Radio World

NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, has announced the hiring of Kathy Stieler as the director of Safety, Health & Compliance.

It is a new position and she starts immediately.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Stieler has been in similar positions in a variety of related industries over many decades, including, most recently, director, ERI Installations and Safety since 2012.

According to a release, “Stieler will be tasked with directing, developing and overseeing the general health and safety policies and procedures of the association to ensure its safety materials and best practices documents are in compliance with OSHA and other applicable state and local regulations and standards.”

In addition, she “will also be available to provide technical subject matter expertise to the association’s member companies, as well as helping these businesses navigate the oftentimes onerous compliance onboarding process.”

NATE Chairman Jimmy Miller said, “Through the establishment of this director of Safety, Health & Compliance position, NATE is doubling down on safety and investing directly into our growing membership of companies. Kathy will be a tremendous asset and I encourage member companies to leverage her expertise to enhance their respective safety cultures.”

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

 

The post Kathy Stieler Joins NATE appeared first on Radio World.

Nielsen has just released its PPM Audio Software Encoder for FM stations, allowing more broadcasters to move away from a hardware-based audio watermarking process.

“The release of the PPM Audio Software Encoder for FM stations follows the successful completion of a live field evaluation in the March and April measurement periods,” the company wrote in a note to clients.

It had already released the Audio Software encoder for AM stations earlier.

It says the software encoder allows a station to perform its PPM encoding in products from audio processor manufacturers, “enabling opportunities for cloud-based broadcast operations, reduction of rack space in your facilities and simplification of your station’s workflows.”

The company has published a list of certified vendors that includes Orban, Telos/Omnia and Wheatstone products.

In a recent commentary in Radio World, Nielsen Audio Director of Product Management Nick Mannion, wrote: “We took the PPM encoding algorithm (Enhanced CBET) out of the hardware that it lives in today and made it available in the form of a software development kit (SDK). This SDK is then made available to industry participants enabling them to integrate PPM encoding into their products.”

Once an integration is complete, he continued, Nielsen works with the manufacturer of the product to perform a certification process. “This … ensures that the PPM encoding generated by the manufacturer’s product meets all of Nielsen’s encoding quality standards.”

Nielsen plans to expand its PPM Audio Software Encoding to include digital streams later this year.

The post Nielsen Releases PPM Software Encoder for FMs appeared first on Radio World.

Digigram introduced the Iqoya X/Link-MPX codec, intended for delivery of an FM MPX composite signal to one or several transmitter sites.

“Currently, most of the studio-to-transmitter links for FM transmissions rely on the transport of the baseband audio signal over IP networks,” the company noted in its release. “This requires the FM composite MPX signal to be generated at each transmitter site with devices such as sound processors and RDS encoders.”

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

It cited growing demand for the transport of the MPX signal to be generated at the studio, “since it will help reduce the number of required equipment at the transmitter sites, optimize the global power consumption and maintenance costs.”

The Digigram X/Link-MPX supports analog MPX and digital MPX AES192, allowing analog-to-analog, analog-to-digital, digital-to-analog and digital-to-digital distribution of the MPX signal.

Optional µMPX compression is available to reduce the cost of transportation by using inexpensive network links.

Features include Forward Error Correction and redundant dual streaming with time diversity in PCM to ensure reliable transportation of IP streams. The codec uses the same hardware platform as the Iqoya X/Link range, and features internal redundant power supply units.

Info: www.digigram.com

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

 

The post Digigram Launches Codec for MPX Over IP appeared first on Radio World.

The Spanish Broadcasting System has a new president for the first time in 36 years, though long-time incumbent Raúl Alarcón remains at the helm as chairman and CEO.

Albert Rodriguez will succeed Alarcón as president of SBS.

“Mr. Rodríguez will retain his current title of chief operating officer and will report to Mr. Alarcón, who will continue in his position as chairman and chief executive officer.”

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

The company said the president role means managing operations and “overseeing the future growth and financial performance of the company’s radio, TV, digital and experiential businesses and market-leading brands.”

Alarcón has led SBS since 1985. The company describes itself as “the nation’s largest Hispanic-owned and targeted media and entertainment entity.” Its assets include New York station WSKQ(FM), “America’s most-listened-to station in any language and the #1 Spanish-language station in the world.” It has stations in other big Hispanic markets like Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico, with formats like Tropical, regional Mexican, Spanish adult contemporary, top 40 and Urbano. It also includes the Aire radio network, LaMusica app, MegaTV network and a concert promotion business.

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

 

The post SBS Elevates Albert Rodriguez to President appeared first on Radio World.

Summit Technology Group said it has a new partnership with the Independent Broadcasters Association in which it can provide virtual or on-site broadcast engineering services to members of IBA.

“Effective June 16, all association members will have direct access to the national team of broadcast, electrical and RF engineers at Summit Technology Group,” the company said in a press release. IBA members can access the services as needed or through a subscription.

Members can view service offerings, sign up for routine service and request emergency support from within an account dashboard. An AR-based video conferencing platform allows members to connect with Summit technicians.

The announcement was made by Summit President Paul Stewart and IBA President/Executive Director Ron Stone.

Stone said the relationship will be helpful to members when “so many independents are located in areas where the days of having an on-site engineer are long gone, and even a contract engineer may be hours away.”

The post IBA Names Summit as Tech Partner appeared first on Radio World.

Paul Bury at the CHLO tower.

Evanov Communications recently switched on hybrid HD Radio on an AM station in Ontario. It’s believed to be the first AM to use HD Radio in Canada.

The company operates 16 radio stations across the country, including in the major markets of Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Twelve of those are on FM, four on AM.

CHLO is in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto. The station is a Class B station broadcasting on 530 kHz with 1000W daytime operations and 250W nighttime to a non-directional antenna. Much of its programming caters to the area’s large South Asian population.

Director of IT & Engineering Paul Bury answered Radio World’s questions about it.

Radio World: What is the purpose of turning on HD Radio, is this a test, or a permanent change?

