Welcome to the April 8th, 2026 issue of Radio World
Technology & news for radio decision makers
Tools for Audio Processing
Buyer’s Guide has the latest from Angry, Aqua, DHD, Lawo, Omnia, Orban, Thimeo, Wheatstone and WorldCast.
Vol. 50 No. 8 | April 8 2026
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CONTENT
Managing Director, Content & Editor in Chief Paul J. McLane, paul.mclane@futurenet.com, 845-414-6105
Content Producer Nick Langan, nicholas.langan@futurenet.com
Technical Advisors W.C. “Cris” Alexander, Thomas R. McGinley, Doug Irwin
Contributors: Michael Baldauf, David Bialik, John Bisset, Edwin Bukont, James Careless, Ken Deutsch, Todd Dixon, Mark Durenberger, Charles Fitch, Donna Halper, William Harrison, Alan Jurison, Paul Kaminski, John Kean, Mark Lapidus, James O’Neal, Jim Peck, Mark Persons, Jeremy Preece, John Schneider, Gregg Skall, Dan Slentz, Randy Stine, Tom Vernon, Chris Wygal
Production Manager Nicole Schilling
Senior Design Director Lisa McIntosh
Senior Art Editor Will Shum
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Cold water from CBS
One broadcaster considers it a crucial wakeup call
Paul McLane Editor in Chief
You’d think by now we’d be inured to dramatic changes to the familiar American radio ecosystem.
Within a single year, we’ve seen the federal government defund public media; we’ve seen the Trump administration work with determination to abort its own international broadcasting assets; and we’ve seen large commercial radio companies continue to struggle with debt, notably Cumulus filing its second Chapter 11 reorganization in nine years.
The word that CBS Radio News will close next month (page 8) was another cold-water splash of reality for the U.S. radio industry.
Longtime local broadcaster John Caracciolo, president/CEO of JVC Broadcasting on Long Island, has strong feelings about that.
He owns 23 radio stations as well as an outdoor venue and an outof-home advertising company. In a commentary sent to me and other trade journalists shortly after the announcement, Caracciolo said the CBS announcement wasn’t just another unpleasant media headline but a wakeup call for our industry.
He calls the closure “a clear example of what happens when decisions about our information, our communities and our voices are made in corporate boardrooms disconnected from real life. This wasn’t a programming failure. It wasn’t a lack of audience. It was an accounting decision — made by people who don’t live in the communities radio serves, don’t rely on it and don’t understand its true value.”
In his view, radio has never been more important. It is immediate, local and trusted in an era that’s flooded with misinformation and algorithms.
“Radio isn’t dying. It’s being stripped down by people who don’t know how to grow it,” he wrote, using the kind of language I’ve heard in private from many folks who work in radio but rarely in public from a broadcast owner.
He feels the departure of CBS from this ecosystem creates an opening, “a rare and powerful opportunity to rebuild something better.”
Caracciolo says this is the moment to create a network “built not for Wall Street, but for Main Street,” one that partners with local stations and helps them monetize their localism.
Now, let me say that the word localism lately causes me to put my guard up. Localism gets a lot of lip service from broadcasters when they go to Capitol Hill to ask for something; but it seems to me that, if anything, I see many of those companies using technology to de-localize, and it’s easy to become cynical.
For me, localism is about more than having a functioning EAS box and running automated weather or traffic reports on a station that otherwise is run from hundreds of miles away.
John Caracciolo is talking about something different.
“Local voices. Local news. Local advertisers. Local trust,” he wrote. He emphasized that he is not opposed to consolidation, but says there’s a line: “When consolidation is used purely for profit — when it strips stations
From the Editor
of their local identity, cuts talent and replaces service with spreadsheets — that’s when it fails. Profit must be our servant, not our master.”
He would like to see a radio network emerge that “partners with local stations to amplify their voices, not drown them out. One that provides national scale where it matters — news gathering, distribution, sales infrastructure — while keeping content authentic and rooted in the community.”
He said no one is better positioned to build it than the people who actually believe in radio.
“This is the time to act. The vacuum left by corporate retreat is real, and it won’t stay empty for long. Either Main Street steps in to rebuild radio with purpose, or something else will fill that space — and it won’t have the same commitment to trust, community or truth.”
Will such a network emerge? We can hope.
I asked Caracciolo if he has his own business initiative in mind here. He replied that he hasn’t had serious conversations along those lines, but “I think there is a void in the market and the right radio person with the funding could make a run at it.”
My gut tells me that in the long run, the American commercial radio industry will survive not because large
but because passionate, smart and locally minded businesspeople like John Caracciolo don’t lose faith. Comment on this or any story to radioworld@futurenet.com
Above John Caracciolo
Writer Randy J. Stine
NCEs proliferate as public radio navigates challenges
Loss of federal funding leaves startups seeking new options
This is one in a series about trends in noncommercial U.S. radio, here focusing on public and community stations.
band, 88.1–91.9 MHz. More than 1,200 applications were received by the commission.
