There comes a time when a concept that has been in use for decades is suddenly challenged by modern ideas. Such an idea is visual radio and, since its conception, has been widely adopted in Europe and America. This technological advancement is now creeping into Kenya. Will it have an impact? My recent experience setting up a visual radio studio has led me to believe it is an investment worth paying attention to. Let’s review and explore this technology and what we could expect from it.
What is visual radio?
Visual radio is the amalgamation of existing radio presentation of audio production with another layer of video production normally done with automatic camera control within the studio as well as playing video content. This results into a synchronized radio and visual production, what is heard on radio can also be visually consumed whether on digital TV or through live streaming.
This modern solution on radio enriches the audience’s experience of live shows as well as provide a competitive reach for the broadcasters to newer markets such as the tech savvy youth through live streaming.
Benefits of Visual Radio
Should your radio studio upgrade to a visual radio one? Here are some of the reason why you should consider this shift:
1. Multi-platform reach
With the rapid pace at which consumer technology is moving, visual radio seeks a new way to reach new audiences through streaming and social media platforms. Streaming services like YouTube and social sites like Facebook allow for live shows which radio presenters can take advantage of to create new ways of interaction with their audiences. This is done while still broadcasting via the usual FM channels. Now, listeners have more options to choose from depending on their preferences and access to supporting technology. In many parts of the country, 3G connectivity as well as digital TV migration is already a reality. This allows for such stations to provide richer content while still being the familiar radio their fans are used to.
2. More ways to generate revenue
Setting up a radio studio to also produce video is not a complicated procedure as setting up a television studio might be, but it provides a way to present video advertisements just as television. This means that a simple visual radio studio may broadcast the same ads as a TV studio. Moreover, other creative ways of advertising may be achieved including overlays while a presenter is running a show, promotional items within the studio as well as special guests who may come in to promote their brands.
3. Simple equipment
Radio presenters who are used to radio equipment will still the same type of equipment, such as audio consoles (maybe newer due to a few required functionalities) and their shows largely remain the same. The video production unit is an automated system that is linked with the audio mixer to facilitate automatic switching of the cameras such that when a mic is live, the output from camera corresponding to that source is what is displayed on the screen.
Challenges
This concept has been met with some challenges which include in most part for the users to determine what video content will be on air. This may require having all the previously only audio music as video. The presenters should also get comfortable with the idea of video presentation as opposed to audio only.
In a quote from Radio World magazine special issue on Visual Radio (Jan 2017)
visual radio content can be grounded in the spoken word narrative style that is at the heart of radio story-telling, rather than the “visuals come first” approach of broadcast TV
What we set up
In my previous article, I mentioned I worked for a broadcast systems integrator. The company was contracted to upgrade a popular radio station to have visual capabilites. The solutions we settled for were:
- LAWO Crystal audio mixing console – This the audio unit of the system that accepts a number of audio sources (mics and lines) as well as provide the camera control signaling for the video unit. LAWO Crystal console is a modern audio console with advanced capabilities on its fader panel, Surface, as well as its control center, the Compact Engine.
- HDVMixer – This serves as the video control unit. The HDVMixer is a modified tower workstation which accepts video inputs from cameras, audio input (from the Crystal console), embeds the video and audio and outputs the combined AV signal.
- Avipas PTZ cameras – These pan, tilt and zoom cameras function to capture video to the HDVMixer and additionally have the capability to be controlled remotely via an IP connection.
Visual radio promises to be an amazing avenue for fresh, impactful content and I can’t wait to see what our clients will do with it.