Digital Radio Mondiale Unveiled atIFA 2001 in Berlin

Berlin - Sep 5, 2001 - The consortium Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) gave radio listeners the chance to hear its digital AM system live via mobile reception. More than 100 people sampled DRM's newly developed, near FM-like sound during listening tours in a presentation car at IFA 2001, Germany's largest consumer electronics show, from August 27 to September 2. Tour participants heard six radio stations broadcasting live via DRM, five of them on medium-wave/AM (including single-frequency network) and one of them on short-wave. Tour equipment came from DRM members and supporters. Deutsche Telekom AG provided the network and vehicle, and coordinated transmissions, Telefunken SenderSysteme Berlin provided transmitters, Fraunhofer IIS-A provided receivers, and Radiostroy RTV provided antennas.

IFA 2001 was the site for another DRM premiere: Fraunhofer's DRM-prototype kitchen radio receiver with multimedia capabilities. It offered medium-wave/AM programming plus pictures, text and airline schedules.

More than 700 conference attendees visited the DRM booth, which featured live transmissions on short-wave (from Deutsche Telekom AG, Juelich, Germany and Deutsche Welle, Sines, Portugal) and medium-wave/AM throughout IFA.

Broadcasters ExperienceIBOC Listening Tests

By Chriss Scherer, editor

New Orleans – Sep 4, 2001 – Attendees at the NAB Radio Show this week have the opportunity to experience the iBiquity IBOC DAB listening tests that were conducted in evaluation of iBiquity’s iDAB system.

In two-hour sessions, up to six attendees were given the chance to hear audio samples of various types of music and speech that represent varying levels of audio quality. Some samples were created in an audio lab while others were recorded from actual iBiquity field tests at participating stations.

The test session has three parts. The first part is an introduction and training, where the group is introduced to the PC test interface and given examples of some of the various types of aural effects that will be experienced. The test subjects then go to individual listening rooms for the second and third parts.

Part two is a screening test, which evaluates the test taker’s listening ability. Subjects are presented with an original source audio file, and then listen to two samples to determine which sounds most like the original. One of the samples is the original source. The other has an aural artifact in it, which could be multipath, adjacent-channel interference, noise, or a variation in the stereo field.

While test takers of the original test given by Dyna-stat in Dallas used the second part to eliminate unsuitable test takers, the NAB Radio tests allow each subject to complete the entire process so as to better illustrate the system.

The third part of the test is a mean option scoring (MOS) test. Subjects listen to a single audio sample and rate it as Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, or Bad.. Subjects listen to a total of 178 samples. Subjects can take a break during the process to avoid listening fatigue.

The test setup uses a PC with the stored sound files. Audio is played over a Lynx One sound card and the AES-3 signal is converted to analog with a Lucid Technologies DA9624. For the Individual listening portion, subjects used a pair of Sennheiser HD 600 headphones. For the training period, a single Lucid DA9624 fed a Rane HC 6 headphone amp and listeners used Sony MDR 7509 headphones.

The official listening tests were completed with open speakers, but because of the close confines of the listening room, headphones were substituted for the demonstration.

Following the test period, subjects were able to view and hear a demonstration of the iDAB system and compare analog and digital signals in various field recordingse of the IBOC signal.

DAB Events at NAB Radio

Robert Struble, iBiquity Digital president and CEO, and Eddie Fritts, NAB president and CEO, will speak at an NAB Radio Show Luncheon on Friday, September 7, 2001 from 12:30pm to 1:45pm. Struble will speak about radio’s digital future and the opportunities for broadcasters as the industry begins its transition to digital.

IBiquity Digital will exhibit in booth 1646 in the Morial Convention Center. Digital radio demonstrations will be available in Armstrong's booth (2126), Broadcast Electronics' booth (1620) and Nautel's booth (2040).

Demonstrations:

Tristani To Leave FCC

Washington, DC - Aug 27, 2001 - FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani announced that she will leave the Federal Communications Commission on September 7, 2001. She announced that it was, "time to move on."

Tristani, a Democrat, was appointed by President Clinton and took office on November 3, 1997. Previously, she had been elected to the New Mexico State Corporation Commission (SCC) in 1994 and served as SCC Chairman in 1996.

IBOC Listening Tests at NABRadio

Washington, DC - Aug 16, 2001 - A battery of crucial subjective listening tests scheduled to take place at the NAB Radio Show in New Orleans will evaluate the next-generation of digital radio technology for the United States.

Lucid DAs to power tests Uniformity and unerring performance of ancillary equipment is essential to the scientific validity of the subjective tests, and Lucid Audio's DA 9624 (above) digital-to-analog converter was selected as the bridge between the digital domain of radio transmission and the analog world of human ears. The tests duplicate those performed by DynaStat.

NOAA Gets New Voice

SBE National ElectionResults

Indianapolis - Aug 10, 2001 - The Society of Broadcast Engineers has announced the results of the national election of officers and board members of the Society.
President - Troy Pennington, CPBE

Vice President - Ray Benedict, CPBE

Secretary - Keith Kintner, CPBE

Treasurer - John Batson, CPBE

Elected to serve a two-year term on the Board are:
Ralph Beaver, CBT
William Denne, CPBE
Donald Driskell, CSTE, CBNT
Clay Freinwald, CPBE
Robert "R.J." Russell, CBTE
Conrad Trautmann, CSRE

They will be joined by the following members of the Board who will be entering the second year of their two-year term:
Thomas Daniels, Jr., CPBE
Mark Humphrey, CPBE
Sam Garfield, CPBE
Al Grossniklaus, P.E., CBT
Vincent Lopez, CEV, CBNT
Jerry Whitaker, CPBE

Andy Butler, CPBE, will serve in the capacity of Immediate Past President. The new Officers and Directors will be inducted into office on September 13 during the Annual Membership Meeting in Verona, NY.

SBE National Award WinnersAnnounced

Indianapolis - Aug 13, 2001 - The Society of Broadcast Engineers recognizes the efforts of its members through its annual awards program. The results for the 2000 National Awards were announced this week.

Nominations were accepted for achievements occurring from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000. Only active SBE Members are eligible for awards. Some awards are divided into two classes, which reflect the size of the chapter based on number of members. Classes are determined using the median chapter size as of December 31, 2000. Class A chapters have fewer membes than the median, and Class B chapters have more than the median.

Best Regional Convention or Conference: - Chapter 16 - Electronic Media Expo (Seattle)

Best Chapter Newsletter (Class B): - Chapter 24 - Madison, WI

Most Interactive Chapter: - Chapter 70 - Northeast Ohio

Best Chapter Frequency Coordination Effort (Class A): - Chapter 112 - Western Wisconsin

Best Chapter Frequency Coordination Effort (Class B): - Chapter 16 - Seattle

Best Chapter Website: - Chapter 53 - South Florida

Broadcast Engineer of the Year: - Kenneth J. Brown, White Plains, NY

Educator of the Year: - Michael P. Scott, Puyallup, WA

Technology Award: - Andrew Corporation - STACKER - Orland Park, IL

Best Technical Article, Book or Program by an SBE Member: - Victoria Kipp - Resonance Research Corporation: High Voltage and Bright Light, Madison, WI

Most Certified Chapter Class A: - Chapter 112 - Western Wisconsin

Most Certified Chapter Class B: - Chapter 131 - Inland Empire, CA

Highest Member Attendance Class A: - Chapter 135 - Middle Tennessee

Highest Member Attendance Class B: - Chapter 58 - Northeast New York

Greatest Growth in New Members Class A: - Chapter 129 - Wyoming

Greatest Growth in New Members Class B: - Chapter 131 - Inland Empire, CA

The award winners will be recognized with the presentation of their awards at the SBE National Meeting in Verona, New York on September 13.

IBiquity Provides Test Datato NRSC

Columbia, MD – Aug 8, 2001 – IBiquity Digital announced that it has supplied its final FM test data to the National Radio Systems Committee (NRSC). The report is 600 pages long and covers the data gathered by the Advanced Television Technology Center. This data will be used by the NRSC to evaluate the in-band on-channel (IBOC) system developed by iBiquity as a proposed transmission standard for digital radio in the United States.

The NRSC is a standard-setting committee formed by the NAB and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

IBiquity held a press conference to announce that the test results conclusively show that its implementation of FM IBOC, called iDAB, shows a marked improvement in four distinct areas of radio transmission. IBiquity also commented that it believes that these tests are the most comprehensive of any tests of their kind.

