This Week In Radio Tech (TWiRT)

Sam Woo owns a media content and consulting company, Primetime Radio. He collaborated with former TWiRT co-host, the late Chris Tobin, on technical improvements and logistics for producing the “Let’s Go Devils Podcast” as well as corporate events and more. Sam joins us to talk about his collaborations with Chris Tobin, and to show us the “Menlo” that Chris Tobin often used for his appearances on TWiRT. Since Chris Tobin’s passing, Kirk Harnack has been hosting TWiRT solo for the past year. Kirk recently invited an engineer familiar to many of us, Chris Tarr, to rejoin TWiRT as a regular co-host. To our delight, Chris Tarr has accepted the invitation and will be on TWiRT regularly! Chris Tarr also joins us on this episode to fill us in on highlights of his engineering work in 2021.Show notes:* Chris Tarr mentioned LUCI software for live remote broadcasts* Sam Woo produces the Let's Go Devils Podcast* The Let’s Go Devils Podcast get rather rowdy. See this video and watch for Chris Tobin and Sam Woo in the video.GuestsChris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.MediaSam Woo - Founder and CEO at Primetime RadioHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

A few AM station owners have turned their licenses back into the FCC, giving up on their AM radio business. Many other AM station owners, however, are looking for ways to profit from their AM transmitter site property, or to reduce transmission site costs. Co-locating with land mobile and cellular towers using an inexpensive slant-wire feed for the AM station may be a solution for some AM station owners. There are other financial mitigations as well. Benjamin Dawson and Stephen Lockwood from Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers join us to discuss the possibilities.* “Collocating AM Transmitter Facilities With Cellular Monopole Towers“ - Radio World* “Optimization of Shared-Frequency AM Antenna Systems Using Synergistic Filter Design” - Ronald D. Rackley, PE* Deferred Maintenance and Its Effects on Future Costs - Ben Dawson* Revisiting Medium Wave Ground System Requirements - Ben Dawson & Stephen Lockwood* We talked about Maxwell’s equations (from Wikipedia)* Crane Arc from AM Station RF (video clip)GuestsBenjamin F. Dawson, III, PE - Consulting Engineer, Hatfield & DawsonStephen S. Lockwood, PE - President/Senior Electrical Engineer, Hatfield & DawsonHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support.

Is the Mayor of Verona, NJ, doing the engineering work at the top stations in New York City? Or, is the CTO at those top-rated stations moonlighting as a New Jersey township mayor? Either way, you’re right. Alex Roman leads a staff of engineers and IT pros at WQHT-FM and WBLS-FM in New York City. He says that “radio IT” is the same as “regular IT”, and we all need to work with that notion. Alex reveals other insights and techniques for broadcast engineering, remote workers, and lots of outside broadcasts on this episode of TWiRT.Show notes:* HOT97’s YouTube channel showing much of their video production* Alex mentioned E2X transport for HD Radio channels over IP* Ha! We talked about the Blue Yeti on this week’s show, too!GuestAlex Roman - Chief Technology Officer at MediaCo New York City Radio & Mayor, Verona, NJHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

A real pioneer in deploying digital audio sources, infrastructure, and transmission in the UK - and even worldwide, Quentin Howard is our guest on this fascinating episode of TWiRT.  Already a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Quentin was further honored as a Fellow of the Radio Academy in November, 2021. We’re discussing the first uses of Compact Disc digital audio in the UK, as well as the UK’s first use of audio processing on FM broadcasts in the 1980s. DAB rollout and the subsequent DAB+ ratification and rollout are also among our topics. We round the show out with what may be the perfect radio format for many TWiRT fans - Boom Radio!Show notes:* Boom Radio - Direct AAC stream link - Direct MP3 stream link* RODE NT-USB* Blue Yeti* Inovonics 250 FM audio processor* David Lloyd - Boom Radio presenter* Quentin mentioned he likes to evaluate audio quality with Mozart’s Piano Concerto 21* DAB and DAB+ in the UK (Wikipedia article)GuestQuentin Howard, F.I.E.T. - Radio and TV Media Executive, Technologist and ConsutantHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at

Vacations are important - for our well-being, sanity, restfulness, and more. But Shane Toven just can’t stop thinking and talking about broadcast engineering and the technologies that attend it! From the enormous cruise ship, “Majestic Princess,” Shane joins us via SES satellite link using their O3b Networks technology. So, what do you talk about with a man on vacation? Food? Ports of call? Tracking tags? Tower sites? Staying connected to work? Satellite data transport technology? Yes!Show notes:* O3b Networks (Wikipedia) - Global coverage Internet access from medium earth orbit satellites* O3b mPOWER web site from SES* O3b mPOWER site explaining rationale for medium earth orbit coverage* “SES” is an acronym for Société Européenne des Satellites* Live map of the Majestic Princess* Another live map of maritime traffic along the West Coast of Mexico* Article about wearable RFID tags for cruise passengers and moreGuestShane Toven - Senior Broadcast Engineer at Educational Media FoundationHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.

