Radio World

This week, Radio World is providing coverage of the EBU Digital Radio Summit.

If broadcasters want to attract young listeners, they need to offer content that focuses on human connections and shared experiences, more than Top 40 hits.

That’s the message radio futurologist and Podnews editor James Cridland delivered during his keynote address to the European Broadcast Union’s (EBU) Digital Radio Summit. The summit was held online February 16, 2022.

“Ten great songs in a row is absolutely fine and a great radio programming technique, but it isn’t something that radio can do by itself anymore,” Cridland declared. “Spotify can do that very well.”

Radio’s decline amidst record listening
James Cridland began his address by noting how well radio appears to be doing these days.

“Radio is still tremendously popular,” he said. “Whether you are in the UK or New Zealand or Finland or the U.S., nine  out of 10 people are listening to the radio every single week.”

The trouble begins when one starts to dig deeper into the audience numbers. For instance, EBU data cited by Cridland showed “about a 3% decline in the last five years in terms of total audience, and a 6% decline in terms of younger audiences as well.” Meanwhile, total audience listening is “down by 7% in the last five years,” said Cridland, and “when you have a look at younger audiences, then you can see that nearly one out of five [listening] hours has gone away in the last five years.”

So why are U.K. radio audiences looking so strong in the research? “It’s only the fact that there are more old people in the U.K. that is keeping the figures up as high as it is,” he said.

Meanwhile, young listeners who aren’t tuning into radio now, won’t suddenly do so as they age. “You don’t grow into listening to more radio,” quipped Cridland. “So, we are not going to see a lot of people suddenly starting to listen to tons more radio because they happen to hit 30.”

The way back for radio
When it comes to reaching younger listeners, Cridland wants to target them where they are.

This isn’t on smart speakers, where 72% of the content consumed is radio, he said. Rather, it is on their smartphone-connected headphones.

RAJAR figures showing the disparity in radio listening among younger and older listeners.

“When you ask people, ‘what are you listening to on your headphones?’, podcasts and audio books are the No. 1 choice,” said Cridland. “Live radio is the least most popular in terms of 11%.”

The big takeaway: The 13–34 audience is listening to in-depth, meaningful spoken-word content when they listen to podcasts and audiobooks — the kind of content commercial radio rejected decades ago when it went Top 40.

This spoken-word content tends to focus on human connections and shared experiences, and it’s a model that radio must seize upon if it is to become relevant to younger listeners again. “That’s why people turned to radio in the middle of the pandemic because they wanted other human voices,” Cridland said. “They wanted that shared experience, [contact with] the other person who was out there dealing with the same things that they were dealing with as well.”

As for “live and local” being radio’s edge? “I would argue that live actually isn’t important at all … [and] that local is just another way of saying relevant,” he said. “Relevant content for people could be local, [it ] could be talking about what’s going on in their town in their city, [or it] could be talking about very, very other things as well … So real and relevant are very key parts of the content strategy that we should have in terms of radio.”

Cridland also advised radio broadcasters to stop defining themselves in terms of their delivery mechanisms (i.e., AM, FM, and DAB), and start thinking of themselves as content providers first.

As well, being live is less important in an online age where on demand content is so popular. He made his point by citing some Australian audio content that is recorded and then served out on radio and on demand, to maximize reach and penetration.

“I’m talking about making stuff, particularly in terms of great pieces of audio, that you can pre-produce and make sound absolutely fantastic as well,” he said.

Quoting from a U.S. patent application to underscore his point, Cridland said, “’traditional broadcast radio spends billions of dollars creating millions of hours of creative audio content that is only used once.’ And it’s [only] when you see that written down in black and white, then you suddenly realize, ‘oh, we could be doing so much more with the great content that we are making by packaging it up so that we can reuse it on the air, so that we can give that to other audiences.’”

In closing, Cridland said radio has a future, and “it’s focused less on music and more on speech. These days it’s producing audio for on-demand first, rather than live, which helps get the most value out of the audio. And I believe that the future is less about broadcasting and more about reaching audiences across multiple platforms, however they want to consume it.”

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Steve Koenig speaking at the 2022 CES. “Consumers endorse options and abhor complexity,” he said.

A top Consumer Technology Association executive says the global technology market remains stout and that consumers are adopting new tech at an accelerated pace — all of which has implications for radio and audio companies.

Steve Koenig, vice president of research, says the future of tech innovation is healthy and fueled by demand from consumers for breakthroughs that add convenience and simplicity to their everyday lives.

He spoke after the conclusion of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

Among the announcements and debuts at the convention, the biggest headline was probably the simple fact that the convention was held in person.

But key trends showcased at CES included artificial intelligence and 5G, which Koenig believes will serve as the “connective tissue” for innovation and as the building blocks of the metaverse, this year’s buzzword.

Koenig said there’s plenty happening in audio.

“There was a lot of innovation [at CES] across the audio spectrum — featuring listening products, but also a variety of innovations that will impact the future opportunity of audio and, by extension, broadcast radio,” he said.

