Radio World

The new antenna systems atop the AU Tower serve six FM stations in the nation’s capital.
Photos by Peggy Miles except as noted.

Washington, D.C., has a new master FM antenna system looking down on the city from high ground around The American University campus. In addition to a big new panel, the job added new antennas for two other stations. Radio World talked with Rob Bertrand, WAMU’s senior director of technology, about the recently completed project.

Radio World: Where did this take place?
Rob Bertrand: The project took place on the 419-foot broadcast tower on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. I’ll call this the “AU Tower.”

RW: Make and model of the antenna systems?
Bertrand: The new panel antenna is a four-bay, three-around ERI Cogwheel antenna that serves WAMU, WTOP, WPFW and WETA. There is a new ERI SHPX Rototiller in place for WPGC and a new ERI LPX Rototiller for WMMJ. The combiner is all new; it was designed, built and installed by ERI.

RW: Describe the scope of the job.
Bertrand: The AU Tower has been the home to multiple FM stations since the 1960s. Additional stations were added in the 1970s and ’80s, with a final station in the early ’90s.

It is the primary broadcast home to WAMU, The American University’s NPR station; Hubbard’s WTOP; Urban One’s WMMJ; and Pacifica’s WPFW.

WAMU and WETA also provide reciprocal aux sites for one another, so WETA has an aux presence on the tower. They had been sharing the WAMU backup antenna but will now be part of the combined antenna.

WAMU Senior Director of Technology Rob Bertrand, center, stands with station Director of Engineering Andy Gunn and ERI President/CEO Tom Silliman.

WAMU joined the WETA combined antenna in 2019 in preparation for this project. Finally, WPGC (Entercom) has maintained an aux presence on this tower since the early 1990s.

What is interesting about this group of stations is that WTOP and WPGC are both directional, which meant that not everyone could join the master system. However, ERI devised a method for WTOP to meet its required directional pattern into the left-hand circularly polarized input to the new antenna system, with the master combiner feeding the right-hand CP input.

WPGC is highly directional, as it’s licensed to Prince George’s County in Maryland. Its antenna was upgraded, but it remains separate from the directional system on a mast up above the new antenna.
WMMJ, a Class A station, has had such incredible ratings success from its standalone antenna. In fact, WTOP, WAMU and WMMJ often switch places in the ratings for the #1, #2 and #3 spots in the market. Because they’ve done so well, Urban One leadership was hesitant to join the new antenna system, though they opted to replace their 30-year-old antenna as part of this process.

The new panel system is maneuvered through campus.

RW: Why was the new system necessary?
Bertrand: When the current array of antennas on the tower-top pole were erected in the early 1990s, these were fundamentally different stations in terms of community impact. WAMU was a tiny bluegrass station, routinely ranking toward the bottom of the ratings in the market. The station that is WTOP(FM) today was WGMS, a classical station that held its own often around the #15 mark, but was hardly the powerhouse WTOP is today. WTOP and WAMU currently lead the market, locally and nationally, within commercial all-news and public radio, respectively. They are massive stations.

In the legacy build, rather than opt for a costly master antenna, WAMU was built as a six-bay on the tower-top pole. WGMS was a three-bay directional, interleaved with the top three bays of WAMU on one side of the pole. WMMJ’s two bays straddled WAMU’s bottom bay. WPGC towered above all of them with its own directional antenna.

Assembling the SHPX antenna for WPGC, to be mounted above the panel.

It was a mess. It made sense in the early 1990s given the economic realities for all these stations, but as they evolved into market leaders, they were sorely in need of “getting out of each other’s way” and an upgrade to an antenna system that would maximize audience for each station.

On top of that, these antennas were built on a “stepped” pole with the largest diameter at 16 inches OD and the narrowest at 6 inches. It was just a difficult situation.

Multiple driving measurement tests were performed over the years. We did one in 2017 with WTOP over the span of 900 miles of driving loops around the DC region. The test made clear what we had suspected: Each station was underperforming to the “opposite” side of the tower top pole — which was also the location of the adjacent antennas.

ERI field technicians assemble part of the four-station FM channel combiner. It feeds the master FM antenna, which includes dual inputs; one is nondirectional for WAMU, WETA, WPFW and to provide auxiliary facilities for WTOP(FM), the other input is directional and will be WTOP’s licensed main antenna. The site also includes new antennas for WMMJ and WPGC. Photo by Rob Bertrand

When I moved to the market in 2016 to join WAMU as its technology head, I was so surprised that at my apartment at the time, which was next door to the studios, I had a hard time receiving the station. This is two miles from the tower at that spot, and the ability to receive the station varied widely from one day to the next. Far away from our six-bay antenna, the station performed well to the north; but close-in and to the south we did not do well.

Finally, American University decided that it was time to decide once and for all what to do with this unique non-core asset sitting on its campus. Should they keep it or sell it? And if they kept it, who should run it? We pitched the idea of running it and performing this upgrade, with the goal of achieving full ROI in less than 10 years.

RW: How was the work managed?
Bertrand: WAMU led the project and managed it from concept to final construction. WTOP was a key partner and they were also an equal shareholder in financing the costs directly related to the antenna and its installation. It was unique that these two giant competitors worked so well together on this project, but from top management to the engineering teams, we all knew it was in our mutual interest to build the best facility we could, together.

The tower before the new pole was installed.

WAMU has ultimate ownership of the antenna, but WTOP is a major “shareholder” in the system because of their investment. The other antennas are owned by their respective stations and parent companies.

RW: What was the project budget?
Bertrand: The project in total cost $2.8 million, excluding the rototiller antennas and their transmission lines. The project included a new shelter from VFP beneath the tower to house the combiner system as well as massive reinforcement and reconstruction of the tower from top to bottom. It also included replacement of that stepped pole with a uniform-diameter pole with massively thick walls for stability. There were also additional costs local to individual stations related to these changes. All in it probably clocks in just north of $3 million if you tally everyone’s respective investments.

RW: What are the other critical components?
Bertrand: The system has a four-station combiner for WAMU, WPFW, WETA and a unique low-power nondirectional aux for WTOP.

The tower with the new pole and antenna systems.

WTOP has the ability to broadcast at full power from its directional input to the system or at lower power via the combiner as a backup, in case anything happens to its directional infrastructure.

The system also includes the requisite bandpass filters for the noncombined stations as well as a versatile patch panel system for lockout/tagout and emergency operation.

RW: What other key players were involved?
Bertrand: Vertical Technology Services of Hagerstown, Md., performed the tower structural modifications and removed the old tower-top mast and installed the new mast. They also installed the custom cogwheel antenna and support structure, as well as the two additional single-station rototiller antennas.

A dizzying look down from 400+ feet.

The structural engineer of record was Richard Dyer of Morris Ritchie Associates. James Ruedlinger, who heads the structural division for ERI, designed the tower modifications and the complex rigging plan. Bob Clinton of Cavell, Mertz & Associates was the FCC consulting engineer and contributed to our antenna design process, as well as handling the FCC applications for most of the stations.

