Letter Focus: Adopting New Technology to Sustain the Continuity of Public Radio
In the face of increasing financial pressures and the need to expand programming opportunities, public radio stations are turning to innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud-based solutions, and satellite alternatives.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI can revolutionise broadcasting workflows by automating tasks like real-time captioning, automated language translation, metadata tagging, and content moderation. This not only reduces human error but also speeds up production cycles. AI-powered recommendation engines enable personalised content delivery, improving audience engagement and retention, particularly beneficial if the station adopts Over-The-Top (OTT) or Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) platforms.
AI can also optimise operational costs by automating tasks like news transcription and multilingual subtitling, reducing the need for extensive manual labor. In network management contexts, AI and automation can cut operational costs by up to 20% through improved efficiency and predictive maintenance.
Cloud-Based Solutions
Using hybrid cloud infrastructures from providers like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure allows public radio stations to lower capital expenditures by avoiding costly on-premise hardware and enabling scalable operations. Cloud platforms facilitate remote production, content management, and distribution, enabling stations to expand programming without significant new physical infrastructure. Cloud-based broadcasting also supports IP-based content delivery, which is more flexible and cost-effective than traditional terrestrial broadcast systems.
Satellite Alternatives and Hybrid Network Approaches
While traditional satellite backhaul is expensive (up to $500 per Mbps), newer satellite technologies and hybrid models combining satellite with terrestrial fiber or 5G networks can extend coverage to underserved or remote areas more cost-effectively. Emerging low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations by companies like Starlink and OneWeb are driving cost reductions, potentially making satellite backhaul more viable for public radio stations looking to broadcast or stream content widely without extensive ground infrastructure.
Additional Considerations in the Current Public Radio Environment
Recent significant federal funding cuts have pressured stations to find new efficiencies and revenue sources, highlighting the urgency of technology-driven cost reduction and programming expansion. Collaborations among stations and shared AI/cloud infrastructure investments can further reduce operational costs and improve content offerings.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that great radio can be produced from home, and companies like Orban Labs, based in Pennsauken, N.J., are working with broadcasters to implement these cost-saving technologies. Adding station branding and talent voices to pre-made formats could enable quick deployment. Using cloud-based AI like Super Hi-Fi for some or all of a broadcaster's programming is worth investigating.
In summary, by adopting AI for automation and content personalization, leveraging cloud computing for flexible, scalable operations, and exploring newer, more affordable satellite and hybrid network solutions, public radio stations can both lower expenses and increase programming opportunities effectively.
- To streamline production workflows, public radio stations could leverage AI technology, automating tasks such as real-time captioning, content moderation, and metadata tagging, while AI-powered recommendation engines provide personalized content delivery.
- By embracing cloud-based solutions from providers like AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure, radio stations can lower capital expenses and enable scalable operations, thereby reducing the need for costly on-premise hardware.
- Newer, more cost-effective satellite technologies and hybrid models combining satellite with terrestrial fiber or 5G networks can extend coverage to underserved or remote areas, making satellite backhaul more accessible for public radio stations.
- In the face of federal funding cuts and the need for new efficiencies, public radio stations can explore collaborations and shared AI/cloud infrastructure investments to reduce costs and improve content offerings, allowing stations to adapt in the current public radio environment.
