GFQ Network audio podcasts: Recent Episodes
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This Week in Radio Tech – Episode 812 takes us to Round Rock, Texas, for the 2026 Texas Association of Broadcasters convention! With two full days of engineering sessions, new technology, and plenty of conversations on the expo floor, TAB once again brought together some of our favorite broadcast engineers and industry friends. We caught up with Michael Patton, Dustin Tatro, David Smedley, Chase Daniels, Fred Morton, and Dave Kerstin for their perspectives on radio engineering, technology, and the industry we all enjoy being part of. It’s a great collection of conversations with the people who keep broadcasting working—and moving forward. Join us for TWiRT 812, recorded at the Texas Association of Broadcasters convention in Round Rock!
The guys start by talking about what made them love professional wrestling in the first place and why wacky gimmicks in wrestling will never get old. They also try to pitch new gimmicks in AEW, including “Detective Lucasaurus.”They also preview All In and talk about highlights from SummerSlam, including Lesnar’s retirement and more.Plus, RIP Dory Funk Jr., Mike Santana’s new name, your questions, and more!
Akamai BroadcastingFollow TWiRT on X and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube.Sponsored byBroadcasters 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 USB Phone Gizmo - Put VoIP callers on-the-airThe new MaxxKonnect RMT416 Multi Tuner - 4 to 16 AM/FM/WB/HD web-connected tuners in 1 RU
Few studio monitors are as instantly recognizable—or as trusted—as those made by Genelec. On episode 810 of This Week in Radio Tech, our guest is Lars-Olof Janflod, Genelec’s Strategy Advisory Officer and a member of the company’s team since 1992. We trace Genelec’s story from its origins in Finland through the development of the distinctive, rugged monitor designs that have become familiar sights in studios and broadcast facilities worldwide. Lars-Olof explains the thinking behind Genelec’s unusual speaker designs and how the company has maintained its reputation for accuracy and reliability across three decades of technological change. We also explore today’s Smart Active Monitoring systems, which combine onboard DSP with automated calibration to optimize each loudspeaker for the room in which it is actually installed. It’s a fascinating conversation about loudspeaker engineering, acoustics, innovation, and the pursuit of truly trustworthy monitoring. Join us for TWiRT episode 810—listen or watch wherever you enjoy This Week in Radio Tech.
Our guest on This Week in Radio Tech episode 809 is Tim Berry, Chief Engineer at WUOT-FM, the public radio station at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. WUOT combines NPR news with classical and jazz music, much of it still played live from CDs and occasionally from the station’s enormous collection of LPs. Tim gives us a tour of the control room, performance area, technical center, and an extraordinary music library that also includes thousands of historic 78 RPM records. We’ll see one of Tennessee’s earliest Audio over IP installations, built around Axia Livewire technology and operating for about 15 years. Tim also maintains more than 20 analog and digital amateur radio repeater sites throughout East Tennessee. Join us for a fascinating look at preserving broadcasting’s rich history while planning the technical upgrades that will carry WUOT into the future.
On this episode, Brett Gibson joins Kirk Harnack and co-host Chris Tarr, for a practical conversation about what it takes to build and maintain a reliable broadcast operation today. Brett shares how Voice of the Master’s technical plant has evolved over the years, what systems and standards have made the biggest difference, and how deeply IT has become integrated into modern radio engineering.
This Week in Radio Tech, Episode 807, features William Harrison, Chief Engineer for WETA-FM in Washington, D.C. William got his start in public radio in the 1990s at WAMU-FM, where computer work quickly expanded into audio and electronics. Since then, he’s worked with PBS, NPR, The Metropolitan Washington Ear, and a number of FM and TV broadcasters. He also chairs SBE Chapter 37 in D.C., serves on the Virginia SECC, sits on the board of the Association of Public Radio Engineers, and occasionally writes for Radio World. In this episode, we talk about real-world FM engineering, including Capital Concerts fireworks show coordination, HD Radio timing and “ballgame” mode, receiver metadata behavior, liquid-cooled transmitters, HLS streaming for broadcast STL use, and dynamic range control in xHE-AAC. Join us for a practical, wide-ranging conversation about broadcast engineering, public radio operations, and the listener experience on This Week in Radio Tech.
s comments this week about fans taking the product too seriously, leading to a discussion on the current state of wrestling and its target audience. They also review all the upcoming PLEs and PPVs happening this weekend, including Night of Champions, Forbidden Door, NXT Great American Bash, and TNA Slammiversary. Additionally, they provide predictions for some of the featured matches and discuss potential future storylines for AEW. All this, viewer questions, and more!
Spa in Opelika, Alabama, where the Alabama Broadcasters Association is celebrating its 80th anniversary with one of several regional receptions around the state.
Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT department concern—it is becoming a broadcast engineering issue, and possibly soon, a regulatory one as well. On episode 805 of This Week in Radio Tech, we’re joined by three experienced broadcast engineers from Georgia and South Carolina: John George, Charles Kinney, and Earl Welsh. We’re talking just ahead of the Georgia-Lina Broadcast Engineering Conference in Augusta, Georgia, and our topic is both timely and practical: the FCC’s proposed cybersecurity rules for broadcasters, especially as they relate to EAS equipment, studio-transmitter links, remote access, and other internet-facing systems that can affect what goes on the air. We’ll discuss what the FCC appears to be concerned about, why default passwords and exposed web interfaces are no longer just “bad practice,” and what station engineers can do now to improve security before a rulemaking turns into a compliance deadline. This is not a theoretical conversation — it is about real broadcast facilities, real equipment, and real operational risks. Join us for episode 805 of This Week in Radio Tech as we look at cybersecurity through the eyes of working broadcast engineers.
RDS may be one of the smallest signals your FM station transmits, but getting it right matters more than ever. On Episode 804 of This Week in Radio Tech, broadcast network engineer and podcast host, Tyler Woodward, explains the technical details behind RDS and its U.S. counterpart, RBDS. We discuss the data fields every FM engineer should understand, including PI codes, program type, alternate frequencies, and the way field repetition rates affect what listeners see on their radios. Tyler also explains why accurate PI codes are increasingly important for connected-car services such as RadioDNS and dts AutoStage—and points broadcasters to a useful online tool for verifying the correct PI code for their call letters. If you are responsible for an FM station, this is a must-listen—or must-watch—conversation.
This Week in Radio Tech is on the road for Episode 803 as we tour the new Radio One broadcast facility near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Radio One operates nine radio stations from this facility, with more than 20 studios supporting music, talk, news, and sports programming. It is also home to Network Indiana, which produces and distributes newscasts and long-form programs, along with radio broadcasts for several professional and college sports teams. Mike Hutchens takes us inside the new technical operations center, and Nick Lopez joins us to explain the planning and execution behind the studio build-out. We also visit one of the music-station studios to see how today’s studios can be built for efficiency and human workflow. Join us for a close-up look at how modern audio-over-IP technology, signal routing, metadata, system control, and monitoring all work together across the IP network. It is a practical tour of a large, busy broadcast operation designed for flexibility, reliability, and the demands of today’s radio industry.
Join us for a special on-location episode of This Week in Radio Tech, recorded at the historic Armstrong Tower in Alpine, New Jersey—the birthplace of wideband FM broadcasting. We’re joined by electronics designer and radio historian Steve Hemphill, along with Chuck Sackermann, whose company owns and oversees this iconic site. Together, we explore the groundbreaking legacy of Edwin H. Armstrong and the enduring impact of his tower and technology. Tim Braddock also joins us with comments about the famous Alford Antenna, in service for over 50 years on the Empire State Building.Don’t miss this fascinating journey through radio history, innovation, and preservation!
The spark, motivation, and process for invention is absolutely fascinating! This week we got lucky and found two gentlemen who epitomize the spirit of invention. They often do this by asking, “What is it that we’re really trying to do here?” Sometimes the answer results in new approaches to the problem or task. Mike “Catfish” Dosch and Cornelius Gould are working on some projects at Angry Audio. This provided a perfect opportunity to interview them together and discuss the inventor’s process.
On this episode of This Week in Radio Tech, we welcome a true legend of the newsroom—Bob Hardt. From his early days at WXYZ to anchoring at WABC and ultimately rising to the top at ABC Radio News in New York City, Bob shares a career shaped by storytelling, breaking news, and the evolving tools of the trade. Host Kirk Harnack dives into how technology changed the game—from cart machines to digital editors—and how those shifts made newsgathering faster, sharper, and more agile. If you’ve ever wondered how great radio news gets made, or how the newsroom adapted from analog chaos to digital speed, this conversation with Bob Hardt is one you won’t want to miss.
Seven hundred and fifty episodes of TWiRT! Wow! It’s my honor today to welcome two innovative broadcast engineers and businessmen - and business partners with Telos Alliance - Tyler Everitt and Grant Biebrick. We’re learning about the practical equipment and systems that their company, Pippin Technical Service (PTS) brings to Canadian broadcasters. Tyler and Grant reveal the innovative networked devices and systems that PTS has developed and installed at hundreds of facilities in Canada.
Oakwood University, located in Huntsville, Alabama, is renowned for its significant contributions to gospel and Christian music, particularly through its alumni who have achieved fame in these genres. Groups like Take 6 and soloists such as Brian McNight are alumni of Oakwood, along with many, many more. Oakwood is also home to WJOU-FM, and we all know that university-owned radio stations often go a couple decades between serious studio upgrades. WJOU is overdue for new equipment, and not just for the sake of newness. Indeed, the station’s leadership staff recognizes the need for more diverse music and talk programming, but one signal isn’t enough. So, WJOU-FM is remodeling and building new studios to accommodate four different formats, and finishing an HD Radio transmission system to accommodate them. Good leadership and big upgrades go hand-in-hand, so on this episode we’re meeting with Dawna Baker and Dammeon Malone from WJOU, and with broadcast system integrator, Josh Bohn and field engineer Mike Hutchens from MaxxKonnect. Together they’re give us a worthy overview of this major upgrade process from the perspectives of management, operations, and engineering.
The guys start by discussing Sabu's passing, his legacy and influence on hardcore wrestling, and which matches stand out. They recap last week's WWE Backlash show and the Fallout, as well as what happened on Raw this week with Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins' interaction with CM Punk, and Sami Zayn. Also, they discuss AEW Dynamite as they build towards Double or Nothing, including the main event segment, which is leading to an Anarchy in the Arena match at the PPV. Plus, The Miz hosting American Gladiator, AEW’s latest residency announcement, your questions, and more!
The Story of the Broadcast Cart Machine is fascinating, especially to those of us who used them on-air, or installed and repaired them as engineers. Andy Rector, who was heavily involved in the business of broadcast cart machines, joins us for Part 2 of our exploration into this history. We’ll go through the 1970s and 1980s, as new broadcast cart machines were developed and deployed. We’ll follow this story arc right up to the late 1990s, when Andy says was really the end of that cart machine era.
Most of us in radio engineering have worked with broadcast cart machines. While it’s been a good 25 or 30 years since we’ve had them in our studios, we’ll never forget the pleasure - and occasional pain - of using them and maintaining them. But how did cart machines come to be? Were they always like the ones we grew up with in the 70s and 80s? Or did the development come with fits and starts? Andy Rector worked with broadcast carts nearly from the very beginning of their existence. He’s been interviewed many times and provided historical presentations to SBE groups, AES sections, and others. We’re delighted to have Andy Rector join us on this TWiRT episode to look at the early days of broadcast cart machines and the early technologies employed.
The boys discuss Meiko Satomura's retirement and her influential career, particularly in advancing women's wrestling. She was also one of the last remaining WCW wrestlers. In entertainment news, they cover Liv Morgan's movie role announcement and the trailer release for "The Smashing Machine," starring The Rock as Mark Kerr. Also they discuss AEW's upcoming residency at the ECW Arena in September, leading to speculation about the potential location of ALL OUT in the Northeast. Additionally, they recap WWE television from the past week, including the new alliance of Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins, and Bron Breakker following their attack on Sami Zayn. They also note WWE's success in developing homegrown women's wrestling talent. Finally, they recap AEW Dynamite, with Double or Nothing just a couple of weeks away.
Young broadcast engineers are few and far between, but Cameron Lasley is making a big difference for broadcasters in Kentucky. Cam’s primary role is with wireless broadband technologies; he’s the owner of a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) in Kentucky. On a future TWiRT episode we’ll discover Cam’s broadcast engineering experiences, but on this show we’re finding out about the WiFi technologies that power IP radio links. These are links that broadcasters - as well as WISPs - use every day. We’ll gain understanding of link budgets and margins, as well as best practices for modulation schemes and frequency band selection for IP radio links. There’s a lot of great information for us broadcast engineers to absorb on this episode of TWiRT.
With WWE WrestleMania in the rearview, they break down the highlights, including some of the best matches and the botched main event on night two. They also react to the Rock not being at WrestleMania to help tell the main event's story. On Raw, a new faction formed with Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins, and Bron Breakker. Plus, Gunther attacked Pat McAfee, and Becky Lynch turned heel. They also analyze this week's AEW Dynamite, featuring the in-ring return of the Young Bucks and the setup for Samoa Joe vs. Jon Moxley. Plus, RIP “Steve Mongo McMichael,” WWE acquires AAA Lucha, your questions, and more!
Today’s TWiRT webcast is a double-header - two guests on very different yet important topics. First up is Robbie Hulett, owner of Tower Maintenance Corp. Robbie shares his company’s work and achievements on social media, keeping broadcasters abreast of current trends in the tower maintenance field. Perhaps some of TMC’s work will prompt others to check on and maintain their vertical structures with the attention they deserve. And Bayard “Bud” Walters - a Nashville-based radio group owner - gives us his candid thoughts about the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” regulatory reform program. The NAB has filed lengthy comments and suggestions, and Bud, owner of Cromwell Broadcasting, has a few thoughts of his own to share. See if you agree or disagree!
The week's big news is the finalization of the WBD/AEW media rights deal that Andrew has been reporting on for almost a year. The guys break down all the details, including the inclusion of MAX as a platform for PPVs. The guys preview WWE Bad Blood and the possibilities heading into Survivor Series with the Bloodline storyline. They also talk about the premiere of NXT on the CW and the similarities that show had to one of the original Takeovers. They also break down AEW Dynamite's 5th-anniversary show, including Ricochet vs. Will Osprey, MVP's new faction, and Danielson defeating Okada. Plus, Raw ratings on the final 3-hour episode, follow-up thoughts on the Vince McMahon documentary, your questions, and more!
TWiRT is on location at a Nashville radio station - Jazzy 88, WFSK-FM. Rick Durham is a provider of managed IT services in Middle Tennessee. He’s also the engineer for WFSK-FM. WFSK is preparing for their annual fundraising event, where they broadcast live from the parking lot and take drive through donations while interviewing numerous Nashville dignitaries and music artists. We also spend a few minutes with Sharon Kay, WFSK’s General Manager, and Xuam (X-Man) Lawson, WFSK’s Program Director. We discuss some engineering and how WFSK is keeping up with an Audio over IP audio plant. We also discuss the engineer’s role in keeping the jazz playing and the public affairs programming on the air, too.
The guys talk about their experience attending AEW Dynamite live at Arthur Ashe Stadium this week and share their thoughts on the show. They discuss the main event picture and speculate on whether Bryan Danielson will lose the title to Jon Moxley at Wrestle Dream or if it will continue. They also preview upcoming WWE shows, including the NXT premiere on the CW Network and Bad Blood next weekend. Additionally, they discuss the direction of the War Games event and Andrew pitches a Bloodline Civil War storyline. Plus, they share their thoughts on the Vince McMahon documentary on Netflix, a two-night SummerSlam in New Jersey, and the discontinuation of pay-per-views on Bleacher Report.
