This is one in a series sharing insights from companies participating in the NAB Show.

SCMS is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The company was founded as a regional radio equipment supplier by President Bob Cauthen and his late wife, Gloria, and it has evolved into a national solutions provider. Matt Cauthen is vice president.

Radio World: How will SCMS participate in the show, where can attendees find you? 

Bob Cauthen: We have several customer events, dinners and gatherings in the books, and have a large Monday evening reception to celebrate the anniversary with our vendors and customers. Customer meetings are top priority on the show floor, where we will discuss projects and products. 

We primarily will be in and out of the GatesAir and Dielectric booths and we surely will have spontaneous conversations along the way.

RW: Bob, this is NAB Show No. 49 for you. What do you remember about the first one? 

Bob Cauthen: This would have been my 50th if not for the pandemic. My first NAB experience was Chicago, and it was exciting, though the event was less grand in scale. The exhibit spaces were small but accommodating to the vendors of the day, and I recall hearing complaints about the unions. 

The next event was in Washington. It was much bigger and spread across several hotels and exhibit centers. It was interesting to see such noticeable growth from my first to second experience, though the logistics made it more challenging to absorb.

RW: You’re a family-owned business. How has SCMS differentiated itself from its distributor competitors, especially in recent years?

Bob Cauthen: Radio World published an article in 2001 in which I stated the belief that relationships are the key to being successful. Of course, successful relationships in this industry require good service, great products, timely shipments and competitive pricing. SCMS has excelled in all areas over the years, and today we have a tremendous staff spread throughout the United States. 

As the industry has matured and we have entered a pattern of minimal year-on-year growth, we have diversified our offering to continue expanding our business. 

We have established successful AV and wireless divisions over the last 10 years through our SoleSource brand. We generate substantial revenue through our e-commerce websites across all divisions, and our integration efforts are now developing significant new business growth. 

Broadcast remains our core business, but these additions have been beneficial.

RW: Matt are there specific products or services you’ll be highlighting?

Matt Cauthen: Absolutely. There will be new AI-driven platforms that centralize monitoring, automate workflows and improve operational efficiency. Among these is GatesAir’s unveiling of the AirWatch 365 service with an on-prem gateway product. 

Video for radio is also hot this year. One of our integration partners, radioDNA, will give a presentation Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in room N256. (Read about this session in Radio World’s digital edition.)

AI is a term that has been overused recently. But when it comes to new technologies like centralized monitoring systems and video for radio, it really is making a significant splash in the marketplace. 

Additionally, Dielectric has fine-tuned their new RingMaster FM master antenna design and will showcase it. 

And Telos/Omnia/Axia have exciting new products. They had us up a few weeks ago to their HQ in Cleveland to get a sneak peek. There are also several developments in the processing space to include features such as Nielsen and EAS. 

RW: What else should we know? 

Matt Cauthen: We obviously couldn’t and wouldn’t be here today without our wonderful customers, integrations partners and manufacturers. As we round the corner of our 50th year, I just want them to know we are grateful and appreciative. We hope to support them for another 50 years.

NAB Show Booths: C1046 (GatesAir) and C1446 (Dielectric)

[For more coverage of the convention see our NAB Show page.]

 

The post SCMS Celebrates 50 Years During NAB Show appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcast Electronics, which recently came under new ownership, will introduce an AM transmitter platform called AMX, highlighting its compact design and efficiency.

The new product, scheduled to ship later in the year, will be built in the BE factory in Quincy, Ill. “This a ground up design by the BE team,” President/CEO Rich Redmond told Radio World.

“The Broadcast Electronics AMX is a next-generation AM transmitter platform that is based around ultra-high efficiency, scalability, modularity, simplified maintenance and significantly reduced footprint,” the company said in a release.

The AMX provides 5 kW in a chassis that is five rack units tall and can ship via UPS or FedEx, which BE calls an industry first. It is suitable for analog, HD Radio or DRM broadcasts, and will be highlighted at the NAB Show.

“AMX is first to market with silicon carbide MOSFET RF amplifier and modulator modules, leveraging proven technology deployed in electric vehicle drives for nearly 10 years,” BE said.

“Silicon Carbide has numerous advantages over conventional MOSFETs used in all prior AM transmitter designs such as increased voltage and current capability, reduced capacitance and increased robustness.”

