NAB Labs Presents Educational Events at 2012 NAB Show

A key role of the recently established NAB Labs is the presentation of educational events to create awareness of broadcast technology initiatives. Several of these events will be presented at the 2012 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nev., April 14-19, 2012.

Digital Strategies Exchange for Radio

In the 2012 NAB Broadcast Management Conference, NAB Labs presents a 1.5 day workshop focused on keeping radio broadcasting services relevant to today's audiences. Digital Strategies Exchange for Radio (DSX4r) will focus on adding value to core over-the-air radio services, extending a broadcaster's brand, and enhancing revenue for radio stations through the application of emerging digital media platforms. Particular emphasis will be placed on the mobile environment.

Throughout the workshop, presentations from radio peers and other industry experts will stress how new technologies and digital strategies can impact stations. Rather than featuring presentation by vendors, insight will be shared by early adopters on what (and what NOT) to do when exploring and implementing new services. A series of high-powered sessions will offer practical, application-oriented advice from experienced users across the radio industry, highlighting cost/benefit analysis, early ROI, and staff workload impact. Networking sessions throughout the workshop will allow frequent information exchange.

Session topics will include coverage of streaming audio and video, podcasting, mobile apps, social media, personalized radio, successful RDS and HD Radio applications, adapting to new receiver environments (fixed, mobile, and handheld), and the coming of "hybrid radio" (combining on-air and online services in a convergent device).

DSX4r will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17, ending its first day with a networking reception at 5:30 p.m. The workshop will continue from 9:00 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18. All DSX4r sessions will be held in Rooms N232/234 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Complete session schedule and speaker information is available here.

HD Radio™ 101

In the 2012 NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference, NAB Labs will present HD Radio 101 - Making it Happen at Your Station, a special two-part program addressing the business and engineering details related to making a successful transition to HD Radio broadcasting. Non-technical issues will be covered along with actual facility design and implementation success stories from broadcasters who have already met the challenge. The objective of the workshop is to provide in-depth education on HD Radio from management and engineering perspectives. Even existing HD Radio operators will benefit from updated presentations covering the most recent developments for this important radio technology.

Part 1 of the workshop is directed toward station managers and owners, and will cover topics such as why to invest in HD Radio, the total capital costs for adding HD Radio, future operating expense of HD Radio, financing options for new equipment purchases, and the overall outlook for HD Radio.

Part 2 of the workshop is intended for radio engineers, including sessions on understanding HD Radio technology, the available hardware and software for a station's HD Radio conversion, and presentation of case studies and lessons on updating a station to successful HD Radio operation.

The full day workshop will be held on Monday, April 16, 2012. Part 1 will run from 10:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., and Part 2 will follow from 2:00 through 5:00 p.m. All sessions will be held in Room S228 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

A complete list of sessions and speakers is available here.

Additional details and registration information for the NAB Show is available online. For 2012, the NAB Show offers registration packages that give you access to more sessions across multiple conference tracks, year-round learning opportunities, and networking opportunities, all for a single registration fee. Check out the conference packages including a SMART Pass and Conference Flex Pass.