Emmis Communications, part of the industry push to get FM in cellphones, has joined the North American Broadcasters Association.
The Toronto-based group is comprised of broadcasters, regional networks and specialty service broadcasters who define, debate and suggest solutions for the issues stations face in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
Emmis enrolls as an associate member, joining NAB, NPR, PBS and others in that role. CBC/Radio Canada, CBS, Disney/ABC and Univision are some of the joint radio and television broadcast owners that hold full NABA membership.
Emmis CTO Paul Brenner is now vice chair of NABA’s expanding radio committee; Julie McCambley, director of Radio Production at CBC/Radio Canada, chairs that committee. Former NABA Technical Committee Chair Mike Starling, who retired as executive director of NPR Labs earlier this year, laid the groundwork to establish NABA’s radio committee.
Emmis and Brenner “reflect innovation and adaptive strategies to a changing radio environment,” according to NABA Director-General Michael McEwen, who adds they bring to NABA their experience and “willingness to challenge traditional thinking.”
“The globalization of technology has forced companies to look well beyond country-by-country,” says Brenner. “We must rethink the ways of the past that focused on technology for technology sake or improvements to specific broadcast-related technology and strive to change perceptions of our medium. Think differently. Universal compelling content, whether aural, visual, analog, digital or hybrid solutions that blend bidirectional technologies are goals we should all aspire to accomplish together.”
The NABA Radio Committee mandate includes technical, operational and best practices. The group recognizes those in context with developments for digital radio, hybrid radio (e.g. Radio DNS), radio in mobile devices and two-way radios, whether via Wi-Fi or 4G/LTE. The group also focuses on workflow efficiencies, multiplatform delivery and audience analytics as well as radio’s continuing importance in emergency situations.
