XPost: alt.radio.broadcasting

Radio World

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NFTs: Are They Relevant for Radio?

Posted: 02 Apr 2022 02:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/promo-power/nfts-are-they-relevant-for-radio


I rarely purchase art. But an original Chuck Jones animation cell of Bugs
Bunny promoting MTV’s launch — complete with its original hand-drawn sketch — seemed like a great investment. 

I plunked down $400, a lot of money for me at the time, figuring a massive payoff would follow. While I continue to enjoy the art, I’m still waiting
to make bank. If only Bugs had been digital and NFTs had existed, I might
be living large today!  

You’ve no doubt heard about NFTs and perhaps even wondered if there’s an application for radio. While there is no simple answer, it is a fun subject
to explore. 

“NFT” stands for non-fungible token. Essentially, it’s a unique digital token of authenticity, stored in blockchain. NFTs can be anything digital:
art, poems/lyrics, music, spoken word, even tweets or posts. 

NFTs prove “ownership” of a specific work. That ownership may or may not convey copyright or reproduction rights. The strangest part is that while
you may own the NFT, that same piece may, for example, appear for free
download elsewhere. 

The value is in the NFT itself because it creates scarcity of that product.
As NFTs sell, they display a list of previous owners. The advantage to
music artists is that they can potentially sell directly to fans. NFT
platforms could offer artists a share in the sales of their songs, art, etc.  

[Read More Columns by Mark Lapidus]

Amazing sums have already been scored. A year ago, edgy Canadian musician Grimes auctioned off digital art that garnered nearly $6 million. Graphic designer Beeple initially made over $10 million on just two crypto-art
pieces and then one of his pieces was auctioned off by Christie’s for $69 million. YouTuber Logan Paul has also sold clips for up to twenty grand — yep, the same ones you can watch for free.  

iHeart radio has begun experimenting with NFTs. Last fall, it utilized NFTs
for contesting around the iHeart Radio Music Festival. The company is now touting their partnership with NFT platform OneOf, to sell NFTs for their nationally syndicated show “The Breakfast Club.”

“OneOf and ‘The Breakfast Club,’ including both the on-air broadcast and
digital podcast, have teamed up for an exclusive partnership to bring the accessibility of NFT’s to a mass audience, give diverse artists a platform in this emerging space, and create six drops of digital NFT collectibles inspired by the morning show and its legendary hosts,” iHeartMedia wrote in a press release in February.
The NFT platform OneOf, which is backed by Quincy Jones, was named “the official collectible NFT partner for the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival.” Digital festival posters were created by artist Cory Van Lew and signed by artists and talent that attended the festival in Las Vegas.

OneOf has also partnered with Warner Music Group and The Grammy Awards and brought in a cool million for a never-released song by Whitney Houston.

I did stumble onto one international streaming NFT radio station on Sound Cloud. It’s impossible to tell if they’re having success. They claim to be a non-profit platform for independent musicians, clubs and festivals.
Likely the attempt is aspirational, but you gotta give ’em credit for
trying.

If nothing else, the subjects surrounding NFTs are generating a lot of talk
on radio and as fodder for podcasts. Many podcasts are dedicated solely to
the subject, while many more are full-length episodes.
The NFT Talk Show Podcast is hosted by artist and collector Toni Payne.

Would I invest time and money in NFTs or advise station to jump in? As a
stunt, sure. As real business, I don’t see it yet. 

I did collect classic radios for a time, but soon ran out of room, money
and interest, so clearly I’m not the guy who takes big risks on even collectable earthly assets, let alone digital bytes. There may be something
in NFTs that works for selling music directly to audiences, but that’s a
long putt as well and works against the established order — which, unless involved, will neither endorse nor enable. 

So if you’re interested in NFTs, I say:  Best of luck! Let me know how it goes. And if it doesn’t work out, I do have a classic Bugs Bunny animation cell that may be of interest…

The author is a veteran multiplatform media and marketing executive. Email marklapidus1@gmail.com.

The post NFTs: Are They Relevant for Radio? appeared first on Radio World.


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Build Your Own Station App With winAPP

Posted: 02 Apr 2022 02:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/build-your-own-station-app-with-winapp


WinMedia says winAPP helps you to build your own station app without
needing coding skills.
winAPP General Design tab

You can build a station app for iOS, Android or any other connected device.