Lee Melton is one of those semi-crazy radio guys that we know and love. And many of us wanted to BE that guy! Lee’s career started at KFI, Los Angeles, and he’s been at about 25 radio stations, even building a couple in Southeast Texas. Some have called him “The Kind of Radio Trade-Outs” while many others called him a friendly and fun voice on the radio. Lee’s radio recollections inspire plenty of banter with Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack. And Chris reveals his encounter with Paul McCartney! It's an hour of radio stories and fun, with a little engineering talk sprinkled in.
The guys analyze the recent comments from Tony Khan regarding the AEW and WBD rights negotiations, following reports earlier in the week that the deal could be worth $170 million. They also break down Friday Night SmackDown, including the cinematic presentation of the confrontation between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns at Georgia Tech's football stadium. Additionally, they review this week's Dynamite episode, discussing the direction of the new Jon Moxley-led BBC and previewing next week's Grand Slam, which they will be attending. Plus, they cover Miro requesting his AEW release, Saturday Night Main Event, CM Punk on NXT, listener questions, and more!
Sometimes we originate a TWiRT episode from a newly-built radio studio. Today, however, we’re visiting beautiful studios that are under construction. Bill Jackson works with K-Love, a nationwide Christian radio group. He’s in charge of the design and build-out of a couple dozen radio studios, podcast rooms, edit, and news booths. Bill is absolutely maximizing Audio over IP technology throughout. Let’s take a “cook’s tour” of a couple large studios, plus look at a data closet and the broadcast portion of the restricted-access data center.
The Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) was created around 1989 to aid the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in making sure all broadcast operations are in compliance and to help stations understand the rules in a one-on-one setting. In the beginning, the ABIP inspectors were retired FCC engineers. As the program began to expand around the country, other engineers were recruited and trained by regional FCC inspectors. ABIP inspectors have long used a basic Self Inspection Checklist that became woefully out of date. Tom Ray, working with other committee members at the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) has rewritten and greatly expanded these checklists for AM, FM, and TV stations. ABIP inspections are an excellent tool for broadcasters to assure compliance with FCC Rules, and do so in a friendly, non-adversarial encounter.
The episode begins with the guys talking about the Vince McMahon documentary on Netflix, now that the trailer has been released. They speculate on whether it will be a puff piece or an intriguing and truthful piece with new information. They also discuss Tony Khan's comments on the WBD deal during his All Out Media call and continue to speculate on when the deal might finally be announced. The guys also preview All Out, which is taking place on Saturday, and the shocking angle that ended this week's Dynamite with Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page committing arson. Plus, they discuss Guilia's arrival in NXT, preview Raw and Smackdown, answer your questions, and more!
The rise of AI-generated lyrics and music is giving engineers something to chuckle about. But could this “easy creativity” inspire other engineering solutions? Kirk drew a comparison with photographer Jeremy Cowart and his use of an LED wall to produce 60 different portraits in 60 seconds. Anthony Kuzub, an engineer at CBC in Canada, pointed out the AI that’s involved with lighting a new studio, matching accent lights to the video monitor feeds. Matt Aaron is programming a fully-AI streaming station that’s playing “Broadcast Engineers Gangster Rap”. Are these just passing curiosities? Or are they signals of technologies and techniques to come for broadcasting and content creation?
Most every piece of equipment we use, or software we depend on began with an idea and a dream - a dream to help ourselves and others do their jobs better, faster, easier. Or perhaps to provide a service, or improve an existing one. Paul Stewart started Summit Technology Group with this motivation in mind as well. Paul and his company provide software and services with new features, conveniences, and efficiencies. Exactly what many broadcast engineers are looking for. Chris Tarr and I are talking with Paul about the software and services he’s bringing to broadcasters.
The CCBE conference encompasses two days of professional broadcast engineering career development. This includes carefully-chosen paper presentations, an expo hall, and an awards dinner and ceremony honoring leaders in the broadcast engineering profession. We got to meet with and converse with leaders in the Central Canadian Broadcast Engineers group, plus Canadian engineers and leading equipment manufacturers.
Have you wondered what goes on at the Network Operations Center of a satellite distribution network? We sure have, and our good friend, Marcos O’Rourke, joins us to talk about it. Marcos is now the Engineering Manager at Linkup Communications. We’ve followed Linkup’s rising star in the satellite communications business and watched as this company has grown to serve a lot of the broadcast industry. Marcos gives a brief history of the NOC in Denver, Colorado, and shares pictures of their operations and IT center.
The guys start by discussing Kevin Sullivan's passing and his contributions to professional wrestling. They also discuss NXT going on the road when they move over to the CW Network and how they will do on the CW. Also, notes from the TKO earnings call, including expectations for Raw on Netflix. With Roman Reigns returning this week on SmackDown, the guys speculate what the next story beat will be between Cody Rhodes, himself, and the Bloodline Civil War. They also review this week's AEW Dynamite as they get closer to All In. Plus, thoughts on Dave Meltzer's SummerSlam star ratings, the potential return of Kenny Omega, a special call from our French correspondent, your questions, and more!
It’s Radio Convention season and we’re bringing some of the Alabama Broadcasters Convention to you. Live from the Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort, we’re meeting with engineers and radio equipment reps as this ABA Convention draws to a close. One of our highlights is visiting with Steven Westbrook from the Alabama Historical Radio Society. We also get cameo appearances from Bob Mayben, Jeff Welton, and Jim Armstrong. Join us for some fun conversation while we learn a few things about both new and old technologies and some personalities that shaped - and are now shaping - radio tech.
Shane McMahon met with Tony Khan this past week, and the wrestling world was up in arms. The guys talk about what this means if anything, or if it was just a cordial meeting. They also break down the SummerSlam card happening this weekend and discuss the likelihood of the big return of Roman Reigns and others. In addition, they cover this week's Dynamite and the news that Britt Baker was suspended. Plus, they discuss the latest on AEW TV rights, Joe Hendry in WWE, Mercedes going public with her divorce, your questions, and more.
A Google search on “SCOTUS and Chevron Deference” returns a lot of breathless headlines, prefacing pearl-clutching stories of near-calamitous changes in the way Federal agencies can carry out their missions. Indeed, one dissenting Supreme Court justice wrote that this ruling, “will cause a massive shock to the legal system.” The ruling will eventually affect some broadcast Rules from the Federal Communications Commission, but communications attorney, David Oxenford, predicts less dramatic effects on broadcast Rules and station operations. To clarify the Chevron decision and it’s likely effects on broadcasters, we interviewed Oxenford for this episode. We also get commentary from Larry Fuss, President and CEO of several multi-station radio broadcasting companies, and co-host, Chris Tarr. Join us for an informative episode of TWiRT as we discuss broadcast Rules in light of the SCOTUS decision on Chevron Deference.
The guys start by talking about the latest on the Warner Bros. Discovery media rights deal with AEW and when we might finally see a deal get done. They also discuss the big stories coming out of this week's Monday Night Raw, including CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, and what's going on with Rhea Ripley, Dominik, and Liv Morgan. AEW Dynamite featured Blood and Guts this week, and the guys break it down and end up having a difference of opinion about the show. Plus, a look at SummerSlam, current G1 standings, ROH Death Before Dishonor preview, your questions, and more.
As we are all very aware, being a technical person or layman, the recent CrowdStrike outage caused disruptions on a myriad of computer systems worldwide, affecting multiple industry sectors and millions of people in some way, shape, or form. Approximately 8.5 million devices were affected, leading to outages in various sectors, including airlines, healthcare, and financial institutions. Some broadcasters were affected, but it seems most radio broadcasters were spared. Why is that? What crippled many very large industries had relatively little impact on radio station operations. Three experts join this TWiRT episode: Shaun Dolan, Kyle Walker, and David Smedley. Together we’ll uncover how Crowdstrike affected some broadcasters, and we’ll learn about some best practices for IT security.
Radio’s beloved John Bisset is back! Author of the “Workbench” column is Radio World magazine, John is bringing us the best ideas from engineers since his last appearance on TWiRT, over six months ago. John’s Workbench columns are found at this aggregation page at https://www.radioworld.com/tag/workbench. Plus, Chris Tarr just drove 2,800 miles to buy a LOT of broadcast equipment.
Larry Janus is no stranger to broadcast engineering, but his passion is excellent design of vacuum tube based audio circuits, and then controlling their functions using modern control electronics via WiFi. This passion leads to a clever integration of a tube-based mic pre-amp, fully remote controlled using a phone app over WiFi. This arrangement gives rise to some interesting and convenient possibilities for stage-placed mic pre-amps with remote control. Larry Janus joins us from his well-equipped home lab in Florida.
Low Power FM radio is intended to be a community service. It’s for giving the opportunity for diverse thoughts and voices to spread over a community. However, it’s perfectly OK to have some radio fun in the process! Andy Denoncour, Frank Licata, and Grady Moates each played key roles in getting a new station - WGGG-LP - signed-on and serving the village of Ossipee, New Hampshire. The host and guests all agree that there’s a thrilling excitement to turning the radio transmitter ON for the first time, hearing your audio programming, and taking a drive to check out the coverage!
The guys start out reminiscing about the podcast throughout the years and play a fan video celebrating the 500th episode. They also talk about all the great storylines in WWE, including the new Bloodline with the debut of Jacob Fatu and the continuing saga between Judgment Day and Liv Morgan. They also reviewed AEW Dynamite and the build to the Forbidden Door PPV, discussing how the card came together last minute but looks good. Additionally, they give predictions for Forbidden Door on Sunday, address the passing of Sika Anoi, and discuss Dijak's contract not being renewed.
U.S. Broadcasters are required to provide emergency alerts to their audiences, but many radio stations use IP-based signal distribution — something incompatible with old-style EAS boxes. What is needed is a simple way to interface the real-world over-the-air reception of EAS events, filter and process the messages, and — if necessary — incorporate the alerts into the modern audio-over-IP (AoIP) air chain. Doing this right involves some innovation, but once done well, there are several distinct benefits. Bill Robertson from Digital Alert Systems joins Kirk Harnack to explain how this award-winning implementation works, and why it makes EAS better and more effective.
The guys recap the debut of the new Wyatt Sicks group from Monday Night Raw. They debate where it's heading and give high praise to the production. They also talk about TNA showing up on NXT television this week with Frankie Kazarian and Joe Hendry. Also, a recap of AEW Dynamite, including The big face-off between MJF and Will Ospreay, and the build to Forbidden Door. Plus, The Owen Hart Cup brackets, Thoughts on the G1, NXT’s new TV home, and an extended Q&A segment.
Tim Berry is already thinking about this fall’s sports broadcasts on the Vol Network. With over 60 radio affiliates and many thousands of listeners depending on high quality, live play-by-play, it’s Tim’s responsibility to make sure these broadcasts get from the stadiums and arenas to the Vol Network headquarters and beyond. Effective planning is essential! And this planning discipline works for other broadcast engineering tasks, like transmitter replacements. Chris Tarr adds his own experience and expertise to our discussion.
Marc Haycook is a problem solver! He needed to add a VO studio to his home, but new construction or expansion isn’t allowed there. He needed a studio that could be moved around for access and maintenance, but not on wheels. He needed access to phones, Internet, electricity, but had to keep neighborhood and household noise out - completely out. And he even had to silence the A-10 Warthogs and other aircraft that fly over at inopportune times. The solution? Well, that’s what this episode - number 700 - of This Week in Radio Tech is all about. Voice-over artist, Marc Haycook, joins us for a fascinating look at his home-built, home studio, with the cleanest audio anywhere. Plus, we take out first phone call ever on TWiRT!
Before his new Nautel GV40 FM transmitter arrived, Mike knew there was a major problem to solve. Big transmitters. Small room. No space for the old transmitter to get out of its own way. Then Mike had an idea. Crazy idea? Many ideas are - at first. Let’s follow along with Mike Kernen, Market Chief Engineer at Crawford Broadcasting Detroit, and find out how he solved this vexing problem. Chris Tarr joins us with another instructive story on moving transmitters into impossible spaces.
The guys break down AEW Dynamite and the start of the build to the Forbidden Door PPV. Will Osprey won the gauntlet match to get the title shot at Forbidden Door, the guys wonder if it’s too soon to put the title on him. Also, Mercedes Mone’s Forbidden Door challenger was revealed as well. Not to be outdone, WWE has created a Forbidden Door of their own. Jordynn Grace will challenge for the NXT Women's Championship against Roxanne Perez at Battleground. They talk about how much more crossover we might have between TNA and WWE. Plus, the latest on the Janel Grant Lawsuit against Vince McMahon, Becky Lynch is taking an indefinite break, a ratings update, and your questions.
Some of us grew up in radio and have spent our whole careers in the business. Others, like Chuck Helstein, started in radio, but has been in IT security and IT financial technology. Now, Chuck brings IT knowledge and discipline back to radio since purchasing KAZM AM/FM in Sedona, Arizona. Chuck joins us to talk about some novel ideas for making great, local radio while cutting expenses dramatically using clever IT services and technology.
Audio over IP (AoIP) has been used in broadcast facilities for about 20 years now. A few broadcast facilities have swapped one brand or standard of AoIP equipment for another during that period. Some broadcasters have swapped equipment twice! Whether the reasons for changing equipment are technical, political, old age, or support issues, we’d like to know about the challenges - or the easy aspects - of changing AoIP brands and standards. Matt Levin is a broadcast engineer in Ohio. His consulting and studio construction work take him to different facilities to make upgrades. Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack discuss with Matt about using different AoIP systems, using console profiles effectively, and about FM audio processing running on PCs and servers.
Audio over IP (AoIP) has been used in broadcast facilities for about 20 years now. A few broadcast facilities have swapped one brand or standard of AoIP equipment for another during that period. Some broadcasters have swapped equipment twice! Whether the reasons for changing equipment are technical, political, old age, or support issues, we’d like to know about the challenges - or the easy aspects - of changing AoIP brands and standards. Matt Levin is a broadcast engineer in Ohio. His consulting and studio construction work take him to different facilities to make upgrades. Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack discuss with Matt about using different AoIP systems, using console profiles effectively, and about FM audio processing running on PCs and servers.
The guys break down Uncle Howdy's therapy session video that WWE streamed live on their Twitch Channel Thursday afternoon. Where is this leading, will it translate into the ring, and who is involved? AEW Dynamite continued the Build to Double or Nothing with a solid episode of Dynamite that saw the return of Darby Alin to replace Eddie Kingston on team AEW for Anarchy In The Arena at Double or Nothing. Also, they react to how Swerve Strickland has been presented overall, and a Non-Title Eliminator Match added to Double or Nothing. In celebration of Andrew’s Birthday week, the Guys play a game of “Vimpire or Not” where they try to categorize wrestlers into a specific spooky level. Plus, AEW’s mini-residency, “AEW Meal & a Match” YouTube series, The latest on the Vince McMahon Law Suit, your questions, and more!
Dan Case just retired from full-time broadcast engineering - and some key projects are fresh on his mind. Dan started his radio career in Erie, Pennsylvania, and quickly moved up with more responsibility and some engineering management. Dan believes in fixing audio problems right at their source and never trying to fix bad audio with more audio processing. And Dan’s passion is developing customer local solutions where they’re needed. From a custom telephone hybrid in the early 1970s, to building a solid, reliable AM station pattern controller. He coined the term “Revenue Insurance” as a way to validate and justify capex expenditures designed to keep revenue flowing in the midst of other failures or disasters. This is an informative interview with with both technical advice and business acumen shared for your benefit.
