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Marty Sacks

What should buyers of radio broadcast consoles know about important trends?

Marty Sacks is vice president of sales, support and marketing for the Telos Alliance. This is one in a series of interviews with industry console experts. An earlier version of this article appeared in the RW ebook “Trends in Consoles.”

RW: Marty what’s the most important trend in console design?

Marty Sacks: Today, consoles can do anything and everything the broadcaster wants and needs. It’s empowering. Just like a playlist, users can create new experiences for different operators with different styles, allowing creativity to float to the top, not buried by technical complexity. There is a trend towards power and technical sophistication hiding under the surface so to speak; but ultimately, users want more application-specific controls and dialed-in user experiences.

Our new Axia Quasar AoIP console, for example, was designed based on user and ergonomic studies, and has customizable features like new Source profiles, automatic mix-minus and automixing an all channels. Metering is built into the surface right wherever the user needs it, on every channel display, next to each fader, and the monitor module. Users can customize their Quasar via user-assignable buttons in the master touchscreen module and every channel strip. The trend in console design is that the user is king.

RW: It has been 16 years since Axia began offering professional radio gear that networks using Ethernet. What requests do you hear now from buyers that are different since then?

Sacks: In most cases, our customers are looking to us as their guide. Sure, there is the occasional feature request and we’ve done studies on usability; but for the most part, they allow us to set the tone for what to expect. We accomplish this role as their guide by removing obstacles in their way and giving them a multitude of tools. Our customers believe in the Telos Alliance because the tool — be it a sophisticated desktop console, a hybrid console/tablet, or a completely virtual model — is their choice. Their request is simple: Tell me I have no limitations of format and  protocols and let me configure the console any way I want.

Our new iQx console is a good example of this. Nobody requested a standalone mixer than can drop onto AES67 networks with no external boxes or software and immediately begin working. We thought the market needed the option so we created it, and it has been very well received.

Another example is a driven by clients operating during the recent pandemic. There has been quite a lot of interest in our clients remotely operating their Axia consoles and other components of their Telos Alliance AoIP network while outside the broadcast facility. That was not a request in the early days yet is something that is happening a lot right now. We had already built this functionality into most of our gear — for many years now — so we were happy to be able to say yes to this very important request when it came up.

RW: What functions or features are offered that engineers who haven’t bought a console in a while should know about?

Sacks: We were all trained to think of consoles as standalone devices at the center of a studio. While this can certainly still be the case, there is so much more to consider. Now, it’s not the console that matters most. Thanks to AoIP, it’s the ecosystem. Our consoles can now communicate with cloud/virtual stream sources, have built-in talk show support, and configurations for our Telos Infinity IP Intercom brought to you by Axia Pathfinder control.

AoIP consoles can stand alone or be easily networked together to allow sharing of sources and automatic switching between the various operational modes (or call letters) a cluster might have, like live shows and voice-tracking during other time periods when the console is no longer needed. If you have one building running two stations with different call letters, one console is all you need, because you can set it up how you want. Again, the user has more options than ever thanks to the flexibility of AoIP networks.

RW: What’s an example of a notable recent installation?

Sacks: Legendary Los Angeles station KCRW 89.9 FM recently completed its $38 million headquarters at Santa Monica College’s Center for Media and Design. It was more than a decade in the making. The headquarters features 11 audio over IP studios that speak to the power of the networked ecosystem.

KCRW Chief Engineer Steve Herbert and broadcast IT engineer Jon Connolly worked with Key Code Media’s Edward Locke, Axia specialist Gregory Dahl, Telos Alliance’s John Bisset  and Broadcast General Store to specify and set up a powerful, interoperable Livewire network with 12 Axia Fusion AoIP consoles, several Telos Alliance xNodes, Axia IP-Tablets and Axia Pathfinder Core Pro control. Each of the 85+ KCRW employee workstations and audio consoles are networked for sharing and collaboration. It’s a beautiful example of the power of the ecosystem.

RW: Any best practices or errors to avoid, for buyers?

