Radio World International 502 - October 2018

INTERNATIONAL EDITION Distributed to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America

OCTOBER 2018

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The News Source for Radio Managers and Engineers

Podcasting Provides Money-Making Options

INSIDE Development Media International

BURKINA FASO

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RADIOWORLD.COM Marianne Rothbauer, Ottawa Neighbours

Whether as an income supplement or new career, podcasting offers broadcasters real opportunities

◗RADIONET

BY JAMES CARELESS

• Radio contributes to the reduction of child mortality rates — Page 4

OTTAWA — These can be tough times for people working in radio; whether they are full-timers at a station or freelancers doing radio work on a per project/per shift basis. Playout automation systems, industry consolidation, along with low wages for everyone other than morning show stars means that there are fewer opportunities for sustainable

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TECHNOLOGY

careers in radio broadcasting; no matter how much one loves the medium.

Fortunately, the rise of podcasting (prerecorded audio programs streamed on demand on the web) is offering diehard radio broadcasters the chance to supplement their incomes, find new job opportunities, or just add one great career on top of another. The proof is illustrated by the following four profiles of broadcasters who are active in podcasting today — and making a living doing it.

Need to Know: AI and Machine Learning

•C an Artificial Intelligence help stations compete? — Page 10

BUYER’S GUIDE

The fourth article in a series called Need to Know, exploring complex topics like blockchain, 5G and cybersecurity, and how they apply to each industry served by the websites and magazines of Future U.S., the parent of Radio World.

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• Media asset management systems simplify station tasks — Page 14

(continued on page 5)

The recording table at Pop Up Podcasting is equipped with four Electro-Voice RE320 broadcast microphones.

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INTERNATIONAL EDITION Vol. 42 No. 10

October 2018

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◗NEWSWATCH AMPEGON TAKES OVER TRANSRADIO’S MW PRODUCT LINE

www.facebook.com/RadioWorldMagazine CONTENT Managing Director, Content Paul J. McLane, paul.mclane@futurenet.com Content Director Marguerite Clark, marguerite.clark@futurenet.com Senior Content Producer — Technology Brett Moss, brett.moss@futurenet.com Content Manager Emily Reigart, emily.reigart@futurenet.com Technical Advisers Thomas R. McGinley, Doug Irwin Technical Editor, RWEE W.C. “Cris” Alexander Contributors: Africa: Gregory Lagat, Lameck Masina, John Masuku; Asia: Md. Azizul Alam Al-Amin, Martyn Green, Frederick Noronha, Mark Timpany; Australia: James Cridland; Europe: Andy Bantock, Kevin Branigan, Giuseppe Camonita, Nuno de Sousa, Charles Flores, Blazo Guzina, Lawrie Hallett, Will Jackson, Hans K. Kristjansson, Drew Leifheit, Raúl Llarull, Urmas Loit, Marc Maes, Davide Moro, Emmanuelle Pautler, Panos Polyzoidis, Bernd Trutenau, Andreas Tzanakos, Thomas Völkner; Latin America: Jorge J. Basilago, Carlos Eduardo Behrensdorf, Juan G. Buenaventura; Eduardo Curuchet, Arturo Valentino; New Zealand: Nick Gerritsen; North America: John Bisset, James Careless, Scott Fybush, Randy J. Stine Production Manager Caroline Freeland Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban Senior Design Director Karen Lee ADVERTISING SALES VP/Media Technology Group Carmel King, carmel.king@futurenet.com, 703-852-4602 Publisher, Radio World International Raffaella Calabrese, raffaella.calabrese@futurenet.com, +39-320-891-1938 SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current account status, go to www.radioworld.com and click on About Us, email futureplc@computerfulfillment.com, call +1-888-266-5828, or write P.O. Box 282, Lowell, MA 01853.

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MANAGEMENT Managing Director/Senior Vice President Christine Shaw Chief Revenue Officer Diane Giannini Chief Content Officer Joe Territo Chief Marketing Officer Wendy Lissau Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance FUTURE US, INC. 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016

All contents ©Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press.

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Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Peter Allen Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

Ampegon Group says it has made a strategic decision to step back into the medium wave transmitter market by acquiring the Transradio Tram and Sciamp product lines together with the manufacturing site, warehouse and the core team in Berlin.

“Following the insolvency of Transradio SenderSysteme Berlin AG in May 2017, many existing Transradio medium wave transmitter customers have been left uncertain about how to complete existing contracts, and how to continue to operate and maintain their systems,” said Mathias Stoll, Ampegon’s general manager for AM Broadcast.

Ampegon explained it is stepping in “to assist customers left without support and continue to produce lower power Matthias Stoll medium wave transmitters to maintain the competitive MW market that ultimately benefits broadcasters.”

For the transition, the Ampegon Group has formed a daughter company in Germany named AM Broadcast GmbH. This company, says Ampegon, is being used to establish Ampegon’s position in the market as an intermediate step.

AM Broadcast is now in place and supporting medium wave broadcasters. Under the arrangement, the company says, existing Transradio contracts are being reassigned to AM Broadcast so Ampegon Group can complete them with minimal disruption.

Once the legal insolvency formalities are finalized, AM Broadcast GmbH will be renamed Ampegon, while the legal entity “Transradio SenderSysteme Berlin” will subsequently become a full member of the Ampegon Group.

— Marguerite Clark

MORE DRM TESTS FOR ASIA Two Asian broadcasters have been trialing the Digital Radio Mondial digital radio standard over recent months.

China National Radio began carrying out open-ended domestic DRM tests on July 23, broadcasting 22 hours a day (from 8:25 p.m. to 6:05 p.m UTC the following day) on 6030 kHz. It is reported that CNR’s regular AM transmission on 6030 kHz will be shut down and the broadcaster may undertake additional DRM test transmissions.

In addition, Radio Taiwan International began airing German-language DRM broadcasts from the Tamsui transmitter site in Taiwan. On Thursday Aug. 9, DRM broadcasts took place on the 11990 kHz frequency and then again on 9700 kHz. RTI also had DRM broadcasts scheduled for Sunday Aug. 26 on 11990 kHz from 5 to 6 p.m. UTC and on 9700 kHz from 6 to 7 p.m. UTC, as well as on Sunday Sept. 9 on 11990 kHz from 5 to 6 p.m. UTC and on 9700 kHz 6 to 7 p.m. UTC.

NIPPON BROADCASTING JOINS AUDIOBURST AI-BASED VOICE SEARCH NETWORK Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. and Audioburst have signed a joint partnership for supporting and building new future voice technology products relying on Audioburst’s AI-based voice search platform, especially for the Japanese market.

As part of the expanded partnership, Audioburst says Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. also invested US$3 million during Audioburst’s latest funding round led by Samsung Ventures, bringing the round’s total funding to $14.4 million.

Audioburst is a voice search platform that uses AI and NLP [Natural Language Processing] to listen, understand, segment and index daily talk content from audio sources including radio, podcasts, and TV. The company explains that the platform enables the delivery of news and infotainment in a personalized, original voice and screen-free way to consumers and businesses through partnerships with creators, media platforms and consumer brands including Samsung, Harman, and Bose.