Many broadcast engineers have implemented "structured wiring" within their facilities. Some, like TWiRT host, Kirk Harnack, haven’t really jumped into the best practices yet. Ed Bukont, owner of E2 Technical Services, both consults and integrates facilities. His vast experience with structured wiring in broadcast plants makes for solid information that we engineers need to know. And, he's got Kirk convinced to "do it right" on his next project.Show notes:* E2 Technical Services* Nice structured wiring catalog from CableToGo (PDF)* Ed mentioned “Top of Rack” cabling - here’s info on cabling approaches* TIA568B pinout standard* TruCable offers instruction on many structured wiring and cable topics* Video playlist covering structured wiring in a commercial setting* CableSupply.com has good videos on every aspect of structured wiringGuestEd Bukont - E2 Technical ServicesHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.

Necessity may be the "mother of invention", but Gordon Carter never thought necessity alone was good enough. As Chief Engineer at classical station, WFMT in Chicago, Gordon's broadcast audio systems had to sound impeccably great, yet withstand the rigors of 24/7/365 broadcasting in America's 3rd largest radio market, Chicago. Let’s learn together from Gordon’s pursuit of audio excellence in FM broadcasting.Show notes:* WFMT’s Notable Technological Achievements* Gordon Carter’s web site - gcarter.us* Gordon Carter’s published works* Apt Holman phono preamplifier - review* Gordon mentioned Siliconix CMOS analog switches (PDF)GuestGordon Carter - Retired Director of Engineering at WFMTHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

In our radio broadcasting world 100% modulation (or more?) has been the goal for decades. However, we now find ourselves entering a new paradigm where consistency and quality eclipse loudness as an audio level objective. What do units of audio loudness mean? If 0 dB isn’t the goal, then what is? -16 LKFS? John Kean is a leading expert on perceived audio loudness, plus he’s a prominent broadcast engineer. Let’s hear from John and understand what this world of audio loudness sounds like and find out why it’s changing.Show notes:* AES Technical Document AESTD1008.1.21-9* BS-1770: Algorithms to measure audio programme loudness and true-peak audio level* Dolby: Guide to Loudness in Media* More information on BS-1770 loudness measurement from Meterplugs.com* ProTools: AES Update Loudness Recommendations For Audio Only StreamingGuestsJohn Kean - Kean Consultants, LLCHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless ...

Common Alerting Protocol. Doesn't sound exciting, but what it's doing for people in many countries is sometimes life-saving. We might think of CAP as a new-ish way to receive emergency messages, such as Child Abduction Emergency notification. Or we may consider CAP as just another input source to our broadcast EAS systems. There’s a lot more to CAP than this, however. Interestingly, the USA and Canada are using CAP a bit differently. Rob Hopkins from OpenBroadcaster in Canada, and Vincent Maggard, a software developer, join Kirk Harnack to explore and explain what CAP really is and how it’s used.Show notes:* Emergency Alert Broadcast Automation from OpenBroadcaster* Common Alerting Central on GitHub* 2021 Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Implementation Workshop InfoGuestsRob Hopkins - Radio Enthusiast at OpenBroadcasterVincent Maggard - Chief Executive Officer at SEKYVP, LLCHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in

Many radio engineers are talking about “cloud” and “cloudified” broadcast infrastructure, and inroads are being made right now. One group of broadcast technologists and developers is now running over 100 radio stations in Germany, fully with cloud-based infrastructure. Radio.cloud is designed to supply a backbone of audio programming from data centers, with local customization for each market. Some of that customization is done with Artificial Intelligence, or “AI”. Christian Brenner, Jim Hammond, and Tony Lorino join us, each with a different perspective on Radio.cloud’s technology and capabilities.Show notes:* radio.cloud - Home Page* Throwback Nation RadioGuestsChristian Brenner - Managing Director / CINO (Chief Innovation Officer)Tony Lorino - CEO at Throwback BrandsJim Hammond - CSO at Radio.cloudHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

"Shane has turned off the 'Fasten Seatbelt" sign; you are now free to move about the country." Probably the best way to become an expert in anything is to work your craft in different places. Shane Toven is Senior Broadcast Engineer at Educational Media Foundation K-LOVE & Air1 Media Networks. We can each learn from his recent engineering exploits!Show notes:* Snapmaker 3-in-1 3D Printer* Radio DNS - Hybrid Radio - Broadcast+Internet* Crown Broadcast RFBA Triple EAS Tuner* TinkerCAD - Free online 3d modelingGuestShane Toven - Senior Broadcast Engineer at Educational Media FoundationHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

