Radio World

If your radio station is tackling that elephant in the room (Hello there, Mr. Coronavirus) with panache, style or outright parody, the creators of a new awards event want to hear from you.

That’s the consensus of a new awards event — the Coronavirus Radio Ideas Awards — which will honor radio professionals from around the world that have used their brands and ideas to better serve their listeners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Read: Radio Is the Local Lifeblood for Brands During COVID-19]

The Coronavirus Radio Ideas Awards will highlight the best ideas in 10 separate categories, such as Best Social Media Video Content and Best Hometown Video. Two other areas — Best Podcast and Best Journalistic Content — will be up for recognition later in the year.

Radio professionals have through July 31, 2020, to nominate their favorite ideas. After that, online voting will begin on August 6, 2020, and will continue through Sept. 7, 2020.

The contest is the brainchild of the radio industry companies Benztown, P1 Media Group as well as Radiodays Europe, Radiodays Asia and RDE Podcast Day.

The 10 categories up for nomination are:

Best Social Media Video Content

Best Virtual Event

Best Parody

Best Virtual Concert

Best Station Promo

Best Community Service

Best Social Media Visual

Best Hometown Video

Best Sales Promotion

Best Mega Promotion

The two other categories that are part of the awards can be nominated later in the year and those two will be being judged by a panel of experts. Those two categories are: Best Podcast and Best Journalistic Content.

To nominate your favorite promos, visuals, videos and parodies, go here.

 

The post New Awards to Honor Radio’s Humor and Insight on Coronavirus appeared first on Radio World.

A photo of a radio tower serving KJNP, North Pole, Alaska

AM radio station owners in the United States are likely to get a rule break next month from the Federal Communications Commission.

Chairman Ajit Pai says the FCC will vote on whether to eliminate the radio duplication rule for AM stations while retaining it for FMs.

“In 1964, the FCC first adopted rules to restrict the duplication of programming on commonly owned broadcast radio stations operating in the same geographic area,” Pai explained in a blog post.

The original reason was to prohibit FM stations in larger cities from duplicating too much programming of a co-owned AM station in the same area, though the cross-service limitation later was dropped.

“We’ve revised [the rule] several times throughout the decades in response to changing market conditions. The current version of the rule was adopted in 1992. Going on three decades later, the rules are overdue for a revision,” Pai wrote.

[Related: “Radio Duplication Rule Up for Discussion”]

Given other recent votes that eased AM rules by this commission, it seems the change is likely to pass.

The rule at present prohibits any commercial AM or FM radio station from devoting “more than 25 percent of the total hours in its average broadcast week to programs that duplicate those of any other station in the same service (AM or FM) which is commonly owned or with which it has a time brokerage agreement if the principal community contours … of the stations overlap and the overlap constitutes more than 50 percent of the total principal community contour service area of either station.”

When the commission proposed the change a few months ago, it noted that the current rule was adopted 27 years ago to foster competition, programming diversity and spectrum efficiency, but that radio has changed significantly since then.

Pai cited “realities of the marketplace” and technical challenges faced by AM broadcasters as reasons to lift the rule from those licensees. “This approach will afford AM broadcast licensees greater flexibility, facilitate all-digital broadcasting by AM stations and ultimately allow stations to improve service to their communities.”

(Pai’s reference to all-digital service on the AM band was brief but suggests that the FCC soon will allow AMs to switch to that mode if they wish, as it has recently proposed.)

Another rule change that looks likely to be adopted at the August commission meeting has to do with broadcast infrastructure and antenna siting.

The rules currently prohibit the grant or renewal of a license for an FM or TV station if the applicant or licensee controls an antenna site that is “peculiarly suitable” for broadcasting in the area and does not make it available for use by other similar licensees.

The FCC noted last fall that when these rules came about around the end of World War II, FM and television were in their infancies, and the infrastructure available to broadcast a signal over the air was sparse.

“Back then,”  Pai wrote, “the commission froze the construction of new broadcast facilities in order to preserve equipment and materials (or materiel, if you’re so inclined) for the war effort. At the same time, the commission adopted rules requiring existing broadcast licensees to share their facilities in certain situations. To our knowledge, there has never been a case where all the criteria necessary to invoke the rules were successfully met. And given the significant broadcast infrastructure deployment since then, and the fact most towers are now owned by independent companies that lease tower space to broadcasters, these rules no longer serve any practical purpose.”

Pai said no broadcasters even filed comments about the proposed repeal.

Meanwhile on the C-Band front, Pai said he has circulated final draft procedures for a C-band auction to be held in December, to be voted on next month, and said the commission is moving quickly on this issue.

“If it weren’t for COVID-19, the ‘Top Gun’ sequel would be in theaters right now,” he pointed out. “Nonetheless, you can rest assured that we’ll all be mavericks in three weeks. That’s because when it comes our August meeting’s main attraction, repurposing C-band spectrum for 5G, we feel the need — the need for speed.” And he kindly provided a link for that cultural reference.

The post FCC Is Likely to Kill the Duplication Rule for AM Stations appeared first on Radio World.

Eight-year Nautel vet Kyle Dibbin looks to be moving out in the world with a new appointment as regional sales manager for Africa and the Middle East for the transmitter maker. He was most recently business development manager for the VS line of FM transmitters.

Dibbin started in 2012 in a hands-on role in testing and repair before moving to customer service roles.

Nautel Senior Director of Broadcast Sales Wendell Lonergan said, “Kyle has a wealth of knowledge both in the technology behind Nautel transmitters and customer interaction on a daily basis. … His passion for providing long-term quality transmitter solutions to customers will be a great asset to our partners in this region.”

 

The post Nautel Names Dibbin for International Sales appeared first on Radio World.

If and when it proceeds with the test, WTLC would be the second full-time all-digital test station on the AM band in the United States.

An AM radio station in Indianapolis has received permission to operate experimentally using all-digital transmission; it would be the second such full-time test station in the United States.

But the experiment may never take place.

Station owner Urban One is not happy that the Federal Communications Commission approved only part of its request. The commission did not allow the company to rebroadcast digital multicasts of the AM test station over two analog FM translators.

In response, Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins III told Radio World, “AM radio is at best beyond challenged, and at worst headed towards extinction. Any digital applications that improve coverage and the ability to deliver multiple streams of content is critical to AM’s survival.”

