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Nautel has launched a program offering stations a “digital radio test drive.” It will allow customers who buy or lease a GV2 transmitter to also have a six-month trial of HD Radio with minimal investment.

“Nautel wants to break down the barriers keeping many broadcasters from trying HD Radio broadcasting,” the manufacturer said in its announcement.

“HD Radio transmission has the potential to create critical presence on the car dashboard and help stations stay competitive in a field of alternative media choices.” A recent study by Quu Inc. found that two out of three new cars in the United States now have HD Radio.

The test drive offer takes advantage of Nautel’s software-based air chain. Broadcasters need a GV2 transmitter, content delivery via LiveWire and an Xperi license.

“For eligible broadcasters Nautel can provide Omnia for Nautel audio processing, importer, exporter and exgine as a software load. That allows the broadcaster to place their main station and as many as three extra multiplexed channels on air for up to six months. Broadcasters won’t need extra expensive boxes to implement HD Radio because audio processing, digital coding and synchronization will all be running inside the GV2.”

Head of Marketing and Product Strategy John Whyte was quoted in the release saying the program allows broadcasters to test revenue-generating opportunities without a commitment to the software licenses and HD hardware normally required, so they can experiment with formats, language programming or pop-up event stations.

“Additionally, stations will have the opportunity to see the impact on listener retention and engagement when album art or graphics appear on a car dashboard. While we can’t eliminate the need for a broadcaster to have an HD capable transmitter, our ‘Just Add Audio’ HD approach helps us do our best to minimize the next $40–50K worth of boxes and complexity that may keep a broadcaster from getting an HD Radio signal on the air.”

A broadcaster would lease or purchase a GV2 and obtain an HD Radio license from Xperi and trial agreement with Nautel. They would provide content for up to four channels delivered via Livewire or AES67. The “Just Add Audio” capability in the GV2 transmitter is Gen4 ready, allowing users to test HD1, 2, 3, and 4 streams without purchasing external equipment such as Importer, Exporter and Exgine.

The GV2 also incorporates a software processor, Omnia for Nautel, that covers FM and HD Radio audio processing feeds and provides Livewire AoIP inputs for audio streams. HD operation is achieved through a software license from Nautel. Under the test drive the Nautel license fees are waived for six months.

At the end of the trial, the broadcaster can decide to continue with all or a partial implementation of the HD Radio deployment by purchasing or subscribing to Nautel’s software-based air chain. If the broadcaster decides against HD Radio transmission at that time, the GV2 will default to traditional FM transmission.

The post Nautel Introduces “HD Digital Radio Test Drive” appeared first on Radio World.

LAS VEGAS — The highly anticipated launch of a datacasting platform to enable data distribution across all current Sinclair TV markets where it has a NEXTGEN TV “lighthouse” with ATSC 3.0 technology.

Introducing Broadspan, which will serve the 40% of the U.S. where Sinclair has a broadcast presence.

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One of Canada’s biggest radio and television broadcasting companies isn’t exactly celebrating 25 years of serving audiences — at least from a fiscal standpoint.

With the release of its latest quarterly results Friday (4/12), Corus Entertainment shares plummeted on the TSX, putting the parent of TV network Global and 39 radio stations on shaky ground with a difficult three months already unfolding.

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The need for Urban One to have a little more time to submit its quarterly earnings reports for 2024 and its full-year 2023 results is no secret. With the July 2023 dismissal of BDO as its outside accounting firm, and the subsequent hiring of EY to take over, a restatement of quarterly financial reports for several quarters was needed.

With Urban One’s FY 2023 report still not filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, the Nasdaq Stock Market has notified the company that its stock could be delisted. The key word here is could.

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Spanish Broadcasting System has been handed a proposed fine from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau for the apparent failure of one of its Los Angeles radio stations to deliver a prize to a contest winner in the prescribed time the FM said it would.

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It is a professional sports club established in 2012 as a founding member of the National Women’s Soccer League. Now, it has local broadcast rights for 11 regular season games secured, thanks to a partnership with a local TEGNA over-the-air TV station.

The Seattle Reign FC has its games airing on KONG-16, the sibling of KONG-5 in Seattle-Tacoma. The first game was scheduled for 5pm Sunday (4/14) as the team took on “Bay FC.”

