Radio World International 500 - August 2018

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

AUGUST 2018

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Radio Reaches the World’s Most Remote Places

INSIDE FACILITY FOCUS

RoxFM is housed in Roxby Down’s town Leisure Centre.

Whether in the lonely oceans or the Australian desert, local radio stations bring people together OTTAWA — The very different Falkland Islands (South Atlantic Ocean), Roxby Downs (the Australian Outback), and the Shetland islands (the North Sea) have two things in common. First, they are all very remote locations that are distant from the rest of the world. Second, all

• NPO’s new “Radiohuis” brings studios, station management and staff under one roof — Page 4

NEED TO KNOW

Mark Lewis, host/operator of Falklands Radio’s new afternoon show “Live ’til Five,” in Studio 1.

three depend on independent local radio stations who keep their isolated listeners informed, entertained, and connected to each other.

FALKLANDS RADIO

Located in the South Atlantic east of South America, the United Kingdom’s Falkland Islands is a very remote, isolated location. Before Argentina invaded the main two islands in April 1982,

•C ybersecurity — every enterprise is at risk as attacks diversify and predators get smarter — Page 8

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Falklands Radio

BUYER’S GUIDE

Listening, watching, reacting, learning…

RoxFM

BY JAMES CARELESS

and was subsequently evicted by Britain armed forces two months later, most people had never heard of this windswept territory.

However, the Falklands have been a British possession since the first Scottish and Welsh settlers came here in 1833. The 2,841 people here prosper by raising sheep for wool, and resupplying ships that stop at Stanley, the main port, on East Falkland Island.

Providing everyone here with music, local news and weather via wireless is the job of Falklands Radio, which broadcasts on five FM frequencies throughout the islands. It also streams to the world at www.radio.co.fk.

“There has been a radio broad(continued on page 5)

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INTERNATIONAL EDITION Vol. 42 No. 8

August 2018

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www.twitter.com/radioworld_news www.facebook.com/RadioWorldMagazine CONTENT Managing Director, Content Paul J. McLane, paul.mclane@futurenet.com Content Director Marguerite Clark, marguerite.clark@futurenet.com Senior Content Producer — Technology Brett Moss, brett.moss@futurenet.com Content Manager Emily Reigart, emily.reigart@futurenet.com Technical Advisers Thomas R. McGinley, Doug Irwin Technical Editor, RWEE W.C. “Cris” Alexander Contributors: Africa: Gregory Lagat, Lameck Masina, John Masuku; Asia: Md. Azizul Alam Al-Amin, Martyn Green, Frederick Noronha, Mark Timpany; Australia: James Cridland; Europe: Andy Bantock, Kevin Branigan, Giuseppe Camonita, Nuno de Sousa, Charles Flores, Blazo Guzina, Lawrie Hallett, Will Jackson, Hans K. Kristjansson, Drew Leifheit, Raúl Llarull, Urmas Loit, Marc Maes, Davide Moro, Emmanuelle Pautler, Panos Polyzoidis, Bernd Trutenau, Andreas Tzanakos, Thomas Völkner; Latin America: Jorge J. Basilago, Carlos Eduardo Behrensdorf, Juan G. Buenaventura; Eduardo Curuchet, Arturo Valentino; New Zealand: Nick Gerritsen; North America: John Bisset, James Careless, Scott Fybush, Randy J. Stine Production Manager Caroline Freeland Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban Senior Design Director Karen Lee ADVERTISING SALES Publisher, Radio World International Raffaella Calabrese, raffaella.calabrese@futurenet.com, +39-320-891-1938 Group Publisher, TV/Video/Radio John Casey, john.casey@futurenet.com, +1-212-378-0400 x512 SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current account status, go to www.radioworld.com and click on About Us, email futureplc@computerfulfillment.com, call +1-888-266-5828, or write P.O. Box 282, Lowell, MA 01853.

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

◗NEWSWATCH BBC NEWS NOW REACHES MORE THAN HALF OF AFGHAN ADULTS According to the BBC Global Audience Measure (GAM) for 2018, listenership for the BBC World Services for Afghanistan has increased by about 80 percent during the past four years. Content from the BBC News Pashto and BBC News Dari as well as BBC News Persian and BBC News Uzbek now reaches a weekly audience of 11.8 million — more than 60 percent of the country’s adult population.

“The fact that the BBC is now serving more than 60 percent of people in Afghanistan every week on radio, TV and digital is a remarkable achievement for an international broadcaster,” said BBC World Service Near East Region Editor Saleem Patka.

“It is a clear sign of the close relationship between the BBC’s Pashto, Dari, Persian and Uzbek services and their audiences in the country — as well as our strategic Afghan broadcasting partners across platforms, who have contributed immensely to helping us reach this audience. We look forward to further strengthening those connections in the coming years.”

The BBC GAM 2018 also has shown that women make up around half of the BBC’s audience in Afghanistan.

Around 40 percent of all BBC audience in Afghanistan is young people aged 15 to 24.

BBC News Dari, BBC News Pashto, BBC News Persian and BBC News Uzbek are all part of the BBC World Service.

NINE DAB+ STATIONS LAUNCH IN KIEV Ukraine’s National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting has announced that nine radio stations in Kiev are now broadcasting in the country’s first DAB+ tests, which cover the capital and its surrounding areas.

During a press conference held June 19, the council’s Chairman Yuri Artemenko and member Sergei Kostinsky verified the broadcast quality of the new stations, which use two transmitters operating in synchronous mode on Channel 7D, with a power of 1 kW and 2 kW. In March, the organization announced that 10 stations had received a DAB+ license after the first round of bids that took place earlier in the year. One license, which went to the station Perche Digital was cancelled due to an unpaid license fee. The nine stations that are today available via digital radio include Ukrainian radio, Promin, Culture (part of the country’s public broadcaster), Country FM, Hype Radio, Zemlya, Old Fashioned Radio, Radio Meidan and Radio Maria.

“We believe that we have prospects,” said Artemenko.

At the same time, he emphasized that the lack of receivers still remains an issue. “Now digital radio can be heard primarily in new cars, which are equipped with digital receivers. The rest of the citizens need to purchase or adapt their older receivers to receive the DAB signal.”

Artemenko explained that the council intends to create an association to promote digital radio. “We gathered them [industry professionals] and offered to unite in an association that would promote digital radio. They have a lot of ideas on how to do it, how to popularize digital radio, how to increase the number of transmitters,” he said.

Kostinsky added that while the larger radio groups were initially skeptical about the introduction of digital radio, during the second call for applications, which ran from May 17 to June 15 to fill four places remaining on the multiplex, even one of the country’s largest media groups applied.

In total, for the second round, the council received five applications. The results of the tender will be announced August 14.

DEVA DB45 AND DB46 BEGAN SHIPPING IN JULY DEVA Broadcast began shipping its DB45 and DB46 monitors in July.

With a DSP-based core and a compact, practical design, FM signal monitor DB45 promises accurate parameter measurement, including the RF level, MPX deviation, MPX power, left and right audio levels, RDS, and pilot injection levels.

Upon demodulation of the FM signal, the SDR FM tuner digitizes the RF signal and all processing is achieved through algorithm calculations, explains the company. The DB45 also features an “easy-to-use” web interface, a built-in audio streamer and TCP/IP (GSM connectivity is optional) for remote monitoring.

The DB46 DAB monitor, which DEVA says is developed on the same principle of combining reliability and practicality, is ETSI EN 300 401 DAB standard-compliant. It supports AAC, AAC+, MP3 and RTP and is compatible with various media platforms, including Icecast and Shoutcast.

DB46 also supports Program Associated Data, standard bitrates and VBR, as well as automatically displaying live metadata.

The unit monitors and logs signal information in addition to left and right audio level values, thus allowing users to analyze data at a later date. Configuration and control can be accessed through the front-panel menu or remotely through a PC, tablet or smartphone via a standard web browser; iOS and Android devices are also supported.

