Radio World International 510 - June 2019 by Future PLC

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June 2019 issue of

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INSIDE

NRJ België Goes Full AoIP

DAB+ SFN

New on-air studios meet scalability and compatibility requirements using IP BY MARC MAES

ANTWERP, Belgium — NRJ België

• Poland’s Radio Wrocław shares lessons learned when trialing small-scale, local digital terrestrial services — Page 4

Eric Hoppe, Progressive Concepts

NABSHOW

•A photographic sampler of the convention — Page 14

BUYER’S GUIDE

• The latest Visual Radio solutions capture the essence of radio — Page 20

launched in Belgium’s Flemish region last September with a national frequency “package” for six commercial areas. The bundle consists of a license for each of the five provinces and one for digital (DAB+, digital TV, streaming). SBS Belgium and the Mediahuis publishing company, proprietor of the Flemish Nostalgie Vlaanderen brand, own NRJ België. The station’s studios are located in the Mediahuis building in Antwerp together with Nostalgie’s studios, which, according to station staff, created some challenges during the installation of the new NRJ on-air studios. FUTURE-PROOF STUDIOS With Nostalgie’s on-air studio’s being installed nearly a decade ago, and today’s fresh approach of studio building, investing in completely new studio gear was a logical step. “But throughout the design and research for the new facilities, we had to bear in mind that we wanted to achieve maximum compatibility with Nostalgie’s DHDbased on-air studios and the future NRJ studio,” said Luk De Groote, technical manager for both radio stations. De Groote decided to team up with RadioStudio.be, a company specializing in integration and rental of broadcast equipment. “RadioStudio.be provided outside broadcast services for Nostalgie,” continued De Groote. “And that’s

Listening, watching, reacting, learning…

mmpress

DJ Xander Peeters broadcasts from the new on-air studio.

how I started talking with Tom Callebaut, the manager of the company.” IP AND COMPATIBILITY “The message was clear,” said Callebaut. “NRJ België wanted a futureproof on-air solution with full AoIP and compatibility. I suggested we use Lawo’s Ravenna-compatible technology for the two new studios. The keyword

was scalability. In the past, you had a specific console or audio matrix and a fixed number of in/out’s. Today, we’re talking IP — the only limit being the bandwidth of your network.” The assignment included the building, installation, acoustic design and technical integration of two studios for NRJ, with the option to use one for

The Bionic Studio is here. Discover it for yourself at bionic.radio

(continued on page 8)

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INTERNATIONAL EDITION Vol. 43 No. 6

◗NEWSWATCH

June 2019

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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 Nicole Schilling 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 Senior Business Director & Publisher, Radio World 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. LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS Radio World is available for licensing. Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities. Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT Managing Director/Senior Vice President Christine Shaw Chief Revenue Officer Luke Edson Chief Marketing Officer Wendy Lissau Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance VP/Media Technology Group Carmel King FUTURE US, INC. 11 West 42nd Street,15th Floor, New York, NY 10036

BROADCAST ASIA EYES THE FUTURE BroadcastAsia2019, held alongside CommunicAsia and NXTAsia, will take place June 18–20 at Suntec Singapore. Under the theme “Capture The Future,” this year’s event will put the spotlight on the latest advances and challenges facing the pro audio, film, digital media and broadcasting industries. Through a technical exhibition and conference sessions, the 2019 edition will highlight areas such as content management and systems, content distribution and delivery, automation, production, cloudcentric broadcasting and digital radio. It will also provide an overview of recent market trends, which include the continued transition toward IP-based products and services along with virtualization as well as the importance of content media security. Opening Hours are from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily.

FIVE NEW DIGITAL CHANNELS FOR SUBLIME In February, soul & jazz station Sublime launched five digital radio channels. “Thirty percent of our 400,000 weekly audience listens via Sublime’s digital radio channels,” said Sebastiaan van Rijnsoever, Sublime’s managing director. “In doing so we have secured a solid position in targeting a high-end audience within the digital radio landscape,” he said. “With Sublime ‘Vocal Jazz’ we highlight the big jazz singers of the past and today. The ‘Classic Jazz’ channel concentrates on the classics of jazz,” he explained. “The best of ‘Sublime 500’ shuffles the station’s listener choices, based on the station’s recent Sublime 500 chart. With ‘Sublime Smooth,’ we offer a relaxed mix of smooth jazz, R&B and soul.” “Arrow Jazz” brings the iconic predecessor of Sublime back to digital life offering a spicy cocktail of jazz, soul, disco and Latin. Van Rijnsoever added that Sublime has also launched radio-on-demand (podcasts), and a new mobile app.

— Marc Maes All contents ©Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 02008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

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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

◗MARKETPLACE Next Step in Monitoring: DEVA Broadcast’s new DB4005 is a third-generation digital FM radio modulation analyzer and monitoring receiver. The company explains that the system features SDR FM tuner-based signal processing, achieved through “sophisticated” DSP algorithms and that its digital filter precision enables the FM signal to be accurately and repeatedly analyzed with each device.

In addition, says DEVA, the MPX input allows users to monitor external baseband signals, regardless of whether they are from a composite STL receiver/stereo FM encoder, or from an off-air source. “With its incredible processing power, it provides detailed readings of all the multiplex FM signal components, while all measurements are refreshed simultaneously and synchronously.” What’s more, the DB4005’s loudness meter can display measurements as defined by both ITU BS.1770-4 and EBU R128 recommendations, thanks to the product’s support of both standards. This tool, which DEVA says allows operators to monitor up to 50 FM radio stations, supports USB and LAN communication interfaces for remote connection and control. It also provides features such as TCP/IP connectivity, audio streaming, and automatic alerts for operation outside of predefined ITU-R ranges. Info: www.devabroadcast.com

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RadioWorldMagazine

June 2019

Overcoming DAB+ SFN Network Challenges Here’s what we learned when trialing small-scale, local digital terrestrial services in Poland BY MIREK OSTROWSKI

The author is technical director for Radio Wrocław.

WROCŁAW, Poland — Regional pub-

lic broadcaster Radio Wrocław together with Wrocław University of Science and Technology and Poland’s National Institute of Telecommunications are running a single frequency DAB+ network for small and local broadcasters in the city of Wrocław, Poland, and the surrounding vicinity. The tests began in 2015 and will continue until the end of 2019 with a possibility of continuation. THE SETUP For our purpose, the project team created an economical-yet-complete solution, consisting of a small-scale DAB+ headend to facilitate access to this digital radio platform for local and small broadcasters. The solution is based on open-source software, which is a modified version of Opendigitalradio (http://www.opendigi-

talradio.org/) resources. It comprises audio encoders, PAD encoders, multiplexer and modulators working with USRP cards at three transmitting sites. Currently, 10 services are broadcast over the network along with additional data in the shape of DLS (text) and SLS (graphics). We expected that, once we switched on all three transmitters of the SNF network in Wrocław, we would have great coverage in the city center. Unfortunately, we were in for a surprise. While the quality was good in the northern part of the city, we had some issues with coverage in the southern part: Dropouts, signal loss and interruptions occurred, even near the transmitters. At first, we thought the problem was due to signal distribution because the network uses a regular internet connection as the main link between all 10 radio stations and the local DAB multiplexer located at the university, as well as between the multiplexer and two of the three transmitters. A microwave link in the 5 GHz band feeds the third

SIMPLE AND SAFE AUDIO LINKS

Fig. 1: The architecture of the local DAB project in Wrocław, Poland.

transmitter. We chose to implement a regular internet connection to provide a realistic scenario for smaller radio stations, in which owners usually can’t afford to pay hefty sums for advanced links with high QoS. But at the same time, these stations need a solid solution to get their broadcasts out. CHALLENGES Initially, many problems arose. The optimization of internet-related issues was a huge challenge. Fortunately, we were eventually able to make some headway, although the breaks and gaps proved to be frustrating for the project

team: It was difficult to figure out why, in the overlapping coverage area of two transmitters (where according to coverage analysis and expected SFN gain we should have had perfect reception), we had very bad or no reception. “Children in the fog” is a good description of the project team members as they scrambled to find the cause of such a disastrous situation. Of course, we suspected transmitter synchronization problems, but there was no way to prove it. Fortunately, engineering firm Ingenieurbüro Mulka of Dresden, Germany, helped us find and resolve the problem. Its DABRF DAB signal recorder,

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Fig. 2: The screenshot shows reception quality of the local DAB tests before correction.

radioworld.com | RADIOWORLD

June 2019

player and analyzer allowed us to monitor recorded EDI files. This included embedded metrics (RF level, SNR and MER, bit error rate before Viterbi for MSC and FIC, FIB CRC error rate, in-band spectrum, channel impulse response, relative time position of null symbol to GPS, constellation diagrams, MER diagrams, frequency and sampling rate offset, GPS coordinates and time). Using the monitoring tool and very sophisticated software for local DAB signal analyzing, we drove more than 600 km and recorded gigabytes of EDI files to measure the SFN coverage. A good indicator for the quality valuation is the FIBCRC error rate, which was plotted over the map (green represents no CRC errors, red signifies high CRC error ratio. See Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows no reception in the city center, even though we initially expected the best results in that location and from an SFN when all three transmitters are in sync. The locations of the transmitters marked with the icon are as follows: • Transmitter One: Wrocław University of Science and Technology: 51.1271491,17.0091166 • Transmitter Two: The National Institute of Telecommunications: 51.1153582,17.1135315 • Transmitter Three: Radio Wrocław: 51.0708741,17.0061065 THE SOLUTION We replayed the recorded EDI file in the laboratory and analyzed the metrics. An interesting point is the low SNR at good RF levels at some critical places. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the findings. In both cases, the RF level is around –62 dBm, which is high enough for a good reception, but the SNR is 8 dB, which is very low. The reason is that Transmitter Three had an unexpected delay of around (continued on page 6)

Fig. 3: The results of the DAB signal monitoring tests. DABRF received and recorded the signal from transmitter numbers one and two for analyzation in the lab.

