Radio World

Roz Clark

In the Dec. 8 issue of Radio World we salute one of the industry’s top engineers, Roz Clark. (Read our full story about him and his accomplishments.)

It’s hard for me to believe, but Radio World has now been recognizing outstanding radio engineers for 18 years. Some awards tend to be given to recipients at the end of their career and understandably so. But when our publisher John Casey and I created the Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award, we wanted not only to honor technologists but to focus on those who are doing good work right now in the industry.

I hope we’ve lived up to that. 

Making my annual phone call to notify a recipient is one of the best parts of my job. I’m also proud of our circle of recipients. They include some of engineering’s leading names, chosen at the peak of their careers, as well as some who were “on the way up.” And I appreciate the camaraderie that I’ve seen grow between our past honorees. 

This time of year can be a little bittersweet, because I remember making those calls to friends who have since passed away, namely John Lyons and Barry Thomas. 

But if John were here, I know exactly what he would do now. He would bust on me for being “follicly challenged,” just like himself; he would compliment me on our choice this year; and then he would call or email Roz Clark and tell him: “Congratulations to Number 18 from Number 3! Welcome to the family!”

If you have someone in mind who deserves to be considered in the future, I welcome your suggestion. Email me at radioworld@futurenet.com.

Happy holiday season!

The post In Search of Excellence appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World is taking an in-depth look at “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” report this week.

On December 2, 2021, Edison Research unveiled “The Infinite Dial UK 2021,” detailing U.K. consumer views on radio and media. In this fourth part of a five-part Radio World series, Edison Research President Larry Rosen discusses the survey’s findings on in-car media and online audio brand awareness.

The report is based on 1,000 telephone interviews with U.K. residents 16 and older, during the fourth quarter of 2021.

In-car media

Larry Rosen started this section by looking at “Audio Sources Currently Ever Used in the Car.” In the U.K., “overwhelmingly the leader, as you would expect, is AM/FM/DAB radio. 72 percent of people who say they’ve been in the car in the last month, say that they’ve used the radio,” he said.

[Read more of our coverage of the “Infinite Dial” report]

In-car CD players came a distant second at 37 percent, owned digital music at 29 percent, online audio at 26 percent and podcasts at 15 percent

Rosen then compared in-car media usage in the U.K. vs. the U.S., employing slightly different categories: AM/FM Radio (U.K. 72 percent vs. U.S. 75 percent), CD player (U.K. 37 percent vs. U.S. 35 percent), online audio (U.K. 26 percent vs. U.S. 33 percent) and podcasts (U.K. 15 percent vs. U.S. 30 percent).

The fact that the U.K. has half the in-car podcast listenership of the U.S. (based on percentages) caught Rosen’s attention. “I would have to guess as to why that is,” he said.

A Comparison of U.K. vs. U.S. Usage of In-Car Media (Courtesy Edison Research)

Maybe it’s easier to do it [listen to podcasts] given the state of technology in the cars in the United States,” he said. “It could be just further development of podcasts” in the United Kingdom.

Moving forward, Rosen said that 18 percent of U.K. consumers 18+ (no reason was given for this changed age metric) reported using in-dash entertainment systems in their cars. This broke down to 20 percent for the 18–34 age group, 18 percent for 35–54, and 18 percent for 55+.

In contrast, in-dash entertainment system usage by US 18+ consumers was 20 percent in the U.S., compared to the U.K.’s 18 percent. “Maybe that couple of points difference would explain a little bit of that podcast differential,” he said.

Online listening in-car using a mobile phone was also documented during the webinar. The 16+ U.K. usage percentage was 38 percent (compared to the US 16+ rate of 49 percent). The breakdown by U.K. age group was 41 percent for 16–45, 40 percent for 35–54, and 34 percent for 55+.

The U.S.’s 49 percent vs. the U.K.’s 38 percent may be explained by the U.S. being “a bit more of a car culture,” said Rosen. “People [in the U.S.] are more likely to have longer commutes and spend more time in their cars.”

Online brand awareness

When it comes to recognizing online audio brand names, “the best-known brand in among these that we asked about is Spotify, with 71 percent of everyone in the U.K. saying that they are aware of that name,” said Rosen. “Spotify is followed somewhat closely by Amazon Music (65 percent), BBC Sounds (63 percent) and YouTube Music (62 percent).”

(Spotify, along with Bauer Media UK, was a sponsor of the survey.)

The 16+ respondents to the Infinite Dial UK 2021 survey also cited being aware of Apple Music (55 percent), Audible (37 percent), SoundCloud (34 percent), Deezer (26 percent), Radioplayer (21 percent), TuneIn Radio (19 percent) and Tidal (6 percent).

U.K. 16+ Awareness of Online Audio Brands (Courtesy Edison Research)

Next, “we asked everyone if they’ve used these brands in the last month,” said Rosen. “Spotify is the market leader at 30 percent, with everyone in the U.K. saying they’ve used Spotify, followed by BBC Sounds at 21 percent, YouTube Music at 14 percent, and on down the list.”

This list includes Amazon Music at 10 percent, SoundCloud and Apple Music at 7 percent each, TuneIn Radio at 4 percent and Radioplayer at 1 percent.

As for weekly usage? “Spotify is the clear market leader here: 28 percent of everyone in the U.K. saying they have used Spotify in the week before we called them,” said Rosen. “In second place is BBC Sounds at 16 percent, YouTube Music at 11 percent and single digit percentages for these other brands down the list” (Amazon Music and Apple Music each at 6 percent, SoundCloud at 5 percent, TuneIn Radio at 3 percent, and Radioplayer at 1 percent).

In Part Five of Radio World’s summary of “The Infinite Dial UK 2021,” we’ll look at podcast consumption in the U.K.

Part 1: “First-Ever ‘Infinite Dial UK’ Survey Provides Insights for U.K. Radio”
Part 2: “‘Infinite Dial UK’ Details U.K. Radio Listening, Ownership”
Part 3: “‘Infinite Dial UK’ Digs into U.K. Online Audio”
Part 4: “‘Infinite Dial UK’ Looks at In-Car Media”
Part 5: “U.K. Likes Podcasts Finds ‘Infinite Dial UK’”

The post ‘Infinite Dial UK’ Looks at In-Car Media appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC Media Bureau said today, Dec. 8, it will proceed with adopting new foreign-sponsorship identification rules despite pushback from the National Association of Broadcasters. Several other groups joined the NAB in claiming the new requirements would be especially burdensome for small broadcasters.

The FCC adopted amended foreign-sponsorship identification rules in April to specifically target situations where a station broadcasts material sponsored by a foreign governmental entity. The new rules require disclosure of leased programming sponsored by foreign governmental entities.

