Radio World

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

The start of summer is officially June 20, though you may not know it from the number of outings afoot. For stations, that will require evaluation of a critical safety consideration: face coverings.

Some weeks back, I noted in Radio World some of the top-line issues radio stations that had previously been closed would have to meditate on before reopening to staff, volunteers and the public. From cleaning and entrance protocols to vaccination requirements, radio stations will have many matters to decide about.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Going to the Doges]

Masks are another subject entirely. They create in us some anxiety because face coverings almost always signify being in close quarters with others. The notion of contact with possible illness heightens stress. In some circles, masks have also become a flashpoint in an old-school culture war.

Earlier in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated individuals could safely not wear face coverings indoors, prompting dozens of states to lift restrictions for masking during indoor activities. However, most Americans say they will continue to be cautious.

For radio stations with staff and/or volunteers, the conversation may be partially resolved by understanding how many people are vaccinated and overall infection rates locally. In the case of radio stations that welcome guests or the public into their facilities, management decisions get more complex. Is it better to require face coverings until vaccination rates grow in a community? What about taking into account vulnerable communities such as young children who can’t get vaccinated yet or those with health complications?

As is always the case in local health questions, stations should talk with city, county and state leaders to help determine the right course of action. You will want to understand your area’s latest infection numbers as well as progress on and availability of vaccinations. If your state has particular edicts in place, your station should confirm that whatever policy you choose adheres to state and county rules, especially if they forbid specific business restrictions. Your station may want to inquire about how local businesses or nonprofits are handling mask requirements and, when lifted, how operations are changing. For instance, are there new methods for air circulation, or limits to the number of people in spaces?

Communication and signage about mask rules in your studios and building are also important. If you will have requirements, it is wise to ensure there are signs, notices on your website for guests, and contact with your staff and volunteers about station policy. Similarly, if your station will allow staff, volunteers and guests to take their masks off, it is vital that you share word of this in the same fashion. Getting out in front with messaging will reduce confusion.

Although lately it seems like the pandemic ended, it is remains a specter in many communities. Face coverings are still critical in preventing the spread of the virus. But, if community trends say it is time to reassess your station’s guidelines around masks, you may do so with prudence.

 

The post Community Broadcaster: Masks Off appeared first on Radio World.

An image from the media kit for WDCN(LP) near Washington, D.C.

The future of “Franken FM” stations remains in serious doubt because the operators of those stations, along with any other low-power Channel 6 TV broadcasters, face a deadline of July 13 to cease analog broadcasting and begin digital TV transmission.

As of mid-May the Federal Communications Commission had not answered requests to allow TV stations that present themselves as radio stations on 87.7 MHz to continue analog broadcasts on that frequency.

Some proponents don’t think they actually need further permission.

The FCC was notified by one LPTV station that it had converted to digital but plans to continue FM6 operations too. Venture Technologies Group, licensee of KBKF(LD) in San Jose, Calif., hopes its correspondence will help clarify the commission’s stance. It also operates FM6 signals in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego and Sacramento.

The FCC confirmed to Radio World that it had received KBKF’s notification, which it described as a “request,” and said it was “being considered and remains pending,” a spokesperson said in April.

The TV station began ATSC 3.0 digital operations in February. “The station is in compliance with the ATSC 3.0 rules for digital LPTV stations,” wrote Venture Technologies.

“The ancillary or supplementary audio signal occupies a portion of the remaining bandwidth assigned to the station as part of its DTV channel.”

It continued: “The licensee provided notice to all potentially affected Channel 5, Channel 6, 87.7 FM and 88.1 FM stations in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland and adjoining DMAs that it was beginning digital service with ATSC 3.0 video and an ancillary audio signal. None of these stations has reported any interference or other issues to the licensee. Should any unexpected interference occur, the licensee will promptly take remedial action, including termination of all or part of the station’s signal, if necessary.”

Paul Koplin, president of Venture Technologies Group, said, “We believe the FCC’s existing rules permit the use of an analog audio carrier on an ancillary or supplementary basis under these circumstances.”

KBFK airs contemporary Christian music from the Air1 Radio Network from the Educational Media Foundation.

EMF in March urged the FCC to “act expeditiously” on the FM6 proceeding because stations need to be able to plan “to avoid a potential unhappy surprise should their audiences lose service that they have enjoyed for many years.”

“Uncertainty” created by FCC

Meanwhile, the Preserve Community Programming Coalition (PCPC), which represents half-dozen LPTV Channel 6 stations, said the earlier ATSC 1.0 digital television standard did not contemplate the use of less than a full 6 MHz.

“Under the ATSC 3.0 standard, the DTV signal can occupy as little as 5.509 MHz, leaving room for an analog audio carrier that does not in any way derogate the station’s DTV signal. The KBKF(LD) application describes this configuration, but prior FCC approval is not required to offer an ancillary or supplementary service.”

According to PCPC, the language of the FCC’s rules permit digital LPTV stations “to offer services of any nature” including audio as long as they “do not derogate DTV broadcast stations’ obligations” to transmit at least one over-the-air video program signal at no direct charge to viewer.

“In fact, the rule goes on to state that services may be provided on a broadcast, point-to-point or point-to-multipoint basis — meaning they do not need to be part of the primary ATSC television signal,” a PCPC spokesperson said.

The group believes that no further FCC action is required, though it hopes the commission will clarify its position.

“The FCC should authorize currently operating analog channel 6 LPTV stations to continue using a portion of their spectrum to provide an analog aural service on 87.7 FM following the digital transition,” it wrote in comments to the commission.

A PCPC spokesperson added, “Given the uncertainty that the FCC has created … the commission should reassure the underserved listeners these stations serve that their 87.7 FM stations are not going away.”

Legitimacy question

The so-called Franken FM phenomenon has sparked radio industry debate about the legitimacy of the operations. There are two dozen or so such stations in the United States. Their leaders say they are serving the public interest by carving out a radio niche and have found a profitable business model in doing so.

These Channel 6 LPTVs air limited visual programming to meet their license requirements while transmitting an audio signal programmed and branded as a radio station. The FCC has an open rulemaking on whether to permit FM6 operations to continue on an ancillary or supplementary basis after the July date.

It asked for additional feedback in a public notice in December whether digital LPTVs should be allowed to operate analog radio services. The FCC first asked the very same question in 2014.

Operators of FM6 stations have lobbied for several years to be able to maintain an analog output on 87.7 even while converting to a digital TV6 service. But their outlook seemed to dim when the Media Bureau released a Public Notice this year reminding LPTV stations on Channel 6 that their deadline to terminate all analog operations was “fast approaching.”

LPTVs were allowed to request an extension to complete their digital TV facilities beyond July 13, but such extensions do not allow for continued radio operations beyond that date, the FCC said.

FM6 advocates met with Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey in March to discuss “the process for converting existing analog Channel 6 stations to digital in the absence of a decision by the commission on whether to permit digital LPTV stations to operate analog FM radio type services on an ancillary or supplementary basis,” according to an ex parte summary.

Public interest

Critics of the LPTV FM6 stations, including National Public Radio, have consistently argued that the FM6 stations are a misuse of public airwaves since their TV licenses were not issued with radio service in mind. In addition, they pose an ongoing threat of harmful interference to public radio stations in the adjacent FM band reserved for noncommercial educational broadcast stations.

NPR commented previously: “So-called Franken FM stations exploit regulatory gaps to transmit a silent video signal for TV receivers and an unrelated audio service for reception by FM radios tuned to 87.7 with each Franken FM occupying 30 times the spectrum a traditional FM station uses.”

But PCPC claims the FM6 stations “don’t fit in any regulatory box.” It dismisses the interference argument, saying that Channel 6 stations have been broadcasting audio on 87.7 MHz since the 1950s without causing interference to other services, and further that “there has never been a documented case of any Franken FM interfering with another radio or TV station.”

Supporters also say FM6 programming often focuses on underserved ethnic and minority communities who historically have had limited access to the airwaves.

For example, an 87.7 FM station in New York serves the Korean community, while a station at 87.7 MHz in Los Angeles targets Latino audiences. In Sacramento, an FM6 provides programming for the Russian community.

In Chicago an FM6 station airs a soft AC and oldies format on 87.7 and claims to average a weekly cume of over a half million people.

“A voice and lifeline”

WDCN(LP) “La Nueva 87.7 FM” is a low-powered Spanish-language station with offices in Rockville, Md., and a radio signal that covers much of Washington, D.C. It is owned by Signal Above LLC, which says Washington is the country’s 13th largest and most affluent Hispanic market.

Wray Fitch, managing member of Signal Above, says the station has targeted the market with Spanish-language radio programming for 11 years. It broadcasts a community bulletin board on its video signal.

“This should be the moment when all small businesses are encouraged, especially those that are serving as a voice and lifeline to underserved communities. These small businesses and the focused broadcast services they provide are a night light, if not a beacon along the path of COVID recovery and flourishing to all these small communities.  That light should not be unplugged,” Fitch wrote in an email to Radio World.

Fitch said he has requested an extension for the digital TV migration since WDCN’s digital facilities will not be completed by the July deadline.

“We plan to timely construct our digital Channel 6. We are negotiating for equipment, tower space and hiring tower crews. The engineering has been completed,” he said.

Snycom Media Group operates KXDP(LP) in Denver, which is branded as La Invasora 87.7 FM and serves the local Hispanic community.

“We are the only station in Denver that broadcasts live news, traffic and weather reports in Spanish,” said Christopher Blair, owner of KXDP. “Our intentions are to continue to serve our listeners as we have in the past. We are hoping the FCC has the wisdom to realize we are essential lifelines to our communities.”

KXDP, which broadcasts music videos on its TV signal, has yet to build its LPTV digital facilities; it too requested an extension from the FCC.

“We focus on the local community. We identify needy families during Christmas, Thanksgiving and other times and help them with cash or presents. And provide no charge, weekly on-air time for Alcoholics Anonymous to come to our studio and extend an invitation to those who may have the need to attend meetings,” Blair said.

Daniel Melendez, president of Omega Media Broadcasting, licensee of KIPS(LP) in Beaumont, Texas, said his station is the only Spanish-language radio station in the city and is important for public safety.

