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The FCC has said it declined to reconsider the selection of HD Radio as the U.S. digital radio standard. But Alan Hughes, a broadcast technical writer in Australia, believes the industry should not convert to all-digital HD Radio on the AM band but should consider Digital Radio Mondiale in the 47–88 MHz band, which he notes has been “virtually vacated by TV.” He says available DRM channels are more than enough to cover existing AM and FM stations, plus new entrants. 

The following is from comments he filed to the FCC about proposal to allow the MA3 all-digital mode of HD Radio for AM stations in the United States. It has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

Currently, radio in the USA is in an interference-fueled mess. 

VHF Band 2 (FM band) — According to the FCC database, there are nearly 14,000 FM broadcasters with over 10,000 translators, causing this band to be overcrowded and getting worse, particularly with the addition of FM translators for AM broadcasters, and FM/digital HD Radio sharing half of the channels either side of them which are used by other broadcasters. Digital power is 4–10% of their FM power to prevent digital interference to their own signal and others. This substantially restricts the coverage area before the receiver goes back to FM or, if it is HD2–HD4, drops out altogether.

There are no pure digital HD broadcasters in VHF Band 2.

Medium Frequency (“AM band”) — In the FCC database there are 4,616 AM broadcasters in North America; 240 are authorized for HD operation but this does not include broadcasters who have switched off HD.

Interference from electrical disturbances is caused by electrical switch mode power supplies, which are in virtually everything electrically powered including LED lighting, and electric cars when charging and moving. Petrol-powered engines can cause interference. Electric power line insulators also can cause considerable interference. 

[Real-World Tests Make Business Case for MA3]

On AM this causes annoying static but also unreliable digital reception, particularly for AM/HD where the digital signal is only 1% of the carrier power.

Interference between broadcasters is caused by AM broadcasters sharing half of their channels used by other broadcasters; this also occurs with HD Radio and is worse in its mode AM/digital mode. This is why many AM broadcasters have stopped broadcasting digital at night.

There are no high-powered pure digital HD broadcasts in the MF band. There is only WWFD, a city-wide station, on air.

Vehicle manufacturers have stopped using long telescopic antennas, which gather more signal for this band than the “Shark Fin” type, which is just too short. The “Shark Fin” antenna contains an amplifier that overloads on strong interference and will then affect the reliability of reception.

The FCC needs to do an independent survey to determine what proportion of the population actually listen to HD Radio. Since the HD standard has existed for 19 years some radios will have died. One would have expected that analog AM and FM should have been superseded by now.

OPTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Hybrid Digital (HD) Radio is not feasible because the digital signal has to be so weak and because listeners have to remember whether it is AM or FM, the frequency and if it is HD1–HD4. This approach seems to have not been able to produce a national conversion to digital.

Pure digital HD Radio in VHF Band 2 in this mode still requires 400 kHz (two FM channels) to transmit one broadcaster’s programs. Interference will continue when all broadcasts are pure digital in Band 2. In the medium-frequency band a signal can fit in a non-interfering channel but the sound quality is poor and it lacks the ability to carry data information, alternatively the wider channel will cause interference to broadcasters in the adjacent channels.

DAB+ is in widespread use outside of North America but cannot be used because TV is using nearly all the available DAB+ channels.

DRM in VHF low band (TV Channels 2–6) in this mode only requires 100 kHz. Thus four DRM transmitters can replace a pure digital HD signal in Band 2. Each of these DRM transmitters can carry three sound programs. DRM has not been trialled in North America. It does not use any of the existing bands used by broadcast radio. This means it can be broadcast in addition to any existing broadcasts without interference with existing services and also without power limitations caused by existing broadcasters. There is no sharing with adjacent channels.

See the accompanying graphic (Fig. 1).

66–72 MHz provides 59 channels that can be used around the locations of the above TV transmitters with the exception of TV Channel 4. Where radio broadcasters are near the seven medium-power TV transmitters they can use 47.1–49.9 and 76.1–77.9 MHz.

The FCC needs to allocate DRM frequencies to all broadcasters in groups of six consecutive channels, allowing broadcasters to share transmitters, antennas and towers. DRM can use the same frequency over the whole license area including repeaters in black spots. There are enough channels for both AM and FM broadcasters, leaving the medium-frequency band for low population density areas such as Alaska and Arizona.

Fig. 1: VHF band 1 uses from the FCC. High power is to cover a region, medium a district, low a city and LPX a village. CONCLUSION

In 1998, when Australia was selecting which system to use for digital television, our Communications Lab did a side-by-side performance tests (see http://tinyurl.com/rw-hughes) between DVB-T and the Advanced Television System Committee’s systems. 

