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‘MaxxCasting’: Better FM Signal Coverage?
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U.S. FM stations don’t have to wait for the FCC to
act on the proposed “hyper-local” ZoneCasting concept in order to take
advantage of some of its principles. That’s the message from suppliers Harris
Broadcast and Geo-Broadcast Solutions, which are working together.
As Radio World has reported, the companies earlier put
forth a proposed system that would
use multiple boosters to give FM stations the ability to divide their coverage
areas into zones and to “geo-target” their ads and programs. Harris
has a deal with GBS to use that ZoneCasting software and hardware in its Flexiva
transmitters and Intraplex SynchroCast systems.
Radio
stations would have a natural interest in such targeting; but FCC approval
would be required.
Meantime the suppliers are highlighting an
approach they say can be deployed now. “The MaxxCasting solution uses a
network topology similar to the ZoneCasting architecture for targeted,
over-the-air radio broadcasting, but instead focuses on simulcasting content to
improve coverage,” they stated. “It can be deployed today under existing
regulations, expanding market coverage in a more sensible and effective way
than traditional signal booster technologies.”
They
quoted Peter Handy, CEO of GBS, saying, “We have discovered that adding
boosters to simulcast across the typical ZoneCasting topology can help
broadcasters improve coverage” and thus extend advertising opportunities. The
companies believe their solution improves over existing booster approaches “by
minimizing interference while filling in the gaps of a broadcaster’s market
coverage — in many cases working in areas where conventional boosters
were not successful.”
Their argument, in short, is that
the boosters can be installed now to maximize signal coverage, and also serve
as an upgrade path to ZoneCasting and targeted content applications later.
Related:
“Zonecasting”
Concept to Be Tested (Nov. 2012)
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