Boasting 17 signals in 4 radio markets - in New York and Pennsylvania - Radigan Media represents the kind of local radio that’s not only serving its local communities, but doing so with newer technologies. Dave Radigan wears many hats in his growing network of stations, including Chief Engineer. He’s implemented Audio over IP (linear Livewire) between studio and transmitter site, partly because he needed a bi-directional link with no audio compromises - and contact closures. And, Dave has recently opened the door to the “flexible studio”. Using AoIP audio routing tech he’s providing his staff with convenient options for live talk shows, voice-tracking, and production from the same studio, as needed. Let’s check out Dave’s reasoning about implementing the latest tech, when it makes sense to do so.
Many radio engineers love to visit other radio stations. We get ideas to perhaps implement in our own stations. Or sometimes we may get a sense of satisfaction thinking that we’ve done a superlative job in our own facilities - compared to others. Today we’re honored to visit the studios of 100.1 FM in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. OMG! What a drop-dead gorgeous studio! Rafael Recio is the Chief Engineer at 100.1 FM. He shows-off this beautiful and effective working studio, which is home to live shows in morning and afternoon drive every day. Rafael worked with the station’s Program Director, Harold, to design and build this world-class radio studio + control room.
The big story of the week was Tony Khan's involvement in an on-screen angle at the end of Dynamite, during which he received a Meltzer driver from The Young Bucks. The guys analyze this moment and the rest of Dynamite. They also look back at AEW Dynasty and discuss some of the best matches including Dave Meltzer’s star rating for the top matches. They also run through the WWE draft, which starts this week, and break down the rules that they announced. They wonder if the draft will stick and the talent will stay on one brand, or if it will get abandoned a month down the road. Plus, WWE releases, a New NXT Champion, your questions and more!
Chris Tarr just finished a long-anticipated FM transmitter move. Big implications attended this move all the way across a metro area. The new site needed a directional FM antenna, and they decided that a new transmitter made more sense than moving the old one. Chris covers a lot of ground when contemplating any transmitter site move. Kirk Harnack touches on a few pointers for IP radio microwave links, including not trusting the existing infrastructure too much!
The guys discuss Nick Khan’s comments about the possibility of WrestleMania being pushed back to either later in April or early May. They also react to the report of Vince MacMahon’s life after wrestling and his affinity for adopting cats. They briefly discuss the production changes made to Monday Night Raw and how they affected Sami Zayn's entrance. They also mention Rhea Ripley having to give up the Raw Women's Title. AEW Dynasty is this Sunday the guys break down the card and give their predictions and they also discussed what happened on Dynamite this week leading into the PPV. Plus, Sheamus’ return, Roman Reigns movie role, Bloodsport Bushido, your questions, and more!
What’s happening at NAB 2024 in Las Vegas? No way can anyone bring you ALL of the highlights, but we’re bringing seven outstanding engineers and corporate leaders to you on this episode of TWiRT! Our broadcast studio is the Bionic Table at Broadcast Bionics in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Thanks to Broadcast Bionics for the bandwidth and studio space.
The Public Radio Engineering Conference (PREC) seems to get better and better each year. Attendees were frequently held in wrapped attention by captivating and informative presentations about audio and RF technologies and techniques. Our guests on TWiRT each took a few minutes away from the conference sessions to give us their impressions of the technologies being discussed and what’s ahead for Public Radio Engineers.
First up, they're talking about CM Punk's appearance on MMA Hour. What did he say about AEW, Tony Khan, and the incident at Wembley? He also talks about how he never wanted to come back after Brawl Out and how Collision was not going to work. Next, they're breaking down both nights of WrestleMania. Who do they think is gonna win the main event? How is The Rock going to be involved? Plus, they're talking Monday Night Raw and how it's been on fire the last two weeks with The Rock appearing and bringing it back to a more edgier presentation. They're also covering the ROH Supercard of Honor, the AEW ratings drop, and answering all your questions.
Search the web and you’ll find hundreds of articles videos - and thousands of opinions - on the best mics to use for radio and podcasting. One of our sponsors is Angry Audio, makers of two novel mic processors to improve and control the sound of two popular microphone families. Our longtime friend and colleague, Cornelius Gould, designed the audio processing algorithms behind these specific mic processors. “Corny” joins us to talk about this rather unique approach to mic processor design and implementation. Plus Tom Ray pops in to discuss microphone choices with Chris Tarr. Plenty of opinions and some solid advice!
Can you imagine installing 60 broadcast transmitters over the past 8 years? Robert Combs, Corporate Director of Engineering at Cumulus Media has been doing exactly that. Transmitters of all sizes and from several major manufacturers. The most recent transmitter replacement is at WZYP-FM in Huntsville, Alabama. Market Engineer, Dominic Mitchum, is taking care of much of the local work and logistics, alongside Robert’s work. The project also includes replacing the RF coaxial transfer switch, main coax, and even the main and backup FM antennas. Robert and Dominic give us a very informative video tour and discussion of this project on Capshaw Mountain. Plus, Chris Tarr relates his own recent transmitter installation experiences and has developed some advice on purchasing used transmitters.
After taking a week off, the guys recap the last two weeks in wrestling including the debut of Mercedes Mone on AEW Dynamite last week, and the two big title changes on this week’s show. They also discuss the Rock on SmackDown and if he is operating on a double standard when it comes to is promos on social media-also, a quick recap of Monday Night Raw. Plus, the latest on the build to WrestleMania, Shayna Baszler in GCW, Tony Khan clarifies the rules for Continental championship, your questions and more!
Over 50 years ago, Mike Dorrough introduced the Discriminate Audio Processor - the DAP 310. Broadcasters that cared about audio quality started buying and installing DAP310s to improve the audio quality of their stations. Five decades later these old audio processors are still in demand - as are services to supply parts and repairs. Randy Swaffer and Mike Phillips are two DAP310 enthusiasts - and they know all about repairing and aligning these classic units. Jordan Tuck also joins us to talk about refurbishing other broadcast gear, including a Continental Electronics FM transmitter and an A-6000 audio console.
Most broadcasters either own towers or lease antenna space on them. But only the tallest towers are outfitted with elevators to bring workers and light tools up to desired working levels without spending half the day getting tired from climbing. Jim Tiner is CEO at Tower Elevators Systems. His company has built many towers - short, medium, and tall - and many of the tallest ones also have a custom-designed elevator system. This elevator technology is often applicable to other tall structures, such as bridge towers, smokestacks, and even the Statue of Liberty. Jim Tiner presents his company’s fascinating story and tells us about unique elevator designs.
They'll be breaking down everything that went down at AEW Revolution, including Sting's last match, the title picture, and more. And don't forget about the aftermath that played out on Dynamite with Okada joining the Young Bucks in the Elite. They'll discuss Friday Night SmackDown, which featured The Rock in another long segment with the Bloodline that set up the main event for the first night of Wrestlemania. But that's not all! They'll also be talking about Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul on Netflix and how that might impact Raw's presentation on the streaming platform. Plus, WWE Hall of Fame announcements, new sponsorship deals, and answering your questions. So, sit back, relax, and get ready for a wild ride with The Mat Men Podcast!
The LPFM (Low Power FM station) filing window is almost here. Hundreds of organizations are expected to apply for new licenses to serve their local communities. LPFM is a curiosity to many, and a very serious undertaking to many others. Michelle Bradley is an LPFM expert, amateur radio operator, software developer, and a real advocate for FCC Rules and legislation designed to support community-level radio broadcasting. Our conversation is fascinating and informative! We’re delighted to have LPFM radio advocates like Michelle, whose technical knowledge informs her regulatory advocacy work.
With the news coming out this weekend that CM Punk has been terminated from AEW the guys Break down the entire situation from what happened at ALL IN at Wembley up to Tony Khan addressing it Saturday at Collision. They also discuss Punk's future and if this is it for him in pro wrestling. Despite unfortunate news surrounding CM Punk, AEW had another big weekend with All Out in Chicago. They break down the card and talk about how great everything ended up being. The Hoss battle between Miro and Powerhouse Hobbs and the last-minute added Strap match between Bryan Danielson and Ricky Starks highlighted it!
How did YOU get started in broadcasting? We each have a story. Rob Grayson’s older brother, Walt, received an AM transmitter kit for Christmas in the 1960’s, and that got both Walt and Rob started on careers in radio and TV. Rob even took his 3rd Class FCC license test with Bob Pittman, who went on to be CEO at iHeart. So many twists, turns, and stories to tell, both from the engineering and the operations and programming sides of radio.
On this episode, the guys talk about this weekend's AEW All In, live from Wembley Stadium in London. They give their predictions on the card and discuss the build versus the expectations fans have put on such a big show! They also discuss Edge possibly leaving WWE and what it might mean if he were to sign with AEW. Plus, viewer questions, and more!
On back-to-back days, The wrestling world lost two legends with the passing of Terry Funk and Windham Rotunda also known as Bray Wyatt. Regarding Bray Wyatt, we discuss what we know about the events leading to his death and look back at some of the best moments from his career. We also discussed Terry Funk and the Legacy he created on modern wrestling and some of his greatest moments as well! Our condolences go out to the friends, family, and fans of both men!
We often ask and worry about the next generation of broadcast engineers. Andy Gladding leverages his ties to Hofstra University in New York to encourage students to prepare for careers in broadcasting, including broadcast engineering. And he’s helped a number of Hofstra students move into broadcast careers. Chris Tarr, a popular SBE Mentor, and Andy discuss finding and encouraging our next broadcast IT and engineering professionals.
It’s been 10 years (wow!) since the FCC opened an official filing window for new LPFM radio stations. The FCC’s press release states: The Media Bureau (Bureau) announces a filing window for applications for low power FM (LPFM) new station construction permits. The filing window will open at 12:01 am EDT on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and close at 6:00 pm EST on November 8, 2023. The window is available for LPFM proposals in the entire FM band (channels 201-300). Our guest is Dave Doherty, a broadcast engineering consultant who has assisted many applicants in getting their own radio stations. Dave joins us to describe not only the FCC’s application requirements and process, plus a channel search tool at the FCC’s web site, but also to show us the value of using mapping techniques to further identify LPFM placement opportunities.
Andrew and Rich are back on the Mat Men podcast to discuss the latest in professional wrestling. Andrew starts by giving a life update, explaining why he was away for a couple of weeks. They then discuss the recent controversy surrounding CM Punk and his role on the AEW Collision show. They also talk about Edge's contract expiring after his match against Sheamus on Smackdown, and whether this could be his last match. They then discuss Dynamite and the build to All IN next weekend. Finally, they talk about WWE TV from this week, listener questions, and more.
Rich and MG Geek return to discuss the latest in professional wrestling. They discuss WWE SummerSlam, which took place this past weekend, and MG Geek talks about his experience attending the event live. They also share their thoughts on the Bloodline story and where it might be headed. AEW had another solid week of television, with both Dynamite and Collision setting up the upcoming ALL IN event. They discuss the current ALL IN card and speculate on what other matches might be added to the lineup. Other topics include the G1 semi-finals, the potential date for the finalization of the WWE/UFC merger, an update on Bray Wyatt, MG Geek dancing, and your questions.
Despite the hot weather, we know that summer will be fading into fall for us in the northern hemisphere. Josh Jones with Maxx Konnext Group joins us to talk about a production room he’s just finishing up. Chris Tarr is on the show, live from Magnum Media’s data center, and Kirk shares photos and thoughts on a new FM station that’s built with everything at the transmitter site, including the on-air phone system and the audio console. What are your thoughts on Kirk's "main studio" build?
This week, Rich is joined by producer MG Geek in place of Andrew, who is taking some time off. Together, they delve into the world of professional wrestling and discuss the latest happenings. AEW Collision ratings have gone up, thanks to CM Punk's reveal of the real-world title and the FTR vs. MJF and Adam Cole main event. They talk about what all of this could mean for ALL In. The discussion also covers this week's Dynamite, including the surprise victory of Hikaru Shida as the women's champion, another bloody Jon Moxley match, and RVD showing up to face Jack Perry. With SummerSlam coming up this weekend, the two break down the card and provide their predictions, as well as where everything is leading post-SummerSlam. Additionally, they touch on topics such as The Elite staying in AEW, and The Cody Documentary, and answer viewer questions.
Interoperability - what does that mean? After this 1-hour conversation with Robbie Green and Chris Tarr, I would say it means “controlling or checking on one device by using another device or system”. Scaled up intelligently, it implies having control and understanding of complex systems from a single location, or doing so automatically. So, rather than separately checking on an automation system, an audio processor, an audio router, a satellite receiver, a transmitter, or a security system, these individual systems can connect meaningfully to a central monitoring and control (M
Rich gets nuts with Steve Orlando in the second part of their interview. They chat wrestling, entrance music, metal, comics, and everything under the sun but come back to comics! Pick up Scarlett Witch out from Marvel Comics AND Astonishing Ice-Man !
FreePBX is an open source SIP PBX software application used in many thousands of businesses, including broadcast facilities. Tony Lewis is the entrepreneur behind this amazing software, and he joins Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack to discuss the benefits and uses of VoIP telephony. Tony recently founded ClearlyIP.com, a provider of SIP telephony services and equipment, with expertise in high-volume inbound calling, needed by so many broadcasters.
With AEW’s All In show approaching, the guys react to the rumor of Chris Jericho possibly facing Will Osprey. Also, what the rest of the card might look like and why it's taking so long to build up the card. In WWE, Judgment Day has become a featured act on every show. The guys discuss their domination and how it has helped all the shows, including NXT. They also review AEW Dynamite, including thoughts on Adam Cole and MJF as a team. They question why The Elite was not on this week's show after winning Blood and Guts the week prior. Plus, G1 standings, SummerSlam build, Alien discussion, your questions, and more!
Frank Martin is a thoughtful and insightful broadcast engineer with decades of radio and TV experience. And, he’s sharing some compelling ideas with us on this episode of TWiRT. Based in Los Angeles, California. Frank provides service, integration and support for TV, AM, or FM transmitters and studios. Today we’re discussing a new LPFM filing window (Nov 1 - 8, 2023), ATSC 3.0 television, “Franken FM” stations, C-QUAM AM stereo, and whether market size and career satisfaction are related. Plus, Frank has some final thoughts inspired by The 10 Principles of Burning Man.
The guys give thoughts on the memo that came from AEW this week regarding banned and restricted moves in the ring. They also talk about Warner Bros Discovery and AEW in negotiations for a new TV deal and an expanded pay-per-view schedule. Will this be too much product? Also, a breakdown of AEW Dynamite, including the debut of Nick Wayne, and the reveal of the 5th team members for Blood and Guts on next week's Dynamite. Plus, highlights from Monday Night Raw, a preview of upcoming shows, your questions, and more!
The FAA compliance rules for your tower’s obstruction lighting continue to be updated as evidenced by a November 2020 FAA circular. Bear Poth, President
They break down all the fallout from WWE Money In The Bank, including the briefcase winners, The WrestleMania in London tease, and Roman Reigns getting pinned for the first time in three years. Andrew was in attendance for WWE SmackDown from Madison Square Garden on Friday night. While reviewing the show, he talks about his experience watching it live and the crowd's reaction to the bloodline segment. With Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk taking place on Collision Saturday night, they give a preview and discuss their history throughout the years. Plus, Dynamite review, AEW Collison ratings, tentative SummerSlam card, New Japan Strong notes, your questions, and more!
Dan McQuillin, Managing Director at Broadcast Bionics, joins us to explain the philosophy behind Virtual Rack, and further explain how backup and failover is implemented with similar ease.
