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Congratulations, you’ve decided to buy a radio broadcast console!

The complexity of broadcast plants has increased, accelerated by the demands of new types of content across many types of platforms.

Here are important questions to ask yourself as you prepare to make your purchase.

Who am I?

Identifying “who you are” is the first step in the decision tree.

Are you a stand-alone station? A cluster in a market? A group owner with a handful of markets, or hundreds of stations? A state-owned network? A network serving affiliates on a regional or national basis? A production house or podcaster?

Identifying your size and scope can point you as you navigate audio mixing and routing technologies.

For example, a large group owner might be more interested in virtual or centralized operations, while a small cluster might be more interested in a self-contained digital system.

Or let’s say you operate as a network that serves affiliates; you may be interested in consoles with extra control capability and extra routing. Large-scale radio shows need to be routed to various paths for regionalized spot insertion, potentially avoiding copyright issues with beds, to feed audio streams and video channels.

The network studio console also requires buttons and controls to send cues to satellite stations for commercial switching, imaging and IDs.

Now, typical modern consoles can do a lot of that; the point is that on a network syndicated program, you may want an expanded version of the same.

These few examples illustrate why it is essential to identify who you are. Many consoles look alike but differ in functionality, and the differences are not always immediately apparent. Understanding how to identify and navigate the nuances can make a big difference in your users’ long-term satisfaction and productivity.

Do I need a physical console?

Don’t be afraid to ask this aloud.

For most of us, the notion of a studio has included a physical mixing console at the center. But it’s becoming more common to use a tablet or flat-screen control surfaces; some are even transitioning into private or leased cloud platforms. These can handle the mixing and content playout for many stations. In some instances, there’s no console in the studio at all. (There may not even be a need for a studio.)

Some radio groups have announced that they are looking to virtualize to reduce their footprint and save on real-estate costs.

So before you go shopping for a traditional console, consider whether you need one, or if a flat-screen or tablet approach makes sense.

Do I understand the terminology?

You’ve heard the terms thrown around: AoIP (audio over IP), AES, AES67, AES70, cloud or virtual mixing, node, blade, driver, glass, Opus, CAN bus, multicast, unicast, engine, Livewire, Wheatnet, Dante, MPX over IP, auto-mix, GPIO, master clock and console- versus network-centric.

Defining each is beyond the scope of this article, but take time to learn what they are. Discuss terminology with your engineer, consultant or preferred equipment vendor. Do a Google search.

Learn about AoIP, the most widely installed recent technology. AoIP’s newest implementations, like cloud-based mixing, are best explained by manufacturers that offer it or technical consultants who specialize in audio technology.

What’s the purpose?

Will the room function as an air studio, production room, combo air/production room, voice-track room or booth, a newsroom, a network program control room for syndication, a workstation for news or sports?

Chances are you’re buying consoles for several rooms; that adds another layer of consideration; you’ll still need to define each room’s purpose, but you’ll also need to consider the facility’s big-picture purpose as well.

Also, take into account what type of content each room is producing. A sports station has different needs than a music station, which has different needs than a 24/7 news station. Air studio consoles are configured differently from a production room. The latter rely more heavily on digital audio editing software to handle mixing but can be smaller than an air studio console. On the other hand, a network control room needs more individual channels and busses. Other use cases may change the console layout.

From the big picture perspective, establish whether the facility is to operate on its own or connect to a centralized operations center. If you decide on centralization, will the equipment be housed in your building, another remote location, or in the cloud?

Seek input from the stakeholders

This can be overlooked, but the people who operate and manipulate the console are excellent sources of information regarding what works and doesn’t with your current setup.

They will have a list of improvements and features they would like to see in the workflow. Talent, producers, PDs, and board ops all have something to say about the console they touch every day.

For complicated situations like multi-person morning shows, I have sat in a few times to watch what goes on and learn in real time what their pain points might be.

By interviewing the stakeholders and doing in-studio sit and watch sessions, you will learn beneficial information to guide you in selecting the right console (physical or soft). If you skip this step, you may end up with complaints and unhappy team members who felt they were not given a voice.

