`The Voice`: Small Audience, Big Show
Transcription
`The Voice`: Small Audience, Big Show
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta facilityfocus ‘The Voice’: Small Audience, Big Show New Pediatric Media Centers Are the First Initiative of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation by Ken Deutsch Imagine a radio station that features visits from some of the biggest entertainment stars on the planet. Add in studio live video and new media channels. This station has state-of-theart studios but runs no commercials, makes no profit and can be seen and heard only by a few hundred people. And the owners wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re talking about “The Voice,” a multimedia broadcast service created by the nonprofit 501(c)(3) Ryan Seacrest Foundation. With assistance from members of his family, Seacrest — the radio success story, the intensely busy guy seen nationally on “American Idol” whose name as host or producer also tops the credits of other radio and TV shows — has led the construction of “Voice” stations at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, with a third in the works. These radio/TV operations have a special closed-circuit audience: the children visiting these hospitals as patients. In each facility, young patients who are physically able can visit the studios of “The Voice” and participate in person as disc jockeys and interviewers. Kids who are too sick to do that simply turn on their in-room TVs to join (continued on page 3) A Supplement to (continued from page 1) the fun. Any patient can call in requests during the music shows or ask to speak with visiting celebrities. IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR “It started as a conversation one night around the dinner table,” said Meredith Seacrest, Ryan’s sister and vice president/COO of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. “Ryan had visited several children’s hospitals and always left wanting to make more of a lasting impact. He decided to start a foundation that would lift the spirits of sick kids. For Ryan, just asking people to give money to a cause wasn’t enough. His idea was to develop multimedia centers that would serve as a positive distraction to the patients and their families during their hospital stays.” Or as the foundation mission statement puts it: “We believe access to multimedia experiences will bring patients exciting and stimulating adventures to encourage optimistic thoughts during treatment and for the future.” Their father Gary is president/CEO, their mother Connie is executive director of foundation relations for the charity that bears their name. Meredith handles most of the day-to-day activities including the programming of the stations, the marketing, public relations and celebrity bookings. She works with the hospitals and with local schools that supply journalism interns; part of the foundation’s mission is to provide students an opportunity to gain experience in radio, TV and new media. Financial support for “The Voice” comes from E! Entertainment Television and Coca Cola. (You can visit www.ryanseacrestfoundation.org for more details.) Ryan Seacrest, the foundation chairman, is not just a figurehead; he is involved at all levels of these projects. “The Voice” studios in Atlanta and Philadelphia are bright and contemporary in design, and both feature tall ceilings and lots of glass. IN THE BIG PEACH “The media centers have a fish-bowl-like appearance,” said Meredith Seacrest. “We have the kids decorate them with posters and autographed photos. And in each city we have support from local radio station engineers who help maintain the studios.” And what do the stations do for their listeners, the children in the hospitals? “They help brighten their spirits. And then there’s the educational side. The kids actually get to work in these media centers, so we may inspire someone to become a DJ. Hey, we might be creating the next Ryan Seacrest.” Ryan Seacrest started his radio career as an intern Radio World (ISSN: 0274-8541) is published bi-weekly with additional issues in February, April, June, August, October and December by NewBay Media, LLC, 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Phone: (703) 852-4600, Fax: (703) 8524582. Periodicals postage rates are paid at New York, NY 10079 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Radio World, P.O. Box 282, Lowell, MA 01853. Copyright 2011 by NewBay Media, LLC. All rights reserved. at WSTR(FM), Atlanta (“Star 94”), so it makes sense that when the first “Voice” location opened last November, it was in his home town. Chris Jones is director of volunteer services at “The Voice” in Atlanta. “We play music, we do special requests from the kids, we do trivia, and when we have guests our DJ, Wacky Wendy [real name: Wendy Threatt] will interview them and then open it up for questions from the kids.” In Atlanta, “The Voice” is heard at three locations including the campus where the studio is located, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Additional campuses where programming can be viewed are Scottish Rite and Hughes Spalding, both in the Atlanta area, both part of the Children’s family. “It’s very interactive,” said Jones. “The kids will request songs, ask the guests questions and participate in various games. We give out prizes, even to kids on the other campuses. We try to make it as inclusive as possible.” There