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October 2018

Radio Helps Saves Lives in Burkina Faso Studies show how radio contributed to the reduction of child mortality rates

BY JAMES CARELESS OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — A

health information campaign broadcast on seven radio stations in Burkina Faso between 2012–-2015 helped to reduce child mortality due to diarrhea, malaria or pneumonia in areas where it was broadcast — compared to areas that did not receive this information — and did so at a low cost per person affected.

This is the conclusion of two studies into the radio campaign’s effectiveness. One of these studies, entitled “Modelling the effect of a mass radio campaign on child mortality using facility utilisation data and the Lives Saved Tool (LiST): findings from a cluster randomised trial in Burkina Faso,” estimated that listener exposure to this health information “resulted in an estimated 7.1 percent average reduction in under-five mortality per year.”

THE STUDY

The Burkina Faso radio campaign involved the broadcast of one-minute radio spots, 10 times per a day, 365 days a year, over three years. It also included longer interactive dramas that were broadcast during two-hour programs broadcast every evening Monday-Friday over the three-year campaign.

The radio content promoted healthenhancing behaviors on the part of parents. This included attending ante-natal (before birth) care clinics, delivering babies in health facilities rather than at home, and promoting primary care consultations for children showing symptoms of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea; three of the biggest killers of children under five in Burkina Faso.

Now the notion that providing health information via radio can change healthenhancing behaviors among listening audiences isn’t new. But quantifying the difference radio can make through a ran-

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“The RCT showed that our radio campaign in Burkina Faso led to significant increases in treatment-seeking behaviors; for example in year 1, consultations for malaria went up by 56 percent in intervention zones compared to control zones,” said Wood. “These increases in treatment-seeking behaviors were modeled using the LiST and the projections indicated that these behavioral changes saved an estimated 3,000 under-five lives over the three-year campaign.”

POWERFUL

Health information delivered by community radio stations in Burkina Faso has been proven to reduce child mortality.

domized controlled trial (RCT), which allow changes to confidently be attributed to the campaign, is.

“The purpose of these studies was to test whether mass media can change life-saving behaviors,” said Cathryn Wood, director of Strategy and Development at Development Media International; the London-based nongovernmental agency that conducted the

Burkina Faso radio campaign and the subsequent studies in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “This has never been shown to the highest scientific standards until now.”

Modeling based on the behavioral changes detected by the RCT showed that radio’s impact on primary care consultations for children with symptoms of malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia had a profound impact on child mortality.

So why was radio an effective way to communicate health information in this African country?

“Radio listenership is high in Burkina Faso, and we broadcast on community radio stations in local languages and with high intensity of broadcasting,” Wood replied. “Radio was a strategically chosen medium; it remains the most popular form of mass media in Burkina Faso, and other methods may rely on literacy (which is low in the communities we were targeting) or French language abilities (which national radio stations tend to broadcast in).”

The second study used these results to calculate that the cost of saving a child’s life with such a campaign is as low as US$420, making it comparable to the most cost-effective child health interventions available.

“Radio is a highly cost-effective method for changing life-saving behaviors, as many people can be influenced for a relatively low-cost,” Wood concluded. “Finally we have the evidence to show this.”

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radioworld.com | RADIOWORLD

Podcasting (continued from page 1)

BIG IN BOTH MEDIA

Photo courtesy of Pete Donaldson

In the United Kingdom, Peter Donaldson is a radio star, literally. He hosts the 4–6 p.m. show on London’s Absolute Radio.

“He’s [Donaldson] interviewed everyone from Liam Gallagher, don’t ask him about Idris Elba’s hat. to Paul Weller,” says the Absolute Radio website. “He’s buddies with Biffy Clyro and Mumford and Sons and has had people like Kelly Jones, the Manics, Tom Odell and Miles Kane co-host his show.”

According to Donaldson, his radio career “started fairly late in the day around 25 over at Xfm after a career in local government (social housing),” he said. “I moved from work experience to assistant producer, to sidekick on Lauren Laverne, latterly Alex Zane’s breakfast show, ending up with my own show on overnights — moving over to Absolute Radio around 2011, hosting weekend shows, and now the late show Monday through Thursday.”

Absolute Radio’s Peter Donaldson is also a podcasting star on “The Football Ramble” podcast.

In addition to his successful radio career, Pete Donaldson is also a longtime host on “The Football Ramble;” a top-rated sports podcast in the U.K. “I started helping out with ‘The Football Ramble’ around 10 years ago, editing and co-hosting,” said Donaldson.

“Since the humble beginnings of the show it’s gone from strength to strength, we’ve done live shows right around the British Isles and mainland Europe, and have released a book with Penguin.”

Drawing on the success of “The Football Ramble,” Donaldson and two colleagues have launched a pod-

cast production company called Radio Stakhanov. “We currently have seven podcast shows currently in production, from a wrestling show to one about life in Japan,” he said. “At Radio Stakhanov we have built our own recording studio, which has given us a flexibility and scalability that some podcast producers don’t have.”

Pete Donaldson loves working in both the broadcasting and podcasting worlds.

“For a presenter who’s been in radio for just under nine years, the freedom that podcasts present is a very alluring one,” he said. Meanwhile, “The skills I’ve picked up in studio have been incredibly valuable when cobbling together podcasts every week. They’re very different disciplines, but for anyone who’s spent any time in front of a microphone in a radio context will get a kick out of producing them.”

PRODUCING PODCASTS FOR PAY

Inside a long, narrow suite in a downtown Ottawa office building, there lives a bare-bones yet broadcast-quality podcast recording studio named Pop Up Podcasting (popuppodcasting.ca).

Owned and operated by JP Davidson, Pop Up Podcasting is built around a fourposition roundtable (and chairs) equipped with four Electro-Voice RE320 broadcast microphones. The microphones (and their accompanying headsets and desktop control switches) are connected by cables back to an Allen & Heath Qu-Pac portable digital mixer, which is linked to a Windows 10 PC running Hindenburg Pro editing/mixing software. It sits away from the roundtable on a side table workstation, along with the mixer and a pair of Tannoy Reveal 502 loudspeakers.

During recording sessions, JP Davidson sits at the mixer/computer workstation, managing the levels and keeping an ear on audio quality. He also uses this workstation to edit the spoken word audio and add music and effects as needed.

The results are professionally polished podcasts that sound as good as anything created in a top-end music recording studio. But thanks to Pop Up Podcasting’s bare-bones approach, the cost to record here is much less. This is why his studio has been able to attract nonprofit groups like Greenpeace as clients; along with the Royal Bank of Canada and the Globe & Mail newspaper; among others.

For many years, JP Davidson was a freelance radio reporter/producer; making audio shorts and documentaries for BBC Radio, CBC Radio, National Public Radio, among others.

