Industry News

A joint venture of Sinclair Broadcast Group and South Korea’s SK Telecom designed to spur the growth and adoption of ATSC 3.0 by broadcast television in the U.S. is poised to introduce “breakthrough, next-generation broadcasting technology” both stateside and in South Korea by the end of 2021.

The companies’ CAST.ERA is moving forward with the rollout of “OTT broadcast technology,” which just saw successful trials on South Korea’s Jeju Island.

The new technology will enable SK and Sinclair to broadcast ultra-HD (UHD) video with low-to-zero latency to next-generation TVs and mobile devices.

CAST.ERA’s technology is a convergence of telecom’s 5G standard and ATSC 3.0, the new standard set by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for UHD broadcasting.

CAST.ERA, based in Arlington, Va., will provide broadcast solutions to U.S. and Korea distribution companies, including Sinclair’s “major” U.S. television stations as well as Korea media entities Kai Media, ATBiS, DigiCAP and Hasigancom.

When paired with next-generation TVs and mobile devices, the CAST.ERA technology will make it possible for viewers to receive high-quality video, datacasting through OTA (over-to-air), and live TV broadcasts via OTT (over-the-top) platforms at home or on the go with minimal lag in transmission times.

The technology will also enable broadcasters to dynamically insert personalized advertisements during commercial breaks for each viewer via the OTT broadcast service.

The new 5G-ATSC 3.0 technologies being launched include:

• AI Upscaler – a technology designed to create high-quality broadcast video in real-time by converting and upgrading the broadcast resolution, frame frequency, color gamut, and format through the use of an artificial intelligence learning engine’s operational management.
• Virtualized Broadcasting Platform – a new technology utilizing cloud and mobile edge computing that successfully operates and remotely controls the transmission system of broadcast stations from a centralized location. Currently, broadcast companies must build dedicated transmission equipment that is manually operated at each local station. This new platform will provide more efficient and economical operations.
• Zero-Latency OTT – a technology that reduces the delay time for OTT video streaming to a television or mobile device from nine seconds to zero. It can also dynamically insert personalized advertisements for each OTT user during commercial breaks.
• Datacasting – the introduction of ATSC 3.0 and its robust propagation characteristics will provide this capability, making it possible to distribute large amounts of data via TV broadcast signals.

“We plan to introduce the cloud-based, AI-driven next-generation TV broadcasting solutions into the U.S. market this year,” said CAST.ERA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Gage. “These solutions will help accelerate U.S. broadcasters’ deployment of next-generation TV broadcasting services into the market.”

Launched in early 2020, CAST.ERA combines SK Telecom’s telecommunication technologies with Sinclair’s broadcasting infrastructure and engineering expertise to bring to market all the new capabilities that ATSC 3.0 provides. SK Telecom is Korea’s largest mobile telecommunications provider and launched the world’s first 5G smartphone service. Sinclair is a leading proponent of ATSC 3.0

Sinclair Chief Technology Officer Del Parks commented, “Bringing together the technologies and expertise that these two companies possess will help unlock the huge potential that ATSC 3.0 has for delivering IP content efficiently over large geographic areas covered by our TV signal. These technologies are a game changer. Our new abilities to provide improved viewer experience and access to new business models, like data delivery as a service (Ddaas), is one of the most exciting things to happen to our business since HDTV.”

The companies established a 5G-ATSC 3.0 testbed at Jeju Technopark in South Korea, where the trials were successfully conducted to prove that advanced high-quality broadcasting services were possible. The demonstration began with a transmission from Las Vegas to Jeju Island, where CAST.ERA successfully completed the trials with the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea Communications Commission (KCC), Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA), Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Korean broadcasters, and select partner companies.

Another significant event was the demonstration by CAST.ERA with Doosan and MBC of a highly accurate location service that carries GPS position correction data (MBC RTK) on the ATSC 3.0 broadcast frequency and transmits it to a Doosan hydrogen fuel cell drone. The distance recognition of a drone based on today’s GPS location data has an error range of 1 to 2 meters. But through the data correction, it can be reduced to 10 centimeters. This location augmentation technology offers high accuracy and availability in the Korean and U.S. markets, where major ICT industries such as unmanned delivery and smart agriculture are emerging.

“5G and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies bring significant change and opportunity for the future of the global media industry,” said Yoon Kim, Chief Technology Officer at SK Telecom. “The joining of SK Telecom’s telecommunications technology and Sinclair’s service leadership will continue to position CAST.ERA as a leader in the global media technology market.”

— RBR+TVBR Washington Bureau

It’s official.

The association representing the interests of broadcast media translator stations will be holding a live, in-person convention next month in Salt Lake City.

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New Media Optimism in the Traditional Video Landscape

That’s the theme for this year’s Kagan Media Summit, which participants will again be enjoying “from the comfort of your home,” due to the continuing concerns tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indeed, the Kagan Media Summit will again be a virtual affair. Still, it intends to deliver at its fullest the latest industry trends, research and data from Kagan, industry overviews, and executive Q&As and panel discussions are already in the planning stages.

For the second consecutive year, registered Kagan Media Summit participants will also receive a PDF copy of the Summer 2021 RBR+TVBR Special Report — the exclusive home to the Broadcast’s Best Financial Leaders rankings for 2021.

What can attendees expect?

Spotlight on the U.S. Broadcast Station Industry

Despite record 2020 political ad revenue, the broadcast station industry faces a transitional year ahead. Gain important insights as we discuss major issues looking ahead.

• While core ad revenues are improving in 2021 coinciding with local businesses reopening’s and the vaccine rollout, it is not the snapback many had hoped for coming out of the pandemic. Retransmission fee revenue growth has slowed over the past year from traditional subscriber churn, however, renewal rate increases and virtual subscriber growth have mitigated a contraction in distribution fee revenue.
• But there are opportunities for broadcasters to boost revenues and relevance from increased scale through M&A, Next Gen TV, new diginets, broadcast over-the-top launches for TV and digital streaming to go along new advertising categories including sports betting.

 

Evolution of Television

Traditional and new media companies are battling to find their place in the video market, as consumers move toward non-traditional services and online viewing. Hear how the progression is impacting video strategies, competition, content distribution, and business models to help shape your own decision making.

From now through 4 June 2021, an Early Bird registration rate of $99 is available. To register, please click here to visit S&P Global Market Intelligence.

 

RBR+TVBR is a proud media partner of the Kagan Media Summit.

SHASTA LAKE, CALIF. — Travel down U.S. Highway 299 from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, east of Humboldt County, and you just may spot a broadcast tower on a peak overlooking the Redding, Calif., region.

It’s home to the transmitter of a Class A Classic Country station that’s just been sold.

Cal Hunter, the head of Independence Rock Media in Roseville, Calif., is agreeing to purchase KYCT-FM 92.7, licensed to Shasta Lake.

IRM is getting the station from the Estate of Richard S. Comras.

The transaction is valued at $60,000, and makes KYCT a forthcoming cousin to KRAC-AM & KBLF-FM, serving Red Bluff, due south of Redding along Interstate 5. That’s because Pennco Investment Group, which holds 51% interest in IRM, holds 49% equity interest in the licensee of the Red Bluff combo, Huth-Penney Broadcasting. And, that will soon change, with IRM gaining full control of those stations.

Furthermore, two other assignment of license applications are in the works, which will give IRM the following properties:

 

 

All are commercially licensed stations serving a portion of Northern California stretching from Williams, one hour north of Sacramento, to Lassen County, due east of Red Bluff.

 

— Reporting by Ethan Hunt

RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION

It’s a time-honored tradition. At 5pm Eastern, the 12+ “glamour numbers” reflecting the latest overall ratings — “meaningless data no one sells,” one esteemed radio programming consultant has uttered for years — can be published by the radio industry trade publications rushing to send out eBlasts with the data.

On April 19, with the release of the first batch of Nielsen Audio March 2021 reports, something was peculiar. Two huge stations were missing.