How did you get started in broadcast engineering? Through Amateur Radio? Building a Heathkit? Perhaps an electronics chapter in high school science? Let’s turn the page to today’s inspiration and learning opportunities. Sean McMahon is a Robotics Team Head Coach, while Bill Bennet is a "Recovering Broadcast Engineer". We're looking into STEM / STEAM programs where the next generation of media engineers will come from. Show notes:* First Inspires - A Global Robotics Community Preparing Young People for the FutureGuestsSean McMahon - Robotics Team Head CoachBill Bennett - “Recovering Broadcast Engineer” & Robotics MentorHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Jim Addie has had a career in broadcasting that spans 45 years. With engineering positions at notable stations like WFMT, WGN, and WJMK (CBS/Infinity), Jim and his top-shelf engineering colleagues designed and built some impressive custom equipment for critical broadcast audio. Jim Addie joins us on TWiRT to share some delightful and amazing radio engineering stories.Show notes:* AddieTech - Jim Addie’s Engineering & Consulting Services* Room EQ Wizard - free audio analysis software* FMX - FM stereo noise reduction* Knight-Kit - web site for information on the classic electronic Knight Kits* Jim’s spouse, Jo Addie, worked on the 1979 movie, “Somewhere In Time” with the late Christpher Reeve. This website is all about that movie.GuestJim Addie - Radio & Audio Engineer / ConsultantHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in

Most of us in radio wax nostalgic about how radio was early in our careers. Todd Edwards waxes poetic about the analog radio automation systems he worked with at the end of the 1970s and into the 1980s. Names like SMC, Scully, Ampex, Otari, ITC, and Drake-Chenault are peppered throughout our conversation and tour on this week's episode. Todd recalls his first bloody automation injury and describes using a station's automation system as his excuse to go on the air live.Show notes:* Online web station, TRIK FM* Online web station, Frontier Country Online* Otari ARS 1000 (information brochure)* SMC Carousel (brochure)* Drake-Chenault (information web site)* Auditronics 210 audio console (BGS catalog page)GuestTodd Edwards - Analog EnthusiastHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in

Some of the most useful and helpful broadcast equipment we’ve ever used is designed and built by a company named “Inovonics”. Founded by Jim Wood, the President and CEO now is Ben Barber. An experienced broadcast engineer himself, Ben joins us with terrific tales of his early days with Inovonics, and the backstories on several key pieces of gear that most of us engineers have used!Show notes:* Inovonics - Company History* Inovonics online live demo centerGuestBen Barber - President / CEO of Inovonics Inc.HostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

George Whittam is one of the foremost engineers building home studios for radio, TV, and Hollywood voice-over talent. Many of his clients were doing some work in their home studios prior to the COVID pandemic. However, the lockdowns of the past 18 months - particularly in California - have made it absolutely necessary for the quality of home studios to rival that of commercial facilities. This is where George’s expertise has been proven time and time again. "Home Studio Perfection" is what we're discussing on today's "This Week in Radio Tech"!Show notes:* GeorgeThe.Tech - Voiceover and Podcasting Tech Support and Studio Design* Voice Over Body Shop - The Best Shop Talk on Voice Over* TriBooth - Portable Studio For Recording* MICPORT PRO - Mic Preamp + USB Audio Interface* Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Mic Preamp & USB Audio Interface* Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun mic* R0DE NTG5 shotgun mic* R0DECaster Pro integrated podcast production consoleGuestGeorge Whittam - Founder at Georgethe.Tech audio consultancyHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at

It’s been well over 20 years since some radio stations began streaming their audio on the Internet. And these days, most stations do have a streaming presence. But, is that enough with so much competition? Is there more in terms of convenience and utility that we broadcasters can provide to our listeners? Ed Martinez, Robert Minnix, and David Bialik sure think so - and hundreds of radio stations agree. From automatic content archiving to instant rewind and even “access control” using tokenized streaming, we’re talking about the next generation of streaming features.Show notes:* Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) - an open source media transport protocol* HLS - HTTP Live Streaming* SGrecast - The Podcasting Platform for Broadcasters* SGrewind - Lets your listeners rewind your stream* SGPassKey - Conditional Access to streams and stored contentGuestsEduardo Martinez - Director of Technology at StreamGuysRobert Minnix - Product Manager at StreamGuysDavid Bialik - Streaming Consultant to Broadcasters & WebcastersHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at

It’s likely impossible for a true “Master Class” in anything to be done in 1 hour. However, Matt Gholston does take us through some of the key concepts that Chief Engineers must heed. From AoIP ideas to managing tower crews, Matt emphasizes some of the most important skills for today’s broadcast engineer. From teaching school to consulting hundreds of broadcasters, Matt’s wealth of knowledge is easily shared on this episode!Show notes:Matt highly recommends these two products for metal restoration & maintenance:* Evapo-Rust* ZRC Galvilite® Galvanizing Repair* Matt discussed a variety of essential outdoor coax management parts such as these:* RF Parts Company - Coaxial Cable & Accessories* Coax Grounding Kits from Talley* Tessco Tower Grounding ProductsGuestMatt Gholston, CSRE,CBTE,CBNT - Chief Engineer Townsquare Media - LafayetteHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

