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Whatever happened to Blackloud and its earphones that were meant to add FM reception to smartphones?

Radio World readers will recall that the company introduced its earphones to some fanfare in 2018; the earphones were intended to provide listeners access to FM radio using existing smartphones even if the phone’s FM chip remained locked.

[Read: Blackloud Releases Soundot FM Radio for Apple]

Turns out the company discontinued operations in September 2019. Prompted by a reader query this month, we reached out to Ivan Ma, who had handled marketing and sales in the U.S.

“Blackloud belong to an ODM/OEM-based group, a factory production-based business,” he replied.  “We did a lot in 2018 to let people know about this headset, but unfortunately the sales number was not good, so the board decided to cease Blackloud operation, and focus on its ODM/OEM business.” Production of the earphones was discontinued.

The earphones came with their own RF reception chip, an FSi4705 FM/RDS receiver digital tuner IC from Silicon located in a “control box” or case enclosure on the wire/lanyard portion of the headset.

If someone has a set and wants service support, he said, they should email service@blackloud.com, lucas.fang@blackloud.com or may.tang@blackloud.com.

 

The post Remember the Blackloud Soundot? appeared first on Radio World.

What does it mean for both the radio industry and the American listener when a DJ is replaced with a nameless, faceless digital host known as artificial intelligence?

That’s an issue facing radio stations across the country as portions of the radio industry see traditional DJs dismantled in favor of a new emphasis on A.I. In January the nation’s largest radio station owner, iHeartMedia, announced it would reshuffle its organization and technology infrastructure to achieve just that. The company laid off several hundred staffers — some estimates say it was more than 1,000 jobs — including engineers, news staff and much loved DJs.

So what exactly is American radio losing if it loses its independent DJs?

That was addressed in a segment hosted March 16 by public radio journalist Todd Zwillich on the program “1A” (which airs on NPR station WAMU). After all, do we really need to know time and traffic from a real, live individual? Or does it make smart business for radio to turn more fully to automation in place of DJs?

[Read: iHeart Defends Painful Change]

And if so, what are we losing along the way?

After all, the goal of A.I. is to do nationally what radio always did locally: connect listeners with music. A.I. can choose to play the same song on similar stations to listeners in Spokane, Wash., and in Bangor, Maine. Is it totally off-base if a company like iHeartMedia is putting on the same carefully tested music on both of those stations?

Maybe not, according to Scott Fybush, editor of NorthWest Radio Watch, who was a guest on “1A,” “ but you lose a lot of local flavor,” he said.

Radio DJs are particularly necessary in the confounding time we finds ourselves in. “In confusing times like this, who do you turn to? Friends and family of course,” Zwillich said. “But social distancing can make that really tough. A higher power? That’s not for everyone.

“But there’s one place that’s kind of built for this moment. It’s always there, it’s free and it does a great job of keeping you company. It’s the radio. More than that, it’s the person on the radio. And for generations the people who really made a mark were the DJs.”

Many listeners certainly seem to think so. “With the way commercial radio has gone … I no longer listen to commercial radio for music,” one listener told Zwillich. “There is no personality anymore.”

Personality was in full display when Zwillich then introduced his (and others) childhood radio hero to the show.

American radio broadcaster and entertainer Dr. Demento has no shortage of personality — nor any shortage of mad music and crazy comedy — when he began broadcasting his show in 1970 at Los Angeles station KPPC(FM).

“Rock music had turned very serious — wonderful but very serious — so that radio stations at that time were no longer playing ‘Monster Mash’ or ‘Purple People Eater,’” he told Zwillich. “I realized that people wanted to hear funny stuff; the novelty songs. I brought those back and people loved hearing them.”

He also launched well-known stars into the radio universe. He played early tapes that Weird Al Yankovic had made at home in his basement.

So what do we lose if radio DJs give way to A.I.? “We lose a friend that would entertain you person to person,” Dr. Demento said (who now airs his radio program online and sometimes goes by his given name of Barret Eugene Hansen). “I was always told that you were to pretend that you wanted to talk to one person. One person you know. I always did that. That’s what a lot of disc jockeys did.”