“We are in an area with tons of hurricane activity and our station has been essential to bring the community detailed information. We also have been able to help with community services,” Melendez said.

KIPS(LP) transmits video loops on its TV signal and plays Spanish music on 87.7 MHz, Melendez said. He has requested an extension to transition its digital facilities and hopes there will be some kind of provision to extend the station’s analog aural services too.

The post Time Running Out for FM6 Stations? appeared first on Radio World.

June is Microphone Month at Radio World. Here’s one in a series of interviews with people who work in and around radio, about the kinds of mics they love and why.

Rob Byers is director, Broadcast and Media Operations, at Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media.

Radio World: What’s your favorite kind of microphone for on-air work? 

Rob Byers: In a good-sounding, well-treated room, a quality large-diaphragm condenser can sound wonderful on the voice. Combine that with an onboard high-pass filter and you get a natural, clear and present sound.

In a room that doesn’t sound so great, a dynamic might be the ticket, though they usually require tonal shaping. There are some traditional choices when it comes to dynamic mics in radio, but I find they sound too muddy and unnatural to my ears. I prefer to reach for a mic that reduces proximity effect and provides clarity in the low mids.

RW: How about for remote work and/or specialty applications like live venues?

Byers: It’s incredibly application-specific! A choice of microphone will be driven not just by what is being recorded — the environment plays a critical role. The size and ambient noise level of a space can influence a mic choice, as can factors like weather, mobility, and any potential risk to the gear.

Working outdoors, some accessories are essential. Proper wind protection is well worth the investment, as are ways to mitigate vibrations. Backups — even for microphones — are essential. And don’t forget that a dynamic omni can be a great tool in windy, wet, less-than-ideal weather conditions!

RW: Tips about using and buying mics for radio applications?

Byers: The high-pass filter is your friend. It can mitigate many issues like vibration, low-frequency muddiness, HVAC rumble or wind and plosive problems. Engage it at the mic, which will prevent these issues from ever reaching the preamp.

Second, when choosing a mic for voice work, find a mic that achieves — out of the box — clarity in the low mids. The 100–400Hz range makes all the difference in intelligibility and naturalness.

Read more of Radio World’s coverage of microphones.

 

The post Working With Mics: Rob Byers appeared first on Radio World.

Changes to American copyright law as it relates to music licensing and sound recording is expected to have a significant impact on libraries and archives that preserve sound recordings.

That’s the consensus of a new report published by the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. Back in 2018, Congress passed some of the most significant legislative reforms to American copyright law in the last 20 years in the form of the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act. According to the Library of Congress, the act fundamentally reshapes music licensing and the legal status of sound recordings made before 1972 by bringing these recordings under federal copyright law for the first time.

[Read: Glimpsing History Through New Digitized Radio Programs]

The law addresses music modernization in three sections: the Musical Works Modernization Act, the Classics Protection and Access Act, and the Allocation for Music Producers Act. The Library of Congress report — called the Orrin Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act: A Guide for Sound Recordings Collectors” — offers clarification on each section of the law it as it applies to curators of recordings and provides a summary of the legislation and its implementation. “It will serve to guide holders of recordings in their efforts to preserve sound recordings and make them accessible through digital streaming,” the Library of Congress said in a release on May 27.

One of the most significant changes implemented by the act is the fact that recordings made before 1972 will now be under federal protection for the first time. The law also creates rolling terms of protection that enable historical recordings to enter the public domain beginning in 2022.

In addition, the law establishes new responsibilities for libraries, archives, museums and individuals who hold sound recording collections. In addition to creating a public domain for sound recordings, the law created new rights and procedures for institutions to obtain a license to stream holdings and revised the process of licensing music performed on recordings, often known as underlying works.

The new law attempts to provide uniform procedures to license recordings for streaming, which vary depending on the age and type of the recording. The act also establishes new requirements and processes in terms of streaming audio through an interactive service where listeners select content (as opposed to the preset content found on over the air radio for example).

The report also offers a series of tools and resources including guidance for owners of sound recordings who offer digital streaming services of their collection, information for streamers of educational audio programming, and an explanation of how the law impacts sections of copyright law applicable to libraries and archives.

 

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While much attention is focused on ATSC 3.0’s advanced emergency alerting capabilities like geo-targeting warnings and TV wakeup, retired Lt. Gen. Reynold Hoover illustrated precisely why the technology’s ability to disseminate information post-event may ultimately prove to be its most valuable quality in an emergency. He delivered his remarks on May 25 during the first day of the virtual 2021 AWARN Summit.

“Ladies and gentlemen, for the last 15 minutes we’ve actually been working a missile launch from North Korea,” Hoover said. “We detected a launch of a Hwasong-15, which is an ICBM. It has a max range, we estimate, of about 13,000 kilometers, which takes in the entire United States.”

“NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] has assessed this launch as a threat to the United States. NorthCom [U.S. Northern Command] has launched our ground-based interceptors. We’re reporting flight as nominal. We estimate now impact in 14 minutes,” said Hoover, who among a long list of career accomplishments served as chief of staff at FEMA and integrated the agency into Homeland Security following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as well as being a driving force behind the adoption of IPAWS (the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System).

[Read: Rosenworcel Wants to “Revitalize” CSRIC]

Surprising Ron Prater, executive director of Big City Emergency Managers who moderated the session before the keynote, the lieutenant general said, “Ron, let me ask you, the mic’s going hot in 30 seconds. We have NORAD telling us 14 minutes to impact. What are you going to tell the public, and what do you want them to do?”

Clearly caught off guard, Prater said he is not an alert originator. “I would personally just panic, and then I would probably call Becky [Rebecca Baudendistel, director of public warning for the New York City Office of Emergency Management and a prior panelist] in New York City and ask her what to do.”

Hoover responded: “OK, Becca. Thirteen minutes to impact…. What are you going to tell people, and what do you want him to do?”

Taking a few seconds to digest the situation, Baudendistel replied: “I think, you know, the first thing is we need to do is address the problem as quickly as possible and put in a trusted source in that message to make sure they [the public] know[s] this is not just Becca saying this. This is coming from… the officials on this call.”

Hoover persisted in his description of the missile flight status. “Sure, sure. OK. So, NORAD now says impact is going to be on the West Coast, and impact is estimated at about 15 minutes.”

Shifting gears, Hoover recounted the Jan. 13, 2017, emergency warning issued in Hawaii that a missile strike was imminent. Public alerts explicitly stated the warning was not a drill and to seek shelter, he said.

“What do you think they [the public] did?” asked Hoover. In the 38 minutes it took the state to rescind the alert and issue a message telling people the emergency warning was false, many people panicked.

“There was chaos. People panicked in the streets. People said their last goodbyes. People, you know, went to get their kids. They were hiding in the bathrooms. They didn’t know what to do. They were searching for more answers.”

Going back to Baudendistel, Hoover resumed the description of the hypothetical missile attack. “Now NORAD advises that missile impact is imminent and most likely [will strike] Seattle, Wash. … Becca, is that going to change anything… [regarding] what you are going to tell people? Impact is imminent.”

Baudendistel replied: “I don’t think so. I’m not sure what else they can do at that point.”

Building on her observation, Hoover explained that in cases like the one in the roleplaying exercise, it is important to tell people what you want them to do, know who is going to communicate that message and how that message will be conveyed.

“And is that message going to cause more panic and harm than good?” he asked. “Certainly, we saw in Hawaii…panic, and we saw chaos. People didn’t know what to do.”

Continuing with the scenario, Hoover reported the missile struck Seattle, knocking out all communications and power in the area, collapsing bridges and highways, shutting down rail and auto traffic and causing general devastation.

“It seems to me that that is where ATSC 3.0 and that is where what we think of NextGen TV, and that is where what we think of IPAWS 2.0 … comes into play,” said Hoover.

“Because it’s post disaster in an event like that that is going to save more lives than the chaos we created [in Hawaii].”

Acknowledging the emergency management community wants to warn in advance of an event what and when it can, Hoover said in “a catastrophic, no-notice event,” it’s important to tell people exactly what to do, where to go and what steps they can take to save lives in its aftermath.

Hoover illustrated what he meant drawing on the work of Genie Chance, a journalist and radio broadcaster, during the 1964 Alaskan Earthquake.

Chance, who was running an errand with her son during the quake, drove to the public safety headquarters and using the VHF radio she had in her car began submitting reports to KENI radio.

“What does she say?” asked Hoover. “She says things like, ‘John Lawson, your family is at the Ross’s house, and they want you to know they’re safe, and they would like you to come there as soon as you can.’

“Things like, ‘The city manager is asking all department heads to report to him at the public safety building immediately.’

“Things like, ‘All engineers and pipefitters please report to the maintenance building in downtown Anchorage immediately.’”

IPAWS, ATSC 3.0 and other technologies need to be survivable “in any situation” to relay these sorts of critical messages following a catastrophe, he said.

“We are going to save more lives when we think about how we can apply ATSC 3.0 post-event than in some cases we might have saved pre-event with a warning that might cause chaos.”

“I would urge you, as you think about all of the great capabilities of NextGen TV and the broadcast capabilities that we have, we need to think how it’s going to survive post-blast or how it’s going to survive post-earthquake, … and we need to think about how that system is going to work in the future post-incident because that’s where I think… we’re going to end up saving lives,” he said.

 

The post Retired General Underscores Life-Saving Potential of ATSC 3.0 appeared first on Radio World.

Podcasting is definitely the audio flavor of the times.

And to take advantage of that a podcasting services provider, Podcastle, has added to its audio tool chest.

According to the company, clients can now edit audio, convert text into podcasts and create usable audio clips from video and other audio sources.

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

Podcastle founder and CEO Artavazd Yeritsyan said, “Although many tools have come onto the market for photo and video editing, audio technologies have been less accessible. We believe that audio will continue to be one of the fastest-growing and influential categories in storytelling.” He added, “Our goal is to remove barriers so that people can focus on creating interesting content and not have to worry about complex or expensive software to do it.”

As a further demonstration of widespread interest in the podcasting sector, the company announced funding from venture capital firm Sierra Ventures last year.

