional of multiple antennas.

Tesla vehicles in North America have always come with TuneIn — so, now, TuneIn becomes the preferred radio IP broadcast point of aggregation. In fact, it is quite possible that Tesla has leveraged user data from its own vehicles to determine that radio listening in its vehicles was sufficiently minimal to be worth risking some minor resistance.

More importantly, the software update removing the radio experience is optional. Maybe the offer is a test to determine the customer reaction to a tradeoff of streaming video and improved user interface performance with the sacrifice of broadcast radio for $2,500? Is the offer a bit of a market research project? Anything is possible from Tesla, which has altered its pricing and discounts on multiple occasions in response to market conditions.

But the inclination to delete radio is a popular behavior pattern in Silicon Valley where Google and Apple have treated broadcasters with disdain. 

Is this approach sustainable? Is it tolerable? Where can an outraged consumer turn to protest?  Will there be consumer outrage? Should there be? Is it time for an in-vehicle radio mandate to ensure that emergency communications — at least — can be broadcast into cars?

I’m not going to cry wolf. And I’m not going to play Chicken Little. I will say that the radio industry offers   contextually relevant and reliable content delivery with a broad reach across a wide range of devices and listening environments. Deleting radio from cars — terrestrial or satellite-based — tears at the fabric of our social connectedness.

The marginal cost of preserving terrestrial broadcast connections — particularly in the context of radio’s ongoing global digital transition and the resilience of the medium during emergencies — ought to place this particular content reception experience in a non-delete category. Tesla doesn’t appear to share this view and Tesla is not alone. Once again, Silicon Valley is asking us to surrender one thing in exchange for another. Yesterday it was our privacy. Today it is the radio. Tomorrow it will be our freedom.

Roger Lanctot posted this to his blog in early March; it appears with permission.

The post Yesterday Our Privacy, Today Our Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Entercom Communications will eliminate or furlough a “significant” numbers of employees, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

“The nation’s No. 2 radio chain, which reaches 170 million listeners, also will temporarily cut employee pay by 10-20% for those earning more than $50,000,” the Inquirer said.

It said CEO David Field will cut his salary 30%, and that bonuses will be eliminated for the first half, as will its 401K match.

Entercom’s headquarters are in Philly, and it owns several radio stations in that market.

The radio industry is reacting to a decline in ad sales commitments in the face of the national health crisis. The paper quoted Field saying, “Better days lie ahead. With the tough but necessary actions we are now taking, we are doing what is required for us to preserve the health of the company and ensure that we are strong when we get to the other side.”

[Related: Beasley Cuts 67 Jobs, Furloughs Others]

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Streaming audio and video are relatively new players in the media ecosphere, but Techsurvey 2020 says AM/FM radio is holding its own against them very well.

Even though radio is not a steaming brand per se, it has been inserted in the Jacobs brand pyramid for comparison. It’s clearly a leader with 90%. Facebook is the next closest competitor with 72%.

It’s no surprise that everything in audio and video streaming is trending upwards, and skewing to a younger audience. The percent who watch streaming video weekly or more has jumped from a total of 62% in TS 2016 to 74% in TS 2020. In the lead is Gen Z with 96%, followed closely by millennials with 93%.

TS 2020 says that just under half of their respondents listen to streaming audio daily, with 50% of the silent generation, and climbing to 77% for Gen Z.

And more good news for radio, TS 2020 says nearly two-thirds of respondents listen to their home station’s stream. That’s way ahead of Pandora, YouTube, Spotify and iHeart Radio.

A key reason they give for listening to AM/FM radio is that it’s free. That is especially important at a time when the survey also suggests that six in ten feel that subscription fees for audio and video fees are a concern.

Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media sees this as a golden opportunity for radio. “We see two forces combining here. First, the coronavirus has increased the already strong interest in local radio and its personalities at a time when most are forced to stay at home, and are probably listening more. Second, many have either lost their jobs, or been without income for some time. When their credit card bills begin to arrive, they may question whether they should, or can afford to pay for several streaming services every month. All of that can work to radio’s advantage.”

[Read: Techsurvey 2020 Tracks Smart Speaker Success]

He adds that some stations have not promoted their streams well in the past, either because they don’t understand how to monetize them, or because they believe it might detract from their ratings numbers. Here’s Jacobs’ to-do list: clean up your stream — in the home it’s the only way many can listen; if you can switch to TLR, do so, it’s a better experience for most stations; test drive your smart speaker commands then heavily promote them and finally think local, it’s the “secret sauce” that none of the other media platforms can provide.