It wasn’t an easy life. “Money has been drying up in radio for years due to reduced radio budgets; making it harder for freelancers like me to make a living,” said Davidson. “But I only got into podcasting for the fun of it; to test out

Marianne Rothbauer, Ottawa Neighbours

October 2018

JP Davidson beside the production workstation at Pop Up Podcasting.

this new medium and see what I could do with it.”

It didn’t take long for potential clients to find JP Davidson and ask him to produce podcasts on their behalf — and to pay him for his efforts. Davidson

started out recording these podcasts at the clients’ locations using portable audio equipment, and editing the programs at home on his laptop computer. “However, it soon became clear that I needed a more professional space to give me the sound quality they wanted me to achieve, and the image I needed to win higher-end business,” he said. So in mid-2016, he decided to risk leasing space in this office building, and Pop Up Podcasting was born.

The gamble has paid off. “Today, I am so busy doing podcast production for my clients, that I have little time to do my own podcasts; let alone radio work,” said Davidson. “Podcasting is letting me build a good future for myself, at a time when radio freelance dollars are getting harder to find.”

FROM BROADCAST TO PODCAST

London audio producer Matt Hill started out in theatre, but eventually ended up at the BBC’s Channel 4 where he helped them develop three radio stations for the network’s proposed DAB service in 2008. Specifically, Hill was (continued on page 6)

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Podcasting (continued from page 5)

tasked with finding international content to fill the DAB stations’ broadcast schedules, which meant “I was listening to a lot of American, Australian and Canadian podcasts,” he said.

It was this exposure that inspired Hill to produce his own podcasts, after Channel 4 pulled the plug on its planned DAB service. This led him to The Guardian newspaper producing various podcasts on their behalf. “I helped train print journalists to be broadcasters,” Hill

October 2018

it is a great career that offers so many possibilities, and a good way to make a living.” He added that the broadcast skills he learned at “Channel 4 Radio” were central to his subsequent success as a podcaster — and a resource that other broadcasters can use to enter this new medium too.

BROADCASTER PODCASTS

Canadian audio producer Veronica Simmonds began producing podcasts for the magazine Visual Arts News, “interviewing all the rad artists on Canada’s East Coast,” she said. This led

Matt Hill hard at work at Rethink Audio.

said. “I got a bit of a name for turning their expertise into podcasts that built interest in the newspaper’s print/online content.”

After leaving the Guardian, Matt Hill established his own podcast production company/studio. Called Rethink Audio, Hill’s company has continued to produce podcasts for The Guardian, plus BBC Radio 4, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Broadcast Magazine, Private Eye and Vice Media.

Rethink Audio also produces/distributes its own podcasts paid for by advertising and listener subscriptions. They include “Spark — True Stories,” “The Media Podcast,” “For Formula One’s Sake,” “The Modern Mann” and “Close Encounters.” These last two shows won awards at the British ARIA awards for Best Podcast in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Matt Hill won Online Producer of the Year at the Audio Production Awards in 2013.

“I estimate that I spend 70 percent of my time producing podcasts for our clients, and 30 percent for ourselves,” said Hill. “We do the latter because we love the intimacy and creativity that podcasting offers. For someone like me who has worked in theatre and broadcasting,

to Simmonds to broadcasting “Braidio.”

It was a uniquely intimate show on Halifax station CKDU 88.1 FM where she interviewed guests live while braiding their hair.

Simmonds’ solid on-mic performance, creative production, and innovative ideas in both media caught the attention of CBC Radio. Soon, her work was being aired on national CBC programs such as “Ideas,” “Spark” and “The Doc Project.”

Despite her broadcast success, Simmonds has never forgotten her love for making podcasts. And there’s the rub: Mindful of her knack for podcast production, CBC Radio has hired her to do the same for them.

“Today, I work with CBC Podcasts producing new series,” Simmonds said.

“The experience is certainly different than the ‘out of the closet’ productions that I did in my earlier years. It’s now done in a professional studio, allowing me to have the resources I need so I can focus on the craft of creative audio production.”

In this role, Veronica Simmonds is able to make podcasts like “Alone: A Love Story,” (www.cbc.ca/radio/alone), which she describes as “as a really deep, novelistic memoir about love and loss written by Michelle Parise.”

“I also produce ‘Sleepover’ (www.cbc. ca/radio/sleepover) where Sook-Yin Lee brings together three complete strangers for 24 hours to talk about what’s difficult and try to make it better,” Simmonds said. “And I’m currently developing a new series called ‘Tai Asks Why,’ which chronicles the adventures of an 11-year

Photo courtesy of Veronica Simmonds

RADIOWORLD |

Photo courtesy of Matt Hill

6

Veronica Simmonds’ podcast passion has translated into regular podcasting work at CBC Radio.

old boy genius named Tai Poole as he tries to find answers to some of life’s most complex questions.”

After making these comments, Simmonds draws a useful distinction between podcasts and broadcasting; one that explains why podcasting isn’t just “streaming radio on demand.” “With a podcast, a listener can binge on the episodes and immerse themselves totally in the content,” she said. “With radio, you can tune into a single program on air, but you can’t delve deeply into it the same way by listening to multiple episodes and get the full experience.”

The takeaway: Veronica Simmonds has found a way to combine the worlds of broadcasting and podcasting, making a decent living as an audio producer in the process. Struggling radio-only professionals, take note!

James Careless reports on the industry for Radio World from Ottawa, Ontario.

◗MARKETPLACE Transmitter Range: Nautel’s high-power NX transmitters have made the news several times during the past year, with high-profile installations taking place in locations around the world. Earlier this year, a 400 kW NX400 was placed on-air at TWR (Trans World Radio) on Bonaire, a Caribbean island. The transmitter was commissioned by TWR’s engineers following training at Nautel’s Nova Scotia factory in Canada.

This deployment follows last year’s installation of the largest radio transmitter in Europe, a 2 MW station at Antenna Hungaria’s site near Solt, Hungary. The Nautel NX2000 system incorporates five Nautel NX400 transmitters along with a large, versatile combiner. The new transmitter, which replaced an aging custom-built tube transmitter, represents significant power savings, as well as space savings, for the customer.

“Large projects which involve multiple transmitter units and combiners can be of concern to customers,” said Wendell Lonergan, Nautel Head of Broadcast Sales. “Transmitters have typically been combined in a binary fashion requiring bypass functionality in each combiner. Nautel has developed more sophisticated two-way and five-way combiners. If any transmitter in the system goes down or is taken off line, the combiner automatically reconfigures itself in order to maintain maximum on-air power.”

The past year also saw final acceptance of a four-year project to bring digital broadcasting to more than a billion residents of India, with the commissioning of 27 high-power medium wave transmitters throughout the country for All India Radio.

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Need to Know: AI and Machine Learning

Thinkstock/JONGHO_SHIN

8

Artificial intelligence’s potential is beginning to be fulfilled

BY MICHAEL GARWOOD As emerging technologies go, Artificial Intelligence has certainly taken its time in making its presence felt on the world.

Surprising as it may be (to some), the term AI has actually been around for

almost 70 years, having been first coined back in 1955 by computer scientist John McCarthy — AKA the “father of AI” — the same year Emmett Brown invented time travel.