“A lot of innovation in personal audio, what we’re seeing in true wireless ear buds, for example, and in home theater and home audio. Smart speakers have populated and in some ways democratized listening around the house, since people tend to have several of them in dens, kitchens and bedrooms.”

‘Screenification’ in cars
Koenig also says the “visual element” is fast becoming a focus for audio products.

“In a lot of the vehicles shown at CES, there was a premium on monitors. For instance, Togg [a Turkish automaker] had a dashboard that was one giant screen, similar to the Mercedes-Benz Hyperscreen we have seen before,” he said.

He calls this the “screenification” of the automobile, and those bigger and additional video screens for both the front and rear seats have crucial import.

“Radio broadcasters need to utilize that space, because a lot of others are. Streaming audio and other connected services coming into connected vehicles utilize that screen real estate for drivers and occupants.” He said this development spotlights the importance of the metadata carried by many broadcast and streaming signals.

He sees the role of radio evolving as it adds various dimensions. “It is similar to what has happened to Next-Gen TV. It could be shopping, maps or other services that accompany the traditional broadcast service. I see this happening for radio broadcasters, which will increase opportunities for sponsorship and advertising deals. In the end, it’s a deeper engagement with the consumer.”

Broadcast radio’s familiarity to consumers is a strength, he said, but radio faces does face challenges as entertainment becomes more immersive.

“Broadcast radio is a very accessible and familiar medium, of course. We don’t track engagement, but what I can say is that consumers enjoy a mosaic of audio sources. Obviously podcasts and streaming music collections are growing in popularity; but still I think a lot of people enjoy radio.”

He declined to say whether he thinks broadcasters are doing enough strategically to adapt to increased competition, specifically in the dashboard. But he believes radio has a lot of options to amplify its business model and enhance the media experience for consumers.

“They have to engage with a variety of different partners, whether it is automakers or other possibilities. But there is a chance to remake radio and align it with a more visual element and add appeal to consumers.”

The mobility sector at CES had more than 200 companies in the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, including automakers with self-driving cars and electric vehicles. Many vehicle exhibits exploited interior technology touting audio and video with additional media displays, Koenig said.

Broadcast radio was represented in the transportation section by Xperi’s exhibit of DTS AutoStage, its hybrid radio platform that merges IP connectivity and broadcast reception, promising a richer user experience similar to the offerings of digital pure-play services and satellite radio.

DTS AutoStage “is one of these market plays that is trying to deliver what consumers are asking for,” Koenig said. “Consumers endorse options and abhor complexity. So a platform or system to allow them to partake in a variety radio and audio streams across their interest areas will resonate.”

Consumer behavior
Supply chain issues and computer chip shortages were topics of conversation at CES, Koenig said, but much of the focus was on artificial intelligence, including how it can learn the behaviors of consumers across the audio ecosystem. He said companies are leveraging AI in more applications and every economic sector, from manufacturing to entertainment.

“AI is getting better so it can do more things. There are a lot of flavors of AI for consumers across different devices, from smart speakers and your phone to your new car. AI will learn behavior and knows what a person likes to listen to and it gets to a point where it is predictive. AI can learn patterns and help tech goods anticipate what the consumer expects.”

Autonomous automobiles open up a new world for media entertainment and productivity, Koenig said. The extension of that is the range of opportunities via screens through internet connectivity in the car cabin.

“When you consider how these technologies will allow consumers access to entertainment and content via the cloud, things will really start to get interesting,” he said. “Cloud computing and online gaming [in the car] will also be possible.”

CTA believes consumers maintain their appetite for new technology thanks in part to the “season of the pandemic,” Koenig said.

“We have seen historically high demand for consumer technology the past two years. By spending more time at home and needing to bolster work productivity, school and education and entertainment, consumers are leveling up their tec — smart home devices and smart phones. Smart doorbells. You can also include services like connected fitness and online ordering for groceries and even telemedicine. The level of adoption of new technology by households has been at an all-time high.”

Koenig projects that consumer spending on hardware, software and services in the United States will reach $505 billion, a 2.8% growth over 2021.

“Once consumers get a taste for these things, they tend to spend more on them. Why? Because it is delivering value and convenience and making life better.”

And then there’s the metaverse.

“The metaverse isn’t something we build and then we have it,” Koenig said. “To me it’s the next generation of the internet, with enhanced connectivity that will deliver increasingly immersive digital experiences through virtual reality. And these next-generation experiences will over time become inextricably linked to our physical reality.”

Comment on this or any article. Write to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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iHeartMedia plans to use cloned voices to translate and produce podcasts, hoping to reach new markets.

It announced this week that it will use technology from AI software company Veritone for this purpose.

“iHeartMedia will leverage Veritone’s AI platform to make more shows across the iHeartPodcast Network available in multiple languages, helping to expand their podcast market,” they said in the announcement. “The first use case is to translate iHeart’s marquee podcasts for Spanish-speaking audiences.”