 

The post Techsurvey 2020 Says Home Stations Leads the Streaming Audio Pack appeared first on Radio World.

Alex Roman

MediaCo Holding has named Alex Roman as the new chief technology officer for New York radio stations WBLS(FM) and “Hot97” WQHT(FM).

MediaCo Holding is a public company owned by investment firm Standard General and Emmis Communications.

[Learn more: Biggest Station Trading Deal in Q3 2019 Was MediaCo Creation]

Roman was named Emmis’ director of integrated technologies in New York in 2011. While working for Emmis, the company said, he led efforts to modernize WQHT, WBLS and WLIB, including creation of digital media production spaces and transitioning to AoIP. Roman was also in charge of the team that rebuilt the Empire State Building transmitter facility and added an auxiliary transmitter site on 4 Times Square.

During his career, Roman also served as chief engineer for WKTU(FM) and as director of engineering for Citadel Broadcasting. He began his engineering career 24 years ago in California.

In the announcement, Emmis Communications and MediaCo Holding President/Chief Operating Officer Patrick Walsh called Roman “invaluable” as the broadcaster moves ahead with the creation of “multichannel digital platforms for WBLS and Hot 97.”

The post Alex Roman Named CTO of MediaCo’s NYC Stations appeared first on Radio World.

Steven Lee Sheley died Monday after a lengthy battle with leukemia.

“Steve was a true icon in the southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana radio business,” said colleague Bill Shrode.

According to his obituary, for many years Sheley was the morning DJ for WAKO in Lawrenceville, Ill., after having worked an earlier stint there in the evenings. He also did a stint at WYER in the late 1980s.

Sheley started as a newsman for WNOI(FM) in Flora, Ill., in the early 1970s, and entered the broadcasting program at Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Ill. Among subsequent call letters on his resume were WVJC, WREY(AM) and WAKY.

Steve enjoyed radios, DXing, travel and assisting veterans. Affiliations included Moose, Eagles, and Sons of the American Legion.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Lawrence County Cancer Resource Center & Wig Shoppe. Emmons-Macey & Steffey Funeral Home in Lawrenceville, Ill., is in charge of arrangements.

 

The post Steve Sheley Dies, “a True Icon” in Illinois Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Working remotely has inspired Wheatstone to release ReMix, a remote mixing application.

ReMix is a Windows PC or tablet app that can access a WheatNet-IP audio network from afar.

According to Wheatstone, ReMix provides an affordable, quick alternative to a physical home studio for remote broadcasting and voicetracking by remotely accessing existing equipment at the station, such as codecs, hybrids, and playout systems.

Wheatstone Director of Sales Jay Tyler said, “ReMix is proving to be a great little application for all our broadcasters who need to get talent up and operating from home quickly and securely.”

The application can be installed on a Windows desktop, laptop or tablet in a home or remote studio or on a station PC that can be accessed by talent remotely through a secure VPN.

ReMix provides a direct user interface to the utility mixers found in the I/O Blades that make up the WheatNet-IP audio network. Each I/O Blade includes two built-in 8 x 2 stereo mixers, the inputs and output busses of which are available as resources on the network. The WheatNet-IP utility mixers are accessible anywhere in the audio network for simple functions such as summing, splitting, and level adjustment, performing crossfades and segues between sources, as well as creating custom mixes or intercom systems.

I/O Blades also include Wheatstone ACI (Automation Control Interface) for third-party control of automation systems and other Wheatstone partners’ gear and can be used for functions such as routing, ducking, panning, logic control, mixing and silence detection.

Info: www.wheatstone.com

The post Work From Afar With Wheatstone ReMix appeared first on Radio World.

Visual radio system developer Broadcast Pix calls its new RadioPix a voice-automated, integrated visual radio production solution.

The new system combines the company’s Media Aware macros with voice-automation to turn a radio station’s host into a video producer. The package includes two new RoboPix PTZ cameras with 20X zoom and plug-and-play operation. Users plug them into two of the included Lenovo Tiny PCes five NIC ports using Cat-5 cables, connect to the local audio network for automatic triggering and receiving station output and then onto the internet.

Jeff Adams, RadioPix product manager, said, “It’s the behavioral intelligence that makes RadioPix unique. Show hosts don’t usually have time to also produce the video content, so RadioPix automates the production process, keeping it visually appealing.”

He explained, “By detecting microphone activity through the Dante interface, Broadcast Pix’s visually aware macros can be triggered. For example, activity on all mics could trigger a wide shot. Then, there is the ‘boredom’ macro, useful when a guest is speaking for longer than a minute. The shot could pull back, bring up the lower third title graphic, go to a wide shot, and then go back to a close up to keep the output interesting.”

