Welcome to the September 1st, 2025 issue of Radio World
The FCC is considering taking more spectrum that supports broadcast operations.
Erik Utter discusses his new integration firm and good vibes about the radio biz.
A plea for public media
Sue Zizza says the government shouldn’t overlook a century of service.
Inside, a sampler of new products that will be on display.
Vol. 49 No. 18| September 1 2025 www.radioworld.com
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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
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Erik Utter discusses his new integration firm and his good vibes about the radio biz
Paul McLane Editor in Chief
After more than 20 years leading integration firm ZTransform, Erik Utter has made a significant transition.
In March, he sold his interest in that company (originally called Utter Associates Inc.) to business partner Ben Wolk. Now he has launched a new venture called Utter Systems Inc.
Erik congrats on this development. What is Utter Systems?
Erik Utter: It is a senior-level integration firm built around our clients working directly with me and other experts to solve complex challenges. We specialize in designing smart, efficient media workflows and delivering high-performance systems tailored to each organization’s needs. With a lean, highly skilled team, every project is led by hands-on experience, technical precision and an uncompromising attention to detail. We offer consulting and system design to integration, launch services, support and technology procurement.
Where does radio fit within these business goals?
Utter: Radio has always been a meaningful and rewarding part of my work. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as consultant and lead design engineer for some of the Northwest’s most respected stations, including KEXP, KING-FM, KNKX and most recently All Classical Radio. At Utter Systems, radio continues to align with our mission, helping organizations create purposeful media through smart, tailored system design. Radio facilities often come with unique workflow needs, which makes them ideal for highly custom, engineering-led solutions. These projects are deeply satisfying to me personally, and I look forward to continuing our work in this space.
Why have you sold your interest in ZTransform?
Utter: After more than 20 years building it into a respected leader in broadcast and media systems integration, I reached a point where the business had grown to a size that required my focus to shift more toward finance and management.
While I’m proud of that growth, I realized I was moving further away from the hands-on engineering and system design work that I find most fulfilling. I made the decision to sell my interest to my business partner in order to create space for a new venture, one that allows me to reconnect with the craft, work directly with clients and stay close to the technology.
Does this set you up in competition with the old one?
Utter: Following the sale, I stayed on with ZTransform in a transitional role to help ensure a smooth handoff. As part of that transition, I won’t be
On the cover
A musician helps greet attendees at last year’s IBC Show. See story, page 14.
pursuing any existing customers until November. In the meantime, I’m using this period to develop new customers and lay the groundwork for Utter Systems, building infrastructure, refining our service model and positioning the company for a strong start.
Who is on your new team?
Utter: At my previous company, we often worked with a trusted network of contractors, some of the most experienced and capable professionals in the industry. That model allowed us to stay flexible while consistently delivering top-tier results. With Utter Systems, I’m continuing those relationships and look forward to bringing some familiar, well-respected names on board as projects ramp up.
What kind of projects are you seeking?
Utter: We thrive on developing sophisticated workflow solutions, particularly for mid-sized projects where there’s often the right balance of complexity, creativity and direct client engagement.
While we’re certainly open to projects of all sizes, midscale work tends to offer the flexibility to craft highly tailored systems while staying closely connected with both the client and end-user teams. TV and radio broadcast remain core verticals for us, especially in the non-commercial radio space, which continues to show strong momentum.
At the same time, we’re seeing exciting growth opportunities in corporate communications, education and sports.
What’s your view of the health of the radio integration business?
Utter: Despite the well-known business pressures facing U.S. radio, particularly in the commercial sector, I see strong signs of evolution and opportunity, especially among non-commercial broadcasters.
Many are expanding beyond traditional music and news formats to include high-quality recording studios, public performance venues, video production and streaming capabilities. These investments are driven by a desire to deepen community engagement and diversify content delivery, and they open the door for creative, forwardthinking integration work.
On the commercial side, consolidation has introduced real challenges, but it also creates demand for integrators who can help streamline operations, modernize infrastructure and drive efficiency.
Overall, while the industry is changing, I believe there’s a meaningful and exciting role for system integrators who can meet broadcasters where they are, with solutions that are technically smart and strategically aligned.
Writer
Randy J. Stine
The author profiled Michigan broadcaster Julie Koehn in August.
Another C-band shakeup is possible.
America’s thirst for wireless services could take a second bite of the C-band from satellite companies that use it extensively for radio and television downlinks.
Five years after reallocating the bottom half of the band for wireless use and moving broadcasters’ satellite services to the upper half, the FCC is considering grabbing more of those frequencies.
It opened a notice of inquiry earlier this year to explore opportunities for innovation and investment in the upper C-band (3.98–4.2 GHz).
It invited feedback on options for more intensive use of the upper band that could incentivize rapid deployment of new communications services and spur investment. The commission said it hopes to build on the success of flipping the lower band in 2020 from satellite to flexible wireless use, which it says brought enhanced 5G service to many communities.
The notice is available for review under GN Docket 25-59 in the FCC’s online system.
Observers say Auction 107 for the lower C-band generated $81 billion in net licensing fees.
The FCC reallocated the 3.7–3.98 portion despite protests from radio and TV broadcasters. Following the change,
An antenna at a broadcast site in Jacksonville, Fla., is aimed at satellite SES-3. The photo was provided by USSI Global, which supported SES in completing C-band clearing and relocation activities in the earlier C-band repack.
broadcast satellite services had to be moved to the upper portion of the band.
