Trends in IP Contribution & Distribution

2021 

IP CODEC EBOOK 

Broadcast Trends 

Centralization and the Future of IP Audio Contribution and Distribution

BROADCAST TRENDS 

Introduction 

2021 

There is no doubt that business, and the business of broadcast, is evolving fast. IP, AI and COVID-19 

have all accelerated technological change to the point that many broadcast networks are rethinking and 

reinventing their entire infrastructure design. 

For some, this may mean building fewer studios. For others, it may be increasing workplace flexibility to 

support working and broadcasting remotely from home. What seems evident is that the studios we have 

been used to will shrink or consolidate over time. Even before the pandemic, engineers were telling us 

they required boxes with greater channel density. Reasons for this varied: reducing studio rack space was 

common; expanding capacity within existing space was another. 

This eBook explores how IP Audio Contribution and Distribution infrastructure is adapting to the new 

landscape in radio broadcasting. It details how the latest studio hardware and software solutions are 

being integrated into existing and future studio designs. It will also explore the importance of remote 

control functionality to support REMI (Remote Integration) workflows. 

Tieline is a manufacturer, however we also play a role as a thought-leader in the world of broadcast. We 

will continue to work with our customers and partners as we strive to continually innovate and build the 

future of radio broadcasting together. We have consulted widely in putting this eBook together and hope 

you find information within it useful. 

William McLean 

Chief Executive Officer 

Tieline Group of Companies

BROADCAST TRENDS EBOOK 

CONTENTS 

THE BROADCAST PLANT IN 2021 AND BEYOND 

4 

AOIP COMPLIANCE DELIVERS FLEXIBLE CODEC 

STREAMING 

8 

MANAGING MULTIPLE REMOTES WITH GATEWAY 

13 

PATTISON MEDIA INSTALLS GATEWAY 

17 

THE NEW NORMAL FOR RADIO IN THE USA 

20 

THE LATEST ON RADIO IN EUROPE AND BEYOND 

22 

TIELINE SUPPORTS YOUR RADIO STREAMING NEEDS 

24 

REMOTE CONTROL OF BROADCAST DEVICES 

26 

BOOK A ZOOM DEMO 

27 

ENJOY OUR EBOOKS? 

29 

Tieline: The Codec Company 

3

The 

BROADCAST PLANT 

in 2021 and beyond... 

Even before the pandemic, centralization and consolidation had become a common 

theme in global radio. Some of the reasons for this included: 

1. Cost reduction. 

2. Greater control, flexibility, and enhanced network security. 

3. Radio engineering skills shortages. 

Then the pandemic came along and supercharged this process. So what does the future 

hold from here? 

Scalability and More Remotes 

There is no doubt a large section of the radio community will continue to broadcast 

remotely from home in the long term. 

During the pandemic this was forced 

upon us from a safety perspective, 

however, it is unlikely we will ever return 

back to the old ‘normal.’ Station owners 

quickly discovered remote broadcasting 

on a wide scale is not only possible, 

in many situations it’s preferable 

as it creates efficiencies – such as 

removing long commutes to the station. 

Plus, many announcers and staff 

have embraced the flexibility remote 

broadcasting delivers and will continue 

to broadcast from home or ‘wherever 

the show may take them.’ 

John Rogger using Report-IT to broadcast from 

home during the pandemic. 

As a result, the flexibility of adding new 

air talent from anywhere using scalable, high capacity AoIP solutions will continue to be 

imperative. Radio broadcasters will also want to install higher quality remote setups to 

replace temporary setups located at homes during the pandemic. 

4 www.tieline.com

The Broadcast Plant 


Centralization Delivers More Control and Enhanced Security 

The move toward centralized broadcast facilities and content delivery requires audio 

codecs to do more, or as they say in the AoIP world, have higher density. As radio station 

operations continue to consolidate, content will be delivered from fewer locations, so 

codecs generally require more channels. 

Centralizing radio network resources delivers more control of network infrastructure. 

It is much simpler to maintain equipment that is collocated, rather than traveling vast 

distances to update, upgrade, and maintain gear in different locations. Accelerated 

development of cloud-based infrastructure and remote software solutions have provided 

the interfaces that allow engineers to configure and control equipment remotely. 

Centralization creates other efficiencies as collocated resources can be shared between 

stations more easily. For example, stations can allocate a sub-group of channels on a 16 

channel Gateway codec to one station and another sub-group of channels to another. 

Even though the stations are run independently, critical broadcast infrastructure can be 

shared to reduce costs. 

