Welcome to the June 4th, 2025 issue of Radio World
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Technology & news for radio decision makers
Broadcasting through the blaze
As firefighters worked nearby, engineers kept L.A. stations on the air during the Eaton Fire
Localism in Red Hook Kathleen Berghorn and Andy Gladding undertake a new venture: radio ownership.
your digital Insights about HD Radio installations from Jeff Detweiler.
Vol. 49 No. 12 | June 4 2025 www.radioworld.com
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CONTENT
Managing Director, Content & Editor in Chief Paul J. McLane, paul.mclane@futurenet.com, 845-414-6105
Assistant Editor & SmartBrief Editor Elle Kehres, elle.kehres@futurenet.com
Content Producer Nick Langan, nicholas.langan@futurenet.com
Technical Advisors W.C. “Cris” Alexander, Thomas R. McGinley, Doug Irwin
Contributors: David Bialik, John Bisset, Edwin Bukont, James Careless, Ken Deutsch, Mark Durenberger, Charles Fitch, Donna Halper, Alan Jurison, Paul Kaminski, John Kean, Larry Langford, Mark Lapidus, Michael LeClair, Frank McCoy, Jim Peck, Mark Persons, Stephen M. Poole, James O’Neal, T. Carter Ross, John Schneider, Gregg Skall, Dan Slentz, Dennis Sloatman, Randy Stine, Tom Vernon, Jennifer Waits, Steve Walker, Chris Wygal
Production Manager Nicole Schilling
Senior Design Director Lisa McIntosh
Senior Art Editor Will Shum
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SBE pushes for relief for FMs
It says the FCC should drop or modify certain interference rules
Paul McLane Editor in Chief
Among many ideas submitted in response to Chairman Brendan Carr’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative are several from the Society of Broadcast Engineers.
The “Delete” proceeding is meant to help the commission identify burdensome rules and regulations to remove. (In our previous issue we shared some of NAB’s suggestions.)
In its initial filing, the society focused on relief for FM stations. It believes stations are hampered by “artificial, overly conservative” spacing limits.
“FM broadcasters must be afforded the regulatory opportunity to maximize their reach,” SBE wrote, according to coverage on our website by my colleague Nick Langan. Certain current interference rules “have not kept pace” with modern radio receivers, SBE argues. The intermediate frequency contour rules, for example, date to the 1960s. At the time, the concern was that the IF of radio receivers used 10.7 MHz as part of their demodulation scheme.
Stations or assignments separated in frequency by 10.6 or 10.8 MHz are not authorized unless they conform to specific spacing by classes.
A radio tuned to 96.5 FM — in theory — could interfere with someone trying to receive a signal on 107.3 FM if the two receivers were close enough.
However, “Today’s radio receivers offer significantly improved interference protections from high-power radio frequencies,” SBE wrote, so it proposes removing those requirements.
It also advocated for relaxing second- and third-adjacent spacing criteria. SBE said the FCC and Congress have recognized the need to peel back thirdadjacents in the LPFM rules, where such rules have been eliminated.
“Certainly, there is little reason why interference concerns among other secondary FM services should be treated differently from LPFM stations,” it wrote.
It proposed eliminating the third-adjacency separation condition for boosters and translators. It also urged the commission to eliminate or reduce third-adjacent considerations for full-power FMs, with the option to require case-by-case interference analysis.
For second-adjacents, SBE believed those separation considerations should be significantly reduced.
“By reducing spacing requirements to appropriate levels based on modern receiver technology, the commission will again allow FM broadcasters to maximize their stations’ reach and service to their communities,” it wrote.
More ideas
In a subsequent filing, SBE commented on ideas raised by others. It noted that a number of filers want the FCC to eliminate or revise the rules that require certain FM translators to be fed audio signals over the air. At a minimum, the society advocated for licensees with an OTA restriction to be permitted to feed translators by any method so long as an OTA signal can be shown to be received at the translator location.
The SBE backed NAB’s comments that minimum efficiency standards required of AM broadcast antennas create a barrier to entry, requiring stations to use large towers with extensive ground installations, particularly at lower frequencies. It says technology has improved to allow the design of smaller systems that provide sufficient coverage but that current rules block their use.
The SBE also supported the NAB’s plea to remove heightened authorization requirements for the expanded AM band. According to the NAB, the commission has not opened a filing window for the band in more than 20 years and there are only 53 stations authorized in the band.
“There is no practical or technical reason why applications for access to the expanded AM band should be treated differently from applications in the rest of the AM band,” the SBE wrote.
It urged the FCC to eliminate all alternate application requirements for the expanded band and noted the commission may wish to consider limited skywave protection for the band.
SBE also supports NAB’s proposal that the FCC should allow stations to use software-based EAS encoding and decoding equipment, rather than hardware, if they choose.
You can read the SBE’s filings at https://tinyurl.com/rw-SBEdelete and tinyurl.com/rw-SBE-delete2
“The commission has the opportunity to provide meaningful relief to FM radio broadcasters by simply eliminating and modifying certain interference rules that have not kept pace with the state of modern radio receiver technology.
Writer
Nick Langan
Read the author’s online column at www. radioworld. com/tag/nickssignal-spot
Mount Wilson survives another scare
Engineers discuss lessons learned or applied during the Eaton Fire
The Eaton and Palisades Fires that struck Southern California are believed responsible for about 30 deaths, according to news reports. The fires destroyed thousands of homes and caused hundreds of thousands of people to be evacuated.
Broadcast infrastructure seemed at risk; the fiery scenes captured during the Eaton Fire by cameras atop Mount Wilson in January quickly went viral. But although a building used for paging equipment succumbed to the flames, Los Angeles FM and TV stations that call the 5,700-foot summit home stayed on the air throughout, sometimes running on generator power during planned power shutoffs.
Nineteen FM stations maintain primary facilities atop Mount Wilson, according to data from the RadioLand app, while 26 TV stations transmit from Wilson, according to RabbitEars.Info.
What went right for the broadcast engineers involved? And what hazards should operators consider as they weigh risks from future fires? We asked three of them.
Calm in the crosshairs
Dennis Doty, RF engineer for NBC Los Angeles, was stationed at KNBC(TV)’s transmitter site on the east side of Mount Wilson on Jan. 9 when images of flames reaching the summit began circulating on social media.
NBC management called and told him he had to get out. “Everything’s fine,” he assured them. He stayed on the mountain throughout the fires, confident that despite surreal scenes nearby, the broadcast facilities themselves would stay safe.
During the emergency he ended up speaking live on air on KNBC and sister station KVEA(TV). He sounded calm in those broadcasts, but his mind was churning.
“My focus was split because I had to monitor 30 cameras to make sure I didn’t have a fire I needed to address,” he explained.
Doty is no stranger to fires on Wilson. He has weathered the Station Fire of 2009, the Bobcat Fire of 2020 and others. He has stayed up on the mountain for as many as 19 consecutive days, and in January he was there for at least 10.
David McNew/Getty Images
Above Firefighters mop up hot spots near the towers on Mount Wilson as the Eaton Fire continued to burn on Jan. 9 near Altadena, Calif.
Emergency Preparedness
Above
A melted electric meter box at Mount Wilson following the Eaton Fire.
Right
A structure damaged on Mount Wilson on Jan. 9.
Experience trained him to monitor the prevailing wind steering the Eaton Fire. “Eaton Canyon goes from Pasadena all the way up Wilson,” he said, noting that the area is popular for hiking. When the fire started, winds were blowing nearly 60 miles per hour in the opposite direction — southwest — so it was initially of little concern to Mount Wilson.
But then the winds died down, allowing the fire to make a beeline. “Fire likes to go uphill, and we’re kind of at the top of the chimney,” Doty said.
There were a handful of fire crews stationed atop the mountain, but most resources were committed to Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Doty felt that firefighting efforts at Mount Wilson were more reactive than proactive, with only about 12 trucks on hand.
Despite limited resources, Doty remained calm. The KNBC transmitter facility is built with concrete and has shelter areas. The nearby Wilson Observatory Dome also has basements.
“And we showed we could protect the mountain,” he said. Fire didn’t jump over to the other side of Mount Wilson Road, which he said was a tribute to good brush clearance. Yet the media images did not exaggerate the fire’s proximity. Flames came within about 15 feet, or the width of the road, of NBC’s transmitter property, and some of those flames were almost 60 feet in length.
KNBC’s fire safety plan includes adequate “defensible space,” defined by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as a buffer between a structure and the surrounding area that helps slow or halt the progress of fire.
For example the station’s Mount Wilson site is surrounded by a metal shell.
survivable egress routes and access to personal protective equipment, such as Doty’s fire tent.
“But I want to stress: If you don’t have good shelters in place, don’t do what I did,” staying atop the mountain.
The number one rule in a situation like this, Doty said, is to “never bring a victim to an emergency.” If you are not trained or lack supplies, stay out of the way.
Backups with backups
Doug Irwin, iHeartMedia’s regional engineering lead for the Los Angeles region, talked about the importance of having redundant systems in place.
He said iHeartMedia’s four FMs at Wilson — 92.3 KRRL(FM), 102.7 KIIS(FM), 103.5 KOST(FM) and 104.3 KBIG(FM) — have two auxiliary sites. Each site has backup power and STL links, but neither was needed during the January fire.
The first, Deer Park, is an 800-foot tower less than a mile west of the main antenna group on Wilson. It provides full redundancy, which includes HD Radio, but given its proximity, it doesn’t offer full fire protection.
“It’s important that both of your sites don’t go out at the same time,” Irwin said.
He referenced similar challenges in the Riverside–San Bernardino market, where the Heaps Peak site and its auxiliary, 15 miles south, have both burned over in the last 20 years.
iHeartMedia maintains a second backup site for its L.A. stations, approximately 20 miles west in the Hollywood Hills, designed with fire and landslide resilience in mind.
Irwin emphasizes that having backup sites isn’t just about fires. “This includes tower maintenance. You really have to ask yourself: How badly do we want to stay on the air?”
“Good housekeeping outside is almost as important as inside,” Doty said. Its plan also includes mapping
Irwin added that the lack of wind turned out to a blessing, reducing the potential for embers to blow, which happened in Altadena.
Ron Thompson is chief engineer at University of Southern California’s 91.5 KUSC(FM). He can testify about
Steve Rhoades, KABC(TV)
Steve Rhoades
Emergency Preparedness
the importance of backups after the station’s primary site on Mount Harvard, about a mile south of Wilson, took a hit.
A section of transmission line failed when Teflon inside the coax melted, which caused detuning.
“The burning vegetation below where the line path transitions from underground to open-air cable tray created an oven-like situation, especially under the steel plates,” Thompson said.
KUSC switched to its auxiliary site on Lookout Mountain in the Hollywood Hills. Though coverage was diminished, another broadcaster stepped in with a more advantageous setup temporarily. Full power was restored at Harvard later in February after repairs were made by the Frazier Parkbased integrator Com Plus.
Fuel issues
Extended power shutoffs by Southern California Edison complicated operations. Irwin said the iHeart stations had to operate on generator power for two weeks, except for a 36-hour stretch when power briefly was restored.
