News

CPB Accepts New Grant Applications
Washington - Nov 3, 2008 - The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is accepting grant applications for Priority I digital radio transmitter conversions and secondary Priority II and III projects. Priority II and III projects are those that add multicasting and other advanced digital radio services, as well as demonstration projects that support the digital conversion of translators and boosters. This round is for the FY08-02 funding cycle.

The intent of Priority I grants is to convert analog transmitters to digital. Additionally, the CPB is extending consideration of digital technology projects that facilitate the delivery of digital content by adding multicasting and other advanced digital radio services to the existing digital infrastructure (Priority II) and demonstration projects that support the digital conversion of translators and boosters (Priority III).

Details on eligibility and application requirements are available at the CPB site.

To date, the CPB has approved funding for the digital conversion of 697 public radio transmitters. More than 430 public radio stations have completed conversions and are now transmitting digital signals. Of those, 137 are multicasting for a total of 181 multicast streams.

Business

NKK Switches Launches Customized Design Team
Scottsdale, AZ - Nov 3, 2008 - NKK Switches has launched its Customized Design Team, a specialized in-house group focused on providing customized switches for human-machine interfaces. The Customized Design Team will provide completely new designs or modifications of existing NKK switch models.

More information is available at www.nkkswitches.com

LBA Appointed Exclusive Distributor for Schomandl and Kathrein RF Test Equipment
Greenville, NC - Oct 31, 2008 - German RF equipment manufacturer Kathrein and subsidiary Schomandl will exclusively distribute its radio frequency test equipment through LBA Technology, a unit of the LBA Group, throughout the western hemisphere.

Among the products being introduced by LBA is the Safe One personal RF monitor. This wearable personal alarm warns tower climbers, technicians, and other personnel working around hot antennas if they encounter unsafe radio frequency energy fields. Such units are mandated by the FCC, OSHA and other agencies for workers at RF exposure risk.

Also being distributed is the MSK-200 digital transport stream monitor. This monitor analyzes digital and analog RF systems through antennas, cable transport and over-air transmission for DVB-T, DVB-S, DVB-C, AM, FM and ATSC, plus many other international digital and analog formats.

Loud Technologies Restructures
Woodinville, WA - Nov 5, 2008 - Loud Technologies has reorganized its marketing, sales and engineering functions. Under the new organization, product strategy, development and marketing for the company's music industry (MI) and pro businesses will be managed by separate, dedicated product management teams, while marketing communications for all Loud brands will be consolidated and managed by a shared marketing support team. The company's worldwide engineering resources will be scaled accordingly to support a more focused product development schedule. Loud will also move North American sales from its current captive sales force to a group of independent sales representation firms and consolidate portions of its international sales force.

The restructuring is expected to generate a net reduction of approximately 90 full-time positions, and should be implemented by the end of 2008.

Loud Technologies is the corporate parent of Alvarez, Ampeg, Crate, EAW, Knilling, Mackie, Martin Audio, SIA and Tapco.

Sales Call A team of undergraduate students from the University of Minnesota's engineering department have been preparing for the North American Solar Challenge, a competition to design, build and operate solar-powered cars in a 2,400 mile drive from Dallas, TX, to Calgary, AB. Through several donations, including assorted connector and receptacle products from Neutrik, the team was able to successfully create the University's eighth solar car, the Centaurus. The Neutrik donation included male and female XX-series XLR connectors, male and female A-series and DL-series XLR receptacles, and Speakon loudspeaker connectors and receptacles. Centarus finished fifth overall of the 16 teams that competed.

Products

Rohde & Schwarz Offers AM/FM/HD Radio Signal Generators
Munich - Oct 31, 2008 - Rohde & Schwarz is offering automotive radio manufacturers broadcast signal generators that support both HD Radio technology and AM/FM/RDS. Two new options from Rohde & Schwarz now offer automotive suppliers a test system to develop and produce suitable receivers. In addition, car manufacturers can use these options to perform functional tests.

The range of broadcast signal generators includes the R&S SFE100 test transmitter, the R&S SFE broadcast tester and the R&S SFU broadcast test system. The R&S SFU-K357 option generates test signals for HD Radio. The R&S SFU-K357 consists of an ARB waveform library plus a large number of test vectors with different transmission parameters and contents such as test tones, PRBS and live audio sequences. The library contains AM and FM HD Radio test signals for analog, digital and hybrid operation. The option allows users to perform all prescribed measurements for the specific terminal equipment.

The R&S SFU-K170 AM/FM/RDS option is a real-time coder that generates signals for analog audio broadcasting. The R&S SFU-K170 supports long-wave, medium-wave and short-wave AM and FM stereo broadcasting. In FM mode, the signal for the RDS digital data service can also be added. The audio signal is generated by the integrated AF generator so all the functions required for signal generation are provided by a single instrument. Alternatively, the signal can be supplied from an external source.

People

Netia Appoints Slocum as Manager of North America Sales
Claret, France, and Olathe, KS - Nov 5, 2008 - Netia has appointed Scott Slocum as the manager of sales for North America. Slocum has been involved in radio and TV for more than 30 years.

Prior to joining Netia, He most recently served as the manager of Turnkey Media Systems, a company specializing in marketing software and hardware products for broadcast and Internet channels. In this role he was responsible for sales and marketing efforts across the United States. Slocum earlier oversaw regional sales for OMT Technologies and for Computer Concepts. He also worked at the national sales manager at Radio magazine, and has managed media operations across the United States, including ownership of a facility in Virginia.

Slocum is an RAB Certified Radio Marketing Consultant and holds an Amateur Extra Class radio license.

Scott Slocum will be based in an office in the Kansas City area. He can be reached at 866-359-7540.

Neutrik USA President Dies
Toms River, NJ - Nov 6, 2008 - James Cowan, president of Neutrik USA, passed away on Nov. 5, 2008 due to cancer. He was 52. Cowan worked for Neutrik for 20 years, starting out as general manager, then vice president and was named president in March of 2000.

In addition to running a company, Cowan was also concerned for others and was instrumental in Neutrik's numerous donation efforts, offering the company's equipment to such organizations and schools as Brookfield Academy, La Sierra University and Michigan State University. He was also a member of the Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance, an organization for senior executives leading the companies that manufacture professional audio products.

Beyond those organizations with ties to the professional audio community, Cowan was a philanthropic benefactor to organizations such as Oceans of Love, which provides help for children with cancer, the ALS Association, and the Food Bank of New Jersey.

Prior to joining Neutrik, Cowan held various positions with such companies as Texas Instruments, Panduit and Dialight-Kulka-Smith. He received a bachelor of science in marketing and economics as well as a master's degree in marketing from Monmouth University in New Jersey.

Donations can be made to Ocean of Love.

Eye on IBOC

Broadcast Electronics Plans HD Radio Town Hall Webinar
Quincy, IL Nov 6, 2008 - Broadcast Electronics will host an HD Radio Town Hall webinar on Nov. 19 to cover recent advances in digital radios, revenue and technology. Deb Huttenburg, vice president of business development and marketing for Broadcast Electronics, will host the 90-minute webinar.

Scheduled presenters include: