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“In light of the current circumstances, it is impossible to hold a rescheduled 2020 NAB Show this year,” NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith wrote in a Friday statement shared with industry stakeholders.

The association said it would be calling off the April event on March 11 and indicated at the time that they were exploring options, including postponing the trade show for later a date.

After a week of weighing their options, NAB has decided to create a “digital experience” that will bring elements of NAB Show online, including showcasing product announcements and providing educational opportunities. Additionally, the association says it will expand NAB Show New York, scheduled for Oct. 16–17, with more “programs, partners, and experiences.”

Smith also announced the dates for the 2021 NAB Show: April 11–14.

Read NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith’s letter here:

Dear NAB Show Community,

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a truly unprecedented situation around the world. Our thoughts are with those who have been directly affected by the virus, and all of those who are struggling with the ramifications of this global health crisis.

At the National Association of Broadcasters, we believe it is our responsibility to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and put the health and safety of our show community first. In the week since announcing that we will not move forward with the NAB Show in April, the landscape has continued to shift dramatically with major sports leagues, school districts, and other businesses around the country suspending operations. The governor of Nevada has also made the decision to close all nonessential business operations in the state. National authorities are imploring Americans to telework wherever possible.

While we recognize that much of our show community is focused on other issues at the moment, we have heard from many of you over the last week who are eager for an update on our plans. For that reason, we wanted to convey now that, in light of the current circumstances, it is impossible to hold a rescheduled 2020 NAB Show this year. We will instead proceed with a two-pronged approach to deliver as much value as possible under these circumstances to our exhibitors, partners, and the broadcast industry as a whole.

First, we are exploring a number of ways to bring the industry together online, both in the short and long term. We know from many years of serving the community with face-to-face events, that connectivity is vital to the health and success of the industry. That’s why we are excited to announce NAB Show Express, targeted to launch in April 2020. This digital experience will provide a conduit for our exhibitors to share product information, announcements and demos, as well as deliver educational content from the original selection of programming slated for the live show in Las Vegas, and create opportunities for the community to interact virtually—all of which adds up to something that brings the NAB Show community together in a new way.

Second, we will be enhancing NAB Show New York with new programs, partners, and experiences. We have already had numerous conversations with show partners about expanding their participation, and have heard from numerous exhibitors interested in enhancing their presence at this fall’s show. NAB Show New York represents the best opportunity for companies to announce and showcase their latest innovations and comes at a perfect time for the industry to gather face-to-face to restart, refocus, and reengage as we move forward together.

We will have more to say about these efforts in the coming weeks. This is a unique and challenging situation, but we are committed to working hard to deliver as much value as possible.

We’re also committed to being an active part of the solution to the current crisis in the months ahead. Last week we launched a new public service announcement campaign on radio and television that will provide crucial information to keep communities safe. The PSAs are part of a comprehensive Coronavirus Response Toolkit that we have made available online to help broadcasters accurately cover the pandemic and prepare for the threat it poses to their staff, communities, and businesses. We’ll be doing more in the weeks to come to harness the power of our industry as a force for good in these difficult times.

As we move forward, we will keep an open line of communication with our show community, and look forward to engaging with you throughout the year. We’ve already begun planning for our 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas, which will take place April 11-14th, and we hope you’ll join us then, as well as this fall.

We look forward to connecting with you, and hope that you and your loved ones remain safe in the months to come.

Best,

Gordon H. Smith
President and CEO

The post NAB’s Smith Says Rescheduling NAB Show in 2020 Is “Impossible” appeared first on Radio World.

Here’s a shot of Kim Komando in the WestStar facility soon after it opened in 2016.

The Phoenix-based staff of “The Kim Komando Show” abruptly shifted last week to a primarily remote work setup due to well-founded concerns about COVID-19.  

Radio World is reporting in this series of articles about how various radio enterprises are managing in the coronavirus-driven context, with a particular emphasis on technology and operations.

WestStar management sent an email to employees notifying them that offices were closed to all except “necessary technical staff” and a sign was now posted on the exterior door, announcing closure for anyone who might have missed the emailed memo.

While this decision was made quickly, WestStar Executive Chairman Barry Young told Radio World he had begun preparing his staff for this scenario more than a week prior.  

Under normal circumstances, there are about 50 employees who work at the 27,000 sq.ft. facility. Prior to this, WestStar had three remote workers.

WestStar’s flagship program is the “The Kim Komando Show,” a three-hour talk radio show, which is also produced as a one-hour segment for Bloomberg Television. Under the current circumstances, Young explains they will continue to produce and distribute the radio content to their 450 or so affiliates, although they will now work from the much smaller studios that only require three-people to keep the show on air. 

