Radio technology news updated as it happens.

News

Public Emergency Communications Network Emerges
May 4, 2006 - Unionville, CT - The Midland Radio Corporation, React International, the DC Emergency Radio Network and NationalSOS.com have jointly announced their support for the National SOS Radio Network, a free communications network based on the estimated 100 million FRS-compatible radios already used by the public. Because of the lack of reliable land-based communications following an emergency event such as a hurricane or tornado, the groups have joined to connect the wireless resources to assist rescuers in helping victims.

The free public network connects the estimated 100 million Family Radio Service (FRS) and FRS/GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) combination radios already in use by the public with 700,000 amateur radio operators, plus more then 70,000 licensed GMRS radio users who are also proficient emergency communicators. The National SOS initiative recommends that the public use FRS Channel 1 as a primary emergency-communications channel. Channel 1 has previously been endorsed by radio manufacturers and by React International. Channel 1 is located at 462.5625MHz.

More information on the National SOS Radio Network is available at .

NAB Education Foundation Announces Service to America Winners
Washington - May 4, 2006 - The NAB Education Foundation (NABEF) announced the winners of its eighth annual Service to America Awards. Winners will be honored at the Service to America Awards Gala on June 12 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. The celebration recognizes outstanding community service by local broadcasters.

Service to America - College Radio Award
KMSU-FM Mankato, MN, Minnesota State University
This award recognizes a non-commercial or commercial tax-exempt college radio station for its efforts to serve its community.

Minnesota State University's KMSU Human Race Radio is a monthly program that provides facts and opinions on topics including media bias, the state of religion and community organizations. The program is designed to engage the community in discussions about sensitive topics. The station also sponsors a Toys for Tots program and a high school news initiative that offers students from public and private schools the opportunity to produce their own show that is aired for one hour each Saturday.

Service to America Television Award
WPBF-TV West Palm Beach, FL
This award recognizes a TV station for the totality of its efforts and its commitment to excellence in serving its community.

Each year, WPBF creates and supports several community outreach initiatives covering a variety of areas including education, healthcare, children, breast cancer awareness, severe weather preparedness and town hall meetings. During 2005, the station's commitment to advancing breast cancer awareness was taken to a new level when anchor Kristen Hoke was stricken with the disease. When Hoke chose to share her daily battle with viewers, WPBF stepped up to support her efforts to raise money for the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk.

Service to Children Awards
Radio: KVAK-FM/AM Valdez, AK
Television: WLTV-TV Miami, FL
These awards spotlight TV and radio stations for outstanding programs, campaigns and public service announcements produced for the benefit of children.

KVAK serves the children of Valdez by inviting them into the studio each week to participate in the KVAK Kids Club. The goal of the Kids Club is to engage local children in activities aimed at promoting community service. Each month KVAK picks a different community service theme and Kids Club members in the 4th grade through 6th grade record the community service announcements. The messages air a minimum of three times daily, every day on the FM and AM stations.

For the past five years, Univision 23 has gone into the classrooms of Southern Florida for Club de Libros 23 or Book Club of Channel 23. The program is geared to promote Spanish literature among students and encourage them to practice the language of their ancestors or learn a new language. Other WLTV programs include a collaboration with the National Dissemination Center for Children to help promote a better understanding of children's mental disabilities, Alcanzando el Exito Escolar, a special program to help potential drop-outs stay in school and a program with the Children's Trust to help find permanent homes for children and teenagers in the Miami Dade area.

Partnership Awards
Television: KRON-TV San Francisco, CA
Radio: WTMX-FM Chicago, IL
Given to one TV and one radio station, this shared award recognizes broadcasters and their corporate or community partners for exemplary public service.

Since 1998, KRON's Student's Rising Above project has raised more than $3.2 million to help send low-income students to college. The station created an ongoing series of KRON 4 news stories, specials and public service announcements describing the experiences of low-income teenagers who are overcoming staggering obstacles. Since starting the program, the station has partnered with several organizations including the Peninsula Community Foundation and the Summer Search Foundation to grow this project. This year, they partnered with ANG Newspapers to broaden exposure to the student's stories.

For the past six years WTMX-FM 101.9, the Mix, has hosted the most successful radiothon in North America for Children's Miracle Network. The 36-hour radiothon raised more than $2.1 million for Children's Memorial Hospital, which serves over 200,000 children in the Chicago area each year. Since the radiothon began, WTMX has raised over $8.4 million for the hospital, all of which has been used for pediatric research, patient care, education and advocacy.

Friend in Need Awards
Television: WSET-TV Lynchburg, VA
Radio: KHUM-FM Ferndale, CA
These awards, given to one TV and one radio station, honor broadcasters for outstanding service in the face of natural disasters and other potentially life-threatening situations.

When the tsunami struck Asia in December 2004, WSET-TV and Gleaning for the World, a non-profit ministry, teamed to form the Heart of Virginia Tsunami Lifeline. In addition to raising more than $119,000 in cash contributions, they provided 33 fishing boats to local fishermen in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka, shipped hygiene/school kits, and helped to construct a handloom-weaving factory in Kalmunai. WSET-TV also broadcast special programming, Tsunami Lifeline: From the Heart of Virginia to the Heart of Sri Lanka. Viewers had the opportunity to see evidence of their charitable donations at work.