Fig. 4: The results of the DAB signal monitoring tests. DABRF received and recorded the signal from transmitter number three for analysis in the lab.

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June 2019

DAB+ (continued from page 5)

2 seconds, which was measured by the DABRF in the diagram of the channel impulse response (Figs. 5 and 6). Decisive for the time measurement is, that a reference between the time and the frame is made with CIF counter (0:0). This is a unique feature of the DABRF receiver. We discovered that the problem was Fig. 5: The results of the DAB signal monitoring tests. caused by the wrong address on the Near Transmitter Two: CIF(0:0) offset = 47,518 s DNS server in Transmitter Three, which in turn caused a problem with the transmission of the corresponding NTP data, resulting in the lack of synchronization. After correcting the time synchronization of transmitter number three, the SFN works as expected. Figs. 7 and 8 show the result. Now, the RF level is at about the same level as before (–62 dB), but SNR is higher than 33 dB and that ensures perfect reception. CIF (0:0) offset is now the same for all three transmitters. This is visible in Fig. 9, which illustrates the channel impulse response where all three transmit-

Fig. 6: The results of the DAB signal monitoring tests. Near Transmitter Three: CIF(0:0) offset = 49,518 s — i.e. It is delayed by 2 s.

Fig. 7: Results after time synchronization correction.

ters, seen as three yellow peaks, work within the allow the quality distribution of a wide range of guard interval of 246 µs represented with a violet DAB+ services to their audience. background. After discovering the cause and overcoming this serious synchronization problem, members of the project team are now able to focus on promoting the solutions they have created for local and small broadcasters. They are now sure to be able to provide a quality signal and coverage that will Fig. 9: A graph showing the same offset for all three transmitters.

Fig. 8: Results after time synchronization correction.

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Email radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field. Please include issue date and story headline.

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NRJ BELGIË (continued from page 1)

Nostalgie in a DHD setup. All content sources had to be interchangeable between the twin facilities and both radio products, requiring seamless, swift switching between both, without the audience noticing. In addition, the creation of a completely new on-air path for NRJ was part of the mission. Both studios were equipped with Lawo Ruby AoIP mixing surfaces connected with a Lawo Power Core. “The majority of all input signals are via AoIP sources, widely available over the whole network,” explained Callebaut. “The Ruby consoles are used as mixing engines but also for DSP, audio routing and conversion. The modular Power Core, with standard two AES67 and four MADI connections, offers exactly the scalability NRJ België required: To be able to expand the number of simultaneous channels to 10 or 35 with no need for extra devices. That was a major advantage in building these studios. “The only analog inputs are microphones and studio monitors connected to the Power Core. All other sources like playout, telephone hybrid, codecs are AES67 AoIP streams to the Power Core audio routers in the main control room (MCR), with double compatibility — MADI for Nostalgie’s DHD platform and AoIP for future use. Everything is IP now, the days of discrete audio are almost completely gone.” Mark Tito, sales director Lawo Benelux, said the project, in terms of equipment, was definitely on the edge of technology. “NRJ België is the first radio solution in Belgium adapting Ruby — and Power Core, which was

June 2019

actually just released when they decided for the product.” KVM CONNECTIVITY “We started from the basic idea not to have one single computer in the on-air studio,” underlined De Groote. “Software and systems that are running in the studio are connected over IP via KVM to the master control room. Intronics supplied the KVM system. “The big advantages of implementing KVM are security, with all sources in a climate-controlled and dust-free environment, ergonomics (one module in the on-air room instead of computers), and multitasking, allowing multiple users to work simultaneously on the system, from any location,” explained Yves Van Hullebusch, account and project manager KVM at Intronics Belgium. “For NRJ, we used the Adderlink XDIP PoE models: Six pairs of compact KVM receiver modules per studio, running completely over IP with a minimal latency of less than 25 ms. The system is extremely flexible as you don’t need any management servers — it can be expanded by means of Layer 2 switches. Every module is a standalone powerover-Ethernet unit, functioning either as transmitter or receiver. NRJ België’s onair studio is among the first in Belgium implementing the XDIP solution, as it is a new platform.” In the NRJ studios, 30 Adderlink XDIP units are used to display full HD images from the computers located in the MCR, on six screens. Two are configured for DJs or co-hosts and two have Zenon playout software, an editing screen for recordings, and a multipurpose screen to select a common source like the MultiCAM Radio system or a

NRJ

RADIOWORLD |

Luk De Groote, technical manager for NRJ België and Nostalgie, stands in the new on-air studio.

clone of the Zenon playout screen.

mmpress

Arnaud Anchelergue, sales manager with MultiCAM, in the master control room.