Kirk Yano is a multiple Grammy-winning recording engineer with well over 30 Platinum and Gold records. He has won three Grammys including a Grammy for the last album that Miles Davis recorded. He has worked with Public Enemy, Mariah Carey, Miles Davis, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Placido Domingo and Phoebe Snow, and has toured as a musician with Snow, Savoy Brown, Scott Holt and Texas Scratch.
Kirk was the recording engineer for “Fight the Power’ by Public Enemy which Billboard magazine still lists as one of the most influential recordings. He was also the engineer on Mariah Carey’s Christmas Album and her Jewel Box album and he worked on History by Michael Jackson.
We'll hear about Kirk Yano's first visit to Nashville and his early association with Steve Church and Frank Foti. And even how Steve Church sometimes stayed at the "Yano Arms Hostel" (my name for it) in NYC in Steve's early phone hybrid days. Plus we'll hear about WMMS remotes that Kirk worked on with Frank in the late 1970's.
Finally, we'll understand part of the reason that music started to get really processed in the early 2000's, and how Kirk worked to mitigate the craziness in the music industry, or at least turn it into something musical and useful. Also, what about the production transition from multitrack tape and mixing consoles to digital DAW production?
This week Rich chats with @thepopverse 's Chris Arrant about comic conventions, Popverse, and we jump into some pro wrestling talk as well!
With AEW Forbidden Door on Sunday, we discuss the build to the show and give our predictions. This includes everything that happened on Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision this week leading to Sunday. We also run down WWE television this week, such as the changes to NXT with more big-named main roster stars appearing to help with ratings. Also, could Logan Paul win Money in The Bank? Plus, the “New Japan Strong” PPV in Japan, big ratings for the Bloodline, and a wacky Q and A session to end the show!
When Chuck Kelly recommends a new technique or technology, it’s important to pay attention. TX-Control is a networked and cloud-based monitoring, alarm, analysis, and control system designed for broadcast equipment. In Europe TX-Control is monitoring over 1,500 transmitter sites, providing custom reports on trends, outages, automatic remediation, and more. It leverages SNMP, a monitoring and control protocol which is built-in to more and more broadcast equipment. Chuck is joined by Aimé Diattà to help us understand this technology and service that’s watching over critical broadcast infrastructure.
The debut episode of AEW collision Took place Saturday night featuring CM Punk they break down the card and talk about CM Punk's interesting promo to start the night out. We also talked the ESPN article CM Punk did this week, and how it got blown out of proportion in the media. Also, what is the likely hood we get some iteration between him and the Elite in the Future? We also talk a bit about the Bloodline segment from Smackdown this week, where it looks like the Usos have split from Roman Reigns, and we will be getting a “Bloodline Civil War” match happening at Money in the Bank. Plus, WWE TV rights update, personnel changes in AEW, a special appearance from “French Tony Khan”, your questions, and more!
Charles Kinney and David Bialik are here to hash out the apparent demise of the AM Radio Band. As bad as some say? Worse? Or still quite viable and important? Have the FCC or the NAB been helpful, or harmful to AM Radio? Is there legislation that would help the AM Radio service? Are there technical improvements that haven’t been implemented yet? Both David and Charles have extensive experience in engineering for large AM stations, and they’re both avid listeners. Salient comments and some good ideas are just ahead, on TWiRT!
Audio-over-IP now a 20-year-old technology, and we’re witnessed many dozens of AoIP networked devices brought to the broadcast marketplace. Now, Pippin Technical Service, a Canadian broadcast equipment supplier and engineering firm, is adding AoIP network devices to its PTS Gear product line. Designed in-house, the PTS Gear lineup includes PTSBeacon, an warning light that gets its signaling directly from virtual GPIO signals on a packet network. PTSAurora is another device driven by the virtual GPIO signals found on Livewire networks. Both devices are PoE powered, meaning they work with just one Ethernet connection for signaling, control, power, and configuration. We broadcast engineers welcome this kind of innovation for making our studios easier to build and more functional for on-air talent.
We paid tribute to the late Iron Sheik talking about his life and career, including his run with the title and his contributions in starting Hulkamania. Also, his pop culture influences after wrestling. The main event of the debut episode of AEW Collision was announced with FTR and CM Punk taking on Samoa Joe and Bullet Club Gold. We talk about how well this will do and what programs will come out of it. Two big matches were made for Forbidden Door this week, including Okada vs. Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega taking on Will Osprey. Not only do we discuss these matches, but we fantasy book what else we want to see on Forbidden Door this year. Plus, Dynamite review, what happened on Raw this week, the new WWE Universal Title, your questions, and more!
A pleasant surprise today as our scheduled guest, Shane Toven, joins us from “Gilbert Lodge”, home of Mark Persons! We’re talking about the Emergency Alert System and how broadcasters might move forward with better techniques and technologies to get live-saving information to their listeners. Shane works with EMF (K-LOVE and Air1) while co-host, Chris Tarr, serves on the Wisconsin State EAS committee. Host, Kirk Harnack, expresses some annoyances with the current EAS system and Chris is the usual voice of reason.
Andrew and Rich are back for another episode of The Man Men Podcast discussing all the latest in professional wrestling! CM Punk was officially announced for the AEW Collision debut episode on June 17th. We Talk about what it means for that show and what are the expectations when it comes to viewership. Both AEW and WWE ran big shows this week, we break down Night of Champions and the big Bloodline angle. Then we talk about Double or Nothing what we liked and what we didn't, including the overuse of gimmicks. Plus, a new WWE title, Roman’s summer schedule, a jammed packed Rampage, your questions, and More!
Andrew and Rich are back for another episode of the Mat Men Podcast, discussing a big Holiday weekend in professional wrestling!Both WWE and AEW are running major shows this weekend with WWE running 'Night of Champions', we run through the card and give our thoughts on what will happen and just how much longer Roman Reigns might be champion. We also run through the AEW 'Double or Nothing' card and discuss the top matches including, the Four Pillars main event not being as hot as it should be. Plus, notes on AEW Collision, Mercedes Monet was injured, WWE building younger stars, your questions, and more!
Three radio station owners walk into a bar. They also happen to be owner-engineers of a terrific radio station on a tropical island. We’re talking about Hal Kneller, Joe Fiorini, and Kirk Harnack at Star 94.3, KHKU-FM, in Lihu’e, Hawai’i. We were all here for a broadcasters’ conference, plus some light maintenance at the Star 94.3 studios. While Hal has been a guest on TWiRT, this is Joe’s first appearance. What interesting engineering backgrounds from both of these guys! We talk about AM radios in automobiles, a question of 50 ohms, and some ideas on backing up everything.
Andrew and Rich return for another episode of The Mat Men Podcast, discussing all the latest in professional wrestling! This week's big news is the announcement of AEW Collision, which will premiere in a few weeks on Saturday nights. We discuss the announcement and the advertised talent for the show. Although CM Punk was thought to be part of AEW Collision, there have been some complications that may have led to his removal from the card. We discuss the latest on this, including what we have heard about a possible roster split. WWE is building to Night of Champions, and we talk about the latest WWE television and run through the current card. Plus, we remember the late Superstar Billy Graham, WWE's return to India, New Japan Resurgence, your questions, and more!
We've ALL used broadcast automation/playout systems, but have you met the BRAINS behind their designs and software? Today we're meeting Alan Freeman, author of several Radio and TV automation systems including Digital DJ, AXS, EZ DJ Pro, Virtual Cart Machine, and Voice Tracking on Scott Studios automation systems. Plus, Alan helped design audio and relay cards for PCs, making integration possible between these PC-based audio systems and hardware of the day. From controlling satellite-delivered music formats, to mega-CD-changers, to music on hard driver, Alan has written software and user interfaces for them.
Tickets went on sale for AEW All In At Wembley Stadium in London, and the early numbers coming back are leading to some records for a non-WWE event. WWE held their draft this past week, we talk about the new rosters and discuss who might do well on their new brand. Backlash is this Saturday, we run through the card and wonder if Bad Bunny vs Damian Priest might actually main event, being they are in Puerto Rico! On AEW Dynamite this week, the main event was set for Double or Nothing, but will that be the big draw for the show? Plus, Changes to AEW programming, WWE financials, your questions, and a special appearance by everyone's friend 'French Tony Khan'!
Many broadcast and audio engineers have terrific ideas. Indeed, there’s hardly a shortage of ideas. “Wouldn’t it be great if someone built this?” Or, “Why doesn’t anyone make that?” Then there are people who build things–usually with a good idea, but sometimes not. Mike Dosch’s passion and unique skill are identifying the best ideas for audio devices, then designing and building them with solid technology and knife-edge precision. His company, Angry Audio, embodies this ethic and activity, and we broadcast engineers get to use and enjoy the results. In this episode, Mike and Chris Tarr discuss audio processing designed around Cornelius Gould’s “Chameleon” algorithms. Then Mike shares some new ideas in mic processing and elegant analog audio mixing.
Andrew and Rich are back for another episode of Mat Men podcast, discussing all the latest pro wrestling news! The WWE Draft starts this week, and we discuss who should go where and how they are handling Roman Reigns, his title, and the new World Heavyweight championship. We break down this week's AEW Dynamite, and Andrew explains why he is not a fan of this “four pillars” program at the top of the card. Plus, the latest lawsuit against the WWE, CM Punk's appearance at Raw, more on the new show, your questions, and more!
Like many of us broadcast engineers, Bob Burnham built an audio mixer and started broadcasting from his parents’ basement. Indeed, if it weren’t for basements, garages, and kitchen tables we’d likely still be in the technology Dark Ages! Bob’s engineering experience ranges from a 10-tower AM directional station, through a few other AM directionals, FM stations, on-air work, and building studios at a broadcasting school. Plus, Bob founded BRC Broadcast Services, which offers Old Time Radio shows for nostalgic enjoyment - even if you’ve never heard these great shows before.
TWiRT is live from NAB 2023! :You can join us virtually in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center for news, stories, and impressions of this year's biggest broadcast expo, the 100th anniversary of NAB shows! We're broadcasting from the show-floor studio of MaxxRadio from Josh Bohn's MaxxKonnect Group. A debt of gratitude to Josh Bohn, President/CEO of MaxxKonnect and to Isis M. Jones for her camera work; she's extraordinarily overqualified!Note: Apologies for the bad audio for the first 15 minutes or so of the show. It was my fault. I had one of the remote camera’s microphones also enabled and did not know it. We did some post-production cleanup and improved the audio quite a lot. Thanks to SunKast, our show producer, for a big assist.
We have more on the potential return of CM Punk to AEW and the new TV show. Andrew discusses what he heard this week regarding the new show and possibly starting at the United Center in Chicago. Also, there has been some talk that Warner Media would be interested in some WWE programming. The guys talk about if that would be a good fit or not. They also discuss why Roman Reigns having a 1000-day title reign is significant to the WWE when it comes to modernizing the record books. Plus, WWE and AEW TV reviews, Mercedes Mone’s Japan run, Goldberg’s last run, your questions, and more!
This week Rich chats with DB Andry about End After End from Vault Comics! They talk the writing process, getting into comics, conventions, and of course - sandwiches!
The big story this week is the rumors of a plan to bring back CM Punk to AEW. Andrew goes into detail as to what he's heard and how real this is. A lot of this is centered around a new show that looks to be starting this summer and would likely feature Punk exclusively. Also, how do other parties like the Elite and others feel about him returning?
The Public Radio Engineering Conference (PREC) is on! Two full days of technical sessions and reconnecting with broadcast engineers from Florida to Alaska. Tech presentations included sessions on Recovering from Hurricane Ian, Virtualizing most of Minnesota Public Radio, Understanding Loudness by Understanding LUFS, Using AI for FM Pattern Studies, and the benefits of captioning radio programming. We pulled a few presenters away and got their thoughts on broadcast engineering projects and challenges today.
Andrew and Rich are back with another jam-packed episode of Mat Men Podcast discussing all the latest in pro wrestling, including the fallout from WrestleMania and more!Even though WrestleMania was this past week, the biggest story might have been the sale of WWE to Endeavor. We have thoughts, including what a sale means going forward and who this benefits the most. Also, Vince McMahon appears to be fully back in charge. We talk about how that affects the current talent and potential free agents.We run down the best highlights from WrestleMania, Including fallout from the main event of Sunday night with Roman Reigns defeating Cody Rhodes. AEW Dynamite saw the official debut of Jay White, a musical number by MJF, and Assault with a Screwdriver by Bryan Danielson. We break it all down! Plus, AEW goes to Wembley Stadium, Vince's mustache, your questions, and more!
Quite a few radio engineers first met Paul Jellison just outside his house on 21 acres, right next to a 747 foot Blaw-Knox diamond-shaped tower. Paul lived in the house on the WLW transmitter site for a dozen years, raised his children there, and proudly gave transmitter tours to many curious broadcasters. From 4-POTS-line remote broadcasts, to the first ISDN connections in Central Florida, to new STL and remote monitoring solutions, Paul loves to use innovative technology to make radio sound better and be more reliable.
This week Rich chats with Patric Reynolds about his work and Bloodstained Teeth out from Image Comics! Issue ten just dropped and we chat about his process and the stellar creative team on the book! You can find Patric at: twitter.com/patric_reynoldsand murderingink.com You can find Rich at twitter.com/btcrich
It is WrestleMania weekend, and we run down all the shows, including both nights of WrestleMania. Does Cody Rhodes take the title from Roman Reigns on Sunday? Will the Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens be the Main Event of Night One? We discuss all of this and the rest of the card from WrestleMania.
Sometimes broadcast engineers get to build new transmitter sites or facilities. Usually, however, we’re tasked with rebuilding existing sites or improving them. Chris Tarr is a sought-after engineer thanks to his experience and hard-earned wisdom in best practices as well as clever solutions. On this episode of TWiRT, Chris shares this wisdom and the reasoning behind it from several transmitter site projects. Plus, Kirk presents Chris (and our audience) with three scenarios for new studios and FM/HD transmitter sites, and awaits Chris’s judgment!
Scared of or skeptical about ChatGPT driving voice-tracked AI voices in radio? You're not alone. RadioGPT can talk. It can research. It can take your calls. And it could be coming to your market. Let's get some answers, together. Daniel Anstandig, CEO, and Craig Bowman, SVP, at Futuri Media are sharing insights on the technologies involved, and their vision for now and the future of Artificial Intelligence in broadcasting. Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack co-host this episode and play some examples of AI-generated radio content.
Rich has Mark London on the pod this week - Mark is the CEO of Mad Cave Studios and they chat comics, creativity, influences, and more! https://madcavestudios.comtwitter.com/marklondonMCStwitter.com/madcavestudios twitter.com/btcrich
Andrea Cummis runs a television systems integration firm; and, she’s the current President of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Recognizing the value of new, younger engineers to our profession, Andrea is working, finding new ways to attract younger, technically-minded individuals to join the SBE. Meanwhile, Jeff Schick, CTO at Sprite Media, is working at the local chapter level to partner with college-level students who are interested in technical professions in media. Both strategy and application are working to bring new engineers into the broadcasting and media creation fields. We’re meeting with Andrea and Jeff on a trip to New York City and an evening with broadcast engineers in US market #1.