[Related: “Veritone Ramps Up Synthetic Voices”]

They quoted Veritone President Ryan Steelberg saying, “iHeartMedia will not only be able to scale to new markets with localized language translations but retain the brand value of their top talent’s voice, which is fundamental in podcasting. We are also partnering to develop synthetic voices for advertising and engaging content while reducing time-to-market and production costs for radio, podcasting and the metaverse.”

The companies said iHeart voice talent will be able to authorize Veritone’s synthetic voice solution to produce more podcasts, ads and additional audio in multiple languages “with the same energy, cadence and uniqueness of top talent.”

[Related: “Create Synthetic VOs Just by Typing”]

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EarPeace has collaborated with NPR to create a line of custom branded earplugs based around newly patented EarPeace PRO earplugs.

EarPeace PRO features a contoured design that conforms to the natural shape of the ear canal, featuring a tuned acoustic mesh filter intended to replicate the sound signature. Recently granted a second patent for the proprietary earplug design their utility patent, PRO aims to handle the mismatch between the shape of the ear and plug better. The earplugs use less material to expand in the ear canal, minimizing unwanted bunching and slit leaks. According to the company, the plugs’ oval, offset wave-shaped design permits the filters to perform at peak capacity.

“EarPeace are among the best earplugs out there and have used them literally at over a thousand shows. My ears thank you,” stated Bob Boilen, creator/host of NPR’s “All Songs Considered” and “Tiny Desk Concerts.”

“Unless I’m mixing and recording at the Tiny Desk, I’m using hearing protection at concerts. EarPeace has been one of my go-to brands for years. Do your future self a favor and protect your ears,” said Josh Rogosin, Tiny Desk audio engineer and technical director for NPR Music.

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Tired of the traditional networking happy hour? The 2022 NAB Show has something new for you — NABiQ.

Innovation consultant Maria Duloquin will facilitate nine 90-minute competition-style events focused on the NAB Show’s content pillars: create, connect and capitalize. Participants will be grouped into five six-member teams to collaborate on a solution to common challenges facing the industry.

“This dynamic ‘hackathon’ format allows attendees to collaborate and draw on their collective experiences to create the next great out-of-the-box solution for our industry,” said Chris Brown, NAB executive vice president and managing director of Global Connections and Events.

[Read More of Our NAB Show Coverage]

“Building on diverse knowledge under a tight deadline is a sure-fire way to foster innovation,” said Duloquin. “Teams listen to each other, prioritize ideas, and define the most powerful solutions in an intense but incredibly rewarding experience!”

Supported by Cynopsis and ProVideoCoalition, the challenge events include leveraging new technology in video production, preparing for the future of delivery and utilizing audience insights. The complete list of challenges and registration information is available here. Each competition is followed by time for informal networking, and winning solutions will be shared with the entire NAB Show community and via NAB Amplify.

The post NABiQ Challenges Participants to Innovate appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission has finalized a series of changes to its technical rules covering U.S. broadcast radio.

Many of the changes are bureaucratic — cleaning up wording and inconsistencies. But some have meat. For instance, some Class D NCE stations may now be able to increase power and coverage as well as enjoy more flexibility in site selection.

On Thursday the FCC released its report and order that eliminates or amends rules it says were outdated or unnecessary. The changes “better reflect current developments in the radio industry and ensure that our technical rules are accurate, up to date and consistent,” it wrote.

“In so doing, we increase transparency and certainty for broadcasters while eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens.”

Radio World reported earlier on the planned changes.

[Related: “FCC Takes a Broom to Radio Technical Rules”]

The commission adopted almost all the proposals set out earlier except that it kept its “proximate interference” rule.

Here is what the commission did:

The FCC removed the maximum rated transmitter power limit for AM stations, saying it had received no opposition.

“[A]n equipment limitation on transmitter power is outdated and unnecessary given our current reliance on actual operating antenna input power as the most accurate and effective means of ensuring that AM stations adhere to their authorized power limits.”

It said elimination of this restriction will allow AM stations of any class to use transmitters of any rated power, “benefiting the AM service by broadening the market of transmitters available to stations, enhancing the secondary market for AM transmitters and reducing the number of transmitters that need to be disposed of.”

It eliminated an inconsistency between sections of the rules involving NCE FM community of license coverage.

Two sections currently state that NCE stations must demonstrate that they cover “at least a portion of the community of license” when submitting certain types of applications. But another section established the current standard that NCE stations must cover 50% of their community of license or 50% of the population in their community with a 60 dBu signal strength predicted contour.

The old language was changed to conform to the current standard.

It updated signal strength contour overlap requirements for NCE FM Class D stations to harmonize with a less restrictive section of the rules that applies to other NCE FM classes.

“We agree … that there is no reason to continue treating Class D stations differently in this context.” When the FCC updated these rules in 2000, it deferred including Class D NCE stations to accommodate the establishment of the low-power FM service.

“Because the LPFM service is now mature, it is appropriate to extend the general contour overlap limits to Class D NCE stations. We anticipate that the less preclusive requirement will create opportunities for NCE stations to increase power and coverage, as well as provide them with greater site selection flexibility.”