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August 2018

NPO Opens New Radiohuis

personal settings, whatever studio or production room they work in,” he continued. “By centralizing the station’s full software package, presenters use fewer displays in the on-air room or working environment. We also redesigned the complete technical and operational workflow with Lawo’s Virtual Studio Manager platform playing a key role.”

The complexity in terms of engineering and implementation required strict planning, said Eelco de Jong, D&MS

Facilities bring studios, station management and staff under one roof “Most modern radio studios are already integrating AoIP, but many connections for the radio workflow are still ‘discrete audio’ and analog,” explained Jan Derksen, managing director at D&MS. “The Radiohuis is 100 percent IP, which is quite unique. NPO wanted

R Van Olphen

The Radiohuis Entrance

The spacious on-air studio for Radio 4 in the Radiohuis.

BY MARC MAES HILVERSUM, The N etherlands —

In January, Dutch public broadcaster Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) inaugurated its new Radiohuis (Radio House), located on the top four floors of the NPO building in the Hilversum Media Park, grouping all of the broadcaster’s activities under one roof.

On April 8, NPO Radio 1 and NPO Radio 4 moved into the new studios.

“By combining the two stations, NPO has the option to share infrastructure like production and on-air studios, emergency power supply and security,” said Jurre Bosman, director of NPO Radio.

“We created an inspiring and futureproof working environment; a central hub for our radio stations resulting in a dynamic landscape for our program staffers.”

NPO’s Radio 4 now has a vast daylight studio, offering room for live con-

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Ghislaine Plag, presenter of “De Ochtend” (“The Morning”), interviews guests during her daily show in the new studio.

The official Radiohuis opening. (L to R) Jurre Bosman, NPO Radio director; Ab Nieuwdorp and Margriet Vroomans, Radio 4 presenters; Willemijn Veenhoven, Renze Klamer and Suzanne Bosman, Radio 1 presenters, are handed the microphone by Shula Rijxman, NPO Board president.

certs with ensembles consisting of up to 10 musicians. “Another feature of the new studio is that we can invite audiences for our programs — and save on expenses for outside broadcasts in other venues,” added Bosman.

After an extensive tender procedure, the broadcaster selected studio integrator D&MS to design, build, test and supply a new and sophisticated ChyronHego visual radio platform for its Radio 1 and Radio 4 stations.

to use very advanced technology with at least one year of proven functionality.

With IP technology matured, and combined with our expertise, we have built an efficient and reliable platform meeting the radio makers’ demands.”

Derksen said that, by using AoIP, the totality of the broadcaster’s audio and video content can be used and controlled in all studios and control rooms, boosting station efficiency. “It just takes a simple click and presenters can retrieve their

project manager. “Logistical processes require very demanding preparation to meet the limited space and time. To coordinate the various requirements, we worked closely with the infrastructure builders. The result was more than worth the effort, and I think the Radiohuis is poised to become the blueprint for future radio studios.”

Radio staffers are enthusiastic about their new working environment. “We now have an open link between the Dutch Broadcast Foundation, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting newsroom and the NPO Radiohuis,” said Radio 1 coordinators Wim Eikelboom and Peter van den Meerschaut. “The new NPO Radio 1 work floor has become the station’s beating heart and an inspiring environment.”

August 2018

radioworld.com | RADIOWORLD

Remote Radio casting service in the Falkland Islands since 1929, when a wired service was installed in the islands’ capital, Stanley,” said Corina Goss, Falkland Radio’s station manager. “The station has developed and grown over the years and currently employs 6.5 full-time staff and about 15 freelancers.”

Falklands Radio’s two-floor building in Stanley is “spacious,” she noted. “We have two studios, a news room, office spaces and a large archive upstairs.” The main FM transmitter and antenna are based in Stanley (on 88.3 MHz FM), with four retransmitters and antennas located around the two main islands.

The station is on air 7 a.m.–10 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Saturdays, and 4 a.m.–10 p.m. Sundays.

The programming format used by Falklands Radio can safely be described as variety. “Our daytime shows feature a mix of music genres and talk content,” said Goss. “Meanwhile, our evening shows target the more specialist audience and range from classical music, to rock music and almost everything in between.”

“Our audience is made up from listeners of all ages and all walks of life living in the Falklands,” she said. “We even have a show just for children.”

Falklands Radio’s regular presenters also come from many walks of life.

“Three of the full-time staff, myself included, stood for election, unsuccessfully, in the 2017 general election in the islands,” said Goss. “Our current staff members include: a former member of the Legislative Assembly, a former attorney general and a former I.T. business owner.”

LOCAL AND NATIONAL COVERAGE

“We also provide two in-depth local news bulletins each weekday,” she said.

“Our reporters strive to cover news items to suit all tastes. It would not be at all uncommon for a reporter to spend a morning in the court, attend a school concert, follow that up with a meeting about agriculture and finish the day with a reception at Government House.”

To say the least, Falklands Radio is quite different than a typical urban radio station in Europe or the Americas. “One of the main areas in which we are fairly unique, is that as well as being the only community radio station, we are also the only national radio station,” said Goss. “Falklands Radio must therefore ensure that content covers items relating to everyday living as well as those which are of national importance.”

Operating a radio station in the remote Falkland Islands comes with its own particular dilemmas. “Ensuring the right balance between being a local and a national broadcaster can be challenging,”

RoxFM

(continued from page 1)

The combined operator/announcer desk at RoxFM.

she said. “Staffing can sometimes prove to be challenging too. In a small community there is only a limited pool of people who are able, or willing, to work in such a public position.”

On the positive side, Falklands Radio has a very loyal audience. Streaming on the web has also extended the station’s reach. “We now have listeners tuning in from all over the world,” said Goss. “Recently we had a listener from Germany enter one of our competitions.”

“Possibly the most rewarding aspect of the job, is receiving positive feedback from the listeners,” she added.

And although Falklands Radio is the only local broadcaster in town (the BBC World Service does come in via satellite and is transmitted on local FM), this station does not take its audience for granted. This is why Falklands Radio re-launched in February 2018 with a new format, new shows, new presenters, an updated music library and a new imaging package.

As a result of this, “the station has been receiving numerous messages and calls from listeners who are enjoying the changes,” said Goss. But Falklands Radio is not resting on its laurels: “We are planning to build on the success of our relaunch and will fine-tune our output to ensure that we are providing the best possible service to our listeners,” she said.

“As a result of this, we will focus, in the immediate future, on market research.”

AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK

The Australian Outback is legendary for its hot, dry deserts and its remote, wide-open spaces. But the Outback is also (continued on page 6)

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Remote Radio (continued from page 5)

home to a wealth of mineral deposits and mines that are important to Australia’s economy, such as the Olympic Dam Mine and processing plant in South Australia.

Located in the state of South Australia, the Olympic Dam Mine is home to the fourth largest copper deposit and largest known single deposit of uranium in the world.

The modern town of Roxby Downs (population 4,702) was built in 1987 to provide a modern, fully equipped community for the mine’s work force. This town is right in the middle of what many people would describe as “nowhere.”

Providing Roxby Downs and the mine/processing plant with music of all genres, news, and local information is the job of RoxFM. It is a community radio station and is Roxby Downs’ only broadcaster. RoxFM can be heard locally over the airwaves on 105.5 MHz FM, and anywhere in the world via its audio stream at www.roxfm.com.au.

The town government of Roxby Downs was eager to set up its own community radio station back in 1987.

But it wasn’t until 2003 that all the necessary legal and regulatory hurdles were cleared, and RoxFM was set up in part of the town’s Leisure Centre; right in the middle of everything.

“I think the location and the people give RoxFM its uniqueness,” said Jordan Curtis, RoxFM’s station manager and its only paid employee. “We’re a very small town six-and-a-half hours away from the nearest large city, Adelaide — and so we have to be creative to keep ourselves entertained. We’re lucky enough to have about 18 dedicated volunteers who come in and present on air, and help out at outside broadcasts. RoxFM really wouldn’t be what it is without them.”

To keep its listeners entertained at all times, RoxFM broadcasts 24/7. Although the station’s on-air schedule is largely filled by an automated music playout system,

◗NEWSWATCH GATESAIR DELIVERS TRANSMITTERS TO THAILAND GatesAir has announced that the Public Relation Department, a division of the Thai Government, will take delivery of six Flexiva FAX air-cooled transmitters for its Radio Thailand expansion project.

The project comprises six new 2 kW, low-power FM radio sites in several cities and regions.

GatesAir partner Loxley will assist the regional GatesAir team with all support- GatesAir CEO Bruce Swail is pictured with Suthon related initiaRakpathed, vice president tives, including turnkey installa- of Loxley Broadcast divition and commis- sion, GatesAir’s partner in sioning services. Thailand.

August 2018

SIBC’s main transmitter/tower facility is located on the Shetland island of Bressay.

RoxFM does feature locally produced live programs such as “Brain Chamber,” “Man Cave” and “The Vibe.” “‘Man Cave’ and ‘The Vibe’ are a couple of our longest standing programs, and everyone involved in both shows really enjoy themselves,” said Curtis. “‘Brain Chamber’ is our new on-air quiz show, produced by a local teacher and his partner who works with a community health program in town. They put a lot of effort into their show which really reflects their passion for what they do on RoxFM.” As well, sometimes RoxFM’s volunteers stage a live broadcast marathon at the station. “Last month we rallied the troops and had at least one person in the studio for a whole 24 hours,” he said. “It was an exhausting exercise, especially at 3 a.m., but it was a fun time. By the time midnight came around, the station ended up being hijacked for karioke! It’s one of those things that would only happen in a town like Roxby Downs.”

SMALL BUT EFFICIENT

Technically speaking, RoxFM’s production facilities are small but efficient. “RoxFM has three rooms: The studio, the front of the station where my desk is, and a backroom we use for recording,” said Curtis. “Our studio has three microphones, a couple of CD players and one very hard working computer. Our setup in the studio is pretty simple, but it does everything we need it to do!”

RoxFM’s antenna and transmitter are located in the town’s transmission shed, which is the same place where the town’s commercial TV/radio, and government-funded public TV/radio transmitters are housed. “It makes everything easier for the people who take care of that whole setup to have it all in one spot,” he said, “and it means RoxFM isn’t on our own if something goes wrong.”

As a community radio station, RoxFM doesn’t have access to the life-sustaining advertising revenues that large commercial Australian stations do. (It is allowed to earn money from program sponsorships.) So having enough money on hand to pay the bills can be a challenge.

“We’re a very small station with limited resources, and fundraising in a place like this can be tricky,” said Curtis.

“We do our best though and keep pushing, because in the end we’re the only media outlet based in town.”

Apparently RoxFM is doing something right, because the people of Roxby Downs are listening. “Every now and then somebody in town will mention something they heard on-air that they enjoyed, and for me to know that at least one person is getting something out of RoxFM is rewarding in itself,” said Jordan Curtis. “The reward really is the knowledge that RoxFM is a place that people want to keep coming back to and listen to.”

People around the world are also tuning into RoxFM via its audio stream. “One day when I got to work and checked my emails I noticed that I’d received an email from a man who worked for a law firm in Ireland,” Curtis said. “He had tracked down the station’s contact details so he could ask for the name of a song he had heard on RoxFM while randomly channel hopping through online radio stations. (The song was “Echo Back” by the New Zealand band Lucid 3.)

RoxFM is here to serve the local community, but I don’t see why the rest of the world can’t enjoy what we do too.”

NORTH SEA LOCAL RADIO

Located above the very top of Scotland in the frigid North Sea, the windswept Shetland Islands are known for fishing, sheep herding, farming, and, in recent years, oil and gas production. The largest of the Shetland Islands is known as “the Mainland,” and it is here that the husband-and-wife team of Ian Anderson and Inga

SIBC

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Walterson operate the Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company (SIBC) as a privately owned local station.

Since signing on Nov. 26, 1987, SIBC has built its reputation by offering original content 24/7. The station’s studios are located in a one-storey building on Market Street, Lerwick; the Shetland Islands’ largest port. The format is “Hit music and local music, which we make hit music,” said Ian Anderson in a series of tightly written emails to Radio World. “Local news 24/7/365.” SIBC’s broadcasts are aimed at “The Shetland Islands area and anyone outside the area that wants to listen.”

In fact, SIBC broadcasts on two FM frequencies. The first, a standby frequency, is 102.2 MHz FM in Lerwick on a 15-meter tower. SIBC’s second and main frequency is 96.2 MHz FM on the Shetland island of Bressay using a 70-meter tower transmitting “15 kW ERP from 190 degrees to 010 degrees — nothing to the east where there is only the North Sea,” said Anderson. Online, anyone can tune into SIBC’s audio stream at www.sibc.co.uk.

Between these two sites, SIBC stands out as “The only commercial radio station for 200 miles,” Anderson said. The station prides itself on providing detailed local news coverage; including stories such as “passenger movements at Sumburgh airport grew by almost 18 percent, or over 63,000, in the last financial year to 419,000” and “between June 2016 and June last year the population of Shetland fell by 120, even although there were 14 more births than there were deaths.” SIBC also covers world news and music in all of its varieties, in a smoothflowing format that is professional and easy on the ears.

For Anderson and Walterson, the main challenge of operating SIBC as a family business is “economics; knowing income is going to be modest and running the station within its means.” In terms of its impact on SIBC, offering an audio stream to the world has “been considerable in numbers, less so in hours and insignificant in income,” said Anderson. Still, the benefit of running this family-owned station is the “same as all family-owned businesses, we are our own bosses,” he said. “And we are still in radio, the business we love.”

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

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cial and strategic information. Reports of data breaches and cyber attacks are everyday news. Lewis Morgan on the IT Governance Blog curated more than 60 such stories in the month of May and counted the total of breached records that month at more than 17 million — “actually quite low when compared with previous months.”

In 2018, virtually every major and minor business or organization relies on the global, interdependent IT ecosystem. The degree to which leaders take the subject seriously could, in the long term, determine the survival of those enterprises.

To learn what trends businesses should be watching, we turned to several sources approaching the topic from various angles.

:

THREATS IN BURSTS

BY PAUL McLANE

COSTLY AND DANGEROUS

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Future’s third edition of Need to Know, a series exploring complex topics like blockchain, 5G and artificial intelligence — and how they apply to each industry served by our websites and magazines.

“We keep building new things on old infrastructure that never seems to get fixed.”

Chris Wysopal is a hacker who was quoted in a Washington Post column about the state of internet security (or perhaps we should call it insecurity).

In May Wysopal — also known by his hacker name “Weld Pond” — joined several others in a return visit to Capitol Hill, where 20 years earlier they’d testified in a congressional hearing about the insecurities of software and networks.

Their 1998 appearance helped put the issue of cybersecurity on the national stage. A central part of their 2018 message is that digital security isn’t much better today.

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Malicious cyber activity cost the U.S. economy between $57 billion and $109 billion in 2016, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisors.

Cyber threats are ever-evolving, and the sophistication of adversaries keeps growing. But, according to the White House report, the private sector may, for any number of reasons, be tempted to underinvest in cybersecurity.

National security officials echo the concern.

“Our daily life, economic vitality and national security depend on a stable, safe and resilient cyberspace,” says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in explaining why it devotes a large web resource to the topic.

The department this spring released a strategy hoping to help reduce vulnerabilities, build resilience, counter malicious actors and make the ecosystem more secure. It identifies 16 “critical infrastructure” sectors where a loss of networks would have a debilitating effect on the country. But even trying to define the sectors demonstrates how broadly the subject touches every corner of American life; they range from commercial facilities and manufacturing to the communications sector and health care.