Radio DJs are significant because they keep you entertained, they keep you going, they fill your day with music, he said.

“A.I. will have the same trouble doing that with the same warmth,” he said.

Powerful DJ voices can still be found, of course. Fybush estimates that although there are probably fewer DJs across the U.S. now than there were 20 years ago, their voices can be found in many places such as college radio stations and on public radio. There are also smaller locally owned stations and a number of music discovery stations out there that are churning out creative, original work, he said. In addition, a growing number of DJs are delving into podcasting as a means of producing creative programming.

“[They are] far from dead,” Fybush said. “I don’t want to talk about the death of the American DJ yet.”

Radio also remains a place where people discover their favorite songs, said Tuma Basa, director of urban music at YouTube. “I believe that radio still has that role,” he said. “People have more choices but it’s not anywhere close to the obsolescence that some operations in the digital world try to present.”

Another key role for the DJ is tastemaker. In many markets, DJs had an enormous amount of sway as to what is on the air. Today in the urban radio market, a DJ still retains a lot of autonomy in terms of playing records in their mix shows and introducing new artists.

“You can’t replace the human,” Basa said. “It’s the difference between a home-cooked meal and McDonalds.”

And as Zwillich said, wherever you go across the country you’ll find that a Big Mac is a Big Mac. That has some value certainly, especially as the radio industry continues to evolve.

“But you lose something if you’re a connoisseur of hamburgers,” he said.

 

The post The Promise of Personality — And What We Lose Without the DJ appeared first on Radio World.

Credit: Hannah A Bullock; Azaibi Tamin

Here’s a sampling of developments in the U.S. radio industry concerning the novel coronavirus situation, as of Tuesday morning, March 17.

The Vermont Association of Broadcasters has partnered with Vermont’s Department of Emergency Management to take precautionary measures. “In the very unlikely event that an EAS message is issued for quarantine or curfew in Vermont, the system code most likely to activate that event is SPW (shelter in place). Please make sure your engineers have your EAS boxes set up to recognize this code and potentially auto-forward messages,” VAB told members.

The association also encouraged stations to develop a physical contingency plan in case of having to close down facilities, and to stay in touch with third-party contacts at tower sites to make sure of access if public land closures come.

Comrex Technical Director Tom Hartnett said, “The move to virtualize live radio had already started and a lot of that gear is already in place, or can be repurposed.” He said many radio professionals clearly were thinking ahead. “The demand for our remote broadcast codecs has certainly ramped in recent weeks, and my sense is stations have created reasoned policies about cleaning gear, using disposable products like microphone shields, and allowing staff to work from home.”

How has Comrex responded in its own operations? “There have already been manufacturing challenges this year due to Chinese tariffs and other factors. And we got some long-awaited sizable orders through just before the virus hit. But so far, our team has managed to keep production rolling. This is due to some really good forecasting combined with some luck. We’ve prioritized manufacturing and testing of codec products that will be in highest demand through the crisis.” If there is any silver lining, Hartnett added, “I think we’ll find the need to centralize operations is much less than we thought, and we’ll continue creating more live content from home after the virus wanes.”

Equipment manufacturer Progressive Concepts reports a “huge increase” in sales of its Part 15 Stereo FM transmitters and the RODECaster Pro mixer for broadcasting in parking lots used for coronavirus testing. President Eric Hoppe noted that this is a license-free solution to get information to occupants of vehicles as they enter the parking lots where coronavirus testing sites are located.

Consultant and radio app developer Fred Jacobs wrote on his blog that consumers who don’t drive to work will spend less time in their cars. “Radio’s #1 listening environment — driving in the car with the radio on — is going to take a hit.” Jacobs recommends that stations that haven’t opened up their apps lately give them a test drive. “Whatever developer you bought it from ought to be able to make the necessary modifications to get it running smoothly again. If you’ve hesitated to promote your app because ‘you can’t make any money from streaming,’ you might want to rethink that strategy right about now.  For a growing number of listeners, your stream — and specifically, your app — may be the only way they can hear you. … If you want your content to be heard in 2020, you’d better have the best mobile interface you can afford.