He said the fact that FM digital allows the ability to broadcast multiple sources of content over translators has been a key use for FM digital. “That ability is even more critical to the survival of the AM spectrum. I hope the FCC will allow this key use of AM digital technology in our quest for experimental authority. Everyone says they want to save AM; now here is a chance to do it.”

The Story til Now

The station in question is WTLC in Indianapolis, located in Nielsen market #25.

Urban One asked for permission to use the MA3 mode of HD Radio to test all-digital operation there. (FCC rules currently do not allow all-digital operation on either AM or FM, though the commission has been considering lifting that restriction for AM stations, and many in the broadcast industry have expressed support of that idea including the National Association of Broadcasters.)

To continue serving local listeners during its test, WTLC proposed that two FM translators associated with WTLC would continue to operate in analog — an important consideration since all-digital testing means listeners with analog receivers would no longer be able to hear the AM signal.

The FCC accepted all of the above and it notified Urban One of that in a letter in May.

However, it did not approve the company’s request that multicast channels of the AM test signal be rebroadcast over those two FM translators. And therein lies the rub.

Urban One had hoped that the project would be a logical “next step” to the work done at Hubbard’s WWFD in Maryland. The potential use of multicast channels in AM digital has taken on a higher profile since WWFD tested an HD-2 multicast in December, as we’ve reported.

“WTLC will introduce an HD Radio MA3 multicast feature into a top 50 Nielsen radio market with consequent publicity to gauge listener interest in the purchase of AM multicast receivers,” Urban One wrote in its application.

“As technology is fast-moving and radio receivers for 2022 and beyond are now being designed, new AM receivers incorporating the reception of HD Radio MA3 multicast sub-channels may depend upon concrete indications from the FCC that it will authorize this multicast mode, and from broadcasters that they will utilize this multicast capability.”

But the FCC staff apparently didn’t buy into this idea, at least not yet — perhaps feeling that the question of allowing all-digital AM stations and the question of using such stations for a new kind of translator “play” deserve separate consideration. This is speculation because the commission’s only comment on the matter was brief: “At this point we are not authorizing the rebroadcast of the (second) multicast channel on an FM translator station,” wrote James Bradshaw, senior deputy chief of the Audio Division, in the same letter.

Urban One attorney John Garziglia of Womble Bond Dickinson told Radio World that the company had

CEO Alfred C. Liggins III told Radio World, “Everyone says they want to save AM; now here is a chance to do it.”

engaged in “several in-depth discussions” with Audio Division officials ahead of the filing and explained its intentions, including the use of translators to rebroadcast multicast channels in the same way that FM stations can. He said Audio Division officials had “expressed optimism” that the request would be favorably received.

Only after the filing was made, he said, did the staff say it would not allow the AM multicast channel to be carried on an FM translator. Garziglia said Urban One would not would have asked in the first place had it not received informal assurances that the proposal as written would be favorably considered.

He also said that Urban One subsequently told the FCC it would not proceed — “it simply does not work for WTLC as a business matter” — but that the commission issued its partial approval anyway.

Radio World invited comment Tuesday from the FCC and will report any reply.

“Chicken and egg”

Garziglia expanded on Urban One’s thinking in his comments to Radio World: “Unlike HD sub-channels, which are a reality, the HD Radio digital multicast channel chipset is being just being introduced. Going forward, it will be a ‘chicken or egg’ situation — multicast capability will not be included by consumer receiver manufacturers because they are not sure that consumers want this feature, and consumers will not ask for this feature because they are unaware that it exists.”

Urban One, he said, “was trying to take a lead, consistent with its business responsibilities, to expend the funds and efforts to introduce AM HD Radio digital multicast programming to the public, and to enable receiver testing of the AM MA3 multicast technology by manufacturers.”

Without the ability to simulcast the AM HD Radio digital multicast programming on an FM translator, he said, “the public will never know that the AM digital multicast programming is there. In addition, the purpose of introducing AM multicast capabilities to the public so that the public will demand such receivers is lost.”

He said the company saw a business benefit of serving the public with two AM multicast streams of programming; but without the multicast carriage, “it would be a losing business proposition, a consideration of which is often overlooked by the FCC but is vitally important to radio broadcasters.”

He concluded, “Unfortunately, at least at this point, the FCC is an obstruction, rather than a forward-looking champion of the radio listening public” in failing to approve the authority.

Garziglia said Urban One intends to seek an audience with Chairman Ajit Pai in the hope that his office can encourage the Audio Division “to take the wider policy view” — that the introduction of AM digital multicast broadcasts carried by FM translators “will be good for the public, good for the future of radio broadcasting, and good for the FCC in its encouragement of diverse programming.”

WTLC is a Class B AM station on 1310 kHz with 5 kilowatts daytime and 1 kW nighttime directional. Branded “AM 1310 The Light,” its format is inspiration and praise. The test would be in cooperation with Xperi and Nautel, both of which supported the request and are also involved in the first experimental station, Hubbard’s WWFD in Frederick, Md.

The testing would use a Nautel NX5 transmitter with NX HD upgrade, Exgine and HDMC+, operating in Xperi’s HD Radio MA3 all-digital mode broadcasting both a digital main channel and a digital multicast channel.

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

The post Urban One Disappointed by FCC Action on AM Multicasts appeared first on Radio World.

Having closed its fiscal year in June, the family-owned Sennheiser Group has announced its financial results for 2019, and while sales were only slightly down overall for the year, the company is preparing for the worst. Citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its consumer and professional businesses, as well as a slowdown in the headphone market, Sennheiser will cut roughly 650 employees by the end of 2022, with about 300 of those jobs in Germany.

Daniel Sennheiser, co-CEO of Sennheiser, noted in a statement, “In order to position the company for a successful future, we will adapt our organizational structure to the changing conditions and align it with the new requirements.” As a result, the company will be looking to make cuts in corporate functions such as supply chain and operations. Aiming to enact the reduction in what it termed a “socially responsible manner,” Sennheiser will consider measures such as not filling open positions, a voluntary redundancy scheme and severance options in addition to offering partial and early retirement.

“We are a family-owned company and every single one of our employees is part of the team,” said Dr. Andreas Sennheiser, co-CEO. “Together we share a passion for audio. With this in mind, these have been very difficult decisions to make and it is important to us primarily to avoid redundancies and to find individual solutions together with employees.” He added, “We will continue to focus on our core competencies and further strengthen both our consumer and professional divisions by transferring operational responsibility completely to these two business areas.”

Classic Sennheiser MD 421

Sennheiser’s fiscal year 2019 saw the company grow in its professional division while it landed below expectations in the consumer business. In total, the Sennheiser Group generated turnover of $863 million — 6.5% more than in 2018.

The company attributed much of its slide on the consumer side to the global headphone market, which has declined by 30 to 40% in recent months, largely due to physical retail outlets worldwide being closed or operated under shortened hours. Accordingly, sales of Sennheiser headphones also decreased to the same extent. In order to mitigate those effects, in March, the company introduced cost reductions and reduced working hours in Germany. Measures to reduce personnel costs and material costs were implemented to the same extent at Sennheiser’s international locations.

The effect of COVID-19 has also been felt in the company’s live sound microphone sales, as Daniel Sennheiser explained: “With the cancellation of live events all over the world, the entire event and music industry has been practically brought to a standstill and is only slowly getting back on track. The future of many rental companies, and other service providers is under threat. This is having a significant impact on sales of microphones, which will continue to be reflected in our business performance next year. Exceptions are studio microphones.”

In the fiscal year 2019, the professional division generated turnover of $414.4 million, an increase of 9.2% over the previous year. Growth was driven in particular by the product categories of live music, studio recording and business communication. The consumer division generated turnover of $448.7 million. Although turnover increased by 4.1%, that landed below the growth of the headphone market as a whole, despite the launch of new headphone models in the premium segment.

Playing to a hometown crowd continued to be Sennheiser’s forte when it came to sales — EMEA continued to be the region with the highest turnover in 2019 with $436.4 million, garnering an increase of 6.4%. In its home market Germany, Sennheiser was able to increase turnover by 1.8%. The APAC region recorded the highest increase in percentage terms with 10.6%. Growth was driven in particular by the markets in China, Japan and South Korea, while in the Americas region, turnover increased by $7.2 million, or 3.3%, year on year to $226.6 million.

With imminent job cuts and an expected continued downturn ahead, Sennheiser added that it fully intends to keep funding its R&D efforts going forward, including the development of its AMEBO immersive audio technology. “To create innovative audio experiences for our customers and to shape the future of the audio industry, we are continuously investing in our development activities, “ said Dr. Andreas Sennheiser. Sennheiser Group’s investments in 2019 increased by 4.1% to $71.8 million, which corresponds to 8.3% of turnover.

 

The post Sennheiser Announces Layoffs Amidst Slowing Market appeared first on Radio World.

Inovonics has published a comparison chart to help its users figure out which AARON receiver to buy. (A link is provided below.) We asked Sales & Marketing Manager Gary Luhrman about it.

Radio World: For those not familiar, briefly what is the AARON series?

Gary Luhrman: The AARON series is a family of three FM and FM/HD Radio rebroadcast translator receivers built to handle the most challenging reception scenarios. Boasting sensitivity and selectivity superior to even the most elite professional or consumer receivers, the AARONs combine premium features with unparalleled receiver performance.

Starting with a unique Software Defined Radio (SDR) front-end that provides extraordinary sensitivity, selectivity and RF shielding, each model adds additional functionality designed to meet unique needs according to the broadcaster’s application. The AARON products also provide remote access and valuable monitoring feedback via an intuitive web interface that is accessible from any web-enabled device (smart phone, tablet or PC). Engineers can listen via an audio stream and receive notifications via email or SMS messages for audio loss, low signal, RDS error, pilot loss, and audio failover back-up.

RW: Who came up with the idea for the series? 

Luhrman: Inovonics had made re-broadcast receivers for years but we were being asked for more features, better sensitivity and selectivity than our traditional analog designs could offer. That’s when we took a second look and decided to totally do a redesign from the ground up.

RW: How is Aaron different from other products in its class, what sets it apart?

Luhrman: The selectivity and sensitivity of the receiver make the AARON a strong contender to be Number 1 in its class. The straightforward setup and intuitive management from the web interface make the AARON easy to work with, and additional built-in tools at your disposal, such as RDS encoder, composite pass-through and MPX regeneration modes, along with failover audio back-up features. Finally, Inovonics’ three-year factory warranty and Premiere After Sales Service helps to “seal the deal” when engineers are looking for a reliable rebroadcast receiver.

RW: We’ll share a link to your chart below. But give a quick summary of how these three models differ.

Luhrman: The AARON 650 is our most popular FM Rebroadcast Receiver due to its flexibility to handle most scenarios.

For starters it has the sensitive and selective digital FM receiver referred to earlier along with Composite Pass-through and baseband regeneration modes, which are valuable tools when the FM reception is very challenging and the signal needs cleaning-up before passing it on to the FM transmitter.

The 650 also has a built-in RDS encoder, which allows you to alter or modify the RDS message to the translator. The 650 has two Antenna inputs and two MPX outputs along with some audio back-up capabilities via Web-stream or SD-Card. Finally, the interactive Web interface allows remote listening via Web-stream, FFT Analyzer, Alarms/Notifications, and supports SNMP.

The AARON 640 is the “no frills” model with the same digital SDR front-end for great FM reception, Composite Pass-through, and Active Reception Processing for bandwidth, stereo blend, HF blending and more. And of course it has the interactive web interface with remote listening via web stream, Alarms/notifications and SNMP support.

The AARON 655 FM/HD Rebroadcast Receiver is almost in its own category. It was designed to accept FM and HD Radio 1-8 program sources for rebroadcast, as well as analog, AES-digital and streaming inputs with fallback-priority selection.

You can think of the 655 as three products built into a single 1U box. It has the sensitive FM/HD Radio SDR-based receiver; a complete three-band audio processor with stereo generator; and a dynamic RDS encoder.

Some of the unique features of the 655 include creating a dynamic RDS message by converting the Pad Data from HD Radio channel or Streamed audio. The built-in audio processor allows the broadcaster to provide the best possible audio signal to the FM translator, and the 655 has input options for Analog, AES-digital, and Streaming audio.

Click image to view the full chart.

RW: What are the retail price points?

Luhrman: Here are our list prices for the AARON rebroadcast receivers; I urge broadcasters to contact their preferred Inovonics dealer for a competitive quote that may be more attractive than the prices you see here:

• AARON 640 FM Rebroadcast Receiver = $2,100
• AARON 650 FM Rebroadcast Receiver = $2,390
• AARON 655 FM/HD Radio Rebroadcast Receiver = $2,600

RW: What else should we know?