It wasn’t an anomaly. Thursday’s release of March 2021 data from one of the biggest non-PPM markets, Buffalo, immediately put the RBR+TVBR I-Team into overdrive. Several stations were missing from the report. They were subscribers.

What’s the problem?

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency has built a collection of online materials to help alert originators design successful emergency messaging procedures, which it hopes will ultimately increase the consistency and accuracy of alerting in the United States.

The IPAWS Programming Planning Toolkit currently contains five documents, including a recently completed Process Map Playbook. The playbook illustrates the interconnected processes at federal, state and local levels and is intended to streamline knowledge for the IPAWS alerting community, including broadcasters, according to FEMA.

[Read: SBE Issues Guidance About RWT Failure]

IPAWS, which stands for Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, is a network of systems used by alerting authorities to create geographically-targeted emergency messages that can be sent through the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts and other unique alerting systems, including internet services.

FEMA says the toolkit’s materials were produced based on “recent innovative changes to technology” and “were derived from the collection of successful practices and lessons learned from hundreds of data points.”

“The toolkit will assist public safety agencies to minimize alerting delays; plan for future alerts, warnings and notifications enhancements; facilitate interoperability across different technologies; and improve information sharing among emergency management and public safety officials,” FEMA says on its website.

IPAWS Workflow

The IPAWS Process Map Playbook includes diagrams depicting the IPAWS alerting tree and process for alerting authorities to secure the needed IPAWS equipment and training to disseminate alerts. It further details the process for sending EAS and WEA alerts.

In addition, standardized checklists are included in the playbook to insure those messages align with national and international standards used by IPAWS.

While the documents are mostly intended for alerting originators like emergency managers and public information officers, FEMA says all IPAWS stakeholders will benefit from “review of the materials to demonstrate the importance of preparation, training, resource-sharing, communication and relationship development.”

One of those interested in IPAWS developments is Ed Czarnecki, senior director of strategy and government affairs for technology manufacturer Digital Alerting Systems.

“The IPAWS Toolkit is an excellent starting point to orient authorities on the process of becoming an IPAWS alert originator, and it also gives a solid primer on the message flows in both EAS versus WEA and who is supposed to being doing what and where,” he told Radio World. “Hopefully, the toolkit will help start to provide alert originators needed context on how EAS and WEA operate differently.”

For broadcasters, the “toolkit can also serve as a good background on the ecosystem behind WEA and EAS, and also give some background on the process that alert originators need to go through to become an IPAWS Alerting Authority,” he said.

Other entries in the IPAWS Programming Planning Toolkit include a guide for constructing EAS and WEA messages, a training capsule, the IPAWS Lab fact sheet and FAQs.

Download the IPAWS Programming Planning Toolkit here.

 

The post FEMA Dials up IPAWS Playbook appeared first on Radio World.

Solar-powered portable radios that put audio quality second are nothing new. But a solar-powered portable radio that sounds as good as a non-solar high-fidelity radio: This is worth talking about.

The new CCRadio Solar from C.Crane fits this double-barreled description. With its generous top-mounted solar panel (3.75 by 1.5 inches) plus back-mounted generator crank for recharging its Lithium-Ion battery pack, this is a radio for blackouts and other emergency situations. 

After an initial conditioning charge-up of the Lithium-Ion battery from a 5V DC adaptor, just leave it in a sunny window, and the radio is always ready to go. 

In non-emergency situations, the CCRadio Solar can be powered with three AA batteries or a 5V DC charger plugged into its micro-USB port.

Worth noting

The CCRadio Solar has an LED flashlight with glow-in-the-dark “On” switch; and its USB 3.0 port can be used to charge a connected dead smartphone to 50 percent power.

It is a fine radio for listening to AM, FM (regular or extended band) or NOAA Weather Radio. 

The frequency range emitted by the front-mounted 3 watt 2-inch front speaker can be “pumped up” by activating the set’s High Power Audio Mode. The audio quality from the stereo headset jack is superb.

Perhaps the best feature for radio geeks (and non-radio geeks who live with them) is that the 6-by-3-by-2-inch CCRadio Solar with its “shades of pale grey” case looks like a tastefully designed set-top radio, rather than a piece of survivalist gear aimed at wannabe Navy SEALs. 