Wayne Pecena, president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, says broadcasters are aggressively seeking to minimize or eliminate human presence in studios in terms of staff and individuals from the community. “In my case as a university licensee, it has meant cancellation of local studio production activities and as many staff members as possible working from home. Whereas the university is ‘open,’ classes have been suspended and turning to online resources to finish the semester.”

Pecena expects stations will ramp up remote “home” studios for local programming or even re-purposing “sports remote gear” as athletic events are being cancelled. “Stations that have adopted automation are likely better prepared for remote operation.” He cautioned that stations keep cybersecurity in mind. “For some who are quickly ramping up ‘work at home’ or remote access capability, do not overlook cybersecurity precautions. Unfortunately, cyber criminals likely see ‘opportunity’ as the rush to turn-up remote access capabilities might leave cybersecurity precautions minimize or forgo entirely for later.

The Radio TV Digital News Association published guidelines on keeping newsrooms clean. Among them: Don’t require field crews to report to the newsroom. Don’t use mics that touch interviewees. Use online interview tools as much as possible. Skip the handshakes.

The Sun Broadcast Group broadcast network said it is offering free programming to any radio stations that need to fill airtime due to the recent pandemic. “If stations are in need, they can reach out to SBG and receive any programming in their lineup that is available in their market for as long as needed, free of charge. There are no strings attached and no contracts needed.”

Beasley Media Group moved fast to deal with business closures with a campaign called “Operation Gift Card: New England  in the Greater Boston area. Its stations are inviting area restaurants, free of charge, to submit links to feature their gift card pages on Beasley Media Group Boston websites. 

Westwood One published answers to common questions it says are being asked by ad agencies and advertisers about the habits of people who are working from home. Read it here.

The Telos Alliance published cleaning and disinfecting instructions for working with consoles, microphones and other common surfaces. Among them: “Avoid equipment-spraying disasters by training people in-person about the proper use of cleaners and disinfectants around broadcast gear.”

When getting set up to work at home, Telos Senior Solutions Consultant Kirk Harnack said that in the rush to get remote talent on-air, stations may be tempted to bypass best-practice IT security measures. “This can open the door to hackers seeking specifically to leverage this opportunity. One rule of thumb for broadcast and IT engineers is this: If you have to forward a router port to a general purpose PC, you’s best re-think your approach to remote access. Perhaps the only router ports that should be open to the internet are those related to establishing client VPN connections. Require remote users to instantiate a VPN connection in order to access the fire-walled network. And the network to which they have access should be restricted to only those devices they’ll need to control,” Harnack said.

As far as best practices, Harnack said, clean your equipment, especially high-touch areas like fader knobs, speaker and headphone controls, mics, touchscreens and personal phones. Have employees bring and use their own headphones and mic muffs; get blue nitrile gloves for on-air staff.  “We’ll get through this,” he said. “Indeed, now is a great time for radio stations to reconnect with their audiences. Many people are at home —on social media.  This could be an ideal time for broadcasters to promote their shows, to re-stablish the companionship that comes through the human voice.  This is a great time to demonstrate what radio can be to our listeners.”

The post COVID-19 Operational Concerns for Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Claiming it to be the “first totally liquid-cooled transmitter for FM and HD Radio applications,” the Rohde & Schwarz says that the latest version of its THR9 transmitter features liquid cooling for the unit’s transistors as well as for its entire power amplifier stage, including power supplies, coupling units and absorbers.

According to the company, THR9 is designed for permanent operation at 45° C/113° F at full output power. At 40 kW output power only 1 kW of heat is dissipated into the environment, so air conditioning requirements are minimal.