Paul Bury: We’re hoping that turning on HD will help combat the growing problems of noise and subpar audio quality that has plagued the AM broadcast band for many years.

With growing competition from FM broadcasters and online streaming, the listeners have grown accustomed to higher-fidelity audio and are slowly turning away from AM. We’re hoping that higher-quality audio will translate to higher hours tuned.

Because HD Radio on AM is new to us, we are treating it as a test at this moment. However, we hope that this will become a permanent change and a way to revitalize the historic AM band.

RW: How many cars in your market do you believe have HD Radio-capable AM receivers?

Bury: We have not seen many local stats showing a number of HD Radio-capable receivers. However, according to Xperi, there are more than 4 million HD-equipped vehicles in Canada, and one in three new cars sold in Canada every day come equipped with an HD receivers.

Over 30 auto manufacturers now ship their cars to Canada with HD decks — granted, some no longer include the AM broadcast band, but the majority still do. It’s safe to say that for the most part, if a vehicle comes equipped with FM HD, it will also have AM HD.

Since most receivers switch to HD signal automatically, we noticed with our FM HD operations that most listeners didn’t realize they were listening to the HD signal or that HD was even included in their car radio.

RW: Are you using the hybrid AM mode, or all-digital?

Bury: We are using the hybrid mode as we did not want to turn off the signal to those listeners who may not have HD-capable receivers yet. If tests in hybrid mode turn out to be positive, we will look into testing the full digital mode in certain dayparts, but as of right now, we’re not anticipating a full shutdown of our analog transmission.

A car tuner displays CHLO.

RW: Hybrid on AM in the United States did not succeed, with early adopters having a lot of issues with noise and interference, especially at night. Is there cause to believe it will work now?

Bury: The interference and noise issues are highly dependent on the broadcaster’s frequency.

We have specifically chosen CHLO to be our test station because of the frequency that it uses. Being at the very bottom end of the AM dial, 530 kHz is being utilized by very few stations in North America. This means that the interference levels are very low.

During our application process with ISED, Canada’s spectrum management body, we were asked to notify stations within 500 km of us on co-channel and first-adjacent frequencies. In Canada, we found that most of these stations have either gone dark, or switched to FM or other frequencies. Other broadcasters may not be so lucky.

Our own tests do confirm that the HD signal does not cope very well with any kind of interference past the 10 mV/m contour, including that which is generated by the new, fully electric transit busses the city has started rolling out.

RW: Is it correct to say that this is Canada’s first AM IBOC station?

Bury: Yes, CHLO is the first station using IBOC technology on the AM dial in Canada. Other broadcasters, us included, have chosen to simulcast their HD stations on HD subchannels of their FM sister stations or repeaters. Even though some have investigated setting up AM IBOC operations, for their own reasons, they never did.

RW: What is the digital air chain?

Bury: The air chain consists of a 900 MHz STL feeding into a Orban 9300 workhorse audio processor for the analog portion and an Omnia One for the HD portion. We started off running both on the Orban 9300 but found that the high frequencies were not very pleasant to listen to. The combined HD and analog signal then comes out of a Nautel NX3 transmitter running at 1000W during the day, 250W at night in analog into a single-stick 740-foot antenna.

RW: What are your observations about the signal quality and coverage so far?

Bury: So far, we noticed that the HD coverage is excellent out to about the 10 mV contour in the city limits, which perfectly covers our city of license and primary target area. In the countryside and away from human-made interference, the HD receivers have a pretty solid lock out to about 5 mV. Thus far we have not received any DX reports showing lock on skywave propagation and we’re waiting patiently for those to roll in.

RW: What comments have you had from listeners?

Bury: We’ve received nothing but positive comments from our listeners, mostly praising us for the added program data. Several have noticed the higher-quality audio, saying it’s comparable to online streaming and “less muffled.” Several of our advertisers have also noticed the improved audio quality and have shared their positive feedback.

RW: A DXer board posted a complaint that the signal is “wiping out 518 kHz Navtex.” Is that the case and what if anything should be done about that?

Bury: We have not received any reports of interference to other services nor broadcasters yet, so this is the first time I am hearing about it. We will investigate all reports of interference as is required during our testing phase by ISED.

Luckily, there are many things that can be done to mitigate such interference. We can play with the power of each IBOC sideband or even turn one off if required. We have a message playing on the air asking for reports of any interference via email to hd@am530.ca. The same address can also be used to send us reception reports.

RW: What else should we know about the project?

Bury: This has been a very exciting project for us, it was also a good learning curve to overcome. One of the challenging parts to the project was alignment of audio processing so that the switch from digital to analog in the weak reception areas is not too shocking to the ears. This is still a work in progress but we’re already seeing great results.

The post Evanov Tries Out Hybrid AM HD Radio in Toronto appeared first on Radio World.

An interesting free poster from Rohde & Schwarz identifies frequencies used in automotive contexts.

Dan Slentz bought and installed a Rhode & Schwarz “Spycer” network storage system for his UHD video. It’s 2 petabytes, or 2,000 terabytes, and uses about 15 rack units in RAID5 configuration, all linked by fiber through a network fiber switch to Dan’s five edit cells and four record servers, which use 6 TB SSDs to record up to three hours of UHD video. The write speed of the SSD (Solid State Drive) is necessary for UHD video because spinning disc drives wouldn’t work.

While learning more from the Rohde & Schwarz website, Dan found a neat poster that Workbench readers will want. It gives a visual overview of the radio frequency bands and regulations “in today’s and tomorrow’s cars,” including broadcast, mobile communications (3G to 5G), communications (Wi-Fi, V2X etc.), global navigation, radar sensors and EV charging.

As the company notes, “Being able to manage the coexistence and interference of the various radio frequencies in an (electric) car is a major challenge for research, development and testing of in-car.”

The poster is available via mail or download.

Free is good

While we’re talking about free things, Dan reminds readers of the free Loudness Meter software from Bob Orban.

There are Windows and Mac versions; find them at www.orban.com.

Click on the “Downloads” tab, and scroll down the long list of product downloads to the Free Loudness Meter software.

