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Commission adopts an Order making revisions to parts 73 and 76 of the Commission's rules to eliminate obsolete transitional public file requirement language

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Diversity Advisory Committee to Meet Electronically on April 28, 2020

Radio is evolving, engaging and also enduring! Radio World is proud to note the upcoming 100th anniversary of the famous “first commercial broadcast” with a series of articles all year long celebrating the many historical and modern faces of radio. Look for three special stories in this issue.

Read it online here.

Prefer to do your reading offline? No problem! Simply click on the Issuu link, go to the left corner and choose the download button to get a PDF version.

SPECTRUM
C-Band Plan Aims to Limit Broadcast Disruption

The FCC’s package includes reimbursement to displaced stations — if they registered earlier.

NEW PRODUCTS
Buyer’s Guide: Transmitters

Learn why your industry colleagues chose the particular brands and models they did.

 

HISTORY SPECIAL

• Proof of Performance, 1970s Style
• Brave New Radio Airs Live From Marconi’s Home
• 3XN: When a Dairy Farm Became a Radio Blaster

The post Inside the March 18 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Radio professionals and audio companies are beginning to heed the call for “social distancing” while continuing to do their jobs as first informers during this critical time, as of Wednesday morning.

The Society of Broadcast Engineers asked its chapter chairs to refrain from holding in-person meetings for the next two months. Instead, SBE encouraged them to “meet virtually through any capabilities you may have available to you,” according to an email shared by Chapter One Chair Paul Kaminski.

Westwood One‘s blog explored how the coronavirus situation has “shifted the American workforce and altered habits,” including percentages of people working from home. Ipsos did a national study for Cumulus and Westwood One. Read the findings. 

Artificial intelligence company Veritone says its three main AI offerings — Veritone Essentials, Attribute and Digital Media Hub — will be free for the next two months. The company hopes its cloud-based software will mitigate “business disruption” from coronavirus and the sudden shift to remote work. 

Alan Peterson’s temporary basement studio

Radio World friend and national production director for Radio America Al Peterson wrote in to share how he’s handling his new work from home situation. He’s quick on his feet: “Within two hours of the notification, I had this mess assembled and patched together from old idled components stored in my basement and garage. One dual-core computer was set up as a DAW using Reaper software and FTP’ing show files back and forth to the network. A second underpowered PC handled VoIP duties, with everything mixed through a 1997 Mackie 1202 connected to long-retired M-Audio Delta audio interfaces. Talkback was via an MXL ribbon mic and, with no landlines coming into my house anymore, the ‘call-in’ line was my cellphone jerry-rigged to the Aux I/Os of the mixer.” 

Peterson told RW he plans to improve his setup over the weekend — “I’ll be ‘prettying up’ the cabling for safety, adding to my VoIP capabilities and mounting everything to make sense and not topple down on me.” 

He also pointed out that Cockos Inc. is offering a temporary gratis license for the Reaper audio production software to help those social distancing.

Beasley’s WMMR uses metadata to urge listeners to practice social distancing, wash their hands and communicate other coronavirus advice.

Streamer TuneIn has introduced a Coronavirus News channel populated by local stations and national networks, as well as relevant podcasts. Importantly, listeners can search by state to ensure they’re up to date on the situation in their area. 

Radiodays Europe announced the 2020 event has been rescheduled for Dec. 13–15. It will still be held at Portugal’s Centro de Congresses de Lisbon. All tickets purchased for the original March dates will be honored.

In Philly, radio engineer Benjamin Woodring posted this photo on social media noting the use of metadata by radio station WMMR to send public health messaging.

The New Jersey Broadcasters Association sent out an email to members with information about COVID-19 and urging them to follow protocol to prevent the spread of the disease.

To learn more about broadcasters’ efforts earlier in the week, check out our industry updates from Monday and Tuesday. 

The post Radio Pros Social Distance, Companies Offer Software Trials and More appeared first on Radio World.

GettyImages/ jaroszpilewski

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s aggressive timeline to reallocate part of the C-Band for advanced wireless services, including 5G, is now on full display. Radio entities are starting to look ahead to the possible infrastructure implications and costs.

