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I sat in on Radio World’s presentation about “Digital Sunrise for AM Radio” hosted by Editor in Chief Paul McLane. The webcast lasted almost two hours and was technically informative.

The question Paul kept asking the presenters about going all-digital on AM was one he hears numerous people asking him, “Has the horse left the barn?” In other words, has the world moved on and does anyone really cares about AM radio anymore.

But that’s not the question that was running through my mind.

TOO MANY CHOICES

We live in a world with infinite choices when it comes to audio and video entertainment. Twenty-eight years ago, Bruce Springsteen released his song “57 Channels and Nothing’s On.” The lyrics are very telling of the condition we find ourselves in today.

I bought a bourgeois house in the Hollywood hills

With a truckload of hundred thousand dollar bills

Man came by to hook up my cable TV

We settled in for the night my baby and me

We switched ’round and ’round ’til half-past dawn

There was fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on …

It’s not unusual for people to spend an entire evening going through the program guide on Netflix only to finally retire for the evening having not watched a single program. We’ve all done that.

On just Netflix alone it was estimated in 2015 that it would take a person 34,739 hours to watch everything available on the streaming service. I’m sure that number has grown considerably when you consider in 2019 Netflix introduced 371 series and movies to view.

Add to Netflix more television streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu, Apple TV+, Disney+, YouTube and it means choice is not the TV viewer’s problem, it’s choice paralysis. (And maybe also how to pay for it all.)

ALL-DIGITAL AM

The question running through my mind about investing in building out an all-digital AM radio service in America is, “Why?” 

When I scan the AM band now, I can hear the same talk shows on station after station. The FM band is no different when it comes to everyone doing the same type of programming.

It has me humming Bruce Springsteen’s song in my head, only with a lot more channels of programming attached to the “nothing’s on” part.

Digital AM seems to be the answer to a question that listeners aren’t asking.

LESS IS MORE

Many businesses fall into the trap of thinking that more products equal more sales and radio certainly can be accused of falling into that trap.

HD Radio was designed to offer a higher-quality broadcast signal for AM and FM radio stations. FM station owners didn’t really get interested in HD Radio until they learned they could feed FM translators with HD2, HD3 signals and put more FM analog signals on the air in their market.

I learned that the all-digital AM service offers the opportunity for an HD2 signal that could feed another FM analog translator.

What Al and Laura Ries tell us from their research is how this strategy of adding more and more choice becomes a trap and can lead to negative consequences in the long term.

ONE GOOD REASON

In media sales, we try to have our clients identify what one thing makes them special and unique. What makes their business so different that consumers will want to come to them instead of their competitors. You may know this process as finding a business’s “unique selling proposition.”

Back in the day, 66-WNBC put up a billboard that gave radio listeners one good reason to turn their radio dial to 660 AM. It simply said. “If we weren’t so bad, we wouldn’t be so good.” This one simple sentence captured the essence of both Don Imus and Howard Stern. It was this radio station’s one good reason to listen. It was this radio station’s one good reason to advertise on it.

And speaking of one, I was told by the WNBC sales manager that it only took one commercial on Howard Stern for an advertiser to see immediate sales results.

That’s the power of a unique brand.

MISPLACED PRIORITIES

Radio had a choice to make in the last decade, to develop unique powerful brands localized to the marketplace the FCC licensed them to serve, or build out more signals with programming that was virtually hard to tell apart from one another. Unfortunately, the radio industry chose the latter and as a result has turned the business into a commodity.

Something for everyone equals nothing for nobody.

Economics defines a commodity as goods or services that have fungibility, in other words something the marketplace treats as everything being nearly equivalent to each other, with little regard for who produces it.

This is why radio sales people will often hear advertisers says things like “all radio stations sound the same, now let’s talk about your spot price.”

Perception is reality.

Or should I say that the listener and advertiser’s perception is accurate, with the reality today being all radio stations do sound the same.

ELECTIONS & RADIO LISTENING

I read an article the other day that said what changes the outcome of any election is turnout. That the way someone wins an election is by getting people who normally sit it out on the couch engaged and out to the polls. It’s not getting people to switch party affiliations.

I think radio may have a similar problem.

For the radio industry to be growing again, what radio needs to be focused on, and investing in, are its people and programming, not putting more signals on the air with nothing to hear.

