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AM radio stations around the country are considering a switch to all-digital AM broadcast technology, an option since October 2020 when the all-digital AM service, using the HD Radio digital technology developed by Xperi, [...]

Even though the number of true hybrid radios is currently small, consumers are enjoying hybrid radio-like services now using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies, which are included in virtually every vehicle. These are so-called “projection” technologies which project the content from a smartphone onto the auto infotainment screen.

On June 6, NAB filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on a technology called “ZoneCasting,” which is designed to create zones for geo-targeting content to listeners using FM boosters. Since FCC rules currently prohibit content origination by boosters, deployment of ZoneCasting would require a rule change, hence the FCC’s interest in this matter.

The HAM reception, sponsored this year by Turner Engineering, is where hundreds of broadcasting’s best and brightest, from company CEO’s to shop technicians, spend a relaxed evening talking shop, swapping tales and enjoying the fellowship of the amateur radio community.

Electric vehicles (EVs) and radio have been in the news lately, often because some automakers (notably VW, Audi, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes) are not installing AM radios in their EVs. This is due in part [...]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the way of the future but this could spell trouble for AM radio.  More than a few EVs have eliminated the AM radio from the infotainment system citing the increased interference [...]

Back in 1995, the hot radio technology was the Radio Data System (RDS), a digital subcarrier that can be carried by analog FM signals to provide a low-rate (but super-useful and robust) data broadcasting capability. Eager for its members to sell new radios that support RDS, the Electronic Industries Association (EIA, precursor to the Consumer Technology Association, CTA) launched a program to provide 500 radio stations across the U.S. with RDS encoders to seed the market and break the “chicken or the egg” dilemma that plagues so many new technologies. In return, EIA asked for $5,000 in advertising time per station to explain the capabilities of the new technology.

Metadata is defined as “a set of data that describes and gives information about other data.” When applied to radio broadcasting, the term metadata is referring to data which describes or augments an audio program. Song title and artist, an album art image, a station logo, an advertiser’s web address or a textual news story description are all examples of metadata. It has never been more important for radio broadcasters to include metadata in their broadcasts and audio streams.

Paul Jacobs and Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media hosted the Jacobs Media Virtual CES 2021 Tour, focusing on radio at CES, which was attended by over 200 people. Lasting over three hours, this virtual tour [...]

The evolution of radio receivers in cars over the last 25 years has been quite remarkable and beneficial for broadcasters, listeners and automakers. With the advent of hybrid (over-the-air plus internet) radio, it’s more important [...]