From a network security perspective, it is much easier to secure centralized equipment 

than it is to secure many dispersed sites. Logistically it takes more effort to secure 

distributed sites around the country and there are more potential points of entry for 

hackers to exploit. 

Will Studios Downsize or Disappear? 

The trend towards more consolidation of media assets will have a profound effect on 

the size and buildout of the main studio. It’s increasingly evident that main studios will 

be significantly smaller and have a mix of higher capacity hardware and cloud-based 

solutions to reduce rack space requirements and provide more support for remote 

contribution. Smaller studio footprints will free up resources for more remote equipment, 

but the elimination of studios completely is likely still some way off. Having a physical 

station presence in key markets is still important for most major radio networks. 

Is Software the Future for Broadcast Engineering? 

There’s also been a lot of talk about whether station hardware will be completely 

replaced by software solutions. On the studio side, more software is being integrated to 

replace hardware. However, it’s likely that a mix of hardware and software solutions will 


5



continue into the foreseeable future, with software 

already dominating the command and control sphere 

of device management. 

At the remote end, quick remotes and newsbased 

contributions are enhanced by apps and 

software applications that improve quality when 

compared to the regular phone calls. However, when 

broadcasting network programs for extended periods 

away from the studio, a robust codec solution is 

preferable. Preferred solutions are capable of 

connecting multiple cellular or wired interfaces and 

deliver multiple redundant IP streams to prevent 

packet loss. 

Tieline ViA remote codec being used by 

Dan Israel at the Chiefs Radio Network 

To summarize, future studio designs will incorporate a mix of hardware and software 

Integrated solutions employing both hardware and software in radio broadcasting. 




solutions that provide: 

• Integrated options. 

• Full remote control. 

• Flexibility and scalability. 

Cost Reductions Will Continue 

The relentless search for cost reductions 

will no doubt continue. Centralized facilities 

create efficiencies through sharing of 

resources and many major radio networks 

have also downsized their workforce in 

recent times. This has affected a range 

Live and local broadcasting is still 

important 

of jobs, including announcers. AI is being employed in a wide array of areas including 

programming, media monitoring, ad verification, and transcription. This would appear to 

be the thin edge of the wedge and more AI services will emerge over time. 

However, there is also a significant benefit in maintaining a local market presence and 

this will continue to be an essential part of radio programming. Companies that do this 

best will reap the benefits of listenership and ad revenue. 

MCR: The Heart of Any Radio and TV Network 

Today’s studios at first glance are not too dissimilar to those of yesteryear. It all looks 

familiar; you’ll see a microphone, mixing desk, a wall clock. It’s not until you dig deeper 

behind the console or Master Control (MCR) desk and racks that you find evidence of 

transformational change. Namely, all audio sources are carried over a single ethernet 

cable in place of a spaghetti mix of copper cables. 

From the world of analog and TDM (Digital) studio networks with hundreds of cables 

terminating in MCR on Krone blocks, to one which is a centralized Audio over IP 

Network leveraging the latest IT infrastructure. 

There is still a large number of studios yet to make the transition to fully AoIP based 

operations and a wide array of different proprietary and open standard technologies 

exist. The following section will describe Tieline’s latest codecs, which deliver 

interoperability with a range of AoIP protocols, as well traditional analog and AES3 I/Os. 


7

AoIP 

COMPLIANCE DELIVERS 

Flexible Codec Streaming... 

Gateway Multichannel IP Codec 

Why is this important? To expand options and simplify workflows when integrating 

software and hardware from vendors supporting different IP protocols. 

After refining and perfecting IP streaming strategies in challenging remote broadcast 

environments over many years, Tieline is leading from the front to integrate 

uncompressed studio AoIP streams with inbound compressed and uncompressed 

remote IP streams within today’s broadcast plant. 

Gateway Delivers Flexible AoIP Options 

The Gateway and Gateway 4 are Tieline’s latest codecs. They are often ‘edge’ devices 

in IP networks bridging between wide area network (WAN) nodes that may include the 

broadcast plant, other studios (inter-studio links), production facilities and live events. 

Broadcast engineers seek AoIP devices that can transcend multiple technological 

standards and traverse across LANs, WANs and the public internet, a gateway of sorts 

with simple monitoring and control. Why is this so important? Interoperability delivers 

greater flexibility when integrating IP audio streams into the broadcast plant from a 

range of sources. 