At one point, iHeart provided 270 gallons of fuel to a generator owned by American Tower to keep three of its four FMs online. A supplier was able to deliver fuel daily.
“You have to have a ready source of fuel,” Irwin said, in case of fire or any other unexpected interruption to operations.
Doty said NBC consumed about 2,000 gallons per day. The network also maintains a contingency for helicopter fuel drops — around 500 gallons — with enough capacity to last nine days.
Irwin said he found the power shutoffs frustrating in part due to a lack of good communication from the utility during the emergency. He said this was a contrast with years past,
when SCE even sent reps to SBE Chapter 47 meetings. The L.A. Department of Water and Power handles service at several of iHeart’s other sites, including the Hollywood Hills.
Irwin urged broadcasters to establish good communication with utility sources in advance so you know where to turn in an emergency. “You need to have a lead contact at your local power company,” Irwin said.
Also have a plan for how to exit the area if necessary. “If you go flying down the mountain, there’s a chance there’s going to be an accident or you’ll end up blocking the road,” Doty said.
In 2009, two firefighters died trying to retrieve gear. Doty watches for fire crew activity to inform his own egress decisions.
Ron Thompson/KUSC
Left Mount Wilson at sunset.
Below
Mount Wilson, in the background at right, is seen from an access road on Mount Harvard. The pink in the rocks is the fire retardant mix that the fire department deployed from the air the week prior.
David Cendejas
Looking at Mount Wilson and the saddle between Wilson and Harvard. Ron Thompson said the white vault is where utility power is converted from overhead to underground lines on its way from Altadena to Wilson.
Below
A crew from Com Plus repair KUSC’s transmission line, following the January wildfires.
Emergency Preparedness
“If they’re going out or hunkering down, stay with them, but keep that communication going,” he said. NBC has simulated worst-case scenarios, including helicopter evacuation.
Who controls what Jurisdictional considerations may come into play. Some of Mount Wilson is private land regulated by L.A. County while other parts fall under U.S. Forest Service.
NBC owns its Wilson transmitter site. Most FM broadcasters cluster in the “post office area,” surrounded by roads and managed largely by American Tower. Many lease land that is governed by the Forest Service.
Such differences can complicate decisions, Irwin said, such as cutting a tree that blocks a microwave path.
NBC conducts annual brush clearance, hiring a crew for a week. Trees are trimmed to lift the canopy eight to 10 feet. Brush is removed but some vegetation is left to retain moisture and soil stability.
“Clear too much and the soil becomes hydrophobic,” Doty said. “Our idea is to let it flash through low and avoid canopy fires.”
Among tower maintenance and site management companies, Doty said, fire abatement can be “out of sight, out of mind, until it’s a problem.” Site managers also may be hesitant to disturb the natural landscape around towers.
Right
Ron Thompson/KUSC
Emergency Preparedness
Doty said a tall tower on the west side of Wilson sustained damage in January likely due to poor brush clearance.
“You can’t ignore these important sites in big markets,” he said. “These tenants are paying thousands, and for someone not to even come up and take out the trash or clean the toilet in five years — that’s a problem.”
Irwin said iHeart’s relationship with American Tower is strong, which is especially important because the tower management company maintains the generator that supports three of iHeart’s L.A. FMs.
Thompson of KUSC emphasized the value of partnerships. To replace its damaged transmission line, the station relied on a mover familiar with its logistical needs to handle lastmile delivery of a massive coax spool.
“Without that prior relationship, we would’ve had an extra challenge,” he said.
Many nines
In his 18 years with NBC, Doty says the total unplanned downtime across both stations he manages has been less than an hour.
“Making sure the site is prepared for a fire — that it can survive a fire — that’s probably one of the top two priorities I have,” Doty said.
iHeart’s Irwin echoed the sentiments.
“It’s never going to hit 100 percent uptime,” Irwin said. “But we’re going to push as many nines into 99 percent as we can. No excuses.”
Thompson added that a collaborative email list for Mount Wilson engineers was helpful during the fire for sharing weather updates, road conditions and scheduling repairs.
Doty said the biggest lesson from the past two decades is simple: Keep your site defensible.
“Be a good steward of your area and your properties,” he said.
And have a plan before the fire ever gets close.
Left A spool of heliax is brought by a freight carrier to Mount Harvard for KUSC’s transmission line repair. The station’s three-bay antenna is visible at the top.
Below Mount Wilson’s antenna farm as seen from Deer Park, home to iHeartMedia’s auxiliary site.
Burt I. Weiner
Ron Thompson/KUSC
John Bisset
CPBE
The author is in his 34th year of writing Workbench. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award. Send your tips Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@ gmail.com
Building a better mousetrap, er, dehydrator
Also, the benefits of impact engineering
Kintronic Labs is known for its high-quality manufacturing. When the company sees a need, they create a solution.
This is how the LAB Series of dehydrators was developed. Eliminating the piston compressor and adding redundant features sets this series apart from other brands. Optional SNMP protocol remote control is also available.
Above
The front panel of the LAB4.50 Dehydrator.
Right Inside the dehydrator. The round cylinders are the redundant drying chambers. The rectangular boxes are the redundant pumps.
Shown here is the LAB4.50 model.
Underneath the hood you can see that the dehydrator design consists of two alternating diaphragm pumps. While the first chamber is active, the desiccant in the second chamber is regenerated through heating. Both pumps are controlled electronically by pulse width modulation (PWM), which ensures a flow rate equivalent to the real-time leakage rate. The use of diaphragm pumps eliminates the loud noise associated with traditional piston-type dehydrators.
Kintronic also is known for thorough instruction manuals, and this product comes with a color pictorial document of internal wiring and hose connection; there’s no guessing here.
