Industry News

IBC2019 is almost here. Between now and then Radio World will conduct several short Q&As with manufacturers about their plans and offerings, to help you get the most out of the big annual trade show. Chris Crump is sales director for Comrex.

Radio World: How has business been for the company since last year’s IBC Show?

Chris Crump: Overall, business is steady. We had a very strong end to the calendar year but we haven’t seen the normal growth that we are used to seeing in the first half of the year. But we are feeling encouraged by recent activity leading into the fall sports season. 

RW: What are you hearing from your customers about their business outlook this year? In what areas should we expect growth or the most interesting projects?

Crump: I think everyone is very guarded with their purchasing decisions. And it seems to be the same across the board throughout the industry. We are seeing an uptick in podcast-related purchase, and smaller specialty studio builds. There are quite a few streaming and content delivery projects that are keeping us busy.

RW: Within the last year or so the two large station ownership groups have emerged from bankruptcy. Are you seeing any increase in equipment sales or interest? What is your feeling for the overall health of the radio industry?

Crump: Equipment sales are increasing as the result of ISDN services being discontinued or priced beyond reasonable. Based on the market trends we’ve observed, the radio portion of our business remains steady, but purchasing is guarded. It seems like a reaction to a predicted recession that may or may not happen. But radio, to us, seems healthy. Stations are billing and providing a great marketing partnership for their advertisers and using our gear to provide added value and NTR from remote broadcasts.

RW: You’ve been active in the equipment manufacturing market for years. What’s the biggest  problem or challenge facing manufacturers right now? Does the trade row between the United States and China greatly affect you?

Crump: Since we don’t manufacture or directly source from China, you would think that we would not be affected by the recent tariffs. But our component vendors have already applied tariff “fees” since they often source components that are subject to the trade war. While it does affect us, I can’t say it is affecting Comrex greatly. For the time being we can absorb some of these costs, but future tariff increases might have an effect on our product pricing. I really hope for all of our sakes that this is resolved soon.

RW: What new goodies will your company be showing? Why should attendees visit your stand?

Crump: We will be introducing our new Access NX Rack and Access MultiRack products to the European market. Both are AES67 compatible. NX Rack is a single full-duplex IP audio codec compatible with our family of Access and BRIC-Link codecs. Access MultiRack is five instances of Access in a 1RU 19-inch rack unit with AES67 I/O. We’ll have some of our other products on hand at 8.P45 in Pod section between Halls 7 and 8.

RW: Going by the interest on our website, AoIP technology is on the top of the list for product acquisition and upgrades. Is that something you are seeing and if so, how are you addressing that?

Crump: Well, our new Access NX Rack and MultiRack address that nicely by interfacing with AoIP routing and control systems that support the AES67 standard. Response from customers that have already installed our new units has been very enthusiastic, so we feel as though our timing for these new products is spot on.

RW: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trend at the 2019 IBC Show?

Crump: Virtualization and cloud-based services. It seems that the industry is being pushed (or pulled) in that direction.

RW: Will you be attending any sessions or looking forward to any events?

Crump: Once I’m on the stand, I’m on the stand. While I’d love to see some sessions, I’m at IBC to see Comrex dealers and customers. That’s my main priority.

RW: You’re a show veteran, how has the show changed since your first visit?

Crump: I’ve gotten really good at picking restaurants in Amsterdam. So, my show experience has gotten significantly better over the years as a result.

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The post IBC Exhibitor Viewpoint: Chris Crump, Comrex appeared first on Radio World.

The multifaceted SwitchBlade IP device “includes audio codecs, SIP messaging and ACI [WheatNet-IP Application Control Interface] control interface. It is the first product of its kind to combine the power of AoIP logic control with SIP connectivity and codec bandwidth optimization to transport both high-quality programming and the control logic critical for full studio operation between sites,” according to Wheatstone.

The ACI allows for sending commands such as turning microphones on or adjusting EQ.

SwitchBlade has two Ethernet connections, one for connecting to a SIP service provider or SIP-enabled PBX phone system and the other for connecting directly into the WheatNet-IP audio network. SwitchBlade also has codecs, such as including 256 kbps stereo Opus and G.711.

Wheatstone says that uses for the SwitchBlade include: Consolidating program operations for several stations scattered across a region; live remote production, including high-quality programming and console/mic control between home studio and sports or concert venues; sharing program and operating control between sister studios over an IP link; one-to-many STL codecs between one studio and several transmitter sites; a SwitchBlade at the studio feeds two, four, six or more existing SIP-compliant codec units at each transmitter site; and transferring high-quality music between two facilities or from a cloud-based automation system over the common internet.

Wheatstone Sales Director Jay Tyler explained, “SwitchBlade is the missing link for connecting WheatNet-IP facility to WheatNet-IP facility from city to city or across the world. Not only will it carry the audio, it carries the control, which means you can send and receive router commands, automation control, and even fader levels across the two locations.” He added, “Switchblade finally makes it possible to monitor each point of the audio chain and switch audio locally from network operation centers around the world.”