It eliminated four obsolete provisions that require radio stations operating in the 76–100 MHz band to protect grandfathered common carrier services in Alaska. “Our licensing databases indicate that there are no common carrier services remaining in this band in Alaska.”

It tweaked the definition of “AM fill-in area” in one part of the rules to conform to a later definition, which states that the “coverage contour of an FM translator rebroadcasting an AM radio broadcast station as its primary station must be contained within the greater of either the 2 mV/m daytime contour of the AM station or a 25-mile (40 km) radius centered at the AM transmitter site.”

Currently, one section refers to the lesser of these two distances. The NAB said the current wording “may inadvertently prevent many AM stations from operating FM translators within their 2 mV/m contour.” The FCC agreed, so the relevant section now defines an AM fill-in area as: “The area within the greater of the 2 mV/m daytime contour of the AM radio broadcast station being rebroadcast or a 25-mile (40 km) radius centered at the AM transmitter site.”

Finally, the commission adopted several changes that relate to coordination with Canada and Mexico.

It updated a rule that contains minimum distance separations between U.S. and Mexican or Canadian FM stations, to reflect treaty requirements. The FCC noted that the NAB was concerned that the updated requirements appear to impose greater minimum distance separations on Class A FM stations than is currently provided for in the rules, so NAB asked the FCC to confer “grandfathered short-spacing” status on existing U.S. stations; but the FCC said such “grandfathering” is not necessary.

It also updated the rules regarding stations near the Mexican border. At NAB’s suggestion, it clarified that, for the purposes of a table associated with the relevant rule, U.S. Class C0 assignments or allotments are considered Class C.

It adopted an NAB suggestion about how distances are calculated for the border agreements. It also updated the rules to eliminate inconsistent language and reflect current treaty requirements applicable to FM translators.

But the FCC did NOT adopt a proposal to eliminate the requirement that applications proposing use of FM transmitting antennas within 60 meters of other FM or TV broadcast antennas must include a showing as to the expected effect.

The National Association of Broadcasters had objected, saying this would weaken the FCC’s “newcomer policy,” under which a party constructing a new or modified facility is responsible for eliminating objectionable interference to existing stations.

The commission noted that in the FM service, it has rarely if ever expressly relied on the rules as a means of implementing the “newcomer policy,” but it concluded that the rule provides useful guidance for broadcasters. “We do not wish to introduce uncertainty or ambiguity into situations where it does not currently exist.”

[Read the complete FCC order.]

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Telos Alliance announced a series of online presentations about software container technology.

The first part, streaming on March 2, “introduces hardware selection concepts for containerized software applications, analyzes the importance of dedicated CPU resources, and differentiates which computing resources can be de-emphasized vs. those which must be prioritized,” the company said.

“Attendees will learn which computing functions are key to successful broadcast functionality in a software container environment.”

The five-session series is intended for broadcast engineers. Part 1 on March 2 is at 1 p.m. Eastern. Archived versions will be available.

Subsequent sessions will discuss various AoIP transmission formats, the three main deployment scenarios for virtualized broadcast infrastructures, synchronization and key security issues.

The registration page is open.

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Tieline ViA was used for coverage of this forum of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on products for radio remotes and sports.

Program Director Will Russell has been with Eastern Shore Radio in Virginia for 12 years. His first experience with Tieline was using a Report-IT app for sports coverage.

“We realized the superiority of the audio quality, but the phone app had its limitations.” The Tieline ViA remote codec turned out to be the solution.

“Tieline’s SmartStream Plus redundant streaming technology is crucial for us,” he said. “Wireless technology is improving, but it still has its issues on the Eastern Shore. Knowing we have two signals and one can replace packets if required, really makes live remotes less stressful.”

Eastern Shore covers a lot of high school sports, and it also has aired graduations during COVID, with parents listening in their cars on the radio.

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

“Recently, we covered a political debate on the radio and provided video with Facebook Live.”

Russell said they normally employ SmartStream Plus using an iPhone hotspot connection over Verizon, along with a Verizon Jetpack tethered hotspot.

“Rural cellular connectivity is always the challenge. Sometimes you’ll have enough signal for sound, but not for video. Video is nice, but at the end of the day we are a radio station.”

For sports, Russell uses one or two headsets for the play-by-play and color commentator, and adds a third mic for crowd effects. For video he’ll use a mini-USB cable to send line-level audio from the ViA into a dongle for an iPhone video stream.

“We connect to a Bridge-IT codec at the studio. After one of the graduations a member of the local school board came up to me and said the sound was just as good as being there in person. I think this is the best compliment a radio person can get on the technical side of things.”

Russell said redundant streaming is simple to configure and that Wi-Fi works well too. “The ViA remembers hotspot connections, which is nice. We have broadcast in stereo, but with internet connectivity sometimes an issue, we went back to mono to reduce bandwidth without sacrificing audio quality. Studio-based audio is streamed back to the Tieline ViA from our studio console for remote site monitoring.”

Recently, a friend and client wanted to make a big announcement about the entertainment for a fundraiser he was holding.