The company makes two models; the LAB4.50 is the smaller of the two and adequate for most broadcast facilities. If you’re putting up a new tower or transmission
line, consider replacing the outdated dehydrator with this state-of-the-art model.
Visit www.kintronic.com and enter LAB4.50 in the search field.
Impact engineering
A lot of readers could relate to Frank Hertel’s list of engineering “terms” that we shared in the April 23 issue. These are phrases you can use to impress your co-workers.
Archie Simpson particularly liked “The failure was corrected using percussive maintenance.” (Translation: “I hit it and it started working.”)
At Archie’s college station, they called it “impact engineering.”
He recalls that the on-air board, designed and built in-house, was dubbed the HFOF-18, a commentary on the speed of the board’s construction — “Hell Froze Over First.”
This HFOF-18 had to be beaten into submission every once in a while. Its summing/output amplifier board would become loose, taking the station off the air, and causing the board to act like a toddler who didn’t get the candy that he wanted.
But there was a spot — a specific spot that when hit with the side of your fist (with admonition to the on-air person to NOT try this on their own) would make the whole world better. Or as good as it was going to get.
Archie also shares one of those engineering legends that we hear on occasion.
It seems there was an engineer who had a station that would drop off the air occasionally. The remote control wouldn’t bring it back on, so the guy had to drive an hour and a half to the transmitter site. After checking out the box for two hours and finding nothing wrong, just out of frustration, he hit the transmitter on the side ... and it came back on the air!
He then did what any good engineer would be tempted to do: He closed everything up and went home. But about a month later it happened again. So to avoid that three-hour round trip, he came up with a fix.
He bought the largest solenoid he could find, bolted it to the side of the transmitter and hooked it into the remote control. He then rewrote the start-up instructions for when the station dropped off the air: “First dial up channel X, then press up.” When energized, the solenoid would slap the transmitter, the equivalent of smacking it with a fist.
He never did find the problem, but the solenoid saved him that long commute.
Harold offered a neat idea. You’ve probably seen engraved rack panels. They bring a touch of professionalism to homemade projects, more so than stickon labels. But where do you get the engraving done, short of buying the engraving machine yourself?
Harold said he created custom engraved front panels by using a black anodized rack panel and taking it to the local awards and trophy shop, where they would engrave the required lettering.
A while back, Harold reacquired a custom relay interface panel that his company had built much earlier for a station in the Empire State Building. The engraved panel looks as good as new, and the lettering never rubs off.
… and faders clean
Paul Sagi writes from Kuala Lumpur to remind us that some slide potentiometers in radio consoles are constructed with plastic elements, which can be damaged by some cleaning solvents. So choose cleaners wisely. Be aware that some solvents are also flammable, so turn off the power before use, and restore it only after all solvent has evaporated.
Keep panels looking sharp … Veteran broadcaster and manufacturer Harold Hallikainen read Roy Becker’s tip about using ASA filament and a 3-D printer to “print” plastic signs to identify transmitter sites.
Paul has successfully used dishwashing liquid and distilled water as a good cleaning agent. After cleaning, shake out any excess water and wait for complete drying at room temperature.
Right Dehydration connections.
Writer Jeff Detweiler
Senior Director, Broadcast Business Development, Xperi
Maximize your HD Radio capabilities
Insights about HD Radio installations from Jeff Detweiler
A current Radio World ebook explores best practices for HD Radio. The text below is part of a longer article by Jeff Detweiler that you can read in the ebook at http://radioworld. com/ebooks.
Here are some ways that broadcasters can maximize HD Radio’s capabilities to provide the best audio quality and visual capabilities:
Avoid unnecessary compression in audio storage or studio-to-transmitter link (STL) transport to achieve optimal audio quality. Linear source audio is ideal for feeding technologies that use psychoacoustic source coding for audio bitrate reduction, as these algorithms are tuned to minimize discernible artifacts. Altering the input can affect the efficiency of psychoacoustic model tuning.
“Blending” occurs when a receiver loses the digital signal and transitions back to analog audio. The station’s digital power primarily determines the frequency of blending events. Stations at elevated digital power, –10 dBc, –12 dBc or –14 dBc (relative to analog host power), will blend less frequently than those at –20 dBc. Understanding this is crucial, as any aural discontinuity between the analog and digital signals may be more noticeable to listeners during blending. If you prefer to process the signal more conservatively on the digital side, operating with the highest allowable digital injection can help avoid blend discontinuities.
is essential for maintaining the ballistic audio balance between analog and digital signals. This balance between analog and digital program audio is critical for a great listener experience when blends occur.
Multicast Channels (HD2, HD3, HD4, etc.) need audio processors designed for low-bit-rate coded audio. These processors account for the nuances of psychoacoustic models, allowing them to maintain competitive loudness without making coding artifacts more pronounced. It is also important to note that each multicast channel requires an individual processor.
Monitor for the best listener experience: HD Radio monitoring products are excellent for establishing HD Radio program services, managing metadata and automating error monitoring. However, the most effective way to ensure broadcast quality is to use the HD Radio receiver in your own vehicle and experience your station as your listeners do. This way, every commute becomes a critical listening session. Additionally, visiting car dealerships can broaden your listening experience across different brands and models of vehicles.
Below HD Radio reception in a late-model Acura MDX.
State-of-the-art HD Radio processing for the Main Program Service (HD1) uses common dual-channel audio processing for analog and HD1 digital signals, which
Metadata builds value: Adding your station logo can significantly enhance brand equity, familiarity and recall among your audience. When listeners get in their car, turn on the radio and see your logo, they instantly recognize their favorite station. The latest Multiport, SynchronousAsynchronous Client (MSAC), includes a built-in logo and static Program Service Data sender, allowing every HD Radio station to display its logo and station name on the dash for free.