AIR CHAIN The broadcaster stripped both studio rooms and added new acoustic materials from iDealAcoustics, which also designed and supplied the presenter desks. Each studio has room for four (self-op DJ, co-host and guests) seats, equipped with Neumann TLM 102 microphones on Yellowtec m!ka microphone arms. “We decided to continue with Zenon Media radio software, an upgraded version of what our neighbors at Nostalgie are already using,” explained De Groote “The Zenon playout’s audio is routed via the Lawo R3LAY VSC drivers on the network to the Ruby desk core in the active studio where the signal is channeled to the Power Core in the MCR.” “For the regional commercial breaks we use a blank/silence from the active studio program mixed with one of the six available commercial-players playing audio output on the AoIP network in the MCR. Each region has its own commercials but they are fully balanced,” said Callebaut. “The built-in silence detection in the Lawo Power Core monitors possible silence gaps and automatically switches on a slave playout computer or an SSD player, the silence detection is installed after the mix with active studio and one commercial regional output.” The complete system was created in a redundant configuration for full backup, with switching almost inaudibly between both. A telephone hybrid from The Telos Alliance completed the setup. Callebaut added that the company is “excellent in delivering telephone systems. We are converting the Livewire signal to Ravenna, by means of an Axia xNode interface, making it AES67 compatible.” The Power Core’s final signal is then channeled via six Optimod 8600-S broadcast processors and six 2wcom MM01 codecs (one for each province,

DAB+, streaming and DTV) to the transmitter sites using an IP connection. “We put in place a completely new FM transmitter network and it had to be built up from scratch in less than two months,” said Christiaan Pladdet, business development manager with Broadcast Partners. “We attached a lot of importance to the design of the network ensuring maximum coverage within the license’s criteria. Each of the 16 transmitter sites is equipped with Elenos Indium transmitters and Lambda Technologies antennas. The 2wcom codecs serve multiple transmitter sites — in the past we had to install one codec for each transmitter — now we save in both rack space and energy.” VISUAL RADIO With one of NRJ’s owners being SBS Belgium, operating three TV channels in Flanders, the introduction of visual radio was evident. “NRJ’s morning show, hosted by Kim and Michaël, runs on the ZES TV channel between 6–9 a.m. using a MultiCAM Radio visual radio system,” said De Groote. “We are already using the system for Nostalgie using an AES soundcard. We moved three Panasonic AW-HE130 HD SDI cameras to NRJ’s on-air studio and installed the Lawo R3LAY VSC, capturing the audio feed for AoIP.” “MultiCAM Radio receives GPIO and audio levels from the Lawo Ruby console via Ember Plus protocol. So it detects which microphone is open, and automatically controls the change of camera position, over IP,” explained Arnaud Anchelergue, MultiCAM director of sales. MultiCAM’s recording allows use of live streaming on different social media platforms and the station’s website. The audio-embedded SDI output of the system allows the splitting of audio (for transmission on Telenet’s radio Channel 943) and visual radio (for broadcast on ZES).” (continued on page 10)

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June 2019

Will 5G Be Part of the Broadcasting Future? The technology is on its way and could become complementary to digital broadcasting but is not a replacement for it

◗GUESTCOMMENTARY

“While 5G may bring benefits to radio broadcasters, it also comes with complexity and costs,” says Obreja.

BY RUXANDRA OBREJA

The author is chairman of Digital Radio Mondiale. What is 5G? Is it a bird or a plane or yet another good topic for myriads of conferences? It seems to me, as a “laywoman,” that 5G is an exciting new wireless communication project. It is an improvement on 4G that hopefully will revolutionize our lives by optimizing many of our daily activities, including providing access to fast internet and video. 5G began as a technology for mobile network operators to deploy. In principle it should ensure faster speeds — great for video then — more volume of data transported with very little delay. Since 5G, when compared to 4G, allows for better, faster, cheaper and more reliable data distribution, it could also optimize other activities in addition to telecommunications. In fact, the new platform may have wide applications in the industry (e.g. control and move equipment in a factory), as nowadays data transport is the currency of everyday life and logistics. Software will program 5G for a lot of applications of which broadcasting will be just one slice. 5G started as a technology developed by mobile operators but it is highly unlikely that the telecom companies will be able alone to roll it out as “a network for everything” at profit. So, there is already talk of private 5G networks and also of repurposing existing terrestrial broadcast networks or using satellites or a combination of all these. ISSUES It is clear that 5G is still a nebulous concept, which is being worked on technically at the moment, with standardization at an advanced stage. 5G has a big chance to become a truly global standard, widely accepted and thus delivering economies of scale. But, alas, the technology will not be the answer to all our digital prayers. And there are many other “issues.” For example, 5G is a very small-cell application i.e. it works well and fast at short distances. So, it will require even more transmitters than FM, DAB+ or the RF-efficient DRM for the same coverage. More spectrum, even below 470 MHz or just as low as Band III, will have to be made available, if we want connectivity for a lot of devices simultaneously.

