In late September, 2024, hurricane Helene hit parts of Florida and caused wind damage and severe flooding in Georgia, South Carolina, and especially Western North Carolina. Hurricane Milton hit Florida in October, 2025, causing even more damage there. In both storms, electricity was knocked out, cell phone service disrupted, and Internet was down for many. In these disasters, local and regional radio largely remained on-the-air, alerting listeners to the storms’ arrivals and keeping them updated with news of emergency services, relief sites, and a lot more. Christian Vang and Dave Anderson are broadcast engineers in Northern Georgia and Tampa, Florida, respectively. Both are seasoned in planning for disasters and working those plans while being flexible in emergency response, all the while keeping studios and transmitters operational. Chris Tarr joins us as well with some additional notes on emergency preparedness for broadcast engineers.
The guys start out talking about Logan Paul vs Mike Tyson and what the interest will be for this fight. They discussed AEW Dynamite from this past week, which is building to Full Gear in a couple of weeks. They talked about Moxley’s Death Rider group and how that plays out with Wheeler Yuta and others. They also talk to top stories of the week including aew using November Rain by Guns n' Roses to promote and the highlights from Liv Morgan on the Pat McAfee show this week. Plus, thoughts on Chris Jericho's current run, WWE’s build to War Games, The Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, your questions, and more! Andrew and Rich are back with another episode of The Mat Men podcast to talk about all the latest wrestling news.
Most broadcast engineers love a good project - especially when planning and resources overlap to enable a worthy outcome. But even solid “enablement” requires an engaged and knowledgeable engineer to guide the project’s moving parts, seeing the project through, and making sure the outcome fits the goal. That’s where Aaron Cox comes in. Aaron appreciates a good project - even a complex one - and he’s our guest, describing several compelling broadcast projects. From a couple of tower projects to new studios and upgrading an AM directional array, Aaron brings a “can-do” spirit to each job. Chris Tarr co-hosts this episode, adding his parallel expertise.
Mike Dosch has served as the CEO of Telos-Omnia-Axia, and is the Founder of Angry Audio. But his passion is audio circuit design and manufacturing. Mike joins us to talk about solving some vexing audio problems, and getting the best performance from analog audio interfaces. Isolating audio circuits from the noisy data circuits that connect them was a challenge - one that is solved in the USB Audio Gizmo from Angry Audio. Mike also discusses Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) and how this figure of merit is important in real audio facilities. Josh Bohn joins us to announce a new wireless data connection path for remote sites. And we meet Mike Hutchens, the new Director of Technical Services at MK Technical Services.
The guys start out talking about the new WWE ID program and what it will mean for independent wrestling and why it's more of a good thing than bad. They also talk about this weekend's Crown Jewel show and give predictions for each match as well as NXT's show Wednesday at the ECW Arena featuring legends from ECW. Also, a rundown of this week's AEW Dynamite show, what's the latest with the Young Bucks after they dropped the title to Private Party, and what's going on with Jon Moxley and his crew? Plus, Rhea Ripley's injury, WWE back at MSG, Chris Bey's serious injury, your questions, and more.
Amazing that this worked out, but thanks to Pierre Lonewolf’s topic idea and Bill Murdoch’s eagerness to join us, we have a fun and informative TWiRT episode! Two chiefs who engineer at two different high-power AM radio stations - each broadcasting at 720 kHz on the AM dial. And we’re having this conversation on episode 720 of “This Week in Radio Tech!” It had to be fate! Between Pierre and Bill, we find plenty of similarities and some big differences in their transmitter operations. Pierre’s station is KOTZ in Kotzebue, Alaska. Bill’s station is WGN in Chicago, Illinois. The towers are about 3,200 miles apart from each other, so neither station gets interference from the other, but each station has interesting and individual challenges. You’ve got to check out Pierre’s and Bill’s Tips of the Week at the end of the show. Great wisdom there!
Conditional Access systems for building security have always seemed like a “per building” or “per campus” proposition. But with today’s ubiquitous Internet access, and somewhat autonomous operation, conditional access systems can be deployed in remote locations. They can provide not only conditional access security, but also inform site owners of who is opening doors and gates, and exactly when they’re doing it. It’s convenience for those requiring access, and verification for those who need to monitor such access. Ty Magnum has assembled the right ‘best of breed” security systems and is installing these systems at transmitter sites and broadcast studio facilities. Chris Tarr joins us to apply his perspective on rolling out this technology and the equipment that makes it work.
We radio engineers who aspire to be fondly remembered in our careers should take a few notes from Ed Glab. Ed engineered the studios and the remote broadcasters for WLS, Chicago, for over 40 years. His career and his positive ingenuity are fondly remembered by the DJs and radio hosts who worked with him. On this episode of TWiRT, we get to talk with Ed and hear his perspective and stories about engineering at “Music Radio - WLS”.
The guys start by gloating about their New York Mets advancing in the playoffs before transitioning to wrestling talk. They begin by discussing Tony Khan's comments from the WrestleDream media call, including a possible brand split and more on the media rights deal. The boys also talk about The Rock returning at the end of Bad Blood last weekend and all the fallout from that show. WrestleDream is on Saturday night. The guys break down the card, give their predictions, and ponder if this is Bryan Danielson's last match. Plus, Hurricane Milton's effect on the wrestling world, Rhea Ripley's new contract, Dynamite's poor rating on an unfamiliar night, your questions, and more!
Listen fast, because George Whittam reveals a LOT of gold nuggets of useful audio capture and production information in this episode of TWiRT. Just look at the long list of Show Notes below! George is the engineer to the Voice Over stars, and the rest of the voice talent world, too. We engineers can learn a lot from George’s tireless efforts to help voice talent get the most from their equipment and studios, and modify or build new spaces when needed. Check out George’s advice, then follow him on other podcasts and his website to dig into solid audio engineering advice.
