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It’s gaining a reputation across the Pacific Northwest’s biggest market as a technology systems and solutions provider serving the broadcast sector that’s actively building out new offices and studios for KNKX-FM in Seattle.

The company now has a new SVP of Sales for North America.

Taking the post at ZTransform is Bob Hawkanson.

“With two decades of technical operations and sales management experience in the media and technology space, Hawkanson brings with him a deep knowledge of unique production environments,” the company says.

Hawkanson will lead the sales team, spearheading the company’s growth strategy for new and existing industry sectors while expanding its geographical footprint. Located in Florida, Hawkanson, will increase ZTransform’s presence in the Southeastern U.S.

Prior to joining ZTransform, Hawkanson held the position of Solution Sales Manager at Panasonic Connect, working on both ST-2110 and Cloud-based projects. His previous role, as Director of Broadcast Sales for PRG/VER, saw Hawkanson manage large scale remote production facilities for events such as the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open tennis championships, The Masters golf tournament, as well as League of Legends and Dota 2 eSports tournaments.

Hawkanson has also worked extensively in the gaming industry as Director of technical operations for many televised events, including the World Series of Poker, Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker, during his time at Poker Productions and Show Partners.

 

COMING APRIL 8: RBR+TVBR’s SPRING 2024 SPECIAL REPORT Our 48-page, full-color magazine will be distributed to all RBR+TVBR Premium Subscribers via digital download as a special “preview” ahead of the 2024 NAB Show, where you can find print copies of our all-new Spring 2024 magazine in the main entrance of the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Look for our branded kiosk! In this edition: A Transformative Opportunity for Broadcasters In March 2023, a Seattle-headquartered broadcast and AV system integration company specializing in facility design, installation, and project management rebranded. With a new name, ZTransform didn’t miss a beat, with the construction of new studios and implementation of updated broadcast technology for a local radio station perhaps emblematic of what’s next for company founder Erik Utter and his team. Look for our coverage exclusively in our Spring magazine!

It airs a classic Oldies format and features the voicework of John Tesh via syndication in the midday hour. Until now, it has aired on a 5kw daytime/500 watt nighttime AM radio station feeding two FM translators.

This is likely about to change, as the AM and one of the translator, which serves Chesapeake City, Md., and parts of Delaware, have been sold to an entity led by Christy Andrulonis.

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By Brian Galante
Special to RBR+TVBR

Macnica’s leadership in SMPTE ST 2110 innovation takes another step forward with the release of the MEP100, a new 100Gb SmartNIC solution targeted for hardware and software product developers in the broadcast and ProAV industries.

Macnica will demonstrate the MEP100’s high-performance media processing, stream protection, and bandwidth benefits in an on-booth exhibit of an end-to-end ST 2110 4K/HD networking ecosystem at NAB Show 2024. Macnica exhibits at C1726.

 

Macnica has equipped the MEP100 SmartNIC card with powerful resources to optimize performance and reliability of uncompressed media transport over ST 2110 IP networks. That begins with an FPGA hardware acceleration engine that offers product developers significant advantages over software-based alternatives. For example, ST 2110 IP packets are processed within the MEP100’s FPGA IP core architecture, freeing valuable CPU resources for the intended application.

The above means that the MEP100’s full ST 2110 stack can transfer video, audio and data directly to and from the host CPU and GPU memory and the SmartNIC card, instead of using CPU resources within the operating system. That full ST 2110 stack can include performance-focused IP networking applications including PTP timing (for synchronization), network path redundancy, and on-board JPEG-XS compression. The latter, available soon, will support visually lossless, low-latency media transport for greater channel density through the card.

The FPGA-driven architecture also ensures the lowest possible latency and maximizes network bandwidth efficiency for uncompressed ST 2110 transport, with robust stream protection afforded through SMPTE ST 2202-7 hitless merge. The ST 2202-7 specification supports reliable network path redundancy, with parallel streams borrowing lost packets from each other as they move through the network. Transport streams are fully reassembled upon reaching their destinations to maintaining optimal signal integrity.

The MEP100 is built using Altera Agilex 7 FPGAs to withstand the most bandwidth- and compute-intensive applications. It ships with Macnica’s M2S SDK, a flexible media streaming software development kit that works with all major network hardware. The M2S SDK provides a simple and intuitive API for sending and receiving media data on more generalized PC and software platforms, which also positions the MEP100 as valuable for IPMX product development. IPMX is a suite of standards based on ST 2110 but with more flexible parameters that open product development opportunities that involve asynchronous devices.

