Planning for the 2024 NAB Show is ramping up, and Radio World is asking exhibitors about their plans and expectations. Doug Vernier is president of V-Soft Communications.
Radio World: What is the most important technology issue or trend for radio engineers and facility managers in 2024?
Doug Vernier: For AM it’s the cost of doing business, particularly when the property you use for your tower is worth much more being sold for a different purpose. The price of electricity will continue to rise so the average engineer will be asked to find ways to lower the cost by using Modulation Dependent Carrier Level (MDCL) technologies or other processes such as Adaptive Carier Control and Modulation Companding.
Many more AM stations will go off the air. FM operating expense will have to be trimmed and this will be the engineer’s biggest issue. The trend in transmitters is smaller is better.
There will be a continued movement from the older tube technology to the newer solid state that produces considerably less heat and requires a smaller footprint at the transmitter. Unfortunately, HD transmission uses more energy, so there will be even more questioning of its use, particular in the smaller cities where it never really caught on.
RW: In what way(s) will AI-based tools change radio broadcasting workflows most substantially?
Vernier: I see AI as infiltrating every aspect of the broadcaster’s business. More than just on-the-air hosts and copy writing, we will see the AI integration in all areas of running the business and doing the engineering. AI [will] be talking to other AI systems to form a cohesive whole to all the facets of station operation, not the least of which is audience research. (ZoneCasting may make sense to some, but it will take AI to make it work with the least effort.) This will change the whole profile of broadcasting in the drive to find the wisest way to profitability.
RW: What news will your company feature at the convention — any new products or services?
Vernier: V-Soft Communications has spent more than 30 years in the business of communicating with engineers and other users to develop better and faster methods of solving coverage and frequency allocations issues with software. Its programs have been improving exponentially with each of those releases. Our company will be demonstrating these many new features and updates with it’s AM-Pro-2, FMCommander and Probe 5 software.
RW: Are there any other important technology trends that you’d like to comment on?
Vernier: Radio’s rapid movement toward virtualization will continue and be more powerful with the use of AI. There will be fewer studios to maintain because the definition of a studio is changing, and with it the need to pare down physical facilities. Much of the work will translate to computer maintenance, development of in-house AI systems and knowledge of streaming techniques. There will be fewer engineers who know R.F. which well elevate the need for more contract engineers.
RW: What else will you be watching for at the convention?
Vernier: This will be the year of AI at the show. It will be interesting to see how this changes all broadcast products and how this will impact stations and their audiences.
V-Soft Communications booth: W3147