Now users could be faced with moving again, with the FCC apparently working toward holding another public auction. Congress recently restored the commission’s auction authority after a lapse of more than two years.
The band is a swath of very attractive spectrum, experts say.
The upper band is used by satellite companies like SES and Intelsat to distribute audio and video content to broadcasters and cable systems.
Reimbursement money for satellite companies and other C-band incumbents disrupted by the earlier repack came from proceeds of the auction. Satellite companies were given heavy incentives to speed up the transition.
C-band earth stations were affected, with broadcasters obliged to install bandpass filters to block signals from adjacent channels and prevent harmful interference from new flexible-use operations. In some cases broadcasters had to replace satellite dishes.
Broadcasters who registered their earth station terminals prior to the repack were eligible for reimbursement funds.
Going into the first repack, the FCC said there were approximately 20,000 registered earth stations in the contiguous U.S. classified as incumbent earth stations for
“Use of the upper C-band for satellite program contribution and distribution is critical to the broadcast industry, and that use has become more intense since the lower C-band auction less than five years ago.
purposes of the transition. The transition was completed by late 2023.
Less than two years later the FCC appears hungry to gobble up more spectrum for 5G services. Chairman Brendan Carr has said repeatedly there is a need for a steady pipeline of spectrum to meet ever-increasing consumer demand.
Satellite industry observers told us they are not surprised by the FCC’s latest actions.
Mark Johnson, founder of LinkUp Communications, said on a recent webinar produced by the Alabama Broadcasters Association that it’s “pretty clear Carr wants all 200 MHz of the upper C-band for 5G services.” He said efforts to take more spectrum for 5G have the momentum of “a big rock rolling downhill.”
When the NOI was released, Carr said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to the upper C-band. He added that he “was pleased the commission is moving forward quickly on spectrum” and that “C-band is a good place to start.”
CTIA is the cellular telecommunications industry association, now led by former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. It favors the migration. It has told FCC officials that the success of the earlier auction and transition “was due to favorable characteristics of mid-band airwaves, decisive actions by the FCC and substantial work that myriad stakeholders undertook to rapidly transition and safely deploy the band.”
The upper C-band holds the same promise, CTIA said, urging the commission to open it for full-power terrestrial wireless use.
However, the National Association of Broadcasters has pushed back. It told the FCC it’s not realistic for broadcasters to give up the upper 200 MHz of the band.
“[U]se of the upper C-band for satellite program contribution and distribution is critical to the broadcast industry, and that use has become more intense since the lower C-band auction less than five years ago,” it wrote.
The association says other options — like fiber or satellite operation in the Ku band — are not suitable. In addition, NAB said the wireless industry is painting an exaggerated picture of spectrum saturations to justify further allocation.
“These claims from the wireless industry … of ‘spectrum crisis,’ ‘spectrum shortage’ and ‘spectrum crunch’ repeat hyperbolic contentions of the past,” it wrote.
NAB thinks that further expansion of services into the upper band “will be dramatically more complex
You can read more than 100 filed comments about the C-band proposal. Go to www.fcc.gov/ ecfs and enter 25-59 in the Proceedings field.
Several satellite companies, including SES and ATX, floated migration plans in their comments to the FCC. They say satellite firms have spent billions on new launches, many of which are only for C-band use. One said this “could result in them becoming space junk way before their lifecycle has concluded.”
S ES recommends using only a further portion of the band, possibly up to 100 MHz. They say using the entire 200 MHz of the upper band would require extensive study and planning.
Meanwhile, ATX has proposed only redeploying all of the radio services to the Ku band and internet. It told the FCC that during rain fade service interruptions, programming could switch to internet backup. It said the FCC should finance new receivers for radio broadcasters and their earth stations.
The aeronautics industry says swapping out the upper portion of the C-band for 5G would mean those new services would butt up against the aeronautics band at 4.2 GHz. In fact, the Airline Pilots Association International and other aeronautics groups jointly reminded the FCC that the operating band of radio altimeters sits at 4.2–4.4 GHz. The consortium urged that the FAA and FCC coordinate in any rulemakings.
“It just feels way too soon for another shift for the C-band. ”
and expensive” this time and will result in significant degradation and interruption of broadcast services.
The association also reacted to arguments by CTIA that compared U.S. spectrum policies to those of China.
“Ensuring the most efficient use of existing spectrum resources should be the FCC’s priority, not maximizing revenue of wireless companies,” NAB wrote.
“The FCC should see through the wireless industry’s transparent and cynical attempt to import generic competitive fears regarding China to this inapposite context.”
The Society of Broadcast Engineers was preparing comments to file as of press time, according to President Ted Hand.
“I assumed this action would come at some point [but it is] a little earlier than I thought,” Hand told Radio World in an email.
Hand says stations have been left with 4000–4200 MHz on which to use for downlinks of live and taped programming, “with most of it being for the radio side,” but there “is a fair amount of programming on Ku band. However, most programming is heading to IP-based delivery.”
“Early and ongoing industry and regulator collaboration are essential before any final rules are promulgated,” the aeronautical groups told the FCC.
Mark Johnson of Linkup Communications said on the ABA webinar, “It just feels way too soon for another shift for the C-band. The satellite industry spent billions on the most recent shift in 2020. To do it again this soon would place a burden on everyone, from the satellite companies to broadcasters. Forcing them through another repack seems preposterous.”