This commentary appeared at https://dicktaylorblog.com/ and is published with permission.

Dick Taylor, CRMC/CDMC, is a retired broadcast professor who taught at Western Kentucky University.

The post Invest in People and Programming, Not More Signals appeared first on Radio World.

DUBUQUE, Iowa — “You are kidding! That’s a 3 kW FM transmitter?”   

That’s what I thought when I saw my first Ecreso at an FM station about 100 miles northwest of Dubuque, Iowa. It had recently hired me for some contract engineering work. To a guy who just returned to broadcast engineering after an 18-year absence, it was a wakeup call. This Ecreso unit, built by WorldCast Systems, is known as its FM 3kW. It recently replaced the station’s older main transmitter.  

While I cannot take credit for the purchasing decision or its installation, I can tell you that they made a great choice. It comes as a complete, compact, 3U by 19-inch rack mount unit. Modular by design, this unit boasts an efficiency of up to 76%. It is powered by a 20 A single-phase breaker (184 VAC or higher), and can also be wired for operation on three-phase power. 

When I mentioned complete, you will not only have direct-to-channel digital modulation, you can license (free testing included for 30 days) a flame-throwing five-band sound processor with your choice of audio presets to match your station’s format. Experimenting with the CHR and urban format settings, I was impressed how loud and competitive this baby was, all while automatically keeping the modulation peaking at 97%.  

COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION

You can use direct AES or left/right analog in, with the optional five-band processing, or if you like your current audio processing, use the MPX input. Other features you will like are digital MPX over AES, the dynamic RDS encoder, and audio backup from an internal micro SD card player. Remote control and monitoring can be accessed via an easy to use web interface, or hard-wired to your current remote control via the standard (in the United States) GPIO board. SNMP is supported. Local control is menu driven from the front-panel screen and button keys.

What about reliability? With Ecreso’s FM 3 kW you have a standard version with two, hot-swappable, power supply unit modules with a load-sharing design. In the event of a DC power supply malfunction, the other PSU keeps the FM 3 kW on the air at about 1,900 W.  

If you opt for the “+1” version, you will get an extra, or third PSU and if one is lost, you can still operate at 3,000 W RF output. RF amplification is also redundant and is capable of operating even in the event of a fault. You could lose a MOSFET and still be on air at a little over half power. In fact, Ecreso is very open about these scenarios. Go to the company’s website and download its tech guide titled “What Happens If?” 

As rugged as this unit is, it’s nice to know help is just around the corner. I have worked with Ecreso/WorldCast’s Tony Peterle on a PSU software setting that needed changing. Tony said he could remotely change it, all he needed was IP access to the unit. 

But this transmitter site has no network access. Tony’s solution was to lend the station a 4G modem and a switch, and with a remote terminal access program on my lap top, he was able to remotely log in and change the setting. I really appreciate his help, creativity and patience. 

Warranty-wise, three years; but for a small charge you can extend your warranty to 10 years. To me, with a warranty that long, Ecreso must be very confident of the equipment it is building. 

The unit I am familiar with has been installed and running for about six months trouble-free. As for that older transmitter, the station’s owner has new tubes for it and would like me to go through and get it ready for standby use. As reliable as the new Ecreso FM 3 kW is, I’m just not sure it will ever be needed.

For information, contact Tony Peterle at WorldCast Systems in Florida at 1-305-249-3110 or visit www.worldcastsystems.com.

The post User Report: WorldCast Ecreso Transmitter Benefits Iowa Station  appeared first on Radio World.

Radio continues to do what broadcasters do best, and associations are doing their best to help them keep it up. How are you and your station coping with COVID-19? Tell radioworld@futurenet.com.

— The Vermont Association of Broadcasters has received confirmation from the office of Vermont Gov. Scott media personnel are counted as essential during the current state of emergency and will be allowed to travel freely. However, VAB cautions that it’s currently unclear whether you will need to show credentials or other information certifying your need to be on the road, so it makes sense to have DHS/CISA Access and/or Fuel letters on hand. If you’re a Vermonter and need one, email your request to the association.

— “We’re all living this nightmare, we’re running our radio stations on gut, duct tape, and alligator clips.” Fred Jacobs may not sound optimistic, but he’s not one to give up.His media consultancy wants to know how your listeners are handling the novel coronavirus, and Jacobs Media has set up a survey to learn about the current listening climate and how consumers think radio is handling this gargantuan task.

— The Radio Advertising Bureau is acknowledging what strange times we’re in with a new website section on working “When It’s Not Business as Usual,” featuring tools and resources to help members. RAB says it’s also cueing up three new webinars dedicated to keeping the wheels on during the COVID-19 pandemic: “Business Unusual Requires Exceptional Communication — How To Talk To Your Advertisers Now;” “How To Craft Your Messaging In Times of Uncertainty;” and “Work From Home (WFH) Strategies To Maximize Productivity In Your New Office.”

— On a lighter note, if your work from home situation is making you go barking mad, apparently you’re not the only one, as evidenced by this Facebook post:

— Law firm Pillsbury has set up a page dedicated to COVID-19’s impact on contract performance issues. They’re offering guidance that’s not radio-specific, but is worth reviewing.

— The Radio Mercury Awards have been rescheduled and the timeline to enter has been extended. The awards will now be presented Oct. 6, and entries can be submitted until Aug. 3.

The post Radio Is Definitely Essential, WFH Resources & COVID-19 Updates appeared first on Radio World.

Radiodays Europe has announced that it will postpone the 2020 edition of Podcast Day due to the Coronavirus crisis.

Originally slated for June 16, the gathering will now take place Oct. 26. The location for the conference will remain The Mermaid in central London.

In a statement, organizers of the conference, which focuses on strategies and trends in podcasting, thanked their speakers and participants for their continued support.

The event moved from Copenhagen to London in 2019, where it attracted some 400 attendees.

The 2020 edition marks the fourth edition of Podcast Day by Radiodays Europe.

The post Radiodays Europe Postpones Podcast Day appeared first on Radio World.

GENEVA — Every year in February, the European Broadcasting Union headquarter hosts the Digital Radio Summit, where public service and commercial broadcasters from around the globe share their experience and vision about radio’s future developments.

Antonio Arcidiacono, EBU’s director of technology and innovation, gives his keynote speech. All photos courtesy of the EBU.

The 2020 edition focused on radio’s potential to target the nonlinear market, primarily on mobile devices, voice assistants and car multimedia systems.

YOU CHOOSE

In his keynote speech, Antonio Arcidiacono, EBU’s director of technology and innovation, invited delegates to invest their efforts in developing a future radio ecosystem based on three pillars.

Cathinka Rondan, head of radio at NRK, tells the audience about NRK’s strategic project to strengthen the broadcaster’s podcast popularity.

They are the multicast version of “hybridization” with content resident across the IP network and in users’ devices, the portability of the radio experience across multiple receivers, and individual settings for personalization.

“We have to move from the one-to-many broadcast model, ‘We know what you like, period’ to ‘We offer you many things you like, and you choose,’” explained Arcidiacono.

In his vision, the users’ smartphone will be a unifying device that enables the listening experience across the various different platforms and listening contexts, gathering information on user’s habits and preferences.

Through this accumulated knowledge, each receiver (including any in-car multimedia system, even in rented or shared cars) can offer each user his or her customized setup and personalized audio. It offers a way for each person to benefit from a unique and tailored experience, regardless of listening time and location.

GENUINE PASSION

Cheyenne Mackay, podcaster for SRF, emphasized the importance of passion in the creation of a success and fun podcasts.

Podcast production, distribution and “searchability” on any device made up the core of the morning sessions with speakers sharing their production experience and ideas for the future stages.

The podcast market features a positive trend quite everywhere, and broadcasters consider podcast as a way to engage youth audience. In Norway, about 50% of the population aged 20 to 29 years listens to podcast.

“About 18 months ago we asked podcast users who their favorite podcast profiles were,” said Cathinka Rondan, head of radio at the Norwegian public service broadcaster NRK “and it ended up they were not from NRK. So we launched a strategic project, moving resources from linear radio to original podcast creation.”

Ruth Degraeve, head of distribution and product management for the VRT newsroom, explained why today metadata is more vital important than the content itself.

The “Top 10” podcast list in Norway is presently headed by the NRK profile Friminutt, with twice as many listeners as the second in the row.

