Kair FM and automation

The stations offer local news, and some local programming with disk jockeys, and live broadcasts from local events. Much of their 24-hour broadcast day is filled with programming from a satellite music provider, located in Denver (Colorado). National news is received by a satellite link with the Associated Press Radio Network.

"KAIR wishes to give more and more scope to their local programming while taking advantage of automated shows for some dayparts. By choosing NETIA's digital system Radio-Assist 7 , KAIR will have additional capabilities to change between broadcasting modes with flexibility," according to Scott Slocum of TurnKey Media Systems, NETIA distributor in the USA. Until now, KAIR has been using an old DOS-based digital audio system. The first stage of the conversion to Netia consisted of transferring the local audio recordings of program elements with all their metadata (name, dates, type...) from the old storage method (the "aptXTM" format) to one of the more popular new ones (MPEG). Thanks to NETIA's conversion automat, Autofill, this conversion of thousands of files has been greatly simplified. The second stage of this project will be the reduction of the number of hours of satellite shows, by local preparation of numerous hours of voicetracked musical programming with a DJ voice insertion ( Voice-Over), using the Playlist Prep tool.

With a mouse click, all of KAIR's daily program schedules, local and otherwise, are quickly imported into the playlist. The Voice-Over function gives an immediate access to recording and tracking functions for the insertion of a voice between songs and other recorded program elements.

PTo manage all of its resources, KAIR has the latest version of NETIA's Command Center. In the heart of the system, Command Center is a distributed command dispatcher which transparently handles all of the orders sent out or received from KAIR's workstations, pointing them to the relevant applications. When programming is received from the satellite, there are certain times during the broadcast when GPI signals are transmitted, allowing local stations the opportunity to insert relevant information (local weather and commercials, local news...). The function of Command Center is to coordinate those instructions within the system so that an on-air station starts automatically and takes over with the playlist planned at those precise satellite-driven moments. With Command Center within the system, each application is given the opportunity to launch or execute one or many orders.

In the same way, Command Center can execute recording commands. In the case of KAIR Radio, it is required that certain satellite-sent commercials and feature programs be automatically recorded for broadcast during the hours when the station is airing locally-originated shows. Other programs are captured for later playback through off-air feeds from program providers.

Numerous radio operations in North America now choose to use different sources of programming, to broadcast on many channels, and to insert local switchovers. This evolution calls for a real command dispatcher arrangement, which can provide reliable automation of these functions, totally transparent for the audience. The system which KAIR AM & FM in Atchison, Kansas has chosen is one of today's best solutions to provide the necessary flexibility and functionality required for broadcasters.. TurnKey Media Systems is located in Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. For further information on the NETIA products, the company can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 126, Olathe, Kansas USA, 66051, by phone at 913-568-2254, and by Internet e-mail at NETIA@TurnKeyMediaSystems.com.