Features include redundant auto-ranging power supplies for single- or three-phase power configurable at the transmitter; integrated Modulation Dependent Carrier Level, adjustable up to 6 dB of carrier reduction for power savings; and a wideband power amplifier, exciter and control system.

“AMX’s exclusive modular harmonic filter makes field frequency changes a simple matter by replacing the harmonic filter and doing a quick calibration all in less than 30 minutes,” BE said.

Also, the transmitter is available with an “Orban Inside” processing option, the first in the market for an AM transmitter.

BE recently was acquired from Elenos by an ownership group led by Redmond and majority investor The Alzana Group.

NAB Show Booth: C1646

The post BE Introduces AMX Transmitter for AM appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcast Radio will add Split Voice Tracking in the latest version of its Myriad Playout & Automation system

It will enable stations using split transmissions to record separate voice tracks for individual regions or platforms.

“The new capability allows presenters to create unique voice links for each split, or selectively share voice tracks across multiple splits, giving stations greater flexibility when producing localized content,” it said.

Split Voice Tracking introduces several tools.

Split VT Placeholders within the Log can contain notes or instructions for presenters, along with navigation tools that allow presenters to jump between Split Voice Track points in the Log.

The company said Split Voice Tracking also assists with maintaining consistent VT lengths between splits, helping ensure that region-specific voice tracks remain within similar durations so that split transmission paths remain synchronized.

“The feature works both in the studio using Myriad Playout and remotely via Myriad Anywhere, allowing presenters to produce split-specific links regardless of location.”

Split Voice Tracking enables stations to take advantage of split transmissions by adding more localized content, while keeping production efficient and cost- effective for live and automated shows. (See a short demo video.)

The company will highlight the feature at the NAB Show in booth C2230.

Info: www.broadcastradio.com

The post Broadcast Radio Launches Split Voice Tracking appeared first on Radio World.

At the NAB Show, Tieline will introduce the Gateway Nexus.

The company describes it as a 32-channel, high-density AoIP codec that provides “deterministic, low-latency multichannel audio transport using dedicated and reliable hardware.”

The Gateway Nexus can be deployed in hosted and data center environments. It provides native support of AES67, ST2110-30, ST2022-7, Ravenna, Livewire, NMOS and Ember+ with optional Dante.

“It stands out as a powerful and cost-effective alternative to virtualized codec and server-based systems, providing seamless integration into IP-based audio networks,” the manufacturer states.

Remote control is provided using the Toolbox Web-GUI embedded in each unit, or the optional Cloud Codec.

Charlie Gawley, VP Sales APAC & EMEA, said the codec works in hosted environments to provide an opportunity to centralize infrastructure “without sacrificing performance or control, and delivering the confidence to transition to modern AoIP workflows.”

As broadcasting shifts towards centralized and remote production models for live applications, Tieline says, the codec’s DSP-based platform allows users to upscale infrastructure efficiently.

NAB Show Booth: C2246

The post Tieline Introduces Gateway Nexus appeared first on Radio World.

Screens are “everywhere” inside cars now — not just in the center stack of the dash, but directly in front of the driver, in front of the front-seat passenger and in front of folks in the back.

And this trend matters for radio.

That’s one finding from the latest In-Vehicle Visuals Report published by Quu Inc. It found that 68% of the 100 top new models sold in America now display information on not one but multiple screens.

Quu also found that every one of the top 100 cars still has FM and AM radio, though radio is getting harder to find in today’s multi-menu infotainment systems.

Once again the company sent a researcher to sit in those car models and log a set of parameters about how radio and metadata display. Then broadcast researcher Doug Hyde analyzed the data.

Key findings of the report are summarized in this chart:

CEO Steve Newberry said in the announcement, “In our third year, trendlines are emerging. Screens are everywhere in vehicles. Dashboards are getting smarter and more intuitive to use. Audio is now almost always paired with a visual.”

Newberry said that for radio, “the challenge isn’t availability — it’s discoverability. Ensuring sound is seen isn’t optional. It’s essential.”

The chart at right shows what percentage of the top 100 have certain features.

Almost 3/4 now have HD Radio and about 1/4 are equipped with DTS AutoStage. SiriusXM has seen a dip since last year. Android Audo and Apple CarPlay continue to be well supported.