AoIP Compliance Delivers 


Interoperability Improves AoIP Workflows 

Gateway and Gateway 4 codecs are compliant with AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-30 for audio 

transport. These standards provide the framework for transporting uncompressed PCM audio 

around the broadcast plant. The AES67 and ST 2110-30 standards support Session Description 

Protocol (SDP) for configuring the number of audio channels per stream, encoding format, bits per 

sample, sampling frequency and number of samples in a packet. 

Watch as Charlie Gawley explains AoIP protocol options in more detail 

Tieline codecs stream AES67 and ST 2110-30 compliant digital audio between 

equipment from manufacturers supporting these standards. They also support 

installation of an optional WheatNet-IP card. This provides a flexible platform for routing 

audio between a range of equipment using proprietary AoIP protocols like WheatNet-IP, 

as well as devices supporting RAVENNA, AES67 and ST 2110-30. 

Even if studios install equipment using AoIP protocols such as WheatNet-IP, Livewire+ 

or Dante, in the real-world broadcast engineers often need the ability to connect and 

stream between equipment from different vendors. This is where AES67, RAVENNA, 

and ST 2110-30 for those in the TV world, provide a high degree of interoperability with 

proprietary protocols such as Dante and Livewire+ (in AES67 compatibility mode). 


9



The Gateway AoIP codec supports connecting with a variety of AoIP protocols 

Simplifying IP Stream Discovery 

and Advertisement 

AES67 and ST 2110-30 only address 

stream transport, packet setup and 

synchronization (timing). Nothing is 

mandated regarding discovery. 

Tieline offers optional WheatNet- 

IP cards at purchase to interface 

directly with a WheatNet-IP network. 

Codecs then appear as Blades and 

seamlessly support stream discovery, 

advertisement and control using 

Wheatstone’s Navigator software. 

There are also other options for stream 

discovery and advertisement. 

Gateway codec added in Navigator 




Interoperability with NMOS, RAVENNA and Ember+ 

Gateway and Gateway 4 codecs are compliant with AMWA NMOS standards IS-04 

and IS-05 which delivers discovery, registration, and ultimately control for ST 2110 

AoIP streaming. NMOS data models and open standard APIs deliver a new level of 

interoperability and control with networked equipment throughout the stations and 

networks. 

NMOS will deliver more functions 

and greater interoperability 

between IP devices from 

different vendors over time. More 

straightforward interoperability 

between products is important as 

it allows end users and service 

providers to build better systems 

with streamlined management and 

control options. 

Available RAVENNA devices displayed in a 

Tieline codec 

Many broadcast networks around the world use RAVENNA for stream discovery and 

advertisement. The recent integration of RAVENNA allows Tieline codecs to perform 

these tasks over RAVENNA AoIP networks. 

Aligning with Engineering Objectives 

“Ever since the days of POTS and ISDN, Tieline has always advocated for 

interoperability of equipment from different manufacturers,” said Charlie Gawley, 

Tieline’s VP Sales APAC/EMEA. “IP streaming is no different and is why the Gateway is 

AES67, ST 2110-30, NMOS and RAVENNA compliant, to simplify workflows by allowing 

devices from different vendors to connect seamlessly.” 

The Gateway and Gateway 4 also support Ember+, which is an openly available control 

protocol designed to integrate devices from different vendors into a single software 

interface. Tieline’s NMOS and Ember+ capabilities will develop further and integrate 

over time via firmware updates. 

SIP and Phase-Aligned Streaming 

All Tieline codecs support EBU3326 (Audio Contribution over IP) and EBU3347 

(Intercom over IP) SIP interoperability standards. These important protocols allow 


11



Tieline codecs to connect with non-Tieline devices. Plus, a Gateway codec can act as 

a SIP trunk-based gateway for public internet communication circuits between multiple 

venues at large sporting events, or between locations over WANs. 

Demand for multichannel and surround sound streaming options is also increasing and 

up to 8 channels of digital phase-aligned multichannel audio are supported in Gateway 

to provide a range of flexible alternatives. Selectable options include 6 channel (5.1 or 

6.0), 8 channel (7.1 or 8.0), and 4 channel phase-aligned streams. 

“With the multitude of use cases, IP protocols, and vendors supplying equipment 

throughout the broadcast chain, our customers are telling us they want to do more with 

less,” said Gawley. “In other words, fewer boxes, using less space, with lower power 

consumption and more functionality. Flexibility and interoperability will be paramount 

going forward.” 

Neuhoff Media Consolidates Multiple Markets with Gateway 

Kerri Cawley is an IT Director/ 

Contract Engineer for Neuhoff 

Media. “I recently designed new 

centralized network operations for 

Neuhoff Media with 4 stations in 

Springfield, 5 stations in Decatur, 

and 3 stations in Bloomington,” 

said Kerri. “These markets cover 

most of central Illinois.” 