Above
Many NCE stations are part of the public media ecosystem, which is undergoing unprecedented disruption to its funding model.
Boston’s GBH posted this image of a modified billboard in front of its building last year.
The proliferation of noncommercial educational FM stations in the United States may be exciting for public radio, religious broadcasters and community activists. But for many new stations, the financial landscape may not be what they expected when they launched their plans.
The number of NCE FMs reached historic highs in 2025. The year ended with 4,755 of them, almost double their number 20 years ago and up by more than 500 just since 2022. New licenses remain in high demand.
The most recent surge is the result of an FCC NCE filing window in 2021, the first in more than a decade.
Non-profit organizations, schools and native tribes could apply for original construction permits in the FM reserved
As of early this year the commission had granted more than 800 CPs from the window, most of which are now on the air. CP holders are supposed to build within three years.
The FCC said the window gave startup groups a chance at acquiring new service and provided existing noncom FMs a chance to fill holes in coverage areas in underserved areas.
Most of the new stations are in rural areas or smallto medium-sized towns. Much of the activity is in the midwestern, southern and mountain west regions.
Donation-based NCE FM startups may have counted on receiving federal money but now face unplanned financial hurdles after the government suddenly defunded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and clawed back many millions of dollars of allocated money for public broadcasting.
The author profiled Nautel’s Kevin Rodgers in a recent issue.
Above
Rima Dael, Mike Henry, Rob Quicke and Alex Curley
Especially vulnerable are licensees who were awarded CPs and had only recently begun operations or hadn’t signed on yet.
“The uncertainty around long-term funding and operating sustainability in some cases has stations waiting to secure enough capital,” said Rima Dael, CEO of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, “not just to construct facilities, but to operate responsibly for the first several years without relying on funding streams that may no longer be reliable.
“New non-commercial radio stations are entering the field during one of the most complex funding and political environments the sector has faced in decades,” she continued.
“Many are proceeding with greater caution and phased buildouts, prioritizing essential infrastructure first and delaying discretionary investments.”
She said stations are leaning more heavily on volunteer labor, shared services, partnerships with colleges or community organizations, and digital-first strategies to keep costs manageable.
Dael says federal support has historically helped underwrite startup capital costs, including transmission equipment, engineering, compliance and early staffing for NPR- or CPBqualified stations.
“Without that support, stations must raise substantially more upfront funding before they can reliably go on air.”
Some state or municipal arts and cultural grants to help cover startup costs might be available depending on location, Dael said.
“As a result, most startups are combining tiny public funding with private philanthropy, underwriting and institutional support, if they can get it.”
The public broadcast industry has been fortunate to see an uptick in large gift donations in response to the federal cuts — some are calling it “rage giving.”
Broadcasters also have launched special initiatives specifically to diversify support.
In March, for example, Houston Public Media said its new Resiliency Fund had raised $3.2 million including a big gift from a Texas-based grocery retailer.
But observers say it will be hard for public media to sustain a surge in donations.
Public media consultant Mike Henry of Paragon Consulting says the loss of CPB funds has led new stations to “right-size their operation out of the gate” rather than having to reduce operations, staff or local service later.
“Noncoms owned through a community license, as well as educational licenses through a university or school system, must now rely more heavily on average listeners to sustain them. These stations can also appeal to foundations for financial support, which is a growing motivation for almost all noncom stations that lost CPB funding,” Henry says.
He pointed out that noncoms run by religious broadcasters are insulated from CPB’s demise since they rarely received CPB grants and rely more sources such as local business support through underwriting.
Rob Quicke, founder of the College Radio Foundation and director of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., says the buzzword for new NCE FMs is collaboration.
“More than ever, collaboration is crucial for survival for NCE stations. Whether with universities, local arts councils, civic organizations or other media outlets, new NCE stations will need as many partners as they can get to improve their long-term stability,” Quicke said.
For example, more than 40 public radio stations across Wisconsin created the Wisconsin News Collaborative, a response to the loss of federal funding.
The collaborative, according to a press release, includes University of Wisconsin’s WUWM (89.7) Milwaukee, White Pine Community Broadcasting’s WXPR (91.7) Rhinelander and Wisconsin Public Radio’s network of 39 stations across the Badger state.
In addition, Quicke said creativity in fundraising ideas and initiatives isn’t only wise, it’s now essential. Those new NCE stations that succeed, he says, will think of themselves as multi-platform media organizations, not just traditional FM outlets.
Innovation also will be ever more important.
Clockwise:
“Stations need to embrace digital platforms that increase their reach. From streaming, podcasts and social media, this live and ongoing relationship is important to engage with listeners in their community.”
Alex Curley, founder of Semipublic, says the timing of developments places the many of the new FM stations at an extreme disadvantage.
“The public is currently engaged and interested in the stories of all kinds of stations following the end of federal funding, but the ones that are doing well financially have been able to capitalize on that through national attention. That can require deep connections and a long institutional history — something new NCEs haven’t yet had a chance to establish,” Curley said.
The loss in federal funding also creates a hole on the technical side.
“The biggest engineering challenge NCE FMs face is aging equipment. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting subsidized millions and millions of dollars in tower and satellite uplink hardware every year, but even still there are stations that are using equipment that’s half a century old,” Curley said.
Curley says now is the time to raise money for equipment. “I doubt there will ever be a public more sympathetic to NCE stations than now, especially as public interest inevitably wanes over the next few years.”
Upcoming: Trends in religious noncommercial radio.
Newswatch
Creative Thinking
A loss of $2.2 million in annual funding has prompted a frequency realignment by Buffalo Toronto Public Media for signals that carry its classical and NPR programming.
Among other things it is converting one of its FM stations to a commercial license to air a news-focused format that can be supported by both members and advertisers.
It said more than half of its current funding comes from members. “While community support over the past nine months has been extraordinary, replacing a $2.2 million structural funding loss indefinitely through donations alone would not be realistic or responsible.” A commercial license will provide greater flexibility.
“The federal funding cut put us in a difficult position,” said Tom Calderone, its president and CEO, in the announcement.
“But we are using this moment to think creatively — as we always have — about how we serve our community while protecting BTPM’s essential services.”
CLOSURE: CBS News will shut down its storied radio news arm on May 22 as part of a restructuring that includes a 6% reduction in staff, it announced last month.
The development left approximately 700 affiliates including majormarket stations seeking another source for features such as news at the top of the hour.
CBS News President Tim Cibrowski and Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss made the announcement, informing staff in a memo reported by multiple media outlets that it was a “difficult day” for the company. Approximately 60 employees are affected, according to the New York Times.
The network offers “news-on-the-hour” newscasts and the CBS World News Roundup, which itself dates back to Edward R. Murrow’s on-air debut in 1938 from Vienna.
Following the 2017 merger between CBS Radio and Entercom, the radio network remained under the management of CBS News, which later signed a distribution contract with Skyview Networks in August of that year.
Audacy’s Infinity Networks announced a distribution partnership with CBS News Radio in October.
The union SAG-AFTRA said it was “appalled to learn of CBS‘s decision to shut down CBS News Radio and lay off countless network
news division staffers across its media platforms. For more than a century, CBS News has been a bedrock of broadcast journalism. Many distinguished journalists who performed their work with courage, integrity and loyalty to CBS lost their jobs today.”
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers expressed dismay about the employee cuts at CBS, noting, “This is the second round of cuts since CBS came under Skydance Media’s control.”
It said, “Skydance’s actions raise serious questions about the future of good union jobs in broadcasting. And with Skydance reportedly planning to merge CBS News into CNN following its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, lawmakers and regulators must ask whether further consolidation in the broadcast industry will help working people or hurt them.”
— Nick Langan
John Bisset
CPBE
The author is in his 35th 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.
Bill’s bipolar supply warning
When equipment fails, check the power supply first
Bill Traue, CSRE, 8-VSB, AMD, is the principal of Bill Traue Technical Service.
The tech history article about IGM by Criss Onan in the March 1 Radio World prompted memories of working with Instacart machines that held 48 carts, a novel and efficient approach for the time.
Bill had three stations using these in their automation systems. Changing a capstan motor and working with those really long capstan shafts was an interesting experience!
Tips
Please Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@ gmail.com
As these machines evolved, Bill recalls when one machine revealed a terrible power supply design problem that could still plague any of us today.
The issue became apparent at a station that was preparing to go on the air. Its production director had produced lots of commercials to begin airing as soon as the station signed on. The Instacart machine was loaded with 48 spots and liners ready to go, which reflected a lot of production work.
Below
There are many types of elegant power switch guards. These are by Clymene and Smloplom, both found on Amazon.
A few days before initial sign-on, the staff fortunately discovered that all of the cart tapes in the Instacart machine suddenly had no audio on them. It was as if they had all been bulk erased.
What could cause this? A disgruntled staffer? No … it was a failed power supply!
The Instacart power supply card contained three separate supplies: a +15 and a –15 VDC regulated supply
for the audio amplifier ICs, another supply for the logic circuits and +24 VDC for the solenoids.
The +15 supply had failed and put out nothing. The audio amps revolted and latched up, placing the full –15 VDC through all the playback heads simultaneously!
Each of those 48 tape heads then turned into an electromagnet, efficiently erasing the contents of each cart tape. Wow.
A moral of Bill’s anecdote is that a bipolar power supply should be designed so that both outputs must be present or neither can be. Some designs follow this rule, some don’t. This is relevant not only for long-gone Instacarts but for any circuit whose operation is vital.