But another notable finding: The number of models with streaming apps built right into the vehicle is now 53%, up from 20% just two years ago.

The data on all these models is available at QuuReport.com. The site provides searchable findings as well as photos of the dashboards.

Quu sells technology that helps radio stations schedule and publish programming and sales messages on screens.

Newberry will discuss the findings in a free webinar this Wednesday, including guests Fred and Paul Jacobs from Jacobs Media, Joe D’Angelo from Xperi and MikeMcVay of McVay Media Consulting.

The post “Screens Are Everywhere. Radio Must Be Visual” appeared first on Radio World.

New from Tascam is the DR-40XP, a four-channel portable handheld recorder that adds USB-C connectivity and 32-bit floating point design to previous DR-40 models.

The company says it is suitable for professional-quality recordings for music, audio-for-video, meetings, dictation and other applications. Retail price is $259.

“The 32-bit float recording mode with up to a 96 kHz sample rate ensures low-noise, distortion-free recordings for a superior sound. With 32-bit float recording, users never have to worry about losing audio takes that were recorded too loudly or quietly.”

Features microSDXC card storage and support for up to 512 GB memory cards.

The unit has two unidirectional stereo condenser mics, adjustable from A/B to X/Y configurations. Two XLR/TRS inputs on the bottom can expand the system to capture four sources simultaneously. An input delay function mitigates phase incoherence between external and internal microphones.

“Combined with its USB-C audio interface, the recorder can function as a two-in/two-out audio interface capable of easily connecting to one’s computer or DAW on both Windows and Mac OS as well as iOS devices,” Tascam said in the announcement.

“Further, the DR-40XP can be connected to the aforementioned devices via USB-C for use as a USB microphone.”

The recorder includes a chromatic tuner for musicians, and an included reverb effect is useful for adding vocal and instrumental resonance.

Three low-cut filter options are available for reducing unwanted noise. For use with video, the DR-40XP has Auto Tone output functionality to make post-production sync a simple task. This recorder also can attach to a tripod mount.

[Read more product news coverage from Radio World.]

The post Tascam Offers DR-40XP Handheld Recorder appeared first on Radio World.

Three property owners in New York City have received “pirate radio letters” from the Federal Communications Commission.

The Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting inform the owners that unlicensed FM signals were detected coming from their respective properties and that they could be liable for significant financial penalties.

An LLC received a notice about an FM signal on 89.3 MHz coming from its property on West 189th Street of Manhattan last September.

David Duchatellier of the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens received a notice about a signal on 90.1 MHz last November.

And Thomas J. Chavannes and Beverley Dixon-Chavannes, also of Jamaica, got a letter about a signal this past January on 91.9.

New York is one of the markets in which the commission does regular pirate enforcement sweeps. The FCC said it looked into these cases after receiving complaints.

Each owner was given 10 days to respond “by providing evidence that you are no longer permitting pirate radio broadcasting to occur” and requesting them to identify the people engaged in the alleged pirate radio broadcasting on the property.

[Related: “FCC Updates Congress on Pirate Enforcement”]

The post Three NYC Property Owners Get FCC “Pirate Letter” appeared first on Radio World.

ENCO said its aiTrack workflow is now a fully cloud-native, automation-agnostic platform.

It will highlight this evolution at the NAB Show.

The system enables broadcasters to generate, customize and schedule AI-driven audio segments for live and automated programming. The company said cloud-native architecture now enables these benefits without the limitations of traditional infrastructure.

The tool is now accessible through any web browser. It allows on-air and production teams to create broadcast-ready content quickly using generative AI models and natural-sounding synthetic voices.

“From breaking news, entertainment, weather and sports updates to sponsored segments and localized content, the platform delivers seamless insertion into live broadcasts or scheduled playlists across terrestrial and streaming platforms.”

ENCO says its “foundation prompt” framework streamlines AI processes into intuitive templates. This lets users generate content by entering key variables such as location, format or sponsorship details.

aiTrack works with any broadcast automation system,  enabling delivery of its audio files into existing workflows from anywhere.

The company said the system now also offers more audio realism and flexibility, including multi-voice capabilities, language localization and voice cloning technology based on ENCO’s SPECai platform. “These enhancements bring AI-generated audio closer than ever to human performance,” it said.