“He had a two-day window to announce it, but unfortunately he came down with COVID and couldn’t come to the studio. He didn’t want to make such a big announcement on the air with a regular telephone call. So I went to the venue and set up the ViA, ran a 10-foot cable for his mic to ensure social distancing, and we made the announcement live on location. This remote was made on battery power and was cool all the way around.”

Info: https://tieline.com/contact/

The post ViA Brings Wireless Freedom to Eastern Shore Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Entrance area at Audio-Technica Canada’s new headquarters in St. Hubert, Quebec.

Audio-Technica Canada has expanded its operations with the grand opening of its new headquarters in St. Hubert, Quebec. The new facility provides the company with an open floor plan, conferencing capabilities and room to display a wide range of products.

The 3120-square-foot facility sits on the first floor of a newly constructed office complex in St. Hubert, in the Greater Montréal area. A total of nine full-time employees will be based there, including sales, marketing, artist relations, product specialist, logistics, accounting, customer service and executive personnel. Additional members of the A-T Canada team will be based in Stow, Ohio.

A fully outfitted boardroom will host internal company meetings as well as conferences with major vendors, artist endorsers and other key business relationships. A common area is decorated with traditional Japanese art, reflecting the company’s Japanese roots and mirroring the aesthetic of the company’s corporate headquarters in Machida outside of Tokyo.

Kenji Yamabe, Audio-Technica Canada general manager, stated, “Audio-Technica has been expanding in Canada in every conceivable way, and the completion of our new office is an important step toward the next phase of business growth. We are seizing the opportunity to further strengthen our market penetration and foster new relationships with dealers, system integrators and all manner of end-users. Our newly opened headquarters in St-Hubert will serve as the base of operations for our expanding enterprise and we will be able to optimize work efficiency at this facility, to the benefit of our clients. We look forward to continuing to serve new and existing customers from our new home.”

Submit business announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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According to figures released by WorldDAB, 95% of new cars sold in key European markets were equipped with DAB+ receivers as standard in 2021. The organization credited this level of support to the Electronic Communications Code (EECC), which requires all new car radios sold in the European Union after December 2020 to be capable of receiving digital terrestrial radio.

On a country-by-country level, the percentage of new cars equipped with DAB+ receivers ranged from 90% in France to 100% in Italy and Norway. Norway began shuttering its FM networks in 2017.

In Switzerland, which is set to switch off FM in favor of DAB+ by year-end 2024, 99% of new cars had DAB+ receivers as standard. The U.K. and Belgium were both at 98%.

Courtesy WorldDAB. Sources: JATO H2 2021, Digital Radio UK/SMMT/cap hpi, GfK Italia CAWI, Weer GmbH, Digitalradio Norway

In total, 13 of the top 15 car sales markets in Europe have 90% or more of new cars sold with DAB+ receivers as standard equipment. The other two top 15 markets, Sweden and Portugal, were not included in WorldDAB’s report.

The findings echo the Edison Car Buyers Survey figures released last year, which showed that 90% of survey respondents in Europe expected a DAB+ receiver to be standard equipment in any new car they purchased.

The post Across Europe, Most New Cars Are DAB+ Equipped appeared first on Radio World.

An image from the WLRN website.

The organizations Friends of WLRN Inc. secured an agreement with the Miami-Dade County school board to become the media management company of the WLRN Public Radio and WLRN television stations.

Friends of WLRN is the support and fundraising arm of WLRN Public Media.

Board Chair Joseph M. Goldstein thanked the school board for its commitment “to sustaining independent journalism and safeguarding this important asset for the public.”

“The agreement grants Friends of WLRN, an experienced management company and philanthropic arm of WLRN since 1974, the rights to run the day-to-day operations of WLRN-FM and WLRN-TV, ensuring compliance with all applicable school board policies, regulations, and fiscal reporting requirements while continuing the highest quality media standards of the WLRN stations,” the organizations stated.

The Miami-Dade County Public School Board is the broadcast license holder.

WLRN is public radio and television for South Florida. It began in 1948 as a non-profit, noncom radio station licensed to the School Board of Dade County. TV followed in the early 1960s. Friends of WLRN was created in 1974 to provide financial support and enhance the programming of the organization.

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The Federal Communications Commission has issued a monetary forfeiture to a Texas LPFM licensee for failing to file a license renewal application on time.

The $1,500 fine is to Holy Spirit Oil Filled Ministry, licensee of low-power FM station KERC(LP) in Kermit, Texas.

FCC rules require stations to file for renewal application at least four months before their license expiration date, which for Holy Spirit was April 1, 2021. The Media Bureau said an application was not filed until May 13 and the licensee hasn’t explained why.

Soon after the bureau sent a notice of apparent liability for forfeiture and gave Holy Spirit 30 days to pay or reply. To date, the bureau said, the licensee has done neither.

The bureau has now determined that Holy Spirit willfully violated the rules and it confirmed the $1,500 forfeiture.

 

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iHeartMedia has announced a partnership with Sounder, an audio intelligence platform.