Andrew and Rich are back for a very special episode of Mat Men where they are joined by Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins fame and the owner of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Who was kind to join us on his birthday to talk about the upcoming NWA 312 PPV and more. They talk about his earliest influences in pro wrestling and what lead to him wanting to get into the wrestling business. We also discuss his experience as a successful musician and how that helps when it comes to dealing with different aspects of the business, including talent and production. Billy talks about his overall thoughts on the wrestling business today and why it likely has yet to peak. He shares his philosophy on the modern NWA and how it differs from the nostalgic era that most of us remember. Plus, the importance of mental health in the business and his approach when it comes to dealing with talent. Finally, we talk about NWA 312 happening on April 7th in Highland Park, Illinois, where some of the proceeds will help to benefit the Highland Park Community Fund which is helping victims recovering from the mass shooting in that community last 4th of July. Billy gives a preview of the show, which matches he is looking forward to the most, and who are some of the talents we should be watching. Show information Get tickets here: NWATIX.comTo order the PPV: https://www.fite.tv/watch/nwa-312/2pcr2/
The guys give their thoughts on AEW Revolution including the Iron Man match and who might be next to face MJF. On Dynamite, Bryan Danielson hinted at taking time off, and Jade Cargill challenged a Canadian, we give our thoughts. WWE continues the build to WrestleMania, we discuss all the new matches that were made and the appearance of John Cena. Also, the Bloodline story made a big advancement this week with Jey Uso choosing his side. Plus, WWE wants to get into the gambling business, a possible new AEW TV show, WWE announces new stadium shows, your questions, and more!
RadioDNS, DTS AutoStage, HD Multiplex, Broadcast Positioning System, and ATSC 3.0 - all topics for industry expert, David Layer. David is uniquely qualified to inform broadcasters and engineers about technology advances. He’s at the intersection of manufacturers, technology, regulatory impacts, and industry advocacy. On this episode, Layer describes his experiences with DTS Autostage technology and how listeners can maintain a seamless listening experience using this tech in several new car models.
Andrew and Rich are back with another episode of The Mat Men Podcast discussing all the latest in the world of professional wrestling!AEW Revolution is this weekend, the guys take a look at the card and discuss the build coming out of this week's Dynamite and Rampage shows. We also run down this week's television in WWE as the build to WrestleMania picks up. Including rumors that Vince McMahon might be influencing creative, and what the tentative WrestleMania card currently looks like! Plus, AEW’s new reality show, Brock Lesnar's future, Mercedes Mone's upcoming appearances, your questions, and more!
Chris Tarr and Scott Fybush both had busy days! Chris is working with a tower crew, installing a 2-bay FM antenna in Madison, Wisconsin, for WSJY. Meanwhile, Scott just returned from WLYK, Saint Vincent, New York, where this Class A FM station is under new ownership. Scott’s installing new EAS gear and revamping the transmitter site where the automation system is co-located. Plus more AM transmitter sites are becoming worth more for the land than for the signal, and the station brokerage business is not doing badly. Stay tuned for Scott’s comedic announcement at the end of the show!
Keira Connolly got started in radio engineering the same way many of us did - through building our own transmitters and broadcasting to the “neighborhood”. Keira’s radio “neighborhood” may have involved some impressive FM power output levels, but certainly involved consulting broadcast facilities in both Ireland and South Africa. And now that broadcast infrastructure is moving into IT hosted systems, including virtual machines and, soon, containerized software, Keira is working with those technologies, too.
The guys have thoughts on the passing of Jerry Jarrett and his importance to the wrestling business, and his contributions to what modern wrestling looks like. Elimination Chamber is Saturday, we break down the card and discuss all the possible scenarios for the Sami Zayn vs. Roman Reigns match. AEW Revolution is two weeks away, and we wonder if the build has been a bit slow. We talk about why this might be and give thoughts on this week's Dynamite. Plus, NJPW Battle in the Valley preview, ROH TV is starting soon, your questions, and more!
Those who know Troy Pennington would say he’s a true gentleman. Engineering for a world-record-setting FM radio station in Birmingham, Alabama, certainly kept the pressure on. The #1 station had to sound great and be reliable - as did all the stations in his employer’s Birmingham cluster. Later, in Nashville, Troy helped build out several world-class studios for national music and talk shows, plus kept the local transmitters on-air. Oh, and his peers elected Troy to be President of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. You can bet that Troy has some tales to tell - and he does just that with Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack.
It’s inevitable; the next generation of broadcast engineers will need to have IT skills in addition to audio and RF knowledge. Noah Chilliah is certainly in that next generation, and he’s using the IT skills he’s developed to build content and broadcasting infrastructure. TWiRT co-host, Chris Tarr, worked with Noah a few years ago in a mentor/mentee relationship, passing on valuable radio-centric information and skills.
On WWE Raw this week, Paul Heyman and Cody Rhodes had an all-time promo exchange, setting up the main event of WrestleMania. The question is did it work, and will people get behind Cody despite the popularity of Sami Zayn? On AEW Dynamite this week Bryan Danielson defeated Rush in one of the best TV matches so far this year, and now will face MJF at AEW Revolution. Speaking of MJF he told a very controversial story that apparently warranted police calls, and The Gunn Club are the new Tag Team Champions despite the displeasure of the crowd. Plus, NXT pays homage to the past, Jerry Lawler’s health scare, SummerSlam coming to Detroit, your questions, and more!
Russ Laferty is the kind of broadcast engineer that more stations need. He’s from the rough mountains and “hollers” of Eastern Kentucky - Auxier, Kentucky - to be precise. But he also travels Tennessee, Arkansas, West Virginia and beyond to get broadcasters back on the air, always working to improve their equipment reliability and effectiveness. Today we caught up with Russ at the new transmitter site of WDTL-FM, licensed to Indianola, MS. It’s a second-hand prefab building at the base of a 1,000’ tower near Skene, Mississippi. An ice storm was forcing Russ to run the new Nautel transmitter at a lower power level.
We talk about all the fallout from the Royal Rumble including the main event angle between Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and the Bloodline. How will this affect the main event at Wrestlemania. Smackdown sees the setup of the main event for Elimination Chamber as Sami Zayn will now face Roman Reigns. We discuss if this is the hottest angle in pro wrestling and where it ranks with other classic storylines. On AEW Dynamite this week, Samoa Joe won back the TNT title from Darby Allin and the Bryan Danielson and MJF program is heating up. We discuss the show and wonder what's next for Konosuke Takeshita as he is facing MJF next week. Also, Andrew has an interesting gimmick change for Brian Cage if he ever goes to WWE. Plus, the passing of Leaping Lanny Poffo, Koda Ibushi is a free agent, NXT Vengeance Day preview, and we answer your questions!
Andrew and Rich are back for an exciting Royal Rumble go-home edition of The Mat Men Podcast! AEW was allowed to do a proper tribute to a Briscoe after Warner Brothers Discovery reversed course and allowed the tribute after a tremendous backlash from fans. We discuss this and everything else from this week’s Dynamite. We talked about the 30th anniversary of Monday Night Raw, including the fantastic Bloodline segment that opened the show. We also realized Hulk Hogan got old! Royal Rumble is Saturday we take a look at the card and discuss the favorites and possibly who might show up. Plus, more lawsuits against Vince Mcmahon, Steve Austin Wrestlemania Pitches, your questions, and more!
Jack Scott's résumé includes the following: Author, Brand Ambassador, Consultant, Technologist , Broadcast Engineer, Pilot, Broadcast Journalist, VO Talent, Serial Entrepreneur, Wacky Radio Guy - and he's on TWiRT! Jack started in radio at age 12 when he exclaimed to the station owner, “Hey, I’m not famous yet!” Jack went on to be a station engineer, and then built several radio and TV stations before getting into the burgeoning home
This week tragedy struck the wrestling world with the untimely death of Jamin Pugh also known as Jay Briscoe. We pay our respects and give the latest on his family. Also, Warner Brothers Discovery reportedly blocked a full-blown tribute on Dynamite this week. We discussed if that was necessary. Reports have surfaced that The Rock is saying he is not going to be in “ring shape” by WrestleMania to have a main event match with Roman Reigns. We discussed if this is legit or maybe just smoke and mirrors. We have the latest on Vince McMahon, including repealing bylaws to the board of directors, The Rita Chatterton settlement, and Nick Khan’s interview with Bill Simmons. Plus, WWE is getting ready for the Royal Rumble, AEW Dynamite review, Andrew’s Powerslap rant, your questions, and more!
George Whittam - I call him “Engineer to the Stars” - is back on TWiRT! This time he’s brought photos of home studio design and construction. George talks about some challenges in the layout and building of these home Voice-Over (VO) studios. We also get George’s opinion on headphones and microphones, and a look at what makes the Apollo audio interfaces so sophisticated; it’s a lot more than I had imagined. Kirk Harnack interviews George Whittam on this episode of TWiRT!
Whodunit? We did! The Film Class Zeros have gathered into the parlor to discuss Clue, the 1985 comedy based on the board game featuring Tim Curry along with a stellar ensemble cast. Speaking of ensemble, the FCZs are joined by Alanah Rafferty of Girl Presses Play! Lock the door behind you and join us!
Ready to learn some surprising facts about audio processing? David Reaves - known by many for the Ariane audio processor - is guest! We're talking, of course, about the famous Ariane audio processor, but also the CBS Audimax and Volumax. Did you know the Audimax had a "memory module" that was key to its “intelligent” audio leveling action? Pretty slick for early 1960's design!
In the wake of Vince McMahon returning to WWE’s Board of directors as the chairman, there have been many rumors of a potential sale. This included one that said that they had already been sold to the Saudis which sent the internet into a panic. We get into the particulars of what we know about a sale and also Stephanie McMahon resigning in the wake of all this! AEW had an all-time great Dynamite in Los Angeles on Wednesday in which we now have new trios champions in the Elite, and MJF cut promos on celebrities. Also, there was no Mercedes Mone`but could she still show up on AEW Television down the road? Plus, ROH’s next pay-per-view, New Japan’s Battle in the Valley update, your questions, and more!
On this Mat Men Podcast special we present the Third Annual Year End Mat Men Awards! Andrew and Rich along with producer MG Geek run down all the winners of the “Golden Potato” which was comprised of a fan ballot that we have been compiling over the last month. In addition to handing out the awards, we reflect on 2022 and talk about how the nominees that we thought would do well and didn’t. Plus, who carries this success into 2023?
Vince McMahon has forcibly returned to the WWE. He has appointed himself executive chairman and added his own board members. We break this down and take your questions while getting new information live. New Japan put on Wrestle Kingdom 17 which saw the debut of Mercedes Mone, formerly Sasha Banks, Kenny Omega, and Will Osprey put on an all-time classic! Plus, AEW Dynamite review, WWE is doing Money in the Bank in the UK, John Cena boosts Smackdown ratings, your questions, and more!
Frank Foti is well known within the broadcasting industry for his digital audio processing innovations. Those of us who know Frank personally know that he is a huge fan of 5.1 audio recordings, and that he has often lamented the scarcity of available material. But unlike the rest of us, Frank actually has the skills to do something about it. He’s been developing DejaVu for several years and says it’s finally ready. Frank explains how his artistic upmixing technologies led him to Abbey Road studios in London, and how this tech is now easily available on several platforms.
Andrew and Rich are back for another special episode of Mat Men where we take a look at our 2022 predictions and make some bold predictions for 2023!Producer MG Geek takes us through all our predictions from 2022, what we got right but mostly got wrong.We give our predictions for 2023 and discuss all the predictions from the Mat Men family and viewer-submitted ones as well!
On this special Year-end edition of Mat Men, Andrew and Rich take a look at some of the best things in wrestling from 2022. We discuss some of the best matches of the year including Cody vs Seth Rollins, FTR vs the Briscoes, and more! Also, who was the top performer of the year? Men’s and women's wrestlers of the year and the best tag team we give our thoughts!
On this special year-end edition of Mat Men, Andrew and Rich discuss what were some of the worst things that happened during 2022.We discuss, Vince McMahon stepping down from WWE after accusations of inappropriate behavior, CM Punk going nuts in a media scrum, Cody leaving AEW, and much more.Plus, we take a look at some of the things that didn't happen and who we lost this year!
On the final podcast of 2022, this week Dax Harwood made a plea to bring back CM Punk! We talked about the scenarios that need to happen for this to be possible and what's the likelihood that it does actually happen. After winning the Triple-A tag Team titles Dragon Lee announced he was headed to WWE and will report to NXT starting in January. Andrew explains that this is the beginning of NXT's new approach to talent development and also who might be next to come over. AEW put on a strong Dynamite this week, including match number 6 between Death Triangle and the Elite, and Samoa Joe gives Wardlow a haircut, we break it all down. Plus, Tony Khan Talks ROH, Tyson Fury is possibly not able to do WrestleMania, and could AEW add another hour of TV?
Armed with another treasure trove of broadcast engineering tips, tricks, and advice, John Bisset is here for our year-end episode! Plus, John is having a little contest (or is it “challenge”?) for your best transmitter site tips. One early entry to John advises, “Don’t knock on the transmitter door because that’s how we call the alligator!”
Andrew and Rich are back with Another episode of the Mat Men Podcast discussing all the latest in professional wrestling from the past week! Tony Khan is planning to revamp the look and feel of AEW television starting at the first of the year we discuss what that might look like and why they might feel a need to change it up. Bronson Reed formerly known as Jonah made his return to WWE this week on Monday Night Raw. We discuss how this came about, and how long they wanted to bring him back!AEW had a big Dynamite this week with the highlight being the women's title match that stole the show! Plus, the latest on Sasha Banks, NXT gets nostalgic, WWE has big shows planned next week, your questions, and more!
Cornelius Gould began nearly 40 years ago considering audio processing and its effect on how we perceive music and voice. His “Chameleon” audio processing algorithms began with analog circuits, but are now fully emulated and perfected in Digital Signal Processing (DSP). What makes audio more pleasing to our ears and brains? What might a psychoacoustic expert say about the treatment of audio so we hear and appreciate it more enjoyably? Chris Tarr joins Kirk Harnack to discuss these topics and questions on today’s TWiRT.
Andrew and Rich react to the latest Wall Street Journal regarding Vince McMahon including new allegations and his desire to return to the WWE. Mandy Rose was released this week after she dropped the title the night before, due to content she was putting out on her personal fan site. We talk about if this was the right decision and how it differs from previous content WWE has produced in the past. ROH ran Final Battle this past weekend we react to the best matches including FTR vs. The Briscoes and Jericho losing to Claudio via a Giant swing. Plus, the latest Sasha Banks news, Raw highlights, a look at the current Wrestle Kingdom 17 card, your questions, and more!
Like many of us broadcast engineers, Sascha Ludwig builds and maintains somewhat traditional broadcast studios while implementing server-based virtualized solutions as well. Sascha is based in Germany where the talent appreciates traditional hardware user interfaces. But he’s implementing more of today’s technology for these content creators. As a software developer, he maintains and update the OnAirScreen software package appearing in radio control rooms everywhere. Chris Tarr joins us for a good discussion and comparison of some German engineering and how we’re doing broadcast engineering in the US.
WWE is contemplating having Roman Reigns wrestle on both nights of Wrestlemania does he through Mania with both titles? We discuss what we would like to happen! We talk about William Regal being done with AEW and Tony Khan explaining the details in a media call this week on how his family issues helped him come to terms with Regal's contract. Sasha Banks is rumored to appear at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th. How real is this and is it leading to her being Saraya’s mystery partner at the Los Angeles show?Plus, AEW Dynamite review, previews of ROH, and NXT pay-per-views!
Hearing dialog on some TV shows and many movies broadcast on TV is a problem. Why is dialog often hard to hear? Radio doesn’t have this problem. And TV typically didn’t until we went digital with DTV and 5.1 audio. Ken Tankel is Kirk’s go-to TV audio specialist. Ken worked for years in radio major market radio, so he understands audio processing. But, TV audio is markedly different, with different goals, targets, and formats. But we’d still like to understand the dialog! Ken walks us through some similarities and differences in TV and radio audio, and describes TV’s audio problems with some possible solutions.