NAB Show Booth: C2116

[Do you receive the free Radio World SmartBrief newsletter each weekday morning? Sign up here.]

The post ENCO Takes aiTrack Into the Cloud appeared first on Radio World.

Dielectric will feature its new RingMaster Series of high-efficiency FM antenna systems at the NAB Show.

It previewed these antennas last year and started shipping them last summer.

Dielectric will offer simulations and examples of installations in the United States and the Bahamas. Among them: Bonneville International is using a RingMaster antenna for a 13-station system at Farnsworth Peak, Utah. And Vertical Bridge installed a RingMaster auxiliary system at Cedar Hill, Texas, to transmit FM and HD Radio signals for 10 stations serving the Dallas-Fort Worth market.

The manufacturer says the new line combines the performance of its DCR Series with an architecture that provides an economical, efficient and adaptable solution for side-mounted FM systems. Dielectric says they use up to 1/3 fewer components.

“Integrating both full and half-wavelength spaced arrays, RingMaster allows broadcasters to achieve full FM bandwidth performance, something previously associated with half-wave spacing only,” it states.

It cites lightweight construction that helps with tower loading, structural concerns and installation complexities.

“The flexible design also introduces controlled elevation pattern shaping, providing customers flexibility and improved signal uniformity across the coverage area.”

NAB Show Booth: C1446

 

The post Dielectric Highlights RingMaster at NAB Show appeared first on Radio World.

Adventure 33 will use the NAB Show to promote a new offering called Prism Red.

It describes this as the first fully virtualized broadcast audio receiver.

“For the first time ever, broadcasters can receive live programming, closure triggers and network feeds entirely in software, thus eliminating the need for dedicated hardware while preserving the reliability and performance expected of broadcast infrastructure,” the Canada-based company said.

It said Aiir’s PlayoutONE is the first automation platform to achieve “Prism Red Certified” status, which it will highlight at the convention. It said this is the first integration of Prism Red with a cloud-based/virtual playout system.

“Prism has already established itself as a true replacement for satellite distribution, delivering highly reliable audio over IP using multi-path, multi-vendor infrastructure,” it said in the announcement.

“With the introduction of Prism Red, that same proven solution is now available natively inside VM and cloud environments. This marks a fundamental shift: Broadcast reception is no longer tied to physical devices.” It said this enables faster and more affordable deployment and scaling, and more ambitious workflows.

[Related: “Prism Quattro Is a New Distribution Option”]

The post Prism Red Is a Virtualized Broadcast Audio Receiver appeared first on Radio World.

To help local public radio stations build revenue from digital underwriting, StreamGuys and American Public Media have launched a partnership called the Inform Media Network.

The organizations call IMN “a private underwriting and sponsorship marketplace purpose-built for public media” that provides local stations with a national sales team and network at no cost.

Approximately 30 organizations are participating. Among organizations taking part so far are familiar brands like KQED, WETA, Baltimore Public Media, WHYY, WBUR, Houston Public, WGBH, KEXP and others.

The companies said this network offers 55 million monthly impressions reaching over 6 million unique listeners through their podcasting and live streams.

The Inform Media Network is intended to help stations fill unsold digital inventory with “compliant, public radio-quality underwriting through APM’s centralized national sales reach.”

It said stations benefit from audience insights that support the local sales process and that it gives them a mechanism to sell local underwriting to local listeners of APM’s national podcasts, including podcasts from “Marketplace,” “This Old House Radio Hour” and “The Slowdown.”

StreamGuys will manage the technical infrastructure and deliver onboarding services and payment processing for publishers. Magellan AI is used for measurement “from listening to conversion.”

In the announcement, APM acknowledged the challenges of maximizing underwriting revenue for local and national organizations.

“Inform Media Network offers a solution to these challenges — to the benefit of the larger public radio ecosystem. The network is designed to simplify participation for stations while presenting advertisers with a single trusted point of entry into public media digital audio,” it said.

It quoted Justin Hach, director digital sales operations and products at APM and Minnesota public Radio, saying that impressions from listeners outside of a broadcast market may not be important to local sponsors but are a “fantastic” potential audience for national advertisers when connected across the public radio system.

StreamGuys said the network is “not an automated, algorithm-driven programmatic ad network” and that its underwriting will be FCC-compliant “and sound just like local underwriting sold by public radio stations.”

