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Jackson County Broadcasting, Inc. enters into Consent Decree to Resolve Political File Investigation

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Town and Country Broadcasting, Inc. enters into Consent Decree to Resolve Political File Investigation

Financial news service Bloomberg Radio announced it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Key Networks to manage all of Bloomberg’s network advertising sales, affiliate sales and marketing for the radio company’s global 24-hour business radio network.

Key Networks is a syndication company focused on radio programming, syndication and marketing that will work on growing Bloomberg’s radio business and work to create new opportunities to benefit listeners, advertisers and stations, a release said.

[Read: How Bloomberg Radio Put Remote Mixing Into Action]

As a provider of radio business news in the United States, Bloomberg Radio’s “Daybreak” shows cover the morning hours of each part of the world from Bloomberg’s studios in New York, San Francisco, London and Hong Kong. Bloomberg Radio also delivers in-depth coverage of the financial markets throughout the day coupled with interviews with newsmakers, analysts and company executives. Bloomberg says its shows and short form reports are heard on more than 300 top radio stations across the United States. It can also be heard on SiriusXM satellite radio, via the Bloomberg Radio+ mobile app and through live streaming.

“Bloomberg is undeniably the gold standard in business news, and we are thrilled to deliver access to Bloomberg’s unmatched global business news resources to radio stations across the U.S,” said Rob Koblasz, CEO of Key Networks.

 

The post Bloomberg Radio to Work With Key Networks appeared first on Radio World.

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Requesting the substitution of channel 26 for channel 8 at Portland in the DTV Table of Allotments

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Multimedia Holdings Corporation requests the substitution of channel 18 for channel 12 at Mesa, Arizona

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The author is communications manager for WorldDAB.

This year’s WorldDAB General Assembly will be fully virtual, making it easier than ever before for industry stakeholders to attend the event on Nov. 3. The live-streamed event, which will be held in a condensed format over one day — as opposed to the usual two — will address all the latest and upcoming developments related to DAB+, both from Europe and beyond.

Last week saw the launch of Germany’s second national DAB+ multiplex, marking the beginning of a new era. Joe Pawlas, CEO of Antenne Deutschland — the company that is operating the multiplex —will highlight how this launch will positively impact Germany’s radio landscape and give new impetus to the advertising market.

[Read: WorldDAB Highlights Its Advances]

In 2021, France will be holding a double celebration — 100 years of radio on the one hand, and the launch of national DAB+ on the other. Nicolas Curien and François-Xavier Bergot from the French regulator CSA will explain why DAB+ is at the heart of France’s radio strategy and provide more detail on France’s long-term plans for DAB+, with a particular focus on listeners in cars.

The Swiss radio industry has agreed to switchover from FM to DAB+ during 2022–2023. Iso Rechsteiner from Switzerland’s Digital Migration Working Group will present an overview of the DSO process; Bernard Maissen, Director of OFCOM, will outline the ways in which the Swiss confederation is supporting the radio industry in the FM switch-off; and Jessica Allemann from the Swiss Broadcasting Corp. will highlight the latest usage figures from the Swiss market.

Norway was the first country to switch off national FM in 2017 — but how does the radio listening landscape look today? Ole Jørgen Torvmark, who oversaw the DSO process, will catch up with NRK’s Radio Manager Cathinka Rondan and Director of P4 Group Kenneth Andresen to find out how healthy the radio industry is looking three years down the line.

The U.K. was one of the pioneering DAB markets. Today, almost 60% of all listening is digital, which has prompted the government to launch a review of digital radio and audio. Digital Radio UK’s Yvette Dore will provide an overview of the U.K. radio market and Ian O’Neill from the U.K. government will share an update on the progress of the review.

The WorldDAB General Assembly will also highlight the latest updates from other parts of Europe including Spain and the Czech Republic, as well as status updates from Australia, the Arab states and parts of Africa.

A session dedicated to digital radio in the car will feature an update on the EECC directive from WorldDAB Pres. Patrick Hannon, as well as discussions around metadata, service following and the future of audio in the car.

The last session of the day will be dedicated to the distribution of DAB+, looking at DAB’s place within a multichannel distribution strategy, the energy consumption of DAB compared to other transmissions forms, as well as small-scale, regional and national DAB.

Don’t miss the only industry event dedicated to DAB digital radio — register now and confirm your place at this year’s virtual general assembly.

 

The post WorldDAB’s First Virtual General Assembly Approaches appeared first on Radio World.

This is the first time I’ve reviewed a piece of equipment that I knew I loved — and had heard countless times before it showed up on my doorstep to review.

It’s likely you have heard it as well. When New York City went into lockdown and voice actors couldn’t go to studios to do their job, the scramble was on for them to get set up at home. A decent number of them already had home studios, but the vast majority had only ever needed a cheap USB mic to record auditions in a pinch.