Sacks: Those in the market for a console need to know that they are buying way more than a console. They are buying a company. What does that company offer that will help the customer realize all their audio hopes and dreams and create the most exciting audio experiences imaginable for their audience? At Telos, our goal is to be the Yoda to our broadcasting Jedi Knights. We want to help them along with our 115+ Livewire partners, on their audio journeys in an endeavor that does not stop after the business transaction of buying a console is complete. We will of course support and service the product, but will also be there as the customer’s needs grow and evolve. Since consoles now have a software component, it’s also more important now than ever to choose a manufacturer that is stable and is going to be around for the foreseeable future.

 

The post  “The User Is King” With Today’s Consoles appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcast business software developer Marketron has released NXT, a digital advertising management platform.

The company says that NXT was built specifically for radio business usage. It can manage radio station broadcast and digital campaigns.

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

Marketron CEO Jim Howard said, “The radio industry is in a period of rapid transition, and we are here to enable our industry to successfully bridge to the new future … With Marketron NXT, we have leveraged our deep knowledge in radio and digital advertising to create an offering that will bring the same success to radio groups of all sizes.”

Marketron says that NXT “consolidates all major digital categories into a single system that includes capabilities for proposal creation, order entry, execution of radio and digital, campaign reports and invoicing.” In addition it offers “easy-to-use proposal creation tool that gives broadcast sales representatives access to premium, third-party digital inventory. Within a single platform, sales teams are able to package all products and multiple tactics — air time, third-party digital display ads, non-spot revenue, O&O digital, sponsorships and more — into a single proposal with consolidated order entry, full invoicing and reporting.”

Marketron Senior Vice President of Product Jimshade Chaudhari said, “With the ability to create professional proposals in minutes and then show digital campaign ROI through detailed reporting, sales teams can demonstrate additional value to advertisers and increase the likelihood of renewals. Automatic creation of insertion orders reduces time and the potential for error, and Marketron NXT’s end-to-end workflow makes it easy for business offices to track invoices, payments and margins,”

Info: www.marketron.com

 

The post Marketron NXT Aims at Revenue appeared first on Radio World.

iHeartMedia San Diego said it has completed the acquisition of KFMB(AM) from Local Media San Diego; and as of today the station, heard on 760 kHz, has changed its call letters to KGB(AM).

“As part of terms of sale, TEGNA Inc. retained ownership of the KFMB(AM) call letters, which required iHeartMedia to make the change,” iHeart stated in an announcement.

“The Federal Communications Commission has approved the use of new call letters KGB for AM 760.”

[Related: “San Diego Stations Hit by Wave of Firings and Potential Job Cuts,” Jan. 2020]

It quoted Market President Melissa Forrest noting that the KGB call letters are legendary in San Diego. The company already uses them on an FM signal in the market.

The AM format is talk; iHeartMedia began operating KFMB under a local marketing agreement in March.

iHeartMedia San Diego’s holdings now are KGB(AM), KGB(FM), KHTS(FM), KIOZ(FM), KLSD(AM), KMYI(FM), KOGO(AM) and KSSX(FM).

[Read about the earliest history of the KGB call letters in this 1980 history article.]

The post KBG Call Letters Return to San Diego AM Dial appeared first on Radio World.

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

Nationwide Black Lives Matter protests and police misconduct have hastened new conversations about race relations, from the White House to the boardroom to the control room. More media makers, including prominent organizations, are pledging to increase diversity in broadcasts and in staffing.

On June 9, Cumulus Media stations paused programming and, separately, nearly 200 stations together played Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” to commemorate the funeral of George Floyd. Since then, more stations have stepped up to commit to highlighting more African-American musical artists.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Try Harder]

What is a music station to do in this era of social change? And how can DJs appropriately respond to the currents happening around us?

My encouragement is always to make programming decisions based on the long term, or as long term as things can be in radio. A commitment to featuring more diverse voices should start with 90-day goals you can be accountable for. Organizations should also take a holistic approach to programming beyond just musical artists. The diversity of staff and volunteers, sources for news and talk programming, leadership and donor outreach in part color this discussion.

Moreover, programming that features even a majority of black, indigenous or people of color as performers does not inherently make a station diverse. KPCC vaulted itself into its current phase with a bold effort noted in a 2015 study to remake the sound of the station. In examining who they spoke to and how they did so, station leaders realized they could make KPCC more accessible. This effort to diversify its audience proved successful. And, while not every station can be as ambitious, such willingness to look beyond just playlists is admirable.