Some technical advice is timeless. Other tech advice changes with the times. Such is the case with FM transmitter sites. Now more than ever we broadcast engineers need to apply the right safeguards and approaches at today’s FM transmitter sites. Situated under tall lightning “attractors” - otherwise known as “towers” - FM transmitter sites need a mix of time-tested design care and contemporary precautions. Hal Kneller is a 40 year veteran of transmitter sites, and his Florida home provides plenty of experience with lightning protection, whether the equipment is old or new.
WWE Survivor Series WarGames was last night, we run through the card and break down the highlights. The big story was Sami Zayn solidifying his stance with the Bloodline by turning on Kevin Owens. The women's match was filled with high spots for good reason and we have a new United States Champion! We run through all the highlights from AEW this past week including Jon Moxley's promo on William Regal, Chris Jericho defending his title against Tomohiro Ishii on Dynamite, and Preston Vance turning on the Dark Order on Rampage. Plus, CM Punk is not being released, Logan Paul's injury timeline, your questions, and more!
Pierre Lonewolf’s career journey that led him to Kotzebue, Alaska in the early 1980s. You can’t get much farther away from major population bases than northern Alaska. Kotzebue, population 3,283, sits on a sand spit of Alaska’s Arctic west coast just across the Chukchi and Bering Seas and several hundred miles from the Russian eastern frontier. It’s a scenic but scarcely populated place that features abundant wildlife like caribou and moose and bear. Pierre Lonewolf, CSRE, CNT, manages engineering services at KOTZ(AM) and KINU(FM) plus a network of FM translators and low-power FMs serving tiny villages. [Excerpted from an article by Randy Stine.] Pierre joins Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack for a lively discussion of radio engineering in this remote Alaskan village.
Andrew and Rich are back for a special Sunday episode of the Mat Men podcast breaking down all the things that happened from the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view. We have a new AEW world champion in MJF and William Regal turned on Moxley to help MJF win. We talk about the match and who will be the guy to win the title next. The Elite returned to face the Death triangle for the trios' title, and it was later announced a best-of-seven series between these two teams. We discuss what they can do to make all the matches interesting.
Plus, a New women’s champion, Saraya’s in-ring return after five years, Sting and Jeff Jarrett wrestle in 2022, and more!
Special Mat Men Contributor Matt Ryan from Catalyst Wrestling takes a look at this year's Wrestling Observer Hall Of Fame and gives his picks for who should get in.
“Aggressive Neglect” sounds like a great name for an Alt Rock band, but it’s actually one of Dennis Sloatman’s pet peeves. Petrified hamburger leftovers in the wiring chases is another. But he would rather construct new, reliable, yet simple broadcast systems than complain about poor work that preceded him. From continuing education to SNMP-monitored systems to small, medium and very large markets, Dennis Sloatman is the thoughtful engineer who plans the work and then works the plan. Let’s get wiser in our broadcast engineering skills by spending an hour with the top-shelf broadcaster.
WWE Crown Jewel last week, we talked about the fallout from the show which included several mentions of New Japan and Bullet Club References. We also give Logan Paul his flowers and discuss what his ceiling is if he were to commit full-time to wrestling. We go into Dynamite from Wednesday including the announcement of the in-ring return of Saraya, MJF’s radio appearance, and The Elite returning possibly at Full Gear. Also, Andrew explains his odd perversion for all things Jeff Jarrett! Plus, Shibata wrestled on Rampage, Sasha Banks teases something big, and more!
The auto industry has been offering after-market parts and assemblies for decades. Now we’re seeing more after-market system replacements in the broadcast industry. Mike Patton, a well-known contract engineer, is offering replacement assemblies for some popular AM and FM transmitters. These specific transmitter models are typically well-designed for long life, but now suffer from parts made of “non-obtainium”. Mike solves this with newly-designed replacement assemblies made from parts available now. Join Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack as we listen and watch Mike describe how these replacement systems are keeping hundreds of otherwise perfectly good transmitters on-the-air today.
Radio, TV, and SBE - this man has seen some things and knows some secrets! Isaiah Chavez joins Kirk Harnack on TWiRT. You don't want to miss his "sticky chair" introduction to radio, or his baptism by fire into Broadcast IT. Then there's the SBE Recruitment Ninja award he's about to receive! (OK, we made that up.) Isaiah’s broadcasting career sounds like many others, but with his own unique twists.
Radio, TV, and SBE - this man has seen some things and knows some secrets! Isaiah Chavez joins Kirk Harnack on TWiRT. You don't want to miss his "sticky chair" introduction to radio, or his baptism by fire into Broadcast IT. Then there's the SBE Recruitment Ninja award he's about to receive! (OK, we made that up.) Isaiah’s broadcasting career sounds like many others, but with his own unique twists.
Hey there, chums! The Film Class Zeros get their feet wet with this episode about Jaws! We talk about how this disastrous production became a classic, mental health and sharks! Dive in to this episode, the mayor says it’s perfectly safe.
I had a conference to attend - and speak at; Chris Tarr had a travel and transmitter story to tell. I had guests; Chris had frustrations. My boss supports me doing a weekly podcast; Chris’s boss supports his engineering initiatives. I drove from my home to this conference in Columbus; Chris drove from his home to get a transmitter in Colby. Bouncing back and forth between our respective “studios” we put on a pretty interesting and informative show this week. Chris and I hope you enjoy it!
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has once again updated lighting requirements for broadcast towers and other “hazards to aviation” via an Advisory Circular issued in November, 2020. Tower lighting manufacturers are responding with new, appropriate lighting kits and custom solutions, and LED lighting is playing a large role in these updates. David Shepeard is President of Drake Lighting, and an advocate for simplified LED lighting systems that are readily remotely monitored and even remotely controlled. David joins us along with Mark Walker and Ryan Harper to show us their modern and simplified lighting controllers and LED tower-mounted lights. Plus we find out about the infrared lighting requirements included with LED lighting systems.
Andrew and Rich are back with another episode of Mat Men on a special Wednesday Edition following a big night of wrestling. AEW Dynamite was moved to Tuesday due to the MLB playoffs and saw MJF cut one of the best promos ever and challenge Jon Moxley at Full Gear. We discuss and give our thoughts on the show. The end of Dynamite saw what appeared to be a pretty bad injury to Hangman Adam Page during the main event. We provide an update on the latest regarding his injury and wonder what the ending was supposed to be. Bray Wyatt made his return on Smackdown, we discuss his promo and speculate what this new character arch might be. Plus, the latest on ROH TV, a new AEW Reality show, The Rock as a possible WWE executive, and changes to WWE’s PLE schedule! All this and more!
How many radio remotes have you done from the “station van”? At the Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic in Madison, WI, we’re broadcasting live from the Telos Alliance van. It was parked just outside the convention hall and seemed a perfect venue for a TWiRT episode. We get to hear from radio industry executives and top-notch broadcast engineers who are attending this terrific annual convention.
Extreme Rules was last weekend. We discuss the card and, of course, the return of Bray Wyatt at the end of the show. What form will his character take this time and is the Wyatt 6 faction happening? Rich shows excitement for Gallows and Anderson returning to WWE on this week's Monday Night Raw and wonders if this might lead to some sort of working agreement with New Japan. Also on Raw, Bloodline made an appearance, and Roman Reigns continues to be the best act in WWE. Sami Zayn is probably the most over he’s ever been with this "Honorary Uce" role. We ponder if this might lead to a "Daniel Bryan" style organic push for him. AEW Dynamite saw Orange Cassidy win his first singles title in the company, and Chris Jericho retained the ROH title over Bryan Danielson. We give praise to Adam Page’s strong promo ahead of next week’s World Title Match against Jon Moxley and Renne Paquette's debut as an interviewer. Plus, Ariel Helwani complains about interviewing Tony Khan, NXT viewership rises, The Rock kind of teases a Mania match, your questions, and more!
Extreme Rules was last weekend. We discuss the card and, of course, the return of Bray Wyatt at the end of the show. What form will his character take this time and is the Wyatt 6 faction happening? Rich shows excitement for Gallows and Anderson returning to WWE on this week's Monday Night Raw and wonders if this might lead to some sort of working agreement with New Japan. Also on Raw, Bloodline made an appearance, and Roman Reigns continues to be the best act in WWE. Sami Zayn is probably the most over he’s ever been with this "Honorary Uce" role. We ponder if this might lead to a "Daniel Bryan" style organic push for him. AEW Dynamite saw Orange Cassidy win his first singles title in the company, and Chris Jericho retained the ROH title over Bryan Danielson. We give praise to Adam Page’s strong promo ahead of next week’s World Title Match against Jon Moxley and Renne Paquette's debut as an interviewer. Plus, Ariel Helwani complains about interviewing Tony Khan, NXT viewership rises, The Rock kind of teases a Mania match, your questions, and more!
Spooky season is upon us and what better way to kick things off than with a tepid action/monster flick from 2004? The Zeros subject themselves to Van Helsing, the Hugh Jackman steampunk romp through the Universal Monster lineup. Come listen to us talk about the Castlevania movie we never got, stay to hear us invent the Fast and the Frankenstein franchise.
While Hurricane Ian was destroying bridges, homes, and infrastructure in Southwest Florida, broadcast engineers were keeping their stations on the air however they could. And in the aftermath they’re repairing flooded transmitter sites and restoring signals where some things went very wrong. Thoughtful planning kept several broadcasters on-the-air with critical weather and safety information. Hal Kneller and Kevin Trueblood were in the middle of the destruction as Hurricane Ian rampaged through. Hal and Kevin join Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack with photos and security camera footage of the destruction and aftermath.
The big story on everyone's mind this week is the WWE White Rabbit promotion. Who is the white rabbit? Is it Bray Wyatt? Or possibly someone or something else? We break it down and discuss the possibilities! This week on Raw and SmackDown, WWE continues to build towards Extreme Rules. We take a look at the card and the storylines taking place leading up to it. On AEW this week, Chris Jericho defended the Ring of Honor championship against Bandido and declared Ring of Honor his division now. We speculate on what matches we might get with a Chris Jericho title run in Ring of Honor. Plus, a PSA about false reporting in wrestling media, AEW contracts, your questions, and more!
We met Curtis Machek almost 300 TWiRT episodes and exactly six years ago! In 2016 he won awards for “Broadcast Logger”, a cloud-based audio recorder for radio stations. Since then he’s working with radio stations, auto dealers, and medical clinics to effectively engage their listeners, customers, and patients. Text Groove does this with opt-in text messaging that’s designed specifically to not annoy, but to engage the recipients, inviting them to listen, test drive, and stay healthy. We’re focusing on the radio stations’ use of this technology - how to misuse it, and of course, how to use it properly to build loyal audiences.
The Film Class Zeros take to the skies in this Top Gun Two-fer! Rich and Alex talk about the original Top Gun, the sequel, Maverick, and their own adventures in aviation. Come find out which one of us threw up!
The Film Class Zeros take to the skies in this Top Gun Two-fer! Rich and Alex talk about the original Top Gun, the sequel, Maverick, and their own adventures in aviation. Come find out which one of us threw up!
What does "The World's Tallest Remote Boy" know about radio remotes that WE don't know? Let's find out together! Charles Kinney with Cox Media Group, including the legendary WSB AM-FM in Atlanta, is our guest TODAY on TWiRT. We recount the way we handle remote audio and signalling for decades - before the Public Internet came along - and what techniques we’re using now to get audio from live, outside broadcasts back to our radio studios.
What does "The World's Tallest Remote Boy" know about radio remotes that WE don't know? Let's find out together! Charles Kinney with Cox Media Group, including the legendary WSB AM-FM in Atlanta, is our guest TODAY on TWiRT. We recount the way we handle remote audio and signalling for decades - before the Public Internet came along - and what techniques we’re using now to get audio from live, outside broadcasts back to our radio studios.
AEW ran this week’s Dynamite and Rampage Grand Slam shows in our backyard this week, and we were able to attend and give a first-hand perspective of our experience as we broke down the show. Jon Moxley is now a three-time AEW champion after defeating Bryan Danielson. We give our thoughts on that match and the debut of Saraya (FKA Paige). Chris Jericho wins the ROH championship from Claudio Castagnoli. What does this mean for the ROH brand and is a TV deal imminent? Plus, Solo Sikoa was stripped of the North American Title on NXT. What does this mean for him on the main roster, and is NXT starting to get better?
WWE had some pretty big announcements this week, with Survivor Series now featuring War Games and the Crown Jewel main event featuring Roman Reigns and Logan Paul. We get into that and talk a little bit about Monday Night Raw with the Fight Pit returning and what this White Rabbit stuff is. AEW Grand Slam will take place at Arthur Ashe Stadium in our backyard. We break down the card and talk about what matches we are looking forward to the most and provide you with a local perspective if you plan on going yourself. Also, an extended Q&A session including bonus content featuring what's the favorite gangster movie of all time.
Most of us radio engineers have built custom computers. Nowadays, more engineers and broadcasters are outsourcing custom PC and Server construction to an expert like Van Clough. Van builds computer workstations and servers designed especially for broadcast infrastructure such as automation/playout systems. How much redundancy do you want? What factors go into choosing motherboards, RAM, data storage, cooling, and redundancy? Van will deliver the system you're looking for, designed to run for years. We'll find out with Integrity PROracks founder, Van Clough on today's TWiRT!
"In Minnesota we keep ourselves apart by one large Walleye." It's wisdom like this that keeps Mark Persons busy. Mentoring new engineers, authoring radio engineering articles, or winning awards for his service to broadcasters, Mark is always sharing some wise words. Today Mark also describes hunting down a source of broadband electrical noise that rendered the 75 meter amateur radio band unusable in his neighborhood, This tale leads to a discussion about the future of the AM broadcast band vis-a-vis the man-made noise levels we’re experiencing.
WWE is running "Clash at the Castle" this weekend in Cardiff, Wales. We go through the card and break down some of the rumors, speculating on returns like Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt. We do a full AEW Dynamite review and how it pertains to All Out this weekend, and Andrew gushes over W Morrisey. Speaking of ALL OUT, we preview the card and give our predictions and compare how well this card will do to other AEW PPVs.
Fellow engineers, does the word "Programmatic" cause you to switch gears, pivot, and focus on something that seems more engineering-related? "Programmatic" has had that effect on me, for sure! Well I'm pulling my head out of the streaming "sand" and getting a lesson in Programmatic ad sales and how RADIO ENGINEERING makes the difference in Programmatic working well, or working poorly. Let's get this right together, as Jean-Luc Wasmer from Triton Digital explains to Kirk Harnack and Chris Tarr some key operational aspects of Programmatic ad insertion and the tech behind it.
On Wednesday, Jon Moxley defeated CM Punk in a shockingly quick match on AEW Dynamite Wednesday. We break down what happened and discuss the plans going forward! WWE TV continues to give us more surprises, with Johnny Gargano showing up on Monday Night Raw this week. Who may we see next? AEW All Out is shaping up, including changes to the women's title match as Thunder Rosa is injured and unable to defend. Also, we look at the trio's tournament, with the United Empire winning a fantastic main event this week. Plus, AEW’s talent meeting, NXT building to The Worlds Collide PLE, your questions, and more!
Jake Bechtold was beginning his radio engineering career almost 10 years ago when he made his debut on TWiRT 159. Now Jake is the new Chief Engineer at Radio FM Media in Fargo, North Dakota, responsible for ten radio stations - from studios to transmitters - along with IT systems and IT security. Jake’s learned a lot about keeping these stations running and about improving their operational efficiency. Chris Tarr and Jake get to discuss several similarities and some differences in their approaches to engineering challenges.