The host can override the behavioral intelligence from optional touch screen panels, MIDI interfaces or even footswitches.

On initial startup, the system is ready to go, but a period of user consultation is included to help create the station’s look and feel. For example, import and position the station ID, choose suitable video clips and graphics elements and finally program the behavioral intelligence.

Broadcast Pix is pegging the price at $15,000.

Info: https://broadcastpix.com.

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As the radio broadcast ecosphere shifts towards streaming and digital delivery, the number of new products for the AM broadcaster seems to be on the decline. That’s why it was a delight when Inovonics unveiled their 674 AM Monitor Receiver in 2019. Part of the INOmini series, the 674 fills the niche for a versatile but inexpensive AM confidence monitor.

This software-defined DSP receiver has many cool features. 

As a global product, it can either tune in 10 kHz increments for the Americas, or 9 kHz increments for Europe. Audio outs are available in analog and digital, each with independent level adjustments. 

The multicolor, backlit LED display continuously shows received signal strength and audio levels. Combined with the jog wheel, this display also facilitates system setup. The 674’s programmable front-panel alarms with rear-panel tallies indicate low or no signal and audio program loss. 

Alarm conditions also cause the display to flash against a red background, a move guaranteed to get your attention. Tweaks and upgrades to the firmware are easily uploaded through the front-panel USB port.

Around back, there’s an F connector for the 50 ohm antenna input as well as terminals for the alarm tallies, including ground, +5 volts, low signal and audio loss. There’s also an AES digital audio output and analog line outputs labeled left and right. 

And no, analog AM stereo is not making a comeback, these are really dual monaural outputs that are adjustable from –15 dBu to +15 dBu. The logic behind the left/right nomenclature is that most studios are wired for stereo, whether the programming is or not. 

Finally, two paralleled coaxial power connectors can take the +12 VDC and daisy-chain it to two additional INOmini devices, useful if the 674 is rack mounted with two companion units.

The front-panel headphone jack will accommodate any stereo phones with a 3.5 mm plug. When the headphones are plugged in, the LCD menu will automatically switch to the headphone volume screen, and you can adjust volume with the knob. Press the knob again and you’re returned to the previous menu. 

Menu screen 6 gives a bargraph presentation of program audio level. The meters are peak-responding with a floating peak-hold function. One-hundred percentcarrier modulation corresponds to 0 dB. 

GETTING THE SIGNAL

As  a practical matter, the 674 can operate with just about any type of antenna. The 50 ohm antenna connector is insulated from the rear panel to create a quasi-balanced configuration. The instructions recommend connecting the shield to an external ground. 

Getting a strong, interference- and noise-free signal can be difficult in some locations, and Inovonics offers as an option the 637-01 passive AM loop antenna, with a figure 8 pattern, which can assist with some of the more challenging AM reception environments. 

Two menu screens determine how the 674 will sound. The standard NRSC truncated 75 µs de-emphasis may be switched in or out. The manual suggests making a decision based on which sounds best to you. A second screen enables selection of  IF bandwidth. Your options are 2, 3, 4 and 6 kHz. These settings mark the –6 dB points. 

Your selection is really a tradeoff between background noise and fidelity, with the 6 kHz setting being as close to high fidelity as you’re going to get. 

The days when you could troubleshoot broadcast equipment and make the repairs yourself are long gone. As with most modern gear, the Inovonics 674 is designed around surface-mount technology and chips with firmware, so the company recommends returning equipment to the factory for repairs. 

Nevertheless, curiosity dictates that it be taken apart just to see what it looks like inside. The board work, sheet metal and paint jobs are all up to Inovonics’ usual high standards.

Our evaluation 674 performed well with a long-wire outdoor antenna. The use of the traditional cold water pipe as an antenna ground turned out to be ill-advised. Smart meters dump large amounts of noise into the ground wiring. A stake driven into the ground outside the window worked much better. 

As expected, local stations could be set for NRSC off and 6 kHz with good fidelity and no noise. The AGC range of the 674 is broad enough to seamlessly handle day/night power reductions and antenna pattern changes. Although not intended for DXing, distant stations can easily be received, and are listenable with NRSC on and reduced bandwidth. Of course, noise from summer electrical storms is always a problem.