One of the most clever engineering technicians we’ve met is also a bar and hotel owner and tour boat operator. So why wouldn’t he operate some hip radio stations as well? Sean Kelly is here to update us on virtualizing the operation of several online radio stations. Sean is running HITz Digital, KISS Digital, and PALM Torbay - and doing so with little more than an off-lease Dell R710 server with both free and commercial software.Show notes:* HITz Digital: http://loverradio.stream:8000/hitz * KISS Digital: http://loveradio.stream:8002/kiss * PALM Torbay: http://loveradio.stream:8012/palmtorbay * Plus we carry a friends country station http://loveradio.stream:8010/theranch out of Mesa in AZ because of Geo-LockGuestSean Kelly - Freelance DJ & Radio Host/TechHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Sydney, Australia, is on another pandemic lockdown, but this time broadcasters are better prepared. Stephen Wilkinson is Technical Operations Manager at Hope Media in Sydney, and is responsible not only for keeping this important community radio station on-the-air, but also for keeping the IT systems safe from cyber attacks. Stephen joins us to talk about Covid workflows, specific equipment and software, and several key points for reducing the risk of malware and ransomware at broadcast facilities. Plus we talk about “P.I.E. Racks” and DAB receivers in new automobiles.Show notes:* Essential Eight Maturity Model for IT Security* Digital Radio in Australia - DAB+ information* Stephen used an e-mail phishing test from Trend MicroGuestStephen Wilkinson - Technical Operations Manager at Hope MediaHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Does anyone find humor and joy in broadcast engineering like Jim Grum Graham does? I don't think so!! Through flood, heart attack, crazy contests, and fun radio remotes, Jim Graham's engineering experiences have reduced him to the man he is today! What’s more, we can learn some important engineering lessons from Jim’s mistakes - and from his triumphs! Enjoy an hour with Jim as he recounts some crushing defeats as well as the occasional victory in his illustrious radio career.Show notes:* Fun Radio WFOX* Fun Radio on Facebook* WANS is one of the stations where Jim workedGuestJim Grum Graham - “Flunky” at Fun RadioHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Phil Larsen used to fly drones to pick up bad guys discussing their evil plans. Now he runs the QForce Airborne Division of QCommunications, listening to radio and TV stations while measuring transmitted signal patterns. Aerial signal measurement has been around since an engineer carried an RF field strength meter into a helicopter. But, today’s measurements using custom-built drones are far superior to earlier methods. Phil explains what goes into drone-based RF measurements to assure accuracy and integrity of the measurement results.Show notes:* QForce - Airborne Division of QCommunications* Tower videos by Phil Larsen on YouTube* Sample Report from Aerial Measurements (PDF)GuestPhil Larsen - Vice President of QForce - division of Qcommunications, LLCHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Some days you’re the windshield, and some days you’re the bug. And some days you experience some of each. Tom Ray’s recent experience with a 4-tower AM directional array new New York is a study in “surprise” and “relief” as he dealt with half of a tower collapsing. These AM towers are in suburban wetlands, surrounded by residences, a city park, and protected waterways. Tom describes how, with a little luck and some expert help, a tower catastrophe got resolved and further problems were solved as well. Show notes:* WWRL-AM - A New York area radio station with 6 decades of broadcasting history* WWRL is featured on Scott Fybush’s Fybush.com web site* The WWRL transmitter site on Google Maps* Tom mentioned Tony Fonseca, PE, who advised on repairs at WWRLGuestTom Ray - President at Tom Ray ConsultingHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And

From modifying off-the-shelf audio processors, to hand-building his own designs, to overseeing the most successful radio audio processing company in the world, Frank Foti has both predicted and created the future of audio enhancement. In this episode we’ll hear about Frank’s collaboration with great record producers and how that work has continued to inform the development of broadcast audio processors. Loudness targets, a peak unlimiter, and a density detector - all discussed right here.Show notes:* A History Of Audio Processing Part 6: In Their Own Words – Learning From The Pioneers - an article by Jim Somich and Barry Mishkind* Cover Story : Omnia – From Frank Foti to Team Omnia in 27 Years - an article by Howard Mullinack* HOW TO GIVE YOUR STATION AN AMAZING ON-AIR SOUND - by Thomas GigerGuestFrank Foti - Founder of Omnia Audio and Chairman of the Board at Telos AllianceHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