The test program evaluated audio quality by using 600 separate sound samples and 120 listeners. The IBOC signal was selected to have a better overall sound in all musical genres. These tests included transmission obstacles such as multipath and other adverse transmission conditions.

The coverage parameters were evaluated using eight stations that were deemed to be representative of stations in the U.S. The stations were WETA Washington, DC, WPOC Baltimore, WHFS Annapolis, WNEW New York, WWIN Baltimore, KLLC San Francisco, KWNR Las Vegas and a low-power test station at the iBiquity offices in Columbia, MD. The digital signals were transmitted at a power level that was 1% of the analog power level at each station. It was deemed that the IBOC coverage even at this power level provided better audio performance. Each of these facilities provides varying terrain and other transmission conditions.

Robustness is a subjective evaluation of analog and digital receivers. The received signal strength is reduced and the resulting audio performance is considered. IBiquity reports that the digital performance remained strong while the analog signal failed.

The last evaluation determined compatibility between the analog and digital signals. Interference between the two carriers to themselves and between the test station and other stations on first and second adjacent frequencies was evaluated. The test results showed that IBOC will have no meaningful impact on analog operations.

All these tests used the AAC audio encoding algorithm, which was a part of the USA Digital Radio system being developed before USADR and Lucent Digital Radio merged to form iBiquity. The final test system will use Lucent’s PAC algorithm. IBiquity was granted permission to make these tests despite this obvious difference in the final system plan. According to iBiquity, the encoding algorithm is a simple substitution. Bob Struble, CEO and co-chairman of the board of iBiquity, referred to the change in algorithms as “plug and play.” Additional tests with PAC will be performed by iBiquity.

These tests only covered the FM system. AM tests are currently underway. AM test results are due in October 2001.

IBiquity is hopeful that the NRSC will make its evaluation and subsequent endorsement to the FCC by the end of this year so a ruling can be made and broadcast equipment can be made available for display at NAB2002. IBiquity would like to see a consumer equipment rollout made for CES 2003.

Judge Affirms WebRoyalty Ruling

Aug 3, 2001 - Judge Berle Schiller, am Eastern Pennsyvania U.S. District Court judge, ruled on August 1 that radio stations simulcasting their signal online must pay royalties to musicians, stressing the legal notion that copyright laws apply to cyberspace.

This court decision affirms the U.S. Copyright Office's December 11, 2000 rule that states provides that radio broadcasters are not exempt from copyright royalties to recording artists and producers when they stream their audio on the Internet. In March, seven national radio station owners and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Copyright Office after the agency made its ruling. The Copyright Office cites that the royalties are required to comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

Broadcasters expect that this ruling will severly hinder the cost of online operations. Many stations ceased online streaming when the ruling was first made. Unfortuantely, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while pleased with the Court's ruling, has still not disclsoed what the fees will be, only that the fees will be retroactive.

On a separate issue, the American Federation of Television and Radio Announcers announced an agreement in October 2000 that requires any AFTRA member to receive a compensation of 300% his session fee for any production played online. This compensation covers a period of one year. An additional 300% payment is due to the talent to renew the usage period for an additional nine months.

Some radio stations have made arrangements with streaming providers to circumvent these rulings. Some stations have also used ad insertion system to cover the AFTRA-affected spots, but this does not address the U.S. Copyright Office/RIAA issue.

Sunset on SEDAT

By Chriss Scherer, editor

Collegiate BroadcastersAnnounces Convention

Western e-com Inc. ClosesTransaction with OMT

Winnipeg - Aug 16, 2001 - Western e-com Inc. (CDNX: WEC.K), a former capital pool company, announced that the previously announced acquisition of OMT Technologies Inc. closed on August 15, 2001. The previously announced private placement of CN$2.0 million was closed concurrently with the acquisition.

OMT is a developer of multi-media software for commercial and Internet broadcasting applications, marketed under the Mediatouch name, and a distributor of broadcast equipment. All of the issued and outstanding securities of OMT were acquired by WEC for $2,832,700 which amount was satisfied by way of the issuance of 7,019,250 Common Shares of the Corporation at a deemed price of $.40 per share plus a deposit paid of $25,000.

A private placement closed concurrently with the Acquisition comprised of 5,000,000 units of the Corporation at a price of $.40 per Unit for gross proceeds of $2,000,000. Each Unit consists of one senior participating, convertible preferred share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant.

The name of the corporation is in the process of being changed to OMT Inc. Upon the completion of the new share certificates being printed and the applicable regulatory approvals being in place the corporation will commence trading under its new name with a new trading symbol which is yet to be assigned. In conjunction with the acquisition, WEC has agreed to issue 200,000 options pursuant to its stock option plan. The name change and the issuance of options are subject to regulatory approval.

Westwood One Signs Deal WithFastChannel Network

New Orleans - Sep 6, 2001 - FastChannel Network and Westwood One Radio Networks announced the signing of a three-year contract that will enable Westwood One to streamline its ad delivery process by implementing FastChannel's SpotTaxi Internet-based media distribution service.

Westwood One is one of the largest producers and distributors of radio programming in the US, and the nation's largest radio network. Westwood One broadcasts entertainment, news, weather, sports, talk and traffic programming to about 7,700 radio stations; its commentators include Martha Stewart, Dan Rather and Don Imus. It also produces concerts and events, and broadcasts college football and NHL hockey games. The company is also the United States' top provider of local traffic reports.

Westwood One's distribution of commercial content will be simplified by taking advantage of FastChannel's online network, in which users can manage the workflow of radio spots, listen to spots in the approval process and traffic broadcast quality MP2 audio files to all stations in the U.S. and Canada. The service also automatically provides station recipients with email delivery notification, while providing senders confirmation of receipt. In addition, SpotTaxi provides users with fully searchable online archiving and media asset management tools, ensuring fast, easy and reliable management of spot distribution.

GM To Offer XM Radios NextYear

Washington - Sep 4, 2001 - On the heels of XM Satellite Radio's debut on Cadillac Sevilles and DeVilles this fall, General Motors will offer XM in more than 20 '03 models, making it one of the fastest technology roll-outs in GM history.

In November 2001, GM will become the first auto manufacturer in the world to offer XM Satellite Radio as a factory-installed option on 2002 Cadillac DeVilles and Sevilles. Beginning next fall, the start of the '03 model year, the XM option will expand to more than 20 models throughout the GM lineup. Specific brands and models will be announced closer to introduction.

Consumers will have the option to include their monthly XM subscription fees into their GMAC vehicle lease or financing the lease or finance of their vehicles when financing through dealers and GMAC. Customers with GMAC financing can choose to include the XM subscription in their car payments rather than see a separate bill for XM's service.

International DatacastingAcquires BroadLogic Business

Ottawa - Sep 4, 2001 - International Datacasting and BroadLogic Network Technologies announced that they have signed a letter of intent for IDC to acquire the Satellite Express products business of BroadLogic. Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to be concluded in approximately four weeks, were not disclosed.

BroadLogic, based in Milpitas, CA, with sales and service offices in Paris and Singapore, offers a line of DVB-compliant satellite receivers including the Satellite Express PCI+ satellite-to-PCI broadband receiver and the Satellite Express USB satellite-to-USB broadband receiver.

The acquisition is subject to Board and regulatory approvals as well as the finalizing of definitive agreements.

XM on Schedule for NationalRollout

Washington - Sep 5, 2001 - XM Satellite Radio announced that the first-ever AM/FM/XM satellite radio shipments began arriving in the United States in preparation for the company's September 12 launch of its satellite radio service. The service features 100 digital-quality channels including 71 music channels, of which more than 30 are 100% commercial-free. In addition, XM will offer 29 news, talk, sports and entertainment channels. The company expects that in December of this year, there will be 100,000 XM radios available at more than 6,000 electronics retailers nationwide ready for the important holiday season. The launch will be supported by a national multimedia advertising campaign that has already begun.

XM Radio anticipates that a broad array of 24 different models of XM radios will be available including models that can enable any existing car stereo to receive the XM service. The radio lineup includes the Pioneer Universal Receiver and the Sony Plug and Play radio that can be used in the car and home, and 16 new Pioneer and six Alpine AM/FM/XM car stereo systems. The devices are being distributed through major electronics retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, participating RadioShack dealers and franchisees, Good Guys and Crutchfield. Delphi Delco factory installed radio systems will roll out initially in GM Cadillac DeVilles and Sevilles beginning in November, expanding to more than 20 additional GM models next year.