The FCC said its modified regulations further the critical goal of transparency and it applies them to foreign governments, political parties and their agents.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

The NAB, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) this summer asked the commission to stay the order while their petition for review was pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The groups’ lawsuit claims the FCC adopted “unnecessary and overly burdensome rules that violate the Communications Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the First Amendment.”

Today’s FCC Order Denying Stay Petition officially ends the quest by NAB, MMTC and NABOB to delay implementation of the updated sponsorship identification regulations: “We find that the Petitioners have failed to make the required four-part showing to support such extraordinary equitable relief. Accordingly, we deny the request to stay the effectiveness of these rules,” the FCC wrote in the most recent order.

“Petitioners have failed to establish that broadcast licensees will suffer irreparable harm” in implementing the FCC Report and Order on foreign-sponsorship identification, according to today’s FCC filing. “We also find that the costs of compliance to broadcast licensees are not severe enough to be cognizable as irreparable harm.”

The commission, which believes the petitioners’ pending lawsuit is unlikely to succeed on merits, will now move forward with modified regulations “which seek to eliminate any potential ambiguity to the viewer or listener regarding the source of programming provided from foreign governmental entities.”

Although foreign governments and their representatives are legally prohibited from holding a broadcast license directly, foreign governments have contracted with broadcast station licensees to air programming of the foreign government’s choosing or to lease the entire capacity of a radio or television station without adequately disclosing the true source of the programming, according to the FCC.

The on-air disclosure would be required at the time of a broadcast if a foreign governmental entity paid a radio or television station, directly or indirectly, to air material. The old rules did not specify when and how foreign government sponsorship should be publicly disclosed.

The NAB, MMTC and NABOB maintain they support the FCC’s goal of public disclosure of foreign government-sponsored programming, but argue the new regulations impose rules on broadcasters “which collectively have many thousands of contracts for the lease of time to air programming — onerous requirements to make specified inquiries of, and conduct independent research on, all the entities with whom broadcasters currently or will in the future have lease agreements.

“The broadcaster must determine (and then announce) whether the sponsor of the programming is a foreign governmental entity or its agent, even if the leased programming (such as an infomercial or local religious broadcast) poses no colorable risk of foreign sponsorship,” NAB said.

The organizations said at the time it filed its lawsuit in September the rules would do little to address the problem of foreign interference in elections.

The organizations argued in an updated brief filed Tuesday night with the court that the FCC lacks the authority to impose the investigatory requirements mandated by the order. In addition, the organizations argued with the FCC’s justification for its rules is lacking as the commission cited only a few examples of foreign governmental entities sponsoring undisclosed broadcast programming as the reasoning for requiring every broadcast station to conduct inquiries for every existing or new leased programming agreement.

“The order also fails to address the problems with undisclosed foreign governmental programming on cable systems and the Internet, which is where the issue primarily exists, the brief argued,” according to the NAB.

In a statement to the press today, the groups said: “NAB, MMTC and NABOB strongly urge the Court to overturn the FCC’s flawed decision requiring overly burdensome investigations by every broadcaster into every sponsored program. While we share the Commission’s goal of ensuring the public understands when listening or viewing programming supplied by foreign governmental entities, the FCC’s order fails to adequately, sensibly or fairly achieve this objective. We appreciate the Court’s consideration of this issue and believe it will agree that the Commission overstepped its bounds.”

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post FCC Denies NAB Stay Petition on Foreign-Sponsorship ID Rules appeared first on Radio World.

“The reality is: It’s hard out there for broadcasters.”

So said FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington, speaking to a meeting of the Ohio Association of Broadcasters.

For the second time in a month, the Republican commissioner made public remarks that were notably sympathetic to radio and TV companies and their struggles when competing with big tech.

“Consider, you know, the smaller broadcasters. The folks who have one, two, or half a dozen stations. Consider how difficult it is for them to achieve efficiencies of scale — consider what their margins look like because they’re smaller operators. Now, is there a single online video platform that is a mom-and-pop operation? Of course not! Every single one is either backed by a massive tech platform, deep-pocketed venture capitalists, or a major network. If not, it’s out of business in a year. …

“Those platforms are competing with mom and pop broadcasters — or, shoot, even established station groups — with operating efficiencies, margins and capital markets backing of which broadcasters dare not dream,” Simington continued.

“Can we seriously think, at this moment, with the arrows pointing in the directions that they are, that we should be making it harder for these small, regulated entities to operate? You are all already burdened by a raft of regulations designed for a bygone era while your insurgent online competitors have functionally none of the same constraints. Should we now turn the screw?”

[See more of our coverage of the FCC.]

Simington noted that the FCC will soon again consider media regulation in a quadrennial proceeding. Echoing frequent arguments made by the NAB about how the commission defines broadcasters’ marketplace, Simingon said that the commission needs to recognize that online media platforms are growing rapidly “and threaten dominance over traditional media platforms,” and that “broadcast advertising revenue has flatlined, having been siphoned off from higher margin online platforms.”

The commissioner said he is “not necessarily” arguing for more regulation of big tech — “Not everything is a regulatory problem. Maybe this one is. I don’t know” — but he said regulators need to be “clear-eyed about where the power has shifted. It is away from broadcasters. Away from networks. Even away from traditional MVPDs. And toward online platforms. And if we are going to talk about serving as a check against uncontrolled concentration of media power that is presumably antithetical to consumer welfare — well. The conversation need not end at online platforms, but it must at least start with them.”

His full text is posted.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Simington: Don’t Turn the Screw on Broadcasters appeared first on Radio World.

Read about all the products nominated for our awards program, including the Radio World winners announced in the fall of 2021.

This is the award program that normally is held at the spring NAB Show, which was postponed to this fall and later cancelled.

The guide is a great way to catch up on the new products of 2022 across radio and related industries.

 

The post Best in Market 2021 Program Guide appeared first on Radio World.

Colleagues are remembering Texas-based radio engineer Gary Wachter, who died in November. He was 65.

According to his friend and fellow engineer Melissa Hussel, Wachter had carcinoma cancer and died at home. He is survived by his son, Matt, of South Carolina.

Wachter was chief engineer of Service Broadcasting in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and a familiar face at SBE Chapter 67 meetings.

Hussel said Wachter, whose mother was a German citizen, was born in Waco but spent part of his childhood in Germany. He remembered hanging around the projector booth of the movie theater on a military base, fascinated by the carbon arc projectors; late in life he would find enough parts to make his own at home.

Back in the United States Wachter entered the radio business in high school and was on the air in Corpus Christi using the name Wires Wachter; he worked at KEYS(AM) and KRYS(AM) as well as the local PBS station.

Discovering he enjoyed technical work more, he took an engineering job at KTSA(AM) in San Antonio around 1976, working there until 1984 as chief engineer, a stint that included a full studio buildout and installation of a Kahn AM stereo system. Subsequently he worked as chief at KFYI(AM) and KKFR(FM) in Phoenix, where he built out studios in a former TV station.