Local stations also will have the opportunity to sell APM’s national podcasts in their local region. Among organizations taking part so far are familiar brands like KQED, WETA, Baltimore Public Media, WHYY, WBUR, Houston Public, WGBH, KEXP and others.

The post APM and StreamGuys Launch “Inform Media Network” appeared first on Radio World.

The new issue features audio processing products from Angry, Aqua, DHD, Lawo, Omnia, Orban, Thimeo, Wheatstone and WorldCast.

Also: The growth in the number of NCE stations in the United States coincides with a volatile time for public media.

Paul Kaminski describes the radio experience in the 2026 Genesis G90.

Steve Cannon offers tips for engineering teams that lack big budgets.

And Bill Trau troubleshoots a piece of legacy gear in Workbench.

Read it here.

The post Read the April 8, 2026 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Broadcast Devices Inc. will introduce the IOX-24S SNMP Remote Control and Channel Expander at the NAB Show.

It describes this as a flexible I/O platform to simplify remote monitoring and control in broadcast transmission and studio environments.

“The IOX-24S can operate either as a standalone SNMP remote control system or as a channel expansion panel for any SNMP-compatible remote control platform,” it said.

“This dual-purpose design allows broadcasters to deploy the IOX-24S as a primary control solution for smaller facilities or use it to add control, status and analog metering capacity to existing remote control systems without replacing installed infrastructure.”

In a single rack-mount chassis, the IOX-24S provides 24 Form C control relays, 24 status inputs and eight analog inputs to support a range of broadcast control and monitoring applications.

“The unit operates as an SNMPv2 agent and is supplied with an SNMP MIB, enabling straightforward integration with modern network-based remote control and monitoring systems.”

For local operation, BDI supplies a Windows-based graphical user interface that allows control and status monitoring over standard IP networks.

The IOX-24S supports power from standard AC mains or Power over Ethernet (PoE). The Windows application can manage multiple IOX-24S panels simultaneously; BDI says this makes it practical for distributed facilities with multiple transmitter or studio locations.

The IOX-24S is plug-and-play compatible with BDI SWP-200 Series switch controllers and SWP-300 remote control products via a serial connection, expanding their available control, status, and metering channels.

Typical applications include transmitter sites, studio technical operations centers, remote radar or weather sites, and auxiliary broadcast facilities.

Info: https://broadcast-devices.com

NAB Show Booth: C2816 (Broadcasters General Store)

The post BDI to Show SNMP Remote Control and Channel Expander appeared first on Radio World.

A new flagship audio processor is coming from Omnia.

The Omnia XII for FM, HD Radio and DAB will debut at the NAB Show.

The company describes it as an all-new 2RU design, “built from the ground up by Frank Foti and his team to deliver maximum processing power, punch and performance on a flexible platform that can grow and evolve along with the needs of modern radio.”

Its design includes a wideband AGC; five-band multiband AGC and compressor; and a six-band multiband limiter, coupled with “smart” dynamic EQ and refined bass management tools.

Telos Alliance says the multiband section feeds a newly designed clipper developed through “intensive” research into delivering on-air loudness while eliminating distortion and listener fatigue that can come with aggressive processing. The clipper is called “Clemenza” after a character in “The Godfather.”

Omnia XII comes with a toolkit that includes a dynamic RDS encoder with optional UECP support, ratings watermark integration via SDKs from Nielsen, Kantar and Ipsos, and a dedicated insertion point that allows external devices such as the 25-Seven Voltair watermark processor to be introduced at the “sweet spot” in the airchain.

Features include ITU-R BS.1770 loudness and MPX power meters, a digital oscilloscope, an FM spectrum analyzer and Omnia QuickTweak controls. The company says these simplify processor tuning by adjusting multiple parameters simultaneously.

Connectivity includes analog, AES and composite MPX I/O. The processor supports Livewire+ AES67 AoIP, standard linear MPX over IP, optional µMPX encoding and an optional stream receiver supporting Super Hi-Fi’s HLS+ with metadata routing to RDS and up to 24 hours of backup playout capability.

Dual redundant internal power supplies and relay bypass on primary I/O paths provide resilience and switch-over to backup airchains. LWRP, Rest API and hardware GPIO facilitate remote triggering and control of events and parameters.