Info: https://podcastle.ai

 

The post Podcastle Pushes New Tools appeared first on Radio World.

Stacey Kauffman

Audacy, the former Entercom, has announced some personnel changes in its San Francisco and Sacramento operations.

Current Audacy Sacramento Market Manager Stacey Kauffman will assume the role of regional vice president and market manager for Audacy Northern California. She will oversee KGMZ(AM), KLLC(HD2), KITS(FM), KLLC(FM), KCBS(AM), KRBQ9FM) and KGMZ(FM) in San Francisco.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

She succeeds Greg Nemitz and will report to Regional President Doug Abernethy. Kauffman has been with Entercom/Audacy since 2015. She has also worked for Hubbard Broadcasting, Radio One and Susquehanna Radio.

Kauffman announced that Kieran Geffert has been promoted to vice president of sales for Sacramento and San Francisco. Geffert will handle sales throughout northern California. Geffert started with KCBS(AM) when it was part of CBS Radio.

Send your people news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Audacy Announces Bay Area Promotions appeared first on Radio World.

Your RF site is more than a transmitter and a tower. It’s an entire ecosystem!

Radio World’s latest free ebook helps you to make sure it is running efficiently, safely and profitably.

Workbench legend John Bisset shares some of the best tips from years of helping readers maintain their sites. Paul Tinkle helps non-engineers understand what to watch for when they visit a site.

Peter Burk explains how a remote control system can help you improve routine maintenance and reduce emergency calls. Buc Fitch lays out a philosophy for clean reliable power.

Sean Edwards helps you identify trouble spots in your antenna system. Josh Bohn explores options for site connectivity.

The folks at Fluke list 10 dumb things people do when testing electricity. And award-winning engineer Jeff Welton opens up his famous bag of tips ‘n tricks!

Read it here.

The post Mission-Critical: Maintaining Your Transmitter Site appeared first on Radio World.

Don Elliot

A nice collection of comments on microphones in the May 26 issue! But I have a comment about the quote in the first piece that “No radio station ratings have ever been tied to the mic used in the studio.”

I wholeheartedly disagree. If you ask a listener, they’re not going to flat out tell you that they love a station’s compressor, particular jingle, studio, microphone or one particular recording. They only know what they hear, and it’s generally without being analytical.

Whatever that mystique is that makes one station sound better than another certainly contributes to why the station is a favorite.

Every element is a little percentage point towards making a station number one. And it’s like dominoes. You break the chain and the result will disproportionately affect the outcome.

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

As they say, “The chain is only as strong as the weakest link.” The secret of being a number one station is doing all those little percentages the right way; but with the microphone it’s a lot more than 1%. It’s the product that the listener hears upon which they make their preference judgments.

Comparing the quality of the air sound to the budget of whether you can use the microphone as a hammer and evaluating the choice of what to purchase is just plain outrageous.

I am often reminded of the quote by Ken Levine, a former DJ with us at a couple of L.A. stations and writer, director and producer of “M*A*S*H,” “Frasier” and “Cheers”: “Enough is a feast to an idiot.” And that’s exactly the mid ground “rollover and play dead” mentality of stations that just sound mediocre. It is super easy to beat them in the ratings because I maintain that the listener most certainly can tell the difference.

Of course personality factors into it as well, but put the same personality on a station that is superior in these other elements we are discussing, and it’s a slam dunk that they will have an edge. No details and listeners don’t really ever know why — except “It just sounds better.”

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

 

The post Yes, Mics Matter in Ratings appeared first on Radio World.

From our “Who’s Buying What” page:

KSKA(FM) in Anchorage, Alaska, is getting a new transmitter as part of an upgrade and HD Radio activation project.

Nautel reports that it shipped a GV40-HD transmitter on Wednesday.

“This GV Series transmitter combined with Nautel’s HD MultiCast+ Importer/Exporter box will enable KSKA to start broadcasting in HD,” the company stated.

The noncommercial educational station broadcasts with 100 kW at 91.1 MHz and is part of Alaska Public Media.

A view of the inside rear is shown below.

Send info for “Who’s Buying What” to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post New Transmitter Is Headed to KSKA(FM) appeared first on Radio World.

Ira Wilner with son Matthew behind an RE20 at WKBK(AM). Wilner suggested the caption, “act your age. Don’t fuss with the mic.”

June is Microphone Month here at Radio World. This is one in a series of interviews with people who work in and around radio about the kinds of mics they love and why.

Ira Wilner is owner/engineer of Wilner Associates and the chief engineer of Monadnock Broadcasting Group and Saga Communications of New England.

Radio World: What are your choices for microphones?

Ira Wilner: The range of answers is very wide depending upon the situation. We engineers have very personal biases when it comes to studio mics. My favorite for on-the-street interviews was the EV 655C, a long omnidirectional stick mic made by Electro-Voice. It had a very large three-pin connector, precursor to the more diminutive XLR. It sounded really good when connected to a Nagra tape deck.

The Electro-Voice 635 is a small dynamic that works quite well in the field as a handheld mic mostly because it’s so rugged. Back in the last century EV warrantied it for life! They’d replace it even if you dropped it into a lake or down a waterfall and couldn’t retrieve it. Hammering nails with it was not too unusual.

