This Week in Radio Tech HD
220 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratings“TWiRT” is your go to show if you want to get behind the scenes on what makes broadcasting possible. The show addresses common issues as well as explaining past experiences from a wide array of hosts who each come from a different background in radio technology. This show is a must for any tech geek or for anyone who is interested in what goes on behind the boards and wires.
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Episodes
TWiRT Ep. 692 - Live from NAB 2024
April 17, 2024 16:33 - 970 MB VideoWhat’s happening at NAB 2024 in Las Vegas? No way can anyone bring you ALL of the highlights, but we’re bringing seven outstanding engineers and corporate leaders to you on this episode of TWiRT! Our broadcast studio is the Bionic Table at Broadcast Bionics in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Thanks to Broadcast Bionics for the bandwidth and studio space.
TWiRT Ep. 691 - Public Radio Engineering Conference 2024
April 14, 2024 17:26 - 1020 MB VideoThe Public Radio Engineering Conference (PREC) seems to get better and better each year. Attendees were frequently held in wrapped attention by captivating and informative presentations about audio and RF technologies and techniques. Our guests on TWiRT each took a few minutes away from the conference sessions to give us their impressions of the technologies being discussed and what’s ahead for Public Radio Engineers.
TWiRT Ep. 690 - Mics & Mic Processing with Cornelius Gould & Tom Ray
April 05, 2024 14:01 - 1.1 GB VideoSearch the web and you’ll find hundreds of articles videos - and thousands of opinions - on the best mics to use for radio and podcasting. One of our sponsors is Angry Audio, makers of two novel mic processors to improve and control the sound of two popular microphone families. Our longtime friend and colleague, Cornelius Gould, designed the audio processing algorithms behind these specific mic processors. “Corny” joins us to talk about this rather unique approach to mic processor design and ...
TWiRT Ep. 689 - Transmitters: Brand New or New to Me, with Dominic Mitchum and Robert Combs
March 29, 2024 16:41 - 1.08 GB VideoCan you imagine installing 60 broadcast transmitters over the past 8 years? Robert Combs, Corporate Director of Engineering at Cumulus Media has been doing exactly that. Transmitters of all sizes and from several major manufacturers. The most recent transmitter replacement is at WZYP-FM in Huntsville, Alabama. Market Engineer, Dominic Mitchum, is taking care of much of the local work and logistics, alongside Robert’s work. The project also includes replacing the RF coaxial transfer switch, ma...
TWiRT Ep. 688 - I Can Fix DAP!
March 22, 2024 13:56 - 1.06 GB VideoOver 50 years ago, Mike Dorrough introduced the Discriminate Audio Processor - the DAP 310. Broadcasters that cared about audio quality started buying and installing DAP310s to improve the audio quality of their stations. Five decades later these old audio processors are still in demand - as are services to supply parts and repairs. Randy Swaffer and Mike Phillips are two DAP310 enthusiasts - and they know all about repairing and aligning these classic units. Jordan Tuck also joins us to talk...
TWiRT Ep. 687 - Can I Get You a Lift? with Jim Tiner
March 15, 2024 14:17 - 1.08 GB VideoMost broadcasters either own towers or lease antenna space on them. But only the tallest towers are outfitted with elevators to bring workers and light tools up to desired working levels without spending half the day getting tired from climbing. Jim Tiner is CEO at Tower Elevators Systems. His company has built many towers - short, medium, and tall - and many of the tallest ones also have a custom-designed elevator system. This elevator technology is often applicable to other tall structures,...
TWiRT Ep. 686 - More Than Fresh Air with Joyce Lieberman
March 08, 2024 15:11 - 1010 MB VideoMost of us in radio have heard Fresh Air, hosted by Terry Gross on National Public Radio. Joyce Lieberman was the first technical director behind this well-produced national interview program. But Joyce’s engineering and production career started several years earlier, getting a kick-start when some other engineers called in sick. At the onset of Joyce's radio work, she recorded Terry Gross and her guests when Fresh Air was a local Philadelphia three-hour program. Her attention to audio purit...