While the firmware in the 674 works as expected, other features could make it much better. As it stands, there is no way to store settings for multiple stations. That could make it inconvenient for users who work for a cluster. A preset function would also be useful if you want to do an A-B comparison between your station and the competition for the purpose of setting up audio processing

While the 674 is geared to a global market, the display is only offered in English. A menu selection of languages might make it more user-friendly outside the United States and other English-speaking countries.

Your happiness with the 674’s performance may depend to a large degree on how much thought and planning has been put into its antenna. Back in the day, a frightening number of stations used a short piece of wire and a clip lead as an AM antenna for EBS and EAS boxes, and even for mod monitors. It was never a good idea. 

Today, the proliferation of smart meters, LED and fluorescent lights, computers and switching power supplies all combine to create very high noise levels across the LW, MW and SW frequency bands. An outdoor antenna connected to the 674 via coax is almost mandatory for good reception. 

PRODUCT CAPSULE: Inovonics 674

Monitor Receiver

Thumbs Up

+ Independent audio level controls for analog and digital outputs

+ Programmable front alarms with rear-panel tallies for low signal and audio program loss

+ De-emphasis and IF bandwidth options for best audio quality

Thumbs Down

– English-only display

– No presets or easy to A-B compare stations

Price: MSRP $880

 

Contact: Gary Luhrman at Inovonics at 1-831-458-0552 or visit www.inovonicsbroadcast.com.

The post Exploring the Inovonics 674 AM Monitor Receiver appeared first on Radio World.

The author is president of WorldDAB.

Patrick Hannon

As people around the world are faced with a global pandemic, the full extent of which has yet to be determined, governments are increasingly looking for new ways to keep their citizens informed and out of harm’s way, while enforcing strict stay-at-home regulations.

As one of the oldest communication platforms available, radio has always played a significant role in times of crisis. Today, the role of DAB+ digital radio is more important than ever — keeping citizens informed, and providing some sense of belonging and togetherness to the most vulnerable people who are faced with a lengthy spell of uncertainty and isolation.

HELPING THE MOST VULNERABLE

In this time of crisis, we are seeing more and more ways by which DAB+ digital radio is helping broadcasters address issues such as loneliness, due to long period of social distancing and self-isolation.

A graph highlighting the number of national radio services on air (DAB/FM) in some European countries.

In the United Kingdom, BBC local radio has partnered with manufacturers, retailers and a loneliness charity to offer free DAB radios to the most vulnerable people aged over 70. The campaign has been a huge success, with local radio stations receiving more than 8,000 calls a day from members of the public.

NEW SERVICES

One of the key benefits of DAB+ is that it offers listeners a wider pool of content to choose from — both on a national level and in specific regions. In the U.K., a new DAB+ service broadcasting important information on the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 has just launched on a number of small-scale multiplexes across the country.

Named Health Info Radio, the DAB+ station broadcasts a mixture of updates on COVID-19 symptoms, myths and social isolation rules and guidelines, as well as interviews designed to help listeners through the national lockdown. Produced as a public service in London, the station is already available in a several major cities across the U.K.

Similarly, in Austria’s capital Vienna, DAB+ is being used to broadcast announcement loops with crucial information related to COVID-19. In addition to the announcements that run continuously in German, there are also several information stations on air in English, Turkish and Romanian, as well as an “Emergency Warning Functionality” (EWF) station broadcasting in Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian.

When on air, the EWF station — a special service dedicated to disasters and matters of the utmost importance — can break into the majority of receivers, including radios that are in sleep mode.

In Germany, the commercial radio station Schwarzwald Radio (Blackforest Radio), broadcast nationally on DAB+, has announced the launch of the first nationwide game night on DAB+. Schwarzwald Radio’s aim is to provide some distraction and boost the morale of German citizens who are currently confined to their homes.

CONGESTED NETWORKS

As millions of people remain confined to their homes, telecoms operators are struggling to cope with the surge in internet and mobile phone usage, and the network congestions that come hand in hand with them.

In Britain, the biggest telecoms companies have set aside their rivalries and launched a national campaign to tell the public how to manage this surge with the hope of reducing congestion. DAB+ does not require internet, and as such, helps alleviate some of the pressure building up on telecoms operators as internet usage continues to grow.

DAB+ allows broadcasters to combine classic content with digital diversity, without the need for internet connectivity, freeing up much needed internet bandwidth. More importantly in this time of crisis, it offers a wide range of news, safety guidelines, tailored information and distractions to the population — both nationally and on a regional level — all much needed at this time.

The post DAB+ Lends a Hand in a Time of Crisis appeared first on Radio World.