NAB Show Booth: C1819

Info: www.telosalliance.com

The post Telos to Show New Flagship Processor at NAB appeared first on Radio World.

Equipment provider Broadcast Supply Worldwide has a new partnership with infrastructure manufacturer Lawo.

“BSW will bring Lawo’s advanced radio production and broadcast infrastructure solutions to stations across the United States, including integrated packages built around Lawo’s IP-based workflow technology,” it said in the announcement.

“The offering combines Lawo’s engineering expertise with BSW’s decades of broadcast experience, system design support, and customer service.”

BSW also introduced Lawo crystal Radio Solution Packages, “which bundle pre-configuration, remote commissioning and ongoing support to help broadcasters deploy modern IP-based studio environments quickly and efficiently.”

The announcement was made by Bryan Seeley, president/CEO of BSW, and Christian Schniering, Lawo director of business development for radio.

Info: https://bswusa.com/lawo-at-bsw

[Visit Radio World’s News and Business Page]

The post BSW Signs on With Lawo appeared first on Radio World.

Wheatstone is teasing more of its product highlights for the NAB Show.

It plans to demonstrate a new hitless switching option to assure zero downtime of critical components in a WheatNet IP audio network.

This technology was introduced last year as an option for Wheatstone’s Arcus IP audio console for television sound. Hitless failover redundancy is now an option for the Blade 4 I/O access units and mix engines for LXE and Strata consoles and surfaces.

“With this, WheatNet IP audio networked facilities can seamlessly switch to a backup I/O access unit and/or a console mix engine for continuous operation during an emergency,” it said.

“Unlike traditional failovers, which can often cause a slight pause while switching to a backup, hitless redundancy eliminates packet loss, making it ideal for live video (SMPTE-2022-7), audio (AES67) and critical network traffic.”

The technology features dual mix engines or I/O Blades synchronized in real time. Should a primary Blade 4 or Mix Engine fail, the backup Blade 4 or Mix Engine takes over for uninterrupted service.

“A high-frequency ‘heartbeat’ between primary and backup units enables automatic failover, ensuring rapid recovery in the event of a failure. Active and standby unit statuses are displayed in WheatNet IP Navigator management software, with manual failover options available for controlled transitions during upgrades or maintenance.”

Wheatstone also plans to show the Audioarts DMX 12 console for single or networked studios.

“DMX 12 is ready for air and comes with a rackmount engine with audio, logic, I/O and expansion ports for just about any studio configuration,” it said. “Included is a five port Ethernet switch as well as WheatNet IP audio network connectivity.” The DMX line also is available in eight- and 16-channel configurations.

We noted earlier that at NAB the company will show the VMX mixing platform as well as the VML virtual mixing console.

NAB Show Booth: C1051

The post Wheatstone Highlights Hitless Failover appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission may consider an auction of FM broadcast construction permits soon.

In sending its budget request for fiscal 2027 to Congress, it wrote that an initial public notice announcing an FM auction would list specific vacant allotments for which it would offer CPs.

It also may consider an auction of commercial FM translator stations in 2027. (The commission already plans a translator filing window for the noncommercial band later this year.)

The fiscal year starts in October of 2026.

The mentions of these possible actions were brief. The FCC told Congress that plans are pending the development of its overall schedule of upcoming auctions.

It said it also may auction mutually exclusive TV station construction permits.  “The Media Bureau may provide an opportunity for existing Class A, LPTV and TV Translator stations to file major modification applications. The Media Bureau may also accept applications for new LPTV and TV translator stations. If such applications are mutually exclusive, after an opportunity for applicants to settle, an auction will be required to resolve the mutual exclusivity.”

Budget estimates

The commission’s budget estimates call for $398.3 million in spending authority from regulatory fee revenue, which would be down 4.3% from $416.1 million in FY 2026.

The FCC expects spending on salaries and expenses to fall to $531 million, down from $548.8 million in 2026.

It reported that the number of “full-time equivalent” employees will drop to 1,294, down from 1,404 this year. The FCC expects to achieve the reductions through “planned and early retirements and other attrition.”

In addition, it requested $132.7 million in budget authority for its spectrum auctions program, which would be the same as the 2026 enacted level.

