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Radio World

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MMTC, NAB Square Off on Multilingual Alerting

Posted: 14 Mar 2022 09:37 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/mmtc-nab-square-off-on-multilingual-alerting


The time has come for the Federal Communications Commission to take a
bigger step in ensuring that emergency information is broadcast to
listeners in languages other than English, according to the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council.

The MMTC made that argument in a recent letter to the FCC.

The letter was in response to comments from the National Association of Broadcasters about a proposal being considered by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. That proposal could formalize a “radio station designated-hitter” system in which English-language stations would partner with non-English stations in their markets. The latter station then could provide news and information during an emergency if it was knocked off the
air.

In its own letter to the commission, the NAB said the idea is
well-intentioned but ill-conceived. Before asking broadcasters to turn over airtime to another station or broadcast in another language, it said, the commission should attempt to help non-English radio stations to improve
their own resiliency.

“For example, the FCC should encourage such stations to obtain a generator and fuel reserves so they can continue service if the power grid goes
down,” wrote Rick Kaplan, NAB chief legal officer and executive vice president of legal and regulatory affairs. “This would much more
effectively address any concerns about the access of listeners to such
stations and information during emergencies.”

In its reply letter, the MMTC called the NAB suggestion “unproductive” and questioned why the association is calling for non-English stations to focus
on resiliency during an emergency, “something all radio stations already strive to achieve,” wrote Robert Branson, president/CEO of MMTC.

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The accessibility of alert information is critical in an emergency, MMTC argues, yet the Emergency Alert System — and particularly radio alerts — largely disregard the needs of people who are not proficient in English.

The organization cited the death of seven members of a Spanish-speaking
family in 2013 during an Oklahoma tornado. “The family had been overtaken
by flash flooding, a risk they likely knew little about as the area has few Spanish-language radio and television stations and even fewer bilingual meteorologists who provide adequate warnings during inclement weather,” the MMTC wrote.

MMTC said the need for reform on this issue has been at the FCC’s doorstep since 2005. That’s when the nonprofit and other parties submitted an emergency petition after Hurricane Katrina. Now, after nearly two decades
of consideration and input, the commission has not proffered a better alternative than the designated hitter system, the MMTC believes.

The group said this approach worked when Hurricane Florence hit South
Carolina in 2018. Cumulus Media and Dick Broadcasting voluntarily agreed to
run Spanish-language alerts and information on stations in Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, which did not have full-service 24-hour Spanish-language
stations.

Relying on the goodwill of stations to provide multilingual emergency
alerts, however, will not ensure that critical information is relayed to
and understood by non-English-speaking populations, it continued.

“Suggesting that radio stations that serve non-English-speaking populations lack the resiliency and equipment to continue operating in an emergency is speculative, inaccurate and reflects a lack of empathy about the challenges that these stations face,” MMTC wrote.

Resources like backup generators and fuel reserves do not guarantee that
any station will be able to stay on air, such as when a transmitter is
burned in a wildfire, the organization said.

The NAB also argued that listeners could be confused if they turn to a
station and hear programming in a foreign language; they might simply tune
away and lose trust in that station.

[Related: “Multilingual Emergency Broadcasting: A Moral Imperative for the Radio Industry”]

The MMTC disagreed. “Stations routinely broadcast weather or traffic ‘on the eights’ [so] there is limited cost to adding a bite-sized message in another language to such reports for non-English speakers, who need
emergency information just as much as English-speaking listeners,” it
wrote. “Including notifications that the information will be presented in English and Spanish would ensure that listeners are not confused when they
hear a message in a foreign language.”

The NAB also said such a requirement ignores the tradition of broadcasters working together to help a station in need restore operations during an emergency. NAB’s Kaplan wrote: “Instead of pursuing this unnecessary proposal, the FCC should support the efforts of [state broadcasting associations] and encourage potentially at-risk foreign-language stations
to better utilize their services, especially before disaster strikes.”

MMTC said the designated hitter system is an important step toward ensuring that every person in America receives life-saving information during an emergency.

“Just like any new endeavor, as broadcasters participate in the designated hitter system and publicize their emergency plans, listeners will become accustomed to hearing emergency alerts in multiple languages and
identifying trusted sources of information when their preferred station
goes down,” Branson wrote. “It will become a routine component of emergency responses.”

The post MMTC, NAB Square Off on Multilingual Alerting appeared first on
Radio World.


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Bobby Caldwell Named to NAB Radio Board

Posted: 14 Mar 2022 08:46 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/people-news/bobby-caldwell-named-to-nab-radio-board


Bobby Caldwell has been named to the NAB Radio Board.

Caldwell is owner and CEO of East Arkansas Broadcasters. He fills a seat previously held by his son Bradford Caldwell, who recently joined NAB as
vice president of member experience.
Bobby Caldwell (photo via NAB)

The Arkansas company owns 52 radio signals throughout the state, plus the
Red Wolves/EAB Radio Network and the EAB Ag Network.

“After spending time in various radio roles and graduating with a Radio–TV degree from Arkansas State University in 1970, Caldwell became vice
president and general manager of East Arkansas Broadcasters in 1973,” NAB wrote in its announcement.