Metadata plays a crucial role in connecting audiences with your programming — whether it’s music, talk shows, live sports or advertisements. It deserves the same level of attention and curation as your core audio content. Radio stations that integrate synchronized metadata with their audio programming provide listeners with a richer, more engaging experience.
Synchronizing ad images and text with audio is a powerful and valuable new capability for the industry. According to Quu Inc., radio stations are now realizing a 10% to 15% premium for including synchronized text with audio ads and a 25–30% premium for including synchronized text and images with audio ads. These significant revenue opportunities should not be ignored.
AudioShake Tackles Overlapping Dialogue
AudioShake says Multi-Speaker Separation is designed to prevent otherwise wholesome content from being held back by messy sound.
It says many AI transcription services struggle with overlapping speech but that Multi-Speaker Separation uses a neural architecture that ensures speaker tracking across various overlap scenarios. The separation allows individual voices to be extracted from mixed audio recordings that are suitable for broadcast-ready edits. Users can isolate overlapping voices into individual tracks, making it easier to edit,
rebalance or repurpose content. Specific use cases include cutting filler words, rebalancing volume or cleaning up interruptions without affecting the rest of the audio. The feature can also improve the speech clarity by removing background noise.
AudioShake says that Multi-Shake Separation has won awards from Time Magazine, AWS, Sony, La Liga and the NAB. The feature is available via an API and its AudioShake Live web-based platform.
Info: www.audioshake.ai
Summer of Products
Products Summer of
FuturiBooks Lets Stations Replicate Their Voices
Futuri has expanded its AI offerings into the audiobook space with FuturiBooks.
“The result is cost-effective, scalable voice content that feels human, authentic and ready for multi-platform distribution,” the company says.
The platform includes a large library of readyto-use AI voices. FuturiBooks also offers voice replication, which it says features “incredible accuracy without sacrificing authenticity” and is suitable for authors, broadcasters and podcasters.
FuturiBooks has multilingual support, which the company says contains native-quality narration suitable for content creators who seek a global audience.
For radio stations, the platform is suitable for localized content creation and podcast production, along with promos and voiceovers.
Info: www.futuribooks.ai
PlayoutOne Beefs Up
Aiir has introduced the latest version of its PlayoutOne radio automation system. Version 6 is built around the company’s Audio Engine technology, which allows multiple stations to run from a single server and scale as organizations grow.
A new look is intended to be easier to use and allows users to customize the interface to suit their workflow. The flexible layout can be tailored to create an experience that suits each user, with the position of windows maintained across different machines. Features include LiveMIC and WebVT so hosts can broadcast from anywhere using a smartphone and an internet connection. Aiir says an increasingly popular choice is to have PlayoutOone fully hosted in the cloud with no on-premises equipment required.
AutoImporter automates loading logs or new audio items into a library. Data Controller integrates with GPIO devices like Broadcast Tools switchers and FileCopy to bring in audio from Dropbox, FTP or any online source automatically. The system integrates with Aiir Scheduler and supports local scheduling applications like Music1 or MusicMaster.
Info: www.aiir.com
BionicScribe Takes Your Notes
BionicScribe is a transcription and audience interaction tool from Broadcast Bionics that helps broadcasters keep up with the flood of incoming content.
“Whether it’s WhatsApp voice notes, Facebook messages, listener calls or DMs, BionicScribe securely converts real-time contributions into searchable, broadcast-ready text, ensuring nothing valuable gets missed,” the company says.
Deployed on-premise, BionicScribe prioritizes data privacy and speed. The company highlights the control and security provided by a local model.
BionicScribe integrates into the BionicStudio ecosystem, enabling producers to search, review and act on audience messages. “This means more genuine engagement on-air, less stress and smarter decisionmaking in fast-paced environments,” the company says. It is the first product in a suite of “Augmented Intelligence” tools planned by Broadcast Bionics.
Info: https://bionics.co.uk/bionicscribe
Writer
Elle Kehres
WKZE gets a station refresh
The New York FM comes to life with the help of ... doctoral research?
Radio power couple Andy Gladding and Kathleen Berghorn have undertaken a new radio venture: station ownership. After a serendipitous turn of events last May, the duo recently completed the purchase of WKZE(FM) in Red Hook, N.Y.
It all started when Gladding — a radio engineer who is no stranger to Radio World readers — was pursuing his doctorate in education at Hofstra University, where he also serves as the chief engineer for the university’s student-run radio station WRHU(FM).
“My doctorate focused on what Gen Z thinks about FM radio, and how they interact with it, and looked for data that
would show whether or not they felt there was a future for it,” said Gladding. “And there was an overwhelmingly positive response about the benefits of being involved with FM radio from an educational perspective.”
With 300 staff members — primarily students, plus a number of community volunteers — Gladding said WRHU is the largest student organization on campus, making for the perfect focus group for his doctoral research.
His research found that getting involved with a college radio station helped students successfully enter careers in media and become better leaders. Even more important, Gladding said this student involvement helped improve college retention rates.
Gladding’s research concluded that bringing in younger employees would bring in younger listeners,
New station owners Andy Gladding, left, and Kathleen Berghorn get a visit from NewsNation Director of Operations Lee Harris at the WKZE Broadcast Center in Red Hook, N.Y.
The author wrote about digital advertising in the April 23 issue.
Station Management
which is a big goal for many stations across the U.S. as station managers look to remain competitive with emerging media.
