Tech Roundup

That's a question Westwood One's Chief Insights Officer, Pierre Bouvard, would sure like the answer to. He's asking because noted Wall Street analyst Anthony DiClemente questioned tune-out in a research brief on Pandora Media released this week.

For radio industry engineers, programming executives and the C-Suite, "AMC-8" is the all-important satellite that for many years has been feeding AM and FM radio stations with short-form and long-form programming. On June 30, the aging satellite will be put to sleep. Are radio stations prepared? There's concern that many aren't. This RBR + TVBR INFOCUS piece looks at why a last-minute transition scramble could prove problematic for the industry.

The Univision NOW service is now available to consumers on the Roku platform. It joins iOs, Apple TV, Android and the UnivisionNow.com website as ways Hispanic consumers can view content from the Spanish-language media company.

In a major plus to consumers and companies offering so-called "over-the-top" TV service package, the CBS Affiliate Board today reached a wide-ranging agreement with CBS Corp. that will extend non-CBS O&Os beyond its CBS All Access platform. This means affiliates can now have their channels available on OTT platforms from Hulu, Google's YouTube TV and "future new entrants," with additional revenue possibilities for all.

Barix, considered a pioneer in the IP audio and control technology field, has introduced Redundix, a new tool for radio broadcasters that automatically corrects glitches over IP STL connections that affect on-air signal quality.

Two individuals have been selected to head up all direct sales activities and partner relationships for an eight-state region of the U.S. for Utah Scientific, a media tech specialist in routing switchers, master control switchers, and related control software.

A bustling city within the Phoenix DMA has just landed another tech-focused business. Orban, the audio processing company, is housing its Legacy Service Center here. It will be dedicated to providing service to the Optimod 8500 and all products that predate it.

Content providers will need to seek integrated video solutions to minimize costs, streamline processes and provide growth opportunities at every step in the video life cycle. That's the key take away from a new report from video monetization technology and services provider Ooyala, produced in collaboration with U.K.-based Futuresource Consulting.

A French technology company has enhanced its fully automated "visual radio" solution, which was displayed at no less than three exhibit booths at the recent 2017 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

A Dante networking chip designed for mid-channel count audio products has hit the streets. It's available in 8x8 and 16x16 channel options.

Massachusetts-based media technology company Comrex used the Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the recent 2017 NAB Show two officially unveil a pair of new products.

As Pandora Media weighs its options as an ongoing concern, the Oakland, Calif.-based company released its Q1 2017 earnings report on Monday afternoon. Here's the good news: Total revenue grew to $316 million, from $297.3 million, in the quarter. That's thanks to a $3 million year-over-year boost in ad revenue, to $223.3 million. That's where the good news ends for the streaming audio company's Q1 financial report.

On a day when it released Q1 2017 results reflecting a loss of $132.3 million, streaming audio favorite Pandora revealed that it has received a $150 million strategic investment from KKR. However, there's chatter that Pandora won't ever take a penny from KKR, and that it will find a buyer before it engages in a deal relinquishing preferred stock in the company.

Now that Pandora has its long-awaited subscription-based on-demand platform, can it help the streaming audio company grow? What about iHeartRadio, or Spotify, or Tidal, or ... You get it, the market is crowded. Yet, Glenn Peoples, Pandora Media's Music Insights and Analytics chief, is convinced big growth is set to happen between now and 2021. Is he crazy, or is he right on the money?

From the content that's being consumed to the emergence of new distribution outlets and emerging gadgetry, the traditional pattern of media usage and radio listening are changing— in some cases, rapidly. That's the key takeaway from Jacobs Media's Techsurvey13 — "Navigating The Digital Landscape."