Advertise on podcast: TWiRT - This Week in Radio Tech - Podcast

Bill Eaton has long been the sort of broadcast engineer who puts new technology to work early—going all the way back to one of the first DOCSIS cable modems bringing Internet service into the home. Today, as Chief Engineer at Oyster Radio, Bill is especially excited about practical uses for AI in broadcast engineering. He uses ChatGPT to take copious notes during transmitter-site visits, documenting maintenance already performed, work still needed, and even clues that another tenant may have changed something at the site. Bill also uses Google Gemini to analyze raw data from test equipment such as the PIRA P175 FM modulation analyzer. And he’s still building, too, recently putting together an FM audio processor using StereoTool software running on a Raspberry Pi. Join us for TWiRT Episode 819 as Bill shows how AI, affordable computing, and an engineer’s curiosity can make everyday broadcast work smarter and more productive. Show Notes: SharkDeck AI Handheld Linux Computer Beta Pira P175 Broadcast Analyser Review Guest: William Eaton - Chief Engineer at East Bay Broadcasting Inc. Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

For more than 40 years, C-band satellite distribution has been a workhorse for radio and television broadcasters — but another big chunk of that spectrum is going away - leaving almost nothing for program distributors to use.  On TWiRT Episode 818, Mark Johnson, President of LinkUp Communications, and Marcos O’Rourke, Engineering Manager at LinkUp, join Kirk Harnack to explain what FCC 26-46 means for broadcasters still depending on C-band delivery. Mark gives us some history, explains how the FCC’s latest plans would eventually leave broadcasters with only about 40 MHz of C-band downlink spectrum, and walks us through the proposed transition timeline.  We also look at alternatives already being developed, including increased Ku-band satellite distribution and terrestrial IP delivery using capabilities built into XDS receivers. The transition won’t happen overnight, but the direction is becoming clear: broadcasters using C-band need to start thinking about what comes next. Join us for TWiRT Episode 818 as we sort through the FCC’s plans and what engineers should be watching in the months ahead. Show Notes: TinySA Ultra+ Spectrum Analyzer Guests: Mark Johnson - President at LinkUp Communications Marcos O’Rourke - Engineering Manager at LinkUp Communications Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

This Week in Radio Tech comes to you from IBC 2026 in Amsterdam, where the broadcast world is gathering to show us what comes next. In Episode 817, we get early access to some of the industry’s technical innovators and discover how they’re responding to a broadcasting landscape that seems to change almost by the day.  Adam Robinson of MaxxKonnect joins us alongside Hans van Zutphen of Thimeo Audio Technology B.V. and Jay Tyler of Sales Call. We’ll also hear from Dan McQuillin of Broadcast Bionics and Dan Martin of Derby ONE and Aiir.  Together, they offer a revealing look at the technologies, business ideas, and practical solutions shaping the future of radio and broadcasting. Join us in Amsterdam for TWiRT Episode 817—This Week in Radio Tech! Guests: Adam Robinson - Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development at MaxxKonnect Hans van Zutphen - CEO at Thimeo Audio Technology B.V. Jay Tyler - Founder and CEO at Sales Call Dan McQuillin - Managing Director at Broadcast Bionics Dan Martin - Director at Derby ONE and Head Of Support at Aiir Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

The FCC has adopted new cybersecurity requirements for Emergency Alert System equipment—but turning the language of a Report and Order into practical procedures at a real broadcast facility isn’t always straightforward. What equipment is covered? What constitutes adequate protection? And how can broadcasters comply without making their systems needlessly difficult to operate and maintain? This week, Kirk Harnack welcomes Shane Toven, the new West Coast Regional Engineer for Cumulus Media. Together, they examine the FCC’s EAS cybersecurity rules and discuss what sensible, real-world compliance might look like inside today’s increasingly networked broadcast facilities. Shane’s new position also leads to a larger conversation about the changing role of the broadcast engineer. As companies consolidate technical responsibilities across more stations, markets, and transmitter sites, experienced engineers are being asked to oversee far more territory—and a much wider range of technologies—than ever before. Then we move from the equipment room to the sound console. Shane shares lessons from mixing live worship services, including some of the challenges a broadcast engineer may encounter when everyone assumes that knowing audio technology automatically means knowing how to mix a live performance. Add in a couple of excellent Tips of the Week, and you have a wide-ranging conversation covering cybersecurity, broadcast engineering’s evolving responsibilities, and the art of making live sound work. Guest: Shane Toven - Regional Chief Engineer, West Coast at Cumulus Media Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

How can a modern FM transmitter produce 10,000 watts of RF power from such a surprisingly compact package? On episode 815 of This Week in Radio Tech, GatesAir’s Paul Barzizza joins Kirk Harnack for a close look inside the company’s new GX Series of FM transmitters. Paul draws on his extensive radio and television engineering background to explain the GX amplifier layout and the powerful LDMOS field-effect transistors at the heart of the design. Because these devices spread heat across a larger area, they can handle substantially more power than earlier generations of transistors—giving transmitter designers a way to produce impressive RF output from a comparatively small cabinet. This isn’t merely a discussion of specifications and theory. Paul and Kirk recently installed a GatesAir GX10K—a combined FM exciter and 10,000-watt RF amplifier—at WIQQ-FM in Leland, Mississippi. They share photos from the project, examine how the transmitter is assembled, and talk through the technology that makes it work. Guest: Paul Barzizza - Southeast Regional Sales Manager at GatesAir Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

