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FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly has reached out to some major music companies to ask what they are doing to protect against payola, the exchange of something of value for broadcast airplay. The radio broadcast industry has had some scandalous episodes of payola in the past.

O’Rielly also noted that current restrictions don’t apply to streaming or internet radio.

Last September, O’Rielly contacted the Recording Industry Association of America to ask about reports that possible violations of federal antipayola laws and regulations, but was told the he needed to reach out to the companies individually.

[Read: O’Rielly Tells MBA “We Are Playing a Long Game” Against Pirate Operators]

He has now done so.

In letters to the heads of Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group O’Rielly said that “even the most cursory review of consumer complaints and assertions provides cause for concern regarding the persistence of payola.”

O’Rielly, who is not fan of government overregulation, said he was not saying payola restrictions were perfect, including that they applied to radio but not to streaming, internet radio or podcasts.

He said that “asymmetry” clearly impacts the radio industry’s financial well-being and perhaps even “long-term sustainability.”

He also said that compliance is tough given that radio companies deliver content “via multiple platforms and methods.”

 

The post O’Rielly Seeks Payola Info From Music Companies appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC recently adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that recommends giving AM stations in the United States the flexibility to adopt all-digital broadcasting voluntarily, based in part on the experimental experience of Hubbard station WWFD in Frederick, Md. The commission then asked for comments; one of the first was filed by Digital Radio Mondiale. Its filing is below, with minor edits for clarity. For background about DRM, see www.drm.org/what-is-drm-digital-radio/summary/.

In your document (FCC 19-123) you rightly highlight the great advantage of AM broadcasts, primarily the ability to cover large areas and number of listeners, while the band itself is losing popularity because of a variety of issues to do with propagation, interference [and] environmental changes. At the same time, digital audio broadcasting is no longer the new platform it was in 2002. At that time [the] FCC mandated a proprietary system (IBOC, “HD Radio”) as the only system to be used in the USA, with the possibility of applying DRM for HF.

This image from a DRM information packet shows the frequency bands where DRM operates.

Since then DRM (the ITU recommended, only digital audio broadcasting for all bands, open standard) has been tested and used all over the world on all bands, shortwave, medium-wave and FM.

So while you are recommending now pure digital HD, based on the NAB tests and [WWFD’s] not completely convincing trial, we would urge the FCC to consider opening the straightjacket of 2002 and allow DRM to be used as a sure, tested, efficient way of digitizing the AM band.

There are several reasons for this. DRM digital radio delivers, in the AM bands, significant benefits:

• Audio quality that is on par or better than FM. DRM, of all recognized digital standards, is the only one using the ultra-efficient and compressed xHE-AAC audio codec that delivers, at even very low bit rates, exceptional audio quality for speech, but music as well (www.drm.org/listen-compare/).

• Record Data: DRM has been tested in medium-wave all over the world in both simulcast and pure digital. A list of the main tests (some of which have become ITU adopted documents) are included in Annex 4 of the DRM Handbook (www.drm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/DRM-Handbook.pdf). At the moment, 35 MW transmitters are on air in simulcast or pure DRM in India (http://prasarbharati.gov.in/R&D/).

• Auxiliary Data. DRM is the newest, most complete, open standard for digitizing radio in all frequency bands, and is recommended by ITU. DRM has been devised as a direct heir to analog AM (SW, MW). It uses 9/10, 18/20 kHz bandwidth and has a useful content bit rate of up to 72 kbps. It carries up to three programs on one frequency and one data channel, while data can be carried on each of the audio channels as well. One of the great advantages of DRM is that alongside excellent audio, the receiver screens will display visual information of any kind required (album titles, singer photos, maps, visuals of any sort, data of any kind). The Journaline application allows for extra information from the internet or the RSS feeds of the broadcaster to be captured and displayed. Currently broadcasters like the BBC, All India Radio [and] KTWR in Guam are using this extra facility that clearly differentiates digital [from] analog as a superior option.

• Power/energy efficiency. Using SW or MW in DRM can reduce the power used up to 80%. As per calculations made by Ampegon, a medium-wave transmitter can cover an area of 235,000 square kilometers with a 100 kW transmitter. The DRM ERP of such a transmitter is about 50 kW and the coverage area is the same, while instead of one analog program, up to three digital channels and one data channel can be broadcast, all in excellent audio quality.

• Spectrum efficiency (more programs can be broadcast on one single frequency used for one program in analog) as explained above.

• DRM, unlike analog, offers enhanced and stable audio quality that is FM-like (mono or stereo). DRM also offers multiservice data enabled by applications like Journaline (the enhanced text services, more information captured as RSS feeds or from other internet source), slideshows, multilingual text (practically being able to show any characters of any language, not just Latin script), and the Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) in case of disasters.

• Interference. This has not been noted, as the DRM signal will always be lower than the analog one. AIR has not noted any interference in its operation of DRM transmitters. The mask values required for an optimal functioning of DRM transmitters [are] clearly stipulated in the ITU documents and as long as the network planning is correct and the mask is respected, there should not be any issue of interference in digital-analog or digital-digital DRM transmissions.

• Receivers. Currently there are several receiver models and SDR options for the reception of DRM in AM. India has almost 2 million new cars fitted with DRM receivers, at no cost to the buyers, that are capable of and are receiving DRM medium-wave signals. The audio quality is excellent and a sure benefit to the users.

• DRM is in direct succession to the analog AM (and FM) services, not owned or controlled by any single company, and immediately available with full know-how and technology access by the transmitter and receiver industry.

