Radio Engineering at the Museum

New radio studios are always a cause for excitement. The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago is home to the Paul & Angel Harvey Studio, and the newly-rebuilt Art Laboe Control Room. We’re talking with Bruce DuMont, President and Founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, plus audio producers, Colin Ashmead and Chris Cwiak, along with Greg Dahl, who installed the new equipment.

Antenna & Tower work with John Hettish

Continuing our discussion about working on broadcast antennas way up high, John Hettish, joins us, describing some of his amazing tower work videos.  We’ll get the right story on his 10-bay ERI antenna rebuild, plus check out removal of some 900 pound microwave dishes.  And what about the wasps and vultures gathering at the top of a broadcast tower?

Zephyrs, Z/IPs & Axia Audio Integration on Polish Radio

As General Manager of Magnetic Media, Polish distributor for Axia, Telos, and Omnia, Piotr Kubacki has his finger on the pulse of Poland's radio scene. As such, we were keen to hear from Piotr recently regarding the implementation of Axia networks and other Telos Alliance gear at broadcast facilities across Poland.

Agora Radio Group was the first Axia user in Poland, with their first Axia studio built in late 2007. Over time, Agora slowly built their entire nationwide infrastructure on Axia, including studios in cities across Poland. Major studios are now connected via Zephyr iPorts, providing multiple, independent audio channels in both directions.

Troubles up High

Fixing broadcast gear is difficult enough at ground level. What’s it like to troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair broadcast systems 300, 600, or 1200 feet above ground? Chris Tobin advises about what can go wrong and some common remedies, and we analyze an antenna repair by tower pro, John Hettish, while he’s 925 feet above ground.

Tracy Teagarden

We’ve called Tracy Teagarden, “the most interesting engineer in Las Vegas.”  He’s no stranger to dong things right, even in terrible weather, and hard-to-access transmitter sites. Tracy joins Chris Tobin and me to talk about two AM directional stations on the same property, along with some FM backup transmitters, difficult AC power on Mt. Potosi, and his own work with new VoIP systems.

Video Production House Tames Audio with Linear Acoustic

It’s common knowledge in the television industry today that the CALM Act has had a significant impact on broadcasters who now have to pay very close attention to audio levels. But compliance regulations have reinforced the importance of good audio to content creators and production houses as well.

EAS Strict Time & Ransomware

A Nashville DJ, complaining about an inconvenient EAS Test, unwittingly activates more EAS alerts across radio stations and cable systems. Video streaming technology has a few radio stations becoming video providers. And “ransomware” has taken several radio stations hostage lately, destroying music and commercial libraries. How should engineers act to prevent their stations from getting hijacked? Chris Tobin and Chris Tarr join us for a fast-paced episode of TWiRT!

Audio Production Vet Chooses Telos for Pure Sound

Joe Miuccio is a veteran of the audio production industry and owner of PURE SOUND Inc., a post-production facility in New York City.

Joe began his career in New York as a re-recording mixer and sound designer for thousands of radio and TV commercials on numerous award-winning ad campaigns. He has also recorded and mixed hundreds of music jingles, working with the best composers and musicians in the Big Apple. Adding to his diversity over the years, he has developed a bit of a reputation as an East Coast go-to Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) recordist for additional lines in dozens of major Hollywood feature films.

Finding Your Axia Devices

Every Axia device ‘advertises’ itself on the network so that other Axia products can find them. In addition to this, the advertisement is used to know what sources are configured on a device and if they are in use elsewhere. Sometimes when scanning for new devices a piece of software may not ‘discover’ anything. This is generally caused by only a couple of things that are very easy to correct.

Suitcase Radio: Zenith Portable Receiver

One of the great things about radio is its portability. Take it to the beach, in your boat, on a train. Take it just about anywhere. What's changed over the years is how easy it is to do that. Nowadays we take the portability of radio for granted, as we stuff a smart phone with a built-in FM tuner in our pocket and head out the door. It wasn't always that easy. This month's Found in the Attic examines suitcase radios, in particular the Zenith 6G601D Universal.