Industry News

Ashruf El-Dinary and Peter Sockett

Ashruf El-Dinary will receive the NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award for 2022.

The television recipient will be Peter Sockett, director of engineering and operations for Capitol Broadcasting Co.’s television stations.

El-Dinary is senior vice president of digital platforms at Xperi Corp. He oversees the company’s HD Radio systems engineering teams, manages certification and quality control processes, and represents HD Radio technology standards in discussions with the International Telecommunications Union and international regulatory bodies. 

He currently leads the efforts for new broadcast applications, upgrades to emergency alerting, and deployment of digital radio solutions internationally.

“El-Dinary has over 20 years of experience in developing HD Radio technology and holds a number of patents for innovative digital radio solutions,” NAB wrote.

“He previously worked at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory developing scientific instrumentation in support of space research programs and launched solutions on several satellites. He also taught signal processing courses at JHU’s Whiting School of Engineering.”

Other recent recipients of the radio award include Dave Hershberger, Jeff Welton of Nautel and Gary Cavell of Cavell-Mertz. A full list appears at bottom.

[Read El-Dinary’s commentary “HD Radio’s History of Innovation and Future of Growth”]

Peter Sockett is responsible for leading and steering the technology needs of CBC and preparing for the coming trends affecting broadcasting, NAB wrote, saying he has been instrumental in a total rebuild of CBC’s HD technical plant, the launch of the first non-linear HD newsroom, development of workflows for IP-ENG, implementation of Mobile DTV and Mobile EAS, creation of the first 4K-HDR documentary produced at a local TV station, the launch of the first commercial, simulcast TV station using the ATSC 3.0 standard, and the launch of local sports channel WNGT.

He also sits on the board of directors for the Advanced Television Systems Committee and is the chair of the ATSC 3.0 Advanced Emergency Alerting Implementation Team. He has earned three Emmy Awards, Broadcasting & Cable’s Technical Leadership Award and an Edward R. Murrow award. He is a co-inventor of a patent for geolocation.

The NAB Engineering Achievement Awards will be given during the NAB Show in Las Vegas in April.

HONOR ROLL

Recipients of the NAB Engineering Achievement Award are listed here. Beginning in 1991, radio and TV winners were named; radio winners are shown.

1960 T.A.M. Craven

1961 Raymond F. Guy

1962 Ralph N. Harmon

1963 Dr. George R. Town

1964 John H. DeWitt Jr.

1965 Edward W. Allen Jr.

1966 Carl J. Meyers

1967 Robert M. Morris

1968 Howard A. Chinn

1969 Jarrett L. Hathaway

1970 Philip Whitney

1971 Benjamin Wolfe

1972 John M. Sherman

1973 A. James Ebel

1974 Joseph B. Epperson

1975 John D. Silva

1976 Dr. Frank G. Kear

1977 Daniel H. Smith

1978 John A. Moseley

1979 Robert W. Flanders

1980 James D. Parker

1981 Wallace E. Johnson

1982 Julius Barnathan

1983 Joseph Flaherty

1984 Otis S. Freeman

1985 Carl E. Smith

1986 Dr. George Brown

1987 Renville H. McMann

1988 Jules Cohen

1989 William Connolly

1990 Hilmer Swanson

1991 George Marti

1992 Edward Edison & Robert L. Hammett

1993 Robert M. Silliman

1994 Charles T. Morgan

1995 Robert Orban

1996 Ogden Prestholdt

1997 George Jacobs

1998 John Battison

1999 Geoffrey Mendenhall

2000 Michael Dorrough

2001 Arno Meyer

2002 Paul Schafer

2003 John W. Reiser

2004 E. Glynn Walden

2005 Milford Smith

2006 Benjamin Dawson & Ronald Rackley

2007 Louis A. King

2008 Thomas B. Silliman

2009 Jack Sellmeyer

2010 Steve Church

2011 L. Robert du Treil

2012 Paul Brenner

2013 Frank Foti

2014 Jeff Littlejohn

2015 Thomas F. King

2016 Andy Laird

2017 John Kean

2018 Tom Jones

2019 Garrison Cavell

2020 Jeff Welton

2021 David Hershberger

2022 Ashruf El-Dinary

The post El-Dinary to Receive NAB Engineering Award appeared first on Radio World.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications is accepting nominations for its 2022 class of inductees to the Radio Hall of Fame. The nominating committee will accept suggestions for nominees through Mar. 31, 2022.

“We desire the input and suggestions of both industry members and longtime radio listeners, both who have front row seats to radio programs hosted by very deserving air personalities the 2022 Nominating Committee members should give consideration to,” stated Kraig T. Kitchin, chair of the Radio Hall of Fame.

