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Media Bureau proposes the allotment of Channel 238A at Edgefield, South Carolina

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Ed Asner

The annual HEAR Now audio festival is happening now and runs through the weekend. Its organizers are conducting the festival as an online event this year, and they have snagged Ed Asner as a headliner.

“In an effort to overwhelm the creative stifling associated with coast-to-coast stay-at-home orders, ‘HEAR Now Online’ will include audio arts luminaries teaching face-to-face audio storytelling, audiobook narration and audio production workshops while spotlighting and awarding accolades on some of the best audio storytelling performers in the audio arts industry,” they stated in an announcement.

Asner will be the guest on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Central time) for a live video session called “Ask Ed,” in which he’ll answer questions submitted by attendees earlier. In addition to his well-known television work, Asner has done voice work on “a plethora of audio plays, animated series and feature animated films.”

The organizers at the National Audio Theatre Festivals call the annual event “the audio equivalent of a film festival for contemporary audio storytelling in all its forms: live and scripted solo performances; multi-voiced, classic radio drama; experimental narrative; and much more.” It is normally held in theaters and other listening venues in Kansas City.

Also on the agenda: Celebrating Mark Twain features the life and words of the great author brought to life by voiceover artists). Podcast Palooza features the premiere of “Debs in Canton” starring Phil Proctor as Eugene V. Debs. And “Annihilators Of Distance” is a re-streaming of the audio play about Nicolai Tesla and Mark Twain that originally aired during last fall’s AES show.

Many of the online events are free; some with limited access involve a nominal fee. Info is at hearnowfestival.org.

The post Ed Asner Is Featured in Online HEAR Now Festival appeared first on Radio World.

Paul Rotella is doubling down: He wants the FCC not only to suspend any increases in broadcast fees but to permanently restructure and reduce them.

He is president and CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, one of the organizations filing comments about this issue with the Federal Communications Commission.

[Read: FCC Proposes Regulatory Fees for 2020 Amid Uncertain Media Marketplace]

He and other broadcasters have been vocal that a hike in fees for broadcasters is not warranted, especially in the days of coronavirus; and as we reported earlier, Rotella had written to Chairman Ajit Pai recently asking the commission to hold off raising fees for radio and TV. But now, he writes: “Upon further reflection, restructuring and reduction in regulatory fees for broadcasters is warranted.”

For one thing, he said, “It is well known that the FCC’s attention and workload is now consumed with 5G wireless including C-Band, CBRS, Ligado and the various other spectrum-parceling efforts, and it is those 5G activities that should bear the brunt of FCC regulatory fees.”

He also argues that many concerns about fees that were raised last year by broadcasters have not even been addressed by the commission. “Broadcasters deserve some explanation of those points before any consideration is given to the exponential increase in regulatory fees.”

[Read: FCC Rule Suspensions Could Help Broadcasters Now]

Further, the FCC should consider an across-the-board reduction, “given the changing and increasing technological burden placed on the FCC by emerging technologies and the eloquent simplicity of regulating our industry, along with broadcasters’ longstanding special place in the fabric of American society. Couple this with the fact that the industry has not enjoyed any meaningful increase in revenue in a decade, and yet, fees keep increasing at an alarming rate.”

Among several more reasons, he noted that state broadcast associations earlier had asked for changes because, they argued, the FCC had based the fee structure on defective data, and said that the process used to allocate fees among industries unfairly shifted FCC “overhead” costs to radio and TV stations.

And Rotella said this is an issue for television as well as radio stations, which has tended to get the attention. “Although radio was hard hit with 50% increase in fees last year, the arguments are still the same,” says Rotella, “Especially during this time of catastrophic economic upheaval, coupled with the precarious economic forecasts ahead, is simply imprudent and will likely further hobble local broadcasters’ efforts to survive in the aftermath of COVID-19.”

The commission is taking comments about fees in MD Docket No. 20-105 until June 12, and replies by June 29.

 

The post NJBA Pushes Harder on Fee Cuts appeared first on Radio World.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts a Report and Order (Order) to improve technical rules that primarily affect Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations.

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This image from Xperi illustrates “discovery” with KROQ HD2. The display features a live, now-playing station guide with logo, name and currently playing information. Stations displayed are stored by frequency and filtered by genre. The listener can choose favorites within the list.

