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Retired broadcast engineer John Warner died Friday at age 73.

The cause of death was not announced. His daughter told Radio World that it was not related to COVID.

Warner was known widely as an expert in AM radio engineering. In 2010, when he was vice president of engineering for Clear Channel Communications, Radio World wrote: “When it comes to AM radio stations in the United States, perhaps no engineer has quite the number of sites to worry about as does John Warner.” Clear Channel’s AM properties typically numbered 250 to 300 at that time.

He later held the title of vice president of AM transmission for the company, which had been renamed iHeartMedia.

Jeff Littlejohn, executive vice president, engineering and systems for iHeartMedia Technology Operations, said this weekend, “He was truly respected for his knowledge of AM, not only from the iHeart engineering staff, but also from the consulting engineering community at large. I never saw a problem that John could not beat. John loved to teach others about his craft, so any engineer that was eager to learn would have John as a willing teacher.”

Early start

Warner became interested in radio as early as age 8 or 9, he told Radio World’s Michael LeClair in 2010.

“I owned a crystal set when I was young. My father was interested in radios, and I built a small radio as a scouting project. My mother actually taught me to solder. During World War II, she worked at Bendix Radio in Baltimore, which manufactured aircraft and tank radios for the war.”

Warner lived on a farm as a child and became interested in antennas so that he could pick up different kinds of radio signals.

“I used to listen to all the European broadcasters via shortwave, and I experimented with long-wire and curtain array antennas. My father encouraged my interest in radio, and for one of my birthdays he gave me a telephone pole, which he then helped me to put in the ground to use as a tower that I could use to make experiments.”

He attended the University of Maryland for two years in 1966 and 1967 and studied defense electronics and electrical engineering. He did not obtain a formal degree because his family did not have enough money to let him complete college, but he later went back to school and took further engineering courses at Johns Hopkins.

His first job in radio was at station WBAL in Baltimore in 1979, a a 50 kW clear-channel AM station on 1090 kHz with a high-power directional array.
Warner credited veteran engineer Harrison Brooks, who had just retired at that time, with teaching him a lot of the history of WBAL and about broadcasting in the Baltimore area.

He also credited Ron Rackley, whom he met in 1986, with influencing his career. “We were installing a new Continental 317C at WBAL, and to improve the stability of the array, we also replaced the sample system at the same time and did a full proof. Ron and I struck up an immediate friendship while working on that project and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.”

John Warner with tower-based matching and filtering equipment for a five-tower triplexed DA in Boston designed by Ron Rackley. Courtesy Tom King

Rackley gave Warner his first copy of the MiniNEC code, used to model the behavior of antennas. “In those days it ran on an 8086 class computer, and it would take hours to do a tower model. I remember that you could start a model in the morning and let the computer run all day while working, and come back to find that it had just finished around 5 p.m.,” he told Radio World in that 2020 article.

Warner came to Clear Channel when Jacor was acquired in 1999. Among his duties, he was responsible for overseeing the design and construction of new AM facilities and the maintenance and refurbishing of existing AM stations.

During his career, among other activities, Warner spoke at the NAB Show’s AM Boot Camp and was a member of the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers.

“He thoroughly enjoyed his work and it gave him great purpose in life,” daughter Jenn told RW Sunday. “He loved imparting his wisdom and experience with others and formed friendships with others in the business through collaboration.”

He also enjoyed traveling, photography, gardening, amateur radio and spending time with his grandchildren.

According to his obituary, his wife Lynne Hartwell Warner passed away in 2013.

Funeral services and interment are private.

[Read Radio World’s 2010 profile of John Warner.]

The post John Warner Dies, Was Respected AM Engineer appeared first on Radio World.

GeoBroadcast Solutions is again firing back at iHeartMedia for opposing its request that FM broadcasters be allowed to geo-target content.

The FCC has a rulemaking proceeding on the idea, as we’ve reported; iHeartMedia in a series of filings has voiced concern based on what it calls unresolved technical questions and the risk of splintering the local advertising market.

GBS says its technology, which it brands as ZoneCasting, gives FM broadcasters an advantage by allowing them to air content intended for specific coverage areas for limited periods of time. It uses FM boosters to allow for hyperlocal advertising and content independent of the signals of its primary station within different portions of the primary’s protected service contour.

GBS has compared its technology to iHeartMedia’s AdBuilder website feature, saying that the latter essentially mirrors ZoneCasting in that it allows advertisers to select communities on a map to target their ads.

iHeartMedia argued back that the comparison is inapt.