The home listening environment has become a hostile place for AM/FM radios. The proliferation of electronic devices such as computers, LED lighting, and especially smart power meters has combined to raise the noise level to the extent that reception is near impossible. That could be part of the reason smart speakers have experienced such explosive growth. Techsurvey 2020 fills in the details, including some opportunities for radio, but also implies there may be a dark cloud in the device’s future.

Their data suggests a close correlation between age and ownership of an AM/FM radio. The silent generation leads with 92%, and that number gradually decreases, ending with 67% for Gen Z. Overall ownership has fallen from 89% in TS 2016 to 81% for TS 2020.

These trends, according to Jacobs data, are almost the reverse for smart speaker ownership. The silent generation owns just 18% of the smart speakers, while millennials own 41%. Gen Z and Gen X are almost tied for second place, with 38 and 37% respectively. Overall ownership has skyrocketed from 11% with TS 2017 to 33% with TS 2020.

Listening to streamed music tops the list of frequent uses for smart speakers; AM/FM radio listening is essentially tied for second. Sadly for radio, data from TS 2020 also suggests that only 38% of smart speaker owners have heard stations promoting the devices.

This comes despite data from Jacobs Media which suggests that radio’s local orientation continues to grow in importance. Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media adds, “While it’s always been true that localism matters, that’s never been more the case than with the coronavirus pandemic we’re facing now. Some broadcasters have really embraced smart speaker technology and promoted it well, while others have their work cut out for them.” He adds that stations who lean into their personalities and really embrace localism may come out ahead of the game when the current crisis has passed.

[Read: TechSurvey 2020 Looks at Podcast Growth]

Despite its meteoric growth, the future is not all bright for smart speakers. Jacobs survey also asked why respondents do not own a smart speaker. “No use for one” led the responses with 37%, and “privacy concerns” was second with 32%.

As Jacobs elaborates, “We started to hear more about privacy concerns with smart speakers in our focus groups, so we added the question in TS 2020. There’s no doubt that the voice activated internet is here to stay, but privacy issues are not going to go away. It’s something that Amazon, Google and the rest of the smart speaker manufacturers will need to come forward and address.”

 

The post TechSurvey 2020 Tracks Smart Speaker Success appeared first on Radio World.

Beasley Media Group is among the U.S. radio companies cutting jobs and reducing salaries in the face of the business downturn caused by the coronavirus health crisis.

Beasley made cuts Tuesday. Chief Communications Officer Heidi Raphael confirmed in an emailed statement: “Our company, like other broadcasters and our clients, is being directly impacted by the recent unanticipated economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic. Like so many others in our industry, we must adjust to the new and unforeseeable circumstances we now face.”

She said Beasley eliminated 67 positions, and furloughed 18 full-time employees and several part-timers. She did not identify the positions eliminated; RW believes they included about a half-dozen engineers.

The company also reduced salaries for full-time employees by 10% for the second quarter, unless prevented by contractual obligations. CEO Caroline Beasley is taking a 20% reduction. It reduced the hours for full-time hourly employees to 36 hours.

“We anticipate bringing back all furloughed employees at the end of the second quarter or sooner if circumstances permit,” Raphael said.

According to AllAccess and other trade publications, iHeartMedia this week also instituted furloughs and reductions in executive pay.

The post Beasley Cuts 67 Jobs, Furloughs Others appeared first on Radio World.

Fig. 1: A strategically-placed IP camera keeps watch on your transmitter site equipment.

Ernie Nearman is a veteran broadcast engineer who has been practicing in Honolulu for decades. Like any contract engineer, Ernie sometimes has to be in two places at once, and believe it or not, he’s figured a way to do just that.

Ernie uses strategically-placed IP cameras at his sites to give him “remote” eyes to see what’s going on. He acknowledges that these IP cameras are not cheap, but if you buy the style that provides pan, tilt and zoom features, the camera does a pretty good job of letting you know what’s going on before you arrive at the site. 

Fig. 2: By selecting a camera with pan and tilt functions, the camera can zoom in to a specific piece of equipment, like this transmitter fault panel.

At one site, the camera is mounted on conduit so it normally faces the door (Fig. 1). Anyone entering the site can be identified. However, with the built-in mechanical adjustments, Ernie can remotely turn the camera to view the faults on a transmitter, as seen in Fig. 2 or point the camera in another direction to check the room temperature and Nitrogen pressure gauges (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Pan in another direction to check the room temperature and N2 pressures.

After a storm, wouldn’t it be nice to know the surge suppressor took a hit before arriving at the transmitter site? Fig. 4 shows that information. These little snapshots may not seem important, but when you are handling a number of contract clients, IP cameras can help you perform triage.