Homeland Security took particular note of a growing concern about the threat of “wide-scale or high-consequence events” that could cause harm or disrupt services on which the economy and millions of people depend. “Sophis-

ticated cyber actors and nation-states exploit vulnerabilities to steal information and money and are developing capabilities to disrupt, destroy or threaten the delivery of essential services.”

How might your own business be hacked? A threat can come via denial of service attacks; destruction of data and property; disruption of business, perhaps for ransom; and the theft of your proprietary data, intellectual property and finan-

In its 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report, Cisco said malware is definitely becoming more vicious and harder to combat. “We now face everything from network-based ransomware worms to devastating wiper malware,” the company stated. “At the same time, adversaries are getting more adept at creating malware that can evade traditional sandboxing.”

While encryption can enhance security and is used by roughly half of global web traffic, Cisco continued, encryption provides bad actors with a powerful tool to hide command-and-control activity.

“Those actors then have more time to inflict damage.”

Artificial intelligence may help.

“Encryption also reduces visibility.

More enterprises are therefore turning to machine learning and artificial intel(continued on page 10)

An “adverse cyber event” can cost your business in numerous ways. This graphic is from a report by the White House Council of Economic Advisors.

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Optimized controls: everything you need, nothing you don’t. Only 5 cm (2”) tall, from the bottom of its exquisitely cast side frames to the tops of its carefully chosen rotary selectors.

But great design goes beyond mere good looks. Which is why ruby is expertly crafted for both speed and accuracy — controls perfectly placed to fall naturally to hand. Premium-grade displays, faders and switches. Standardsbased AES67 networking. Powerful features like AutoMix smart mixing and instant one-button switching between live and production modes. Up to 96 channels of DSP and 1,920 routing crosspoints*. The cherry on top? A customizable, context-sensitive touchscreen GUI that puts virtual control of

Welcome to your command cockpit. Graphical, intuitive, customizable: ruby’s onscreen interface, powered by our VisTool GUI builder, is so much more than just meters and a clock. Multi-touch controls instantly give what’s needed to control studio devices, tweak dynamics, adjust virtual faders, meter true loudness — even design your own custom screens. The possibilities are virtually limitless.

mixer functions, playout software, studio devices, even Web feeds, social media and video, right at your operator’s fingertips.

No other console is this smart. Slim, trim, and sharp as the cutting edge.

Engineered and built without compromise by German craftsmen.

Sprechen Sie deutsch?

www.lawo.com

Who says small can’t be mighty? ruby’s mixing engine, Power Core, is equipped with redundant IP networking, dual-redundant power capability, and tons of built-in I/O – 384 stereo channels, standard – with room to add even more. There are dozens of DSP channels, and a built-in routing switcher, too. It’s like 12 rack units of power, packed into only 1RU.

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Cybersecurity (continued from page 8)

ligence. With these capabilities, they can spot unusual patterns in large volumes of encrypted web traffic. Security teams can then investigate further.”

Cisco made note of several other trends and findings: • Short, pernicious “burst attacks” are growing in complexity, frequency and duration.

“In one study, 42 percent of the organizations experienced this type of DDoS [distributed denial of service] attack in 2017. In most cases, the recurring bursts lasted only a few minutes.”

Cybersecurity — It’s Not Just a Problem for IT NAB Senior Director of Engineering & Tech Policy says cyber attacks are a very real threat for radio

BY EMILY M. REIGART

• The multivendor environment affects risk.

“Nearly half of the security risk that organizations face stems from having multiple security vendors and products.”

If you want to know the National Association of Broadcasters’ stance on whether or not cybersecurity is important to modern radio stations, a recent nomenclature change should give you a hint.

In 2017, the NAB tweaked the name of the annual educational conference held in conjunction with NAB Show. Originally known as the “Broadcast Engineering Conference,” it was rechristened the “Broadcast Engineering & Information Technology Conference.”

It’s no secret that silos that long divided broadcast engineers and IT guys are going the way of the dinosaur.

As everything from transmitters to apps to security cameras becomes networked and reliant on the Internet of Things, this trend is not likely to reverse.

What is also clear is that locking the doors and gate at your transmitter site and studios is no longer an adequate security procedure, at least not on its own. Copper thieves and vandals continue to cause problems, but hackers and others with malicious intent have joined the ranks of threats to radio stations of all sizes and locations.

It’s easy to cite several recent, highprofile incidents of hacking that have challenged radio stations. Among them: Portland, Oregon, station KBOO(LPFM) was hacked this spring as part of Drupalgeddon2; Indiana station WZZY broadcast a fake EAS alert about zombies; San Francisco’s KQED(FM) was temporarily crippled by a ransomware attack; and a number of stations had egg on their faces when hackers exploited a default password to play an anti-Trump song last year.

IOT RANSOMWARE

WHAT SHOULD YOU WORRY ABOUT?

• Many new domains are tied to spam campaigns. “Most of the malicious domains we analyzed, about 60 percent, were associated with spam campaigns,” Cisco reported.

• Security is seen as a key benefit of hosting networks in the cloud. “The use of onpremises and public cloud infrastructure is growing. Security is the most common benefit of hosting networks in the cloud, the security personnel respondents say.”

• One bad insider can be a big threat, and a few rogue users can have a huge impact.

“Just 0.5 percent of users were flagged for suspicious downloads. On average, those suspicious users were each responsible for 5,200 document downloads.”

• It’s not just your IT assets that are at risk. Expect more attacks on operational technology (OT) as well as the internet of things (IoT). “Thirty-one percent of security professionals said their organizations have already experienced cyber attacks on OT infrastructure.”

Another observer taking stock is Aidan Simister, the global SVP for Lepide Software.

Writing in a post on the CSO website, he too predicts artificial intelligence will take a bigger role. But while AI may help the good guys, he notes, hackers too can use it to launch more sophisticated cyber-attacks.

Further, new strains of malware can work around “sandbox” defensive techniques, waiting until they are outside the sandbox before executing their malicious code. Meanwhile, Simister agrees that the “internet of things” could become more of a target for ransomware, with hackers targeting power grids, factory lines, smart cars or home appliances to demand payment.

Many businesses, Simister predicted, will not comply with the European Union’s (continued on page 14)

August 2018

According to NAB Senior Director of Engineering and Technology Policy Kelly T. Williams, broadcasters need to focus on defending stations’ IP infrastructure — the network — from cyber attacks. Increased incidents of phishing and other cyber breaches, like those that targeted KBOO or KQED, worry him, Williams said.

He encourages stations to have “an action plan in place so that you can detect a breach and recover from it.” Williams said broadcasters should remember: “It’s not if you will be breached; it’s when. So be ready.”

“The number one goal is to not let a breach take your station off the air,” he said.

Nonetheless, Williams noted, “The significant increase recently in cybersecurity awareness by broadcasters encourages me.”

NOW WHAT?

Assuming you need no further convincing that this issue is relevant to you and your station, what should

you do next to beef up (or establish) your cybersecurity presence?

A good first step is to review standards and best practices recommended by organizations like NAB (https://www.nab.org/cybersecurity/broadcasterResources. asp), the Society of Broadcast Engineers (http://www. sbe.org/sections/edu_seminars.php) and the World Broadcasting Union (https://tinyurl.com/y9se43j6).

“NAB’s focus is on educating broadcasters about cybersecurity issues,” Williams said. “NAB has put together white papers that stations can use, and we are in the process of rolling out online courses to educate station personnel on how to implement a cybersecurity program.”

Williams added, “We are very bullish on something called the NIST framework. This is a document that outlines how to take a risk assessment approach to cybersecurity in your organization. “ The NIST cybersecurity framework was developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. According to

The NIST framework breaks down the elements of a good cybersecurity plan into 1. Identify, 2. Protect, 3. Detect, 4. Respond and 5. Recover.

N. Hanacek/NIST

the NIST website, “This voluntary framework consists of standards, guidelines and best practices to manage cybersecurity-related risk.

The Cybersecurity Framework’s prioritized, flexible and cost-effective approach helps to promote the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure and other sectors important to the economy and national security.”