“The MEP100 delivers a special and unique stream processing solution for ST 2110 product developers that that are ready to develop today,” said Andrew Starks, Director of Product Development at Macnica. “With professional features that optimize performance for live broadcasts, large-scale production environments and much more, the MEP100 is an ideal SmartNIC solution for developers that want to bring their own high-end hardware products to market, or integrate a reliable media transport solution within PC workstations for deployment in broadcast or ProAV environments.”

Starks adds that broadcast infrastructure equipment, vision and presentation switchers, and image mapping systems represent potential high-end hardware products ripe for development using the MEP100.

Breckenridge, Colo., is globally famous for its ski slopes. Now, the local PBS Member station is ensuring over-the-air reception of its programming can be seen for those who have “cut the cord.”

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The FCC Enforcement Bureau’s New York office has sent the “pirate letter” to two property owners in Mount Vernon, an inner suburb of New York City, and another in Poughkeepsie.

In both cases the letters advised the property owners that unlicensed FM broadcast signals had been found emanating from their properties and that they faced potential financial penalties of up to $2.39 million.

In the first case, the FCC said it received a complaint of illegal broadcasts on 104.5 MHz and that in May of last year it traced them to a property on South 3rd Avenue in Mount Vernon, which is just north of the Bronx. The letter was sent to Jeromio B. Edwards, owner of the property.

In the second case, the FCC got a complaint about broadcasts on 87.9 MHz in Poughkeepsie. In September its agents traced them to a property on Albert Road owned by Keiwan F. Morrison and Shadae S. Bailey.

[Related: “FCC Finds Collecting Pirate Radio Fines a Challenge”]

The post More N.Y. State Property Owners Get the Pirate Letter appeared first on Radio World.

A Jackson, Miss. native, whose career began in 2002 at Jackson State University’s WJSU Radio has been named Director of Radio for Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

Rising to the role is Java Chatman. He will oversee MPB Radio’s eight NPR member stations covering the majority of the state.

Chatman has been with MPB since 2017, when he joined as an Executive Producer.

As the co-creator of Third Coast Radio, Chatman has also spotlighted indie music and artists across the state. Furthermore, he has produced several of MPB Think Radio’s most successful shows, including The Gestalt Gardener, Creature Comforts, Fix It 101, and Deep South Dining.

Concurrently, MPB promoted Taiwo Gaynor to the group’s Director of Television.

MPB Executive Director Royal Aills said, “MPB is home to many talented, wonderful people. Their leadership will help propel MPB to a whole new level of creativity and new ideas.”

The author is founder of Ordo Digital. He will speak at the NAB Show in two sessions related to artificial intelligence, “Using AI as a Creative Content Tool” on Sunday afternoon and “AI Strategies for Sales, Marketing and Operations” on Tuesday morning.

Jon Accarrino

As artificial intelligence continues making inroads into various industries, radio broadcasters have been contemplating if and how AI voices and DJs may supplement or even replace human talent. However, a new survey of more than 800 Americans by SmithGeiger Group indicates that radio listeners value authenticity and human connection from radio personalities over AI-generated voices. The survey results were presented at the 2024 Country Radio Seminar.

A Platform of personalities

The numbers reveal radio is still very much powered by personalities. A full 86% of respondents prefer radio hosts who “feel authentic,” rather than perfectly polished. Additionally, 73% favor DJs who go beyond just introducing songs to “share stories” and insights that bring deeper meaning to the music. And 68% like on-air talent to use a casual, relatable “everyman” communication style reminiscent of speaking with a friend, rather than a distant celebrity.

“The most successful influencers are themselves — they’re real,” said Andrew Finlayson, executive vice president of digital strategies at SmithGeiger. Finlayson presented the research at CRS.

“In a world that is going to be filled with AI content, this is an opportunity for radio,” Finlayson said. “This is a chance to connect with the audience.”

Perhaps most telling is that 47%, nearly half of those surveyed, had an outright distaste for AI radio voices, rating the concept poorly, or even hating it.

Escape through connection

Interestingly, the survey also suggested most listeners don’t want radio personalities espousing their political views (12%) or discussing international news (13%). What they desire is an escape from increasing complexity, anxiety and polarization in society. A commanding 90% of the country music fans surveyed said that it’s important for a radio personality to “keep a light mood.”