The C-Band is a 500-megahertz segment of spectrum now used by satellite companies to distribute audio and video content to broadcasters and cable systems. Pai’s plan, which he detailed in February in draft form and which was approved in late February, would make the lower 280 megahertz of the C-Band (3.7–3.98 GHz) available for flexible use, including 5G, through a public auction, which the chairman wants to begin in December.

Incumbent satellite services are to be repacked from that 500 MHz to the upper 200 megahertz of the band (4.0–4.2 GHz). The FCC’s goal is for incumbent earth station operators to be adequately transitioned and able to continue operations without interruption. 

In addition, there will be a 20 megahertz guard band (3.98–4 GHz) cleared during the process to prevent interference. The fixed satellite services community agreed with the FCC that 200 megahertz of spectrum is sufficient to support current satellite services and even allow for some expansion of services.

Relocation costs of the band’s current users will be covered, according to the chairman’s plan. The FCC acknowledges new satellites will need to be launched and filters replaced on earth stations as part of the repack.

The Report and Order specifies “reasonable relocation costs of the C-Band’s current users will be covered through reimbursement by the winning bidders in the C-Band auction,” according to the FCC. 

STATION COSTS

There are provisions within the order that spell out reimbursements to incumbents, such as radio stations, that have C-Band earth stations that will be affected by the relocation of spectrum (see Reimbursement Considerations section ). There are approximately 20,000 receive-only dishes in the contiguous U.S., according to the FCC.

“There has been extensive discussion of the work and costs that could be incurred by incumbent earth stations, those who were properly registered with the commission. And the possible costs they’ll be reimbursed for, such as new filters, potentially labor costs to re-point antennas or installing of new antennas,” according to a senior FCC official.    

Details on eligibility requirements and how stations would submit for reimbursement are expected later in 2020.

At least one source believes that a substantial number of small rural radio and television stations and private networks that rely on C-Band programming failed to submit registration filings and so presumably will be ineligible for reimbursement funds. 

Groups like the NAB, SBE and Westwood One urged stations to register during the FCC’s 2018 window. But the source, who works in the satellite infrastructure part of the industry, believes that possibly thousands of earth stations used by radio stations may remain unregistered because the application fee and burdens of registration were cost-prohibitive for some providers. 

The FCC acknowledged such concerns in its draft but wrote that it will not open another window for the registration of earth stations. 

“I estimate at least 25% of radio stations did not register their C-Band downlinks before the deadline, and they will be cut off from reimbursement of their costs to upgrade dishes,” according to the source. “Their decision may have cost them each $1,000 to $5,000 because new equipment must be installed on their dish to block upcoming 5G cellular interference.”

The insider says the FCC’s reimbursement plan is “quite generous” and will protect the majority of radio broadcasters but that unregistered earth station owners will have to pay for the new gear out of their own pockets. 

“That might be a $500 dish filter and a few hundred dollars for labor to repoint it, but what happens if the dish has marginal reception already? It might become unusable, and then you need a new $4,000 dish and more money for a new pad,” he said. 

“EXTRAORDINARILY COMPLEX”

The National Association of Broadcasters called Pai’s plan “an important step toward ensuring a stable C-Band ecosystem following reallocation,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton. 

National Public Radio has been pressing the FCC for clarity about the financial ramifications of a massive C-Band migration of satellite earth-stations. NPR has a lot riding on the FCC’s decision since the Public Radio Satellite System depends on C-Band for distribution of programming to approximately 1,278 public radio stations.

“Because the process to clear the lower portion of the C-Band for 5G services and to repack incumbent C-Band users in the upper portion of the band will be extraordinarily complex, NPR has encouraged the commission to invite public comment at key points as satellite operators’ transition plans and activities progress, so that any deficiencies may be identified and resolved,” it wrote.

NPR, according to an ex parte notice about its communications with the FCC, proposed measures to ensure reimbursement of all transition-related costs incurred by current C-Band users and to mitigate interference from new 5G services.

The FCC, which says it has broad support for its C-Band plan across Capitol Hill, expects the cost for all incumbents to transition in a repack to range from $3 billion to $5 billion, which includes new satellites and filters on earth stations. Specifically, the FCC estimated earth station costs in the range of $1 billion to $2 billion for repacking transponders, filter installing, re-pointing earth station dishes and antenna feeding. 