The company will launch its service initially in Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego, representing 8 million people, on September 12, followed by the Southwest United States, covering 55 million people, on October 18, followed by the rest of the nation in November. XM's Technology Group recently certified the lead markets for commercial readiness as well as all 24 models of XM radios for retail sales.

In June, in preparation for commercial launch, the company initiated a soft launch with 100 users including employees, friends and family and strategic partners across 20 markets. Over the last three months, user feedback was incorporated into the commercial launch planning effort in the areas of radio development, technology and customer service.

Sonifex Wins BBCContract

Northants, England - Aug 29, 2001 - Sonifex has won a contract to supply BBC local radio stations in England with its Courier portable hard disk recorders. The order is the largest one-off order for Couriers that Sonifex has received and is part of the BBC's program to redevelop BBC regional broadcasting sites, including London, Kent and Sheffield, project managed by BBC Consulting and Projects. The order for more than 100 Couriers means that every BBC local radio station in England will be issued with a number of units.

The new version of Courier has a USB B connector supporting USB 1.1 and enables downloads to the PC of up to 40 times real-time speed. Supplied with the new Courier is software to enable connection to Windows Explorer in Win 98 and Windows 2000. Files can be quickly downloaded to a PC by USB, the disk wiped and recording started again in a fraction of the time normally needed. An additional benefit of the USB connection is that the flashcard or harddisk used for recording can be permanently stored in the Courier without the need for removal. This lessens the risk of losing or damaging the disk, thus avoiding the need for costly replacements. The USB port works in addition to the RS232 serial port and the optional ISDN connection.

Broadcast Electronics IncreasesIBOC Support

Quincy, IL - Sep 5, 2001 - Broadcast Electronics has taken the next step in the advance of In Band On Channel Digital (IBOC) radio broadcasting. Broadcast Electronics recently announced that it has agreed to become a full partner in the development of the products needed to make IBOC a reality. The company reached reached an agreement with iBiquity Digital Corporation to jointly develop products that will allow AM and FM stations to implement iBiquity’s in-band on-channel digital broadcasting system. Over the next several months, Broadcast Electronics announced that it will begin introducing new products designed specifically to meet the needs of radio broadcasters as they begin to implement this exciting new technology. This will include upgrade kits to convert existing products to IBOC capability.

AKG Opens New U.S.Headquarters

Nashville, TN - Aug 31, 2001 -­ In a physical move that will provide it with a dedicated facility to house its U.S. operations, AKG Acoustics announced the opening of a new headquarters building in Nashville. The new facility virtually doubles the space formerly occupied by this microphone manufacturer and creates more room for the company to expand as necessary according to Doug MacCallum, vice president and general manager, AKG Acoustics U.S.

The transfer to the new facility, which is a half-mile away from AKG's former headquarters, is close to the Nashville International Airport. The move should be completed by September 11th. The new address is 914 Airpark Center Drive, Nashville, TN, 37217. The new primary phone and fax numbers are, respectively, (615) 620-3800 and (615) 620-3875.

AKG Acoustics microphones and headphones are manufactured in Vienna, Austria. AKG Acoustics, U.S. markets the full line of AKG Acoustics microphones, headphones and processing for recording, concert, fixed installation sound reinforcement and broadcast applications. AKG Acoustics, U.S. is part of the Harman International family of companies.

Enco To Offer NewsBoss

Southfield, MI - Sep 1, 2001 - Enco Systems Inc., a worldwide provider of digital audio delivery systems, announced an agreement with Desktop Technologies, the publisher of NewsBoss, a newsroom management system, making NewsBoss available through Enco Systems Inc. and Enco Systems Ltd.

The agreement is effective immediately and establishes Enco Systems as a dealer and support facility for the NewsBoss product. Enco Systems will provide worldwide support and sales for NewsBoss, which is currently in use by over 250 facilities around the world, including 140 in the US.

Enco Systems to OfferSadie Workstations

Southfield, MI - Aug 30, 2001 - Enco Systems, a worldwide provider of digital audio delivery systems, announced an agreement with Sadie, manufacturer of Radia, a PC-based digital audio workstation, making Radia available through Enco Systems.

The agreement is effective immediately and establishes Enco Systems as a U.S. dealer for the Radia system. Enco will provide domestic sales for Radia as well as other Sadie products, which are currently in use by more than 4,000 facilities around the world, including 1,800 in the U.S.

WireReady Completes100th Clear Channel Facility

Northboro, MA - Aug 30, 2001 - Clear Channel recently completed the 100th WireReady installation. These stations are able to type stories on screen, with recorded sound, and with a single click, send that text and sound into every other radio station via Clear Channel's WAN where it's ready for air. In some cases hundreds of stations get originally sourced text and sound when it's sent within a minute or two. Hundreds of stories a day are now being shared between cities across the country. Clear Channel has added an automation system so that one Internet editor for the entire group can shoot the same stories to several hundred national website pages at a time, and now local stations can have WireReady automatically shoot their text, audio, even pictures and video to their sites, with no FTP or HTML know-how needed.

KUPL Covers PGE Park Without Wires

Old Lyme, CT - Aug 28, 2001 - The sound of sports in Portland, OR, recently got a shot in the arm with KUPL 970 AM's incorporation of Sennheiser wired and wireless microphones into their radio coverage of the Portland Beavers Baseball and Portland Timbers Soccer. Both teams play in historic Civic Stadium, which was recently renovated and renamed PGE Park to attract the AAA Beavers. KUPL's audio upgrade coincides with the renovation's completion and is part of a multilateral push to promote the park, the teams that play there, the radio station, and a return to sports-as-entertainment.

The Beavers contracted area engineer Tim Denny to specify and install an audio system that would capture the on-field excitement for radio listeners. With his goals expressly stated, Tim McClelland, president of Pro Sound and Lighting in Portland, directed Denny to the Sennheiser evolution 100-series.

For baseball games, Denny places one microphone near home plate to capture the umpire, the smack of the ball in the catcher's mitt, and the crack of the bat. He places a second close to first base for similar effects. He uses all four microphones during soccer games, strategically placing them around the field to capture play no matter where it occurs. With transmissions of over 200 yards, Denny reports no RF noise and no dropouts, just a clean, wired sound.

Sennheiser reigns in the announcer's booth as well. Portland color announcer Bill Schonely does play-by-play for the Beavers on a Sennheiser HMD 45 dynamic headset. The color commentary announcer delivers his bouncy remarks through Sennheiser's legendary MD 421, a microphone that delivers satisfying low-end and well rounded high-end. Denny is even in the process of replacing the effects microphones with Sennheiser's new MD 46, a dynamic microphone short on wind noise and long on transparent fidelity. KUPL ties all the microphone inputs together with a Mackie 1602 that sends directly into their Comrex Matrix Codec.

Digigram and Audio PrecisionAnnounce Alliance

Beaverton, OR, and Arlington, VA- Aug 27, 2001 - In a joint effort, Digigram and Audio Precision will unveil at AES 2001 the latest in testing capabilities for professional audio sound cards.

Audio Precision will release a special Digigram version of its Application Note for PC Audio Device Performance Tests. The free CD-ROM will be available at the Audio Precision booth (No. 400), or by request from Audio Precision, and can be used with Audio Precision’s System Two Cascade or System Two audio analyzers. Free seminars on the new software will be conducted at AES 2001.Those requesting the CD-ROM or attending the seminars will have the chance to win one of four Digigram VXpocket v2 laptop soundcards to be given away at the show.

The Audio Precision venture comes on the heels of Digigram’s alliance with Peak Audio that will result in new audio networking solutions. Peak Audio’s CobraNet will be implemented into Digigram-branded products and Digigram will offer CobraNet OEM developer modules for integration into third-party products. Also under the agreement Digigram has become the exclusive European agent for CobraNet licensing.

In conjunction with the release of the Digigram version of its Application Note, Audio Precision engineers will be conducting educational workshops:

• Fri Sept 21: 5:00-6:00 pm

• Sat Sept 22: 5:00-6:00 pm

• Sun Sept 23: 4:00-5:00 pm
  
  A bonus for those signing up for the free sound card technical instructions on CD-ROM or those attending the workshops will be a chance to win one of four Digigram VXpocket v2 laptop sound cards.
  
