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Radio Show Features “Tech Tuesday”

Broadcast executives also to explore implications of federal deregulation

A day devoted to technology-oriented sessions is a new feature of the Radio Show coming up in Dallas. That’s one of the efforts by the National Association of Broadcasters and Radio Advertising Bureau to freshen and reimagine their annual event.

Exhibits will be open Wednesday and Thursday of show week.

Show planners announced during the spring NAB Show that the fall show would get a new look and a more casual feel. The conference also puts a more visible emphasis on voice, podcasting, streaming and other technologies in the modern consumer audio ecosystem. Organizers are aiming for “a convergence of all who thrive in the audio and media space.”

Among highlights, veteran broadcaster Mary Quass will be honored. And the broadcast financial community will discuss implications for radio of the current deregulatory environment in Washington.

TECH TUESDAY

Tech Tuesday is free for NAB and RAB members; others pay $199 pre-show, slightly more on site. The day’s content is aimed at engineers, technology professionals and managers involved in radio station operations.

Topics promised include audio-over-IP, RF transmission, visual radio, streaming audio, remote backhaul, audio production and processing, data acquisition and protection, and hybrid radio applications. Tech Tuesday registration includes access to show exhibits, which are open the ensuing two days; there were about 70 registered exhibitors as of late August.

Here are highlights of Tech Tuesday:

Opening and Keynote: 10 a.m. — NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award recipient Gary Cavell will speak about the importance of technology and of continuing education for engineers. He’ll be introduced by NAB EVP/CTO Sam Matheny.

Edison Research has been doing interviews with younger consumers to learn their attitudes toward radio and audio, with an eye toward improving time spent listening for those demos.

Vender Breakouts: 10:35 a.m. — Attendees can hear from RCS President/CEO Phillippe Generali about the company’s Zetta Cloud Disaster Recovery offering, which the firm calls a “cutting edge safety net” for radio operations; and from Comrex veteran Chris Crump about ensuring reliable transmission of IP audio using the internet.

AM Radio’s All-Digital Future?: 11:20 a.m. — Radio World readers know about the tests and early deployment of digital-only signals on the U.S. AM band. This session brings together several experts including NAB VP of Advanced Engineering David Layer; Hubbard Broadcasting Senior Broadcast Engineer Dave Kolesar, who switched off the analog on WFED(AM) in Frederick, Md.; and Xperi Senior Manager of Broadcast Engineering Russ Mundschenk, recipient of the most recent Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award.

Lunch: 12 noon

Vendor Breakouts: 1:30 to 4:10 p.m. — There are several sets of concurrent presentations during the afternoon hours. They include Dielectric Senior RF Engineer Derek Small exploring the “black magic of filter tuning”; Nautel Sales Manager (Central) Jeff Welton discussing ways to optimize an installation with HD Radio; a presentation by ENCO Systems; GatesAir Product Line Manager Kevin Haider providing a “walkthrough” to understand the differences between Generations 3 and 4 of HD Radio technology; and Telos Alliance Senior Solutions Consultant Kirk Harnack highlighting the latest implementations of IP technology for networked audio and control.

Networking Break: 3 p.m.

“What’s Next in Radio Tech?”: 4:15 p.m. — A panel of industry veterans share insights into where our industry is going. Moderated by Radio World Editor in Chief Paul McLane, the group includes iHeartMedia Strategic Partnerships Group President Michele Laven; New York Public Radio CTO Steve Shultis; RadioDNS Project Director Nick Piggott; Xperi SVP of Radio Joe D’Angelo; and Goldman Engineering Management President Bert Goldman.

Closing Remarks, 5 p.m. — Wrapup by NAB VP of Technology Education and Outreach Skip Pizzi.

Reception, 5 to 6 p.m. — Hosted by NAB’s Sam Matheny and Skip Pizzi.

MORE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

Here’s a sampler of other notable events.

Pillsbury holds its annual Broadcast Finance event on Tuesday. The theme: “Radio Unleashed: Preparing for a New Regulatory World.” Firm partner Scott Flick moderates a discussion of the opportunities for broadcasters presented by deregulation, like the elimination of the main studio requirement and the FCC’s potential relaxation of local ownership rules.

Flick was quoted by organizers saying, “That the FCC is recognizing radio’s challenges where listeners’ audio alternatives — and the competition for ears and advertisers — have grown exponentially may be as big a game-changer as the new competition itself.”

The panel includes Bill Hendrich, EVP of radio for Cox Media Group; Garret Komjathy, SVP of media and communications for U.S. Bank; Beth Neuhoff, president/CEO of Neuhoff Communications; Susan Patrick, managing partner of Patrick Communications and co-owner of Legend Communications; and David Santrella, president of broadcast media for Salem Media Group. …

Plenty has been said and written about the explosive growth in podcasting; but how does podcasting really fit into the business goals of Radio Show attendees? A Wednesday session “The Podcast Revolution” will include Carter Brokaw, president of iHeartMedia’s digital revenue strategy; Neal Carruth, NPR’s general manager of podcasts; and Oren Rosenbaum, emerging platforms and podcasting agent at United Talent Agency. The moderator is Conal Byrne, president of the iHeartPodcast Network. …

NRG Media Chairman/CEO Mary Quass will receive the National Radio Award during the Wednesday luncheon “2020 and Beyond: Insights from the Top.” Quass formed New Radio Group in 2001, later named NRG Media, which has 45 stations in the Midwest. Her career began in the late 1970s when she worked as an account exec. She purchased her first radio station in 1998, forming Quass Broadcasting Co., which became part of Capstar Broadcasting and, in turn, Clear Channel.

