Radio World

Robert Orban is a consultant to Orban Labs Inc. He has been developing audio processing algorithms and hardware for broadcast and studio use, including the Optimod line of broadcast processors, for more than 50 years. He holds over 20 U.S. patents.

This is one in a series of interviews from the ebook “Trends in Audio Processing for Radio.”

Radio World: What’s the most important new development in design and use of processors for radio broadcasting?

Bob Orban: There are several possible answers. For some operations, virtualization of processing software has become significant, although putting processing software in the cloud is constrained by the need for reliable, high-quality audio connections with 100% availability. For other operations, compatibility with audio over IP connections and digital composite connections to the transmitter are more important. Others may value the ongoing refinement of processing algorithms that improve stations’ sound.

RW: How different are processing needs of analog broadcast, digital OTA, podcasts and streaming?

Orban: The processing for these transmission channels can be very similar except for the peak limiting technology.

For analog AM and FM, peak limiters must not pump or compromise loudness when faced with preemphasized signals, which implies clipping-like limiting with sophisticated distortion control.

For the other transmission channels, all of which include lossy codecs with no preemphasis, it is more important not to waste bits by encoding limiter-induced distortion spectrum, so limiters for these services should be very clean spectrally.

Additionally, some streamers may wish to use static file normalization to a target loudness instead of radio-style processing, although static normalization does not handle transitions and voiceovers nearly as well.

RW: What is the impact of the cloud, virtualization and SaaS on the processing marketplace? 

Orban: There is considerable interest in these concepts. However, moving the audio in and out of the cloud without dropouts, glitches and/or unacceptable latency is challenging.

Broadcasters must make a choice between the reliability and low latency of the current hardware processor infrastructure and the potential convenience of not having to own and maintain processing hardware. Orban offers products for both scenarios.

I find it interesting that there seems to be a backlash developing regarding putting everything in the cloud, with some players moving infrastructure requiring high performance back from the “cloud” to the “edge.”

RW: With audio coming from so many locations, what role do loudness and loudness range (LRA) play? Will future audio processors have monitoring capability for both on-air and streams?

Orban: As a member of the AES committee working on revising the AES TD1004.1.15-10 “Recommendation for Loudness of Audio Streaming and Network File Playback,” I am familiar with how industry experts in this area are thinking. We all agree that it is important to have consistent loudness between streams so that consumer can switch between streams without uncomfortable loudness jumps, and the ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement algorithm has been standardized for that purpose despite some limitations.

For example, its relative simplicity causes it to handle speech and music such that speech needs to be normalized about 3 LU below music for an esthetically pleasing balance between speech segments and music segments in a program.

As for LRA, its main values in the context of processing are, first, to help users assess if a single BS.1770 integrated loudness measurement corresponds well to perceived content loudness (high-LRA content will have parts whose short-term loudness is very different from its integrated loudness value), and second, to help users decide if dynamic range reduction for high-LRA content will provide a better listening experience to listeners in typical environments.

As for monitoring capability, most of Orban’s Optimod-FM processors and all of its streaming processors — Optimod 6200, 1101e, and 1600PCn — have had built-in BS.1770 loudness metering for several years, and some also include the CBS loudness measuring algorithm, which uses a more sophisticated psychoacoustic model than BS.1770. Additionally, Optimod-TV 8685 provides loudness measurement and automatic logging. No Orban processor displays LRA, but our free loudness meter software for Windows and MacOS (http://orban.com/meter) does this and more, and also allows logging and file analysis.

RW: Has processing attained a state of “hypercompression” from which there has been little change in how loud one can make over-the-air audio?

Orban: I agree that this is true for FM processing, and most improvements in FM processing are refinements. However, our new XPN-AM incorporates our MX limiter technology for the first time in an Orban AM processor, and this has enabled as much as 2 dB of increased modulation density for a given perceived distortion level compared to previous Orban AM processors. This provides meaningfully improved ability to increase coverage, to reduce power bills when using AM transmitters with dynamic carrier control technology, or to split the difference.

Given the ever-increasing amount of noise in the AM band and the financial challenges of maintaining an AM operation, we feel that XPN-AM processing helps support the economic viability of the AM service.

For both AM or FM, more sophisticated processing algorithms enable higher levels of perceived quality for a given loudness level, and these advantages remain if broadcasters choose to back off average modulation levels to improve quality.

RW: We read the processing can mitigate FM stereo multipath distortion and reduce clipping distortion in source content. How can buyers evaluate these claims, and could the industry develop third-party psychoacoustic testing to learn how listeners rate these features?

