Since 1987 Fresh Air has been one of public radio’s most iconic programs and long-form interviews are an integral part of how we deliver insightful content from a wide range of leading figures. It is one of public media’s most popular programs, with over 4 million people tuning in each week on 658 NPR stations. In addition, it has 4 million weekly podcast downloads and is the number 1 podcast in its genre on Apple.
After ISDN was phased out completely 4 years ago, we transitioned to high quality IP audio technologies for recording remote interviews because phone quality audio is not great. WHYY purchased a Tieline Merlin codec and Report-IT in 2019 to facilitate obtaining pristine audio from interviewees using IP connections.
Our Workflow
As we usually record interviews for Fresh Air and edit them, tape sync is used extensively. Our longtime host Terry Gross and our LA based host Tonya Mosley are recorded at the studio end and we use Report-IT to interview remotely located guests.
Report-IT Enterprise is a free app for iOS or Android that interviewees can download on their smartphone. We configure Report-IT app settings and provide login credentials to each guest. They download the app, log in, and tap “connect” to dial and connect securely to our Merlin codec at the studio. It’s very simple for users to operate and Tieline’s TieServer manages all the connections and settings on the remote device securely, so interviewees need no technical expertise whatsoever and aren’t exposed to IP address details or other technical information.
Technical Challenges
With Report-IT the audio quality is high fidelity for real-time live connections. Guests can plug in accessories to improve listening and interview audio quality, or use the built-in phone microphone. However, IP connectivity can be challenging in some situations. For example, we interview people from all around the world and access to reliable internet can be challenging at times in war zones or very remote areas. Drop-outs can occur if data network connectivity is poor and this is where Report-IT really delivers.
The app can be configured to automatically record the guest locally on their smartphone in 20kHz audio quality during their interview. Then afterwards the app can automatically upload the recording to our secure server, allowing us to download the perfect recording from the phone and use Pro Tools to edit the interview package ready for broadcasting.
We use the Tieline gear every week and it is integral to how we deliver Fresh Air programming. Other programs like WHYY’s The Pulse, our daily live talk show, and our news services, also use Report-IT and the Merlin codec extensively for interviews. Report-IT’s live audio and FTP file upload solution is secure, robust and the quality is excellent, providing the flexibility to deliver excellent programming to a wide audience each week.
Fresh Air show archives are available to download from www.freshairarchives.org.
Want to know more about Tieline products and software?
For more information on Report-IT and other Tieline codecs visit www.tieline.com/products or contact Tieline sales:
- For USA, Canada & Latin America contact: sales@tieline.com
- For Australia and International: info@tieline.com
(“Fresh Air Uses Report-IT for Remotes and Podcasts” first published in Radio World Magazine, November 2023)