IBC Stand: 8.C91

Info: www.wheatstone.com

The post IBC Sneak Peek: Wheatstone SwitchBlade Interface appeared first on Radio World.

Nautel will show a range of its medium wave and FM transmitters, including products from the NX, GV and VS lines.

The company will also host two special events. On Saturday, Sept. 14 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. it will hold an interactive panel session on “DRM Implementation — A Solution For All Your Needs.”

On Sunday, Sept. 15 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Nautel will host “Digital Radio in North America & Emerging Markets,” presented by Xperi.

Both events will be followed by 50th Anniversary receptions.

IBC Stand: 8.C49

Info: www.nautel.com

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The post IBC Sneak Peek: Nautel Displays Latest MW, FM Transmitters appeared first on Radio World.

I once created a custom coffee product for a radio station.

It’s not as weird as it sounds. We wanted to promote an upcoming new morning show and one day while sipping my morning beverage, it occurred to me that a good cup of coffee delivers the attributes of a morning show. Both products wake people up, make them cheerful, have a distinct flavor, etc.

So I got our friendly neighborhood roaster to make me a good blend — which I then labeled with the name of our morning show — and sold our brand by the pound at his café. Next, through an advertising agency, I placed commercials on our direct competitor.

Then I called the press to let them know. That we were able to advertise on a direct competitor was big, somewhat scandalous news. Of course, now you can advertise every day on a direct competitor without the shenanigans, and you’ll have a lot more impact than even one high-school type of stunt.

Want to go where few stations do, but where your listeners entertain themselves every day? Advertise on YouTube!

While Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and others get all the press, Google’s YouTube has been taking over the planet. Oddly, some don’t even think of YouTube as a social channel even though it has all the community elements that enable engagement. If that doesn’t impress, perhaps this statement from Google will: “In an average month, 18+ year olds in the United States spend more time watching YouTube than any television network. On mobile alone, more 18- to 49-year-olds watch YouTube during prime time in the United States, than they do the top 10 prime-time shows combined. Over the last two years, the number of small and medium-sized businesses advertising on YouTube has doubled.”

Want to increase ratings? Find your target audience on YouTube.

Why, for the most part, is local radio missing in action? Too many station leaders/decision makers feel that outside advertising either isn’t needed for a broadcast radio station, or that it’s a luxury. It’s a bit ironic and even hypocritical that folks who rely on advertising sales themselves are willing to say that it’s not necessary. Now more than ever, radio needs reinforcement outside itself to show relevance.

While it takes substantial investment for radio commercials to be meaningful on broadcast television or cable, radio stations of any size can afford some level of YouTube video campaigns. I say this because of the amazing targeting and capability to cap bids of advertising. Target by age/gender/Zip code/household income and many shared traits, or by preferences that match your format. Plus, you can pick a channel (music, news, etc).

Cost per thousand depends on demand, so you’ll want to start with a small test. Ads could be as low as $0.05 to $0.25 each — and if you use “TrueView,” you pay only for ads watched. Ad formats include non-skippable, skippable in-stream ads, bumpers and many more. You can even sequence ads, meaning that each person sees a series of ads/promos you create in order.

(I am also a big believer in having a station channel on YouTube, and we’ll cover that in an upcoming article.)

You’ll be getting back a lot of key performance indicators (KPIs) on your campaign(s), so you’ll also be learning about your audience behavior as you proceed.

Your listeners may lie to their parents, wife, husband or kids … but they are not going to lie to their search engine. If you choose to find your target audience on YouTube by using their search behavior, you’ll be hitting a real sweet spot — and that is the absolute truth!

Mark Lapidus is a longtime contributor to Radio World. Email him with comments or your own promo successes at marklapidus1@gmail.com.

The post U Belong on YouTube! appeared first on Radio World.

Based on noise-resistant fingerprint comparison methods, SoundID from OPNS delivers content recognition that can generate broadcast playlists on any type of content, such as ad spots, music, jingles, fillers, interviews, and to produce related reports and statistics.

SoundID uses OPNS’ in-house algorithms and, according to the company, provides at least 99% recognition accuracy of fingerprinted source items inside broadcast streams.

The solution monitors and reports on any sound from radio, television, or any other input stream. It provides information on when and what was played, and can also tell the user if (and where) something was cut out of the original piece.

Available as either an on-premises tool or cloud-based solution, SoundID also provides content discovery by fingerprint pattern recurrences to detect any unknown content from competitor’s streams.

It also carries out audience measurement based on fingerprints dynamically generated on smartphones. This, the company says, means there is no privacy issue, no source modification, no dedicated hardware required and results in automatic data collection from a broad panel of radio listeners.