Dual-purpose

The Solar is the brainchild of longtime radio aficionado and equipment innovator Bob Crane, owner of the C.Crane electronics store in Fortuna, Calif.. 

When he moved to this small remote town some 30 years ago, Crane had a difficult time tuning in the big-city AM talk stations he loved. So Bob Crane began to design and sell high-performance receivers at reasonable prices. 

Today the online store sells a range of radios to fulfill a number of listening preferences, from tuning in distant AM/FM stations (e.g. the CCRadio 3 and CC Radio EP) to providing reliable multi-band coverage during extended power outages (the wind-up CCRadio Observer). 

The CCRadio Solar is a departure in that it combines multiple main functions: high-fidelity audio and distant station reception with indefinite power.

Crane said you can expect 35 hours of run time between charges.

“If you are a lucky radio listener with a sunny window it is conceivable you might pay off the price of the radio with what you save on batteries.”

At $99.99 a unit, and given that I have yet to see a CCrane radio fail despite years of service, payback is a matter of time.

The nitty-gritty

Moving from left to right, the Solar’s front panel features the 2-inch speaker and a large LCD display for tuning, band information, power level and clock functions including alarm and sleep modes.

Underneath the display are five memory buttons to save presets on the AM, FM and weather bands (seven NOAA frequency channels). The memory buttons can also be used in various combinations to turn the High Power Audio mode on and off, set clock and alarm and disable the Beep sound during tuning. 

For distant AM radio fans, the buttons can be used to select 1, 9 or 10 kHz tuning steps plus a narrowband 2.5 kHz filter to reject interference from strong adjacent signals. This allows the user to tune in a weak distant station adjacent to a local AM powerhouse. (The default AM wideband filter is set to 4 kHz). 

Finally, the volume dial is side-mounted on the lower right side.

On the top of the radio is the solar panel, the Flashlight and Band selection buttons on the far left, and the red Power button on the right. There is a fully rotating whip antenna that folds into the side and extends from 4.5 to 25 inches for enhanced FM/Weather Radio reception. 

The AM antenna is inside the set. It is directional, which means that distant signal reception can be improved by rotating the radio 90 degrees horizontally in either direction.

The radio’s settings can be locked/unlocked while in Playback mode by pressing the Band and Power buttons simultaneously.

According to the manual, eight hours of direct sunlight can provide 10 to 14 hours of audio playback at a Medium sound level (without the High Power Audio mode being activated, because its enhanced bass consumes more electricity). Hand-cranking the onboard generator for 90 seconds, at two rotations per second or more, will provide 8 to 13 minutes of runtime from the Lithium-Ion battery, assuming that it was discharged.

This winter, Crane said that with the oversize solar panel he was able to keep it fully charged using it about one hour a day at full audio power. 

“It would last much longer if I switched to low-power audio. It should run four hours a day in the summer on high power.”

The flashlight and recessed mount for the included carrying strap are on the left side. On the right panel, a water-repelling rubber door protects a mini-plug Aux In jack that allows the Solar to serve as an outboard speaker; a micro-USB port for charging the unit from a 5V DC adaptor; a switch for using either the onboard Lithium-Ion battery or inserted AA batteries; a USB 3.0 port for recharging a phone; and a standard earphone mini-jack.

The rear contains the foldaway crank and the battery compartment, which houses the included rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and three AA cells. (These can be alkaline or Ni-Cads, but not Lithium.) The inside of the compartment door contains a “Cheat Sheet” covering the radio’s basic functions.         

Pros and cons

The audio quality is top-notch on all bands, even given AM’s fidelity. So is signal reception: At night when distant signals bounce off the ionosphere, the radio’s AM band is chock-a-block with stations. Tuning using 10 kHz steps was like changing the channel on a TV set; almost every frequency has something on it, though granted, signal quality varied widely thanks to the vagaries of AM propagation. 

Still, the distance-listening performance is impressive. From a second-story in Ottawa, Canada, I can receive WSB 750 in Atlanta, WWVA 1170 in Wheeling W.Va./St. Clair Ohio, and KDKA 1020 Pittsburgh, among many others.

FM signals are plentiful if not as distant, and the one Canadian “Weatherradio” station available to an Ottawa listener at 162.550 MHz comes in loud and clear.

One format the radio does not offer is HD Radio. “Power consumption is probably about double on HD Radio because of the power needed to process the digital signal,” Crane said. “We will probably need to put this technology into a plug-in radio.”

As for holding a charge? After three months I have yet to manually recharge it after the initial AC charge to prime the Lithium-Ion battery. I do not keep AAs in it; the power is coming from the sun.

Since, by convention, every review is required to include a complaint to prove its journalistic integrity, I will offer one: The rubber door covering the inputs on the right side doesn’t have a hinge. One day the folding rubber crease will likely wear out, and I will be required to put some tape on it.

I have nothing but respect for the CCRadio Solar radio. Based on my 18 years of reviewing his receivers, I know that Bob Crane delivers what he promises in his custom-designed equipment. That said, the CCRadio Solar keeps its promises.

The post New solar radio is an emergency kit too appeared first on Radio World.

The software systems that radio stations and networks use to manage media assets have evolved to meet the needs of the 21st century; but their capabilities were put to the test when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the industry along with the rest of the world.

Hear what automation suppliers have to say about the lessons of the past year, along with trends in cloud, remote control, virtualization, tech support and cost.

“Automation: The Next Phase”

The post Automation: The Next Phase appeared first on Radio World.

Select Live365 stations are now available to audio streamers via the iHeartRadio app, a move that significantly increases the visibility and discoverability of Live365 stations and the entire Live365 network of music enthusiasts who fork over a monthly fee to create their own radio stations.

“As we focus on growing the Live365 listening network, we are excited to announce we now have an agreement in place to list select Live365 stations on iHeartRadio’s distribution network,” Live365 General Manager Jason Stoddard said. “Being able to showcase some of our standout stations on iHeart is a testament to the hard work our broadcasters put in to programming quality stations that are not traditionally represented on the radio dial. We will continue to work with world-class distribution companies to help listeners discover the top-notch content available on Live365.”

This agreement is one of the first steps in Live365’s efforts to expand its listening network. Listeners can tune in now to such niche offerings Flood FM, ShaqFu Radio, Smooth Jazz Florida, Amazing Hope Radio, Jack Sonni Guitar Radio and DopeRadioFM.com through the iHeartRadio app.

Live365 stations run minus an algorithm, with automation randomly selecting songs for its members. Running a station on the platform costs some $65 per month.

Apogee has updated its MetaRecorder iOS app with the release of V2.2. The audio recording app for iPhone and iPad offers linked recording, tagging and organizing of audio on up to four iOS devices.

New to this version is the ability for all Apogee products, including Symphony Desktop, to unlock MetaRecorder on iPhone, iPad and iPad Pro. Additionally the link feature that was ‘broken’ by iOS 14 has been fixed, and there have been additional ‘general bug fixes.’

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

Apogee MetaRecorder is a two-channel audio recording app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with features to support a variety of workflows. Audio is recorded at up to 24-bit/96 kHz in WAV or CAF format. Users can connect an Apogee audio interface or Sennheiser ClipMic digital or MKE 2 digital lavalier mic for a professional quality input signal, and adjust hardware input gain and DSP (Sennheiser only) from MetaRecorder.

MetaRecorder features compatibility with Timecode Systems’ UltraSync BLUE module as an in-app purchase. When enabled, MetaRecorder receives timecode via Bluetooth and embeds it into the audio file metadata. This is intended to simplify synchronization of audio and video files in Final Cut Pro (or another NLE).

The app is available in the Apple app store with a free edition that allows in-app purchases to the full version ($4.99), full version with multidevice support ($14.99) and other upgrades.

Info: https://apogeedigital.com

 

The post Apogee MetaRecorder Updated With V2.2 appeared first on Radio World.