Luhrman: All Inovonics products are designed, manufactured and assembled at our factory in Felton, Calif. USA. They come with a three -year factory warranty and Premiere After Sales Service. We can be reached for any questions at www.inovonicsbroadcast.com.

Link to the Inovonics AARON Comparison Chart (PDF).

The post How to Pick the Right Inovonics AARON Receiver appeared first on Radio World.

Digital Radio Mondiale is welcoming a policy statement from the government of South Africa about digital radio.

“This is a momentous decision for South Africa [and] the African continent and represents a first for digital audio broadcasting anywhere, as it brings together in one policy the two ITU-recommended open digital radio standards, DRM and DAB+,” DRM wrote in an email from Chairman Ruxandra Obreja.

DRM was reacting to a directive from Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams, minister of communications and digital technologies, regarding the introduction of digital sound broadcasting in South Africa. It recommends both DRM, for AM and FM bands, as well as DAB+.

Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams is South Africa’s minister of communications and digital technologies.

“The directive is based on the regulatory South African acts, the ITU Radio Regulations of 2016, the Southern African Development Community band plans and the Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy,” DRM wrote in a summary.

“Its aim is to provide a licensing framework and optimum allocation of radio frequencies for the South African three-tier system of public, commercial and community broadcasting services.” The goal is to stimulate local industry in the manufacturing of digital receivers and encourage investment in broadcasting.

“This is both a positive sign and strong encouragement to the broadcasting sector to attain the goals of universal service and access to all,” DRM continued.

“With this pragmatic and pioneering recommendation, the South African citizens will be free to consume an ingenious and complete digital platform through which they can access education, achieve social change and attain economic empowerment.”

The statement directs the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa to “determine priorities for the establishment of digital broadcasting networks and services in the frequency bands allocated for these services, to introduce DSB services alongside the existing analog services.” The authority is to “encourage market availability and use of multi-standard receivers to allow for the continued use of analog FM alongside DAB and DRM.”

The recommendations are Digital Radio Mondiale to complement analog AM service in the medium-wave band (535.5–1606.5 kHz) and analog FM services in VHF band-II (87.5–108 MHz); and to be deployed in the allocated VHF band-III (214–230 MHz). DAB+ transmissions would complement those in the allocated VHF band-III (214–230 MHz).

 

The post DRM Welcomes South Africa Digital Policy Statement appeared first on Radio World.

The Arkansas Broadcasters Association is the latest to cancel an annual conference due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic in the United States.

“In the interest of addressing the health and safety concerns of our members and partners, we have decided not to move forward with ARKCON 2020,” Executive Director Luke Story wrote in an email to members.

“This was not an easy decision. Fortunately, we did not have to make this decision alone, and are grateful to our members and partners for helping us through the difficult process.”

The organization will host a virtual sales and management media summit on July 22 and 23; it will be free to ABA members.

As we reported earlier, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association recently made a similar decision about its annual Broadcasters Clinic. And September’s fall Radio Show had been cancelled earlier by the National Association of Broadcasters and Radio Advertising Bureau.

 

The post Arkansas Broadcasters Won’t Meet in Person appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcast business software developer Marketron has announced a new ebook and series of free webinars.

The ebook is titled “Digital Transformation Playbook: A Play-by-Play Guide for Broadcasters to Grow Digital Advertising Revenue.”

The upcoming webinar series is called “Radio’s Digital Transformation” and the individual events are:

• July 15 — Develop a Vision and Prepare for Change;
• Aug. 6 — Designing Your Digital Product Suite;
• Aug. 26 — The Importance of Workflow and Processes;
• Sept. 16 — Creating Your Digital Organizational Structure;
• Oct. 7 — Launch Your Digital Game Plan;
• Oct. 28 — Tracking Performance and Removing Roadblocks.

Marketron CEO Jim Howard said in the announcement that in terms of product value, “radio has always been hard to beat as an advertising medium” but that broadcasters are recognizing the potential of digital advertising to drive growth.

 

 

The post Marketron Makes Broadcast Business Software Ebook Available appeared first on Radio World.

Those owning or considering purchasing Digital Audio Denmark or NTP Technologies converters/routers may wish to know about a newly released trio of controllers, the Penta 615 series.

These rackmounted boxes are compatible with Digital Audio Denmark (DAD AX32 and DX32R) and NTP Technology (Penta 720/721) routing products.

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

The pushbuttons are programmable. The color displayed when active is also programmable. The OLED display above each key is also programmable.

The 615-610A adds rotary encoders for volume control. The 2RU 615-620A has a display.

The group can be powered over Ethernet or by an adaptor.

Info: www.ntp.dk

The post NTP Provides Control appeared first on Radio World.

An image from the Westwood One News web page.

The radio news business in the United States will take a big blow when Westwood One ceases its news operations next month.

WWO is the national-facing arm of Cumulus Media. It has more than 900 affiliated stations for its news products.

The company declined to make public the number of employees affected by this closure, citing company policy. According to media reports, affiliates got the news last week.

Westwood One News launched in 2015; and two years ago the company was hailing the news operation as “the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning, highly-regarded full-service news division of the largest radio network in the U.S.” At that time it said its affiliates reached more than 25.7 million people, based on Nielsen Audio data; since then its reported number of affiliates has grown.

Now the news operation is set to shutter at the end of next month.

“Given the current necessity to make critical decisions about the deployment of resources, we made the decision to cease WWO news operations on Aug. 30,” a spokeswoman confirmed in a statement.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire WWO News Team for all that they have accomplished and acknowledge the exceptional leadership of Bart Tessler, who has commanded our admiration and respect throughout his 45-year news career.”

The company said it remains “heavily committed” to its personality driven news/talk programming with brands like Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, Jim Bohannon and Michael Savage.

Related: “Westwood One Slams NYC-Based Ad Buying Assumptions”]

The post Westwood One Will Close Its News Operation on Aug. 30 appeared first on Radio World.

Don’t give the people who win your on-air contests a reason to call the FCC.

That’s the takeaway from two cases in Texas in which broadcasters have ended up facing possible fines.

On-air contests have long been one of radio’s most engaging and entertaining activities. But there are strict rules around running them. Failure to hold up your end of a contest can bring action from the Federal Communications Commission.

Townsquare Media of El Paso Inc. allegedly violated those rules when KSII(FM) failed to timely award a contest prize.

The commission said it got a listener complaint that KSII had failed to award a prize of Elton John tickets in late 2016. The winner said a station employee took his information, informed him that the tickets were not yet available and instructed him to call back after the new year. The listener called in January and February but was told the tickets still were not available.

Townsquare blamed the problem on a breakdown in communications and procedure, saying there was no intent to defraud or deceive. It eventually followed up and provided tickets to a different Elton John concert in Las Vegas, with airfare and hotel.

But the FCC says precedent is clear that “neither the improper actions of a licensee’s employees nor subsequent remedial actions undertaken by a licensee can excuse or nullify a licensee’s rule violation.” It plans a $6,000 forfeiture. This is higher than the base fine of $4,000 because of the trouble the listener had to go through and because of another past fine against Townsquare, though it’s nowhere near the upper limits in contest cases of about $50,000 per violation or even $500,000 for a single act.

In a separate case, contest rules tripped up Gow Media, licensee of sports station KFNC(FM) in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The FCC said KFNC failed to award a prize to the winner of a Fantasy Football contest in 2016. The listener said that the prize was an all-expenses-paid vacation to Marival Resort in Mexico, but that he he never received it “despite many calls, emails and messages.”

Gow Media said the operator of the resort had reneged on its commitment and that the station eventually offered the listener $3,600 in cash, which it said is twice the value of the prize. The listener accepted this, signed a Settlement Agreement and indicated that he would like to rescind his complaint.

But the deed was done. Although Gow Media later took steps to resolve the issue, this was only after the FCC began its investigation, the commission said, adding that Gow did not explain why it took so long to respond to the listener nor why the matter remained unresolved for two years. It also pointed out that KFNC’s contest rules limit the time period to claim a prize to 30 business days. “Timely fulfillment of the prize … was a material term of the licensee’s own contest rules.”

In this case the proposed penalty is $5,200. In both cases, the broadcasters have a window of time to pay the forfeitures or file a written statement seeking to overturn them.

The post Contest Missteps Slip Up Two Texas Stations appeared first on Radio World.

Ilker Akin has joined transmitter manufacturer Nautel.

He will be regional sales manager for Europe, Israel and Russia and be based in Germany.

Akin has been in technical management and marketing with several German and Turkish companies, many of which are involved in broadcast system installation and equipment sales.

The post Nautel Adds Akin appeared first on Radio World.

If you’re looking for an FM opportunity, here’s a heads up: The Federal Communications Commission has reinstated 14 vacant allotments in four states and one U.S. territory.

This is the result of some bureaucratic changes over the years.

At one time the commission’s table listed all vacant FM allotments as well as channels and communities occupied by authorized facilities. In 2006, it removed allotments of authorized and awarded FM facilities to accommodate new application procedures for stations to change their communities of license. And now when an authorization is cancelled, the vacant FM channel is supposed to be reinstated in the FM Table, to be protected for spacing purposes and preserve the opportunity to license a future station in that community.

The 14 allotments being reinstated by the Audio Division of the Media Bureau had been removed from the table because a construction permit or license was granted; but they are vacant now because of the subsequent cancellation of the authorizations or dismissal of long-form auction applications.

So the commission is reinstating them. In future it said it plans periodically to update the FM Table to reinstate such allotments when this situation arises again.

The allotments in this case have already undergone notice and comment rule making, so the staff said there’s no need for further notice and comment.

The list of reinstated vacant allotments is below. Most are in California, Texas and Colorado. But depending on your idea of heaven, there are single allotments in the Virgin Islands and Iowa.

The Audio Division adds that its engineering analysis confirms that these vacant allotments meet minimum distance separation requirements. But it added that to prevent short-spacing, it adopted new site restrictions for Channels 261B at Coalinga, Calif., and 278C2 at Hereford, Texas. “Both are considered fully spaced allotments notwithstanding the subsequent grant of authorization to several stations that are providing contour protection to these allotments” under FCC rules. Also, Channels 261B at Coalinga, Calif., 271A at Ford City, Calif., and *275A at Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands are considered fully spaced allotments as well.

Community      Channel Added

Avenal, California — 269A

Coalinga, California — 261B

Dos Palos, California — 240A

Firebaugh, California — 234A

Ford City, California — 271A

King City, California — 275A

Lindsay, California — 277B1

Calhan, Colorado — 284C3

Idalia, Colorado — 231A

Asbury, Iowa — *254A (*238A was deleted)

Ganado, Texas — 235C1

Hereford, Texas — 278C2

Palacios, Texas — 259C1

Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands — *275A

(Channels with an asterisk may be used only by noncommercial educational broadcast stations. Learn about the FM Table of Allotments here.)

The post FCC Reinstates 14 Vacant FM Allotments appeared first on Radio World.

It’s official, SiriusXM plans to acquire podcast biggie Stitcher later this year.

“With the acquisition, SiriusXM’s combined properties will contain the largest addressable audience in the U.S. across all categories of digital audio — music, sports, talk, and podcasts,” the company stated Monday.

An image from Stitcher’s home page. SiriusXM says that with this acquisition it “will be better positioned to advance the podcast ad market and help solve some of its critical challenges.”

SiriusXM has been aggressive in remaking itself well beyond its roots as a satellite-based company. In 2018 it acquired AdsWizz, a digital audio advertising technology company. Last year it completed its acquisition of streaming player Pandora. More recently it acquired podcast management and analytics platform Simplecast.

[Related: “SiriusXM Will Debut New Hybrid Radio System in Cars”]

SiriusXM will pay $265 million to Stitcher’s owner E.W. Scripps, plus up to another $60 million based on Stitcher’s performance this year and next. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.

“The transaction will also further extend the substantial reach of SiriusXM in the digital audio ad marketplace,” it stated. “The SiriusXM and Pandora owned-and-operated digital platforms, combined with the company’s exclusive ad sales arrangement with SoundCloud for the U.S., and the Stitcher and Midroll networks that are subject to the agreement, will reach over 150 million listeners.” Midroll is a podcast ad network that is part of Stitcher.

The company said in its announcement that it “will be better positioned to advance the podcast ad market and help solve some of its critical challenges through precision targeting, ad efficiency and improved measurement capabilities via a streamlined ad marketplace.”

Stitcher was founded in 2007. It creates podcasts, operates targeted content networks and offers podcast ad agency services for shows, as well as offers its own popular podcast app.

[Related: “Stitcher’s Flexible New Facility in Manhattan”]

The post It’s Confirmed: SiriusXM Will Acquire Stitcher appeared first on Radio World.

