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Editorial: Don’t Wait for the Future
In Support of an FM Digital Power Hike
7.02.2008
Radio must make the transition to a digital service, and at current power levels consumer acceptance may be too slow to retain the majority of our current audience in the face of competition.
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Radio 2020: Ill-Conceived and Doomed to Fail
Glenda Shrader Bos Says the Campaign Might Actually Do More Harm Than Good
by Glenda Shrader Bos, 7.02.2008
Rather than reignite the medium and make a strong case for radio’s continuing relevancy, the campaign reinforces the negative stereotypes of radio that put us in this hole in the first place.
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Merger: Bad Idea, Then and Now
by Paul McLane, 7.02.2008
If a merger proceeds, maybe commercial radio groups should seek an immediate dramatic easing if not elimination of U.S. commercial ownership caps in each market. It’s no less ridiculous than this merger.
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Opinion: Compatibility Begins at Home
2.01.2006
Surround-sound broadcasting has been a hot topic for both terrestrial and satellite radio. As with any enhancement to an existing broadcast format, backward compatibility is a must. The systems proposed or in use for surround radio adhere to this requirement, delivering surround audio to properly equipped new receivers, without compromising existing mono or stereo reception on existing devices.
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Commentary: APT Has Its Own Take on Surround
Enhanced apt-X Is Suitable for Surround, Regardless of Format
by Jon McClintock, 12.07.2005
In recent years, 5.1 surround sound has become the accepted mode for audio in the film, television and music industries, as opposed to the simple, two-channel stereo approach. Consumer demand has largely driven this increase in audio channels, with most households now owning a DVD player complete with a 5.1 speaker configuration.
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Rehr’s Remarks to the Conclave
7.02.2008
Never before have we faced as many challenges in the legislative and regulatory environment. Never before have consumers had more options for their entertainment, news and information.
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Are You an ‘Eligible Entity’?
Rather Than Prefer Only Minorities and Women, FCC Will Favor Small Businesses & New Entrants
by Harry Cole, 5.21.2008
The new rules have not taken effect as of this writing, but they are all likely to be in place later this year.
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Keeping Tabs: Public File 101
My Real-World Advice on What to Keep and What to Toss, and When
by Chuck Bullett, 4.23.2008
If keeping a historical archive is important to you, I recommend establishing a separate archive altogether for such material, or even enlisting a representative of your local historical society to take charge of such material for you.
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Training, Online and on Demand
SBE’s Education Committee Plans a Program of Reasonably Priced Online Courses for Engineers
by W.C. Alexander, 5.21.2008
When many of us in the senior ranks of broadcast engineering got into the business, a number of schools did offer broadcast engineering specific curricula.
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Today’s Best Reads and Some Great Oldies
by Timothy Kimble, 2.13.2008
In a query of engineers, several familiar, cherished titles came up again and again. But we also received surprising and astute recommendations for any CE who has a staff to manage as well as facilities to maintain.
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LP Gas Generators for Standby Power
Is LP Gas the Answer for Your Facility’s Standby Power Questions?
by Paul Kaminski, 11.07.2007
The same liquified petroleum gas that cooks a steak in the back yard might save your bacon when powering your plant’s standby generator.
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Ouch! Radio Hunkers Down
Industry Simultaneously Faces Many Challenges and Declining Revenues
by Guy Wire, 4.09.2008
Station employees everywhere know these are tough times for radio.
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Guy’s 2008 Forecast (and Surprises)
Our Visionary Cowboy Test-Drives a Sync-Equipped Ford and Makes Bold Predictions
by Guy Wire, 2.12.2008
Making room for a new calendar as I did in January prompts a look back on how our industry grappled with the past year’s challenges and what’s likely to occur moving into the new year.
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Battle for the Band: AM IBOC Under Siege
Nighttime Hash Complaints Slow Deployment & Operation of HD on AM Band, Raise Doubts About Success
by Guy Wire, 12.12.2007
The interference fallout of full-time AM HD operations has been scattered and largely anecdotal. According to reports in RW, only one formal complaint has been filed as of this writing. By the time you read this, there likely will be others.
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Guy Wire Letters
Guy Wire is the pseudonym of a veteran engineer who prefers to remain anonymous. He welcomes your comments and questions. E-mail him at: gwire@imaspub.com.
2.15.2007
Readers' comments include:
- The Problems Are Real
- If They Come, Someone Will Build It
- Internet Radio in the Car: More Than a Test Drive?