Mike Henry at Paragon Media Strategies is one of those music station leaders thinking big about what this moment can be for radio. He organized a Facebook group for stations to collaborate amid the pandemic. He offers many insights today on how stations can remain relevant, even as audiences aren’t what they may have been pre-COVID.

For some stations this issue of programming may be an internal dialog about what music and which musicians get airplay. A recent Rolling Stone essay, in a somewhat clumsy and at points false way, highlights an issue radio has tussled with for decades: how should stations and DJs deal with content that could be seen as offensive and musicians whose off-stage lives are problematic. I wrote about this last year following the noncommercial music radio convention and allegations that emerged about Ryan Adams’ conduct. With radio’s varied governance and management structures, debates over freedom of expression, and celebrity culture and the public/private dichotomy, I found it difficult to find a prescription for radio as a whole. And I suspect owners, boards, managers and DJs have faced the same quandary. As a result, things are mostly the same. How noncommercial stations tackle this matter is an ongoing story.

Radio has long held a unique place in culture and in capturing the musical tempo that goes with it. With radio formats as rigid as they are, and many radio DJs tending to specialize in genres, what social movements mean for many noncommercial and commercial stations, however, remains to be seen.

The post Community Broadcaster: Turned Up appeared first on Radio World.

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WWFD “The Gamut” is displayed on the HD Radio receiver of a 2019 Toyota Highlander. 

Hubbard Radio is asking the Federal Communications Commission to let it operate its experimental all-digital AM band station for another year. HD Radio parent Xperi supports this and has given the FCC some insight into the kinds of additional testing it wants to do there.

The station, WWFD in Frederick, Md., not far from Washington, has been a test bed for all-digital HD Radio transmission on an AM station since 2018, as we’ve reported. Its FM translator continues providing service to analog Listeners. (A second STA for all-digital was recently approved for Urban One station WTLC(AM) in Indianapolis.)

Chief Engineer and Program Director Dave Kolesar has said he hopes WWFD will never return to analog; and the FCC recently took comments on a proposal that would allow all U.S. AM band stations to use all-digital transmission if they wish.

[Read “Broadcasters Get Behind All-Digital AM Option”]

“WWFD’s all-digital experiments over the past two years have sparked widespread positive interest in the radio industry,” Hubbard’s local arm writes in the application to extend Special Temporary Authority. It characterized industry support for the FCC proposal as overwhelming.

Meanwhile HD Radio parent Xperi Corp. says in a supporting statement that it plans to expand its testing of an HD2 multicast audio service, which would create a second audio service in addition to the main program services. “We would like to experiment with different audio bitrate sizes used, and audio formats (Parametric Stereo),” it wrote.

Xperi also wants to try different data services alongside those now deployed. It wants to test Emergency Alerts services and new advanced alerting services; test the performance of MA3 vs. analog in various all‐electric vehicles; and test changes to the MA3 all-digital waveform by reducing the power level of the unmodulated pilot carrier level. It also wants to compare building penetration for all-digital, hybrid digital and analog modes.

Hubbard and Xperi have been supported in this project by the National Association of Broadcasters Pilot program, Kintronic Labs and Cavell Mertz & Associates.

[Read our profile of Dave Kolesar from December 2019.]

The post Xperi Describes More Planned Tests at All-Digital AM appeared first on Radio World.

Rick Greenhut

Veteran marketer Rick Greenhut will leave Xperi at the end of this week.

Greenhut is known to many in the radio industry for his work promoting HD Radio for 12 years as director of U.S. broadcast sales at iBiquity Digital and then at Xperi. He told colleagues in an email that his position has been cut “due to the dual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the merger with TiVo.”

Before crossing into the technology sector in 2008 Greenhut was VP of new media for Premiere Radio Networks, and before that held business roles with Westwood One, NBC Radio and Arbitron.

[Read: “Is AM Digital Right for Your Station,” by Rick Greenhut]

He hopes to consult broadcast groups on how to better market their stations to local and national advertisers.

“After years of making presentations to groups large and small, I often see people missing the opportunity to connect with the group they are speaking to by ‘winging it,’ as opposed to presenting a polished, professional presentation that shows they thought enough of the group they are speaking to, to actually prepare.”

 

The post Rick Greenhut Leaves Xperi appeared first on Radio World.