Since then, AI has experienced a largely stop-start existence, mainly due to sporadic funding and below-par tech-

nology. In truth, the term AI has (arguably) gained more notoriety for storylines of killer robots (and the occasional Wall-e) hell-bent on destroying mankind than for its practical use and business benefits. But that’s all changing

THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Thanks to breakthroughs in computing power, the advent and availability of big data, cloud hosting/storage, highly sophisticated software and complex algorithms, the potential of AI is now starting to be fulfilled — with the business world being the biggest benefactors.

The market has reacted at pace. In recent years, billions of dollars have been invested by many — if not all — of the world’s leading organizations into AI technologies (and companies), each of them looking to utilize some form of AI technology to future proof and improve their businesses, and/or create a competitive advantage Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, IBM, Google (Deepmind), Amazon, Uber, LG, Apple, Yahoo are just some of the 2,000-plus AI specialists specializing in the field using and providing intelligent machines powered services top businesses like yours.

Various estimates suggest more than US$46 billion will be spent on AI services by 2020 by businesses, a figure rising to above $51 billion 12-months later.

BUT WHAT IS AI?

Before we go on (for the non-computer scientists out there), it’s perhaps worth just clarifying a few things around what AI is and is not. Yes, AI can mean robotics, but the best examples of AI are purely software based rather than having a physical form.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of often extremely technical and confusing definitions banded around online and in various publications detailing what AI actually provides. Indeed, entire books have been written detailing the subject.

For a more technical and detailed description we recommend you visit your local library, or download a copy of one from the many AI authors out there — Nick Bostrom’s “Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies” is a personal favorite of mine.

In its most simple form, AI is the study of methods for making computers behave intelligently and being able to replicate various characteristics of humans.

These can include identifying objects, sounds, understanding languages spoken, reading and understanding content such as text and numbers.

Machine learning (ML) is another extremely important branch of AI that you’ll often hear and read about. ML uses a more cognitive approach, using algorithms that enable it (whatever form factor ‘it’ may be) to combine what it’s been programmed to do, but also the capability of learning for itself through experience.

WHERE WE ARE

Depending on what you have seen, heard or read (fictional or not), you may have different ideas as to what AI is and is capable of at this stage. To offer some clarity there are three simple levels to be aware of.

• Weak AI AI capable of demonstrating human intelligence to carry out specific tasks.

• Strong AI AI capable of showing self-awareness, the ability to think and make decisions for itself to the same level as a human being.

• AI Super Intelligence AI showing superior levels of intelligence to human beings and fully in control of its existence.

For now (and for the foreseeable future) only Weak AI is currently relevant, so it’s time to remove any images of a leathered up, sunglasses wearing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Examples of weak AI have widely been adopted by different businesses and are in use today — you just might not realize it.

In fact, it’s a fairly safe bet that you’ve already unknowingly encountered some form of AI and machine learning technology before you started reading this article. Maybe even before you got out of bed.

Have you ever used Apple’s personal assistant, Siri? Or Amazon’s Alexa? Perhaps you’ve noticed how your emails (continued on page 10)

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AI (continued from page 8)

can often now detect questions being asked of you and automatically provide you with a ready made short reply? How about your smartphone that seems to be able to predict sentences you’re about to type as you’re typing?

For those that like a bit of online shopping (such as Amazon) or video streaming (Netflix), have you ever wondered how those personalized recommendations are determined? What about Facebook and its ability to not only recognize there are people in the photo you’ve posted, but can sometimes even identify them too?

They’re all using some form of AI, with the intention of bettering their customer’s experience, enhancing their financial opportunities and — unseen externally — improve their efficiency in workplace.

AI FOR ALL

You may be forgiven for thinking the implementation of AI is something exclusively for the Fortune 500’s of this world … but you’d be wrong.

Today, such are the advancements and every growing number of companies existing purely to support businesses like yours grow using AI technology, access to intelligent solutions are now widely available.

In essence, AI is (can be) something that can be packaged up and purchased on a monthly basis, like your broadband or phone. This model reduces significant costs associated with more bespoke inhouse solutions.

It also means the complexity is significantly removed, meaning you won’t necessarily need to go and employ a qualified and expensive computer scientist.

So, why should you and your business consider implementing AI? Could it be just a fad? Will it really benefit you?

The answers are wide and extremely varied and will be largely unique to your own business. There may be some obvious areas of your business you’d like to improve upon, be it financially or operationally motivated.

The magnitude and inevitability of AI cannot be ignored, nor underestimated.

Many AI experts and professionals have described the potential impact of AI on (continued on page 12)

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Is Artificial Intelligence Friend or Foe to Radio?

Radio’s human touch is the secret to its continued success — but could AI help stations compete?

BY EMILY M. REIGART Automation, audio streaming, smartspeakers, podcasting, audio search and other technological advancements are of increasing importance to radio, offering as many benefits as they do challenges for modern broadcasters.

As belts tighten and consolidation forces radio stations to seek out new efficiencies and revenue streams, artificial intelligence can be used as a tool for sales and digital teams and programmers.

SMARTSPEAKERS, ASSISTANTS, STREAMING, APPS & MORE

Thanks to advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence, many consumers are more likely to ask their smartphone a question than go to customer service. Fast food restaurants, airports and department stores have all adopted kiosks that can help consumers independently perform tasks that previously required employee assistance.

These AI applications have made human interaction less common, but Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs points out that people still crave contact that feels human rather than robotic. (Hence the humanoid names and natural-ish voices adopted by Amazon, Apple, Google and other company’s virtual assistants.)

On his blog (https://jacobsmedia.com/artificialintelligence-vs-radio/ ), Jacobs writes, “It’s almost ironic then that at a time when technologists are trying to make their robots and gadgets more human, radio often tries to make its humans more robotic. Voicetracking, syndicated shows, liner cards and other tactics designed to be ratingsfriendly may be precisely what listeners aren’t looking for when they turn on the radio.”

But improving the user experience is exactly what sound companies say they’re likely trying to do. iHeartMedia, for example, says it’s using AI to improve its iHeartRadio app and “to create an unmatched digital listening experience for our users,” Chief Product Officer Chris Williams told Radio World in August. Using Super Hi-Fi, he says the company is able to offer customized song transitions and adjust volume discrepancies just like a live DJ would — but at the scalable rate necessary for streaming.

According to Williams, “There are two parts of programming that effect the user experience and have to be considered: curation and presentation. The curation, or song selection, is still based on our custom algorithm, which is influenced by the curation expertise of our world-class radio programmers. The presentation, or how the songs are stitched together, is what’s being enhanced using the Super Hi-Fi AI.”

IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS

Even as many DJs fret about automation, syndication and voicetracking putting them out of work, AI saved the job of

at least one veteran broadcaster.

In 2016, Cox Media Group national politics reporter James Dupree lost his voice due to tongue protrusion dystonia, but Scottish tech company CereProc has helped get him back on the air, according to a BBC News story written

by Mary-Ann Russon (https://tinyurl.com/yceu43cw).