Helping hand As seen on the Radio Shack site, the Hot Holder’s molded silicon block aids in construction projects.

Longtime Workbench readers may recall the “home-brew” console that a young enterprising Dino Gatsoula built, complete with remote starts and status indicators, which we featured in 2018.

Dino’s 24/7 Greek-formatted station, which he runs with his dad, is now an internet station, having graduated from SCA status.

An avid hands-on engineer, Dino found a useful soldering device, shown in the first photo, at the Radio Shack online store.

The Hot Holder is a stamped silicon block with holes to mount a variety of connectors and parts, as identified in the second image. It serves as a third hand when you are either soldering or assembling.

To that end, there are even a couple of slots for holding wires that need to be tinned or soldered together.

Head to radioshack.com for more information. And if you like Modern Greek music, listen to Dino’s internet station by visiting www.radioedra.com.

Available from Radio Shack online, the block can be used for a variety of connectors, and even wires. A peek inside (or behind)

Hall Communications Director of Engineering Edd Monskie is a deer hunter and sports shooter. Edd was looking for an inexpensive borescope to see down rifle barrels to check their condition and to inspect up close for flaws not easily seen by the naked eye.

Edd checked Amazon and found a variety of new LED-lighted borescopes. Most are under $100, and one is about $20. They usually have a USB connection, and many have a plug for direct access to Android phones. Since Edd uses an iPhone, he had to purchase a small Wi-Fi adapter as well.

Some are listed as “endoscopes,” although for our engineering application, these devices can be used for hard-to-reach equipment inspections. The LED/camera is mounted on a 3-foot or longer flexible cable, giving you a really good video picture of whatever you need to see over, under or inside. The model Edd bought has adjustable LED lighting, which is really helpful in dark locations.

Some people even use them to see inside engine cylinders with the spark plug removed. Aside from using it for his firearm inspections, Edd has used it to see various places inside racks and transmitters, even down a clogged sink drain.

A quick search of Google or Amazon will bring up a variety of choices. Just enter “borescope” or “endoscope” in the search block.

For inspections, Edd likes that you send the cable — rather than your face, hand or phone — into the dark location.

The post Poster Shows Automotive Radio Bands appeared first on Radio World.

RW Engineering Extra is your deep dive into technology for the radio broadcast industry. It appears six times a year, in addition to the 26 regular issues of Radio World.

In this issue, Tony Peterle of WorldCast Systems writes that the emergence of MPX over AES technology to transport the signal via digitization presents a new topography, new challenges and new solutions.

Curt Yengst shares helpful applications to create your own schematics and PC boards.

Cris Alexander reflects on air chains then and now.

And Frank McCoy offers old ideas for a new cyberthreat environment.

Read the June 16 issue.

The post Inside the June 16, 2021 Issue of RW Engineering Extra appeared first on Radio World.

Big semiconductor company NXP has joined RadioDNS, calling the decision a restatement of its commitment to broadcast radio.

The two organizations have worked together extensively but now the manufacturer becomes a formal member of the hybrid radio project.

Nacho Seirul-Lo Salas, NXP’s director of Program Management Customer Application Support, also joins the RadioDNS Steering Board.

He said in the announcement, “After years of fruitful collaboration, where NXP has presented at least three generations of hybrid radio demonstrators, NXP is now happy to join the RadioDNS organization to restate our commitment to broadcast radio and enhancement of its user experience by adding metadata from the internet.”

Nick Piggott, project director, said the decision “reflects the growing importance of our open standards for hybrid radio. … We’ll continue to work closely with [NXP] to help their OEM customers implement our global standards for hybrid radio.”

[Related: “Power Up Hybrid Radio With RadioDNS”]

The post NXP Joins RadioDNS appeared first on Radio World.

From our Who’s Buying What page: This fun photo shows some of the 12 NV5LT transmitters currently in production at Nautel that are headed for Turkish Radio & Television.

“These transmitters are going to nine stations across five regions to enhance TRT’s coverage across Turkey,” the company said in a Facebook post.

The manufacturer recently landed a substantial contract to provide 5 kW transmitters to that client throughout 2021. Combined with other orders over the past decade, Nautel has said that its transmitters have been “used to modernize a large portion of Turkey’s national FM Radio infrastructure.”

Among other notable sales recently reported by Nautel, Cumulus station WFAS(AM) in White Plains, N.Y., is using a Nautel NX3 transmitter with Omnia.9 audio processor for its all-digital AM signal that went live in May.

[More postings on “Who’s Buying What.”]

Submit announcements to mailto:radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Transmitters Prepped for Turkey appeared first on Radio World.

The best form of advertising has always been word of mouth. TechSurvey 2021’s way of measuring this metric for radio is the Net Promoter Score (NPS). When ranked on a likelihood to recommend scale of 1 to 10, those choosing 9 or 10 are classified as promoters. Those selecting 0 to 6 are the detractors. Applying simple math, percent promoters – percent detractors = NPS.

One thing that hasn’t changed since TechSurvey began publishing NPS scores is that Christian and public radio lead the noncommercial radio pack in the number one and two places respectively. Noncommercial radio has shown steady growth over the past 17 years, hitting an all-time high of 50% in 2021. Christian now has an impressive score of 80%, while public radio is close behind with 75%.

[Read: Survey Says Full Speed Ahead for Mobile Devices and Apps]

The commercial radio part of the NPS ranking has changed from TS 2020, where rock and country were in the lead, and alternative was bringing up the rear. This year, the leaders are rhythmic urban and urban AC, with news/talk in last place. The NPS numbers for TS 2020 were largely driven by women, younger demos and music fans. No breakdown was published for TS 2021.

Online meetings have experienced explosive growth over the past year and a half, largely due to COVID, and for the first time, Jacobs Media has begun to track who is attending, and how often.

The word Zoom has become ingrained in our vocabulary, often synonymous with any type of online meeting, even though there are Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Skype and other online gathering providers.