Getty Images/Cavan Images

I always look forward to the latest FCC totals of licensed U.S. radio stations; I guess I’m a radio geek. (I don’t run down the street yelling “The new license data are here,” at least not yet.) But whenever the latest numbers come, I like to dive back into the historical record to see how they’ve changed over time.

The fresh report from the Federal Communications Commission reveals that as of June 30, there were 4,570 licensed AM stations, 6,706 commercial FMs and 4,197 educational FMs, for a total of 15,473 full-power U.S. radio stations.

But of course the FM band is much more crowded than that because there are also 2,146 low-power FMs and 8,303 translators and boosters.

So how does that compare to the past?

For kicks I took historical FCC data from several points over several decades and put them into a table below. I thought you’d be interested in this. Note that the first two rows are from 1970 and 1990; and then starting in 2000 I took five-year increments. Totally arbitrary on my part … I could for instance have used 1996 as a year of particular note in radio regulation. Maybe next time.

A sampling of how the number of licenses have changed by category, based on FCC historical data

Among the trends you can spot here are the growth and then dips in the AM numbers; the boom of the FM band of the late 20th century; the near-doubling in the number of NCE FMs over the past two decades; the launch and then growth of low-power FMs (though observers sometimes wonder how many of these licensees are active); and the explosion in the translator/booster category, up 30% just in five years (helped, though not solely driven by, the AM revitalization program).

And those who believe that the U.S. has an FM congestion problem will no doubt find it interesting that in 1990 the United States had 7,639 FM licensed signals (a number reached by adding 1990’s totals for FM commercial, FM NCE and translators/boosters).

But in 2020, thanks to significant growth of all three categories plus the addition of LPFMs, there are 21,352 licensed signals on the FM band. Wow.

All of this is just raw data and doesn’t reflect, for instance, the impact of the almost infinite variety in coverage footprint, power levels and so forth.

But maybe the current debates over synchronized boosters for geo-targeting and whether to allow translators to originate content will cause those numbers to spike further. Check back with me in 10 or 20 years.

[Related: “GBS Gathers Support for Geo-Targeting”]

[Related: “Should Translators Originate Content? FCC Is Taking Comments”]

The post Latest U.S. Station Totals Reveal Boom in Translators appeared first on Radio World.

There’s a technical change happening Monday (July 6), and if your equipment isn’t current, it could affect your station’s ability to receive EAS messages from IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System.

We’ve reported on this over the past year and a half but now a practical deadline is here. Radio World checked in with Deputy Press Secretary Janet Montesi of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Radio World: We understand that an older version of the Transport Layer Security protocol will be turned off next week and that some EAS devices in the field could be affected. Why is that?

Janet Montesi: Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that enables privacy and integrity for communications with web servers. In order to maintain compliance with DHS security requirements, IPAWS has updated the EAS feed servers to use the current and approved Transport Layer Security version (TLS 1.2). IPAWS will discontinue the use of older, less secure versions. Older versions of TLS have vulnerabilities that could compromise the integrity of EAS communications.

[Read more about the background of this story: “Broadcasters Need to Keep an Eye on Latest Updates”]

RW: What will happen if a device is not up to date?

Montesi: There may be some broadcasters who may not have updated their EAS receivers by July 6, 2020. These broadcasters would be out of compliance with FCC rules and will not receive EAS messages via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. It is their responsibility to ensure compliance and keep their EAS receivers updated. FEMA, the FCC and the EAS vendor community have provided ample time to make these updates.

RW: How many devices in the field might be affected?

Montesi: Each EAS participant is required to have at least one device. FEMA does not maintain information on the number of devices installed in broadcast facilities.

RW: How would a user know whether their device is current?

Montesi: This has been in the works for over 18 months, allowing device manufacturers to make the necessary updates to their devices. This has been communicated to broadcasters via EAS participant listservs as well. Broadcasters should work check with their device manufacturer to ensure their device(s) contain the most up to date versions of software.

RW: Anything else we should know?

Montesi: IPAWS has worked with the EAS vendor community for 18 months to ensure EAS receivers can support the current and approved TLS version. The 18-month timeframe was necessary for EAS vendors to create software updates and to give broadcasters enough time to update their EAS devices. IPAWS will implement the change on July 6, 2020.

More information can be found in the NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2: Guidelines for the Selection, Configuration, and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2)

The post EAS Users, Is Your Gear Ready for TLS Changeover? appeared first on Radio World.

