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Put Your Radio Station on the Web: Integrated Package Shootout at NAB Radio Show

October 9, 1996 by Leave a Comment

Los Angeles, CA. Probably the hottest new-product rivalry at this year’s NAB Radio Show and World Media Expo (today through Saturday, Oct.9-12, Los Angeles Convention Center) is the battle of the integrated web site production packages. FreeRange Media and the Radio Data Group (RDG) have each launched suites of software designed to make it easy for radio stations to establish a live, interactive broadcasting presence on the Internet.

Free Range Media Inc. announced Audio Palette™, an “automated radio station website solution.” This package focuses on building a community at the web site, and delivering RealAudio” web-casting of broadcast content in both live and archival forms.

“Two key things necessary to create a popular website are to build delivery of fresh content and interactivity with the audience into the website, says Andrew Fry, President of Free Range Media. “Until now, this has been an expensive proposition for radio stations, because they demanded expensive development and maintenance. Our solution requires no custom development, it automates administration using our AudioVCR™ technology, and it incorporates our Community Suite™ of interactive and website administration products.”

The included AudioVCR module is a website audio administration tool. It allows the site manager to set blackout periods, record programs automatically, turn live feeds on and off, schedule live events, and to specify and sequence audio leads to precede retrieval of archived broadcasts. It is an integral component of easily and cost-effectively managing website audio content including advertisements the station sells.

Free Range points to an example station that is already up and running using the Audio Palette package. At KIRO Newsradio 710 in Seattle, traffic, news, weather and other scheduled broadcasts can be accessed by web listeners who were unable to listen to the radio wave broadcast. Listeners benefit from the value of accessing information they previously couldn’t on their schedule, and the station benefits by extending the time-value of their material.

“Giving our listeners 24-hour access to the latest information, even archived information is incredibly valuable,” says Tom Clendening, General Manager at KIRO. “Web access translates directly into increased listeners and that is what makes our business tick. As a business, we’re always looking for new sales opportunities and the website give us that.”

The software suite includes WebChat, WebNote (a bulletin board system), QuizMaster, SurveyBuilder, and six other interactive products that allow the station to query, poll and interact with its listeners during broadcasts or as part of promotional events, local community topics, national debates and more. These community-building capabilities have the advantage of creating new content for a station at little or no additional cost, along with a side benefit of attracting more listeners to the website.

Audio Palette requires RealAudio Server by Progressive Networks, and a Netscape, Apache, or NCSA web server. Minimum hardware requirements are a Sun Microsystems Sparc-5 running Solaris operating system, or a 133MHz Intel Pentium PC running Unix or Windows NT. Prices vary with the features purchased and start at $5,000 (US) per palette. A variety of specialized palettes will become available in the fourth quarter of 1996 including “Talk Radio,” “Rock-n-Roll,” “Classical,” and “Country-n-Western.”

RDG’s package is called MediaNext™, a “custom server software solution designed for even the most novice of Internet users.” The software allows a site manager to update the site on the fly, from any web browser, at any time. It features private password-protected administration pages on the web site. The webmaster fills in the blanks on the form, clicks a button, and the web page is immediately updated.

“This is an integrated solution for broadcasters who want to derive new revenue from the promotion and use of their web sites,” comments RDG President Michael Rau. “It’s for the station that can’t afford additional staffing to maintain those sites.”

MediaNext includes modules for updating text on the station site, including news, sports and weather pages (MediaText™); managing and updating hot links to other sites (RDG Link Manager); organizing, rotating, and billing for web site banner advertising (AdNext™); updating station events and/or a concert calendar (RDG Events Manager); and a listener database, demographics and marketing management tool (DataNext™).

“Our software makes maintaining and updating a web site as quick and easy as possible,” said Rau. “It puts the station in control. You shouldn’t have to rely on any third party to update your site.”

Other capabilities of the RDG package include a “Now On Air” page, which rotates pictures of air talent automatically to coincide with the broadcast schedule; Interactive Trivia, and an Interactive Guestbook.

Filed Under: Biz, Tech

Commercial Radio Continues to Grow in the U.K., Fueled by Digital Audio Broadcasting

October 8, 1996 by Leave a Comment

London, U.K. Commercial radio’s market share in the UK is continuing to grow rapidly, according to a study by the Radio Advertising Bureau. And the study projects continued growth for the next several years, thanks to the introduction of digital broadcasting and an increase in the number of stations.