Johnson said it is too early to speculate on any kind of reimbursement plan for broadcasters affected by another spectrum swap — if it happens. “It’s still very early in a process that will likely take years to play out.”
If the commission does move ahead, it would open a proposed rulemaking followed by a comment period before final rules and procedures would be adopted.
AI is changing how radio is made.
Two years ago it dawned on broadcasters that artificial intelligence technologies could change our workflows drastically. Have they? Your latest free ebook digs into that question.
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
Todd Dixon is the market engineer for Crawford Broadcasting in Birmingham, Ala. In the company’s Local Oscillator engineering newsletter, Todd recently related a story that I want to share with Workbench readers.
Above
The borescope led Todd right to the “missing” fuses so his claw grabber could retrieve them. Xtool makes visual inspection cameras like the $69 model shown (inset).
Crawford’s tower site for 50 kW AM station WXJC is in Tarrant, broadcasting on 850 kHz. A power module failed in its Nautel NX50. Todd noticed that the B+ voltage was missing for one module, and the NX50 diagnostics identified the third module as the problem. Todd had worked previously with a friend to replace an automotive engine and recalled that his pal owned a borescope, a tool that can help you conduct remote visual inspections in areas that are hard to reach. The instrument has a camera connected to a flexible articulating cable, with the image shown on a highresolution tablet screen. It permits viewing in low light as well as places where a human eye or cellphone camera
can’t see.
Engine mechanics use borescopes to check engine cylinder walls, inspecting for major evidence of scarring. His friend’s borescope was a nice Xtool model (www.xtoolglobal. com), with a large 10-inch tablet screen and a lighted HD camera at the end of the articulating head.
Housed on the backplane of the NX50 transmitter are some 20A cartridge fuses for each module B+. The backplane conveniently is placed over the transmitter’s power transformer.
After opening the transmitter AC circuit breakers and discharging everything, Todd covered the power transformer, and proceeded to pull the fuses from their holders, hoping they would drop onto the covered power transformer.
As Todd’s luck would have it, this was an upper power module, so the fuses didn’t fall to the transmitter’s cabinet below; they got stuck. To make matters worse, they fell to a spot that Todd couldn’t see.
Nautel’s support team suggested that the side of the transmitter could be removed, then the entire backplane removed, and the fuses could be extracted from their positions.
But first Todd considered trying to fish the fuses out with a bendable tool with a sticky substance on the end, possibly also using a mirror.
Then he remembered his friend’s borescope. He borrowed the instrument along with a claw grabber.
He said it took about an hour to figure out the best way to manipulate everything to pull the fuses from their positions, but that the borescope and grabber worked exceptionally well. Todd figures he saved 10 hours of work to remove the side and backplane.
Todd hadn’t considered a borescope before, but this experience has him thinking differently.
Articulating borescopes can run from $400 to $600 for high-end models. The tool Todd used was extremely high resolution, and its accompanying tablet included accessories to function as an automotive on-board diagnostics reader.
But less expensive borescopes with lower resolution and fewer features can be found for under $100. And as we have mentioned here previously, Amazon sells a lighted “Endoscope Camera” that includes a 16-foot semi-rigid cord for under $20. It plugs into your smartphone, which serves as the display screen.
Steve Tuzeneu, KZ4DF, is chief engineer for Hall Communications in Lakeland, Fla. He recently purchased a regulator for a nitrogen tank from a local company.
After installing it, Steve noticed that the pressure tended to drift up or down from where he had set it. Steve found himself traveling to the transmitter site several times a week to readjust the pressure. He asked around, and a
fellow engineer suggested a PneumaticPlus Miniature Air Pressure Regulator. Steve added one to his system and the nitrogen levels are now stable.
This mini-regulator costs about $30. Buy PneumaticPlus products via online retailers or visit http://www. pneumaticplus.com
Larry Wilkins, technology director for the Alabama Broadcasters Association and a recipient of the Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award, recently touched on the important — yet often overlooked — topic of transmitter site visits and maintenance logs.
Section 73.1580 of the FCC rules and regulations states that “Each AM, FM, TV and Class A TV station licensee or permittee must conduct periodic complete inspections of the transmitting system and all required monitors to ensure proper station operation.”
And despite the proliferation of sophisticated facility management systems, I think we can agree that it’s still hard to perform a complete inspection unless you visit the site!
Section 73.1350 states that “Each licensee is responsible for maintaining and operating its broadcast station in a manner which complies with the technical rules set forth elsewhere in this part and in accordance with the terms of the station authorization.”
It further states, “The licensee must establish monitoring procedures and schedules for the station and the indicating instruments employed must comply with §73.1215.”
Beyond these protocols, it is essential for station personnel to maintain clear and up-to-date maintenance logs. Such records not only provide a historical account of equipment performance and any corrective actions taken, but also serve as documentation of compliance in the event of an FCC inquiry or technical audit.
Even if a written log is not explicitly required, it is implied. How else would you prove compliance?
Properly kept logs should include the date and time of each inspection, a description of any deficiencies noted, the steps taken to remedy issues, and verification that all parameters meet established standards.
Consistent attention to these details helps ensure the station’s ongoing reliability and legal operation, safeguarding both its technical integrity and its standing with regulatory authorities.