Sherri Powers works at the site nicknamed “Gotham,” the main transmitter location for WDMK and backup for WMGC. She’s replumbing the old WDMK transmitter to feed the WMGC antenna.

Beasley Media Group recently promoted Sherri Powers to chief engineer at its Detroit-based radio properties, overseeing the engineering and IT departments at the four-station cluster, which includes FM stations WCSX, WRIF, WMGC and WDMK, the last of which has three translators fed by its HD2.

Vice President and Market Manager Mac Edwards was quoted in the announcement as saying, “She epitomizes dedication to her craft and devotion to getting the job done right. Sherri has taken the lead on many significant projects in her storied career here.” That includes contracting with Greater Media to build new studios for WCSX(FM) and WRIF(FM) before she was hired full-time at the stations in 1998.

Radio World checked in with Powers to learn about her 29-year career to date. This is one in a series of interviews with radio technologists about their work.

Radio World: How have you reached this point in your career? 

Sherri Powers: I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of Beasley Media, formally Greater Media, most of my career.

I started interning with WCSX(FM) in the summer of 1992. My first paid job was with WRIF, where I worked part-time setting up remotes. At the time, WCSX and WRIF were each with different companies.

I landed my first full-time engineering job in 1993 at WYCD, which was owned at the time by Alliance Broadcasting. While I was working there, I had the opportunity to help build the studios for Greater Media after they purchased WRIF. I finally officially came back “home” in 1998 and have been here ever since.

RW: What originally prompted your interest in broadcast engineering? 

Powers: I actually got into engineering because I went to the wrong seminar! I signed up for an open house at Specs Howard School of Media Arts because I was really interested in video editing; but after hearing the benefits of engineering, I became intrigued.

I really like the idea of staying at a company for the long haul. Two of the things they kept stressing to the attendees was job security and the fact that engineers generally didn’t move around a lot. Upon completing my summer internship at WCSX, I was hooked.

RW: Any early mentors or particularly influential people in your career?

Powers: Yes, actually several. I have to say, all the chief engineers I’ve had made me the engineer I am today.

Bill Vellner, who at the time was the chief engineer at WCSX, gave me my first shot. He was willing to teach me anything I wanted to learn. Jeff Breitner, the chief at WYCD, also helped me realize my full potential. He taught me that radio was fun and would say, “It’s just radio, no one ever dies.”

The person I learned the most from was Mike Kernen. He’s not just a mentor or a boss, he’s my friend. I still talk to him several times a week. He’s actually helping me work on our transmitter build. He teaches me new things all the time. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

RW: How has COVID-19 affected broadcast operations for Beasley in Detroit, and what do you think the long-term implications for facility management are? 

Powers: Thankfully, we were prepared and able to get ahead of things, before the state of Michigan shut everything down.

We were able set up one of our station morning show hosts, who lives in Canada, with all the equipment he needed to do a live show with remote gear before they closed the borders.

In addition, we updated our automation system to WideOrbit, to enable personalities to record live breaks and import them into the system. This way, the PDs could go in and program them.

In the future, I think we just need to be conscious of ways to do things even better. Everyone needs to work together to improve what we are doing today to make us be even better tomorrow.

RW: Any significant technical projects on the horizon?

Powers: Prior to COVID, we installed WideOrbit. We are still getting familiar with the automation system and all it can do. I also have some big transmitter projects going on, including installing a new 30 kW GatesAir FAX transmitter for WDMK, the station we just purchased last year. And I am working on moving our backup transmitter site for them to our transmitter site across town. In addition, I am taking one of the transmitters we used for 105.9 and making that the backup site transmitter for 105.1.

If just installing the transmitter wasn’t enough to do, we have to rewire all the remote controls and make sure everything works like it should. So it’s been quite busy.

RW: Anything else we should know?

Powers: My husband and I love to travel! Whenever we have the chance to get away, we love to go to Mexico. Every time we go, I always say I need to start my Spanish lessons again. I wouldn’t mind retiring there one day.

[Related: Read the ebook “Radio Engineering in Crisis” for perspectives on broadcast engineering careers today.]

The post Q&A: Sherri Powers Excels for Beasley Detroit appeared first on Radio World.

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Cable Operators May Now Adjust Their Rates For Inflation

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