NRJ BELGIË (continued from page 8)

All parties involved in the building of the on-air studios agreed that timing of the deployment was the most critical challenge. “We started brainstorming in May last year and one month later we embarked upon the endeavor. We subsequently began broadcasting in September. Meanwhile, we started refurbishing Nostalgie’s former back-up studio, took out the DHD and had new acoustics brought in to become our main

5G, at least in the beginning, will need a new and very dense (read: expensive) infrastructure. This month, authorities halted a pilot project to provide high-speed 5G wireless internet in Brussels due to fear of radiation. Belgian Environment Minister, Celine Fremault, wrote in the Brussels Times on April 1 that the people there “are not guinea pigs whose health I can sell at a profit.” In addition, the United Kingdom government recently announced that it has ditched part of its £35 million trial of 5G-based mobile and fixed line fiber technology on a rail route between Manchester and York in northern England. The reasons given were mainly complexity and costs. Even if we will eventually overcome these hiccups, new receivers will have to be manufactured and sold. A solid business model will need to be defined, too. 5G will progress and offer new opportunities in both content creation and distribution. Some specialists estimate that 5G will become reality in 10 years. According to Darko Ratkay of the, EBU, it would be premature to consider 5G as a replacement of technologies and infrastructure in use (tech-I, tech.ebu.ch, March 2019). Those who still hesitate to go the digital radio way, invoking the mirage of the 5G, are simply using it as an excuse for their lack of determination and courage. After all, 5G is still in its infancy; it will be great for internet and video but will not deliver the large coverage that digital DRM can do in AM, for example, or what DRM, DAB+ and HD can do for local coverage. COMPLEMENTARY TECHNOLOGY And we have not even touched the question of audio in cars. But neither can 5G and its potential be ignored, as the industry worldwide and the policy makers are on-air studio today.” “It’s been 10 years since a new radio station in Flanders was launched and it’s amazing we managed to get NRJ on the air in such a short time span,” commented Tom Klerkx, managing director for NRJ and Nostalgie, “I’m proud of our tech team, who did the job. The basic product is now on track and we’ll continue refining the details in the coming months.” The launch of NRJ on DAB+, mandatory in accordance with NRJ België’s broadcast license, took place in mid-April is backed by a marketing campaign.

behind it, considering it to be the future. This year 5G broadcasting tests will take place in Germany and the U.K. The BBC is pioneering (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p075n41s) live radio broadcasts over 5G mobile networks in the first public trial of its kind in the far away Scottish island of Orkney where 4G/5G mobiles will be used to deliver BBC content. So, is digital terrestrial audio broadcasting at the moment just a stepping stone to the predicted benefits of 5G? The answer has to be an emphatic no. Digital radio (DRM and other digital standards) can already distribute rich multimedia content to many, at low energy costs and with clear spectral efficiency. Radio has been recently declared the most trustworthy medium in both Europe and the U.S. Duncan Stewart, director of research with Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications division, boldly predicts that 18- to 34-year-old Americans will spend more time listening to radio than watching TV by 2025. And this might be happening already in the Nordic countries (except Norway) “as radio listening minutes for younger demographics was already higher than linear TV viewing minutes in Sweden and Finland, and was going to crossover in Denmark in 2019.” Radio is in a good place just now and in the words of Bob Pittman, CEO of iHeart Media,” is hot for the first time in decades.” Radio does not need to be shy and apologetic in the new media landscape, or fear the advent of 5G. Conversation, discussion and discovery are central to this medium that is resilient and has shown how it can reinvent itself digitally. If you are in a part of the world where 2G and 3G are the norm, where electricity might be sporadic and data plans unaffordable, you can be connected and linked through radio. Broadcasters, regulators and the industry need to watch, experiment and develop 5G but, before anything else, digital radio has to be available everywhere in good quality and for free. If you start experimenting and developing digital content and also renew your analog infrastructure by upgrading to digital with DRM, for example, you might be using the good place audio is in just now, while video is planning on the huge boost it will receive with 5G. By becoming digital and putting your faith in radio, you might be even better prepared to benefit from 5G, too, once it is clearly defined and available.

RADIOWORLD

June 2019

NAB Show photos by Jim Peck unless otherwise noted

Eric Hoppe, Progressive Concepts

This issue of Radio World features a photographic sampler of the convention.

The show drew about 91,500 registered attendees, according to NAB’s initial estimates. That compares to 93,200 last year and 103,500 the year before.

Calvin Standifer and Lisa Hargrove learn about MultiCAM Systems gear from Sherman Del Sol and Stanislas Walbert. MultiCAM makes automated video systems for applications including radio station environments.

A receiver at the In-Vehicle Experience pavilion highlights alerting via HD Radio. The promise of what could lie ahead for connected cars was on tantalizing display. Several manufacturers showcased existing and possible UI configurations. Model offerings ranged from the Audi eTron and Revero KARMA sport hybrid to offerings from Buick and Mercedes. The latter has a “keep warm” function, whereby emergency alerts sent while the car is “off” can be stored and displayed; this could give users guidance to avoiding storm damage, locating shelters or deciding what is likely to happen in your area.