• As HD in medium-wave is a bit of a necessary step but still a leap in the dark, it would make sense from the practical aspects and even receiver solution availability to allow DRM as the best, clearly proven solution of digitizing the AM band (in preference or alongside HD) in the U.S.

In short, the salient advantages of DRM are:

1. The audio quality offered by DRM is equally excellent on all the transmission bands: MW, SW or VHF

2. Robust signal unaffected by noise, fading or other forms and interference in all bands

3. Clear and powerful sound quality with facility for stereo and 5.1 surround

4. More audio content and choice: Up to two and even three audio programs and one data channel on one frequency

5. Extra multimedia content: Digital radio listeners can get multimedia content including audio, text, images and in future even small-scale video, such as:

a. Text messages in multiple languages
b. Journaline – advanced text-based information service supporting all classes of receivers, providing anytime-news for quick look-up on the receiver’s screen; interactivity and geo-awareness allowing targeted advertising
c. Electronic Program Guide (EPG), showing what’s up now and next; search for programs and schedule recordings
d. Slideshow Program accompanying images and animation
e. Traffic information

6. Automatically switch for disaster & emergency warnings in case of impending disasters in large areas, automatically presenting the audio message, while providing detailed information on the screen in all relevant languages simultaneously. Great potential to become the surest and widest means of alerting the population to emergencies.

Therefore, we urge [the] FCC to take a wide view and consider all options including DRM, if AM is worth future-proofing in the USA.

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

The DRM Consortium describes itself as an international not-for-profit organization composed of broadcasters, network providers, transmitter and receiver manufacturers, universities, broadcasting unions and research institutes. Its aim is to support and spread a digital broadcasting system suitable for use in all the frequency bands up to VHF Band III.

The post Allow DRM for Digitizing the AM Band appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters announced it will bestow radio’s most esteemed community service award to an Iowa station at the 2020 NAB Show.The association will present the NAB Crystal Heritage Award to KCVM(FM) of Cedar Falls at the third-annual We Are Broadcasters Celebration scheduled for April 21. The nod is especially fitting for a station owned by Coloff Media, which espouses the motto “Service to Listeners, Clients and Communities.”

The Crystal Heritage Award is reserved for stations that have won five Crystal Radio Awards for service, and KVCM will be the ninth station to receive the honor during the program’s three-decade history. In 2019, KFOR(AM) joined the Crystal Heritage ranks, as did WTOP(FM) in 2018.

[Crystal Heritage Award Winner KFOR(AM) Leads by Example in Lincoln]

“KCVM has served Cedar Falls for over 22 years and exemplifies radio’s strong connection and service to local communities,” NAB Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs Steve Newberry said in the announcement. And don’t forget: Stations can still submit entries to the Crystal Radio Award program through Jan. 31.

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Broadcasters want to think ahead about how to capitalize on 5G fixed wireless. The problem is, they don’t know what it is or isn’t yet. In this issue, we ask technical thought leaders how 5G may affect our industry, while Michael LeClair cocks a skeptical eyebrow in that direction. Also in this issue: Spooky podcasts, a history of synchronous AM, and cool technologies for your phones and talk show systems.

 

Read it online here. DIGITAL RADIO
DRM Says “Not So Fast”

If the FCC allows U.S. AM stations to turn off their analog signals in favor of all-digital transmissions, Digital Radio Mondiale believes it should be among their options.

FUTURE OF RADIO
For Radio, It’s Wait and See About 5G

We asked a bunch of smart people how they think this new technology might play out in the radio biz.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Synchronous AM’s Long and Tortuous History
• With Consoles, It’s All About Connectivity
• Buyer’s Guide: Phone & Talk Show Management

The post Inside the Jan. 22 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Justin Chase

Beasley Media Group has promoted Executive Vice President of Programming Justin Chase to chief content officer, the company announced this week.

In a press release, Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley tasked Chase with “enhancing and expanding our content on all of our on-air and digital platforms.”

Chase has served as EVP of programming since 2016, and prior to that he was operations manager for Beasley Las Vegas and added the vice president of programming title in 2013. In Vegas, he also supervised KCYE(FM), KKLZ(FM), KOAS(FM) and KVGS(FM) as PD, and his work was recognized with Beasley’s “Program Director of the Year” award. 

Additionally, Chase is a member of the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Board and serves on the Media Ratings Council’s board of directors, the MRC Radio Committee and the MRC Digital Committee. He has participated as a member of the Nielsen Advisory Council and in special projects with The Council for Research Excellence.

The post Beasley Ups Chase to Chief Content Officer appeared first on Radio World.

Getty Images/Alexsl

The problem facing broadcasters trying to capitalize on 5G-fixed-wireless is they don’t know what it is or isn’t yet.

Prior to this month’s CES show, Gary Shapiro, president/CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, assessed the state of 5G for the Jacobs Media blog: “In 2019, 5G moved from trials to commercialization, with commercial launches in the U.S., Europe and Asia. By 2022, the majority (76%) of smartphones shipping in the U.S. will be 5G enabled,” Shapiro said.

“This year, 5G is capable of significantly greater data capacity for video and telepresence applications, significantly more connections at a time and ultra-low latency. The U.S. is now in a global race for 5G leadership, and connectivity — delivering anytime/anywhere access and information — and it is one of the driving trends of our time.”

And 5G’s potential content delivery powers continue to tantalize radio technical experts. Though the phase-in of 5G networks has begun, the full technical evolution is three to five years off, experts say. This leaves radio broadcasters time to think about ways to take advantage of the next-generation of cellular networks.