The general contractor for ground support was Network Building & Construction services, who primarily supports cellular buildouts and was adept as a permit expediter with the District of Columbia as well as supporting building the temporary roadway and ground support needed for the tower crew. Our new combiner shelter was designed and built by VFP shelters of Salem, Va. Paul Shulins and Dave Wing of Shulins Solutions did the installation of the Burk Arcturus system, which was engineered by Mark Raymond and Chuck Alexander of Burk Technology.

RW: What other technical aspects of the project will Radio World readers be interested to know about?
Bertrand: We have installed the Burk Arcturus system to provide VSWR protection and full monitoring of the system, such as line pressures and temperatures. We were drawn to Arcturus because of our familiarity with the Burk ARC Plus platform and its hardware, as well as the promise of predictive analytics.

Crew foreman Craig Fowler of Vertical Technology Solutions poses with the remains of the old tower pole that has just been extracted from the top of the tower.

We’re monitoring everything from VSWR at all the inputs and outputs of the system, line pressures, every dehydrator parameter including run-time of the redundant pair, line temperatures, to external temperatures and security parameters.

The goal is to be able to develop a complete picture of normal system operation across all seasons and be able to trend anomalies over time before they become major problems. The Arcturus also manages interlocks for the full facility and will automatically disable transmission based on which transmitters are switched to which antennas, depending on where a VSWR condition is detected.

We welcome story suggestions about your own studio, RF or IT project. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post New Master Antenna System Serves D.C. appeared first on Radio World.

Audi hailed its MMI infotainment technologies for having much faster processing power, allowing such features as SiriusXM with 360L and hybrid digital radio. Click image to enlarge.

The coronavirus will not delay arrival of more hybrid radio receivers in the United States. Car manufacturer Audi says it will offer the new infotainment technology — capable of receiving terrestrial analog and HD Radio signals blended with streaming audio — in new cars set to arrive at dealerships in the coming months. 

In addition, Audi will support the hybrid system from SiriusXM called 360L in 10 of its 2021 model year vehicles. Dodge Ram was the first to offer 360L in a 2019 model; and GM announced in December that it planned to bring 360L to a million cars in 2020. But Audi is believed to be the only system with hybrid radio capability that supports terrestrial FM radio as well. 

Open Standard

Hybrid radio combines one-way “over-the-air” terrestrial or satellite radio reception with two-day online connectivity and streaming content, to create a new kind of platform in connected cars.

This Audi receiver shows the availability of a streamed version at right; note the small box “Web.”

The hybrid functionality was announced by Audi of America as part of its Generation 3 infotainment technologies expected to arrive in most 2021 Audi vehicles this fall. Here is how Audi described hybrid digital radio functionality in that announcement: “For terrestrial FM or HD FM radio listeners on the go, hybrid digital radio allows them to continue listening to the same channel even after driving outside of the channel’s range. Either automatically or by request, once the hybrid radio senses a weak radio signal, it will switch to the online, digital version of the same channel. Conversely, the channel will switch back from a digital to a radio signal when it senses better reception.Upon cycling a vehicle off and on again, the digital radio station will continue to play.”

The spread of hybrid capabilities could set up a critical period of preparation by U.S. broadcasters, according to radio industry observers, as a wider rollout of the new technology gains footing.

Here’s what the FM station listener sees on the Audi receiver when the air signal drops off and a streamed alternative is present.

Several technology companies are trying to establish themselves in the hybrid radio marketplace in the United States and abroad. DTS Connected Radio, Radioline, Radioplayer and even Audi are “in some ways competing with each other, and in other ways working together,” according to a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters.

RadioDNS is an open standards platform that can interface with multiple aggregators. “RadioDNS is the connection between radio broadcasting and online,” as described by one observer.

Audi radio development engineer Christian Winter said during a recent NAB webinar that the carmaker’s hybrid radio will support any radio station that offers data in the RadioDNS service format.

That metadata in a terrestrial radio station’s signal stream can include song artist and title and streaming URLs, so the hybrid radio receiver knows where to find the streaming audio. In the case of Audi, the process is completed by RadioDNS, Winter said. 

RadioDNS allows for the seamless transition between the terrestrial radio signals and the mobile broadband connection and will accommodate up to 30 seconds of delay between OTA and streaming audio, according to experts. “If the delay is more than 30 seconds the listener will hear a jump,” they said.

BMW offers a radio receiver in the United States that uses the RadioDNS database standard to populate radio station guide information including station logos via IP, according to NAB, but does not use streaming audio. 

Xperi uses RadioDNS as one of the data sources for its offering, called DTS Connected Radio, according to NAB.

Meanwhile, broadcast advocacy groups like NAB are pushing radio broadcasters in the United States to prepare for “embedded wireless connectivity in modern vehicles” rather than through connected smartphones. In fact, built-in modems in new vehicles will support two-way initiatives, industry experts say, which will be critical for gathering listener data.  

New connected cars are expected to feature over-the-air radio reception in addition to internet IP technologies via LTE network connections, experts say, which in turn combines the two ways of listening to radio using a seamless linking process. Those “real-time analytics on listening habits” would be viewed as crucial data for radio advertisers.

Those familiar with how hybrid radio works say once noise is detected in the FM signal, the switching technology transitions the radio to IP technologies and broadband. 

Additional Costs

Streaming fees associated with hybrid radio are something NAB is making broadcasters aware of, according to David Layer, vice president, advanced engineering for NAB.

“The receiver will time-align the streaming and OTA signals in the background while the OTA signal is strong, so that the receiver is ready to accomplish the seamless transition when necessary,” Layer said. “During this alignment procedure, the broadcaster may incur performance rights fees on the stream even though no one is listening to it.” 

He continued, “One possible approach being considered to minimize this issue is for a broadcaster to provide geographic information to a receiver describing where the station’s OTA signal should be strong enough to not require any streaming audio usage. The receiver, which is location-aware, would not use the streaming signal while within that strong signal area.”

Layer said the accessibility of URLs used in hybrid radio could also be an issue for some radio broadcasters. 

“Sometimes the publishing of streaming URLs can create security concerns for radio broadcasters,” Layer said.

Hybrid radio will also add customized capability to listen to on-demand content like podcasting, those familiar with the technology say. Supporters of hybrid radio often compare the concept to that of smart TV.

More Coming

Industry observers say traditional over-the-air radio is trying to differentiate itself in the auto dashboard to minimize the loss of traditional radio listeners to other audio services in the era of Apple Carplay, Android Auto and now Alexa integration. Hybrid radio platforms are capable of integrating FM, DAB+, HD Radio, IP streams and podcasts.   

DTS Connected Radio by Xperi, the company that developed HD Radio, is expected to announce further development details about their hybrid radio digital platform later this summer once its $3 billion merger with TiVo is completed.

