Strategic Business Technology for Tomorrows Radio

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Strategic Business Technology for Tomorrows Radio

• What is NPR Labs,
• And Whats It Doing for My Station?
• Mike Starling
• NPR

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Who and What Americas Only Not-for-Profit
Broadcast Technology RD Center
Andrews
Evans
Starling
Kean
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NPR Labs Has Two Masters

• NPR Labs RD mission
• identify
• evaluate
• advance
• innovative radio technologies in support of NPR
  and our member stations
• And, regulatory support mission to preserve and
  enhance public radio signals

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Do We Need Public Service RD?

• Our conviction is radio will remain viable - lean
  back, companionship media will continue
• No one else is focused on public service outcomes
• Were not tilting at windmills weve achieved
  remarkable technical, market and regulatory
  success
• We delight in being public service guerillas
  threading the needle under our commercial
  competitors noses.
• Thus, we have opportunity and obligation to shape
  our destiny rather than leave it to the
  marketplace
• Our success will reinforce the connections in our
  communities - information that nurtures the
  survival of ideas creativity in a thoughtful
  democracy.

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What How of NPR Labs

• Creating New Public Service Capacity
• Helping Build New Revenue Opportunities
• Maximizing and Protecting Signal
• Reach and Quality
• Using Fact-Based, Listener-Focused, Research

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Radio Competitiveness in Modern Media Landscape
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PR Transition Status 540 Grants 175 On Air
42 Multicasting
August 2006
Red Multicast Black Grant Square AM
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Labs Recipe By Leveraging Strategic Grants,
Achieve Higher Levels of Effort

• ?Inclusive/Accessible Radio Services
• Visually impaired CA, special audio (12 M)
• Hearing impaired rich displays, specialized
  radios (23 M)
• Combined audience of 35 million, more than
  current public radio audience
• ?Rich Display Options (precursor to killer app of
  MY HD radio)
• ?What and where are our audience vs. signal
  opportunities?
• How much can we improve digital coverage while
  minimizing interference potential?
• Regulatory can we kill FM modulators, kill CH 6
  in our lifetime, sing Kum-Bay-Yah w/LPFMs? (all
  receiver-dependent studies)
• Look around the radio corners WiMax (aka ?STB
  in Radio)

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Labs Approach to New Media OptionsRelentless
Focus On Consumer Experience

• What do I want from my public radio?
• BOBN no user manual required
• What I want when I want it (tivo-style)
• No pledge drives once Ive pledged
• Discovery and unpredictability intact, but can be
  ignored (skip ahead to next story)
• Lots of new content to investigate
  (multi-channels civic, education, special
  languages, learning channels)
• Services that serve my interests (opt in for
  AMBER, memo for favorite songs and shows)

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We Are Market Shapers and Movers

• Complete redesign of original digital radio
  system
• Any station can multicast (gt600 by year end)
• Multicasting is in the digital standard (NRSC-5A)
• Ten Multicast receivers in the marketplace
• ???All new receivers are multicast receivers
• gt1 Billion would be needed to buy this many
  missing stations in top 100 markets alone
• At total system cost of 140 Million, all 800
  CPB FM public radio stations can offer at least
  three program services

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2003 Tomorrow Radio Project Field Tests

• 7 weeks, 7,500 miles, over 1 million data
  points

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WETA-FM/HD - 4,652,000 Potential Listeners 700
watt HD Signal 65 dBu TIREM contour
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WNYC-FM/HD 15,747,000 Potential Listeners57
watt HD Signal - 61 dBu TIREM contour
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2004 Test Results
This data reveals that near CD quality for music
can be achieved at 36 kpbs, the same is true for
voice at 56 kbps, and a dual 48 kpbs is a logical
default channel for both main and supplemental
channels
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2004
Reading Services for Blind Can Outperform Quality
of Analog Subcarriers in One 12kbps Extended
Hybrid Partition
One Extended Hybrid Patition 11.8 kbps maximum
throughput
2004 Test Results
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Calibrating Coverage Expectations

• NRSC testing showed HD Radio worked out to the 35
  dBu contour
• Thats a result that was measured in one location
  (west of DC going towards National Radio Quiet
  Zone in West Virginia).
• NRSC actually said that HD coverage was similar
  to analog
• That was done back when the system assumed a
  simulcast-only service (some analog blending
  assumed ok)

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2005 - NPR Labs Field Mapping Receiver
Kenwood head unit with KTC-HR100 black box
Backlit DVM for signal, batt. status
Master power, Logger power, Logger record
Internal battery and loudspeaker
Jacks for FM antenna, GPS, audio output,
headphones
Data Logger MMC card
Term. Block for 4x20w loudspeaker
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34 Stations Have Mapped 15 Million Data Points
The Definitive Reference on HD Coverage

• General observations so far
• Rolling terrain BAD
• Non linear relationship to power Class Cs will
  usually cover slightly beyond the 60 dBu contour
• Many Class As will be lucky to fully cover the
  70 dBu contour
• No surprise that in flat terrain, with higher
  power, high height signals reach beyond 60 dBu

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WBEZ better than average
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HD rimshot coverage
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72 dBu Mobile 66 dBu Homeuser
administered, 1st gen receiver
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Future of Coverage Mapping
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What Have You Done For Me Lately? - How Shaun
Spent His Summer Internship -
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Digital Landscape for New Public Services
Upper DigitalSidebands
Lower DigitalSidebands
AdditionalReferenceSubcarrier
AdditionalReferenceSubcarrier
Primary
Primary
Main
Main
Extended
Extended
AnalogHost Signal(Stereo or Mono)
10 partitions
1,2, or 4partitions
10 partitions
1,2, or 4partitions
191Subcarriers
76Subcarriers
0 Hz (0)
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New Revenue Sources from HD Radio

• Now (06)
• Multicast receiver revenues
• Multicast channel listener support
• Multicast channel sponsorship availabilities
• Coming Soon (07 08)
• Conditional Access Pledge Free for Members
  during pledge drives at the x level
• Messagecasting opportunities
• Automotive software updating (nationwide
  trickle channel)
• Traffic subscribers - x/month for member emails
  of gt10 minute commuting delays
• Tivo-radio (x/month) for Electronic Program
  Guide Subscription with skip ahead enabled

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Multicast Receiver Initiative

• Initial Group-Buy of 500 promotional units worked
  well with Boston Acoustics (fully subscribed in
  one week)
• Now completing second Boston Acoustics Group
  Buy/fall pledge drive order of 1200 units (at
  190 each)
• Someone will sell your listeners HD Radios you?
• Direct affiliate programs 15, secondary
  affiliate programs 7-8

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Current Vehicle Segment Introduction of OEM Line
Install HD Radio Programs By Calendar Year
Vehicle Segmentation Source Wards Automotive
Yearbook
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NAB 2006 1St Public Demonstration of Accessible
Radio Services Concept

• Four Channel Extended-Hybrid HD Radio mode
• News - 48 kbps
• Classical - 36 kbps
• Electronic - 24 kbps
• Reading Service - 12 kbps
• 120 kbps total
• Plus Captioned Radio - 1.5 kbps

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First Public 4 Channel Demo
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First Captioned Radio Demo
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Signal AudienceData on Needs Opportunities

• How many people have access to how many signals?
• How many dont have access to one, two, or three
  public radio signals?
• What are the detailed geographic and demographic
  profiles of each of those categories of haves
  and have nots?
• What does this tell us about programming and
  signal opportunities?

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Some Future Considerations
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Lirofs 2004 Lament

• Rocky Road to HDTV Part 10
• Concluded Signal Studies Were Cooked
• Virtually no receivers
• Too expensive
• No digital tuners being sold
• A lot of money and electricity flying fast
• Did HD Radio Buy the B Script of this movie?

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Lawrence is Right

• Risk taking and rapid prototyping keys to success
  (less talk, more action)
• Less like purveyors of products more like
  purveyors of services
• Triple casters showing us the way like KUOW,
  KPCC, WDUQ, etc.
• WUSF heavy news channel promotion on classical
  main
• I now listen only to your stations and thought
  it was time to send in my pledge.
• WDUQ your favorite format all the time
• How many revenue lines on your PL today?
• The A answer - a growing number

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Public Triple-Casters (5)

• KUOW Seattle News TBD BBC
• WDUQ Pittsburg News/Jazz Jazz/News Blues
  
• WBOI Ft. Wayne - News Classical Jazz
• KSJN St. Paul - Classical Jazz Spanish
• KPCC Los Angeles - News BBC Mundo The Current

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Public Dual-casters (18)

• KNOW KUNC WRTI
• KPBS WAMU WVSI
• KCNV WFAE WVTF
• KPLU WFCR KTOO
• WUSF WFYI
• WOSU WGUC
• WHYY WMUB

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New Revenues from HD Radio

• Now (06)
• Multicast receiver revenues (pledge premiums
  included)
• Multicast channel listener support
• Multicast channel sponsorship availabilities
• (07-08)
• Conditional Access Pledge Free for Members
  during pledge drives at the x level
• Traffic subscribers - x/month for member emails
  of gt10 minute commuting delays
• Tivo-radio (x/month) for Electronic Program
  Guide Subscription
• Big Three trickle channel for automotive
  updates (no return)