“In fact, the AdBuilder interface simply allows potential advertisers, including small and medium businesses, to produce and purchase spots to air strategically over iHeartMedia radio stations’ full broadcast service areas and is nothing like FM booster ZoneCasting,” iHeart said in its February 2022 filing.

iHeart continued: “Nevertheless, to support its strawman contention that iHeartMedia is seeking to reinforce and protect its AdBuilder offering, GBS fundamentally mischaracterizes AdBuilder as being essentially equivalent to ZoneCasting.”

The company noted that the NAB has expressed concern about possible undermining of the broadcast industry’s business model if advertisers could select desired target areas of a station’s broadcast signal, thus creating the ability to geo-target affluent “Gold Coast” areas of a station’s service area.

“The lack of comprehensive testing by GBS in a multitude of settings, endorsement by a government agency of a single vendor’s exclusive and proprietary technology, potential for redlining by advertisers, costs to implement and the disruption to net advertising revenues necessary for broadcasters to serve the listening public,” the media company argues.

[Related: “Large Groups Raise a Caution Flag on Geo-Targeting”]

GBS, in a letter last week to the FCC, replies that its fundamental point when comparing ZoneCasting to AdBuilder is that a prominent feature of the technologies is the same: “to enable advertisers to reach intended audience both contextually and geographically.”

The technology company disputes iHeart’s claim that ZoneCasting could burden broadcasters economically.

“That is baseless. The proposed rule would permit the use of geo-targeting technology on a voluntary basis, so it imposes costs on no one,” GBS told the FCC. “If iHeart or any other broadcaster does not want to invest in the future, then they need not. For those broadcasters who choose to adopt this technology, there are options to finance any costs.”

[GBS commentary: “ZoneCasting Will Level the Playing Field for Radio”]

GBS says iHeart’s argument that ZoneCasting could cause harmful interference is based on year-old NAB comments that did not include a technical investigation. “More problematically, iHeart’s Feb. 8, 2022, filing ignores technical demonstrations and analysis of geo-targeting submitted to the commission five months ago that provided robust evidence that geo-targeting using boosters enhances the listener experience, works well with the existing emergency alert system, and causes no interference to any other broadcaster,” GBS wrote.

GBS has said that any resulting co-channel interference or self-interference would be manageable and not detrimental to listeners.

The company goes on to say numerous supporters including stakeholders representing minority-owned broadcasters and civil rights advocates have praised the opportunity to lower the barrier to entry for small businesses seeking to advertise on radio and promote the growth of stations that benefit.

“The proposed rule change advances the public interest by also enabling broadcasters to deliver geo-targeted news, traffic, weather and other vital content to their community. That is the epitome of localism, and the commission should embrace that goal to put radio on par with all other media,” GBS concludes.

The GBS letter, prepared by Covington & Burling LLP, included the graphic below indicating terrestrial radio is the only major broadcast platform lacking the ability to geo-target content.

The post iHeartMedia, GBS Spar Again Over Geo-Targeting appeared first on Radio World.

For African Americans, content is the common language.

According to Nielsen, the U.S. Black population spends more time with media than any other group, with content engagement that consistently drives breakout hits and trending topics alike. Increasingly, Black consumers are taking control of both the economic and media influence they wield and using it to invest in Black experiences, Black communities and Black content.

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Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on products for radio remotes and sports.

Kevin Leach is on location in the Yorkshire Pennines in Northern England, using a USB SIP Codec and Mediaport Sonja router.

In:Quality, a U.K.-based company that specializes in remote broadcast products and services, recently introduced the USB SIP Codec. Kevin Leach is founding director.

Radio World: What are the advantages of a SIP codec over other platforms?

Kevin Leach: The beauty of SIP is compatibility, now that so many devices support both SIP and the Opus audio format.

The person making a call from one compatible device doesn’t need to know anything about the equipment at the other end. They just dial its SIP address, and the call parameters are negotiated automatically.

RW: Can you give examples how your clients are using it creatively?

Leach: Sure. The touchscreen version of our USB SIP Codec has been extremely popular in parts of the BBC, and for Radio France. Both had to respond quickly to the first COVID lockdowns and were able to deploy our devices to their hosts and pundits, to allow them to connect to the studios from home.

The low cost and immediate availability of our devices allowed both broadcasters to purchase in bulk and at short notice. Meanwhile, the simplicity of the setup and on-screen controls allowed the hosts to install the codecs, without the help of an engineer.

RW: Are there misconceptions you’d like to dispel about the product or SIP in general?

Leach: I think some radio producers are still skeptical about SIP, and IP in general, because they have had bad experiences in the early days, especially when using bad WiFi or 3G connections.