According to Russon’s article, CereProc started developing neural networks in 2006, and this year has trained one to recreate Dupree’s voice using artificial intelligence that learned from 30 years’ worth of recorded broadcast audio.

CereProc Chief Technical Officer and co-founder Chris Pidcock told the BBC, “AI techniques work quite well on small constrained problems, and learning to model speech is something deep neural nets can do really well.”

Beginning in late June, Dupree uses free text-to-speech software Balabolka to turn his radio scripts into an audio recording that replicates his voice and can be used on air.

ti gles /wig stock Think

CAN AI MAKE MONEY FOR RADIO STATIONS?

ck

On the advertising side, artificial intelligence certainly offers opportunity for broadcasters.

Veritone Media Senior Vice President Drew Hilles says AI is ideal for tasks like monitoring media, transcription and ad verification, as well as jobs like generating reference clips.

“New realities for traditional media may initially cause concern, but revenue generated from radio advertising is not dying. Broadcasters can preserve and enhance their value proposition for advertisers by employing cognitive engine technology. With the use of AI, the once-linear data of audio and video commercials can be efficiently tracked and analyzed, including native content. As a result, broadcasters can not only prove the brand mentions, but also track the value they deliver to their advertisers,” Hilles explained.

Additional opportunities for monetization may be found in the world of smartspeakers (think ads that direct listeners to take action — and then consumers can immediately and seamlessly do so via voice command).

This list of artificial intelligence applications for radio is far from exhaustive; most of AI’s potential has yet to be discovered, let alone exploited.

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AI (continued from page 10)

businesses as being equivalent to the invention an adoption of the personal computer and email.

Some suggest that AI can help boost revenues by around 20 percent, whilst others warn that any business currently not at least thinking about adopting some form of AI could already be two years behind a rival. Further delays could even result in their demise further down the road due to losing a competitive advantage.

GETTING STARTED

The first thing to remember is what the purpose of AI actually is and identifying how it can benefit your business.

From speaking to various professionals in the field, the two core reasons can be narrowed down to the following: • Solving existing problems • Discovering and identifying new opportunities The uses of AI are therefore extremely vast and varied.

At its core, AI is fueled by data, which can come in many different forms for many different uses. Emails, newsletters, subscriptions, views to your website, downloads, sales are just some examples of where data can be collected.

On its own, that data may not seem useful. However, contained within it

October 2018

could be the difference between success and failure (profit and loss). This is where AI comes into play, and be able to — in many instances — do the job of a human.

Today, the bulk of that potentially valuable data held in companies is still not being utilized.

“If we look at the amount of data which is actually being analyzed today, only 20 percent of the data we have is searchable and being used productively,” commented IBM chairman, president and CEO Ginni Rometty during a discussion on the subject. “The other 80 percent is held inside companies, generally not being used.”

IMPACT ON JOBS

One of the more universal drivers for AI is around automation — a word often which spreads fear when discussing the risks to people’s professions.

Areas administrative work (such as data processing, data collection) is something widely seen as an area where AI will support and/or replace humans.

Some figures suggest almost half of all activities at work could eventually be automated, while PwC estimates AI powered machines could take up to 30 percent of U.K. jobs by 2030. The Bank of England has estimated that 15 million jobs may be at risk.

“If your work is repetitive and not creative, you will be gone very soon,” was a stark warning Dr. Roman V. Yampolskiy, a professor in the department of Computer Engineering and Computer,

Science at the Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville.

Examples of automation and loss of jobs can be seen all over the world today. Some of the headline grabbing stories include that of a Japanese law firm called Fukoku Mutual Life, which invested more than $1.7 million building an AI platform with IBM Watson, which has seen more than 34 staff replaced. The savings for the firm are predicted to be around $1 million a year.

SPOTTING AN OPPORTUNITY

Another major area for AI adoption is within sales. There are now examples of where AI, using natural language processing software and specific algorithms, is able to spot patterns (in data), to identify new opportunities and provide a level of analysis on in just a few seconds.

This can vary greatly. Examples include gaining greater knowledge on customer’s viewing and buying behavior — i.e, what they’re looking at and when they most likely buy (such as pay day).

Another might be identifying the best time to send bespoke marketing/promotional material or newsletters to specific customers rather than en-mass as part of a one-size-fits-all strategy. Another could be automatically identifying cold customers (those that haven’t transacted with you for a while) or have looked at something for a long period but not bought, sending them updates, reminders or special offers to help get things over the line.

Other spaces where AI is proving

significant benefits and opportunities include personal/virtual assistants; customer service; media monitoring; translation; personalized news feeds; purchase recommendations; forecasting; security (fraud, cybersecurity), CCTV/ surveillance); robotics; healthcare; autonomous vehicles The AI revolution is here and it will — if not already — play a key role in the future of the way your business runs and perform.

When you decide to get on board is up to you.

◗NEWSWATCH JOE LAUNCHES TWO DIGITAL CHANNELS On Aug. 20 commercial radio station Joe launched two new stations, available via DAB+, online and the Joe-branded app.

The two stations, Joe 70s and Joe 80s, offer a nonstop musical format with news, traffic and weather forecasts, plus a morning drive show — Joe’s 6–9 a.m. — “Sven en Anke,” which is broadcast on the three stations simultaneously.

With “Sven en Anke,” presented by Joe DJ’s Sven Ornelis and Anke Bukinckx, Joe marks a first in Flanders. Listeners who tune into the ’70s or ’80s version of Joe still get Sven and Anke’s presentation, while listening to the hits of decades ago.

“For me this is quite unique,” said Ornelis. “It’s like when I first presented my own radio show in the self-op mode. Our morning show now runs on three stations and still you get the music you want — it’s great fun!”

Alain Claes, head of radio innovation at Medialaan, the owner of the three stations, explained that pioneering the multiple broadcast of the “Sven en Anke” show on three stations was the result of fine-tuning Joe’s DaletPlus playout system.

“Mind you, the presentation is not at all intrusive on the ’70s and ’80s station,” he said. “We stick

to each station’s unique format and remain loyal to the track length of the songs. While the show runs on the main Joe channel, the two other stations get the spoken content in their playout schedule. The big advantage is that, in doing so, we get three full-fledged stations with presenters announcing music tracks Sven Ornelis and Anke Bukinckx are hosts of the Joe morning drive show with standardized spoken “Sven en Anke.” word cut segues recorded on customized recorders.” Claes says the whole sysvia Livewire to the DAB+ headends for distribution tem was engineered by Medialaan technicians, using via the Norkring transmission provider.

“We know that seven out of 10 listeners want to dedicated macros and GPI/O-pulses. have more thematic stations offering specific musiBoth new stations are fully digital and mainly cal styles or content, and this is a first step on the operating in the cloud — but they can also use way. People who like music from the ’70s or ’80s Joe’s vast radio studio landscape for special occasions. “Like, for instance, when Aretha Franklin died, and appreciate the ‘Sven en Anke’ morning show can we would have been able to produce a special in now get up and listen to the hits of their favorite decennium,” concluded An Caers, director for Radio one of Joe studio’s to air it on the Joe ’70s station,” at Medialaan. explained Claes.