are 500 beds among the various Atlanta locations. The patients vary in age from infants to 21. Wacky Wendy is one of the few paid staff members and brings years of commercial radio experience to her job. “The Voice” in Atlanta is seen on Ed Cunicelli Photographer Inc. facilityfocus (continued on page 4) hOLLyWOOD entRePReneuR Good looks, a smooth voice and a sunny disposition are great tools in any media career; but lots of people can claim those attributes. Ryan Seacrest has those tools; but unflagging energy and remarkable entrepreneurial instincts are what seem to set him apart in hyper-competitive Hollywood, where Seacrest engages radio and TV audiences who were once held captive by the likes of Dick Clark, Casey Kasem and Rick Dees. Seacrest broke into broadcasting 20 years ago with an internship at WSTR(FM) in Atlanta. He moved to Los Angeles at age 19, and today has a long-term deal with Clear Channel Radio, hosting the syndicated, high-profile “American Top 40 With Ryan Seacrest” as well as “On Air With Ryan Seacrest” over Premiere Radio Networks. His morning show on KIIS(FM) in Los Angeles is a consistent Arbitron winner in the nation’s top-billing radio market. But Seacrest has moved well beyond radio in the past decade. He hosts and produces cable TV show “E! News” and its signature red-carpet awards shows. He executive-produces and co-hosts “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.” He has brand and marketing agreements with corporations like Microsoft, Proctor & Gamble, Coke and Eventful Inc. Ryan Seacrest Productions is a television production company responsible for such shows as “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “Khloe and Lamar.” Seacrest has appeared as a character in films and TV, playing himself. And he is seen on TV in millions of homes as host of “American Idol,” the Fox show that has finished atop the end-of-year Nielsen ratings for the last eight years. Ryan Seacrest is 36. 3 facilityfocus (continued from page 3) Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Channel 12 in patient rooms three days a week. Local schools take over the programming for two of the four hours on broadcast days. “They run the show,” said Jones. “They do everything. We have two universities involved, the University of Georgia and Georgia State, as well as Dunwoody High School, which is where Ryan went.” STARS COME OUT Ryan Seacrest Foundation Ryan Seacrest’s showbiz connections help get celebrities involved with “The Voice” in Atlanta. Among the ageappropriate luminaries to make appearances have been Web maven iCarly and musical group Big Time Rush, both from Nickelodeon. “Big Time Rush is a boy band,” said Jones. “They pulled up in their bus and we had our hematology patients greet them. “These are kids who are undergoing chemotherapy and they were bald. They all screamed when they saw the group, and from the noise you would think it was the Beatles arriving in New York. The kids got to hang out at the station with the boys and it was great. We’ve also had another band, New Kids on the Block, and several of the stars from ‘American Idol.’ Sports figures from the Atlanta Braves, Falcons and Hawks have also stopped by.” Jones said a pediatric hospital differs from treatment centers for adults. “It’s so unnatural for a child to be stuck in a hospital, so we try to make the experience a little more rounded,” she said. Ryan Seacrest cuts the ribbon for “The Voice” at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. With him from left are Connie, Meredith and Gary Seacrest; Seacrest grandmother Virginia Glass; Donna Hyland, president/CEO, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; patient Leah Brinson; and Gene Hayes, president of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation. “‘The Voice’ changes from day to day because sometimes we have a lot of younger patients and sometimes more teens. We might have story time for the three- and four-year-olds. It’s all over the place. For our patients, ‘The Voice’ is something that comes their way only because they were unlucky enough to be in the hospital.” There are no Arbitron ratings for closed-circuit stations. Jones looks for other signs of success. “We can tell when the phone lines light up that there is interest,” she said. ‘The Voice’ has become more and more a part of the culture. Each week we get more people coming in and calling in.” While Great Britain has a long history of hospitals providing entertainment for its patients (see www.hbauk.co.uk), this is not a tradition in the United States. One might expect that setting up an operation unlike anything that has come before would be fraught with problems. “Everything has actually gone very smoothly,” said Jones. “The biggest issue for us is just making sure that the other campuses are tuned in. We had a campaign to market ourselves to the other locations, and part of that was putting stickers on the TVs, and part of it was getting the nurses on board. Now, if you’re going to be in the hospital for two or three days, someone will definitely tell you about Channel 12.” 