The big story of the week was CM Punk's impromptu promo on Adam Page on Dynamite this week. We go into whether or not it was a job or a shoot and if it's leading anywhere. We also break down the cards from this week's AEW Dynamite, including the return of Kenny Omega and if he's really that banged-up still or if it's playing into the storyline. Also featured is a fantastic match between Bryan Danielson and Danial Garcia, as well as a promo exchange between CM Punk and Jon Moxley. We discuss WWE shutting down NXT UK and announcing a rebranding to NXT Europe in 2023. The majority of their brand-signed talent was released. We talk about how this would affect the developmental program going forward and why the change. Plus, WWE earnings, highlights from WWE TV, New Japan news, your questions, and more!
Some days even “The Ninjaneer” gets a workout of his troubleshooting skills. August 7, 2022, began for Chris Tarr with several radio stations and FM translators off the air. Silent FM carriers. After a lightning storm and brief power outages, it appeared that power and transmitters were ON at two tower sites, but little else seemed to work, including any remote access. What fault or combination of faults could cause these particular symptoms? Especially with wireless and wired IP network gear that had been reliable for a long time? Chris was about to find out, but would he be prepared for what greeted him inside FM Site #1? Or FM Site #2?
With the regime change in WWE, there are a lot of returns that happened this past week, including Karrion Kross on SmackDown and Dexter Lumis on WWE Raw. What does this mean and will there be more returns in the near future? More Vince McMahon's hush money payouts were discovered this week, and it looks like Kevin Dunn will be sticking around for a while. AEW did their "Quake by The Lake" edition of Dynamite, including the return of CM Punk and the possible tease of Kenny Omega coming back. Andrew also explains why he's been down on AEW TV over the past couple of weeks and what they need to do going forward, heading into the fall and a TV rights deal.
We talk about the fallout from WWE SummerSlam, some of the highlights, and, of course, the big main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. Things look much different and there seems to be a certain amount of excitement around the product now that Triple H is in charge of creative in the WWE. This was evident on WWE Raw this week, where we saw an emphasis on new characters, fresh matches, and a looser presentation. Ric Flair had his last match last weekend and despite it being a rough watch at times, the card overall was pretty good. We give our thoughts. Plus, we review AEW Dynamite and look ahead to the upcoming shows happening over the next couple of weeks. Including Moxley vs Jericho at next week’s Quake at the Lake special.
The Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) is in full swing with strong attendance in Austin. The convention and trade show is August 3rd & 4th. By all accounts it looks that broadcast owners, managers, sales reps, programmers, and engineers are enthused their radio and TV business, but also about getting together face-to-face. The TAB actually met in-person last August (August, 2021) as well, with about 1,000 attendees. We met up with seven engineers and technology leaders here at the J. W. Marriott Hotel to get their take on our radio broadcasting industry and tech today.
A love and aptitude for broadcast engineering, combined with a passion for story-telling puts Marcos O’Rourke in a unique position. He’s single-handedly educating and entertaining our community of broadcast engineers and enthusiasts. O’Rourke’s YouTube channel, Socal Broadcast Engineer, has over two thousand subscribers and about 250 videos. While these numbers are modest in the YouTube creator community, they’re huge in our relatively small broadcast engineering base. Plus, O’Rourke’s efforts drew the attention of the Society of Broadcast Engineers this past year, which is honoring him as “Educator of the Year”. Marcos joins Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack to look at a few fascinating videos and get a behind the scenes look at how he records and edits them.
Now that Vince McMahon has retired, there was a lot of fallout this week, including Triple H being named head of creative, and WWE rewriting financial statements to account for Vince’s Hush money payments. We run down the card for this weekend's WWE Summerslam, and give our predictions. We also speculate on what major events might occur now that HHH has booked the show. Ring of Honor: Death Before Dishonor was last weekend. Claudio Castagnoli won the championship defeating Jonathan Gresham, who asked for his release after the show. We discuss the fallout and what it means for Gresham going forward. AEW Dynamite focused a lot on getting younger talent over, including Jungle Boy and Ricky Starks both giving career-altering promos. We also look at the possibility of guys wanting to go back to WWE now that leadership has changed. Plus, we break down the card for Ric Flair’s last match, AEW Trios titles, your questions, and more!
On this special Mat Men Podcast, the guys react to the breaking news of WWE CEO Vince McMahon retiring. They take a look at the order of events that happened Friday afternoon when he announced his retirement. Brock Lesnar reportedly initially walking out of SmackDown, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan being named co-CEO, and what talent was told. They also discuss if this was a forced retirement and what the long-term effect on the business model will be without Vince McMahon in power. Could this also lead to other long-time employees like Kevin Dunn or Bruce Pritchard leaving as well? Then in an extended Q&A, they answer listener questions regarding all of this!
Andrew found himself mired in a mess this week, regarding USA Network changing the Monday Night Raw TV rating to TV-14, he goes into detail on what he was told when and why it changed back to PG. In the middle of the recording, the news broke that HHH is back as EVP of Talent Relations for WWE. What does that mean for him and talent going forward? AEW Dynamite this week had one of the most bizarre endings in show history. We break down the show which had some good stuff but neither of us was a fan of the barbed wire match ending. Ring Of Honor Death Before Dishonor is this weekend we look at the card and give our predictions and favorites to win. Plus, Ric Flair's last match, and an update on the WWE SummerSlam card, your questions, and more!
John Bisset is back with radio engineering tips, techniques, and trinkets to make our lives better and our jobs more complete. Need to level a heavy transmitter or break into a locked car? John says the Air Wedge Alignment Tool is what you need. An IR camera can show you which FET is dead. And John believes that a polite and informative sign has kept a transmitter site break-in-free for thirty years.
Chuck Condron once wrote some popular call screening software for Telos (and other) phone systems. Seems a particular talk show host just had to have some custom software to do his job well, so Chuck learned to code and wrote it. After many years with Clear Channel and iHeart, Chuck is now the Chief Engineer for Starnes Media Group and the nationwide Todd Starnes Show. Plus, he’s now responsible for a "challenging" AM transmitter site - KWAM - in the Mississippi River flood plain near Memphis.
We follow up on the latest from the Vince McMahon hush money scandal and the comments from the Wall Street Journal, including the stigma of wrestling news in mainstream media and why the story isn't getting more publicity. Despite a lackluster week of WWE television, we discuss the major highlights and the build leading into SummerSlam. We take a look at the card as we know of now and speculate on what matches will be the best. AEW Dynamite saw a title change as Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland won the AEW Tag Team title. We run down the entire show and give our thoughts. Plus, news on Sasha Banks, Kota Ibushi, “All Out” returning to the Now Arena, your questions, and more!
Kirk Harnack says he’s getting burned-out on virtual SBE meetings. After experiencing the enthusiasm of the NAB Show and the Public Radio Engineering Conference this past April, Kirk wanted to restart in-person meetings of the Nashville SBE chapter. Many chapter members agreed and fifteen SBE members showed up for lunch and dinner meetings at Kirk’s Nashville home. Carl Campbell, Chapter Chair for Nashville, is delighted with the turnout! Shane Toven, also an SBE Board of Directors member, adds his own thoughts and experiences about restarting chapter meetings. And Chris Tarr reminds us that we’re not out of the woods yet as COVID cases do continue, and not everyone needs to be meeting in person again. It’s great episode with plenty of opinions and ideas!
Just at the time of recording the show, the news dropped from a new report from Wall Street Journal regarding the Vince McMahon story and new allegations. We try to break it down and give our thoughts on what this means going forward, including the possibility of Vince being removed altogether. Andrew and Rich discuss the fallout from Money In The Bank, including Austin Theory winning the briefcase, and Liv Morgan walking away with the SmackDown women's title. Will they give her a proper run? We also give some late thoughts on Forbidden Door pay-per-view and Blood and Guts from last week as Rich gushes over Claudio Castinogli. This week's, AEW Dynamite was another solid show, including, Wardlow winning the TNT title and being part of the next generation of stars in wrestling. Also, Moxley defended his title and Christian Cage is the new ‘hot’ heel.
Most radio stations are streaming their live audio these days, and many of those are sending metadata for title, artist, album art, and short messages. But in our non-linear, fragmented entertainment world, many listeners want to your show at a different time; or just hear the highlights; or simply replay the artist interview they heard yesterday., Today’s audio curation and publishing tools and platforms are the next innovation that’s already here. Jon Stephenson noticed this fragmented marketplace and brought several technologies together under one umbrella called SoundStack. Chris Tarr and Jon, along with Kirk Harnack, explore and discuss these audio publishing tools and take a look into Audio as a Service.
One of TWiRT’s original co-hosts, Tom Ray carved out an hour to join us on this episode. As a broadcast engineering consultant, Tom truly sees the good, the bad, and the ugly at broadcast facilities. And, he’s usually hired to correct the problems he finds. From HD Radio, to EAS systems, to AM towers to FM transmission lines, Tom really does get hands-on with most every technology applicable to radio stations. We invited viewers of our live video stream to post their questions for Tom to answer. Plus Kirk Harnack supplied a few questions for Tom that engineers and station owners have been asking lately.
We get into the latest on the Vince McMahon saga and the changes WWE has made including Stephanie being interim chairman, and John Laurinaitis out as talent relations. Matt Riddle faced Roman Reigns last week on Smackdown in a great match only to be beaten by Omos on Raw days later. Andrew shares his frustration on this. Also, Brock Lesnar is back and we are getting another Roman vs Brock Main Event, but do we really want to see it again? With Forbidden Door this Sunday we discuss the go-home AEW Dynamite show and run down the card for the Pay-Per-View. Including, Okada’s appearance and the ending segment that closed the show.
Does your radio station have a water well on the property, or do you pay for water from your water company? Do you have a septic system out back, or do you pay for sewer service? What about trash pickup; do you burn or bury your own trash as we did decades ago, or do you pay for a trash pickup service? What if your tower lights were offered as a guaranteed service, and you never had an unexpected tower light repair bill again? Chuck Kelly joins Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack to explore this intriguing idea of “Tower Lights as a Service” on this episode of TWiRT.
On this edition of Mat Men Andrew and Rich are back to bring you the latest in pro wrestling. Including what might turn out to be the biggest story in a long time. Vince McMahon is being investigated by WWE’s board of directors for allegedly paying hush money to a former employee. What is the latest and what are the possible implications going forward? Reports are coming out that Sasha Banks has been released by WWE, although we don’t have any official confirmation, we discuss what’s next for Mercedes if this is true. We break down this week’s AEW Dynamite episode that featured a whole lot of Chris Jericho, haircuts, new alliances, and a heel turn we all saw coming. Also, we have thoughts on the Forbidden Door build as the card is starting to take shape.
When you look after nearly 50 transmitter sites you’re going to be upgrading them; it’l be a fairly constant part of your work. Chris Tarr’s recent work has been installing new AM and FM transmitters, and getting them connected to his company-wide remote control and monitoring system. Chris shares his wisdom about systems that really should be consistent from site to site, and which systems or equipment don’t need to be all the same. Oh, and we’ll find out what happened to that Broadcast Electronics FM 5B transmitter that we last saw on a forklift!
Hey there, Daywalkers! In this episode, the Film Class Zeros sink their teeth into Blade, the 1998 techno-tastic vampire-slaying Wesley Snipes action flick. Get your shades, slap on your 9,000 SPF sunscreen and join us as we talk about uphill ice-skating, CGI’s shelf life, and how this movie spawned the MCU.
The big story of the week was the MJF saga that started with him not showing at AEW Fan Fest and ended with an all-time scathing promo on Dynamite. We discuss the latest, including how much was real and what was a “work?” We discuss all the fallout from Double or Nothing including CM Punk winning the AEW world Title from Hangman Page, and the insanity that was the “Anarchy in Arena Match”. We also discuss Dynamite, including CM Punk’s “Forbidden Door” challenger, the announcement of Blood and Guts, and the upcoming Hair vs Hair Match. WWE has both NXT “In your House” and Hell in a Cell this weekend. We run down both cards, even though there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in these shows.
It's off-season for the NFL, but this is when broadcasting's remote engineers prep for the Fall season. Robert Carroll is the Game day Engineer
When leading broadcasters are “pushing the envelope”, Gary Kline is usually there to find out how and why. And wherever possible, Gary shares that business and technical knowledge with other engineers. We caught Gary just long enough between international broadcast conferences to tell us what’s going on with leading broadcasters in other parts of the world. He joins us from the Ryan Seacrest studios at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
On this episode of Mat Men, since Rich has the week off Andrew is joined by Matt Ryan of Catalyst Wrestling to discuss the latest in pro wrestling. They break down Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite show leading into Double or Nothing as well as previewing, Rampage on Friday and the Pay-Per-View on Sunday. Specifically, what the direction of the world title picture looks like and if Adam Page will retain his title? Will there be any New Japan involvement with the “Frobiden Door” Show around the corner? On the wake of the news that Stephnie McMahon is stepping away from WWE for the foreseeable future. Andrew shares some news that could indicate what might lead to the biggest change ever for the WWE. They discuss what those changes might be and what might be happening on the business side. All this and more on this special “go home“ edition of Mat Men!
It’s happening! WideOrbit is now demonstrating their radio automation, running in a Linux cloud computing instance, along with a virtual audio mixing console from Axia. Voice-tracking is easy to do, but going live is just as simple. Brad Young and Dub Irvin from WideOrbit are here with Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack, discussing and demonstrating this virtual infrastructure technology.
The guys get into the latest on the Sasha and Naomi walkout from this past Monday’s Raw. Was this just unprofessional or is there more at play? Roman Reigns has been added back to selected shows throughout the Summer. They discuss his new deal and how much we can expect to see him going forward. AEW Dynamite was Wednesday night and a lot was done to set up Double or Nothing next weekend. We discuss the card including Rich’s love for Konosuke Takeshita.
On this new episode of BTC 2.0 Rich chats with writer Paul Tobin about his work, comics, movies, original art, BUNNY MASK, and much more! You can find Paul @paultobin and Rich @btcrich
Doug Vernier, Consulting Engineer and founder of V-Soft, is talking to us about RF signal propagation and the incredible maps that reveal your coverage area in so many ways. We'll examine over a dozen real-world signal maps to compare FCC contours vs. Longley-Rice coverage. Plus Doug shows us the huge differences between your station’s “coverage area” with and without accounting for “interference areas”.
This week Rich chats with Gabriel Hardman about comics, storyboarding, storytelling, and more. This is a fun one and great conversation. You can find Gabriel online @gabrielhardmanYou can find Rich@btcrich
NXT had another round of cuts last week, they discuss who the surprises were and how frequent this will happen. New Japan had an eventful weekend between the announcement of the Best of the Super Juniors lineup and Wrestling Dontaku where the new look Bullet Club emerged at the end. Speaking of the Bullet Club, AJ Styles and Finn Balor aligned on WWE Raw this week, connecting more lineage. What is the Bullet’s club's long-term effect on the business going to be when all said and done? AEW Dynamite this week continued to build to Double or Nothing with some great Owens Cup qualifier matches. Also, W Morrissey (AKA Big Cass) wrestled Wardlow and looked great doing it. Which might have gotten the attention of other promotions.
What a joy to see old friends and colleagues - and make a few new friends, too! The annual NAB Show had to take two years off due to the worldwide pandemic. And, due to the timing of the pandemic onset, it’s been three years since the last NAB Show in Las Vegas since 2019. Attendance was reported to be about half of 2019’s turnout, and the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) added a huge new section - the West Hall. Somehow, between customer meetings, SBE functions, and conference papers, we managed to corral thirteen guests on this episode of TWiRT! This is an hour well-spent, as you’ll meet some of the best and most clever people in broadcasting. Plus, Chris Tarr joins us from his home office in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.
