The author of this commentary is engineer/project manager for American Amplifier Technologies. This is excerpted from the free ebook “Trends in Remote Control & Facility Management.”

Today I was thinking about the remote control at my first radio job. 

We used a 950 MHz STL to send audio and control information to the transmitter site and a 450 MHz TSL to return meter readings. We were reasonably happy to have forward and reflected power readings, the all-important ability to turn the transmitter on and off, raise and lower power, and, of course, a fail-safe wired to turn off the transmitter if the STL were to die. 

Beyond that, however, we had to guess. 

If the station went off, a lack of response from the remote control probably meant the utility power was off and the generator hadn’t started. But it also could mean the STL transmitter had failed, so we had to stop and look at the STL transmitter before driving to the transmitter site. 

And because we knew so little, every time we were off air, we had to pack the truck with parts and tools to fix most anything that might be wrong.

Now we can look remotely at just about everything at the site, well beyond basic transmitter parameters … site temperature (inside and out), generator status, exact voltage from both utility and generator, not to mention live camera views of the transmitter, room and front door. 

Depending on what I learn remotely, instead of driving to the site, I might be able to simply shut off and restart power to one rack component to get back on the air. The beauty of current technology is that emergency trips to the transmitter site are rare. Which, honestly, is the core purpose for a remote control system.

The problem with the now antiquated system at my first station is that I could know only a tiny fraction of the available information about the equipment. Fortunately, it’s no longer necessary to view my equipment through a pinhole. 

In a time when staff and contractors are working harder and spreading their talents across multiple signals, having a basic remote control is now more expensive than upgrading. Making up for lack of information requires time, and unfortunately, it often means off-air time. 

By necessity, most engineers can’t get to the transmitter site as often as they would like, feeling lucky to schedule a quarterly site check and cleaning. Therefore, having more detailed access to information about these critical systems becomes even more important, and allows the engineer to make good decisions about when visiting the site has become a critical priority — reducing the chance that the call to visit the site is an off-air alarm.

Through SNMP, equipment at most stations now provides a wealth of knowledge beyond voltages or GPIO, but not all remote control systems can take full advantage of it. 

It’s important to look for systems that can fully leverage the information and control SNMP provides, such as AAT’s EmPower system. Far beyond being able to look at exciter readings, SNMP can provide information about specific devices within the transmitter, show audio input levels, and so on.

Remote control is only useful if the information and control are available where you are. For many years that meant walking (or running) to the remote control to find out what was going on. Now, products like EmPower put everything you need, literally, in your pocket. 

Anywhere you have connectivity, you can receive alarms, evaluate readings and adjust parameters. It’s no longer necessary to drop everything to deal with a transmitter site problem — often a few seconds in the app will show what’s going on and allow on-the-fly adjustments. 

Security is also an essential component of your remote-control system, as the last thing anyone needs is to give an unauthorized party control over the transmitter. 

Security may involve careful implementation of firewalls or other protection options. EmPower uses a secure cloud service, making it easy to control who has what access. Now it’s possible to ask the board op or consultant to check readings or reset components, as desired, while keeping the bad guys out.

Reflected power readings used to be the only way to monitor the health of the antenna system. 

For example, water entering the antenna system used to be invisible. It would silently creep in over weeks or months, and unless someone happened to notice a very tiny change in reflected power, no one had any idea. Then suddenly, the station is off the air with catastrophic damage to the inside of the coax, something that’s very hard to fix quickly. 

Though AAT is happy to provide coax on short notice, it would be better to know about the problem before it was a disaster — knowledge that reflected power isn’t likely to provide. 

To help solve this blind spot, AAT can add vector network analysis to EmPower with its VNA option. The Empower VNA module can evaluate the health of the system in real time — while you’re on the air — and allow you to set alarms that will trigger whenever the antenna system changes from baseline measurements.

Thankfully, guessing what’s happening at the transmitter site is no longer a necessity because remote control technology has indeed come a long way.