KHUM stepped up to the plate when several unexpected storms caught Humbolt County off guard between Christmas and New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, a 97 mile-per-hour storm blasted Humbolt County leaving three quarters of the county without power and the three main highways blocked with fallen trees. KHUM's staff worked around the clock to keep the community informed with some of the station's DJs broadcasting from home.

The 2006 Crystal Radio Award winners, previously announced at NAB2006, will be recognized for their community service as part of this year's Service to America Awards.

NAB Radio Board Members Reappointed
Washington - May 2, 2006 - David Field, chairman of the NAB Radio Board, has reappointed the following Radio Board members to another two-year term.

Charles M. Warfield Jr., president, ICBC Broadcast Holdings

Terms for the reappointed board members begin at the upcoming June NAB Radio Board meeting. The appointments were made by the Radio Board Chairman with the approval of Radio Executive Committee Members Russ Withers and Jerry Hanszen, as well as Joint Board Chairman Bruce Reese.

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Marconi Award Nominations Due
Washington, DC - May 2, 2006 - The NAB Marconi Award Nominations are due by May 19. Stations will be able to submit their nominations online at www.nab.org/membersonly/radio. The NAB has mailed the Marconi Radio Award nomination kits to member stations. Finalists will be announced in July. The award will be presented at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner and Show at the 2006 NAB Radio Show, held in Dallas on Sept. 21, 2006.

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Business

Sonifex Adds Dscope III to its Inventory
Cambridge, UK - Apr 28, 2006 - Sonifex had acquired two Prism Sound Dscope III audio and test measurement tools for its Northamptonshire site. The systems are being used with a large automated relay switch matrix that Sonifex has developed for product testing.

"We are using the Dscope as part of our production line test process because it is accurate and reliable as well as being very quick to take readings," said Chris Stills, Sonifex's technical director. "Its size and portability make it particularly useful, both on the production line and in our R&D department."

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SES Americom to Continue Service to Waitt Radio
Princeton, NJ - Apr 25, 2006 - Waitt Radio Networks has renewed a multi-year agreement with SES Americom to deliver local information, weather forecasts and music formats to affilliates and listeners via the AMC-8 satellite. Waitt affiliates can log onto the Internet to make requests for localized content and for show hosts to cut voice tracks. The system automatically delivers the information via satellite to each authorized station where they are aired immediately or within minutes throughout the day.

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International CES Keeps Growing
Arlington, VA - May 4, 2006 - The 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, held in Las Vegas Jan. 5-8, 2006, drew a record crowd of 152,203 industry professionals. The 2006 International CES was the largest CES in history in terms of both attendance and square footage. According to an independent audit by Veris Consulting, attendance in 2006 increased 4.3 percent compared to the 2005 attendarnce of 145,868.

International attendance was also up, reaching an all-time high of 25,493 with people attending from 144 countries. This is up from 23,000 attendees from 115 countries in 2005. This is an increase of 5.4 percent.

The break-down of attendees is 6,849 engineers, 18,650 retail buyers, and 3,180 venture capitalists and business developers, plus more than 8,500 attendees from the content, broadcast, film and software development/publishing industries. Together, the number of content development and film industry attendees more than doubled over 2005 numbers.

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Sales Call WKKC-FM, a full-service station licensed to the Board of Trustees of Community College District 508 for the City Colleges of Chicago, has acquired a JMPC FM side mount antenna from Jampro Antenna/RF Systems. American Urban Radio Networks has solicited Media Monitors to monitor its radio station affiliates for compliance of commercial clearances. The Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) in Hanoi has purchased two Jampro JFVD high power FM antenna systems. The JFVDs are vertically polarized, high-gain, broadband FM flat panel antenna systems including transmission lines. The VOV is owned by the Vietnamese government and operates 65 AM stations, seven FM stations and 29 shortwave stations that reach more than 90 percent of the country. RAI Radio, which currently uses Netia's Radio-Assist digital audio software in its Rome-based radio stations, will now use the system in all of its offices and stations across Italy. Radio-Assist will be launched in about 20 regional sites, each of which will be connected over the WAN to Radio Uno in Rome.

People

Sennheiser Promotes Mayer to Eastern Sales Manager
Old Lyme, CT - May 9, 2006 - Sennheiser Electronics has promoted Eric Mayer to the position of eastern regional sales manager, professional products. Mayer replaces Mark Humrichouser who was promoted to the position of industry team leader-pro/MI channels late last year. Mayer began his career at Sennheiser more than nine years ago when he handled New York Metro sales for Sennheiser professional, MI and consumer products. Mayer will be based out of Brooklyn Heights, NY.

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Prism Appoints Crighton as CEO
Cambridge, UK - May 5, 2006 - Prism Sound has appointed Ian Crighton as chief executive officer (CEO). Crighton's main objectives will be to develop opportunities for growth for the company and to deliver even greater success to customers.

Prior to joining Prism, Crighton worked for National Instruments as managing director of the UK and Ireland in sales and marketing.

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Eye on IBOC

BE Works on HD Radio Around the World
Quincy, IL - May 2, 2006 - Broadcast Electronics (BE) has been busy this past year putting HD Radio on the world map, including digital installations in France, Thailand, New Zealand, Philippines and Puerto Rico.