The media company said it will use Sounder’s Audio Data Cloud to provide podcast creators with AI and machine learning tools “to help them gain critical, real-time insights to accelerate growth and improve monetization.”

It also is making a financial investment in Sounder, as the lead investor in the company’s Series A round. Sounder was founded in 2019 by former executives of Google and Spotify.

iHeart said approximately 750 of its original podcasts use Sounder technology. An important aspect of the announcement is what is called “brand safety” — a means for advertisers to spend on the iHeartPodcast Network’s content confidently.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

“The brand safety solution enables iHeartMedia’s marketing partners to buy across a wide array of creators with the assurance that the content adheres to industry safety standards,” iHeart stated. “The technology will quickly expand to also allow advertisers to customize their brand safety guidelines, unlocking new and more diverse publishers to provide even more effective ad placements.”

Chief Data Officer Brian Kaminsky was quoted saying, “It’s critical that we learn from the challenges advertisers have had with video and social media to deliver safety tools and controls that allow brands to customize their campaigns and ensure that their ads will be delivered at scale in a brand-safe environment.”

He said the partnership also provides “brand suitability tools” that align brands with relevant content and creator sentiments.

Sounder explained these tools on the company’s blog: “Through our brand safety and suitability solution, we can analyze a publisher’s audio content and identify any segments that might not meet the industry safety guidelines. … Knowing a publisher’s audio content is safe and suitable increases the rate a publisher can charge. Brands, too, are eager to share their messages on audio so long as they know their brand identity isn’t at risk.”

The announcement was made by Joe Robinson, iHeartMedia’s president of corporate development and ventures, and Kal Amin, CEO and co-founder of Sounder.

Kal Amin said, “While podcast advertising is growing fast, it’s still a nascent business when compared to traditional radio advertising.”

Submit business announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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The percentage of women serving as radio general managers in the largest U.S. media markets shows “strong growth year over year,” according to the organization Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio.

In the top 100 markets, the percentage continues to run higher than the national average. In 2021, about 24% of stations in these larger markets were managed by women, up from about 22% the year before.

Overall, MIW finds that about 21% of stations in 2021 had women in the general manager position. “This is an increase of almost a full percentage point from 2020 … Notably, this number continues to show consistent growth from 2004, when the percentage of female general managers was only 14.9%.”

[See Our Business and Law Page]

The study is based on data about roughly 11,000 AM and FM radio stations in the United States, as accounted for by PrecisionTrak.

“Overall, the best management opportunities for women in radio continue to be in sales management,” MIW said. About 34% of stations had a female sales manager, basically flat from 2020.

“The greatest challenge for women in radio management continues to be in the area of program directors/brand managers.” Women currently program about 12% of stations, again basically flat.

The organization does not report the number of women in technical management positions.

MIW Board President Ruth Presslaff was quoted saying, “If the glass is half full, we should celebrate any upward movement, even if it’s incremental, as jobs continue to be eliminated in the continuing pandemic. However, it’s disappointing that the glass isn’t filling faster for those in programming and MIW is paying close attention to this issue.”

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Dick Pickens is being remembered as a consulting engineer, ABIP inspector and DJ.

His passing at age 85 was noted by the Texas Association of Broadcasters.

Pickens owned technical consulting company Microcom Systems Inc. One of its specialties, according to its website, was measuring, building, servicing and signal measuring AM and AM directional radio stations.

As one of the first four inspectors in Texas under the the Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program in Texas, Pickens helped hundreds of broadcast stations with FCC rule compliance.

Before he started his company in the 1980s, he had already been a top-rated deejay, program manager, production person, AV producer, radio chief engineer and teacher of broadcasting at the University of Texas College of Communication.

The TAB writes that Pickens began in broadcasting at the age of 10. He and nine-year-old Ben Laurie launched the “Keebie Kids” Saturday morning live children’s radio program on KEBE(AM) Jacksonville in 1946.

He met his future wife Nancy when she performed a piano piece on the program. The couple celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last year, TAB noted.

Pickens began his DJ career in the 1950s with the air name Dick Laine, eventually joining the Gordon McLendon group of stations. He interviewed rock ’n’ rollers on-air and became a PD and DJ for the original KOKE(AM) in Austin. He later moved to top 40 station KNOW(AM) Austin. The Texas Radio Hall of Fame inducted him as Dick Laine in 2012.

“Throughout his on-air years, he expanded his knowledge of the engineering side of broadcasting, eventually earning his Amateur Radio license and in 1964 his FCC First Class commercial radio operator license,” according to the TAB. “He worked up to an Amateur Radio Extra Class License in 1975 with the call sign K5UD.”

In the 1970s he created, built and managed a radio common carrier business for which he had to learn to create computer programs; he designed and installed a number of radio studios and transmitter sites, according to the MSI website.

He later earned bachelor and master of divinity degrees from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. “He was a man of great Christian faith who also would use his broadcast experience to assist several Texas religious broadcasters over the years,” TAB wrote.