The new wireless platform will be superior to earlier generations of mobile systems, with significantly greater throughput and considerably lower latency, according to those who follow the sector.

Fifth-generation cellular technology is expected to have a transformative effect on multiple industries, including audio and video delivery. 5G is initially being deployed in mobile broadband networks alongside 4G/LTE, with stand-alone 5G deployments following at a later stage.

Technical experts say 5G — which was also the theme of several NAB Show sessions last year, and presumably will be again this spring — has the potential to transform how radio broadcasters operate, with enhanced wireless data transmissions and more data-intensive applications, and even point-to-point links.

The FCC continues to conduct 5G spectrum auctions, recently reallocating part of the C-Band spectrum for its use, which will be critical to the deployment of 5G services and applications. And broadcast equipment suppliers like transmitter manufacturers and codec makers reportedly are experimenting with 5G in order to explore the potential of next-gen wireless, even though industry standards have yet to be set.

The point-to-point communication capabilities of 5G could someday eliminate the need for traditional STLs and other high-capacity data circuits for broadcasters.

Much has been written about the implications on video, including virtual reality and e-sports, but the end game for radio depends on the timing of 5G full implementation, since the adoption curve for 5G is a few years from completion.

Observers say broadcasters need to approach 5G from both the standpoint of what it means for consumers and for how stations acquire and deliver content.

“As 5G networks become more ubiquitous, wireless technologies will be incorporated into more consumer devices, expanding the availability of streaming services beyond even where it is today,” said Ari Meltzer, a partner in the telecommunications, media and technology practice at Wiley Rein LLP.

“And because 5G signals have more bandwidth than traditional AM or FM signals, radio broadcasters should anticipate having to compete against the almost limitless variety of programming that will be available over 5G networks.”

Radio broadcasters would be wise to incorporate 5G into their long-term planning, Meltzer said, even if some guesswork is involved.

“Radio broadcasters need to analyze how listeners are consuming their content and how that is likely to change as consumer adoption of connected devices continues to grow at an exponential pace. While this may create challenges for the traditional linear programming model, it also creates opportunities for radio broadcasters to provide expanded interactive services and to reach listeners in new ways with new content,” he said.

The European Broadcasting Union’s project group 5G Deployments is addressing technical and non-technical issues related to business arrangements, deployment models and regulatory conditions for 5G mobile systems, according to Darko Ratkaj, EBU senior project manager for technology and innovation.

Getty Images/diyun Zhu

“Where available, 5G will provide improved connectivity with high speed and low latency, which would improve the user experience with audio streaming,” Ratkaj said. “However, streaming of audio services is already possible over 4G networks and WiFi, and this is increasingly popular. Therefore, the impact of 5G will be incremental, rather than revolutionary. Much will depend on the availability and performance of 5G-enabled user devices.”

In addition, one of the main benefits that 4G and 5G bring to broadcasters, Ratkaj said, is the “possibility to deliver content and services to personal devices, in particular mobile phones, which cannot receive signals via terrestrial or satellite broadcast networks.”

He added, “Content distribution over mobile networks such as 4G and 5G may require different commercial arrangements compared to conventional broadcasting.”

The connected car is expected to make use of 5G next-gen technology as the service rolls out; indeed the connected car is likely to hog a lot of its capacity.

A radio working group of the North American Broadcasters Association notes that 5G is often cited as the primary path forward for vehicle connectivity. “It is believed by many in the automotive space that 5G video application and vehicle-to-vehicle communication will use the majority of 5G’s capacity,” the committee wrote in its report “The Value Proposition of Radio in a Connected World,” published last year.

TOO SOON TO SAY

Technical observers say it is too early to begin architecting radio’s future with 5G but acknowledge the need for the industry to consider all opportunities to share audio and metadata in a better connected world.

“It’s difficult to answer the question about how radio as an industry may take advantage of what 5G has to offer. It’s an emerging technology, and geographic availability is yet to be defined,” said Michael Beach, VP of distribution at National Public Radio.

Milford Smith, principal with Smith, Khanna and Guill Inc., said while 5G is being rolled out by various carriers, some more aggressively than others, he thinks it’s going to take nearly ubiquitous availability before broadcasters explore new applications.

“One thing is for sure, it’s unlikely that there will be much need much longer for heritage wired pathways for out-of-studio events,” Smith said.

Another veteran engineer said how media is consumed will affect the efficiencies of using 5G next-gen services. “Audio is mostly consumed while mobile, whether jogging through the park or commuting to the office,” said Frank McCoy, CE at Salem Media Chicago. “Video is delivered more often to stationary devices. It’s a lot easier to maintain smooth connectivity through a single path than through an environment that requires regular system handoffs. This remains a limitation. The back end structure required to make this work will still struggle, I believe.”

As the small cell infrastructure in high-density areas for 5G is built out, the 5G canopy will expand, McCoy said.

“The new spectrum will linearly expand throughput per cell, but that’s it. To exponentially gain throughput requires more and smaller cells, so this isn’t a problem that’s easy to solve.”

There are technical implications of 5G adoption, too, McCoy said. “I expect 5G will look a lot like 4G but with more bandwidth. It’s still physics-limited to about 3.7 data bits per spectrum Hertz, though. And it may come without support for IPv4. Better study up on IPv6.”