Consumer broadband has become much more robust in recent years, especially when WiFi is eliminated. For that reason, our devices do not support WiFi, and instead are hard-wired to the router using Ethernet.

Because SIP is a telephony standard, many users are also surprised at just how clean the audio sounds with Opus, and how stable the calls are with our codecs, despite the lack of a delay.

RW: What else should we know?

Leach: Since the success of the USB SIP Codec, we’ve released a version that has built-in analog XLR connectors. These units are really versatile when hooked up to an analog board in a studio. You can send a link to guests who can connect in from a web browser, and you can even make and receive phone calls, if you subscribe to the extra functionality.

So in total our SIP codecs come in four flavors: USB SIP Codec Zero, a small device with no screen; USB SIP Codec Touch, with a 7-inch screen for use with USB mics; and the XLR versions of Zero and Touch. Separately, our ipDTL works similarly but runs in a web browser on a computer, while hybrIP is a version of ipDTL designed for talk show calls.

Info: https://inquality.com/contact-us/

The post SIP codecs exploit compatibility appeared first on Radio World.

PreSonus has introduced its new Revelator Dynamic USB vocal microphone and Revelator io44 audio interface.

The Revelator Dynamic uses the same custom-built, dynamic microphone capsule as the PD-70 broadcast microphone, and also offers presets intended to aid recording, live streaming, and podcasting.

Meanwhile, the Revelator io44 is a compact, four-in/two-out audio  interface that is bus-powered via aUSB-C compatible jack. The unit is intended for mobile recording as well streaming, and features a combo mic/instrument input with a XMAX-L mic preamp, as well as a ⅛-inch line-level stereo input for DJ mixers and mobile devices. A ⅛-inch stereo headphone output works with regular headphones and TRRS gaming headsets (mic in, stereo out). Balanced ¼-inch stereo main outputs are provided to connect to professional studio monitors.

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

Revelator-series USB microphones and audio interfaces provide onboard signal processing, with the same Fat Channel EQ, compressor, gate, and limiter algorithms found in PreSonus’ StudioLive Series III mixers, plus reverb and voice effects like delay, vocoder, and more. Additional presets emulate concert halls, AM radio, robotic voices, and more. PreSonus’ UC Surface software for macOS and Windows provides access to the processor settings, allowing users to create their own unique sound and save them as presets for instant access.

Each Revelator comes with PreSonus’ Studio One Artist production and recording software for macOS and Windows. The Studio Magic software suite is also included with various effects, instruments, sounds and more. The Revelator Dynamic USB microphone also includes an extendable desktop mic stand.

The Dynamic USB microphone and io44 USB audio interface are available immediately at street prices of $199.95 and $179.95, respectively.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post PreSonus Introduces New USB Mic, Audio Interface appeared first on Radio World.

International Datacasting Corp. said it was picked by LinkUp Communications Corp. to provide a migration path for radio networks that use legacy ABR satellite receivers originally made by ComStream, Radyne, Comtech and IDC.

“While these units enjoyed widespread industry acceptance and ran reliably for over 30 years, they reached end-of-support several years ago,” IDC said in an announcement.

It said LinkUp is providing a replacement technology package based on the IDC MAP system, as well as installation and configuration services.

MAP Pro Audio Receiver Front and Rear Panels

The distribution package features the MAP line of audio products made by IDC. It said its systems offer “a simple, flexible and cost-effective upgrade path.”

IDC is owned by Novra Technologies Inc. The announcement was made by Gary Carter, VP business development and products for Novra Group/IDC, and Mark Johnson, president of LinkUp Communications.

“For networks looking for a turnkey service to streamline and outsource their uplink operations, LinkUp offers a hosted service based on the IDC MAP system from their newly acquired teleport in Denver,” IDC noted.

Submit business announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post LinkUp Chooses IDC MAP System appeared first on Radio World.

Russia’s State Television and Radio Broadcasting Co. (VGTRK), Channel One and the Ostankino radio house have pulled out of the European Broadcasting Union effective today, Feb. 26.

The move comes after the EBU Executive Board’s decision on Feb. 25 to bar Russian acts from participating in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. That decision was in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

According to the EBU’s statement, “The decision reflects concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute.”

The recommendation to bar Russia from Eurovision came from the EBU’s Reference Group and was supported by its Television Committee.

[See Our Global News Page]

According to a report from the Russian news service TASS, the broadcasters said their exit from the EBU was “a response measure” to what “we view as an improper political sacrifice at the music forum which has always emphasized its non-political status.”

The EBU emphasized that it “consulted widely” among its membership before making the decision, and reaffirmed its apolitical goal of upholding the values of public-service broadcasting.