“In 1997, he became one of the four original TAB ABIP inspectors. For the next 25 years, Dick and Nancy traveled throughout Texas, inspecting hundreds of radio and television stations throughout the state, helping stations achieve compliance with FCC regulations,” TAB wrote. “Nancy served as the team’s Public Inspection File specialist.”

A memorial service is planned for March 5 in Spicewood, Texas.

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Colorado community station KAFM has joined the VuHaus Group’s “NPR Live Sessions” project. The Grand Junction, Colo.-based station will have a page on the project site featuring unquie, local music video content.

The non-profit Grand Valley Public Radio Co. Inc. owns the volunteer-run KAFM, which is heard on 88.1 MHz in Grand Junction and 96.9 MHz in Palisade, Colo.

“We are thrilled to be joining so many well-respected radio stations across the country and NPR Music’s ‘Live Sessions’ that support musicians and their craft,” stated Cyrene Jagger, KAFM executive director.

VuHaus is a non-profit organization focused on connecting public radio’s music discovery stations with artists and audiences across the country. It manages the NRP Music “Live Sessions” website, curating music from 21 public radio stations across the county, including WFUV in New York City, KCRW in Los Angeles, WMOT and WNXP in Nashville, and Mountain State in West Virginia.

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Pooja Nair of Xperi Corp. shares test results about the performance of MA3 HD Radio in electric vehicles. David Bialik explains some common streaming terms.

A top consumer electronics official talks about audio industry trends. Workbench explores the Pin 1 Problem.

And Buyer’s Guide looks at tools for remotes and sports coverage, including solutions from AEQ, Comrex, In:Quality, Henry, MaxxKonnect, TASCAM, Telos Alliance and Tieline.

Read it here.

The post Inside the Feb. 16, 2022 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

I have read many of Cris Alexander’s articles over time, but as a practitioner of broadcast engineering arts for 40 years, mostly in the large markets and networks, his article on air chains was an enjoyable must-read, a memory train ride.

I’ve been building stations since the days of deregulation and divestiture in analog, through AES, T-1 and ISDN, then cellular as a viable technology, to where we are with Livewire and the birth of AES67.

For me, AM was already in the past by the early 1970s. We listened to it for school closings and some country music, but by 1973, FM was king, and New York’s WPLJ was where I learned about rock ’n’ roll.

Cris drove us along a multi-lane highway, through tech corridors that divided, converged, intersected, over/underpassed and cloverleafed, via on-ramps and off-ramps of various construction and at various speeds.

Having never been happy to be Yesterday’s Man, I’ve tried to push the envelope on development and use of technology, pursuing what Steve Church referred to as the “artful application of science.”

Which brings me to the closing comment Cris made about sending 40 kW down twisted pairs. Why not? Maybe we are already there? The Holy Grail of digital broadcasting has always been pattern replication with audio improvement.

We have at least two technologies that push MPX over twisted pairs or UDP paths on wired and wireless networks. Those cabling standards work at 350 MHz or higher.

In the AV world, twisted pair to coax baluns are already being used for wireless mic, intercom and IFB, usually in fixed installations.

HDBaseT carries A/V and internet and has an extrapolation to carry 100 watts similar to POE.

We stream media over wireless devices. We have a few brands of radiating cable.

I like to say that my imagination is limited only by my budget. While not as efficient as a 40 kW SCPC “broadcast” signal, the technology to broadcast down the wire rather than up a tower is there but stifled by the regulatory climate.

We can build modern networks that feed localized transmitters, powered on POE, that broadcast transmitter location and content identification to receivers that could be directed to what channels are “subscribed” to an “edge recipient” in a given market, and thus achieve pattern replication with improved audio quality and possibly a lower capital and operating cost, some of which could even be a shared burden.

I am not even thinking of SFN, per se. We can achieve 50 kW or more ERP in a managed wireless network just by making good technology decisions. We have video ingested on mesh networks where selected channels are then broadcast over the same mesh to connectionless receivers.

If we can do that citywide for video, it’s only vision and money that prevent the use of such for audio networks.

I suggest that Cris’s 40 kW goal is way closer than we think, and may already be happening. Let’s get that puppy in the dashboard first and work from there.

Ed Bukont, M.Sc., CTS, CSRE, founded E2 Technical Services & Solutions, and is a Radio World contributor.

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The author of this commentary is communications systems engineer with Xperi Corp.

As carmakers increase electric vehicle (EV) offerings throughout their lineups, the availability of AM radio to consumers is declining. This is because the effects of electromagnetic interference are more pronounced in EVs than in vehicles with internal-combustion engines (ICEs).

Although the character and severity of this interference can be difficult to model and predict, it is clearly more disruptive to AM radio reception, often causing annoying static and limiting coverage. As a result, some EV manufacturers have begun removing AM radios — but not FM — from their vehicles.

EMI can be suppressed in EVs using well-known mitigation techniques such as shielding cables and electric motors, installing filters and carefully locating electrical components within the vehicle. Within receivers, EMI can be limited by isolating and shielding antenna and RF sections, filtering connections and carefully grounding and placing receiver components.