The system runs on architecture that is independent of Microsoft Windows for all HD Radio entities including its Importer, Exporter and Exgine. Thus, adds Rohde & Schwarz, users are not dependent on the availability of security patches for MS Windows for reliable efficient operation.

For HD Radio applications, the R&S THR9 features a new HD Sync functionality, which provides automatic alignment of the HD Radio Diversity Delay between the analog and digital signals of a radio station.

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

Developed by Rohde & Schwarz, HD Sync eliminates unwanted blending artifacts that can degrade the listening experience and prevent recurring and extensive time alignment procedures for station engineers.

HD Sync for Exporter ensures full compliance to the HD Radio time alignment specifications.

The R&S THR9 also works in unison with the R&S RelayCaster solution, which enables the use of public internet connections for the STL of HD Radio transmitters thus eliminating the need for dedicated IP links to feed I2E or E2X streams.

Info: www.rohde-schwarz.com

The post Rohde & Schwarz Enhances THR9 appeared first on Radio World.

GeoBroadcast Solutions, a Chicago-based technology company, formally has asked the FCC to allow U.S. radio broadcasters to air geo-targeted programming on a voluntary basis.

“Radio is currently the only mass medium that cannot geo-target its content,” the company stated in an announcement. “The ability to add localized weather and traffic, news, emergency alerts, and advertising is beneficial to listeners, small businesses, and advertisers and would allow the industry to progress and remain competitive in the market.”

The firm makes a technology called ZoneCasting that uses FM boosters to distribute distinct content. It cited data from BIA Advisory Services and Advertiser Perceptions suggesting that advertisers would spend more money in FM radio if geo-targeting is available.

[Read RW’s 2013 story “ZoneCasting Offers New Techniques in Localized Broadcasting”]

“The rule GeoBroadcast seeks to change relates to FM boosters, and no changes to the FCC’s rules regarding translators or interference are necessary,” it stated. “The new rule would be similar to the 2017 FCC decision that allowed television broadcasters to use the Next Generation TV standard — also known as ATSC 3.0 − and distribute geo-targeted programming.”

It said its geo-targeting technology relies on existing receivers that are synchronized with FM booster stations and originate localized content and insert it at specific and limited times, while otherwise retransmitting a primary station’s signal. “This technology, which would be optional for broadcasters, does not impact interference between neighboring stations and does not cause harmful self-interference.”

GBS said it proposes to revise 47 Code of Federal Regulation §74.1231 by adding the following: “The programming aired on the FM broadcast booster station must be ‘substantially similar’ to that aired by its primary station. For purposes of this section, ‘substantially similar’ means that the programming must be the same except for advertisements, promotions for upcoming programs, and enhanced capabilities including hyper-localized content (e.g., geo-targeted weather, targeted emergency alerts, and hyper-local news).”

The post Tech Company Asks FCC to Allow Geo-Targeted Radio Programming appeared first on Radio World.

Disaster preparedness normally revolves around mitigating issues and maintaining broadcasts when extreme weather events like hurricanes and storms strike. There are not many disaster plans that mention virus outbreaks, such as the coronavirus emergency being experienced globally.

It appears as if the COVID-19 health emergency may persist for several weeks and potentially several months. Is your network prepared for the possible impacts of COVID-19 on broadcasts when staff either fall ill, or are asked to self-isolate when they have been in the vicinity of infected individuals?

In the following Q&A, Henrik Poulsen, technical manager for Nordjyske Media in Denmark, relates his preparations in case the COVID-19 outbreak requires on-air broadcast staff to be isolated and work from home.

Henrik Poulsen is pictured top left.

Radio World: Why did you decide to create six portable home studio kits for Nordjyske Media?

Henrik Poulsen: Currently, the strategy in Denmark is to put people who have COVID-19, and any people they have been close to, in home quarantine for 14 days. Our plan is a “worst-case scenario,” where nobody can come to the studios for 14 days. We have two radio stations (ANR and Radio Nordjyske) and normally more than three shows per day, but in case of COVID-19 the plan is to cut down to three shows of four hours on each station.