“We remain dedicated to protecting the values of a cultural competition which promotes international exchange and understanding, brings audiences together, celebrates diversity through music and unites Europe on one stage,” the EBU stated.

Eurovision 2022 is scheduled for May 10–14 in Turin, Italy.

VGTRK joined the EBU in 1993, followed by Channel One in 1995 and Ostankino in 1996. Russia first participated in Eurovision in 1994. In 2008, the Russian entry, “Believe” by Dima Bilan, won the contest.

The post Russian Broadcasters Leave EBU appeared first on Radio World.

Global named Ryan Ladisa as its VP of sales for Canada for its digital advertising platform DAX.

He comes over from Media.Monks, where he was SVP of growth for North America.

“A veteran in the Canadian advertising and technology business, Ladisa brings over 20 years of experience across outdoor, television, programmatic and technology,” Global wrote in the announcement.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

DAX is a digital audio advertising exchange “connecting brands with audiences at scale across music, radio and podcasts.” Global launched it in the United States in 2018. Publisher brands on the platform include TuneIn, LiveXLive, AccuRadio and Beasley.

Global, headquartered in London, is a media and entertainment group and describes itself as Europe’s largest radio company; it also has a large outdoor advertising business in the U.K. and Europe.

Send your people news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Global Names Ladisa to DAX Sales Post appeared first on Radio World.

A recent Radio World ebook explores the world of streaming for radio. In this excerpt David Bialik lays out some commonly heard terms.

The following may help you navigate the language around streaming. It is not intended to be comprehensive but to give you a head start in this growing medium with new technology emerging daily.

• AAC — Audio Coding, an audio coding format for lossy digital audio compression. Usually preferred Advanced over MP3, it promises comparable or better quality at lower bitrates. AAC has been standardized by ISO and IEC as part of the MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 specifications.
• Ad Delivery Network — An on-demand file serving network that can deliver commercial content for the streamer.
• Ad Replacement — When ads broadcast over the air are replaced with different content on the stream.
• AES TD1004 — The Audio Engineering Society’s Recommendation for Loudness of Audio Streaming and Network File Playback. These recommendations primarily are intended for “radio-like” mono and stereo streams.
• Bitrate — Bitrate = Sample rate X bits per sample used to encode the music. The number of bits per sample also depends on the number of audio channels.
• CDN — Content Delivery Network, a scalable distributer of streams.
• Client-Side Ad Insertion (CSAI) — Advertising that only happens within the website or app streaming your content. Banners, video pre-rolls, other items specific to a player or page.
• CMAF — A container format (see below).
• Codec — Digital audio compression algorithm used.
• Container Format — Otherwise known as a wrapper, this may contain the audio and video plus all the associated metadata (i,e. MP4, CMAF). The container carries the payload (audio, video, or data files).
• Cuepoint — A marker residing in the metadata, triggering a new action.
• Decoder — A component that is part of the player, used to reassemble the content.
• Direct Ad Insertion (DAI) — Personalized ad replacement that is unique to the listener. This can be based on listener location, browsing preferences, etc.
• Encoder — The system used to take the content and send it to the stream, usually by compressing your linear audio into an MP3 or AAC stream.

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

• Encoding Format — The method of converting to a digital format (i.e., AAC, MP3)
• FLAC — Free Lossless Audio Codec, a compressed audio format with no loss of quality.
• FLV — Flash Video Format, a container file format used to deliver digital video content over the internet via Adobe Flash Player.
• HE-AAC / HE-AAC v2 / AAC+ — “High-Efficiency AAC,” a lossy audio codec for low bit rate streaming, expanding on the quality vs. size gains made by standard AAC.
• HLS — HTML Live Streaming, a high-quality transport format used by Apple.
• Icecast — A streaming media project released as free software, maintained by the Xiph.org Foundation.
• ID3 or ID3 tag — A metadata format that stores information (Title, Artist, etc.). This may be called the data container.
• Injected content — Content from another source, usually replacing other content.
• Interstitial — One or more recorded elements used in stream production (i.e., bumpers, jingles, promos, etc.)
• LKFS — “Loudness, K-weighted, relative to full scale.” A standard loudness measurement. Sometimes referred as LUFS.
• Lossless Streams — A high-bitrate non-compressed stream.
• Lossy Streams — Digitally compressed sampled streams (i.e., MP3/AAC).
• LUFS — “Loudness units relative to full scale,” synonymous with LKFS.
• Metadata — The data stream that accompanies the media content. This can hold the “Now Playing” information, commercial cues, time code or any other information needed to play the stream.
• MP3 — An audio coding format for lossy digital audio compression developed by Fraunhofer and Bell Labs. This supports very low bit rates.
• MP4 — One of the earliest digital video file formats. Can be used for high-quality video or audio while maintaining relatively small file sizes.
• MPEG-DASH — Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, an adaptive bitrate streaming technique that allows for high quality of content. This is comparable to HLS.
• Now Playing Information — “What the stream is playing” can be displayed, usually sent by metadata.
• Ogg — A container format.
• Ogg Vorbis — An audio coding format with lossy audio compression.
• Player — The program used on the audience side to play the content; it could be an app.
• Podcast — A digital audio file that can be downloaded to a personal device and/or player.
• RTMP — Real Time Messaging Protocol, a TCP-based protocol that maintains persistent connections and also allows communication with low latency. This allows for a stream to be delivered correctly.
• Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) — Advertising added to audio as it is streamed or delivered, rather than from the studio playout. Ads become part of the audio itself.
• Shoutcast — A software application that allows anyone to stream audio over the internet.
• Total Line Reporting — When the stream and over-the-air product are the same and no segments are substituted.
• Transport Format — How the stream is delivered (e.g. HLS, Icecast, rtmp)
• xHE-AAC — A lossy audio codec for low bit rate streaming. It also is used by Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).