4 At the opening at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Ed Cunicelli Photographer Inc. THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA The Philadelphia center launched in July of this year. Pop star Selena Gomez made an appearance at the grand opening, as did NFL kicker David Akers. With a legacy going back more than 150 years, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has one of the largest pediatric research programs in the country. “When Ryan first contacted us about this I was thrilled,” said Elana Brewer, director of child-life, the department that facilitates all programming for “The Voice.” “It’s Channel 51 on the room TVs here, but we’re also exploring new media. We’d like to create apps that kids can run on their mobile devices, but that’s down the road for us.” (continued on page 6) BSI is proud to be a premier sponsor of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation Media Centers. Congratulations on launching the first two facilities in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Here’s to wishing you much success at all the future locations! facilityfocus taken on about 25 volunteers to visit bedsides and facilitate the involvement of more patients in “The Voice.” Badge clips are worn that show off “The Voice” logo, the TV channel and the phone number for dedications. RYAN’S HOPE 6 Olivia King, left, is a liver transplant patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. (continued from page 4) While the Philadelphia “Voice” has only been in operation a short time, Brewer has seen some results. “We had one patient who had not left his room in months, but he came out for this,” she said. “Other kids also find this service to be uplifting, and I believe this aids in healing.” Sometimes during broadcasts, “The Voice” studio is filled to capacity, with about 24 kids and as many as 150 visitors and parents waiting just outside in the lobby. The Philly version of “The Voice” broadcasts Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m.; at that time, the patients are not as likely to be involved with medical procedures. Kris Schrader runs the day-to-day operations and also provides mentoring and coaching for her young charges, as well as taking an on-air slot. Interns run the audio board and the cameras while she provides oversight. Students from Temple University and Penn State provide the manpower. “We’re building an advisory group from radio and TV stations here in Philadelphia,” said Brewer. “We want to get input on programming and engineering.” The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Artist’s conception of ‘The Voice’ studio in Philadelphia. The public face of “The Voice,” of course, is Ryan Seacrest. We asked him what ran through his head when he walked in the doors of “The Voice.” “The energy at the hospital is just incredible,” he said. “It’s hugely gratifying and humbling to lift the spirits of kids who are going through so much and provide them with a positive distraction. “I really believe there could be a future American broadcaster among them, and it’s just amazing to watch them have the creative opportunity to experiment with different mediums.” It’s no surprise that Seacrest is a big believer in radio, because the bug bit him early. “When I was younger, radio was more of a hobby — something I did to entertain myself and my family,” he said. “It wasn’t until high school that I really began pursuing this passion and started doing the morning announcements at my high school. A few years later I landed an internship at a local radio station and one night I found myself filling in for a DJ who had called in sick. Here I was, a teenager, broadcasting to all of Atlanta. It was pretty surreal; and it was at that moment that I knew radio was in my future.” And it may also be in the future of some of his special guests, the kids who visit the hospitals where a “Voice” studio is located. Ryan Seacrest’s other current radio gigs include “On the Air With Ryan Seacrest” and “American Top 40,” syndicated nationally by Premiere Radio Networks. To learn more about his activities and catch up on showbiz news, visit www.ryanseacrest.com. This summer, Meredith Seacrest announced the third “Voice” location: the main lobby of Children’s Hospital Boston. n Ken Deutsch has been a contributor to Radio World for more than 25 years. comrex.com PUT ‘THE VOICE’ ON THE AIR With the new STAC VIP, it’s all about taking the voice to the next level. Utilizing modern VoIP (Voice over IP) technology, STAC VIP smoothly integrates legacy POTS lines with VoIP technology to deliver a new way to manage telephone calls for talk shows, interviews and contests. STAC VIP can take traditional POTS calls, but breaks new ground by handling calls from “HD Voice”-capable telephones and Smartphones’ apps as well as high quality calls from other third party apps. Complete with the STAC IP Call Screening and Control Interface, the STAC VIP Caller Management system will even integrate with your VoIP PBX system. Comrex, along with Broadcasters General Store, would like to commend the Ryan Seacrest Foundation for its initiative to build The Voice broadcast media centers within pediatric hospitals for children to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media. We’re proud to have been asked to participate and grateful to have been given the chance to take part in this endeavor. We look forward to future opportunities to help enlighten, entertain and educate. STAC VIP will be available late 2011 19 Pine Road, Devens, MA 01434 USA Tel: 978-784-1776 • Fax: 978-784-1717 • Toll Free: 800-237-1776 • e-mail: info@comrex.com facilityfocus He Has to Keep Up With Seacrest An Interview With Engineer Brian Clark About His Boss and ‘The Voice’ Ed