Episodios

  • TWiRT Ep. 794 - Embrace Podcasting Now with Mike McVay and Craig Bowman

    TWiRT Ep. 794 - Embrace Podcasting Now with Mike McVay and Craig Bowman
    Apr 3 2026
    Radio broadcasters can’t ignore the shift to on-demand listening—and podcasting is a key part of that evolution. On this episode of This Week in Radio Tech, we hear compelling insights from Mike McVay on why embracing podcasting is no longer optional for stations that want to stay relevant. Craig Bowman from Futuri Media joins us to explain how technology is making it easier than ever to turn broadcast content into compelling digital assets. Together, they outline both the strategic importance and the practical pathways for getting started. If you’re thinking about extending your station’s reach beyond the airwaves, this episode is a must-listen.
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    1 h y 10 m
  • TWiRT Ep. 793 - Deciding on New or Used Equipment

    TWiRT Ep. 793 - Deciding on New or Used Equipment
    Mar 27 2026
    We’re tackling a question every broadcast engineer faces: should you buy new equipment, or can used gear deliver the performance and value you need? We’re on location inside the MaxxKonnect used equipment warehouse in Birmingham, Alabama, where Josh Bohn gives us a firsthand tour of aisles packed with everything from mic preamps to full transmitters. We also hear from Adam Robinson on the financial tradeoffs, and Mike Hutchens on real-world engineering use cases where used equipment makes solid technical and operational sense. Whether you’re planning a new build, a backup system, or a budget-conscious upgrade, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately. Join us for a candid, informative look at how smart engineers balance cost, performance, and reliability.
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    1 h y 5 m
  • TWiRT Ep. 792 - SBE Self-Inspection Guides with Ched Keiler

    TWiRT Ep. 792 - SBE Self-Inspection Guides with Ched Keiler
    Mar 20 2026
    On this episode of This Week in Radio Tech, we dive into the practical side of regulatory readiness with Ched Keiler, who joins us to discuss the SBE Self-Inspection Guides. Developed by the Society of Broadcast Engineers in partnership with the NAB and industry experts, these guides are quickly becoming essential tools for ensuring FCC compliance across AM, FM, LPFM, and television facilities. Ched walks us through how to effectively use these guides, what a proper self-inspection process looks like, and how both engineers and station management can benefit from a structured approach to compliance. With strong early adoption and hundreds of downloads right out of the gate, these guides are already making an impact. Join us for a highly useful and timely conversation that can help your station stay inspection-ready.
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    1 h y 16 m
  • TWiRT Ep. 791 - Growing a Radio Engineering Business with Matt Lightner

    TWiRT Ep. 791 - Growing a Radio Engineering Business with Matt Lightner
    Mar 13 2026
    Episode 791 of This Week in Radio Tech features broadcast engineer and entrepreneur Matt Lightner, President of Lightner Electronics, Inc. Matt shares practical insights from years of designing and building radio studios for individual stations, clusters, and network facilities, along with lessons learned from transmitter site installations in the field. We also explore how his company has expanded into corporate audio-visual system integration—an area where A-V and broadcast engineering practices often overlap. Finally, Matt talks about applying engineering discipline and business strategy to radio station ownership, now operating nine stations in Central Pennsylvania. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about engineering, integration, and entrepreneurship in modern broadcast.
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    1 h y 11 m
  • TWiRT Ep. 790 - The Doctrine of "Doc-isms" with Chris Tarr

    TWiRT Ep. 790 - The Doctrine of "Doc-isms" with Chris Tarr
    Mar 6 2026
    Kirk Harnack is joined by frequent co-host and longtime broadcast engineer **Chris ‘Doc' Tarr for a fun and practical conversation about “Doc-isms.” These are the short, memorable sayings that Chris has developed over years of troubleshooting transmitters, studio gear, and broadcast workflows under pressure. Each phrase—like “Work the problem,” “Just think in reverse,” and “We’re […]
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    1 h y 12 m
  • TWiRT Ep. 789 - Live Radio Program Distribution with Prism

    TWiRT Ep. 789 - Live Radio Program Distribution with Prism
    Feb 27 2026
    In this episode, Kirk Harnack is joined by Adrian Berkovits, creator of Prism, a new audio distribution ecosystem designed for modern radio networks. Michael Dosch of Angry Audio also joins the conversation to unpack the hardware and real-world functionality that makes this new model possible. For over 40 years, radio broadcasters have relied on satellite distribution for network audio—news, sports, talk shows, and even full music formats. But today, C-Band spectrum is being squeezed by cellular services, while Internet delivery has become remarkably reliable—especially when used in aggregate. The result is a fundamental shift in how audio and metadata can be delivered from content creators to radio stations. Adrian and Michael walk through the technical and operational details of this emerging distribution model, explaining how reliability, redundancy, hardware integration, and workflow come together in a practical, broadcaster-ready ecosystem. If you’re responsible for network audio delivery—or thinking about what replaces satellite—this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
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    1 h y 8 m
  • TWiRT Ep. 788 - SBE Ennes Workshop at NAB 2026

    TWiRT Ep. 788 - SBE Ennes Workshop at NAB 2026
    Feb 20 2026
    Join Kirk Harnack for an informative preview of the SBE Ennes Workshop at NAB 2026! In this episode, "TWiRT 788," we sit down with workshop organizers David Bialik and Fred Willard for an exclusive look at the valuable, career-building sessions planned for broadcast engineers. Learn about the essential topics and technical deep-dives coming to Las Vegas on April 21 & 22. Get all the details on why you need to attend these popular sessions in the North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the NAB Show. Don't miss this insider's guide to advancing your career in radio technology! In this episode we also make a quick trip to the National Religious Broadcasters Convention at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.
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    1 h y 10 m
  • TWiRT Ep. 787 - From MixDJ to Engineer with Ernest Jones

    TWiRT Ep. 787 - From MixDJ to Engineer with Ernest Jones
    Feb 13 2026
    This Week in Radio Tech, Episode 787 features Ernest Jones, Director of Technical Operations for Audacy’s Atlanta radio stations—one of the largest radio markets in the country. Ernest shares his journey from mix DJ to IT specialist to broadcast engineer, describing how his passion for audio processing, amateur radio, and DXing shaped his technical career. He explains how learning IT and RF engineering evolved in parallel through both his ham radio hobby and hands-on station work. Ernest also recounts returning to a small-town AM station he once co-owned to install a new transmitter, finally retiring a venerable old RCA tube rig. It’s an engaging conversation with a rising engineer whose career is just getting started—and one you won’t want to miss.
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    1 h y 9 m