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Radio World

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Colleagues Mourn Bill OShaughnessy

Posted: 30 May 2022 12:24 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/colleagues-mourn-bill-oshaughnessy


Longtime local New York broadcaster and raconteur William O’Shaughnessy has died at age 84.

O’Shaughnessy was a fixture in Westchester County for six decades as the president and CEO of Whitney Media, the parent company of WVOX(AM) in New Rochelle, just outside of New York City, where his on-air editorials were a familiar feature.

He was the general manager of WVOX starting in 1965, and in 1968 he
acquired the station, “building it into what it is today, Westchester’s Soap Box, the last great community station in the nation,” according to its website.

He also owned an FM station, WVIP, which plays Caribbean music.

O’Shaughnessy was a former president of the New York State Broadcasters Association, which this weekend described him as “legendary” and “a man of
influence.”

David Donovan, president of the association, said in a statement, “Bill set the gold standard for local broadcasting in New York with his many
editorials and commentaries. Throughout his life WVOX and WVIP remained
true to their mission, serving the local community. … He was the epitome of
a local broadcaster and will be missed.”

He was a vocal supporter of the First Amendment, a chairman of the Guardian Fund of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, former chairman of public affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters and chairman of the
first NAB National Radio Conference.

He was also an inveterate networker with a huge smile and distinctive shock
of white hair who loved to invite friends and colleagues to dinner at Le
Cirque restaurant. O’Shaughnessy was well connected with numerous local and national politicians across the political spectrum but was particularly
close with former N.Y. Governor Mario Cuomo, whom he quoted and interviewed often.

When Cuomo died in 2015, O’Shaughnessy wrote on Facebook: “My mind drifts back many years to the day New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo came by
WVOX for an interview. I’m afraid I kept him waiting for about 20 minutes (something he always kidded me about and never let me forget). During that interview he looked across the microphone and, to make a point, said,
‘Look even a Republican who doesn’t wear socks should be able to understand this.’”
Mario Cuomo jokes with Bill OShaughnessy about the latters lack of socks

A recipient of public service, editorial and media awards and a popular
public speaker, O’Shaughnessy wrote six books based on his on-air commentaries, including “AirWAVES,” “It All Comes Back to Me Now” and “More
Riffs, Rants and Raves.”

The Yonkers Times quoted Westchester County Executive George Latimer
saying, “[H]e was the chronicler and compadre of the famous in this county. He knew them all, interviewed them all. He waxed poetically about them all.
He reported on their comings and goings, and especially their final
departures. He knew, perhaps alone, the impacts they had on his home heath.
And now, he is with those he knew so well from Hughie Doyle to Alfred
Benedict DelBello, hoisting a beverage in remembrance of a Westchester now gone, but not yet forgotten.”

In the same article, Dan Murphy, editor in chief of Rising Media Group,
wrote, “He was the only person I knew that loved and admired Mario Cuomo
and Andrew Cuomo [yet who] later in his life was 100% in support of
President Donald Trump.”

The New York State Broadcasters Association said O’Shaughnessy’s wishes were that contributions be made to The William O’Shaughnessy Memorial
Tribute Fund, c/o Broadcasters Foundation of America, 125 West 55th Street,
New York, NY 10019.

O’Shaughnessy never stopped speaking proudly of his radio stations and
their role in the community. The photo at the bottom of this article is
taken from the station website and also appeared on  O’Shaughnessy’s Facebook page. He captioned it,  “The New York metro areas last great independent stations at night!”

[Read a selection of William O’Shaughnessy’s commentaries.]




The post Colleagues Mourn Bill O’Shaughnessy appeared first on Radio World.


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Urban One Invests in Studio Space

Posted: 30 May 2022 05:52 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/urban-one-invests-in-studio-space



A version of this story appeared in the Radio World ebook “Spectacular
Radio Studios.”

A new studio is serving Urban One’s office in Atlanta.

The company’s Radio One and Reach Media arms have operations there, and
this studio will be used by Atlanta-based members of “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show,” which has its main studio in Dallas. The room will also
serve as the main origination studio for “The Willie Moore Jr. Show” and “The Nightly Spirit.”

“This was a single-studio buildout, but not a small project,” said Radio One Atlanta’s Chief Engineer Vic Jester, who was network lead on the
project. Physical construction and design were done by Warren-Hanks Construction and McAfee3 Architects. Integration was principally by Bohn Broadcast Services, which sent Paul Burt and Micah Dempsey as on-site
engineers for the job.

“We utilized space that had been a temporary production studio and adjacent show prep area. We completely removed all existing partition walls, floor
and ceilings,” Jester said.

“We then constructed new double-stud interior walls with double drywall layers on both sides, a new outer sound isolation wall inside the existing building’s exterior wall, and a new hard ceiling, spring-suspended from the overhead, for isolation from the floor above.”

The team then installed sound absorption insulation fabric to the interior
wall surfaces to match Urban One’s existing suite of studios. “We’re on the
12th floor of a downtown high-rise building, so excellent sound isolation
is required from street noise and adjacent tenants.”

[Related: “WABC Lobby Offers a Nod to History”]

One transition in evidence here is the move to audio over IP.

“Our facilities were constructed when AoIP was on the horizon but not yet a viable option. Our core router and studio worksurfaces are all TDM-based.
We are in the processing of transitioning to WheatNet IP-based audio
routing but are not quite at the point where we can completely move to
that.”

So they chose to repurpose a Wheatstone G-4 digital work surface and
satellite frame inherited from the purchase of a station and integrated it
into the existing router system.

“It’s a testament to Wheatstone that they are still able and willing to support 16-year-old infrastructure in this respect. The new studio isn’t completely TDM-based, as we do have WheatNet IP-based Blades in the studio
for microphone processing and control functions.”

Key elements also included WideOrbit Automation for Radio, and VoxPro and
Adobe Audition for audio editing. The team repurposed its EV RE30
microphones, Stanton dual CD deck and Mackie HR824mk2 powered monitor
speakers. They purchased new Yellowtec monitor and mic arms as well as a
new Wheatnet M4 Mic processor.

Custom cabinetry was by Studio Technologies, whose owner Vince Fiola drove
to Atlanta from Philadelphia to deliver.

Jester said the project includes installation of studio lighting and
cameras to provide video for the web division. “My former Assistant CE
Jason Staten, who now works as an independent movie lighting technician,
has been the lead designer of that component.”

Jester noted that many radio broadcasters are in a time of transition in
how they manage such projects.

“Some companies are considering how to scale back on office space. Some are in the process of downsizing every part of their operations. In this case
Urban One is investing in studio space and creating an environment to allow network operations to expand. It provides a space where air talent and producers can collaborate in person, thus offering a better product to affiliates. Reach Media Radio Division CEO David Kantor, Atlanta VP/GM Tim Davies and VP of Engineering John Soller were willing to invest in the infrastructure here, particularly when many other companies are reducing or eliminating their ability to produce content.”

The post Urban One Invests in Studio Space appeared first on Radio World.

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