TWiRT 298 - OTT & IPTV with Sherrod Munday

OTT and IPTV are fairly new terms from the Television or Video industries.  But more radio stations, podcasts, shows, and show clips are being delivered by the same or similar technologies.  Former radio engineer turned TV network guru, Sherrod Munday, joins Chris Tobin and me to talk about audience habits and what infrastructure looks like to make audiences happy in 2016.

Guest: Sherrod Munday, VP-Engineering - Sky Angel Television Network

Hosts:  Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist and Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Show links:

Sky Angel Television Network

OTT - Over The Top content distribution

Amazon Web Services

Ted Alexander on AM Processing

I had the pleasure of interviewing old friend Ted Alexander to tap into his vast experience as a Chief Engineer for various AM stations over the years. Ted began looking after AM stations in the 1960s and wrapped up his 50-year career not long ago, as some of you know, working in the Telos Alliance Technical Support Department. Be a fly on the wall during our interview and learn about AM processing from the man himself. 

TWiRT 297 - TV Sat Truck with Robert Pace

What’s inside a modern TV satellite truck? What audio and video capabilities are likely inside? Who makes sure that satellite antenna on the roof is aimed correctly? And what kind of engineer would configure and operate one of these beasts? Robert Pace, a well-known audio, video, and satellite technician in Nashville joins us in the TV sat truck for which he’s responsible.

Guest: Robert Pace

Host: Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Using Voltair to Maximize Your PPM® Encoding

You probably know that not all of your programming encodes equally well in PPM^®, and some content encodes downright badly. But you may not know which of your programming is problematic.

So, how to know? Some Voltair^® users simply watch Voltair’s color-coded screen and note the orange. But that’s not everyone’s idea of a good time, so we designed a better way.

Topics: Voltair

Catching Up with Andrew Jeffries, SVP of Programming for iHeart Radio

Recently, I had a few minutes to catch up with Andrew Jeffries, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeart Radio, on all things programming, including how processing fits into his efforts to make his many stations sound their absolute best. Without further ado, here's what the radio exec had to say.

Denny: As Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeart, you are in charge of programming for several major stations. Do you feel that the processing of each station is an integral part of your programming approach?

Andrew: All facets of our audio are important to me—from source quality through to the reception quality in the market. Quality processing is critical to the best audible experience in all environments for our consumers. Even though they will never know why a station sounds better or clearer, we do. Setting a sound design that fits your format station and target is part of your brand crafting, just like choosing the music you play or the talent you hire.

The Stream Locomotive Is Leaving the Station. Don't Get Left Behind. 

By 2018 nearly 25% of your terrestrial radio station's annual advertising revenue will come from online listening, according to forecast data from BIA/Kelsey. For broadcasters, streaming is more important than ever. Luckily, we have better options and technology than ever before to create streaming content that is music to listeners’ ears.

Topics: Streaming Audio, Z/IPStream R/2, adaptive streaming, xHE-AAC

Vintage Audio: The Sta-Level Turns 60

As a teenager coming of age in the late '60s and early '70s, I went on nickel tours of every radio station I could. Some of them twice. One piece of equipment that almost every station had was a Gates Sta-Level AGC amplifier. It's safe to say that this device dominated the sound of Top 40 radio from the 1960s through the early '70s. Introduced sixty years ago, in 1956, Gates sold them by the boatload.

Topics: Vintage Radio Technology

TWiRT 296 - This Show Title is Too Long, with Scott Fybush

The FCC's "AM Revitalization" proceeding continues to grind its way through the system, and there's a lot at stake right now for AM stations of all classes. Numerous broadcasters and consultants are filing comments; and so is Scott Fybush. Scott joins Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack to discuss some strong opinions about improving the AM radio band.

Guest: Scott Fybush

Hosts:  Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist and Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Voltair Still Gives You a Ratings Advantage

In early 2015, the Telos Alliance^® and 25-Seven^® introduced the Voltair^® Monitor and Processor. According to industry experts, the use of Voltair resulted in more accurate measurement of radio listenership. This disruptive technology enabled Radio to finally get credit for more of the listening it deserves.

Months later, after denying that it had any effect, Nielsen^® responded to Voltair by changing its encoders to include some of Voltair’s features. The company claimed that its so-called enhanced CBET (eCBET) could replace the need for Voltair.

We weren’t so sure.

TWiRT 295 - iDAS and oDAS with Chris Tobin

Could antennas be lurking all around you? Chris Tobin says it’s happening more than you might imagine.  From office buildings to hospitals, and stadiums to convention centers, Distributed Antenna Systems are popping up in walls, ceilings, and on light poles everywhere.  Engineering these systems requires precision planning and field testing.

Hosts:  Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist and Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Links from the show:

What are iDAS and oDAS?

DAS example projects from BSGI

Indiana University Campus Cellular Project