The satellite C-Band repack is upon us. Indeed, some 5G carriers are already operating just below the satellite C-Band and have caused interference. More such interference is on the way and broadcast engineers need to act now. Mark Johnson with LinkUp Communications joins us to outline the C-Band repack timeline and share photos from recent filter installations.Show notes:* “The C-Band Repack”* “Essential Info to Choose the Right C-Band Filter”* “What’s Next if you Chose the Lump Sum Option”GuestMark Johnson - President at Linkup Communications Corp.HostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Tony Dimsdale loves RF. And he loves the plumbing it takes to transport high-power RF energy from one place to another without “spilling” any! Working with GatesAir during the TV repack put Tony in the middle of the action, moving FM station antennas, installing RF combining and switching systems, and learning the nuances and “gotchas” of the art of RF plumbing. He shares his knowledge and experience with us on this episode of TWiRT.Show notes:* Tony’s Radio Transmitter Site Photos* Tony’s TV Transmitter Site Photos* Tony’s Studio Photos* Examples of fixed flanges for brazing - from SpinnerGuestTony Dimsdale - Owner at Dimsdale Technologies - Market Chief Engineer at Audacy, Greenville & Spartanburg, SCHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byNautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Four years ago Philipp Schmid at Nautel introduced HD Radio technology allowing up to 15 digital program feeds on one FM channel. They called it “Multiplex FM”. Now the idea and technology have expanded to include the DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) transmission system. What’s more, Nautel and Telos Alliance have demonstrated a cloud-based system for processing multiple HD channels along with the analog FM program, with reliable Internet delivery to transmitter sites. Philip and Alex fill us in on this technology on TWiRT!Show notes:* Cloud-based FM air chain - Radio World* All-Digital HD Radio - Field Tests at KKLZ (PDF slide deck)* Explanation of DRM at WikipediaGuestsPhilipp Schmind - Chief Technology Officer at NautelAlex Hartman - Support & Research Engineer at NautelHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

With urban sprawl, property values escalating, and AM stations having a more difficult time financially, sometimes it makes sense to combine one or more AM transmitters at a common transmitter site. Certain technical criteria must be met for this to happen, and combining AM directional stations can be challenging. Mike Patton has helped several AM stations move onto “common ground” and teaches about the key technical aspects to consider when combining transmitters. Show notes:* Diplexing AM transmitters - by John Battison [Radio World]* AM Stations Have New Options - Cris Alexander [Radio World]* Diplexed Directional AM stations - Paul Thurst, Engineering RadioGuestMike Patton - Owner, Michael Patton & AssociatesHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Too many FM antennas on one tower? They’re (maybe) creating intermod products? No room or structure for more tenants? It may be past time to consolidate all the FM signals onto a master FM antenna. WAMU-FM and WTOP-FM in Washington, DC, did exactly this - and worked with other FM tenants on the same tower to create such a combined, master FM antenna system. Rob Bertrand, CTO, and Andy Gunn, DoE, tell the story and give us a tour of the combiner room at American University.Show notes:* WAMU-FM on Wikipedia* WTOP-FM on Wikipedia* WAMU’s Master FM Antenna Assembled and Erected for Final Tuning and Test* New Master Antenna System Serves D.C.GuestsRob Bertrand - Chief Technology Officer at WAMU 88.5Andy Gunn - Director of Engineering at WAMU 88.5HostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

Heads-up, broadcast engineers! Docker is coming your way. What's Docker? It's a brand name that's part of "containerized software" - and broadcast equipment is already moving there. Your audio consoles, talkshow system, and IP intercom can all run on PC or servers - on-site or in a data center. This is happening now! Cam Eicher with Telos Alliance gives a great tutorial on Docker containerized software and more on this episode of TWIRT.Show notes:* What’s a “Bare-Metal Server”?* Let’s define “Cloud Computing”* Let’s be clear on what a “Virtual Machine” is.* Hypervisors - Type 1 and Type 2* Software container engines run on Linux* Let’s get on the same page about Docker.* OS-Level Virtualization* Fun to say, but what is Kubernetes?* What is Quay.io?GuestCam Eicher - Executive Director of Worldwide Sales at Telos AllianceHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Why is Rob Ashard managing 19 mix-minus feeds while taping a British TV show? When COVID keeps the audience out of the studio, Rob and his colleagues must go to them - in their homes and flats. Rob Ashard is the lead audio mixer for The Graham Norton Show and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Audience interaction is critical, and these shows have found a way to make it happen. We’ll also discuss bringing a 60 year old portable tape deck back to life, plus learn about DE-RIG mixing kits.Show notes:* The Graham Norton Show* Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway* Rob was mixing on a Studer Vista X console* Rob’s lavalier to USB mic is this or similar* Rob discussed not “crossing the line” in camera placement* Another video update from Rob on the EMI RE321 tape deck (on Facebook)GuestRob Ashard - Sound Supervisor at Ashard Audio LtdHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio,