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Radio World’s “Guest Commentaries” section provides a platform for industry thought leaders and other readers to share their perspective on radio news, technological trends and more. If you’d like to contribute a commentary, or reply to an already published piece, send a submission to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The author is owner/president of Sound Advantage Media. 

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The automotive industry constantly trains sales personnel to stay up to date with the latest techniques so they can sell more products in the coming season. 

Radio, however, lacks consistent follow-up, which can make account executives feel undervalued and overlooked. 

This absence of ongoing support contributes to a high turnover rate among radio account executives.

Use questions to find answers

Here is what separates professional account executives from salespeople left scrambling: Salespeople talk too much.

Great questions drive great sales.

[Related: “Why Advertisers Should Turn to Broadcasters in Digital Marketing”]

Questions uncover problems. They reveal priorities, expose urgency. Asking better questions can help you feel more confident and in control, creating clarity in your sales process.

Top-performing account executives understand this one circumstance: The quality of your questions determines the quality of your income.

Better questions often reveal deeper problems. Deeper problems create stronger opportunities for a sale. Here’s an example of better discovery calls:

• Why are you exploring this now?
• Timing. The question explores the trigger behind the conversation. The trigger could be:
• Leadership change
• Failing internal system
• Competitive threat
• Missed target or performance issue

Understanding trigger events provides vital context. It helps you feel more insightful and strategic, understand what created the urgency, and make your solutions more compelling.

What are you doing today?

It’s critical to understand the buyer’s current reality. This question reveals the following:

• The existing process or system in place
• What are the limitations of that system?
• The level of dissatisfaction with that system

Most deals are lost because salespeople assume the problem is larger than it really is. Often, you’ll find the current solution is barely working. 

Sometimes you discover it’s actually working well. Both insights are valuable. You’ll find the real competition isn’t another station. It’s not doing anything and sticking with what already exists.

What about your station or cluster?

Once the process is understood, exploring consequences is crucial because it shifts the conversation from product features to business impact, making the sale more compelling.

If business hasn’t increased, then what?

This often shows something telling: the cost of inaction.

Many station clusters or standalone stations operate with problems for years because the consequences feel manageable. Often, those actions are larger than they appear. This would include:

• Lost revenue
• Reduced productivity
• Personality churn
• Competitive disadvantage

When buyers consider the impact of not solving the problem, urgency increases. This is when consideration of long-term implications is in order. One other piece of information to consider:

Radio delivers 24/7 live content to local markets. Business messages entering a local market aren’t inserted; they become part of the community, part of the moment. 

Radio ads are not served. You broadcast it — on any platform — in a living, breathing community. Digital moves individuals. Live moves markets.

Nelson Mandela said, “I never lose. I either win or learn.”

Subscribe to Gary Begin’s biweekly newsletter here. 

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The post Salespeople Talk Too Much appeared first on Radio World.

The author is president/CEO of JVC Broadcasting in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. He released this statement on Sunday.

The announcement of the pending shutdown of CBS News Radio isn’t just another media headline — it’s a wake-up call.

A clear example of what happens when decisions about our information, our communities and our voices are made in corporate boardrooms disconnected from real life.

This wasn’t a programming failure. It wasn’t a lack of audience. It was an accounting decision — made by people who don’t live in the communities radio serves, don’t rely on it and don’t understand its true value.

And that’s exactly why they got it wrong.

Radio has never been more important. In an era flooded with misinformation, algorithm-driven content and faceless digital noise, radio remains immediate, local and — most importantly — trusted. It’s the one medium that still shows up live, every day, in real time, for real people.

Radio isn’t dying. It’s being stripped down by people who don’t know how to grow it. But here’s the truth: This moment isn’t just a loss — it’s an opening. A rare and powerful opportunity to rebuild something better.

Because what’s missing right now isn’t demand. It’s leadership.

This is the moment to create a new kind of radio network — one built not for Wall Street, but for Main Street. A network designed to empower local stations, not replace them. One that helps stations monetize their greatest strength: localism.

Local voices. Local news. Local advertisers. Local trust.