When his doctoral research findings were released in May 2024, Gladding said he never expected to receive a call from a local Hudson Valley intermediary asking if he was interested in buying WKZE. The station was put on the market by Barb Stanley, who took control of WKZE in 2021 after her late husband, and former station owner, Will Stanley passed away.
Nine months after receiving that phone call — and a $515,000 investment to obtain the station’s license and equipment — Gladding and Berghorn sealed the deal in March 2025 and immediately got to work.
In the first 30 days of their leadership, Gladding and Berghorn put the station into the black, fixed the signal and added new programming.
“The model I proposed in my doctoral research is working,” said Gladding.
One of the first things they did was upgrade the 51-year-old CCA transmitter that had been dutifully serving WKZE since its inception in 1987. A new Nautel VS2.5 FM transmitter was installed because, according to Gladding, “electronics don’t
“I guess you could say my business partner and I are pretty tight. ”
Above
The Unicorn Brass Band playing live on the air at WKZE.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Gladding
age like wine. They don’t get better with age.”
He continued: “From an RF perspective, the station was not in stereo when we bought it. It was still in mono because of signal issues. That is no longer the case.”
Gladding said, on paper, WKZE is primed for technological success with its “beautiful Class A signal” sitting pretty atop a big hill. Outdated technology, however, hindered the station’s RF performance.
“So we have focused initially on making sure that the infrastructure of the station, including the FM itself, is in the best possible working order.
“We noticed that, in a lot of ways, the station was built as an analog facility,” said Gladding. “So I’ve put a digital backbone into it so now we can be more flexible with the kind of remotes we’re doing. We’re giving the DJs the ability to generate content outside of the studio.”
Gladding said WKZE is upgrading to an Aiir PlayoutONE automation system and will use Telos Axia hardware for the consoles and routing system. “We also have some ‘custom’ and experimental audio processing we’re trying out,” he said.
Broadcasting on 98.1 MHz from its longstanding transmitter site in Salisbury, Conn., the Class A FM has an ERP of 1.8 kW with an additional FM translator on 105.9 MHz near its studios in Red Hook, N.Y. The station format is described as a carefully curated mix of Adult Album Alternative (AAA), with a lot of local artists thrown in.
Above
With Gladding tackling the technical aspects of the station revamp, Berghorn manages the marketing and digital aspects of the job, in addition to overseeing station
WKZE listener Sadie Spitale representing local advertiser SCR Fence in the air studio. Automation and console routing will soon be replaced with new infrastructure.
staff and sales. Both, of course, have a strong passion for community radio.
“It’s lucky because, as business partners, we’re together all the time, so I never have to wait for her to call me back or shoot me an email,” Gladding said of his wife. “I guess you could say my business partner and I are pretty tight.”
Gladding is quick to tell whoever will listen that Berghorn owns 51% of the station and is a strong advocate for
“We have focused initially on making sure that the infrastructure of the station, including the FM itself, is in the best possible working order.
women working in male-dominated spaces. She is particularly focused on incorporating more female voices into WKZE’s programming.
“We currently have a female afternoon drive host and a weekend host, but we definitely want to include more female voices in general,” said Berghorn.
Gladding said, while he’s “in the dusty back corner doing engineering,” Berghorn is “on the front lines of modern selling.”
Station Management
As WKZE already had a wellestablished business model with live shows galore, community-focused programming and a locally-targeted music format that is “the most eclectic you’re likely to hear” (according to its website), Gladding and Berghorn focused on building on top of what was already there. All eight WKZE employees were retained during the change of ownership, with two more having since been added to the team.
“Each one of the DJs is a musician, so they’re performers, first and foremost, in front of the microphone in the studio and in front of the microphone in the community playing
on stages,” said Glading. “They know, when you introduce new material to an audience, what the audience will think of it and how the audience will interpret it.
“We saw that as a strength,” he said. “So the first thing we said was, ‘Look, let’s not upset the apple cart here and go in and start demolishing the format,’ which is what a lot of new owners do. They want to go in and put their signature on it.”
Instead, Berghorn is focusing on ways to further engage local advertisers. One of the ways they’re doing that is by having local bands record the jingles for WKZE’s clients. She said the Hudson Valley has a terrific local music and arts scene and they want to highlight that.
“This model we’re using here of going hyper-local and treating the station more like a community station as opposed to a commercial station … I think there’s some teeth here,” said Gladding. “And my real hope is it will inspire other younger investors, such as myself and my 32-year-old wife, to go out on a limb and say, ‘You know what, we can make this work.’”
Above
Kathleen Berghorn and Andy Gladding
About Buyer’s Guide
This section appears in every other issue, focusing on a particular category of equipment and services. It is intended to help buyers know what’s on the market and gain insight into how their peers are using such products.
AI-based spec spot creation heads to “The Ranch”
LKCM Media Group uses ENCO’s ad creation service to close deals
LKCM Media Group operates four FM stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, including 95.9 KFWR(FM), licensed to Jacksboro and nicknamed “The Ranch.” Even as it expands its digital presence, the station maintains a focus on communityoriented radio.
KFWR attributes its consistency to LKCM’s emphasis on local business and customer service, in addition to its programming and connection with listeners. The station broadcasts what it describes as “100% Texas country music.”
LKCM
Group’s sales staff uses ENCO’s SpecAI for developing local advertising relationships in the DFW Metroplex.
Gerry Schlegel, the group’s president, points out that its 12-person sales staff is significant for a company of its size. “We have built relationships with local businesses that go beyond the transactional,” Schlegel said.
The rapid rise of AI prompted Schlegel to consider where the technology could be most valuable. He soon focused on spec spot production, often time-sensitive given the busy nature of LKCM’s production department. ENCO’s AI ad creation service, SPECai, quickly came to Schlegel’s attention.