As a result the only countries to take roll out ATSC were the USA, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. The rest of the world use DVB-T, its upgrade DVB-T2 and a later Japanese IDSB. 

The FCC should follow this example and do the same trials for radio. There are two United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union standards for digital radio, DRM and DAB+, which should be adopted in North America to make receivers cheap for all, just like AM/FM. This will enable a rapid rollout of an interference-free system.

I have no commercial interest in the outcome of your decision.

The author is a broadcast technical author from Australia and has spent a lifetime in training technicians. Radio World welcomes opinion and points of view on important radio broadcast industry issues.

The post A Better Way to Revitalize All U.S. Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Nominations will close April 17 for the Special Edition Best of Show Awards program, an initiative of our parent company Future plc to showcase new, innovative products introduced this spring for specialized technology users.

Companies can nominate products for awards presented by the following publications and sites: TV Technology, TVBEurope, Digital Video, Government Video, Video Edge, Radio World, Pro Sound News, Sound & Video Contractor, B+C and Next TV.

Companies seeking guidance about which brand to enter for can find guidance here.

Winners will be selected by panels of professional users, technical experts and editors based on descriptions provided by companies via the official nomination form.

Companies pay a fee to enter; not all products are selected as winners. All nominees and winners will be featured in a Program Guide sent to readers this spring.

For more information about the Special Edition of the Best of Show Awards visit the official Best of Show website.

The post Nominations Close April 17 for Special Edition Best of Show Awards appeared first on Radio World.

The Media Bureau provides limited, temporary waiver regarding preempted Children's Television programming during the COVID-19 outbreak

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The FCC's Media Bureau issued a temporary, limited waiver to TV broadcasters to enable them to more easily air live and taped same-day local content, like religious services, during time slots regularly dedicated to children's programming

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Waives pre-filing announcement requirement for applicants filing June 1, 2020, renewal applications

Could geo-targeted programming for over-the-air radio broadcasters be on the horizon?

The Federal Communications Commission is exploring that idea by requesting comments on a requested rule change that would permit radio broadcasters to air geo-targeted programming — such as emergency alerts, news and advertising — on a voluntary basis.

The request was formally made in March by GeoBroadcast Solutions, a Chicago-based technology company whose ZoneCasting technology uses FM boosters to distribute locally targeted content. According to the company, the rule change would be similar to the 2017 FCC decision that allowed TV broadcasters to use the next gen ATSC 3.0 standard to distribute geo-targeted programming.

[Read: Tech Company Asks FCC to Allow Geo-Targeted Radio Programming]

According to GeoBroadcast in its petition, “The commission could bring some of these same benefits to the radio industry by permitting radio broadcasters to use single-frequency network technology to provide one of the main consumer and broadcaster benefits inherent in ATSC 3.0: hyperlocal programming, emergency alerting and advertising.”

Specifically, the ZoneCasting model uses a single-frequency network to originate programming separately from the booster’s primary FM station. (This technology uses lower-power and lower-height FM transmitters operating on the same frequency and within the service contour as the primary FM station transmitter.) To achieve this, however, the FCC would need to amend part of the FM booster rule that currently requires an FM broadcast booster station to retransmit only the signals of its primary station.

According to GeoBroadcasting, this type of zoned broadcast coverage technology would allow radio broadcasters to provide hyperlocalized content, such as geo-targeted weather, targeted emergency alerts and hyperlocal news, the company said. Zoned broadcast coverage also would enable radio broadcasters to air geo-targeted traffic information, second language programming and local advertisements.

Zoned broadcast coverage could make the medium attractive to new kinds of advertisers, the company said, as it allows radio to reach their target audience much more efficiently. The company pointed to February 2020 BIA Advisory Services study that found that more than 90% of local retailers indicated that they would spend more on broadcast radio advertising if zoned advertising were available.

Comments on the issue can be left in the ECFS database using proceeding number RM-11854.

 

The post FCC Seeks Comment on Geo-Targeting for Radio Stations appeared first on Radio World.

Bob Triplett

Robert S. “Bob” Triplett died April 5 at age 97. He passed away at the VA Medical Center in Chillicothe, Ohio, just south of his birthplace of Kingston, and is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Triplett “always had an interest in radio,” according to his son — who goes by his air name Ed Douglas and is senior vice president of affiliate relations for Tom Kent Radio Network. In fact, Douglas says Triplett had wanted to start a station in Chillicothe in the 1940s, but couldn’t raise the funds.