RADIOWORLD

June 2019

NAB Show photos by Jim Peck unless otherwise noted

In 2017, the Elenos Group acquired Broadcast Electronics as its face in the Americas. Three recent hires are shown at NAB: John Lackness, left, US-West regional sales; Chuck Kelly, second from left, VP of TV market development; and Frank Grundstein, right, US-East regional sales, with “friend of the family” Dan Braverman of Radio Systems. Not shown from BE is Peter Conlon, serving as an advisor to Elenos CEO Leonardo Busi, and new VP of Sales for Latin America Ricardo Jimenez.

In the ENCO booth, Emmy award winner and Hollywood Walk of Fame star recipient “Shotgun Tom” Kelly holds forth with guest Mark Gleason, host of “Mark’s Groovy Trip,” a ’70s music show.

Drones, all the rage a couple of years ago, are no longer omnipresent on the show floor, which doesn’t mean they’re not being used for serious work. SixArms from Australia makes an eight-rotor drone, precision GPS guided RF inspection package with antennas for multiple bands that can execute complex RF sample paths. The $70K package comes with a spectrum analyzer and on-site training, but not your drone pilot certification. Yep, you need a driver’s license.

The spring show will have a different rhythm next year, with the exhibits opening midday Sunday and closing Wednesday afternoon.

RADIOWORLD |

@radioworld_news

RadioWorldMagazine

June 2019

◗MARKETPLACE Systel IP Gear: AEQ’s new Systel

IP equipment and applications, include the Systel IP 16 multiline VoIP talkshow/ phone-in system with Dante connectivity. Users can control the Systel 16 by means of the new SystelSet+ control terminal — a touchscreen IP phone running a new configurable control application. The Systel 16 can manage up to 16 VoIP lines and four operator handsets. Systel IP 16 is compatible with earlier Systel IP 4 and Systel IP 12 hardware and systems. Info: www.aeq.eu

New FM Line: DB

Elettronica’s new Mozart DDS EVO line of compact FM transmitters features Direct Digital synthesis technology. The company says this line of transmitters, which is the latest development in DB’s Mozart range, promises users “high audio quality and the improved frequency stability in FM broadcasting,” thanks to the integrated DDS technology. In addition, Mozart DDS EVO FM transmitters and exciters, adds DB, offer optimal SFN integration. Info: www.dbbroadcast.com

Strengthening the Core: Lawo has enriched its Power Core AoIP mixing engine and I/O node.

While Power Core was initially introduced as a DSP mixing engine and modular I/O system for Ruby radio consoles, the company explains that many broadcasters are using the system as a gateway between legacy audio formats and standardsbased IP media networks. “The ST2110-30 standard ensures seamless interoperability of audio and video equipment in combined radio/TV broadcast plants,” it said in a release. New Power Core features include: • A Dante digital audio network card with dual-redundant ports and sample rate conversion, allowing easy integration of pro audio equipment into broadcast environments; • Dual-redundant front-panel SFP ports for AoIP. Now, broadcasters have their choice of optical or copper network connections, sans the cost of external media converters; • ST2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching, which provides dual-redundant AoIP network connections. Twin active links guard against audio loss should one link be interrupted. Expandable, Power Core lets clients add more capacity with eight rear-panel card slots, which allow “a la carte” addition of analog, AES3, MADI and Dante interfaces, and a unique Studio I/O card that provides mic inputs and headphone and monitor outputs, added the company. Info: www.lawo.com

EBOOKS: Tools for Strategic Technology Decision-Making Radio World’s growing library of ebooks can assist you in maximizing your investment in an array of platforms and tools: licensed transmission, online streaming, mobile apps, multicasting, translators, podcasts, RDS, metadata and much more. The ebooks are a huge hit with readers. They help engineers, GMs, operations managers and other top radio executives — radio’s new breed of digital, cross-platform decision-makers — understand this new world and thrive in it.

Visit radioworld.com/ebooks

◗NEWSWATCH

ETIENNE DOMBRET TAKES THE HELM OF CLASSIC 21 Looking back on a 37-yearlong radio career, in February Classic 21 editorial manager Marc Ysaye handed the management of RTBF’s Classic 21 to Etienne Dombret. Ysaye began working with RTBF radio in 1982 and launched Classic 21 some 15 years ago. Today, the channel enjoys a 12.04% audience share, according to CIM. “I end my management career with a top five station that still has growth potential,” Ysaye said. Dombret joined Classic 21 as head of the pre-production and became station manager in 2006. Dombret and the Classic 21 team guided the channel’s evolution, combining expertise and a passion for rock. “It’s my ambition to continue the success of Classic 21 by developing the heritage of rock while highlighting upcoming new talented bands,” Dombret said. Marc Ysaye continues his passion as presenter of the Sunday morning “Les Classiques” show on Classic 21.