Charlotte Jones Anderson knows something about building a brand as an executive with the Dallas Cowboys.

The luncheon program features a conversation with broadcast leaders Mary Berner of Cumulus Media, David Field of Entercom and Bob Pittman of iHeartMedia about strategies for a constantly shifting audio landscape.

Fred and Paul Jacobs will lead a Wednesday session, “You’re Not Just in the Radio Business Anymore,” to learn from people who have made successful career transformations. Fred launched Jacobs Media in 1983 and is credited with creating the classic rock format. Paul is president of jacapps and VP/GM of Jacobs Media. …

Author Gary Vee says, “Attention is the new currency.”

Charlotte Jones Anderson is executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys, and the Radio Show convention is happening in her backyard; she’s a logical speaker to share strategies for “building a world-class brand around the customer experience.” She speaks on Thursday. …

Author Gary Vaynerchuk, aka Gary Vee, will talk Thursday on the topic “Attention Is the New Currency.” He is chairman of communication firm VaynerX and CEO/co-founder of VaynerMedia. …

Thursday also brings a session led by David Fisher on the art of storytelling, for which the media industry has gained fresh appreciation in an era of podcasting, smartphones and smart speakers. Fisher, who began his career writing for Joan Rivers, is the author of more than 80 books and is an accomplished ghostwriter. The session is called “Sound. Voice. Story. Success.” 

Also on Thursday, Edison Research will present research on driving audience engagement and leveraging audio trends. “The Secret to Longer TSL” will be led by Vice President Megan Lazovick and deal with attracting and retaining listeners and best practices to optimize advertising. “Lazovick will also provide exclusive analysis of audio listening trends and content preferences and offer insight on how radio can effectively compete with and embrace other platforms,” organizers said.

They noted that while radio’s reach remains strong across all ages, time spent listening to radio has fallen much faster among younger listeners than older ones, according to Edison. The company has done interviews with young listeners about their attitudes about commercials, audio platforms and radio programs. …

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Marconi Radio Awards. Organizers invited several previous honorees back as emcees and presenters. Delilah, Rickey Smiley and Tom and Kristi of “The Bob and Tom Show” will do the honors.

The show will be held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

IF YOU GO

Where: Hilton Anatole, Dallas

When: Sept. 24–26

How: radioshowweb.com

How Much: $499 pre-show rate for NAB/RAB members, up to $949 for non-members onsite. See site for packages for groups, students, young professionals, spouses.

EXHIBITOR LIST

Exhibits are open Wednesday Sept. 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursday Sept. 26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Listings are as of late August. Check onsite resources for complete list.

ABC Radio                                                                                         211
Adder Technology                                                                             224
AnalyticOwl                                                                                      231
Aptivada                                                                                           210
Benztown/Vipology                                                                          133
Bob and Tom Radio Network                                                            144
Bonneville Distribution                                                                    216
Broadcast Depot                                                                               232
Broadcast Software International                                                     229
Broadcasters General Store                                                              100
Burbio                                                                                               220
Burli Software, Inc.                                                                            248
Calrec Audio Ltd.                                                                               234
Comrex                                                                                              105
Cool Radio Streaming                                                                       146
Dielectric                                                                                           101
DJB Software Inc dba DJBRadio                                                         213
Elenos Group                                                                                     112
ENCO Systems, Inc.                                                                            133
ERI-Electronics Research, Inc.                                                            200
FirstCom Music                                                                                  247
GatesAir                                                                                             125
Jutel Oy                                                                                              219
Libsyn                                                                                                233
LocalIQ                                                                                              153
Logitek Electronic Systems                                                                225
Marketron                                                                                          107
Matrix Solutions                                                                                246
Miller Kaplan                                                                                     217
Moseley Associates, Inc.                                                                     135
MusicMaster                                                                                      238
NAB Member Services                                                                       155
NAB Public Service                                                                            156
NABEF                                                                                               157
Nautel                                                                                                136
Podcast Studio                                                                                  159
Powergold Music Scheduling                                                            244
Premiere Networks                                                                           150
PromoSuite                                                                                       206
Radio Advertising Bureau                                                                 154
RadioDNS                                                                                          151
RadioMax                                                                                          214
RCS                                                                                                    120
Registration                                                                                       158
RF Specialties Group                                                                         227
Rohde & Schwarz                                                                              226
Second Street                                                                                    145
Shively Labs                                                                                      132
Sierra Automated Systems & Eng. Corp.                                            223
SoCast                                                                                               235
SoundExchange                                                                                205
SoundID                                                                                            201
Specialty Data Systems Inc. (SDS)                                                     245
Streann Media                                                                                   152
SuiteLife Systems/NFB Consulting                                                    202
Sun & Fun Media                                                                              209
TalkRating                                                                                         215
Tieline Technology                                                                            102
vCreative                                                                                           141
Veritone, Inc.                                                                                      243
WAVSTAR, LLC                                                                                    228
Weather Metrics, Inc.                                                                          222
Wedel Software                                                                                  230
Wheatstone Corp.                                                                               204
WideOrbit                                                                                           127
Win-OMT Software                                                                             249
WorldCast Systems                                                                             203
Worldwide Communications Consultants, Inc.                                    218
XPERI/HD Radio/DTS                                                                         113, 138
YEA Networks                                                                                     147
Zipwhip                                                                                              221

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