Let’s be clear about something: Consolidation itself isn’t the enemy. When done right, consolidation can be a powerful tool — one that strengthens local newsrooms, provides resources and creates the scale needed to compete in a modern media landscape.

But there’s a line.

When consolidation is used purely for profit — when it strips stations of their local identity, cuts talent and replaces service with spreadsheets — that’s when it fails.

Profit must be our servant, not our master.

The future of radio depends on getting that balance right.

We need smart, strategic growth that invests in journalism, expands local reporting and gives stations the tools to thrive — not survive. We need leadership that understands scale should support localism, not suffocate it.

That’s where the opportunity is right now.

The future is a network that works differently — a network that partners with local stations to amplify their voices, not drown them out. One that provides national scale where it matters — news gathering, distribution, sales infrastructure — while keeping content authentic and rooted in the community.

A network that helps local stations win.

Because local radio doesn’t need to be replaced — it needs to be reinforced. Imagine a network that:

• Delivers credible, trusted national news while allowing stations to localize and own the story
• Builds shared revenue models that actually benefit local operators
• Gives advertisers access to both national reach and local impact
• Invests in talent, not cuts it
• Uses modern tools — digital, streaming, social — to extend radio’s reach without losing its soul

That’s not just possible — it’s necessary.

This is how we make radio competitive again. Not by shrinking it, but by strengthening what made it great in the first place.

And let’s be honest — no one is better positioned to build this than the people who actually believe in radio.

We have the tools. We have the experience. We have the relationships. And most importantly, we understand the audience — because we’re part of it.

This is the time to act.

The vacuum left by corporate retreat is real, and it won’t stay empty for long. Either Main Street steps in to rebuild radio with purpose, or something else will fill that space — and it won’t have the same commitment to trust, community, or truth.

So, let’s not waste this moment.

Let’s take back the airwaves from bureaucratic investors who see radio as a line item instead of a lifeline.

Let’s build a network that works for stations, for communities and for listeners.

Let’s make radio great again — not by looking backward, but by building forward.

This isn’t the end of radio. It’s the beginning of its next chapter. And this time, we’re writing it.

Let the revolution begin my friends, who’s with me?

Comment on this or any story to radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post After CBS: Let’s Take Back the Airwaves appeared first on Radio World.

This is one in a series about trends in codecs for radio broadcasting. The author is APT product manager with WorldCast Systems.

With the modernization of broadcasters’ distribution chains, there is a clear trend across the industry toward unified, IP-centric infrastructures. 

The transition from hardware-based broadcast systems to converged, software-defined environments mirrors developments seen across various European Broadcasting Union initiatives. IP-based networks, virtualized media functions and automated orchestration are becoming core components of modern, future-proof media workflows.

These developments reflect a broader shift: production, contribution and transmission are increasingly aligned around the same principles of scalability, resilience and centralized control. 

Within FM radio distribution, this transition manifests most visibly in two areas. 

First, receiver functionality at transmitter sites is changing as IP audio decoding becomes a native feature of modern FM transmitters. This removes the need for external devices and simplifies the last-mile signal path. 

Second, MPX generation and distribution are shifting into virtualized, centralized server environments. This allows broadcasters to manage processing, redundancy and distribution from a unified control domain.

Together, these trends illustrate how a fully IP-based workflow — from central MPX creation to IP-native transmitter input — can streamline operations, improve signal consistency and reduce overall cost. 

With this context in mind, we begin by examining the integration of IP audio decoders directly into FM transmitters and the operational impact of this development.

Integrated IP decoding at the transmitter site

One of the most notable developments in modern FM infrastructures is the integration of IP audio and MPX decoding directly into the transmitter. 

Instead of relying on separate STL decoder hardware, current transmitters embed this functionality directly in their processing architecture. This reduces signal transitions and aligns the RF end of the chain with the IP-native workflows used in studios and control rooms. 

Removing clock-domain crossings and other unnecessary conversions improves the accuracy and stability of the MPX signal at the end of the chain. 