Xperi says product development and/or integrations are underway with OEM manufacturers and suppliers such as Visteon, NXP, Hyundai/Mobis, Harman, Panasonic Automotive, LG Electronics, Alpine Automotive, Karma, Byton and others.

Harman, LG and Panasonic have shown implementations of DTS Connected Radio at CES.

The NAB itself has had a presence at recent CES shows to showcase innovation in radio and strengthen ties with the automotive industry and develop strategic approaches, Layer said. 

Industry observers point to “detailed analytic data on listening” as one of the most important features of hybrid radio. Xperi says its hybrid radio system create a “two-way feedback flow” that is measured and sent to the radio broadcaster. 

Bob Dillon, senior VP of Connected Radio for Xperi, wrote about the capability in a guest commentary for Radio World earlier this year: “The radio station can learn when people tune in and what made them leave. Did they tune in another radio station? Shut off the car, or did they drive out of coverage? How long did they listen? Ultimately, that’s all available audience flow data over time. Hybrid radio is able to provide measurement of their total audience and how that audience flows in and out of their station throughout the day.” 

In addition, Radioline, in collaboration with Panasonic Automotive Systems Europe, announced this spring it was launching a hybrid radio application, which is compatible with Android Automotive OS.

Xavier Filliol, Radioline COO, told Radio World in an email “all usage data could be collected from listeners of the app.”   

Pilot Work

Meanwhile, the NAB’s innovation initiative, known as PILOT, continues to chart the way through a variety of hybrid radio industry initiatives and is working with RadioDNS on the hybrid radio rollout. 

Its Connected Radio Evaluation Unit (CREU) project, using a CREU device provided by Xperi, wrapped up its work in 2019, Layer said.

“The PILOT CREU project resulted in a ‘proof of concept’ hybrid radio user interface (UI)  and was conducted under the auspices of the NAB Auto Initiative Committee. Some features supported by the UI include on-demand content (instant traffic and weather, podcast content) and a TEXT button which sends the metadata for the currently playing song to a user’s smartphone,” Layer said.

To support hybrid radio services, broadcasters will need to register with RadioDNS and publish the necessary metadata and streaming URL information in a secure and controlled manner to ensure ease of access and consistency for the in-vehicle implementations, according to NAB.  

Several sessions from the online NAB Show Express in May featured hybrid radio presentations. Layer said during one session that “U.S. broadcasters are really not positioned yet to fully take advantage of hybrid radio technology, so there is an opportunity to start developing the technology to take advantage once there is a greater percentage of hybrid radio receivers in the market.”

There are differences in how RadioDNS works with multiple aggregators and the DTS Connected Radio platform, according to NAB. Those include how internet data is provided to the receiver, Layer said.

The receiver can be set to switch automatically, or to ask via a prompt.

“The Audi vehicles will actually have an online radio button. DTS’s plan is to be more broadcaster-focused and only provide the streaming audio versions of the over-the-air signals,” Layer said.   

Broadcasters will need to register with RadioDNS and then develop a service information (SI) file, Layer said, which includes all the information on finding station logos as well as the broadband stream for hybrid radio receivers.

 The NAB Show Express session identified several technology developers, including Quu Interactive and Pluxbox, capable of helping broadcasters with RadioDNS registration and developing the SI file. 

Meanwhile, Xperi says it maintains a global database of radio station frequencies, formats, artwork and audio streams to provision hybrid in-vehicle radios using its DTS Connected Radio platform. 

Nick Piggott, project director for RadioDNS, emphasized during an NAB webinar the importance of U.S. broadcasters signing up for hybrid radio.   

 “In the connected car the dashboard presents visually rich navigation, a consistent experience and often personalized, which means the challenge for radio is to improve its functionality and presentation to remain prominent in the dashboard,” Piggott said.    

RadioDNS, whose membership includes iHeartMedia, Beasley, Entercom and Cumulus, allows “agile reception” for the listener, Piggott said, which means a hybrid radio receiver can switch between broadcast and streaming, depending on the best experience for the listener. 

 

SIDEBAR STORY: Hybrid Radio, Some Context

For more context about the above story, Radio World asked James Cridland, a consultant and radio “futurologist,” about the state of hybrid radio.

Radio World: Can you break down what hybrid radio is?
James Cridland: The word “hybrid” means different things to different people. With a typical analog FM receiver, when the radio tunes into 104.9 MHz it knows nothing about the radio station other than the fact it’s on 104.9 FM (and, perhaps, an RDS signal).

With a hybrid FM receiver, when the radio tunes into 104.9, it then goes onto the internet to find more detail about what the station is. That might mean a station logo or more program information. But your radio might also discover where the station is streaming, so that you might leave your home in San Francisco listening to 96.5 KOIT, and once you’re out of the coverage area on FM for the station, the radio might switch automatically to the internet stream, so you stay with your favorite station without any fiddling with your mobile phone or hitting buttons.

Importantly for broadcasters to know, hybrid radio receivers prefer broadcast radio, so they will switch back to terrestrial FM as soon as it can.

RW: Tell us what you know about RadioDNS and what auto manufacturers in the United States are looking at. Could we have competing hybrid radio systems in different auto manufacturers’ cars in the States?
Cridland: RadioDNS is one of the data sources that Xperi uses for DTS Connected Radio. With RadioDNS, broadcasters themselves have total control of their data: They publish it on their own servers, and RadioDNS tells computers where to find it. The data is freely available to anyone who wishes access to it.

The DTS Connected Radio platform uses a lot of different data points from a variety of places, including their own proprietary data work, as well as RadioDNS data. RadioDNS’s data is authoritative, from the broadcaster themselves, so typically companies like Xperi or Radioplayer will take data directly from RadioDNS where it exists, and fill from other sources where it doesn’t.

For the car manufacturer, their choice is to implement RadioDNS’s tools (which are open and designed not to require a central server system); or to implement similar services from Xperi or Radioplayer’s WRAPI, which are more complete, but which have a commercial model.

For the broadcaster who wishes to retain full control of their data, they should implement RadioDNS’s tools, which will help keep your data updated on these other services as well.

RW: Is two-way “interactive” connectivity for terrestrial radio a “must have” capability in hybrid radio?
Cridland: Depends what you mean by interactive. RadioDNS allows broadcasters to, as one example, make a button that would allow me to request more information about what I’m hearing, which might be a commercial, might be a song or maybe be a talk topic.

Broadcasters can deal with that request however they like, whether that’s to send a push notification to your phone, or to send you an email. The technology certainly allows that kind of interaction, and some broadcasters have experimented with it; but there’s a chicken/egg scenario here. Until the majority of broadcasters support it, it’s unlikely to be built-in to receivers. There’s also, to be honest, a question of whether audiences want it.

RW: Hybrid radio has been a big part of NAB’s “automotive initiative” in the States to keep radio relevant in the dashboard. How do you think the plan is unfolding?
Cridland: Broadcast radio’s ideal would be to have one simple preset list in the car — one that allows my favorite FM station right next to my favorite SiriusXM station, and perhaps an internet radio station there, too. A hybrid receiver that uses FM and IP means that old-fashioned FM looks and works just as well as SiriusXM or even Spotify in the same vehicle; bright and vibrant artwork, clear audio that never disappears, stations which are easy to find.

The post Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum appeared first on Radio World.

A nationally syndicated weekly radio show, “Dan Sweeney’s One Hit Wonders” showcases forgotten “one and done” U.S. Billboard Top 40 hits.

Free to air and currently distributed to almost 60 stations in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany and New Zealand, each program is approximately 55 minutes and features unique stories for almost 2300 one hit wonder artists and songs, including “where are they now” updates.

Dan Sweeney

In March, “Dan Sweeney’s One Hit Wonders” was selected as “Best Community Volunteer Program” by the Intercollegiate Broadcast System during its annual convention.

Produced with segments containing trivia, one-hit wonder interviews, jingles, birthday greetings and movie and pop culture news from the showcased years — 1995 to 2015 — each show is available with two song and artist summaries, poster art and a YouTube video link for social media use.

For more information about the show, email Dan Sweeney at djsweeney.ds@gmail.com or call 1-760-809-4861.

 

The post “Dan Sweeney’s One Hit Wonders” Available Free to Broadcasters appeared first on Radio World.

Ed Asner

The annual HEAR Now audio festival is happening now and runs through the weekend. Its organizers are conducting the festival as an online event this year, and they have snagged Ed Asner as a headliner.

“In an effort to overwhelm the creative stifling associated with coast-to-coast stay-at-home orders, ‘HEAR Now Online’ will include audio arts luminaries teaching face-to-face audio storytelling, audiobook narration and audio production workshops while spotlighting and awarding accolades on some of the best audio storytelling performers in the audio arts industry,” they stated in an announcement.

Asner will be the guest on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Central time) for a live video session called “Ask Ed,” in which he’ll answer questions submitted by attendees earlier. In addition to his well-known television work, Asner has done voice work on “a plethora of audio plays, animated series and feature animated films.”

The organizers at the National Audio Theatre Festivals call the annual event “the audio equivalent of a film festival for contemporary audio storytelling in all its forms: live and scripted solo performances; multi-voiced, classic radio drama; experimental narrative; and much more.” It is normally held in theaters and other listening venues in Kansas City.

Also on the agenda: Celebrating Mark Twain features the life and words of the great author brought to life by voiceover artists). Podcast Palooza features the premiere of “Debs in Canton” starring Phil Proctor as Eugene V. Debs. And “Annihilators Of Distance” is a re-streaming of the audio play about Nicolai Tesla and Mark Twain that originally aired during last fall’s AES show.

Many of the online events are free; some with limited access involve a nominal fee. Info is at hearnowfestival.org.

The post Ed Asner Is Featured in Online HEAR Now Festival appeared first on Radio World.

Paul Rotella is doubling down: He wants the FCC not only to suspend any increases in broadcast fees but to permanently restructure and reduce them.

He is president and CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, one of the organizations filing comments about this issue with the Federal Communications Commission.

[Read: FCC Proposes Regulatory Fees for 2020 Amid Uncertain Media Marketplace]

He and other broadcasters have been vocal that a hike in fees for broadcasters is not warranted, especially in the days of coronavirus; and as we reported earlier, Rotella had written to Chairman Ajit Pai recently asking the commission to hold off raising fees for radio and TV. But now, he writes: “Upon further reflection, restructuring and reduction in regulatory fees for broadcasters is warranted.”

For one thing, he said, “It is well known that the FCC’s attention and workload is now consumed with 5G wireless including C-Band, CBRS, Ligado and the various other spectrum-parceling efforts, and it is those 5G activities that should bear the brunt of FCC regulatory fees.”

He also argues that many concerns about fees that were raised last year by broadcasters have not even been addressed by the commission. “Broadcasters deserve some explanation of those points before any consideration is given to the exponential increase in regulatory fees.”

[Read: FCC Rule Suspensions Could Help Broadcasters Now]

Further, the FCC should consider an across-the-board reduction, “given the changing and increasing technological burden placed on the FCC by emerging technologies and the eloquent simplicity of regulating our industry, along with broadcasters’ longstanding special place in the fabric of American society. Couple this with the fact that the industry has not enjoyed any meaningful increase in revenue in a decade, and yet, fees keep increasing at an alarming rate.”

Among several more reasons, he noted that state broadcast associations earlier had asked for changes because, they argued, the FCC had based the fee structure on defective data, and said that the process used to allocate fees among industries unfairly shifted FCC “overhead” costs to radio and TV stations.

And Rotella said this is an issue for television as well as radio stations, which has tended to get the attention. “Although radio was hard hit with 50% increase in fees last year, the arguments are still the same,” says Rotella, “Especially during this time of catastrophic economic upheaval, coupled with the precarious economic forecasts ahead, is simply imprudent and will likely further hobble local broadcasters’ efforts to survive in the aftermath of COVID-19.”

The commission is taking comments about fees in MD Docket No. 20-105 until June 12, and replies by June 29.

 

The post NJBA Pushes Harder on Fee Cuts appeared first on Radio World.

This image from Xperi illustrates “discovery” with KROQ HD2. The display features a live, now-playing station guide with logo, name and currently playing information. Stations displayed are stored by frequency and filtered by genre. The listener can choose favorites within the list.

Xperi Corp. and TiVo Corp. recently completed their merger. To learn more about how this might affect readers of Radio World, we asked Xperi SVP of Broadcast Radio Joe D’Angelo.

[Read: Xperi and TiVo Complete Merger]

Radio World: What relevance does the merger have for people who follow the technology of radio and audio consumption?

Joe D’Angelo: Xperi and TiVo have a long-shared history supporting the media and creative industries (i.e. films and music). With little overlap in our legacy platforms, we are able to complement each other to boost our portfolio of offerings. 

Most meaningfully to broadcasters, the combined company will facilitate the delivery of the highest-quality images and much richer, deeper metadata (i.e. genre, release date, songwriter).

This is, of course, great for listeners and has the potential to simplify the radio industry’s reporting obligations. TiVo’s metadata will also help broadcasters better organize their internal content catalogue, make more informed programming decisions, and improve reporting accuracy.

The merger will have benefits across Xperi’s HD Radio, DTS Connected Radio and digital platforms including apps and websites.

[Read: Xperi Announces $3B Merger With TiVo]

RW: What specific technical change or improvement will we see in either HD Radio or in the hybrid radio DTS Connected Radio platform as a result of this business development?