Your takeaway: Many problems can be traced to power supply issues. If something fails, check the power supply voltages first.
(I remember a time when a station staff member who’d been fired took a cart carousel, held a degausser against all
Courtesy Robert Leftwich
Right
An IGM Instacart Cart Machine
“What could cause the problem? A disgruntled staffer? Guess again.
Above
Apply dry graphite to the threads of floodlight bulbs for easier removal later. This one is sold by Home Depot for about six bucks.
The Sparkelec DP-666.
For other alternatives, William suggests doing a search for “light switch guard” in Google, and you’ll find protectors for pretty much any type of switch you may encounter, including Decora style and combo switch/outlet types, from Amazon and many other sources. For instance the Home Depot website has a twopack of Amarelle covers for about $2.50 a pair.
Veg out at the tower site
Our frequent foreign correspondent Paul Sagi in Malaysia noted the tip about removing broken bulbs with a potato. He writes that perhaps engineers should plant spuds outside their transmitter buildings to assure an adequate supply for removing broken floodlights. The veggies can also serve to give you something to eat if you get snowed in at a site — bake them using the FM transmitter’s exhaust air!
Paul was being tongue in cheek. We think.
On a more serious note, he suggests before you install flood light bulbs, apply a little dry graphite powder to the bulb threads. The conductive compound will prevent the threads from sticking to the socket.
While you’re at it, treat all your outside fence padlocks with the compound, working the key back and forth. After a harsh winter, the locks will appreciate the TLC.
A tube like the one shown sells for around $6 at Home Depot. the carts and spun it. Nasty! Perhaps you’ve experienced similar malevolence? Share your story. Email johnpbisset@ gmail.com.)
Ernie’s $84 receiver
Ernie Nearman is a principal broadcast engineer at Broadcast Resources Co. based in Honolulu. He’s 72 but says he’s nowhere near retiring!
Ernie shares that if you’re looking for a good but inexpensive receiver, try a search at eBay for the DP-666. At $84, this model tunes AM, FM and shortwave bands. Ernie has several.
William’s switch guard
Engineering Director William Harrison at WETA-FM in Washington commented on Kirk Harnack’s clever tip about installing a cable clamp over a light switch to prevent it from being switched off.
Right
Writer Paul Kaminski
The author has been writing for Radio World since 1997. He is host of “Radio-RoadTest” and the “Radio-RoadTest Minute.”
The radio experience in the Genesis G90
It offers top-rated luxury, traditional controls and even AM radio
Luxury vehicles are judged to a higher standard for fit, finish, performance and features. The award-winning 2026 G90 sedan from Genesis, the luxe division of Hyundai, adds a full-featured and mostly user-friendly infotainment interface to that mix.
You would expect nothing less in a vehicle with a sticker price of around $107,000 for the version I drove for msrpk. com’s “Radio-Road-Test” program.
This is a car with self-opening and self-closing power doors; a “Mood Curator” that controls massage settings, ambient lighting and custom fragrances; and Remote Start Parking Assist, with which the car can park itself in tight spots.
Genesis calls its next-generation infotainment system “the connected car Integrated Cockpit,” or ccIC.
“It connects the cluster and navigation into a panoramic display, cementing a high-tech look,” the company states.
“The 12.3-inch cluster displays one of the views of the map, navigation (normal/augmented reality mode) and advanced driver assistance system to provide key information necessary for safe driving, and the right split screen applies navigation contents such as driving information, radio, phone and media according to the driver’s choice.”
To access the radio screen, Genesis provides a jog wheel in the console to select a source. Nearby controls handle volume and tuning.
This approach feels safer than asking me to tune using a screen, as some cars do, pulling my eyes more from the road.
Paul Kaminski
Also, some car models have deprecated Apple and Android functionality in favor of an on-board ecosystem. And some have eliminated broadcast radio in favor of streaming, though drivers can access streamed version of stations.
Genesis has not made these choices though.
Among the audio sources in the G90 are FM/HD Radio, AM and SiriusXM. (Genesis adopted HD Radio as a standard feature across its North American models a couple of years ago.) The model I drove was an electrified “mild hybrid,” which didn’t keep Genesis from including AM radio reception. Further, it supports DTS AutoStage.
Connected Cars
Also you can get streams through on-board subscriptionbased internet access, or listen from your Apple or Android devices tethered by USB-C or Bluetooth.
The audio comes through a Bang & Olufsen sound system with 23 speakers. It’s good, though processing problems, multipath and other audio glitches are more apparent when they occur.
Above AM radio display, listening near Tampa.
Right The test car.
Paul Kaminski
Paul Kaminski
Connected Cars
The dashboard stack holds the 12.3-inch center display and a digital display for the driver.
When you come back to this car, it remembers what you were listening to when you shut it off. As Quu and others have preached, radio stations therefore should strive to be the last source playing.