The audio content is created from employees’ homes and then routed via Comrex Access units to producers who also edit from home as much as possible and then share it online or upload it to the  Westwood One satellite distribution system. 

However, some productions do require staff to go to the WestStar building. When they do, the aim is to “get in and out as quickly as possible,” while also following “extraordinary procedures” to keep staff healthy. Employees are required to wear Latex gloves and clean equipment with 71% alcohol mix before and after using it. 

[Want to learn more about the studios and infrastructure? Read our 2016 facility profile.]

“The Kim Komando Show” has an extensive online presence, supporting related podcasts and e-newsletters as well as web content. Young reports that all writers, sales and traffic are working remotely. 

Additionally, the infrastructure that supports WestStar’s digital products is “handled by servers and fiber lines” at the Phoenix facility. Thus far, the IT team has been able to manage and maintain it remotely. 

However, WestStar has decided to repurpose and repackage its television content for the time being; the TV version of the show is normally produced on a set with 10 cameras that requires a 20-person staff. WestStar will temporarily lay off some of its part-time television production personnel, and Young said he expects these will be the only jobs affected. 

Radio World wants to hear about how the coronavirus situation is affecting your radio business operations. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post “Kim Komando” Employees Are Home But the Show Must Go On appeared first on Radio World.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) modernizes its rules regarding certain written notices that cable operators and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) providers are required to provide to broadcast television stations. Rather than continuing to require that cable and DBS providers deliver these notices on paper, the Commission is revising its rules to require that the notices be delivered to broadcast television stations electronically via email.

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The Commission clarifies that temporary agreements for shared news gathering efforts related to news coverage of the novel coronavirus pandemic do not need to be placed in the stations' online public inspection file

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Artisto from On-Hertz is a software audio engine that provides a complete solution for automating any workflow involving sound.

From simple monitoring and detection of levels to advanced workflows for cross-platform media diffusion or automated video production, Artisto promises to cover every processing and synchronization need.

Because Artisto is modular, it can be tailored to the specific requirements of any audio application. Artisto can be flexibly configured with an extensive library of processing blocks such as routing, equalizer, dynamics, web streaming, recorder, player and loudness leveling. These can be virtually wired together to build a processing pipeline for the desired workflow.

According to the company, the solution eliminates the frustrations inherent in complex hardware infrastructures, solves interoperability issues and dispenses with the need for outdated, insecure control protocols. Artisto is fully configurable and controllable via a simple, open web API.

Artisto’s front-end rests on the most common web technologies, and On-Hertz provides a library with commonly-used components, guaranteeing that any web developer can easily build custom interfaces that fit end-users’ needs.

By design and philosophy, Artisto is scalable and open, the company explains. It doesn’t lock the customer into one solution. It allows them to choose what part of Artisto they prefer to use or to connect to third-party services.

Info: www.on-hertz.com

 

The post On-Hertz Artisto Ensures Flexibility appeared first on Radio World.

Sennheiser says its new HD 25 Light headphones are a more budget-friendly edition of its field-friendly headphones.

The HD 25 Light are closed back supra-aural with 1.5-meter long cables going to each ear. The connector is 1/8-inch/3.5 mm.

Sennheiser specs them at 16 Hz–22 kHz with a max SPL of 120 dB. Impedance is 70 ohms. Price: $99.95

Info: https://en-us.sennheiser.com

The post Sennheiser Redesigns HD 25 Headphones appeared first on Radio World.

The author is founder, College Radio Foundation and College Radio Day.

The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been significant. The difficult situation that many educational institutions find themselves in, of closing campus access to the community that uses it, affects college radio uniquely, and requires us to ask some questions of how we can continue to operate, and what we should do. For example, what does the current environment demand of college radio, what do we need to do? What are our FCC obligations during this time? How can we all share the burden we face together? How can college radio continue to function and even provide an important reminder to a worried public that radio is a lifeline and source of important information in a time of crisis? On a smaller level, what can college radio demonstrate to a university administration that it is not simply a fun activity, like other student groups on campus, but has a much larger reach beyond the university?

In a press conference on March 17, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said that “broadcasters are ideally situated to the task” of informing the public about important news updates and developments during this period. When the College Radio Foundation took a group of college radio students to the FCC building in Washington in September 2018, we met with Ajit Pai in person, who said, on record, that college radio “has long been a staple of the campus experience, providing a platform for students to have their voices heard and the opportunity to shape their identities. … College radio has united listeners across the country and throughout the world.” So, college radio has an important role to play, just as other broadcasters are also seeing what they can do at this time.