Instead, Triplett served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, training pilots to use radar during combat missions. After the war, Triplett had a variety of diverse careers, including Philco radio salesman, until he became a broadcast engineer in 1966 and went on to be general manager of Wellston, Ohio’s WKOV.   

[Jim Withers reminisces about his Philco radio]

Then, in 1972, Triplett cofounded Triplett Broadcasting Company with his brother Wendell. Together, they owned and built several radio stations in Ohio and Kentucky and one in Tennessee. The first Triplett stations were WOGM(FM) and WTOO(AM) in Bellefontaine, Ohio. The company later acquired TV station Channel 53 in Chillicothe.

At age 70, Bob Triplett retired from his full-time job and became a contract engineer. According to his son, Triplett worked on his last transmitter at 94 years old.According to his obituary, the family is planning a memorial service and will announce details when gatherings are again allowed.

The post Bob Triplett, 97, Has Died appeared first on Radio World.

Voicecorps Reading Service is a central Ohio organization that helps people with low-vision or other disabilities stay informed through a team of about 200 volunteers who read aloud newspapers, shopping flyers and periodicals.

Radio World caught up with Voicecorps Marketing and Development Director David Noble to learn about how Voicecorps is adapting to provide its services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Radio World: What is the mission of Voicecorps?
David Noble: Voicecorps enriches lives by reading printed news and information to people who are blind, have low vision, or other conditions that prevent reading.

RW: How can people access this content?
Noble: Eligible persons can hear Voicecorps on FM-SCA radios loaned to them by Voicecorps, on the SAP channel of WOSU-TV 32-2, on select cable systems, and as of March 12, in the northwest corner of Ohio as the virtual channel of WBGU-PBS 37-9 and on the SAP of 37-2, which takes us into homes via cable systems.

Others, who have accessible PCs or smartphones, tune-in by going to our webpage www.voicecorps.org and listening to the live stream or choosing one of our on-demand audio files. The live stream is also available using Alexa over the Amazon system.

RW: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your organization?
Noble: We are heavily dependent on volunteers to perform the reading of print news and current information. They were almost exclusively coming to our studios to read live or record weekly programs.

In Ohio, the stay-at-home order meant we had to pivot to at-home recordings and telephones for live broadcasts. Not all our volunteers were geared up for that, so it’s been a scramble to coach volunteers remotely into producing readings that are of sufficient audio quality to broadcast — and maintain a normal schedule.

At the moment, we’re not dispensing SCA radios. Instead, we advise new listeners to tune in via TV-SAP, use a PC or hear our web stream using Amazon Alexa, if they have one.

[Bumblebee Brings the Buzz of Live Radio to People With Sight Loss]

RW: Have your goals changed in light of the stay at home order in Ohio?
Noble: Only in that we no longer ask volunteers to come to us. We still maintain the goal of keeping the blind and visually impaired public just as up-to-date as their sighted peers.

RW: What technological challenges have you and your volunteers faced?
Noble: Setting up a recording studio at home has been a challenge, as has been ensuring that the volunteers at home have access to the print news they previously picked up in our studio at the time of their broadcast.

We have to say that the volunteers are amazing. They have thrown themselves at this problem with as much or more dedication than we see on a normal basis. We have not missed a daily newspaper reading yet!

RW: What devices and software have you used to facilitate remote reading?
Noble: The volunteer lets us know what they have available in their home. We do our best to make that work. If they have Apple systems, they can record using that. If they use PCs, they can use that. If they can’t do those, we see if reading live over the phone works for their schedule and ours.

We just sent out an email suggesting they download Audacity’s free recording software because the interface is fairly intuitive, and we won’t lose too much time on software support issues.

RW: What else should readers know?
Noble: The ability to keep up with current print news has always been important to living an independent life. Now, access to current information is vital to surviving the pandemic. The news on personal safety is especially important to have when your means of interacting with the world relies largely on tactile input. Providing audio versions of the newspaper and other print is truly a lifeline.

The post Voicecorps Ensures Low-Vision Ohioans Stay Informed During Pandemic appeared first on Radio World.

A new category appearing in Techsurvey 2020 is “Hearables,” defined as wireless headphones and earbuds. Who uses “hearables,” and for how long?

The numbers Jacobs research found are almost evenly divided between male and female, but show a dramatic stratification by age. The silent generation trails with 20%, and Gen Z leads with 62%. No surprises there.

[Read: Techsurvey 2020 Says Home Stations Leads the Streaming Audio Pack]

Far more interesting is the TS 2020 breakdown of “hearables” use by ethnic groups. The Hispanic respondents lead with 52%, Asian is next with 50%, African American 47%, while Caucasian trails with 39%. What’s behind this trend?

Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs doesn’t have any hard data to answer that question, but he shares his thoughts. “Wearables might be perceived by some groups as a fashion statement, in the same way as designer clothes. This is a new category for Techsurvey, so we’ll need to watch and see how it trends in future research.”

When you break the “hearables” numbers down by format, rhythmic urban, CHR and sports radio fans are the most likely to use these devices, all at around 50%. At the trailing edge are classic hits listeners with 33%.

Jacobs data suggests that more than one in five use headphones/earbuds for AM/FM radio listening at least half the time. Note that in this category “hearables” includes conventional wired headphones along with wireless devices.

TS 2020 also looked at music discovery. The research said that AM/FM is still the first place where listeners go to find new music and artists, although radio is slowly losing its lead. It was the place where 41% went in TS 2018, 39% for TS 2019 and 38% this year.

Trailing far behind AM/FM are friends/relatives, Spotify, SiriusXM, YouTube/YouTube Music and Pandora.

 

The post Four in Ten Techsurvey 2020 Respondents Own “Hearables” appeared first on Radio World.

A colleague asked me recently how many apps I had on my phone. I guessed that I had about 50. She told me point-blank that my sense of reality was seriously impaired, so I did the count. The answer astounded me. I currently have 176 apps. Talk about a lack of self-awareness! 

With 128 gigs of storage, I don’t think about running out of memory until, of course, I do. 

According to socialmediatoday.com, the average smartphone user devotes 2.3 hours daily to app use. This stat is reflective of those with about 30 apps, and much of this time spent is with the big social media companies or huge national media brands.

For radio stations owned by the major groups, decisions about apps are made, generally, at the corporate level and then messaging is pushed down. 

iHeartMedia is to be commended for its “all-in” strategy and promotional roll-out across its stations. However, I’ve never heard or seen iHeart advertise their app to target a new audience that might never or rarely listen to broadcast radio. Perhaps they do so and I’ve just never encountered it. Marketing apps via digital advertising, in app stores and with Google search terms could be an opportunity for stations and groups who want to grow total audience. 

For small groups, standalones and non-commercial stations, what’s the app situation for 2020 and beyond?

I don’t think it’s debatable that every station in America has to be available via mobile phone and tablet in some form or another. 

On-demand behavior is driven by the desire for immediate gratification, most frequently obtained with the device in one’s pocket. A radio in the car or even on a different floor of the house won’t cut it anymore. I’ve stayed at four Airbnbs in the last six months and none of them even had a radio receiver. 

[Can an App Solve the DRM Receiver Problem?]

The least costly approach to streaming comes via radio station aggregation apps like TuneIn. The disadvantage of this platform is that it’s easy for your station to get lost among so many listening opportunities; listeners may not even bother looking for your station once they stumble upon so many wonderful choices.

For those who can afford to build and maintain a standalone app, there are three choices to evaluate. While there is no clear-cut best choice, it does seem that the future is moving toward the latest technology.

NATIVE 

The most common type of app is called a “native” app. This type is developed specifically for device use, primarily on iOS and/or Android. Native apps are the most expensive to build, maintain and market. 

They must be approved by Apple and/or Google to ensure they contain no malware or serious bugs. Each time you update your app, it has to be updated in-store. Plus, when Apple or Google roll out a new operating system, you may have to make your app compatible with their update. 

Because the native app has to match the user interface and software standards, the experience is often smoother and more intuitive for the user. 

On the other hand, the volume of competitors in the app store is enormous, potentially mitigating the discoverability benefits of that marketplace. 

WEB

Your next choice is a “web” app. This sort of app is really a mobile website built to look like and function as a native app. In fact, it’s often difficult to tell the difference between a web app and a native app. 

Web apps are much cheaper to build and maintain because they don’t have to comply with a phone’s operating system or meet standards for placement in an app store. Web apps run in a browser and auto-update each time they load. Yes, you can even make an icon shortcut that looks like a native app and resides on a phone home screen. 

The downsides are: not all functions may work off-line; they are less intuitive to use; they can be slower to load; and they may appear less premium to users . 

PWA

Your third choice has a ton of advocates and shows significant promise. It’s basically a hybrid between a native app and a web app. It’s called a “progressive web” app, or PWA. 

Unlike a web app, a PWA can use push notifications and access some device features, such as gestures.   

Unfortunately, this type of app does not yet work on all types and versions of browsers. This is ultimately slowing its adoption. 

I have never built one of these apps, so I can only repeat what I’ve read — and the reviews so far are mostly positive and optimistic. 