Fig. 4: How about checking your Surge Suppression status, before arriving at the site?

If, for example, a station goes down and you see that the fault can be corrected remotely, your time can be spent on bigger issues. Ernie says this benefit is especially appreciated when a storm rolls through, taking several of his contract clients off the air at the same time. These IP cameras permit engineers to work smarter and more efficiently.

Fig. 5: The compact camera fits in the palm of your hand, making mounting a breeze.

Ernie chose the Amcrest IP Camera, Model IP4M, in Fig. 5. It’s not the cheapest but its features include Ultra-HD resolution, remote viewing, two-way audio and night vision. It uses power over the Ethernet.

Fig. 6: Compile a screen to show both inside and outside the transmitter site.

Yes, you can find less expensive versions, but buying cheap junk probably won’t give you the features you need. Consider this a diagnostic tool, so don’t fall for the $20 wonders — you’ll be disappointed. 

You can find out more by Googling “Amcrest IP cameras” or searching for them on Amazon.

***

Have you signed up for the SBE Member Plus membership tier? When you do, you’ll have access to all of the SBE webinars. These broadcasting webinars provide online training in a variety of broadcast engineering topics. Head to www.sbe.org for more information.

***

April 1 is here. With that in mind, Newman-Kees’ Frank Hertel sent in some tips for using the latest release of Sonus Precarious Audio Software.

He writes that many engineers have yet to experience Sonus Precarious and its quirks. As an experienced user, Frank thought it would be useful to share some of the things that you need to be aware of when considering Sonus Precarious.

• If you download the free version, after three months, you will be required to purchase and install a dedicated Sonus Precarious hard drive to save your work.
• When deleting elements of your work, all mouse buttons and the scroll wheel must be used in reverse order. They provide this as an extra safety feature for jocks, to keep them from accidentally deleting elements of their work.
• All work is saved in the new Sonus Precarious file format. To distribute your recorded work to others, you must attach a document that has a ciphered phrase. That ciphered phrase must be decoded and entered to unlock the recording for playback.
• Sonus Precarious offers a user-selectable series of new bitrates, to enhance the sound of the recorded work. This gives you the sound quality that relates to the year of audio quality development. For example: one of the bitrates is called “64÷8,” and it actually enhances recordings to sound like 1941.  
• Be aware that the manual is written in 64-point “Baked Alaska Script” font. They did this because, they explain, “It’s pretty!”

Have a great April 1. 

John Bisset has spent over 50 years in the broadcasting industry and is still learning. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. He holds CPBE certification with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

The post Cameras Keep Watch at Your Transmitter Site  appeared first on Radio World.

The author is communications manager for Radiodays Europe.

COPENHAGEN — Have you seen the YouTube clip of two Glaswegians with strong Scottish accents trying to work the voice controls in a lift? Or the lady sitting in a mid-range car trying to find a radio station using the voice controls, her accent is very strong and she calls the stations by their abbreviated names.

Rosie Smith

Those are two, rather old, examples of where voice control doesn’t work. The problems of voice control are well known, but with the rise of the smart speaker the future is most surely voice-controlled so how does your station work with the voice? Can listeners find you? Or is your name and frequency too difficult to find on a voice-controlled device or in a device-controlled system in the car?

MORE WORK

Some stations are working on their smart speaker future and with the major smart speaker manufacturers to try and ensure that no matter the listener’s accent, the many ways the station is named (e.g. name/frequency/abbreviation), the speaker gets to the right place and you don’t lose listeners.

The sound of someone’s voice needs to be understood and, radio stations need to do more work to ensure they are the first on the list when “Alexa play…,” is uttered.

The revolution is happening or has happened depending on whom you talk to in terms of the sound of podcasting, “800,000 valid podcasts are now available in Apple Podcasts.”

In addition, the explosion of the podcast market continues with new players entering, new forms of production and a media truly open to all with a microphone and the ability to stand the heat of sitting under a duvet while recording their podcast (production method suggest by “Beef and Dairy Network Podcast” Ben Partridge, RDE Podcast Day 2019) — though apparently kids tents with a duvet over the top works just as well.

The sound of short, home produced podcasts though, like the early days of YouTube videos, are now moving on. With more production houses entering the market the sound of podcasts are becoming more professional, more stylized and may be losing some of the previously and joyously bad production which marked out podcasts in the early days.

That’s not to say that there still aren’t a lot of people out there desperate to know which microphone to use? What makes a podcast sound like a winner is becoming the Holy Grail: How do you make your podcast stand out in a market place where many new podcasts are launched daily?