Pai says the FCC is committed to covering all relocation costs incurred by satellite operators and broadcast networks. His draft Report and Order cautioned: “We recognize that incumbents may attempt to gold-plate their systems in a transition like this. Let us be clear: Incumbents will not receive more reimbursement than necessary, and we require that, to qualify for reimbursement, all relocation costs must be reasonable.

“We expect incumbents to obtain the lowest-cost equipment that most closely replaces their existing equipment or, as needed, provides the targeted technology upgrades necessary for clearing the lower 300 megahertz.”

In an ex parte notice of its own, the NAB said it understands the interest in “avoiding gold-plating of facilities during the transition,” but “the commission should not require or allow the clearinghouse to second-guess specific commitments already made by the satellite operators that are necessary to ensure continued service, or specific technology choices made by programmers. This is particularly important because there will not be one-size-fits-all solutions for the transition.”

Under an accelerated relocation incentive package, Pai’s plan will allow fixed satellite operators and other incumbents to tap a pool of another $9.7 billion if they meet the accelerated milestones. The FCC specifies it will offer incumbent space station operators the option to accelerate the repack process for the lower 120 megahertz during Phase I of the accelerated relocation, which needs to be completed by Dec. 5, 2021. To be eligible for Phase II payments, operators must clear the remaining 180 megahertz by Dec. 5, 2023. 

Pai’s plan requires the 280 megahertz of spectrum to be transitioned to flexible use in the United States by Dec. 5, 2025.  

“We find a mix of carrots and sticks best accommodates the need to clear FSS operations out of the lower 300 megahertz as quickly as possible to facilitate new terrestrial, flexible-use operations and the need to preserve the content distribution ecosystem now contained in the C-Band,” according to the proposal. 

The FCC for now will retain C-Band operation in areas outside the contiguous U.S. It excludes Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico from being repurposed for terrestrial wireless use.  

The lower 280 megahertz of the C-Band will be made available for flexible use, including 5G, through a public auction (Auction 107), which the chairman wants to begin in December. Pai did not disclose how much the FCC hopes to generate from the spectrum auction to 5G service providers. 

The push for deploying advanced wireless services has been high on Pai’s agenda, observers said. The FCC’s 5G FAST plan is to free up more spectrum for wireless carriers and promote wireless infrastructure deployment, according to FCC filings.  

The Report and Order establishes a Relocation Payment Clearinghouse to manage the intake, payout and auditing of relocation funds for incumbents. It also establishes a Relocation Coordinator to oversee the technical aspect of the transition and develop timelines, according to a senior FCC official. The commission will require satellite operators to submit a transition plan by this summer describing the estimated costs and the necessary steps needed to clear the bottom 300 MHz of spectrum.

The NAB in February asked the commission to allow satellite customers to comment on each satellite operator’s transition plan before approving it.  

The C-Band Alliance, which included satellite operators Intelsat, SES and Telesat, had originally proposed a private sale of the spectrum, which was rejected by the FCC. The C-Band Alliance has since dissolved. 

SES and Telesat issued statements praising the FCC’s leadership on the issue following the release of the Report and Order in February. 

However, some industry observers still worry the FCC spectrum auction could face legal challenges and delays. Bloomberg Law reported in early March that Intelsat is considering a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing if the FCC fails to boost the compensation levels paid to operators for vacating part of the C-Band spectrum. The FCC has said it won’t reconsider.

Intelsat is eligible to receive up to $4.87 billion in proceeds, according to the Report and Order, which is about half of the compensation pool. 

The FCC makes the argument that there is plenty of room for all of the lower C-Band to be repacked to the upper 200 MHz.  

“In March 2019, the most recent month of data collected, the combined FSS downlink capacity and usage of the 66 satellites was, respectively, 59,427 megahertz and 33,138 megahertz in total with 19,961 megahertz of usage providing service to the United States (i.e., 33.59% of the total capacity of the 66 satellites),” a senior FCC official wrote in an email to Radio World. 

The FCC adopted the C-Band Report and Order at its open meeting in late February, bypassing a notice of proposed rulemaking. The FCC expected to open a comment period on the auction procedures.