TS 2021 numbers suggest that daily and weekly participants in online meetings are largely in younger demographics, led by 53% of Millennials, with Greatest Generation at the trailing edge with 26%.

Online meetings have had unexpected benefits for some organizations. Many had relied on in-person gatherings in the past. That tended to restrict participants to those in close driving distance, and/or those who didn’t mind rush hour traffic and parking issues in urban areas. Online meetings have leveled the playing field, giving an equal presence to everyone regardless of distance from an organization’s main office.

 

The post TechSurvey Says Christian and Public Radio Still Leading Radio Recommenders appeared first on Radio World.

“Despite some past speculation, LP-250 is not dead in the water. We are just starting over with a new plan and a different commission.”

That’s the assessment of Michelle Bradley, founder of REC Networks, on the topic of a possible power increase for low-power FMs.

In an online post, Bradley responded to a Radio World story in which we speculated that this week’s pending FCC action “affirming” a limit of 100 watts was bad news for REC Networks’ latest LP-250 proposal.

But Bradley said our interpretation was a misreading of events at the commission.

“The draft Order on Reconsideration merely upholds the FCC’s prior decisions made in the Report and Order in MB Docket 19-193, which prompted Petitions for Reconsideration by two different groups,” she wrote.

“The ‘finality’ that Acting Chair Rosenworcel suggests is the finality of these specific pending issues and once they were finalized, the commission could proceed with a LPFM filing window, which will follow sometime after November’s full-service noncommercial educational filing window.”

Bradley’s post details her extensive communications with the FCC staff over details of a possible 250-watt rule and why she believes her “Simple250” proposal will now get what she calls “a full set of downs.”

Her bottom line: “REC continues to feel that today’s FCC will have more of an appetite for an LP-250 rural expansion as compared to the previous Pai and O’Reilly FCC.”

Read her post.

The post Bradley: LP-250 Is Not Dead in the Water appeared first on Radio World.

The media technology industry is facing a shortage of industry components.

Factory shutdowns during the pandemic caused shortages across the electronic components industry, affecting automakers, mobile device manufacturers as well as broadcast and media technology companies. To try to determine how widespread the problem is, the IABM, an international trade association for broadcast and media technology, recently conducted a survey across its membership of media technology suppliers asking for their direct experience with potential shortages of electronic components.

The survey yielded 130 responses from companies both within the U.S. and internationally and found that 40% of its member companies reported severe shortages while 45% were facing moderate shortages. Only 15% of respondents said they were seeing mild issues.

The IABM took this to mean that every company that responded said they are experiencing some level of problems in obtaining components.

“The worldwide shortage of electronic components … is also having a significant impact on the broadcast, media and entertainment technology industry,” said Lorenzo Zanni, head of knowledge at IABM. “We undertook this international survey because some of our members indicated that they were having problems sourcing components; these survey results, which were given to us by members in every geography, clearly show that this is an international problem.”

The survey revealed that 43% of those who responded said they were struggling to obtain chips in particular. Broken down between logic chips and memory chips, 13% of those respondents said memory chips were the specific item they were unable to obtain while 11% said they were looking for field-programmable gate arrays or FPGAs. Other items that were in demand included assemblies and subassemblies — including workstations, motherboards and printed circuit boards — followed by oscillators, GPUs, CPUs and small-form factor pluggable transceivers or SFPs. Fifty-six percent of all respondents reported shortages across most of these component categories.

The survey also found that geography is playing a role. Twenty-six percent of the respondents identified Asian Pacific countries as the source of supply trouble — although a majority saw this shortage as an international problem with supply issues appearing nearly everywhere components are manufactured.

What next? The survey asked respondents what steps they were taking to mitigate the effects of these shortages; 40% said they are finding alternative suppliers or spreading orders across several manufacturers with 31% either ordering large stocks of supplies or paying more for components. Of those surveyed, 19% say they are managing customer expectations successfully and 10% are simply waiting for the market to improve.

There doesn’t seem to be an easy fix for this issue, Zanni said. “[G]iven the difficulty in obtaining some of the rare raw materials and the fact that you can’t suddenly switch up production to meet demand, [this problem] looks likely to be with us for some time to come.”

One solution proposed by the IABM is the BaM Stock Exchange, a database that will allow IABM member companies to search for and find high-demand components. The goal is to help IABM members to obtain the parts they need or reduce their unused stock overhead.

The exchange is searchable and filterable in an effort to help a company connect with a company with extra stock. Most media technology companies do hold some stock of components, including those that they may no longer use, said Peter White, IABM CEO. “Since many components are common across broadcast and media tech suppliers, it makes compelling sense to use the industry’s independent, international organization as an exchange,” he said, adding that idea came from a conversation with Grass Valley CEO Tim Shoulders.

“IABM is committed to building and sustaining a thriving global media tech community and this kind of initiative plays perfectly with that mission,” White said.

 

The post Media Companies Beginning to Feel Pinch from Component Shortage appeared first on Radio World.

Chicago-based broadcast services and integrator Inrush Broadcast Services has announced the hiring of Shaun Dolan and Sam Reiman.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Dolan was previously with The Telos Alliance as a product developer and manager specializing in the VX family of VoIP telephone products. He will be a partner with the company.

Reiman most recently was a broadcast systems engineer for Weigel Broadcasting. He will be a systems engineer for Inrush

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

New to Inrush Broadcast Services, Shaun Dolan (l) and Sam Reiman (r).

 

The post Dolan and Reiman Join Inrush Broadcast Services appeared first on Radio World.

Low-power FM is creating some interest in Washington this week.

We told you a few days ago about a fresh proposal to allow LPFMs to increase power to 250 watts. That proposal, from REC Networks, remains open for comment.

But meanwhile the Federal Communications Commission seems poised to approve an order in a separate matter that would “affirm” the maximum power level at 100 watts. And comments by the acting chairwoman about seeking “finality” in the rules would seem to cast doubt on the prospects of a power increase anytime soon.

The draft Order on Reconsideration being considered for Thursday’s FCC meeting would affirm a maximum power of 100 watts in order to “maintain simplicity and consistency with past actions regarding the service.”