The most recent version of the NIST framework was published in late April and can be found online here: https://tinyurl.com/y8a92mp7. According to the website, “Version 1.1 includes updates on: authentication and identity, self-assessing cybersecurity risk, managing cybersecurity within the supply chain and vulnerability disclosure.”

An article in the June 6 issue of Radio World entitled “Do You Know If Your Broadcast Plant Is Really Secure?” summarized KAMU Director of Engineering Wayne Pecena’s BEITC presentation on network security for broadcasters.

According to the article, basic elements of a contemporary cybersecurity plan may include — but are not limited to — controlling access to the physical network components; for Ethernet switch port programming, use VLANs to segment traffic for user groups or functions; implement physical and software firewalls; and add encryption tools.

Of course, all of these steps require an investment of time and money, but a hacking incident could cost your station much more — just ask any engineer who has had to recover from a cybersecurity breach.

1.252.638-7000 ¡ sales@wheatstone.com

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Cybersecurity (continued from page 10)

new General Data Protection Regulation on data protection and privacy (the thing you’ve been getting all those emails about). He predicts some companies will choose to ignore it, accepting the risk.

We’re also likely to see a growing number of companies adopt multi-factor authentication in response to data breaches involving weak, stolen or default passwords.

He expects that more sophisticated security strategies may find wider adoption. These may include the use of “remote browsers”; deception technologies that imitate a company’s critical assets; systems to spot and identify suspicious behavior; better network traffic analysis; and “real-time change auditing solutions” that do things like detect abuses of user privileges or suspicious activity in files and folders.

But Simister too sees the risk of more attacks backed by hostile governments; in response he predicts more efforts to train staff and to develop international sharing of information.

PRIVACY PARADOX

One change in mindset visible in the market is a deemphasis on the idea of “perimeter security.”

“You are not safe behind the perimeter, because the perimeter itself no longer exists,” Akamai argues on its website.

“Today’s world is cloud- and mobiledriven, and the traditional moat-andcastle approach to enterprise security is no longer applicable for modern business practices.”

With applications hosted in various places and a workforce on the move, the company says, there is no longer a delineation between inside and outside the network. “As a result, seemingly every week there are new reports about highprofile data breaches and cyberattacks.”

Akamai Chief Technology Officer Charlie Gero argues in favor of what he calls zero trust security architecture.

“Companies must evolve to a ‘never trust, always verify’ zero trust model to secure against the wide variety of threats that exist and are constantly evolving,” Akamai states.

Looking at the consumer economy more broadly, cybersecurity is only likely to become more crucial thanks to ongo-

ing developments in areas as diverse as cryptocurrency, interactive smart speakers and mobile payments.

For example, a major trend toward platform personalization — whether it be on Facebook or Spotify, Wave or NextDoor — raises the privacy stakes. Venture capitalist Mary Meeker of Kleiner Perkins notes the massive amount of personalized data that people have put into such platforms.

That data, she said in remarks at the Code 2018 conference, improves engagement and leads to better experiences for consumers — but it also helps creates what she calls a privacy paradox: “Internet companies are making low-price services better in part from user data. Internet users are increasing their time on internet services based on perceived value. Regulators want to ensure data is not used improperly, and not all regulators think about this in the same way.” Regulatory considerations are thus a big, uncertain element in this picture.

THE WEAK HUMAN LINK

IT expert Wayne Pecena, who works in the broadcast and education sectors, says security should be an ongoing process. Yet that at many business, unfortunately, it tends to be treated as a onetime, set-it-up-and-forget-it event.

Pecena is assistant director information technology of educational broadcast services at Texas A&M University and director of engineering for KAMU Public Radio and Television; he says cybersecurity never has an end.

“It is a continuous process of monitoring, evaluation, analysis and prevention as the threat landscape is always in a state of change and evolution,” he said.

“I would also not lose sight of the past, as ransomware, phishing [and] distributed denial of service will likely continue at an accelerated pace. As cloud services and applications continue to expand, I would also keep the cloud cybercrime landscape or Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CaaS) on my radar.”

In Pecena’s experience, most organizations do spend plenty of time and money in protecting their IT environment, but often the simplest areas can be overlooked while the focus is on highertech matters.

“Social engineering remains one of the largest threats to an organization, and the human factor remains a weak

Watch a video on this topic and find other resources at https://www.radioworld.com/needtoknow/cybersecurity.

NEED TO KNOW MORE? Have a burning question about cybersecurity — or maybe request for a different topic you’d like to see us tackle? Email us at needtoknow@futurenet.com and we’ll put our top minds on it!

August 2018

Investment projections in cybersecurity (in billions of dollars).

link. The internet of things movement brings challenges, as most of these types of devices lack any real internal security capability and instead rely on external protection means.”

He also finds “crypto-mining” a fascinating area of concern as computing resources are hijacked for someone’s bitcoin mining applications. “Not necessarily destructive — like DDoS or ransomware — to an organization, [but] host computing resources can be [affected] such that legitimate application use is impacted. Malicious mining scripts can easily be picked up from a casual website visit, and this opens a new area for antivirus protection software.” Pecena said for him this recalls the days of desktop computers being unknowingly hijacked to serve music or distribute porn.

Those well-meaning hackers who

returned to Washington recently hoped to draw attention once again to the issue of digital security. At least one pushed for government to play a larger role. But another said companies also need to take advantage of the tools and knowledge that are already available.

It was Robert Mueller — yes, that one — who is credited with saying back in 2012 that there were only two types of companies: those that have been hacked and those that will be hacked.

Today that wisdom is often updated to read: “There are two types of companies: Those that know they’ve been hacked, and those that don’t know that they’ve been hacked.”

Manage accordingly.

Paul McLane is managing director, content, of Radio World and the Future Media — Technology group.

SOURCES AND MORE READING Derek Hawkins, The Washington Post, “Hackers: Internet Security Threats From 20 Years Ago Persist” https://tinyurl.com/HawkinsWashPost Department of Homeland Security, “Cybersecurity Strategy” https://tinyurl.com/DHSStrategyGuide Adam Simister, “7 Cybersecurity Trends to Watch Out for in 2018” https://tinyurl.com/SimisterCSO Cisco “2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report” https://tinyurl.com/Cisco2018Report Mary Meeker, Kleiner Perkins, “Internet Trends 2018” https://tinyurl.com/MeekerTrends White House Council of Economic Advisors, “The Cost of Malicious Cyber Activity to the U.S. Economy” https://tinyurl.com/CEACyber Charlie Gero, Akamai, “Moving Beyond Perimeter Security” https://tinyurl.com/GeroAkamai

EN FRANÇAIS

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Actualités et informations des pays francophones

RADIOWORLD

August 2018publicité

La SNRT marocaine choisit Wheatstone & SAVE Diffusion Les équipes techniques ont opté pour le protocole WheatNet IP avec les consoles LX24 de Wheatstone La SNRT (Société Nationale de Radio et Télévision) marocaine a choisi Wheatstone & SAVE Diffusion.

Comme de nombreux broadcasteurs les équipes techniques de la SNRT ont choisi de migrer vers une solution Full IP. L’objectif était de faire un choix technologique sûr, en gardant comme cible l’interopérabilité. La solution retenue fut l’exploitation du protocole WheatNet IP du fabricant américain de consoles Wheatstone représenté par la société française SAVE Diffusion.

Celui-ci permet la gestion dans un seul protocole des flux audio et des GPIO associés avec une compatibilité AES67.

Wheatstone présente également l’avantage de proposer la plus importante gamme de consoles IP du marché.

vail. L’ensemble de tous ces outils sont interfacés avec les Blades qui réalisent la conversion des signaux traditionnels en flux IP, mais également le traitement, le mixage, la détection de blanc et bien d’autres fonctions nécessaires dans une architecture professionnelle.

Ainsi depuis le mois octobre 2017 deux des quatre programmes nationaux au départ de Rabat sont réalisés dans un environnement Audio IP Wheatstone.