NRK distributes on Spotify and Apple, but is reconsidering how it distributes on third-party platforms, having noticed that those distribution platforms edit artwork, sometimes even removing the NRK logo.

Cheyenne Mackay, podcaster for the Swiss public broadcaster SRF, said a podcast is not just an audio content available online for non-linear listening. “An effective podcast has to bring some genuine passion with it,” she emphasized.

Her podcast Pipifax did not develop from a project or a production meeting, but she explains that it’s the result of a timely “eureka moment,” when she and her husband were taking care of their newborn child.

ATOMIZATION

Ruth Degraeve, head of distribution and product management for the newsroom of Flemish public service broadcaster VRT, and Ben Rosenberg, senior distribution manager at the BBC, dug into the topic of the growing need for implementing effective models of content atomization, meaning the ability to render a given content into a multitude of homogeneous fragments, able to be properly indexed and searched.

Lawrence Harrison, automotive partnerships director at Radioplayer, stressed the need to preserve radio’s identity in vehicles.

This, they pointed out, is the starting point to ensure radio’s presence on channels where audience looks for specific content bursts on themes of their interest and from multiple sources.

“The internet was first built around text, and only thereafter did images, sound and video come onboard,” Degraeve said.

Text is still the best way for search engines to find any object or media excerpt on the internet. That’s why today metadata is more important than the content itself. Without appropriate indexing and keywords, that content may not be found. In the internet era, if something can’t be found it basically doesn’t exist.

RADIO’S IDENTITY

Radio’s presence in connected cars was also a hot topic at DRS 2020. Audio consumption in cars has dramatically evolved from radio to media and — thanks to large, touch-screen high-resolution displays — eventually to on-board multimedia.

Lawrence Harrison, automotive partnerships director at Radioplayer, spoke about the increasingly larger touch-screen displays with the multitude of dedicated apps available in modern cars. He questioned whether modern cars will ultimately “become an app-store or if the car companies retain control.”

The EBU headquarters in Geneva.

Dashboard screens are getting bigger and entertainment more visual. Harrison pointed to the recent Consumer Electronics show that took place in Las Vegas in January. He said there were a lot of electric car brands offering visual entertainment at the heart of their experience.

Some worry that with these new dashboard designs radio may lose its identity, being placed behind navigation pages and with no apparent radio button to entice the driver.

“We have to preserve radio’s identity in cars, where, depending on the country, 25% to more than 50% of the listening takes place. To do this, it’s paramount that radio can ensure a great user experience and a great user interface design,” Harrison concluded.

The post DRS 2020: Radio Is More Than Linear appeared first on Radio World.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collections associated with the carriage election procedures adopted in the Commission's 2019 CEN Order, FCC 19-69, and that compliance with the modified rules is now required. This document is consistent with the 2019 CEN Order, FCC 19-69, which states that the Commission will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing a compliance date for the modified rule sections and revise the rule accordingly.

The FCC initiates the survey soliciting industry input necessary for the statutorily required report on cable industry prices. Responses due May 15, 2020

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In these days of USB mics and microphones phantom powered by broadcast mixers, needing a separate phantom power supply may seem like a trip in the Wayback Machine.

But should an engineer find themselves in in need, Countryman’s Phantom Power Supply module provides low- noise, balanced phantom power.

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

Powered by 9 V batteries or wall wart, it offers 12 V, 24 V and 48 V power. anytime. The Phantom Power Supply comes in a rugged diecast aluminum box, ideal for rattling around in a kit for when needed.

Countryman Associates President Chris Countryman said, “Condenser microphones need rock solid power for maximum performance, particularly for low noise and high overload. Many mixers and audio inputs provide no phantom power, questionable power, or only provide it in switchable banks. We developed our Phantom Power Supply to deliver the cleanest power and the most options in the smallest possible size.”

Info: https://countryman.com

The post Countryman Provides Phantom Power appeared first on Radio World.

Telsat says its new Broadcast Smart Platform (BSP) offers all the hardware of a complete broadcasting site in a single portable or in-fill unit.

Invented and manufactured by Telsat and its partners TRX Innovate and Plisch, the compact unit provides DTV and FM transmitters with an onboard satellite receiver to provide program material. Housed in a weatherproof shell, BSP is suitable for use outdoors and can be easily mast-mounted thanks to its small size.