In 2020 the commission modified its low-power FM engineering rules to improve LPFM reception and options for station relocation, but at the time it rejected a request to allow 250 watts.

In the order to be voted on Thursday, the agency writes that it considered two petitions seeking reconsideration of those technical rules.

Todd Urick of Common Frequency and Paul Bame of the Prometheus Radio Project claimed the FCC had failed to adequately explain its rejection of a power increase; they also asked the commission to eliminate the rule requiring LPFMs to use transmitters certified for that use by an outside lab, a measure intended to avoid interference problems on the FM dial. The draft order leaves that requirement unchanged.

In addition, the draft says that the FCC will require LPFM stations to submit engineering test measurements to prove that their antennas are performing properly. The commission last year approved the use of directional antennas for LPFMs. The new measurement rule only applies to LPFM applications not yet acted upon, according to the FCC.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in advance of Thursday’s meeting that last year’s technical order “maintained core LPFM goals of simplicity, diversity and localism” and she hopes this week’s actions “will provide clarity and finality to the rules.” Whether that means the fresh REC Networks proposal would be dead in the water is unclear.

Rosenworcel also said that this order will “bring us one step closer to opening an application window for new LPFM stations.”

Legal experts will be watching the meeting for hints on the timing of that window. The FCC has indicated that it would follow on the heels of its new noncommercial FM window scheduled for November. The previous LPFM filing window was in 2013.

According to the latest FCC data, there are just over 2,100 licensed LPFM broadcast stations in the United States.

[In other regulatory news: FCC Throws Lifeline to an FM6 Station]

 

The post FCC Seems Set to Affirm 100-Watt LPFM Limit appeared first on Radio World.

For this month’s Buyers Guide, we turn our attention to apps for radio technology. We asked the following manufacturers what equipment shoppers should know about their latest offerings. As you’ll see, the definition of an app continues to evolve.

Axia iQs Virtual Mixing Console

Q: What does it do?

A: Axia iQs is an audio mixer that you purchase as software. The iQs software can be preinstalled at Telos Alliance on the Telos Alliance AE-1000 1RU compute platform. Axia iQs can also be run on your own server hardware.

It runs as Docker-compatible “containerized software” and is typically installed on a PC or server running Linux. Multiple iQs software consoles may be installed and operate simultaneously on appropriate computer hardware.

If you’re familiar with any of the Axia mixing consoles in the iQ console line, such as the iQ, Radius, DESQ, RAQ, or iQx, you already know something about iQs. Think of the iQs as the software iteration of these audio consoles. But with iQs, we added a web server, allowing a beautiful graphical console surface on any modern browser connected to the iQs software. This is designed to give great flexibility in how the product is used day to day.

Q: Tell us more.

A: iQs is the first soft console controlled by a full HTML5 interface, allowing you to not only control a mix from anywhere, but on any device — Mac, Windows, tablet, laptop, even your phone!

Info: www.telosalliance.com.

 

Burk Technology Arcadia

Q: What is its function?

A: Arcadia delivers easy-access remote site monitoring and control to managers and engineers on the go.

Arcadia turns a smartphone or tablet into a customized control panel for managing all your remote transmitter sites. Instantly verify performance of RF equipment, power systems, processing, environmental and security systems right from your mobile device.

Q: What more should we know?

A: Arcadia provides mobile access to your entire network over a single secure web link. Alarms are summarized at each network level with the ability to drill down for detailed status and control of individual sites.

Intuitive custom mosaics highlighting information from multiple sites can be created on the fly, including meters, status indicators, control buttons, charts, maps and embedded web sites. Arcadia screens adjust to the size and shape of each browser’s display, enabling easy viewing on mobile devices.

Arcadia continues to add features to enhance the mobile user experience and increase deployment flexibility. The system can now be hosted either in the cloud or on an on-premises computer, ensuring conformance with each organization’s IT policies and network topology.

A new built-in AD-LDS credentialing capability allows standalone management of user identities and permissions. AD-LDS can be used on its own or in conjunction with your company’s Microsoft Active Directory system.

Arcadia graphical interface enhancements include the addition of embedded URL links and the ability to copy, edit and share mosaics. The new ARC Plus API can bring almost any data onto your mobile Arcadia screen.

Arcadia’s centralized communications architecture compiles data from all your sites at a rate of 100 sites per second, providing real-time updates to Arcadia mobile users and NOC operators. Web communications over the public internet are encrypted and secured using Transport Layer Security.

Info: www.burk.com.

 

Cloud Cast Systems Broadcast Delay Service

Q: What is it?

A software-as-a-service profanity delay unit that matches hardware units on the market.

A: Fill us in.

Stations and station groups can run up to six profanity delay units on a single Windows machine. Each unit is packed full of features including expand and compress modes, censor tone insertion, email notifications with dumped audio and compatibility with Axia, Wheatstone and Ember+ control protocols.

The interface is HTML5 and is optimized for mobile and tablet viewing and control. The intention is that a remote producer can stream the pre-delayed feed and dump if required.

The Broadcast Delay Service offers four “build modes”:

1. Expand mode which slows down playback rate;
2. File insert which plays a default or scheduled audio file;
3. External input which routes an external audio input to the transmission chain;
4. Pre-roll which builds delay prior to commencing your network show.

There are two exit modes. Compress Mode speeds up playback rate; Roll Out allows buffer to playout while input is muted. BDS also offers bypass input mixing when rolling out for seamless transition.

When it comes time for action, there are three dump modes: full dump empties entire delay buffer; partial dump removes the desired dump size; and censor dump plays a default or scheduled audio file maintaining the delay buffer.

When the dump button is pressed an email containing a dump file and a clean air file is emailed to select email addresses.

Info: www.cloudcastsystems.com.au.

 

Comrex FieldTap

Q:What does the FieldTap do?