- HD Radio Antenna Question
- You're Living a Pipe Dream
- "A Wager for Guy"
- "HD Radio and Small Daytimers"
- "NAB2006 Abuzz Over IP, HD Rollout"
- "Concern Over Satellite Growth"
- "Guy’s Split Personality".
- "Thanks for a thoughtful analysis"
- "Radio Makes Room for WiMax"
- "HD Radio"
- "Let’s Have AM Improvement With Clout"
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How Far Does the Digital Go?
NPR Labs Seeks Answers About the Difference in Coverage Between FM IBOC and Analog
by Leslie Stimson, 7.02.2008
Public radio wants to know how far its digital signals are going, and how susceptible to interference neighboring analog stations are.
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What’s Happening With DRM in the U.S.?
Messer Says Various Organizations Are Exploring Local and Wider Uses for the System in This Country
by Jeff White, 7.02.2008
There are two major elements involved in domestic DRM broadcasting in the United States. One is getting the FCC to approve domestic shortwave broadcasting, which is not permitted currently.
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Can DRM Work in High Latitudes?
Proposed Tests in Alaska, to Be Funded by the Defense Department, Generate Curiosity
by Leslie Stimson, 7.02.2008
Could the results lead to a new kind of regional radio service in which U.S. broadcasters could use shortwave to reach listeners within the United States?
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Yamaha Hits New ‘Low’ With Pocketrak 2G — And That’s a Good Thing
Flash Recorder Offers Big Sound, Long Record Time, USB 2.0 and Rechargeable Battery in 1.7 Ounce Package
by Frank Beacham, 7.02.2008
This is a $350 game-changer for radio reporters looking for not only the ultimate in size and portability, but a full-featured, well-built general purpose audio recorder.
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AT2020 USB: Bid Your Preamp, Mixer Adieu
Latency Issues Aside, This USB Mic Helps Streamline Recordings, Reclaim Desktop Space
by Ty Ford, 6.04.2008
The AT2020 USB mic will be an instant hit for anyone looking to reclaim desktop space normally occupied by a mixer.
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Audition 3.0: Digital Audio Band-Aid
Editing Software Adds Tools to Clean Clips, Remove Disturbances, Leaving Audio Unaffected
by Read G. Burgan, 5.07.2008
Beginning with Audition 1.5, Adobe has brought its experience with photo software to the original Cool Edit program. It has done this by adding a “spectral” view.
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A Voice Across the Pacific: KWID & KWIX
FDR Sought to Throw America’s Voice Westward
by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, 4.23.2008
It was August 1941, just a few months before the tragic events now known worldwide as Pearl Harbor.
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Last of VOA’s Wartime Transmitting Stations Goes Dark
How International Broadcasting Found Its Way to Delano
by James E. O'Neal, 3.01.2008
For the first time in nearly 63 years, the station is now strangely quiet. Save for an occasional lizard or cotton tail, the parking lot is vacant.
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Will the EAS House Be Put in Order?
Questions Persist About Funding and Timing of a Next-Generation System
by Randy J. Stine, 7.02.2008
Moving too slowly for some but not wanting to rush, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials believe the process to develop the next generation of the Emergency Alert System is on track.
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Radio NRI Serves Asian Indians
Technology Entrepreneur Sees Big Potential Market — and a Multicast Syndication Opportunity
by Ken Deutsch, 6.18.2008
This population is growing about 100 percent every 10 years, 10 times the national average according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But it’s the qualitative statistics that are more interesting.
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SBE Hands Off NFL Coordination
The Society and the Football League Will Alter Their Frequency Coordination Arrangement
by Randy J. Stine, 6.18.2008
The change will benefit the profession and still allow SBE to be affiliated with the league, critics say.
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Collins 20V Was a Joy to Maintain
Compared to Other 1 kW Transmitters, These Might Have Been Overbuilt But They Were Great to Operate
by Charles S. Fitch, 5.21.2008
My first job out of the army in May 1970 was as chief engineer of a small 1,000 watt full-timer in Hilo, Hawaii.
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Radio Has a Special Place in the Car
Cruising and Playing the Radio ... With No Particular Place to Go
by Charles S. Fitch, 2.01.2008
In a moment of insanity, your brother has loaned you his ‘61 Impala 409 pearlescent red convertible.
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The General Electric Phasitron FM Transmitter
A Legendary FM Modulator Tube Helped This Fledgling Medium Out of the Nest
by Charles S. Fitch, 10.24.2007
In the early 1950s, many saw the emergence of FM on a new band (88–108 MHz) as a waste of time and money. Only a few visionaries, people who were ready to try different paths, create new audiences and serve new needs, succeeded with FM.