Shure SM81

My personal “go to” mic for recording musical events indoors and outdoors has always been the Shure SM81 electret condenser mic. I’ve used them in all sorts of inclement weather where the talent was uncomfortably cold or hot, in rain in bright baking sun and the mics have always worked well.

For studio voice I’ve always liked the Neumann U 87, but it’s a difficult mic to use. I’ve also used the same mic for location concert recording. For noisy locations the EV-666 used to be a workhorse along with the RCA 77-DX ribbon mic made famous by “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

For most radio jock use, I prefer the EV RE20. Easy to talk into and fairly insensitive to room acoustics. I’ve found the lower-cost RE320 to be good for most of the voices at my Saga stations. The RE27ND with higher output and more mid high peaking sounds a bit closer to a condenser mic.

Likely the best dynamic studio mic is a moderately priced Neumann BCM 705. Moderate only by Neumann standards. Some folks prefer the Sennheiser MD-421 for its fairly bright response. I find it a bit grating. But then I’m spoiled by pricy German condenser mics.

Then for sports and other events there are a bunch of headworn boom mics to choose from!

RW: What advice would you want to impart to someone learning how to shop for mics?

Wilner: First and foremost, don’t assume you can fix bad room acoustics and poor mic choice with mic processor equalization. That’s a Band-Aid approach.

Second, expensive condenser mics are typically poor choices for radio studio announce mics, even though they have the best sonic quality.

Third, consider different mics for different voices, male versus female.

Fourth, microphone sound and ease of use can be quite subjective. If possible demo the mic in the actual space it’ll be used.

Fifth, pay attention to the mic mounting structure. Not only can it conduct undesirable noise from the furniture, it can somewhat alter the mic sound itself. Use a good shockmount. And secure it with a boom arm or stand that has well-damped hardware.

Sixth, use audio cable designed for microphone signals, which are very low energy. Excessive capacitance will roll off the highs. Wire designed for permanent in-wall installation, where it’ll never be wiggled, will likely be microphonic! True mic cable is more flexible; does not use foil shield, which is likely to fracture; and is not microphonic, won’t generate an electrical signal when touched or wiggled.

Finally, a mic is only as good as the electronics it’s attached to. You can really screw up the sound if the pre-amp is mediocre and the gain structure from mic to final processor in the air chain is improperly set.

Read more of our recent coverage of microphones.

 

The post My Favorite Mics: Ira Wilner appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission may be getting closer to opening an application window for new low-power FM stations.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel previewed the commission’s June meeting and said certain LPFM matters will be on the agenda.

“Last year, the commission modified the low-power FM engineering rules to improve LPFM reception and options for station relocation while maintaining core LPFM goals of simplicity, diversity and localism,” she wrote.

“This June, we will address two petitions seeking reconsideration of those rule changes, which will provide clarity and finality to these rules, bringing us one step closer to opening an application window for new LPFM stations.”

Rosenworcel also said the agenda will include a vote on several rule changes we’ve been telling you about in recent months.

These would expand FEMA’s ability to send Wireless Emergency Alerts during national emergencies, improve emergency communications organization at the state level, and enable new reporting for false alerts.

And she said the FCC will vote on rules to expand opportunities to “import, market and conditionally sell radiofrequency equipment, including mobile devices, prior to the equipment completing the equipment authorization process.”

She said this change would allow manufacturers to assess consumer interest for products and take advantage of new mechanisms for marketing devices like crowdfunding, “while still ensuring that the important goals of the equipment authorization system and security are not undermined.”

The post FCC June Agenda Includes LPFM, Alerting appeared first on Radio World.

As part of the rollout, social media personality Bella Poarch promoted her “TikTok Tastemakers Playlist.” She is among the platform’s top content creators, with 70 million followers.

Fred Jacobs says radio managers need to pay attention to TikTok Radio.

The longtime consultant and president of Jacobs Media Strategies dedicated a blog post to the topic Wednesday.

He writes that TikTok Radio “has the ability to impact every music radio station in the country – whether you play Country, Top 40, Classic Rock, or Hip-Hop.”

The music channel is a collaboration of TikTok, SiriusXM and Pandora that will launch this summer. It was announced Monday.

The companies say “the channel will feel like a radio version of the platform’s ‘For You’ page” and feature “a diverse group of TikTok creators showcasing trending music and stories behind the songs throughout each day, as well as a weekly music countdown dedicated to TikTok’s top trending tracks.”

Jacobs writes that when SiriusXM debuts a feature or product, “it should be on our radar screens. But sadly, most radio execs give SXM precious little thought.”

He thinks the launch is important because of its music discovery aspects, its emphasis on teen consumers and the fact that once again, SiriusXM is embracing the word “radio” even as so many broadcast companies seem to be running away from it.

Read his blog.

The post TikTok Radio Draws Some Attention appeared first on Radio World.

The author is project director of RadioDNS.

Radio World recently (24th May 2021) published a commentary titled “Is the Car Dashboard Radio’s Next Battlefield?” by Ruxandra Obreja, chair of Digital Radio Mondiale.