“We purchased Tieline’s Gateway 

The Gateway 16 codec in action 

16 channel codec with a 

WheatNet-IP card for the studio to interface with our AoIP network. Its main purpose is 

to provide audio feeds for two of our markets – either direct to STLs, or to processing at 

the remote transmitter sites,” said Kerri. “We also installed a Gateway 8 channel codec 

at one of our transmitter sites in Decatur, which feeds our various RF STL feeds to the 

other sites.” 

Full story at https://tieline.com/testimonials/neuhoff-consolidates-with-gateway/ 


MULTIPLE REMOTES 

Managing 

with Gateway 

Tieline has specialized in streaming low latency, high quality audio over wired and 

wireless IP networks for two decades. Envisioning future opportunities provided by IP 

streaming, Tieline embraced the development of cellular GSM, 3G, 4G, and now 5G IP 

codec technologies, primarily to: 

• Broadcast from regions without POTS or ISDN lines, and 

• Support broadcasting in challenging 

remote broadcast environments. 

In the early days cellular bandwidth was 

very minimal at best and required low 

bandwidth encoding options with robust, 

adaptable jitter buffer strategies to avoid 

dropouts and network congestion. These 

strategies have been improved upon in 

recent years with redundant streaming 

and data aggregation (bonding) improving 

bandwidth capability and IP packet stream 

reliability. 

Sean Fahey (left), Senior Broadcast 

Engineer at BYU Broadcasting, oversees a 

live remote using the Tieline ViA codec 


13

Managing Multiple Remotes 

With Gateway 

Remotes in 2022 and Beyond 

The pandemic forced many of us to work and broadcast remotely more often, in some 

cases permanently. So what does this mean for the future of remote broadcasting? 

Primarily, there will continue to be more remote broadcasts than ever before. The 

pandemic has demanded the availability of more remote solutions to ensure staff can 

work from home as required. Although not without its challenges, for most stations this 

has not necessarily been a bad thing. It has created more live and local radio content, 

which in many ways delivered a more intimate auditory experience to listeners. 

It has also created opportunities to explore new ways of working. Announcers and 

engineers who previously had to travel long distances, or had time-consuming 

commutes to the station, discovered they could broadcast successfully from home quite 

easily with the right equipment. Many stations have embraced new workflows and now 

see it as an opportunity to improve their employees’ quality of life. 

How Will Remote Technologies Evolve? 

It wasn’t that long ago that a studio requiring two or three remote links would need two 

or three rack mount codecs to receive incoming audio, often taking up 2RU of rackspace 

each! How things have changed. Consolidation of studio infrastructure into more 

compact, higher density hardware and software has significantly reduced the footprint of 

equipment to increase flexibility, save rack space and reduce energy costs. 

Redundancy Delivers Rock Solid Remotes 

It is likely that a mix of hardware and software 

solutions will be used for the foreseeable 

future. Software streaming products are fine 

for some applications, however hardware 

such as Tieline’s ViA codec delivers the 

level of robustness, reliability, and flexibility 

demanded by engineers for mission critical 

remote broadcasts. Remote codecs delivering 

network programming to large audiences 

require: 

• Network redundancy: redundant 

streaming or data aggregation using 

multiple wired and wireless IP options. 

Sport reporter Paddy Sweeney using the Tieline 

ViA codec to interview Melbourne’s premiership 

winning captain Max Gawn after the Australian 

Football League Grand Final. 



With Gateway 

• Power redundancy: the ability to run equipment on both mains and battery power. 

• Connection redundancy: multiple simultaneous connections delivering primary and 

redundant connections. 

ViA - More Than Just an IP Codec… 

Tieline’s flagship ViA remote codec offers mono, stereo, stereo plus mono, dual mono, 

and triple mono connection options, with network, power, and connection redundancy 

options. Connections are full-duplex and the ViA supports record, playback, and FTP 

use cases as well. 

View and manage recordings, create playlists of local and imported files, then control 

playback routing to encoders and analog and digital outputs. It’s also simple to produce 

& record your own broadcast quality audio files to removable media, or simply upload 

files directly from the unit via FTP. 

Browser-based streaming applications provide some affordable alternatives that 

are ideally suited to cut-ins or brief live crosses. However, they generally lack the 

redundancy features that deliver reliable remote broadcasting in the most demanding 

environments. 