The Radio Adverting Bureau has created an audio campaign for radio stations looking to reinforce radio’s role as a purveyor of truth and trust.

The campaign was created in partnership with the company Yamanair Creative to emphasize that radio has long been a place to turn for truthful news — a necessity given the recent boycott of Facebook and the resulting interest in trying to ensure brand integrity, RAB said.

[Read: Amidst Stay-at-Home Orders, Radio Listenership Remains Strong]

For example, one of the new 20-second spots focuses on radio’s ability to deliver on the two most important commodities in advertising: truth and trust. “As an advertiser, you have to trust your partners to protect your brand’s truth,” said one of the new RAB spots, emphasizing that radio remains a media that listeners can trust.

“RAB thought it important to provide you the tools to reinforce to the advertising community and listeners that broadcast radio is not only a safe place for brand messages, but it is trusted by consumers and influential when it comes to their decision-making,” said Erica Farber, president and CEO of RAB. “…(N)ow is a perfect time to remind our advertising partners and listeners that they are in good hands with radio to protect their brand’s truth.”

The campaign, known as the Trust and Truth spots, can be customized with a station’s personal branding and are available to be downloaded for free. Once there, stations can also select from other RAB radio spots and dozens of social media tiles. Stations also have access to additional pro-radio messaging from the RAB including the Leading by Example and Spirit of Radio articles.

 

The post New Audio Campaign Aims to Reinforce Radio’s Role as Trusted Partner appeared first on Radio World.

Mark Simpson

This is part of Radio World’s series exploring trends in radio broadcast consoles.

Mark T. Simpson, CPBE, AMD, DRB, CBNE, MCP, is a veteran engineer who was with Townsquare Media when this article originally appeared in slightly different form in the RW ebook “Trends in Consoles.” He is now Arizona region engineer for iHeartMedia.

Radio World: What’s the most important trend in design of consoles for radio broadcast studios?

Mark Simpson: In my personal opinion, it is all about flexibility and the most capabilities for your money.

I believe having AES-67 capabilities, outside of the console’s native language, for the lack of a better term, is very important, and that all manufacturers play nice together. The more we can do on the AoIP level, the easier the installation can be.

We have fewer, classically trained broadcast engineers; and if we can draw talent in from other IT industries, I believe consoles may aid in that.

As far as the design of the console is concerned, due to various outside events, be it weather related, other equipment failures, etc., we need the console and the network designed around it, to self-heal. Remote capabilities are huge, and monitoring via SNMP is very important.

If we can tell ahead of time that a piece of equipment — whether it is the console control surface, computer attached to it or the engine running it — has a developing problem, we should know about it ahead of time. If there is a firmware upgrade that causes a memory leak, we need to know that before the console crashes or stops communicating with other devices.

RW: How could equipment manufacturers make your life as a user and buyer of consoles easier? 

Simpson: They should start talking to each other, to help the overall development of the product. They should also fully embrace the latest technology and not have an attitude of, well, we never did it that way before, or it’s just a fad.

The companies should also communicate with the peripheral equipment manufacturers so their equipment can be incorporated easily, through discovery, not forcing the network to “see” the peripheral equipment. Items such as XDS receivers such as the Pro 4R, codecs, phone systems, even speakers.

Anything that can make the installation of a console or an entire facility easier, faster, standardized on the latest Cat-6 or higher cabling, is a huge benefit.

Being able to remotely access the console during a remote, storm or failure is a huge benefit to the local staff, not to mention being able to view everything from a higher level so firmware versions, etc. can be viewed and planned for future upgrades or replacement.

RW: What role does the console play today when planning a new radio broadcast studio?

Simspon: The console is one of the top, if not the top, deciding factor — what features does it have and how can I leverage those features, not just in the studio, but from afar.

RW: What functions and features are being offered nowadays on new models that engineers who haven’t bought a console in a while should know about?

Simpson: Being able to program unlabeled buttons to be able to interface with other equipment in the facility, such as delay units, codecs, even to have a hot button to switch between stations or studios in the event of a failure. Also, the ability to save configurations for different shows, such as morning drive versus middays versus afternoon drive. Also, being able to press a button and take the console out of the air chain to voice track or go into a satellite show.

If you also have a AoIP mic processor, you can change presets on each mic based on a macro that is controlled by pressing a soft button on the console.

RW: How have AoIP technology developments been reflected in the look and function of physical surfaces? 

Simpson: It depends on the physical surface you buy.

If you buy what looks like a normal console, but every fader can be routed, that is one thing; but if you are using a console that has a touch surface of some sort, whether it is a standalone touchscreen using a PC, or a “console” that has a touch surface, you will see many more items that AoIP can do. Changing the colors of the screen, faders, buttons, how the buttons react if routed to external devices like a delay unit. These are all items that we had to buy and wire up in the past.

RW: What will the console of the future look like, if we use one at all? 

Simpson: I think we will always use a console. I say that more from an IT security standpoint. If we went with an app on an iPad or other tablet, we would have to make sure we can instantly shut down an individual’s ability to control the air chain.

RW: What does the next generation of user interface look like? 

Simpson: I think some of the current manufacturers are basically there, but just need a few tweaks.

This can only be done by taking input from the end user.

Engineers and IT personnel can help get the backend of the system to where it needs to be, but the end user, the on-air talent are the ones that have to use the console day in and day out.

Some of those people are younger and used to a touchscreen, and others, like myself, have been around long enough to want to “feel” the fader as well as buttons. Sort of like how you can adjust or completely turn off the “feeling” on your iPhone, I think that is the next step for the touch surface.

RW: What do virtualization and cloud technology mean for console users and studio designers? 

Simpson: From my personal opinion, this means an ultimate form of backup to the studio audio chain.

If you are syndicating a show to a lot of your own stations, it could help manage the show content and local ad insertion.

Being able to communicate with a cloud technology or some sort of virtualization can aid in rapid recovery of a catastrophic failure, such as a backhoe outage, LNB failure for satellite shows, etc.

RW: How vibrant is the marketplace for analog consoles? 

Simpson: I think the analog console market still has some value but it is getting harder to justify the time spent wiring, limited abilities and cost versus capabilities.

RW: How long will manufacturers of analog consoles support them? 

Simpson: Hopefully as long as the consoles are in service or parts are available. We are already seeing those issues and having to work around it.

RW: What common misconceptions about consoles would you like the industry to be aware of?

Simpson: The people using the consoles are adapting, they are not all set in their ways. If you can build it, we can teach them to use it.