If Apple and Google don’t get greedy with their walled-off stores and instead encourage the development of PWAs, it will lower the barrier of app entry for all and provide an improved user experience. This seems inevitable, but there are no guarantees yet. 

One thing is certain though: We Americans love our phones and our apps. Radio must create and maintain a presence on mobile devices or risk relying completely on in-car listening, where even that piece of audio real estate is no longer the exclusive domain of broadcast stations. 

Mark Lapidus is a multi-platform media, content and marketing executive and longtime Radio World contributor. Email mark.lapidus1@gmail.com.

The post Apps Are Key to Radio’s Relevance in 2020 appeared first on Radio World.

With 116 member organizations in 56 countries, the European Broadcasting Union is the world’s largest association of public service media. Radio World Spoke to EBU Technology & Innovation Project Manager Digital Radio Ben Poor, to learn about the measures the EBU and its members are taking in light of the COVID-19 health crisis, and how he sees this situation impacting the future of broadcasting. 

RW: What impact is the coronavirus emergency having on EBU members’ station operations?

Ben Poor: As a general rule, EBU Members are the primary go-to point for real-time information on this evolving crisis. This means that — no matter what — they will continue to broadcast and have set themselves up to address this challenge. Over the past years, many have had substantial downward pressure on their operational and capital expenditure budgets. Thus they have had to pioneer automation and efficient workflows. Despite this, they have typically split their operational teams into separated teams that have no direct contact and are typically located at different sites and at home.

Ben Poor

Our members have sent all non-operational staff home so as to avoid compromising the operational teams and are active in working-from-home. In addition, they have stalled all non-operation-critical projects due to national containment procedures.

RW: Are there specific impacts in technical infrastructure and programming operations we should know about?

Poor: EBU members are prioritizing their news operations as part of their response to the crisis. They have also put in place measures to protect their news teams. This typically involves them being isolated as far as possible. In addition, there are evolving guidelines regarding live shows, where audiences are now excluded from attending, and being pre-recorded. Some radio talent is even making their contributions via links from home.

Also, operators are regularly disinfecting buildings and equipment of course. As regards distribution infrastructure, broadcasting continues as before. EBU members have prepared for scaling their online distribution channels to ensure that they can address the explosion in demand.

There is a shift in viewing and listening patterns, where EBU members have noticed that the evening peaks are now spread throughout the day. So, the broadcasters are revising their schedules to address the older populations at home as well as the children that are also now at home as schools have closed. Many others have set up dedicated podcasts to keep people informed about the crisis.

These are just some of the measures EBU members have introduced, and others are evolving continuously.

RW: What impact is the emergency having on radio engineers and technical staff, professionally or personally?

Poor: Due to the importance of the radio operations to the general well-being and security of the populations impacted by the lockdowns around Europe, staff is working around the clock in isolated teams to ensure the continuity of the broadcast and online operations. That said, many of the engineering staff have been working from home, and the operational staff are typically isolated so as to avoid contamination. This places some strain on the teams that will doubtless surface as the crisis evolves.

The European Broadcasting Union building in Geneva from above.

RW: It’s often common to ask engineers to step in when other staffers have to step out. Are there any best practices the EBU hopes engineers and their employers will adopt?

Poor: Indeed, the EBU has gathered the best practices being adopted by the pioneers in this space. These are available to any member or broadcaster through the EBU’s website. We have also established collaborative expert groups to facilitate communication between members so as to enable fast and efficient transmission of information. Keeping our stations on air is our business and all EBU members already have sophisticated contingency planning. Interestingly, one item we have noticed is that some of the planning is focused around equipment rather than people, so we’ve had to adapt some of this planning for the current crisis.

RW: How are you working to help your members during this crisis?

Poor: The EBU itself is a means of exchange between the members that are facing broadly the same challenges. Even if the individual countries have adopted different approaches to the crisis.

We have set up a dedicated webpage to share information. We are also looking at opportunities to share content between members and are providing advice and guidelines for how to deal with this situation.

RW: How do you see this situation impacting the future of broadcasting, in particular that of radio?

Poor: The longer-term impact of this crisis remains to be seen. With all non-essential projects on hold, we may not feel the impact on radio (and TV) schedules until later in the year when the productions currently in preparation would normally air.

This crisis may actually accelerate some of the developments around decentralization of studios and content production. This is especially true for radio, where we are seeing a slight trend in some countries to use content from outside traditional studios.

We have issued a report outlining audience reliance on public service media news during this period. The report also includes best practice case studies.

The post EBU Members Work to Ensure News Continuity appeared first on Radio World.

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