  AES attendees can stop by Booth #400 to sign up for a free consultation session with Audio Precision’s technical support engineers and get help with any audio test and measurement question.
  

DRRI Announces Plans For CanadianDAB

Aug 27, 2001 - Digital Radio Roll-Out announced plans for a comprehensive engineering study that will lay the groundwork for new digital audio broadcasting (DAB) stations to serve the major population corridors in Canada. Covered by the new services will be all markets between Toronto - Windsor, Toronto - Ottawa, Toronto - Montreal, Montreal - Quebec City, Calgary - Edmonton, and Vancouver - Greater Fraser Valley.

Currently, more than 50 DAB stations have made service available to 10 million people in Vancouver, Toronto, Windsor, and Montreal. Ottawa is next in line to be added to the market list, with preparation underway for an airdate of early 2002. The planned expansion will add a series of markets including Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Cambridge, Guelph, Cornwall, Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, Quebec City, Trois Rivieres and Chilliwack.

Digital Radio Roll-Out is a non-profit joint initiative of major private broadcasters (Astral Media, CHUM, Corus Entertainment, Rogers Media, Standard Radio, Telemedia Radio), a number of smaller private broadcasters, and public broadcasters (CBC, Radio Canada) with the support of the Canadian government.

Audemat andStratosAudio Partnership Signed

Bordeaux-Merignac, France and Los Angeles- Aug 28, 2001 - Audemat announced that it has signed an agreement with StratosAudio to work together in enabling Interactive Broadcast radio with first installations in place by the end of this year.

Audemat and StratosAudio will be exhibiting together at the NAB Radio Show in New Orleans together in booths 1328 and 1332, respectively. Audemat will be demonstrating the next generation RDS DATACASTER 2 encoder featuring TCP/IP capabilities in a live demonstration with StratosAudio’s proprietary technology enabling Interactive Broadcast Radio.

Bible Broadcasting GoesBlue

The LPB Blue 5c console installed at WHPE-FM.

Frazer, PA - Aug 8, 2001 - LPB Communications announced the shipment of the first of 25 of its new Blue 5c Audio Consoles to the Bible Broadcasting Network of Charlotte, NC. BBN plans to install the new Blue 5c in 25 of 29 owned and operated radio stations nationwide. BBN assisted LPB in beta testing the Blue 5c in high RF environments and is replacing their traditional on air boards as a move to simplify service and operations, and significantly reduce costs.

BBN was so pleased with the testing results that they placed a blanket order for 25 consoles to be moved into service over the next few months.

Groove Addicts Serves ESPN Radio

Aug 23, 2001 - Groove Addicts has produced new opens and closes for ESPN Radio's entire line-up of shows. The music production company provided a full slate of creative and production services for the project, which included show opens for Mike and Mike in the Morning, The Tony Cornheiser Show, The Dan Patrick Show, Game Day and Game Night. For the production, Groove Addicts corralled some of the industry's top session musicians including saxophonist Tome Scott, keyboardist Jim Cox and the brass section from Phil Collins' band.

AudioScience Licenses MP3 FromThomson and Fraunhofer

Newcastle , DE - Aug 22, 2001 – AudioScience , a specialist in digital audio peripherals for the broadcast and entertainment markets, has announced that it has licensed MPEG Layer 3 (MP3) from Thomson multimedia and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS-A for use in its DSP-based sound cards.

As well as the patent license from Thomson multimedia, AudioScience has licensed a Texas Instruments TMS320C6711 version of the MP3 encoder from Fraunhofer. MP3, which is part of ISO standard 11172-3, is the most powerful member of the MPEG-1 audio coding family. Based on psycho acoustic principles, the algorithm compresses audio by removing sounds that cannot be heard by the human ear due to phenomena of auditory masking. CD quality audio can be maintained while using compressed bit rates of 128k/s.

Radio West Adds Second DSPSystem

Sydney, Australia - Aug 23, 2001 - Radio West, one of Australia's largest radio networks has ordered a second DSP Audio Editor for installation at its Hot FM radio station. Also included in the order is a substantial upgrade to the network's existing DSP system featuring DSP Media’s new Speed II Console, thus making the two systems identical.

Based in the City of Bunbury, Radio West consists of 11 AM radio and uplinks radio programs to its network stations throughout the southern third of Western Australia.

XM to Buy Headquarters

XM's headquarters in Washington, DC.

Washington, DC - Aug 20, 2001 - XM Satellite Radio Holdings is negotiating to buy its three-story headquarters building in Northeast Washington, DC, an anchor development in the District's fledgling technology corridor.

XM has contracted to buy the building at 1500 Eckington Place NE for $34 million from the partnership of Bernstein and Union Realty Partners. The redeveloped building attracted Qwest Communications International of Denver, the first major tech tenant to locate in the District in years.

Qwest leased 101,000 square feet of space for a telecommunications switching station that it operates on the bottom floor. XM Satellite followed Qwest to the site, establishing its headquarters in the rest of the building. XM occupies about 120,000 square feet and is getting ready to launch a nationwide satellite radio service. As an owner of its own facility, XM would be able to do things on the site without first seeking permission, such as an expansion or parking lot.

Bernstein and Union put the building on the market in January and began taking offers in March.

RDA Achieves SAS FactoryCertification

St. Louis - Aug 20, 2001 - The staff of RDA Systems, a system integrator based in St. Louis, has been factory certified by Sierra Automated Systems and Engineering (SAS) to install SAS audio routing systems. After completing an engineering training session at SAS headquarters in Burbank, CA, project supervisors and technicians from RDA are now certified to install and setup the complete line of SAS audio routing products.

RDA is currently completing installation of an SAS system for Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation in Los Angeles. The facility is expected to be in operation by October of this year.

Sierra Automated Systems is a privately held company, founded in 1988 by Ed Fritz and Al Salci. Since 1994, RDA Systems has provided consulting and studio installation services to radio, television and cable facilities, and also performed radio consolidation and upgrade projects of all sizes around the United States. RDA clients include CBS Radio, Clear Channel Communications, Waitt Radio, Hispanic Broadcasting, Journal Broadcasting, and Entercom.

Symetrix 628s and a 506E headphone amp on-air in the WHTQ-FM control room.

Cox Orlando Chooses Symetrix

Lynnwood, WA - Aug 16, 2001 - With the consolidation of six radio stations into one building and the nation's first installation of a Computer Concepts EpiCenter multi-studio management system, Cox Radio in Orlando origniated its signal chain with two dozen Symetrix 628 Digital Voice Processors and feeds the announcers headphones with eight Symetrix 506E six-channel headphone amplifiers.

After two years of first-hand experience with the 628, Steve Fluker, director of engineering knew that they would provide the ideal front-end for the new studios. The installation included the optional remote program controller (R-1) set up with the announcers' names assigned to their particular program. During a shift change, the announcers select the appropriate program. Each 628 is programmed with the same settings so the presets can be recalled anywhere within the facility.

With six control rooms, seven production rooms, two news booths, and a mix booth all tied together by EpiCenter, Cox Radio Orlando represents the cutting-edge in radio technology.

RDA Signs Agreement with BroadcastElectronics

St. Louis - Aug 13, 2001 - RDA Systems recently signed an agreement with Broadcast Electronics to provide systems pre-wire services for 37 radio station sites being shipped to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Each site contains an air studio, production studio, and program input equipment rack. The first sites have already been prepared for delivery.

Studio packages being prepared at RDA Systems for delivery to Nigeria.

RDA's responsibilities include implementing a studio wiring and documentation scheme that facilitates the simplest possible installation in Nigeria by Northgate. This process includes pre-wiring studios to Audioarts D-70 consoles, and pre-making of all between room infrastructural wiring. The systems are being designed to perform in field conditions much more adverse to those found in the United States.

For this purpose, RDA and Broadcast Electronics agreed on the extensive use of XLR connectors, in lieu of traditional punchblocks. The wiring system can be easily inserted into the StudioVantage furniture being provided by Drieselman Manufacturing company. In addition, RDA is providing special power distribution strips for the 220V, single phase electrical environment in Nigeria.

Since 1994, RDA Systems, Inc. has provided consulting and studio installation services to radio, television and cable as well as performed radio consolidation and upgrade projects of all sizes around the United States. RDA clients, to name a few, have included CBS Radio, Clear Channel Communications, Waitt Radio, Hispanic Broadcasting, Journal Broadcast Group and Entercom.