The HD Radio functionality means I could find fuel prices, traffic details and, when transmitted, weather maps.
The experience of using the media tools of the G90 reinforces lessons we’ve learned over the past decade when trying new cars with sophisticated
Right
A jog wheel selects sources on the home screen.
Separate controls at top right handle volume and tuning.
The learning curve now is steeper for drivers and passengers to figure out how basic functions like volume, source selection and tuning work.
Radio programming needs to be compelling because of the audio competition all around it right in the dashboard, not to mention video content. Quality processing matters. So does metadata via RDS or HD Radio so your station and content are visible and as interesting as possible.
And remember, ecosystems in top-end models are very
Above Satellite radio.
Genesis USA
Paul Kaminski
Prism Quattro Is a New Distribution Option
Prism is an audio broadcasting ecosystem designed to replace traditional satellite distribution.
“Our flagship receiver, the Quattro, is a fourchannel stereo 1RU appliance designed and built in collaboration with Angry Audio,” said founder and President Adrian Berkovits.
Its website describes it as “a resilient omnidirectional IP network for broadcast-grade audio delivery from studios to affiliates.”
“When we say ‘omnidirectional,’ we mean it literally: There is no single point of failure
anywhere in the architecture,” Berkovits said.
“Prism routes audio simultaneously across five independent infrastructure layers and multiple cloud and dedicated providers, each with different network paths among multiple geographic regions.”
If a vendor has an outage, for example, audio is already flowing through the other layers. If a fiber cut takes down one network
path, traffic keeps flowing via the other layers.
“We’ve watched Prism maintain uninterrupted service during major cloud provider outages that took down thousands of websites and services. While other systems went dark, our audio delivery stayed on air because the architecture simply routed around the problem. It’s resilient by design.”
Berkovits said the radio industry is facing an infrastructure crisis. “C-band satellite spectrum is being reclaimed by wireless carriers for 5G deployment. Satellite capacity
is literally shrinking, and what remains is becoming prohibitively expensive and difficult to manage.”
Prism’s system offers a migration path off satellites that is more flexible and resilient than early IP-based alternatives.
Info: www.prism18.com
Prism Quattro receiver
Adrian Berkovits
About Buyer’s Guide
The Buyer’s Guide 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.
Tech Update Telos Alliance Introduces Omnia XII for FM, HD & DAB
A new flagship audio processor is coming from Omnia.
The Omnia XII for FM, HD Radio and DAB will debut at the NAB Show.
The company describes it as an all-new 2RU design, “built from the ground up by Frank Foti and his team to deliver maximum processing power, punch and performance on a flexible platform that can grow and evolve along with the needs of modern radio.”
A five-band processing structure employs intelligent AGC, compressors and limiters, coupled with “smart”
dynamic EQ and refined bass management tools.
The multiband section feeds a newly designed clipper, which Telos Alliance says was developed through research into delivering market-leading on-air loudness while eliminating distortion and listener fatigue.
Omnia XII comes with a toolkit that includes a dynamic RDS encoder with optional UECP support, ratings watermark integration via SDKs from Nielsen, Kantar and Ipsos, and a dedicated insertion point that allows external devices such as the 25-Seven Voltair watermark processor to be introduced at the “sweet spot” in the airchain.
Features include ITU-R BS.1770 loudness and MPX power meters, a digital oscilloscope, an FM spectrum analyzer and Omnia QuickTweak controls. The company says these simplify processor tuning by adjusting multiple parameters simultaneously.
Connectivity includes analog, AES and composite MPX I/O. The processor supports Livewire+ AES67 AoIP, standard linear MPX over IP, optional µMPX encoding and an optional stream receiver supporting Super Hi-Fi’s HLS+ with metadata routing to RDS and up to 24 hours of backup playout capability.
Dual redundant internal power supplies and relay bypass on primary I/O paths provide resilience and switch-over to backup airchains. LWRP, Rest API and hardware GPIO facilitate remote triggering and control of events and parameters. Info: www.telosalliance.com
Tech Update
Angry Audio Introduces StereoToolBox Processor
Angry Audio said the StereoToolBox is a fullfeatured FM+HD1 audio processor developed with Thimeo, the company behind the StereoTool FM processing platform.
With a retail price of $3,999, it “delivers the sound and features of processors costing twice as much,” Angry says.
It provides simultaneous FM and HD1 outputs with no additional hardware or licensing. “StereoToolBox is designed to deliver the loud, clean sound of major-market stations.”
For stations not running HD1, the second output is suitable for DAB and streaming.
Features include an Adaptive Compressor, with two to nine bands; RuleBreaker Clipper “for extreme loudness without distortion”; Perfect Declipper to repair and restore clipped source material; and Immersive Bass for big sound on small speakers.
There’s a BS.412 limiter for loudness compliance; speech detection with automatic processing switching for voice-only programming; built-in RDS and RDS2 encoding; and audience ratings watermarking with no external boxes.