Around 2000 he came to Dallas and started as chief at Service Broadcasting, which owns KKDA(AM/FM) and KRNB(FM) nearby. Wachter led a facility move from Grand Prairie to Arlington, Texas, that involved another studio buildout, and handled an FM antenna upgrade for KRNB.

“He was very driven,” she said. “A fellow engineer once said that his transmitter suite was ‘so clean, you could eat off the floor,’ and he wasn’t wrong. Gary had a high work ethic, and always went above and beyond.”

Colleague and longtime friend Mike Chittenden said Wachter also wrote a software program for a Gentner VRC transmitter remote control and a screener program for Telos phone systems.

Messages to his family can be posted at the website of Rolling Oaks Funeral Home.

The post Gary Wachter Dies, Engineer in Southwest U.S. appeared first on Radio World.

All those forms — long and short, pre- and post-auction — must be filed on time when applying for a new construction permit with the Federal Communications Commission.

That’s the situation a licensee finds itself in after applying for a new FM broadcast construction permit in Hugo, Colo.

ScarboroughRadio LLC took part in the July auction (known as Auction 109) and was deemed to be a winning bidder of the Hugo permit. Winning bidders were required to file a post-auction long-form application — specifically FCC Form 2100, Schedule 301. And bidders were reminded through a Public Notice that if a winning bidder fails to submit the required application before the deadline — and also fails to establish a good reason for the delay — their application will be dismissed and they will be subject to a forfeiture payment.

In Scarborough’s case, it submitted its long-form application more than two weeks past the deadline, according to the FCC. It also did not request any sort of waiver to explain the late filing.

As a result, the Media Bureau sent a notice of apparent liability for forfeiture to Scarborough after finding that the licensee violated the FCC rules by failing to file the post-auction Form 2100 application on time.

[See more of our coverage of FCC actions.]

Ordinarily, as the Media Bureau has said, a winning bidder that fails to file the required long-form application on time is deemed to be in default. That typically means that the application is dismissed and the licensee is subject to payments laid out in the commission’s rules.

But sometimes special circumstances might lead the bureau to determine that a late-filed application can still be accepted. In this case, the bureau noted that Scarborough complied with all previous Auction 109 requirements. The bureau also noted that the licensee made a late payment on the balance of its auction bid just before filing its long-form application. And it said that the FM licensing process was not significantly delayed by Scarborough’s late filing.

“We find it in the public interest to avoid a delay in implementing new service to Hugo, Colo., by having to re-auction the FM construction permit, and therefore on our own motion grant a waiver as discussed below,” the bureau said in the order it released.

However, even though the commission agreed to accept the late-filed long-form application, the bureau still found that Scarborough failed to comply with the rules and said it would grant the construction application on the premise that Scarborough will submit a $3,000 forfeiture.

The licensee has 30 days to either pay or file a written statement seeking reduction or cancellation.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Late Form Leads to $3,000 Forfeiture for Auction Winner appeared first on Radio World.

The author is project director for WorldDAB.

With the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow highlighting the global need to tackle climate change, a new study from Germany has showed how digital radio can help broadcasters reduce energy usage. Describing DAB+ as “green radio,” the report says on broadcasting a single service, between 70 and 90 percent of energy can be saved by switching from FM to DAB+.

The Bavarian Regulatory Authority for Commercial Broadcasting (BLM) and the Bavarian Public Broadcaster, Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), in partnership with network operators and receiver manufacturers, compared the energy consumption of broadcasting and receiving radio programs via FM and DAB+.

In Bavaria, all services by private radio providers and BR are available via DAB+. With around 13 million inhabitants, 16 percent of Germany’s population lives in the state.

The studies showed that, with a comparable supply, the energy consumption when broadcasting a program via DAB+ is significantly lower than FM. BR would save around 75 percent per station, while Antenne Bayern would save 85 percent in energy if its audio service were broadcast exclusively via DAB+. Other providers in Germany see similar potential reductions.

Given the extensive infrastructure that radio broadcasting operates, the research found that the cumulative resulting effect is considerable.

The report also identified that significant energy savings would also be possible by replacing Germany’s 122 million FM radios. Although most new receivers are often equipped with additional functions such as displays or wi-fi, their power consumption has dropped by around 40 percent in recent years.

The findings of the report, “Green Radio: A Comparison of Energy Consumption on FM and DAB+” were featured at the recent WorldDAB Summit, which saw the publication of an English-language translation of the report.

[See our coverage WorldDAB Summit 2021]

Concentration of DAB Stations Across Germany as of January 2021 (Courtesy WorldDAB)

Speaking at the Summit to 500 delegates from around the world, Veit Olischläger, head of technology, media management and public relations at BLM, said: “As we know, climate change is a challenge for all of us. We asked what broadcasters can do — so we made an examination of the potential savings of energy consumption for transmission, FM versus DAB+, and reception.”

“Broadcasting via DAB+ saves up to 90 percent of energy,” added Olischläger. “And regardless of DAB+, the greatest energy saving effects would be achieved just by replacing older FM sets.”

In Bavaria, 42 percent of the population aged 14 and over already have at least one DAB+ receiver in their household.

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

The post Digital Radio Tackles Green Challenge appeared first on Radio World.

Sennheiser HD 400 PRO Studio Headphones

Sennheiser has introduced its new HD 400 PRO studio reference headphones, intended for use in mixing, editing and mastering applications.

Built around a lightweight, open-back design fitted with soft velour ear pads, they are the first open studio headphones in Sennheiser’s PRO line, and offer a wide frequency response of 6 to 38,000 Hz.

The Sennheiser-developed 120-ohm transducers include a diaphragm made from a proprietary polymer blend; working with the headphones’ driver magnets, according to Sennheiser, the diaphragm is expected to provide deeper bass. Distortion is below 0.05% (measured at 1 kHz, 90 dB SPL), and the headphones are said to accurately reproduces audio beyond the audible frequency range.

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

The headphone transducers sit at a slight angle, aiming to emulate the triangular listening position used when listening to monitor loudspeakers in a studio. This, along with the open-back design of the headphones is intended to provide a neutral soundstage.

The headphones are built around an ultra-light frame; the earcups feature soft velour earpads and the open, circumaural design offers ventilation for ears during long mixing sessions. The headphones come with a 3-meter coiled cable and a 1.8-meter straight cable, both fitted with a 3.5 mm (1/8″) jack plug for portable sources. A 6.3 mm (1/4″) adapter is included, ensuring that the HD 400 PRO connects to a typical mixing desk or audio interface.

The HD 400 PRO is available now and retails at US $249 (MSRP).

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

The post Sennheiser HD 400 PRO Studio Headphones Debut appeared first on Radio World.

A comparison of Tip-Ring-Sleeve and Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve plugs.

Consultant Frank Hertel of Newman-Kees RF Measurement needed to create a special audio interface recently.