Orban: Orban backs up its claims in this area with white papers and conference presentations that show objective measurements supporting our claims. Several of our product manuals include the white paper “Measuring the Improvements in Optimod-FM xxxx’s FM Peak Limiting Technology,” and I have been doing presentations at local SBE chapter meetings that include measurements showing how our “Multipath Mitigator” phase corrector reduces the peak and average L–R stereo subchannel modulation. This reduces multipath distortion because it is well-established that the stereo subchannel is much more vulnerable to multipath distortion than the stereo main channel.

While it is of course possible to do third-party scientific testing that further backs up these claims, we believe that each station’s situation is unique, particularly regarding its multipath environment, and that the most significant testing is on-air testing at a given station’s own facility. Our processors offer the user the ability to turn the improved algorithms on and off, so it is easy to do comparison testing.

The post Moving Audio in the Cloud Brings Challenges appeared first on Radio World.

The guy who never threw away his shot will be honored by the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of “Hamilton” and “In the Heights,” will receive its 2021 Service to America Leadership Award.

The foundation will honor him for advocacy and support for the Latino community and the arts during its annual Celebration of Service to America Awards next month.

The Service to America Leadership Award “recognizes individuals and organizations responsible for improving the lives of others through extraordinary public service.”

The film version of “In the Heights” debuts this week.

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith saluted Miranda’s artistic accomplishments and continued, “He has matched his outstanding success with an outspoken advocacy for Puerto Rico and the arts, and a steadfast commitment to helping communities grow, learn and thrive.”

Miranda’s good works include helping the Hispanic Federation support relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria and launching Raise Up, a fundraising campaign to support the Hispanic Federation Emergency Assistance Fund.

He and the Flamboyan Foundation launched the Flamboyan Arts Fund in 2018, raising money for the arts and artisans in Puerto Rico.

And Miranda, Jeffrey Seller and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History created the Hamilton Education Program to help educators integrate the arts and creativity in the study of the revolutionary and founding era. The program relies on original historic documents to inspire artistic pieces.

The post NAB Foundation Will Honor Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared first on Radio World.

RF manufacturer Nautel is running an HD Radio promotion on its VS and VSHD products that aims at the lower-power FM market but may interest other users as well.

“Low-power FM operations that are interested in the benefits and versatility of HD may not have been able to make the conversion due to cost,” said John Whyte, Nautel head of marketing in a release.

“We’re bringing these capabilities within reach through temporary, significant cost reductions in the VSHD upgrade for existing VS Series transmitters. The VS2.5 Analog/Digital FM transmitter is also available at a special price and is ideal for either analog or digital transmission.”

The VS Series is available in 300 W, 1000 W and 2.5 kW. Beyond lower-power FMs and LPFMs, Whyte said bigger stations might use Nautel VS Series transmitters as backups.

The VSHD is type certified for LPFM use in the United States. The company noted that HD Radio installations require an Xperi station license and a Nautel HD Multicast+ Importer/Exporter.

The promotion is for customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The post Nautel Highlights HD for Lower-Power FM appeared first on Radio World.

The European Broadcasting Union has announced a pair of engineering awards.

Sweden’s Sveriges Radio’s News Values project was cited for the association’s Technology and Innovation Award.

According to a release, the “technical ingenuity” is what interested the award committee. “Editors rate every news story on three dimensions: magnitude, life span and, crucially, the degree to which it embodies ‘SR values.’ In this way, every item gets a score that is used by the algorithm to automatically generate news playlists for each local SR station. The system is also used internally by the national news team to discover the most interesting stories from around the country.”

Chair of the EBU Technical Committee Judy Parnall said, “This is a perfect example of technical ingenuity being combined with public service values, helping Sveriges Radio to better fulfill its mission.”

Irene Nikkarinen at Finland broadcaster Yle is the recipient of the very first EBU Young Engineers and Researchers Award. The release explained she received the award for “her work on adapting and training an open-source metadata tool” that “is improving the findability of Yle content on its online platforms and apps.”

EBU Technology & Innovation Department Director Antonio Arcidiacono said, “Irene Nikkarinen is a perfect example of the kinds of profile that will ensure public service media remain at the cutting edge when it comes to innovation in media technology.”

The post Sveriges Radio Receives EBU Tech & Innovation Award appeared first on Radio World.

Longtime radio engineering executive Norm Philips is among the industry leaders who will be honored this year by the Texas Association of Broadcasters.

