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

TWiRT 361 - Custom Multi-Casting with Marcos O'Rourke

We’re live from KWAVE Radio in Santa Ana, California.  KWAVE runs similar, yet thoroughly customized programming in 3 different markets - San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. The various interconnections use several different forms of Studio-Transmitter Links. Marcos O’Rourke joins us to talk about the challenges and solutions. Plus, Chris and Kirk talk about the recent total solar eclipse.

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

Jake's Take: The Importance of Documentation and Backups

When new gear arrives it can get any engineer excited. Whether you are building a facility from the ground up or adding more Telos Alliance equipment to the rack, here are some helpful tips keep your facility in order.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, tech tips

TWiRT 360 - Moving My Samoan Stations 

After 18 years in Pago Plaza, Kirk’s Samoan radio stations are moving - to a better studio and office location. This means reconfiguring three STL paths and adding an IP Radio link to the mix. Plenty of photos and video of rebuilding studios and a rack room on a tropical island.

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

The Bisset Brief: Label those Cables!

As I travel throughout the US, I've seen a number of great Axia Livewire+ AES67 AoIP installations, and enjoy sharing some of these concepts with readers.

IP Audio Networking and clearing out analog wiring has been a key theme of late. Clearing unneeded cabling is an essential concern when converting to Livewire+ AES67, and it's crucial to label your Axia Livewire+ AES67 CAT5/6 cabling. Over time, networks grow, and labeling your Ethernet cables ensures the wiring won’t get out of hand.

Topics: IP Audio Network Routing & Control, Broadcast Engineering

TWiRT 359 - Help Us Help You

Do you dread contacting Tech Support? Or do you look forward to getting the help you need quickly? There are ways to get the most from Tech Support at almost any company. Jamey Miller, Jake Alderman, and Bryan Jones are Support Engineers. They join Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack for some real-life advice on getting what you need to solve your radio tech problem.

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

TWiRT 358 - Dangerous Towers with Tom Ray

Tom Ray visits a lot of radio stations.  He’s a full-time broadcast engineering consultant, and an inspector for New York State’s Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program. One troubling trend that Tom sees is the deterioration of broadcast towers. Tom joins Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack to warn us and bring us some good advice.

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

TWiRT 357 - Audio Heard by Millions with Matt Aaron

Are drones more than “big boy toys” for broadcast engineers? Well - YES! Sam Wallington is VP of Engineering for Educational Media Foundation. He’s using drone video and photography to locate trouble spots and prep for tower repairs, saving return trips.

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