He was drawn to ENCO’s emphasis on using generative AI for spec spot production, a service developed in partnership with Benztown and Compass Media Networks.
Schlegel said he was impressed by SPECai’s ability to generate multiple scripts simultaneously, all of which are revisable and can be paired with music beds from Benztown.
The ability to customize the AI voice was also important for KFWR’s needs.
“We’re in Texas, so a New England accent isn’t going to resonate,” Schlegel said. He praises SPECai’s
“We’re in Texas, so a New England accent isn’t going to resonate. ”
selection of voices and tones and mentions that ENCO continues to add improvements.
The LKCM team also uses ENCO’s InstaSpot feature, which generates an ad sample by analyzing a website. Schlegel has used this to share previews with clients before prospective meetings.
ENCO says that more than 1,000 stations now use SPECai. Schlegel has a Lone Star-sized amount of enthusiasm for the product.
“SPECai gives you the opportunity to gain a customer’s favorable attention and move closer to the sale,” he said.
Right
Media
Tech Update
NextKast Automation Introduces NextAI Voice Cloning
NextKast announced that its NextKast OnAir automation platform now includes integrated voice cloning.
NextAI is an AI-powered engine that allows a synthetic version of an on-air host using as little as 30 seconds of recorded audio. The company says it allows for a natural, consistent on-air presence, suitable for when a regular host is not available.
Once a voice is cloned, it can be scheduled like a traditional voicetracked host. AI hosts can deliver song intros and outros, liners and time-based breaks, as well as news, weather and entertainment updates. The breaks can be dynamically generated using built-in scheduling and rotation logic.
The voice cloning is available in NextKast version 7 for $49 per month, with additional voice and data usage averaging approximately $60 per month for a typical three-host setup, which it says is a cost-effective option compared to competing systems that require multiple services or tools.
NextAI is embedded within its automation, which NextKast says allows users to manage scheduling, break generation and playout all within the same interface used for music, traffic and automation.
Info: www.nextkast.com/OnAir
Tech Update
ClipperAI Combines Speech Recognition and Generation
ClipperAI, a browser- and mobile-based product from automation developer Jutel, combines audio editing, recording, speech recognition and automatic speech generation into one user interface.
It is part of Jutel’s RadioMan product family and offers a selection of pre-built voices for speech synthesis. Any text in its multi-track editor’s annotation window can be converted to audio using integrated speech synthesis, with the generated clip placed either in the clip list or directly on an audio track. Additionally, depending on the AI plugin, custom voice models can be trained and integrated.
The annotation window also enables users to run speech recognition on audio files or streams from the editor’s tracks or
Tech Update
Broadcast Radio Offers Goal-Driven AI Voice Links
Broadcast Radio’s Goal-Driven AI Voice Links allow stations to configure content goals for AI-generated scripts and voice links.
external sources. The resulting text is aligned with the corresponding location on the audio track.
ClipperAI allows users to select a speech recognition or synthesis service provider based on their offerings and pricing, through a plugin-based architecture. Jutel says the design allows addition of further AI functionalities, such as automatic speech summarization, translation or modification of speaker voice or style.
Info: www.jutel.fi
This feature works within the company’s Myriad 6 Playout and Myriad Cloud automation systems. The links begin with a series of goals that set the type and frequency of elements, including time, station name, tagline, local weather and the previous or next song and artist.
Each of the elements is given an inclusion goal, which allows them to be used in multiple clocks while still having varied content.
Broadcast Radio says that a seed script is generated internally and then passed, along with a custom presentation style, to the station’s preferred AI script service, such as ChatGPT or AzureOpenAI. The feature will rewrite the script following parameters set by the station.
The script is then rendered as a voice link using the station’s preferred AI voice service, such as ElevenLabs, Google’s AI Voice or Azure’s AI Voice. The final product can be the default voice the station has selected, a cloned voice or a unique voice specified for the AI Voice Link.
Different voices can be specified for sections within a single AI Voice Link, so it is possible to have a voice link presenter hand off to a different voice to read news or weather, then have the presenter introduce the next song.
Info: www.broadcastradio. com
Tech Update
Super Hi-Fi Optimizes Your Voicetracks
The recently released VoiceIQ 2.0 from Super Hi-Fi “dramatically improves” the quality of broadcast voicetracks, even those recorded on USB microphones.
VoiceIQ 2.0 is an AI-powered voicetrack mastering and post-production tool that is cloud-based and analyzes, edits and enhances voicetracks. It removes background noise and matches tone to a customizable reference, which can eliminate plosives and clipping and optimize dynamic range.
Version 2.0 includes a noise eraser, a new technology designed to eliminate complex noises, such as vacuum cleaners, fans, air conditioners and animals. FM voice profiles are also included; these are sonic profiles designed with large broadcasters.
The feature is built into Super Hi-Fi’s suite of products, including its Program Director automation and its Voicetrack Fusion platform.
Info: www.superhifi.com
Tech Update
Hands-Off AI Voicetracking for Local Radio
Radio.Cloud’s Voicetrack.ai offers direct access to synthetic or cloned AI voices through third-party partners like ElevenLabs, allowing previously unhosted dayparts to run automated with local content.
Some of its clients have launched new around-the-clock AI-hosted content, while others use the technology for hourly news or weather reports.
Program directors can build content presets where they can choose topics read by a synthetic or cloned voice. The voice is scheduled into a station’s broadcast clock and when a playlist is generated daily, Radio.Cloud creates the script and audio file. Those scripts can be edited, but the company says that most of its stations take a hands-off approach.
“The difference lies in prompting, as we have trained the technology with thousands of challenges and complex prompts,” Radio.Cloud states.