A: It is a free smartphone app available for iOS and Android that allows users to connect to Comrex IP audio codecs and deliver high-quality, wideband audio. It is designed for users who have to set up a remote broadcast in a pinch. FieldTap provides excellent sound with the ease of a regular phone call. Its simple user interface consists of a single button that makes it easy to call in with no hassle. It’s perfect for short drop-ins, field reporting and for use as a backup.

FieldTap is compatible with all Comrex IP audio codecs, as well as EarShot IFB. No SIP registration is required, and the app features a standalone contacts list. Opus, G.722, and G.711 encoding algorithms are available.

Q: What else should we know.

A: “Because FieldTap is free, the barrier to entry is very low,” said Marshall Rice, engineering director for Hubbard Radio in St. Louis. “Our program directors have embraced it because the audio quality is high, and our talent has embraced it because it’s so simple. It has really saved us during the COVID crisis.”

info: www.comrex.com.

 

ENCO iDAD App and iDAD-Remote

Q: What is iDAD?

A: ENCO’s iDAD, part of the enCloud Suite of apps, is a mobile radio app that allows users to record audio from a smartphone and send it directly to a studio-based DAD automation system.

iDAD-Remote allows users to remote voice track and control playback from a tablet, whether at home or broadcasting in the field.

Q: What makes it special?

A: The iDAD app provides an easy way to outfit mobile journalists and reporting teams with a direct line to a radio station’s library.

iDAD-Remote allows broadcasts to easily broadcast live events without the need for a board operator at the studio. This remote content manipulation and remote control offer additional flexibility for newsgathering or live broadcasting in the field.

Info: www.enco.com.

 

Nautel AUI upgrade

Q: What does it do, what is its purpose?

A: The AUI app provides remote monitoring and control for Nautel transmitters. It comes free with purchase of transmitter.

Q: Tell us more.

A: Introduced in 2007, the AUI, Advanced User Interface, is a sophisticated tool for the monitoring and control of Nautel transmitters, and is now featured on more than 10,000 transmitters around the world. The AUI not only provides remote access to presets, alarms, meters, and settings, but valuable analysis tools.

In 2021 Nautel has introduced a major upgrade to the AUI that replaces user interface, operating system and everything in between.

The new HTML5 UI loads fast and runs in browsers on desktop computers, tablets and smartphones — no installation required nor separate app. The new AUI is a free upgrade for all AUI-enabled transmitters and lays the foundation for future Nautel transmitters.

It is specifically designed for Nautel transmitters to five customers the ultimate in status and control. As a key component of every transmitter, the AUI receives regular maintenance and upgrades. In addition to industry standard SNMP support, the redesigned architecture includes a rich API (advanced programming interface) that paves the way for powerful integrations, including Nautel PhoneHome.

For customers who want to run the original AUI until they are ready to upgrade, the free Nautel Legacy AUI Access App (http://support.nautel.com/aui/legacy-aui-access) is available.

Info: www.nautel.com.

 

Tieline Report-IT Enterprise App

Q: What does it do?

A: Report-IT Enterprise is the most popular smartphone codec application. Use it to stream live high-fidelity audio to the studio, record 20 kHz quality audio files and FTP audio files to a server in the cloud. Features include SmartStream Plus redundant streaming, file playlists for live playback, URL link login authentication and more.

Q: What else should we know?

A:Randy Wenner, broadcast and digital journalism instructor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, told us it does everything they want in a live reporting app including field recording; soundbite isolation; live reporting; sound bites triggered from the field by the reporter; feeding back raw interviews; even use by interviewees.

“It’s very easy to set up the Report-IT app,” he said. “When students log in, it automatically contains a one-touch button that allows them to FTP audio directly to the studio without worrying about entering FTP server addresses, log-ins, etc. There is a bit of technical setup to install the receiver and configure the accounts, but the online documentation is excellent, and the Tieline support staff has been extremely helpful.”

He said students broadcast live from all over the central New York region using Report-IT. Info: http://tieline.com.

 

Wheatstone ScreenBuilder

Q: Tell us about ScreenBuilder.

It lets broadcasters develop custom virtual mixers, metering and other UIs for their laptops or tablets that tie into function commands and elements on the WheatNet-IP audio network from anywhere there is an internet connection. 

A: How is it helpful?

Broadcasters are tasked with doing a lot more with a lot less these days and they’re having to find inventive solutions for monitoring, controlling, routing and processing audio. Since Wheatstone introduced its ScreenBuilder UI development toolkit for its WheatNet-IP audio network, broadcasters have amassed a large library of custom AoIP interfaces for specific workflows and applications.

Working with ScreenBuilder is straightforward. There are dozens of prebuilt widgets such as knobs, faders, timers, meters, and more that can be assembled into an interface and enabled using its simple scripting wizard.

ScreenBuilder is especially useful for adapting existing hardware or software for new workflows. Shown above is a producer’s booth created using ScreenBuilder for WBUR in Boston that has a control interface for the interview table with active controls for mics and other audio production functions.

Info: www.wheatstone.com.

 

Xperi AIM Radio Apps

Q: What are they?

Xperi’s AIM Radio Apps are next-generation smartphone apps that deliver engaging user experiences for radio listeners.

Q: Tell us more.

AIM Radio Apps deliver a content management platform that allows any station to customize their app with features and content after it has been released to an app store. Stations never lose control of their apps and are able to customize as they need in real-time.

Related to real time content updates, AIM Radio Apps are continuously improving, with new features being added all the time, with multiple releases per year, resulting in optimal end-user experiences.

The AIM Radio Apps offer flexibility to broadcasters and can adjust the needs of the radio station — you can start big or small. For example, users can start off with just a smartphone app, and then build as the budget grows, to tablet, car and TV apps.

Finally, AIM Radio Apps come with out-of-the-box support for multiple revenue streams: from targeted audio advertising to interstitial and banner adverts, offsetting maintenance costs and leading to potential profit centers.

Info: Broadcast Electronics (distributor) at www.bdcast.com. 

The post Apps for Radio Technology appeared first on Radio World.