A broadcast company’s Director of Engineering faces more challenges from different directions than ever before. With telcos abandoning legacy services, fires threatening remote transmitter sites, AM tower sites having to move out, and thieves stealing copper or other valuables, the DoE job is full of daily dilemmas and crises. Cris Alexander, DoE at Crawford Broadcasting, deals with these problems and more, and depends on a team of local engineers as well. We get to spend an hour with Cris to hear about today’s challenges and some solutions.Show notes:* The Local Oscillator - current and back issues - A GREAT resource for all of us!* Tip of the Week: Paessler PRTG - network monitoring software* See Todd Dixon’s writeup on Paessler PRTG monitoring software in the April, 2021, edition of The Local Oscillator - starting on page 7GuestCris Alexander - Director of Engineering at Crawford BroadcastingHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Bustin’ concrete, CIDR notation, Rat Magic, unlimited (almost) photo storage, more mouse eviction tactics, and the best site maintenance practices. Whew! It’s all covered and uncovered on this TWiRT episode with the beloved John Bisset, author of “Workbench”.Show notes:* Dexpan Non-Explosive Demolition Agent for Concrete Removal* Concrete Bustin’ Demo Video* Aha! “CIDR” stands for Classless Inter Domain Routing. Here’s a CIDR calculator* John talked about Middle Atlantic Rack Shelves as a possible substitute for Server Rack Rails* John likes ½” galvanized steel “hardware cloth” to protect larger openings from crittersGuestsJohn Bisset - Director, Western US Sales at Telos Alliance and Author of the “Workbench” column in Radio World magazine.HostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And

EAS - The Emergency Alert System: Is it sometimes a pain for broadcasters? Or is it a life-saving emergency messaging system? Adrienne Abbott is Chair of the Nevada EAS. She brings a balanced and reasonable perspective to EAS operations and functionality. Plus, she’s helping to enhance the localism of EAS alerts in Clark County, Nevada, where Las Vegas and suburbs sprawl across the high desert.

The FM Radio Data System has been around for 45 years, but internationally finalized in 2000. Despite being a worldwide standard, radio manufacturers and broadcasters have implemented the standard in different ways, resulting in rather inconsistent information displays for consumers. One leading company fixing this problem is Quu. Joe Marshall is the Technical Success Manager for Quu, and focused on helping FM broadcasters get consistent and compelling data and graphical displays on every FM and HD radio on the road.Show notes:NAB Study and Best Practices:NAB Auto Initiative (this page links to these two PDFs):NAB_DigitalDash_BestPractices_0319.pdfNAB_DigitalDash_RecommendedBestPractices_0419.pdfGuestJoe Marshall - Technical Success Manager at Quu, Inc.HostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for T...

Dan McQuillin is known for making complex broadcast operations much simpler, often by “disappearing the complexity”. We’re looking at the Digital/Bionic Table and the overarching themes in the way technology is deployed that Table leverages... Software, Browser based interfaces, BYOD and Virtualisation, and the impact that leaning in to these changes can have on the way spaces are designed and content is created and consumed.Show notes:This first look at the Bionic Table is so new, there’s just no information on the web about it. Watch this episode of TWiRT and you’ll be as up-to-date as anyone. When Bionic Table is publicly released, you’ll be able to read about it here… https://www.bionics.co.uk/ Guests Dan McQuillin - Managing Director at Broadcast Bionics, Ltd. Host Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook Sponsored by Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Most broadcast engineers know of David Layer. He’s the VP for Advanced Engineering at the NAB. We know David because he has frequently given presentations about radio technology at broadcast trade shows. The hope of a reduction or end to the COVID pandemic has broadcasters enthused about meeting again in Las Vegas - this time in October, 2021 - for an NAB Conference and Expo, including the NAB Radio Show. David Layer joins us to discuss the rebuilding of the radio lab equipment and ongoing testing for both AM and FM hybrid or all-digital broadcasting, as well as plans for the NAB Show this fall.Show notes:* NAB Show, 2021 - Education & Exhibits - October 9-13, 2021 in Las Vegas, NV, USA* David mentioned NAB Amplify, a digital showcase of first-ever product reveals* NAB 2020 - The Year in Review - Broadcasters serving us during a pandemicGuestsDavid Layer - Vice President, Advanced Engineering at National Association of BroadcastersHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