McCoy said he is unaware of any 5G planning done by Salem Media, though fixed, point-to-point services should benefit from more bandwidth. “Then again, the Silicon Valley folks seem to come up with new, better consumer tools that require ever more bandwidth to function. And free connectivity may emerge, driven by ad content, as radio is,” he said.

There will be investment costs for broadcasters to be ready for the 5G world, said Richard Engelman, a technical consultant with Wiley Rein LLP.

“Given the variety of ways in which radio broadcasters can adopt 5G technologies, the range of required investments will vary tremendously,” he said.

“At one extreme, because 5G is a network technology that can be used to distribute a variety of content, radio broadcasters can invest in IP-based content distribution and take advantage of 5G without any incremental cost for 5G itself. At the other extreme, building new point-to-point links or equipping studios and remote facilities to take advantage of 5G technology will require both an upfront capital investment and, potentially, investments in the spectrum required to deliver the signal,” Engelman said.

The post For Radio, It’s Wait and See About 5G appeared first on Radio World.

Is our industry’s technical profession — particularly in the United States — in crisis? If so what is being done about it?

Radio World Editor in Chief Paul McLane talks to experts in commercial radio, public radio and technical education in this special report, sponsored by Nautel and Shively.

Are the number of qualified engineers in fact declining? How are companies are balancing the needs of RF vs. IT? What choices are available for technical training? Are broadcast groups changing how they manage product buying or approach infrastructure design with a shortage of technical talent in mind?

Find out what Paul learned here.

The post Radio Engineering in Crisis appeared first on Radio World.

Organizers of the 2020 European Radio & Digital Audio Show say they expect more than 8,000 visitors to the upcoming edition.

With some 160 exhibitors and over 100 conferences, masterclasses and workshops, the event is laying out what all in attendance will have in store for the three-day event in Paris.

“In 2020, in France and Europe, radio remains a safe bet and the soundest listening tool. Europeans love radio and have faith in it. It is still deeply rooted in the lives of listeners,” said show organizers Philippe Chapot and Fréderic Brulhatour.

“But at the beginning of the 21st century, audio is becoming more versatile and is spreading at an ever-faster pace over all areas of life and through all types of media. Digital audio is now available everywhere, anytime. It is definitely a new revolution and a new world of possibilities.”

“SOLID RADIO,  LIQUID AUDIO”

The show’s theme for this year will be “Solid Radio. Liquid Audio.” Supporting that theme will be a number of events and presentations.

One example is the dedicated pavilion that will showcase German and Austria’s work in the industry. More than 15 German and Austrian exhibitors will be present in the pavilion, including Audi and its e-tron automobile, featuring its latest infotainment system. After conference hours, the pavilion will also host a “Biergarten” starting at 7 p.m.

The conference is also expanding its Podcast & Co. area to become the POD.Village. There will be the In-car XP stand on embedded digital radio and audio experiments in the automotive industry, while the DAB+ pavilion will offer updates on digital terrestrial radio around the world.

A number of popular features are also returning after successful debuts, including the Rebounce Audio hackathon that looks at the ins and outs of tomorrow’s radio and digital audio world; the Sales House for hosting conventions and cross-industry meetings, like the national convention of the Indes Radio, National Radio Day of the RCF network and the 90th anniversary of “Music & the Spoken Word”; and the Muzicenter Meetup, offering meetings between labels and director of programs.

Additional offerings at the 2020 conference include personalized sessions in a KEODA soundproof booth; the International Radio of the Year Award Ceremony; and the French Young Talent Awards for Radio, TV and Net.

The 2020 European Radio & Digital Audio Show is taking place from Jan. 23–25 at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris.

The post European Radio & Digital Audio Show Starts Thursday appeared first on Radio World.

“Very well, I admit the deed! Tear up the planks! Here! Here! It is the beating of the old man’s hideous heart!”

This is the climax to Edgar Allen Poe’s horror classic “The Tell-Tale Heart.” And like many a classic, it’s a familiar tale that becomes fresh again when the retelling is new and different.

This is why the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre’s podcast production of “The Tell-Tale Heart” is such a worthwhile listen. Hosted online by Baltimore NPR station WYPR 88.1 FM, “Tell-Tale Heart” is one of a series of Poe-based podcasts being produced by the company’s “Poe Theatre on the Air” initiative.

“Poe Theatre of the Air is based on the ‘theater of the mind’ approach to radio drama, which uses actors, music and sound effects to conjure up vivid stories in the listeners’ imaginations,” said Alex Zavistovich, the founder and artistic director of the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre.

Orson Welles’ famous 1938 “War of the Worlds” broadcast is based on the theater of the mind approach. The dark stories of Edgar Allan Poe lend themselves well to this audio production style, even though his 19th century tales were written long before radio came to be.

Allan Poe

Why Poe?

An experienced actor and director as well as a former editor of Radio World, Alex Zavistovich is no stranger to radio drama. Previous to creating the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre, Zavistovich founded and managed Lean & Hungry Theater, which performed radio adaptations of Shakespeare and other English literary classics. These adaptations have been aired on NPR affiliate stations in Austin, Texas; Tampa, Florida; and Washington, D.C.

Although Poe was born in Boston in 1809 and then lived in Richmond, the indisputable Father of American Horror did much of his writing in Baltimore, where he died at age 40 after being found incoherent in Ryan’s Tavern.

Poe’s ties to Baltimore appealed to Zavistovich when he moved to this city.

“I learned that there was no national theater dedicated to the works of Edgar Allan Poe,” he said. “So I have set about to raise Poe’s profile, and Poe Theatre on the Air is one way I’m doing it.”