WWE is planning on running more stadium shows going forward, and Andrew breaks down their philosophy on why this makes sense. They discuss Monday Night Raw this week including Randy Oroton’s 20th Anniversary celebration and what is going on with Finn Balor. Rich gushes over the New Japan/ AEW Forbidden Door show as they discuss what matches we might see. AEW Dynamite was last night, The Double or Nothing Main event was made official and we have a new TNT champion after a wild ladder match!
It’s a conference full of smiling faces and hearty handshakes! The Public Radio Engineering Conference (PREC) is back for nearly 2 full days of technical sessions and reconnecting with broadcast engineering friends. Tech presentations included sessions on Audio over IP, RF network design for Single Frequency Networks, infrared inspections with aerial drones, maintaining FM & HD transmission systems, and using Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) for better IP-Audio over imperfect IP paths. We pulled a few attendees away from the action and got their thoughts on broadcast engineering projects and challenges today.
What’cha gonna do when the Film Class Zeros come for you? You watch Bad Boys, Michael Bay’s spectacular directorial debut with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence! We talk about Bay establishing his Bay-ness right from the start, the 90s trope of dance club action scenes, and how all of this could’ve been avoided if everyone in the movie just communicated better. More like, Bad Listeners, amirite? Not you, though, you’re great cuz you’re listening to this episode!
After building out many dozens of radio studios in the past few years, Dave Supplee has been upgrading older transmitters with new, solid state units. Transmitter replacements provide a rare opportunity to focus on the entire transmitter facility, including the building, foundation, walls, floor, electrical, and other fairly permanent fixtures. These foundational parts of a transmitter site often go without proper upkeep; “out of sight, out of mind.” But Dave says that replacing a transmitter affords just the right scenario for management to approve other much needed upgrades.
Andrew and Rich are back for another jam-packed episode of Mat Men, diving into all the news and biggest stories in wrestling. AEW Dynamite arguably had one of the most disappointing endings in its existence. Samoa Joe wins the ROH title only to have it ruined by a debut that no body asked for. We break down why they did this and was there a better way? Now that Roman Reigns has both major WWE titles. He’s sending the USOs to raw to “unify” the tag titles. Could this mean an end to the brand split? Ronda Rousey will face Charlotte at WrestleMania Backlash but after that does she get a partner? Andrew shares some more information on this. Also, thoughts on Raw, NXT, and who might be headed to Japan for the G1? This and we answer your questions at the end of the show.
Rich chats with writer, editor, and comics ambassador Chris Arrant about his career in comics journalism, his love of comics, and what the future holds! You can find Chris @chrisarrant on social media and at chrisarrant.com plus as @reed_POP's editor and chief! You can find Rich @btcrich on twitter and wherever fine podcasters are sold.
Andrew Zarian and Rich Stambolian interview Colby Corino ahead of his fight on Sunday for Catalyst Wrestling. Colby updates us on how live wrestling events have rebounded, where wrestling is headed in the next 12 months, and what wrestling he enjoys as a fan.
WrestleMania had its share of surprises including, a returning Cody Rhodes, a Steve Austin main event, and celebrities having better matches than expected. Also, what happened in the Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar main event? Ring of Honor’s Super card of Honor featured one of the best matches of the year and the debut of Samoa Joe. How will he be used in AEW/ROH? Ric Steiner gets inducted into the WWE hall of fame and “abducted” all in one week. All while his son Bron Breakker wins the NXT title. A review of AEW Dynamite, featuring another classic from FTR and maybe a new member to the House of Black?
Les Kutasi is a business developer - and that’s a title he’s taken working at several broadcast equipment companies. When your customers are broadcast engineers you have to know your technology. Les understands broadcast antennas from yagis to log-periodics to multi-station TV master arrays and FM panel antennas. A popular speaker at SBE meetings, Les joins Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack for a humorous yet educational discussion on today’s antenna scene.
Daniel Warren Johnson is back on BTC 2.0 to talk about his new comic "Do A Powerbomb!" Out from Image comics in June. Since it's Wrestlemania weekend they talk a helluva lot about wrestling too! This one is for all you crossover comic/wrestling fans.
As many of us, Randy Gardner has done a little of everything in radio broadcasting. But also like many of us, he's happiest doing radio engineering - and especially "projects." Now Director of Engineering for JVC Broadcasting, Randy's got fascinating insights and some smart tips for us. Lots of eye candy engineering photos, too!
Andrew and Rich give their predictions on WrestleMania 38 as they go in-depth on each match. What are they looking forward to the most and what surprises might happen? There might even be some superhero talk!
This week we continue to see the build to Wrestlemania as Kevin Owens might have given us the greatest “troll job” ever! We go into the build itself and how we think it's going given the storylines. Seth Rollins lost his mind this week claiming he doesn't have a path to Wrestlemania so that begs the question. Where’s Cody Rhodes? AEW and DDT form a partnership agreement. What does it mean and is this leading to a video library? We also discuss another great episode of AEW Dynamite and the hints that we might be seeing Bret Hart soon in AEW. Also, is CM Punk the next challenger for Hangman?
The telegram from the FCC is dated March 15, 1922, and reads, in part, “THE ATLANTA JOURNAL IS AUTHORIZED TO … BROADCAST … STATION MUST USE CALL LETTERS W S B REPEAT W S B AND EMPLOY COMMERCIAL SECOND CLASS RADIO OPERATOR LICENSED BY THIS DEPARTMENT.” One hundred years later broadcast engineers, friends, and colleagues gathered for a barbeque lunch at the WSB transmitter site in Tucker, Georgia - an Atlanta suburb. Kirk Harnack has the pleasure of introducing several of these engineers and station friends on this episode of TWiRT. Among our guests (listed below) is Charles Kinney, Director of Engineering for Cox Media Group, Atlanta.
Scott Hall passed away this week, due to complications from hip surgery. We reminisce about his career and impact on the business. We also play “what if” Scott Hall never left WWE in 96. Big E suffered a broken neck in a scary scene on Smackdown, but it appears he got lucky? AEW Dynamite last night saw the crowning of a new comen’s champion in Thunder Rosa on a very exciting episode. WWE continues to build to Wrestlemania, despite stars like Seth Rollins being teased to be off the card. We discuss the lack-luster build and if it involves Cody Rhodes.
Now responsible for about 50 radio transmitters plus radio studios across Wisconsin, Chris Tarr builds up more radio engineering experience in a few months than most of us do in a couple years! Recently he’s worked through an AM tower falling down and putting several new FM translators on-air. Chris also discusses his methods for feeding program audio to his translators, and keeping tabs on them by remote control.
AEW Revolution was this Sunday and we discuss the highlights and all the fallout from the show. Including the surprise appearance of William Regal, Wardlow turning on MJF, and Hangman retaining. Dynamite saw the debut of Jeff Hardy when he came to the aid of his brother Matt. Also, Scorpio Sky won the TNT title with help of “American Top Team” and Paige Van Zant who signed her contract in a unique way. Out of nowhere, Dolph Ziggler won the NXT championship, what does that mean heading to Wrestlemania weekend? Vince McMahon appeared on the Pat McAfee show, we discuss the fallout from that and the latest on Wrestlemania.
If there’s something strange in your podcast feed, Who you gonna call? The Film Class Zeros! We’re exploring this spooky comedy classic this week, talking about Ivan Reitman’s achievements, the film’s legacy, getting bilked by used car salesmen and destruction by giant cheeseburger. Grab a twinkie, power up your podcast packs and give it a listen!
Whatever you think you know about FM boosters and Single Frequency Networks (SFNs) is probably based in 1980's tech. And it's wrong. Bert Goldman and Rich Redmond are talking to us about technologies that enhance FM broadcast radio coverage using Boosters and Single Frequency Networks (SFN), “cellular” and broadcast topologies, and geo targeting of audio and data. The technology to virtually eliminate reception interference zones has just become available in the last few years. Indeed, a couple of USA FM broadcasters are now reaching over 1 million more potential listeners than they were using a single transmitter site.
Tony Kahn revealed his big announcement on last night’s AEW Dynamite as he has purchased Ring of Honor. What does this mean going forward for both promotions? Does he have plans for ROH or was this to help build out a video Library? We will break it all down. We also break down a very exciting episode of AEW Dynamite, including CM Punk and MJF’s confrontation, and the ROH reunion match. Revolution is this Sunday and the card is stacked. We will go into the card and give our thoughts. As WrestleMania gets closer, we got news of Vince McMahon possibly wrestling on the show. He is scheduled today to be on Pat Pat McAfee’s radio show, is this the start of an angle?
Tim Braddock is the kind of engineer with that unique combination of "Let's do it right - but let's have a blast while doing it!" From small town radio to America’s number 1 market, Tim’s radio engineering adventures are laid out for us to enjoy, laugh at, and learn from.
With Rich off this week, Andrew has brought in a registered Rich “lookalike” and the host of Fightful Overbooked, Joel Pearl. With Elimination Chamber last weekend, we are now on our way to WrestleMania and it’s all about Brock vs Roman. NXT saw the build-up to Takeover Stand and Deliver with more stars from Raw making their presence felt. Also, we follow up on last week’s big stories of Cody leaving AEW and Austin possibly working WrestleMania. AEW has had a big week between new signings Buddy Murphy and potentially Shane Strickland and Matt Hardy. Last night’s Dynamite saw a lot of great promo work with MJF, and Eddie Kingston delivering classics as we head to Revolution!
Rich chats with comic creator Wyatt Kennedy about his series Bolero out from Image comics!
Patrick van den Hoek lives in Amsterdam, yet he owns and engineers his 13 radio stations in Spain. What’s more, Patrick has implemented several clever engineering techniques to solve audio and listener experience problems on these stations. See if Patrick’s engineering “hacks” might be useful for you and your radio stations!
Today on the show Andrew and Rich break down all the latest information regarding Cody leaving AEW… Will he be going to WWE? All indicators point to yes. Stone Cold Steve Austin hasn’t wrestled in 17 years and could be possibly getting ready for an in-ring return against Kevin Owens at Wrestlemania this year! Will this lead to more matches? We have the latest. All this along with Dynamite results, news and rumors, and a celebration of our 400th episode, including fan video submissions. We also bring back our fantasy booking “what if” segment, and what else we rebook the invasion angle… Again! We also do an extended Q&A, all this and more on this very special milestone episode of Mat Men.
What is best in life?! It’s talking about Conan The Barbarian with your best buds, the Film Class Zeros! For our milestone 10th episode, we revisit the sword and sorcery classic that was Arnold Schwartzenegger’s breakout role. It’s a big episode where we talk about all the goofy things in this flick while trying to solve the riddle of steel. Strap in for a wild one!
Today on Mat Men Andrew and Rich are back to discuss all of this week’s Pro Wrestling news and rumors. AEW created a lot of online chatter this week by teasing a major signing while claiming they would open the “forbidden door. They did not disappoint as both Jay White and Keith Lee made debuts.
With Jay White in AEW now, will we see more of a full-blown Bullet club reunion in AEW? Dynamite this week saw the unlikely team of CM Punk and Jon Moxley face FTR with Punk getting another shot at MJF on the line.
Also, a Texas Deathmatch for the ages Between Adam Page and Lance Archer where bloodshed was on full display in an excellent main event. Also, your weekly WrestleMania update, WWE’s Financials, a preview of NXT Vengeance Day, and Viewer questions.
Rich and Justin talk comics, art, and his upcoming Marvel book Spider-Punk! Rich also talks about his books of the week including Geiger 80Page Special, and Crossover #11 from Image Comics.
If you could choose someone to gather and publish the information that broadcast engineers need day-to-day or once in a blue moon, you’d choose Barry Mishkind. A broadcast engineer in his own right, Barry founded OldRadio.com - The Broadcast Archive - to help himself and other engineers quickly find otherwise hard-to-get information on the broadcasting industry and broadcast equipment. A quick look at OldRadio.com’s FAQ page gives one an idea of the vast information in this online resource. And, The Broadcasters’ Desktop Resource is another invaluable treasure trove of current broadcast technical news, how-to articles, and other resources for broadcast engineers. Barry’s in-person Tuesday lunch at NAB, and his Virtual Lunch Gathering on Thursdays provide a terrific time of teaching, learning, and camaraderie for both radio and TV engineers.
Royal Rumble was this past Saturday and many are considering it one of the worst ones in recent years. We breakdown the event and see what went wrong. Shane McMahon is officially out of WWE. We have all the latest backstage drama surrounding his Royal Rumble appearance and what this means for his future with WWE. Ronda Rousey is back in WWE and it looks like she will be facing Charlotte at Wrestlemania. We have all the latest. We also get into what is wrong with WWE programming and why it’s been so lackluster and not as exciting compared to how Dynamite is a must-watch every week. Speaking of that, AEW Dynamite saw a classic put on by CM Punk and MJF. We have all the results.
Bang! Zoom! To the Moon (well, almost)! In this episode, the Zeros revisit Ron Howard’s take on the fateful events that became NASA’s “successful failure.” We talk about the recent trend in space tourism, why mission control looks like a ska band, and if Ed Harris would’ve been the perfect Captain America. Strap into your “vomit comet” and join us for the ride!
Pack 300 pounds of luggage, parts, and tools - Check. Set FM transmitters to 30 watts TPO - Check. Set STL data rate to 8 kbps - Check. Take the day off if the weather is nice because no one else will be working - Check. Bring the caribou and beluga recipe books - Check. Such is the to-do list for Pierre Boucher, broadcast technician for some of the most northern radio stations in Canada. Working in far Northern Quebec and Nunavut, Pierre keeps these vital communications resources on-the-air for the Inuit people and others living in these northern extremes. Pierre joins Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack on this intriguing episode of TWiRT.
Royal Rumble is this weekend, and there are still some questions to be answered about the show. What big surprises might we get and who will the winners be? Speaking of surprises, WWE is reportedly looking to bring Ronda Rousey back possibly as early as this weekend, we have the latest. GCW ran its first PPV this weekend, with some good and bad but overall, a great sign for the independent scene. AEW had an extremely fun show that saw the debut of the “very evil” Danhausen and one of the best ladder matches ever done on free TV.
Rich chats with artist Juan Ferreyra about his work, working for Marvel, DC, among others plus his dream projects.
Jeff Welton is a sought-after speaker at broadcast engineering conferences. As a regional sales director at Nautel, he visits hundreds of radio transmitter sites, noting areas for improvement prior to installing a new transmitter - or for providing a better operating environment for an existing transmitter. We talk with Jeff about troubleshooting techniques for today’s solid state transmitters. What about air handling now as opposed to older tube transmitter air cooling? And how is efficiency and reliability better or different now? Chris Tarr adds updated advice from his own hands-on work with a variety of transmitters, including several brands of solid state units.
GCW is Running their biggest show ever this weekend in NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom. We run down the card and give thoughts on what it means for them to run that building. This past week, WWE made some interesting comments toward AEW in a statement, using the phrase “gory mutilation”. What does this really mean and who was it was directed at? Jon Moxley made his return to AEW, and he gave a fired-up promo and looked great doing it. After a great match on NXT with Rodrick Strong, Walter announced a change to his name that has left most of us baffled.
Today on Mat Men we interview Charlie Haas about his upcoming match this Thursday on Impact Wrestling. Charlie also goes into detail about his pro wrestling journey over the years and what we should expect from him in 2022.
On this episode, the merry men of this podcast take aim at Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men in Tights! The Zeros get deep into the woods with this one, comparing this movie to the Kevin Costner blockbuster “Prince of Thieves” as well as exploring other iterations of the legendary outlaw. Does this movie still hold up? Pump up your LA Gear sneakers and jump in to find out!