Seattle Reign FC CEO Vincent Berthillot commented, “We’re thrilled to establish a partnership with KING 5 this season and provide our fans with exclusive Reign FC content. We look forward to teaming up on dedicated coverage that reflects the demand and growth we are experiencing in women’s soccer, while also working together on community-based initiatives that impact our region.”

TEGNA’s KING 5 Media Group will have local broadcast rights to six home and five away games, including the Reign’s next three games. As the official local broadcast partner of Seattle Reign FC, KING 5 will also provide fans with special access to post-game coverage, exclusive interviews with Reign FC coaches and players and deliver unique web and social media content.

“We are delighted to forge a relationship with Seattle Reign FC, continuing our commitment to lead the market with dedicated local sports reporting and programming.” said KING & KONG President/GM Christy Moreno. “We’re equally proud we can provide our Northwest communities with free, over-the-air and live stream coverage of professional women’s soccer and unparalleled coverage of the Reign FC organization.”

The fourteen-team NWSL is widely considered to be the most competitive women’s professional soccer league in the world.

Seattle Reign FC games available on KONG-TV and the KING 5+ app in 2024:

• Seattle Reign FC at Bay FC – Sunday, April 14, at 5:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC vs. Chicago Red Stars – Sunday, April 21, at 3:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC at North Carolina Courage – Saturday, April 27, at 4:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC vs. Kansas City Current – Wednesday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC vs. Orlando Pride – Sunday, May 19, at 3:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC at Washington Spirit – Friday, May 24, at 4:30 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC at Kansas City Current – Sunday, June 9, at 3:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC vs. Racing Louisville FC – Sunday, June 23, at 3:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC vs. Utah Royals FC – Sunday, July 7, at 3:00 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC at Houston Dash – Saturday, September 21, at 5:30 p.m. PT
• Seattle Reign FC vs. Bay FC – Sunday, September 29, at 3:00 p.m. PT

A Class A FM serving the Portsmouth, Ohio listening area is trading hands. What does this mean for a Classic Rocker with a name that’s traditionally been used for stations airing a Smooth Jazz format?

It’s a question that also applies to an AM/FM combo also poised to trade hands.

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For a century, it has served the Midwest with one of the station’s biggest AM radio signals. From the 1960s through the mid-1980s, it was one of the world’s most-listened-to Top 40 radio stations. Today, it is a Cumulus Media spoken word property that’s celebrating its 100th birthday.

WLS-AM 890 in Chicago debuted on April 12, 1924, at 6pm. It took its call letters from the phrase “World’s Largest Store,” referring to Sears-Roebuck.

On Saturday (4/13) and Sunday, a two-part 100th anniversary special was placed on the lineup, for 4pm-8pm Central. It is hosted by Jeff Davis.

What started as a station for farmers evolved into the epicenter for rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s and 1970s.

For the past 30 years, has been a home for news and talk programming in Chicago, competing against other longtime big-signal AMs: WBBM-AM and WGN-AM.

Marv Nyren, Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Media in Chicago, commented, “WLS is bigger than a destination on your radio dial. It’s a Chicago institution and treasure. Some 100 years ago, radio was simply sound communication via radio waves but there’s nothing simple about the impact of WLS on Chicago. WLS has been a neighbor, a friend, and a mentor for people in Chicagoland. It’s been a place where people can go for entertainment and information – and it’s been a companion to the biggest moments in history. We are excited to usher in WLS-AM’s next 100 years with Chicago’s best audio content on-air, online, on-demand, and onsite.”

WLS Program Director Stephanie Tichenor added, “We are not bound by physical limits. WLS is on your phone, your smart speakers, in your car, and on your desktop. Our signal only grows in this digital world, and we will continue to grow and evolve thanks to our amazing team. Please join us in wishing the Big 89 a Happy 100th Birthday and here’s to the next century of WLS, radio, and Chicago!”

Digital Alert Systems, Telos Alliance and Nautel have partnered to “reimagine” EAS alerting for radio. The companies say their joint approach, dubbed “EAS At The Edge,” will bring the emergency alert process into the interconnected AoIP world.

The concept is on display at the 2024 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

“Unlike legacy EAS implementations that have gone unchanged since the 1990s, EAS At The Edge … leverages modern IP-based content distribution and control to route alerts precisely to their required destinations,” the companies said in a press release.

The manufacturers say traditional EAS deployments depend upon cascading layers of hardware and multiple boxes, often one per transmitter, even when serving combined transmission sites in a single market.