The game changed overnight though, as post facilities and their clients suddenly needed actors to provide “broadcast quality from home.”

For many facing an uncertain financial future, the idea of dropping thousands on gear was scary. My message via webinars and consults with voice actors has been that you can pull off a truly impressive sound without breaking the bank.

There was such a run on affordable large diaphragm condenser mics across the industry that each time I prepared a presentation, I needed to vet sources to make sure actors could actually buy the mics I was suggesting.

“Delicious”

It was in one of these moments that I stumbled upon a YouTube video comparing the TZ Audio Stellar X2 to a Neumann U87AI.

I found that hard to believe until I listened. It seemed a hidden gem that cost a mere $199.99. I reached out to TZ Audio via their website to make sure they had inventory and were still open for business.

In the weeks that followed, I would spend time working with dozens of actors to get them connected so that we could all continue to work together. Once their mic was connected, we’d either go live over the Source-Connect platform or they’d send me files to make sure they were sounding solid.

[Related: Read other recent microphone product coverage from Radio World.]

Time after time I was floored by how good the Stellar X2 sounded.

Affordable cardioid condenser mics are not a new thing. I recall an actor boasting about a $300 mic in the mid-1990s, calling it an “overseas knock-off.” I was pretty dismissive at the time, but there have been some remarkable improvements over the years.

What I hadn’t seen or heard, however, is a mic that holds its own against the big boys while breaking the $200 price barrier.

The mic comes neatly boxed with all of the testing documentation. Inside the box is a solid carrying case that holds the mic, its shockmount, wind screen (not a pop filter) and pouch.

When I got my hands on the Stellar X2, it was smaller than I imagined it would be, given its big sound. It was like someone had used a shrink ray on a classic large mic and case.

But when you lift the mic, you know you’re holding quality. It is solid. TZ Audio’s documentation describes the care taken to build the mic, and you can feel it.

The shock mount squeezes open, and in the mic goes, safe and secure.

I connected it to my home rig as I was preparing for a session with a well-known actor coming to my home studio for a national TV spot. I’d been using a shotgun mic on him and decided to compare it to the Stellar X2 while I was getting things set up. It sounded really close to a ubiquitous studio mic that costs five times as much.

Later that night, I ran a webinar to a group of about 90 voice actors, and they all wanted to know what mic I was using. One actor said it “sounds delicious.”

A criticism from voice actors and engineers about mics in the $200–$300 price range is that they often have a notorious “harsh” bump in the upper mid range. Personally, I think that depends largely on the actor’s voice. Truth be told, when I mix voice actors into spots, I’m always bumping up the upper mids and highs to cut through anyway, so I don’t see it as an issue.

However, the Stellar X2 doesn’t add any exaggerated brightness.

Sure, you can see what they’re claiming in the graph they send, but I’ve never been one to trust that stuff. I rely on my ears, and my ears are happy with this mic.

It also doesn’t have an over-the-top proximity effect, which can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the actor. Some actors working at home with some of the similarly priced competitors are struggling with extra mouth noise, no doubt related to that upper-mid boost. During my webinars, I had been using a different mic that had me cringing at my own mouth noise. Once I switched over to the X2, I noticed quickly that it was gone.

Cardioid Only

Next, I wanted to do some musical testing with what I had on hand at my home studio.

First up was putting it in front of my Hirade Model 5 classical guitar. I recorded it flat into my Pro Tools rig — and it was, in fact, delicious. It didn’t improve my playing, but it made the guitar come alive. It picked up everything from my fingers to the strings, as well as all of the resonance of the instrument. I couldn’t resist putting some concert hall reverb on it, and with no processing at all, I was getting a clean, crisp sound.

The next test was to see how it handled a guitar amp. I fired up my Gibson SG with an old distortion pedal and turned it up to a responsible level because my rock and roll days are long behind me, and I live with my family who doesn’t need to hear that kind of noise.

It’s worth noting that the Stellar X2 doesn’t have a pad or a roll-off built in, but it took a solid blast effortlessly, capturing what I was hearing in the room perfectly. I should also note that it is a cardioid pattern so there is no polar pattern switching on this mic. Keep that in mind if it is something you need.

For a mic priced under $200 (by a penny!), the Stellar X2 is a must-have. It competes effortlessly with mics costing five or even 10 times the price. It continues to be my strong recommendation for voice actors, and is a worthwhile addition to any mic locker. Whether you’re a voice actor, podcaster or a musician, this mic is well worth a listen.

Frank Verderosa is a 30-year veteran of the New York audio industry, fighting the good fight for film studios, ad agencies and production companies, but secretly loves mixing music most of all. These days, he plies his trade at Digital Arts and also is a podcast engineer.