TWiRT Ep. 685 - Live from the ABA Engineering Academy
March 01, 2024 20:18 - 1.04 GB VideoAre you one of hundreds of broadcast engineers who have attended the Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA) Engineering Academy? Larry Wilkins and Frank Giardina are completing the 2024 Radio Engineering Academy with attendees ranging from “new” broadcast engineers to some seasoned pros looking to update their knowledge. We’re live from the ABA Headquarters near Birmingham, AL, with Larry Wilkins, ABA President Sharon Tinsley, and a few of this year’s attendees.
TWiRT Ep. 684 - What You Learn in Vegas with David Bialik and Fred Willard
February 23, 2024 15:28 - 1.05 GB VideoCurrent technology education and career advancement are both available at the SBE Ennes Workshops, offered at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The dates are April 12 & 13, just prior to the NAB Show Expo Halls opening. We’re talking with David Bialik and Fred Willard, who have assembled what appears to be the most useful and beneficial set of programs in two technology tracks. There’s an RF101 Bootcamp track. And the subject of this TWiRT show - the Media Over IP track. Watch the show and click ...
TWiRT Ep. 683 - What They Don't Teach in Engineering School with Shane Toven
February 16, 2024 15:16 - 1.04 GB VideoChris Tarr and Shane Toven are discussing a critical topic - especially for broadcast engineers. It’s our work/life balance with emphasis on “life”. How’s your mental health? No, really, how is it? Why is it key to “put on your oxygen mask before helping others”? Why is it OK, and even smart, to let things fail sometimes? Should engineers always strive to “be the hero”? And what’s your value - financially and otherwise? Finally, do you know that some engineers would rather fight than be help...
TWiRT Ep. 682 - What Now? with Alex Hartman
February 09, 2024 21:37 - 1.06 GB VideoPeople who know Alex Hartman realize that he tends to be way ahead of the pack. Alex is typically just beyond the cutting edge of technology implementation. That often makes his comments hard to understand. But when you get to know Alex and understand his ideas and concerns, they usually do make very good sense. He’s also good at “breaking things”, revealing weak points in design. Today we’re discussing people, skills, and the uncertain future of talent sourcing. Alex has some real concerns...
TWiRT Ep. 681 - TCFW is Everywhere with Tom Morris
February 02, 2024 15:41 - 1 hour - 1.1 GB VideoTom Morris always provides a fresh perspective on broadcast engineering. He’s fascinated by well-designed systems, yet finds the humor in poorly-designed ones. Tom finds nostalgia in equipment and broadcast products that most of us have forgotten. And his unconventional outlook often results in insights and solutions to complex problems. He’s the guy you want handy to solve long-standing issues when no one else has taken the time to investigate the root causes. Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack wel...
TWiRT Ep. 680 - Engineering Academics with Larry Wilkins & Frank Giardina
January 26, 2024 15:51 - 1 hour - 1.06 GB VideoThe ABA Engineering Academy is offering the first round of broadcast engineering classes for 2024. The radio engineering class is scheduled for February 26th – March 1st. Larry Wilkins and Frank Giardina are the two main teachers and both join us on this episode of TWiRT! Larry and Frank give us sneak previews of some of the technical teaching topics and demonstrations to add meaning and context. Engineers - new and experienced alike - attend this Engineering Academy in Birmingham, Alabama. ...
TWiRT Ep. 679 - Engineering Teamwork with Mike Spry
January 19, 2024 16:11 - 1 hour - 1.11 GB VideoCan a team of engineers resolve thousands of engineering trouble tickets each month, and do it efficiently and keep with good engineering practice? iHeartMedia is doing it and Mike Sprysenski is leading that team. From an office in Orlando, Mike Spry and a team of radio engineers and IT professionals resolve engineering issues at nearly 900 radio stations, keeping those stations on-the-air. Many issues are even handled preemptively, before they affect what the public is hearing over the air o...