“EAS At The Edge replaces standalone hardware centricity with an intelligent, one-to-many approach that places critical hardware at the edges of the air chain,” read the release. “Utilizing IP-based content distribution to control and insert emergency messages via the Livewire AoIP protocol, EAS data can be geo-targeted for precise alert routing, with a single input node shared for insertion to multiple streams, resulting in significant cost savings.”

According to the press release, similar edge-to-edge systems have been deployed in video environments for years and “applying this model to radio as well will cover even more broadcast use cases.” 

The groups say the flexible nature of IP-based systems ensures that EAS At The Edge complies with current regulations and can address future FCC rules as they evolve. They say this is an important feature and noted that EAS devices have undergone a series of updates in recent months, notably to prioritize CAP-formatted alerts over legacy ones.

Two demonstrations of EAS At The Edge are being offered at the 2024 NAB Show, which runs through Wednesday, April 17. 

In booth W3920, Digital Alert Systems is showing a DASDEC emergency messaging platform networked to an Omnia.9 audio processor, which is typically the last step in the air chain before the transmitter. In the Nautel booth, W3042, a DASDEC is linked directly to a Nautel GV2 transmitter and virtual air chain, injecting EAS alerts directly into the transmitter and its internal “Omnia For Nautel” audio processor. When an EAS message is received, Nautel’s embedded processor instantly airs alerts on both the FM and the HD air chain.

“Omnia and Nautel have collaborated for years, and both companies recognize virtual air chains are the future,” said Telos Alliance Product Manager Geoff Steadman in the release. “EAS integration has been a sticking point due to the constraints of legacy approaches, but with Digital Alert Systems’ deep knowledge of workflow and regulatory realities, and their adoption of the Livewire+/AES67 standard, EAS finally enters the radio IP ecosystem.”

Bill Robertson, vice president of business development for Digital Alert Systems, said “What we’re showing at NAB is our first integration, but we already see more ways to evolve this as it parallels many of the things we’ve been doing in the video space.”

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

The post Digital Alert Systems, Telos and Nautel Collaborate on EAS Virtualization appeared first on Radio World.

Nautel plans to incorporate audio player and playlist functionality into its VX FM transmitter series.

“With the audio player functionality, users will be able to upload content locally or remotely via an IP connection to make a playlist; no USB, addition cards, or site visits are necessary,” it said in an announcement.

“The built-in audio player can use the file playlist as an audio source and is often used as an audio loss backup. This capability is slated for availability later this year.”

The VX line was introduced in 2022 and began shipping last year. It is available in power levels from 150 watts to 6 kW. The company said shipments are approaching 1,000 units. 

NAB Show booth: W3042

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

The post Nautel to Add Audio Player and Playlists to VX Series appeared first on Radio World.

With the 2024 NAB Show just a couple of days away, Radio World is asking exhibitors about their plans and expectations.

Ken Frommert is the president of ENCO.

Radio World: What is the most important technology issue or trend for radio engineers and facility managers in 2024? 

Ken Frommert: Navigating a fast-growing universe of AI applications. The rapidity of AI development can appear overwhelming, but there is no question that many of the tools coming to market now are effective, easy to use and beneficial to business operations and technology workflows. The upside is huge.

RW: In what way(s) will AI-based tools change radio broadcasting workflows most substantially?

Frommert: AI can help to automate the entire content workflow, including creative processes and the insertion of dynamic content. Our SPECai solution is an example of the former, leveraging generative models to create multiple scripts within seconds and then creating an audio file of synthetic speech for the winning script.

The voice sounds very human, and the user can adjust how the voice sounds. After selecting a music bed, the client has a complete spec commercial ready to go that was created right there on the spot.

RW: What news will your company feature at the convention — any new products or services? 

Frommert: We will also show aiTrack, which we previewed last year but have enhanced with more features. aiTrack is a module that can be turned on within the DAD automation infrastructure. aiTrack represents the dynamic content side of the equation. It is more of a voice tracking application, and like SPECai uses synthetic voices to produce natural-sounding and engaging content between songs or at scheduled times.

aiTrack will also be available in our WebDAD remote production workflow, and WebDAD adds DAD’s familiar Presenter on-air interface. Our customers will see us continue to tighten the workflows between DAD and WebDAD in ways that further streamline DAD systems in the studio.

RW: Are there any other important technology trends that you’d like to comment on? 