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He is a past president of the Arkansas Broadcasters Association and former board chairman of NAB’s Small–Medium Market Radio Committee.

Son Bradford Caldwell, a third-generation broadcaster, was hired as NAB’s
VP of member experience in January, reporting to Executive Vice President
of Industry Affairs April Carty-Sipp. He had been CFO of the radio group
and also is a past chairman of the Arkansas Broadcasters Association.

Bobby Caldwell was appointed by Radio Board Chair Bill Wilson. His seat
will be up for election in June 2023.

The post Bobby Caldwell Named to NAB Radio Board appeared first on Radio
World.


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Ford Ennals Headed Down Under

Posted: 13 Mar 2022 08:12 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/people-news/ford-ennals-headed-down-under


Ford Ennals, who has overseen the growth of digital radio in the United
Kingdom over the past dozen years, has been named CEO of Commercial Radio Australia.

He succeeds Joan Warner who announced in September 2021 her intention to
step down as head of the body that represents Australia’s commercial broadcasters. Ennals is relocating from London to Sydney, New South Wales,
and will start as CRA CEO on April 4, 2022.

Ennals previously lead Digital Radio UK since its founding in 2010. Prior
to that,  headed the British digital television switchover body, Digital
UK. On Mar. 11, 2022, Ennals announced his resignation from Digital Radio
UK as part of its merger with Radioplayer.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

At Digital Radio UK, Ennals working with the BBC, Global, Bauer and Arqiva,
as well as with automotive and technical bodies, the British government,
and media regulator Ofcom to advance digital listening.

“Ford brings a unique combination of skills and experience to the role
having worked with major global brands with a deep understanding of
marketing and customers, and leading both the television and radio sectors
into the digital age in the U.K. with great success,” said CRA Chairman
Grant Blackley, CEO of Southern Cross Austereo. “He is an entrepreneurial change agent and leader in digital transformation, both of which will be valuable skills at CRA as the audio industry is well on its way to digital transformation.”

Blackley also thanked Warner for her tenure at CRA. “Her dynamic leadership over the past 21 years has been instrumental in the growth of commercial
radio in Australia,” he said.

Commenting on his new role, Ennals said, “Australia is one of the most advanced and dynamic radio and audio markets in the world and I am truly excited to be joining the Australian radio sector at what is an inflection point in its history.”

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Ford Ennals Headed Down Under appeared first on Radio World.


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NAB Show Preview: Wheatstone MP-532 Audio Processor

Posted: 13 Mar 2022 07:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/nab-show-preview-wheatstone-mp-532-audio-processor


Wheatstone will be at the NAB Show with a number of offerings, including
its MP-532 multi-purpose audio processor, which it highlights as a
significant change in processing.

According to the company, the MP-532 introduces new algorithms to produce
even deeper lows, detailed highs and a warm and present midrange.
A closer look at Wheatstones MP-532 multi-purpose audio processor (photo courtesy of Wheatstone)

The MP-532 is a multipurpose processor for FM, AM and HD Radio and includes RDS, multiplex power controller and WheatNet-IP audio network interface.

Version 2 of the software update is available free of charge to existing
MP-532 customers.

Also in the booth will be new accessories for its Audioarts brand of
consoles.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]
Audioarts TS-1 Talent Station (photo courtesy of Wheatstone)

The Audioarts TS-1 Talent Station is a studio-ready, low-profile countertop turret for quickly adding guest, news or producer positions to any studio.

Additionally, Audioarts HS-1 Headphone Station is a tiny headphone station
with wide dynamic range and ruler flat frequency response.

Wheatstone will be in the North Hall, Booth N2631.

The post NAB Show Preview: Wheatstone MP-532 Audio Processor appeared first
on Radio World.


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New Features Added to ATMOS Automated Weather Reporting

Posted: 11 Mar 2022 12:26 PM PST https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/new-features-added-to-atmos-automated-weather-reporting


Summit Technology Group’s latest version of ATMOS Automated Weather
Reporting adds approximately 300 new voices, including many multilingual speakers, to deliver weather reports for foreign-language stations. 

The update also features a new “phrase manager” to perfect the speaking style of the synthesized voice and a “temperature trend” tool that allows users to add to their script templates comparative statements about
temperature data.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

The phrase manager can be used to replace overly technical weather terms
with those suitable for broadcast. For example, instead of the term “broken clouds,” the user may prefer the term “partly cloudy.” Summit says this tool is also commonly being used for negative temperatures. Instead of
“minus 4 degrees” the user may prefer to hear 4 below.”
An updated version of ATMOS Automated Weather Reporting (photo via Summit Technology Group)

The temperature trends tool compares the magnitude and direction of a temperature swing and inserts a user-defined phrase to describe such a
trend. For example, for a large increase in temperatures between now and
next Friday, the product could say something like

“temperatures are increasing considerably by this weekend with a high in
the low 70s on Friday night.”

Summit said the new version contains dozens of smaller new features and improvements to the user experience as suggested by its user base.

The post New Features Added to ATMOS Automated Weather Reporting appeared
first on Radio World.

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