— Marc Maes The signal flow of the two new stations is routed

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BUYER’S GUIDE

Media Asset Management: Automation, Traffic/Billing

RADIOWORLD

October 2018

Olesa Radio Relies on AEQ AudioPlus Automation Ability to communicate with other AEQ equipment provides a bonus

◗USERREPORT

BY RAFA MARTINEZ

Technical Manager Olesa Radio

OLESA, Spain — Olesa Radio was formed back in 1982 as a local radio community service in Olesa, near Barcelona. Olesa Radio started with programming limited to the afternoon/ night and weekends. Counting on a large number of collaborators, Radio Olesa slowly managed to become a reference to local entities and associations.

The main challenge for community stations is to be able to keep a 24/7 schedule of quality programming on air to gain and maintain listeners’ loyalty.

This normally involves a huge human and technical effort and the need for alliances that allow for the broadcasting of contents that are of local and national interest.

In 2008, when we moved the studios to the current location, we made the decision to install AEQ’s MAR4SuitePRO automation system. Now we have upgraded to the company’s AudioPlus.

It provides us with some really good features.

It is compatible with any kind of audio card, even IP ones. In addition it has editing and management tools. We have two workstations installed, one for each studio; one of them acts as the server. A dedicated keyboard is used, allow-

ing us to trigger audio files conveniently.

The automatic playout module allows us to prepare a playlist that is assembled based on selection criteria, using a presentation panel that provides the tools for editing the transitions between the audio files in an automatic or semiautomatic way.

We also count on tools to organize advertising, filling the already reserved slots with the contents of each advertiser’s campaigns based on contract criterion. Pricing of advertisement in local stations like ours must be attractive, so the advertisement management costs must be kept low.

News and local information bulle-

tins are usually generated live, although AudioPlus allows to remotely assemble, modify and broadcast news contents from a PC.

QUALITY PROGRAMMING

While AudioPlus has a quick audio editor, in order to create more artistic content such as intros, jingles and special ads, it also allows for working with external editors such as Adobe Audition, which we also use.

In order for a local radio station to be able to air interesting content day and night it is very important to work with on other organizations that provide content.

In order to provide a high-quality music programming during the night, from 12 to 7 a.m., we broadcast music and cultural programming by ICat.com.

The costs involved in the creation of such contents by ourselves would not be acceptable for a small corporation like ours.

For the rest of the day, many local radio stations in Catalonia are integrated in the La Xarxa Audiovisual Local SL (XAL) network. The network consists of 125 stations collaborating in the generation and broadcasting of contents via an IP network using AEQ’s Venus codecs.

Xarxa has its headquarters, studios and main station in Barcelona. Using a specially designed software application, contributions from the local stations and distribution using multicast groups can be organized.

AEQ AudioPlus automation system via the Venus codecs can respond to instructions generated by the Barcelona Xarxa headquarters. This way. thanks to AudioPlus, we receive news in the morning and noon, while we also participate in a daily collaborative program in the afternoons and produce a weekly program about opera for other stations.

For Olesa Radio AEQ AudioPlus radio production and broadcasting automation system provides power and efficiency that is very helpful to local radio stations in producing quality content 24/7.

For information, contact AEQ in Spain at +34-91-686-1300 or visit www.aeq.eu.

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Media Asset Management: Automation, Traffic/Billing

ENCO Presenter Amplifies On-Air Operations for All Classical Portland

Color-coded active GUI keeps DJs on their toes

◗USERREPORT

BY JORDAN LEWIS

Director of Radio Operations

and CHRISTA WESSEL On-Air Personality, All Classical Portland

PORTLAND, Oregon — Embodying

the spirit of the Pacific Northwest, All Classical Portland is a public radio station that broadcasts classical music to 250,000 local listeners each week in Portland, Southwest Washington, and some coastal Oregon communities on 89.9 MHz. More than six million people have streamed online at www.allclassi-

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cal.org from over 160 countries around the world. It is our commitment to share the most dynamic and wonderful performances on the air and consciously work to build our community through public service and the programming we share.

Founded in 1983, All Classical is Portland’s only 24-hour classical radio station, reaching listeners across Oregon via a network of HD Radio transmitters and repeaters, including KQHR(FM), serving Hood River/The Dalles, and KQOC(FM) and KQMI(FM), serving coastal areas. We moved our facility four years ago to a modern space within the Hampton Opera Center, where we enjoy spectacular views of downtown Portland, Tilikum Crossing, and the Willamette River from our on-air studio.

Since installing ENCO’s DAD (Digital Audio Delivery) radio automation system in 2009, we’ve relied on it daily for playout of virtually all of our music playlists, as well as six to eight prerecorded shows and promos. Assets loaded into the DAD database — on network attached storage — are assigned cut numbers, making them easier to search, organize, and

manage. And, while the system can be monitored and managed remotely, this automated playout system has proven to be extremely precise and reliable.

Earlier this year, we upgraded our DAD system by opting for Presenter, an intuitive user interface that organizes the most critical information about our on-air operation into multiple on-screen windows, including the daily playlist, a search feature along with a Presenter program window. With any new software adjustments must be made, and staff must be appropriately trained.

There were challenges for us implementing Presenter, but luckily the process was fairly quick and smooth thanks to our dedicated staff.

With its big, colorful buttons, icons and other on-screen visuals, the Presenter display makes it easy to grasp the status of our on-air operations at a glance. For example, as an item at the top of the playlist nears the end of its live playout, an on-screen element flashes boldly to get the operator’s attention, so that no cues are missed. Program changes are also much easier to make, simply by

dragging and dropping items between the on-screen windows. The ability to achieve this on the fly during a live show is especially powerful.

When we need to search for a particular item, the search tool allows us to enter terms based on a keyword, phrase or number. It immediately generates a list of results residing in the cuts database that you can choose from, and we simply drag our selection over to the Presenter screen to add it to the playlist, even within moments of it going to air.

While DAD enables us to fully automate our station around the clock, we prefer for our on-air hosts to be on live during the day. This ensures that they can truly engage with listeners and refer to things happening in the community. For timeslots during the night and portions of the weekend, the announcers are voicetracked. Those recordings are added to the DAD playlist and interspersed with the music, which ensures reliable, fully automated playout on schedule.

DAD color-codes the playlist so that operators can check the status of the transitions, including those that will be fully automated. Red means that playback will stop after the current selection ends, and an operator will need to step in to initiate the next track for playout. Yellow means the system will auto-play, but that no one has voice-tracked the transitions to finesse the way that one selection will lead into another. And green means the segues have been finessed, and the system is set to auto-play one selection after the next until the live operator takes back control.

The flexibility to be on the air live during the day, but to fully automate shows during the night, weekends and holidays, means that our staff can work reasonable hours and enjoy a better quality of life. DAD automation — including its new server-based environment — has really changed the way we do radio. And, Presenter has made a world of difference in how we run our live operation.