SoundID is based on a scale-out architecture and is suitable for both large and smaller broadcasters.

IBC Stand: 10.D41

Info: http://broadcast.opns.net 

The post IBC Sneak Peek: OPNS Offers SoundID appeared first on Radio World.

The author is membership program director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

The news cycle over the last week has been filled with disturbing images depicting the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian. It is the latest in a string of natural disasters that have struck the nation, but they surely will not be the last.

Such moments cause great stress in cities and towns. While many states have endured wildfires and earthquakes, hurricane season sparks a visceral reaction in many of us. That’s because, as we have witnessed over the last few years, no coast is safe from monster storms threatening life and property. And the damage done to one state will have ripple effects in neighboring states. This was the case with Hurricane Katrina, which smashed Louisiana in 2005, but prompted residents to flee to Texas as well as northward.

Beyond the economic effects of recovery, the regions damaged by hurricanes are financially reshaped forever. Cities affected by Hurricane Ike in 2008, for example, completely changed as a result.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: In It Together]

Hurricane season continues until Nov. 30. Unfortunately, it is nearly certain that a community radio station like yours may be asked to cover the issues of your community should a disaster like a hurricane strike.

Is your community radio station ready to respond? Here are few tips:

The SAFER (Station Action for Emergency Readiness) manual remains a go-to guide for community radio. Originally a joint project of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters and National Public Radio, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-funded project has an array of guidance for stations in dealing with their practical needs, so that journalism can continue to flow.

Poynter provides a helpful place to start if your radio station is figuring out how to cover hurricanes. In addition to suggesting websites like that of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, the variety of free community-sourced resources may help your station tremendously.

Speaking of Poynter, this article on fact-checking during hurricane coverage is essential reading. Online rumors, doctored photography and panics are commonplace in the digital era of natural disasters. Clearing up confusion is one of the best services a community radio station can offer during its hurricane coverage.

If your community radio station is facing capacity issues, particularly if you broadcast to underserved areas, consider seeking funding for your work. The ProPublica Local Reporting Network, Report for America and Solutions Journalism Network are just a few of the nonprofits providing logistical and financial support to media groups with ideas and initiatives. These and many more having rolling grant cycles. NFCB highlights more grant opportunities regularly as well.

However, do not forget to ask closer to home about funding in times of need. County and state resources may be available to your station when it comes to emergency broadcast reporting and journalism. Your station is always encouraged to be responsible with your ask — meaning, do not seek monies for journalism and funnel it elsewhere — and have a firm strategy of where you need the most assistance.

And finally, there is a noncommercial station’s most solid support, its listeners, that can be appealed to for a big project like a disaster journalism effort. Any fundraising professional will tell you donors like to give to something tangible. Few station endeavors are more ambitious or reflect your values quite like funding journalism to tell stories in the midst of and the aftermath of a hurricane or other natural disaster. Audiences demand more contextual coverage. Your station, with the right plan and appeal, can deliver.

Hurricanes seem to be becoming more frequent each year. Even if your community is not in the line of fire when a storm hits, there’s quite a possibility that your listeners will be affected. Ramping up to address the scourge of weather will only remind audiences of your relevance to their lives.

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The post Community Broadcaster: Rain Down Reporting appeared first on Radio World.

HOUSTON — At Entercom Houston, our studio facility might best be described as “vintage.” Originally built in the mid-’90s as a duopoly facility for two AMs and two FMs by Westinghouse/Group W, it was expanded several times by subsequent owners, eventually growing to house six stations and 15 studios.

The studios were built on custom raised floors, which over the years had become soft in many spots. Efforts to repair the soft spots proved unsatisfactory, so eventually, we decided to scrap the floors and rebuild all the studios. A 15-studio build anywhere is a major effort, but making it happen while several live and local, high-profile stations, including two sports talk stations and the radio network for an NFL team are broadcasting from them requires careful planning and execution. Any time-saving advantage you can get is welcomed.

I’ve known David Holland and his guys at Omnirax for many years, and their solutions have helped greatly during a few challenging builds. Many years ago, while working for another company, I was tasked with building a new facility for four stations in a medium-sized market. We had a few months to plan and stage equipment, but the new studio building was handed off to us by the contractor just two weeks before a hard deadline to vacate the old facility — during the Christmas holidays. Omnirax helped us meet the deadline.

For this project, our biggest challenge was budget. We had a number we needed to stay under. Omnirax worked with us to design furniture that met our needs, fit our budget and looked great — all without sacrificing their consistent quality.

AUTOCAD

If I could pick just one word to describe working with Omnirax, that word would be easy. You send them a floorplan of your facility, then log into David’s AutoCAD machine, and work through design options with him. Not long after, he gets back to you with finalized plans, and your new furniture moves into production.

The whole process is efficient and easy.