For our students, the impact from these campus closures has been decisive. From what we have seen so far, there has been a profound loss of social interaction among our students and, because they are no longer able to access the radio station and broadcast as usual, there has been a loss of a creative outlet and means of communication.

[Free: Sign up now for the Radio World NewsBytes e-newsletter.]

The radio station offices are also a place where many students feel a second home-from-home, and the loss of that social space to connect with other students involved with the radio station is upsetting for them. Yet, it’s not just the students who are feeling this. Many people are feeling the anxiety and loneliness of a suddenly enforced period of self-isolation. There is a risk during this time that we can lose some balance in what occupies our thoughts and become too focused on every bit of new information about the coronavirus.

That means we run the risk of decreasing doing other activities that bring us happiness, fun and relaxation.

One recent article in Wired magazine titled “Don’t Go Down a Coronavirus Anxiety Spiral,” suggests that to maintain a healthy mental state, we should “limit how much information [we] consume about the coronavirus outbreak. Try to find a balance between being informed enough to make decisions about your life, but not so overloaded with information that it becomes stressful.” That sounds like reasonable advice.

We need to keep things in perspective, and we need to be calm if we can. My former mentor, Prof. Tim Crook, now president of the Chartered Institute of Journalists in the U.K., asserts that “the media have a responsibility to show leadership, calm, and perspective.” College radio can do that. That calm approach should be reflected in the way we operate our college radio stations right now.

So, I believe that during this time, college radio stations do not need to disappear. There are things that can be done, even when students are not on campus. There is even a possibility that college radio stations could play an important role in providing information to the campus community and the local communities in which they reside and serve. Even with the transmitters shut down, college radio stations, and those that operate them (faculty, staff, students and community volunteers) can still create community and content that can be shared with a wider audience.

College radio can also continue to serve as an important outlet for student expression and creativity, it’s just that we perhaps need to use different tools to do so. There is no reason why college radio needs to be silent during this time. We just need to adapt to these current circumstances and work together to ensure that the medium continues its important work of providing voices not heard anywhere else, and music and programming that no one else will play on the air. Yes, this is a challenging time, but now, more than ever, college radio is up to the task.

 

The post College Radio and Coronavirus appeared first on Radio World.

The author is general manager of WCLQ(FM).

WAUSAU, Wis. — Our station, WCLQ, is a noncommercial 90 kW ERP Christian station in Wausau, Wis. As a noncom that relies on a steady stream of donations to meet expenses, staying on the air with a reliable signal is crucial to us. Our old Continental tube transmitter was working fine but we were starting to bump up against the realities of keeping it operational in the long term. Our budget for tube replacement and related maintenance kept going up.

We also had an interesting situation with the transmitter — we’re on a hot tower with cell antennas and periodically have to reduce our power so maintenance people can climb the tower. This requires three to six hours of lower power operation, after which we would remotely call into the transmitter to increase the power again — and sometimes this didn’t work. 

Even worse, almost every time we went through this power reduction cycle, we had to send our contract engineering company out to retune the transmitter. The higher engineering costs involved in retuning, coupled with the higher tube costs and our power bill for keeping those tubes lit up all added up to the decision that it was time to purchase a new, more efficient solid state transmitter.

Our engineering firm, Optimized Media Group, is led by Alex Hartman. Alex now works for Nautel but was still an independent contractor at the time of our new transmitter purchase. Our conversation about a new transmitter began a discussion on tube costs. Alex told me that in the tube market, it’s “luck of the day” pricing — it can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 to replace a tube and the rebuilt tubes just aren’t lasting like they used to. Back when new tubes were readily available, you could get close to 50,000 hours of life out of a tube. Now the typical life span is between 18 and 24 months. 

The fact that our Continental was still working turned out to be one of the best reasons to replace it now. Alex noted that we could have an off-air situation at any time and potentially have to wait a long time for a critical part … and during that off-air time we would not be bringing in any money. Alex’s comment was “The time to do this is now, while the transmitter is working fine, and not when it’s a smoldering hot mess on the floor.” We also discussed the potential of HD Radio operation — we aren’t running HD channels yet but want to do that in the not-too-distant future. Purchasing an HD-ready solid-state transmitter and switching the Continental to a backup position made perfect sense to me.

At the Wisconsin Broadcasters’ Clinic in Madison, we did some serious shopping. Nautel’s NV20LT quickly jumped to the top of our list. The testimonials we heard from other users were all positive and from everything I have read and heard about Nautel, it was a confident move for us. We placed our order and the new Nautel unit went on the air in October 2019. It was a smooth switchover; our total off-air time was less than five hours.