— Marc Maes

BUYER’S GUIDE

Visual Radio

RADIOWORLD

June 2019

Comrex LiveShot Is “a TV Studio in a Single Box” Simple to use and lightweight, remotes are a breeze

◗USERREPORT BY THOM HARTMANN Host “The Thom Hartmann Program”

WASHINGTON — “The Thom Hart-

mann Program” began over 15 years ago and is ranked by Talkers Magazine as the #1 progressive talk show in America. The show is aired on commercial stations coast to coast and on the SiriusXM Radio Network. We also produce a nonprofit version for Pacifica stations across the United States and in Europe and Africa. Our commercial feed is carried on American Forces Radio to every U.S. military base in the world. Our audience is estimated by Talkers to be 6.5 million. We have a television simulcast that’s carried on Free Speech TV, a news and opinion network carried by Dish, DirecTV and cable systems across the country. We produce “The Thom Hartmann Program” and the simulcast Monday through Friday from 12–3 p.m. (EST), so I need to be able to set up and host the show every weekday, no matter where I am. RELIABLE We have used Comrex audio equipment since we started the show 15 years ago. When we began video streaming the show, we purchased a Comrex LiveShot. I’ve now used it to broadcast the show from Denmark, Iceland, all over the United States — not to mention from my home studio. On a regular basis, my experience

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

with LiveShot is simple. I plug my portable unit into a Cat-5 Ethernet connection wherever I am, press the “connect” button and transmit to the rackmount unit back in our Washington, D.C., studio. All of the connection details for the LiveShots, like IP addresses and connection protocols, have been set and saved ahead of time with Switchboard TS, so I don’t have to enter any

information. A connection is established, the video is mixed in real time by our studio team with a NewTek TriCaster, and the program is both fed to our satellite uplinks for Free Speech TV and streamed live on YouTube and Facebook. EASE OF USE I’ve found LiveShot extraordinarily easy to use. It’s lightweight — I can even take it on an airplane in a small carry-on bag. I also use the LiveShot Connect smartphone app, which allows me to check bandwidth and latency sta-

tistics from my phone. It’s all the functionality of a TV studio in a single box. LiveShot provides me the freedom to do my show from anywhere with an internet connection. Comrex equipment has helped our show be successful over the years — we’ve used it to make reliable field connections all over the world. If you need to take your show on the road, Comrex LiveShot is the best product out there. For information, contact Chris Crump at Comrex in the United States at +1-978784-1776 or visit www.comrex.com.

◗TECHUPDATE ENCO UNIFIES VISUAL RADIO SOUTHFIELD, Michigan — ENCO’s Visual Radio solutions leverage the power of DAD’s radio automation and management interface to deliver a complete multimedia experience to web and mobile audiences. Interoperability with leading production systems assures that radio broadcasters can support everything from content acquisition through to scheduling and delivery from a single unified platform, including targeted advertising support to help monetize online programming. Visual Radio’s operational flexibility is especially important for radio broadcasters familiarizing themselves with video production workflows. ENCO’s Visual Radio solution delivers music videos, program audio and interstitials (targeted ads, promos). ENCO’s familiar management interface eliminates the need to learn new software and manage multiple content libraries. Instead, customers benefit from an intuitive live-assist application to suit each operator’s preferred balance of manual and automated control. ENCO’s solution offers built-in intelligence that eliminates some of the more complex tasks traditionally associated with high-end, studio-based video production. For example, voice-controlled camera application will switch between hosts and guests during live radio programming, triggered though recognition of “hot” microphones. Operators can additionally create custom rules to display all camera feeds at once, and assign dedicated graphical overlays to frame each shot. Tighter integration with graphics software further simplifies the user experience, including the management and integration of live social media feeds, visual effects and transitions. For information, contact ENCO in the United States at +1-248-827-4440 or visit www.enco.com.

June 2019

BUYER’S GUIDE

◗TECHUPDATES

radioworld.com | RADIOWORLD

Visual Radio

BIONIC DIRECTOR CAPTURES THE RADIO MOMENT

MULTICAM ENHANCES VISUAL RADIO SOLUTION

HAYWARDS HEATH, England — Broadcast Bionics says its Bionic Director

MONTREUIL, France — MultiCAM

radio visualization system is “built by radio people, for radio people.” Bionic Director is designed to assist radio broadcasters in producing shareable content for Facebook and Twitter, live video streams or YouTube highlights, and, according to the firm, lets users “easily create shareable visual content automatically.” The system uses artificial intelligence algorithms to combine camera switching with automated graphics generation and face recognition to instantly identify talent or guests. In addition, advanced transcription enables text-based search, video editing and captioning. “Intelligent” switching begins even before presenters begin speaking to ensure coverage of reaction shots, and edits can be produced in Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. It is possible to stream and share directly to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Periscope all from within the interface. What’s more, Bionic Director forms part of the Bionic Studio suite of products. For information, contact Broadcast Bionics in England at +44-1444-473999 or visit www.bionic.radio.

has introduced new modules for its MultiCAM Radio visual radio system. MultiCAM Assist allows users to easily control the system remotely and benefit from the MultiCAM API. The GUI will remain consistent across platforms and devices. MultiCAM says this is particularly useful with its automated systems such as Conf (video conferencing), Radio and Tracking because it lets station staff remotely start or stop the recording or streaming. Operators can also take quick control of the system in semi-auto or manual mode. In addition, the new Social Media Management module is designed to let operators connect Facebook and Twitter accounts to MultiCAM Radio and receive messages in real time. The Social Media Management module also filters received messages by keywords, users and hashtags and lets the host moderate messages according to the interest and select the messages he or she wants to display on the live program. For information, contact MultiCAM in France at +33-9-72-58-67-28 or visit www.multicam-systems.com.