Cunicelli Photographer Inc. mother Connie, father Gary and sister Meredith would form the foundation. Ryan has loved radio and TV since he was a young boy and even did mock radio shows in his Atlanta bedroom during childhood. He wants everyone to have the opportunities he has had, especially young kids. Ryan and Gary contacted me to see if I would be interested in working as the lead on this project. I said without hesitation, “Absolutely.” I began to work with Gary to begin the design phase of what would become the prototype media center, to be built in the lobby of CHOA and run by patients from the hospital as well as local high school and college students. Brian Clark, right, stands behind his man at the Philadelphia studio opening. Brian Clark is engineer for “On-Air With Ryan Seacrest.” He leads technical planning of “The Voice” media centers for the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. What is your role in “The Voice” projects? I became involved in October of 2010. I was traveling back to Los Angeles during “American Idol” auditions taking place in Puerto Rico; I’d just landed at LAX and was on my way to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., to set up for an early-morning broadcast from the resort with Ryan Seacrest when my emails began to come into my BlackBerry’s inbox. One of the messages was from Ryan. He requested that I compile an equipment list to somewhat duplicate his Hollywood studio. This would be to build a media center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Once I arrived at my hotel at the Disneyland resort I immediately began working on the equipment list. A month or so later Ryan began to form the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which would be the core of building media centers across America. Ryan, his 8 What is your broadcast background? I began my broadcast career in September of 1983 and can thank computers for this wonderful career. I was attempting to register for college in the summer of 1983. I began the registration process for classes but was told that my records and those of several other students had been misplaced in the system somewhere. About three hours later my records were found; unfortunately many of the classes I wanted to take were now full. I wasn’t about to sit around for a semester not doing anything. I discovered that KIIS-FM in Los Angeles was building a new state-of-the-art facility in Hollywood, and I was interested in helping out on the construction of this new facility they were building. My father “Digger” Clark was an announcer and engineer for 55 years. I’d help him on projects at home and work that involved electronics all though childhood, and was excited to be working on such a project with my dad. I was hired initially for a two-week stint primarily to pick up supplies for the project, but within a week I began to help the engineers with the wiring of studios. Since I grew up around radio/TV and even lived at a transmitter facility for many years, and helped my dad with transmitters since the age of 12, I had a lot of electronic and mechanical knowledge. I was fortunate to be involved in helping build the entire facility. This position was a part-time position, but I was looking for a full-time position because I was going to soon marry my now wife Natalie. I was made aware of an open full-time position for KYSR(FM) “Star 98.7 FM” in Los Angeles, and after four interviews was eventually hired. Within one week of working at Star I met a young man in a white T-shirt, baseball hat and jeans sitting outside of the studio in the call screening area. He introduced himself as Ryan. We became instant friends and I could quickly see that he had high aspirations. I discovered that Ryan already was host to three TV shows. It wasn’t too long after our first meeting that Ryan Seacrest was announced to be the new afternoon (continued on page 10) facilityfocus (continued from page 8) show host on KYSR with co-host Lisa Foxx. One difficulty Ryan had was that one of his TV shows on CNET was filmed weekday mornings in San Francisco. Ryan would have to fly early morning every day to San Francisco, film the TV show, then fly back to Los Angeles and do his radio show. This made me realize even more that there was something special about Ryan. After a couple of years at Star, and a couple of company mergers later, I was offered a great fulltime position back at KIIS-FM working with Rick Dees at an eight-station radio cluster. But I kept in constant contact with Ryan. After a year, KIISFM and KYSR(FM) became part of Clear Channel Communications and we were all part of the same company. Six months later Ryan replaced Rick Dees on the KIIS-FM morning show. What do you do for Ryan on an ongoing basis? My daily routine begins at E! Entertainment at 4 a.m. I check all systems in order to ready things for a daily live radio/TV broadcast locally in Los Angeles on KIIS-FM and stations all across the world including Australia, England and Africa, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. I also travel with Ryan for “American Idol” auditions and set up a mirror image studio in all of the audition cities. Since Ryan is the host of “American Idol,” we go to all cities twice, so this process occurs twice in each city. Wherever Ryan goes, I must be one step ahead of him and build a broadcast facility in whatever venue/ city we are in at the time. I also try to