He said he was not aware of a protocol for wiring Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve connectors, which are prevalent on laptop computers with only one audio jack.

The first image shows the difference between the typical Tip-Ring-Sleeve, with which most readers are familiar, and Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve connectors.

What surprised Frank was that the positive voltage for powering the electret mic is on the Sleeve of the Tip-Ring-Sleeve-Sleeve connector, and the Shield/Common/Ground connection for the electret mic and left and right outputs for the headphones are on one of the Ring connections, the one closest to the Sleeve (which, remember, is the positive voltage for powering the electret mic).

Therefore, if you want to connect any audio source other than the electret mic, you will need to add a DC blocking capacitor between the Sleeve and the hot phase wire of your external audio source (since that source does not require a DC voltage).

The hot signal wire from that source connects to the Sleeve of the Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve connector, through the blocking capacitor.

Frank said with a laugh that the protocol seems so foreign to the common one we used for years, in which the Sleeve is the connection for the Shield/Common/Ground. He suspects someone had a hangover when they decided to come up with this one.

He adds this note: When connecting an external audio source via the DC blocking capacitor, you may need to attach a resistor between the Sleeve (input) and the Ring (Shield/Common/Ground). If some current doesn’t flow between these connections, the computer’s input may not be activated. If you find that a resistor is required, a 2.2 K-ohm should do the job.

Computers vary. The best approach may be to add a 10 MFD DC blocking capacitor in series with the high lead of the external audio device, as well as the 2.2 K-ohm resistor connected across the Sleeve and the Ring terminals.

What is your experience? Email your thoughts to johnpbisset@gmail.com.

Stop the sound of silence

Contract and projects engineer Dan Slentz enjoys sharing clever, inexpensive ways of doing things.

He told us about a freeware silence sensor from Pira.cz. The software monitors the presence of an audio signal on a stereo program line or PC soundcard. When no signal is present for a specified time, pre-defined solutions activate.

This is useful for monitoring an STL feed or hard-drive playout system where continuous audio is required. If the audio drops below your chosen threshold, the Pira.cz Silence Detector will switch to a backup and notify you with an email alert.

Next, with COVID easing, you may see guests returning to your studios. If so, you know the importance of a “cough switch” on each microphone.

Dan found a compact, reasonably priced aluminum box that permits the user to toggle the mic on and off, so the box has dual usage — for the “Voice of God” in a stage manager’s TV studio setting, or a momentary mute cough switch for individual mics in an interview studio. Built for the pro audio industry, it is from AudioMan Products. At audiomanproducts.com, scroll down to “Push to Talk Ver. 2.”

Dan says the muting of the mic is quiet — no pops or clicks when the mute button is depressed. Plus, construction is solid, and it’s built with Neutrik XLR connectors.

The AudioMan Push to Talk Ver. 2 will work with dynamic or phantom-powered condenser microphones wired with balanced three-pin connectors. I’ve saved the best part for last: Push to Talk Ver. 2 is just $59, and quantity discounts are available.

An ideal addition to any talk/interview studio.

What’s the frequency, Workbench?

Finally, Tektronix is offering a free download of its colorful Worldwide Spectrum Allocations poster. We thank Brad Ohdner of Tektronix for sharing this resource with Workbench readers.

You can download this Tektronix Frequency Allocations Chart.

John Bisset, CPBE, has more than 50 years of broadcast experience and is in his 31st year at the Radio World Workbench. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post T-R-R-S: A new computer wiring protocol? appeared first on Radio World.

A new IPAWS planning toolkit has been made available for alerting authorities and broadcasters interested in learning more about the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.

Using the program planning toolkit, alerting agencies can create a customized plan tailored to their agency’s operational capabilities. The kit contains step-by-step directions for creating an alerting program plan and offers customized resources, best practices and program templates to aid federal, state, local, tribal and territorial groups as they’re developing their individual alerting programs.

[Read more from us about IPAWS]

The toolkit was developed by the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate, working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s IPAWS system.

“Getting information to the public in a timely manner saves lives,” the IPAWS staff wrote in an email introducing the new application.

“The new toolkit will assist public safety agencies in developing comprehensive alerting plans that minimize alerting delay challenges; plan for future alerts, warnings, and notifications enhancements; facilitate interoperability across different technologies; and improve information sharing among emergency management and public safety officials.”

The post New Emergency Alerting Toolkit Introduced for IPAWS appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World is taking an in-depth look at “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” report this week.

Welcome to Part Three of Radio World’s summation of Edison Research’s “The Infinite Dial UK 2021”. In this installment, online audio listening by U.K. consumers is the focus.

The data comes from Edison Research President Larry Rosen’s online webinar, which was held Dec. 2, 2021, to release the findings of “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” survey.

The report is based on 1,000 telephone interviews with U.K. residents 16 and older, during the fourth quarter of 2021.

[Read more of our coverage of the “Infinite Dial” report]

U.K. online audio listening

According to Rosen, “75 percent of people in the U.K. age 16 and older told us that they’ve listened to some form of audio online in the last month.”

Online Audio Listening in the U.K. by Age Group (Courtesy Edison Research)

This usage is relatively consistent across age groups, he noted. “It’s highest for 16–34, as you might expect, at 81 percent. But even for 55+, 72 percent of people said they’ve listened to some form of online audio in the month before we called them for this survey.”

The 35–54 age group clocked in at 74 percent.

Intriguingly, a higher percentage of U.K. 16+ consumers listened to online audio in the past month (75 percent) than did U.S. 16+ consumers (68 percent).

In fact, “the U.K. number is the highest of any of the four English-speaking countries [U.K., U.S., Australia and Canada] where we have this data,” Rosen said. Australia’s 16+ monthly online audio listenership rate was 73 percent, while in Canada (18+) it stood at 71 percent.

Online Audio Listening by Country (Courtesy Edison Research)

The U.K.’s weekly listenership to online audio was similarly strong — 66 percent for all listeners 16+. Again, the spread was relatively consistent among age groups: 72 percent for 16–34; 65 percent for 35–54; and 62 percent for 55+.

At 66 percent overall, the U.K.’s weekly 16+ online listenership rate tied with Australia’s 16+ rate. The U.S. 16+ rate was 62 percent, while Canada 18+ was 61 percent.

Overall, when it comes to online audio listening, “the adoption seems to be as high in the U.K. as in any other place that we’ve surveyed,” Rosen said.

In Part Four of Radio World’s summary of “The Infinite Dial UK 2021,” we’ll look at the U.K.’s consumption of in-car media.

The post ‘Infinite Dial UK’ Digs into U.K. Online Audio appeared first on Radio World.

We’re pleased to announce that Roswell Clark is the recipient of Radio World’s Excellence in Engineering Award for 2021–22.

Recipients represent the highest ideals of the radio broadcast engineering profession and reflect those ideals through contributions to the industry. Roz Clark is the 18th person we’ve honored.