When changing audio routing in a broadcast facility, we often need to change other routes as well. Control signals, metadata, monitoring points, and more. Dan Bays began designing routers for recording studios, connecting different brands of equipment on the fly. Now he develops systems that route Audio over IP and associated GPIO and other control data. And, sophisticated salvos and monitoring are combined with Logic Flows to create reliable, automated systems with redundancy, all to keep the right audio on-the-air 24/7.Show notes:* Dan’s original company, Software Authority* Pathfinder Core PRO - Appliance and Virtual Machine* Dan authored “Guide Your Audio Home with Pathfinder”* Dan has been helping broadcasters route audio for a long time - Radio World, 2008GuestsDan Bays - Project Manager for Pathfinder at Telos AllianceHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Of all the professions, those involved with radio broadcasting may rank highest in percentage of “jokesters”. We certainly have a 100% jokester guest panel on this episode of TWiRT! From engineers, to station managers, to on-air talent (and most have done 2 or 3 of these 3 things) our guests each have a very high “JQ” - Jokester Quotient. Enjoy with me these stories of April Fools jokes and pranks.Show notes:* Bill Jackson noted a position open at KLOVE & Air1 in Rocklin, CA* List of April Fools' Day jokes - Wikipedia* Seven April Fools' Day Pranks That Went Wrong - Newsweek* April Fool's Day Radio Hoaxes - Hoaxes.org* Pull a fast one with these 8 April Fools’ Day pranks - Audacy.com* April Fool’s Day pranks on radio stations - RadioTodayGuestsChuck Kelly - Vice President Market Development at Broadcast Electronics / Elenos GroupBill Jackson - Regional Broadcast Studio Engineer at Educational Media FoundationCam Cornelius - Emmy Winning SAG-E National VoiceOver & Imaging DudeRobert Combs - Director Of Engineering - Corporate at CUMULUS MEDIACornelius Gould - Owner & Managing Director of Legato Communications LLCJim Graham - Owner at JJH Broadcast & “Flunky at WFOX”Dave Supplee - Northeast Regional Engineer - Cumulus BroadcastingChriss Scherer - Member Communications Director at Society of Broadcast EngineersHost

Jake Alderman is Program Director for Virtual Solutions at Telos Alliance. Sound intriguing? I think so! We see broadcast infrastructure moving more and more into a virtualized space - either on-premises or perhaps in the cloud, and Jake is just the guy to clarify some concepts about virtualization. From Virtual Machines (VMs) to Software Containers to hypervisors, Jake and his colleagues are pushing the envelope on broadcast operations.Show notes:* Cloud Academy - Docker vs. Virtual Machines: Differences You Should Know* Portainer.io - Open Source Container Management GUI* Docker vs. Virtual Machines: What are the Differences?* The Broadcast Bridge - Vendors Now Well Versed In The Language of IT* Jake and Kirk referred to the Axia iQs virtual audio console* And the Telos VXs virtual VoIP system for radioGuestJake Alderman - Program Manager of Virtual Solutions at Telos AllianceHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in

Maybe you've seen Jordan Tuck's handiwork on Facebook; he refurbishes the radio gear we loved from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Most of this cherished audio gear is older than he is! How'd he get so good at bringing consoles, tape decks, audio processors, etc. back to life? Jordan credits Mike Patton and others for showing him the way to broadcast equipment resuscitation, and he’s on this episode of TWiRT to tell us about it.Show notes:* Micheal Patton & Associates* Jordan likes to source LEDs from SuperBrightLEDs.com* PR&E brochure about the AMX audio console (PDF)* Jordan talked about repairing the Texar Audio Prism - here’s an article by its inventor.GuestJordan Tuck - Broadcast Equipment Refurbishing Specialist at Mike Patton & AssociatesHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

Andy Low began his broadcasting career with IT experience. His only exposure to audio or RF engineering had been through his father’s amateur radio equipment. But when the opportunity arose for Andy to assume an overall engineering position, he dove right in, learning what he needed to keep his stations on-the-air and making improvements. Andy’s experience with taking over in an “engineering vacuum” taught him the value of documenting everything, and he shares what he learned with us.Show notes:* Midwest Communications* WKZO - Everything Kalamazoo* Battle Creek, MI* How to Get Started with Google Forms* We discussed the utility of Google Shared Drives (G-Suite users)GuestAndy Low - Chief Engineer at Midwest Communications, West MichiganHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

WRHU at Hofstra University on Long Island has been chosen by the Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences of America to receive the 2021 World Radio Day Award. Andy Gladding, Chief Engineer at WRHU-FM, has led a cadre of Hofstra University students in planning, coordinating, and executing an impressive day-long broadcast for World Radio Day. So, impressive they even received a UNESCO award!Show notes:* WRHU to Go Worldwide on February 12–14 (Radio World article)* WRHU Radio Hofstra University Receives World Radio Day Award 2021* World Radio Day is Saturday, Feb. 13 (Radio Survivor)GuestsAndy Gladding, MsED – Chief Engineer at Salem Media Group & Chief Engineer at WRHU-FMDerek Futterman - Multimedia Marketing Manager at WRHU-FMRachel Luscher - Personnel Director at WRHU-FMEdward Mabeza - Program Director, Music at Radio Hofstra University, WRHU-FMCrystal Bermudez - Cultural Content Director at WRHU-FMShayna Sengstock - Technical Engineer at WRHU-FMHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And

There’s no way to know if 2021 will be less tumultuous than 2020, but last year was a turning point for many, if not most broadcasters. George Zahn, a Cincinnati-area broadcaster and audio enthusiast for over 40 years, notes a “dumbing down” of audio quality in broadcast, while some broadcast competitors are getting better. He joins us with solid advice and a warning or two about keeping great audio in broadcasting.GuestGeorge Zahn - Station Director at WMKV-FM, Maple Knoll CommunitiesHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