Dealing with Nautel in purchasing the new unit was fantastic. We had quality communication all around, absolutely no false salesmanship or techno-speak that I wouldn’t be able to follow. They knew how to speak to me as a GM. And, they were completely up front with the transmitter costs including shipping — nothing was hidden from me; there were no surprises.

Well, there was one surprise. The incredible quality of the packaging was mind-boggling. That transmitter was so well protected when it arrived! I am really impressed with Nautel’s shipping department.

We were hoping that putting the new transmitter on the air would help our coverage area, and we have been very pleased in this regard. The signal is both consistent and competitive. There is another station on our same frequency about two hours south of us and they had squeezed us out of a pretty significant listening area when they went on air. Now we’re getting good reports from people in that area that they can hear us nicely.

We’re excited about the new Nautel. The periodic power reductions for the cellular phone guys are not a problem at all, we just make some keystrokes on a computer via Nautel’s Advanced User Interface, and the return to full power is a painless process. Because the NV20LT is easily field-upgradable to HD Radio operation, we are now starting to plot out our HD operation ideas. We are looking into providing programming that will appeal to our full demographic and not just the younger people who like our current contemporary Christian music format.

We’re getting some cost savings as well. In the few months that we’ve had the NV20LT on the air, our power bills have been consistently lower than in the same period last year. Even better, maintenance costs are going to plummet. Periodic maintenance can be scheduled rather than having an emergency visit to retune a transmitter that didn’t return correctly to its full power. And, with a solid-state transmitter, swapping out modules can be done without going off-air at all! 

So, to other general managers who are wondering about why to replace your tube transmitter even if it’s still working … I say look at your maintenance budget, tube replacement budget and power bill, and a switch will make perfect sense.

For information, contact Nautel in Nova Scotia at 1-877-662-8835 or visit www.nautel.com.

The post User Report: WCLQ Leaves Tubes Behind for Nautel NV20^LT appeared first on Radio World.

This is how coronavirus response is playing out on the technical operations side of one of America’s leading major-market public radio stations. Rob Bertrand is senior director of technology for WAMU 88.5 American University Radio.

Radio World: What are we looking at in that white board photo?
Rob Bertrand: This is one white board in our technical operations area where we, as a team, are starting to “brain dump” the things we have been tracking individually. The situation is evolving so rapidly that a simple method, albeit crude, seemed like the best idea to keep all of us in the loop. We are figuring out what needs to be done short, medium, and longer term to achieve full remote operation.

RW: How “virtual” can you get, and why are you able to do so?
Bertrand: We plan to achieve 100% virtual operation. It will take several weeks to implement. We are leveraging Axia’s virtual console technology and the flexibility of an all-AOIP plant, combined with remote screen sharing tech like VNC and simple Remote Desktop to remotely control the Wide Orbit players in the studios. We want to keep our studio hardware the same to minimize the learning and configuration curve. Hosts and operators will literally control the same studio they normally do, they will just do it virtually. AOIP codecs like Comrex Access/BricLink/NX and Tieline VIA, as well as our Telos VX phones and PhoneBox screening platform are providing the connective tissue.

RW: What specific technical obstacles have you encountered that you have had to solve or are in process of being solved?
Bertrand: Firewall rules and various network snags are foremost. We are part of American University. While we operate a largely independent network, there are points where we intersect and must coordinate our activity. They are very focused on transitioning to remote learning right now. So weaving our work into that flow has been a consideration, but we’ve been able to accomplish what we’ve needed to together. There are also dozens of “little things” that usually lurk harmlessly in our backlog that are coming more to the forefront right now, at times requiring overnight work. Handling overnight work and dayside staffing with a small team is a challenge. I’m thankful our team is so committed to the work we are doing. Managing across different levels of internet connectivity at the homes of the hosts and board operators involved is also a challenge, but so far we have had good success.

RW: What has the impact been on air talent and on other WAMU staff?
Bertrand: We are learning as we go. There is no master plan for this. People always want to know what’s going on and when it is going to happen. The answers can be pretty fluid right now so patience and trust are key. It’s also critical that we as technologists keep the uneasiness of air staff top of mind. It can be tempting to say “you just need to do X.” But we need to remain mindful that they are dealing with the stresses of being the public name and voice of WAMU, doing that in an unfamiliar manner, and doing so from the otherwise private enclave of their home. Doing all that while also juggling parenting and other family commitments, while trying to deliver meaningful content is a real challenge. Our goal in the technology department is to create the most user friendly solutions we can and to be as responsive to requests as possible. We can’t take anything for granted or force talent into a workflow that isn’t intuitive for them at a time like this, especially. So we are working hand-in-hand with our talent to prototype and then iteratively improve these remote operations in-house, before deploying to home. This isn’t just setting up a remote with talent in the field and the board op back at the station. They need to be able to do it all, amid a rapidly changing environment.