The report, entitled “The Future of Commercial Radio,” also says that the rate of growth in commercial radio audiences will slow. Commercial radio was introduced in the UK in 1973. Its audience share has doubled in the last ten years, and now stands at 60%. In the first half of 1996, advertising revenues in radio rose by 16%.

Digital broadcasting, being introduced in the UK under the provisions of the Broadcasting Act of 1996, will result in greater choice for listeners. Allocation of new frequencies for digital means that listeners in an average area will have access to eight national BBC stations, eight national commercial stations and 16 local stations.

Filed Under: Biz

Americ Disc Opens Silicon Valley CD/DVD Manufacturing Plant

October 8, 1996 by Leave a Comment

Modesto, CA. Montreal-based Americ Disc opened its new manufacturing plant to serve the Silicon Valley area today. It’s a 100,000 sq.ft. facility that will specialize in CD-ROM and DVD production, with an annual capacity of over 40 million discs.

“The compact disc industry, CD-ROMs in particular, is fast-growing and very service-oriented,” commented Pierre-A. Deschenes, President and CEO of Americ Disc. “This new plant brings us closer to our many West Coast customers and strategically positions us to serve the entire American market. It has the equipment and expertise that will make us the leader in a major promising market, DVD.”

Americ Disc already has plants in Drummondville, Quebec (Canada), and Miami, FL, as well as a service center in Minneapolis. With the new plant, the company has a total capacity of over 225 million discs annually, making it one of the two largest independent CD manufacturers in North America.

Filed Under: Biz

Mediatrix Announces High-Quality Audio for Internet Phone System

October 7, 1996 by Leave a Comment

Sherbrooke, Quebec (Canada). Mediatrix Peripherals, Inc. has announced the Audiotrix Phone®, a high-quality audio device for Internet telephony. The company says that the new device incorporates a dedicated programmable DSP chip for hardware voice compression, supports all legacy audio standards and offers 16-bit CD-quality, full duplex stereo digital audio. It supports Intel’s AC’97 advanced audio specification, and offers support for Microsoft DirectX3 (Direct Sound and Direct 3D Sound).

“We demonstrated the Phone at the Interop DotCom show in Atlanta last month, and the response was overwhelming!” says John Moran, President of Mediatrix. “It’s a much more cost effective solution than traditional office telephone systems, and it is going to be a very hot item.”

The Audiotrix Phone includes everything needed for holding high-quality Internet telephone conversations. The customer receives a bundle that includes an audio adapter and DSP package, a high quality handset (SoundXchange® by InterActive Inc.), and custom CTI software.

Filed Under: Biz, Production

Wheatstone To Unveil New Low-Cost Broadcast Console, Designer Furniture, at Radio World

October 7, 1996 by Leave a Comment

Los Angeles, CA. Audioarts Engineering, a division of Wheatstone Corporation, is preparing to introduce a new console at the World Media Expo and NAB Radio Show, which opens on Thursday (Oct.10) at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The Audioarts R-5 on-air radio console will be available in the fourth quarter of this year for a list price of $5,795 (US). It delivers “better than 16-bit digital audio performance,” and it is targeted to small-market applications.

“With the introduction of this less expensive and feature-rich audio console, Audioarts is expanding into new markets, such as college and smaller market radio stations,” says Ray Esparolini, Director of Sales, Wheatstone Corporation.

“The R-5 is very versatile and can be used in many ways, possibly as the main control console in smaller market stations or as the secondary console in medium-sized markets.”

The R-5 is designed for easy installation. Among its features, the R-5 has two pairs of Sifam™ VU meters for stereo program and audition. All switches are LED illuminated for easy identification and low maintenance. It includes Audioarts exclusive Simple Phone™ mix-minus feature, which simplifies a busy station’s multiple call-in operations; full function tape remote controls; and four microphone pre-amps. The new console also provides electronic switching throughout and two inputs per channel.

Also going on display at the Wheatstone booth at Radio World (booth #2043) will be a new line of studio furniture for radio stations, featuring a designer look. The U-shaped counter array of the new line includes a sweeping curve toward the interview area, and an interview counter that is kidney-shaped. The furniture includes a substantial amount of storage space, as well as generous wire raceways, and hinged punch block panels.

“This new line incorporates a highly stylized approach to radio console furniture,” explained Wheatstone President Gary Snow. “The design is based on a curved style of architecture. It includes a beautiful combination of hardwoods and laminates. The cabinets have hardwood rounded corners. It is extremely refined furniture, the kind an architect would select if he or she were designing the interior of a radio station.”

Filed Under: Biz, Pro Audio
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