TAB also introduced the inaugural class of its Hightower Award winners, named in honor of the late Jason Hightower, who was a TAB chairman and owner/operator of KMOO(FM) in Mineola, Texas.

 Its Annual Awards Gala will be held in August as part of the TABShow in Austin. The recipients were announced by TAB President Oscar Rodriguez.

[Read: TAB Is Ready for an In-Person Show in 12 Weeks]

“Texas broadcasting is nothing without the passionate and dedicated leadership of individual men and women who take to heart the federal license to do good for the communities they serve, and no one embodies that spirit greater than the six radio and TV broadcasters we’re honoring this year,” he said.

Norm Philips will receive the George Marti Award for Engineering Excellence.

“Texas radio engineering and the name Norm Philips go hand in hand,” TAB wrote in its announcement. “He spent the bulk of his career directing engineering operations for Susquehanna, Cumulus, GAP and Townsquare Media stations in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta, Denver and several other markets.”

As one of two engineering VPs for Townsquare, Philips managed nearly 200 stations. TAB said he “has inspired a legion of broadcast engineers who are sustaining radio stations throughout Texas today.” Philips retired in 2016.

Here are the names and bios of the other recipients:

Pioneer Broadcaster of the Year: Mark Grubbs, Ranch Radio Group, Kerrville — “Since 1993, Mark Grubbs has been owner/operator of the Ranch Radio Group stations in the Texas Hill Country,” TAB wrote. “As a ‘consummate radio guy,’ he is always looking for opportunities to serve his community, either with new promotion, programming, and marketing strategies to better serve listeners and local businesses, or a soulful solution to a pressing need. Whether it’s serving as the official radio station for the Gillespie County Fair or raising money for 4-H and FFA scholarships, Grubbs’ passion for serving his community is woven seamlessly into everything he and the Ranch Staff do.”

Broadcaster of the Year: Marty Wind, KLUX(FM), Corpus Christi — “After 38 years, Marty Wind recently retired from managing KLUX, a station he helped start for the Diocesan Telecommunications Corp. He introduced digital radio broadcasting to the Coastal Bend area in 2006 and today, noncommercial station KLUX is a market leader in public service, with a long list of achievements highlighted by courageous endeavors to stay on-air even in the worst of hurricanes. Wind’s heartfelt commitment to his fellow broadcasters and listeners is unmatched. Whether it be technical advice, emergency news and information, education or inspiration and relaxation, Wind is there to serve and protect the people of the Coastal Bend.”

Jason Hightower Awards for Broadcast Excellence — This award recognizes those with at least 10 years in the broadcast industry who have demonstrated a proficiency for enterprise and innovation in servicing their stations’ audience, advertisers and communities. The recipients are Melissa Rivera, digital sales manager for Townsquare Media Victoria; Joe Ellis, executive investigative reporter at KVUE(TV) in Austin; and Josh Gorbutt, news director for KBTX(TV) in Bryan-College Station.

The post TAB Will Honor Norm Philips appeared first on Radio World.

What’s your favorite mic and why? Which models do you use for remote work, news or live sound?

We’ve been asking radio professionals to share their preferences. Here are four more as we celebrate Microphone Month at Radio World.

Director of engineering/IT, Leighton Broadcasting 

Abfalter goes with the proven quality of the Electro-Voice models RE20, RE27 and RE320. Same with specialty applications.

As far as he’s concerned, “No sense in trading quality outside the studio.”

He’s a believer in doing your research and talking to the air staff, and then ultimately making your own call. “There’s no right answer.”

Chief engineer, Salem Media New York, and chief engineer, WRHU Radio Hofstra University

“The Shure SM7B packs a great punch at a reasonable cost,” Gladding says when asked for his choice in a radio studio.

“I really like how the pattern and dynamic response lends itself to both experienced and novice users.”

For remote podcasting, he recommends the EV RE20. “It seems to handle room noise fairly well and is fairly easy to use. Plus it can sound really fabulous when paired with a decent mic processor or preamp.”

When working with student engineers, he encourages them to start with the basics.

“Higher cost doesn’t always equal better quality. Knowledge of good mic placement and usage is more important than specs.”

Broadcast Engineer, Radio Mozambique

For on-air work, count him as a fan of the Electro-Voice RE20 and its effective management of proximity effect. 

“Normally the dynamic mics are susceptible to external inductions, a problem that I faced for a long time with the AKG D3800 and only was overcome with the RE20,” he said.