It is a new cloud-based service that accompanies the existing winWEB
service.

“Anyone with a laptop or a tablet that has a browser can design, build and publish and monetize your own mobile apps for iOS, Android or Windows,
fully responsive either on mobile phones, tablets, laptop or desktop PC screens,” the company states.

“winAPP gives you the power to have your audio and/or video live streams or podcasts at the tip of your finger, or to integrate RSS feeds, or to have
your events scheduled and automatically pushed to your users and so many
other things that until now you maybe did not dare to hope for, all this including also the ability to do pre-launch testing in the Preview mode.”

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

The process takes only minutes through a winAPP account. All data is backed
up and kept safe in your designated cloud account.

For more information, visit the company website.

The post Build Your Own Station App With winAPP appeared first on Radio
World.


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In General Assembly, DRM Expresses Optimism

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 12:39 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/digital-radio/in-general-assembly-drm-expresses-optimism


The Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium held its general assembly at the end
of March. Chairman Ruxandra Obreja described the consortium as “strong,
very active and looking with confidence to the future.”

About 80 people attended the open session portion of the virtual event.
They heard presentations from India, South Africa, Pakistan, Brazil,
Denmark and other countries, including discussion of trials of DRM FM in
India.

“The encouraging activity of the India automotive group and the progress of the innovative education project were also some of the meeting highlights.
The keynote speech delivered by Nigel Fry, director distribution, BBC World Service, focused also on the value of DRM, for AM especially, in places
that are of greatest need of information and education,” the organization wrote in a summary.

Another session provided an update on receivers and prototypes.

“The progress made by receiver and chipset manufacturers — NXP, Skyworks, Cambridge Consultants/CML Microcircuits, Gospell, RF2Digital, Inntot, Fraunhofer IIS, Starwaves and others — was practically illustrated with
clear and exciting videos, said DRM. These solutions are now supporting the full DRM standard (AM and FM bands) and all the DRM features set giving
extra benefits like EWF (Emergency Warning Functionality), distance
learning, extra content in various languages.”

The videos are available on the DRM YouTube channel.



Also during the assembly, officers were elected for 2022–24. Obreja was reconfirmed as chair of the steering board.

“The world is changing and radio, digital radio DRM, has a great window of opportunity to meet the new and diverse expectations of the listeners,” Obreja said. 

[Related: “DRM Makes Its Pitch for India’s FM Band”]

The post In General Assembly, DRM Expresses Optimism appeared first on
Radio World.


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Nielsen Expresses Confidence in PPM Wearables

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 10:23 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/programming-and-sales/nielsen-expresses-confidence-in-ppm-wearables

Nielsen PPM Wristband model

Nielsen updated clients this week about its Portable People Meter “wearables” initiative.

It hopes that by adding several types of wearable measurement devices, panelists will find the experience better and Nielsen will get better
results. It also thinks wearables will increase engagement for demographics with lower compliance and enable more precise “passive” measurement.

The company told clients that its wearables have been vetted by rigorous
lab tests, focus groups, dual “carry testing” and a former panelist test. Late last year it placed PPM wearables in a small subset of approximately
3,000 active panelists out of its 60,000+ panelists, replacing current
devices with new PPM wearables some existing panel homes and also
introducing them to new panel homes.

Nielsen says the wearables meet its quality standards, and that it is evaluating its rollout plan to determine how it can bring PPM wearables
into the panel. It expressed confidence that the initiative will include
the quality of its measurement and make cross-platform measurement a
reality; it should also help diversify its supply chain, given that the PPM
is sourced from multiple manufacturers in different locations.

[Related: “Meet Nielsen’s New PPM ‘Wearables,’” August 2021]

The post Nielsen Expresses Confidence in PPM Wearables appeared first on
Radio World.


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Calrec Signs D2N as Australian Partner

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 09:56 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/calrec-signs-d2n-as-australian-partner


Broadcast audio equipment manufacturer Calrec said D2N Technology Solutions will be its exclusive technology partner and distributor in Australia.

The announcement was made by Calrec Regional Sales Manager Robert Davidson
and D2N Managing Director Jason Owen.