Smartphone ownership has reached near saturation levels worldwide, no surprise there. It’s interesting is to look at the stats for online radio and music consumption, and Jacob Media’s TechSurvey 2021 has the latest.

Growth in numbers who have downloaded radio/music apps, according to the survey, has stagnated, holding at 72%. Downloads clearly skew to younger users. The Greatest Generation makes up just 55% of the total, while 90% of Gen Z respondents claim to have radio/music apps on their smartphones.

Localism rules, even on mobile devices, as the leading download named is the P1 station app holding a 53% lead. P1 is Tech Survey parlance for the respondents’ hometown station. It’s followed by YouTube, Pandora and Spotify.

Nineteen percent of those surveyed claims they frequently listen to their favorite station via a mobile app. That’s up three percentage points from TS 2020. The clear leaders are Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. Around 60% of mobile device owners are aware that their P1 station has an app, and more than one in three has downloaded it. This number also grows over time, with 26% for TS 2017, increasing 11 percentage points for TS 2021.

According to TS 2021, 58% of those who have downloaded their P1 station’s app rate it as excellent, while 32% rate it good. The rest of the numbers suggest an interesting twist.

While adoption and usage rates for new tech almost always favor younger demographics, the ratings numbers seem to go the opposite direction. Only 50% of Gen Z respondents rate their P1 as excellent, but that number increases ten percentage points for the Greatest Generation. What’s happening here?

[Read: Survey Says Podcast Use Increases, Although Many Still Not Onboard]

While TS 2021 offers no explanation, one might wonder if it’s about expectations. Younger users are usually more tech savvy, and may compare their P1 to lots of other apps. It might take a lot more to impress them. Greatest Generation users tend not to be power users of new tech, and may just be happy if there is a way to easily listen to the hometown station on their mobile device.

The stagnated 72% download rate combined with just 50% excellent ratings from Gen Z users may suggest that some stations still have work to do on their mobile apps.

 

The post Survey Says Full Speed Ahead for Mobile Devices and Apps appeared first on Radio World.

An illustration of what an infotainment display would look like in Los Angeles in a car equipped with Android Automotive, if Google accepts recommendations from the NAB PILOT initiative. This shows an enhanced station list for broadcast radio on Android Automotive to ensure station discovery.

NAB PILOT, Xperi AutoStage and several U.S. and international radio broadcast organizations are taking steps to make sure radio is appropriately represented as automobile OEMs expand their use of Android Automotive.

The context: Big tech companies have been collaborating with carmakers in developing media environments of the future; those decisions will carry crucial implications for broadcast radio.

Broadcasters worry that some of the adaptations may not be in their best interests, especially since companies like Google and Apple seem well positioned to help choose software interfaces that will end up in the dash. Fast-developing innovation is adding urgency to those developments.

Radio in the conversation

Google’s Android Automotive OS is an Android-based infotainment system that is being built into some new vehicles and is gaining adoption momentum among car manufacturers.

The media system, which replaces the standard radio in the dash of most vehicles, is a standalone Android device with user apps installed directly to the car’s system — no smartphone required. (“Android Automotive” is distinct from “Android Auto,” where the system runs on the user’s phone.)

General Motors, Ford, Audi and Stellantis have announced plans to integrate the Android Automotive platform to power their infotainment systems in new cars. ABI Research said it expects 36 million vehicles will ship with Android Automotive in 2030.

It is against that background that NAB, Xperi and broadcasters like iHeartMedia and the BBC are working together.

A key aim is to coordinate the industry’s presentation of metadata for content and advertising.

John Clark, executive director of NAB PILOT, said the goal of the Android Automotive initiative is to make sure broadcast radio is properly supported in the open source system and help broadcast benefit from its rollout.

“Anytime you are talking about ‘what controls the radio and the dashboard,’ it’s important radio is in that conversation. We need to make sure radio functionality is built in and get Android Automotive to support it, and to make sure the tuner and all the broadcast standards like HD Radio, DAB and regular AM and FM are baked in and available to app developers,” he said. “The majority of automakers have already committed to Android Automotive.”

NAB PILOT, which is the association’s technology development initiative, is attempting to build a support system into the open source platform of Android Automotive.

“(Android Automotive) is open to anyone. If you develop in Android and Android Automotive, there is access if we are successful,” Clark said.

The initiative is intended to result in additional software and functionality in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), with open source solutions available to Tier One and app developers around the world.

It’s important because there are “no guarantees the digitalization of the dash will be good” for broadcast radio, Clark said; it could lead to increased competition in the dashboard from pure-play services like Spotify.

“Further fragmentation, and broadcasters and auto manufacturers all doing things a bit differently with no one on the same page, is the worst-case scenario. That would mean different user experiences,” he said.

“We want the broadcast radio to be uniform from car to truck. When you take away the simplicity of radio and put it into a software user interface, it could turn into a giant challenge if people can’t easily find the product,” he said. “There is a huge benefit for cohesiveness.”

Clark said the group’s intent is to make sure “none of the features of broadcast radio are lost. And further, what happens if the dashboard becomes completely reliant on an IP connection? That would be disastrous if dashboard designers are not paying attention to the broadcast component.”

Companies involved in PILOT’s Android Automotive initiative include Bauer Media, the BBC, Beasley Media Group, Commercial Radio Australia, Cox Media Group, Entercom, iHeartMedia, New York Public Radio, NPR, Salem Media Group, SWR and TBS Radio. Clark said they are “providing their expertise and their voice” to the initiative.

Google is “listening”

Xperi is doing lot of the development work on dashboard redesign when it comes to delivery and rendering of metadata, said Joe D’Angelo, its senior vice president radio.

Xperi is the parent of HD Radio; it also recently launched the DTS AutoStage hybrid radio platform. It is a member of PILOT and describes itself as an advocate on behalf of the radio industry.

D’Angelo said Android Automotive “will control the radio tuner, so it’s imperative that broadcasters around the world ensure that Android Automotive fully implements all of the radio standards that are commercially deployed in the world. It’s critical that the head units have the ability to tune in analog AM and FM, HD Radio and DAB signals. That is going to be dependent on the completeness of the operating system’s functionality,” he said.

