NETIA Radio-Assist Brings Flexibility and Functionality to Algerian Radio's Regional Broadcast Operations

CLARET, France - Dec. 15, 2008 - NETIA today announced that Algerian Radio ( ENRS) is equipping 15 regional stations with Radio-Assist 7.5 digital audio software to streamline their entire production workflow from acquisition through to broadcast, and to give each station the tools to exchange content securely and efficiently with other sites and remote databases. Each regional station is equipped with the Radio-Assist architecture featuring redundant Air-DDO broadcast modules and servers, with NETIA's DBShare module providing data security.

" Radio-Assist tools combine to provide broadcasters with the functionality they need for smooth operations from start to finish," said Mustapha Rezzoug, director of products at NETIA. " As a result, Algerian Radio's regional stations will enjoy complete production capabilities, intuitive planning and playout functionality for localized broadcasts, and secure storage and sharing of media internally and between sites."

NETIA's Radio-Assist 7.5 range of digital audio software programs covers the entire operation of a radio station. Working within a single application, the user can record, edit, or prepare a playlist.

Each of the ENRS regional stations uses a broadcast studio equipped with two Air-DDO modules operating in a master-slave mode for security reasons. In each case, several workstations are equipped with Radio-Assist to cover the entire production process. Functionality includes record, import, editing with NETIA's Snippet and Multitrack XT , modeling of program slots with grid editor , and playlist editing with Feder-All Desk . Staff members at each local station also use Radio-Assist for logging and telephone recording for remote phone inserts.

The Air-DDO broadcast module features a graphical user interface that simultaneously displays multiple broadcast channels, as well as providing access to numerous help and preparation tools that support localization of regional broadcasts. Within this interface, the playlist, which can work in automatic mode, displays all scheduled sounds in chronological order. One cart stack system gives users access to a range of sounds, and another cart stack system is dedicated to jingles, stingers, and playout of top-priority items.

Linked directly to the scheduling workstations, Air-DDO keeps track of the latest changes made to the playlist in real time and automatically displays the refresh. Three broadcast modes - automatic, semi-automatic, and manual - are permanently available, and the user can switch from one to another at any time. The semi-automatic mode is useful for integrating slots, such as commercial breaks, at a set time. When not broadcasting live, Algerian Radio will take advantage of Air-DDO's automatic mode.

NETIA has also designed a complete set of custom training modules aimed at the specific needs of regular users and administrators as well as "super users", who will thereby be equipped to conduct internal training. " With this tailor-made training program, NETIA has given us the knowledge base we need to get the system up and running in local stations using just our internal resources," said Mohamed-Hacine Ladj, director of technical services and equipment. " The quality of the training and the autonomy of our teams is a key factor to ensure the security of the digitization process for our stations."