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Radio World

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32 Racks for All to See

Posted: 18 Mar 2022 02:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/32-racks-for-all-to-see


This photo provides a peek at the Technical Operations Center in the new broadcast facility of Audacy Miami.
A photo of the new Miami facilities courtesy of Audacy Miami

The new facility is approximately 30,000 square feet and houses 14 state-of-the-art studios serving seven radio stations, as well as a 12,000-square-foot live performance venue. Edward Huerta is Audacy Miami’s director of technical operations.

The TOC features 32 10-foot racks with floor-to-ceiling windows that
showcase the core to every visitor who walks in the lobby.

This image appears in the Radio World ebook “Spectacular Radio Studios,” which you can read at radioworld.com/ebooks.

[Check Out More of Radio World’s Ebooks Here]

The post 32 Racks for All to See appeared first on Radio World.


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Wheatstone Highlights GSX Surface

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/wheatstone-highlights-gsx-surface


Wheatstone says its GSX is the first fully reprogrammable AoIP console that addresses the broadcast workflows deeply affected by recent events.

The company unveiled it earlier but this will be the first NAB Show where attendees will get a chance to learn about it.

“This all-around console is capable of today’s full range of studio activity, from production one minute to on-air the next. Soft buttons and touchscreen control with tap-through menuing are why, Wheatstone said.

“Optional Remote GSX client software can be set up at home or elsewhere to mirror and remotely control the GSX physical console at the station studio.”

In addition to a more adaptable console surface, Wheatstone has integrated
more audio tools into the native AoIP environment. Blade 4 is Wheatstone’s fourth-generation WheatNet-IP I/O unit and includes audio processing,
codecs, mixing, routing and control. It has a built-in OS for running apps
and customized scripts for specialized software, metering apps and virtual interfaces.


Also included are Opus, MP3 and AAC codecs for streaming audio between the station studio and home studios. Blade 4 is AES67-compliant for interoperability with a range of AES67 networks and devices and supports
SMPTE ST 2110, including the NMOS discovery standard for AES67 and next-generation television networks.

Blade 4 and GSX are both part of the WheatNet-IP audio network — an IP
audio ecosystem of consoles, talent stations, I/O units, accessories,
virtual tools and appliances.

Wheatstone will be in NAB Booth N2631.

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

The post Wheatstone Highlights GSX Surface appeared first on Radio World.


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Henry Engineering Debuts Talent Pod II

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 12:11 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/henry-engineering-debuts-talent-pod-ii


Henry Engineering is now shipping an updated version of its popular Talent
Pod sports announcer’s console.

The Talent Pod II appears identical to the original version but includes
two significant improvements.

It now uses active electronic mic on/off switching for silent and reliable control of the announcer’s mic. Henry says there is no noise or “pops” when
turning the mic on or off, or when using the “cough” button to momentarily mute the mic. Additionally, mic audio switching is silent even when using powered condenser microphones.

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

The second enhancement is that the Mic output can now be at either Line or
Mic level.

“This allows Talent Pod II to be used with a codec that doesn’t have a professional Mic input, or to add an additional mic channel to an existing mixer,” Henry states. “The Mic output is balanced with ample headroom to prevent clipping or distortion. Mic gain is adjustable via a trimpot on the rear of the unit.”
Henry Engineerings Talent Pod II, shown with retractable desk stand.

Henry says these upgrades make Talent Pod II more versatile as a sports announcer’s mic and headphone controller, as well as a convenient mini-console for studio use.

A new retractable desk stand, shown in the photo above, can also be used
with Talent Pod II as well as Sports Pod. This design tilts the unit up for ease of use and folds flat for safe transport and storage.

The post Henry Engineering Debuts Talent Pod II appeared first on Radio
World.


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Rai Radio Director Proposes 2030 FM Shutdown for Italy

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:12 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/global/rai-radio-director-proposes-2030-fm-shutdown-for-italy


For Robert Sergio, director of Italian public-service broadcaster Rai
Radio, the cost of maintaining FM broadcasting is a reason to switch
entirely to digital radio.

Speaking with Italia Oggi, Sergio noted that the increasing energy costs
are causing the entire radio sector to reconsider how their signals are transmitted.

“If we give up the towers, the traditional transmission plants, we will
have crazy savings on the electricity bill,” he said. “We will use less energy; we will pollute less without all of those towers.”

[Related: “Digital Radio Tackles Green Challenge”]

For this reason, Sergio said “the time has come to push decisively for the shutdown of FM and the strengthening of DAB.” To this end, Sergio said, Rai Radio is proposing Italy begin switching off FM transmitters starting in
2025 with the goal of being all digital and shuttering FM broadcasting
entirely in 2030.

“I know very well, however, that many may see this as an attempt by Rai to strengthen itself,” he said, “because we are more structured on digital and DAB+ and a little less on traditional frequencies.”

In a separate interview with the Adnkronos news agency, Sergio said his proposal for shutting off FM in 2030 is “intended to be a proposal for an open, in-depth debate with commercial and non-commercial operators while remaining aware that the final decision will be taken at the political level.” He noted that the transition from analog to digital terrestrial television was handled in the same manner.

