The FM Translator has become one of the hottest licenses since both AM and HD radio can utilize them for fill-in service. Many broadcasters are unaware of the true capabilities of this service. Learn from the experience of a station that currently operates four FM translators to effectively fill-in its AM coverage area.

Some questions to be answered in this presentation:

• What is fill-in vs non fill-in status?
• AM Revitalization Translators – are there stipulations that need to be addressed?
• Directional vs Non Directional Service – is shoehorning in a signal necessarily best practice?
• Being a good neighbor to Full FM Service stations – how can the same antenna be both directional and non directional in the eyes of the FCC?
• Allowable height – what do the rules actually say?
• Station Identification – why alphabet soup on the air is unnecessary (FSK is your friend).
• Revised interference rules – what does it take to register a complaint if you are getting interference?
• And more!

This session will provide an analysis of transitioning from Tube-type transmitters to solid state transmitters for TV and radio stations. The discussion will include:

• Choosing the right transmitter – Liquid-cooled, or Air-cooled
• Installation pros and cons
• Total cost of ownership from acquisition to replacement.

Towers, broadcast transmission lines and antennas are subject to extreme environmental conditions, including vibrations, moisture, rain, sunlight, and wear and tear.

Traditionally, tower inspections are performed by trained specialists who carefully climb a tower to inspect its physical elements and make repairs. While nothing can fully replace a physical inspection, we’ll take a look at how small, unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) drone inspections offer new technology and capabilities – including thermal imaging – allowing for inspections that can be made more frequently, less expensively, and in many cases with more detail than a physical inspection, often finding problems not obvious from the ground. Get real-world examples of the benefits of sUAS drone inspections.

New FCC rule changes now permit directional FM antenna modeling to use computational methods which will allow FM broadcasters to transition from physical modeling to a more efficient, economical and accurate computer simulated modeling procedure.

To take full advantage of the ruling, AI- based innovations have been developed to fully automate the optimization of FM antenna geometries replacing slow trial and error range measurements. The scripts are not compromised by time or material constraints and provide solutions that are completely optimized. The AI simulation approach also eliminates inherent human and range measurement errors associated with traditional measurement techniques.

Broadcast audio processing has evolved considerably from the early days of “Level Devils”, the CBS “Max Bros”, and even the Optimod. Still, with all of the high-tech options available, there is still a lot to understand the basics of what processing is designed to accomplish.

This presentation will provide insights into the basics of audio processing, applications, some tricks of the trade, and how the industry has arrived at an interesting crossroads today.

With the growth of web-based focus, processing has now crossed over into the world of container applications. Yet, there is still a need for the stand-alone processor, as well as the cloud-based application. In addition to the basics of processing, discussion will cover this new platitude available today for the broadcaster.

Today, broadcasting covers numerous platforms for transmission, and each of them require their own set of tools that are processing related.

ATSC 3.0 is growing faster than you think. Since the beginning of 2022, deployment grew by another 50% to reach more than 60% of US households, including many top Nielsen DMA Regions.

Are you up to date on the latest trends in both ATSC1 and ATSC3?

From Virtual Channel, SDR to HDR, DRM, PSIP Fetch and Rebranding, as well as Workflow Consolidations, we’ll discuss creative ways to elevate your broadcast strategy and obtain the key to success.

Now that we’re well into the second decade of widespread IP networking adoption in broadcast plants, the engineer’s question “how do I build an AoIP network?” has changed into “how do I harden my AoIP network against unexpected interruptions?” In fact, many broadcasters are now embarking on their second round of AoIP infrastructure, and the state-of-the-art has evolved significantly, with many IT technologies available that are aimed specifically at helping to ensure operational reliability and redundancy.

In his presentation, Al Reynolds, an experienced broadcast engineer with over a decade’s immersion in IT, RF and studio operations, will discuss the benefits of building Layer 3 networks, implementing SMPTE 2022-7, and using network automation tools. He’ll provide attendees with practical, understandable tips for designing broadcast networks that are not only resilient and reliable but maintainable as well.

Safety for all MUST BE the first priority at a broadcast facility. This presentation will cover safety issues for the broadcast engineer when working at a transmitter plant, including “Do’s and Don’ts” as it pertains to safety and how to prevent a catastrophic incident.

We will also discuss OSHA Emergency Action Plans (EAP) for the broadcast facility covering simple plans to the extremely detailed plans. Who should have these plans? What should be included in these plans and how should these plans be implemented as a stand-alone plan or as part of an overall disaster recovery plan.