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.

Los Angeles, CA. Exhibitors are putting the finishing touches on their booths, and the sessions and seminars have already begun, at the show the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) bills as the largest radio industry gathering in the world.

The NAB Radio Show opens officially tomorrow (Oct.9) and runs through Saturday (Oct.12). The full World Media Expo, which includes the Radio/Audio Exposition floor, and participation by SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers), and RTNDA (Radio and Television News Directors’ Association), runs from Thursday through Saturday (Oct. 10 – 12).

The main attraction for attending audio professionals will be the Radio/Audio Exposition, which has a separate hall all to itself this year. Prominent exhibitors include Harris Broadcast, BEXT Inc., Crown Broadcast, Progressive Networks, and Computer Concepts. In all, there are more than 140 companies represented on the Radio/Audio floor, ranging from large hardware manufacturers and distributors, to production music and scheduling software houses (see the full exhibitor list at NAB’s web site).

The NAB Radio Show offers more than sixty panel and seminar sessions on management, programming, sales and marketing in the radio industry. As is often the case at broadcast industry conferences, the audio pickings in the program will be slim. Much of the focus is on the business side of the industry, rather than production. But there are some audio-specific winners sprinkled throughout the schedule.On Thursday (Oct.10), NAB’s all-day Digital Radio Seminar “Creating the Future” will include four panel sessions of interest to audio professionals.

• “The Digital Studio: What Are the Benefits?” features E. Glynn Walden (CBS Radio) and Greg Dean (Computer Concepts Corp.) discussing the benefits of going digital: does it make sense for my station, what is the cost and how do I keep it maintained? (8:00am)
• In “Digital Audio Broadcasting: How Far Away Is the Future?” Scott Wright (Delco Electronics) and Bernee Strom (USADR) discuss the status of DAB in the United States and worldwide, when and how it may affect your future. (10:20am)
• “Wild” Bill Goldsmith (KPIG) is the star of “The Internet: Its Hidden Potential for Your Station”. He’ll present a real-life case-study of the value and limitations of the net as it applies to radio broadcasters and what it takes to get on the web. (2:10pm)
• The session closes with “Audio Processing: What’s Best for Your Station?” Robert Orban (Orban) and Bill Ammons (Circuit Research Labs) lead an examination of how to develop an audio signature for your station: how important is it and how can you do it with audio processing technology? (2:50pm)

Within the general program, one highlight that jumps out is the Wednesday (Oct.9) session on “The Tapeless Radio Station.” Moderator E. Glynn Walden (CBS Radio) and panelists Bob Jones (Arrakis), Ted Niegreen (RCS), Dave Scott (Scott Studios), and Steve Shott (Harris) promise to tell you all you need to know about planning the look and functionality of the new digitized broadcast facility. They will explore the upside and the pitfalls of analog to digital conversion. (3:30pm)

A number of celebrity speakers and performers will take star turns during the show, with an emphasis on country music. Computer industry marketing wiz Guy Kawasaki begins the parade on Thursday morning (Oct.10), when he delivers the Radio Show keynote address. Dolly Parton will be the speaker at the Radio Show Luncheon on Friday (Oct.11). Brian Setzer, of Stray Cats fame, will bring his 17-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra to play at the Friday Night Party at the Biltmore Hotel. Randy Travis will perform at the Marconi Awards Dinner and Show on Saturday night (Oct.12). And Entertainment Tonight’s Leeza Gibbons will be the MC and host of the Awards ceremony (which gives recognition to top stations in numerous format and market-size categories, as well as to on-air personalities).

Check AudioWorld OnLine daily throughout the show for announcements, product introduction, updates, and reminders of key audio events.

Seattle, WA. The Inflight Division of AEI Music Network has won the prestigious 1996 Avion Award for Best Inflight Audio Programming. The award recognizes AEI’s work for client Delta Air Lines.

For the past seven years, AEI Music has supplied Delta Air Lines with 11 channels of audio programming ranging from timeless classics, country or West European pop to comedy, artist interviews and business topics.

“Our goal is to provide Delta Air Lines with complete customized audio entertainment to fit the needs of their passenger demographics,” says Liliane Aouizerat, AEI Music’s Director of Audio Programming.

The Avion Awards are sponsored by the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA). Now in their eighth year, they honor excellence in several categories of airline inflight entertainment, including inflight magazines, as well as audio and video programming. WAEA estimates annual airline expenditures on inflight entertainment and communications at approximately $1.2 billion per year.

Jeff Klein, Chairman of the Avion Awards Committee: “The Avion is the (airline) industry’s Grammy. It’s respected among members of the airline community and it’s a great vehicle to propel one’s image in the industry and to passengers.”

Irvine, CA. Interactive music company Graphix Zone is launching three new Interactive Music CD-ROM’s™ today in a release party in Los Angeles. The three titles are Herbie Hancock Presents Living Jazz; Willie, The Life & Music of Willie Nelson; and Under The Covers.

The triple release party will be celebrated at the Billboard Live club on Sunset Strip, tonight (Sept.20) at 5:00pm PST (8:00pm EST). The event will include a national chat from 7:00pm to 8:00pm PST on America Online with celebrities including Herbie Hancock, The Doors’ Ray Manzarek and Under The Covers’ Henry Diltz and Gary Burden. From 5:00pm to 8:00pm PST Internet users are invited to access the cyber party live on the web at Billboard Live. The site will feature live audio and video from the party using Xing Technologies’ StreamWorks™ streaming.

The three titles will be available for both Windows and Macintosh platforms, in stores October 1, 1996. The discs present “a musical and visual adventure offering a feast for the eyes, music to the ears and the compelling aspect of interactive exploration and play.”