[Related: “Radio Hall of Fame Announces 2021 Inductees”]

Suggestions for Radio Hall of Fame nominees can be made in the following categories:

• Longstanding Local/Regional (20 years or more)
• Active Local/Regional (10 years or more)
• Networks/Syndication (10 years or more)
• Longstanding Network/Syndication (20 years or more)
• Music Format On-Air Personality
• Spoken Word On-Air Personality

To submit a name for consideration, visit https://www.radiohalloffame.com/nominate.

Inductees will be honored at the annual Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony, with plans to be held live in Chicago on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

The Radio Hall of Fame was founded by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. The Museum of Broadcast Communications took over operations of the Hall in 1991.

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In addition to releasing its Q4 2021 earnings report, Sinclair Broadcast Group on Wednesday offered investors some good news with respect to its quarterly dividend — it’s bigger.

The news came as the company named a C-Suite revenue leader its COO while it cheers on a new leader at its ABC affiliate in the Nation’s Capital.

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On Wednesday (2/23), iHeartMedia Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman was scheduled to be on stage in Music City USA as the Country Radio Seminar kicks off day one, in-person, in Nashville.

He began the day bright and early, with a 7:30am Central start time for the company’s Q4 2021 earnings call, which began minutes after the release of the iHeart fiscal health report.

How did iHeart do? “We’re delighted to report another strong quarter,” Pittman said.

He wasn’t exaggerating.

Total revenue for iHeartMedia in the final three months of 2021 increased by 3.5% from the same period of 2019, coming in at $1.062 billion, rising from $1.026 billion. It grew 14% compared to Q4 2020.

The revenue beat the consensus revenue estimate of $1.04 billion.

What drove this? Digital.

In short, Digital is on fire, and COO/CFO Rich Bressler shared details about the “consistently and stability” of iHeart’s assets during the quarter.

Sequential revenue improvement against 2019 was also noted by Bressler, with Q4 2021’s achievement truly noteworthy. Why? The biggest driver of revenue for iHeartMedia, its Multiplatform Group, was down 14.4% compared to 2019. Audio & Media Services Group revenue dipped by 2% when compared to two years ago in the non-pandemic impacted quarter.

Podcasting revenue was up 130% year-over-year, Bressler noted.

How is iHeartMedia’s net debt faring? It sat at $5.387 billion as 2021 came to a close.

Meanwhile, Q1 2022 revenue is expected to be up by 17%-19% year over year, Bressler said.

Shares of iHeartMedia stock were priced at $20 ahead of the Opening Bell on Wednesday.

iHeartMedia Q4: By The Numbers

• Revenue improved to $1.062 billion from $935.53 million
• Operating income grew to $122.98 million from $112.85 million
• Net income increased to $111.95 million from $2.9 million
• Adjusted EBITDA grew to $294.17 million from $265.9 million
• Free Cash Flow (including net proceeds from real estate sales) was statistically flat, at $53.05 million

Universal Audio has introduced its first microphones, the start of a string of offerings that will roll out this year.

Many of the mics build on the technologies and expertise acquired by UA when it purchased the Bock Audio brand in 2020 followed by the technology acquisition of Townsend Labs Inc. in 2021. “We’re excited to bring UA’s audio expertise to microphones, and to bring something new to the table,” said Bill Putnam, CEO/founder of Universal Audio. “With Bock, Sphere, and the new Standard Series mics, there’s a UA mic within reach of every serious creator.”

Handmade in Santa Cruz, the new flagship UA Bock mics, due to arrive in autumn 2022, will be a trio of premium tube- and FET-based models designed by David Bock. The large-diaphragm UA Bock mics will include the UA Bock 187 ($1,249) FET condenser mic and the UA Bock 167 ($2,999) and UA Bock 251 ($5,999) tube-condenser mics.

“The UA Bock mics are the best-sounding and most beautiful mics I’ve had the pleasure of designing over my long career,” said Bock. “These mics are going to have discriminating singers, producers, and audio engineers smiling from ear-to-ear.”

Coming in at a more widely accessible price point is the Standard Series of microphones, kicking off with the Standard SD-1 dynamic mic. Intended for vocal, broadcast and streaming applications, the $299 mic is now shipping. Coming this summer will be the  Standard SP-1 pencil mic for stereo recording of instruments and live performances, running $399 a pair.

With the technology acquisition of Townsend Labs Inc., UA is aligning the company’s proprietary Sphere Modeling Microphone technology with its own UAD audio plug-in platform, with the aid of modeling guru Chris Townsend. The Sphere L22 Modeling Microphone, offering 34 classic mic models, remains shipping at $1,499.