The unit has microMPX encoding for up to 100 outputs; composite outputs, analog MPX and digital AES192 MPX; analog, AES/EBU digital and AES67 inputs; diversity delay for HD broadcasting; dual Ethernet ports for RDS, control and AES67; and HTML5 remote control, so “no apps, no Java, no Flash.”
A 12 VDC input port supports backup power.
Info: angryaudio.com
Tech Update
Aqua Offers Zen10 and AquaTool
The Zen 10 Stereo Automatic Gain Control processor is the result of a collaboration of Aqua Broadcast and David Reaves Audio LLC. Aqua describes it as a cutting-edge solution for broadcast, streaming audio, podcasting and television loudness control.
It employs 10 independent AGC processor controllers for flexibility. Users can configure it to operate with a single band up to five frequency bands, with each featuring two channels. Each band provides independent control of its respective channels and can be configured as linked stereo or in an L+R/L–R matrix for control over stereo imaging and consistency.
The processor incorporates a BS.1770 loudness control sidechain to ensure compliance with international loudness standards. At the input stage, it uses Perfect Declipper technology from
Thimeo, helping to restore and enhance audio quality before processing begins.
A unique “Punch” attack emphasis control allows users to fine-tune transient response, “to deliver a powerful, engaging on-air sound.”
The Zen 10 is remote-controllable via an HTML-based interface.
Aqua Broadcast also is introducing the AquaTool, a hardware platform featuring Stereo Tool software from Thimeo onboard. “With integrated MicroMPX technology, AquaTool can deliver a complete FM signal at bitrates as low as 320 kbps, ideal for use with the optional MicroMPX decoder in the Cobalt Transmitter range or other compatible devices.”
Info: www.aquabroadcast.co.uk
Tech Update
Wheatstone Neuron Processor: “Big Sound, Half the Price”
New from Wheatstone, the Neuron FM/HD/DAB+ spectral audio processor “has all the big sound and features of a top-line processor but at half the price.”
Its patented spectral audio processing technology applies human psychoacoustic characteristics to perform fine-grained peak control.
The company says that by grouping frequencies into 1/3 octave critical bands that model how the human ear perceives sound, peak limiting is applied to only the narrowest frequency band possible without affecting nearby frequencies.
“Limiting in this way lets you drive the processor for optimum loudness and still get a richer, fuller sound out the other end.”
Features include proprietary pre-emphasis optimization, sidechained bass and advanced Density Compensation algorithm for realtime analysis of the pre- and post-processed audio density.
Separate paths are optimized for FM and HD/DAB+. A multipath mitigator assures consistent coverage. SCAs and stereo generator are provided, along with RBDS/RDS generator and Wheatstone baseband192 for digitizing the multiplex spectrum for eliminating the analog composite interface between processing and transmission.
Info: https://wheatstone.com/product/neuron
Tech Update
MicroMPX Platform
Beefs Up
MicroMPX, a technology used for transporting composite FM audio over IP, soon will be out in Version 5.
“The update introduces improvements in packet-loss resilience, encoder efficiency, monitoring and standardized control of time-critical broadcast functions,” Thimeo Audio Technology said.
Buyer ’s Guide
It said a key enhancement is support for partial keyframes, which reduces the audible impact when packets are dropped instead of relying solely on full keyframe recovery.
Version 5 also adds optional RTP header support, enabling easier stream quality monitoring and simpler integration with existing RTP routing and analysis tools.
Thimeo said further optimization of the MicroMPX codec lowers CPU use, allowing for higher virtualization density and additional headroom for redundancy and monitoring.
“A standardized method for triggering top-of-hour station identifications has also been introduced. This makes it possible to trigger local top of the hour IDs at different transmitter sites
synchronized with the main MicroMPX audio.”
Emergency Alert System handling has been added to the Thimeo MicroMPX software. The Thimeo software version can monitor an assigned audio input and immediately switch to passing that audio to the composite output when alert audio is detected. A simple built-in leveler in the MicroMPX software helps maintain modulation near the intended target level during alert playback.
Version 5 is scheduled for release in the second quarter and will be available to Thimeo MicroMPX users and OEM partners at no added cost.
Info: www.thimeo.com
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Tech Update
WorldCast Consolidates Its MPX-over-IP portfolio
WorldCast Systems said it “has completed the global rollout of APTmpX v2, confirming the format’s successful establishment in the broadcast market.”
It said its enhanced MPX/composite transport technology is now integrated across its APT codec range and “widely adopted” by broadcasters seeking reliable, future-ready MPX-over-IP delivery.
WorldCast said the extended feature set is available at 300, 400 and 600 kbps, enabling flexible deployment scenarios without compromising multiplex integrity. It said this adaptability has proven valuable in bandwidth-managed environments.