Davidson said Calrec was drawn by D2N’s “customer communication, service and support” as well as its sales and marketing strategies.
Jason Owen, left, and Robert Davidson

U.K.-based Calrec makes mixing consoles, remote production and audio
networking solutions.

D2N is a specialist communications, video and audio company in North
Western Sydney with offices on the Gold Coast and Canberra plus support for engineers in other major cities. It began as Owen’s consultancy in 2005. 

[Visit Radio Worlds Global News Page]

The post Calrec Signs D2N as Australian Partner appeared first on Radio
World.


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Research Sees 2022 Podcast Weekly/Monthly Listening Decline

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 02:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/programming-and-sales/research-sees-2022-podcast-weekly-monthly-listening-decline


This story is part of a week-long series where author Tom Vernon breaks
down the newly-released “Infinite Dial” report, which gives insights into various aspects of radio’s modern competitive environment and consumer consumption habits.

When last years Infinite Dial was released, the results were influenced to
a great deal by the number of people in lockdown. This years data is skewed
by the small but significant number of respondents who have returned to
work or school, particularly those in the 12-34 demographic. This trend is especially evident in the information presented about podcast consumption.

Edisons data suggests that 226 million people, roughly 80 percent of
Americans, are familiar with podcasting. Thats a number thats been steadily trending upwards since 2016. 

One of the highlights of podcasting stats is the five percentage point jump
in respondents who have ever listened to a podcast, from 57 to 62 percent. Despite economic woes, that growth has never faltered. 

Much of this gain, according to Edison SVP Tom Webster, may be explained by
the lockdown. With no place to go, people were willing to experiment with
new things, such as listening to podcasts. That drove the familiarity,
monthly and weekly listening numbers up. As people began returning work and school, some fell out of the podcasting habit, and that, according to
Webster, is reflected in the data, which shows a drop in the weekly and
monthly numbers for 2022.

Monthly listening fell from 41 to 38 percent last year, while the weekly numbers from the research went from 28 to 26 percent. Note that in both instances, research suggests that the overall trend is still going up.

More insights into what happened may be gleaned by looking at research
which suggests where respondents were listening, and what devices they
used. During the first quarter of 2021, 64 percent were listening at home, while 14 percent did so in their cars. By the fourth quarter, those numbers
had changed to 57 percent at home and 20 percent in the car. 

When asked what devices they used, the results seem to tell the same story.
In the first quarter of  2021, 64 percent of respondents reported using a smartphone, while 20 percent used a desktop/laptop computer. By the end of
the year, 73 percent were using a smartphone, and just 13 percent used a computer.

According to Webster, many of those who dropped of the radar as far as
podcast use, were in the 12-34 demographic, those who went back to school
and work. That statement is borne out when monthly podcast listening is
broken out by age demographics. The data suggests a 6 percentage point drop
in 12-34. At the same time, 35 to 54 actually grew by four percentage
points, and 55+ remained neutral, returning to its pre-lockdown figure of
22 percent.
The Infinite Dial 2022 report. Graph detailing monthly listening over time, divided by age.

When the data is broken down into ethnicity of monthly podcast users,
Edisons data suggests that a predominately white audience consumed podcasts
in 2012, and over the ensuing ten years, the numbers have shifted to more closely approximate the makeup of the US population.
The Infinite Dial 2022 report. Graph detailing ethnicity of listeners over time.

Podcasting has clearly passed critical mass, and is becoming a part of big media. That said, there are still a large number of indie podcasters out
there. Wondery CEO Jen Sargent shared some of her tips for those
independents at the conclusion of The Infinite Dial 2022 presentation.

Dont be discouraged. As the data has shown, there are many opportunities
and underserved audiences. The 12-34 and 55+ demographics are low hanging fruit, but also consider kids and family and international outreach.

Understand the why. You should be able to answer these questions. Why would someone be willing to displace a podcast theyre already listening to in
order to tune in to yours? Why might they recommend your podcast to their friends? Answers to these questions will help to shape your content. 

Word of mouth promotion is still key, but remember that audio drives audio. Reach people through other podcasts. Be a guest on a friends podcast, and
have them appear on yours. Leverage your RSS feed. YouTube can be a great mechanism for promotion and discovery of your podcast, and can also be
another driver to your RSS feed.

