Planning for the 2025 NAB Show is ramping up, and Radio World is asking exhibitors about their plans and expectations.
Christophe Poulain is co-president of WorldCast Systems.
Radio World: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trend(s) that radio professionals should be watching for at the 2025 NAB Show?
Christophe Poulain: Broadcasters today face significant financial pressures, making upfront and operational costs critical factors in their technology decisions.
For example, radios that need to simultaneously support the costs of broadcasting analog FM alongside digital broadcasting standards such as DAB and HD Radio do not, unfortunately, benefit from proportional audience growth and advertising revenue.
As a result, broadcasters are increasingly turning towards versatile and scalable software-based solutions rather than traditional hardware.
Virtualized solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings provide the flexibility, quick deployment and substantial cost reductions that radio operators need today.
Additionally, the growing role of artificial intelligence presents exciting opportunities for improving operational efficiencies, enhancing audience engagement and even reshaping content creation strategies.
RW: Your company is active in the transmission and AoIP sectors. Briefly, what’s happening within those sectors that readers should know about?
Poulain: At WorldCast Systems, we’re actively transitioning from traditional, rack-mounted hardware to virtual and software-rich solutions. This shift significantly reduces installation complexity, operational expenses and frees up valuable space in broadcasting facilities.
Another important trend is the growing adoption of MPX-over-IP technology. This enables radio operators to greatly simplify their transmission chains. Instead of deploying hardware codecs at both studio and transmitter sites, broadcasters can now leverage cost-effective studio-based software solutions like our Virtual APT IP Codec, paired seamlessly with an Ecreso AiO Series transmitter equipped with built-in decoding capability. This streamlined approach significantly improves reliability, reduces latency and cuts overall costs.
RW: What will be your own most important product news or exhibit topic?
Poulain: At NAB Show 2025, we’re excited to highlight three major product updates:
- APTmpX v2: Our latest version introduces advanced RDS transport capabilities, both as synchronized data and as an integrated 57 kHz RDS subcarrier, optimizing MPX-over-IP workflows.
- Ecreso AiO Series v3.3.2: This update enhances synchronization capabilities and introduces built-in GPS functionality, making it perfect for Single Frequency Network (SFN) deployments, significantly boosting transmission precision and reliability.
- Audemat MC6 v1.2: Our comprehensive Test & Measurement platform for FM and DAB now includes improved laboratory-grade signal generators, advanced signal analysis, and audio testing features. This ensures broadcasters and regulators achieve unmatched accuracy and compliance in broadcast measurements.
RW: If you are introducing a new product or feature, how is it different from what’s available on the market?
Poulain: Take our APTmpX v2, for example. APTmpX v2 uniquely combines low-bitrate (300, 400, 600kb/s) efficiency with unmatched transparency and fully-integrated RDS functionality. It guarantees superior audio fidelity, the lowest MPX latency in the market and robust MPX IP transmission.
Compatible with leading third-party software sound processors, it is easy to install on Windows platforms and ensures seamless integration into existing studio infrastructures. It is in line with the software-leaning trend as well as the shift to MPX workflows.
Similarly, our Ecreso AiO Series uniquely combines WorldCast’s expertise across its Ecreso, APT and Audemat brands, resulting in a powerful, software-rich FM transmitter with a built-in decoder, a 5-band sound processor, full RDS and SmartFM. It perfectly aligns with broadcasters’ demands for solutions that are easy to operate, simple to maintain and cost-effective — directly reducing operational expenses.