As Finlayson observed, “Escape factor is a big part of what you guys can do for the audience going forward. If you sit down at the end of the day and say, ‘I help my audience escape all the worries and fears that they have in a complex and sometimes scary world,’ you’ll have done your job.”

While AI promises efficiency and utility, only human beings can empathize with listeners, understand the role radio plays in their lives, and nurture that special relationship with the audience. Based on the survey results, broadcasters need to find the right balance between human personalities who authentically engage audiences and the latest tech innovations.

AI’s future in radio

At its essence, radio has always transcended mere entertainment. Unlike streaming playlists and algorithms, voices behind the mic provide community, wisdom and authentic comfort amid life’s chaos. By boldly leveraging real human voices, stories and connections, broadcasters can foster a relationship rooted in trust. One that AI simply cannot replicate.

In a followup phone call, Finlayson added, “Artificial intelligence can imitate human qualities, but it can’t be authentic. An AI can’t remember going to a concert.”

But radio broadcasters shouldn’t ignore practical opportunities for AI either. Stations may find success using AI voices for utility work, like promos, or producing weather reports.

“Hyper-local and hyper-personalization is beyond what a human can do on a daily basis,” Finlayson said. “But AI can help scale those efforts for broadcasters.”

Though AI voices may yet find useful applications in radio, the CRS study results suggest that putting more focus on fostering human connections on the airwaves is what radio listeners truly want.

For an industry facing AI disruption, that insight might just give some broadcasters a much-needed edge in their markets. But finding the right balance between how AI voices can be successfully used on-air without losing the audience still remains to be seen.

Key research takeaways from the CRS/SmithGeiger study:

• 86% prefer authentic DJs over perfectly polished talent
• 73% want DJs that share personal stories about the music
• 68% prefer a casual, relatable communication style
• 47% dislike the concept of AI radio voices
• Personalities that help audiences escape complexity have lasting value

The post Research Points to the Value of Human Talent appeared first on Radio World.

Since February 2019, he has been a familiar voice on quarterly earnings calls for such publicly traded radio industry companies as Audacy Inc., and was a panelist at Forecast 2023. Now, Dan Day is moving on from B. Riley.

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The AM for Every Vehicle Act has already gained majority support of Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. It is nearing a simple majority in the Senate. Did heavy lobbying from automakers including General Motors to prevent the bill from moving forward fall flat?

That’s the conclusion one can likely make after a review of automakers’ Q4 2023 lobbying efforts, which included discussions that included the prevention of a government mandate to make kHz-band radio broadcasts accessible across cars, trucks, vans and other vehicles from coast to coast.

As first reported by Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink, GM raised its lobbying spend in the fourth quarter to $2.82 million, tying it for the tenth-highest-spending corporate lobbyer — with Google.

According to required lobbying disclosures, “S.1669/H.R. 3413, AM Radio” was listed among the policies a team of five, including some of GM’s senior lobbyists, pushed in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Honda was the second highest-spending lobbyer against the AM For Every Vehicle Act, with a quarter total of $681,520, spent toward the Senate, House, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Department of Transportation.

Ford lobbying rose slightly from $578,486 to $617,979. It listed “issues related to AM radio” as the cause for lobbying both houses of Congress as well as the FCC and the DOT.

Two manufacturers producing solely electric vehicles who were among the first to remove AM radio from their cars also contributed. Tesla used a portion of its $270,000 lobbying budget, while niche EV maker Rivian spent $40,000 in Q4.

One noteworthy disappearance: Toyota cut its AM radio lobbying altogether at the end of 2023 as support grew on Capitol Hill.

Despite the efforts of these automakers, the concentrated labor of state broadcast associations during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., to discuss policy matters with lawmakers proved very fruitful, showing the power that radio maintains.

The push to maintain AM radio in cars has even spread to state legislatures, with Kansas State Representatives overwhelmingly passing a resolution calling on federal government to pass the AM For Every Vehicle Act.

At present, the legislation is awaiting action on the Senate floor, with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer yet to set a date for a formal vote.

NEW YORK — One of the largest independent “solutions providers” for converged TV advertising has reached a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of a Nasdaq-traded company known for its “machine learning” that delivers “measurable value for programmatic advertisers.”

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NEW YORK — It is a platform that began rolling out across CBS News and Stations in September and now includes CBS Media Ventures syndicated news magazines Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition.