Xperi Corp. and TiVo Corp. recently completed their merger. To learn more about how this might affect readers of Radio World, we asked Xperi SVP of Broadcast Radio Joe D’Angelo.

[Read: Xperi and TiVo Complete Merger]

Radio World: What relevance does the merger have for people who follow the technology of radio and audio consumption?

Joe D’Angelo: Xperi and TiVo have a long-shared history supporting the media and creative industries (i.e. films and music). With little overlap in our legacy platforms, we are able to complement each other to boost our portfolio of offerings. 

Most meaningfully to broadcasters, the combined company will facilitate the delivery of the highest-quality images and much richer, deeper metadata (i.e. genre, release date, songwriter).

This is, of course, great for listeners and has the potential to simplify the radio industry’s reporting obligations. TiVo’s metadata will also help broadcasters better organize their internal content catalogue, make more informed programming decisions, and improve reporting accuracy.

The merger will have benefits across Xperi’s HD Radio, DTS Connected Radio and digital platforms including apps and websites.

[Read: Xperi Announces $3B Merger With TiVo]

RW: What specific technical change or improvement will we see in either HD Radio or in the hybrid radio DTS Connected Radio platform as a result of this business development?

D’Angelo: The TiVo metadata will continue to complement the implementation of the HD Radio Artist Experience feature for broadcasters who have adopted our technology and will provide Xperi with the ability to ensure consistent delivery of deep track information on the DTS Connected Radio platform.

RW: How exactly does a “metadata platform” help improve future radio product?

D’Angelo: Metadata is the key enabler for new digital platforms in terms of discovery, content identification, recommendations and personalization. Voice interfaces are also dependent on rich content metadata — think Alexi, Siri and similar. The metadata platform makes it possible to cut through the content chaos, brings content together, and makes it easy for listeners to find information specifically relevant to them.

Illustrating “engagement,” this display features rich complete metadata with integrated LA-based 106.7 FM HD2 station branding. The display provides interactive support for events, likes/dislikes and favorites.

RW: The company said that the solutions this merger is poised to bring “take radio and the digital dashboard to a completely new level of discovery and engagement.” Please explain.

D’Angelo: About discovery: Digital radio, both HD Radio in North America and DAB+ in Europe and Australia, has enabled a significant increase in the number of radio stations available to listeners in any given market. No longer is it viable to simply tune up and down a linear radio dial, frequency by frequency, to get a full understanding of all the programming on-air. In New York City, thanks to HD Radio, there are close to 100 FM analog and HD Radio stations; and in London, thanks to DAB+, there are now over 120 audio services.

With all this amazing new content, it is critical to provide new approaches to content discovery, navigation and selection. Metadata is the foundation to make this a reality.

Xperi is now able to present structured, searchable and categorized station information, including live now-playing data for display in the dashboard and driving voice interfaces. The end result is the most advanced and accurate digital program guide for radio to the dashboard.

As for engagement: Once the in-car user has identified and selected (queued) a radio station, Xperi’s platform elevates the audio experience with deep, engaging and informative text and images. This seamless and enhanced presentation becomes possible with the direct support of broadcast programmers, creative teams, and our rich metadata catalogue.

These enhancements, while common on other digital IP based services, are new and revolutionary for broadcast radio. We are now able to level the playing field with pure IP services and give listeners everything they could ask for from a digital audio platform, but from a free, over-the-air, live, and locally curated source. 

By using our platform, listeners will not only be able to get additional information about songs, events, topics, artists, and show hosts, but also interact with the programming by sharing feedback with the stations about song selections and discussion topics.

RW: What else should we know?

D’Angelo: This is just the tip of the iceberg in our combination of technology and services — we will be innovating on a number of fronts to ensure broadcast radio prominence in the dash.

[Read: Xperi Highlights Its In-Cabin Monitoring Efforts]

For example, we have recently won some in-cabin monitoring design-ins with key OEMs, and are looking to develop a feature where we combine that technology with our infotainment solution to provide a personalized user experience.

The post Q&A: Why the Xperi/TiVo Deal Matters for Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Great stories keep popping up about how radio stations have been involved in their communities during the COVID mess. Here’s one from Chippewa Falls, Wis.