I was really pleased to read her comments on how hybrid radio can improve the experience of listening to broadcast radio. She mentioned some concerns, and I thought it would be useful to explain how we’ve addressed those.

RadioDNS is a standards organization, so we can’t force anyone to do anything. Stations can choose themselves the extent to which they publish metadata and content using our standards. We certainly don’t (and can’t) require stations to support switching to streaming, nor publishing their metadata completely openly.

Recent updates to our SPI standard include the capability for stations to “geo-fence” use of their streams, and for stations to provide their metadata only to trusted third parties.

RadioDNS fully and emphatically supports broadcast radio of all technologies. As well as working with FM, HD Radio and DAB+, our standards have worked with DRM since their inception. I’m pleased to say that there are broadcasters who are using our standards to enhance their DRM transmissions.

The best standards are constructed collaboratively. Many of the leading organizations who collaborated to create DRM are also collaborating at RadioDNS to design the best standards for hybrid radio.

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

The post Letter: RadioDNS Supports Collaboration appeared first on Radio World.

Greg Alexander has been promoted to the position of market president of iHeartMedia Minneapolis.

The cluster includes KDWB(FM), KEEY(FM), KFXN(AM/FM), KTCZ(FM), KTLK(AM) and KQQL(FM).

Alexander succeeds Jeff Tyler, who now leads the Madison and Milwaukee markets for iHeartMedia.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

He will report to Division President Scott Hopeck.

Though his degree was in broadcast journalism, his work experience is in sales. He started with Interep National Radio Sales, then took a leadership role with Spanish Broadcasting System in Miami/Fort Lauderdale. He became director of national sales and later general sales manager for iHeartMedia Miami.

Then he moved to Minneapolis in 2012 as SVP of sales for iHeartMedia in that market, and in 2016 his role expanded to oversee advertising for the Western Great Lakes Region .

Send items for People News, particularly engineering and executive management, to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Alexander Will Lead iHeartMedia Minneapolis appeared first on Radio World.

Gregory Mercier is director of product marketing and pre/post-sales support for WorldCast Systems and co-designer of its new sound processor line. Radio World spoke to him as part of our recent ebook about trends in audio processing.

Radio World: What’s notable in processing from your viewpoint right now?
Gregory Mercier: WorldCast Systems’ new five-band sound processor (Version 2) for FM broadcasting, with an integration into our Ecreso FM transmitter lines. It provides powerful processing algorithms, presets, adjustment capabilities, high loudness for those looking for it, and an unrivalled signal clarity.

RW: How do you view differences in processing needs for various OTA and non-broadcast platforms?
Mercier: The audio needs to be adapted to each broadcasting format and to the reception conditions. Each format has its own specificities.

Here are a few examples. Digital broadcasting usually implies lossy audio compression, which will unlikely sound good with heavy clipping. In FM however, there is a 15 kHz filtering and pre-emphasis and the loudness may change the reception quality.

Only with these basic examples can we clearly understand the need for specific final processing to ensure the station’s sonic signature through all the formats.

RW: What is the impact of the cloud, virtualization and SaaS?
Mercier: In the context of the pandemic crisis, we have observed with our customers the growing importance of reducing their operating costs, or more precisely, it has now become a priority.

Reducing op-ex is not a new topic at all for broadcasters; however, the market was traditionally conservative and tended to refrain from software innovations. With the crisis, we have seen a shift in customer mindset with, for example, an increasing demand for solutions based on software licenses.

Based on this new service model, our five-band sound processor is being met with a lot of success. Other WorldCast examples I could mention: SmartFM is a software license for FM transmitters to reduce energy consumption by up to 40%. APTmpX is a software license for APT codecs enabling high-quality MPX/composite transport over IP while saving bandwidth (under 900 kbps) and removing the need for on-site processors. KYBIO Media, offered as an SaaS license, is for centralized and scalable system remote monitoring and control.

RW: What recently introduced features or capabilities in processors are notable?
Mercier: A major innovation is the way we integrated the processing in the broadcasting chain. With the five-band sound processor, the algorithms run inside the transmitter’s FM direct-to-channel digital modulator. There is no additional board inside the device and no cabling, and the result is a huge simplification of the traditional chain. From audio input to RF output, our robust DSP/FPGA platform provides unprecedented control of the signal and its purity while reducing hardware, consumption and maintenance costs, which is more than ever the challenge for radios.

Recently, we also launched SmartFM, our “green” innovation capable of predicting the listeners’ perceived quality in the field and reducing transmitter energy consumption by up to 40%. Program content characteristics, including its processing, obviously plays a role in SmartFM. Our customers’ feedback is that they are improving their audio while considerably reducing operating costs.

The post WorldCast Products Reflect New Service Models appeared first on Radio World.

The author is director of product management, Nielsen Audio.

In today’s modern landscape, there is no company or industry that has not considered moving some portion of its operation to the cloud.

The modern vernacular for data operations is cloud-based, and most things now operate from the cloud, including shopping, email, banking and many other conveniences in our modern lives.

The release of the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder will now bring your station’s PPM encoding to the cloud.