TWiRT Ep. 678 - Good Engineering Practice with Jim Offerdahl
January 12, 2024 21:02 - 1.05 GB VideoThe benefits of thoughtful and careful broadcast engineering cannot be overstated. Indeed, Jim Offerdahl, thought carefully about our offer to be on TWiRT for over 10 years! And, with some encouragement from Angry Audio’s Mike Dosch, we’re delighted that Jim is finally sitting in the TWiRT Guest Chair! We’re talking with Jim about his particular style of serving radio stations effectively and reliably. He’s sharing some tips and favorite equipment for monitoring and troubleshooting today’s ...
TWiRT Ep. 677 - Local AM Radio with Beth Mann
January 05, 2024 22:43 - 1.09 GB VideoWhat use is a low-wattage, AM radio station in a town of 2,000 residents? Indeed, the whole county population is just over 12,200. Is AM radio viable there? With 500 watts daytime and 18 watts at night what can a new owner do to revive such a station? Beth Mann, President/CEO of Edge Media Group, wanted to bring WEKT back to a rightful stature in this small, Western Kentucky town. Beth grew up in Elkton, across from the original WEKT studio and transmitter. Now she, along with her “digit...
TWiRT Ep. 676 - The Best Support is No Need for It with Rolf Taylor
December 29, 2023 02:28 - 1.04 GB VideoRolf Taylor describes himself as a Lover of Audio, Tinkerer, Broadcast Engineer, Support Engineer and Product Manager, Telco Guru, and Researcher and Writer. As Rolf’s longtime friend, Kirk Harnack can attest to each of those appellations. Rolf joins us on this “Festivus” episode of TWiRT, though we spend most of our time on making product usage and support better, and just a few minutes on the “airing of grievances”.
TWiRT Ep. 675 - Public Radio in Rural Alaska with Paul Walker
December 21, 2023 23:59 - 1 GB VideoAs Chris Tarr points out, Paul B. Walker, Jr. is probably the most enthusiastic supporter of local radio service and programming. Paul is the Program Director at KSKO-FM in McGrath, Alaska, but he wears almost every hat required for running a full-service FM Public Radio station. Many TWiRT fans know of Paul through the Facebook group he started, “I Take Pictures of Transmitter Sites.” Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack talk with Paul about the challenges of broadcasting in rural Alaska, includin...
TWiRT Ep. 670 - Passionate About Audio with Max Pandini
November 17, 2023 18:04 - 1.06 GB VideoMax Pandini is known throughout Southern Europe for his audio processing acumen, radio brand consulting, and compelling audio programming. Host, Kirk Harnack, actually didn’t realize it until today, but Max is now a colleague, working at Telos Alliance! Max maintains his consultancy for some of the tops radio brands like Radio Kiss Kiss (Italy), Klassik Radio (Germany), and DIXI Media (Moldova). We caught up with Max on a consulting trip in Verona, Italy from where he’s sharing his passion fo...
TWiRT Ep. 669 - Easy Peasy with Jeff Welton & Jeff Wilson
November 11, 2023 01:22 - 1.04 GB VideoIt’s said that sometimes it’s the plumber who has the worst home plumbing in town; ditto for the electrician with “temporary” fixes and home wiring done hastily, and in an un-workmanlike manner. Both professionals may not do it right the first time, knowing they can do it right any time. Which never comes. We broadcast engineers can fall into the same trap. We know where the twisted wires are that are holding the transmitter on-the-air, and we’re careful not to bump them as we do other work...
TWiRT Ep. 668 - Engineering: A Better Value Now Than Ever
November 03, 2023 22:10 - 1 GB VideoEvery time I check in with Josh Bohn, founder of MaxxKonnect Group, he’s busy on an engineering project, or on his way to or from a project. And he’s not alone. Seems that most broadcast engineers are absolutely slammed these days with upgrade projects, regular maintenance, and the usual off-air emergencies. Today Josh is in Indianapolis meeting with several other radio engineers, including Matt Levin. Wondering what kind of work is keeping engineers busy this year, I asked Josh to join us...