As for hosting these podcasts on WYPR’s website? “Being affiliated with an NPR station instantly gave us a credibility and a reach that we wouldn’t have if we did this on our own,” said Zavistovich.

Alex Zavistovich

The Nitty-Gritty

To date, Poe Theatre on the Air has produced five dramatic podcasts based on Poe’s works. As described by the theater’s web page, a sampling:

The Tell-Tale Heart: “A housekeeper takes a job caring for an old man, and it seems like a dream for them both. But the dream becomes a nightmare when the housekeeper’s obsession with the man turns deadly — with a truly heart-pounding ending.”
The Black Cat: “A man brings home a cat for his animal-loving wife, to replace a cherished pet. When the new family addition becomes too annoying for the man, it leads to a dark secret that the cat reveals at the worst possible time — for the man.”
Morella: “A man’s love for his scholarly wife fades as her fascination turns to morbid themes. On her deathbed, she gives birth and curses the man to ensure that he will never be freed from her memory.”

Posted more recently are episodes “The Cask of Amontillado” and “Berenice.”

In a nice touch, the stories are tied together by the device of the listener visiting an insane asylum. Each cell they visit contains a deranged inmate directly related to the Poe tale about to be told.

The scripts, drawn from Poe’s own works, are created by Zavistovich and Professor Richard Hand, a professor of media practice at the UK’s University of East Anglia. The actors are from the Poe Theatre on the Air’s company, with production being handled in Baltimore by long-time audio engineer and producer Ty Ford, another Radio World alum.

Poe was originally buried in an unmarked grave but is remembered today with this marker in Baltimore.

Teaching theatrical actors to do radio drama wasn’t easy, Ford said. “We do the show in my 25- by-35-foot custom-tuned basement studio, and it took a while for some of them to get used to working with microphones rather than projecting to an audience from the stage,” he said. “But they’re getting the hang of it now.”

To make these Poe podcasts more compelling, Ford uses a mix of original music that he and Zavistovich compose/perform on the fly, plus recorded sound effects, and actual “real” effects that he creates as required.

Ty Ford prepares a microphone for Jennifer Restak.

“For instance, when we needed the sound of a trowel being used to brick a victim into a wall, I grabbed one of my own and rubbed across the terra-cotta saucer of a flower pot,” Ford said.

CLASSICS FOR THE PODCAST GENERATION

In creating theater of the mind audio productions, Zavistovich and Ford are aiming for the pinnacle of Golden Age radio dramatic production, a genre made popular by long-running radio series like “Gunsmoke” and “Suspense.”

Judging by the quality of Poe Theatre on the Air, they have hit this mark. These podcasts feature a lively mix of solid voice acting, convincing sound effects, and suitably eerie music that underlines Poe’s emphasis on pervasive, insistent unease; a sense of discomfort that begins by gently unsettling the listener at the outset, and building to a tsunami of terror by the end.

Actor Brian MacDonald at work. Find the episodes at www.wypr.org/programs/poe-theatre-air.

“We recently heard from WYPR that we have had 6,000 downloads for the first three shows,” said Ford, “not just streams, but downloads. They were excited by that and are planning even more promotion for the show.”

If all goes to plan, Alex Kavistovich hopes to keep producing new Poe podcasts on a monthly basis. “There’s a whole community of podcasts listeners who are deeply interested in radio drama and complex storytelling,” he said. “This is what we are trying to bring to them through the tales of Edgar Allan Poe.”

And if the living Poe podcasts transport their listeners into a world of deadly fear and trepidation, so much the better. As the Father of American Horror wrote in “The Premature Burial”: “The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?”

The post Listen to These on a Midnight Dreary appeared first on Radio World.

Radio Simba started broadcasting in November and covers western Kenya as well as the greater Rift valley region. The broadcaster chose Lawo equipment for its new facilities.

In the main studio, Lawo’s crystal mixing console and Compact Engine mixing platform connect to a standards-based AES67/Ravenna AoIP network. In addition, the Lawo VisTool GUI Builder software powers a graphical interface that displays onscreen control of source selection, EQ and other options.

For Radio Simba’s second studio, the station makes use of Lawo RƎLAY VRX software with a multitouch-enabled graphical interface.

“RƎLAY VRX software, installed on the same PC that hosts the playout system, software codecs, streaming encoder and other studio tools, is the equivalent of an entire broadcast studio on a single touchscreen PC,” pointed out Lawo in a press release.

The Lawo crystal mixing console

Byce Broadcast, Lawo’s Nairobi-based distributor and systems integration partner, managed the project planning, installation and commissioning of Radio Simba’s studios.

According to Lawo, Byce carefully reviewed the IT and broadcast technologies before fitting the studios to ensure Radio Simba would fully benefit from an IP-based studio environment.

“We are extremely proud of what we’ve achieved,” says station owner Joshua Kisiang’ani. “Our new studios are both very functional, and very beautiful!”

The post Kenya’s Radio Simba Choses Lawo 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.

Are you thinking about your community radio station’s digital security? It’s a more serious matter than you may realize.

This month, Google announced open enrollment for its new Advanced Protection Program. “The Advanced Protection Program helps high-risk users — like members of political campaign teams, journalists, activists, executives, employees in regulated industries such as finance or government — shield themselves from targeted, sophisticated attacks on their Google Accounts,” the release notes. “We’ve helped protect these types of people for many years.” Media is presumably a part of this group.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Community Radio Relevant as Ever]

The new program relies on built-in security keys. It offers a layer of protection out of reach for most people for years.

