Tech Roundup

With the rapidly growing Podcast Movement conference getting underway on Tuesday in Philadelphia, a company known for a tech platform that's powering the digital audio advertising ecosystem has launched a "Podcast Platform Partnership Program" with the first wave of top platform and tool providers.

OmniPlayer is returning to the IBC show, one of the world's biggest showcases for broadcast media technology. The event is scheduled for September 14-18 in Amsterdam, and OmniPlayer plans to make a splash in the Netherlands through the introduction of the newest generation of its Radio Automation Software in a fully virtual radio studio.

The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and FEMA are readying the next nationwide combined test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and EAS. All EAS Participants are required to participate in this nationwide test.

The 732 Advanced Dynamic RDS Encoder is now available from Inovonics. It promises to include "the latest RDS tools, along with the obligatory broadcasting song title, artist information, and station IDs."

The NAB technology innovation initiative launched a new program that provides grants to NAB members to establish paid engineering or media-technology internships at their radio and TV stations. The program will be launched in partnership with NABEF as part of an effort to grow technical and engineering talent for the industry.

Automation, content management and integrated channel specialist Pebble Beach Systems has further optimized its Marina playout system to ease the migration from legacy and aging EOL systems such as ADC, Omnibus, and Sundance automation systems.

New data from NPR and Edison Research confirm that new smart speaker owners are emerging as "a distinct audience" in terms of user profile, behavior and media habits, while the first movers in the space remain highly engaged with their devices. That's a key learning from the Spring 2018 edition of The Smart Audio Report.

The Next Gen TV local simulcasting rules have received the approval of the Office of Management and Budget. This means that permissive voluntary use of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard is a go — another milestone for TV operators seeking an addressable advertising solution and superior audio and visual quality.

Don't think that Snapchat is a legitimate ad threat to your radio or TV station? Think again. Nielsen has confirmed that its premium audience segments will now be available on the social media app's ad buying platform.

A firm that has carved a niche for itself through measuring eyes-on-screen attention of TV programming and ads has gained access to millions of dollars in capital. As such, it has named its first president and COO.

There's a Class C 64kw FM facility serving the Seattle-Tacoma region's Hispanic audience by providing regional Mexican programming. It's a big stick, hence its moniker: "La Gran D." But, this station is licensed to Elma, Washington and uses a tower well to the southwest of downtown Seattle. The result: Signal holes in the metropolitan area. This issue has just been resolved in a big way, as the station is now the latest licensee of Maxxcasting technology.

Gray Television last week broke ground on its new 30,000 square foot facility in Augusta, Georgia for its two TV stations in the market. Upon completion in 2019, the new facility will use broadcasting technology that "has never been seen in the industry," allowing the stations to enter its next chapter following 65 years of service in the region.

Regardless of what transpires between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media -- if anything, given the revelation by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that he has deep concerns over a merger of the two companies -- Tribune hopes it will remain highly attractive to advertisers thanks to a new programmatic advance.

A CBS affiliate serving Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, in the far northwest corner of California, was looking for a streamlined, non-hardware solution for switching between live and recorded content. It found just what it needed: a software solution that doesn't require an external router to change playout sources.

Telestream has developed a new version of its Wirecast live streaming and production software, designed to enable studio-grade production for live events in Microsoft Stream. Called Wirecast S, the new software will be available as a free 30-day trial download when Microsoft enables live event streaming and scheduling for its Stream customers, and as a monthly subscription thereafter.