Chris Imlay, general counsel to the Society of Broadcast Engineers, said fairness in spectrum allocations decision-making is rare, because there is almost always a preferred outcome determined in advance. 

“In this case, the FCC’s only real priority was to roll out 5G, and try to keep up with the rest of the world in the process,” he said. “A more fair way to proceed, as I saw the matter, would have been for FCC to internationally harmonize the 5G mid-band spectrum allocation, and match the European plan to use 3.4-3.8 GHz instead of 3.7-4.2 GHz. Had FCC done this, the C-Band would have been left largely alone.”

REIMBURSEMENT CONSIDERATIONS 

Here’s what the FCC C-Band Report and Order says about reimbursements for operators of incumbent earth stations:  

For incumbent earth station operators, we expect the transition will require two types of system changes that may occur separately or simultaneously: earth station migration and earth station filtering. 

First, earth station migration includes any necessary changes that will allow the earth stations to receive C-Band services on new frequencies or from new satellites once satellite operators have relocated their services into the upper portion of the band. For example, in instances where satellite transmissions need to be moved to a new frequency or to a new satellite, earth stations currently receiving those transmissions may need to be retuned or repointed in order to receive on the new frequencies or from the new satellite. Such a transition requires a “dual illumination” period, during which the same programming is simultaneously downlinked over the original frequency or satellite and over the new frequency or satellite so that the receiving earth station can continue receiving transmissions from the original frequency or satellite until it retunes or repoints the antenna to receive on the new frequency or satellite. 

Earth station migration may also require the installation of new equipment or software at earth station uplink and/or downlink locations for customers identified for technology upgrades necessary to facilitate the repack, such as compression technology or modulation. 

Second, passband filters must be installed on all existing earth stations to block signals from adjacent channels and to prevent harmful interference from new flexible-use operations. Earth station filtering can occur either simultaneously with, or after, the earth station migration. All of these earth station migration actions must be coordinated with satellite transponder clearing in order for earth stations to continue receiving existing C-Band services during and after the transition. As such, we expect relocation costs to include the cost to migrate and filter earth stations, including costs to retune, repoint and install new antennas and install filters and compression software and hardware.

Some commenters request that the commission give incumbent earth station operators flexibility to replace existing earth stations with fiber in their transition planning. We agree that providing incumbent earth station operators flexibility may allow them to make efficient decisions that better accommodate their needs. But we also recognize that replacing existing C-Band operations with fiber or other terrestrial services may be, for some earth stations, more expensive by an order of magnitude. 

As such, incumbent earth stations operators will have a choice: They may either accept reimbursement for the reasonable relocation costs by maintaining satellite reception or they may accept a lump sum reimbursement for all of their incumbent earth stations based on the average, estimated costs of relocating all of their incumbent earth stations. We require incumbent earth station operators (including any affiliates) to elect one of these two options, which must apply to all of each earth station operator’s earth stations, in order to prevent any improper cost shifting. And we require the decision to accept a lump sum reimbursement to be irrevocable — by accepting the lump sum, the incumbent takes on the risk that the lump sum will be insufficient to cover all its relocation costs — to ensure that incumbents have the appropriate incentive to accept the lump sum only if doing so is truly the more efficient option. We direct the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to release a Public Notice announcing the lump sum that will be available per incumbent earth station as well as the process for electing lump sum payments by September 30, 2020. 

The commission will allow reimbursement of some soft costs — legitimate and prudent transaction expenses incurred by incumbents that are directly attributable to relocation. We define soft costs as transactional expenses such as engineering, consulting and attorney fees. We find it reasonable to establish rebuttal resumption that soft costs should not exceed 2% of relocation hard costs.

The post C-Band Plan Aims to Limit Broadcast Disruption appeared first on Radio World.

On Oct. 6, 1924 regular radio broadcasts in Italy began with the following announcement: “Uri, Italian Radio Union, 1 RO, Rome station, wavelength 425 meters…”.

Almost 100 years after that radio broadcast, the country’s national and local radio stations are joining forces on the airwaves in an unprecedented broadcasting initiative — “La Radio per l’Italia.”

As an instrument of companionship and comfort, on Friday March 20 at 11 a.m., many of the nation’s stations will simultaneously air Italy’s national anthem and three songs that embody the country’s heritage.

