Industry News

GatesAir has added native Livewire+ IP audio networking to its Intraplex Ascent cloud transport platform.

As such, Intraplex Ascent can now ingest and output multiple audio channels directly via IP without the need for conversion equipment, which adds a new layer of scale and efficiency for radio broadcasters managing many digital audio channels between studios.

Future support is planned for WheatNet-IP, further expanding Ascent adoption within professional broadcast studios.

GatesAir introduced Intraplex Ascent as a next-generation Audio over IP platform built to transport broadcast and media content at scale. The industry-first cloud transport platform was built with broadcast and IT convergence in mind, leveraging common off-the-shelf hardware to reduce the costs of multichannel contribution and distribution between many locations. GatesAir started shipping Intraplex Ascent in 2020 and has a number of systems in operation with broadcasters today, including one recent deployment with Livewire+ capability.

“GatesAir has successfully deployed Ascent with a national radio broadcaster that is sending 32 audio channels between two major studio locations,” said Keyur Parikh, Vice President of Engineering at GatesAir. “They are directly connecting to the Livewire studios, providing encoding and reliable transport across public IP networks. Our high-density platform ensures seamless integration into Livewire networks without the need for audio converters. Our customers benefit from simplified integration and capital cost reduction.”

As with all Intraplex transport applications, GatesAir’s Dynamic Stream Splicing (DSS) software supports reliable transport across redundant networks, and optimizes stream integrity through protection against jitter, packet losses and network failures. Within Ascent, DSS software also supports duplication of SRT streams with video and audio over separate network paths, leveraging a single stream-splicing buffer for hitless protection against errors and failures.

Parikh says that no matter how Ascent is used, broadcasters can trust its reliable cloud platform to manage high-bandwidth, high-volume and high-value media content for any transport application and over any system architecture. This showcases Ascent’s strengths as a software-defined system that drives the hardware scalability curve.

“Intraplex Ascent is built to work natively with IP protocol, and IP-based transport is becoming ubiquitous within studio and STL connections,” Parikh said. “Whether sending content over cable, DSL, fiber or microwave, everything converges to IP, and Ascent’s software-based solution then provides the engine for moving large volumes of media content for ATSC 1.0/3.0 television and FM radio networks. We are bringing the scalability of the cloud to move content between multiple sites at the same time.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Presentations originally planned for the 75th annual Broadcast Engineering & Information Technology (BEIT) Conference will premiere as video-on-demand (VOD) content in early November 2021.

And, they’ll be available for purchase at NABAmplify.com.

Along with access to the majority of presentations originally planned for the 2021 NAB Show via VOD, viewers will receive access to the full set of papers compiled in the Proceedings of the 75th BEIT Conference.

The program, designed for broadcast engineers and technicians and media technology managers, offers technical presentations on the most relevant issues facing the media industry.

The BEIT conference program is established by the NAB Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology Conference Program Committee, a rotating group of senior technologists from NAB member organizations and other technical experts, along with representatives from the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), the Broadcast Technology Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-BTS), the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA), and the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE).

The 2021 conference’s forward-looking focus emphasizes the use of next-generation systems throughout the media-delivery ecosystem, with technical presentations covering topics such as the ongoing transition to IT- and IP-based systems and incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning in broadcast technology.

Other topics include the following:

• All-Digital Radio
• Cloud Technologies for Broadcast
• Hybrid Radio
• Mitigating Facility Risks (Physical and Cyber)
• Next Gen TV Technologies
• OTT TV Technologies
• Radio Broadcasting Technologies
• SMPTE ST 2110 / IP-based Facilities
• TV Enhancements
• Using Drones for Broadcast Engineering

When P&O Cruises’ new vessel Iona set sail from Southampton, England on its maiden voyage in August 2021, it became the latest ship to feature the bespoke “Cruise Radio” service powered by the DAD radio automation platform from ENCO.

Operated and managed by specialist audio and technology service provider The Useful Media Company, Cruise Radio offers vacationers an entertaining and informative mix of music and essential ship information.

The largest cruise ship ever built for the UK market, Iona is also the most environmentally friendly and innovative ship to date for P&O Cruises, a brand of Carnival Corporation plc.

Cruise Radio is the only “as-live” radio service at sea, and is unique to each of the P&O Cruises ships. Played over video from the bow camera and streamed to every cabin on each ship, Cruise Radio combines music with radio elements including imaging, jingles, and bespoke commercial packages advertising on-board services, shows, and activities. The fully-featured radio service also provides interesting content including documentary music programming, historical retrospectives, and essential information about what is happening on and off the ship.

The Useful Media Company provided the on-ship equipment for the Cruise Radio service and is responsible for programming the service’s content and supporting its operation.