Analog, Digital, AoIP, Cloud or Hybrid?

These days, it is rare for stations of any size or complexity to choose an analog distribution path for broadcast on-air use.

Good analog consoles for radio are still being made; one of them may be the best fit for users who need simple reliability and affordable cost. But with digital options more affordable than ever, do research that option too.

Be aware that going analog can involve a lot of cabling, which can be expensive to install and maintain. Analog consoles can lose calibration and may not provide the same noise floor or stereo separation, not to mention other specs.

Note that recording studios and musicians at times may prefer analog for their specialized needs, though to be clear, those boards (they sometimes call them desks) are very different in style and function than a radio console.

For many console buyers today, digital is the preferred way to manage audio and route signals in a broadcast facility, even for buyers with relatively modest budgets.

If you opt for digital, you must decide between using a traditional digital technology such as AES-3, MADI or similar with localized inputs and outputs or an AoIP network-centric design.

For years we built studios using a console-centric mentality; the console was the center of everything in the room. Your input sources wired to it directly. There was a single program or audition output that fed the air chain. There may have been an external router installed in more extensive facilities, but this was not a network-centric design.

A network-centric system uses consoles and source gear that rely on off-the-shelf network switches to move audio, control, and metadata around your plant. You’ll find AoIP networked audio systems in many of the newer studio buildouts worldwide in all sizes of facilities.

Several console manufacturers offer a large selection of AoIP solutions and peripherals to meet almost any requirement. A network-centric solution has many advantages and cost savings over traditional digital or analog designs. The wiring is greatly simplified, as AoIP uses the same Cat-5/6 cabling that your data and phone network does. You can manage the system from almost anywhere with a smartphone or laptop. Routing audio and everyday things such as IFB, mix-minus and remote (OB) feeds is a cinch.

Virtualization?

The concept of virtualization is becoming more familiar.

By virtualizing audio infrastructure, you can remove some or all of the hardware, thereby reducing your capital and annual maintenance costs, replacing a portion of those with cloud service costs over time.

Virtualization also enhances your off-site backup capability, which allows you to restore operations should something happen to the studio. It’s not just about an off-site backup of data (music and other critical files), but also about being able to restore broadcast operations from any location with suitable internet.

A virtualized environment allows you to operate using the “cloud” (some central data center that you own or lease from a console vendor) and, if you desire, to directly feed your transmitter site. You only need to log in remotely to your data center and log into your playout system to manage the station from anywhere.

If you are not ready to leap entirely into the cloud, you have the choice to go with a hybrid approach. Hybrid involves a certain amount of locally maintained hardware with a complimentary cloud solution on the back end.

It could be something as simple as running your automation playout system locally but having it backed up in the cloud for business continuity purposes. If something went wrong with the studio, you could switch to the cloud for playout or immediately sync the cloud data to another computer that would pick up where the other left off.

Another example would be to utilize a work surface (glass or physical console) that uses a mixing engine in the cloud. Think of it like having a traditional console with faders and knobs but being able to plug it into any internet connection and run the station like you were in the original studio.

What’s my budget?

I recommend you consider the budget only after you’ve thought hard about what technology makes the most sense. Don’t let budget concerns get in the way of making the right call on technology.

Of course, in some situations, the amount of money available isn’t negotiable. But there are good choices for consoles that fit almost every budget, so there’s no reason to rule something out prematurely just because you think, “I can’t afford that new digital stuff.”

I’ve sat in many meetings where the budget increased after senior management and stakeholders received an education on the benefits of AoIP and the future of network-centric design.

Also, be aware that as technology moves toward service models, your costs migrate from a “capital expense” model, meaning largely paid up at the time of purchase, to “operating expense,” with costs incurred over time. For instance, if you choose to use virtualization or a hybrid approach, you’ll be paying an ongoing fee for the benefit of media cloud services; that’s an “op-ex” model.

For many buyers, a final analysis of operating versus capital will involve someone from the business department.

Where should I shop?

