Everyone remembers the first time they went to a packed stadium to see their team play, watched a show on Broadway or in Las Vegas or saw their favorite band live on tour.
You remember because these experiences are special. The crowds, the noise and the sheer scale of the performance itself offers an immersive experience on your senses like no other.
Invisible backbone of live events
No less special is watching your child in their school play or attending your community house of worship. Their reliance on wireless microphones is what links all the events. From game officials and broadcast communications to the theater cast and backstage support; from the musicians, to their band, backing singers and their instruments, wireless microphones are everywhere in productions. The show cannot go on without them.
As you settle into your seat at any one of these events, radio spectrum will not be the first thing on your mind but you may think differently once you know that the spectrum on which radio microphones rely is under severe threat.
That’s why Shure, a global leader in audio electronics and technology celebrating its 100th year, has formed the Wireless Microphone Spectrum Alliance (WMSA), a coalition dedicated to ensuring access to RF spectrum for wireless microphones.
This alliance includes a diverse range of stakeholders, such as professional end users, content creators, live production service providers, equipment manufacturers and many others, all of whom share a common interest in preserving access to this vital resource.
WMSA will advocate for access to the RF spectrum that is the lifeblood of events. Whether on a global stage or a community platform, the importance of preserving access to spectrum is vital for many reasons.
An ecosystem of creative industries relies on it to successfully produce their events, which is a significant source of revenue, generating and maintaining thousands of skilled jobs, fostering technological innovation, and acting as a crucible for creativity that is exported all over the world.
Wireless microphones are a vital part of media production that forms an integral part of American culture and society and is fundamental to the country’s global leadership in media. Across all platforms, their use supports content creation sectors valued at over two trillion dollars in economic value globally and poised to crest three trillion dollars by 2025, according to A. Guttman.
For technical reasons, UHF spectrum between 470 MHz and 1 GHz is uniquely suited and vitally important to the operation of wireless microphones, which have been a model of innovative spectrum sharing for decades, successfully interleaving with broadcasters, white space devices and public safety operations. They operate at low power and use only the spectrum they need, in the places and at the times they need it. Despite sustained growth in spectrum demand for wireless microphone systems at events in the U.S. such as the Grammys and the Super Bowl, wireless microphones have suffered significant loss of spectrum availability below 1 GHz due to successive clearances of the 800 MHz, 700 MHz and the 600 MHz bands.
Shure’s development of Wireless Multichannel Audio System (WMAS) and other technologies underscores its commitment to spectrum efficiency. However, further reduction in available spectrum for wireless microphones cannot be mitigated by innovation alone.
We believe that a breaking point has been reached in the U.S.
Spectrum under threat
Consequently, the remaining spectrum accessible to wireless microphones in the 470–608 MHz band, shared with broadcasters, white space devices, public safety operations, etc., is insufficient.
For example, spectrum scans taken in various U.S. cities after 2017, following the incentive auction and loss of access to the 700 MHz band, show limited or no available TV channels for wireless microphones, as shown in the accompanying graphic.
This has necessitated an increasing reliance on special temporary authority grants by the FCC to support large and medium-sized events. However, STAs are ad hoc, unpredictable, burdensome on staff and simply not a viable long-term solution to this continuing and growing need.
Recent statements made about considerations for an “Incentive Auction 2.0” of TV broadcast spectrum highlight the critical need to consider needs of wireless microphones now.
Without sufficient availability of suitable spectrum for wireless microphones, medium- to large-scale events which utilize all available spectrum in the UHF band, plus spectrum authorized via STAs, will simply become unviable in many cities.
Credit: Ricardo Mazalan – Pool/Getty Images.
Action is needed for upcoming U.S. events
In the next few years, the eyes of the world will fall on the U.S. when it hosts major events such as the America250 celebration, 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games. Data from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games revealed that 89% of all audio links used were within the 470–694 MHz range. France still has the 600 MHz band for wireless mics, while the U.S. auctioned it to the mobile industry in 2017 and is left mostly with the 470–608 MHz range and the 600 MHz guard band and duplex gap.
Preservation of access to this vital resource for wireless microphones is therefore critical. The future of our events and creative industries depends on it.