”We’re very proud to be part of Iona’s adventure as the latest ship to host the Cruise Radio service,” said Grant Francis, Managing Director of The Useful Media Company. “The service is enjoyed by thousands of passengers and crew every week. In the challenging environment of a cruise ship, we needed to ensure rock-solid, uninterrupted, reliable delivery when the ships are at sea or away from their home port in Southampton. This made ENCO DAD the ideal and only viable technology platform for Cruise Radio. It provides all of the tools we need to carry out the project, from supporting multiple libraries of music and clips to built-in audio file conversion.”

Music scheduling for Cruise Radio is handled through ENCO DAD’s integrated Ensemble music scheduling system, while other elements such as on-ship promotions use rotating cuts to ensure that relevant content is delivered while continually sounding fresh. “ENCO DAD enables Cruise Radio to be much more engaging and informative than the traditional approach of simply playing songs from a CD or MP3 player in randomized order,” Grant said. “The output sounds smoother too, as it would on a land-based radio station.”

The ENCO DAD system provides full automation of Cruise Radio, minimizing the effort required by onboard staff. Even updates to the music library, advertisements, and software configuration can be performed with the press of a single button, with ENCO’s DCL (DAD Command Language) executing all required steps.

“DCL is invaluable in enabling us to control the system from many thousands of miles away,” explained Grant. “We don’t have ongoing remote connectivity to the system, so instead we send onboard operators a disc once a month that they put into the system. They simply run one file, and the DCL commands initiate all of the updates from the DVD. After the update, the system gets on with things on its own.”

Most importantly, the ENCO DAD system has delivered the flawless reliability that Cruise Radio demands. “It continually performs, and it works perfectly every time,” said Grant. “Cruise Radio simply would not work without the ENCO DAD platform.”

In addition to the entire P&O Cruises fleet of ships, Cunard Radio – also operated by The Useful Media Company – can be found on Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, all part of the iconic Cunard Line, famous for their black hulls, striking red funnels, and opulent luxury.

— Brian Galante

Who were the top healthcare and pharmacy retailer advertisers in September?

A new analysis by Media Monitors provides a clear answer.

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He’s served as the President/GM of the Hearst Television-owned ABC affiliate in Jackson, Miss., and took that role five years ago. Now, he has been chosen to succeed Joel Vilmenay at its NBC affiliate serving New Orleans.

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There’s a change in leadership for the NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group in Terre Haute, Indiana.

And, this individual will also oversee the company’s operational agreements with close partner Mission Broadcasting tied to the market’s ABC affiliate.

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Gray Television has promoted an individual who first joined its NBC affiliate serving Alexandria, Va., to the top leadership role at the station.

At the same time, it has selected a station veteran to replace the retiring Matt Eldridge as the head of ABC affiliate in Reno, Nev.

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One of the two leading Democratic voices on the influential House Energy & Commerce Committee — the individual who oversees the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology — has announced he will not seek re-election.

As such, he will be saying goodbye to Capitol Hill in January 2023.

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Nominations are open ahead of the IBC event in December for suppliers to enter the Best of Show Awards 2021 or, for those not exhibiting at the convention, a new Best of 2021 Awards.

The awards are supported by Future’s media and entertainment technology brands TVBEurope, Radio World and TV Tech. Nominations are due Nov. 23.

Nominations will be reviewed by a panel of independent industry experts.

Information and the registration information can be found on the award program page.

The post Nominations Are Open for Best of Show at IBC appeared first on Radio World.

A session of the AES Fall Online Convention this week will explain new recommendations about streaming loudness.

“Internet audio streaming and on-demand file playback have become major sources of media delivery, affecting the ways that audio is recorded, mixed, post-produced and delivered,” the organization noted in a session summary.

“Excessive loudness compromises quality, inconsistent loudness annoys listeners. To resolve these issues, the AES Technical Committee for Broadcast and Online Delivery has created recommended guidelines for establishing and implementing an effective Distribution Loudness for streaming and on-demand audio file playback. This session will have members of the committee discussing the recently released TD1008 Recommendations for Loudness of Internet Audio Streaming and On-Demand Distribution.”

The session will take place Thursday Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. It is part of a series of sessions online this month in lieu of an in-person AES show.

Leading the session will be consultant David Bialik and John Kean, senior engineer with Cavell & Mertz.

Others contributing to the recommendations document are Rob Byers, Jim Coursey, Eelco Grimm, Bob Katz, Scott Norcross, Robert Orban, Shawn Singh, Jim Starzynski, Alessandro Travaglini, Ian Shepherd and Greg Ogonowski.

Other sessions of the Broadcast and Online Delivery track are already available on demand including discussions of using SNMP, advantages of using metadata, stream monitoring, spatial audio in podcasting and other topics.

The post AES Session Explains Loudness Recommendations appeared first on Radio World.