RW: What equipment did you include in the kits?

Poulsen: Our setup is only possible because of Tieline, Wheatstone, RCS and Røde. We have two setups, one for live and one for track (a song or two ahead):

• Tieline ViA is our go to solution for any remote broadcast, and we have two sets of the ViA codec. The challenge is our multi-host shows, where you are in the same room. Our take on this is to have the ViA at the “main host” house, and then have the sidekick on the Tieline Bridge-IT or Report-IT app connected to and mixing it internally on the ViA. Music, jingles and news are still being played out from the station, and we control it by RCS Zetta2Go and Wheatstone Glass-E.
• This is for track and can be done with one USB mic (Røde USB-NT mini). This is planned for midday shows and weekend tracks. Drive is one step up, and here we use “a Podcast studio setup”, with Røde all over. Rødecaster Pro (USB to the computer making it a soundcard) and one PodMic. This gives us an easy way to have phone calls in the shows as the Rødecaster supports Bluetooth connections from a mobile phone. They can be combined with a Tieline Bridge-IT making it a live setup.

One of the kits set up by Henrik Poulsen, Technical Manager for Nordjyske Media in Denmark.

RW: How about turning the fader up in the studio, when there is nobody at the station?

Poulsen: This is done by LIO (GPIO) in the Wheatstone and can be triggered by a button press on the Tieline ViA or a macro in the RCS Zetta playout system.

RW: Have you put together instructions for announcers about using the equipment if required, or how do you plan to support them with technical information?

Poulsen: Everybody has already taken their setup home and also tested it. It’s plug’n’play and won’t take any longer than five minutes to get up and running. As CTO, I have to be able to support and monitor all shows at any given time.

This is done by Wheatstone Glass-E and a Tieline Cloud Codec Controller, from where I can control any Tieline codec from setting the input levels if needed to set up connections, monitoring the quality of the stream coming in and out of our station. (public internet).

RW: How will you supply kits to people if they are required a long way from where you are located?

Poulsen: Everything is already in the homes of our hosts (me being one of them), and all the Røde is off the shelf and can be delivered from day-to-day, right to the doorstep.

RW: What do you foresee is the worst-case scenario for Nordjyske Media and other radio broadcasters?

Poulsen: Worst-case scenario is a total lockdown, but that is exactly what this plan is made to accommodate.

RW: Are you aware of other European broadcasters looking at similar work-from-home strategies, or is there anything else that you think would be useful to consider when preparing for the health emergency as it evolves over coming months?

Poulsen: Most of my CTO colleagues in Denmark are working on a plan where one or more staff members have to be away from the radio station. We have chosen to plan for the worst-case scenario and all workflows can now be done from home. This goes from music scheduling, traffic reports, news and hosting. Have a plan is my motto, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

The post Is Your Network Prepared to Work from Home? appeared first on Radio World.

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Sam Matheny

Sam Matheny is chief technology officer and executive vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters.

Radio World: What impact is the coronavirus national emergency having on station operations?

Sam Matheny: Radio and TV stations are implementing special policies to address coronavirus. These vary per station or group, but include remote work orders and extra cleaning.

We understand a small number of stations are having issues accessing their main studio due to the virus and quarantine areas. In these cases, we are working with FEMA and state or local emergency management authorities to aid them in getting the access they need. In some instances secondary studios are being considered or have been activated.

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

Matheny: Given broadcasters’ critical role in keeping the public informed, staying on the air is their top priority.

Some broadcasters have been forced to move to alternate studio sites as employees in main studio locations have tested positive for COVID-19. They are able to make use of broadcast auxiliary spectrum for a limited time, and many stations have equipment available to ensure continuity of operations from alternate studio sites, as well as to report accurate and timely information from state and local officials. Many radio stations have existing disaster plans that they routinely review and drill. Such plans are important resources and can help inform broadcasters’ response to the operational challenges posed by COVID-19.