RW: What lessons can other engineers and technical managers learn from what you’ve been doing these past few days?
Bertrand: One of the most important things we are doing is finding time to connect with one another as a technical team on a daily or near-daily basis. We give folks the chance to talk about what’s worrying them personally or professionally, as well as trying to find silver linings or things to celebrate where we can. Lots of people are depending on us to support them. We need to find ways to support one another as we go through this together.

The other piece is understanding that this is a shared learning process. There is no one person with all the answers. A hard timeline is laughable. We are developing rough plans as we go and constantly updating them as we learn more. We are being open with the people we support and underscoring that they are partners in this. We have to approach this work with open minds and a willingness to change plans at a moment’s notice. The more we learn, the clearer things become. But there is no one brilliant mind steering this all. The key is in connecting people with one another in a meaningful way and ensuring we are learning together. The AOIP tech that is enabling all of this is transformational. But it’s not out of the box nor are the answers obvious in a complex news environment. Focusing on people first and plans second has had tremendous impact and will continue to drive as much if not more success than the underlying technology.

RW: Do you think these changes will be permanent in any way?
Bertrand:  Some. Yes. We will have better production workflows for our talk shows. Things that we’ve been “meaning to get to” for a long time but are now critical. Will these work from home setups persist? I can’t imagine. But I can imagine a future where we deploy them for snowstorms and the like. Certainly all the different ways we are putting reporters and guests on the air will continue to be useful. Comrex Opal and Tieline ReportIt have been a real lifeline for ad-hoc news gathering and guests. They will no doubt stick around as part of our new arsenal.

RW: What else should we know?

Bertrand: We are also building a disaster recovery setup near our tower facility on the campus of American University just in case we run into trouble at our main facility. Our normal fallback facility is dealing with their own challenges, so we’ve had to improvise another DR location.

We are preparing for remote work, offsite operation, and potentially hunkering down in our facility for an extended period of time. Lots of contingency planning! And understanding that we can’t be too married to any single plan.

The post COVID-19 and Public Radio: WAMU’s Game Plan appeared first on Radio World.

This is one in a series of articles about what the industry is telling the FCC about all-digital on the U.S. AM band.

It’s time for all-digital AM to come to fruition — with as little delay and with as simple a transition process as possible.

That’s the message from two more broadcasting associations that are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to allow a voluntary station-by-station transition to an all-digital mode of operation by AM band broadcast stations.

[Read: Hubbard Radio Backs Push for All-Digital Option on AM]

These comments were filed by the California and Missouri Broadcasters Associations. They urged the FCC to adopt the MA3 digital operation rules as promptly as possible. A number of other broadcast organizations and associations have filed their own separate comments, as we’ve been reporting.

The California and Missouri associations said they believe that this proceeding is especially important to small towns and diverse communities where local AM remains the most relevant source of local news and information.

“AM broadcasters provide unique, community-based programming that distinguish them from other media sources in an increasingly competitive mass media market,” they stated. “Many local communities still have but one ‘community-oriented’ resource: their AM station.”

One of the biggest benefits of an all-digital operation is the improvements it could bring to the audio quality of AM broadcasts. Citing an NAB study and the results from an experimental license operated by WWFD(AM) in Frederick, Md., all-digital operations have the capability to significantly improve audio quality compared to hybrid or analog — most importantly when it comes to improvements from ambient noise and interference. Not only that, but troublesome first-adjacent-channel interference is all but eliminated with the reduced-bandwidth MA3 mode, the groups said.

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The filing noted a recent student on the audio quality improvements via AM all-digital. That study found that when a station switched to digital, its previously hard-to-hear analog signal became solid with no dropouts. With all-digital there was no additional, environmental noise. “[L]isteners who had previously refused to tune in WWFD because of poor quality, now comment on the high quality of the all-digital signal that produces noise free, high-fidelity programming,” the groups wrote in the filing.

The groups also said that AM all-digital MA3 mode can produce a respectable HD2 signal that has the ability to support a second local translator with a second, independent stream of programming, a benefit that HD Radio developer Xperi has recently been emphasizing.