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Survival in a More Competitive World
Radio May Have Gotten a Little Flabby Lately, But It’s Not Dead Yet
by Skip Pizzi, 7.02.2008
But it is worthwhile to consider how the medium might fare in a new digital world. In fact, as my industry colleague Glynn Walden has recently pointed out, after Feb. 19, 2009, radio will be the sole remaining analog mass medium in the United States.
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Can Radio Shed Its Lead Boots?
The Radio Industry’s Business Position Needs Some Help
by Skip Pizzi, 6.18.2008
Clearly if the industry is to survive in the corporate marketplace, it needs to reverse these trends; and the sooner the better. This is especially true at the station level, where the problem seems most acute.
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2020: The Biggest Loser vs. Tiny Tim
If Recent Trends Persist, Terrestrial Radio Certainly Faces a Difficult Future
by Skip Pizzi, 6.04.2008
In a sad irony, there was a time when this particular new year had been touted as a target for reinvigoration of the medium.
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On the Street Where You Live
A Proposal for a Better Way to Navigate the Show Floor — and Salute Inventors Too
by Steve Lampen, 3.26.2008
I have a great idea. And this idea, as most great ideas, comes from frustration.
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I’m the Man Who Found the Lost Cord
by Steve Lampen, 9.26.2007
Of course, it should be the lost “chord” but I wrote the lost “cord,” as we’ve been talking about power cords. We’ve talked about gage size, current draw, even the melting temperature of the jacket.
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Power Cords ... With a Guitar
Let’s Talk About What You Can Do With Them
by Steve Lampen, 8.15.2007
Power cords are ubiquitous, so even if a guitar doesn’t don’t have one, a guitar amp certainly does.
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A DVR Sentry Watches Your Site
Also: TinyCAD is an open-source schematic capture program for Windows, available for free from Source Forge.
by John Bisset, 7.02.2008
Should something suspicious take place, the video cameras can be accessed remotely and in real time.
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Pollen Chokes a Transmitter Site
And a Tip to Snake Cable Through Conduit That Involves Fishing Line, a Small Rag and a Shop Vacuum
by John Bisset, 6.18.2008
The screens kept most of this gunk out of his transmitters. Pleated filters on the transmitters also work overtime in such conditions.
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Opportunities for Mobile Devices Abound
SFF Devices Still Have a Long Way to Go, Intel’s Kevin Kahn Tells Super Session
by Thomas R. McGinley, 5.21.2008
Everyone wants their media mobile nowadays, anywhere and anytime.
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10 Tips to a Faster, Healthier Computer
Regular Tasks to Help Assure Your PC’s Well-Being
by Larry Foltran, 4.23.2008
If you already take these steps, the list may be helpful to save for a user/colleague.
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WGBH to Open ‘Studio’ in ‘Second Life’
Station Does a Little Virtual Anthropology With the Help of a CPB Grant
by James Careless, 3.26.2008
By purchasing “land” in Second Life and building a concert hall, the station is creating a destination for Second Life gamers.
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Where Are the Oldest Tower Sites?
Some Are Abandoned, Others Not, But All Provide a Door to History
by Scott Fybush, 8.15.2007
But when Editor in Chief Paul McLane asked me to write about some of the more unusual and distinctive sites I’ve seen in my travels, my thoughts turned to some of the oldest radio artifacts still out there in the field.
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Art Deco Radio in Northeast Ohio
Our Intrepid Traveler Visits Akron, Canton and Youngstown
by Scott Fybush, 2.01.2007
Where can you find a 12-tower directional AM antenna system, not one but two classic Art Deco studio buildings, the closest co-channel AM stations in the country and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all within an hour's drive or so?
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History Is Alive and Well in Milwaukee
In the inaugural installment of "Travels With Scott" (RW April 12, and archived at RW Online), I explored some of the fabulous sites that the Los Angeles radio market has to offer.
by Scott Fybush, 8.16.2006
In the inaugural installment of "Travels With Scott" (RW April 12,
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FM HD-R Implementation Options Abound
Signal Combining Choices Grow as HD-R + FM Power Efficiency Improves
by W.C. Alexander, 4.09.2008
While people may tell you that one option is “best,” the truth is that the most suitable option for your site is only determined by careful analysis of the situation.
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HD-R Processing Trickier Than Analog
In an ideal world, the HD Radio audio path would not be processed at all.
by W.C. Alexander, 5.09.2007
HD Radio audio processing has a lot in common with conventional broadcast air processing, but the HD path processing does depart considerably.
