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“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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What’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.
The 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.
Search 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 implementation. Plus Tom Ray pops in to discuss microphone choices with Chris Tarr. Plenty of opinions and some solid advice!
Can 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, main coax, and even the main and backup FM antennas. Robert and Dominic give us a very informative video tour and discussion of this project on Capshaw Mountain. Plus, Chris Tarr relates his own recent transmitter installation experiences and has developed some advice on purchasing used transmitters.
Over 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 about refurbishing other broadcast gear, including a Continental Electronics FM transmitter and an A-6000 audio console.
Most 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, such as bridge towers, smokestacks, and even the Statue of Liberty. Jim Tiner presents his company’s fascinating story and tells us about unique elevator designs.
Most 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 purity and detail prepared Joyce for other audio engineering achievements, including working with a team at WHYY and NPR to restore and digitally archive the episodes of Fresh Air, plus provide guidance to other archival efforts. Chris Tarr adds his expert insights as well to this interview with Joyce Lieberman.
Are 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.
Current 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 on the link to SBE’s full description of these technology tracks. This is a very worthwhile 2-day workshop for any level of broadcast engineer!
Chris 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 helpful? Perhaps we’ve each done that, but let’s identify it and not make it a habit. Join us for this episode of TWiRT - it may be more important than any technical discussion.
People 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 and ideas about this. In his position at Wisconsin Public Media, Alex is hands-on with basic audio tech, but also data centers and managing fleets of equipment, computing, and sometimes people.
Tom 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 welcome Tom Morris on this episode of TWiRT, and Chris also offers up a vexing set of symptoms at an FM station that took several days to fully repair.
The 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. It’s especially useful to IT technicians getting into the world of audio and radio broadcasting.
Can 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 or online. Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack discuss this approach with Mike on this episode of TWiRT.
The 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 transmission systems, plus letting us in on his part-time mayoral career in Fosston, Minnesota. Stay tuned until the end of the show when Jim is making an announcement about expanding Radio Gearheads!
What 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 “digital- and future-oriented” staff. On this episode of TWiRT, she along with Josh Claussen and Bill Booth describe the technical operation, but more importantly the community involvement that’s driving Elkton’s embrace of WEKT, resulting in advertising and renewed revenue.
Rolf 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”.
As 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, including antenna icing, Internet service, STL connections to outlying villages’ FM transmitters, and even the occasional “moose fade”.
Any time spent with Charlie Wooten is time well spent! Engineering with iHeartMedia in the Florida Panhandle, Charlie keeps his Facebook friends apprised of bigger projects and occasional off-air emergencies. We also know that he loves “roughing it” at a 13,000 acre deer camp with longtime friends and fellow hunters. From a vexing audio crosstalk problem, to multiple station monitoring, to mentally resetting around a campfire, Charlie shares his thoughts on a great work-life balance.
Once each year we discuss air conditioning and airflow at transmitter sites - and we do so in preparation for hot summer weather. But what about temperature control and monitoring during the cold winter months? What issues arise when it’s cold outside but the transmitter is still making plenty of heat? There are many variations in scenarios, but Joe Fleming advises that monitoring the temperature at key locations is important to keeping tabs on your HVAC system and your transmitter’s health.
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