Broadcaster Audacy Chooses Tieline for Live Major League Baseball Broadcasts
In the heart of San Diego, Audacy's radio stations have undergone a significant upgrade, with a focus on enhancing flexibility and reliability. At the helm of this transformation is Bill Eisenhamer, the chief engineer of Audacy's five FM station cluster.
One of the key components of the upgrade is the use of Tieline codecs. Approximately 24 Tieline codecs are in use, with six of them being the "workhorses" for the five stations. The Tieline ViAs, known for their robustness, handle the majority of the duties.
The primary signal of Audacy's flagship station, 97.3 KWFN(FM), covers San Diego, with the aid of four booster signals. For the Padres' network, affiliates extend as far as Temecula, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas.
The Tieline Bridge-IT, a versatile codec, was installed in Petco Park's broadcast booth rack prior to the 2025 MLB season. This upgrade allows for remote codec management through Tieline's Cloud Codec Controller.
The network setup also employs NAT translation, ensuring seamless communication. Tieline Gateways are used for inter-studio links and sports-related feeds. Notably, the studio Gateway has two independent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for added redundancy.
The network sends a mono program and IFB communications on one channel of the stereo return, while the second channel is a produced play-by-play feed routed to the Petco Park control room.
SmartStream Plus is used for redundancy in the Padres' network. The use of three Merlin Plus units further bolsters the network's reliability.
Eisenhamer, in his pursuit of flexibility and reliability, has tested a Gateway using a Dante module and sees potential for future implementation. All studio codecs are connected to an SAS system via AES digital audio, ensuring high-quality audio transmission.
In conclusion, Audacy San Diego's radio network upgrade, spearheaded by Eisenhamer, has focused on enhancing flexibility and reliability through the use of Tieline codecs, Gateways, and other technologies. The network now stands ready to deliver top-quality audio for its listeners, whether it's the latest music or the thrilling moments of a Padres game.
- The studio where Bill Eisenhamer works, as the chief engineer of Audacy's five FM station cluster, has modernized with Tieline ViAs, known for their robustness, handling a significant percentage of the duties.
- To ensure seamless communication within the network setup, NAT translation is used, and Tieline Gateways are utilized for inter-studio links, as well as sports-related feeds.
- In a bid to further enhance the network's reliability, SmartStream Plus is employed in the Padres' network, while the use of three Merlin Plus units reinforces the network's resilience.