We are recognizing Roz for his accomplishments as senior director of radio engineering for Cox Media Group. In choosing honorees, we also look for people who are making a difference right now in our industry and whose work will benefit engineers in years to come.

Radio World readers know from our news coverage and ebook interviews that Roz is doing just that in his work with the NAB Radio Technology Committee’s Next-Generation Architecture Working Group.

We’re also honoring him for his important contributions to the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the National Radio Systems Committee and the Nielsen Technical Advisory Committee.

Given his decades of work on behalf of his employer as well as the broader world of radio, he is a worthy recipient.

“Technology is our business”

Clark, 59, oversees the technology aspects of Cox’s broadcast radio operations — “anything electrons flows through,” as he told me — which encompasses about 60 FM and AM signals in 11 markets.

Cox employs about two dozen technology team members in its markets.

“Anything to do with technology is our business,” Roz said. “Email servers, networks, broadcast, they’re all so intermarried that it’s difficult otherwise to make sure responsibility is properly focused and maintained.”

Roz is one of five senior directors who report to SVP/CIO Mark Beck and oversee areas such as radio, TV and network infrastructure, meeting weekly to coordinate and establish roadmaps. The radio market directors of engineering generally answer to local general managers and interact with Roz on a “dotted line” basis, though he has a few direct reports as well.

“It’s one big conversation. A finance product or an email function may be critical, but broadcast is real time and it needs to be completely seamless — that’s a whole different level of focus and attention. How do these systems interact with each other, and how do we safely connect them?”

[Read more about past Excellent in Engineering Award winners]

Meeting that challenge is a high bar, as broadcast engineers know well, but it also extends to software and anything that has a network connection. “We have to be very careful about the technologies we employ — that they’re actually suited and designed for such real-time functionality.”

When Cox Enterprises sold its majority interest to Apollo Global Management in late 2019, Roz also began to play larger role in the business continuity management for all of Cox Media Group, based on his experience dealing with Florida hurricanes and writing articles and giving presentations about disaster planning.

“We had tabletop exercises, getting key stakeholders together and talking about scenarios: What if your building caught fire and burned to the ground? What if your tower fell down?”

They even put together a scenario for a worldwide pandemic like bird flu — not expecting that within two months they would be activating it because of COVID-19.

Getting started

On the 1,500-foot tower supporting a new FM master antenna in Tampa in 2001.

Roz Clark wasn’t one of those people who knew at age 5 that he wanted to be a radio engineer. “I’ve always been a curious cat about how things work under the hood, but I wasn’t building Heathkit radios at home.”

He studied electronics in a two-year program at what is now Truman University in Kirksville, Mo. He then moved to Florida and ran a business selling and servicing C-Band downlink systems.

It was at this time that his uncle Max Sitero, the chief engineer at the local CBS O&O, urged Roz to give radio a try.

“This was in the days when the getting into the business as an engineer was very difficult. You had to have the First Class FCC license and a track record just for someone to answer your phone call.”

But his uncle’s passion and interest in broadcast were contagious. Sitero helped young Roz a part-time job. It turned out to be a great place to start.

CBS-owned WSUN(AM) was a full-service, country-formatted station and flagship of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, served by the world’s first AM directional array. Its sister station WYNF(FM) was a rocker with a popular, high-energy morning show, big-time concerts and lots of remotes.

“To work at this AM/FM combo was unbelievable. I mean, really? Many people had to work in small markets for many, many years, but I got my foot in the door at an epic AM/FM owned by CBS. It was a big deal.”

There he met two people who would play important roles in his life. One was his future wife Bobbie. The other was Chief Engineer Frank Berry, who mentored Roz and encouraged him to learn.

“Getting inside a radio station and seeing how all this technology worked together — it was all so exciting,” he said.

“I’m interested in everything from generators and power distribution to air conditioning and you name it. Everything comes together in a broadcast facility. I still feel like a kid in this business.

Roz Clark hangs out with actor Michael Richards, aka Kramer of “Seinfeld,” at a remote in 1989.

“Even today I just got off the phone talking about three completely different technology challenges and how to solve them. If you’re interested in solving puzzles or in having a different experience every day, I don’t think there’s any business more diverse than broadcasting — audio, RF, power distribution and computer networks, it goes on and on. The sky’s the limit on where your interests can take you.”

One thing he is not interested in is being on the air. This was squeezed out of him early. While waiting for a full-time position to open up at WSUN/WYNF, he took a gig as a board op at another station — playing from reel-to-reels and cart machines, recording the top of the hour, taking AM readings, fielding calls for the talk show host. And Roz didn’t like it.

“I was in nervous-sweat panic mode every second of that job. It was a nightmare for me. I understood how the equipment worked; but trying to make sure the content flowed and the on-air person got what he needed, making sure you didn’t forget to play the commercial, was very stressful.

“I have a great appreciation for board ops and people on the air, because as soon as that job option opened to get behind the curtain I was out of there. It was not for me!”

To Infinity and then back

Roz worked full-time at the CBS station for two years as assistant chief engineer, and loved the organization. Yet in 1988 he left to take part in an exciting engineering project.

Frank Berry had moved over to work at Infinity Broadcasting, which had studios a few doors away. Berry tempted him with the promise of working on the overhaul of WCBF, a recently acquired 50 kW AM facility.

As related by the website radioyears.com, Berry took that station off the air for an extended period to do a complete rebuild of the transmitter facility, including all of the towers, and gutting and reconfiguring the building, then installing new audio processors, STL gear, phasing and tuning equipment and remote control. The studios also were upgraded.

“Frank said, ‘We’re going to take this thing apart and it’s going to be off the air for four months while we completely rebuild it, studios and all,’” Roz related.

“Some readers might hear this story and say, ‘AM? What, are you crazy?’ But to build a 50 kilowatt station from the ground up within a span of four months, and do it right, with Frank Berry, and with consulting engineers like Alan Gearing, who were just masterminds — it was a great experience, never to be repeated.”

The station relaunched as WQYK; today it is owned by Beasley and has the call letters WHFS.

After that time with Infinity, Roz came back to CBS in 1992 to become director of technical operations at WYNF. It looked now as though he’d be with CBS for the long term — until the organization announced it had agreed to swap its Tampa properties with a Cox station in Dallas, and the local CBS employees were let go.

“I didn’t even reapply because I figured Cox had their own plans, but a week before they assumed control, they called me up and said, ‘Aren’t you going to apply for this job?’ So I did, in the role of assistant engineer.”

How do “solve for that”

Working a remote with air talent Jack Russell, right, for 620 WSUN(AM), circa 1985.

Since that time Roz has been a bulwark at Cox. He has been based in Tampa his entire career and worked his way up to chief engineer, then director of technical operations for Tampa (and later Orlando as well), and then to his current role as the company’s senior director of radio engineering.