The sound of the radio in terms of diversity and equality remains an area that needs to be tackled head on in all countries. More stations need more female voices and those from multicultural backgrounds. As local communities diversify so too must radio, bringing a wealth of opinions, experiences and familiarity to their listeners.

If the “woke” generation is the audience of tomorrow, then radio needs to appeal to them and bring the sound of their generation to radio. Podcasts in this respect cater to this demographic bringing with them the multisound world that should be the goal of all stations.

GATE-KEEPER PLATFORM

What is the next big thing for sound? In every space the sound you hear is a key part of the experience. But how do you deliver that sound? Will it be on 5G in the future? In the United Kingdom, mobile network operator and internet service provider, EE, has 5G coverage in over 50 towns at the end of 2019; in the United States Verizon 5G has gone live in parts of 31 cities; and in Australia Telestra covered 10 major cities by the end of 2019, according to TechRadar.com. A similar story in many other markets, 5G is coming to listeners and quickly.

Broadcasters are eagerly exploring how they can deliver more on the mobile networks but the issue of a “gate keeper” for your station’s sound is once again being discussed. Also, the question arises: Will listeners pay for radio streaming?

In a recent study by Imperial College London, researchers found “the evolution of modern culture, including pop music, is just as slow as biological evolution.” What do changing tastes mean for music stations? If smart speakers are outselling traditional radio devices what does that mean for radio? If the car of the future is autonomous what will radio sound like?

These are just some of the questions facing radio today. Making “sound” decisions for a station is the preoccupation for every CEO, head of radio and program director. Competition for the ear is growing, though radio still remains in a strong position, how do you navigate this new world of sound?

Sound ideas and sound decisions on all platforms, across all innovations in technology are paramount.  Radiodays Europe in Lisbon, now slated for December, will address these issues with examples from radio stations worldwide with a view to ensuring the sound of radio continues to hit the right note.

The post Sound Ideas. Sound Decisions. appeared first on Radio World.

This free resource is part of Radio World’s “Spring Show @ Home” initiative, helping equipment buyers and sellers keep in touch in an April without an NAB Show.

In the 21st century, radio is enduring, engaging and evolving. So too are the media companies that create all that great content. And so are the manufacturers that make the technologies that are the backbone of our great industry.

The guide is intended to give you a sampling of new offerings that you would have seen if you’d attended the show. It includes ads and Product Previews from our sponsors about technologies they are introducing or highlighting this spring. Also, you’ll find “Exhibitor” listings based on the material that companies had sent us shortly before the physical convention was cancelled.

Thank you for being part of this great industry and of the Radio World community.

Read the ebook here.

The post Spring Show @ Home appeared first on Radio World.

Wyoming Public Media is among the radio organizations building new pathways and processes for broadcasting from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Montoya is director of engineering for WPM, which is part of the University of Wyoming and located in Laramie. It operates 45 transmission facilities; WPR channels covers 90% of the state.

Radio World: I’m told you’ve been doing some live shifts from home yourself. What technologies and products are you using and how do the pieces plug together?

Fig. 1: Control Room Zetta screen via secure VPN

Paul Montoya: This is something we have been working on for the last year, primarily for remote broadcasts. The goal has been to control the equipment back at the studio as if you were sitting in front of it. In the past, the most we could do is have someone bring up the remote location on the control room console, then fire “next event” closures when needed to play underwriters announcements, promos or other elements.

So to do this properly you really needed two screens at the remote location — one to remotely control the mixing console at the studio and the other to fully control the automation system. We use a Telos Axia Element console at the studio. For automation we use the RCS Zetta system. At our studios we use the Raritan Dominion KX III KVM to control workstations in all of our studios. This is an IP-based system so devices can be accessed via web browser.

So, to put everything together we first access the Control Room Zetta screen via secure VPN remotely on one screen. We now have a full-function version of the same screen an operator would be using in the studio (Fig. 1). Now we need some way to control the levels, inputs and channel on-off functions of the console.

Fig. 2: Telos SoftSurface

Telos Axia makes a piece of software called SoftSurface that accesses remote control of any LiveWire-based Fusion or Element console in a graphical format (Fig. 2). With this software on my second screen I can now control any function on the studio console from a computer on the LiveWire VLAN. Because I don’t want to extend my AoIP VLAN out of the studio, I run SoftSurface on another computer connected to the LiveWire VLAN. I can then access this computer through the secure VPN tunnel (or TeamViewer or GoToAssist).