The voicetrack can be set on the ramp or intro of an upcoming song, something the Radio.Cloud automation software does regardless of whether the voicetrack is AI-generated or pre-produced by a human. Voicetrack.ai’s localizer portal allows affiliates to submit liners, promo and other reads. The company says it is suitable for syndicated show hosts who wish to localize their content at scale.
Info: www.radio.cloud
Writer Nick Bernard Marketing & Communications Coordinator, North American Broadcasters Association
Introducing the North American Spectrum Alliance
We seek to protect broadcast spectrum from the insatiable needs of mobile telephony
The North American Broadcasters Association was founded decades ago on a simple but vital principle: Broadcasters needed to collaborate to solve common technical and operational challenges in the media landscape.
In the intervening years, that landscape has drastically changed, from the growth of cable television, the rise of the internet and the introduction of streaming services and FAST channels.
While these services challenge the traditional broadcast model with new competition, in recent years a new threat has emerged to broadcasting’s core asset: spectrum. And the culprit? The miniature transmitter/receivers hundreds of millions of North Americans carry around in their pockets every day — cell phones.
The North American Spectrum Alliance (NASPA) was formed to protect broadcast spectrum from the
insatiable needs of the mobile telephony industry. It is a non-profit project managed by NABA and includes not just broadcasters, but a variety of companies and industries that depend on spectrum to support broadcasting.
These include the wireless microphone and camera industry, both equipment manufacturers and frequency coordinators. It also includes businesses that rely on wireless production equipment, like live sports events and concerts, Broadway shows, event producers and traditional newsgathering. Content distributors, including satellite operators and trucks are also involved.
Quick unity
In a landscape where spectrum demand is rising and new technologies compete for bandwidth, the North American Spectrum Alliance is filling an important role: To create a
Spectrum Management
unified voice for users of all types of spectrum in media against further repurposing for the wireless industry.
The alliance launched in January of this year, brought together under the leadership of Chair Brad Cheney of Fox Corp. and Vice-Chair Henry Cohen of CP Communications. NASPA has quickly helped unify a broad and often fragmented group of stakeholders around common priorities: preserving operational reliability, protecting spectrum access and ensuring the long-term viability of content delivery infrastructure in North America.
Through Brad and Henry’s guidance, NASPA has emerged as a vehicle for unity and a key convener of cross-industry dialogue. In the months since its creation, the Spectrum Alliance has hosted webinars on new wireless mic technology, challenges to spectrum for wireless cameras and the status of PMSE (program making and special events) spectrum in Europe. The alliance held its first in-person meeting during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, where the groundwork was laid for its first regulatory action: responding to the FCC’s C-band notice of inquiry.
Keep the C-Band together
In the world of spectrum management, the C-band spectrum is used to distribute content long distances over satellite, and is depended upon by live trucks in the field, satellite-fed distribution networks and breaking news that can’t wait.
The FCC auctioned half of the C-band spectrum in 2021 and transitioned incumbent users into the remaining C-band a few years later. It now has raised the possibility of auctioning off the remaining portion of the band, which would leave broadcasters and related industries with inferior distribution modalities.
In comments on this proceeding, NASPA emphasized that there is no viable substitute for the unique reliability and reach that the C-band offers. Alternative solutions like fiber or Ku/Ka-band satellites simply cannot match C-Band’s resilience, particularly during severe weather events, or in remote areas.
NASPA’s comments also drew attention to the size of the ecosystem at risk — not just major broadcasters, but the thousands of small businesses, independent uplinkers and service providers who depend on this band to deliver events reliably.
Moreover, NASPA’s comments made clear that any forced transition away from the Upper C-Band must include full reimbursement — not only for the cost of replacement equipment, but also for the increased operational burdens that alternative solutions could impose.
At a time when the media industry has already made enormous sacrifices during the previous C-band repack (giving up 60% of the band and increasing spectral efficiency by 250%), NASPA’s comments reflect the membership’s need for policymakers to recognize the full impact of any further loss to the C-band.
More Info Learn more at https://nabanet. com/naspa/ Membership in NABA is not required to participate in the alliance.
Modernize STA process
In parallel, NASPA also submitted reply comments in the FCC’s “Delete Delete Delete” proceeding, which seeks to eliminate outdated rules and regulations that have no meaningful role in today’s regulatory environment.
NASPA highlighted a similar and equally urgent spectrum access challenge: access on a temporary basis for occasional use during live events.
The media production and live event industries — multi-billion-dollar sectors that support hundreds of thousands of jobs — continue to rely on part-time spectrum use. Yet the regulatory framework governing access to spectrum for critical devices like wireless microphones and headsets remains outdated and increasingly unsustainable.
NASPA’s comments called for the overall modernization of the FCC’s special temporary authorization (STA) process, proposing a number of solutions: permanent licensing for guard bands already proven safe for microphone use; access to unused mobile spectrum blocks; and the removal
“Its role is to create a unified voice for users of all types of spectrum in media against further repurposing for the wireless industry.
of unnecessary burdens like the 50-device minimum for Part 74 licenses.
By recognizing the inherently low-power, non-interfering nature of professional wireless microphone operations, the FCC can modernize its rules, stabilize access to spectrum and ensure that American live productions remain best-inclass worldwide.
The decisions the FCC makes in the coming months will determine the fate of spectrum allocation in the United States — which will, in turn, have repercussions for the rest of the continent. NASPA remains committed to advocating for a future where innovation and operational excellence are not at odds, but instead move forward together.
By preserving essential spectrum resources like the Upper C-Band and modernizing outdated wireless microphone licensing, we can ensure that the next generation of media is as reliable, dynamic and as globally influential as ever.