Additionally, DHS just today [Monday] issued NCC Watch Access and Fuel letters to support any recovery/restoration activity that may be impacted due to COVID-19 nationwide.

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

Matheny: Clearly everyone is impacted by the novel coronavirus and radio engineers are not exempt. There is a heightened sense of preparedness and a great deal of planning taking place.

This morning, we received the following information from an NAB Radio Technology Committee member: “All air travel cancelled. Work from home infrastructure being implemented. Work spaces being separated. Building outside air being maximized which will elevate energy consumption. Remote audio and video recording/reporting apps being added to increased number of smart phones. Stocking food, water and sterilization wipes at station. Contacting local hazmat mitigation companies for 24/7 numbers. Holding market-wide conference calls to determine back-up studio links.”

PILOT, an NAB innovation initiative, has been impacted too. We had to cancel an FM-band HD Radio field test that was scheduled to start today, March 16. This field test, months in the making, involves Xperi and radio engineers from a number of NAB-member groups.

[Gary Kline shares what he’s hearing about COVID-19’s impact on the broadcast community.]

RW: Engineers are often asked to be the ones who step in when other staffers have to step out. Are there any best practices that NAB hopes that engineers and their employers will adopt?

Matheny: Radio and television engineers are often the unsung heroes during more traditional emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes or wildfires. They play a vital role in keeping stations on the air and operational and we expect they will play that role with the current situation.

RW: What else should we know?

Matheny: We at NAB have created Coronavirus Response Toolkit for all stations to use. It includes operational resources that stations can download and integrate into their planning. It also includes PSA’s that can be used to educate audiences about the virus and response.

Also, as Brock Long, former FEMA administrator, says in this recent Op-ed, radio has a special place in emergency communications and keeping people informed. This is a job that stations — and station engineers — take very seriously.  The spread of this virus presents unique challenges, but we are confident radio stations will continue to play a vital role in informing and educating the public, while also keeping them entertained and connected in a time of social distancing. And all of this is made possible by the hard-working engineers that will keep the stations operational.

The post Coronavirus: We Talk With NAB’s Sam Matheny appeared first on Radio World.

Worried about a future without radio in the car dash? Former FEMA administrator Brock Long feels the same way.

He wrote a commentary for the Detroit News imploring the car manufacturing community to understand “the importance of radio” in the context of disaster readiness and response. 

In the article, Long, who is now executive chairman for Hagerty Consulting, compares car radios to life jackets and writes that “[t]aking them out puts consumers at risk, plain and simple.” Additionally, Long points out that “these broadcasts are the only method the government has to reach every point in the country.”

Why? First, Long says that in-car listening adds a level of redundancy to our alerting system because cars are not connected to the electric grid, and more than 95% of U.S. households own a car, which means the vast majority of the country can receive information in this way. Also, the Federal Emergency Management Administration has spent $100 million to ensure radio stations have adequate backup infrastructure, including generators. 

FEMA continues to put its money behind radio, adding more stations and backup facilities at great expense in order to strengthen the National Public Warning System. Aside from those monetary investments, radio’s manpower is critical; Long cites several instances of broadcasters taking their duties as first informers and responders seriously. However, Long points out that these efforts are diminished when carmakers remove radio from new vehicles. 

Understanding radio’s role is crucial to “the success of future governmental disaster relief efforts,” Long says.

Read Brock Long’s Detroit News commentary here. This article came on the heels of an optional Tesla update that would remove AM/FM capability from some vehicle models in favor of video streaming.

The post Removing Car Radios “Puts Consumers at Risk,” Former FEMA Head Says appeared first on Radio World.

Gary Kline

Technical consultant Gary Kline, who also contributes regularly to Radio World, travels a great deal both domestically and abroad; he is in frequent contact with many radio industry organizations. We asked him what he’s been hearing over the past several days about the impact of COVID-19 around the U.S. radio industry.

RW: Based on what you hear from clients or others, what impact is the coronavirus national emergency having on U.S. radio station operations? 