UA Standard Series and UA Bock microphones include presets for use with UA Apollo audio interfaces.

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With Nexstar Media Group‘s Tuesday release of its Q4 and full-year 2021 financial results, a particular palette was compiled for what could be an exposition of deceptively disappointing fiscal reports. Yes, year-over-year topline numbers for broadcast television’s biggest players are down. But, very tough comps due to record political revenue in the final months of 2020 are at play.

Ex-political, Nexstar did well. But, how did Sinclair Broadcast Group fare in Q4?

The key word is “soft.” An October 2021 “Cyber Event” played a major role in the company’s performance.

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From our Who’s Buying What page: German regional public broadcaster WDR has implemented aixtream software from Ferncast to process its internet streaming and DVB multiplexing on the same system.

WDR offers radio programs in various formats across the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. “In 2020 they decided to overhaul their provisioning of web streams and DVB multiplexes for all their programs by implementing aixtream software developed by Ferncast,” the supplier write in a press release.

The broadcaster finished the implementation in September. “Since then, they have been handling their internet streaming and DVB multiplexing workflow with aixtream servers,” Ferncast said.

“They are now streaming 36 different programs with aixtream software, including: 1LIVE, WDR2, WDR3, WDR4, WDR5, WDR COSMO, Die Maus, WDR Event, WDR Vera. All their programs are available in multiple formats and quality levels. In total, each program is streamed in at least five formats and qualities. HLS streams are available in three quality levels (using adaptive bitrate to adjust to the listener’s circumstances), while Icecast streams are available in at least two quality levels.”

Aixtrea is scalable software, running as a server or VM installation.

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In April 2021, Spotify announced its exploration of a smart player for the car. In October, the company did a limited release of Car Thing to Spotify Premium users. Now the device is available for purchase in the U.S. for $89.99 with a few caveats.

If you’re tired of arguing with Hey Siri, you can switch to Hey Spotify voice commands. If Spotify doesn’t listen any better than Siri does, there are also “simple taps, turns, and swipes” for a seamless in-car experience. With a reported 2 million people on the waitlist, it’s easy to wonder “what is this thing that’s so different from my iPhone that it should cost $90 plus a monthly subscription?”

CNET Roadshoww can help you figure out what it is and whether you want one. (Japolnik says you don’t)

Recently CNET took a look at what it’s like to live with the device, but with sales locked behind an invitation system for select Premium subscribers, most consumers wouldn’t get an opportunity to find out for themselves what the Car Thing’s deal is.  As the hype train prepares to leave the station again, I think it’s worth revisiting what the Spotify Car Thing is and, more importantly, what it’s not.

Here’s how Spotify describes the beta period for it’s new hardware and how you can in theory get in on it.

During our exploration phase, we discovered a lot about how people listen in the car, and for many users, how Car Thing can help improve that experience. We heard from drivers some requests that we are working to incorporate into future Car Thing updates. These include Night Mode, which dims screen brightness in the evening, and an Add to Queue command, which lets you queue up your favorite music and podcasts by simply using your voice. Car Thing is now available to purchase for $89.99 and requires a Spotify Premium subscription plan along with a phone with a mobile data connection. You can find more details about how to use the device at carthing.spotify.com.

Per Spotify, here’s what you need to know:

1. Select users in the U.S. who have signed up for the Car Thing waitlist will be among the first to purchase Car Thing for $79.99.
2. All U.S. Spotify users — Free and Premium — can sign up for the Car Thing waitlist.
3. Car Thing does require a paid Spotify Premium subscription plan — whether that’s an Individual, Family, Duo, or Student plan — and it connects to your smartphone for mobile data.
4. We’ve already released some software updates and will continue to evolve and improve it over time.
5. Check out if you’re eligible and the other terms that apply.

This article appeared first in our sister publication, Sound & Video Contractor.

The post Car Thing from Spotify Officially Reaches U.S. appeared first on Radio World.

This week, Radio World is providing coverage of the EBU Digital Radio Summit.

As more media and entertainment options integrate with the dashboard, how do motorists decide what to listen to, and what factors guide those decisions?

These questions were answered by BBC Researcher Aleksandra Gojkovic during the EBU Digital Radio Summit session, “Case Study: Audience Behavior in Car.” The summit was held online on Feb. 16, 2022.

Why study motorists?
The BBC’s decision to study motorists’ listening behaviors was spurred by the advent of web-connected car audio systems, and the lack of firm data explaining motorists’ content choices in the option-rich environment. “With a growing number of cars becoming increasingly connected, we looked at what this means for the BBC and where the threats and opportunities of this technology lie,” Gojkovic said.