Broadcast engineering is a family affair for Amanda Hopp and her father, Cris Alexander. Amanda is Chief Engineer for Crawford Broadcasting’s Denver stations, while Cris serves as Director of Engineering for the entire company.  On this episode of TWiRT, they share Amanda’s path into engineering—and what her experience might teach others considering a career in the field. We also explore cybersecurity, IT and networking, the challenges of maintaining multiple transmitter sites, and Amanda’s inventive use of Raspberry Pis and other small computers for monitoring, control and automation. Along the way, we hear how Amanda draws on programming expertise from elsewhere within Crawford to create practical engineering solutions.  Join us for an engaging conversation with two highly accomplished engineers who just happen to be father and daughter. Show Notes: Women in Engineering: Amanda Hopp of Crawford Broadcasting - Radio World Guests: Amanda Hopp - Chief Engineer at Crawford Broadcasting, Denver Cris Alexander - Director of Engineering at Crawford Broadcasting Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

Today’s broadcast facilities depend on far more than transmitters, RF systems and studio audio. Engineers are now responsible for Ethernet networks, Windows and Linux computers, cybersecurity, virtualization, streaming, metadata, AoIP, remote access, cloud services—and countless devices that are essentially computers wearing broadcast-equipment clothing. In this episode Kirk Harnack explores how the broadcast engineer’s job has evolved with an outstanding panel: Kevin Trueblood of WGCU Media, Geary Morrill, Northern Region Director of Engineering for Connoisseur Media, and Jeff McGinley, Vice President of Engineering at SummitMedia. How much must one person know about RF, audio and IT? Where should a market engineer’s responsibility end? When hiring, is technical knowledge more important than natural troubleshooting ability? And can a skilled IT professional be developed into a great broadcast engineer? Our guests bring similar—but distinctly different—perspectives to these increasingly important questions. Check out this episode of This Week in Radio Tech and join us as we ask: What is a broadcast engineer in 2026? Guests: Kevin Trueblood - Associate GM, Technology & Operations at WGCU Public Media Geary S. Morrill - Regional Director of Engineering at Connoisseur Media Jeff McGinley - VP of Engineering at SummitMedia Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

This Week in Radio Tech – Episode 812 takes us to Round Rock, Texas, for the 2026 Texas Association of Broadcasters convention! With two full days of engineering sessions, new technology, and plenty of conversations on the expo floor, TAB once again brought together some of our favorite broadcast engineers and industry friends. We caught up with Michael Patton, Dustin Tatro, David Smedley, Chase Daniels, Fred Morton, and Dave Kerstin for their perspectives on radio engineering, technology, and the industry we all enjoy being part of. It’s a great collection of conversations with the people who keep broadcasting working—and moving forward. Join us for TWiRT 812, recorded at the Texas Association of Broadcasters convention in Round Rock! Guests: Michael Patton - Owner at Michael Patton & Associates Dustin Tatro, CBRE - GM & Chief Engineer at Radio Abilene David Smedley - Senior Customer Support Specialist at Aiir Chase Daniels - Senior Support Specialist at Aiir Fred Morton - Owner at KMGZ-FM, Lawton, OK Dave Kerstin - Owner & President at Broadcasters General Store Host: Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

On *This Week in Radio Tech* Marianne Seidler, Matt Levin, and Hans van Zutphen join us for “Advances in Audio Processing”—Episode 811. Marianne adds some class, history, and great advice to the conversation while Matt and Hans explore the latest developments in StereoTool, including an optional approach that combines multiband A‑G‑C, compression, and limiting into a single processing stage. Hans also explains the ingenious RuleBreaker Clipper, which can deliver more than one dB of additional perceived loudness without increasing modulation or sacrificing audio dynamics, by continually optimizing the L-minus-R component of the FM multiplex signal. We also examine the growing worldwide adoption of MicroMPX and coding improvements that now deliver higher-quality performance at lower bit rates. If you care about competitive, efficient, and great-sounding FM audio, don’t miss this episode. Guests: Marianne Seidler - Director of Business Development at Thimeo Audio Technology Matt Levin - Senior Field Engineer at MaxxKonnect Hans van Zutphen - CEO at Thimeo Audio Technology Host: Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube

Few studio monitors are as instantly recognizable—or as trusted—as those made by Genelec. On episode 810 of This Week in Radio Tech, our guest is Lars-Olof Janflod, Genelec’s Strategy Advisory Officer and a member of the company’s team since 1992.  We trace Genelec’s story from its origins in Finland through the development of the distinctive, rugged monitor designs that have become familiar sights in studios and broadcast facilities worldwide. Lars-Olof explains the thinking behind Genelec’s unusual speaker designs and how the company has maintained its reputation for accuracy and reliability across three decades of technological change.  We also explore today’s Smart Active Monitoring systems, which combine onboard DSP with automated calibration to optimize each loudspeaker for the room in which it is actually installed.  It’s a fascinating conversation about loudspeaker engineering, acoustics, innovation, and the pursuit of truly trustworthy monitoring. Join us for TWiRT episode 810—listen or watch wherever you enjoy This Week in Radio Tech. Show Notes: How to Select the Correct Monitors - Genelec website How to Place Your Monitors - Genelec website Monitor Focusing Template (PDF) Speaker mounting accessories - Genelec websites Audio Test Signals - downloadable audio files Genelec Loudspeaker Manager - Software for Genelec SAM monitoring systems Genelec Speakers Factory Tour - YouTube video Guest: Lars-Olof Janflod - Strategy Advisory Officer at Genelec Host: Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, & Akamai Broadcasting Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube. TWiRT is brought to you by: Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.  Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio. Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement. Angry Audio and the new USB Phone Gizmo - Put VoIP callers on-the-air The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU   Subscribe to Audio: iTunes RSS Stitcher TuneIn Subscribe to Video: iTunes RSS YouTube