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The unified broadcast will be diffused on available platforms, including FM, DAB, terrestrial television (audio only and visual channels) and streaming through stations’ websites and apps. The project aims to give strength to all Italians in this time of the coronavirus health crisis.

National radio broadcasters participating in the event include Rai Radio 1, Rai Radio 2, Rai Radio 3, Rai Isoradio, M2O, R101, Radio 105, Radio 24, Radio Capital, Radio Deejay, Radio Freccia, Radio Italia Solomusicaitaliana, Radio Kiss Kiss, Radio Maria, Radio Monte Carlo, Radio Radical, Radio Zeta, RDS 100% big hits, RTL 102.5 and Virgin Radio.

Local radio stations members of the Aeranti-Corallo Association and the local radio consortium FRT, Confindustria Radio Tv, will also take part in this initiative.

Organizers are calling for the entire nation to tune into their favorite station, turn up the volume, open the windows or go out on the balcony to sing together, waving the Italian flag or showing a symbol of Italy.

This, they said, will offer a moment of reflection, unification, and hope for all.

The post Italy: Radio Stations Unite Broadcasts in Call For Hope appeared first on Radio World.

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Pai Asks Broadcasters to Air Public Service Announcements Promoting Social Distancing

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Whatever happened to Blackloud and its earphones that were meant to add FM reception to smartphones?

Radio World readers will recall that the company introduced its earphones to some fanfare in 2018; the earphones were intended to provide listeners access to FM radio using existing smartphones even if the phone’s FM chip remained locked.

[Read: Blackloud Releases Soundot FM Radio for Apple]

Turns out the company discontinued operations in September 2019. Prompted by a reader query this month, we reached out to Ivan Ma, who had handled marketing and sales in the U.S.

“Blackloud belong to an ODM/OEM-based group, a factory production-based business,” he replied.  “We did a lot in 2018 to let people know about this headset, but unfortunately the sales number was not good, so the board decided to cease Blackloud operation, and focus on its ODM/OEM business.” Production of the earphones was discontinued.

The earphones came with their own RF reception chip, an FSi4705 FM/RDS receiver digital tuner IC from Silicon located in a “control box” or case enclosure on the wire/lanyard portion of the headset.

If someone has a set and wants service support, he said, they should email service@blackloud.com, lucas.fang@blackloud.com or may.tang@blackloud.com.

 

The post Remember the Blackloud Soundot? appeared first on Radio World.

What does it mean for both the radio industry and the American listener when a DJ is replaced with a nameless, faceless digital host known as artificial intelligence?

That’s an issue facing radio stations across the country as portions of the radio industry see traditional DJs dismantled in favor of a new emphasis on A.I. In January the nation’s largest radio station owner, iHeartMedia, announced it would reshuffle its organization and technology infrastructure to achieve just that. The company laid off several hundred staffers — some estimates say it was more than 1,000 jobs — including engineers, news staff and much loved DJs.

So what exactly is American radio losing if it loses its independent DJs?

That was addressed in a segment hosted March 16 by public radio journalist Todd Zwillich on the program “1A” (which airs on NPR station WAMU). After all, do we really need to know time and traffic from a real, live individual? Or does it make smart business for radio to turn more fully to automation in place of DJs?

[Read: iHeart Defends Painful Change]

And if so, what are we losing along the way?

After all, the goal of A.I. is to do nationally what radio always did locally: connect listeners with music. A.I. can choose to play the same song on similar stations to listeners in Spokane, Wash., and in Bangor, Maine. Is it totally off-base if a company like iHeartMedia is putting on the same carefully tested music on both of those stations?

Maybe not, according to Scott Fybush, editor of NorthWest Radio Watch, who was a guest on “1A,” “ but you lose a lot of local flavor,” he said.

Radio DJs are particularly necessary in the confounding time we finds ourselves in. “In confusing times like this, who do you turn to? Friends and family of course,” Zwillich said. “But social distancing can make that really tough. A higher power? That’s not for everyone.

“But there’s one place that’s kind of built for this moment. It’s always there, it’s free and it does a great job of keeping you company. It’s the radio. More than that, it’s the person on the radio. And for generations the people who really made a mark were the DJs.”