Assembly is easy too. Everything arrives clearly marked, with photos detailing every step of construction, and a couple guys can assemble the furniture for an average studio in about an hour. Everything fits together flawlessly.

When the furniture is assembled, you don’t have to worry about cutting holes for consoles, or wire runs through the countertops — it’s already done for you — all planned out during your AutoCAD session.

Over the last 25 years, I’ve been involved with a lot of studio renovations — sometimes with new furniture, but sometimes not. Many times, when rebuilds didn’t involve new furniture, I’ve been left scratching my head when contemplating the furniture designer’s decisions. When assembling studios around Omnirax furniture, I often find myself marveling at just how thoughtful and functional their designs are.

Given the opportunity, I always choose Omnirax.

For information, contact Philip Zittell David Holland at Omnirax in California at 1-415-332-3392 or visit www.omnirax.com.

The post User Report: Omnirax Eases Rebuild for Entercom Houston Cluster appeared first on Radio World.

CEOs from the three of the largest radio broadcast groups — iHeartMedia, Entercom and Cumulus Media — will headline the Radio Show session “2020 and Beyond: Insights From the Top.” The luncheon program, held on Sept. 25, will address the future of the industry in what is described as a candid conversation about strategies for success in today’s constantly shifting audio landscape.

[Read: Radio Show Announces Tech Program]

Moderated by NBC News’ Stephanie Ruhle, the panel consists of Mary Berner, president and CEO of Cumulus Media; David Field, president and CEO of Entercom; and Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia.

These top CEOs will offer insight on tactical partnerships, best platform choices, talent recruitment, imaginative programming and creative sales approaches, among other topics.

The Radio Show will be held September 24–26 in Dallas and is produced by the National Association of Broadcasters and the Radio Advertising Bureau.

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The post Radio Execs Look at Industry’s Future at the Radio Show appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC is extending its disaster data collection to additional counties in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina for Hurricane Dorian.

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission had announced the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System in response to Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 2. DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that communications providers, including wireless, wireline, broadcast, cable and voice over internet protocol providers, can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness information during times of crisis.

The FCC requests that communications providers that provide service to any areas listed below expeditiously submit and update information through DIRS regarding, inter alia, the status of their communications equipment, restoration efforts, and power (i.e., whether they are using commercial power or back-up power).

Communications providers can accomplish this by accessing DIRS at https://www.fcc.gov/nors/disaster/. Providers that have not previously done so will be asked to first provide contact information and obtain a user ID when they access DIRS. There is a link on the login page that will allow them to obtain a user ID and password. If a user does not remember his/her password, he/she should use the forgotten password link on the login page.

Communications providers are reminded that for providers that participate in DIRS, the separate Network Outage Reporting System obligations are suspended for the duration of the DIRS activation with respect to outages in the counties/municipalities where DIRS has been activated. Reports are requested beginning at 10 a.m. on Sept. 5, and every day after that by 10 a.m. until DIRS is deactivated.

Communications providers that serve an area listed below and that have already provided contact information in DIRS will be sent an email requesting that they provide the above-referenced status information through DIRS. For any communications providers that have not already logged onto DIRS to input their contact information, the Commission encourages them to do so as soon as possible.

Counties of Interest for This Activation Include:

Florida: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Desoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Union and Volusia.

Georgia: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Ware, Wayne and Wheeler.

South Carolina: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter and Williamsburg.

North Carolina: Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne and Wilson.

If your station has any hurricane-related news or pictures send to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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The post FCC Expands DIRS to Georgia and the Carolinas appeared first on Radio World.

The Synergy Mini is said to be a full-featured digital broadcasting center.

Available from Russian firm Tract and German company Digispot System GmbH, the unit provides a comprehensive set of integrated tools that lets station staff produce and broadcast live and automated radio programs.

Able to also be used as a rebroadcasting device, the mixer handles parallel microphone recording and works with both analog and digital signals from satellite receivers or internet streams.

The companies say additional features, such as ease-of-use, optimal functionality and a reasonable price, make it versatile and suitable for FM radio, internet radio, podcasts, outside broadcasting tasks, corporate radio and educational purposes.

Synergy Mini includes AoIP functionality with a driver called ,,Foxwire” and the free automation software system, Digispot Synergy. The result is a “complete solution” able to manage different tasks.

The FM-starter studio package includes a suite of software and hardware tools designed to work together with the mixer. The package includes a multifunctional touch display with onscreen level metering, three microphones with windshields; three microphone stands; three pairs of headphones; a pair of active loudspeakers; and a mic live indicator and a fully integrated playout system. This solution, add the firms, is appropriate for both novice and experienced staff and lets operators create a valuable radio station.

IBC Stand: 8.D14

Info: www.tract.ru; www.digispot.com

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The post IBC Sneak Peek: Tract and Digispot Showcase Synergy Mini appeared first on Radio World.