D’Angelo: The TiVo metadata will continue to complement the implementation of the HD Radio Artist Experience feature for broadcasters who have adopted our technology and will provide Xperi with the ability to ensure consistent delivery of deep track information on the DTS Connected Radio platform.

RW: How exactly does a “metadata platform” help improve future radio product?

D’Angelo: Metadata is the key enabler for new digital platforms in terms of discovery, content identification, recommendations and personalization. Voice interfaces are also dependent on rich content metadata — think Alexi, Siri and similar. The metadata platform makes it possible to cut through the content chaos, brings content together, and makes it easy for listeners to find information specifically relevant to them.

Illustrating “engagement,” this display features rich complete metadata with integrated LA-based 106.7 FM HD2 station branding. The display provides interactive support for events, likes/dislikes and favorites.

RW: The company said that the solutions this merger is poised to bring “take radio and the digital dashboard to a completely new level of discovery and engagement.” Please explain.

D’Angelo: About discovery: Digital radio, both HD Radio in North America and DAB+ in Europe and Australia, has enabled a significant increase in the number of radio stations available to listeners in any given market. No longer is it viable to simply tune up and down a linear radio dial, frequency by frequency, to get a full understanding of all the programming on-air. In New York City, thanks to HD Radio, there are close to 100 FM analog and HD Radio stations; and in London, thanks to DAB+, there are now over 120 audio services.

With all this amazing new content, it is critical to provide new approaches to content discovery, navigation and selection. Metadata is the foundation to make this a reality.

Xperi is now able to present structured, searchable and categorized station information, including live now-playing data for display in the dashboard and driving voice interfaces. The end result is the most advanced and accurate digital program guide for radio to the dashboard.

As for engagement: Once the in-car user has identified and selected (queued) a radio station, Xperi’s platform elevates the audio experience with deep, engaging and informative text and images. This seamless and enhanced presentation becomes possible with the direct support of broadcast programmers, creative teams, and our rich metadata catalogue.

These enhancements, while common on other digital IP based services, are new and revolutionary for broadcast radio. We are now able to level the playing field with pure IP services and give listeners everything they could ask for from a digital audio platform, but from a free, over-the-air, live, and locally curated source. 

By using our platform, listeners will not only be able to get additional information about songs, events, topics, artists, and show hosts, but also interact with the programming by sharing feedback with the stations about song selections and discussion topics.

RW: What else should we know?

D’Angelo: This is just the tip of the iceberg in our combination of technology and services — we will be innovating on a number of fronts to ensure broadcast radio prominence in the dash.

[Read: Xperi Highlights Its In-Cabin Monitoring Efforts]

For example, we have recently won some in-cabin monitoring design-ins with key OEMs, and are looking to develop a feature where we combine that technology with our infotainment solution to provide a personalized user experience.

The post Q&A: Why the Xperi/TiVo Deal Matters for Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Great stories keep popping up about how radio stations have been involved in their communities during the COVID mess. Here’s one from Chippewa Falls, Wis.

WOGO, licensed to Stewards of Sound Inc. and heard on FM and AM, says it was approached by the local high school and asked if it would be possible to broadcast a graduation ceremony as it does football games.

“With so many schools going virtual-only for commencement, which disappointed many, they wanted to find a way to give their seniors something special,” said Sales Manager/Promotions Director Caleb Svendsen in an email about the event.

[Read: This Is the Time to Make Connections]

Sounds like it was a hit. The Chi-Hi “Drive-In Graduation!” featured more than 300 seniors and their families. They started in their decorated vehicles at a fairground; and with the familiar graduation song “Pomp & Circumstance” being played over the air, they processed through town escorted by police. “The community came out to yards and sidewalks to cheer on the Class of 2020 as they listened to the commencement broadcast on WOGO.”

The ceremony was carried on its FM and AM signals and online streaming. The station provided audio to the school’s video stream so relatives and pals could watch and listen. It even arranged for live drone footage that could be watched in real time.

WOGO had prerecorded speeches from the principal and valedictorian. “These speeches were aired as the cars prepared to embark on their procession, and during the journey to the high school to receive diplomas.”

The broadcast also featured senior sports highlights, honored faculty retirees, played the alma mater and school song, and featured student voicemails with “Senior Year Memories.” Music featured the school’s musicians including choirs, orchestras and marching band.

“As the graduates rolled through the bus loop in front of the school and received diplomas from their gloved-and-face-shielded principal, the WOGO graduation play-by-play crew provided live commentary for each and every senior: awards and commendations, future plans, their advice to next year’s class, teacher comments, etc.,” Svendsen wrote. “A percentage of all sponsorship revenue was set aside and, through short essays where seniors both applied and nominated a classmate, $1,600 in scholarships were awarded.”

Favorable June weather helped … and Svendsen adds that the ceremony was shorter than most and not in a hot gym. He called the effort “a collaborative labor of love with school, station and community.”

Tell Radio World about your station’s special event or project. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post How WOGO Helped a Wisconsin School Graduate Seniors appeared first on Radio World.

An Xperi image promotes its driver monitoring technology. Click on the graphic above for a larger version.

Xperi announced recently that its in-cabin monitoring technology was selected by four auto brands for use in new vehicles, bringing to 20 the total number of its new vehicle “design-ins.”

The company, which broadcasters know best as the parent of HD Radio and DTS Connected Radio, is seeking to partner with more car and truck companies to advance monitoring technologies that it says are redefining the “in-cabin experience.” As cars become more autonomous, it says, the importance of these technologies will continue to grow.

“Our detection technology enables OEMs to offer a safer, more personalized and convenient experience for drivers and occupants, today and into the future. Our systems have the capability to be effective even if drivers or occupants are wearing face masks as so many are today,” said Jeff Jury, the general manager of automotive, in a company announcement in May.

The company said its driver monitoring solution is shipping in five light commercial vehicles from three OEM brands, and that 15 new vehicle design-ins for occupants and drivers will go into production starting next year.

Xperi says its monitoring technologies provide driver and occupant “state analytics” using edge computing and neural networks. “In addition to detecting all human occupants of a vehicle, our solution detects pets and relevant objects, such as child seats. For each human occupant, the technology provides advanced analytics such as passenger authentication, age group, emotional state, and body pose.”

Watch an Xperi video about its in-cabin monitoring systems:

The company says its algorithms can monitor drivers wearing glasses, helmets, hats, scarves and face masks. “Occlusion handling has become a particularly valuable feature today as so many people around the world are wearing face masks as a preventative measure against COVID-19,” it stated.

The website TechTheLead subsequently picked up on this announcement and riffed on the kinds of consumer interactions that it might make possible in an article headlined “If You Can Dream It, Your Car Will Do It.”

“Xperi’s driver monitoring solution is able to detect a distracted or drowsy driver and keep him safe behind the wheel using visual cues (face detection and tracking, head position, eye gaze, eyelid opening, etc),” wrote author Mara Anton. “Xperi’s in-cabin solutions can be tailored by car manufacturers to fit their design needs and creative use-cases. A car that turns into a moving cinema? One that acts like a portable office? Or a vehicle that’s a therapist on the go? It’s all up to the manufacturer’s path to fully-autonomous vehicles and your imagination, of course!” Read that here.

