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Originally announced last September, the Mackie ProFXv3 Series of audio mixers made their debut at last month’s NAMM Show.

The half-dozen mixers are intended for use both in live sound settings as well as for home studios, content creators and live streaming.

The new series is based around the six-channel ProFX6v3, 10-channel ProFX10v3, 12-channel ProFX12v3, 16-channel ProFX16v3, 22-channel ProFX22v3, and 30-channel ProFX30v3.

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

All the mixers have some features in common, including Mackie’s Onyx mic preamps, GigFX effects engine, 24-bit/192 kHz USB recording and shared design cues. The mixers also come with a variety of software, notably a copy of the Avid Pro Tools|First DAW, as well as the Mackie Musician Collection, a set of 23 Avid plug-ins.

Mackie says that the Onyx mic preamps offer up to 60 dB of gain, while its new GigFX high-resolution effects engine provides 24 effects such as reverbs, delays and more. The mixers feature a built-in USB interface; a dedicated Blend knob that swaps between DAW output and direct latency-free monitoring; single-knob compression; Hi-Z switches and more.

Avid plug-ins provided with the mixers include the 304C compressor and 304E equalizer. In addition, users will also get Waveform OEM DAW software with its DAW Essentials Collection of 16 plug-ins.

The mixers range from $199.99 for the ProFX6v3 up to $1,169.99 for the flagship ProFX30v3.

Info: www.mackie.com

The post Mackie ProFXv3 Mixers Debut appeared first on Radio World.

Sports and pop culture phenomenon The Ringer will be acquired by Spotify as part of an effort to “build the world’s flagship sports audio network,” The Ringer founder Bill Simmons said in a press release Wednesday. 

Spotify already touts itself as “the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service,” and this acquisition will round out the company’s sports and entertainment offerings and present new strategic opportunities, it announced. 

Created in 2016 by ESPN alum Simmons, in four years The Ringer grew from a standalone website to a multimedia company with its own podcast network with more than 30 shows, a video production house and a new publishing imprint. It will be interesting to see how Spotify handles the breadth of these offerings, given its emphasis on audio. 

In the press release, Spotify Chief Content Officer Dawn Ostroff explained that The Ringer will “drive our [Spotify’s] global sports strategy” through its editorial team led by Simmons. Ostroff said, “The Ringer’s proven track record of creating distinctive cultural content as well as discovering and developing top tier talent will make them a formidable asset for Spotify.”

According to Recode, Spotify plans to hire both Simmons and his 90-person team as part of the deal. (Recode is a part of Vox Media, which hosts The Ringer via Chorus, its CMS.) That move would be consistent with other recent buys, such as last year’s Gimlet Media acquisition, Recode’s Peter Kafka notes.

For his part, Simmons cited the benefits of Spotify’s “power of scale and discovery” as well as the opportunity to bring new audiences to The Ringer. 

[From 2017: Spotify Ramps Up Podcast Offerings]

The deal is expected to be closed this quarter for an undisclosed sum, pending regulatory approval and other conditions.

This isn’t Simmons’ first association with Spotify. “The Bill Simmons Podcast” was among the first the streamer added when it expanded from a music only service in 2017. In return, Simmons promoted the service via his own channels.

It remains to be seen how this acquisition and subsequent sports content initiatives may affect radio, and AM in particular, since one of the remaining programming strongholds of the medium band is sports talk.

The post Spotify and The Ringer Want to Create “Flagship Sports Audio Network” appeared first on Radio World.

Find out why John Bisset is excited about the Amprobe ULD-420. Read why Larry Langford is getting tied up in knots. Hear what Fred Jacobs learned when he went back over 15 years of Techsurvey data about how radio listeners use consumer technology. And check in on two separate LPFM operations with very different audiences and formats.

Read it online here.

Prefer to do your reading offline? No problem! Simply click on the Issuu link, go to the left corner and choose the download button to get a PDF version.

REGULATION
A Problem With FX Pretzel Patterns

In this commentary, a station owner (no, that’s not him in the photo) challenges the FCC to tighten up its regulations on exotic directional translators.

TECHNOLOGY
BBC Assesses 5G’s Broadcast Capability

The research and development arm of The Beeb tested live radio broadcasts over a purpose-designed 5G network to assess the capability of the technology to reach people living in rural areas.