PiRod Receives CWBCertification

Plymouth, IN - Aug 9, 2001 - RiRod, a supplier of custom-engineered towers and monopoles for the wireless communications industry, has recently been granted certification under the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB). Officially, PiRod is now certified per CSA Standard W47.1 for fusion welding of steel structures.

According to John Erichsen, PiRod's vice president of operations, the new certification, which is required by more than 30 National Standards Associations in Canada, will make PiRod towers more readily available to Canadian specifiers. Because of this, many specifiers north of the border will be able to take better advantage of PiRod's all-welded guyed and free-standing towers.

Musicmusicmusic Readies On-DemandMusic Site

Toronto, Ontario - Aug 14, 2001 - Musicmusicmusic inc., the company behind RadioMOI.com - the first streaming music site to be licensed by the RIAA - is gearing up to launch its new subscription-based, on-demand music site.

Musicmusicmusic inc has been signing labels for on-demand play since 1997 and, to-date, have amassed more than 100 labels in every genre - some of the largest independents in the world - including KOCH, Beggars Banquet, Lightyear, Epitaph and Rounder.

Currently in negotiations with one the industry's five major labels, musicmusicmusic hopes to launch the new site by the fall, and will set a final release date once all details have been finalized. The new site will be based on a jukebox model - allowing users to choose from more than 100 songs in each genre, including everything from Pop, Rock and Metal to Rap, Country, World and Jazz. Users will be able to create their own shows and play them back in any order they so choose. Each month the jukebox's playlists will change - allowing users to add to their original list from the new selections.

In addition to the subscription-based streaming music, musicmusicmusic also plans to offer a number of downloads including alternative versions and mixes of popular songs. Users will also be able to purchase products, including CDs and other music merchandise, through the site.

Crown's StanleyRecognized for Three Patents

Augsberger and Stanley hold the patent plaques.

Elkhart, IN - Aug 14, 2001 - On July 24, Crown Audio publicly recognized Gerald Stanley, senior vice president of research and development, for his recent receipt of three more patents in his name. In front of an assembly room filled with employees, Blake Augsburger, Crown Audio's new president, cordially presented Stanley with a commemorative plaque for each of the patents.

Stanley's three engineering-related patents recently acknowledged by the manufacturer include 'Regulated DC Output Power Supply for Amplifiers' (patent number 6,178,102), 'Dual Mode Gradient Coil System' (6,201,395) and 'Temperature Compensated Closed-Loop Hall Effect Current Transformer' (6,204,657).

Crown Audio, a Harman International company, manufactures amplifiers, microphones and systems control products for professional audio markets worldwide, with corporate headquarters located in Elkhart, IN.

All-Star Game ForSennheiser Wireless

Old Lyme, CT - Aug 9, 2001 - Mark Pearson, audio engineer for the Seattle Mariners, recently upgraded their on-field wireless microphone system to Sennheiser. Morgan Sound of Lynnwood, WA, supplied the two Sennheiser EM 3532 two-channel true diversity receivers and four Sennheiser SKM 5000 transmitters (tipped with ME 5005 supercardioid condenser capsules) to Seattle's new SAFECO Field. With a more than comfortable lead in the American League West, the Mariners hosted last month's All-Star Game, where the new system made its debut. Viewers across the nation saw the SKM 5000s in use during the mid-game ceremony in honor of veteran ball-players Cal Ripkin and Tony Gwynne.

The new system is dedicated to on-field player interviews, on-field announcements, and the pre-game U.S. and Canadian anthems. Broadcast outlets receive a post-processing feed from Pearson and have expressed their satisfaction with the new, broadcast-worthy system.

Pearson received the new equipment July 5th, five days before the All-Star Game, and quickly installed and tested its performance against the music-tuned acoustics of SAFECO Field and the RF noise of burgeoning Seattle.

Pearson was happy to have the new system for Ripkin and Gwynnes' retirement ceremony and Ripkin's second All Star MVP ceremony. Pearson has also recommended the Sennheiser system to next year's All-Star Game host, the Milwaukee Brewers. As for this year, if the Mariners maintain their lead, the nation might again see the Sennheiser system in use, this time at the World Series.

Smarts BroadcastAcquires On Air Digital

Emmetsburg, IA, and Dallas - Aug 1, 2001 - On Air Digital USA was acquired August 1, 2001, by Smarts Broadcast Systems. On Air Digital's general manager, John Schaab, emphasized that customer service would continue uninterrupted and that the Dallas office would remain open. Schaab further commented that the two companies' products complement each other well.

John Schaab of On Air Digital (left) and John Schad of Smarts Broadcast.

Smarts Broadcast manufactures the Smartcaster audio storage and playback system. On Air Digital manufactures two products: the Ultimate Digital Studio (UDS) and RadioSuite, which operates on Linux. At one time, On Air Digital was a part of TM Century, where the UDS system was first designed to control CD players. It later was enhanced to operate CD players and interface with other automated audio sources and now is a hard-drive automation system.

Smarts Broadcast will carry Smartcaster and UDS line. THese two products will also be the basis for new product cooperatives. All product manufacturing and administration will move to the Iowa office. The On Air Digital Sales and development teams will remain in Dallas. One support person will remain in Dallas to supplement the support team in Iowa, and both support locations will be trained in both systems.

Smarts Partners withAPT

Aug 7, 2001 - Emmetsburg, IA, and Belfast, Ireland - Smarts Broadcast Systems has consolidated its relationship with Audio Processing Technology by announcing plans to use only ACE 100 audio cards in its Smartcaster line. In a separate deal, Smarts also announced plans to license Soft apt-X, the software version of APT's data compression algorithm. Smarts plans to use Soft apt-X in a new product line of apt-X CD rippers, which will enable radio station automation suites to convert CD audio direct to hard drive at speeds much faster than real time. Plans for other products are also in the pipeline and will be announced in due course.

Smarts Broadcast Systems, based in Emmetsburg, IA, develops and manufactures digital audio and traffic and billing accounting software solutions for radio broadcasters. The company's international client bases uses specialized computer hardware and software built by Smarts for the broadcast industry. The Smartcaster is the company's main digital audio product line and works as an audio-based computer unit for full broadcast automation, studio production, and announcer live-assists. Currently, over 2,000 Smartcaster units are used by some 700 different broadcasting companies and more than 1,000 radio stations around the world including Sweden, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

APT's ACE 100 cards were chosen because they are suited to radio automation applications, from a simple stand-alone unit to complex LAN-networked systems. While Smarts will not abandon its MPEG customers, the decision to focus future development on APT audio is an endorsement for APT's data compression technology.

TAG to Distribute FMR Audio inU.S.

Las Vegas - Aug 3, 2001 - Brad Lunde, president, Transamerica AG (TAG), along with Mark and Beth McQuilken, founders of FMR Audio, Austin, TX, have entered into an agreement by which TAG is to distribute FMR Audio products in the U.S.

Prior to launching FMR Audio in 1997, the husband/wife team of Mark and Beth McQuilken had more than twenty years of experience in designing and developing DSP products for companies such as RCA, Motorola, Lockheed Martin and BMW under the name Electronic Design Services (EDS).

In 1997, after years of selling their custom high-end compressor (the RNC IntelliComp), Mark and Beth decided to take advantage of recent software development and compression-algorithm tweaking and debuted the FMR RNC1773 compressor. Within months of its introduction, the RNC1733 received both critical acclaim and sales interest from both audio professionals and consumers.

Based in the Las Vegas, Transamerica AG was founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, former director of worldwide sales and marketing for Aphex and national sales manager at JBL Professional Systems Group. The company handles premier pro audio products requiring an advanced level of market understanding backed with technical expertise.

Currently, Transamerica AG's product lines include API studio electronics, ATI rack-mounted products, AEA ribbon microphones, Brauner tube microphones (Germany), Drawmer signal processing equipment (England), Soundelux Microphones and SoundField 5.1 microphones.

ENCO UK Expands Facility

Southfield, MI - Aug 1, 2001 - ENCO Systems Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of ENCO Systems announced their relocation to a larger new facility in Billingshurst, West Sussex, United Kingdom.