Maintenance logs foster a culture of diligence and accountability, especially in the face of an FCC inspection. When broadcasters respond proactively to any concerns and demonstrate their commitment to responsible stewardship of the public airwaves, everyone wins.
Looking for a format for your maintenance log? Larry can send you a sample. Email him at lwilkins@al-ba.com
Aglobal contingent of media and entertainment is set to attend the IBC Show. This year, the theme is “shaping the future.”
The annual convention will take place Sept. 12–15 at the RAI Amsterdam. There are approximately 270 speakers and some 1,350 exhibitors lined up. Last year the show drew about 45,000 people.
IBC promises to explore trends in distribution, transmission and consumption of content. We caught up with Steve Connolly, director of IBC, about its radio aspects. He has been its head of sales for 10 years. Answers have been edited for clarity.
What important themes or technology trends can radio attendees expect?
Steve Connolly: The show will include a range of topics relevant to both audio and radio professionals. In addition to themes like cloud adoption, virtualization and the digital switchover, AI remains a major talking point for this year’s show.
In fact, one of the nine projects in the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Program, “AI Assistance Agents for Live Production,” includes an audio workstream led by Shure. The project will explore the use of AI assistants in studio environments to help hosts navigate both shift duties and control production systems using naturallanguage commands.
This has wide-reaching implications for how radio professionals interact with production interfaces and speed up tedious tasks.
WorldDAB will be at the show to present its session, “Shaping the Future of Broadcast Radio,” on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. It will update the growth of the DAB+ platform, with its recent launches in Turkey and Greece, trials in Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Thailand, and its initiatives in Germany and Switzerland.
Jacqueline Bierhorst, WorldDAB’s president, will speak. The organization will also demonstrate its new DAB+ Automatic Safety Alert system.
An array of radio- and audio-related exhibitors will be present, the majority of radio in Hall 8.
What are you hearing as current areas of business challenge or concern from the IBC radio community?
Connolly: Many challenges are shared across the wider media industry. Among them are maintaining visibility and audience reach across digital platforms like smart speakers and mobile apps. Listening habits are increasingly shaped by on-demand and multi-device environments, so ensuring a strong and discoverable presence across platforms is key.
At the same time, macro-economic pressures and trade disruption are accelerating the move towards more nimble, software-defined solutions and creative ways of doing business globally.
tools, remote production and virtualized mixing solutions are widely explored by radio broadcasters looking to streamline operations — but their implementation timelines vary across regions and companies.
AI, meanwhile, is increasingly viewed as an enabler for efficiency — reducing the time spent on the “mundane,” rather than replacing creative, human workflows. Its adoption is still in the early stages for many, but there is clear interest in understanding how these tools can add value while still enabling operators to work faster and creatively.
We have an incredibly strong cohort of radio technology vendors at IBC2025 tackling some of these issues headon — covering everything from RF transmission and DAB+ equipment to automation, audio networking and remote production. This includes longstanding specialists as well as emerging innovators, many of whom are returning to IBC with new technologies and service offerings.
What are the most important trends in the evolution of radio broadcast infrastructure?
Connolly: The organizations we speak with are focused on how to introduce software-based systems that can work alongside existing hardware while providing hosts the familiarity they’re used to with traditional interfaces.
Cloud-based
Above right Jacqueline Bierhorst
Above Steve Connolly
The convention includes a track of technical presentations.
On Friday Sept. 12, sessions will address advances in live sports production, including the use of AI, AR and 5G; new approaches to improving streamed content delivery; the future of 5G broadcasting; and developments in wireless technology.
Saturday’s talks focus on the uses of AI in live production, post production, content curation and “speech,” such as voice transformation, reviving archival voices and correcting audio problems.
Sunday’s papers explore “provenance, authentication and privacy” in news, as well as technical advances in video including avatars and immersivity.
Info is at https://show.ibc.org/technical-papers.
This special edition of Buyer’s Guide provides a preview of products that will be exhibited at the IBC Show in September.
Nautel has incorporated audio player and playlist functionality into its popular VX analog FM transmitter series.
With the audio player functionality, users can upload content locally or remotely via an IP connection to make a playlist. No USB, additional cards or site visits are necessary.
The built-in audio player can use the file playlist as an audio source and is often used as an audio loss backup. This capability is shipping in VX Transmitters and available for existing users to upgrade.
Next up for the VX Series will be streaming including support for Icecast and Shoutcast. This enhancement is
AEQ will be in Amsterdam featuring digital audio consoles, multichannel gateways, intercom systems and commentator solutions.
The Capitol IP Plus line is a digital console that AEQ highlights for an intuitive control surface, advanced connectivity options and modern design.
Also on display will be Xplorer Max, a new highcapacity, wide-coverage wireless intercom beltpack suitable for temporary deployments and mobile environments. The company cites its 5 GHz band transmission technology and careful ergonomics.
The Solaris system is a compact multicodec audio gateway that can condense up to 64 channels into a single rack unit and provides integration via Dante/AES67.
TP9000 panels offer control in intercom systems. And Olympia 3, shown, is a flexible commentator system for large-scale events as well as more modest installations.
IBC Stand: 8.C55
Info: www.aeq.eu
planned for release in the coming months. Nautel says streaming input, internal audio playout and Nautel’s Orban Inside audio processing give broadcasters exceptional flexibility when considering their deployment options.