Many listeners certainly seem to think so. “With the way commercial radio has gone … I no longer listen to commercial radio for music,” one listener told Zwillich. “There is no personality anymore.”

Personality was in full display when Zwillich then introduced his (and others) childhood radio hero to the show.

American radio broadcaster and entertainer Dr. Demento has no shortage of personality — nor any shortage of mad music and crazy comedy — when he began broadcasting his show in 1970 at Los Angeles station KPPC(FM).

“Rock music had turned very serious — wonderful but very serious — so that radio stations at that time were no longer playing ‘Monster Mash’ or ‘Purple People Eater,’” he told Zwillich. “I realized that people wanted to hear funny stuff; the novelty songs. I brought those back and people loved hearing them.”

He also launched well-known stars into the radio universe. He played early tapes that Weird Al Yankovic had made at home in his basement.

So what do we lose if radio DJs give way to A.I.? “We lose a friend that would entertain you person to person,” Dr. Demento said (who now airs his radio program online and sometimes goes by his given name of Barret Eugene Hansen). “I was always told that you were to pretend that you wanted to talk to one person. One person you know. I always did that. That’s what a lot of disc jockeys did.”

Radio DJs are significant because they keep you entertained, they keep you going, they fill your day with music, he said.

“A.I. will have the same trouble doing that with the same warmth,” he said.

Powerful DJ voices can still be found, of course. Fybush estimates that although there are probably fewer DJs across the U.S. now than there were 20 years ago, their voices can be found in many places such as college radio stations and on public radio. There are also smaller locally owned stations and a number of music discovery stations out there that are churning out creative, original work, he said. In addition, a growing number of DJs are delving into podcasting as a means of producing creative programming.

“[They are] far from dead,” Fybush said. “I don’t want to talk about the death of the American DJ yet.”

Radio also remains a place where people discover their favorite songs, said Tuma Basa, director of urban music at YouTube. “I believe that radio still has that role,” he said. “People have more choices but it’s not anywhere close to the obsolescence that some operations in the digital world try to present.”

Another key role for the DJ is tastemaker. In many markets, DJs had an enormous amount of sway as to what is on the air. Today in the urban radio market, a DJ still retains a lot of autonomy in terms of playing records in their mix shows and introducing new artists.

“You can’t replace the human,” Basa said. “It’s the difference between a home-cooked meal and McDonalds.”

And as Zwillich said, wherever you go across the country you’ll find that a Big Mac is a Big Mac. That has some value certainly, especially as the radio industry continues to evolve.

“But you lose something if you’re a connoisseur of hamburgers,” he said.

 

The post The Promise of Personality — And What We Lose Without the DJ appeared first on Radio World.

Credit: Hannah A Bullock; Azaibi Tamin

Here’s a sampling of developments in the U.S. radio industry concerning the novel coronavirus situation, as of Tuesday morning, March 17.

The Vermont Association of Broadcasters has partnered with Vermont’s Department of Emergency Management to take precautionary measures. “In the very unlikely event that an EAS message is issued for quarantine or curfew in Vermont, the system code most likely to activate that event is SPW (shelter in place). Please make sure your engineers have your EAS boxes set up to recognize this code and potentially auto-forward messages,” VAB told members.

The association also encouraged stations to develop a physical contingency plan in case of having to close down facilities, and to stay in touch with third-party contacts at tower sites to make sure of access if public land closures come.

Comrex Technical Director Tom Hartnett said, “The move to virtualize live radio had already started and a lot of that gear is already in place, or can be repurposed.” He said many radio professionals clearly were thinking ahead. “The demand for our remote broadcast codecs has certainly ramped in recent weeks, and my sense is stations have created reasoned policies about cleaning gear, using disposable products like microphone shields, and allowing staff to work from home.”

How has Comrex responded in its own operations? “There have already been manufacturing challenges this year due to Chinese tariffs and other factors. And we got some long-awaited sizable orders through just before the virus hit. But so far, our team has managed to keep production rolling. This is due to some really good forecasting combined with some luck. We’ve prioritized manufacturing and testing of codec products that will be in highest demand through the crisis.” If there is any silver lining, Hartnett added, “I think we’ll find the need to centralize operations is much less than we thought, and we’ll continue creating more live content from home after the virus wanes.”