Depending on which technology you’ve chosen and where you are in the world, a particular group of manufacturers makes sense for you; the list will include companies you know, but make sure to learn all that are active in your country or market.

Develop your list through online research, discussions with fellow engineers and consultants, trade shows, and reading articles like those in Radio World about the decisions made by well-regarded facilities and managers.

Buying a console is like buying an airplane; it lasts for many years. Even if you aren’t using a physical surface, you’ll be living and working with your software system for a long time. The quality of the company, including its level of support, is critical.

Pricing deals can be time-consuming as there are several components to a digital audio system. You may be purchasing a work surface, network switches, software drivers (for playout systems and other computer-based audio sources), XY panels, headphone panels, support, etc.

Review every line item and double-check those quantities are right. For complex systems, it is best to go over the details with an expert, someone at the manufacturer, a trusted reseller, a consulting engineer, an integrator or your corporate engineering team if you have one. One pass is not enough; it’s standard on larger projects that the buyers review their equipment list several times.

Deep breath, and let’s buy! Before buying that next console, also check out the free ebook “Console Tech 2021.” Click the image to access it.

When you are ready to “pull the trigger,” step back and review each step in your decision tree.

This is not about second-guessing but ensuring you’ve carefully thought through the process. If you rushed because it’s budget season or management issued a last-minute directive, this is the time to step back and review. A pause also adds credibility to the procurement process.

Executing your purchase, believe it or not, is the easy part. Sign the contract and place the order.

Then get ready for the excitement of delivery and installation. Studio and console upgrades are a huge morale booster at any station anywhere on the globe. It signifies an advance and an investment in your product. Every employee will feel it.

The author is a broadcast consultant who has held technical positions with several major broadcast organizations, most notably as senior VP of engineering at Cumulus Media.

He has provided engineering support and consulting in the United States, Canada, China, Europe and several South American countries. He is a past recipient of the Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award.

 

The post How to Choose Your Next Radio Console appeared first on Radio World.

A new program from the Society of Broadcast Engineers aims to help encourage development of technical talent for the industry.

The Technical Professional Training Program, or TPTP, is a response to “the ongoing concern about new technical talent choosing broadcasting as a career,” according to SBE.

“As technology and the average age and tenure of technical professionals advances … there is concern to adequately fulfill the technical staffing needs in the long term.”

The society noted that familiar career starting points of the past, in which part-time employment and smaller-market stations served as a training ground, have been largely eliminated through streamlining of the workforce, consolidation of ownership and the shrinking number of electronic technology programs at trade schools and colleges.

SBE called the result “a looming crisis.”

[Read Radio World’s ebook “Radio Engineering in Crisis.”]

The SBE Technical Professional Training Program is a membership option that costs $475, which SBE hopes will be covered by employers and broadcast associations.

“Stations and media outlets can groom young talent to fast track their technical skills with one application and one purchase,” it said.

The fee includes a one-year SBE membership with SBE MemberPlus (including access to the society’s extensive webinar library); a copy of SBE CertPreview to help with certification preparation; a copy of the SBE Engineering Handbook; enrollment in the SBE Mentor Program; and the SBE CBT certification exam application fee, with the test to be taken later.

Mentoring is an important component: “The SBE Mentor Program provides new entrants to the technical broadcast field regular access and guidance from a seasoned professional – a personal touch not unlike days of old when the senior staff would take the new person under a wing to show him or her the ropes.”

“Ideally, the mentor would come from within the ranks of the organization in which the mentee is employed, but the mentor role can be filled by any qualified engineer willing to invest the time.”

The announcement of the new program was made by SBE President Wayne Pecena and Education Committee Chair Geary Morrill.

Morrill said the program aims to simplify the steps to engage someone who is new to the broadcasting technical career path.

 

 

 

The post SBE Launches New Training Program appeared first on Radio World.

PreSonus has introduced its new Revelator USB microphone. Intended primarily for home studio use as well as podcasting and voice-overs, the mic includes accessible presets, loopback audio, and selectable polar patterns.

