TWiRT 820 - Home Grown Radio with Bruce Roberts

What can a recording engineer teach a radio engineer—and what can radio teach someone behind the recording console? On episode 820 of This Week in Radio Tech, Bruce Roberts joins Kirk Harnack to explore how working in both worlds sharpens his ears, strengthens his technical skills, and helps him make better audio. Bruce owns and engineers ARP Studio in Charleston, South Carolina, and is the co-founder and engineer at Home Grown Radio. His passion began before age eight, running sound for his church’s radio broadcasts, and grew into a 50-year career recording artists, building audio equipment, and keeping radio stations on the air. Along the way, his work has included projects for NPR and the BBC, plus dialogue recording for Bill Murray and Army Wives—and an attempted retirement in 2021 that led to a new adventure with Homegrown Radio. Join us for a conversation about recording, broadcasting, and the lessons that travel both ways between the studio and the transmitter!

Show Notes:
ARP Studio, Charleston, SC
Home Grown Radio, Charleston, SC
Thanks to Roger Gaither, founder of Island Media Productions for camera and location services.

Guest:
Bruce Roberts - Owner & Engineer at ARP Studio and Home Grown Radiod

Host:
Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by:
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Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement.
Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming
The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU

 
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TWiRT 820 - Home Grown Radio with Bruce Roberts

TWiRT 819 - AI and Pi with Bill Eaton

Bill Eaton has long been the sort of broadcast engineer who puts new technology to work early—going all the way back to one of the first DOCSIS cable modems bringing Internet service into the home. Today, as Chief Engineer at Oyster Radio, Bill is especially excited about practical uses for AI in broadcast engineering. He uses ChatGPT to take copious notes during transmitter-site visits, documenting maintenance already performed, work still needed, and even clues that another tenant may have changed something at the site. Bill also uses Google Gemini to analyze raw data from test equipment such as the PIRA P175 FM modulation analyzer. And he’s still building, too, recently putting together an FM audio processor using StereoTool software running on a Raspberry Pi.

Join us for TWiRT Episode 819 as Bill shows how AI, affordable computing, and an engineer’s curiosity can make everyday broadcast work smarter and more productive.

Show Notes:
SharkDeck AI Handheld Linux Computer Beta
Pira P175 Broadcast Analyser Review

Guest:
William Eaton - Chief Engineer at East Bay Broadcasting Inc.

Host:
Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube.

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement.
Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming
The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU

 
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TWiRT 819 - AI and Pi with Bill Eaton

TWiRT 818 - What's Next After C-Band Satellite?

For more than 40 years, C-band satellite distribution has been a workhorse for radio and television broadcasters — but another big chunk of that spectrum is going away - leaving almost nothing for program distributors to use. 

On TWiRT Episode 818, Mark Johnson, President of LinkUp Communications, and Marcos O’Rourke, Engineering Manager at LinkUp, join Kirk Harnack to explain what FCC 26-46 means for broadcasters still depending on C-band delivery. Mark gives us some history, explains how the FCC’s latest plans would eventually leave broadcasters with only about 40 MHz of C-band downlink spectrum, and walks us through the proposed transition timeline. 

We also look at alternatives already being developed, including increased Ku-band satellite distribution and terrestrial IP delivery using capabilities built into XDS receivers. The transition won’t happen overnight, but the direction is becoming clear: broadcasters using C-band need to start thinking about what comes next. Join us for TWiRT Episode 818 as we sort through the FCC’s plans and what engineers should be watching in the months ahead.

Show Notes:

TinySA Ultra+ Spectrum Analyzer

Guests:
Mark Johnson - President at LinkUp Communications
Marcos O’Rourke - Engineering Manager at LinkUp Communications

Host:
Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube.

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement.
Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming
The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU

 
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TWiRT 818 - What's Next After C-Band Satellite?

TWiRT 817 - Early Access to IBC 2026 in Amsterdam

This Week in Radio Tech comes to you from IBC 2026 in Amsterdam, where the broadcast world is gathering to show us what comes next. In Episode 817, we get early access to some of the industry’s technical innovators and discover how they’re responding to a broadcasting landscape that seems to change almost by the day. 

Adam Robinson of MaxxKonnect joins us alongside Hans van Zutphen of Thimeo Audio Technology B.V. and Jay Tyler of Sales Call. We’ll also hear from Dan McQuillin of Broadcast Bionics and Dan Martin of Derby ONE and Aiir. 

Together, they offer a revealing look at the technologies, business ideas, and practical solutions shaping the future of radio and broadcasting. Join us in Amsterdam for TWiRT Episode 817—This Week in Radio Tech!

Guests:
Adam Robinson - Director of Sales, Marketing, and Business Development at MaxxKonnect
Hans van Zutphen - CEO at Thimeo Audio Technology B.V.
Jay Tyler - Founder and CEO at Sales Call
Dan McQuillin - Managing Director at Broadcast Bionics
Dan Martin - Director at Derby ONE and Head Of Support at Aiir

Host:
Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube.

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement.
Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming
The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU

 
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TWiRT 817 - Early Access to IBC 2026 in Amsterdam

TWiRT 816 - Deciphering FCC EAS Cybersecurity Rules with Shane Toven

The FCC has adopted new cybersecurity requirements for Emergency Alert System equipment—but turning the language of a Report and Order into practical procedures at a real broadcast facility isn’t always straightforward. What equipment is covered? What constitutes adequate protection? And how can broadcasters comply without making their systems needlessly difficult to operate and maintain?

This week, Kirk Harnack welcomes Shane Toven, the new West Coast Regional Engineer for Cumulus Media. Together, they examine the FCC’s EAS cybersecurity rules and discuss what sensible, real-world compliance might look like inside today’s increasingly networked broadcast facilities.

Shane’s new position also leads to a larger conversation about the changing role of the broadcast engineer. As companies consolidate technical responsibilities across more stations, markets, and transmitter sites, experienced engineers are being asked to oversee far more territory—and a much wider range of technologies—than ever before.

Then we move from the equipment room to the sound console. Shane shares lessons from mixing live worship services, including some of the challenges a broadcast engineer may encounter when everyone assumes that knowing audio technology automatically means knowing how to mix a live performance.

Add in a couple of excellent Tips of the Week, and you have a wide-ranging conversation covering cybersecurity, broadcast engineering’s evolving responsibilities, and the art of making live sound work.

Guest:
Shane Toven - Regional Chief Engineer, West Coast at Cumulus Media

Host:
Kirk Harnack, MaxxKonnect, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube.

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement.
Angry Audio and the new StereoToolBox audio processor for AM, FM, HD, & Streaming
The new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU

 
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TWiRT 816 - Deciphering FCC EAS Cybersecurity Rules with Shane Toven