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- We Are Coming Out of a “Deep Compression”
Credit: Getty Images/Klaus Vedfelt The author is senior product development engineer for Wheatstone. Jeff Keith Broadcasters have spent the last few decades feeding their air chains highly compressed source material. But now, with affordable archiving available and the impact of streaming across several platforms, not to mention the adoption of lossless streaming by Spotify in late 2025, music mastering seems to have shifted back toward retaining program dynamics rather than buzz-sawing them as before. This means that radio can now deliver much better sound to its listeners, which is good because radio today competes with so many other listening options easily available to the public. Spectral processing The spectral approach to audio processing that we developed considers how the human ear hears and then interprets audio. It uses the laws of psychoacoustics to mask the action of peak control while also revealing subtle audio details usually buried by other processors. Audio researchers tell us that our auditory system can be modeled as a filter bank with 25 overlapping bandpass filters known as critical bands (i.e. bins). By modeling our limiter on a similar structure, we can not only surgically limit audio without affecting nearby frequencies, but also uncloak subtle audio details that wouldn’t otherwise be heard. This is because limiting a signal in one narrow band psychoacoustically preserves the subtle audio details residing adjacent to the band in limiting. Even though the audio signals in the bands adjacent to the one being limited have not undergone any modification, our brain decodes it very differently and allows us to hear subtle details in the program material. We call this our critical band theory of spectral audio processing, and Wheatstone’s new Neuron FM/HD/DAB+ processor was designed around this theory. Neuron is a spectral audio processor that models its 31-band limiter algorithms on the human auditory system and uses the ISO standard 1/3 octave frequencies. Critical-band theory Fig. 1 What is important to remember about critical bands is that our ears can’t tell that there are other signals inside a bin when one is slightly louder than the other (see Fig. 1). Fig. 2 When there are audio signals present in different bins, each signal is heard independently as long as the signals are loud enough and far enough apart in frequency to stay above and away from an adjacent bin’s asymmetrical masking threshold (Fig. 2). Fig. 3 If an audio signal is soft… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 hours ago - Trump Warns Iran Will Be ‘Hit Very Hard’ If They Fail to Strike Deal: ‘I H...
President Donald Trump warned Iran it will be “hit very hard” if negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear ambitions collapse, claiming he’d have “no choice,” but “hopefully” the U.S. will not need to use that option. Speaking in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump told host Trace Gallagher talks with Iranian officials were progressing, but he made clear that military action remained on the table if diplomacy failed. “Iran, as an example, will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “They already can’t, it’s going to be formal, the Strait [of Hormuz] will be open soon, or they will be hit and then the Strait’s going to be open.” The president had initially been asked about the arrest of an alleged assassin at his Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and ongoing threats on his life. “Well, the only thing I get a little solace from is they say that only consequential presidents [face assassination threats] and I’m definitely consequential,” he replied, before pivoting to Iran: “If you look at the economy and what is happening. Iran, as an example, will never have a nuclear weapon.” The president then relayed recent interactions, in which he had threatened “tremendous” strikes not seen since World War II, only to insist that Tehran pleaded for talks – a claim that Iran’s Foreign Ministry then denied. “And they called me and said politely, ‘Please, can we talk?’ And I said, ‘Yes, we can talk. Let’s get it done. Finally, let’s get it done,’” he said, arguing the issue should have been resolved decades ago by previous administrations. He singled out the approach of former President Barack Obama as he criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. “It should have been done by many presidents over many years and it wasn’t; I’m doing it all. Obama was taken to the cleaners, he thought he could bribe his way out, he gave them tens of billions of dollars, $1.7 billion in cash, green cash, on a Boeing 737, an airplane loaded with cash. They probably looked and said, ‘You have to be kidding.’ No, you can’t bribe your way out, you have to fight your way out. They would not be talking if we didn’t do what we’re doing. We hit them hard.” “But the hard hit is yet to come,” he said. “Hopefully, we won’t have… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 hours ago - BREAKING: Embatted House Republican Won’t Seek Reelection Amid House Ethics Pr...
(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images) Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) has dropped his reelection bid, days after a House Ethics Committee report found he violated Congress’ rules against sexual harassment. “After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” Edwards said in an X post. “I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America.” After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign. I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America. — Congressman Chuck Edwards (@RepChuckEdwards) August 5, 2026 The announcement came amid a slew of allegations against the congressman as the Ethics Committee’s report found Edwards failed “to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers” and urged his censure, Axios reported. Just this week, The Charlotte Observer’s deputy opinion editor Paige Masten posted on X that Edwards told a female staffer he was “beyond thrilled” to skip votes and cancel town halls to help her decorate her Christmas tree. Other explosive details emerging from reporting by Axios’s Kate Santaliz included allegations that Edwards gave female staffers “personalized handguns” as gifts and once recited a poem to an “uncomfortable” young woman. Edwards, 65, has denied any wrongdoing in the Ethics Committee’s probe. He told Axios in May that the sexual harassment allegations against him were “horsesh*t.” Edwards was one of many current and former lawmakers recently investigated by the House Ethics Committee, including Lance Gooden (R-TX), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Tony Gonzalez (R-TX), Cory Mills (R-FL), and Nancy Mace (R-SC). Edwards, who represents North Carolina’s 11th District, was elected in November 2022 after defeating Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. This is a developing story and will be updated.The post BREAKING: Embatted House Republican Won’t Seek Reelection Amid House Ethics Probe first appeared on Mediaite. [TheTopNews] Read More.3 hours ago - Trump Claims Deal to Open Strait of Hormuz Will Be Struck ‘Tomorrow or the Nex...President Donald Trump claimed late Tuesday that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come “tomorrow or the next day,” raising expectations that a breakthrough could restore shipping through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways after months of conflict. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac as he boarded Air Force One in Los Angeles, Trump was asked about an Axios report suggesting an announcement could come as soon as Wednesday. “It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” the president said. “A lot of progress has been made.” He continued: “They called me, and they said, ‘Please let’s talk.’ They want to talk. The funny thing is they never mentioned that. They always say we’re not talking, but they called. They want to talk. We’ve been talking.” “They want to make a deal,” he added. “They do not want to be hit. The biggest hit since World War II, as I said. And they saw it happening. They saw all the good things being loaded. They knew exactly what was happening. And I think it would be very smart t0 make a deal. We’ll see what happens.” The comments came as diplomatic efforts intensified to reopen the narrow shipping route, whose closure has disrupted global energy markets and complicated Washington’s military and political objectives in the region. Shipping disruptions following Iranian attacks and threats have sent fuel costs soaring and contributed to broader increases in consumer prices around the world. Financial markets appeared to respond positively to hopes of a breakthrough. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, fell 1.2% to $78.43 a barrel in early Wednesday trading, NBC News reported, as investors anticipated the possible resumption of commercial shipping. The latest diplomatic push follows an earlier agreement between the United States and Iran in June aimed at reopening the strait. That arrangement ultimately collapsed after attacks resumed. Watch above via Fox News.The post Trump Claims Deal to Open Strait of Hormuz Will Be Struck ‘Tomorrow or the Next Day’: ‘They Do Not Want to Be Hit’ first appeared on Mediaite. [TheTopNews] Read More.3 hours ago
- Letter: The WBT Transmitter Site Isn’t Just a “Radio Geek” Matter
In this letter to the editor, the reader responds to Archie Stulc’s letter, “The Dilemma of WBT’s Site,” as our readers continue to weigh in on the future of the WBT south Charlotte, N.C., transmitter location. Radio World welcomes letters to the editor on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com. A panoramic view of WBT’s three Blaw-Knox diamond shaped towers, taken by Johnny Caudle on June 14. This is in response to the article by Archie Stulc published July 28. There are a couple of issues in the letter I would like to take exception with. The comparison of WDGY(AM) to WBT is not a valid one. WDGY’s history is nowhere near that of pioneer WBT, which traces its origin to the very beginning of broadcasting itself. The historic three letters, WBT, provide ample evidence. The Class I-B designation gives WBT clear channel status, sharing 1110 AM with another station, KFAB. WDGY is on a regional frequency requiring a tighter more restrictive directional pattern, hence the nine towers of WDGY compared to the three WBT towers. Talk to any engineer: When it comes to AM directional arrays, more isn’t better. WBT is a powerhouse providing a local sounding signal from Canada to Cuba at night. WBT has three Blaw-Knox diamond shaped towers. To the best of my knowledge, there are only two other stations using this tower design: WSM(AM) Nashville and WLW(AM) Cincinnati. I believe that makes the WBT towers very unique. Urban One/Radio One purchased WBT five years ago along with what was then 610 WFNZ(AM) and 107.9 WLNK(FM). [Related: “Leader of WBT(AM) Preservation Effort Meets With Beasley, Radio One Execs”] Why purchase stations just to bulldoze them? WPZS will soon suffer a similar fate. I’m sure these shrewd operators were aware of what they were entering into. What we don’t know: Was WBT put on the market including the transmitter building, towers and land? Currently, WBT is still in operation using a very modern, energy-efficient Nautel transmitter. There has been a redirect message heard on 1110 for almost 8 months now. Enquiring minds want to know why. How can a company operate a 50,000-watt AM radio station that provides zero revenue? As for public interest in this matter, so far, there are over 1200 signatures at Change.org requesting the site’s preservation, in some form. Clearly this isn’t just a “radio geek” matter. The public is well aware there are… [TheTopNews] Read More.4 hours ago - Circles and Polygons: FCC Seeks to “Incentivize” EAS Geotargeting
This is the first in a series delving into specific proposals in the Federal Communication Commission’s further notice of proposed rulemaking (FNPRM), which is intended to improve the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The commission is now taking public comments on these proposals. It’s a common gripe in the emergency alerting community: People can get fatigued when they receive too many alerts, so they may ignore EAS and WEA messages when it counts. One way to fight this is to make sure alerts are only issued to relevant areas. So the FCC is considering a plan to encourage more use of EAS geotargeting. The commission is proposing to allow stations and other EAS participants to take advantage of detailed location information that is often available in CAP EAS messages. “Because EAS participants are currently restricted to targeting alerts by using county codes, it can be difficult for them to identify alerts that are targeted to very small geographic areas,” it states in the FNPRM. “Even if they could identify these situations, EAS participants transmit EAS alerts to facilities’ entire service areas, which are often large.” The FCC says alerting authorities and equipment manufacturers feel that EAS is underutilized because of these limited geotargeting capabilities. “For example, during the January 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires, alerting authorities did not use EAS to transmit evacuation orders to avoid delivering the alert to people for whom it was not intended, which could have caused unnecessary panic and potentially moved people into — rather than out of — harm’s way,” it wrote. Emergency managers have told the commission they’d like to see geotargeting capabilities for EAS similar to those used for WEA phone alerts. One county told the FCC, “Currently sending an EAS in our area would alert six counties, theoretically reaching over 8,000 square miles and 4.5 million people. This is far too broad for any practical purpose.” The FCC notes that many CAP EAS messages include WEA-supported circles or polygons in addition to county codes. “We believe that the most immediate approach to improving EAS geotargeting would be to allow EAS participants to use those circles and polygons as an alternative to county codes.” It believes this approach will allow participants to more precisely identify the geographic area to which a CAP EAS alert is relevant and be better informed as to whether it makes sense to transmit the alert.… [TheTopNews] Read More.4 hours ago
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