TWiRT Ep. 667 - Let's Mix! with Andy Gladding & Steven Pardo
October 27, 2023 20:04 - 1.06 GB VideoWhen Hofstra University’s School of Communication hosted an SBE Ennes Workshop, coordinator, Andy Gladding, added an extra event to this educational event - a Live Mix recording session in the School’s recording studio! This addition was a special treat for students, area broadcast engineers, and even for Workshop presenters. The talented local band, “IRIEspect”, set up and played in the performance studio, while students and sound techs set up mics and configured the recording console for a...
TWiRT Ep. 666 - Console Replacement in an Afternoon with Tom Ray
October 21, 2023 15:42 - 1.05 GB VideoWhen the Archdiocese of Hartford needed to replace an audio mixing console, Tom Ray was ready. Due to parts shortages for older audio consoles, Tom chose a new console that uses Livewire Audio over IP audio in and out connections, plus networking to the rest of the facility’s studios. The result of using AoIP technology? A super-quick replacement and configuration of the new console! In the episode, radio engineer and consultant, Tom Ray, takes us on a tour of WJMJ and the Office of Radio an...
TWiRT Ep. 665 - Live from the 2023 WBA Broadcasters Clinic
October 13, 2023 14:25 - 1 hour - 1.31 GB VideoWith broadcast engineers from 24 states - some from Alaska - there’s no better place for expanding knowledge while seeing old friends and meeting new ones that the WBA Broadcasters Clinic! What a blast to broadcast live from the SBE booth in the expo hall, and we trapped a number of guests to talk about new tech and best practices at this year’s Clinic. Plus, we get to see how the grand prize winner is picked in a Poker-like game with lots of participants! Who won? Watch and see!
TWiRT Ep. 664 - EAS, Fiber, and Creative Tower Sites with Chris Tarr
October 06, 2023 15:49 - 1.09 GB VideoOn Wednesday, October 4, 2023, broadcasters and wireless carriers participated in another National Program Test of the EAS and WEA systems, alerting the public in a variety of ways. Initial reports are that this nationwide test was rather successful! Past tests have been plagued with audio problems for broadcasters, but this test primarily utilized the CAP Server system, delivering clean audio to most broadcasters for retransmission. Chris Tarr serves on Wisconsin’s State Emergency Communicat...
TWiRT Ep. 663 - Virtual is Real with Jeff McGinley
September 29, 2023 13:56 - 1.02 GB VideoWhen Jeff McGinley’s radio stations in Portland, Oregon, joined the ranks of the “homeless” last year, he had just a few weeks to create virtual radio infrastructures so the on-air talent could keep working, doing live shows. Even after moving into new “hands-on” studios, the Portland group is still using virtualized radio consoles for both regular and special broadcasts. Now Jeff is building another virtual studio for a country music star’s restaurant in Gatlinburg. Meanwhile, Chris Tarr and...
TWiRT Ep. 662 - Solar & Wind Powered FM Translators with Becky Meiers and Pete Tridish
September 22, 2023 13:00 - 1.01 GB VideoHow do you provide electric power to your FM translators when, 1) It’s really expensive, 2) Commercial power isn’t reliable, 3) The public depends on your service working? KCAW-FM is installing both solar- and wind-generated electrical systems at their translator sites, serving tiny towns and villages in the archipelago of Southeast Alaska. Becky Meiers with KCAW, and Pete Tridish, a longtime consultant to low-power, community, and startup broadcast radio stations both join Chris Tarr and Kir...
TWiRT Ep. 661 - Workbenching from a New Studio with John Bisset
September 15, 2023 20:00 - 1010 MB VideoFor thirty-two years John Bisset has uncovered and shared some of the best ideas in broadcast engineering techniques, useful supplies, and best practices. Every few months John joins us on TWiRT to share the best tip and tricks. Today we’re with John in-person in the new “Wolf” control room of WIWF-FM in Charleston, South Carolina. Cumulus Regional DoE, Justin “JT” Tucker is here, too, for a quick tour and story about this new studio, built on Audio over IP technology from Axia.