innovate new forms of technology for Ryan, and strive to keep him state-of-the-art at all times. What is working for Ryan like? How do his personality and schedule affect you? I have thought about this many times in recent years. I would say working for Ryan is a little bit like the television show “Amazing Race.” Ryan has a schedule that is presidential in layout. He optimizes every minute. He once told me many years ago while we were traveling in Washington for “American Idol,” “It is minute-to-minute, Brian.” This comment was spawned because I took an early morning flight to D.C. to set up for his show the following morning. I raced to get to the venue and set up. Ryan left six hours later than me and he made it to D.C. 30 minutes after I did. I have learned a lot about time management from Ryan. Now when I am driving to work or going up and down on an elevator, I plan the entire excursion in my head to determine how many things I can complete in either direction. The early and late hours sometimes make me very tired; but I am grateful to be working for Ryan. I am thankful to also work for Radio Disney/Disney Channel and have a great boss, Clay Steely, who is supportive of my work with Ryan. This association with Disney has been enormously helpful in getting audience-appropriate talent to appear at each hospital facility. Ryan is supportive of family, and fully understands when I need to take time to be with my wife and kids. Who was in charge of key decisions? It is a group effort. I work with each facility director, and everyone on the hospital team has input as to the design. We are trying to keep a similar broadcast equipment list for all facilities, but also want each facility to match the personality of the room to their particular facility. What is the technical mission of these facilities? The main goal of these facilities is to entertain, inspire and educate young patients. The hope is to make things a little more palatable for kids undergoing treatment in the hospital. Kids who are room- Ed Cunicelli Photographer Inc. Describe the studio planning process for “The Voice.” The planning of each facility is a little different in each city, because each city and state has different building codes that must be adhered to. Ryan’s father Gary will have met with a facility and has set up a preliminary location in the hospital lobby. Then we will have a conference call/WebEx to look over a space and decide on a room layout. This is very different for me because usually I am used to meeting architects etc. and physically seeing a space; but it is all virtual now and you don’t get to see things until walls actually begin to go up. bound can participate in a radio/TV program while confined to their rooms and thus get their minds off of their personal problems, if just for a little while. How did you choose the equipment? Well I have been fortunate to have worked with many different companies and vendors over the years. I had a pretty good idea of the equipment list I wanted to use, because the hope was to somewhat duplicate Ryan’s Hollywood facility. But since Ryan was in the early stages of forming his foundation, all of the funding wasn’t there quite yet. (continued on page 12) From chairs, stairs and atrium windows, patients, staff and guests watch the Philly opening in July. The studio entrance is at left. Photos: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (continued from page 11) In the summer of 2010, a vendor I have worked with for some time, Broadcasters General Store, was working a trade show in Texas; I was in town for “American Idol” auditions. I thought it would be a good idea to introduce Jessica Shute of BGS to Ryan and see if she might be able to help get some of the equipment donated. Jessica and I worked in tandem contacting vendors to help donate equipment for the Atlanta and Philadelphia facilities. We had a great response from many vendors. Describe the audio, video and new media capacities of a media center. Each studio has a user-friendly furniture layout, centrally located. There are several tabletop elevations to accommodate patients who can sit in chair, must stand or even ones that must lay down on a gurney. We wanted ample microphone positions to allow for multiple guests, so there is a main air talent microphone and five guest microphones. We are using SAS M Class consoles with built-in routers to handle the analog/digital audio sources such as Op-X automation, CD players, VoxPro phone caller editing and even a Telos Zephyr Xstream to allow commercial broadcasters the ability to broadcast from the hospital media center. There are two robotic cameras that are controllable at the operator position, feeding a video modulator system fed to all of the children’s rooms. This allows room-bound patients the opportunity to participate by watching, calling in to request a song or even speaking to a celebrity guest. 