Chaque studio est équipé d’une console LX24 en version 16 ou 10 faders avec les Blades nécessaires. Un switch Cisco rassemble les flux qui sont ensuite centralisés dans une paire de switch Cisco sous forme de STAC. Une liaison analogique entre le studio et le nodal offre un mode secours.

Studio décrochages de la SNRT, avec la console Wheatstone LX24.

Celle-ci va du Slide Board 4 faders à la dernière-née appelée LXE qui est entièrement paramétrable pour une adéquation parfaite avec les besoins utilisateurs. Sans oublier la gamme TV qui vient de s’étoffer d’un nouveau modèle nommé IP64 disponible jusqu’à 64 faders physiques. La gamme offre également des applications logicielles novatrices comme Screen Builder qui permet la réalisation complète d’interfaces de pilotage via un ou plusieurs écrans tactiles. Avec de tels outils les clients ayant choisi la technologie WheatNet IP sont déjà prêts pour la virtualisation totale ou partielle des environnements de tra-

Le quatrième studio dispose d’une console LX24 avec 10 faders et d’une interface de pilotage tactile réalisée avec le logiciel Screen Builder, (photo-ci dessus). Ce studio peut très simplement prendre l’antenne sur l’un des 12 départs régionaux.

SAVE Diffusion a pris en charge l’ensemble du dossier en partenariat avec la société marocaine Abchir basée à Casablanca. Celle-ci a réalisé l’ensemble du câblage réseau et audio ainsi que l’intégration du matériel sur site. Abchir a également dessiné le mobilier des studios en collaboration étroite avec les équipes techniques de la SNRT.

Studio 5 de la SNRT, avec la console Wheatstone LX24.

SAVE Diffusion dispose d’une compétence reconnue et de 30 ans d’expérience qui lui permettent de réaliser des intégrations clés en mains innovantes et fiables.

Elle distribue les marques de matériel

reconnues : Audioarts, Comrex, Focal, PR&E, Tieline, VoxPro, Wheatstone.

SAVE Diffusion réalise également l’intégration des solutions logicielles Dalet, WinMédia & Zenon Média.

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RADIOWORLD

Consoles, Mixers & Routers

August 2018

Mataró Ràdio Renovates With AEQ and Dante Arena and Forum digital consoles work across IP networks

◗USERREPORT

BY FERRAN VALLS

Broadcast Chief Mataró Audiovisual

MATARÓ, Spain — Mataró Audiovisual

was born in 2006 as a public entity within the city’s local governing council. Its mission is to handle the region’s audio-visual communication initiatives.

AEQ has been with us from the start of our journey. Back in 2006, we launched our first studios with AEQ analog consoles and the Mar4win automation systems, also from AEQ. Two years later, in 2008, we expanded our facilities, acquiring two AEQ Arena digital consoles, with 15 faders each, connected to an AEQ BC2000D routing and mixing engine, one of the most powerful available on the market.

With this installed legacy, one of the requirements for our new studios was to use IP technology in order to flexibly connect equipment between the different

studios and central control. We built an IP network that connects the consoles in both studios and an input/output interface for the central control equipment rack. This basic infrastructure allows us to grow as our needs do.

With this in mind, we decided upon

AEQ Forum IP digital consoles with 12 faders each and Dante network AoIP technology, as well as the AEQ NetBox 32 AD audio interface with high number of inputs and outputs.

Another advantage of using AEQ Forum IP console is that our temporary

home at the nearby University of Mataró, was already using the Forum IP in their radio studios. This made operation easier for our staff while our studios were out of commission.

In order to extend the console’s control and operation, we have added the optional Forum IP Screen software. It provides a convenient display of all console main parameters: VU meters, clock and timer, on-air status and phone lines.

Thanks to the IP network we were able to reuse previously acquired equipment such as our AEQ Arena console. The Arena separates its control surface from its routing and mixing engine, located on the floor below in central control. This allows us to change the studio’s settings without having to leave central control.

The Rádio Mataró move project has been supervised by General Manager, Mai Ros, and our technical team, with the collaboration of Nacho Olivella, AEQ sales area manager for Catalunya.

NRD Multimedia has been the main contractor for the renovation project.

For information, contact Miguel Sancho at AEQ in Spain at +34-91-6861300 or visit www.aeq.eu.

◗TECHUPDATES DHD INTRODUCES VIEWS APP LEIPZIG, Germany — DHD is bringing its mixing consoles to web browsers. The German firm’s new Views app shows audio mixer controls in web browsers like Chrome, Firefox or Safari. This approach, it says, allows device-independent monitoring and control of an audio mixer for touchscreen-based broadcast application.

With studio environments becoming increasingly automated and centrally controlled by software, the Views app provides an intuitive user interface, adds the firm. Users can build a virtual console with touch-based faders, buttons and meters in whatever size and color scheme you choose.

Apart from creating a mixer copy in the browser, the operator can also design specialized views to be shown on large studio information screens. This helps streamline studio workflow, providing an instant overview of incoming calls, audio levels and other useful functions like a studio clock.

The screen design can be individually configured, for instance to sport your station colors and logo. The Views app is HTML5-based, allowing the possibility to arrange it together with other web-based content, like news pages or traffic information, in just one browser window.

In addition, it is also possible to create a virtual radio console that features an individual touch-optimized user interface. The browser compatibility allows integration of mixer functions into playout automation systems. With DHD Automix users can use buttons instead of faders, creating easy-to-use interfaces for self-operation radio studios.

For information, contact DHD in Germany at +49-341-589702-0 or visit www.dhd-audio.de.

DM BROADCAST’S M16 IS A MODULAR MIXER SAN PIETRO IN CASALE, Italy — DM Broadcast says its DM M16/M24 modular professional broadcast mixer for on-air and production applications is built with premium-quality components.

The mixer is available in 16- or 24-fader frames and offers flexible configuration. Featuring mic/line, NE/line; telco; and telephone hybrid functions, each module of the mixer has balanced inputs, EQ, gain and balance.

In addition, says the firm, precision LED meters ensure the user has optimum control of output levels and cueing. The master module offers four outputs, three of which allow balanced signal distribution without adding other devices.

The aux modules manage dedicated outputs for recording or production without interfering with the broadcast.

For information, contact DM Broadcast in Italy +39-051817657 or visit www.dmbroadcast.it.

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BOOTH 8.E38

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BUYER’S GUIDE Consoles, Mixers & Routers

Gabriel Media Chooses Wheatstone

New studios get IP-12 control surfaces, TS-4 Talent Stations and WheatNet-IP

◗USERREPORT

BY ROB GOLDBERG

Founder and CEO RadioDNA

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Smallermarket radio stations tend to go into new studio buildouts with limited budgets and high expectations. In Gabriel Media’s case, we were working with a set budget that needed to cover a lot of ground — from wiring, furniture and sound reinforcement to studio routing and consoles for a new space in downtown St. Cloud, Minn. RadioDNA came in as the integrator to provide a turnkey facility that took into account two working studios with more than your average number of satellite feeds being tossed back and forth.

Gabriel Media is a nonprofit that airs AM talk station KYES 1180 as well as Christian music KKJM(FM)/Spirit 92.9, both of which are active in the community. They needed to be able to switch between automation and live without issue, along with being able to send talent out on a remote without having to send along a technician.

With this move into a facility that once was a real estate office, they also wanted to move from 25+-year-old consoles and punchblock routing into the latest in control surfaces with IP audio networking that would let them automate more of what was critical to their operation.

I recall Deb Huschle, the GM for Gabriel Media, stating, “The most important thing is we have to trust that it will keep us on the air. Second to that is that we have to be able to get back on the air if something does fail, and that’s a big issue because we don’t have an engineer on-site.”

We started with Wheatstone’s WheatNet-IP audio network framework.