During his tenure he has worked on numerous important internal issues including IT security, automation standardization, RF safety policies and broadcast data transmission under the wise leadership of Sterling Davis.

Roz wrote a mission statement to hang on his office wall to remind himself that the goal is not just to do good engineering, it’s to help the company meet its business challenges.

“How can we ‘solve for that’? Whether it’s your cell phone or your car or rockets, everything is about how technology can solve these sorts of puzzles, which seem to be insurmountable until you get smart people together.”

For example one memorable engineering project came about when Clear Channel acquired Jacor in the late 1990s and had to divest itself of several stations. Cox, which had three signals in Tampa, suddenly had six and decided to integrate them.

“Right about that time, my boss at Cox resigned. So I was the only engineer during a transition where we were taking over three stations. It was an exciting time, to say the least.

“We had to build radio stations from scratch. We built one in a closet and barely got it on the air — literally at the stroke of midnight, with the general manager walking around with the camcorder, all excited. We hit the post, so to speak, technically. No one knew the drama that was going on behind the curtain.”

During this time he has continued to expand his skill set, earning credentials as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, SBE Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer and SBE Certified Broadcast Network Engineer. He has twice won his employer’s Engineer of the Year honor.

Today he spends a lot of his time envisioning the future of the radio air chain, both at Cox and across the industry. When I asked him how engineers and managers can be better prepared for that future, he mentions certain core concepts to keep front of mind.

“Our businesses run on processes. People throw around buzzwords like cloud, but pretty much everything we do, whether it’s in an appliance or not, is software of some sort. We as engineers need to understand how the signal flows and how the business processes work. That includes remote systems management, remote broadcast and broadcasting from home.

“Then it’s the technologies of networking, whether it’s transporting real-time content or connecting systems together; these are so important. Then how do you configure or design systems so they are very secure — who’s allowed to do what, at what time and where — ‘managing identity.’

“And then monitoring and control. If we don’t know the system status of all of our assets, the critical parameters and how to react to those measurements, we’ve got a problem.”

To manage these facets efficiently, Roz said, a business must standardize where it can, so Cox Media Group is taking that concept to the next level, not only choosing to buy the same products or software across its various stations, but thinking more broadly about the company’s 60 stations as being part of one big market. “We can get the best solutions and put them across every market and have the best results in a consistent manner.” For Cox that doesn’t mean sweeping centralization as much as it means consistency and efficiency in the business approach.

Like all good radio technologists, Roz is also concerned that the medium keep its place in the dashboard and stay competitive in how it presents its product to consumers.

Given the emergence of hybrid radio systems that meld broadcast reception with online connectivity, he thinks consistency in the listener experience is crucial, which means broadcasters should be paying attention to metadata.

“It requires a deeper understanding by content creators and managers, to understand the technical capabilities of the different delivery mechanisms and make sure that we exploit and standardize that capability.”

For example Cox was an early participant in RadioDNS. It also signed on with Quu’s visual programming service, and it supports Xperi’s DTS AutoStage initiative, which Roz says does a “mind-blowing” job of presenting visual information to the listener.

“I don’t believe we should stake our ground in one thing in the digital world; we have to have relationships with all of these platforms, because not one solution fills all the holes.”

Business partners

Almost three decades since “flipping” to Cox, he remains a huge fan of the company.

“I can’t say enough about Cox as a whole and about Cox Media Group. It continues to do things right, empowering people and investing in them.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work with general managers who have a deep appreciation for engineering and the part it plays in the business. Keith Lawless, who now manages multiple markets for Cox, once described me to someone as a business partner. That’s a huge compliment. If the culture of your company appreciates the partnership that we in technology have with the business, that’s a big thing. I can tell you that, in Cox Media Group, we’re very much part of business decisions and strategy.”

Roz gives back to his profession in numerous ways.

He has delivered several papers and chaired sessions for the NAB Show, and he was involved in an NAB group that researched the use of separate antennas for HD Radio, a concept he conceived known as space combining.

For the NAB Radio Technology Committee, he chaired the HD Time Alignment group that developed a best practice document that was adopted by the NRSC. Today he chairs the Next-Generation Architecture group, helping the industry to learn how to put concepts like virtualization and the cloud to work in their air chains.
For the Society of Broadcast Engineers, Roz is an elected board member, chair of its finance committee and a member of the executive officers committee. In 2015 he was honored as the SBE Engineer of the Year. At Chapter 39 he has held multiple offices including that of chairman.

In the early 2000s he was actively involved in the Media Reliability and Security Council and the integration of

local Emergency Operations Centers in the Tampa Bay area into the EAS system. He has represented CMG in EAS Operational Areas 7 and 8.

Since 2009 he has been an active member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Symposium; he chaired the event for three years and was an elected member of its ADCOM for two years.

He is the technical representative for CMG in the Broadcasters’ Traffic Consortium. He also is a ham radio operator,  WA4YNF, and serves on the board of a repeater network that serves a large part of Florida.

A lifestyle choice

Bobbie Clark holds grandson Lincoln, flanked by sons Justin, left, and Brandon.

When I asked him to describe his management personality, he replied, “I try to treat others as I would want to be treated. And at Cox there’s a culture of getting the right person and empowering them, giving them the tools they need and then letting them do their job.

“That sounds really easy, but it’s not,” he continued. “Technology is challenging, but the most important thing is getting the right people doing the right things — giving the right leaders the right boundaries and allowing them to do their job, supported by coaching and followup. For instance, recognizing that some people are more creative than task-driven.

“You have to understand the technology too — invest in reading, trade shows, learning from vendors and adjacent businesses. We have to lead by example with that,” he said.

“But we also have to make sure people are given the flexibility and freedom to execute and be successful on their own.”

Outside of radio, Roz enjoys camping and the great outdoors, and is active in his church. He also restores muscle cars and still owns a 1967 GTO that he purchased 40 years ago.

Roz and Bobbie have two grown sons, one of whom is a mechanical engineer, the other a business/marketing professional, as well as two small grandchildren.

Would he encourage a young person to get into radio broadcast technology today?

“It’s not like any other type of engineering job. If you’re interested in all sorts of technology, the answer would be yes — but understand that it’s a lifestyle choice.”

Comment on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

Excellence Honor Roll

2004 Andy Andreson
2005 Mike Starling
2006 John Lyons
2007 Clay Freinwald
2008 Jeff Littlejohn
2009 Gary Kline

2010 Milford Smith
2011 Barry Thomas
2012 Paul Brenner
2013 Marty Garrison
2014 Wayne Pecena
2015 David H. Layer

2016–17 Michael Cooney
2017–18 Larry Wilkins
2018–19 Russ Mundschenk
2019–20 Dave Kolesar
2020–21 Jason Ornellas
2021–22 Roz Clark

The post Roz Clark Embodies Business Continuity at Cox appeared first on Radio World.