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Prepare Your STL Path for HD-R
Will Your Existing STL Work When You Convert to HD Radio?
by W.C. Alexander, 2.14.2007
For a lot of stations, STL and AES issues are major considerations in the HD Radio conversion process.
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At RFA, Putting R-Boss to Work
by Tom Vernon, 9.25.2002
The Technical Staff at Radio Free Asia Spearheads an Open-Source Approach That Can Help Your Station - for Free
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XM Radio's Music Is Massive
by Craig Johnston, 9.01.2002
While much of the wonder over satellite radio focused on orbiting transmitters and how 100 channels can be received by moving vehicles, big hurdles also had to be crossed down here on the ground.
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FASTROAD: Life in the Fast Lane
5.09.2007
The NAB recently announced formation of a technology advocacy program called FASTROAD, which, if nothing else, could be a finalist in a competition for acronym design: Flexible Advanced Services for Television and Radio On All Devices.
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Code Creation for Web Automation
by Rich Rarey, 4.11.2001
In the most recent Public Domain column, in the Feb. 14 issue, we created the rules AudioLocker would follow when playing audio files in a group. If we followed a formal software lifetime model, creating those rules would give us our "concept" and "requirements" phases.
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Close-In AM Field Intensity Measurements
by W.C. Alexander, 3.16.2005
In the March 2 issue, author Buc Fitch discussed field intensity measurement methodology. Here, Cris Alexander expands on Fitch's discussion of ND surveys.
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Antenna Tests and OEM Practices
by Richard Fry, 3.01.2002
How can you get the most out of your FM antenna system? To provide some insight into this subject, three prominent broadcast consulting firms were asked to respond to 15 topics about FM antenna performance.
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Should I Climb That Live AM Tower?
Is It Safe to Climb AM Radio Towers While the Station Is on the Air?
by Richard Strickland, 1.16.2008
If the power into the base of the antenna exceeds 500 Watts, nobody should be allowed to climb the tower. If the power is 200 Watts or less, it is generally safe.
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What’s the Deal With Exposure Limits?
Understand FCC Regulations and Who May Be Exposed to RF Field Levels That Exceed the Public MPE Limits
by Richard Strickland, 12.05.2007
This is the fourth in a series of Q&As with Richard Strickland about RF safety; the series is archived at radioworld.com.
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RFR Fines Can Burn You
Know the Rules or Pay the Costs
by Richard Strickland, 11.07.2007
The FCC started out by using $10,000 for virtually all RF radiation related fines, and all of the NALs (Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture) were directed at individual licensees.
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Digital Network Lets Reporters Phone It In
Cellphones Coupled With Audio Interfaces, Bluetooth Ease Newsgathering, Field Reports for Journalists
by Paul Kaminski, 6.04.2008
This design allows radio reporters to do “live shots” with a professional-quality XLR-connected microphone or send nominal line (–10 dB) level audio over the cell connection.
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Case Study: How Do You Lug Your Gear?
The First in a Series About Radio Electronic Newsgathering Tips, Tricks and Trends
by Paul Kaminski, 1.16.2008
If like me you have been in the business for a few years and you’ve made more than your share of mistakes or missed the “money quote” because you didn’t have a backup item, you tend to bring everything you could possibly need in the field to an assignment — but likely won’t.
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The Globe Gets Greener
How Is WTGB’s Environmental Effort Going?
by Randy J. Stine, 5.07.2008
They say they are living what they preach by operating a more eco-friendly radio facility.
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Radio Catskill Benefits From Micropower
By a Dam Site, WJFF Calls Itself the Nation’s Only Hydro-Powered Station
by Tom Vernon, 4.09.2008
The story of hydro power in the Catskills, however, begins long before the advent of the radio station.
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So, You Think You Know the Decibel ...
by Charles S. “Buc” Fitch, 6.11.2008
One of my most learned mentors advised me to think that life is linear but nature is logarithmic; and he is right.
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Determining Tx Final Stage Efficiency Factors
by Charles S. “Buc” Fitch, 4.16.2008
Final stage efficiency values are most often used in “indirect output power determinations” to validate that the transmitter is producing the correct power output to achieve the licensed radiated power.
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Are You Ready for the SBE Exam?
A New Series of Questions to Help You Prepare for Your Next Certification
by Charles S. “Buc” Fitch, 2.20.2008
Although similar in style and content to actual exam questions, our examples are not from past exams nor will they be on any future exams in this exact form; they are intended to help you prepare.
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