The post Xperi Highlights Its In-Cabin Monitoring Efforts appeared first on Radio World.

Among the top 10 podcast publishers, iHeartRadio and NPR account for nearly half of the streams and downloads.

That’s a data point noted by the financial publication Learnbonds, which dug into some interesting numbers about podcasting in an article for investors. It found that as podcasts continue to become more mainstream, major publishers have emerged as top players that account for almost a billion streams and downloads within a month.

“Data gathered by Learnbonds.com indicates that only 10 podcast publishers accounted for 893.78 million streams and downloads in May 2020,” it wrote, citing Podtrac data.

[Read: Westwood One’s Wordock on Maintaining — and Monitoring — Podcast Audiences]

“iHeartRadio podcasts attracted the highest downloads and streams at 216.15 million followed by NPR with 208.92 million. Among the top 10 podcast publishers, iHeartRadio and NPR accounted for 47.6% of the streams and downloads.”

Number three was the New York Times, number four PRX and number five Barstool Sports.

“It is no surprise that iHeartRadio hosted podcasts had the highest streams and downloads in May,” the company told its readers. “The platform has a large library of podcasts covering diverse topics. In 2019 iHeartRadio embarked on a mission to grow its numbers of podcast listeners. iHeartRadio launched a podcast recommendation engine to its listeners based on their audio preferences. This new feature on the app has played a major role in increasing the number of podcast streams and downloads. Additionally, iHeartRadio acquisition of Stuff Media made it the top commercial podcast publisher.”

“The growing downloads and streams for the highlighted publishers are driven by various factors like marketing. However, most people might have turned to podcasts as a means of passing time while in lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak,” Learnbonds wrote.

Among other findings, the company listed countries where podcasting is most popular, based on data from several sources, and found South Korea leading with 53% of citizens having listened to podcasts, followed by Spain, Ireland and Sweden. The United States is fifth with 35%.

 

The post Big Podcasters Generate Big Numbers appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC announced today that it will not apply long-standing TV station ownership restrictions to the lease of spectrum to provide “Broadcast Internet” services via the new ATSC 3.0 advanced television standard.

This decision comes in the form of a Declaratory Ruling approved unanimously during the FCC’s June Open Commission meeting. It allows a broadcast TV licensee to lease spectrum to another broadcaster (including one in the same geographic market) or to a third party for ancillary and supplementary service without triggering the FCC’s broadcast attribution or ownership rules.

The commission said it was an important step in the growth of next-generation data services that will come about from the transition to ATSC 3.0 and serve as a complement to the nation’s future 5G network. As a “one-to-many” IP service, this could allow more efficient software downloads for autonomous vehicles, smart agriculture or telemedicine and are broadly referred to what Carr termed as “Broadcast Internet.”

In addition to the Declaratory Ruling, the FCC issued an accompanying Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, seeking comments on whether and how to modify its existing ancillary and supplementary service rules in order to further promote the deployment of Broadcast Internet services. The commission also seeks public input on potential uses of the new technological capability associated with ATSC 3.0 and any existing regulatory barriers to deployment, as well as if any changes are needed to the ancillary and supplementary service fee rules and the rules defining derogation of service and analogous services.

“Today’s action takes important steps to further unlock the potential of broadcast spectrum, empower innovation and create significant value for broadcasters and the American public alike by removing the uncertainty cast by legacy regulations,” the FCC said.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said Broadcast Internet could be a new competitive broadcast pipe, giving broadcasters an even greater role in the competitive market.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said that traditional TV was on the move, and while it is important to clarify that broadcast ownership rules don’t apply, it was also important to remember that ATSC 3.0 lacks a return path for data, which is a problem for telehealth and remote work.

NAB’s Senior Vice President of Communications Ann Marie Cumming issued a statement on the FCC’s actions: “NAB appreciates the commission’s efforts to provide greater regulatory certainty with respect to potential future uses of the NextGen TV transmission standard. Broadcasters are excited about innovative applications this standard makes possible, in addition to the standard’s ability to unlock the next generation of television service for our viewers.”

The post FCC Says TV Ownership Rules Don’t Apply to Broadcast Internet via 3.0 appeared first on Radio World.

The website of WION(AM) in Ionia, Mich., promotes its AM stereo service.

A recent Radio World article about an AM monitor receiver included the author’s comment, “No, analog AM stereo is not making a comeback.”

Please know 100 stations in the United States still broadcast in C-QUAM AM stereo, and there are more returning. A Class B AM station in the New Orleans market will be starting C-QUAM as I write. There is one in Texas and more thinking about it. Australia has announced four stations there will be begin C-QUAM stereo transmissions in the next month or two.

It’s a shame that auto receiver manufacturers do not include C-QUAM in their products. But thousands of AM stereo car radios are still in use in Australia. In the U.S., that number will likely be higher since cars are now peaking in their lifespan, averaging as much as 17 years; with over 250 million on the road, that can mean a fairly large number out there still with a C-QUAM-capable radio, not to mention that certain HD car radios can decode C-QUAM, though not in wide bandwidth fidelity.

The HD Radios only need some code written to decode it and open up the bandwidth for full analog fidelity while also doing DSP-based noise blanketing to reduce static noise and do signal-based adaptive bandwidth so the adjacent channel is not a problem on weak signals.

Wanna hear AM stereo? Go to WION’s web site and listen to their stream off their Carver TX11B receiver.

If the FCC really wants to do AM revitalization, they should and could issue a mandate that AM stereo be included in any FM stereo radio and include AMAX performance plus DSP NB where applicable.

As a former AM stereo owner (KLLS facility 31108), I found people want to listen to AM with a good format, especially if they have a decent receiver. I had people with 1990s cars with C-QUAM radios enjoying the rich full sound of my AM stereo station. It can be made to work with today’s technology, if my years of being associated with Land Mobile Radio and experts on noise abatement like George Munsch, W5VPQ (formerly with GE, who wrote the book on the subject for the U.S. Navy!) has taught me.

A decent noise blanker can take a noise situation down 20–40 dB. I experienced such with Midland LMR FM radios on VHF low-band FM; they even outperformed Motorolas! Now if that can be done on a 20 kHz wide FM signal, I’m sure at medium-wave the technology can work with a 20 kHz AM signal.

The opinions expressed here are not intended to represent those of my employer; this is my personal opinion as an engineer for 40+ years, a former AM C-QUAM station owner and group admin of the Facebook group AM Stereo C-QUAM.

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

The post Letter to the Editor: AM Stereo Is Still an Option appeared first on Radio World.

A new logo program is intended to help consumers in Europe make sense of the proliferating number of radio technologies.