12 High visibility and an airy, bright feel are part of the design aesthetic of ‘The Voice’ studios, as seen here at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. facilityfocus There is also a press feed to allow for local media to come and film different events. Ryan Seacrest Foundation What special touches make the studios unique, design-wise? Most commercial broadcast facilities are simple rectangular rooms somewhat isolated from people, and not very large. These media centers are centrally located in a hospital’s main lobby, and are large enough to allow upwards of 50-plus people inside to interact with a surprise movie star, singer, sports figure or possibly even the president of the United States. The goal is to make them large enough that even the kids that cannot fit in the studio directly can watch through the floorto-ceiling perimeter glass. Since we have had such an outpouring of support from broadcast companies around the world donating equipment, we have made a special effort to ensure each company gets recognition on a permanent wall plaque or frosted glass etching of thanks on the main entrance leading into the studio. tainty is inspiring to me and solidifies to me that there aren’t any problems that cannot be overcome by faith. When we kicked off the Philadelphia studio, there was a young girl named Julia. I initially thought she was about 8 years old by her appearance. It turned out that she was 20 years old. She was a little smaller due to the fact that she had a failing heart and was awaiting a heart transplant. We had a surprise guest. Radio Disney/Disney Channel’s Selena Gomez came to entertain the kids and even sang along with Julia as she played her guitar. Julia just glowed and you would have never known that she was awaiting a heart transplant. n What anecdote can you share about how this project touches lives of children? I lost my 11-year-old nephew Travis two years ago due to a brain stem tumor. I saw him and other children in similar predicaments. It is very hard not only on the kids, but also their parents and loved ones. Seeing these kids acting so brave under uncer- Sinceweliveintheneighborhood R A D I O S Y S T E M S feelsespeciallyclosetotheChildren’sHospitalofPhiladelphia. Thank you SEACRESTFOUNDATION forlettingusandStudioHub+ helpmakethiswonderfulconnection. RadioSystems|601HeronDrive|LoganTownship,NJ08085|www.radiosystems.com|856-467-8000(p)|856-467-3044(f) sPOnsOR cOntAct InFORMAtIOn Ryan Seacrest Foundation ryanseacrestfoundation.org Broadcast Tools 360-854-9559 www.broadcasttools.com Broadcasters General Store 352-622-7700 bgs.cc Broadcast Software International 888-274-8721 www.bsiusa.com Genelec 508-652-0900 www.genelec.com Who better than children to explain to each other what they’re going through? They’re remarkable for their poise and equanimity. — David Holland, Omnirax It was deeply gratifying to watch the children and their families use the studios and to see the positive results that those experiences generated. — Gary Kline, BSI/Cumulus CHOP is our local, Philadelphia-based children’s hospital and has provided wonderful, lifesaving care to the child of one of our managers since birth. — Dan Braverman, Radio Systems Omnirax 800-332-3393 www.omnirax.com SAS Sierra Automated Systems 818-840-6749 www.sasaudio.com Yellowtec yellowtec.com Here’s what suppliers who are involved with “The Voice” and sponsored this supplement have to say. This project is dear to me because I spent a great deal of time in Children’s with my youngest when he was born. This kind of therapy for the kids is beyond priceless. The possibilities are limitless. — Al Salci, SAS Comrex 800-237-1776 www.comrex.com Radio Systems 856-467-8000 www.radiosystems.com REWARDING WORK There’s something about the excitement of broadcasting that is especially attractive to young people. — Don Winget, Broadcast Tools We get approached throughout the year for many charitable projects to get involved in, and this one is a particularly special organization. They truly make a difference in people’s lives. — John L. Conard, Genelec What the foundation is doing to help kids recover while in the hospital is amazing. — Chris Crump, Comrex ‘chOP’ shOP Here are major components from the “bill of materials” for the Philadelphia “Voice” studio. Broadcast Tools BSI Comrex Cornell Crestron Data Video Dell Denon Electro-Voice Extron Genelec Middle Atlantic Omnirax SAS TransLanTech Sharp Sony Radio Systems Symetrix Visionary Solutions Audion Labs Telos Yellowtec ACS 8.2 Plus Switcher Op-X Automation System and digital skimming STAC 6 Phone System Air Lights 2 Series Control System DV/HDV Recorder Monitors DN-C640 CD Player (4) RE27N/D Mics (6) CrossPoint Ultra 88 Matrix Switcher 8020A Monitors Equipment rack Custom cabinetry M Class console system Ariane Sequel processor Professional LCD monitors (42- and 52-inch) Network PTZ Camera StudioHub+ Distribution System Jupiter 8 Audio DSP Video over IP system VoxPro System Zephyr Xstream ISDN Transceiver M!ka mic & monitor mounts Service providers in Philadelphia included Elkin Aguilar of FKP Architects (architectural lead); Joel R. Brazy and Advanced Audio Visual Sales (video integration); Daniel Braverman and Radio Systems (audio integration); and Dave Supplee of Cumulus Broadcasting (automation integration). Key managers for the Atlanta project included Phil Hearn and Jim Zeller of CHOA, and Scott Trask, chief engineer of WSTR(FM)/Star 94. 14 Photos by Ed Cunicelli Photographer Inc. Congratulations to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation from your friends at Genelec! Thank you to all of our friends and supporters in the radio industry. Due to your tremendous support, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation has opened its first two broadcast media centers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, with more on the way. To learn how to be part of our vision, please visit ryanseacrestfoundation.org.