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Visteon Traffic Display(just add station logo
and underwriter)
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Bi-directional
Cost of Wireless Infrastructure
The real benefit of HD Radio data transmission is
economic.
Cumulative Capital Expenditures per Projected
Subscriber/Viewer/Listener

• Inexpensive Datapipe
• Capex at 2 per listener
• UnparalleledReach
• 95 Listen to Radio 22 Hours/Week

Broadcast
DSL
Cable

• SDAR

Cellular/ PCS
2-way Data
Digital TV
AM/FM Digital Radio
Source iBiquity Digital
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Radios Long Tail How Many Channels? The Magic
Rule of 150

• 2 x 56 112
• (Main, Music 2)
• News/Jazz
• Plus,
• RRS _at_ 12 12
• Now Channel 12
• Surround 5
• Traffic 2
• Datacasting 8
  
• 150

• 3 x 36 108
• (Main, Music 2, Music 3)
• Jazz/Classical/AAA
• or
• Classical/GrooveSalad/Lamaradio
• Plus,
• RRS _at_ 6 kbps 6
• Now Channel 6
• Inuit 6
• Traffic mapping 2
• 128
• Datacasting avails 32
• 150

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New Multicast Formats

• Lots of AM signals
• Kiss DOS
• La Preciosa
• MY HD (all requests)
• Studio C Sessions
• Pride (Gay)
• Bubba Country
• Loop Loud

• Teaching Preaching
• Club Ben
• The Bone 2
• Elliott on Demand
• Riff 2
• Americana
• Groove Salad

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FEMA Recognizes Radios PrimacyDoes Public Radio?
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Post-Tsunami ABU Radio in a Box
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Public Radios Role In ERS

• Nationwide footprint of 825 stations
• NPR is only network Primary-Entry-Point member
• Retransmits all National Level messages
• Tested weekly
• Unique National Emergency Transmission system
• Redirects local programming during Level 5
  emergencies for all participating PRSS stations
• Inexpensive, non-falsing protocol
• Approach can be readily expanded for accessible
  needs
• Is there a need and opportunity to build a public
  radio Emergency Radio Service?
• What would it look like?

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Whats wrong with the FUTU?

• THE FUTU

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• RE OF DI

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• GITAL RA

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• DIO

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All together now. . .

• THE FUTU
• RE OF DI
• GITAL RA
• DIO

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The FUTU is why we need the CPB Display Text
Initiative

• Display Text Initiative
• Define Demonstrate Baseline displays
• NPR effort will take at least 1 year
• Consensus Principles
• Technical Standards
• Metadata translation maps
• (PB Core/PRSS/PSD/RBDS/RT, etc)
• Over the air demonstration(s)
• Builds on the excellent Suggested Field
  Descriptions work and The Station Cookbook now
  being completed by PRI with earlier CPB funding

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Advanced Services Electronic Program Guides

• Simplified MulticastTuning
• Program Identification
• Set Reminders
• Recording and Time Shifting - DARs

Station
Market PHILADELPHIA
800AM
900AM
1000AM
1100AM
1200PM
XPN Morning Show
Mid-Days with Helen Leicht
WXPN 88.5
WMMR 93.3
Preston Steve Show
Pierre Robert Work Force Block
WYSP 94.1
Howard Stern Show
Tommy Conwell Show
WSNI 104.5
Donna Rowland Show
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Draft Display Principles

• All PR programming should be display-enabled
• PR notable for magnitude and diversity of audio
  sources
• Sticky, but not distracting
• Many vehicular codes now prohibit driving a motor
  vehicle while watching a TV or video screen or
  any other similar video signal manufacturers
  are responding.
• Fully customizable sub-clocks
• Emergency or AMBER overwrites definable
  hierarchy and cueing of underwriting/station
  promos/current content
• Efficient
• network provided, CD retrieved, vinyl ready (ease
  of manual insertion)
• POUM Produce-Once, Use-Many by design

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Just Once, Please
Mobile Phone
CDs
RDS
Display Control

• PRSS

HD Radio
Webpage
Vinyl/Live
Providers
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9 Can/Should PSD Questions

• How many display fields can/should radio support?
  2? 3? More?
• How many horizontal characters can/should radios
  support?
• For text wrapping, can/should scrolling
  immediately initiate?
• Can/should PSD be synchronized with programming
  like satellite radio and iPods?
• Given driver distraction issues, can/should there
  be separate protocols for automotive vs. other
  receiver displays?
• Can/should there be transmission or brake
  light/speedometer interlocks for inhibiting rich
  content in the car?
• What cognitive drain is documentable for
  different display options?
• What risk to broadcasters of hazard liabilities?
• To what extent can/should broadcasters influence
  receiver designs?