Out in the field, he turns to the Sennheiser MD46, a dynamic cardioid with clear voice pickup.

“The metallic envelope provides good robustness, especially for a reporter in the field; it can fall and resist the impact without damage. Excellent response for reporting on the go.”

94.7 and The Mighty 790 KGHL

Josh Rath is the programming manager and afternoon drive host on “94.7 and The Mighty 790 KGHL,” which is KGHL(AM) and its FM translator. He also oversees IT operations for Northern Broadcasting System with its 70 or so radio affiliates across four states. Both are based in Billings, Mont.

He too is a fan of the Shure SM7B for studio work. “I’m sure more than half the industry would say the same; but you simply cannot beat a legendary microphone with a build quality tougher than the Terminator.”

He adds that the company is beginning the process of a complete AOIP transition.

“If you have the ability, start with all-digital end to end. Provides you total control, all from a nice digital dashboard, of your mic EQ, gate and more.”

Chief Engineer-Portland for Alpha Media

The Sennheiser MD421-II and the Electro-Voice RE20 are his picks for on-air work. “Both are excellent for just about any type of voice, but the MD421 with the roll-off switch in the flat position, marked M for Music, is hard to beat.”

For specialty environments, it depends on the application, but the one he has found the most forgiving is the Shure SM7B. “In an ideal acoustical situation, add a Cloudlifter and it really comes to life.”

Waage puts the emphasis on proper mic technique. “If you’re making an investment to improve your sound quality, learn how to use that tool.”

Read more of our coverage:

Today’s Microphones Offer a Buffet of Choice

The post Pros Tell Us About Their Favorite Mics appeared first on Radio World.

In the June 9 issue of Radio World there is a nifty free poster from Rohde & Schwarz. The top story looks at how automotive OEMs are expanding their use of the Android Automotive operating system. Several major broadcast organizations have joined with NAB PILOT and Xperi, hoping to ensure that radio is appropriately represented.

There’s the story on an all-digital AM station in the suburbs near the Big Apple.

Plus, a chat with Oliver Berliner, grandson of Emile.

Don’t miss the Buyer’s Guide — Apps for Radio Technology, with helpful apps from Burk Technology, Cloud Cast Systems, Comrex, ENCO, Nautel, Telos Alliance, Tieline, Wheatstone and Xperi.

Read the issue.

The post Inside the June 9, 2021 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters is among several organizations pledging to strengthen “diversity, equity and inclusion” in government relations.

“NAB is proud to be one of four early adopters of the DGR pledge, along with America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), Signal Group and Women’s Global Impact Initiative,” wrote Vice President of Government Relations Charlyn Stanberry, who joined NAB in April.

“As we continue to advocate before members of Congress and the administration, we will continue to recruit, hire and promote talent that represents the richness of our nation and broadcasting ecosystem.”

The pledge is an initiative of the DGR Coalition. Stanberry wrote about NAB’s perspective on the issue in a blog post about the pledge.

“While there is still much work to be done, one of the unique aspects local broadcasters have is their ability to reflect the diverse communities they serve,” she wrote. “This effort extends to the work we do within NAB.”

The post NAB Supports “DGR Pledge” appeared first on Radio World.

From our “Who’s Buying What” page: OmniPlayer said that Flemish broadcaster VRT will use OmniPlayer 3 Radio Automation software in Flanders to support several radio stations.

“Flemish public broadcast corporation VRT will start using the Dutch OmniPlayer system for their stations Radio 1, Radio 2, Klara, MNM, Studio Brussel, streaming, DAB+ channels, VRT Nieuwsdienst and Sporza,” the manufacturer stated.

[See More Equipment Sales News at Our Who’s Buying What Page]

“This investment is partially inspired by the technological changes that are coming soon, in perspective of the new office building.”

It said the system will connect with the iNews editorial system via MOS and integrate with MusicMaster and with Radiomanager by Pluxbox.

Wim Ermens is project manager technology at VRT.

Submit announcements for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post VRT to Use OmniPlayer in Flanders appeared first on Radio World.

Perhaps the greatest negative impact that COVID has had on radio, according to Jacob Media’s TechSurvey 2021, has been on AM/FM listening in the automotive mediascape. The short answer as to why might be more time spent at home, and less in cars. It’s more complicated than that, though. Information provided in the recent survey focuses on that. Some of the information seems to contradict. Fasten your seat belt, this could be a rough ride.