For information, contact Ken Frommert at ENCO Systems in Michigan at +1-248-827-4440 or visit www.enco. com.

ABOUT BUYER’S GUIDE Radio World publishes User Reports on products in various equipment classes throughout the year to help potential buyers understand why colleagues chose the equipment they did. A User Report is an unpaid testimonial by a user who has already purchased the gear. A Radio World Product Evaluation, by contrast, is a freelance article by a paid reviewer who typically receives a demo loaner. Do you have a story to tell? Write to brett.moss@ futurenet.com.

“We get to work on our stations wherever we are!” rcsworks.com

© Copyright 2016 RCS. All Rights Reserved. RCS Sound Software and its products and their marks and logos are registered trademarks of RCS.

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◗TECHUPDATES RCS UPGRADES ZETTA WHITE PLAINS, New York — Broadcast automation software developer RCS says its Zetta automation system is the result of decades of experience and feedback from the users of the company’s NexGen Digital and Master Control studio systems. The modular design, combined with an ability to scale, integrate and create, perfect workflow, is limited only by the imagination, it says. That can make it a perfect choice for small, medium or large enterprise broadcast operations. Zetta can be everything a single station needs or it can be on multiple sites to scale and distribute services horizontally, the company says.

Each broadcaster has their own version of the perfect workflow. The RCS Living Log offers an advanced level of integration which enables a multitude of workflow concepts. For Zetta users there’s no need to wait for a refresh, because updates are instantly reflected everywhere.

Though Zetta has a lot of moving parts it is very stable. Behind the curtains, each function has a launcher app, which will restart a service if it stops unexpectedly. In other words, the Sequencer is separate from the audio playout, and separate from the user interface as well.

Adhering to warnings of always having a backup, Zetta is ready. Every computer in a Zetta system can be configured to Go Local with Zetta. This means the local computer will use a copy of the main database that is saved and synchronized on the local hard drive.

To handle needs for users away from the office, inspiration or last-minute changes, the Zetta 2GO app can control a Zetta automation/playout system from any mobile device. Use it to manipulate what’s on the air, wherever there’s an internet connection.

For information, contact RCS in the United States at +1-914-428-4600 or visit www.rcsworks.com.

SMARTER HOTKEYS FOR VOXPRO DIGITAL RECORDER/EDITOR NEW BERN, North C arolina — Wheatstone has a new software release for its VoxPro recorder/ editor, the digital audio editing system used in many broadcast studios and newsrooms worldwide for live recording and editing of call-ins, interviews and spots.

The new VoxPro version 7.1 features smarter hotkeys as well as customizable shortcuts and improved file naming and importing functions.

The company says that VoxPro is designed specifically for broadcast applications and is known for its trademark VoiceSlip feature that automatically handles host/caller talk-over, as well as its GapBuster feature that can automatically remove silence from interviews and phone calls in seconds, rather than the minutes it would take to do manually.

Also unique to VoxPro is its controller with scrub wheel designed specifically for real-time recording, editing and playback on the air, the control keys of which are mapped to specific functions in the software for fast recording and editing without requiring a mouse.

The company says that this new version builds on VoxPro’s reputation as a standard for live radio recording and editing in on-air control rooms and newsrooms worldwide with smarter hotkeys, which can now loop and pause sound effects, spots, music beds and interview quips. In addition, users now have access to more hotkeys at one time and can route hotkeys to individual faders (input strips) on the studio console plus color-code them based on 32 different colors for faster recall.

For information, contact Wheatstone in the United States at +1-252-638-7000 or visit www.wheatstone.com.

WINMEDIA GROUP OFFERS SCALABLE SOLUTIONS LA SEYNE SUR MER, France — WinMedia Group says the WinMedia radio and TV automation software unifies the content chain by managing all aspects of media from acquisition and production, through to distribution, marketing, planning and dissemination.

The company promotes the software as a “complete solution,” which allows users to ingest and produce content for radio, TV, web and mobile in a single system.

In addition, WinMedia Group offers the WinMam integrated newsroom computer system is designed to let users manage library, logger, voice track or playlist functions via internet and WinSales, a web-based CRM to manage all the sales activities of our customers.

WinSales is a scalable solution that promises to streamline booking and billing operations by providing real-time online booking, tailor-made customer relationship management and a wide range of planning, management, billing and reporting options.

For information, contact WinMedia in France at +33-494-102-101 or visit www.winmedia.org.

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October 2018

Media Asset Management: Automation, Traffic/Billing

◗TECHUPDATES NEOGROUPE MAKES SOLUTIONS GDPR COMPLIANT MAROLLES EN BRIE, France — Software developer NeoGroupe has released GDPR-compliant versions of its entire line of software solutions.

The company has enhanced its NeoWinners promotions and winners management software as well as its NeoScreener call screening application with GDPR/PDPA/SOX-compliant features, in order to protect personal data contained in databases.

The company says data encryption, user logins, the logging of changes and automatic deletion of old data, in addition to other features, ensure that NeoGroupe solutions operate in accordance to the regulations, thus allowing users to interact with their audience within the new set of rules.

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

PRISM SOUND UPGRADES SADiE CAMBRIDGE, England — Some news about a product that used to be quite popular with many radio station production staff — one of the first, and best, digital audio workstation platforms, SADiE. Prism Sound has announced a new release, Version 6.1.13. The company describes the free interstitial update as introducing “a number of enhancements and bug fixes …”

V6.1.13 is available as a 64-bit version for the SADiE 6 platform and also for the specialized SADiE BB2 Radio Editor system and LRX2 Flexible Location Recorder.

The chief enhancement is to optimize the core for Windows 10 operation.

SADiE Product Specialist Steve Penn added, “The new software adds a number of advantages in terms of expanded functionality and much improved latency figures, especially when SADiE systems are running in ASIO mode.”

He explained further: “With this version, both fully featured SADiE 6 software and SADiE’s simple intuitive MTR standalone recording software can support 254 channels in and out over ASIO. We have also ensured that Sound Suite versions of SADiE 6 can support ASIO Direct Monitoring when used with ASIO devices that have this facility, such as Prism Sound’s award-wining Titan, Lyra and Atlas audio interfaces, RME units and cards with Total mix.”

Concerning the Mastering Suite and Sound Suite versions of SADiE V6.1.13 also offer WAV Master, ASIO Direct Monitoring and native support for timecode. ASIO Direct Monitoring is available in the Sound Suite version, while native LTC support is offered in the Mastering, Post and Sound Suite versions.

The company said that other smaller feature updates include support for playback and recording to RF64 format and 64-bit support for the Cedar Retouch, Declick, Decrackle, Dethump plug-ins.

For information, contact Prism Media Products in New Jersey at +1-973-9836577 or visit www.sadie.com.

DJB SOFTWARE IS IN THE ZONE LAS VEGAS, Nevada — DJB Software’s Zone OnAir Suite is a new software offering that the company says has evolved from 34 years of radio automation innovation, the company says.