 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Workbench: A New Ultrasonic Leak Detector Pinpoints Leaks
• MicPort Pro 2 Delivers the Smartphone Audio Goods
• Small Station Finds It Needs More Space

The post Inside the Feb. 5 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

NeoGroupe’s NeoScreener is a set of call screening applications that allow screeners and hosts to be in different locations while sharing instant information on calls that are available for broadcast.

With the NeoGroupe smartphone/tablets application, the company says that one of its clients, for example, regularly screens calls in Washington D.C. while the host airs them in London.

The applications also offers full user control, even based on Active Directory if necessary. Thus, specific rights to studios and shows, action tracing, authentication and data encryption are now included.

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

NeoScreener works with Telos VX and NX as well as AEQ Systel. It has a comprehensive winner, giveaway, promo and script companion module. It’s also now now fully GDPR compliant.

For information, contact NeoGroupe in France at +33-9-72-23-62-00 or visit www.neogroupe.com.

The post Neogroupe’s GDPR-Compliant NeoScreener Goes Mobile appeared first on Radio World.

The author writes, “Pretzel patterns are becoming more and more common in metro areas where FX openings are tight.” Getty Images/Jen Pollack Bianco/EyeEm

 

The job of a consulting engineer is to do everything possible to maximize the facilities of a client within the constraints of FCC regulations, the laws of physics and the budget of the applicant.

In the case of a full-power FM that needs a directional antenna system, the FCC demands strict conditions before the License to Cover application is granted. 

These include detailed paperwork from the applicant showing the antenna was designed by a reputable manufacturer using a test range with full-size or modeled antennas that take into account the tower design, other antennas mounted to the tower, cables, conduits and anything else that could cause pattern distortion. 

The commission wants to see sketches, notes and test results from the maker of the antenna. It further requires you to use a licensed surveyor to certify that the antenna was mounted at the correct azimuth as called for by the manufacturer. Lastly the commission requires an affidavit from a qualified engineer that everything was done by the book and the resulting pattern is good based on a proof of performance. 

All of this can be required of the simplest of directional systems for full-power FMs.

CURIOUS PATTERNS

With consultants now being asked to shoe-horn translators into the tightest of places, we are seeing some rather curious antenna patterns in FX applications. Some stretch physics to the absolute limit! 

Again, understand, just because the consultant can specify a complex contour that requires a composite antenna design, it does not mean that the antenna company can make it happen for less than a king’s ransom. 

What is shocking is that for translator directionals, the FCC demands only a checkbox that promises that the antenna meets the required contours as shown in the CP. Talk about faith and trust. 

I will admit that for some “off-the-shelf” directionals and omni antennas that are side-mounted with a predictable pattern, just the antenna sheet and a promise that it was put up pointing the correct direction are probably enough. 

But let’s take the case of the antenna pattern granted on a Chicago translator. It is a real head-scratcher. Fig. 1 shows a pattern that is obviously protecting more than three co-channel translators and full-power FM stations. These pretzel patterns are becoming more and more common in metro areas where FX openings are tight. In this case, the CP application specifies a two-bay “penetrator” style antenna with parasitic elements to get this very complex and non-symmetrical pattern in both the horizontal and vertical planes. 

If this pattern can be done with this type antenna, it would take a lot of range testing and a big box of parasitics installed with great precision and care to pull it off. The price tag for that would be in the thousands. 

TEMPTATION TO CHEAT

I have seen more than a few installations that demand such complex antennas that are simply built with an omni and no attempt to follow the one-of-a-kind design in the app. The temptation to cheat here is just too great, and the results are a mess when there is an interference complaint and the commission relies on these sometimes fantasy patterns to be accurate. 

I cannot blame the consultants, they just show what needs to be done. And often the person signing the License to Cover app is just one of the owners just checking the box, with no idea as to what pattern they really have. The License to Cover app should require that an actual engineer certifies the installation.

There are other cases where the commission is just plain wrong by its own mistakes on issuing a license. I know of a Chicago-area translator with a detailed application on how the system would take care of second-adjacency interference by using a multi-bay antenna to attenuate downward signal. The details were part of a waiver request. But when they put in the License to Cover application they specified a single-bay omni … and guess what? The commission granted the license anyway. Obviously this one slipped through the cracks. 