The Revelator offers the same DSP algorithms found in PreSonus’ StudioLive Series III mixers, providing users with eight presets with various combinations of EQ and compression, and offers an additional eight user-defined presets that can be created and saved using the full StudioLive Fat Channel controls available in Universal Control. Also onboard are a selection of voice effects and the ability to store up to four presets to be instantly selectable via the preset button on Revelator.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

Revelator also features two stereo streams for loopback audio so users can conference in Zoom calls, record gameplay, or showcase the audio in a YouTube video. The presence of two streams for loopback audio means users can mix and record the audio from two different applications on a computer, along with their voice, at the same time using the intuitive interface in Universal Control. Built-in monitoring and an onboard headphone amplifier let users listen to your performance and your mix in real-time.

Three pickup patterns are provided — cardioid pattern, for one-person use; figure 8 for two users, such as in an interview situation; and omnidirectional to pick up multiple speakers around the microphone.

The bus-powered, USB-C-compatible mic comes with PreSonus’ Studio One Artist recording and production software and Studio Magic Software Suite, as well as an integrated desktop stand with built-in cable management.

Revelator is available now for a U.S. street price of $179.95.

Info: www.presonus.com

 

The post PreSonus Revelator USB Mic Debuts appeared first on Radio World.

I am a systems engineering consultant and chair for the Audio Engineering Society’s Technical Committee for Broadcast and Online Delivery.

Previously, I was director of stream operations for CBS Radio and then held the same position at Entercom. In these roles, I was responsible for setting up and maintaining over 300 streams.

Early on at CBS Radio, we were doing streams the same way as everyone else, with old PCs and without much priority. Eventually, management asked us to try to find a better solution to manage our streaming content.

We searched and spoke with a number of companies, but nobody could provide the exact solution that we were looking for. In 2014 I went to the AES convention in Los Angeles and after one session I got several members of Telos Alliance together in the back of a conference room and explained how CBS needed a new solution for streaming.

At the end of the day, it turned out we had similar goals for a new streaming platform. I dubbed the meeting a success and came back to New York and worked with Telos’ team over many months providing input and feedback on the project. After a little more than a year, the Telos Z/IPStream R/2 was born.

We started installing them in all the CBS stations. The rollout was a complete success and has continued to be for all the projects I have used the R/2 on since.

R/2 comes with Omnia three-band processing “in the box,” with optional Omnia.9 processing, allowing me to create unique and great-sounding individual presets for each stream.

Having the power of Omnia processing lets me tweak each one to sound amazing as well as staying within the specifications of AES TD-1004, the AES recommendation for the loudness of audio streaming and network file playback.

Remote operation is smooth as the design was always meant to be controlled and configured by a web GUI. With the Supermicro IPMI control port, the system can be cold-booted. As long as the facility’s firewall rules are configured for proper access, nobody has to be onsite.

The advent of smart speakers has caused unprecedented growth in stream listening. It is one of the fastest-adopted new technologies in our lifetimes. It has brought audio listening back into the home and is driving further expansion into mobile.

In my role chairing the Audio Engineering Society’s Technical Committee for Broadcast and Online Delivery, we are looking into recommendations for stream loudness. We believe it is very important to set the stream content and any injected interstitial to a standard loudness. Not only are these jumps jarring, but forcing listeners to take action to adjust the volume level also opens the door for them to turn off the stream.

The Z/IPStream R/2 is the first streaming appliance to be designed from the ground up as a broadcast stream transmitter. With its built-in redundancy, it is truly the broadcaster’s friend, and I have not worked with an engineer who has been unhappy with this product after I install it.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information on this product, contact Cam Eicher at The Telos Alliance in Ohio at 1-216-241-7225 or visit www.telosalliance.com.

The post User Report: Z/IPStream R/2 Offers Power, Reliability appeared first on Radio World.

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Courier Communications Corporation enters into Consent Decree to Resolve Political File Investigation

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Talley Broadcasting Corporation enters into Consent Decree to Resolve Political File Investigation

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WGEM License, LLC enters into Consent Decree to Resolve Political File Investigation

What’s the best way for broadcasters to get the word out about COVID-19 vaccines? That’s the question to be explored by a research project that the NAB will participate in.