DJB Zone OnAir infrastructure now supports a high-efficiency SQL database for local, network and wide area operations and several versions of database sizes are supported giving buyers a choice based on budget and needs.

DJB Zone OnAir is a layout scalable product suitable for LPFM/AM/FM/repeaters and comes with flexible on-screen zones of the system functions that can be arranged, resized and layered in a variety of different views. A “Layout Recall” is provided for quick layout change modes based on the talent preferences.

DJB Zone OnAir hot key panel supports button colors along with simple audio library drag’n drop on blank buttons to create new panels. The DJB Zone weather panel features hot keys for enhancement for live read weather reports with audio intros, outros and music beds. Air talent also has an Artist Enrichment panel that provides a host of details in the artist’s activities in the latest releases, album history, recording studio dates, tours, website, streams and live appearances.

DJB Zone OnAir can be remote managed using iPad, Microsoft Surface, slate or smartphones with a browser remote interface. DJB Zone Remote Voice Tracking continues to provide VPN ease of access by remote talent to schedules, audio play out and in from remote sites for that “in-studio feel.”

DJB products are audio card-agnostic. Recording, WAV editing, and multichannel play-out operate with full features on generic computer onboard sound cards, external USB sound cards, AudioScience and Digigram pro cards, along with IP audio drivers for Dante, WheatNet and Axia Livewire.

For information, contact DJB Software in Nevada at +1-702-487-3336 or visit www.djbradio.com.

JUTEL RADIOMAN ACCESS OPERATES IN THE CLOUD OULU, Finland — Jutel’s RadioMan Access cloud-native radio automation platform offers a suite for radio production needs from planning to distribution.

The company says the solution changes the way radio broadcasting has traditionally been done, allowing users to broadcast from anywhere at anytime.

Using cloud-based broadcasting, the system, which implements the virtualization of servers and application units, supports IP audio broadcasting and distribution, as well as AoIP standards such as AES67/ Ravenna, Dante, Livewire+ and WheatNet. For information, contact Jutel in Finland at +358-207-476200 or visit www.jutel.fi.

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◗TECHUPDATE OPEN BROADCASTER OFFERS AUTOMATED SOUNDEXCHANGE FEATURE TAGISH, Yukon Territory — Open Broadcaster is says that it is the only open source media asset management platform combined with an emergency alerting system based on the Common Alerting Protocol.

It works with basic generic computers including Raspberry Pi hardware with support for modern Axia Livewire AoIP digital consoles for plug and play operation all run through a unified and simple to use web browser dashboard.

Multiple users currently collaborate as a community to manage metadata and schedule multimedia digital assets using online media servers that broadcast LPFM indigenous community radio and CATV video playout with open source EAS overlays.

Open Broadcaster is available as a supported turnkey streaming appliance, hosted virtual cloud service or as open source broadcast automation software for users with some technical skills for a DIY installation on commodity computers. It is secure and reliable, the developer says.

In addition, Open Broadcaster is built so that additional features may be requested or sponsored for development with the community contributing code.

For example, recently a project was sponsored to create a module for SoundExchange royalty reporting. What once took many hours every three months can now be done with a single click of a mouse. Properly formatted reports are automatically compiled into an XLXS file, with the correct headers for submission

to SoundExchange. In markets outside of the U.S., this enhancement also enables stations to produce detailed on-the-fly reports showing media usage, statistics and metadata, further to work done with SoundExchange to ensure reports would be seamlessly ingested.

Since its incorporation in 2005, Open Broadcaster Inc. has offered hardware, software and streaming solutions to help our clients be effective at any scale of operation.

For information, contact Open Broadcaster in Canada at +1-867–667-6397 or visit https://openbroadcaster.com.

BROADCAST EQUIPMENT EXCHANGE TRANSMITTERS/EXCITERS/TRANSLATORS

TRANSCOM CORPORATION

Serving the Broadcast Industry Since 1978 Transmitters and Broadcast Equipment for Radio & Television Used FM Transmitters 55W 3.5 KW 3.5 KW 5 KW 5.25 KW 10 KW 10 KW 10 KW 21.5 KW 25 KW 35 KW

2000 2000 2006 1998 2006 1988 1993 1998 1990 2004 1991

Harris DIGIT CD Harris Z3.5CD, solid-state Harris Z3.5CD, solid-state Nautel FM5, solid state Harris Z8HD+ Digital/Analog BE FM10A, Dual 5 KW Harris HT10, SS IPA 1-phase Nautel FM10, Solid State 1-phase Continental 816R2A, SS IPA Harris HT25CD BE FM35B

Please visit our website, www.fmamtv.com, for additional listings.

HARRIS

Used AM Transmitters 10 KW 12 kW

1991 2001

Nautel AMPFET10, solid-state Nautel XL12, solid-state New TV Transmitters- DTV & ATV OMB and Technalogix

Exciters & Miscellaneous Equipment Exciters->Harris DIGIT, Continental 802B Bird Model 8932, 10 kW air-cooled RF Load Harris N + 1 Controller

**1KW Special w/4 channel encoder** VHF and UHF TV Antennas (10 W to 10 KW) TV STL

800-441-8454 • 215-938-7304 • FAX: +1-215-938-7361 www.fmamtv.com • E-mail: transcom@fmamtv.com RETUNING & TESTING AVAILABLE • CALL US FOR A QUOTE!

RADIOWORLD

ADVERTISER INDEX

October 2018

This listing is provided for the convenience of our readers.

Radio World assumes no liability for inaccuracy.

page

advertiser

website /url

18

AETA Audio Systems

www.aeta-audio.com

1

Broadcast Bionics

www.bionics.co.uk

14

Deva Broadcast Ltd

www.devabroadcast.com

5

Digigram, S.A.

www.digigram.com

23

Inovonics Broadcast

www.inovonicsbroadcast.com

9

Lawo AG

www.lawo.com

21

Mandozzi by Elber

www.mandozzi.ch

4, 10, 16

Nautel

www.nautel.com

8 NeoGroupe

www.neogroupe.com

11

www.telosalliance.com/omnia

Omnia - The Telos Alliance

24 Orban

www.orban.com

17 RCS

www.rcsworks.com

1

RFE Broadcast

www.rfebroadcast.com

7

Tieline Technology

www.tieline.com

2, 13, 15

Wheatstone

www.wheatstone.com

19 Xperi

www.xperi.com

ADVERTISING CONTACTS EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA:

NORTH AMERICA:

RAFFAELLA CALABRESE +39-320-891-1938 Fax: +39-02-700-436-999 raffaella.calabrese@futurenet.com

MICHELE INDERRIEDEN +1-212-378-0400 x523 Fax: +1-301-234-6303 michele.inderrieden@futurenet.com

AD MATERIALS: PETE SEMBLER +1-212-378-0400 x324 Fax: +1-650-238-0263 peter.sembler@futurenet.com

VYTAS URBONAS +1-212-378-0400 x533 Fax: +1-630-786-3385 vytas.urbonas@futurenet.com

NICOLE SCHILLING +1-212-378-0400 x418 nicole.schilling@futurenet.com