Gary Kline: For most stations, it hasn’t yet caused serious disruptions to programming or reliability of distribution (RF, streaming, on-demand, etc.). There has been, and there will continue to be, financial implications both on the revenue and expense side.

I’m already hearing of reduced capital expenditures – not surprising at a time like this. There have been some reports in the trades about folks being asked to work from home including broadcasting from home. I think we may see more of this work from outside the studios as more staff (or the people they’ve had contact with) test positive for the virus.

I think it is safe to say as time goes on there will be more changes. These changes in operations may touch upon all departments including engineering, sales, finance, traffic, promotions, management, etc.

RW: Are there specific impacts in technical infrastructure and programming operations we need to think about?

Kline: I think the biggest impact happening right now is the need to work or broadcast from home. Not unlike so many other businesses asking their employees to stay home, radio operators are doing the same with their non-essential staff.

The good news is that for many stations, remote access has been in place in one form or another. Traffic can operate remotely using VPN or other specialized remote access software. The same goes for music scheduling and even the automation/playout system. Many stations have been utilizing some form of remote voice tracking for years.

The good news is that for many stations, remote access has been in place in one form or another.

Therefore, the basic elements of operating a radio cluster are routine for most stations. For those that don’t have one piece in place, it’s not too hard to call your vendor for your traffic, CRM or playout system and ask for their remote access package. You may also need some help from your engineer or IT department/contractor to adjust the firewall and security settings to make everything work.

That being said: I think what we are seeing now though is a much greater emphasis on these remote systems and, in some cases, not enough capacity or hardware to accommodate ALL the stations in a building at one time.

For example, if you have four or five or even six stations with live or live-assist morning shows in your building, is there enough remote technology to handle all those at once? Is there enough gear in someone’s living room to handle things like putting phone callers on the air without a board op back at the studio? Are the facilities ready for total remote control of the console etc.? Can you produce spots remotely and insert them into the log? Can you trigger EAS remotely? Do you own enough IP codecs or apps to simultaneously feed each studio?

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

Kline: Most of the engineers I have spoken with have been busy making plans for the remote operation of station business systems in addition to complete remote broadcasting for every one of their stations in a cluster. This is so that if the building needs to be emptied due to a prolonged cleaning and/or company required work-at-home policies, things continue to run. Most facilities had something in place to do these things already, but not always for every station simultaneously. In some cases, the equipment existed but was not configured for exactly the purpose of total remote broadcasting. So, engineers now find themselves re-configuring systems and designing more elaborate command and control procedures for use externally.

RW: Engineers are often asked to be the ones who step in when other staffers have to step out. We’ve heard from at least one engineer who has been told that if further quarantines come into play, he’ll be the one living and sleeping at the studios. Are there any special best practices that engineers and their employers will adopt?

Kline: I think most engineers will tell you that they’ve been through various emergencies, crisis situations, weather related disasters, and as such are doing what they always do in challenging situations, they excel under pressure and rise to the occasion. This is what we do, we keep stations on the air no matter what. We adapt and we innovate. That’s the impact this has on an engineer. On a personal note, I am sure that we are all concerned about contracting the virus, ensuring our families and family are safe as well as our colleagues. Right now, it is all hands-on deck in getting ready for the worst case – prolonged remote station operation.

Most engineers will tell you that they’ve been through various emergencies, crisis situations, weather related disasters, and as such are doing what they always do in challenging situations, they excel under pressure and rise to the occasion

RW: What else should we know?

Kline: All the things that need to be done to prepare technically…. Do them now. Right now. Because if tomorrow you must clear out your facility, you may not be ready to operate it from a different (or multiple) locations. It can happen overnight so don’t delay. If you need extra gear, borrow or purchase it right now. If you need to bring extra engineering help in to re-configure your facility, add remote software, program your router, do it now. Do not wait. If you use contract engineering, remember they may be busy helping many other owners so call them today. Some of the preparations may require technical folks visit the homes of staff including air staff – this may not be possible at some point so get on it now. Make sure everyone knows what their role is and make sure you have understudies for key roles. Have a backup engineer and IT person on call – even if it is a contractor.