Head of Marketing and Product Strategy John Whyte noted that the installed base includes large N+1 deployments. The VX Series is available in power levels from 150 W to 6 kW, as well as 150 W to 1 kW type-certified LPFM transmitters.
IBC Stand: 8.D70
Info: www.nautel.com/VX
CGI said it will use IBC to unveil its vision for the future of broadcast and digital media.
“The company’s new approach brings together a modernized product portfolio that combines innovations in radio production with CGI dira, the full rebuild of CGI OpenMedia, and a tailored consulting and IT services offering for broadcasters worldwide.”
The dira product family’s latest offering, CGI dira Dimension, promises a streamlined, “storycentric” workflow for fast-paced radio newsrooms. It uses a modular architecture optimized for interoperability, supporting hybrid and cloud-based environments. It integrates with AI partners such as AIcoustic.
CGI also evolving the OpenMedia newsroom system into an AI-enhanced platform scalable across broadcast and digital environments, supporting cloud and on-prem deployment. Existing customers will be supported via OpenMedia Classic with a transition path to the new platform.
And CGI says that as one of the world’s largest IT and business consulting firms, it supports broadcasters beyond news production, in the areas of cybersecurity, AI strategy, IT managed services and change management.
IBC Stand: 8.B47
Info: www.cgi.com/en/solutions/dira
Find an Exhibitor
To locate an exhibitor at the IBC Show, visit ibc2025. mapyourshow. com.
Telos Alliance at IBC will showcase its new Studio Essentials line of virtualized broadcast tools.
The company says these compact devices are built on powerful, fanless micro-PC platforms.
Telos VX Duo is a broadcast VoIP system intended for small studios, newsrooms and production spaces. It starts with two VoIP hybrids and scales up to eight with license upgrades. Features include adaptive EQ, spectral processing, noise gate, AGC and wideband echo cancellation. Dual Ethernet ports support VoIP and Livewire+ AES67 AoIP. It works with VSet phones or the user’s preferred VX-compatible call screening software.
Axia Altus SE, shown, brings full-featured virtual mixing to a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. This is a streamlined touch-controlled virtual console that’s suitable for news booths, remotes and backups, available in sizes from four to 24 faders.
Telos Zephyr Connect SE is a multi-codec gateway that moves multiple channels of audio across IP networks. It starts with two bidirectional codec channels and scales up to 64. Codec formats include Fraunhofer AAC, AAC-HE, AAC-HEv2, AAC-LD, MP3 and MP2, and optional Enhanced aptX, in a compact design suitable for field kits, home studios and backup sites.
IBC Stand: 8.D37
Info: https://success.telosalliance.com/studioessentials
Lawo will launch the new HOME Power Core app, which it calls a major step toward fully virtualized radio operations.
This is a software-only version of the Power Core hardware unit, designed for IP-based broadcasting. It supports the same real-time mixing, routing and monitoring capabilities as its hardware counterpart and is compatible with Lawo’s crystal, diamond and crystal Clear mixing consoles.
The app runs on standard COTS servers and is available in three instance sizes, allowing matching of DSP power to operational requirements. The app supports Ravenna/AES67 and ST2110 natively, and soon will support Dante, NDI and SRT formats, making it suitable for talk radio, visual radio and live webcasts.
Integrated transcoding and stream management ensure that all audio sources can be dynamically connected, monitored and processed. HOME Power Core supports perpetual licenses and Flex Subscription credit-based activation.
Lawo also will show the Radio 8.2 software release. It introduces a 96 kHz XL License that brings enhanced DSP capabilities to Lawo’s radio consoles, along with switchable compressor modes that can operate in automatic or manual settings.
VisTool, Lawo’s GUI design and control software, has also been enhanced.
More broadly the company will show tools for TV and radio including Lawo’s implementation of the EBU’s Dynamic Media Facility initiative; HOME 4.0, the latest evolution of its IP-native management platform; and several other developments.
IBC Stand: 8.B90
Info: https://lawo.com
The Aqua Broadcast Cobalt FM transmitter range has received “a serious upgrade,” the manufacturer said.
Cobalt transmitters now come with Icecast/ Shoutcast streaming built in as standard.
“Whether you’re using it as your main audio source or a backup, it’s plug-and-play,” with no extra gear required.
Also, Cobalt models from 300 watts to 5 kW now come with a backup power supply. If the main PSU were to fail, the backup kicks in.
“For the larger 3U models, we’ve added easyaccess fan modules. Changing a fan now takes minutes, not hours — no tools, no hassle.”
And the new MicroMPX SFN is now available as an integrated option for Cobalt transmitters. The technology from Thimeo
sends the entire FM MPX signal — including stereo, RDS, and pilot tones — over standard IP networks.
“It also carries all the critical timing and phase data, keeping your single-frequency network perfectly in sync,” Aqua said.
“Thanks to GPS-accurate delay control with NMEA data, you can fine-tune timing for each site down to the millisecond. That means every transmitter works together as one smooth, perfectly aligned network.”
IBC Stand: 8.B77e
Info: https://aquabroadcast.co.uk/
MusicMaster said it will showcase major updates to MusicMaster Client-Server at IBC.
“Among the highlights is our enhanced audio playback tool, offering even more creative control during the library and schedule editing process, including new song ‘hook’ previews,” it stated.
Also featured will be CS Web, a browserbased interface that delivers music scheduling from your web browser.
“With CS Web, you can securely access your MusicMaster system from anywhere, without compromising power or flexibility.” The interface offers familiar tools that MusicMaster says have been reimagined with a clean, modern design optimized for the web and requiring now complex installs or manual updates. It said CS Web syncs with your desktop system while reducing IT
overhead and simplifying remote access for distributed teams.
The company also is introducing new integrations with AI platforms, which it said will enable automatic metadata enrichment, intelligent song coding and data enhancements. It said it is reimagining its platform for the cloud to be more flexible and streamlined, and to deliver more brand control and greater ROI.
IBC Stand: 8.A86
Info: https://musicmaster.com
Jutel says that with its RadioMan Lamppu tool, live reporting is as easy as pressing a button.
Lamppu is suitable for covering sports, local events and breaking news using a phone, with no setup, cables or extra gear needed.
“Journalists can instantly join a live broadcast, monitor it in real time and contribute when it’s their turn, whether the studio is cloud-based or on-site,” Jutel says.
It is part of the RadioMan 6 system. Multiple reporters can join a broadcast from different locations, appearing in the On-Air interface with name tags and faders. Producers have control as with other studio sources.
Invite-based access lets you send a secure, time-limited link to a guest contributor. They can join the broadcast from their phone without installing an app.
Lamppu earned a Radio World “Best of Show” when introduced at last year’s IBC.
IBC Stand: 8.F79
Info: https://jutel.fi/radioman-lamppu
RCS will bring its ZettaCloud playout system to the convention.
“With ZettaCloud, your entire station’s audio, playlists and metadata are automatically uploaded to the cloud, allowing for easy and efficient control from anywhere, at any time,” it says.
RCS emphasizes that ZettaCloud not only provides robust disaster recovery capabilities but also serves as a full-scale, reliable playout solution that evolves with an enterprise’s programming needs.
“From routine broadcasting to live shows, spot handling and emergency takeovers, ZettaCloud gives you the flexibility to operate seamlessly across multiple platforms, ensuring your station stays on air 24/7.” It said hundreds of stations now are using ZettaCloud live with millions of dollars in revenue being managed.
The system features integration with third-party services including sound processing and digital consoles, with more integrations planned.
IBC Stand: 8.C35
Info: https://zettacloud.com
Tieline will display its range of codecs at IBC.
WorldCast Systems has released a software upgrade to the Audemat MC6, its flagship test and measurement platform.
The v1.3 release introduces two software modules intend to streamline lab workflows, support automated testing and enhance equipment calibration.
The MC6 can now serve as a precise signal generator, allowing users to generate analog and AES audio as well as MPX signals. “These reference signals are ideal for calibration, qualification and alignment of broadcast equipment,” the company states.
“By feeding devices under test with accurate test signals, engineers and technicians can fine-tune and verify performance with full confidence.”
Another new module adds automatic lab measurements like distortion analysis and oscilloscope functions for advanced insight into signal behavior. It also introduces remote control via Telnet, supporting automated test benches, factory acceptance testing and other applications.
The company said the release makes the MC6 not only a mobile tool for DAB+, FM and audio measurements, but also applicable in automated production testing, quality control processes and on-site commissioning.
IBC Stand: 8.C61
Info: www.worldcastsystems.com/en/c66m442
“Bridge-IT II and Bridge-IT XTRA II will set a new benchmark for affordable IP codecs at the show,” it stated.
“Both codecs are now shipping and are ideal for home studios, simple remotes, STLs, inter-studio links and multipoint audio distribution.”
Bridge-IT II and Bridge-IT XTRA II (shown) have a front-panel screen and keypad for menu navigation, XLR analog and digital AES inputs, a range of encoding options, and support for multi-unicast and multicast connections.
They include native support for AES67, ST 2110-30, ST2022-7 (XTRA II), Livewire+, Ravenna, NMOS IS-04 and IS-05. The codecs can connect two full-duplex mono connections or full duplex stereo, with support for cellular modems, hitless packet switching and data aggregation.
They integrate into AoIP infrastructure at the studio to deliver stream discovery and routing of AoIP audio sources and destinations.
“This also facilitates ingesting or transmitting SIP trunks for communications and IFB feeds,” Tieline said.
“For STLs, the codecs feature auto failover to another connection, HTTP stream or audio file playback, plus Bridge-IT XTRA II features dual internal power supplies, dual AoIP ports and dual Ethernet ports for additional redundancy.”
Also featured will be Tieline MPX codecs. The MPX I and MPX II deliver composite FM multiplex codec solutions for real-time network distribution of FM-MPX or MicroMPX signals to transmitter sites. Both support analog MPX on BNC, MPX over AES192, and multipoint signal distribution, to deliver a range of flexible composite encoder and decoder solutions for variouis applications.
IBC Stand: 8.F65
Info: www.tieline.com
Broadcast Radio launched Broadcast.Radio Archive, calling it a powerful web-based solution to help radio stations maintain a rolling archive of their streamed output.
“This intuitive tool gives users near-instant access to previously aired content for review, download and reuse — all from a standard web browser,” the company states.
The archives can help revisit a show, provide advertisers with proof-of-play, or repurpose content for on-demand or repeat programming. Archive integrates into Broadcast.Radio Streaming and is compatible with metadata from Myriad Playout, Myriad Cloud and most third-party playout systems.