Managing Multiple Simultaneous Remotes is Easy 

The ongoing demand for more 

remotes requires higher density 

codecs like the Tieline Gateway, 

which can support up to 8 

stereo or 16 mono full-duplex 

connections in 1 rack unit of 

space. 

Using the built-in matrix editor 

you can set up a conference 

bridge with several incoming 

remote contributions from 

multiple locations in addition 

to your in-studio hosts. The 

Gateway’s simple mix-minus 

editing capability takes care 

Gateway supports 16 full-duplex stereo connections 

simultaneously 


15


With Gateway 

of unwanted audio sources, and it is all done at low latency. You would think your 

announcers and their guests were all sitting around a table in the same room! 

The Gateway also includes comprehensive input processing capabilities with EQ, 

a compressor/expander, and noise gating on each input. Gateway also includes 

comprehensive remote-control capabilities through the HTML5 Toolbox web-GUI and 

can be fully configured and remotely controlled with the Cloud Codec Controller. This 

ensures control of all your remote connections is at your fingertips anywhere, anytime. 

It’s simple to set up a mix-minus for multiple remote feeds with Gateway using the built-in Matrix Editor 


Pattison Media 

INSTALLS GATEWAY 

By Barry Mandziak, Technical Supervisor for Pattison Media North Vancouver Island Operations. 

Pattison Media is Canada’s largest western based broadcast company. 

Bill Dean, morning show host on The Lounge 99.9FM 

Barry Mandziak, 

Technical Supervisor 

for Pattison Media 

North Vancouver Island, 

discusses how the 

Gateway consolidated 

network remotes during 

the pandemic. 

Pattison Media is a growing media company. I am responsible for maintaining 

operations for 6 Pattison Media stations on Vancouver Island. When the pandemic 

hit us early in 2020, our offices buildings and studios in Nanaimo, Courtenay, and Port 

Alberni emptied out as folks were very concerned about the pandemic and decided to 

work from home. 

It was a busy time and lots of remote broadcast curve balls were suddenly thrown in my 

direction. This meant we had to ramp up our remote broadcast capabilities immediately 

to support announcers and producers working from home in remote studios. Our 

Nanaimo facilities are usually very busy with about 25—30 staff running around making 

radio go. Having folks working from home was going to be a challenge. That is a lot of 

remote studios…. Being able to put a remote studio to air with little or no notice was 

now a reality. 

I made my way down to our equipment racks and thought this is not going to work. 

We had only 4 Tieline Bridge-IT units in place and we are running six shows. I quickly 

realized we would need to scale up our codec capabilities. Added to this the need to 

receive two new audio feeds for two simultaneous morning shows. Then there is the 

possibility of remote broadcast cut ins… I knew that I would need more gear to make 


17


Installs Gateway 

this work. That said, I have been using Tieline solutions for many years and found them 

very reliable. I knew exactly where I needed to go to get the bits and pieces that I would 

need to make this a go. 

Finding the Ideal Solution 

At first, I was looking at 

purchasing four more Bridget- 

IT codecs and adding a lot 

more wire to our mix, however 

I did not have to go down this 

road at all. The folks at Tieline 

had a new product… the 

Gateway 8, and it appeared 

to be everything I needed 

in one box. We purchased 

a single Gateway 8, an 

4 Stereo Streams Configured on the Gateway 8 

8-channel IP codec that would be wired into our Nanaimo studio location. The Gateway 

8 would service all four of our morning shows and all the remote cut ins making our 

shows complete. We would repurpose our Bridge-IT units to be add-ons for our remote 

broadcast kits. Morning shows from anywhere was the hope. 

More Challenges 

Setting up remote studios and dealing with the restrictions placed on us by COVID, we 

really needed an IP audio solution that delivered more advanced routing capabilities. 

The Gateway 8 would also give us the option to phase out our copper ISDN lines 

completely and now rely on the Gateway 8 connected over fiber to Bridge-IT codecs. 

We also use the Report-IT Enterprise app extensively over cellular connections for both 

shows and remote cut ins. 

Working the Codec 24/7 

The Gateway 8 services two Parksville stations, CHPQ-FM and CIBH-FM as well as 

CHWF-FM and CKWV-FN both out of Nanaimo. The Gateway 8 codec really does 

have it all and it fits in one RU of rack space. The Gateway is connected pretty much 

24/7 on two stations and we’ve never had any dropouts or audio issues. With this new 

configuration we now do morning shows remotely from announcers’ homes and other 

locations that often change daily. We elected to use stereo connections and use Music 

PLUS encoding at 256kbps and it sounds great. Announcers also have backhaul audio 



Installs Gateway 

that is studio quality. We also connect to the Gateway for remotes and for voice tracking. 