[Read the first in this five-part series: “Survey Says Media Consumption Trends Upwards”]

The post Research Sees 2022 Podcast Weekly/Monthly Listening Decline
appeared first on Radio World.


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Exhibitor Preview: Tieline at NAB Show

Posted: 01 Apr 2022 02:00 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/exhibitor-preview-tieline-at-nab-show


Planning for the 2022 NAB Show is ramping up, and Radio World is asking exhibitors about their plans and expectations.

Doug Ferber is the Vice President of Sales for the Americas at
Tieline, which will be found in the new West Exhibition Hall of the Las
Vegas Convention Center.

Radio World: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trend that radio professionals should be watching for at the 2022 NAB Show?

Doug Ferber: The biggest trend remains to be the investment in home and
remote studios. Have you noticed that the shared workspace business now has
AV studios equipped with the usual audio/video equipment and some have
audio transport capabilities? As we projected at the start of the pandemic,
the probable permanence of remote broadcasting is necessitating the need
for better audio equipment away from the main studio location. Long way to
say that the wonky setups in 2020 began giving way to better, more sophisticated, higher quality audio equipment like Tieline. Next would be centralization. We are selling a ton of Gateway units to broadcasters that
want to consolidate studio operations.
Doug Ferber, Tielines VP of sales

RW: What will be your most important product news or exhibit theme?

Ferber: Since the last NAB convention we have launched the Gateway and
Gateway 4 codecs, so this is the debut for these multi award-winning codecs
at the show. Already they are extremely popular and have sold well for
STLs, networked audio distribution, and remote broadcasts. There is sure to
be plenty of interest in these codecs as well as the best remote codec in
the business – the ViA. Broadcasters continue to expand remote broadcast workflows throughout the U.S. and the ViA spearheads this with its
capability, flexibility, and reliability.

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

RW: If you are introducing a new product or feature, how is it different
from what’s available on the market?

Ferber: It’s no secret that Tieline believes in IP interoperability within the broadcast plant. Tieline recently added the RAVENNA protocol to Gateway
and Gateway 4 codecs and now we can announce native support for Livewire+
AoIP networking in both these codecs. This delivers seamless
interoperability with Livewire+ networks, which delivers simpler routing
and easier control of networked IP audio streams within Livewire
installations. Previously, interoperability with Livewire+ was only
available in AES67 compatibility mode. We also have plans to add full
support for Dante in coming months with an optional Dante card. No other
codec offers this level of flexibility and interoperability.

RW: How has the lack of physical trade shows for the past three years
affected your company’s clients or your own business?

Ferber: We absolutely miss seeing our customers “in the flesh”. While we have sold a lot of AoIP equipment during the pandemic, we are very
optimistic about the opportunity to demonstrate our products first hand
rather than on a Zoom call. Believe me, we did the best we could through virtual means, but we await the upcoming trade shows with bated breath and anxious anticipation. And this would be a good place to recognize that many
of us have lost clients and friends to Covid-19 and we look forward to reuniting with everyone at a trade show near you soon starting with the NAB.

Tieline booth: C1707

The post Exhibitor Preview: Tieline at NAB Show appeared first on Radio
World.


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Digigram Releases New Sound Cards

Posted: 31 Mar 2022 02:08 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/products/digigram-releases-new-sound-cards

Digigrams ALP222e (click to enlarge)

Digigram has two new sound cards, the ALP222e and ALP222e-Mic.

“The new ALP-X range comprises a series of digital and analog sound cards with improved features that will gradually roll out throughout 2022 to
replace the legacy Digigram VX sound cards,” the company announced.

ALP222e and ALP222e-Mic are the first two cards of the range to be released.

Director of Sales, Marketing and Communications Nancy Diaz Curiel said,
“Both cards will seamlessly integrate broadcast studios or automation
systems where high sound quality and robustness are key.”
Digigrams ALP222e-Mic (click to enlarge)

The company said the cards feature a slim form factor design and Windows
and Linux systems compatibility.

Other additions to the new range include analog and digital streaming at
the same time and an embedded mixer with drivers available from the
Digigram website.

The cards will be available this month via Digigram distributors.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

The post Digigram Releases New Sound Cards appeared first on Radio World.