“A small town’s single AM station can, therefore, effectively become a second local station supporting a second FM signal, multiplying the local sources of news and entertainment,” the associations wrote. “[A]ll-digital AM technology will improve the ability of diverse communities to better receive specialized programming tailored to their needs.”

Last but not least? The groups pressed the FCC to adopt a plan to convert to all-digital via a simple notification procedure. “There is no justification for a costlier or cumbersome procedure,” the groups said.

Learn about all-digital for AM in depth in Radio World’s recent webinar “Digital Sunrise for AM.”

 

The post California and Missouri Broadcasters Press FCC to Adopt All-Digital appeared first on Radio World.

Talent, engineers and manufacturers are  incorporating new COVID-19 best practices, building out new procedures and trying to keep their spirits up. Here’s what RW is hearing as of Thursday, March 19.

Stations that do find it necessary to continue in-studio work are implementing various new operational rules at a granular level. For instance WLOH in Lancaster, Ohio, informed staff, “There are four sets of headphones for guest use. After use, please do not return them back to the wall rack until they have been thoroughly wiped down with disinfectant.” The station has given each person their own SM7B windscreen. It wipes work surfaces every morning, instituted new glassware policies, is funneling interviewees directly in and out of the production studio without allowing building tours or meetings, and cancelled next month’s open house.

Humor is important during times like these, and broadcast engineers aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves. Here’s a meme that’s been circulating on social media, posted on Facebook and credited to the McGuire Show. 

The New Jersey Broadcasters Association has postponed its annual conference and gala. However, NJBA President Paul Rotella promised in the same announcement: “The show will go on my friends, if not this year, then next year.” The 2021 event is already scheduled for June 15–16. 

Manufacturer Wheatstone said it is “scaling our AoIP technology to adapt to unprecedented changes in how stations operate,” and it said it will continue to launch new products, connecting with broadcasters through webcasts and virtual meetings. Internally, while most of its staff are teleworking, “We are maintaining a small crew at the factory to ship products and provide support services as needed.” The company is based in New Bern, N.C.

More stations are getting creative with their coronavirus communications. Steve Huber shared on Facebook that some broadcasters have been showing their solidarity via RDS messages, including the one shown at left, which reads: “We’re all in this together.”

Due to the unfolding situation, international broadcast technology company Worldcast Systems announced its teams will cease traveling, the majority of its staff will now work remotely, and they will no longer allow visitors at their offices in Belfast, Ireland; Miami, Fla.; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. However, they plan to continue processing orders,manufacturing and delivering products while following safety recommendations, although Worldcast cautions that some deliveries may be delayed or postponed. The announcement also indicated they are working on “digital experiences” in order to fulfill business engagements but did not explain what these will entail.

The post Broadcasters Carry on, Promoting Best Practices and Continuity appeared first on Radio World.

As the U.S. deals with the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, FEMA has shared how the Integrated Public Alert Warning System can be used to inform, alert or warn the public.

Describing it ultimately as “a matter of local judgement,” IPAWS—which can include EAS alerts for broadcasters and WEA alerts for wireless providers—can be used to convey health orders, detail curfew information, notify of assembly guidelines/restrictions and to advice of other COVID-19 related information.

With EAS alerts IPAWS users can send up to two minutes of information via text-to-speech or pre-recorded audio in English and Spanish. Updates have also been made to WEA alerts, in which groups can include a phone number and hyperlink as well as send a 90 second and 360 character messages in English and Spanish.

When planning to use IPAWS, it is encouraged that groups send messages to the IPAWS Lab to test the message as well as new IPAWS capabilities. There is also the IPAWS Message Viewer to verify that messages will be sent out and appear as intended. The IPAWS Lab can be contacted at fema.ipaws.lab@awtestlab.com.

Additional best practices that IPAWS highlights includes reminders that EAS uses event codes and that groups should be aware what events will be carried by local broadcasters.

For more information, contact IPAWS@fema.dhs.gov.

The post IPAWS Guidelines for Coronavirus Shared by FEMA appeared first on Radio World.

The author is owner of Kline Consulting Group LLC.

It’s time to build that new studio (or upgrade an existing one) and everyone on the team is excited. Whether you are constructing a brand new facility or simply renovating it, there are common considerations to keep in mind to ensure you are satisfied with the end result.

1. What’s ideal? From the outset of designing your new studio you need to ask what the meaning of “ideal” is. After all, there are many opinions on what the ideal studio looks like. Ask your colleagues, program directors, managers and do some online research. Chances are you will get a lot of feedback with varying responses. Write all of them down and prioritize what’s important.