PRODUCT SUMMARY

TZ Audio Products Stellar X2 Microphone

Plusses

+ Large condenser capsule

+ Price

+ Performance

+ Deceptively small

+ Ships with case, shockmount, windscreen

Minus

– Only cardioid pattern

For information, contact TZ Audio Products in California at 1-424-337-0534 or visit https://techzoneaudioproducts.com.

 

The post TZ Audio Stellar X2 Microphone Shines appeared first on Radio World.

In this document, the Office of Managing Director of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts an Order that amends the Commission's rules to reflect the upcoming new address of the Commission's headquarters, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. It also makes changes to clarify that certain documents are now available for inspection through the Commission's website, removes references to a Commission copy contractor, and performs minor formatting corrections.

In this document, the Office of Managing Director of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts an Order that amends the Commission's rules to reflect the upcoming new address of the Commission's headquarters, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. It also makes changes to clarify that certain documents are now available for inspection through the Commission's website, removes references to a Commission copy contractor, and performs minor formatting corrections.

The author is chairman of Digital Radio Mondiale. Her commentaries appear regularly in Radio World.

After 11 months the FCC is to decide if, at the behest of the National Association of Broadcasters, it should allow AM radio stations to go all-digital with the in-band on-channel (IBOC) HD Radio. The hybrid (analog-digital HD) option never delivered, and interference was often seen as the main issue. To address this and other concerns a new all-digital HD Radio mode in medium-wave was developed and is not the subject of the impending FCC decision.

The U.S. is probably the largest AM market in the world, with about 4,570 licensed stations. More than half, 2,800, rebroadcast their content on FM translators licensed by FCC, but the content is the same in AM and FM. As to the AM stations with a hybrid analog-HD transmission, their number was probably to start with around 250 but many gave up the experiment.

[Read: NAB, DRM Spar Over AM Digital for U.S.]

Positive signals have come from the FCC ahead of the vote on Oct. 27. Al Shuldiner, now with the FCC but associated with IBOC in the past, noted “strong support” for the transition to voluntary all-digital AM. This might be so but the reality is that switching off the analog signal would make millions of analog radios redundant while only half of the cars on the road (about 60 million) have a digital receiver, even after 10 years of promotion.

Going all-digital in AM is not for the faint of heart, though there are countries which have done it successfully like India, China and Russia. And others, like Pakistan, are planning to do it.

It is notable that they all chose the all-band, open Digital Radio Mondiale standard. This has been tested under all conditions and on all continents. The same cannot be said about pure-digital HD Radio in medium-wave, only tested on one and a half American stations (one claimed success and another one gave up and reverted to analog). HD Radio, as a proprietary system, raises the issue of license fees and many large radio groups might be reluctant to take upon themselves such a financial burden in the middle of a pandemic crisis. (Xperi has offered AM stations a license for all-digital HD Radio in perpetuity without fees, though some see this more of a sweetener than a long-term and comprehensive commitment). And then there is the question of the receivers. It is the “chicken and egg” question we know so well. What comes first: the decision of the FCC, the regulator, and then the digital receiver, or the other way round?

Digital Radio Mondiale has faced this struggle and is noting success just now with 2.5 million car radio receivers on the Indian roads and receiver solutions for DRM and multistandard receivers powered by multistandard chipsets used both in the U.S., India and elsewhere. Recent developments have proven that DRM delivers excellent audio without interference, thanks to the adoption of the latest MPEG audio technology, xHE-AAC, superior to the old proprietary HDC codec used by HD Radio, lots of multimedia features and  emergency warning (as demonstrated in India and currently on air in Indonesia).

DRM is an excellent platform for making internet content available right at the radio set and even in remote or underserved areas. DRM can be an important tool for distance learning, an increasing advantage in these times. So, having waited so long to recommend a way for digitizing and saving AM in the U.S., why not perform some comparisons and choose the best?

One answer comes from NAB Associate General Counsel Larry Walke, “Before pulling the trigger on such a fundamental change to one’s operation, AM broadcasters need every confidence that HD Radio technology will remain the exclusive technical solution for all-digital transmission.”

According to Walke, moves to test or otherwise consider DRM as an alternative technology would undercut such confidence, discourage greater adoption of HD Radio and jeopardize the viability of all-digital AM. Regulatory certainty is a strong argument but it seems to work only one way, as Xperi is not averse at tentatively prospecting other markets, no matter what.

Therefore, we urge the FCC and Congress to take a robust and unbiased look at what is available globally rather than twist and turn to support a system because it is there but remains largely unknown and tested by the average American listener. A voluntary switch to a restricted digital AM would be the worst solution; neither eliminating AM and writing it off for good, nor revitalising it properly. The situation in 2020 is that multistandard receiver chipsets are available from big (and American) companies. FCC would prove its wisdom by allowing broadcasters to choose between a closed-source service with potential financial obligations and an international open standard adopted around the world for full digital and simulcast AM (supporting analog AM where required).

 

The post Digital AM — Revitalization or Annihilation? appeared first on Radio World.