Of the leading 71% who said they spent less time listening to radio, spending less time in the car was the main reason they gave. This documents a well-established trend, AM/FM has been losing ground in the home to smart speakers and streaming media for some time. The last bastion is the car, and now that is under siege.

Advances in automotive entertainment system technology is also having an impact, according to TS 2021. Newer vehicles make it easy to connect smartphones into the system, and younger drivers especially, seem to be doing so. The spread ranges from the Greatest Generation’s 67% to Gen Z and Millennials’ 85%.

Get ready for a sudden lane change. TS 2021 says that the most important feature for those buying or leasing new cars is FM radio, with 74%, followed closely by Bluetooth, with 73%. AM radio ranks 6th with 34% overall, with a callout noting it is 59% for news/talk listeners, and 44% for sports radio fans. An interesting note is that the CD player now follows AM radio in the 7th position with a distant 29%.

All of that being said, when asked what percentage of time in the car they spent with each entertainment source, AM/FM is the clear winner with 58%. SiriusXM is a distant second with 18% of respondents. The data suggests that while people are spending less time in the car than they used to, they still prefer radio when they are behind the wheel.

When the survey factors in those who own “connected cars,” AM/FM still leads, but the number has slipped to less than half, with 49%. SiriusXM is still number two, with 24%.

It’s hard to get an exact fix on radio usage in the car, there are so many factors and different ways of looking at the data that is presented. Perhaps the 10,000-foot view is that all analog media is slowly losing ground to digital. One constant that this data seems to demonstrate is that localism still matters, and while AM/FM may be slipping in some categories, there seems to be a commensurate gain in listening to the hometown stream.

The post Radio Hits a Bumpy Road in the Car Mediascape appeared first on Radio World.

SBE Chapter 15 in New York City is honoring the late Chris Tobin.

Tobin, who died in December, was named the chapter’s 2021 Engineer of the Year.

“Chris had been an active member of Chapter 15 dating back to the early 1980s and, over the years, he held a variety of chapter officer roles, including that of chapter president,” the chapter wrote on its website.

“In addition to his dedication to the chapter, Chris took an avid interest in new technology education and for many years, co-hosted the ‘This Week in Radio Technology’ video podcast. During his career, Chris worked at a range of prestigious broadcast companies, including ABC Radio Network, WINS(AM), Westwood One and eventually stepped into the position of chief technology officer at WBGO(FM).”

In his honor the chapter made a $1,000 donation to the SBE Scholarship Fund. The award will be presented to his wife Lisa.

The post SBE Chapter 15 Honors Chris Tobin appeared first on Radio World.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council has announced that Robert Branson is the new president and CEO of the group as of June 1, as Maurita Coley officially retires.

Branson is a former Federal Communications Commission staff advisor along with a media and telecom industry lawyer who spent time at Verizon, Association of Local Television Stations, National Association of Broadcasters and Post/Newsweek Stations. He is also former president of the Federal Communications Bar Association.

MMTC Board Chair and Treasurer Ronald Johnson said, “Given President Branson’s many years of service in government and in the private sector public and private entities, he is the perfect person to lead MMTC. We extend our deepest appreciation and many thanks to Maurita Coley who has, since 2012, served us admirably, with unparalleled integrity and transparency.”

The post Branson Takes Over at MMTC as Coley Retires appeared first on Radio World.

“Reinvention” will be on the agenda for the closing session of the fall Radio Show.

Rishad Tobaccowala will keynote the session on Thursday, Oct. 14.

[Related: “The Fall Radio Show Will Be at the Westgate”]

“The session will focus on the continued transformation happening across the media ecosystem, changing consumer behavior, and what it means for radio,” according to organizers at the National Association of Broadcasters and the Radio Advertising Bureau.

His talk is titled “The Great Reinvention: What Does That Look Like in 2022 and Beyond?”

Tobaccowala is a senior advisor to Publicis Groupe, where he was chief growth officer, overseeing business development for clients. He wrote the book “Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data.” Show organizers said he is considered a pioneer in digital marketing.

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When Jacobs Media rolled out Tech Survey 2021, part of what it revealed was which aspects of media usage had been affected by COVID-19, and how. Their research suggests that hometown station listening is up, and that streaming video, internet use, social media and music streaming is also on the rise. All of these trends were well underway before COVID, but the social and economic upheaval of the past 13 months seems to have amped up the rate of change.

Almost half of the respondents reported watching streaming video daily, and weekly usage is now more than three in four. Since TS 2017, according to the survey, the weekly numbers have increased ten percentage points from 66–76%. Most of the users were in the Gen Z and Millennial groups, who are tied with 93%.