The study was conducted in early 2020 using 20 subjects. They recorded their in-car listening behaviors on a mobile app. The BBC also installed dash cams that watched the car cabin, so that the actual behaviors and actions of drivers and their passengers were documented accurately.

Three factors
Not surprisingly, “our research uncovered a really complex ecosystem of needs and mediating factors that influence audio choices people make when in cars,” Gojkovic said.

Analysis of data collected identified three distinct trip characteristics that influenced listening choices: the length of the journey, the purpose of the journey, and the company inside the vehicle. This last factor was not just whether the driver was alone or with passengers, but who was along for the ride.

According to the BBC’s research, the expected length of a car journey has a substantial impact on the effort people make in selecting the best possible audio choices for their tastes and mood.

“Shorter journeys involve little preparation, and audio choices tend to be quicker and more [people] are more likely to resort to defaults,” said Gojkovic. “On longer journeys, there is a greater need to make the time count, and people are more likely to do things like tether [their devices to the car’s audio system] and listen to downloaded content, podcasts, and audiobooks.”

The purpose of the journey also affects audio choices. “Commuting drivers are looking to calibrate for the day ahead,” said Gojkovic. “They want to get into the zone, be prepared for their day of work, and get up to speed with what’s happening in the world. Homebound journeys can be more restorative. People are reflecting on the day that’s happened. They’re more contemplative anticipating an evening with friends, family, or an evening with their favorite books.”

When journeys are long, motorists want to get value from their listening experiences so that the time spent driving is not wasted. As a result, “they’re more likely to invest time in self-improvement, and they will listen to things like language learning on a speech podcast,” Gojkovic said.

The influence of passengers
The third factor is company: If there are passengers in the car, drivers will often choose audio that caters to their needs or to the group’s collective mood.

For example, when driving with children, the journey tends to be about either appeasing children or bonding with them, which is why drivers will choose audio that appeals to a young age group. If it’s a social group in the car out to have a good time, the “audio choices are crowd pleasers, and they tend to be non-contentious, light and frivolous,” said Gojkovic.

“Individual leisure drives are indulgent. They’re all about me and their needs are for either an energizing or a restorative experience. And companion drives are about connection and affinity,” she said.

One point worth noting: On social drives, “bonding is the overarching need, and audio is more likely to be background noise,” said Gojkovic. “When adult passengers are in cars, people are more likely to drive with no audio at all. … Whereas when alone, drivers are more likely to be actively engaged with the audio content they’re listening to, and in this case also more likely to listen to speech.”

Beyond these three factors, the ability of drivers to tether their smartphones to their audio systems (or not) and the success of algorithmically-curated web streams in providing content that suits their tastes and keeps them logged on also shape people’s in-car audio selections.

The bottom line: “More so than other media, audio choices in cars tend to be fast,” Gojkovic said concluding her talk. “And we’ll always gravitate towards the path of least resistance.”

Related stories:

• Human Connection Draws in Younger Listeners

The post In-Car Listening Influenced by More Than Music Taste appeared first on Radio World.

This photo shows the lobby of facilities built in 2020 by Red Apple Media to serve iconic New York City station 77 WABC as well as wabcradio.TV, 107.1 WLIR Riverhead and Red Apple Audio Networks.

Dan Hirschl, vice president of engineering for Red Apple Media, shared this picture for Radio World’s new ebook about recent studio projects, but we thought the lobby photo was interesting on its own as well.

“The goal was to capture WABC through the years through traditional printed signage and video presentation,” said Dan Hirschl.

“Visitors to our floor need to know where they are from the moment they step off the elevator.”

[Check Out More of Radio World’s Ebooks Here]

Among people and events celebrated are iconic broadcasters Lowell Thomas and “Cousin Brucie” Morrow; the change in call letters from WJZ to WABC in 1953; the station’s dominance of the AM dial in the 1960s (“More people listen to WABC than to any other radio station in North America”); and its acquisition from Cumulus by businessman John Catsimatidis, finalized in 2020.

“The build included three news desks, two talk studios with associated control rooms, two production rooms, video control room and a TV studio/live performance area,” Hirschl said. “WABC needed to move from our legacy studios at 2 Penn Plaza not only because of the sale, but because of building-wide renovations and lease complications.”

The ebook “Spectacular Radio Studios” includes projects by other leading broadcasters including Educational Media Foundation, Audacy, Cumulus, Nashville Public Radio, Hubbard Media, CBC/Radio-Canada and numerous others. You can access it free at radioworld.com/ebooks.

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