The post Rai Radio Director Proposes 2030 FM Shutdown for Italy appeared
first on Radio World.


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RFE/RL Opens Offices in Latvia and Lithuania

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 07:21 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/global/rfe-rl-opens-offices-in-latvia-and-lithuania


Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has opened news bureaus in Latvia and
Lithuania after suspending its operations in Russia March 6.

“These offices will house teams from RFE/RL’s Russia and Belarus services and the 24/7 Current Time global digital and TV network, and also provide a base for new investigative journalism projects and digital innovation
hubs,” the organization announced.

The offices are in Rīga, Latvia, and Vilnius, Lithuania.

RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said in the announcement, “These new bureaus
will allow RFE/RL to continue to engage with our audiences in Russia and Belarus, despite those government’s best efforts to silence independent journalism.”
An image from the Twitter feed of the RFE/RL Russian Service shows a scene
of violence in Ukraine.

Fly thanked the the Latvian and Lithuanian governments for their support.

The organization said that in Rīga, it plans a “multimedia hub” that will host Russian Service and Current Time staff displaced from Russia.

“The Latvian capital will also house a new, Russian-language investigative journalism unit and a digital innovation hub designed to counter
disinformation and develop strategies to circumvent online censorship
across delivery platforms.”

[Related: “Russia Continues Campaign to Silence Media, RFE/RL Says”]

The Vilnius news bureau, it said, will primarily host displaced Belarus
Service journalists and a reporting team being set up by Current Time to
serve the needs of the network’s Russian-speaking audiences in Belarus.

RFE/RL also said it has seen audience interest that “demonstrates the appetite within Russia and Belarus for a credible, uncensored alternative
to Kremlin media about the full scope of the conflict.”

It said that from February 24 to March 16, the number of views of RFE/RL
videos on YouTube from Russia tripled to nearly 238 million, while the
number of visits, page views and unique visitors to its three websites from Russia rose by 34 to 53 percent. The organization said interest has also
soared from viewers and website visitors from Belarus.

The post RFE/RL Opens Offices in Latvia and Lithuania appeared first on
Radio World.


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KSLs Worsley Shares Podcasting Insights

Posted: 17 Mar 2022 02:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/show-news/nab-show/ksls-worsley-shares-podcasting-insights


Podcasting is now a crucial part of the business plan for many big media companies, but what about smaller ones?

“It can be daunting to dive into podcasting if a station doesn’t have extra resources in producers or talent,” said Sheryl Worsley, vice president of podcasting for Bonneville International, KSL Podcasts.

“I would suggest managers in this position start small and use on-air hosts and producers who are hopefully motivated and energized about doing
something only on digital. Ask your talk hosts to do a podcast segment and
use their on-air show to push to the ‘extra’ interview and grow the podcast audience.

“If your station has a newsroom, is there a topic you can expand on in a weekly podcast? You might be able to use more of the interviews you are
already recording on that topic for daily newscasts and present as a
podcast with much more depth than your format has time for on-air. It will still require production and some writing, but it is a good start in using staff you already have.”
Sheryl Worsley, center, works with Producer Keira Farrimond and “COLD” host Dave reviewing maps relevant to the Susan Powell case.

At the NAB Show, Worsley will co-host the session “A Local TV and Radio Station Guide to Podcasting Success” on Monday April 25.

She encourages companies starting out to hire people who are passionate
about it, and then stick with it over long periods of sustained effort. She said KSL started small in six or seven years ago, mostly time-shifting some
of its shows.

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

“In 2016 we started looking at the cold case disappearance of a woman named Susan Powell and the vast amounts of case files already released by
police,” Worsley said.

“It became clear as radio news reporter/producer Dave Cawley found new information while digging in the materials that we’d need to do some extra reporting. We started to carve out extra time away from his producing
duties for the next year. We eventually concluded the best way to tell the story was going to be in a long-form narrative podcast, and that Dave
needed to work it as his sole responsibility in order to make meaningful headway.”

It took another year of full-time effort to complete the investigation. The show launched in late 2018 and has garnered more than 58 million downloads
in two seasons.

At the conclusion of Season 1, KSL presented a live event, which nearly
sold out. Now it has expanded the team and will be announcing more
narrative podcasts. It currently produces or distributes 27 digital
originals, including several from partners outside our organization.

“Both podcasts and radio shows are intimate and can drive a strong loyalty and listenership,” Worsley said. “In my experience, a loyal podcasting audience drives more passion in both listening and in response to
advertising and the research backs that up. However, that motivated podcast audience is more commonly small compared to the massive, if less passionate audience radio has enjoyed over the years.”

She said it’s good that spoken word listening is up so strongly, especially among younger people. Most of that is due to podcasts though, and she
expects radio’s traditional dominance to erode dramatically as time passes.

“Radio stations need to amplify their podcast game well beyond making
on-air shows available for consumption by download or streaming later. It’s absolutely necessary to expand what you are doing beyond terrestrial to
ensure a station has robust listening in the future, whether that be over
the airwaves or in downloads or streaming. The upside? Whether terrestrial
or in a podcast, those are ALL your listeners.”

The post KSL’s Worsley Shares Podcasting Insights appeared first on Radio World.

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