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Rosenworcel Seeks Receiver Improvements

Posted: 31 Mar 2022 12:24 PM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/rosenworcel-seeks-receiver-improvements


Spectrum management will be on the agenda when the FCC meets in April.
The NTIA’s U.S. Frequency Allocation Chart. (Click the image for info on
how to obtain one.)

“In the past, the FCC’s discussions of spectrum efficiency have been a one-way effort, focusing almost exclusively on transmitters,” Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in a preview.

“I’m proposing that the commission take a fresh look at how receiver improvements could provide greater opportunities for efficient use of spectrum. If approved, this inquiry would explore how to promote these improvements through incentives, guidelines or regulatory requirements.”

Rosenworcel said she would also seek comment on legal authority and market-based mechanisms that “could help create a more transparent and predictable radiofrequency environment for all spectrum users.”

She said Commissioner Nathan Simington has been active on this issue.

[Read our profile of Commissioner Simington]

Rosenworcel gave a speech at Mobile World Congress a few weeks ago in which she said she wants to promote more efficient use of spectrum by exploring receiver performance and standards.  

“Minimally performing receivers can make it more difficult to introduce new services in the same or nearby frequencies,” she said then. “They can diminish broader opportunities with radiofrequency and put constraints on
what is possible in the new wireless world.”

At its April meeting, the commission will also consider a proposal to
require better reporting on the reliability, speed and accuracy of Wireless Emergency Alerts and seek comment on further improvements to WEA.  

“When it comes to public safety, Wireless Emergency Alerts have been a game-changer, harnessing the power of mobile phones to help us receive targeted, real-time information about imminent threats,” Rosenworcel wrote, noting that April marks 10 years since the first WEA was sent.

She wants to make sure the tool “is even more effective in the future.”

The post Rosenworcel Seeks Receiver Improvements appeared first on Radio
World.


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Check Out This Crazy Video About Neural TTS

Posted: 31 Mar 2022 10:56 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/from-the-editor/check-out-this-crazy-video-about-neural-tts


If you’re like me, you find the developments in artificial voice
technologies to be both fascinating and unsettling. 

Unsettling because of what those developments might mean not only for
people who work in radio and voice professions, but for security and transparency across our culture.

The video you can watch below is a sophisticated sales pitch for
Microsoft’s Azure Speech SDK. It is targeted to the gaming community. But I bet if you work in radio, voiceovers, IT or general technology fields
you’ll find it intriguing for the look it offers at how the tech behind today’s text to speech, or TTS, systems have evolved. 

Deb Adeogba, the host, is senior program manager at Microsoft AI Cognitive Services. 

(Radio World contributor Dan Slentz shared this video with me. When he was director of engineering at KOB(TV) in Albuquerque, Adeogba was production manager; he saw her obvious talent and brought her over to the IT and engineering side of that operation, and he has followed her career.)

The video is lengthy, but I couldn’t stop watching. Hope you enjoy it too. Let me know.

[Read more Radio World coverage of artificial intelligence in broadcasting
and voice.] 



The post Check Out This Crazy Video About Neural TTS appeared first on
Radio World.


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NAB Panel to Explore Hybrid Station Operations

Posted: 31 Mar 2022 09:34 AM PDT https://www.radioworld.com/show-news/nab-show/nab-panel-to-explore-hybrid-station-operations


Radio World Editor in Chief Paul McLane will moderate a panel discussion
about hybrid station operations at the NAB Show.

“We see it in our industry coverage every day: Radio enterprises have made permanent changes to workflows since the pandemic hit,” said McLane. “Many of these changes were happening anyway, but COVID compressed the process dramatically. And much of what was created ‘ad hoc’ is now standard procedure.”

Tech experts from three leading broadcast organizations will talk about
what has happened since the start of the pandemic and where they see things going for facility designs and workflow patterns. Also what “interim” measures are now “best practices” and how differently we view facilities than we once did.

The guests are Sarah Foss, chief technology officer of Audacy; Lamar Smith,
VP of engineering for Beasley Media Group; and George Molnar and Brian
Oliger, who are respectively the senior director of technology and the technology manager of WTOP News and Federal News Network in Washington.
A view inside WTOP’s traffic center. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

The session is “2022 and Beyond — Hybrid Station Operations” on Tuesday April 26 at 11:45 a.m. It is part of the NAB Show Conference Pass.

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

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Radio World.

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