The National Association of Broadcasters and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute announced a “nationwide research project to identify effective COVID-19 vaccine education messaging.”

[Read: NAB Ad Campaign Emphasizes Local Broadcasting]

They said the findings will help in development of a “toolkit” for radio and TV broadcasters and other journalists “to craft public health messages and educational programming that will best resonate with their communities.”

The project will be conducted by consulting firm SmithGeiger. It will do a national survey that the organizers call a first: looking into “the challenges and opportunities facing local and national media presented by the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.”

NAB and RJI want to put out a toolkit for broadcasters and other journalists “that provides messaging guidance focused on a local and regional approach rather than relying solely on a national message.” It is expected to be released early next year in English and Spanish languages.

 

The post NAB Explores “Vaccine Education Messaging” appeared first on Radio World.

In:Quality, which specializes in remote broadcast products and services, is highlighting a partnership with Radio France that it says has driven updates to its firmware.

“A new device from In:Quality, the USB SIP Codec, was seen by Radio France as a potential solution to help their teams to connect from home, with just a USB microphone, and their home broadband internet,” the company stated.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

It said the Radio France Innovation department invited In:Quality to collaborate with Sandbox, Radio France’s “open innovation” program, running tests in connecting with their in-house SIP service.

“There was some urgency — due to the ongoing pandemic — and so a relationship was quickly established, tests were carried out, and the results were very positive,” In:Quality stated in a press release.

Founding Director Kevin Leach said the feedback from those tests has been incorporated in an update to the firmware. Improvements include a clock on the screen and the ability to mute the microphone for coughing. The layout and error handling also are improved.

The company said it is preparing improved cases for the USB SIP Codec. “One version makes for a similar-looking device, but which looks and feels more professional, with neater ports and branding. The other new version will include XLR sockets, for connecting analog microphones, or to hook up to a studio mixer’s line-level connectors.”

 

The post In:Quality Updates USB SIP Codec appeared first on Radio World.

Bill Hendrich will retire from Cox Media Group at the end of the year. He is the executive VP who oversees programming, operations and sales for the company’s 65 radio stations across 11 markets.

The announcement was made by President/CEO Dan York, who saluted Hendrich for his “exceptional passion, focus and leadership.”

[Read: Daniel York Named Cox Media Group President and CEO]

Hendrich was quoted in the announcement, “For the past 31 years, I have been able to work with the best and most talented team in the radio industry. With NewCity Communications, Cox Enterprises and Apollo, I have been a part of three outstanding companies, each bringing valuable and innovative ideas to keep radio viable in today’s media landscape.” He’ll continue to help out in an advisory capacity.

Among his past roles, he led integrated radio and TV in multiple major media markets for CMG. He headed its Healthcare Acceleration efforts that focused on the healthcare sector. He previously was VP and market manager of the company’s six-station group in Jacksonville, Fla. He also was VP and GM of WDBO(AM) and WWKA(FM) in Orlando for 10 years and oversaw the internet sales and operations for CMG Orlando.

 

The post Hendrich Will Retire From Cox appeared first on Radio World.

In-car testing at KHTK.

The author is vice president, business development, for Orban Labs.

A long time ago, on a planet far away in a different galaxy and another lifetime, there were Arbitron (now Nielsen) paper diaries.

These were manually filled out by “listeners” to indicate which radio station(s) they listened to and for how long.

Technology marched on, and in the age of PCs and smartphones, the thought of filling out diaries manually felt like using stone tablets and chisels. So Arbitron designed a system to encode a radio station’s audio with a series of low-level tones that a device called a Personal People Meter would hear and log.

All that Arbitron “listeners” would have to do was carry the PPM device and, at the end of the day, put it into its charger, which would transmit the listening data back to Arbitron for processing. Brilliant!

Arbitron built the encoders, which resided in the station’s audio chain. The encoder looked at the audio and, if there was sufficient audio, generated the tones that the PPM device heard.

Processing manufacturers took a look at how they might be able to work with the encoder, and many provided an “encoder loop” that let the station put the encoder in between portions of the processor processing chain.

In many processors the “encoder loop” was placed after the input AGC and before the multi-band processing. This fed the encoder with more uniform audio levels and could potentially improve the encoder’s ability to encode the audio.

Take It On-Board

A decade later, in the era of AI and really smart phones, Nielsen, along with the NAB, approached processing manufacturers to see if they were interested in having the PPM encoding done in the audio processor.

This would eliminate the external encoding hardware plus the processor encoding loop and make life easier for stations. Also, there might be the ability to place the encoder in places that weren’t practical with an external encoder.

Nielsen assembled a team that developed a PPM encoding Software Development Kit (SDK) for both X86 and ARM solutions, and worked extensively with processor manufacturers on implementation.

Timing worked out well for us at Orban as we had engineering resources that had become available right at the time the SDK was ready, and our new XPN-AM platform was an ideal candidate for the X86 implementation.

Bob Orban and the engineering team looked at where the best location in the processing chain should be for the encoder, taking into account the need to support both analog AM and HD Radio, and potentially all-digital AM, along with streaming or an FM translator.

This resulted in using two encoder instances, one for analog and the other for all other digital services. Within 90 days we had a stable XPN-AM build with integrated PPM encoders.

Once the encoders were implemented in our XPN-AM software, a stringent testing process was done with hundreds of audio test files being processed and checked by Nielsen.

After the test files hit 100% approval, the next phase was beta on-air testing. These test sites had to have sufficient audience to generate enough testing granularity to assure valid results. Also, station management had to buy into the tests, the testing had to be coordinated with a Nielsen rating “book” period.

The Beta Process

I hit the road and installed all of the XPN-AM PPM beta test units at KHTK in Sacramento, KSL in Salt Lake City, KKYX in San Antonio and WSB in Atlanta.

Setup included adjusting proper modulation levels, checking HD Radio blend and diversity delay settings for KHTK and KSL along with doing drive listening in everything from vehicles ranging from a Mercedes Benz (borrowed from the morning drive host) to Jeeps, pickups and everything in between.

“Golden Ear” listeners, GMs and PDs were all polled and processor settings such as EQ and density were tweaked as desired by each of the stations.

Jason Ornellas, Bonneville’s regional director of engineering for the West Region, is shown at KHTK(AM) Sacramento with the XPN-AM processor.

We also did some experimenting with MDCL (since we could). At KSL we increased the amount of MDCL from 3 dB to 5 dB AMC without impacting fringe coverage because of the higher modulation density. It was interesting to see the forward power running about 17 kW with a 50 kW setpoint. The DOE said that would pay for the processor in power savings alone.

The critical part of the testing — the PPM encoding — was thoroughly tested. We were able to confirm with Nielsen that the correct IDs were being encoded. This included separate testing for stations that were running AM HD Radio.

Beta testing went live on Oct. 8 without any issues, and the feedback from both the stations and Nielsen has been highly positive, so much so that we have decided to provide PPM encoding at no extra charge in our XPN-AM starting immediately.

Orban’s engineers always enjoy a good challenge — in this case, producing viable internal PPM encoding in record time — and as usual they delivered, thanks to Bob and his team.

Comment on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post Making PPM Encoding Easier appeared first on Radio World.

From our “Radio Doing Good” page:

The morning show “Hawkeye in the Morning,” heard on “New Country 96.3,” KSCS(FM) in Dallas/Ft. Worth, held its second annual 10,000 for the Troops holiday card drive.

The Cumulus station partnered with Support Our Soldiers to send the holiday cards to “high risk” units/individuals that are in isolated areas or do not have support coming from home.

Mark “Hawkeye” Louis said the station had collected more than 46,000 cards as of the beginning of December.

The campaign kicked off in early with the goal of collecting 10,000 cards. Listeners and supporters were able to mail cards to the station or take them to several locations including a T-Mobile Experience Store, Gigi’s Cupcakes and Sun & Ski Sports stores.

 

The post Dallas Station Gathers Cards for Soldiers appeared first on Radio World.