If anyone gets sick and needs to work from home, they can easily do their show from 

home using the Report-IT app as a codec and transport. 

The Gateway has a Toolbox HTML5 web-GUI software interface that lets you monitor 

and configure any settings remotely. This is great, but the truth is, since I installed the 

Gateway 8 it hasn’t needed any reconfigurations. After initial setup it’s all set and forget 

and just works. I do use the GUI sometimes to disconnect end users if someone forgets 

to hang up a codec. We also use Broadcast Tools switchers to feed the codec which 

also can be remotely controlled. 

We now have several additional channels of IP audio coming into our studios and we 

can route this audio pretty much anywhere. This upgrade has allowed us to get rid of 

all our copper ISDN links and increased flexibility. The savings dropping all the copper 

ISDN and broadcast loops was appreciable. We can route return audio from almost 

anywhere using the built-in Matrix Editor and if you need contact closures you’ve got 

them too. The codec is also AES67/ST 2110-30 compliant, which will be useful as we 

digitize our studios more over time. 

I would like to take a moment to thank Jacob Daniluck and the folks at Tieline for 

building such a wonderful product. It’s been rock solid and there is so much flexibility. I 

couldn’t make radio work without the Tieline Gateway and I honestly cannot even think 

of a single feature I would add to this unit. The Gateway 8 has it all… thank you Tieline. 

Watch the Video 

Watch the video to learn more about the Gateway Multichannel IP codec 


19

The New Normal for 

RADIO IN THE USA 

By Doug Ferber, VP Sales Americas 

As we have been saying in the multitude 

of Zoom presentations that we have been 

doing over the past 18 months, remote 

broadcasting is here to stay. It makes 

too much sense fiscally for management 

to completely go back to the old way of 

doing things. The big guys of network 

radio are finally tuned in to the technical 

aspects of the industry to find ways to 

save on expenses. Smaller main studio 

footprints, elimination of many peripheral 

or small regional broadcasting locations, 

and less equipment in the rack that can 

accomplish more. A big lunchroom and 

jock lounge may be going the way of the 

dinosaur. 

Doug Ferber with the Tieline ViA remote codec 

The audio quality from home studios can be excellent with the right gear and reasonable 

acoustics. As engineers know, if you want it to sound like the jocks are in the studio, 

you don’t use cheap solutions. I personally recommend resisting the temptation to use 

PC based software… go with rock solid hardware for more dependable, long-lasting, 

high-quality set-ups. 

ViA is the Ultimate Remote Option 

The ViA is the top remote broadcasting solution there is… period. It’s best in its class 

by a mile. It’s the “Ferrari” of remote codecs because of its elegant design and tough 

construction, abundant features and functionality. Everything is built-in… I call it a 

“studio in a box”. In fact, in a pinch you could use it to run one of your stations if your 

console melted down! We have many ViA owners that have retired (or used as boat 

anchors, paper weights, and door stops) competitors’ functioning remote codecs in 

favor of the ViA. The phrase “you’ve tried the rest, now try the best” could not be more 


The New Normal 

For Radio in the USA 

appropriate than when referring to the ViA. As a standalone or as a complement to the 

ViA, our Report-IT app smartphone codec is also a very popular solution for remote 

broadcasting. Another high quality, low latency solution from Tieline, that also includes 

features like redundant streaming. 

With centralization being the new mantra, scalability is important. Having the ability to 

scale up existing audio delivery equipment will be more favorable in the future than 

adding more units to rack rooms featuring less rack space. Tieline’s Gateway platform 

lets you purchase an 8-channel codec and upgrade it later to support up to 16 channels 

as required. Engineers have been gravitating to these codecs in increasing numbers as 

a result. 

During the early phase of the pandemic we observed that budget was often an 

issue. There was a lot of “wait and see” out there relating to infrastructure updates 

and equipment acquisitions. However, in recent months there has been an uptick in 

purchases as networks who held off have decided it’s time to upgrade. 

Luckily for Tieline, several of our products can be used as high-quality home studio 

solutions, so we’ve been able to “defy gravity” better than many. In general, with ad 

spend returning, the industry has been increasingly more buoyant throughout 2021, 

however challenges remain as the industry fully adjusts to a new normal and new 

listening habits. As streaming grows in coming years, products like our Gateway will 

continue to evolve with new features like HTTP streaming and other AoIP technologies 

including AES67, ST 2110-30, NMOS, RAVENNA, WheatNet-IP and more. 