Also, consoles are not necessarily like computers where they need to be rebooted or even have firmware upgraded constantly. If you find a firmware version that works for your installation, and it continues to work with peripheral devices, leave well enough alone. Don’t create more work for yourself.

RW: Any suggested best practices for someone shopping?

Simpson: Make sure your existing infrastructure can handle the technology.

Specifically, you should be using Cat-6 cable or better. Cat-5 will definitely not work. and even CAT5e is iffy, if you are installing a large enough network.

Budget for good Cisco switches and make sure you budget for plenty of ports. Just about everything has a network connection these days.

Buy outlet strips that have network capabilities that will allow you to remotely reboot a specific device, again, another Ethernet port.

Isolate you various networks based on the critical nature of their job function.

There is not a “one size or type fits all.” Do your homework and get what you want/need.

Don’t be afraid to talk to the manufacturers and ask for a feature to be added. If you can’t get that done locally, take it up your chain of command.

Remember, the console is part of the revenue generator!

RW: What other questions should we in the industry be asking about this issue?

Simpson: When will all manufacturers start playing well together on the AES-67 front? This is long overdue.

 

The post The Console Is Part of the Revenue Generator appeared first on Radio World.

Clark Novak

In a series of articles, we’ve been exploring the question: “What should radio console buyers know about developments in this product class?”

Clark Novak is radio marketing specialist for Lawo Inc. An earlier version of this interview appeared in the RW ebook “Trends in Consoles.”

Radio World: What role does the console play today in planning a studio?

Clark Novak: Choosing a console is still one of the first big steps in planning any studio build, but “console” may not mean the same thing today that it used to. Broadcasters are very interested in virtualization, and that includes virtualizing the mixer. Many forward-looking groups are looking at virtual mixing surfaces with context-sensitive, touchscreen GUIs as a way to streamline workflows and customize the controls given to operators. Others like traditional, physical consoles for their familiarity and tactile controls. Lawo offers both, but whichever you prefer, consoles are still the centerpiece of the radio studio.

RW: What are other important console design trends, and what are users asking for now?

Novak: It’s hard to pin down just one idea, but broadcasters continually ask us for two things: centralized control of broadcast peripherals, and interoperability.

The need for better control comes from today’s busy operations where talent is being asked to produce more content, more efficiently. Operators need to be able to perform complex tasks, and they need tools that make their workflows simpler, while keeping control surfaces purposeful and uncluttered.

And interoperability is key, not only for control of in-studio devices, but for interchange of program content between the radio and TV sides of the plant. The days of separate systems are gone; programming must be able to be transferred on-demand, seamlessly and easily, without worrying about format barriers.

Fifteen years ago, manufacturers had proprietary protocols that didn’t talk to other companies’ systems, and AoIP was so new and novel that broadcasters didn’t much mind. But today, radio engineers are increasingly demanding that new IP systems be able to play well with others. AoIP gives tremendous advantages in system design, operational flexibility and easy expansion on demand; but what good is all that if your Brand X system can’t talk to a device that only speaks Brand Y’s protocol?

Our customers tell us that AoIP systems mustn’t be closed. This is why Lawo has worked so tirelessly over the years to promote interoperability and open standards like AES67 and ST2110-30, and includes them in all of our products.

RW: What should engineers who haven’t bought a console in a while know?

Novak: One thing that’s important to keep in mind is that modern boards are actually control surfaces. Where older digital consoles performed switching, routing, mixing and audio shaping within the actual console frame, today’s mixers offload these functions to a powerful mix engine. This permits you to tailor engines with DSP features and an I/O count customized to your application. You might choose a very powerful engine for the on-air suite and a more modest one for production or a newsroom, but the same control surface — or virtual mixing software  works with both — so your operators have a familiar layout wherever they work, and you control costs by choosing engines that deliver features tailored to your operations.

RW: How have AoIP developments been reflected in the look and function of surfaces? 

Novak: AoIP has made it possible for nearly every studio system to include some level of multi-point audio routing. Think back a few years and you’ll remember that routing was something only the largest, wealthiest facilities could afford. Same goes for mix-minus, which used to be a complex thing provided for just one or two contributors. AoIP has turned every console into a routing controller and made it possible to automatically generate mix-minus for every local and remote guest, simultaneously. These are just a couple of examples of how AoIP has brought very advanced capabilities to operations where they were previously out of reach.

RW: What does the next generation of user interfaces look like? 

Novak: Tablets and smartphones have reshaped the way we interact with technology. Board ops, especially those newest to radio, are used to tapping, swiping and touching screens, so console designs with touchscreen GUIs make sense. Lawo’s customers have really embraced the customizable, multi-touch graphical interface that comes with our consoles, because it helps talent create content faster, with fewer errors. We expect that broadcasters will increasingly demand this kind of customizable visual control in their mixing surfaces.

RW: And what do virtualization and cloud technology mean for users and studio designers? 

Novak: Maybe the most interesting part of modern broadcasting has been the leveraging of off-the-shelf computing power to provide capabilities formerly only found in hardware. Mixing, digital signal processing, routing, content storage — all of them have moved to the digital domain and been virtualized. If these functions move further, to the cloud, consoles may become even more connected in order to blend control of local devices with remote services.

One particular benefit of cloud technology for operators is that an IP console, whether physical or virtual, can be linked to a cloud-based audio mixing engine. This is interesting because the engine software lives in a centralized location, and talent can connect to it from LAN or WAN locations. This means more flexibility for local operations, streamlined workflows and the ability to create broadcasts nearly anywhere using familiar tools and a PC connection.

RW: Any particularly interesting recent installation to highlight?

Novak: Recently we partnered with Swedish Radio, who wanted to completely reinvent the radio studio. They wanted to open up the studio, eliminate clutter and optimize their talent’s workflow. They used Lawo’s console GUI builder, VisTool, to create a touchscreen interface that controls a powerful mixing engine. The GUI blends playout system, telephone and codec operation, machine control and mixing into a unified, context-sensitive interface. Faders are present, but de-emphasized; AutoMix handles most mixing. This is notable because even though the interface looks nothing like a traditional console, it enables talent to be more productive: they concentrate on creating, instead of controlling machinery. Plus, being software-based, it’s nearly future proof — the UI can evolve along with the needs of the broadcaster.