The week's big news is the finalization of the WBD/AEW media rights deal that Andrew has been reporting on for almost a year. The guys break down all the details, including the inclusion of MAX as a platform for PPVs. The guys preview WWE Bad Blood and the possibilities heading into Survivor Series with the Bloodline storyline. They also talk about the premiere of NXT on the CW and the similarities that show had to one of the original Takeovers. They also break down AEW Dynamite's 5th-anniversary show, including Ricochet vs. Will Osprey, MVP's new faction, and Danielson defeating Okada. Plus, Raw ratings on the final 3-hour episode, follow-up thoughts on the Vince McMahon documentary, your questions, and more!
TWiRT is on location at a Nashville radio station - Jazzy 88, WFSK-FM. Rick Durham is a provider of managed IT services in Middle Tennessee. He’s also the engineer for WFSK-FM. WFSK is preparing for their annual fundraising event, where they broadcast live from the parking lot and take drive through donations while interviewing numerous Nashville dignitaries and music artists. We also spend a few minutes with Sharon Kay, WFSK’s General Manager, and Xuam (X-Man) Lawson, WFSK’s Program Director. We discuss some engineering and how WFSK is keeping up with an Audio over IP audio plant. We also discuss the engineer’s role in keeping the jazz playing and the public affairs programming on the air, too.
The guys talk about their experience attending AEW Dynamite live at Arthur Ashe Stadium this week and share their thoughts on the show. They discuss the main event picture and speculate on whether Bryan Danielson will lose the title to Jon Moxley at Wrestle Dream or if it will continue. They also preview upcoming WWE shows, including the NXT premiere on the CW Network and Bad Blood next weekend. Additionally, they discuss the direction of the War Games event and Andrew pitches a Bloodline Civil War storyline. Plus, they share their thoughts on the Vince McMahon documentary on Netflix, a two-night SummerSlam in New Jersey, and the discontinuation of pay-per-views on Bleacher Report.
Lee Melton is one of those semi-crazy radio guys that we know and love. And many of us wanted to BE that guy! Lee’s career started at KFI, Los Angeles, and he’s been at about 25 radio stations, even building a couple in Southeast Texas. Some have called him “The Kind of Radio Trade-Outs” while many others called him a friendly and fun voice on the radio. Lee’s radio recollections inspire plenty of banter with Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack. And Chris reveals his encounter with Paul McCartney! It's an hour of radio stories and fun, with a little engineering talk sprinkled in.
The guys analyze the recent comments from Tony Khan regarding the AEW and WBD rights negotiations, following reports earlier in the week that the deal could be worth $170 million. They also break down Friday Night SmackDown, including the cinematic presentation of the confrontation between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns at Georgia Tech's football stadium. Additionally, they review this week's Dynamite episode, discussing the direction of the new Jon Moxley-led BBC and previewing next week's Grand Slam, which they will be attending. Plus, they cover Miro requesting his AEW release, Saturday Night Main Event, CM Punk on NXT, listener questions, and more!
Sometimes we originate a TWiRT episode from a newly-built radio studio. Today, however, we’re visiting beautiful studios that are under construction. Bill Jackson works with K-Love, a nationwide Christian radio group. He’s in charge of the design and build-out of a couple dozen radio studios, podcast rooms, edit, and news booths. Bill is absolutely maximizing Audio over IP technology throughout. Let’s take a “cook’s tour” of a couple large studios, plus look at a data closet and the broadcast portion of the restricted-access data center.
The Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) was created around 1989 to aid the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in making sure all broadcast operations are in compliance and to help stations understand the rules in a one-on-one setting. In the beginning, the ABIP inspectors were retired FCC engineers. As the program began to expand around the country, other engineers were recruited and trained by regional FCC inspectors. ABIP inspectors have long used a basic Self Inspection Checklist that became woefully out of date. Tom Ray, working with other committee members at the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) has rewritten and greatly expanded these checklists for AM, FM, and TV stations. ABIP inspections are an excellent tool for broadcasters to assure compliance with FCC Rules, and do so in a friendly, non-adversarial encounter.
The episode begins with the guys talking about the Vince McMahon documentary on Netflix, now that the trailer has been released. They speculate on whether it will be a puff piece or an intriguing and truthful piece with new information. They also discuss Tony Khan's comments on the WBD deal during his All Out Media call and continue to speculate on when the deal might finally be announced. The guys also preview All Out, which is taking place on Saturday, and the shocking angle that ended this week's Dynamite with Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page committing arson. Plus, they discuss Guilia's arrival in NXT, preview Raw and Smackdown, answer your questions, and more!
The rise of AI-generated lyrics and music is giving engineers something to chuckle about. But could this “easy creativity” inspire other engineering solutions? Kirk drew a comparison with photographer Jeremy Cowart and his use of an LED wall to produce 60 different portraits in 60 seconds. Anthony Kuzub, an engineer at CBC in Canada, pointed out the AI that’s involved with lighting a new studio, matching accent lights to the video monitor feeds. Matt Aaron is programming a fully-AI streaming station that’s playing “Broadcast Engineers Gangster Rap”. Are these just passing curiosities? Or are they signals of technologies and techniques to come for broadcasting and content creation?
Most every piece of equipment we use, or software we depend on began with an idea and a dream - a dream to help ourselves and others do their jobs better, faster, easier. Or perhaps to provide a service, or improve an existing one. Paul Stewart started Summit Technology Group with this motivation in mind as well. Paul and his company provide software and services with new features, conveniences, and efficiencies. Exactly what many broadcast engineers are looking for. Chris Tarr and I are talking with Paul about the software and services he’s bringing to broadcasters.