This list will likely get filtered and organized based on your budget, timeline and resources. The important takeaway here is that you first think about what is ideal and then define it. Not in a vacuum, but with the meaningful input of your end-users, stakeholders, engineers, and thorough research. Be creative. Be different. But don’t forget an ideal studio should always include good engineering practice.

2. Organization and structure. Put a project management team in place from the onset. Your project may be just one small studio, or it may be a building full of content-generating technology. It may be limited in scope and budget or it may be very large with many moving parts. Regardless of the project extent, you should have a clearly defined decision-making structure in place.

This will help with prioritization and refinement of the myriad of design requirements that you will encounter. When you have several passionate individuals on a design team it takes leadership and structure to make balanced decisions. Studios rarely get built without outside help. Contractors and system integrators may occasionally need assistance navigating a problem or unexpected hiccup. The project leader should be empowered to coordinate and delegate as necessary to deal with such an event.

Good structure also helps to avoid budget issues and schedule delays. As the lead engineer and/or project manager, make sure you are in on the design phase early so you can incorporate critical requirements into the drawings. I’ve seen too many studio designs that were “backed into” because things such as HVAC, MEP, the lobby, the kitchen, or the office space had been designed (perhaps commissioned) before important broadcast technical design considerations were integrated.

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I’ve also seen leases signed before the technical design team was consulted. Roof rights (and access), satellite dish placement, telecom availability, floor load capacity, microwave path, generator availability and restrictive landlord regulations are just some of the critical issues a person who is not experienced in broadcast technical requirements may overlook.

3. Reflect on user experience and user interface. Build a modern, impressive and user-friendly studio. Examine every inch of the space you are designing very closely. Carefully consider every decision you make about the location and placement of objects in each individual room. Start with the furniture layout as this is crucial.

Credit: Gary Kline

Furniture design can improve the quality of the on-air content because the layout and look sets the mood (and interaction) in the room. Invest in the nicest looking and well-constructed studio furniture your budget will allow. Things such as video monitor placement, mic arm style and height, lighting, ergonomics, line-of-sight, windows, workspace, control surfaces, table and chair height and room size/layout will have an impact on the user (and guest) experience. Also, consider consolidating different software systems (playout, editing, contesting, call screening, social media, etc.) into one or two screens. This eliminates the wall of monitors many studios have. It also allows for a better and more efficient user interface, while improving line of sight to the other talent or guests in the room. There are different opinions about what constitutes a good interface and experience for the user. Some people want lots of buttons and flashy lights. Some take a minimalist approach with very little “tech” in the room. Some studios incorporate glass screens for the mixing desk, bypassing the traditional tactile faders and knobs often used. Some people want to sit down, some want stand up and some studios have motorized adjustable furniture height, etc.

Design your UI/UX so that it makes the most sense for your needs. This may require considerable research, time and a team effort to produce a good plan. Organize meetings and interviews with the end users and listen to them. Their input is valuable, as they will use the studio every day. Additionally, your architect, interior designer, studio furniture vendor and even Google can help you with creative ideas.

4. Acoustics. Stellar room acoustics probably has more to do with the quality of how the announcer or live performance sounds than the fancy electronics you just purchased. Do not underestimate the significance of this. In most radio studio environments, you don’t want a “live” sounding room because that will take away from the intimacy and intelligibility of the air talent.

We’ve all heard the hollow or echo effect in a poorly built studio when one or more mics are open. Instituting proper isolation so that there is no sound leakage outward and no external noise inward is imperative. There are ways to quantify isolation such using an STC rating. There are different STC ratings for materials such as sound panels, doors, windows, and external walls. Budget and design requirements will dictate your choice for a minimum STC rating. Each room has its own set of design criteria. Take a newsroom for example. That space may not require isolation, hoping that the inherent background room noise adds additional credibility over the air.

This topic is too large to cover everything here. Just keep in mind that acoustical design involves specialized construction techniques and materials, something your architect, interior designer, or acoustical consulting engineer can help you with. If you don’t have the budget to hire a consultant, there are many acoustic design examples online in addition to books and articles. Reach out to your engineering buddies or a mentor and ask them for advice.

5. Future growth and expansion. It helps to group this subject into categories: Physical growth inside the existing space, growth into an external location, technology upgrades of existing infrastructure, and expansion into new technologies. As you think about the future, here are just a few things to deliberate. Will you need additional studios later? How many? To serve what purpose? Is a particular studio that you are constructing firmly dedicated to a purpose that could change later? Did you leave enough expansion space for additional studios, offices, technology, or a surprise request?

Can you add new studios, streams, metadata, storage, and production capability, etc. quickly and cost-effectively? Did you box yourself in with a tech platform that won’t scale as you grow? Did you choose an audio protocol that is too proprietary?

Did the business office review your key suppliers’ finances to ensure they will be in business long-term? Have you studied broadcast technology trends to understand what the world might look like in three to five years? Does your physical plant and technology platform lend itself toward those future trends? Again, these are just a few things to think about. So remember to consider the future and its potential impact on what you are building today.

6. Speaking of technology. What technology will you use? Is there an organized approach to defining and selecting the technologies, which will be the cornerstone of your build out? Almost everyone builds his or her new radio studio using a digital platform. Which AoIP platform and protocol(s) will you use? Is it compatible with other popular formats and equipment?

If your facility will be producing video such as visual radio, branded content, or podcasts, have you carefully researched what equipment is needed to do that? Do you understand the special requirements that a podcast creator might need as it relates to technology? Do you have a visual radio strategy and technical plan? (see Radio World ebook Trends in visual Radio 2019.

Do you have a media asset management system in your plans? Will you index your audio, so it is searchable? Metadata for audio content is a hot topic these days. Will your metadata content look consistent across HD Radio, DAB, and most importantly, hybrid radio/connected car?

Did you include the digital team in these discussions? Will you build a large legacy TOC (rack room) or will you make use of the cloud where possible? Have you considered using virtualization to aggregate and manage things such as console engines, audio processing, streaming, codecs, transmission, and many other functions?

Have you researched the latest trends in production software and workflow for audio and video? Are you building a live performance space? Does it incorporate the proper technology needed by musical acts? The list goes on but in short research as much as possible to ensure that you’ve made informed technology decisions in your design.

7. Social Media. Do you have a mediacentric IT fabric to support the specialized requirements of bandwidth-heavy digital audio and video? Is your facility optimized to communicate with your listeners given we live in the age of numerous voice and video apps and use them to engage with the audience? Can you put a Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp or mobile app on the air easily and reliably?

Do you support cellular HD voice calls? A simple POTS request line is no longer enough on its own to connect with the audience. Do you support real-time high-quality feeds to YouTube? FB Live? IGTV? Twitch? Do you plan to incorporate automatic speech-to-text intelligence so that some or all your content is searchable? Did you plan for a social media dashboard UI in the studio? You can track real-time audience sentiment using specialized software now — why not show that on that dashboard?

There are software and hardware products available to aggregate the relevant various social media platforms for broadcasters that are very powerful.

8. Security. Given the security breaches and ransomware attacks that have become reality, and considering how almost everything at the radio station connects to the internet, are you prepared? Do you have a security-aware culture in place? Your new studio and facility design should have an IT security framework, which would include redundancy, backups to the cloud, and a quick restoration plan. No studio design should ignore the potential for externally introduced malware. Do you have segregated networks and layers of security that surround them? Did you design each aspect of your studio and office technology with cybersecurity in mind? A simple firewall isn’t enough. Most experts agree it is not a matter of if, but when — so have a plan in place. (See Radio world ebook Cybersecurity and Studio Disaster Recovery.

9. Innovate. Don’t be afraid to innovate and think outside of the box. So many studios look similar — a desk, chairs, microphones, computer monitors, panels on the wall, fancy track lights, and a window. There is nothing wrong with that. However, some very modern facilities are being designed to look different from the typical studio layout. Avoid the typical console and chair cookie-cutter studio.

Design for the user experience and to enhance the on-air product. Design the workflow for the users so that it is easier and less time-consuming to do their job. Design a studio that can increase station revenue. Here’s an example of thinking outside the box: Do studios still need walls? There are examples of studios being built without walls nowadays or without physical consoles. There are also studios designed in the cloud, which allows for a less techy studio but more room for the talent. Sometimes, less is more.

10. Ask for help. It’s ok to ask for help. Every one of us has conferred with others to brainstorm or solve a problem at one point. Your architect, general contractor, electrician, mechanical engineer, and colleagues are there to help and share knowledge. Tour other stations.

Some of the best studios incorporate ideas from other creative designs. Dig into the thousands of photos online of cool radio and recording studios. Your studio furniture vendor has worked with many layouts across various projects. They will be another great resource for you and can, in many cases, share drawings and photos.

Build a well-thought out facility that achieves your team’s goals using all of the resources and expertise available to you.

The post Ten Tips to Help You Build Your Best Studio appeared first on Radio World.

FCC denies the Petition for Reconsideration filed by Chehalis Valley Educational Foundation seeking review of the Commission's denial of the licensee's Application for Review conerning its request for a change in community of license

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