Equipment manufacturer Progressive Concepts reports a “huge increase” in sales of its Part 15 Stereo FM transmitters and the RODECaster Pro mixer for broadcasting in parking lots used for coronavirus testing. President Eric Hoppe noted that this is a license-free solution to get information to occupants of vehicles as they enter the parking lots where coronavirus testing sites are located.

Consultant and radio app developer Fred Jacobs wrote on his blog that consumers who don’t drive to work will spend less time in their cars. “Radio’s #1 listening environment — driving in the car with the radio on — is going to take a hit.” Jacobs recommends that stations that haven’t opened up their apps lately give them a test drive. “Whatever developer you bought it from ought to be able to make the necessary modifications to get it running smoothly again. If you’ve hesitated to promote your app because ‘you can’t make any money from streaming,’ you might want to rethink that strategy right about now.  For a growing number of listeners, your stream — and specifically, your app — may be the only way they can hear you. … If you want your content to be heard in 2020, you’d better have the best mobile interface you can afford.

Wayne Pecena, president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, says broadcasters are aggressively seeking to minimize or eliminate human presence in studios in terms of staff and individuals from the community. “In my case as a university licensee, it has meant cancellation of local studio production activities and as many staff members as possible working from home. Whereas the university is ‘open,’ classes have been suspended and turning to online resources to finish the semester.”

Pecena expects stations will ramp up remote “home” studios for local programming or even re-purposing “sports remote gear” as athletic events are being cancelled. “Stations that have adopted automation are likely better prepared for remote operation.” He cautioned that stations keep cybersecurity in mind. “For some who are quickly ramping up ‘work at home’ or remote access capability, do not overlook cybersecurity precautions. Unfortunately, cyber criminals likely see ‘opportunity’ as the rush to turn-up remote access capabilities might leave cybersecurity precautions minimize or forgo entirely for later.

The Radio TV Digital News Association published guidelines on keeping newsrooms clean. Among them: Don’t require field crews to report to the newsroom. Don’t use mics that touch interviewees. Use online interview tools as much as possible. Skip the handshakes.

The Sun Broadcast Group broadcast network said it is offering free programming to any radio stations that need to fill airtime due to the recent pandemic. “If stations are in need, they can reach out to SBG and receive any programming in their lineup that is available in their market for as long as needed, free of charge. There are no strings attached and no contracts needed.”

Beasley Media Group moved fast to deal with business closures with a campaign called “Operation Gift Card: New England  in the Greater Boston area. Its stations are inviting area restaurants, free of charge, to submit links to feature their gift card pages on Beasley Media Group Boston websites. 

Westwood One published answers to common questions it says are being asked by ad agencies and advertisers about the habits of people who are working from home. Read it here.

The Telos Alliance published cleaning and disinfecting instructions for working with consoles, microphones and other common surfaces. Among them: “Avoid equipment-spraying disasters by training people in-person about the proper use of cleaners and disinfectants around broadcast gear.”

When getting set up to work at home, Telos Senior Solutions Consultant Kirk Harnack said that in the rush to get remote talent on-air, stations may be tempted to bypass best-practice IT security measures. “This can open the door to hackers seeking specifically to leverage this opportunity. One rule of thumb for broadcast and IT engineers is this: If you have to forward a router port to a general purpose PC, you’s best re-think your approach to remote access. Perhaps the only router ports that should be open to the internet are those related to establishing client VPN connections. Require remote users to instantiate a VPN connection in order to access the fire-walled network. And the network to which they have access should be restricted to only those devices they’ll need to control,” Harnack said.

As far as best practices, Harnack said, clean your equipment, especially high-touch areas like fader knobs, speaker and headphone controls, mics, touchscreens and personal phones. Have employees bring and use their own headphones and mic muffs; get blue nitrile gloves for on-air staff.  “We’ll get through this,” he said. “Indeed, now is a great time for radio stations to reconnect with their audiences. Many people are at home —on social media.  This could be an ideal time for broadcasters to promote their shows, to re-stablish the companionship that comes through the human voice.  This is a great time to demonstrate what radio can be to our listeners.”

The post COVID-19 Operational Concerns for Radio appeared first on Radio World.