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The Original NPR Display Consortium
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Whose Station is This?Whos That Operator?
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Predictions for 2010 for US Public Radio

• As with digital radio in U.K., with concerted
  effort, it takes five years to become an
  overnight success
• Most receivers sold will be HD Radios
  (multicasting standard)
• Many stations earning significant net revenues
  from HD Radio data services
• Many stations will be offering four or more
  program services

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Do You Have a Five Year Strategic
Technology/Business Plan?

• How will your operation grow?
• Agreed upon inventory of greatest needs and
  opportunities to expand services?
• Rightsize staff planning
• Succession planning
• Rightskilling for future growth
• Identify and fund capital needs
• Define achievable metrics for business growth
• Targeted expenses and revenues for each business
  activity
•  

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Importance of Integrated Skill Sets

• Staff Resources Highly Integrated Managers
  needed - virtual enterprises need right vendors,
  partners, and most importantly, the smart
  managers who pick them and hold them accountable
• Program Director or Content Director (with vision
  and coordinated planning over local news,
  website, and customized ancillary services)?
• Station Manager who runs the radio operation or
  an Enterprise Manager who shepherds all
  activities built from station core?
• Chief Engineer or Technology Manager who
  integrates broadcast specialties with effective
  IT?
•  
•  

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Capacity building Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan

• Extensible Technical Infrastructure
• Digitized Systems
• Studio Scheduling
• Advanced Automation (Multichannel Scheduling,
  Assembly Execution)
• Broadcast Business Relationship Management
  Systems
• Broadcast Customer Relationship Management
  Systems
• Local Government Relationship Management (ERS)

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Inventory of Business Technology Assets

• HD Radio transmitter
• Station Website
• Podcast Inventory Track Record
• Promotion and Marketing Resources Track Record
• Public Members (accurate, detailed database)
• Advisory Board
• Sales Staff
• Professional staff
• Community Nexus (goodwill)

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Worldwide Commitment to Digital Radio
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Global Digital Radio Transition

• Disaster readiness is a priority
• All regions committed to digital
• Beware of asking for new spectrum (HD?)
• Broadcasters ability to influence digital
  receiver manufacturers is a global problem
• But in UK, Dixons has announced no more analog
  radios will be sold (3 year success)
• In US, were in the first inning
• 1,000/13,000 stations bottom of 1st
• 100k of 750 million receivers first pitch is
  40 from home plate

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Technical Answers You Should Know(Feel Free to
Ask Your Engineer)

• What parts of our broadcast chain will need
  upgrading to digitize the whole system?
• How long should we plan it to take?
• What about translators and boosters? Will we
  suffer a rimshot loss? Have we had our signal
  mapped by NPR?
• Can we use a digital circuit for composite
  feeding the HD baseband to the transmitter?
• Will we need a new digital STL?
• How many Importers do we need?
• How many and which advanced audio processors?
• Are we surround ready?
• How do we feed Display Text during live
  broadcasts?
• Have we tested Display Text for network feeds?

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Strategic Planning Homework(feel free to have
PD to talk to the Development Director)

• How many channels can you add?
• What are the smart formats for your market?
• Why?
• Is your strategy niche, flanking, or
  complementary?
• Who would be the anchor underwriters for each
  format?
• How big is the audience potential is there pent
  up demand?
• Natural affinities for your format options?
• What important constituencies could you reach?
• Are you building long term sustainability?
• Do you have benchmarks and accountabilities for
  net revenue?

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10 Rules for Digital Radio Strategic Business
Planning

• We are not in the HD Radio business (yet), were
  in the selling HD radios business
• Never sell a stick never flush a format
• Public Radio success is about access to
  connections, ideas, our communities, insights,
  emotions, values, energy
• The Feds want to give you more spectrum and money
  let them give it to you! Not going digital is
  not an option.
• The Main Channel may someday no longer be the
  main channel in your radio portfolio
• Do not dull thy palm with every passing fancy
  despite their incredible success, only 40 million
  flashplayers only 13 million sat subscribers
  theres 220 million Americans 12 tuning to radio
  for 5,000 minutes every month.
• BUT - watch out for complacency - iPods,
  satellite radio, and eventually WiMax radio will
  erode audience -- there is urgency to
  diversifying our content offerings and the
  revenue stream
• As with all real estate location, location,
  location for radio --dashboard, dashboard,
  dashboard!! Dont give up a millimeter of it!
• We are all going to be dead a mighty long time,
  lets leave the aether more enriching and
  vibrant stations are focal points for local
  communities no one can take that from us unless
  we hand it over!
• Remember, when we do it right, public radio is a
  joy and privilege embrace the fun of the
  Digital revolution -- mstarling_at_npr.org

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c. 2010 -KTNA Operator Monitoring New Services
Revenue Streams(in new Ted Stevens Log Cabin
Studio)