I really appreciated the article from Mark Persons on amateur radio (“Alike, but Not Alike: Broadcast vs. Ham Radio”).

Unfortunately, as Mark mentioned, with cell phones and the internet, the youth of today can’t be bothered with amateur radio and that poses a problem to get new broadcast engineers. As a kid, I was really into music and where did music come from, why, the radio, where else. So I was addicted to AM radio.

While my parents watched television, I sat in a different room listening to radio, DXing the AM dial and the shortwave bands on an old Zenith chassis with its 12-inch electromagnetic speaker and its metal 6F6 output stage that burned the skin off my forearms more than once.

The good thing is that most of the hams at that time used AM so I could listen to them without the luxury of a BFO that the Zenith didn’t have. So after listening for years, I got the old Ameco study guide and a key from Olson Radio and went about getting a novice license in 1961. Had a lot of fun with a homebrew single 6L6 running off an old TV power transformer and 5U4.

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

When I got a “real” license I added another 6L6 and a 12AX7 and made an AM rig, wow, a Heizing choke and downward modulation on 40 all the way.

Well, that led to a First Phone license when I turned 16 and wound up as Chief Engineer of a commercial classical station after the Chief passed away on Christmas morning. Sure the transmitter was a lot bigger and a lot more sophisticated than the 6L6 rig but from the years of building ham transmitters, receivers, and antennas, walking into a broadcast station was not a shock (pardon the pun).

I think there are two things that make a great broadcast engineer, one is a background as a ham and second an appreciation for music as it trains your ears to good audio. I still have my ham license and operate regularly as does my wife. The old 6L6s are gone but still operate with some homebrew gear and a Collins S line; no solid-state gear here.

I am pushing 73 now and if I was 10, I would have followed the same path as I did knowing what I know now.

Ron Schacht
K3FUT

Share your thoughts with us. Write to radioworld@futurenet.com

The post Letter: Ham Radio, a Gateway to Broadcast Engineering appeared first on Radio World.

Jim Bohannon is headed to the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

The National Association of Broadcasters said Bohannon will be inducted during the NAB Show in April. If current plans hold, that will be the first in-person spring NAB in three years.

Bohannon is host of Westwood One’s syndicated radio talk show, “The Jim Bohannon Show,” which airs on approximately 300 radio stations.

“Delivering his wit, wisdom and natural charm to listeners across the nation, Bohannon offers a unique blend of breaking news, informative reports on a wide range of topics and live conversations with listeners,” NAB stated in the announcement.

It noted that he has been in broadcasting for more than 50 years, and spent more than 31 of them as host of the early morning show “America in the Morning.” He previously hosted the weekend program “America This Week.”

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith has been a guest on Bohannon’s program. “Jim encompasses the spirit of radio. His distinct voice, humor and engaging programs have informed and entertained listeners for 50 years, while addressing historic milestones affecting our nation,” Smith said.

Bohannon started in radio at KLWT(AM) in his hometown of Lebanon, Mo., in 1960.

“Following college and military service during the Vietnam War, he returned to radio in the Washington, D.C. market, covering news at both WTOP(AM) and WWRC(AM),” NAB wrote in a bio. “He later worked as a morning anchor at WCFL(FM) in Chicago and as a freelance reporter for CNN.”

He hosted a Saturday night phone-in program starting in 1984 and was principal back-up on the “Larry King Show.” In 1993, he took over King’s time slot.

“Bohannon joined Westwood One in 1983 and has anchored newscasts, political conventions and election night coverage in addition to his weekday programs.”

Read the list of past inductees.

The post Jim Bohannon Heads to NAB Hall of Fame appeared first on Radio World.

Jessica Rosenworcel, now chairwoman of the FCC, is shown at a Senate committee hearing in 2018. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The first woman to lead the Federal Communications Commission as its chair is Jessica Rosenworcel. She has been reconfirmed to the FCC by the U.S. Senate.

CNBC reports the vote was 68 to 31.

Her term was set to expire shortly; and because the commission is already down one member, the prospect that Rosenworcel would not be reconfirmed raised the possibility of a commission with a Republican majority despite a Democratic administration holding the White House.

The nomination of Gigi Sohn for the remaining seat is having a rougher go, and until she or another candidate is confirmed, the commission will consist of two Democrats and two Republicans, which most observers believe means the FCC must limit itself to relatively uncontroversial actions for now.

The National Association of Broadcasters congratulated Rosenworcel and called her appointment historic.

“She is a dedicated public servant who has demonstrated effective leadership and expertise on telecommunications issues during her tenure at the FCC. We look forward to continuing to work with her and her fellow commissioners on ensuring a vibrant future for free and local broadcasting.”

Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, offered congratulations and said, “Under her leadership, the FCC has taken significant steps towards eliminating the digital divide, increasing support for telehealth services and enhancing the security of America’s communications networks.”

NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association said Rosenworcel “has demonstrated sound leadership, a keen command of critical communications issues and a firm commitment to preserving and expanding the nation’s essential communications capabilities,” in the words of NATE President/CEO Todd Schlekeway. “NATE has been pleased with Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s engagement with industry leaders and her continued support of NATE’s legislative and regulatory priorities, updating broadband maps, closing the digital divide and securing the nation’s leadership in 5G deployment.”

In a statement, Rosenworcel said: “People across the country count on the FCC to support the connections they need for work, learning, healthcare and access to the information we require to make decisions about our lives, our communities, and our country.  I look forward to working with the administration, my colleagues on the commission and FCC staff, members of Congress, and the public to make the promise of modern communications a reality for everyone, everywhere.”

The commission has not had a female chair until now. Mignon Clyburn was acting chairwoman for about six months in 2013.

 

 

The post Senate Approves Rosenworcel’s Reappointment appeared first on Radio World.

Audacy has added FM service to another of its iconic AM news stations, this time with KNX(AM) in Los Angeles.

“KNX News 97.1 FM” now carries the 24-hour news and traffic content of its AM sibling. The station most recently had been branded as “97.1 Now, LA’s Party Station,”

Audacy, the former Entercom, picked up a number of iconic AM news outlets through its 2017 acquisition of CBS radio assets. In the past year or so it has made similar moves onto FM in St. Louis with KMOX, Pittsburgh with KDKA and Philadelphia with KYW.

KNX is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.

“For over 100 years, KNX has been the station Southern California has depended on for breaking news, important events and life changing moments,” said Regional VP Jeff Federman in the announcement.

“With spoken word audio consumption at an all-time high, this move allows us to significantly upgrade the existing KNX brand and create a news destination for a new generation.”

Audacy said this launch shows “its commitment to its local news brands, reflective via a multiplatform transformation announced earlier this year.”