David Bialik is a consultant; co-chair of the AES Technical Committee for Broadcast and Online Delivery; and chair of the Metadata Usage Working Group at the NRSC. He is former director of stream operations for CBS Radio and Entercom.

The post A Simple Streaming Glossary appeared first on Radio World.

Issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $1,500 to La Casa de La Raza for failure to timely file a license renewal application for Station KZAA-LP, Santa Barbara, California

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The parent company of the group of television stations that includes WDIV-4 in Detroit and WKMG-6 in Chicago has released its fourth quarter 2021 earnings report.

How did this diversified company’s television broadcasting arm, led by soon-to-retire President/CEO Emily Barr, perform in Q4?

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On December 22, 2020, Cumulus Media closed a transaction that saw the sale of five radio brands serving the Albany, Ga., market to First Media Services for $450,000.

Now, 7.11% of the funds Cumulus earned from that deal, consummated in April 2020, could be heading to the FCC as a financial penalty for apparent violations of the Commission’s EEO rules.

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A veteran multiplatform media strategist and executive at Paramount’s CBS Stations division has been appointed Sr. VP of Streaming, reporting to division President Jennifer Mitchell.

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It’s known for six radio brands, a health and fitness directory, and a classifieds website serving Northeastern Nevada from the city of Elko.

Now, Ken Sutherland‘s Ruby Radio Corporation is preparing to part ways with the radio assets, according to the broker of record in this pending transaction.

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The 2022 Toyota Corolla

Toyota will include HD Radio as a standard feature in its next-generation infotainment system in the U.S., which means nearly all new Toyota cars in the country will have an HD Radio in future.

Xperi announced the development this past week while releasing its financial results for the fourth quarter and past year.

“Toyota has been a valued customer for some time, although the extent of their prior implementation was in mid-line and upper-end vehicles,” said CEO Jon Kirchner during an investor call.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

“I think this represents a decision recognizing the importance of HD Radio in the broader infotainment suite. It’s representative of the continued progress we make with the HD Radio ecosystem in North America, and it lays a foundation as well for follow-on next-generation entertainment features, which ties in with what we’re doing with DTS AutoStage.”

On that front, Xperi said 16 car companies are testing its DTS AutoStage technology in Europe, North America and Asia. “Multiple partners, including two major OEMs, are in advanced stages of testing.”

Radio people know Xperi largely as the parent of HD Radio and DTS AutoStage, but it has numerous other businesses including IP licensing, pay TV, consumer electronics, driver monitoring and TiVo.

Overall, Kirchner said the recent quarter was “solid” and that the company “continued to successfully deliver against the key strategic objectives we set following our merger with TiVo nearly two years ago.”

Revenue in the quarter was $214.4 million, compared to $433.9 million for the period in 2020, which included prior revenue from Xperi’s Comcast agreement. Xperi said quarterly revenue without that earlier adjustment was up 2% in Q4. The company posted a loss per share of 14 cents using GAAP calculations and earnings per share of 30 cents using non-GAAP.

For the year 2021 Xperi reported revenue of $877.7 million, down from $892 million the year before. It reported a GAAP loss per share of 53 cents and a non-GAAP earnings per share of $2.03. It said it had “returned over $100 million to stockholders through dividends and share repurchases” in 2021.

The post Toyota to Make HD Radio Standard in U.S. appeared first on Radio World.