ENCO Systems Limited was founded in October 2000 to allow for direct sales of ENCO products in the European Union, African, Middle Eastern, and Near Eastern markets. Original premises in Horsham, West Sussex were adequate for initial operations, but as staff and production have both grown, more space was required.

ENCO’s new offices in Billingshurst occupy a 17th century barn that had most recently been hosting a video production company. "The Old Barn" offers almost three times the previous square footage previously available, and will allow for a dedicated demonstration/training facility to be maintained for greater flexibility in serving prospective and current clients. This follows the recent move to larger facilities in Southfield, Michigan of ENCO Systems, which was completed in July.

STMicroelectronics Receives Ordersfor XM Chipsets

Geneva - Aug 1, 2001 - STMicroelectronics has received orders from radio manufacturers for 170,000 two-chip receiver chipsets for XM Radio, the US digital satellite radio service to be launched commercially this summer by XM Satellite Radio. At least 70,000 of these chipsets are scheduled for delivery in the third quarter to support the initial startup of commercial service; the remaining 100,000 chipsets are forecast for delivery before the end of 2001.

XM Radio chipsets are being delivered to equipment manufacturers including Sony, Pioneer, Alpine and Delphi Automotive Systems for both vehicle and home receiver products that will also include AM and FM radio capability. The sole supplier of XM chipsets, STMicroelectronics applied the company's core know-how in system-on-chip technology to condense the complex functions of the XM receiver into just two chips, reducing the size and cost of radios.

ST completed the development of the XM chipset in late 2000, delivering first pass chip samples to XM for evaluation in October 2000. The production version of the chipset was delivered in March 2001 to the XM radio manufacturers for final validation, testing and integration into XM-capable receivers. Currently these receivers are being field tested across the US by employees of XM Satellite Radio and its business partners.

The two-chip custom chipset developed by ST for XM Satellite Radio allow XM radios to receive and decode signals broadcast from XM's two geostationary satellites - Rock and Roll - and city-based terrestrial repeaters. Content for the 100 channels of high quality stereo audio transmitted by XM Radio is generated in-house at the company's own studio complex in Washington DC.

Orban Releases 8400 v.1.0

BBC World Service Contracts IBMand Jutel

London - Jul 31, 2001 - BBC World Service and IBM announced that IBM has been chosen to design and implement a new digital production system at the BBC World Service's headquarters in London. The new system will transform radio production processes, improving creativity, productivity and efficiency, by giving producers digital access to source material.

The IBM system -- based on RadioMan broadcast content management software from Finnish company Jutel -- will be implemented over the next two years. It will improve broadcast quality and transform production processes for the World Service's 42 language sections.

BBC Technology Ltd. is providing business planning, project management and technical consultancy to implement the end-to-end solution for World Service. This implementation involves a significant element of process change for World Service, delivered in partnership with BBC Technology and BBC Resources, who will both provide ongoing system support.

IBM and Jutel were selected by the BBC World Service after expressions of interest from 35 suppliers and extensive evaluation of five shortlisted tenderers and was chosen on the basis of total service proposition, risk and cost. The breadth and depth of IBM's expertise in broadcast media combined with the functionality provided by Jutel's RadioMan software were significant factors in the BBC's selection.

At present, the language service programmes of the BBC World Service are edited by splicing tapes by hand -- those that are to be broadcast must be transported to the studio, loaded onto a machine and cued for playback. With the IBM solution, material from different sources will be stored digitally, making the editing process quicker, enabling automation of playout and creation of audio for the internet. The archive will be centrally located and available to all producers across an upgraded BBC network infrastructure.

IBM Global Services will implement the new production system and provide training and skills transfer to enable the BBC to support the system.

Sony R100 Jazzes Up WBGO

Newark, NJ - Jul 18, 2001 - WBGO, the NY/NJ market's only 24-hour classic jazz station and the only station to regularly broadcast live from the area's jazz clubs, has installed a Sony DMX-R100 digital console as part of a major $1.9 million renovation of its downtown Newark headquarters. To celebrate the facility's grand re-opening, WBGO recently hosted an on-air Jazz Radio Festival featuring the Joshua Redman Quartet.

WBGO manager of operations and production Steve Brown reports that the R100 was installed one day before the festival, but the console was easy to learn and use. Sony has been very active with NPR and stations like WBGO to make the technology used in the R100 affordable.

Recent WBGO performances include Joe Lovano Trio, and up-and-coming jazz singer Jane Monheit.

Susquehanna Radio Opts for LucidProducts

Lynwood, WA - Jul 15, 2001 - Susquehanna Radio Corporation elected to install Lucid digital sync generators and digital signal amplifiers at their new Atlanta facility to ensure that their digital chain remains unbroken. With nine studios serving two of Atlanta's biggest radio stations, Modern Rocker "99X" WNNX-FM and Top 40 "Q100" WWWQ-FM, the new facility houses an infrastructure that supports an all-digital signal path. The Lucid equipment stands front and center, supplying both radio stations with a master clock, a back-up clock, and all of its digital synchronization, digital audio amplification and distribution.

Mark Lehmuth, Market Engineering Manager, Susquehanna Radio, Atlanta.

Each radio station previously had its own separate digital facility before the recent consolidation, and, save for the new Lucid equipment, all of the existing equipment came from those older studios. Consequently, the only difference in the air chain is the Lucid equipment, but it's made all the difference.

The overarching goal that motivated the Lucid purchase was to keep every piece of digital equipment in the facility slaved to a common clock. A Lucid GENx6 Word Clock/Super Clock Generator provides the master clock, which sends out each of its six BNC outputs at 44.1kHz. A second GENx6 receives and distributes the same clock with redundancy sufficient to allow it to drive the facility should anything happen to the first GENx6. Three Lucid AESx4 Distribution Amplifiers cascade to receive and further distribute the timing information out of their four AES/EBU jacks. One of the units supplies timing information to the facility's Enco Digigram audio cards, and a second supplies timing information to a production room ProTools system for Super Clock distribution.

Two PR&E Digital Airwave consoles, one for each station, serve as the facility's audio hubs. Each console's 48kHz digital output feeds a 2001 TEC Award- nominated Lucid SRC9624 High Definition Sample Rate Converter to bring the feed in line with the facility's 44.1kHz master clock. Each SRC9624 feeds an AESx4, which splits the signal for Omnia processing and transmission via an Intraplex T-1.

Eicher Joins Logitek as Directorof Sales

Houston, TX - Aug 29, 2001 - Logitek Electronic Systems has announced the appointment of Cam Eicher as the company's director of sales effective August 15, 2001. Prior to joining Logitek, Eicher was employed for 10 years by Harris Corporation. His most recent position with Harris was manager, Broadcast Sales Center, with responsibility for 17 sales and support people in Harris' Mason, OH, and Carlsbad, CA, offices. Eicher also served as general manager of WECI Radio in Richmond, IN, from 1987 through 1991.

JBL Announces Three New VicePresidents

Northridge, CA - Aug 29, 2001 - JBL Professional president Michael MacDonald has announced the appointment of two vice presidents of sales for the company's worldwide sales efforts and a new vice president of manufacturing operations. Doug Daniel and Tom Weeber have been promoted to vice president of international sales and vice president of U.S. sales, respectively. Jeffery Groenke has been named vice president, operations at the company's Northridge, CA headquarters.

Doug Daniel has been with JBL Professional since 1992 in the position of director of European sales. He is a seasoned industry veteran who has contributed tremendously to the success of JBL Pro in the UK, and now brings his experience to the entire international sales team.

Weeber has been with the JBL sales department since 1993, where he started as regional manager and was later promoted to senior director of U.S. sales. Tom brings to his new position a wealth of experience in the industry both inside and outside of JBL Professional with 25 years of pro audio sales experience, including 12 with Yamaha Corporation of America.

Prior to JBL, Groenke was general manager and engineering manager of Axiohm Transaction solutions and has also been an engineer for Hewlett Packard.

Continental Names Hultsman asBroadcast Channel Manager

Dallas - Aug 27, 2001 - Continental Electronics announced that Dave Hultsman has been named the company’s new broadcast channel manager. In addition, Continental Electronics is expanding the reach of its sales organization by naming select RF Specialties offices as authorized dealers of Continental Electronics 816R FM transmission products.

In his new role, Hultsman will be responsible for customer relations programs and will oversee the activities of Continental Electronics’ sale representative companies throughout the United States, including RF Specialties. Hultsman was selected for this position because of his proven effectiveness in dealing with Continental Electronics’ customers as he served as a domestic sales manager.