The user can maintain a rolling archive of broadcast content in their streaming format. Archive duration is configurable with upgrade
options for more storage. The system provides instant browser-based access to archived shows and segments.
Features include search and download by Date/Time, Show Name or individual items via Now Playing metadata.
Content can be reimported into Myriad Playout, Myriad Cloud and other compatible playout systems.
IBC Stand: 8.B77h
Info: www.broadcastradio.com/b-r-archive
BW Broadcast said it will announce new additions to its product lineup in Amsterdam. It did not release details.
The company makes FM transmitters, audio processors and receivers.
“At this year’s show, BW Broadcast will reveal the next evolution in its product range, an all-new development that marks another leap forward in intelligent broadcast solutions.”
BW Broadcast can be found in the Great Britain & Northern Ireland Pavilion.
IBC Stand: 8.B77G
Info: http://www.bwbroadcast.com
A new, integrated option for Oxygen 3000 Plus consoles is a software-based Talk Show System.
AxelTech believes it has identified a hole in the market currently served by standalone phone hybrids.
“The broadcast industry has long struggled with expensive, complex phone hybrid solutions that often lack proper integration with mixing consoles,” it says, arguing that such systems “typically cost significantly more and offer limited mixer integration, particularly for mid-market installations.”
The Talk Show System manages up to eight telephone lines of any type, including POTS, telco, BT and VoIP, through one or two mixer channels. Its web interface supports up to three independent operators with
customized access rights, enabling efficient call screening, queue management and live production coordination.
The system supports all telephone line types connected to the Oxygen 3000 Plus, with comprehensive Hook and Ring control functionality.
AxelTech recommends minimum dual audio card configurations, particularly for installations managing three or more telephone lines simultaneously.
Existing Oxygen 3000 Plus owners can upgrade through software activation. New installations can integrate at deployment.
IBC Stand: 8.C72
Info: www.axeltechnology.com/oxygen-3000-plus
Among Calrec products featured at IBC is the Type R modular, expandable IP mixing system, shown, controlled by True Control 2.0 for bidirectional control and connectivity.
Calrec said it is designed to encourage customers to take advantage of distributed production and flexible workflows. Type R now provides off-air record, enhanced GPIO talkback, monitor selector follow, mix minus bus user labels and a large DSP pack with 32 aux buses.
The company also is highlighting a series of usability, customization and system enhancements across its range of Argo consoles. It is featuring a live ecosystem made up of multiple Argo consoles, the Type R system, the ImPulse processing core and the company’s ImPulseV virtualized cloud audio mixing engine.
IBC Stand: 8.C47
Info: http://calrec.com
“Adaptive” is a new compressor design from Thimeo Audio Technology, for Stereo Tool audio processing products.
“It replaces the whole dynamics chain. Traditionally, you would use an AGC followed by one or two multiband compressors. With our Adaptive compressor mode, we create all of this in one stage to make it sound better and simplify setup.”
CEO Hans van Zutphen said, “Its response speeds can change by about a factor of 1,000 depending on the content. … It intelligently adapts to the changing dynamics of the input signal adapting its behavior in real time.”
He said it performs the levelmatching role that a traditional AGC would, but with greater precision and transparency. When fed dense material, the processor will come to a halt, but with very dynamic material, it will jump around when set up to act aggressively.
Even then it won’t make very dense audio worse, he said. “In extreme cases, such as if there is a short loud ‘S’ sound, the compressor will duck down deep but then jump back up. This way you won’t hear any drop in level, it will sound perfectly natural.”
Adaptive mode is part of the advanced dynamics license for Stereo Tool.
IBC Stand: 8.F73
Info: www.thimeo.com
Radio.Cloud will exhibit at IBC and feature an AI-driven addition to its cloud-based radio operating system.
The feature is called Assistant AI, a hybrid research and content creation solution.
“The key differentiator is that Assistant AI is a playlist-specific research tool, creating custom content specific to your brands,” the company says.
Assistant AI is integrated into Radio.Cloud’s Smart Playlist. It provides hosts with news, trends and hot tracks for each station.
The platform allows hosts to choose a specific talk break slot, the content to prep for and how much content to provide. Examples include local news, local weather, station promos and relevant information about the next artist and song.
Hosts are given an interactive chat feature to craft the output, choosing to use content for voice tracks, live talk breaks or social media and blog posts.
“For example,” the company’s Jott Lischka says, “if the Assistant gives me a short blurb on an upcoming Billie Eilish song, I can ask it
‘Is Billie Eilish is going on tour in my area?’ or ‘Turn that frontsell into a 200-word blog post for my website.’”
There’s also an easy-to-use Smart Voice Track recorder, allowing users to record content directly into Radio.Cloud via Assistant AI.
The company says the ability to automatically generate crossplatform content relevant to a playlist and to listeners can save hosts time and increase efficiency dramatically.
IBC Stand: 8.F35
Info: www.radio.cloud
Writer
Sue Zizza Owner, SueMedia Productions
In his July 22 opinion piece on the Radio World website titled “What’s Next for Public Radio,” Jerry Del Colliano dismissed the federal government’s role in supporting public media, framing it as “getting out of the rescue business.”
As someone who has seen firsthand what public radio means to communities, I find this view shortsighted and uneducated about a century and more of service.
Congress, in the 1920s, recognized the need for public media with the establishment of educational radio stations by universities, which initially gave rural communities access to educational programming.