WOGO, licensed to Stewards of Sound Inc. and heard on FM and AM, says it was approached by the local high school and asked if it would be possible to broadcast a graduation ceremony as it does football games.

“With so many schools going virtual-only for commencement, which disappointed many, they wanted to find a way to give their seniors something special,” said Sales Manager/Promotions Director Caleb Svendsen in an email about the event.

[Read: This Is the Time to Make Connections]

Sounds like it was a hit. The Chi-Hi “Drive-In Graduation!” featured more than 300 seniors and their families. They started in their decorated vehicles at a fairground; and with the familiar graduation song “Pomp & Circumstance” being played over the air, they processed through town escorted by police. “The community came out to yards and sidewalks to cheer on the Class of 2020 as they listened to the commencement broadcast on WOGO.”

The ceremony was carried on its FM and AM signals and online streaming. The station provided audio to the school’s video stream so relatives and pals could watch and listen. It even arranged for live drone footage that could be watched in real time.

WOGO had prerecorded speeches from the principal and valedictorian. “These speeches were aired as the cars prepared to embark on their procession, and during the journey to the high school to receive diplomas.”

The broadcast also featured senior sports highlights, honored faculty retirees, played the alma mater and school song, and featured student voicemails with “Senior Year Memories.” Music featured the school’s musicians including choirs, orchestras and marching band.

“As the graduates rolled through the bus loop in front of the school and received diplomas from their gloved-and-face-shielded principal, the WOGO graduation play-by-play crew provided live commentary for each and every senior: awards and commendations, future plans, their advice to next year’s class, teacher comments, etc.,” Svendsen wrote. “A percentage of all sponsorship revenue was set aside and, through short essays where seniors both applied and nominated a classmate, $1,600 in scholarships were awarded.”

Favorable June weather helped … and Svendsen adds that the ceremony was shorter than most and not in a hot gym. He called the effort “a collaborative labor of love with school, station and community.”

Tell Radio World about your station’s special event or project. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post How WOGO Helped a Wisconsin School Graduate Seniors appeared first on Radio World.

An Xperi image promotes its driver monitoring technology. Click on the graphic above for a larger version.

Xperi announced recently that its in-cabin monitoring technology was selected by four auto brands for use in new vehicles, bringing to 20 the total number of its new vehicle “design-ins.”

The company, which broadcasters know best as the parent of HD Radio and DTS Connected Radio, is seeking to partner with more car and truck companies to advance monitoring technologies that it says are redefining the “in-cabin experience.” As cars become more autonomous, it says, the importance of these technologies will continue to grow.

“Our detection technology enables OEMs to offer a safer, more personalized and convenient experience for drivers and occupants, today and into the future. Our systems have the capability to be effective even if drivers or occupants are wearing face masks as so many are today,” said Jeff Jury, the general manager of automotive, in a company announcement in May.

The company said its driver monitoring solution is shipping in five light commercial vehicles from three OEM brands, and that 15 new vehicle design-ins for occupants and drivers will go into production starting next year.

Xperi says its monitoring technologies provide driver and occupant “state analytics” using edge computing and neural networks. “In addition to detecting all human occupants of a vehicle, our solution detects pets and relevant objects, such as child seats. For each human occupant, the technology provides advanced analytics such as passenger authentication, age group, emotional state, and body pose.”

Watch an Xperi video about its in-cabin monitoring systems:

The company says its algorithms can monitor drivers wearing glasses, helmets, hats, scarves and face masks. “Occlusion handling has become a particularly valuable feature today as so many people around the world are wearing face masks as a preventative measure against COVID-19,” it stated.

The website TechTheLead subsequently picked up on this announcement and riffed on the kinds of consumer interactions that it might make possible in an article headlined “If You Can Dream It, Your Car Will Do It.”

“Xperi’s driver monitoring solution is able to detect a distracted or drowsy driver and keep him safe behind the wheel using visual cues (face detection and tracking, head position, eye gaze, eyelid opening, etc),” wrote author Mara Anton. “Xperi’s in-cabin solutions can be tailored by car manufacturers to fit their design needs and creative use-cases. A car that turns into a moving cinema? One that acts like a portable office? Or a vehicle that’s a therapist on the go? It’s all up to the manufacturer’s path to fully-autonomous vehicles and your imagination, of course!” Read that here.