WINMEDIA LAUNCHES WINCAM LA CIOTAT, France — After several years of partnerships with different companies, WinMedia Group has launched WinCam, its own visual radio system for radio broadcasters. WinMedia says WinCam is fully integrated into the WinMedia automation software suite and provides reliable and easy-to-use camera management for visual radio. WinCam allows users to handle up to eight cameras or inputs and broadcast the results on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook Live. Featuring touchscreen operation, the solution runs on various devices, including tablets, providing efficient live-management control. “We have designed WinCam with the intent of simplifying a radio station’s workflow and allowing users the possibility to easily add video to their internet — or even OTT — radio programs,” explained Stéphane Tésoriere, CEO of WinMedia Group. For information, contact WinMedia Group in France at +33-494-102-101 or visit www.winmedia.org.

RADIOWORLD |

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BUYER’S GUIDE

RadioWorldMagazine

June 2019

Visual Radio

◗TECHUPDATE Bionic Studio makes it easy to push to the world. For those who don’t have an Axia console, integrating existing hardware can be done by using Telos Alliance xNodes to pull information into the Bionics workflow and get users up and running with Bionic Director. For information, contact The Telos Alliance in the United Statese at +1-216-241-7225 or visit www.telosalliance.com.

THE TELOS ALLIANCE AND BROADCAST BIONICS, A COMPLEMENTARY PAIR CLEVELAND — The Telos Alliance says it has good news for Axia console users looking to get involved with visual radio. The company has a long standing, close relationship with visual radio products and services developer Broadcast Bionics. That relationship, the company says, provides easy access to the power of intelligent live feeds and instantly shareable, short-form video content as a way to enhance broadcast offerings and increase a show’s social media traffic in today’s media landscape. According to the Telos Alliance, Broadcast Bionics has set out to make visual radio useful and accessible to broadcasters everywhere with its Bionic Director software. Bionic Director combines intelligent camera switching with automated graphics generation based on social media, RSS feeds, images, album art and videos. For Axia’s part, the company’s Livewire Pure IP network environment is the only system that fully unlocks the capability of this software. It can pull

microphone-level information and fader positions from an Axia console, allowing Bionic Director software to intelligently track and capture relevant video in real time during broadcasts. That content can then be used both for live streaming and as shareable assets. From there, trimming, branding and publishing from within the

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 2000 Harris DIGIT CD 5KW 1988 BE FM5C, Solid State 7.5 KW 2005 Harris Z7.5CD, Solid State 10 KW 1988 BE FM10A, Dual 5 KW 10 KW 1998 FM10, Solid State, 1-ph 21 KW 2008 Continental 816R2C 20 KW 1992 Harris HT20CD 25KW 1996 Continental 816R3 25 KW 2004 Harris HT25CD Used AM Transmitters 5 KW 2007 BE AM 5E, solid-state 10 KW 1991 Nautel AMPFET10, solid-state

RADIOWORLD

June 2019

www.radioworld.com

Exciters & Miscellaneous Equipment Exciters->Harris DIGIT Bird Model 8932, 10 kW air-cooled RF Load

ADVERTISER INDEX

Used DTV & ATV Transmitters **Rohde & Schwarz** **Harris Platinum**

page

advertiser

website /url

AETA Audio Systems

www.aeta-audio.com

Aldena (Telecomunicazioni) SRL

www.aldena.it

Axia - The Telos Alliance

www.axiaaudio.com

BE - Broadcast Electronics

www.bdcast.com

Broadcast Bionics

www.bionics.co.uk

Deva Broadcast Ltd

www.devabroadcast.com

New TV Transmitters-DTV & ATV OMB and Technalogix Please visit our website, www.fmamtv.com, for additional listings.

HARRIS Email: transcom@fmamtv.com • Phone: 215-938-7304 P.O. Box 26744, Elkins Park, PA 19027 RETUNING & TESTING AVAILABLE • CALL US FOR A QUOTE!

ADVERTISING CONTACTS EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA: RAFFAELLA CALABRESE +39-320-891-1938 Fax: +39-02-700-436-999 raffaella.calabrese@futurenet.com SEND MATERIALS TO: NICOLE SCHILLING nicole.schilling@futurenet.com

THE AMERICAS: JOHN CASEY +1-212-378-0400 x512 Fax: +1-703-852-4583 john.casey@futurenet.com

This listing is provided for the convenience of our readers. Radio World assumes no liability for inaccuracy.

17 GatesAir

www.gatesair.com

Inovonics Broadcast

www.inovonicsbroadcast.com

Lawo AG

www.lawo.com

15 Nautel

www.nautel.com

24 Orban

www.orban.com

Tieline Technology

www.tieline.com

2, 12–13

Wheatstone

www.wheatstone.com

9000