The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 officially established public broadcasting as a system, creating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Public radio has strived to ensure fair access to the airwaves, a principle that those steeped solely in commercial broadcasting may undervalue.
Right A logo for Redwood Community Radio’s KMUD.
Almost a quarter of its revenue last year came via a CPB grant, according to its website.
Del Colliano’s suggestion that licenses should be sold off “for pennies” to groups like the Educational Media Foundation — operator of massive national Christian music networks such as K-Love and Air1 — would gut local service, especially in rural and underserved areas. These are precisely the communities that most rely on independent, fact-based reporting about local and state government, issues like climate change and emergency event coverage.
Republicans have been seeking to do away with CPB funding almost from the start. But in 1995 even Speaker Newt Gingrich’s proposal did not include a cold turkey zeroing out of all funding.
“It is typically authoritarian governments — not democracies — that deliberately silence independent stations. ”
Rather, he proposed putting CPB funding on a threeto five-year glide path to zero, with federal funding diminishing yearly, to give the system some amount of time to plan, adjust and plot a new way forward. That plan failed because reasonable Republicans were persuaded not to back it.
What has just occurred is in keeping with the increasing cruelty and violence we see being done every day, all over America, by the policies being enacted by this Congress and the present administration.
The White House has labeled public media “politically biased” and “an unnecessary expense.” Backed by “free market” rhetoric, conservatives have decided that NPR and PBS are the problem, not their own unpopular policies.
As PRX Chief Operating Officer Jason Saldanha explained, network-level entities like NPR, PBS and PRX may be able to adapt to funding cuts with more resilience than small stations: “The funding cuts don’t affect us in exactly the same way they will affect stations, especially community radio.”
For these local stations, the consequences could be fatal. NPR President/CEO Katherine Maher has already warned that as many as 80 NPR stations may close in the next year.
For communities like those in California’s Humboldt and Mendocino counties, public media is more than daily news and entertainment — it’s a lifeline.
The area’s public radio station, Redwood Community Radio, commonly known as KMUD, has broadcast wildfire evacuation notices, flood alerts and road closure updates for decades. In 2019, Humboldt County awarded the station two generator grants — funded by a public safety sales tax measure — to keep transmissions going during emergencies.
It’s worth noting that even Michelle Bushnell, one of Humboldt’s Republican conservative county supervisors, uses KMUD’s airwaves weekly to connect with her constituents, something commercial stations in the area, many of which are automated, simply will not or cannot do. This is local democracy in action.
Subsequent to the publication of Del Colliano’s article, CPB announced it would begin shutting down in late
“NPR President/CEO Katherine Maher has already warned that as many as 80 NPR stations may close in the next year.
governments — not democracies — that deliberately silence independent stations.
In “The Engineered Silence of Public Media,” anthropologist James B. Greenberg notes: “When public data is doctored, when independent media is filtered, and when education is recast as propaganda … ignorance is internalized — not as absence, but as truth.”
Across the United States, in communities large and small alike, public media overwhelmingly carries the broadcast mantle for democratic participation in the form of call-in shows, town halls and public affairs roundtables.
These are civic rituals that bind citizens to one another, reminding people that despite our differences, voices matter, dialogue matters, civic engagement matters. Without them, people can become isolated consumers of chaos, not participants in something shared.
Del Colliano derides on-air fundraising as “whining” and tells stations to simply boost underwriting.
But KMUD — which broadcasts to primarily rural communities and whose territory spreads out over 10,000 square miles of rugged terrain and vast forests — already raises 75% of its income through underwriting, listener donations and community engagement. Simply suggesting that more underwriting can easily replace the federal support stations receive doesn’t consider the stations’ local economies.
It also doesn’t consider that federal support serves and, yes, even protects the public.
What’s truly tragic and infuriating is that CPB’s 2025 budget is $535 million, approximately 0.0076% of the total budget of the U.S. government, or $1.57 for every man, woman and child in the country. With so much talk about waste, fraud and abuse in government spending, one would be hard pressed to find taxpayer money that is better or more efficiently spent.
How to submit Radio World welcomes comment on all relevant topics. Email radioworld@ futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.
2025. CPB supports technical infrastructure, music and streaming licensing fees and original programming. KMUD expects its budget to shrink by 25% or more without CPB support, threatening rural weather alerts and emergency communications there, as well.
This is not just about news and information. Mississippi Public Broadcasting is eliminating its 24/7 children’s streaming channel, which has educated generations before they entered school, serving public media’s original mission. CPB grants have also funded food, history, music and cultural shows — programming that won’t survive without federal support.
The U.S. has supported public media for generations, which is in line with most democracies around the world. While economic and political pressures affect public broadcasters globally, it is typically authoritarian
If the U.S. government truly “gets out of the rescue business” for public media, it will also be walking away from rescuing people in times of disaster, cutting off rural communities from emergency information and silencing diverse voices in the process.
In this moment of democratic fragility, we must recognize that public media is not a luxury — it is infrastructure for truth, safety, and participation. If stations like KMUD survive, it will be because communities understand that and somehow figure out a way to rally to keep them alive.
Sue Zizza is an award-winning transmedia storyteller, producer, director, writer sound designer and owner of SueMedia Productions, a full-service audio production company. She is a recipient of The Corwin Award for lifetime achievement in producing audio fiction. She teaches audio recording and audio storytelling at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