EV manufacturers that have successfully controlled EMI using these methods continue to provide AM radio services in their vehicles.

Even when analog AM reception is degraded in an EV, it does not necessarily imply that AM HD Radio reception will be similarly affected.

AM HD Radio signals are naturally more resistant to EMI than their analog counterparts. Much of the noise induced on an analog AM signal accumulates over the channel and down the receive chain, passing directly onto the audio. But digital waveforms leverage bit regeneration to allow noiseless reproduction of the audio signal.

Fig. 1: MA3 digital audio coverage in an ICE vehicle

Furthermore, advanced digital signal processing and digital communications techniques ensure that AM HD Radio signals are more robust than analog AM signals. In particular, the coverage of all-digital MA3 core signals significantly exceeds that of analog AM, and the coverage of MA3 enhanced signals is on par with that of analog AM.

Recent field tests supported by Hubbard Broadcasting — using AM HD Radio station WWFD in Frederick, Md. — and NAB PILOT allow comparison of AM analog and all-digital MA3 HD Radio reception performance in ICE vehicles and EVs.

Not surprisingly, signal coverage in ICE vehicles was consistently better than in EVs, presumably because the combustion engine in ICE vehicles emits lower levels of EMI.

Fig. 2: MA3 digital audio coverage in an EV with effective EMI control

Fig. 1 shows MA3 coverage of an OEM ICE vehicle (ICE #2) with solid core digital audio coverage beyond the 0.5 mV/m contour.

However, some EVs also afforded extensive MA3 core digital audio coverage, approaching that of the ICE vehicles, as shown for EV #2 in Fig. 2. This performance can likely be attributed to the application of effective EMI mitigation techniques.

In all vehicles tested, whether ICE or EV, analog audio quality was significantly degraded at the core audio point of failure, corroborating analytical predictions of more robust MA3 core coverage.

When AM radio is included in an EV, its reception performance is highly dependent on the manufacturer’s dedication to EMI control.

Fig. 3: MA3 reception comparison for EVs with good (EV #4) and poor (EV #3) EMI control

Fig. 3 illustrates the potentially wide range of MA3 reception performance among commercially available EVs, as EV #4 digital audio coverage exceeds that of EV #3 by several miles (the length of the pink route is about 25 miles). This difference is likely attributable to superior EMI mitigation techniques in EV #3. Fig. 3 serves as a graphic reminder that automakers who devote sufficient resources to mitigating EMI need not remove AM receivers from their EVs.

In summary, recent analysis and field testing of AM radio reception in EVs lead to the following conclusions:

• EMI generated by EVs can significantly degrade the quality of AM signal reception. Fortunately, as demonstrated in multiple commercial EVs, this harmful interference can be effectively suppressed in both vehicles and receivers using well-known EMI mitigation techniques.
• AM HD Radio signals have been shown — both analytically and experimentally — to be less susceptible to EMI than their analog counterparts. AM all-digital signals are especially robust and provide broader coverage than AM analog signals.
• Automakers are currently removing AM radio services from EVs. They should instead control EMI emissions and offer the superior consumer audio experience afforded by AM all-digital HD Radio technology.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

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NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt (NAB Photo by Jay Mallin)

New NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt, appearing at The Media Institute’s Communications Forum, laid out four areas of policy that the association considers priorities — “where policymakers must focus to ensure broadcasters can compete and thrive in the current media environment.”

He said Congress should act to rein in what he called “the gatekeeping ability of the Big Tech giants who are stifling the economics of local news.” NAB supports passage of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which he said would allow stations to jointly negotiate the terms and conditions for their local content when it is accessed through the large tech platforms. “There is simply too much at stake if we don’t confront Big Tech’s online dominance.”

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Second, he said, lawmakers and regulators must modernize media ownership laws to reflect the realities of the marketplace. “A report released last Congress by Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell noted that Google and Facebook control an estimated 77 percent of locally-focused digital advertising. Yet broadcasters still operate under a set of rules that pretend they only compete with one another,” he said.

LeGeyt said Congress and the FCC “must take a fresh look at whether these decades-old regulations are helping or impeding broadcast competition and media diversity.”

Third, he urged the FCC to reorient how it thinks about broadcast policy more broadly.

“It is imperative that the FCC recognize that the broadcast industry’s ability to function in the public interest is fundamentally premised on its economic viability,” he said. “This means the commission must consider whether each existing and new regulation will help or impede broadcasters’ ability to thrive in a media environment dominated by other platforms. It means embracing the tremendous consumer benefits of ATSC 3.0 and adopting policies that enable its growth. And it means the FCC working hand-in-hand with broadcasters, to help us attract leading talent from all backgrounds to ensure our stations better reflect the diversity of the communities we serve … But if broadcast regulatory reforms remain bogged down in all that could go wrong instead of all that could go right, we will not succeed.

And he urged support for the Local Radio Freedom Act, opposing a performance fee on local radio stations that he said would be “financially devastating” to broadcasters and hurt their listeners.

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