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

According to the company, BSP features include low-power consumption and low electromagnetic field emissions, as well as quick and easy installation by just one technician. The technology is designed to allow operators to set up a self-sufficient transmission site by using mono-directional satellite distribution. It’s also possible to power the system by means of alternative energy-sources, such as solar panels and/or batteries.

In addition, adds Telsat, the cell-based network-model uses of “smart” topology approach for the efficient coverage of critical territories. The solution transmits the signal over the critical area using low-power transmitters, and thus is able to avoid coverage of unwanted areas. This, the firm says, results in power savings and cost reduction.

Info: www.telsat.it

The post Telsat BSP Efficiently Covers Critical Areas appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission has stepped in and stripped away operation authority from the owner of four AM radio stations in St. Louis, thereby deleting the stations from existence after a years-long series of enquiries into alleged violations of commission rules.

In a ruling reported by the FCC on March 20, the commission said Administrative Law Judge Jane Hinckley Halprin permanently dismissed the applications to renew and the consent to assign licenses of four AM radio stations in the St. Louis area — KFTK(AM), WQQW(AM), KZQZ(AM) and KQQZ(AM). The application to renew and assign had been requested by Entertainment Media Trust (EMT).

But according to the commission, EMT was allegedly actually controlled by Robert S. “Bob” Romanik, a shock jock convicted of obstruction of justice and bank fraud. According to FCC rules, persons convicted of felonies involving dishonesty are generally disqualified from holding attributable interests in broadcast licenses.

[Read: St. Louis Broadcaster Allegedly Controlled by a Felon]

According to the Media Bureau, Romanik was not actually listed as a party in any of EMT’s applications, although he was said to have established EMT and provided the funds to buy the stations.

Now, according to the FCC, all authority to operate the four stations has been stripped and the call signs will be deleted. But the commission is also looking ahead and said it will take steps to protect the four stations.

In anticipation of a future decision potentially allowing for the acceptance of mutually exclusive applications for those four frequencies, the Media Bureau said it will require “continued protection of the four formerly-licensed facilities” and announced a related filing freeze on accepting any AM minor change applications that would conflict with any of the four stations’ expired licenses.

That freeze will remain in effect until the close of the window or an announcement otherwise modifying or lifting the freeze. “The bureau will dismiss any AM minor change application filed during this freeze that does not protect the most recently licensed facilities of the four stations,” the Media Bureau said in a statement.

One industry group calling on the FCC to take action was the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC), which asked the commission to preserve those four radio stations outright by giving MMTC’s broadcast subsidiary operating responsibility for the stations. The MMTC, however, pulled back that offer a week after learning the FCC Enforcement Bureau had some legal and policy concerns surrounding the proposal.

Instead, MMTC proposed that the commission invite other qualified entities to apply for interim licensure and that a permanent licensee should be selected by public auction.

MMTC also proposed that the commission contemplate creation of a policy on interim operations like this one that could apply not just to revoked licenses, but also to the number of stations whose owners voluntarily turn in their stations’ licenses.

 

The post FCC Hands Down Decision on Four St. Louis AM Stations appeared first on Radio World.

Getty/BrAt_PiKaChU

iHeartMedia says all of its more than 850 radio stations, regardless of format, will broadcast “The Star Spangled Banner” at noon Eastern Time today to promote solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Italian broadcasters came together for their own musical solidarity event Friday. Other nations across the European Union informally opted for a pop culture touchstone — “You’ll Never Walk Alone” — for their own COVID-19 unity broadcasts, rather than the European anthem.

According to an email from iHeartMedia Communications Director Danielle Vitucci, the musical gesture is intended to express solidarity and “to celebrate our collective strength as a nation and recognize the heroic efforts of so many workers on the frontline – including our doctors, nurses, health care professionals, caregivers and other critical responders who are working night and day to get us through this. ”

If you’d like to learn more about the historical relationship between the USA’s national anthem and radio, check out this article we published around the 200th anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

As RW reported last week, many U.S. stations have also donated airtime for PSAs to educate the public about COVID-19.

The post iHeart Announces Star-Spangled Solidarity Broadcast appeared first on Radio World.