As part of Continental Electronics’ expanded sales and distribution program, select RF Specialties offices are now authorized to carry the Continental 816R line of FM transmitters. RF Specialties is now able to give customers within the United States more options when building their FM facilities. RF Specialties offers a substantial line card of vendors to draw from to accommodate customer requirements, from microphones to towers. RF Specialties offers its customers competitively priced end-to-end equipment options for the renovation or construction of any FM facility.

The following RF Specialties offices are authorized to work with Continental Electronics:

• Jerry Hill - Seattle, Wash. (800) 735-7051 (Northwest)

• Bill Newbrough - Concord, Calif. (888) 737-7321 (West Coast)

• Sam Lane - Santa Barbara, Calif. (800) 346-6434 (West Coast)

• Don Jones - Amarillo, Texas (800) 537-1801 (Midwest & Southwest)

• Paul Strickland - Dallas, Texas (888) 839-7373 (Midwest & Southwest)

• Bill Hoisington - Valparaiso, Fla. (800) 476-8943 (Southeast)

• Dave Edmiston - Pittsburgh, Penn. (866) 736-3736 (Northeast)

• Ed Young - Pittsburgh, Penn (866) 736-3736 (Northeast)

• Harry Larkin - Southampton, Penn. (888) 260-9298 (Northeast)

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Orban/CRL Appoints Izen asAuducy Product Manager

San Leandro, CA - Aug 22, 2001 – Orban/CRL, a manufacturer of audio processors and other digital audio systems for broadcasting and the Internet, has appointed Alyssa Izen as the new product manager for the company’s digital audio workstation, Audicy.

Izen comes to Orban/CRL from MTVi’s SonicNet.com, where she worked as the editorial production supervisor. While there, she evolved the company’s news product into a full multimedia offering and initiated its pilot streaming media projects. She earlier worked as a producer with Ben Manilla Productions, assisting on such radio programs as House of Blues, Back to the Country, Rock On and Psi Factor. Izen has also worked as head sound mixer at San Francisco’s Biscuits and Blues and as a freelance audio engineer throughout the Bay Area. Izen will report to Orban/CRL’s senior product manager, Marty Acuff.

Introduced in 1997, more than 1,000 Audicy systems are in use around the world today.

Shure Names Kontney Director ofPublic Relations

Evanston, IL - Jul 12, 2001 - Shure Incorporated, the manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics, has promoted Jack Kontney to director of public relations. In his new position, Kontney oversees every facet of the company's public relations department including entertainment relations, media relations, artist relations, and Shure’s websites.

Kontney first joined Shure in 1985 and owes his rich experience in the audio industry to a diverse career path. As the long-time manager of Shure’s artist relations department, he successfully secured endorsement deals with a number of artists previously regarded as unsignable such as Lou Reed and Guns 'N Roses. In 1998, Kontney’s role expanded with his promotion to manager of public relations. By 1999, he was named senior manager of PR, a title he held until taking on his current assignment.

Kovalik Heads Sennheiser'sPacific NW Sales

Old Lyme, CT - Jun 25, 2001 - Kyle Kovalik, former Peavey sales representative for the same territory, has joined Sennheiser's West Coast sales team in the position of sales representative, professional products. Kovalik's territory consists of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho and Montana, and he'll be responsible for all Sennheiser distributed brands, including Neumann, D.A.S. Loudspeakers, Innova-Son Digital Consoles and Chevin Amplifiers.

In this new position, Kovalik is responsible for supporting and broadening the company's dealer and contracting network, demonstrating new products, coordinating training seminars, and providing a broad base of sales, product support and technical expertise to dealers and consultants in the field. In addition to his experience with Peavey, Kovalik spent five years with American Music, with three of those years as functioning manager of the flagship store.

Kovalik is based in Seattle, WA and reports directly to Lee Stein.

SBE AnnouncesFellows

Indianapolis - Aug 9, 2001 - Each year, the Society of Broadcast Engineers considers nominated members to be elevated to the level of Fellow of the Society. The criteria for this honor are outlined in the the SBE By-laws:

A member who has rendered conspicuous service, or is recognized as having made valuable contributions to the advancement of broadcast engineering or its allied professions, dissemination of knowledge thereof, the promotion of its application in practice, may be elected a Fellow of the Society.

Nominees are endorsed by at least five voting members of the Society. The endorsed candidates are then judged by the SBE National Board of Directors. The SBE has announced that three members have been awarded this distinction this year. They are David Carr, CPBE, Linda Godby and John Soergel, CPBE. These members will be recognized with the presentation of their Fellow award at the SBE National Meeting in Verona, New York on September 13.


About the honorees
David Carr, CPBE - The Woodlands, TX
Carr has rendered long and valuable service to the SBE on both the local and national level. He has made many valuable contributions to the advancement of broadcast engineering, and its allied professions. He has served on the Board of Directors of the SBE and as Chairman of the National Certification Committee providing dissemination of knowledge and practical application. He currently serves on the SBE National Certification Committee and on the Educational Committee of the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust. One of Carr's first accomplishments while serving on the National Certification Committee was to translate Certification Exams into Spanish.

In 1996, Carr had the difficult challenge of succeeding an SBE icon. Jim Wulliman retired from his twenty-plus year tenure as chairman of the National Certification Committee and Carr became the Committee's second chairman. Under Carr's direction, the Certified Audio Engineer (CEA) and Certified Video Engineer (CEV) levels of certification were introduced. Under his leadership, the Certification Study guides were improved and revised, and the Certification Testing Software was upgraded from a DOS-based system to a Windows-based system.

Carr is the director of engineering for Telemundo Group Inc. He supervises the conversion of Telemundo stations to digital and aids the individual stations in building renovation projects and DTV transmitter installations. Previously, he was employed as director of engineering at KHOU-TV from 1990 to 1999 where he managed the expansion and renovation of the studio. At this time, KHOU-TV became the first all-digital television station in the nation. Under Carr's direction, KHOU-TV also became Houston's first high-definition television station. He beat the November 1, 1998 deadline by three days, allowing the HDTV broadcast of John Glenn's return to space to be broadcast over-the-air live to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Carr served on the Model HDTV Station Technical Committee in Washington, DC. He was also the technical coordinator for the regional coordinating team that helped develop the FCC table of DTV channel assignments.

Carr acquired an FCC First Class license and entered broadcasting in the mid-60's as a technician at KMOL-TV (formerly WOAI-TV), San Antonio, TX. In 1968, he went to work for KSAT-TV in San Antonio. During this time he also attended San Antonio College and obtained an associate in science degree in electronics technology. He was promoted to technical supervisor of KSAT-TV where he honed his television maintenance skills.

Carr has been a member of SBE for over 20 years and has served locally as a frequency coordination chairman. In 1988 and 1989, he served as television chairman in the state effort to bring Texas SBE Chapters and the Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) closer together and to boost attendance at TAB Conventions. He is a member of SMPTE and the ARRL. He holds Amateur Extra Class License NJ5D.

Linda Godby - Indianapolis
Linda Godby began her career in broadcasting in September 1990 with WHMB-TV, LeSea Broadcasting Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana. She performed tasks for every department of the station, including engineering. The engineering staff of WHMB-TV had taken on the responsibility of producing the SBE Chapter 25 Newsletter and mailing the meeting notices each month. It was then that Godby began putting in long hours of her own time to serve SBE.

On September 27, 1991, Godby officially joined SBE. Over the past 10 years, she has been instrumental in the success of the Certification Program. She has worked closely with the three Certification Committee Chairman. Under Godby's tenure, Certification has introduced the TV Operator category, the Certified Video Engineer, the Certified Audio Engineer and the Certified Broadcast Network Technologist, the Ennes Workshops and the traveling Certified Broadcast Network Technologist seminars joined the State Broadcasting Associations, and the SBE TV Operator Certification Handbook, the EAS Primer and the Introduction to DTV RF were published.

John W. Soergel, CPBE - East Syracuse, NY
John Soergel has been a member of SBE since 1970, and has been one of the Society's and Chapter 22's staunchest supporters. He was awarded the SBE's Broadcast Engineer of the Year Award in 1992, and won awards as convention chairman for the Best Regional Convention in 1989,1992, 1993, and 1994.

