Transmitter maker Nautel is promoting “a new concept for program distribution for networked radio.”
According to a release, Nautel customers can use its Advanced User Interface and the USB port of the VS transmitter series to store programs for transmission rather than rely on real-time signal relay from a station or another source. The concept is similar in some ways to satellite downloading, storing and distribution but, Nautel emphasizes, much cheaper.
Nautel is calling this Push Radio. Director of Sales Chuck Kelly stated: “Traditional radio program distribution for networked stations is a ‘pull’ concept, where audio content is sent in real time over satellite to the transmitter sites, and that satellite is often the single largest monthly cost in the system. The Internet isn’t today the most reliable real-time distribution method, but it is quite reliable as a file distribution system.
“In ‘Push Radio’ we send new content as audio files and send updated playlists to the transmitter, which then plays the content locally.”
Also new for Nautel are Remote Install and Remote Transmitter Optimization, wherein Nautel techies can aid in transmitter setup and monitoring.
Director of Customer Service Kevin Rodgers said all that is needed is an Internet connection to the transmitter. “The customer sets up a secure shared view of the transmitter with Nautel and we complete the setup and optimization from our offices. In many cases the nominal fee can easily be paid for several times over with the efficiency improvements that may be realized.”