Google’s effort is the latest salvo in the war against phishing, ransomware and other digital malware impacting both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Malware alone is estimated to cost industry over $100 billion annually.

The most pernicious of these baddies is ransomware. In a ransomware attack, hackers encrypt data until a fee is paid. Ransomware attacks have impacted community radio on numerous occasions, including at KBOO and WNCU. The cost of ransomware lockdowns can be enormous.

How does your station avoid becoming a victim of ransomware, phishing schemes or other unseemly online assaults?

As cliché as it sounds, prevention is the best medicine for these problems. Online security in the form of virus protection, safe web surfing browser plugins from trusted providers, and regular operating system updates, especially of security patches, should be mandatory at your station. Your station should also be doing regular backups, which are then taken off-site and offline. In addition, there is a training component. If your station relies on volunteers, everyone should be taught not to open links that look suspicious. Don’t forget to give examples!

The proliferation of viruses through Facebook Messenger bots sending provocative links labeled things like “IS THIS YOUR PICTURE” are a dead giveaway. Still, you would be surprised how many people fall for these tricks daily.

Your station may consider going the extra mile and restricting web browsers’ activities to prevent people from going to websites with questionable content, like illegal music downloading pages or pornography. Such websites are often littered with popups and automated downloads of malicious software that can drag your systems down. In isolated cases, malware and other tools can await an unsuspecting user who clicks a file open.

The longtime leader in computer security IDG recommends several ways to avoid malware and ransomware. On the top of the list? Never give links administrative privileges unless you know exactly what the software in question is and what it does.

Once you’re the victim of malware or ransomware, the fixes could be easy to almost impossible. Many virus companies offer resources for saving data, but this work can come at a premium. The virus prevention company Malwarebytes suggests that your station should consult with information technology specialists before using software to try decrypting data sequestered by ransomware.

Digital security is not as complicated as it once was. For community radio, which sometimes can be avoidant to spending, that $100 you spend on basic protection could prove priceless later.

 

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Radio World is providing an ongoing sampler of what people are telling the FCC about the current proposal to allow U.S. stations on the AM band to switch to all-digital transmission if they wish.

This comment was filed by Mark E. and Arlene D. Bohach, licensees of WLOH(AM) in Lancaster, Ohio.

We are commenting to express our complete support of 19-311 and urge the FCC to adopt this proceeding as quickly as possible.

We are the licensees of WLOH(AM) in Lancaster, Ohio. Since the initial rulemaking allowing AM stations to operate FM fill-in translators, WLOH has been able to secure and operate three FM translators that effectively serve our AM listening area.

WLOH is the ideal candidate to convert our AM signal into an MA3-All Digital signal. Virtually all our listeners have migrated to our FM signals. Our AM signal serves no useful purpose anymore.

[Related: “FCC Takes Your Questions on All-Digital on AM”]

The idea of creating a viable all-digital signal that rivals the best FM sound quality and provides the metadata services that are expected today are strong inducements for us to make the investment. It would also create a powerful marketing tool for our operation and you can be sure that we would promote is heavily.

The only issue I foresee is what to call this new service. The term “AM” has a stigma among many people as a static-prone and inferior-sounding service. And since this would not be amplitude modulation, a new name would be needed that connotes the superior nature of the signal. But what a great problem that would be.

Our tower site lease is due for renewal this year and our transmitter is 15 years old. This would give us a compelling reason to maintain and even upgrade our AM equipment. The bottom line is this- WLOH would have a compelling reason to promote its 1320 kHz signal again. We want this to happen. Thank you for your consideration.

File comments in Docket 19-311. Comments are due March 9, 2020. Replies are due April 6.

[Related: Read the RW ebook “What’s Ahead for All-Digital AM” from March 2019]

 

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The Audio Engineering Society will receive a Technical & Engineering Emmy Award for its work with audio over IP, sharing the award with six partners who were involved in developing the AES67 standard: ALC NetworX, Audinate, Kevin Gross, QSC, The Telos Alliance and Wheatstone.

The award is for “Development of synchronized multichannel uncompressed audio transport over IP networks,” and will be given in a ceremony at the NAB Show at the Wynn Encore on Sunday, April 19.

AES67 is a protocol that established a standardized language for audio transport. Although AoIP plays a huge role in radio, the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards actually are given for developments or standardization in engineering technologies that affect television.

[Related: “AES Publishes AoIP Interoperability Standard,” Sept. 2013]

AES noted that its AES67 standard for high-performance streaming audio-over-IP interoperability was introduced in 2013. It stated: “AES67 compliance allows audio content interoperability between the proprietary IP-based audio networking protocols developed by the Emmy co-winners: Ravenna, Dante, Q-Sys, Livewire+ and WheatNet-IP.”

AES Fellow Kevin Gross led the AES67 Standards effort and is the chair of the AES Technical Committee on Network Audio Systems.

In the AES announcement, Gross was quoted: “The improvement from audio networking born in the mid-1990s to new IP-based solutions emerged as a simultaneous invention from the honored companies. While collectively this represented a technical improvement, interoperability was not addressed until the AES initiated the X192 project on audio interoperability.”

He thanked the late Steve Church, Rich Zwiebel, Philip Lawo and Andreas Hildebrand as leaders of companies who “understood the potential for a standard to take audio networking to the next level,” and thanked then AES Standards Manager Mark Yonge for mentoring the process.

AES Executive Director Colleen Harper said AES67 “fundamentally changed the broadcast audio landscape and paved the way for recent similar developments for video.”

[Read the Radio World ebook “AoIP for 2020”]

 

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Wheatstone is pumping up its Audioarts Engineering brand by adding DMX digital console technology, bringing in WheatNet-IP audio network compatibility.

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

Coining a term, Wheatstone Director of Sales Jay Tyler said, “WheatNet-IP’ing this console effectively brings Wheatstone’s Intelligent Network routing and control to stations on a budget, allowing them to automate functions they couldn’t approach before. This enables them to run leaner, more efficient operations overall, and opens a pathway to the new world of AES67 interoperability.”

The DMX’s rackmount engine carries a WheatNet-IP network hub, providing the building block for an IP audio network for users without the need for an external or separate hub.

 

The post Wheatstone Moves PR&E DMX to Audioarts appeared first on Radio World.

In an effort to support students that are seeking careers in telecommunications and broadcast engineering, the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers, the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the National Translator Association have selected nine students across the country to receive their spring 2020 scholarships.

Here are the nine recipients:

• Maurice Compton, University of Dallas
• Nathan Ellsworth, University of Texas at Dallas
• Andrew Heller, University of Minnesota
• Md. Tajul Islam, University of Missouri at Kansas City
• Daniel Klawson, University of Maryland at College Park
• Obagaeli Ngene-Igwe, University of Cincinnati
• Prosanta Paul, Old Dominion University
• Dylan Stewart, Old Dominion University
• Rafida Zaman, University of Missouri at Kansas City

The scholarships all range between $1,000 and $5,000, with $29,000 being awarded in total between the nine students.

Andrew Heller is the inaugural recipient of NTA’s Byron W. St. Clair Memorial Scholarship, which is given to promising students that plan to pursue a career in broadcast engineering.

“NTA congratulates Mr. Heller,” said John Terrill, president of NTA. “This scholarship is a good first step in the tradition of Byron St. Clair to enlighten young minds and encourage more interest in broadcast engineering, especially in the areas of translator and low power television.”

Ellsworth, Islam, Klawson and Stewart, meanwhile, were awarded IEEE BTS/AFCCE’s Jules Cohen Memorial Scholarships, which awards up to $10,000 to promising undergraduate or graduate students pursuing broadcast engineering.

Also of note, Zaman was the recipient of the E. Noel Luddy Scholarship, which was sponsored by Dielectric Communications.

In total, AFCCE says that these scholarships represented the groups’ largest ever award to students that they hope “will help shape the future,” said John George, AFCCE president.

AFCCE also announced dates to submit applications for its fall 2020 scholarships, which will begin March 1 and go until April 30. More information is available through AFCCE and IEEE BTS’ websites.

 

The post AFCCE, IEEE-BTS and NTA Dole Out Spring 2020 Scholarships appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC is seeking recent or upcoming college graduates with an engineering degree to take part in its Honors Engineer Program, which is accepting applications from now until Feb. 20.

The Honors Engineer Program, which the FCC launched in 2018, is a one-year career development program that offers public sector experience for new/recent graduates and allows them to work on current issues in the communications and technology industries.

Some of the areas that participants may work on include 5G; the Internet of Things; next-gen TV broadcasting; new broadband satellite systems; facilitating the deployment of broadband services; identifying technologies to improve access to communications services, particularly those with disabilities; supporting the introduction of communications technologies designed for public safety, homeland security, health care, energy, education and more; and developing policies that will support the innovation and investment in new communication devices and services.

“Engineers play a critical and essential role in the work of the FCC, and our recent Honors Engineers, in particular, have already made an important contribution to the agency’s mission,” said Ajit Pai, FCC chairman. “Most of the high-profile issues on the FCC’s plate require the input of engineers, so there is no better time for new engineers to embark on careers here that promise to be tremendously rewarding.”

At the end of the program, participants will be eligible for consideration for continued employment with the FCC.

In reviewing potential candidates, the FCC will look at academic achievement, technical skills, engineering and extracurricular activities and whether they have a demonstrated interest in government service and/or the communications sector.

Interested applicants can apply online.

 

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The National Association of Broadcasters will have a new chief operating officer come Feb. 1.

Chris Ornelas

Chris Ornelas, who has been with NAB for a decade, will depart to join Beasley Media Group, where he’ll oversee legal matters for the media company as its general counsel.

He will be replaced by Curtis LeGeyt, NAB’s executive vice president of government relations.

Ornelas joined NAB in 2010 as executive vice president and chief strategy officer and was promoted to COO the next year. Prior he had been the chief counsel on communications and technology for then-Senator Gordon Smith, now NAB’s president/CEO.

Curtis LeGeyt

LeGeyt has been with NAB since 2011 as senior vice president and legislative counsel, and then senior vice president, public policy before being promoted to his current role in 2015. He also is a former senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy.

In the announcement, Smith saluted both men and noted LeGeyt for his “superb management skills, the victories that NAB Government Relations has delivered on Capitol Hill, and his dedication to the mission of NAB and local broadcasting.”

[Related: NAB EVP Newberry Plans Exit]

Also, NAB has promoted three senior VPs — April Carty-Sipp, Shawn Donilon and Trish Johnson — to executive vice president.

April Carty-Sipp was promoted to EVP of Industry Affairs, succeeding Steve Newberry, who had announced earlier that he will be leaving to become CEO at technology company Quu.

Shawn Donilon was promoted to EVP of Government Relations, replaces LeGeyt.

Trish Johnson becomes EVP of Finance/Chief Financial Officer.