W234DH’s signal pattern

The renewal of a Baton Rouge, La., translator is pitting one FM station against one another over issues of interference and whether or not the translator is operating within the parameters of its license.

In July 2020, the licensee Radio & Investments Inc. (R&I) — licensee of station KDDK(FM) in Addis, La. —  submitted an instant Petition to Deny over the application renewal status of an FM translator. R&I said that FM translator W234DH, licensed to Crocodile Broadcasting Corp. (and bundled in with the renewal application of Crocodile station KGLA(AM) in Norco, La.), should be flagged by the FCC for several irregularities — including the claim that Crocodile had not yet finalized construction of the FM translator’s facilities when it specified and that the installed antenna was not directional as was authorized under its license.

[Read: Battle Lines Are Drawn in Translator Interference Rules Order]

Subsequent research also suggested that the W234DH translator is operating as much as 40 times over its minima, a source said.

An engineering statement submitted with the petition said that the facility is not operating consistent with its license. According to R&I, a 16.1 dB difference between the authorized output power and the observed output power indicates that W234DH’s signal strength in Baton Rouge is many times more than it should be.

“It is clear that there is a consistent pattern demonstrated by Crocodile to ignore the commission’s rules,” R&I said in its filing.

In its filing, R&I pointed to the commission’s reliance on character as a key element of licensing. “In light of the licensee’s execution of the renewal application, which did not reveal that the constructed facility was once again at variable with its license, Crocodile would be hard pressed to make the argument that it did not have intent,” R&I said.

Crocodile responded by rejecting the bulk of R&I’s petition, saying that R&I’s petition was defective and without merit for several reasons. Crocodile said that the filing was untimely because it had been filed more than two months after the filing deadline. The licensee also said that R&I’s claims that W234DH is operating at power in excess than authorized is false. R&I is relying on faulty field strength measurements, Crocodile said in its filing.

Crocodile also defended its character by saying that R&I failed to provide any factual evidence that Crocodile was attempting to deceive the commission.

An attorney representing Crocodile told Radio World that they did not wish to comment on the proceedings beyond what has been filed with the commission.

In May 2019, the FCC released new guidelines for resolving FM translator interference complaint issues such as these, though some stakeholders have expressed concern about the ways in which the commission determines interference.

 

The post FM Translator Renewal Met With Interference, Misrepresentation Claims appeared first on Radio World.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai will leave the FCC in January.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve at the Federal Communications Commission, including as chairman of the FCC over the past four years,” he said in a statement.

Pai is a Republican who departs ahead of an expected new chair being appointed by President-elect Joe Biden.

“I am grateful to President Trump for giving me the opportunity to lead the agency in 2017, to President Obama for appointing me as a commissioner in 2012, and to Senate Majority Leader McConnell and the Senate for twice confirming me. To be the first Asian-American to chair the FCC has been a particular privilege. As I often say: only in America.”

[Read Radio World’s interview with Ajit Pai shortly after he took the reins as chair in 2017.]

Pai has been a cheerleader for radio in his tenure, often speaking about the importance of the medium in American life, and he has sought to help bolster AM broadcasters in particular through a series of “revitalization” measures. He also has pushed efforts to streamline processes and reduce regulations. Among many changes during his tenure was the elimination of the main studio rule.

Pai thanked the FCC’s “talented staff” and said they “performed heroically, especially during the pandemic.”

“It’s also been an honor to work with my fellow commissioners to execute a strong and broad agenda.  Together, we’ve delivered for the American people over the past four years: closing the digital divide; promoting innovation and competition, from 5G on the ground to broadband from space; protecting consumers; and advancing public safety.  And this FCC has not shied away from making tough choices.  As a result, our nation’s communications networks are now faster, stronger, and more widely deployed than ever before.”

Among the highlights he cited are “reforms we have instituted to make the agency more accountable to the American people.  In particular, for the first time ever, we’ve made public drafts of the proposals and orders slated for a vote three weeks before the agency’s monthly meetings, making this the most transparent FCC in history.”

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