His career in engineering began during World War II when he served in the Navy as an aviation electronics technician. After the war, he attended Syracuse University studying Electrical engineering. In 1950, Soergel joined the staff of Syracuse University as a technician in the TV/Radio services department. His career with SU would span the next 38 years. At that time, there were two television stations in Syracuse: WHEN-TV and WSYR-TV. Syracuse University provided the first local studios for WSYR-TV and Soergel was the engineer in charge of those facilities, providing the DuMont positive pulse video signal to WSYR-TV. In 1956, He was named chief engineer of the TV/Radio Service Department.

Soergel has served Chapter 22 in many capacities in his 31-year involvement with SBE. In 1975, he was elected chapter secretary. In 1978, he was elected vice chairman, and in 1980, he was elected chairman. He is a life member of SBE, and is certified at the CPBE level.

In 1975, a Regional convention moved from Binghamton to Syracuse. Called the 3rd Annual Mini-vention, the convention brought in twelve exhibitors and 300 attendees. Soergel was involved with the convention committee from its beginning in Syracuse. Working principally with facilities, Soergel was named convention committee chairman in 1983, and served in that capacity until 1997. Under his direction, the regional convention saw tremendous growth, going from 12 exhibitors to over 100 exhibitors and attendee numbers approaching 1000.

Cook JoinsLightning Audio Team

Tempe, AZ - Aug 9, 2001 - Lightning Audio is proud to announce that it has named Trevor Cook as regional sales manager. In this new position, Cook will be working directly with Lightning Audio dealers and distributors in Hawaii, the southeast, Metro New York and New Jersey, and the Rocky Mountain states, including a portion of Texas.

Cook has spent the past year as the eastern regional sales manager with WinnTech, selling and marketing high-end sound rooms, touch screen switching systems, and push button switching systems. While with WinnTech, Cook did everything from simple small free standing displays to complete 12V specialty store merchandising and design from the ground up.

ENCO Systems UK ImportsManaging Director

Billingshurst, West Sussex, UK - Aug 1, 2001 - ENCO Systems Ltd, a worldwide provider of Digital Audio Delivery Systems, announced the appointment of Bob Boster to the position of managing director of ENCO Systems Limited.

Previously Boster had been serving as vice president/general manager of the home office (ENCO Systems Inc.) in the United States. This transfer reinforces ENCO's commitment to the success of the UK office and its role in serving the markets of the European Union, Africa, Middle East, and Near East.

Before joining ENCO in 1999, Boster was involved in software development at Orban, focusing on user interface development and implementation/client relations. Boster has a master's degree in Electronic Music and Recording Technology from Mills College in Oakland, CA, and bachelor's in Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures/Dramatic Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sennheiser's AlexanderPromoted

Old Lyme, CT - Aug 1, 2001 - Sennheiser Electronics Corporation announced the promotion of Jeff Alexander to director of distributed brands. In the newly created position, Alexander adds Neumann and True Systems to the Sennheiser brands he is already managing: DAS, Chevin, and Innova-Son. By picking up the former two brands, Alexander fills a void left by the recent promotion of Karl Winkler, who is now director of marketing communications.

Alexander began his career at Sennheiser nearly 10 years ago as the product manager for Neumann. After five years in this position, he left the company and worked as the touring sound sales manager and marketing manager for Crest Audio in Paramus, NJ. Upon his return to Sennheiser, Alexander focused on DAS, Chevin, and Innova-Son, in an effort to pioneer these lines into the U.S. With this experience, he is already familiar with the position Neumann holds in the audio industry and will foster its further success.

Alexander will have the responsibility of developing a complete organizational structure that plays to the strengths of Sennheiser's personnel in particular and industry positioning in general. During the course of the structuring, he will fill several positions from a pool of candidates both inside and outside the company.

SSL Appoints Drake

New York - Aug 1, 2001 - Solid State Logic has appointed Curtis Drake as post production sales manager for the eastern United States and Caribbean Islands. Drake’s responsibilities will include east coast sales and management of SSL’s post production accounts. He will keep all existing clients up to date on new product developments and assist new customers in choosing a console to meet their audio mixing needs. Drake will report directly to Rick Plushner, president, SSL and will be based at SSL’s New York office.

Drake has worked as an audio engineer since the late seventies, recording and mixing music, doing post production for radio and TV, and as a re-mix engineer for film, in several U.S. markets and abroad. He has been involved in studio operations and technical management, and has worked for other key manufacturers in the product support, sales, and research and development areas. In addition, he taught multitrack production techniques at both the college and trade school levels.

EonStreams OptimizesNetwork With AllCast's Streaming

New York - Sep 5, 2001 - AllCast announced at NAB Xstream that EonStreams is the first hosting company to optimize its network with the AllCast Broadcaster, which will be made available as part of a service solution for content owners.

The partnership enables EonStreams to offer a service-based solution that combines its experience as a streaming solutions provider in the southeast, with AllCast's proven webcasting technology. With the AllCast Broadcaster, EonStreams can offer its customers live webcasts that are easy to initiate and control, while guaranteeing the same level of service at a fraction of the cost.

The AllCast Broadcaster is off-the shelf software that allows content owners to deliver live broadcasts to large audience without the cost of current streaming technologies. AllCast's software is the first to be based on peer-to-multi-peer distribution. During a live peer-to-multi-peer webcast, users distribute the content to each other, rather than receiving it all from one central place. This reduces bandwidth requirements and with it the cost of webcasting. AllCast holds the patent on peer-to-multi-peer content distribution, which was awarded in 1999.

AllCast to Power BRS Media'sMulti-Tiered Services

New York - Sep 4, 2001 - AllCast announced at NAB Xstream that it has been chosen by BRS Media to provide the software that will power its multi-tiered webcasting services. From the company's recently launched My Radio.FM, offering basic online broadcasting services at http://my.radio.fm, to the professional, full service solutions being offered by the WEBCASTi AM/FM division at www.webcasti.fm.

The key to the success of this alliance is the offering of the peer-to-multi-peer streaming technology, patented by AllCast, and used in the AllCast Broadcaster. Peer-to-multi-peer distribution allows webcasters to deliver live broadcasts to large audiences without incurring the high costs associated with current streaming technologies. With this method users distribute the content to each other rather than receiving it all from one central place; thereby reducing bandwidth requirements, and with it the cost of webcasting.

BRS Media's My Radio.FM service, which targets anyone interested in webcasting, will include a Premium FM Web Address, full service web hosting solutions which includes email, and a customized version of the AllCast Broadcaster. Similarly, BRS Media will also be utilizing AllCast's patented streaming technology to provide professional, full service webcasting solutions via WEBCASTi AM/FM. These new services will compliment BRS Media's core business: helping radio stations, and broadcasters build and brand on the Power of the Web.

Webcast Listening ExceedsFifty Percent

New York - Aug 22, 2001 - The percentage of Internet users who have ever tried streaming media has crossed the 50 percent threshold according to a new Internet Study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research.

The Internet VII: The Internet & Streaming: What Consumers Want Next study finds that, as of July 2001, the number of "Streamies" - those who have watched or listened to streaming media online - has risen to 52 percent of online Americans. More than a third (34 percent) of all Americans aged 12 and older are classified as Streamies which is approximately 78 million people.

The study also reveals that the amount of time consumers spend listening to sources of audio that are available only on the Internet, now equals the amount of time consumers listen to radio station webcasts each month.

Listening to Internet-only audio has tripled since July 1999, with one-sixth (15 percent) of all Americans having ever tuned into an Internet-only channel. In addition, 12 percent of Internet users say they have listened to Internet-only audio channels and radio station webcasts on a monthly basis.

Other issues addressed by this study are:

• when Streamies first began tuning to online audio and video;

• consumer interest in streaming media subscription models; and

• how the Internet has changed consumer media habits.
  
  These facts are a preview of the findings from the upcoming Arbitron/Edison Media Research study, Internet VII: The Internet & Streaming: What Consumers Want Next. The full study will be released at the NAB Radio Show 2001 conference in New Orleans on September 5, 2001. Since 1998, Arbitron and Edison Media Research have conducted seven groundbreaking studies of the Internet and streaming media, one every six months.
  
  The findings reported here are based on a July 2001 survey. The study, by Edison Media Research, consists of 2,507 telephone interviews of Arbitron's Spring 2001 radio diary keepers. The diary-based sample was drawn as a national random sample of persons 12 and over.