With AM it’s pretty easy to check on a directional antenna system, just drag out the Potomac and find the monitor points. But trying to do a field proof on a 250 watt translator DA with a meter to check on an installation after the fact will drive you crazy and tell you very little, especially if the antenna is mounted in close proximity to other antennas.  

[Is the FCC Dropping the Ball on Directional Translators?]

The FCC must tighten up regulations to make sure these exotic patterns drawn to get a CP are in fact built to get the License to Cover. 

Since the commission requires detailed proof that a directional was actually built and installed correctly for a commercial FM, why not at least some documentation that shows that a composite directional FX antenna for the requested CP was actually built and tested on a range with proper proof of performance? 

The commission would never accept the “word” of an AM operator that his multi-tower array was good without paperwork, so why allow translators to be put in with these very difficult patterns on just a wink and a promise that there is no cheating? 

While some old and outdated rules are being tossed out, here is one that needs to be revised for more, not less, paperwork. 

 Larry Langford is the owner of WGTO(AM) in Cassopolis, Mich. and W246DV, South Bend, Ind. His opinions on AM radio and other issues are a recurring feature in Radio World. 

Comment on this or any story to radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field. 

The post A Problem With FX Pretzel Patterns appeared first on Radio World.

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Denied the Petition for Reconsideration

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Discussion of all-digital on the AM band has moved from the theoretical to the real with the recent announcement that the FCC tentatively plans to allow U.S. AM band stations to turn off their analog and broadcast in all-digital HD Radio.

Radio World is hosting a webcast Feb. 19 to explore the potential benefits, challenges and costs of such a transition. 

Whether you’ve been following developments closely or you are new to the idea, “Digital Sunrise for AM Radio” will help prepare attendees for what’s next. The content is intended not just for engineers, but also for owners and managers.

Editor in Chief Paul McLane interviewed Hubbard Radio’s Joel Oxley and Dave Kolesar, NAB’s David Layer, Xperi’s Mike Raide, DRM’s Ruxandra Obreja and Bryan Broadcasting’s Ben Downs. 

[Dates Set for Comments on Digital AM Proposal]

He asked: What would it cost to convert a station? What are the interference implications? What kind of user experience will listeners have? What important lessons can be learned from the only station so far to operate in all-digital full-time? What are the coverage and interference considerations that experts are exploring? How many stations might switch, and when? 

Learn more about the webinar and the featured speakers via the registration page.

The post Radio World Webcast to Explore “Digital Sunrise for AM Radio”  appeared first on Radio World.

From Radio World’s Who’s Buying What page:

The Minnesota Twins have drafted Skyview Networks’ AdView inventory management and live read capture software for a multi-year contract effective in March. 

The Minneapolis-based Major League Baseball team will deploy the customized software in order to schedule and report ads via its broadcast team and front office.

According to Minnesota Twins Senior Broadcast Manager Andrew Halverson, quoted in a press release, the new system will create “efficiencies in our reporting processes.”

Among other features, AdView’s Player Controller enables the Twins’ board operator to pair audio files with the current game scenario, even as the software can be used to schedule ads for the season. It also provides assurance that inventory is maximized and offers live read capture for proof of performance. AdView’s online catalog sorts ads by advertiser, date and time for quick downloads and simplified billing, according to Skyview.

Send news for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Twins Pair Up With Skyview Networks appeared first on Radio World.

Ten startups have been tapped as the first batch of companies that will participate in Sprockit’s program at the 2020 NAB Show.