We built a rack room with two racks of WheatNet-IP I/O Blades and other gear that everything would interface with. We ran 12 Cat-6 cables to two almost identical on-air studios, both of which double as production studios, giving them plenty

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of patch points in and out of the studios to carry everything from telco and sources to logic. We ran cabling through a wire basket in the ceiling, bypassing the need to run cable trunks, which shaved some cost off the budget. For each studio, we went with Wheatstone’s IP-12 control surfaces. This 12-fader console is adaptable as either an on-air or production board, which made it ideal

for Gabriel Media’s new studio; that and its affordability.

We then added several TS-4 talent stations for guest positions. Each TS-4 connects into the network and has headphone jacks, cough button, plus USB jacks so guests can plug in their laptops or other devices during interviews; the studios can get very busy on the air and off during the stations’ two pledge drives

every year.

There was enough budget left over to bring in curved-screen monitors in one of the main studios, which gave it a cockpit feel that the talent likes.

Because both studios are almost identical, talent can move easily from one to the other — along with their specific console presets. Networking makes it possible to run the studios live or to send automated programming directly to air with the simple push of a button regardless of which studio they’re in.

We also integrated the stations’ AudioVault automation and codecs into the WheatNet-IP (through Wheatstone’s ACI protocol). This means that remote talent is able to control everything — laptop, iPhone, whatever device they use in the field — through the network without an additional board op or technician at the other end. A fully integrated system also means my team of engineers can dial into the network to make routine maintenance changes from a secure laptop, or to troubleshoot a problem if necessary.

As with all our projects, we colorcoded and mapped out signal paths so that changes can be made easily at any time. Recently, we were just informed that Gabriel Media will be adding an FM translator, which we expect to be able to integrate into their operation easily.

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

◗TECHUPDATE LAWO RUBY CONSOLE DEBUTS SMPTE-STANDARD DUALREDUNDANT NETWORKING RASTATT, Germany — Lawo says that its Ruby mixing console has received a major update.

V6.0 software adds SMPTE 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching, also known as “hitless merge,” to the Ruby Power Core engine. SPS enables the mixing engine to connect to a broadcast facility’s AoIP infrastructure using two independent, redundant networks paths, and switch between primary and secondary switch fabrics without interruption should a network link fail.

In addition, Ruby consoles now support up to 256 AES67/Ravenna audio channels at once.

Ruby is an AES67-compliant radio console that the company says was designed from the outset with networking in mind. Its Power Core mixing engine comes with two AES67/Ravenna ports and four high-density MADI ports, each with 64 channels of I/O, for 384 channels of audio standard. More analog, digital, microphone and MADI signal capacity can be added via eight rear-panel expansion slots, making Ruby suitable for stations that want to migrate to AoIP without sacrificing legacy infrastructure.

Ruby’s Power Core mixing engine offers DSP capability

— enough to sweeten up to 96 input channels. Each input channel features input gain control, signal presence indicator, direct out, insert, aux send with pre and post switching, pan/balance, and AutoGain for mic inputs; audioshaping tools include equalizer with three fully-parametric bands plus semi-parametric bands configurable as shelf, high-pass, or low-pass filters, plus gating, expansion, compression and limiting.

Ruby is available in desktop or flush-mount version, in four-, eight-, 12- and 16-fader frame sizes that may be combined to build consoles of up to 60 faders in single- or split-frame configurations.

For information, contact Lawo in Germany at +49-7222-10-02-0 or visit www.lawo.com.

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◗TECHUPDATES

BUYER’S GUIDE Consoles, Mixers & Routers

August 2018

LOGITEK HELIX BRINGS TOUCHSCREEN CONVENIENCE TO CONSOLES HOUSTON — Logitek’s Helix console, available in physical and virtual configurations, gives users a touch-friendly experience for on-air, production studios and remote uses. As glass cockpits become more prevalent throughout all industries, users have grown accustomed to multi-touch interfaces on multiple devices. Logitek says Helix extends this capability into and out of the broadcast studio.

CALREC IS BACK WITH TYPE R HEBDEN BRIDGE, England — Type R is a new modular, expandable, IP-based radio offering from Calrec Audio. It combines standard networking technology with configurable soft panels that can be tailored to operator needs.

The physical control system consists of three slim-line panels: a fader panel, a large soft panel and a small soft panel. Each is compatible with COTS hardware and powered over Ethernet to keep cabling to a minimum, the company says.

Type R has a simple 2U core with integrated I/O resources to get users up and running immediately. One core can power three independent mixing environments with no sharing of DSP resources. The ability to use multiple mixing engines and the flexibility of an AES67-compatible network provide flexibility for use as independent studio consoles, microphone processors or utility mixing.

The touchscreen soft panels are designed around colorful control elements and can be customized as multifunction panels. Soft panels can be utilized in landscape or portrait formats and used to provide adaptable and specific functionality for talent, while ensuring overall control by the station technical team. This functionality can be changed from show to show using memory loads and can be tailored to fit the talent.

Fader panels have six faders and immediate access to essential controls. Fader panels can be added or removed by plugging or unplugging an Ethernet cable.

“Type R is a thoroughly modern and customer-focused radio broadcast system that adapts to a station’s needs as its requirements evolve,” said Henry Goodman, director of product management, Calrec Audio.

For information, contact Calrec in England at +44-1422-842-159 or visit www.calrec.com.

Physical Helix consoles feature large physical on/off buttons combined with touch-sensitive motorized faders, allowing “eyes-free” operation. Other functions such as source selection, bus assignments and macros appear on a 7-inch IPS touchscreen which can be customized. Consoles are available in sizes ranging from six to 24 faders; a monitor module includes controls for monitors, headphones, cue speaker and volume, and profanity delay. An HDMI output is available for a touchscreen meter or control bridge.

The virtual configuration, Helix Studio, is a large-format virtual console for the 28-inch Microsoft Surface Studio. It can mirror a physical console or operate on its own, enabling its use in control rooms or remote locations. When paired with a Helix physical console, any changes to faders or controls on either device are reflected on the other. Touch-sensitive motorized faders on the physical console ensure that fader settings made on Helix Studio are matched.

Efficiency is further expanded with fader layers, providing flexible access to more virtual faders and saving on the cost of physical faders.

For information, contact Logitek Electronic Systems in the United States at +1-713-664-4470 or visit www.logitekaudio.com.

STAGE TEC DEBUTS NEW NEXUS BOARD

YELLOWTEC INTELLIMIX GOES FOR EIGHT CHANNELS

BERLIN — Stage Tec’s Nexus digital, decentralized audio routing system offers 32-bit TrueMatch conversion with 158 dB dynamic range and is suitable for networking, routing and processing audio, control, and ancillary data in many installations.

The company says it is suited for applications ranging from studio matrix switchers or switch-room routers to full broadcasting center networks while also a choice in smaller systems as a compact, portable transmission system.

At the recent NAB Show Stage Tec introduced the latest board for the network, the Nexus Fiber and IP-Interface (XFIP), which customers can use when they need small, cost-effective audio networks without a Nexus Star router. The XFIP board uses DirectOut’s AES67.IO module, which has AES67 implementation.

The XFIP is equipped with one AES67.IO module and supports up to 256 channels in and 256 channels out on the Nexus side. On the AoIP side, it can process 256 channels in a maximum of 32 streams. The XFIP supports redundant audio transmission according to SMPTE 2022-7 guidelines.

For information, contact Stage Tec in Germany at +49-30-639902-0 or visit www.stagetec.com/en/.

MONHEIM AM RHEIN, Germany — Yellowtec has increased its Intellimix Desktop Mixer to eight channels per module.

At a glance the Intellimix appears to have only four channels, but a recent “Octopus” upgrade lets users utilize up to eight channels simultaneously.

To use the Intellimix Octopus eightchannel option, users adjust the configuration “number of faders” to “8Faders” within the Intellimix wizard. The assigned eight sources will be displayed in two layers.

Push on the Intellimix’s rotary control to switch between the display of sources 1–4 and 5–8.