Frommert: Cloud-based access will continue to grow in stature with the radio broadcast community. Content producers especially need remote access to improve production and on-air workflows from anywhere, and engineers want the freedom to manage their automation systems from engineer. The cloud provides that and we will see more of that coming to fruition.

RW: What else will you be watching for at the convention?

Frommert: It’s probably no surprise that we will be looking at AI development from other exhibitors, both on the radio and TV side. Virtual production is also of big interest to us, given our launch of the Qimera virtual production workflow at last NAB. I see potential to use this technology in visual radio applications as well.

ENCO booth: W1743

The post Exhibitor Preview: ENCO at the NAB Show appeared first on Radio World.

One of the largest radio groups in the U.S. is escalating its use of synthetic voices.

Audacy announced on Friday that it is partnering with ElevenLabs, a voice AI research and deployment company, “to augment its existing programming and production workflows.”

Audacy said it plans to build “a robust library of voices for Audacy to deliver custom experiences for listeners and advertising clients. Audacy will infuse creator-led ideas and concepts with ElevenLabs’ technology to further bolster its programmers’ and talents’ unique ability to engage deeply with audiences at scale.”

It quoted EVP and Head of Programming Jeff Sottolano as saying the media company is “experimenting” with ElevenLabs’ synthetic voice capabilities. “We’re transforming how we connect with our listeners and create value for our advertising partners.”

He made the announcement with Carles Reina, vice president of revenue at ElevenLabs, who said one benefit of the technology is that “we can produce more creator-led content faster, keeping up with the speed of today’s world.”

ElevenLabs creates “realistic, versatile and contextually aware AI audio, providing the ability to generate speech in hundreds of new and existing voices in 29 languages.”

[Read the free Radio World ebook “Artificial Intelligence in Radio.”]

The post Audacy Expands Use of Synthetic Voices appeared first on Radio World.

Audacy is partnering with a voice AI research and deployment company to augment its existing programming and production workflows, the audio content creation and distribution company emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection announced on Friday.

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ZTransform has named Mark Brown as its SVP of solutions and development, a newly created position. 

Prior to joining ZTransform, Brown was director & principal solutions architect at Warner Brothers Discovery. His experience includes video streaming, TV broadcast and adjacent video technology projects for companies like Yankee Entertainment & Sports Network, Madison Square Garden, Staples Arena, ABC, Disney, Sony Pictures and other major media entities.

“Brown will work closely with the senior leadership team to strategically identify and respond to new business opportunities in new sectors and regions, as well as manage pre-sales engineering, and proposal development,” the company said.

“His responsibilities will also extend to cultivating and managing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, vendors, and other external entities to enhance business growth potential and ensure that proposed solutions meet the evolving and dynamic needs of Ztransform customers.”

Brown began as a systems engineer at SAIC and has worked for companies including Tektronics and Sony Systems Integration Center. He was CTO and executive vice president of SignaSys Inc. and held executive leadership roles at Ascent Media, Verizon Digital Media Services and MPS Broadband. 

ZTransform also recently named Bob Hawkanson as senior VP of sales for North America and Paul Catterson as general manager.

[Related: “Utter Associates Changes Its Name to ZTransform”]

The post ZTransform Names Mark Brown to Key Solutions Role appeared first on Radio World.

On August 5, 2021, a local marketing agreement was forged that gave Epic STL LLC, doing business as News Talk STL Radio, the right to operate a Class C3 FM serving a rural portion of the St. Louis DMA well to the northwest of the metropolitan area. In June 2023, News Talk STL Radio exercised its option to acquire that facility in a transaction brokered by Greg Guy.

Now, News Talk STL Radio is acquiring the FM translator it uses as its main full-metro signal.

Pending FCC approval, K270BW at 101.9 MHz in Bellefontaine, Mo., will formally become a sibling to KNBS-FM 94.1 in Bowling Green, Mo., purchased by News Talk STL Radio from Gateway Creative Broadcasting last year.

Selling K270BW is Educational Media Foundation. It anticipates an October 2024 closing date.

EpicSTL Managing Partner Joe Rusch said, “This agreement secures the future of NewsTalkSTL on the St. Louis radio dial, and we are grateful to EMF for their support.” NewsTalkSTL President of Programming Jeff Allen added, “As big corporations continue to dominate today’s radio dial, we are thrilled to be able to return local market radio to local market ownership and programming.”

A LMS filing with deal details including the purchase price is forthcoming.

— With reporting by Cameron Coats, in Troy, N.Y.