The post Xperi Highlights Its In-Cabin Monitoring Efforts appeared first on Radio World.

Among the top 10 podcast publishers, iHeartRadio and NPR account for nearly half of the streams and downloads.

That’s a data point noted by the financial publication Learnbonds, which dug into some interesting numbers about podcasting in an article for investors. It found that as podcasts continue to become more mainstream, major publishers have emerged as top players that account for almost a billion streams and downloads within a month.

“Data gathered by Learnbonds.com indicates that only 10 podcast publishers accounted for 893.78 million streams and downloads in May 2020,” it wrote, citing Podtrac data.

[Read: Westwood One’s Wordock on Maintaining — and Monitoring — Podcast Audiences]

“iHeartRadio podcasts attracted the highest downloads and streams at 216.15 million followed by NPR with 208.92 million. Among the top 10 podcast publishers, iHeartRadio and NPR accounted for 47.6% of the streams and downloads.”

Number three was the New York Times, number four PRX and number five Barstool Sports.

“It is no surprise that iHeartRadio hosted podcasts had the highest streams and downloads in May,” the company told its readers. “The platform has a large library of podcasts covering diverse topics. In 2019 iHeartRadio embarked on a mission to grow its numbers of podcast listeners. iHeartRadio launched a podcast recommendation engine to its listeners based on their audio preferences. This new feature on the app has played a major role in increasing the number of podcast streams and downloads. Additionally, iHeartRadio acquisition of Stuff Media made it the top commercial podcast publisher.”

“The growing downloads and streams for the highlighted publishers are driven by various factors like marketing. However, most people might have turned to podcasts as a means of passing time while in lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak,” Learnbonds wrote.

Among other findings, the company listed countries where podcasting is most popular, based on data from several sources, and found South Korea leading with 53% of citizens having listened to podcasts, followed by Spain, Ireland and Sweden. The United States is fifth with 35%.

 

The post Big Podcasters Generate Big Numbers appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC announced today that it will not apply long-standing TV station ownership restrictions to the lease of spectrum to provide “Broadcast Internet” services via the new ATSC 3.0 advanced television standard.

This decision comes in the form of a Declaratory Ruling approved unanimously during the FCC’s June Open Commission meeting. It allows a broadcast TV licensee to lease spectrum to another broadcaster (including one in the same geographic market) or to a third party for ancillary and supplementary service without triggering the FCC’s broadcast attribution or ownership rules.

The commission said it was an important step in the growth of next-generation data services that will come about from the transition to ATSC 3.0 and serve as a complement to the nation’s future 5G network. As a “one-to-many” IP service, this could allow more efficient software downloads for autonomous vehicles, smart agriculture or telemedicine and are broadly referred to what Carr termed as “Broadcast Internet.”

In addition to the Declaratory Ruling, the FCC issued an accompanying Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, seeking comments on whether and how to modify its existing ancillary and supplementary service rules in order to further promote the deployment of Broadcast Internet services. The commission also seeks public input on potential uses of the new technological capability associated with ATSC 3.0 and any existing regulatory barriers to deployment, as well as if any changes are needed to the ancillary and supplementary service fee rules and the rules defining derogation of service and analogous services.

“Today’s action takes important steps to further unlock the potential of broadcast spectrum, empower innovation and create significant value for broadcasters and the American public alike by removing the uncertainty cast by legacy regulations,” the FCC said.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said Broadcast Internet could be a new competitive broadcast pipe, giving broadcasters an even greater role in the competitive market.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said that traditional TV was on the move, and while it is important to clarify that broadcast ownership rules don’t apply, it was also important to remember that ATSC 3.0 lacks a return path for data, which is a problem for telehealth and remote work.

NAB’s Senior Vice President of Communications Ann Marie Cumming issued a statement on the FCC’s actions: “NAB appreciates the commission’s efforts to provide greater regulatory certainty with respect to potential future uses of the NextGen TV transmission standard. Broadcasters are excited about innovative applications this standard makes possible, in addition to the standard’s ability to unlock the next generation of television service for our viewers.”

The post FCC Says TV Ownership Rules Don’t Apply to Broadcast Internet via 3.0 appeared first on Radio World.