A clear example is the Ecreso AiO transmitter series, which includes a software-based APT IP decoder. It receives both audio and MPX-over-IP feeds and delivers them directly to the digital modulator. 

This integration reduces the need for external equipment, lowers maintenance requirements and consolidates configuration and monitoring into a single interface. It enables a streamlined, fully IP-based FM transmission chain.

Last mile on the way to analog FM power amplifier

One of the fundamental architectural decisions in an all‑IP FM workflow concerns the transport format of the composite/MPX signal. 

Broadcasters must decide whether to transmit a fully linear MPX signal, which preserves the multiplex in its raw form but requires several megabits per second, or to use a compression format that delivers a secure, high-quality MPX feed at a fraction of the bandwidth.

This choice directly affects the feasibility and cost of MPX distribution on the last IP‑based segment before the analog FM power amplifier.

An uncompressed MPX signal typically occupies 3–4 Mbps. A suitable compression scheme significantly reduces the data rate, making MPX-over-IP practical even on networks designed initially for linear or compressed audio.

The latest development in this space is the second‑generation APTmpX format, a near‑transparent transport method specifically engineered for composite/MPX distribution.

APTmpX preserves the FM multiplex structure, including pilot tone, stereo components and RDS, while reducing the required bandwidth to only 300–600 kbps.

Broadcasters who rely on APTmpX emphasize its consistent low latency, stable network bitrate, high signal fidelity and intact stereo image. 

In terms of robustness, APTmpX behaves similarly to linear PCM, as each IP packet is transmitted independently without forming packet groups. A lost packet affects only that single unit of data, resulting in extremely short and usually inaudible dropouts, while the overall MPX structure remains essentially intact.

These characteristics make APTmpX particularly well‑suited for wide‑area contribution networks, public IP links or transmitter sites where engineers depend on a predictable, low‑latency MPX feed with stable peak control.

Integrating APTmpX and virtual encoders into the ST 2110 audio core

While the transmitter side has thus become fully IP-capable and the distribution format has been established, MPX generation itself is now also shifting to IP-based studio and central structures. 

Within the ST 2110 audio infrastructure, enterprise-grade stereo processors operate as native participants on the studio’s media network fabric, where MPX becomes a regular essence stream rather than a separate STL branch. This integration allows MPX to be handled, monitored and routed like any other time-critical audio essence within the facility’s IP domain.

In the central room, these MPX streams are handed off to virtualized APTmpX encoders, which run as VM images, containerized services or Kubernetes workloads. Integrated into the orchestration and HA logic, encoder instances can be provisioned, monitored or automatically replaced without disrupting ongoing operations.

Convergence into a single IP-based architecture

This convergence finally removes the last structural boundaries between studio, control and distribution. 

Together, these developments merge previously separate domains into a coherent whole. As MPX processing and distribution shift into virtualized media functions, all stages, from studio generation to transmitter input, operate on the same converged IP media fabric that underpins modern ST 2110 workflows.

Instead of separate systems for production, control and FM delivery, broadcasters gain a unified, centrally orchestrated and more resilient signal chain. 

This architectural unification positions FM transmission within the broader shift toward software-driven, fully IP-centric broadcast infrastructures. 

Every stage, from studio processing to RF modulation, now operates within the same integrated, ST 2110-aligned ecosystem.

This aligns FM distribution with the broader transformation of broadcast infrastructure and establishes a future-proof foundation. Innovations in processing, redundancy or network design can be introduced centrally and deployed instantly across the network.

Cost savings at a glance

APTmpX cuts bandwidth requirements from several megabits to only a few hundred kilobits per second, allowing existing STL links to be used without upgrades. 

Integrated IP decoding in the transmitter eliminates the need for external receiver hardware, while virtualized MPX encoders run on shared compute resources with centralized updates. 

Together, these measures reduce equipment, maintenance effort and long-term operating costs across the entire FM chain.

Read more about trends in codecs in a free ebook here.

Contact the author at h.foerster@worldcastsystems.com.

The post These Developments Are Reshaping FM Infrastructure appeared first on Radio World.