“Google is engaged with our group, but they are a huge company that has a lot of competing constituents looking for support and resources, too.”

Google did not reply to Radio World’s requests for comment about Android Automotive and how radio fits into the evolving tech landscape.

Clark of NAB said Google is “listening to us like any good company should that wants to get feedback on their product. They have asked us to remain in talks with them. They are very much interested in our progress and they want to hear more from the players in the field, and how what we are doing aligns with what auto manufacturers are doing in the dash.”

He added: “We have to convey to Google that if they pay attention to radio, then radio will really be there with these services.”

Enriched “now playing” information, showing a carousel view of New York stations. Both images in this article show reference designs that will be part of the initiative’s delivery to Google; a DAB design will be delivered as well.

D’Angelo said NAB and Xperi have “open access to Google’s engineering and strategic partnership teams” and can “can educate them on our progress. … We have a long history of working with Google, the automakers and the Tier Ones so we bring to the table our product development, engineering and product certification expertise.”

While Android Automotive is a relatively new entrant to the dashboard wars, he said Google is quickly making inroads.

“I think what is unique is they are coming in not only with a new operating system but also with a suite of applications. It’s not dissimilar to what they did in the smartphone space. They are not dominant yet in auto, but they are trying to make a big push into auto.”

D’Angelo sees natural overlap between Android Automotive and DTS AutoStage, though he said the latter focuses on ensuring terrestrial radio’s presence in the dash.

Google is “offering a set of IP-based services alongside (the Android Automotive) operating system,” he continued, but Xperi is focused on the radio broadcast component.

“Android Automotive is a hybrid system. It has IP functionality, connectivity to the internet and support for over-the-air reception. So it is a platform that DTS AutoStage as a service can be integrated on, but it is not the main goal for the group. That part of it is attractive to us and other hybrid radio advocates, but the scope of the project is solely focused on getting broadcast right. Because if we don’t get broadcast right, there is no hybrid radio,” he continued.

“First we have to ensure that the automakers around the world adopting Android Automotive have the best analog and digital broadcast radio experience possible. Then we can talk about how we evolve and maybe take advantage of the IP connections.”

Broadcasters for now should remain diligent and support efforts to add metadata to their broadcast signals, NAB’s Clark said.

Broadcasters should make sure their over-the-air service “is taking advantage of all the functionality of the transport system,” D’Angelo said. “If radio is offering a rich, compelling multimedia experience that benefits the driver of a vehicle, then the car companies will be compelled to implement all the technology.”

He said companies supporting the PILOT project realize the importance of broadcast metadata being displayed on the dash alongside audio services, and that the metadata is actually presented to the driver, not replaced.

Michael Beach, VP of distribution at NPR, said, “NPR and PRSS believe it is critical to work with the National Association of Broadcasters and Xperi on the development of efforts like this, which will continue the vitality of broadcast radio and take advantage of features on new and emerging platforms.”

Broadcaster involvement, D’Angelo said, is “really critical so we can accelerate the deployment of these great services for vehicle manufacturers that have committed to Android Automotive. And we’re really pleased to have some of the largest broadcasters giving us feedback.”

The post PILOT Project Targets Android Automotive appeared first on Radio World.

DHD.audio 22-fader SX2 audio console at L1’s Maastricht headquarters.

L1, a television and radio broadcaster in the southern Netherlands province of Limburg, has chosen DHD.audio mixing systems for its headquarters in Maastricht and a connected studio in Venlo.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

Product specialist Nicky Hartsuiker with the installation contractor Media Utilities said, “L1’s existing audio control infrastructure needed replacement after 15 years of operation … After researching and comparing the available alternatives, the L1 operational and engineering teams selected DHD as the preferred replacement. Also aiding in the decisions was Netherlands-based system integrator AutoMates which provides advice and technical support to L1 on projects.

For two new radio studios in the Maastricht headquarters a 22-fader SX2 mixer and TX touchscreen mini mixer were installed in each. For two voice and edit booths TX mini mixers were installed. A journalist prep room received a TX touchscreen as well. It also house a visual radio system.

For television and video editing facilities, a 24-fader RX2 console operates in a control room with two studios attached TX mini-mixers populate several video edit and VO suites. XC2 DSP and I/O Cores provide networking support.

A podcast studio for Netherlands broadcaster L1 featuring a DHD.audio TX touchscreen mixer.

A remote operation in Venlo has a TX mixer along with XS2 I/O and DSP Core. These are linked to Maastricht via a dedicated fiber connection.

Send news for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Netherlands Radio/TV Broadcaster L1 Decides on DHD appeared first on Radio World.

Webcasting royalty rates in the United States have just gone up, including a doubling of the minimum annual payment for noncommercial webcasters.

The Copyright Royalty Judges on Friday announced new rates for webcasters for 2021 through 2025.

The rate for commercial nonsubscription services in 2021 will be $0.0021 per performance, up from $0.0018 last year. For commercial subscription services it will be $0.0026, up from $0.0024. Rates for the ensuing four years will be tweaked based on the Consumer Price Index.

The rate for noncommercial webcasters (except educational) has doubled to $1,000 a year per station or channel, for transmissions totaling up to 159,140 Aggregate Tuning Hours (ATH) in a month.

If a noncom webcaster goes beyond that number on a given channel or station, the per-performance fee this year is $0.0021 for the additional transmissions, up from $0.0018. Again it may change in 2022 to 2025 based on the CPI.

Webcasters will have some back payments to make as a result. The Copyright Royalty Board had delayed issuing its rates for the new five-year period until spring. Commercial and noncommercial webcasters were told by SoundExchange to use 2020 rates in the meantime but that adjustments would be retroactive to Jan. 1.

Note that rates for other categories — noncommercial educational webcasters, satellite radio, audio for business establishments and certain others — are on a different calendar cycle, so their 2021 rates were already known. Those can be found at the SoundExchange website.

The post CRB Raises Webcasting Royalty Rates appeared first on Radio World.