The SmartRadio logo will appear on devices that provide access to radio stations through analog FM, digital DAB+ and over the internet via Wi-Fi. The products must support all three modes to use the logo, which is meant to help consumers easily identify such devices.

The announcement came from technology provider Frontier Smart Technologies and by consultancy Science Group. Listing the benefits, they quoted Mark Huijsmans, director of product marketing at Roberts Radio, saying, “The SmartRadio logo will help consumers understand the true benefits of the product and is less confusing than the current diverse terminology: digital radio, hybrid radio, internet radio, connected radio and many more.”

They said the plan supported by consumer electronic brands selling to European markets including Blaupunkt, Dual, Grundig, Hama, JVC Kenwood, Lemega, Lenco, Majority, Medion, Philips, Pure, Roberts Radio, Ruark Audio, Sonoro, TechniSat, Teufel, TT Micro, department store John Lewis & Partners, as well as Frontier Smart Technologies.

[Read: Hybrid Radio Breaks Out]

“The consumer audio market has a range of product categories which can overlap, creating confusion for consumers as to the difference between products marketed as radios, smart speakers, internet radios or media streaming devices,” they announced.

“Recent consumer research commissioned by Digital Radio UK concluded that 87% of consumers planning to purchase a radio would be likely to buy a radio that combined FM, DAB and delivered services via the internet. The most popular term that would encourage a purchase when compared to other options was SmartRadio.”

They drew the analogy to success in the television market with “smart” TVs. They noted that with “smart” receiver products, radio stations are always available regardless of whether the station is coming from the internet, DAB or FM; that thousands of stations around the world can be accessed; and that radio service is enhanced by content such as podcasts and on-demand music streaming. Also, the products can receive over-the-air software updates.

Frontier said products using its SmartRadio platforms are expected to be available later this year.

The post SmartRadio Logo Aims to Help Europeans Make Sense of New Platforms appeared first on Radio World.

Read how WNYC and New York Public Media confronted the pandemic in our interview with Steve Shultis. Learn more best practices for your AM directional array from Mark Persons. Consider seven traits of a good radio engineer from Larry Wilkins. And see what the new hybrid radio screens look like in Audi models coming this fall.

Read it online here.

Prefer to do your reading offline? No problem! Simply click on the digital edition, go to the left corner and choose the download button to get a PDF version.

The post Inside the June 10 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

The 2020 NAB Show New York, which was slated for Oct. 21–22, is following suit with the NAB’s spring conference and going virtual.

The announcement came in the form of a letter from NAB’s Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations Chris Brown. He said that the decision is based on surveying of the show community and consultation with state and local officials in New York, as well as the Javits Convention Center, where the event was scheduled to take place.

The event will take place this fall, though no specific date was provided at this time.

Among the things expected to be included in the program will be Post|Production World Online, produced in partnership with Future Media Conferences, TVNewsCheck’s TV2025 and other conference programs. Exhibitors are also expected to be able to share product information, demonstrations and make announcements. Educational content and virtual network opportunities will also be provided, per the announcement.

“Our goal for the digital experience is to provide a valuable forum for the industry to restart, refocus and reengage,” said Brown.

Additional details are expected in the coming weeks.

The NAB Show Express drew a reported 40,000 participants.

Brown concludes his letter by saying that both the 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas and 2021 NAB Show New York are expecting to take place in person.

In addition to the spring edition of the NAB Show, IBC and Cable-Tec Expo are among the industry conferences that are going virtual this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

The post NAB Show New York Switched to Virtual Conference appeared first on Radio World.

Click on the graphic for a larger version.
A Nielsen study done as the coronavirus crisis was escalating in March found that 83% of consumers said they were listening to as much or more radio as they were before 
the pandemic.
Credit: The Nielsen Co.

Should brands stop advertising during a pandemic? Can they afford not to?

One thing I’ve been wondering is how consumers have been feeling about advertising nowadays, with so many folks out of work, anxious about the future and suspicious or judgmental about a retailer’s motives.

I headed to one of my go-to sources for marketing trends, eMarketer. For the uninitiated, eMarketer is a subscription-based service that aggregates research studies and presents its own take concerning trends.

In this case, eMarketer concluded that consumers didn’t feel that brands should stop advertising during the pandemic. It stated that while “consumers don’t expect brands to abandon advertising, brands should rethink their strategies. Campaigns that were planned pre-pandemic may no longer be appropriate as consumers clamor for information about how the crisis is being handled and how they can stay safe. That includes information about how brands are responding to COVID-19.”

It doesn’t take a research project to know that more people than ever were spending time watching television this spring; just look at Netflix’s growth numbers. But what about listening to radio?

Radio is at its best when there’s trouble, supplying vital information and entertainment.
— Radio Advertising Bureau

According to Nielsen, which researched the question in late March, eight in 10 people said they were spending the same or more time listening to radio as a result of circumstances surrounding the pandemic. “Sixty percent of American adults 18 and older hold radio in high regard and trust it to deliver timely information about the current COVID-19 outbreak.”

Or, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau, “Radio is at its best when there’s trouble, supplying vital information and entertainment.”

Mindset of Support
Practically speaking, where does this leave local radio, for this crisis or the next one? The glass is most definitely half-full.

Listenership is healthy. Radio advertising still produces results and radio can make all the difference in delivering important local information and entertainment.

While there is no question that advertising will be soft until normalization, there are things to be done now that will benefit both your station and your business community.

Begin with the mindset of supporting your loyal clients and consider approaching the challenge differently than ever before.

During the Great Depression, my grandmother, who operated a clothing store in a small industrial Pennsylvania town, gave her customers credit when times were hard. Now, as opportunities to open retail expand, many businesses will be struggling to regain footing or even to survive. Your willingness to offer advertising credit for a few months could make a significant difference in generating revenue for local retail.

Perhaps you could take one or two days of the week on which you air advertising “on credit” — say, a Sunday/Monday. First, as can be typical, some of the spots would be bonus ads for your best clients. Then, you would air a limited number of units-on-credit — in effect maximizing inventory on your bonus/credit days — for clients who will defer payment for 60 days. You can rotate these clients weekly for equitable distribution.

Could you consider scheduling a limited number of “on credit” remote broadcasts? Perhaps the retailer could compensate the talent with goods/trade, or the “remote” could simply be a phoner with one of your DJs interviewing that business owner about what’s going on with their store or chain. Or you might creatively put several businesses together in a 30-second commercial that focuses on a campaign strategy, such as “Minneapolis Strong: We’re In This Together.”

Another approach might be to shift your attention more toward clients in the service and other industries, who are not reliant on foot traffic. Could you get set up to text coupons or special offers that are promoted on-air? Is there anything you can do to feature businesses that are reopening by using your social platforms or websites?

Naturally, the content of the advertising must reflect the current situation, so you must ensure that copy suitably addresses such topics as social distancing, safety, delivery, special hours of operation and other directives that are unique to the client.