 

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The author is chairman of Digital Radio Mondiale.

The image of a lonely kangaroo against the orange sky of the burning Australian bush must have been seen by billions of people over the last few weeks. Yet, this is just one of the many disasters ushering in the new year. Let us not forget about the floods and earthquakes in Indonesia, the earthquakes in Puerto Rico, the first cyclones in Asia.

Ruxandra Obreja

The increasing number of these disasters can challenge governments and authorities more often and for longer everywhere not just in Asia. And when a disaster strikes communication is of the essence.

Australian public broadcaster ABC has been rightly praised for its national emergency broadcasts these last few weeks. ABC’s “excellent job” in providing emergency information (as mentioned by the Minister of Communications) raises issues many public broadcasters and some commercial station are facing the world over.

How do they maintain proper and frequent disaster warnings that are able to reach everyone, even citizens in rural and less populated areas, and sometimes over many days and nights? And how can they fund all this “extra effort”? These broadcasts seem essential during emergencies but then they quickly drop to the bottom of the priorities’ list when the rain returns or the last cameraman has packed and gone to cover another more urgent story.

COVERING LARGE, TARGETED AREAS

Photo credit: Radu Obreja

Using analog broadcasting in emergencies is an old but often “alert-all” blunt instrument. If medium wave or shortwave are used in local or regional emergencies, the broadcast messages might also reach and alarm people in faraway regions who do not need to worry (yet). When disasters strike, cell towers, internet provision and FM transmitters are often immediately affected. Cell, radio or TV towers are often mounted on the highest location to give largest coverage. Electricity might be also impacted at transmission and sometimes at studio level, even if a generator is used.

A neater solution is to use a transmitter, a digital AM one, situated outside the danger area. One such AM transmitter could  have helped the Australians. A DRM AM transmitter can support long-distance Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) coverage from outside the disaster area being received just in the concerned area.

In emergency situations an explicit alarm signal is sent to receivers indicating where to find the actual emergency program and, if the rightly equipped receiver is used, the receiver will be even “woken up” if in standby mode (but not switched off). Does this sound so fanciful? Not more than talking to your smart speaker.

Then the DRM receiver becomes a smart radio activated not by the listener’s voice but by the transmitter, which has received the right information or files from the broadcaster linked to the emergency authority along a well-established path.

It’s possible to insert the emergency message for the target area quickly, while, for other unaffected regions, the regular programs continue unchanged. In other words, the technology exists for EWF localization but the planning and setting up of the transmission chain from the first message, map, telephone number to the listener needs human intervention that links the relevant authorities to the broadcaster etc. DRM has demonstrated how this can work (e.g. India, Bangladesh etc.), showing how inserting the necessary files alongside or instead of the audio file can be quickly implemented in a normal newsroom on a laptop.

The DRM AM digital audio broadcasting standard provides flexibility and also carries extra information that can be displayed on the car radio or standalone screens without flattening batteries as quickly as with cellular phones.

A map or an address, a clear instruction in your mother tongue or in several can save lives. And what is useful for many can become vital for people with hearing impairments, for example.

How about the thousands of FM transmitters in emergencies, if they are still up? Just turning them into emergency loudspeakers (no maps, or written instructions in analog) can be quite daunting, especially if the task needs to be completed fast and by staff who might not always be available.

All major digital radio standards have some disaster warning feature provision. Using one content server, one box, to feed several DRM for FM transmitters can be a quick solution and Indonesia is imaginatively trying to implement this very solution this year.

According to the Technology and New Media director of RRI, the Indonesian public radio, Mr. R. Ginging, “RRI is currently installing five DRM-FM transmitters in five cities. The five transmitters are equipped with an early warning system. If this technology runs well, we hope that in the future Indonesia can establish DRM as the national digital broadcasting standard.”

BUDGETS FOR EMERGENCIES

Emergency broadcasting is seldom a line in any broadcaster’s annual plan and it comes out of the base funding, as is the case with ABC in Australia. And when budgets are being cut, asking for potential emergency broadcasting money can sound extravagant.

Therefore, turning to digital radio is not just about being “on trend” about more channels or pop princesses’ pictures on screen. It’s not even about getting significant electricity and spectrum savings (in DRM of up to 80%). It’s about building emergency warning capability that is always available, at no extra cost (once properly planned and installed and with the receiver industry on board). This also delivers the extra benefit of localization, whether of regular content or of emergency warnings.

The Emergency Warning Functionality is one of the great benefits of digital radio like DRM. But we need to continue to demonstrate this potential and bring it to the attention of governments and accountants — digital radio can save lives and money, leaving nobody behind.

The post The Power of Digital Radio in Emergencies appeared first on Radio World.

Codec specialist Comrex has announced a new firmware version available for its Access and BRIC-Link lines of codecs.

Version 4.5p2’s main thrust is to provide multi-instance capability to the line in the wake of the launching of the Access MultiRack codec. A release says, “This new firmware simplifies CrossLock connections between

the new Access MultiRack and legacy Comrex IP audio codecs.”

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

In addition, the new version will replace the resident Adobe Flash-based GUI with and HTML5-based user interface. Flash security has been suspect for some time.

Firmware V4.5p2 is available for Access Rackmount, Access Portable 2USB, Access NX Portable, BRIC-Link, BRIC-Link II, Access MultiRack and Access NX Rack. Comrex warns that codecs with firmware numbered 2.7.1 or earlier will need to be handled specially, requiring a call to Comrex Support.

 

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