[Read: Amidst Social and Economic Upheaval, Radio Continues to Flourish]

Half of those surveyed said they listened to streaming audio daily. Weekly usage is also on an uptick, and, no surprise, the numbers skew up towards the younger demographic. As with streaming video, streaming audio has also seen a ten percentage point uptick since TS 2017, increasing from 58–68%.

The research turned up another bright spot for broadcasters. It says those who listened to streaming audio regularly, tuned inmost to the hometown stream, with 68%, far ahead of Pandora, with 27%; other radio station streams, with 26% and YouTube, holding 25%.

Several years ago, many broadcasters and groups invested heavily in more robust streaming technology. At the time, it was a bit of a gamble, as on-air listeners still outnumbered online listeners. Now, that gamble seems to have paid off.

In the surprise category are the numbers on paid audio and video streaming services. Seventy percent of video users are paying for two or more services, while just 27% pay for two or more audio services. These numbers are startling because some industry analysts predicted a sharp decline in subscription services due to a floundering economy and job loss.

All of that being said, over 60% of those polled say subscription costs for audio and video services are a concern.

The post Survey Surprises With Superb Statistics for Subscription Services appeared first on Radio World.

The announcement was made by Wayne Pecena, president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

To give you an idea of how deep Imlay’s roots are with the SBE: His first case was to try to appeal the FCC decision to eliminate the First Class Radiotelephone License. He said his SBE role has “allowed me to do what I do best: defending spectrum allocations of clients and participating in technical regulatory proceedings.”

[Read Chris Imlay’s Contributions to Radio World]

“Chris has worked with the SBE since 1980, and has been the SBE’s general counsel since 1991,” the society stated. Pecena called him “a valuable resource for and asset to the SBE over the past 41 years. He has also been a staunch advocate for the SBE’s goals and objectives. He is a tough act to follow.”

The society said it will split Imlay’s duties; it plans a process to find a replacement communications counsel, and also will hire an attorney for business matters based near its headquarters in Indianapolis.

Meanwhile Imlay will continue to work part-time for other long-term clients.

In the announcement, he was quoted describing himself as “a down-in-the-trenches communications lawyer” who loved working with broadcast engineers. And for 37 years until 2018, Imlay also was general counsel for ARRL, the national association for amateur radio; he is former president of the Foundation for Amateur Radio and recently was inducted into the CQ magazine Hall of Fame.

Several commentaries by Chris Imlay have appeared in Radio World in recent years, on topics such as engineer ethics and the idea of broadcasters as “first responders.” Read those here.

SBE said Imlay has worked for 22 SBE presidents and was elected a Fellow of the SBE in 1997.

According to SBE’s summary of his career, Imlay began working in law in 1975 and in communications in 1979 when he joined Booth and Freret.

When SBE sought to administratively appeal the decision to eliminate the First Phone, SBE President Bob Jones retained Bob Booth for the work, and Booth assigned the task to Imlay. The society regained him as communications counsel in 1984 and named him general counsel in 1991.

He was a partner with Booth, Freret and Imlay from 1981 to 1995; president of Booth, Freret, Imlay & Tepper, P.C., from 1995 to 2014; and managing member, Booth, Freret & Imlay, LLC, 2014 to present.

Other clients in federal communications law have included big names like JVCKenwood USA, the National Football League, NASCAR and Goodyear, as well as many TV and radio stations, common carrier and private wireless licensees, as well as video production companies, auto racing sponsors and speedways; and equipment manufacturers.

The post Imlay Will Retire as SBE General Counsel appeared first on Radio World.

The Vermont Association of Broadcasters announced it will hold its annual convention in August.

VAB had to cancel last year because of the pandemic.

The 65th Annual VAB Convention and Production of the Year Award Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the association’s newsletter.

“Our new venue, Lareau Farm Inn, is home to the original American Flatbread in Waitsfield, Vt., and features two outdoor covered pavilions where we’ll spend the day learning, laughing and socializing again,” VAB wrote.

Details and schedule are to follow at the VAB website.

Send your event news and updates to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post VAB Will Hold Annual Convention in August appeared first on Radio World.

Advocates of low-power FM in the United States are hoping that the Federal Communications Commission will adopt a proposal to raise the maximum power level for many stations from 100 to 250 watts.