If you are well-versed with PPM encoding, you are likely familiar with the dedicated rack unit, industrial-grade hardware encoder that is offered today. You probably have a rack full of these in your facility, with each one playing a critical role in ensuring your station’s audience is properly counted.

The Nielsen Audio Software Encoder was born out of the simple idea to give you, the radio broadcasters, more options when it comes to your station’s PPM encoding and to be ready to meet you in the cloud when your station(s) are ready to make that transition.

Simple idea

The concept behind the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder is simple.

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, Nielsen works with the manufacturer of that product to perform a rigorous certification process. This certification process ensures that the PPM encoding generated by the manufacturer’s product meets all of Nielsen’s encoding quality standards.

 

Today, the broadcast radio industry primarily utilizes an on-premise broadcast audio chain, and the initial Nielsen Audio Software Encoders have been largely with products created for that world. Additionally, Nielsen has been working with top audio processor manufacturers to integrate the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder into their products.

To date, we have certified integrations across a variety of Orban, Omnia and Wheatstone audio processors, with many more in the pipeline.

Three-phase rollout

In the near term, the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder will enable you to perform your station’s PPM encoding in products from leading audio processor manufacturers that you have trusted with your station’s sound for decades, while also providing the opportunity to reduce the footprint (rack space) consumed by each of your stations.

As we continue to evolve our industry and station playouts move away from single-purpose dedicated hardware in favor of either channel-in-a-box architectures or straight to cloud based approaches, the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder will be ready to power your station’s PPM encoding.

Nielsen will release this capability in three waves: first AM, followed by FM and then streams. Each of these releases will be preceded by successful completion of a field evaluation using certified integrations on that platform.

We released this capability for AM stations at the end of 2020. We anticipate the release for FM to be in mid-2021, with streams to follow in the back half of the year.

As you continue to think about how your station’s facility may evolve, I’d urge you to stay connected with your Nielsen client engineer via phone at (866) 767-7212 or email to encoding@nielsen.com, or through the Nielsen engineering portal https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com, to ensure that you are up-to-date on the latest Nielsen certified software encoder integrations.

Whether the future of your broadcast playout remains on-premise or moves to the cloud, Nielsen, together with the industry, has innovative PPM encoding solutions that are ready for the next generation of radio broadcast facilities.

 

The post Nielsen PPM Is Ready for the Cloud appeared first on Radio World.

June is microphone month at Radio World, and we get a head start on it with a big special feature in which we ask a bunch of radio folks to tell us about their favorite mics.

Also, is time running out at last for FM6 stations, aka “Franken FMs”?

Nick Mannion of Nielsen Audio describes the rollout of the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder.

And John Bisset helps you build an LED fixture dimmer circuit.

Read it here.

 

The post Inside the May 26 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Veritone wants you to think of synthetic voices as being available on demand — “Voice as a Service” — and it recently launched a product to that end called Veritone MARVEL.ai.

The company considers synthetic voice to be “a disruptive technology” and said it will wants to participate in developing best practices for synthetic content.

It said its new system enables users to “create, manage, license and monetize” synthetic voices.

“Veritone MARVEL.ai supports both text-to-speech and speech-to-speech processes and offers the first complete, end-to-end suite of voice capabilities and features –– including creation and usage; management; production workflows; licensing, compliance and clearance; and monetization,” the company said in a release.

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

Here’s more of how the company is pitching it:

“In an increasingly digital world, brands and media companies are struggling to produce content at the rapid rate consumers have come to expect, due to constraints related to talent, production, personalization and licensing. Veritone MARVEL.ai bridges this content gap, allowing brands and media companies to expand and streamline advertising and content production to connect and keep customers engaged, while also finding new revenue opportunities, reducing time-to-market, and easily managing compliance and clearance for synthetic voice content.”

It said users can create and personalize voices to” different tones, dialects, accents and languages,” so “celebrities, influencers and athletes can amplify their own unique synthetic voice … then manage, license and monetize” it.

It’s built around Veritone’s aiWARE operating system and artificial intelligence technology.

 

The post Veritone Ramps Up Synthetic Voices appeared first on Radio World.

If you are involved in your state’s Emergency Alert System plans, this item is for you.

The Federal Communications Commission announced that its Alert Reporting System, or ARS, is now open for filing of state EAS plans.

The ARS online filing system combines the FCC EAS Test Reporting System, or ETRS, with a new electronic one for the filing of state plans, one that the commission says has been streamlined.

The deadline to file electronically has not been announced, but it will be a year after the publication of a pending notice in the Federal Register.

State Emergency Communications Committee members can access the ARS here (click on the ETRS icon to access).

“When the commission adopted the ARS, it also amended its rules regarding State EAS Plan content and defined current EAS designations to ensure that SECCs are able to use those designations to help them describe their respective state’s EAS alert distribution hierarchies in their State EAS Plans,” the commission continued.

“Compliance with the new State EAS Plan content rules and EAS designations will become required at the same time as the filing deadline for electronic submission of State EAS Plans in the ARS.”

The announcement was made by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the commission. Questions should be emailed to David.Munson@fcc.gov.

 

The post ARS Is Now Open for Filing State EAS Plans appeared first on Radio World.