Tech
ATSC event showcases public TV’s growing offerings in educational datacasting
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Stations are continuing to reinforce their datacasting efforts as the initial urgency of the pandemic has given way to longer-term planning.
Current (https://current.org/category/tech/page/2/)
Stations are continuing to reinforce their datacasting efforts as the initial urgency of the pandemic has given way to longer-term planning.
Disruption and dislocation allowed some public media stations to plan — and even finish — upgrades to their headquarters.
“There are no roads to here, so the only way you get in is by airplane or ship, or if you have a snow machine,” says Pierre Lonewolf, chief engineer of KOTZ in Kotzebue, Alaska.
At the NAB Show, broadcast tech companies rolled out FM boosters that enable “zonecasting” and previewed the next-generation capabilities they’re developing for HD Radio.
The hybrid conference aims to draw new staffers to public radio with scholarships for more than a dozen engineers.
An FCC loophole is causing problems for stations that want to join marketwide launches of the new broadcast technology.
“As viewers and set manufacturers and datacasting companies see this moving into the largest television market in the country … that’s going to make people pay more attention to the NextGen transition,” said Bob Feinberg, VP of business development.
Seattle’s KUOW often hears from listeners who say that their car radio is always set to 94.9. But now some drivers don’t have a choice.
With help from PBS, a Los Angeles–based station upgraded the online presence of one of its shows.
About three dozen pubcasters hope to emerge from an FCC application process with expanded coverage areas.
Pizzi’s consulting position with PMVG is actually a return to a group he played a role in forming.
“Our goal as a nonprofit is to make enriching digital resources available to as many people as possible even if they don’t have broadband,” said Information Equity Initiative CEO Erik Langner.
WHUT’s broadcast signal will get new equipment and a power boost to serve as the ATSC 3.0 host station, carrying not only its own programming but streams from four major commercial stations.
Reporters and producers have more options for safely recording interviews, but not everyone welcomes the trade-offs in sonic fidelity.
“We were most focused on reflecting the fact that what we’re building and operating are shared infrastructure platforms that are meant to serve the entire broadcast industry,” said President Erik Langner.
In partnership with Google, KQED and an AI-services provider ran tests to determine how to reduce errors in news audio transcripts and, ultimately, make radio news audio more findable.
An Acast executive said RadioPublic “brings even better tools and deep … secret-sauce technology” to the Sweden-based podcast company.
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