When you meet someone who is positively expert at something, you want to ask questions, pick their brain, learn what they know. Jim Kuzman literally wrote the manual for the infamous Omnia 9 audio processor. He knows audio processing inside and out, and especially the processing functions found in the Omnia 9. What does “Undo” do? How should I use a multiband spatial enhancer? How many multibands of processing should I choose? And why are you clipping my bass notes separately? Jim reveals answers to these questions and more!Show notes:* Omnia 9 audio processor* Technical articles authored by Jim Kuzman* Radio World “Cool Stuff Award” for Leif Claesson’s “Undo” technologyGuestJim Kuzman - Content Strategist - Telos AllianceHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Excuse me, can I watch? We're visiting the new studios of K-Love and AIR1 in Franklin, Tennessee, where Bill Jackson is nearly finished with two brand new, world-class radio studios. They’ve just finished hanging some large video monitors, and the acoustic treatment goes up next. Shane talks about K-Love’s remote transmitter sites while Bill describes some of the clever studio construction techniques they’ve put in place.Show notes:* Educational Media Foundation* K-LOVE* AIR1* The new studios will be used for several shows, including Skip & Amy on K-LOVE.GuestsShane Toven - Senior Broadcast Engineer at EMF K-LOVE & Air1 Media NetworksBill Jackson - Regional Broadcast Studio Engineer at EMF K-LOVE & Air1 Media NetworksHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Where do Cadillacs and radio engineers intersect? At the corner of Tom and Lawler, that's where! If you don't know Tom Lawler, you will after this episode of TWiRT. Tom is a Customer Support Engineer at RCS, and does on-air shifts at a couple radio stations. He’s also an accomplished engineer with experience in studio and transmitter maintenance. We’re discussing audio source material, his favorite mic, and two great war stories.Show notes:* Tom’s tip about Posi-Lock connectors is work noting. Kirk likes them, too!* Tom likes Valley People mic processing. Tom Vernon wrote a story about this for Telos Alliance.* Tom discussed the Digigram UAX220-MIC USB interface.* In one Cadillac Tom installed a Kenwood KDC Media Tuner* And, Tom is a big fan of Cadillac Broughams and Fleetwood Broughams.GuestTom Lawler - Customer Support Engineer at RCSHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Would you stay on-the-air if your studio caught fire? What about your transmitter site? Dean K. Wilson is a fire protection expert with a broadcasting background. Indeed, he got started in radio at the age of 12. During his career Dean has provided a variety of fire protection engineering, security engineering, loss prevention, and business process consulting services, as well as development and delivery of training programs and seminars for the National Fire Protection Association and Society of Fire Protection Engineers.Show notes:* National Fire Protection Association* Flash Point of Volatile Fuels* Article about Fire Protection Engineering* Halon 1301, aka Bromotrifluoromethane* Broadcast Solutions International - Information on Fire Suppression Systems for BroadcastersGuestDean K. Wilson - President and Chief Consulting Engineer at Dean K. Wilson AssociatesHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

You thought ATSC 3.0 (NexGenTV) was all about 4k video and immersive audio, right? That’s what I thought until I heard about Sinclair Broadcast Group and their approaches to enhancing all things media. From Single Frequency ATSC 3 Networks to carriage of dozens of radio stations’ content, Mark Aitken, SVP for Advanced Technology at Sinclair enlightens us on the big plans ahead for ATSC 3.0. Marty Sacks, EVP for Sales, Support, and Marketing at Telos Alliance joins us as well.Show notes:* ONE Media – Television’s “Next Generation”* Sinclair Launches First ATSC 3.0 Radio Service In Seattle - Radio Insight article* Monetizing ATSC 3.0 - a webinar and white paper series from ATSC3Advocate.com* Saankhya Labs - wireless chipset & solutions provider* ATSC 3.0 Next Gen Overview video* FCC Modifies DTS Rules for ATSC 3.0 Flexibility - TVTechnology articleGuestMark Aitken - SVP of Advanced Technology at Sinclair Broadcast GroupHostsMarty Sacks - Executive Vice President of Sales, Support and Marketing at The Telos AllianceKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store,

Jason Ornellas is this year’s recipient of Radio World’s Excellence in Engineering Award. One reason for his selection is Jason’s leadership in executing a complex, major market studio build. From design, technology selection, equipment installation, and final commissioning, Jason Ornellas and his team of engineers built one of the most beautiful and effective radio facilities you’ll ever see. Let’s meet Jason and have a look at these gorgeous radio studios!Show notes:* Jason Ornellas Makes His Mark - Radio World* V Three Studios helped to architect the new Bonneville Bay Area facility* They Built New Studios During COVID - Radio World* Jason mentioned ION Forge speaker stands* The Bonneville Bay Area studios are equipped with KRK ROKIT G4 speakersGuestJason Ornellas - Regional Director of Engineering at Bonneville InternationalHostKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and FacebookSponsored byBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, a social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.