The National Association of Broadcasters is openly venting to the FCC about its proposal to prioritize licensing and application procedures for stations providing a certain amount of local content. The advocacy group even suggests it has a growing concern that the FCC has lost touch with broadcasters.

In new reply comments this week, the NAB said it appreciates that the commission is looking at ways its policies impact broadcasters’ decisions to serve their communities. However, the advocacy group also said there appears to be a growing disconnect between the FCC’s regulatory actions and broadcasters’ natural incentives to provide quality, local service. 

The NAB goes on to list a number of issues it says indicate that the FCC fails to comprehend the competitive complexities broadcasters face in the modern media landscape.

“Whether it is this proposal, the FCC’s 2018 quadrennial review order, the current boomerang proceeding on foreign sponsorship identification or the Media Bureau’s effective denial of the proposed transaction between Standard General and TEGNA, the commission appears lost at sea when it comes to understanding broadcasting in the context of today’s remarkably competitive media marketplace,” NAB commented.

The FCC is currently mulling a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to boost local journalism that, if adopted, would prioritize review processes like renewals, transfer and assignment applications to licensees that certify their station provides an average of at least three hours of locally-originated programming each week.

[Related: “FCC Proposes to Prioritize License Application Review for Stations With Local Content“]

NAB says the proposal would have a negligible positive impact on a very small number of broadcasters.

“The commission’s prioritization proposal will do nothing to incentivize broadcasters to provide more local journalism or generate other locally originated programming because it fails to grasp the fundamental economic and competitive realities underpinning broadcasters’ programming decisions,” NAB said in its most recent comments. 

NAB goes on to remind the commission that broadcasters are the only FCC-regulated entities required to provide a free service to the public. “This requirement is something the FCC takes for granted even though it is both substantial and unique; no other service is required to provide its product directly to the public through local outlets for free,” NAB said.

In fact, the proposed rules could do more damage than good, the NAB says, when it comes to FCC efficiency. “To the extent that the proposed priority system would limit FCC staff’s flexibility to address applications in the most efficient manner possible, NAB observes that the proposal here could result in prolonging, rather than expediting, the review process for applications overall.”

According to the NAB, the FCC’s notice also ignores key facts such as the ever-increasing cost of providing local programming. In short, to promote localism effectively, the NAB says the commission should focus its efforts on policies that enable broadcasters to compete in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace, rather than potentially injecting further complexity and uncertainty into its application review process.

The NAB in its filing continues to reject what it deems to be overzealous regulation by the FCC of an industry that provides a free service to listeners. The group says it wishes the commission would focus more on policies that would facilitate broadcast competitiveness in today’s marketplace

“It is perplexing that a commission effort to promote local journalism and other local programming ignores current realities and instead supposes that prioritizing the review of certain complex applications will somehow push broadcasters that do not already have the resources necessary to invest in locally originated programming to do so.”

[Related: “FCC Localism Proposal Draws Limited Comments“]

Other groups, like REC Networks, have told the FCC the proposal is “ambitious, but not practical.” 

National Public Radio said it agrees with other commenters that the proposal offers little incentive for broadcasters. “The commission should consider reducing regulatory burdens for stations that provide local programming when appropriate. As NPR and others noted in their comments, the proposed priority processing likely will have limited impacts,” NPR said.

NPR says it hopes the FCC will “go further by reducing regulatory burdens for stations with local programming when appropriate.”

NPR also says the FCC could do more to expand the reach of public radio — thus boosting local journalism — by offering more tailored incentives and further reducing the burden of regulations. It says these incentives could include a processing priority for stations producing and airing locally-originated programming that could be adopted in the context of applications for new non-commercial radio stations or applications to expand the signals of existing radio stations through the use of translators, boosters or power increases. 

It also says the commission could prioritize public radio stations with a history of providing local programming in NCE FM license windows “so that they can expand local services into new communities, or relaxing compliance requirements in certain circumstances for radio stations.”

Comments on the FCC’s NPRM (MB Docket No. 24-14) on broadcast localism can be read online at the FCC’s website. 

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The post NAB Says FCC Proposal to Promote Local Journalism Is Flawed appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With hours remaining before the start of the 2024 NAB Show in Las Vegas, a collection of the nation’s top broadcast television station owners have come together to lead “a collective venture that will revolutionize over-the-air television audience measurement.”

They claim it will also expedite the deployment of “innovative applications by broadcasters and receiver manufacturers.”

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