APTmpX v2 is implemented in APTmpX Software for Windows, where the APTmpX Software Encoder can interface with installed sound processors such as Stereo Tool or Omnia .9s to generate an APTmpX IP stream. The integrated decoder in the Ecreso FM AiO Series transmitters also supports APTmpX v2, including operation in FM singlefrequency networks.
A key enhancement of APTmpX v2 is the integration of RDS transport.
The format carries the 57 kHz RDS subcarrier directly within the multiplex signal, alongside synchronized RDS/RBDS data. “The exceptionally stable stereo pilot ensures consistent subcarrier performance, while RDS blocks are transmitted with minimal overhead at the nominal bit rate. The architecture is prepared for evolving standards such as RDS2.”
“APTmpX v2 is recognized for delivering highest signal fidelity while preserving stereo imaging, combined with very low coding delay in line with APT’s longstanding low-latency philosophy,” it said.
“Its efficient IP packet structure, comparable to linear PCM over IP, ensures robust transmission even in demanding network conditions. Stable bit rates remain a critical advantage for satellite and metered IP links. Multiple operating modes enable broadcasters to optimize bandwidth usage without compromising signal transparency.”
Info: www.worldcastsystems.com/en
Tech Update
Orban 5950 HD
Offers Two Independent Processing Chains
Orban’s Optimod 5950 HD provides FM/HD1 processing with Orban MX limiting as well as an independent processing chain for DAB+, HD-2 and optional streaming.
It’s based on the Optimod 5950 and comes in a 1 RU design with highrez touch display. It can be controlled remotely via HTML5 browser.
The 5950 HD has analog, AES3, composite and digital MPX as well as AES67/SMPTE-ST2110 inputs and outputs. It includes advanced audio routing and HD diversity delay and can be used at the studio or transmitter.
Optional μMPX and APTmpX are available.
The FM section has four structures, to be selected based on the application: Five-Band, Low-Latency Five-Band, Ultra-Low-Latency Five-Band and Two-Band.
An intelligent two-band window-gated AGC using “master / bass” band coupling controls levels unobtrusively, along with three kinds of stereo enhancement and advanced EQ.
The “True Peak” limiter in the HD chains anticipates and controls peak levels following D/A conversion; Orban says this is now required by
Tech Update
DHD
Expands XD3 IP Core
many broadcasters.
Multiple audio I/O sources can be monitored via the front headphone output and optional IP Monitoring Streaming Encoder, which supports HLS, Icecast or Shoutcast using AAC, FLAC, MP3 or Opus output streams.
The 5950 HD optionally supports three Nielsen/Ipsos/Kantar encoders for FM HD-1 and HD-2, and optional playback of audio from 2 GB internal memory using AAC, FLAC, MP3 or Opus files.
Optional dual streaming decoding of internet streams as an input, including but not limited to HLS+, Icecast or Shoutcast, is available. The metadata option provides metadata recovery capability including HLS+ relay metadata controls, HLS+ delivery format controls, including JSON pass-through support and EAS trigger support within the streaming feature set.
The processor supports SNMP v2 and Ember+ protocol and remote control interface for professional monitoring.
Info: www.orban.com/optimod-5950-hd-overview
DHD has added AI-based noise reduction as a feature of its XD3 IP Core. It said the process is much more powerful than traditional filterbased tools.
“Developed in partnership with ai-coustics and fully deliverable from April 2026 on a per-instance license basis, it created great interest when demonstrated as part of DHD’s September 2025 IBC and January 2026 Hamburg Open exhibition activity.”
Applications include reducing background distractions from source content such as sports or news reports. Processing intensity can be adjusted via a web link, an API or directly from a network-attached DHD mixing console. Three instances, each stereo, can run in parallel on one XD3 core.
Cores in DHD systems process audio as well as connecting control surfaces such as the RX2, compact SX2, desktop DX2 and touchscreen-controlled TX2. They also handle input/
output routing and interfacing with the world. IP audio feeds as well as IP-connected remote device control can be integrated. Automated workflows and product virtualization are supported.
Connectivity options include Audinate Dante, AES67/Ravenna, AES3/EBU, Gigabit Audio, APC, MADI and analog.
Three modules are available in the XD3 range: a controller and IP core, a 12K router extension plus a DSP extension. These can be operated individually or in redundancy mode with seamless switching.
The XD3 IP core comprises a DSP processor supporting up to 24 faders and 48 summing busses. Also available are three- and five-DSP versions supporting more faders and summing busses.
Each DSP module uses 40-bit floating-point processing for fader channels, channel processing, fixed processing and summing. Additional routing capacities allow the use of up to four, 16 or 24 Gigabit Audio ports. Additional memory for channel delay and program delay is added with each module.
Info: www.dhd-audio.com
Tech Update
Lawo Offers Unified Processing/Routing Solution
Lawo’s HOME Power Core and HOME Audio Shuffler form a complementary IP native processing platform designed for high-density, low-latency radio workflows.