In making the request, the agency reminded Congress that its spectrum auctions have generated over $233.5 billion for government use and that the cost of the program has been less than $2.8 billion or 1.2 percent of its revenue.

The agency did not provide a detailed breakdown of regulatory fees or how the decline in revenue might affect fees on TV and radio broadcasters. Those specifics are typically released mid-year.

The budget justification document is available here.

George Winslow of TV Tech contributed to this story.

The post FCC Hints at an Auction for FM CPs Next Year appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC issued a fine of $60,000 this past week against a Florida man for allegedly operating a pirate radio station.

The penalty is against Aaron Streeter in connection with a station heard on 89.1 MHz in Miami Gardens, Fla., called “Da Pound FM.”

As we reported at the time, the commission announced the proposed fine early last year. It says Streeter has not filed a response to its notice of apparent liability in the months since then. If he doesn’t pay within 30 days the FCC may refer the case to the Justice Department.

According to the original notice, during its 2024 enforcement sweeps in the Miami area, field office agents traced an unauthorized signal to a residence, and saw and photographed an FM broadcast antenna with a coaxial cable running to a nearby shed.

The FCC said agents subsequently spoke to Streeter and that he agreed to stop broadcasting, but that later he allegedly resumed from another location and promoted it on social media including a video showing him broadcasting from a studio, with accompanying text stating, “Family and Friends I’m back with the hottest old school jams right here on 89.1 fm.”

[Related: “FCC Plans to Fine Four for Pirate Radio Activity Around NYC”]

The post FCC Fines Alleged Florida Pirate $60,000 appeared first on Radio World.

WorldCast Systems will use the NAB Show to unveil the Audemat FM/HD Probe, a monitoring solution that it says ensures the quality, compliance and performance of FM and HD Radio broadcasts.

With a particular focus on the needs of HD Radio, it provides comprehensive supervision of HD1, HD2 and HD3 channels alongside FM and RDS analysis. The system continuously monitors signal presence, audio levels, metadata integrity and alignment between analog and digital paths.

The FM/HD Probe integrates NRSC mask monitoring and real-time spectrum analysis, enabling engineers to verify regulatory compliance and detect out-of-tolerance conditions. Its HD/FM alignment measurement tools allow users to ensure synchronization between digital and analog signals.

The unit offers real-time audio streaming and recording capabilities for FM and HD services, allowing operators to verify on-air content, investigate alarms and maintain visibility of broadcast performance, all remotely. Alarm notifications via email and SNMP provide alerts when anomalies are detected.

“With an intuitive web-based interface and remote access functionality, the Audemat FM/HD Probe is designed for deployment at studios, transmitter sites or off-air monitoring locations,” the company says.

“Its compact, professional-grade hardware platform ensures reliability in demanding broadcast environments while simplifying integration into existing workflows.”

NAB Show Booth: C2250

The post WorldCast Introduces Audemat FM/HD Probe appeared first on Radio World.

Orban Labs plans to offer the Quu360 Visual Radio platform as an integrated option for its Orban Optimod 5950 HD processor.

“This option for the 5950 HD eliminates the need for external PCs and simplifies the broadcast chain while improving a station’s presence on the dashboard,” they said in a release.

“Traditionally, radio stations have relied on separate systems for automation, metadata correction, visual messaging and RDS encoding, often requiring dedicated Windows-based PCs in the airchain.”

They said the embedded Quu360 option provides several benefits. It allows broadcasters to ingest metadata from cloud automation systems via HLS streams; normalize and correct artist/title data in real time; insert synchronized visual messaging for advertising and promotions; and deliver formatted metadata to the built-in RDS encoder. External Quu360 PCs are not needed.

“Broadcasters have the benefit of a consistent, high-quality display on the dashboard, with standardized song titles/artist data and support for synchronized advertiser messages,” the said.

The announcement was made by Orban President David Day and Quu VP of Technical Success Joe Marshall.

Marshall called the announcement “a major step forward in making synchronized metadata and advertising more scalable.”

Orban will be in booth C1259 at the NAB Show. Quu will be in meeting room C2658MR

[Going to NAB? Radio World readers are invited to attend a session on the show floor moderated by Editor in Chief Paul McLane called “Radio: The New Boutique Business?”]

The post Orban to Offer Quu as Integrated Option appeared first on Radio World.