It’s not a new idea, but supporters are excited because the commission recently opened a 30-day window for public comments on a fresh petition from REC Networks. This has led some to speculate that under a Democratic presidential administration, the FCC may be more willing to entertain the idea.

The proposal to amend Parts 73 and 74 of the rules was submitted by Michelle Bradley, founder of REC Networks. Bradley says the dial can accommodate the change, noting that nearly two-thirds of LPFM stations are outside of the top 100 Nielsen Audio markets and that only 15% are in “deep-urban areas.”

In the summary, Bradley gave a brief history of the 250-watt debate and proposals since 2012 and why she is updating the proposal now, including changes to address concerns that had been raised about the earlier versions.

[Read the proposal.]

Among stations in support is WXOX(LP), “Art FM,” in Louisville, Ky. The station emailed its community calling this “a very exciting and unexpected opportunity that would help our low-power stations exponentially.” It asked supporters to file comments by the June 20 deadline.

“Discuss technical issues with the current 100 watts permitted by the FCC,” it suggested. “This includes inability to get FM signal beyond a few miles from the transmitter site and difficulty receiving FM signal inside certain buildings within this limited range. Discuss local populations that may be excluded by the low wattage.”

Specifically, the new proposal would would create an LP250 class of service with an effective service contour of about 4-1/2 miles, in addition to the current LP100 service.

The maximum height above average terrain would be 451 meters or 1,479 feet.

There would be a second distance separation table for the new class that includes distances up to 9 km longer than the LP100 service.

Bradley said the proposal “fully respects the 20-kilometer buffer zone” and includes a suggested policy for upgrades on stations that are already second-adjacent short-spaced. She said the proposal does not add any new processes that would involve a contour study. It would allow class upgrades and downgrades as a minor change as long as other minor change criteria are met.

It also suggests a “launch window” method to manage an expected rush of stations wanting to upgrade. And it proposes a simplified RF radiation standard similar to the one used in LP100.

“In other words, this is simply like the LP100 service that has been around for the past 20 years, but just an add-on with the LP250 ‘numbers,’” Bradley wrote. “Or, in other words, simple.”

[A separate appendix to the proposal lists upgrade implications for all existing LPFMs, read that here.]

Bradley said the new proposal addresses past concerns about 250 watts. For example she submitted the accompanying image showing three hypothetical LPFM facilities.

Their class-standard interfering contours are in red, the full-service station’s protected contour is in green and the buffer zone is in orange 20 kilometers outside of the green protected contour curve.

The LPFM curve at the top depicts an LP100 station under current rules. The middle curve (OLD250) depicts a method proposed earlier in which the buffer zone is penetrated to keep minimum distance separation. The bottom curve (NEW250) depicts what is being proposed.

By increasing the distances for the LP250 class on co- and first-adjacent channels, Bradley says the proposal satisfies the commission’s past concerns.

Comments can be submitted at the FCC comment system. Refer to Proceeding RM-11909.

The post LPFMs Are Hopeful About “Simple LP250” appeared first on Radio World.

Quu Inc. and vCreative announced an integration.

“vCreative customers can now publish messages on car dashboards for their clients that use Quu’s advertising services,” they said in an announcement.

vCreative provides media production workflow solutions. Quu adds dynamic visuals to radio broadcasts.

Quu’s system lets stations publish programming and sales messages called Visual Quus that it says helps with upsells and makes ads more effective. With this integration, radio stations now can produce and send those Visual Quus via the vCreative vPPO production workflow system.

The announcement was made by  Susie Hedrick, CEO of vCreative, and Steve Newberry, CEO of Quu.

The post vCreative Can Now Publish to Quu appeared first on Radio World.

Wedel Software has hired Rick Rowland as an onboarding manager for its new Adthos Platform.

“Rick has been working in the industry for more than 30 years and has, by his own admission, held just about every radio station role within that time,” the company said in its announcement.

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“Not only that, but he’s also designed his own suite of radio software focused on media readiness, commercial reconciliation and daily file readiness.”

Rowland’s products include Power-Link Software Systems and Proof of Play.

The hire was announced by CEO Raoul Wedel. The company introduced the Adthos ad sales platform this month.

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

The post Wedel Hires Rowland in Adthos Role appeared first on Radio World.

AEQ has a new codec for remote broadcasting; we asked Roberto Tejero, right, AEQ product manager and expert trainer, about it as part of our recent ebook about remote radio.

RW: What prompted it, and how does it reflect trends in radio workflows?

Roberto Tejero: Radio has historically been the most flexible, immediate and dynamic media. Stations have been trying for a long time to prevent regular contributors or collaborators having to travel to the station. Thousands of ALIO audio codecs have been installed on the home desks of regular participants of talk shows, commentators, correspondents and experts.

The pandemic has accelerated the trend. After the first confinement, all radio organizations have begun to facilitate technical resources so that their hosts and regular guests and contributors can work remotely.

The budget for this has put a lot of strain on many stations, and they have started looking for non-professional solutions. Dropouts, artifacts and faulty sound are common. 

Our mission is to adapt to the needs of changing environments. After almost exhausting our stock of the Phoenix ALIO portable audio codec, and seeing the need to produce a device that is easier to operate, adapted to non-technical personnel, we developed TALENT, which is a new portable audio codec, with fantastic design and small dimensions. 

It is simple to connect and allows transmission of a high-quality stereo audio channel. With a simple, domestic internet connection or wireless 3G / 4G / 5G data and a headset, you can make radio at home or from anywhere easily and safely.

RW: Generally speaking, what level of home connectivity is needed to create reliable work-from-home operations?

Tejero: This problem doesn’t have a single solution. It depends on the quality of service of the telecommunications infrastructure at each location. 

In many countries it is essential to be able to request a connection with guaranteed QoS from the service provider, either wired or wireless.

The good news is that a high-capacity connection is normally not required to be able to operate audio codecs from a remote location or home. A stable connection is enough to provide sufficient bandwidth for the encoding algorithm used. 

An ideal environment is the use of fiber optics, but it is also possible to use ADSL connections if they have reasonable latency and bandwidth. In numbers, for radio broadcast quality, OPUS encoding, a stable bandwidth of 400 kbps and a latency of less than 100 ms is sufficient.

RW: What other considerations are stations dealing with now? 

Tejero: There are many challenges when it comes to outside radio broadcasting. Almost more important than latency and audio quality are the costs involved. This affects both large corporations and small radio stations to different degrees. 

The fact that hosts are producing their shows from home at least implies a minimum investment in audio codecs. This expense can be multiplied by hundreds of audio codecs for each possible collaborator who goes on the air. 

In addition to responding to the requirements of simple handling, TALENT has a suitable price for any broadcaster. It eliminates the need to purchase more expensive audio codecs or the purchase of mobile devices dedicated exclusively to broadcast software applications.

RW: Are air talent connecting wirelessly or via wired connection from home?

Tejero: That depends on the country. For example, in Spain, wired connections are the most reliable. This is the case in the urban areas of most developed countries. 

In rural areas and countries with lower levels of development, quality wired connections are not always available and it may be a better solution to use a 3G / 4G router modem. 

To respond to this situation, TALENT has an Ethernet interface through which it allows both wired and wireless connections. This interface can be connected to a local network with connectivity to a fiber optic service provider network, domestic ADSL or other wired connection. But you can also connect to a wireless router that provides connectivity through WiFi or through 3G / 4G / 5G wireless phone networks.

RW: Anything else we should know? 

Tejero: We want to highlight the benefits that we have incorporated into a basic device as TALENT.

It does not need to be configured or operated by the user. You can simply speak without needing to touch any buttons, except Help if required. It also has a local app for smartphone, TALENT Pilot, allowing the user to control and configure the audio codec.

It supports all types of headphones, low or high impedance, and microphones, dynamic and condenser, as it features phantom power. It also has a Bluetooth connection so you can connect it to your mobile phone, do phone interviews and send them mixed to the studio.

It can be powered in many ways, depending on where and how you are: from the USB outlet of a PC, from a 5 to 15 volt outlet, such as a vehicle battery or a power bank, or from the mains power supply that comes with the unit.

Operation is very intuitive. It is intended for personnel without prior technical knowledge. Typically the station’s technician will hand it over to the user, ready to connect to the domestic router and the power source and start working.

For local control, the Talent audio codec has indicators and basic controls to make the necessary adjustments during the broadcast. It also has the app for smartphone so that somewhat expert users can connect it in places other than their home.

TALENT, connected by Bluetooth to a smartphone, allows you make telephone interviews or, alternatively, through applications such as Skype, WhatsApp or Zoom, among others. These latter provide high quality to the interviewee’s voice and mix them to program signal sent to the station through the IP connection.

Further, TALENT can be controlled remotely. This operation can be in parallel or even overriding the local controls of the equipment. Therefore, one of the most important buttons is the “HELP” button. This is used to call for attention or request remote assistance from the station’s technician.

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