Fig. 3: Comrex BRIC

The final element is a Comrex BRIC for getting my audio back to the studio console (Fig. 3). Now any audio at my remote location can be put on the air. In the case of the studio in my home this gives me access to a CD player and turntable. Now I can pretty well do anything that I could as if I was standing in the studio.

We always been prepared to use a setup like this for a campus emergency such as an “active shooter” situation. Never did we think it could also be used for a worldwide pandemic.

RW: What has the impact of the crisis been on air talent and other staff?

Montoya: We have four audio channels that we deliver. WPR Main (NPR, News and Information), Classical Wyoming, Wyoming Sounds (AAA Music) and Jazz Wyoming. Classical and Jazz have been no problem as they are satellite-delivered formats. Wyoming Sounds has gone 90% voice track with announcers being able to voice-track easily through the Zetta2Go interface that can be accessed through secure VPN. We have been able to do remote programming for live segments through the process I explained earlier.

The WPR Main Channel has been our biggest challenge because of the varied and ever-changing elements of the format, including White House press conferences that come at a variety of times and almost never seem to start on time. Between accessing the Zetta automation system remotely through our secure VPN and changing Axia Livewire audio routing remotely, we have been able to keep up with most functions remotely and safely. “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” in the afternoons are still being hosted live, however we have made plans to host these shows remotely and still have a live feel to the programs.

[Related: COVID-19: WAMU’s Game Plan]

Fortunately these two programs have fixed clocks and timed breaks so filling these elements remotely isn’t too terribly difficult. The host can record their local newscasts, weather and other timed show elements remotely. These can then be uploaded via secure VPN to an mapped ingest folder for our automation system. Then working in cooperation with our programming and traffic people these can be placed remotely into the proper location in the log. We have not had to try this yet, but it should work.

Reporters have been producing their stories remotely then dropping their stories into “Shared Audio” folders at the studio via secure VPN. Staff meetings are being conducted weekly using Zoom. We do “audio only” Zoom sessions as some people call in by phone. We haven’t found video to be necessary.  So far this has worked quite well.

RW: What is the strategy of the WPM technology team to react to the coronavirus, as far as its overall operational and technical processes are concerned? 

Montoya: We had a pretty good idea that COVID-19 virus could affect our operation about late February. We had received a copy of a plan put together by Northern California Public Radio that seemed to be similar to the plan we knew we would need. Working with our General Manager Christina Kuzmych, our program director and our news director, I was able to put together a plan that should hopefully get us through this crisis.

The plan consisted of three stages. Essentially Stage 1 was a readiness stage that took preventive measures to keep areas clean. Stage 2 included non-essential people working from home. The only people in studio would be live on-air personnel. Stage 3 would include all personnel working from home.

RW: How “virtual” can your operation get, and how?

Montoya: The plan is that by Stage 3 we would be 100% virtual with little knowledge by the general public that we were operating any less effectively. We have taken the attitude that we are an essential lifeline of information to the Wyoming public during a time of crisis. So far we have not had to operate at a Stage 3 level but I feel that we could.

RW: Any other specific technical obstacles have you encountered?

Montoya: Much of what we are doing, absolutely could not be done just a few years ago. A secure VPN was important. Access to our office VLAN for sharing and exchanging information was very important. Total remote control and access to our automation system was also important. The icing on the cake was remote control of the main mixing console. Access to these systems was very important, but we needed to accomplish this in a secure fashion.

RW: What lessons can other engineers and technical managers learn from what you’ve been doing?

Montoya: Preparing for any crisis is important to station operations. I’ve heard it said by other broadcast engineers that by simply looking around your plant (including transmitter sites) and just trying to imagine what can be done to stay on the air in a variety of emergencies is the first place to start. Just by stepping back and asking yourself, “If my studio was swallowed up by an earthquake, is there any way to stay on the air?”

Sharing your ideas with other station department leaders and general manager to make sure everyone is on board with any emergency is the final element in being prepared for any emergency. You also have to realize that it is almost impossible to plan for every situation and you may just have to “MacGyver” things in some situations.  They used to call this a “can do” attitude. Most engineers are quite skilled at this.

RW: Do you think these infrastructure changes will be permanent in any way?

Montoya: I would say that almost everything done during this crisis will stay in place. There is always another crisis looming on the horizon. We may collect up all the extra laptops we have distributed to staff members, but we will hang onto them to keep ready.

We’re looking to tell your story about solving radio technical challenges during the coronavirus crisis. Email us with your story idea at radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post In Wyoming, a Game Plan for COVID-19 appeared first on Radio World.