“The HOME Power Core app virtualizes the DSP engine of Lawo’s hardware Power Core, delivering mc² grade audio processing, real-time mixing, routing and monitoring on COTS servers for diamond, crystal and crystal Clear consoles,” the company says.
It supports Ravenna/AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110 natively, with expansion to Dante, NDI and SRT for talk and visual radio environments. The app connects to IP sources within a HOME managed facility, including Lawo Power Core hardware, A_line, .edge and third-party devices, and is available in compact to XL licensing instances.
Flexible licensing via perpetual activation or FLEX credits allows broadcasters to scale DSP resources. “These capabilities build on the hardware Power Core’s foundation of high-density Ravenna/
AES67 and MADI interfaces, its 1,920 by 1,920 internal matrix and up to 96 channels of DSP input processing, with optional headless operation via VSM control.”
The HOME Audio Shuffler app replaces a traditional baseband audio matrix with a virtualized routing and remapping engine. It is intended for IP-based Dynamic Media Facilities and handles ST 2110-30/31 and AES67 audio with minimal latency and provides ST 2022-7 protection plus automatic restart for 24/7 operation. It supports up to 16,384 inputs and outputs and symmetrical flow sizes between 64 and 2,048 RX/TX streams, each with up to 64 channels, selectable across six matrix packages. Routing, shuffling and stream customization are managed via the HOME Terminal Routing Matrix, VSM control or external controllers through the HOME API.
Info: https://lawo.com
Writer Steve Cannon
Bullet points for a smoother operation
Small‑market engineering teams can’t live without these operational systems in 2026
Small‑market radio doesn’t fall apart because of transmitters, processors or automation brands. It falls apart because of workflow gaps — undocumented processes, inherited shortcuts and “temporary fixes” that quietly become permanent.
Engineering teams in small markets are often stretched thin, responsible for multiple facilities, and forced into reactive mode.
When the workflow breaks, the product breaks. And when the product breaks, the audience leaves.
The stations that are stable in 2026 aren’t the ones with the newest gear. They’re the ones with repeatable systems that eliminate surprises.
Here are the four operational systems every small‑market engineering team needs right now.
1. A Quarterly Automation System Audit
In many clusters, the automation system is a time capsule. Old events, abandoned macros, outdated clocks and mystery transitions accumulate over years.
This creates:
• Log drift
• Inconsistent segues
• Imaging level mismatches
• Unpredictable transitions
A quarterly audit stabilizes everything:
• Rebuild clocks with intention
• Remove unused events
• Standardize transitions
Founder, Hole in the Wall Media
Above
The author offers tips to help radio stations that operate in smaller markets create efficient workflows.
Jena Ardell/Getty Images 29
• Document every change
A clean automation system is the foundation of a clean product.
2. A Single-Path Production Workflow
Production is often the most chaotic room in a small‑market building. Requests come from everywhere. Deadlines shift. Files get lost. Levels vary wildly. This chaos bleeds into the product.
A single‑path workflow fixes it:
• One intake point
• One approval path
• One delivery method
• One archive location
When production becomes predictable, engineering becomes proactive instead of reactive.
3. A Monthly Engineering Walk-Through
Every engineer knows a “temporary fix” that somehow became permanent: A bypassed cable. A processor left in test mode. A backup STL that quietly became the primary. A workaround that became the workflow.
A monthly walk‑through identifies:
• Every temporary fix
• Every undocumented change
• Every risk point
• Every system that needs to be formalized
Small‑market engineering doesn’t need more equipment. It needs fewer mysteries.
4. A Bi-Weekly Silence Sensor Test
Silence sensors are often installed and forgotten. But in many clusters, they’re misconfigured, too sensitive, not sensitive enough or pointed at the wrong source. This leads to:
• False alarms
• Missed alarms
• Dead air that goes undetected
• Staff that stops trusting the system
A bi‑weekly intentional trigger test ensures:
• Alerts fire
• Failover works
• Return‑to‑normal is clean
• he system is actually protecting you
Dead air is a technical problem — but it’s also a systems problem.
The bottom line
Small‑market engineering teams don’t need more hours in the day. They need systems that prevent emergencies before they happen.
When a cluster installs:
• Quarterly automation audits
• A single‑path production workflow
• Monthly engineering walk‑throughs
• Bi‑weekly silence tests
… the product stabilizes, the staff relaxes and engineering finally gets to work proactively instead of reactively. Technical stability is not about equipment. It’s about discipline.
Steve Cannon is a 30‑year programming and operations leader and the founder of Hole in the Wall Media, specializing in small‑market programming systems, music log creation, workflow optimization and brand development. He is operations manager for Midwest Communications in Terre Haute, Ind.
“When the workflow breaks, the product breaks. And when the product breaks, the audience leaves.
Above Steve Cannon in front of the historic Indiana Theater in Terre Haute.