It is also possible to connect two Intellimix Control Units to one single Intellimix Base Unit to be able to simultaneously adjust all eight channels by letting one Base Unit display Channels 1–4 and the other one Channels 5–8.

Intellimix Octopus is compatible with second-generation aluminum Intellimixes. From now on, the new Intellimix Octopus firmware is integrated in every purchased Intellimix Desktop Mixer. Existing Intellimix units can be upgraded to Octopus for free. The firmware upgrade is available at www.yellowtec.com/intellimix/downloads.

For information contact Yellowtec in Germany +49-217396730 or visit www.yellowtec.com.

August 2018

BUYER’S GUIDE Consoles, Mixers & Routers

Studer Micro Is at Home on the Road Dante power provides network options for all sorts of jobs

◗USERREPORT

BY MICHAEL “MICKY” CURLING

Technical Producer MIX Broadcast

MANCHESTER, England — I need to start with a disclaimer. I love Studer.

My love affair started in the ’90s, when I was learning to edit on their legendary tape machines. In the mid-noughties I pushed hard be the first BBC department to purchase an On Air 3000 console. I love Studer’s build quality and the innovation that they stand for.

I work a lot these days in the world of event and federation radio, producing on-site programs for sports like track and field and horse-racing. This lowbudget world is traditionally dominated by small PA desks that tend to repel journalists and presenters.

The answer to most of my prayers comes in the form of the Studer Micro.

It consists of a 3U core and (up to) two well-built fader units powered over Ethernet. You get 12 XLR I/O (four with mic preamps), two AES I/O, two headphone outputs and GPI/O for red lights and cough switches. For me, the killer feature is eight channels of Dante — meaning the desk will hook up to a computer or stage box.

You can configure any combination of stereo or mono channels and assign associated clean feeds (Studer like to say N-1) and apply dynamics and EQ easily. You’ve got loudspeaker muting, split PFL (absolutely essential on any console) and a separate record bus for those times when your presenter says, “I need to record this interview NOW.” You also get built-in recording and playback options — especially useful in my world for

playing out overnight programs. The headline is that you’re getting a lot of radio console for about the same price as a small PA mixer. I’ve not found anything comparable after years of searching. The Studer Micro looks great too: Radio presenters aren’t scared to touch it and engineers spend a lot of time fawning over it.

The first thing that strikes you after you’ve finished lusting over the console is the lack of knobs. There are no physical controls for channel gains, pans or headphones. Studer has provided a clever, Wi-Fi enabled, web interface that runs on any browser and that is where all configuration and control take place. Don’t underestimate though how frustrating it can be to have to reach

radioworld.com | RADIOWORLD

in to the browser to change a mic gain, or to turn your headphones down.

Studer being Studer, it has done some clever things: You can place an iPad on a mount above the faders and you can charge it at the same time from the built-in USB socket. The faders feel good under your fingers and there are big, back-lit buttons for PFL, channel on/off and for routing signals to the record bus. If you want to be really portable, you can run the core without any faders. This is something I did at the Royal Wedding in the U.K., where I was using the desk as a basic mixer for visiting radio broadcasters.

Each channel can be configured with a purpose: “DJ” and “guest” channels mute the loudspeakers and “Input for Sends” channels get their own talkback and automatic N-1. I’d love to use these dedicated talkback channels for my commentators but at the moment the software doesn’t allow me to override the N-1 mix.

I’m told that a new software version is on the way and it feels like my small needs could easily be fixed. I only have one more request for v2 and that’s a userconfigurable hard limiter across the output channels. I also hope v2 brings the promised VoiceMix automatic mixing.

At the end of the day, this desk has taken my lowbudget radio world to a whole new professional level.

The desk has proven 100 percent reliable in operation and for me it’s been such a relief to hand over the faders to journalists and producers, knowing that they’re working in an environment that feels familiar. Roll-on v2 of the software but let’s not forget how much desk you’re already getting at this price-point. The loveaffair continues.

For information, contact Mark Hosking at Studer at +44-1707-6687017 or visit www.studer.ch.

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August 2018

BUYER’S GUIDE Consoles, Mixers & Routers

Going Axia in Lexington

ing a possible music festival with local partners.

The new building, combined with the power and flexibility of Axia and Livewire, has allowed us to start to dream big about all the possibilities. The new setup will allow us to hold outdoor concerts and easily bring the audio back inside over one single Cat-6 cable. The new

Studio and equipment upgrades at WUKY

◗USERREPORT

BY JOHN LUMAGUI

Operations & Programming Manager WUKY/University of Kentucky LEXINGTON, Kentucky — Here at WUKY(FM)/91.3 MHz in Kentucky, we recently went through a major transition period when we moved our studios into a new space and upgraded our equipment setup.

When it came to the equipment, WUKY chose Axia, specifically the Fusion AoIP console, at the recommendation of engineering consultant William Smith. William had used the products to great success in a previous build for another client and we were confident that he could help us achieve the same results.

We decided to embrace state-of-the-art digital technology to bring WUKY into the 21st century. Our old plant was a mishmash of analog and digital equipment that had grown out of control over the 79 years that we inhabited our previous location.

TIGHT TIMETABLE

The new gear that we purchased included an Axia Fusion with studio engines/power supplies, Axia Pathfinder software, Telos Alliance xNode audio interfaces, Axia SoftSurface virtual console software, Telos VX broadcast VoIP phones and VSets, and Axia iProFiler automated program archiving software.

The system allowed us to shed our analog gear entirely in exchange for the flexibility and cleaner signal path of an all-digital system.

The space that we moved into had been a recording studio, and there were certainly challenges in converting it into a broadcast facility. They were miniscule, however, compared to the expense and delay of constructing a new facility or even renovating our old facility. We had to rewire the building to accept all of the Ethernet connections needed to implement the new system, as well as build a tower onsite to beam the signal back to our transmitter via a hop back on campus.

The other challenge was transferring

our operations to the new building while the old plant was still online. We promised UK Facilities that we would be out of our old location by April 1 to allow them to repurpose the space for another department. It was tight, but we made the deadline and were broadcasting from the new site by mid-March. Now we get to use our new Axia gear every day for broadcasting and production, and while it took a little time to adjust, the sound quality and convenience of audio anywhere in the building were well worth it.

With a big, new space available, we hope to have many live acts in, as well as forums, fundraisers and other events where people can come and take advantage of the space. We’re already in talks to record live shows and we’re explor-

gear also allows us to have virtual studios using the SoftSurface, giving us the mobility to bring a studio into “any room in the house.” WUKY is really happy with the new location, and we appreciate the Telos Alliance and Broadcasters General Store for delivering great technology to help us on our way.

For information, contact Cam Eicher at the Telos Alliance in the United States at +1-216-241-7225 or visit www.telosalliance.com.

BROADCAST EQUIPMENT EXCHANGE TRANSMITTERS/EXCITERS/TRANSLATORS

TRANSCOM CORPORATION

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

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

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

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Used AM Transmitters 5 kW 12 kW 12 KW

2003 2001 2014

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RADIOWORLD

This listing is provided for the convenience of our readers.

Radio World assumes no liability for inaccuracy.

ADVERTISER INDEX

page

August 2018

advertiser

website/url

19 AEQ, SA 1 Broadcast Bionics 21 Deva Broadcast Ltd 5 Digigram, S.A. 23 Inovonics Broadcast 9 Lawo AG 4, 8, 18 Nautel 15 NeoGroupe 24 Orban 1, 15 RFE Broadcast 11 Telos - The Telos Alliance 17 Thimeo Audio Technology 7 Tieline Technology 2, 12–13 Wheatstone

www.aeqbroadcast.com www.bionics.co.uk www.devabroadcast.com www.digigram.com www.inovonicsbroadcast.com www.lawo.com www.nautel.com www.neogroupe.com www.orban.com www.rfebroadcast.com www.telos-systems.com www.stereotool.com/innovators www.tieline.com www.wheatstone.com

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