Another recent installation is San Francisco’s KQED, who needed a way to control their main studio operations remotely in case of a COVID-19 related shutdown. Thanks to the studio network’s IP connectivity, we were able to help them implement a way to control individual studios and main output switching from their tower site using a mirrored physical mixing console accompanied by VisTool touchscreen controls. It’s an excellent example of how IP serves as an enabling technology for solving new operational challenges, whether mixing is accomplished physically or virtually.

RW: What will the console of the future look like, if we use one at all? 

Novak: It may look a lot like that Swedish Radio model. Our world is increasingly touchscreen-centric — just look at your car’s dashboard! In the immediate future physical and virtual consoles will continue to coexist and complement each other, but I believe we will also see a continued trend toward touch-based control surfaces in radio studios.

[Related: “Lawo Adds Remote Console Operation”]

The post Consoles, Like Car Dashboards, Turn to Touch appeared first on Radio World.

RUSHWORKS is adding a new tool for at-home production, announcing the release of its Residential Prompter Kit.

The Residential Prompter Kit is a small desktop teleprompting kit that uses a computer webcam to capture home-based presentations. It is meant to serve as a complement to RUSHWORKS’ RUSHPROMPTER software for Windows applications.

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

The kit includes a round base, an 18-inch flexible arm, a spring clamp with reflective mirror and a light blocking hood. In addition, RUSHWORKS has also crafted a document that provides four ways to improve the look and sound for at-home teleprompter sessions, which is available for download via RUSHWORKS’ website.

The Residential Prompter Kit is available at a base price of $295. With a 12-inch 1920 x 1080 HDMI monitor it runs for $545. A second base, 18-inch extension arm and gimbal-mounting head for a small camcorder is $175.

Info: www.rushworks.tv

 

The post RUSHWORKS Releases Residential Prompter Kit appeared first on Radio World.

Henry Goodman

In a series of articles, we’ve been exploring the question: ‘What should radio console buyers know about developments in this product class?”

Henry Goodman is director of product development at Calrec. An earlier version of this interview appeared in the RW ebook “Trends in Consoles.”

Radio World: What’s the most notable trend in console design, as seen in recent models or those coming soon?

Henry Goodman: The radio industry is a fast-paced dynamic environment, where stations need to be flexible enough to continually change and develop the programming they deliver. The ability to reconfigure and reshape the operator interface to meet the needs and styles of different program workflows and operator preferences is seen as key to success. Being able to present differing control interfaces to meet the needs of a simple self-operator set up one day, and a more complex multi-guest environment the next, without having to change your hardware, has clear advantages.

Creating very modular hardware with soft user-definable elements opens up the opportunity not only to change the console interface depending on the type of show being produced but also to tailor the interface to the needs and desires of individual operators.

It is clear that IP and touch technologies will enable the flexibility for consoles to customize complex workflows yet present them in a simple and efficient interface.

The widespread acceptance of open IP standards has also provided the opportunity for manufacturers to create a very stable and flexible backbone that can be used across multiple radio operations.

As a console designer and manufacturer, Calrec’s challenge is to create a product that exploits this opportunity to create products that work for multiple workflows, from small simple solutions to large complex networks. Manufacturers are looking to design things that can integrate into many environments yet be simple and easy to use.

RW: As a manufacturer, what demands do you hear from buyers today that are different from years past?

Goodman: Today there is a much greater expectation of what an audio console does. It is no longer just about the number of input and output channels but much more about how it works within the station environment. This covers many aspects, from how easy the installation is to how well the console interacts with the other equipment and software. Integration in the widest sense.

Centralization of operator controls and condensing multiple systems into a united workspace to simplify operation allows talent to focus on content rather than creation. This demands an open approach to how consoles work with other systems so that tighter integration can be achieved.

IP is an enabler for many modern console innovations. Tighter integration with third-party systems such as playout and phone systems are essential in any new installation — in fact, as manufacturers we are a far more closely-knit community than we were 10 or 15 years ago!

Being able to communicate with third-party equipment simplifies workflows, and customers are looking for centralized control over these systems on the console surface UI. Initiatives like user-definable soft panels are forward-thinking features that can place as much control as possible in one place.

RW: What will the console of the future look like, if we use one at all? 

Goodman: Consoles are so much more than audio controllers, and as we hurtle towards interoperability, the traditional idea of what an audio console is will be less and less relevant!

In the future there is likely to be more of a shift to decentralization of facilities and operator environments. As is so often the case, IP is a facilitator; it enables initiatives like the BBC’s VLOR project to experiment with how they control information and how they prepare for broadcast. It gives customers the ability to be more geographically diverse, with a core in one state and a mixer in another state or country — it breaks down physical boundaries and barriers.

Consoles will have to be flexible to provide a way of interacting with all this information from wherever it is — it may be from a more traditional studio environment with a physical surface, or it could be a web-based GUI that is accessed from anywhere. Operators may need a very simple user interface, or all the controls needed for a full production console. Consoles will have to mold to what is needed, and as a station’s requirements evolve, the console will need to evolve with it to provide customization across networks and changing control protocols, as well as surface personalization. Calrec’s Type R guarantees stations are not only able to keep pace with changing demands but provides the opportunity to ignite their audiences with new and innovative programming.

RW: What does the next generation of user interface look like? 

Goodman: We use a lot of the same words to describe how customers interact with technology: flexible, adaptable, virtual. Traditional user interfaces for consoles are already limiting how customers can adapt to new opportunities that rapidly changing technology is providing.

For example, this year the effects of Covid-19 have accelerated and amplified a need for more virtualized control surfaces, and we have been working with customers all over the globe to help virtualize their productions. This give people the opportunity to work from home or from other safe locations and access the same broadcast-specific features they need to mix program.

This is how it should be — user interfaces should be able to provide whatever the customer needs. On a basic level, this might be just limiting access to features that an operator doesn’t need, such as loading different setups between shows so everyone can feel comfortable operating it. Calrec already does this using soft panels that can be laid out to present just what the operator wants to see down to the individual control level.

On a larger scale, we’ll see the same core hardware with multiple elements, which can be flexed to be anything the customer needs. This might be more or fewer physical fader panels, or the opportunity to use an entirely browser-based UI. Panels with user-defined access to features depending on who is using the studio, what the program is, or what the operator needs to achieve. More faders which can be added for a live band mix, or no faders for a fully automated setup.

The user case for the next generation of user interface will be defined by the application, not limited by the hardware.

The post Consoles Will Have to Mold to What Is Needed appeared first on Radio World.