Audio

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Radio’s ability to get the word out in time of local disaster is legendary.  Vikki Amrine, a broadcast tower leasing specialist, says no event in recent years has helped broadcasters exemplify this more strikingly than the New Orleans radio community in confronting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

A career in broadcast engineering may not be glamorous, says tower specialist Vikki Amrine, but opportunities to excel in the field exist, and those who specialize can find their services in great demand. Best of all, she says, the broadcast engineer plays a big role in helping the station meet its obligations to serve the community.

Successful broadcaster Tom Birch discusses the real-world challenge of creating a successful online radio station. He redirected the delivery of his Country Legends program format from a small-market FM station to international distribution over the Internet. The result? The audience size grew ten times larger when the station went online.

FM station operators pay additional copyright royalties to stream their programming over the Internet. Veteran broadcaster Tom Birch discusses the challenge of monetizing the station stream for his site CountryLegends1037.com and his strategy for achieving success.

Financial indebtedness, says industry analyst Holland Cooke, is a leading contributor to the decline of radio localism.

Because of opportunity and ease of entry into the profession, it’s an ideal time to consider a career in radio, according to Holland Cooke, publisher of the Holland Cooke Newsletter.

Podcasting: a great concept, but with an antique name. Media observer and consultant Holland Cooke explains.

Broadcast every Saturday morning on Kansas City’s Hot 103 Jamz / KPRS Generation Rap carries on its 33-year tradition of giving a broadcast voice to area middle school and high school students. On-Air personality and Generation Rap mentor Robyn Knight says this award-winning leadership program shines light on community issues and events while offering students opportunities to learn real-life broadcasting skills.

How do jingles enhance the vibe of music stations.  Speaking at the NAB Radio Show, Thomas Giger of the firm Pure Jingles says stations use them to capture listener attention and brand their logo melody into listeners’ minds and blend the program elements into a cohesive, memorable sound.

Jingles are part of the international language of radio.  Whether’ they’re sung in Spanish, German, French or English, the intention is the same: to brand a station’s image into the minds of listeners.  Thomas Giger, spokesperson for Pure Jingles based in The Netherlands, spoke at the NAB Radio Show about the universal appeal of jingles, sweepers, and power intros.

Here’s an example of a jingle demo from the studio Pure Jingles, based in The Netherlands.  Produced exclusively for WKTU 103.5 in New York City, these Power Intros meld seamlessly into tracks by Rihanna, Jason Derulo, Cash Cash featuring Bebe Rexha and others, 

While podcast audiences sizes have yet to reach the level of those for FM/AM stations, the medium is growing and, given time, “we all know” podcasting “is going to a big deal.”  So says Perry Michael Simon, VP/Editor, News-Talk-Sports and Podcasting, AllAccess.com.

The time to start your podcast is now, according to Perry Michael Simon, VP/Editor, News-Talk-Sports and Podcasting of the industry website All Access.com.  The barriers to entry are so low, he says, that all you need to get your podcast started is a Zoom recorder and a pair of Shure SM58 pro microphones.  Simon says:  Get started, and “worry about making money at it later.”

How do you make the leap into podcasting?  “Just start doing it” is the advice Perry Michael Simon, VP/Editor, News-Talk-Sports and Podcasting, AllAccess.com offers.  He says you shouldn’t worry about getting advertising at the outset.  Rather, focus on putting a good, quality product out there.  And, he notes, there are several sites that will host your podcast for free!

A piece by Brad Carson describing a typical day at a medium market group of radio stations:

What characteristic differentiates the air personality from the disc jockey? According to retired WLAC AM-FM/Nashville PD Dick Kent, a deejay can become an endeared personality by making the local community the focus of show preparation:

Sivakumar Yeddnapuddi, Software Tech Manager for Infotainment Electronics Product Development at Visteon, explains at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) how new automotive dashboard technology is integrated into American automobiles and the technology's influence on consumer audio listening behavior.

RaShan Saddler of UConnnect, an automotive multimedia system designed to integrate with a driver's smartphone, explains the company's partnership with iHeartRadio, an internet radio platform.

RaShan Saddler of UConnect, an automotive multimedia system designed to integrate with a driver's smartphone, explains that the company's new goal is for drivers to no longer interact with their smartphones while driving. The UConnect dashboard technology helps achieve this goal for consumers.

John Potter, Senior Vice President of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), explains why the RAB attends the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) annually and reports on the technology as it relates to the radio industry.

John Potter, Senior Vice President of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), masterfully explains the "Seven Steps" to successfully selling radio advertising.

John Potter, Senior Vice President of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), discusses how new technology influences the radio industry.

John Potter, Senior Vice President of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), discusses some of the opportunities available for careers in radio sales.

Jeffrey Jury, Chief Operating Officer of HD Radio, explains what NextRadio is as it was debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2015. NextRadio is an FM tuner application that receives FM radio broadcasts in your local area. NextRadio also provides a data service for radio broadcasters to share information about their station and their broadcast content so that listeners can receive real-time updates as they listen.

Jeffrey Jury, Chief Operating Officer of HD Radio, discusses some of the career and technology opportunities available for someone wanting to work in the radio industry.

Jeffrey Jury, Chief Operating Officer of HD Radio, explains what HD Radio is and how it works. HD Radio was very visible at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2015.

Dick Taylor, Assistant Professor at Western Kentucky University and former long-time radio manager, shares why you should consider a career in radio sales. His career trajectory in radio sales and radio management is a terrific model to follow.

Johannes Wisbauer, of German auto maker Audi, shares at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) how his company's new technology now allows drivers to connect their smartphones to their cars and achieve complete compatibility. The new technology allows drivers to see their smartphone screens on the automobile's dashboard monitor.

Triton Digital is a U.S. company that provides products and services to broadcasters, webcasters and podcasters around the world.   John Rosso, President, Market Development, explains how the company helps over-the-air broadcasters and Internet-based audio services by hosting streams, managing advertising inventory and increasing listener engagement.

Spotify 03, Bluetooth connectivity powers the ultimate listening experience on the road, and nine in 10 new cars support this or 4-G technology.  What’s important about this, says Spotify’s Jonathan Tarlton, Senior Manager of Automotive Business Development, is that connected cars provide a seamless transition between over-the-air and streamed listening experiences.

Spotify 02, Discover Weekly is Spotify’s algorithm that curates listener-specific playlists, as determined by what users listen to and how they do it.  According to Spotify’s Jonathan Tarlton, Senior Manager of Automotive Business Development, users can look for delivery of a new, customized playlist every Monday.

Spotify  01, Listening on-the-go is now the hottest thing going in audio streaming.  Eight of every 10 persons who use a streaming service are connecting in their cars.  More importantly, says Spotify’s Jonathan Tarlton, Senior Manager of Automotive Business Development,  users rely on self-created playlists, rather than random song selections, to power them during the morning commute.

SiriusXM, Amping up the satellite-radio listening experience is the goal of the SiriusXM mobile app.  Think of it as a portal that leads to enhanced subscriber services.  Here, Paul Trueman, Director of retail Sales, explains how listeners can create customized channels.  The app also connects subscribers with on-demand content, available for access in real time or as a download for future playback.

Apple Car Play, Kia’s multimedia system and the Apple Car Play app work hand-in-hand to bring drivers a new dashboard experience.  Here, Eddie Nguyen, of Kia Motors Corporation, explains how the app enables instant access to iHeartRadio, Pandora, and a suite of navigational tools.