Modern Digital Systems
Modern systems run on hard disk, where all of the music, jingles, advertisements, voice tracks, and other announcements are stored. These audio files may be either compressed or uncompressed, or often with only minimal compression as a compromise between file size and quality. For radio software, these disks are usually in computers, sometimes running their own custom operating systems, but more often running as an application on a stable OS like GNU/Linux, Windows NT or others.
Scheduling was an important advance of these systems, allowing for exact timing. Some systems use GPS satellite receivers to obtain exact atomic time, for perfect synchronization with satellite-delivered programming. Reasonably-accurate timekeeping can also be obtained with the use of Internet protocols (IP) like Network Time Protocol (NTP).
Automation systems are also more interactive than ever before with digital audio workstation (DAW) with console automation and can even record from a telephone hybrid to play back an edited conversation with a telephone caller. This is part of a system's live-assist mode.
The use of automation software and voice tracks to replace live DJs is a current trend in radio broadcasting, done by many Internet radio and adult hits stations. Stations can even be voice-tracked from another city far away, now often delivering sound files over the Internet. In the U.S., this is a common practice under controversy for making radio more generic and artificial. Having local content is also touted as a way for traditional stations to compete with satellite radio, where there may be no radio personality on the air at all.
A commercially-available, for-sale product named Audicom was introduced by Oscar Bonello in 1989. It is based on psychoacoustic lossy compression, the same principle being used in most modern lossy audio encoders such as MP3 and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), and it allowed both broadcast automation and recording to hard drives.
Read more about this topic: Broadcast Automation
Famous quotes containing the words modern and/or systems:
“The modern mind is in complete disarray. Knowledge has streched itself to the point where neither the world nor our intelligence can find any foot-hold. It is a fact that we are suffering from nihilism.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“What is most original in a man’s nature is often that which is most desperate. Thus new systems are forced on the world by men who simply cannot bear the pain of living with what is. Creators care nothing for their systems except that they be unique. If Hitler had been born in Nazi Germany he wouldn’t have been content to enjoy the atmosphere.”
—Leonard Cohen (b. 1934)