TWiRT Ep. 660 - LPFM Tools & Application Window with Michelle Bradley
September 08, 2023 13:19 - 1010 MB VideoThe LPFM (Low Power FM station) filing window is almost here. Hundreds of organizations are expected to apply for new licenses to serve their local communities. LPFM is a curiosity to many, and a very serious undertaking to many others. Michelle Bradley is an LPFM expert, amateur radio operator, software developer, and a real advocate for FCC Rules and legislation designed to support community-level radio broadcasting. Our conversation is fascinating and informative! We’re delighted to have ...
TWiRT Ep. 659 - The Transmitter We Got for Christmas with Rob Grayson
September 01, 2023 15:07 - 1.07 GB VideoHow did YOU get started in broadcasting? We each have a story. Rob Grayson’s older brother, Walt, received an AM transmitter kit for Christmas in the 1960’s, and that got both Walt and Rob started on careers in radio and TV. Rob even took his 3rd Class FCC license test with Bob Pittman, who went on to be CEO at iHeart. So many twists, turns, and stories to tell, both from the engineering and the operations and programming sides of radio.
TWiRT Ep. 658 - Fountain of Engineering Youth with Andy Gladding
August 25, 2023 18:35 - 1.08 GB VideoWe often ask and worry about the next generation of broadcast engineers. Andy Gladding leverages his ties to Hofstra University in New York to encourage students to prepare for careers in broadcasting, including broadcast engineering. And he’s helped a number of Hofstra students move into broadcast careers. Chris Tarr, a popular SBE Mentor, and Andy discuss finding and encouraging our next broadcast IT and engineering professionals.
TWiRT Ep. 657 - LPFM Window Opening with Dave Doherty
August 18, 2023 18:34 - 1.07 GB VideoIt’s been 10 years (wow!) since the FCC opened an official filing window for new LPFM radio stations. The FCC’s press release states: The Media Bureau (Bureau) announces a filing window for applications for low power FM (LPFM) new station construction permits. The filing window will open at 12:01 am EDT on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and close at 6:00 pm EST on November 8, 2023. The window is available for LPFM proposals in the entire FM band (channels 201-300). Our guest is Dave Doherty, a...
TWiRT Ep. 656 - Summer Projects with Josh, Chris, and Kirk
August 11, 2023 20:09 - 1.06 GB VideoDespite the hot weather, we know that summer will be fading into fall for us in the northern hemisphere. Josh Jones with Maxx Konnext Group joins us to talk about a production room he’s just finishing up. Chris Tarr is on the show, live from Magnum Media’s data center, and Kirk shares photos and thoughts on a new FM station that’s built with everything at the transmitter site, including the on-air phone system and the audio console. What are your thoughts on Kirk's "main studio" build?
TWiRT Ep. 655 - Interoperability is Cool with Robbie Green
August 04, 2023 16:42 - 1.07 GB VideoInteroperability - what does that mean? After this 1-hour conversation with Robbie Green and Chris Tarr, I would say it means “controlling or checking on one device by using another device or system”. Scaled up intelligently, it implies having control and understanding of complex systems from a single location, or doing so automatically. So, rather than separately checking on an automation system, an audio processor, an audio router, a satellite receiver, a transmitter, or a security system,...
TWiRT Ep. 654 - FreePBX and VoIP Telephony for Broadcasters with Tony Lewis
July 29, 2023 10:56 - 1.06 GB VideoFreePBX is an open source SIP PBX software application used in many thousands of businesses, including broadcast facilities. Tony Lewis is the entrepreneur behind this amazing software, and he joins Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack to discuss the benefits and uses of VoIP telephony. Tony recently founded ClearlyIP.com, a provider of SIP telephony services and equipment, with expertise in high-volume inbound calling, needed by so many broadcasters.
TWiRT Ep. 653 - Burning Man for Radio with Frank Martin
July 20, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 1.01 GB VideoFrank Martin is a thoughtful and insightful broadcast engineer with decades of radio and TV experience. And, he’s sharing some compelling ideas with us on this episode of TWiRT. Based in Los Angeles, California. Frank provides service, integration and support for TV, AM, or FM transmitters and studios. Today we’re discussing a new LPFM filing window (Nov 1 - 8, 2023), ATSC 3.0 television, “Franken FM” stations, C-QUAM AM stereo, and whether market size and career satisfaction are related. Plu...