Everyone is looking forward to the day that the sun shines on the radio industry again. 

Hopefully that is soon and the resulting high tide will raise all ships. 


21

The Latest on Radio 

IN EUROPE & BEYOND 

By Charlie Gawley, VP Sales APAC/EMEA 

Earlier in this publication we mentioned the adoption of 

proprietary and open standards for Audio over IP and 

I would like to expand on this topic a little more. The 

benefit of proprietary standards is that they contain the 

secret sauce to provide unparalleled performance and 

reliability and are always cutting edge. Whereas open 

standards, if adopted as per the standard, provide a 

high degree of interoperability. 

We at Tieline have always believed in providing 

Charlie Gawley, Tieline VP Sales 

APAC/EMEA 

broadcasters with the ability to integrate equipment as seamlessly as possible into their 

broadcast plant. That is why we adopt the approach of embracing both proprietary and 

open standards-based architecture in our products. Back in 2006, Tieline was one of 

the early implementors of the EBU N/ACIP 3326 standard for interoperability of codecs 

over IP using SIP. 

In terms of industry body driven open standards, you have the Audio Engineering 

Society’s (AES) AES67 that is regarded as predominately for radio. The Society of 

Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) ST-2110-30 standard is for TV, and 

we also have the RAVENNA open standard by ALC Networks. The key to supporting 

open standards is ensuring your investment in equipment is compliant with the standard, 

rather than partially compatible. As a customer, the consequence of purchasing 

hardware or software with partial implementation of standards, could mean you have 

invested in equipment that does not work as expected. 

The product brief may state “AES67 Compliant,” however, you find you can’t send or 

receive 6 mono channels in a single AES67 stream from another device, even though 

the standard states 1-8 channels. Or it may state that they support AES67 and as a 

customer you find that their AoIP PC driver does not support AES67, this then has 

ramifications with your Automation setup interfacing with other equipment. 


The Latest on Radio 

In Europe and Beyond 

It is for this very reason the Audio Engineering Society in 2018 issued a revision of 

the AES67 standard to include Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement, 

AES67-2018 PICS. This enables integrators and engineers to evaluate exactly which 

capabilities and options of the protocol have been implemented. For the implementation 

of NMOS, ST-2110, ST-2059, ST-2110-30 and ST-2022-7, the Joint Taskforce on 

Network Media (JT-NM) has published testing tools for compliance. 

As they say, the devil is in the detail, and a little time invested in research upfront can 

save you time and money in the long term. Information on the JT-NM testing program 

and test plan downloads are available at https://www.jt-nm.org/ and the AES standards 

are available at https://www.aes.org/standards/. 

The Transformation of Transmission and Distribution of Audio 

The traditional medium for radio transmission over the airwaves, be it AM, FM, DAB+, 

DRM or HD Radio, is rapidly transitioning to radio being wherever you are – whether 

that’s at your desk, on the train, or out exercising. Streaming audio over IP to Content 

Delivery Networks facilitates feeding multiple online devices such as your cell phone, 

PC or connected devices such as Alexa, Apple and Google smart speakers. To follow 

we will explore this in more detail. 


23

Tieline Supports Your 

RADIO STREAMING 

Needs 

How will the role of streaming change for radio in the next five years? It is generally 

agreed that streaming will be ever more important as more people consume more audio 

online. Younger generations in particular gravitate to online streaming platforms, but 

increasingly, so are older listeners via smart speakers, apps, and other platforms. 

How Can My Codec Support My Streaming Requirements? 

Tieline specializes in distributing high-quality broadcast audio between remote locations, 

studios, and affiliates with best-in-class AoIP audio codecs. A software update to Tieline 

Gateway, Gateway 4 and ViA codecs now also delivers support for HTTP streaming to 

Icecast and SHOUTcast servers. 

Gateway codec acts as HTTP streaming server to HTTP clients 

Along with a range of other IP innovations, this delivers greater streaming flexibility to 

broadcasters employing a range of streaming applications across diverse radio network 

infrastructure. Your codec can now: 

1. Receive live remote broadcast streams and distribute IP audio to transmitter sites, 

remote studios, and affiliates over the internet. 



Radio Streaming Needs 

2. Integrate AoIP audio around the broadcast plant using AES67, ST 2110-30, 

RAVENNA, NMOS, and Ember+. 

3. Deliver an Icecast or SHOUTcast HTTP stream to an online audience. 

4. Facilitate Icecast client streaming support as one of several failover options when 

distributing broadcast audio signals. 