[News happens every day. Sign up for the free Radio World NewsBytes newsletter.]

We don’t want to think about these things – but if your engineer tests positive, what will you do? What will you do if your transmitter goes down or automation system crashes and your engineer is quarantined for a month or more? There are people out there that can help you produce a technical plan to ensure business operations continue if you need the help. There are many different systems which must operate in harmony to fully operate a facility from the outside – do a dry run this week. For smaller operations with a handful of employees, it only takes one or two positive tests to create a major kink in your local operations.

The Kline Consulting website is https://klineconsulting.com/about-us/.

The post “This Is What We Do. We Keep Stations on the Air No Matter What” appeared first on Radio World.

Getty Images/Yaroslav Mikheev

Paper towels and fresh bread are not the only things in demand right now. Add microphone windscreens and remote codecs to the list, at least for U.S. radio stations dealing with the new reality of COVID-19 prevention.

Radio groups are setting up teleworking arrangements, canceling events and turning away prizewinners from their lobbies.

Demand has increased for equipment that supports remote audio operation, according to companies that make codecs including Comrex and Tieline. Similarly, equipment distributor SCMS reports, “We have shipped tons of windscreens but also many portable studio kits to major groups using the Rode Rodecaster,” according to President Bob Cauthen. “I think they are all preparing for the worst but hoping for the best!”

Radio World is gathering comments from a sampling of radio broadcasters and vendors to ask about the impact on operations. We welcome your own news at radioworld@futurenet.com.

Organizations have been posting updates about their continuity plans. Michael Beach, vice president of NPR Distribution, posted late last week about operation of the Public Radio Satellite System. He said PRSS will continue operations uninterrupted. “It’s our mandate to serve you so you can serve your communities, who need you more than ever,” Beach wrote to radio affiliates. That includes its Network Operations Center in Washington and its Help Desk.

“However, to reduce potential exposures to the virus, NPR is encouraging telework for employees who are in non-essential on-site roles,” he wrote. “As a result, much of the Distribution staff will be working remotely today through the end of March.” Some NPR Distribution staff were working remotely, others continue to be on in Washington. Staff are not to travel for business, events or appearances.

Beasley Media Group issued an announcement quoting Chief Executive Officer Caroline Beasley saying “The challenges we face are extraordinary, but the moment is not unique.” Most Beasley full-time employees are being asked to telework. “While some full-time employees will be needed in the office, they will be expected to follow CDC guidelines in an effort to maintain a safe and clean work environment.” Beasley instituted a “no work-related travel” policy and won’t allow listeners to pick up contest prize awards.

Adams Radio Group on Friday mandated that all personnel who can work from home do so immediately. Adams Radio CEO Ron Stone said, “Sales, programming, administrators and engineers will all be following this guidance as implemented by local management. … Further, we have also expanded restrictions on visitors to our buildings. We will be utilizing electronic means for all meetings with clients. Distribution of prizes, etc. to winners of contests will be discontinued until person-to-person interaction is safe again.”

The Alabama Broadcasters Association has delayed its schedule of Alternative Broadcast Inspections, or ABIPs. “As soon as conditions improved you will be contacted about a new inspection date.” The Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers cancelled its planned monthly meeting in Arlington, Va., that had been planned for this Friday.

Of course, many in the radio tech community are commenting via social media about the impact.

“Seeing a lot of broadcast organizations shutting down because of ‘the Fear,’” one posted to the Broadcasting group on Facebook. “Who’s running these facilities while everyone else is on Corona-cation? Engineers, that’s who. The guys you want to cut, the guys who you call when you are off the air.” Another replied, “And also the people setting up all those Zoom, Slack, VPN etc. accounts.”

A third wrote, “Should further community quarantine come into play, my GM has already told me I would be living at the studios. … An air mattress/sleeping bag in the quiet mechanical room sounds like a vacation at this point.”

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