TWiRT Ep. 652 - Trends in LED Tower Lighting with Bear Poth
July 14, 2023 14:10 - 1 hour - 1.35 GB VideoThe FAA compliance rules for your tower’s obstruction lighting continue to be updated as evidenced by a November 2020 FAA circular. Bear Poth, President
TWiRT Ep. 651 - Click Here to Virtualize with Dan McQuillin
July 07, 2023 14:07 - 1.09 GB VideoDan McQuillin, Managing Director at Broadcast Bionics, joins us to explain the philosophy behind Virtual Rack, and further explain how backup and failover is implemented with similar ease.
TWiRT Ep. 650 - Recording, Mixing, & Processing for Broadcast with Kirk Yano
June 30, 2023 15:06 - 987 MB VideoKirk Yano is a multiple Grammy-winning recording engineer with well over 30 Platinum and Gold records. He has won three Grammys including a Grammy for the last album that Miles Davis recorded. He has worked with Public Enemy, Mariah Carey, Miles Davis, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Placido Domingo and Phoebe Snow, and has toured as a musician with Snow, Savoy Brown, Scott Holt and Texas Scratch. Kirk was the recording engineer for “Fight the Power’ by Public Enemy which Billboard magazine still ...
TWiRT Ep. 649 - TX-Control Monitoring Platform with Chuck Kelly and Aimé Diattà
June 23, 2023 16:59 - 1.05 GB VideoWhen Chuck Kelly recommends a new technique or technology, it’s important to pay attention. TX-Control is a networked and cloud-based monitoring, alarm, analysis, and control system designed for broadcast equipment. In Europe TX-Control is monitoring over 1,500 transmitter sites, providing custom reports on trends, outages, automatic remediation, and more. It leverages SNMP, a monitoring and control protocol which is built-in to more and more broadcast equipment. Chuck is joined by Aimé Diat...
TWiRT Ep. 648 - AM Radio's Decline & Future with David Bialik & Charles Kinney
June 16, 2023 22:36 - 1.03 GB VideoCharles Kinney and David Bialik are here to hash out the apparent demise of the AM Radio Band. As bad as some say? Worse? Or still quite viable and important? Have the FCC or the NAB been helpful, or harmful to AM Radio? Is there legislation that would help the AM Radio service? Are there technical improvements that haven’t been implemented yet? Both David and Charles have extensive experience in engineering for large AM stations, and they’re both avid listeners. Salient comments and some goo...
TWiRT Ep. 647 - PTS Gear Connects Directly to Livewire with Tyler Everitt
June 10, 2023 16:59 - 1.06 GB VideoAudio-over-IP now a 20-year-old technology, and we’re witnessed many dozens of AoIP networked devices brought to the broadcast marketplace. Now, Pippin Technical Service, a Canadian broadcast equipment supplier and engineering firm, is adding AoIP network devices to its PTS Gear product line. Designed in-house, the PTS Gear lineup includes PTSBeacon, an warning light that gets its signaling directly from virtual GPIO signals on a packet network. PTSAurora is another device driven by the virtu...
TWiRT Ep. 646 - EAS Rants and Fixes with Chris, Shane, & Mark
June 03, 2023 13:00 - 1.07 GB VideoA pleasant surprise today as our scheduled guest, Shane Toven, joins us from “Gilbert Lodge”, home of Mark Persons! We’re talking about the Emergency Alert System and how broadcasters might move forward with better techniques and technologies to get live-saving information to their listeners. Shane works with EMF (K-LOVE and Air1) while co-host, Chris Tarr, serves on the Wisconsin State EAS committee. Host, Kirk Harnack, expresses some annoyances with the current EAS system and Chris is the u...