As of today, this venture, dubbed the “Super Desk,” has a new Managing Editor. It is a woman who has been with CBS Newspath for more than 14 years, beginning in 2009 as an associate producer.

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The Director of Sales for Capitol Broadcasting Co.’s WRAL-5 and WRAZ-50 in Raleigh-Durham is returning to Sinclair Broadcast Group to take on the top leadership post at its FOX affiliate serving the capital of the Old Dominion.

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In August 2016, Townsquare Media was on a slightly different path. Its Chairman and CEO was Steven Price. “The potential expansion of Townsquare’s live offerings” was so strong that Madison Square Garden Company, owner of some of the nation’s top entertainment venues and three pro sports teams, acquired an approximately 12 percent common equity stake in the publicly traded company.

Now, MSG National Properties LLC is shedding a big chunk of its stake in Townsquare, thanks to a repurchasing agreement executed by the owner of local radio stations in mid-sized and small-sized markets as well as a digital marketing solutions company and a digital advertising network.

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A new broadcast affiliate distribution agreement has been signed that will bring a Sinclair Broadcast Group digital multicast network known for its lineup of police procedural series to ABC Owned Television Stations across the U.S.

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The latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report is out, and with “March Madness” nearing its conclusion, at least on the parquet floor, one automotive brand fueled itself to the top of the list as it comes to spot plays last week.

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Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on transmitters.

Radio Kerry is deeply embedded in the Irish broadcasting scene as a full-service, commercial radio station. Nestled in the picturesque County Kerry, the station caters to the diverse needs of its audience in southwest Ireland.

Engineering & IT Manager Trevor Galvin said the station’s older transmitters had been experiencing persistent issues with power supply failures and other problems. Radio Kerry decided to install new equipment and ultimately chose Ecreso FM AiO Series from WorldCast Systems, purchased through their local distributor, Radio Services.

Galvin said the choice was made based on the overall efficiency, build quality and user-friendly interface. Also attractive were the hot-swappable power supplies and fan and the transmitter’s web interface, SNMP and logging, solidified the decision. Radio Kerry also was familiar with WorldCast from using APT IP codecs and Audemat RDS encoders.

Trevor Galvin

Radio Kerry’s commitment to operational cost efficiency led it to activate built-in software features like SmartFM, saving power costs and contributing to the station’s efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Galvin said the transmitters each took about an hour to configure and install, after bench testing. “We have seen energy consumption drop significantly at each site since installing the AiO.”

Info: www.worldcastsystems.com/en/

Interested in new products? Check out the free Spring Product Preview 2024 ebook.

The post Radio Kerry Finds Success With WorldCast appeared first on Radio World.

Wheatstone Layers user interface

At the NAB Show, Wheatstone will highlight the addition of Reliable Internet Stream Transport protocol to its AoIP technology. It also will show Layers software running on Amazon Web Services’ Global Accelerator.

Calling it “the Infinite Studio,” the company will highlight the combination of AoIP cloud and connectivity, to share media, workflows and resources across distances.

Wheatstone makes the WheatNet IP audio network of AoIP elements, and has expanded in recent years to the cloud and server realm with its Layers Software Suite, which includes mixing, streaming and FM software hosted on a local server or running on cloud data centers. 

At NAB it will discuss the benefits of Reliable Internet Stream Transport. “RIST connectivity provides the error correction necessary for real-time media delivery across any IP link,” it stated.

[“What’s RIST and Why Do You Need It?”]

And it will run Layers on AWS Global Accelerator, Amazon’s private network for media that offers high availability and security features suitable for 24/7 broadcasting. It also will show the SystemLink MPX over IP transporter.

On the studio side, Wheatstone will introduce the Lyric and the Verse consoles. These digital surfaces are “designed for Audioarts budgets but built to Wheatstone top-line console standards.”

Audioarts Lyric

The Lyric DML 12 and Verse DML 8 provide USB direct-to-fader inputs. The DML 12 includes Bluetooth. A Wheatnet IP app is available optionally for direct digital out put to a WheatNet network.

Features include three stereo program busses, AES3 inputs via RJ45, mic preamp(s) and built-in cue speaker.

NAB Show Booth: W1731

[Read about 50+ new products in the latest Radio World ebook.]

The post Wheatstone to Feature the “Infinite Studio” appeared first on Radio World.

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