Who Had Their Back?
Working from my dining room table, it’s easy for me to suggest a shift in sales strategy and to be generous with your advertising units. I’m aware that owners and groups will be concerned about setting precedents. However, this time will pass and when that happens, strong relationships will surely drive success.

These are unprecedented times. Perhaps your team developed better ideas than my suggestions. I highly encourage serious discussion about how your station can help stimulate the local economy without destroying your own business, now or in the next business crisis. Letting staff go and totally automating is certainly the most direct approach in cutting expenses, but it does nothing to set stations up for the future. It breaks my heart that some will have no choice.

I will say that my grandmother’s customers never forgot her generosity. Even when larger, name-brand stores with lower prices opened to compete against her, she never lost her loyal customer base. She made a solid community connection, the goal of radio stations everywhere. Especially nowadays.

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

The post This Is the Time to Make Connections appeared first on Radio World.

Westwood One uses the term “remarkable” in describing results of a second study by Nielsen about U.S. consumer sentiment on COVID-19 and their purchasing intentions.

The radio network discussed this survey on its blog, where it frequently points to data about the reach and impact of radio and of radio advertising.

[Read: Radio Listening Audiences Rebound Despite Pandemic Impact]

In its latest, Pierre Bouvard, the chief insights officer for Cumulus Media and Westwood One, compared answers given in a Nielsen survey in late May with one conducted at the end of April. “While only a month separates the two studies, the shift in American attitudes on reopening of the economy and a return to normalcy is remarkable.”

A graphic from the blog post cites J.D. Power data indicating weekly auto sales have recovered sharply since the beginning of April.

It said so-called “ready to go” optimists perceive less risk, feel safer and indicate their cities are emerging from the COVID-19 crisis. These optimists and heavy AM/FM radio listeners “are opening up the economy, with strong lifts in spending on both essentials and nonessentials.”

Home improvement, home services, professional services and auto dealers will be the beneficiaries of strong spending from AM/FM radio listeners, “far greater than from TV viewers,” it said.

Also, it found, driving has increased overall, which in turn has caused AM/FM radio listening to “recover and grow.”

Read the post.

 

The post Bouvard: More People Are “Ready to Go” appeared first on Radio World.

Kongsue Xiong

The MMTC hopes you can help a fellow broadcaster whose business was damaged during the recent protests in St. Paul, Minn. It asks for possible equipment donations or other support.

Kongsue Xiong is an immigrant from Laos, an American citizen and a minority broadcast owner, according to the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. He began working with MMTC, it said, when KFXN(AM) was donated to the organization by iHeartRadio. The station serves the large Hmong-American community in St. Paul with news, talk and entertainment.

[Read: MMTC Incubates New Minority Radio Owners]

“Kongsue ran the station for many years under an LMA; in 2014 he became the licensee and operator of the station. Today he is facing a difficult time keeping his station on the air and dealing with damage to his building, which is an unexpected expense,” MMTC stated in an email. “In the past weeks, prior to the protests his equipment began to fail; he now has to invest in restoring his studio building from the protest damage.”

“MMTC is seeking to assist him to get over this hurdle by soliciting on his behalf radio gear to be donated to Asian American Broadcasting. Please let us know how you might help, reach out to Suzanne Gougherty or David Honig.”

 

The post MMTC Seeks Donated Gear for Broadcaster Hit by Protest appeared first on Radio World.

Super Hi-Fi is celebrating being named winner of the 2020 Midemlab competition for music tech startups in the Music Distribution and Discovery category.

The company has been in the news for its AI-based technology that it says “creates unique audio experiences by weaving together discrete audio elements and music into perfectly-produced, highly engaging listening experiences.”

[Read: iHeart’s Tech Strategy Puts Spotlight on “Super Hi-Fi”]

The technology is used by iHeartRadio, Sonos, TargetSpot and other media companies.

Zack Zalon is co-founder and CEO of Super Hi-Fi. He was quoted in the announcement saying “We believe that differentiation will be the primary driver of growth for the streaming music industry in the coming years, and this award is an excellent proof point that our vision is starting to break through.” Super Hi-Fi noted that past Midemlab winners include familiar names like Soundcloud, Kickstarter, The Echo Nest, NextBigSound and Asaii.

The upcoming June 24 issue of Radio World features an interview with Zack Zalon about Super Hi-Fi’s business and technology.

 

The post Super Hi-Fi Snags Midemlab Honor appeared first on Radio World.

Keyur Parikh has been promoted to become vice president of engineering at GatesAir, succeeding Tony Kobrinetz, who retires.

Parikh most recently was director and VP/GM of the company’s Intraplex Product Group; Ted Lantz now takes on that role.

The manufacturer said Parikh will have “increased responsibilities across engineering team management and system software development for all product lines.” He reports to CEO Bruce Swail.

[Read: GatesAir Boosts Global Sales Team]

“Parikh is the chief architect of GatesAir’s Intraplex IP networking products, and led a global development team that introduced several award-winning products,” the company stated. “His innovations include Intraplex NetXpress, which broke ground in 2005 as the industry’s first IP audio and data multiplexer; the IP Link family of codecs, GatesAir’s flagship product line for the Intraplex business today; and Intraplex Ascent, GatesAir’s first cloud-based transport platform, introduced last year.” It noted that he holds patents for media transport and synchronization over wide-area IP networks, and is a past recipient of Radio World’s Industry Innovator Award.

Swail was quoted saying Parikh did “an excellent job managing a fully integrated Intraplex business unit while maintaining the brand’s industry leadership position.” Swail noted Parikh’s background in software development and systems engineering, saying it is “consistent with GatesAir’s continued product evolution from hardware to software-oriented platforms.”

Radio World welcomes announcements of hires, promotions and retirements of radio technology and engineering professionals. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “People News” in the subject line.

 

The post GatesAir Promotes Parikh to VP of Engineering appeared first on Radio World.

Photo: King Golden

While NAB’s official move into its new headquarters in Washington, D.C., are on hold, the association’s old office is in the process of starting anew.

Photos, credited to King Golden, show that renovations have begun on NAB’s previous headquarters at 1771 N St. NW near Dupont Circle. According to a report from Washington Business Journal, Stream Realty Partners is overseeing the renovation that will include a new facade, rooftop deck and other common-area amenities.

[Read: NAB Buys New Building For $62.8 Million]

Kyle Luby, managing partner for Stream Realty’s D.C. region, told Washington Business Journal the location can be one of the “most unique trophy buildings” in D.C.

At the time of the original report, the expected completion date was February 2021, but it is unclear if/how the coronavirus pandemic may have impacted that deadline.

NAB had planned to move into their new offices, located at One M St. SE, near Nationals Park, this spring, but dates were impacted because of COVID-19. No move-in date has been announced.

 

The post Renovations Underway at Old NAB Headquarters appeared first on Radio World.