TWiRT Ep. 643 - Angry Audio Ideas with Mike Dosch
May 05, 2023 15:26 - 1.04 GB VideoMany broadcast and audio engineers have terrific ideas. Indeed, there’s hardly a shortage of ideas. “Wouldn’t it be great if someone built this?” Or, “Why doesn’t anyone make that?” Then there are people who build things–usually with a good idea, but sometimes not. Mike Dosch’s passion and unique skill are identifying the best ideas for audio devices, then designing and building them with solid technology and knife-edge precision. His company, Angry Audio, embodies this ethic and activity, ...
TWiRT Ep. 642 - Building for Broadcast with Bob Burnham
April 28, 2023 14:02 - 1 hour - 1.1 GB VideoLike many of us broadcast engineers, Bob Burnham built an audio mixer and started broadcasting from his parents’ basement. Indeed, if it weren’t for basements, garages, and kitchen tables we’d likely still be in the technology Dark Ages! Bob’s engineering experience ranges from a 10-tower AM directional station, through a few other AM directionals, FM stations, on-air work, and building studios at a broadcasting school. Plus, Bob founded BRC Broadcast Services, which offers Old Time Radio sho...
TWiRT 641 - Live with Maxx Radio at NAB 2023
April 21, 2023 20:18 - 1 hour - 1020 MB VideoTWiRT is live from NAB 2023! :You can join us virtually in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center for news, stories, and impressions of this year's biggest broadcast expo, the 100th anniversary of NAB shows! We're broadcasting from the show-floor studio of MaxxRadio from Josh Bohn's MaxxKonnect Group. A debt of gratitude to Josh Bohn, President/CEO of MaxxKonnect and to Isis M. Jones for her camera work; she's extraordinarily overqualified! Note: Apologies for the bad audio for the...
TWiRT 640 - Public Radio Engineering Conference 2023 - Live from Las Vegas
April 14, 2023 17:27 - 1020 MB VideoThe Public Radio Engineering Conference (PREC) is on! Two full days of technical sessions and reconnecting with broadcast engineers from Florida to Alaska. Tech presentations included sessions on Recovering from Hurricane Ian, Virtualizing most of Minnesota Public Radio, Understanding Loudness by Understanding LUFS, Using AI for FM Pattern Studies, and the benefits of captioning radio programming. We pulled a few presenters away and got their thoughts on broadcast engineering projects and cha...
TWiRT Ep. 639 - Been There, Done That with Paul Jellison
April 07, 2023 15:54 - 1.01 GB VideoQuite a few radio engineers first met Paul Jellison just outside his house on 21 acres, right next to a 747 foot Blaw-Knox diamond-shaped tower. Paul lived in the house on the WLW transmitter site for a dozen years, raised his children there, and proudly gave transmitter tours to many curious broadcasters. From 4-POTS-line remote broadcasts, to the first ISDN connections in Central Florida, to new STL and remote monitoring solutions, Paul loves to use innovative technology to make radio sound...
TWiRT Ep. 638 - Build & Re-Build Transmitter Sites with Chris Tarr
March 31, 2023 16:04 - 1.11 GB VideoSometimes broadcast engineers get to build new transmitter sites or facilities. Usually, however, we’re tasked with rebuilding existing sites or improving them. Chris Tarr is a sought-after engineer thanks to his experience and hard-earned wisdom in best practices as well as clever solutions. On this episode of TWiRT, Chris shares this wisdom and the reasoning behind it from several transmitter site projects. Plus, Kirk presents Chris (and our audience) with three scenarios for new studios an...
TWiRT Ep. 637 - RadioGPT with Daniel Anstandig & Craig Bowman
March 24, 2023 16:55 - 1.04 GB VideoScared of or skeptical about ChatGPT driving voice-tracked AI voices in radio? You're not alone. RadioGPT can talk. It can research. It can take your calls. And it could be coming to your market. Let's get some answers, together. Daniel Anstandig, CEO, and Craig Bowman, SVP, at Futuri Media are sharing insights on the technologies involved, and their vision for now and the future of Artificial Intelligence in broadcasting. Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack co-host this episode and play some exampl...