The company no doubt is hoping that the AM/FM combo will help KNX do some leapfrogging in the ratings. In the Nielsen Audio top line ratings released this month, KNX(AM) was 10th in the market in AQH Share for Persons 6+, Mon-Sun 6AM-Mid overall; the only other AM in the top 10 was No. 8 KFI. Audacy’s former music format on 97.1 was much farther down the list.

Audacy describes itself as “the No.1 local news platform in the country, operating more than two dozen news stations across the U.S.” It has all-news formats in 26 markets.

The station launched with a tribute to some of the station’s biggest headlines over 100 years.



The post KNX Is Now Heard on FM, Too appeared first on Radio World.

Responding to Bob Meister’s letter (“Genset reset rethink,” Aug. 4 issue):

I couldn’t agree more with Bob on this matter! Safety should always precede convenience, particularly where electrical power is concerned.

There had to be a valid reason for the generator fault in the original situation described by John Bisset. Merely resetting it remotely without knowing the cause is bad practice.

The new transmitters I installed at my two (now-gone) stations featured automatic restarts — first two faults would pause then reapply HV, while a third would shut off and inhibit it. This was essential to protect the $10,000–$15,000 IOT finals from damage.

I declined to wire the transmitters’ fault-reset inputs to our remote controls in fear that a less-experienced MC op might destroy the finals or other expensive parts by repeated resets.

If you have spare status inputs on your remote, look into adding indicators that could warn you of impending problems and help you resolve little matters before they grow, or provide additional evidence that may help you decide between a simple “reset” visit and a major repair effort.

[Visit the Reader’s Forum for More Letters and Comments]

Also useful: temperature and light sensors; door switches; and fluid-detectors, which are easy to install and provide inexpensive insurance. Example: A simple “homebrew” pair of opto-isolators added to my Kohler transfer-switch alarm panel would confirm that all was well and whether we were on utility or generator power.

A personal note on safety: I’m truly grateful to have a touch of OCD. It has helped keep me (and others) alive when working anywhere near power.

Years ago, I was reunited with an old UHF TV transmitter that had seen better days. It featured a pair of doors that opened in front of a high-power Klystron (only 32 kV connections atop it!) along with various “deficiencies” like uncovered AC relays in another door and a “failed-shorted” interlock switch in yet other. A consulting engineer had come close to being electrocuted there months earlier, partly because the station engineer also misinterpreted his directions.

My mind insists on “pointing and saying” before I do anything potentially dangerous. Remember: You have many opportunities to get it right, but you may have only one chance to get it wrong.

Cheers and stay safe!

Michael Shovan, CBTE
fd&t technical services
Newburgh, N.Y.

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

The post Letter: Genset reset rethink redux appeared first on Radio World.

KSJO(FM) in San Jose, Calif., is broadcasting geo-targeted radio advertising, according to technology supplier GeoBroadcast Solutions. The company said this was the first such field test with real radio spots.

The station aired several national breakfast promotions for Jack in the Box targeted to the areas of Livermore and Pleasanton along the I-680 corridor.

The station, owned by Universal Media Access and branded “Bolly 92.3FM, The Bay Area’s Bollywood Station,” has experimental authority from the FCC to test the GBS ZoneCastingFM booster system. GBS said its tests would continue during short parts of the broadcast hour through February.

The station also is experimenting with zoned traffic reports.

Jack in the Box CMO Ryan Ostrom was quoted saying the company is “only scratching the surface with our first test, and we will continue to lean into the unpacked potential of geotargeted radio activations.”

KSJO’s Brad Behnke, vice president and chief operating officer of station owner Universal Media Access, encouraged the FCC to allow such geo-targeting.

GeoBroadcast has asked the FCC to change its booster rules to allow this kind of content origination.

The post San Jose Station Tests Geo-Targeted Ads appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World is taking an in-depth look at “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” report this week.

In Part Two of Radio World’s summation of Edison Research’s “The Infinite Dial UK 2021” report we look at Edison Research President Larry Rosen’s findings on radio listening in the United Kingdom (and other countries), plus rates of radio/smart speaker ownership here and in the United States.

The report is based on 1,000 telephone interviews with U.K. residents 16 and older, during the fourth quarter of 2021.

U.K. radio listening

Based upon the complete mix of British AM/MW, FM, and DAB stations, 83 percent of the 16+ population surveyed by Edison Research listened to radio in the last week. By age group, this breaks down 80 percent for people 16–34; 84 percent for 35–54; and 80 percent for 55 and older.

Past Week Radio Listening in the U.K. (Courtesy Edison Research)

[Read more of our coverage of ‘Infinite Dial’ report]

“Some of you might be used to seeing slightly higher numbers from RAJAR for weekly listening,” said Rosen. “Let me remind you that this is a telephone survey where we’re just asking a single question about listening into the radio in any way in the last week, whereas RAJAR takes steps to jog people’s memories and remind them of all the cases where they might’ve listened to the radio.”

Compared to Canada’s 70 percent (18+), Australia’s 79 percent (18+) and the U.S.’s 59 percent (16+), the U.K. is doing pretty well in terms of radio listening.

“People are listening to the radio in the U.K., and they are remembering that they have listened to the radio in the U.K. in greater numbers than in these three other English-speaking countries around the world,” Rosen said.

Radio and smart speaker ownership

When asked, ‘Do you own a radio? Do you have a radio in your household?’, Edison Research found that 78 percent of U.K. respondents said yes while 22 percent said no.

Moreover, “Fourteen percent of people in the U.K. — consistent across age groups — said they have four or more radios in their household,” said Rosen. “So, you see, radio remains very central to the lived experience of people in the U.K.” He contrasted these numbers to the U.S., where 68 percent own radios (10 percent have four or more), and 32 percent do not.

Radio Receiver Ownership, U.K. and U.S. Compared (Courtesy Edison Research)

The differences continued when Larry Rosen looked at U.K./U.S. radio ownership and smart speaker ownership.

“Fifty-eight percent of everyone in the U.K. says they have a radio in their home, but don’t have a smart speaker,” he said. “20 percent say they have both the radio and the smart speaker in their home; 6 percent say they have a smart speaker but not a radio in their home. So, 6 percent of people seemingly have replaced radio in their homes with the smart speaker, and only 16 percent of people in their homes have neither a radio nor a smart speaker.”

Radio and Smart Speaker Ownership, U.K. and U.S. Compared (Courtesy Edison Research)

Meanwhile, 50 percent of Americans surveyed reported owning a radio but not a smart speaker; 19 percent said they owned both; 8 percent said they had a smart speaker but not a radio; and 23 percent had neither.

This last number caught Larry Rosen’s attention: “Here in the United States, we have more people saying that they neither have a radio nor a smart speaker.”

In Part Three of Radio World’s summary of “The Infinite Dial UK 2021,” we’ll look at the U.K.’s consumption of online audio.

The post ‘Infinite Dial UK’ Details U.K. Radio Listening, Ownership appeared first on Radio World.