This means Tieline codecs now support being an integral part of network radio 

strategies that encompasses streaming high quality, low latency audio for traditional 

radio remote contribution and distribution use cases, as well as HTTP streaming 

applications. 

Streaming: Increasingly An Important Broadcast Component 

If you believe that you have to be where listeners are migrating to, then streaming 

needs to be a bigger part of a radio company’s strategy. Recent data for the US 

measuring streaming indicates 

rapid growth for adults 25-54. As a 

result, advertisers more widely are 

acknowledging the need to include 

streaming in their advertising mix. 

Tieline’s Doug Ferber is VP Sales 

for the Americas and has seen a 

lot of change in the radio industry 

over several decades. “There 

are still radio operators out there 

that don’t believe streaming is a 

critical distribution channel for their 

content,” said Doug. “Remember 

cable TV in the seventies? How 

Codecs that support HTTP streaming deliver 

more flexible connection options to radio 

engineers 

many people do you know today that watch television exclusively using an over-the-air 

signal?” 

“Tieline recognizes that radio should be seen as a platform, including over-the-air, 

streaming, podcasting, live events, digital, etc. Package these up for advertisers and 

they will reach your listeners, no matter what element of your platform they are using.” 


25

Remote Control of 

BROADCAST DEVICES 

Centralizing radio network resources potentially delivers more control of network 

infrastructure, however, this usually requires more remote control of equipment. For 

example, an engineer maintaining centralized equipment may field calls from regional 

stations and affiliates at all hours of the day. The ability to make changes on the fly 

remotely, as well as apply software updates and upgrades, can be incredibly useful. 

Cloud Codec Controller 

The Cloud Codec Controller is the ultimate way to configure, control and monitor all of 

your Tieline codec assets. The Controller immediately detects the presence of Tieline 

codecs, or smartphones running the Report-IT Enterprise app, when they connect to the 

internet over an Ethernet or wireless data connection. This allows engineers to remotely 

control live connections from the comfort of the studio, at home, or anywhere in the 

world if they have internet connectivity. 

The Cloud Codec Controller lets you configure and control Tieline codecs and Report-IT app users 

from anywhere, anytime. 

It doesn’t matter whether a device is connected via a LAN or cellular networks. The 

Cloud Codec Controller integrates with Tieserver and the latest cloud computing 

technologies to deliver secure real-time monitoring and remote control of all Gateway, 

Gateway 4, Merlin, Genie, ViA and Bridge-IT codecs, as well as smartphones using 

Report-IT Enterprise. 



Radio Streaming Needs 

Other Control Options 

Even if you own Tieline codecs but don’t have a program like Tieline’s Cloud Codec 

Controller for remote control, then you may need to setup Dynamic DNS or get a static 

IP from your provider to assist you with remote control. Tieline Gateway, Gateway 4, ViA 

and Bridge-IT codecs all include an embedded HTML5 web-GUI option, so your codecs 

can still be configured remotely without the Cloud Codec Controller. 

BOOK A ZOOM DEMO 

Tieline offers a range of ways to explore how the Gateway, Gateway 4, and ViA codecs 

can deliver unique and powerful solutions for your network. 

In as little as 20 minutes we can give you personalized “deep dive” into the Gateway as 

well our other award-winning products, including software products like the Report-IT 

Enterprise app and the Cloud Codec Controller. Call or send an email to set up a date 

and time to suit. 

Visit https://tieline.com/zoom-demo-appointments/ or contact us below: 

• For USA, Canada & Latin America contact: sales@tieline.com or call +1-317-845- 

8000 

• For Australia and International: info@tieline.com or call +61-8-9413 2000 


27

ENJOY 

OUR EBOOKS? 

Be sure to subscribe for FREE at https://tieline.com/tieline-ebooks/. When you subscribe 

you will be notified when each new eBook is released, so you can read each important 

technology update at your convenience. 

DO YOU HAVE AN EBOOK CONCEPT IN MIND? 

Do you have a subject you would like us to cover in an 

eBook? Contact us at: 

media@tieline.com 

We would love to hear from you. 


29

TIELINE RESEARCH 

(INTERNATIONAL) 

Address: 4 Bendsten Place 

Balcatta WA 6021 Australia 

Postal Address: PO Box 

2092, Malaga WA 6944 

Australia 

Phone: +61 8 9413 2000 

Email: info@tieline.com 

TIELINE AMERICA LLC 

Address: 7202 East 

87th Street Suite #116 

Indianapolis, Indiana 46256 

Phone: +1-317-845-8000 

Email: sales@tieline.com 

www.tieline.com

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