Sprockit is a global marketplace that aims to help connect top startups and Fortune 500 companies in media, entertainment and technology. As part of the 2020 edition of Sprockit, the selected companies will exhibit at the 2020 NAB Show in the Sprockit Pavilion, located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Here are the first 10 announced startups:

• Bellwethr – Automates the ideal customer experience throughout the customer lifecycle (Kansas City, MO)
• Bixy – Improves monetization for publishers by leveraging consumer-controlled, opt-in data to power ad campaigns, email marketing, eCommerce and more (Kansas City, MO)
• Chartbeat – Empowers content creators to build loyal audiences with real-time and historical analytics across desktop, mobile, and social platforms (New York)
• Cross Screen Media – Offers marketing analytics and software solutions to build the next generation convergent TV platform (Alexandria, Va.)
• Envision – Analyzes image and video content to automatize video curation and editing (Montreal, Canada)
• ignifai – Provides a video analysis platform that uses AI technology to maximize content exposure, increase monetization and optimize production workflows (Paris)
• nēdl – Solves the content discovery problem for audio creators with Real-Time Transcription Search and a unique end-to-end distribution platform (Santa Monica, Calif.)
• Never.no – Makes TV interactive and advertising dynamic, helping broadcasters, advertisers and producers personalize content, increase audiences, engage viewers and grow revenues (Manchester, England)
• Tetavi – Perfects volumetric capture for immersive media enabling faster, accurate and portable XR, film and gaming productions (Tel Aviv, Israel)
• ZenSports – Allows anyone to create and accept sports bets with anyone else in the world, without the need for a centralized bookmaker (San Francisco)

In addition to presenting at the NAB Show, Sprockit participants are able to join in Sprockit Sync private network meetings that take place throughout the year. These Sync meetings include industry executives and Sprockit corporate partners, like Comcast, Fox, Google, Hearst Television, Public Media Venture Group, Samsung NEXT, Univision and Verizon.

Since its founding in 2013, Sprockit says that it has helped raise more than $1 billion in funding for its startups.

The application window for interested startups is still open, with the deadline to apply to participate in the 2020 NAB Show set for March 1. Applications can be completed online.

The 2020 NAB Show takes place from April 18-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

The post Sprockit Reveals First Group of Startups for 2020 NAB Show appeared first on Radio World.

The author is WorldDAB France representative

Jean-Marc Dubreuil

PARIS — Held in Paris at the end of January, the European Radio and Digital Audio Show brought together stakeholders from across the French radio industry and beyond to discuss the future of radio in France, Europe and around the world. It also served as a platform to highlight the opportunities DAB+ digital radio brings for the radio, manufacturing, retail and automotive sectors.

NEW ROADMAP

During a session dedicated to the development of DAB+ in France, Nicolas Curien from French regulator Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel joined me on stage. As did representatives from commercial and community radio, GfK and public service broadcaster Radio France.

The WorldDAB booth at the European Digital Radio and Audio Show featured a wide range of DAB+ receivers.

Together we outlined the progress of DAB+ digital radio throughout Europe and elsewhere, and touched on the EECC directive, the EU regulation that mandates digital radio in cars across Europe from Dec. 21, 2020, which has already been transposed into national legislation in a number of countries, including France.

On a national level, the CSA, published a new DAB+ roadmap highlighting DAB+ developments plans for the 2020–2023 period. According to the new roadmap, calls for applications will be launched for 50 local allotments in that period of time — these primarily concern the cities of Dijon, Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, Caen, Nancy, Paris, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Poitiers and Toulouse.

[U.K. Government Restates Support for Digital Radio]

As for France’s national multiplexes, a call for applications will be launched for the remaining spot available on Mux 1, while the last spot on Mux 2 will be dedicated to data broadcasting services such as traffic information.

The CSA’s newly launched DAB+ interactive map.

As outlined by the CSA, DAB+ experimentation and trials may take place in France’s overseas territories in coming years, though this will largely depend on interest expressed by local players.

At the show, the French media regulator also announced the launch of a new interactive map giving listeners the opportunity to see what DAB+ services are available in their respective areas. The service, available here, also includes planned DAB+ rollouts across France.

IN-DASH ADVANCES

Industry professionals also widely discussed the future of radio in the car during the three-day event, with the likes of Audi, Radioplayer, RadioDNS, Xperi, Radioline and TDF in attendance to voice their opinions on hybrid radio. The solutions to access metadata exist, and it is up to the radios and receiver manufacturers to make the most of them.

Ultimately, the goal is to access quality, reliable and affordable information in order to provide an improved experience for users, and according to Audi and other innovative players, having one single standard that is used globally will most definitely help achieve that.

The post DAB+ Progress in France and Beyond appeared first on Radio World.

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Broadcast Applications