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HD
Radio EPG at the NAB Radio Show
 Next
week’s NAB Radio Show™ (Philadelphia, PA, September
23-25, 2009, www.nabradioshow.com)
provides a perfect opportunity to showcase some of the results
from the NAB FASTROAD HD Radio electronic program guide (EPG)
project. Through the FASTROAD (that’s Flexible Advanced Services
for Television and Radio On All Devices, www.nabfastroad.org)
technology advocacy program, NAB has been funding the development
of business requirements, system architecture and specifications
of an HD Radio-based EPG for local radio broadcasters (see the
August
3, 2009 issue of Radio TechCheck for additional information
on this project).
In the Radio
Show exhibit hall (booth 310), the project team of BIA Advisory
Services (Chantilly, Va. www.bia.com),
Broadcast Signal Lab (Cambridge, Mass., www.broadcastsignallab.com),
and Unique Interactive (London, UK, www.uniqueinteractive.co.uk)
will be demonstrating various aspects of the HD Radio EPG system
which they have developed. Four specific demonstrations will be
available (see diagram below):
- EPG
service bureau demo –
a number of the EPG system “models” developed by the
FASTROAD project team involve use of a “service bureau”
which collects EPG data from stations on a market-wide (or broader)
basis, then organizes this data and sends it back to the stations
in a format suitable for transmission over the HD Radio advanced
data services channel. In the booth at the show, a demonstration
of the EPG service bureau interface located at the radio station
will be given, highlighting how the station uses/edits the EPG
database, then uploads this data and other necessary parameters
to the service bureau;
- Remote
link to Boston field trial – since July of this year,
a live EPG field trial has been underway in the Boston, Mass.
radio market. Stations from the markets adjacent to Boston,
including Worcester, Mass. and Providence, R.I. are also involved,
showing how an HD Radio EPG can serve listeners as they travel.
At the show, a live EPG monitor running on a computer in Boston
will be mirrored to the Radio Show booth via remote desktop
connection, showing EPG data received off-air from the field
trial. This demo highlights what is called the “shared”
EPG model, in which one or more "bearer" stations
transmit EPG data for all other participating stations into
the market;
- EPG
transmitter/receiver demo – an HD-Radio Importer and
transmitter will be in the booth, connected to a “dummy
load” and feeding a signal (with EPG data) directly into
two receivers – an iBiquity EPG-enabled prototype receiver
(a PC peripheral implemented on a printed circuit board) and
a prototype EPG-enabled portable HD Radio receiver being developed
by consumer electronics manufacturer Cydle Corp (www.cydle.com).
Here, the “parochial” model of EPG service will be
highlighted, in which each station transmits only its own EPG
data, including all multicast services the station may carry;
- EPG
Web browser demo – in addition to the over-the-air
broadcast of EPG data using the HD Radio advanced data services
channel, the Boston field trial also includes a demonstration
of how local station EPG information can be made available over
the Internet for display on a PC or a Web-connected mobile device
(such as an iPhone). Shown in the booth will be PC and iPhone
Web-browser displays of EPG data from an EPG service bureau
Web server. This demonstration highlights one aspect of the
“network” EPG model whereby a general EPG resource
on the Internet is filtered by information about the listener's
location, so that the device being used to obtain the EPG information
(in this demo, the PC and iPhone) can obtain localized EPG data
from a master database.
A Radio Show
conference session on the HD Radio EPG project will also be held,
on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 from 2-2:30PM in room 201B of
the Pennsylvania Convention Center. In this session, results of
lab and field trials of the NAB FASTROAD HD Radio EPG project
will be discussed by the EPG project team, including Rick Ducey,
Chief Strategy Officer, BIA Advisory Services, Adrian Cross, Software
Development Team Leader, Unique Interactive, David Maxson, Principal,
Broadcast Signal Lab, Skip Pizzi, Media Technology Consultant,
and Steve Riggs, Consultant, Broadcast Signal Lab.
2009
NAB Radio Show Engineering Program
  This
year's three-day Radio
Show Engineering Program focuses on planning, building and
maintaining an IP-based radio facility, operating under emergency
conditions, computerized antenna modeling, preventing tower failures,
datacasting opportunities and much more. Our engineering sessions
are presented in a workshop-type environment where you have ample
time to ask questions and interact with experts and your industry
peers.
The relaxed
atmosphere of the Radio Show means you always have plenty of time
to network with exhibitors. You'll learn about their latest products
while enjoying lunch and snacks on the show floor. For busy radio
engineers, the NAB Radio Show is an excellent way to advance your
technical education and maintain your edge in an increasingly
competitive business. The Engineering Program is sponsored by
Stainless, LLC.
2010
NAB Show Call for Speakers
Call for Technical Papers – NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference
 The
2010 NAB Show will host the 64th Broadcast Engineering Conference.
This world-class conference addresses the most recent developments
in broadcast technology and focuses on the opportunities and challenges
that face broadcast engineering professionals. Each year hundreds
of broadcast professionals from around the world attend the conference.
They include practicing broadcast engineers and technicians, engineering
consultants, contract engineers, broadcast equipment manufacturers,
distributors, R&D engineers plus anyone specifically interested
in the latest broadcast technologies.
Do you have something to share?
If you feel qualified to speak at the NAB Broadcast Engineering
Conference, we invite you to submit
a technical paper proposal.
Not all acceptable submissions can be included in the conference,
due to the large number of submissions that are received and the
limited number of available time slots.
The deadline for submitting your proposal is October 23, 2009.
If you have any questions, contact John Marino, VP Science and
Technology at (202)429-5346.
 NAB
Broadcast Engineering Conference Committee Meets to Begin Planning
for 2010
The NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference (BEC) Committee met at
NAB headquarters on September 9 to begin planning for the 2010
NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference. (Pictured left to right
front row): Joe Snelson, BEC Committee Chairman, Meredith Broadcasting
Group; Jeff Smith, Clear Channel Radio – NYC; Jim Kutzner,
PBS; Dom Bordonaro, Cox Radio.; Thomas Hankinson, ABC; (back row);
David Folsom, Raycom Media, Inc.; SBE Representative, John Poray;
Andy Laird, Journal Broadcast Group; Michael Cooney, Beasley Broadcast
Group, Inc. BEC Committee member not pictured is Glenn Reitmeier,
NBC Universal and SBE Ennnes representative Fred Baumgartner.
PLAN
TO ATTEND!
The IEEE Broadcast Technology Society
59th ANNUAL BROADCAST SYMPOSIUM
14 -16 October 2009
The Westin Alexandria
Alexandria, VA, USA
www.ieee.org/bts/symposium
Reduced
Price on NAB Engineering Handbook, 10th Edition
Now Through September 15
For a limited
time, you can purchase The NAB Engineering Handbook from
the
NAB Store for only $159 (Book & CD) with the promo code:
TechCheck (applied at checkout). The offer expires September
15, 2009.
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14, 2009 Radio TechCheck is also available in
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