TWiRT 374 - Boston Radio with Jim Armstrong

Everyone starts somewhere, and Jim Armstrong started right near the top - in Boston radio! We’re talking early days of on-air traffic reporting, some technical perspectives from those days, and about Jim’s big switch to broadcast equipment sales; lessons here all of us engineers can learn from.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 373 - Visual Radio Live from WAMU

Radio industry experts are talking with each other, sharing ideas about “visual” radio. We’re asking a lot of questions, too. What are we trying to accomplish with video added to radio? Can we engage our audiences better and longer? What strategies seem to be working?  Chris and Kirk attended the Visual Radio Symposium this week, and Al Reynolds of WAMU was there, too.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 372 - Tom Vernon on Smart Speakers

“We’re on the verge of a Voice Activated Internet,” says Tom Vernon. Tom’s recent front page Radio World article, “Can Smart Speakers Bring Radio Home?” points to new radio listeners using smart speakers. We may also find voice-activated tasks around broadcast stations, facilitated by Amazon Echo or Google Home devices.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

Building the Transmission System at One World Trade Center - TWiRT Ep. 371

There are myriad perspectives from which to view One World Trade Center’s rebuilding after the tragedies of 9/11. From the broadcast perspective, 2017 marks a notable milestone – the resumption of television transmission from atop One WTC. The latest transmitter and antenna technology is now deployed at One WTC, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at a symbolic 1,776 feet in height; it has resumed broadcast operations as one of the world’s elite broadcast centers. John Lyons, Director of Broadcast Communications at The Durst Organization, leads a presentation focusing on this new, premiere, RF transmission facility.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 369 - AES & NAB 2017 from New York

The AES and NAB fall shows combine to provide several days of seminars, special events, and equipment demonstrations in New York. Chris and Kirk interview technology leaders and find out what’s hot now and in the future. Special thanks to David Bialik and Andrew Zarian helping make TWiRT possible this week.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 368 - The Broadcasters Clinic in Madison

Possibly the best regional conference for Radio and TV engineers, the WBA Broadcasters Clinic is our venue in Madison, Wisconsin.  John Chelliah, Steve Lampen, Chris Tarr, and Mark Persons make-up an all-star cast for this episode of TWiRT.  We’re talking 12 GHz coax, AoIP, and console-less consoles, live from Madison.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 367 - AoIP Covers Boise with Jordan Bitz

Jordan Bitz walked into an existing AoIP radio station and had to learn it - fast! Now he’s extended his AoIP network to a transmitter site 30 miles across the valley. Plus, he’s using streaming audio for distribution and backup systems.  

Also on this episode, David Bialik previews an amazing Broadcast and Streaming track at the AES Convention in New York.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 366 - CyberSecurity for Broadcasters

Chris Tobin is speaking at the Central Canadian Broadcast Engineering conference (CCBE) in King City, Ontario, Canada. He joins the show from the relaxing Kingbridge Conference Center. We’re discussing CyberSecurity for Broadcasters - what we learned from a recent expert panel discussion in Columbus, Ohio. And a first look at troubles with the National EAS Test.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 365 - EAS In Times of Trouble - with Rob Dale

The Emergency Alert System - EAS - suffers a love-hate relationship with most broadcast stations. Radio folks may love the fact that EAS handles the burden of alerting the public to life and safety threats. But sometimes the program interruptions are just too much, and the audio quality is often just terrible. Rob Dale is the Regional Planner at the Ingham County, Michigan, Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. He’s also a broadcaster and meteorologist. Rob joins us to discuss the state of EAS, training, and where we might be headed.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 363 - Alexa, Tell the Studio I Hate That Song!

What’s Interactive Radio? It’s when listeners have real-time input to the on-air talent. And what could be a more natural interaction than the human voice? Dan McQuillin at Broadcast Bionics introduces interactive radio using Amazon Echo or Google Home. His company’s code and service, added to Alexa Skills, brings instant listen feedback and sentiment to any radio show.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality