Disaster Planning for the Transmitter Site

Of all the components of the broadcast facility, the transmitter may be the most important in a disaster. That site can be pressed into service as a combination studio/transmitter location, especially if a backup generator exists. Back in the days of cart machines, we removed a rack of three decks, relocating them to the transmitter, to stay on the air when the studio flooded. It wasn’t the most glorious of 'studios', but we stayed on the air and covered all the spots. Nowadays with backup hard drive systems or even an iPod® for source material, a station can usually stay on the air during a disaster.

How Do You Measure Up?

Over the past several years, the worldwide attention of audio loudness in television broadcasting has grown and it’s now common knowledge that both proper audio measurement and loudness control are required in all aspects of content delivery. Today, there is a new international standard for measuring loudness. Knowing what it is, and understanding how to use it, are critical steps in making reliable and useful loudness measurements.

Alaskan Engineering with Rich Parker

What’s it like to maintain broadcast stations in Alaska’s rough geography? Richard Parker joins Chris Tobin to talk about adjusting to life in Alaska after 17 years in Vermont. As Director of Engineering for CoastAlaska, Richard says he stands on the shoulders of some great Public Radio Engineers. Ever wonder what it takes to ship equipment  or emergency spare parts to your station in Alaska? Rich explains what not to do and how to avoid the 1000 mile several day detour your package will take. Plus Rich explains how the new AoIP and other IP technologies at his stations keeps the station staff happy while he is several hours away at other studios and transmitters.

Vintage Tech: Pioneer SR-202 Spring Reverb

From the earliest days of high fidelity in the 1930s, the goal of equipment designers was to create a listening experience almost like having a front-row seat in a concert hall. As technology evolved, frequency response was extended to the theoretical limits, noise and distortion were reduced, and recording technologies were improved. Another avenue for recreating a live listening experience is reverberation; this month's Found in the Attic looks at a 1971 Pioneer SR-202 spring reverb.

IP Radios and SIP with Bob Newberry

Bob Newberry at Clear Channel in Birmingham, Alabama, oversees engineering at 11 radio stations plus 4 HD signals.  Pushing the technology envelope means using new IP-radio technologies along with IP telephone systems - and both areas give Bob more options, better quality audio, and some money savings, too.  Joe Talbot from Telos joins me talking with Bob about learning SIP technology while putting it to good use.

Bringin' the Funk (to Germany) with Omnia Audio

Located in Bavaria, Germany, Regensburg is known for many attractions, including its remains of Roman fortress walls such as the Porta Praetoria. The large medieval center of Regensburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is also the home of Funkhaus Regensburg, a broadcast center which delivers six unique program formats through two FM stations, three DAB+ facilities and six webstreams. Formats for the many stations run the gamut from hot contemporary sounds to something more relaxing. Although Funkhaus Regensburg offers a variety of formats for a diverse listening audience, the preferred audio processor for the facility is the Omnia.9.

Topics: broadcast audio processor

The EKKO Stamp Fad with Philip Mulivor

Nearly 100 years ago radio stations were so new the owners didn’t know who was listening or where. Without the Internet or even many telephones gathering listener reports was spotty. Then the EKKO company hit on a stroke of genius: Radio EKKO Stamps and collector’s books to fill with them. Radio historian and electronics professor, Philip Mulivor, joins us to reveal the fascinating story of early radio listening, and keeping track of stations with EKKO stamps.

AoIP Networks: How Fast Should I Go?

You probably remember learning to drive. Your Driver’s Ed teacher (or other responsible adult) would constantly monitor your speed and point out when you were going too fast. In your own mind, you could never go too fast! And for some of us, once we got that adult out of the car, we put our foot down to the floor. We never changed our thinking, and we have the speeding tickets to prove it!

It would be easy to think of AoIP networks in the same terms: if fast is good, faster is better — right?

Cumulus NASH Tour with Zach Harper

Nationwide daily drivetime radio shows, plus a huge weekly countdown show all emanate from a remodeled studio building in Nashville. It’s the Cumulus NASH studios, home to American Country Countdown, America’s Morning Show and Nash Nights. These state-of-the-art studios are built for multimedia production including video streaming and live concerts. Cumulus Nashville IT Director and Engineer Zach Harper gives a tour to the Nashville SBE chapter, and we brought our video camera along!

Disaster Planning for the Studio

Last time, we covered a number of general planning tips in preparation for disasters. When the disaster strikes is not the time to develop a plan. First on our list of suggestions is hardening your studio site. Should the studio site fail, do you have an off-site backup facility?

If not, think remote truck! Should you lose your studio facility, a remote truck can be pressed into service to keep you on the air. Prior to predictable weather emergencies, keep the truck fluids topped off.