Airtime
Encyclopedia
Airtime is a free
and open source
radio
management application for remote broadcast automation
(via web-based scheduler), and program exchange between radio stations.
was developed in 2003 by Micz Flor, a German new-media developer. The concept was further developed by Ákos Maróy, a software developer and then-member of Tilos Radio
, Robert Klajn, a radio producer at Radio B92
, and Douglas Arellanes and Sava Tatić from the Media Development Loan Fund
(MDLF). The initial development was financed from a grant from the Open Society Institute
's Information Program, through its ICT Toolsets initiative. The development was originally coordinated by MDLF through its Campware.org initiative, now spun off as the independent not-for-profit organisation Sourcefabric
.
In January 2011, Sourcefabric announced a rewrite of Campcaster, beginning with the 1.6 beta release. The new product, known as Airtime, replaced the C++ scheduler of Campcaster with Liquidsoap
, and includes a drag and drop web interface based on jQuery
.
Airtime 1.8.1 was released on May 3rd following up on releases 1.7 and 1.8 in April. The ability to edit shows was introduced,
show repeat and rebroadcast made possible, and the calendar improved with reported loading times five to eight times faster. Airtime’s default output stream became OGG, rather than MP3.
SoundCloud
support, allowing users to automatically upload recorded shows, was announced in May 2011.
Airtime 1.8.2 was released on June 14th with improvements to installation, upgrade, file upload limit and the interface.
Airtime 1.9 was released on August 10th with a new file storage system that allowed users to set ‘watch’ folders, to synchronise files and to browse their audio archives. Also added were Shoutcast support, a one line Ubuntu install command and improved front-end widgets. 1.9.4 was released on September 27th with DEB packages for Ubuntu & Debian.
In September 2011, Airtime was nominated as one of five finalists in the Packt Open Source Awards 2011 in the Multimedia category.
announced in Issue #324 of UK music magazine The Wire
a partnership with Sourcefabric to help "with testing the software and developing new features."
West Africa Democracy Radio
(WADR) launched a news platform that incorporated Airtime on April 1st 2011. This platform won a Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism in July 2011, with Airtime cited as part of the platform.
Catalyst Radio announced the use of airtime for organising and broadcasting transmission content on June 13th 2011.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
and open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
management application for remote broadcast automation
Broadcast automation
Broadcast automation incorporates the use of broadcast programming technology to automate broadcasting operations. Used either at a broadcast network, radio station or a television station, it can run a facility in the absence of a human operator...
(via web-based scheduler), and program exchange between radio stations.
History
The initial concept for Airtime, originally named LiveSupport, and then CampcasterCampcaster
Campcaster is a free and open source radio management application for live broadcasting, remote broadcast automation , and program exchange between radio stations...
was developed in 2003 by Micz Flor, a German new-media developer. The concept was further developed by Ákos Maróy, a software developer and then-member of Tilos Radio
Tilos Rádió
Tilos Rádió is a community, non-profit, listener supported radio station in Budapest, Hungary.-Overview:Tilos Rádió was the first community radio station in Hungary, established as a pirate broadcaster in 1991. The station's programmers have always contributed on a voluntary basis...
, Robert Klajn, a radio producer at Radio B92
B92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
, and Douglas Arellanes and Sava Tatić from the Media Development Loan Fund
Media Development Loan Fund
Media Development Loan Fund is a New York-registered 501 non-profit corporation and investment fund that provides low-cost financing to independent news media in countries with a history of media oppression...
(MDLF). The initial development was financed from a grant from the Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
's Information Program, through its ICT Toolsets initiative. The development was originally coordinated by MDLF through its Campware.org initiative, now spun off as the independent not-for-profit organisation Sourcefabric
Sourcefabric
Sourcefabric is a not-for-profit organisation based in Prague, Czech Republic, with branches in Berlin, Germany and Toronto, Canada. Sourcefabric was spun off from the Media Development Loan Fund's Campware project in May 2010.-Software:...
.
In January 2011, Sourcefabric announced a rewrite of Campcaster, beginning with the 1.6 beta release. The new product, known as Airtime, replaced the C++ scheduler of Campcaster with Liquidsoap
Liquidsoap
Liquidsoap is an audio programming language developed initially to produce audio and video source streams sent to an Icecast server. The difference with other available tools is that Liquidsoap interprets a dedicated script language, which makes it very versatile and adaptable to a lot of various...
, and includes a drag and drop web interface based on jQuery
JQuery
jQuery is a cross-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML. It was released in January 2006 at BarCamp NYC by John Resig...
.
Airtime 1.8.1 was released on May 3rd following up on releases 1.7 and 1.8 in April. The ability to edit shows was introduced,
show repeat and rebroadcast made possible, and the calendar improved with reported loading times five to eight times faster. Airtime’s default output stream became OGG, rather than MP3.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings.-History:SoundCloud was originally started in Stockholm, Sweden, but was established in Berlin, Germany in August, 2007 by sound designer Alex Ljung and artist Eric Wahlforss...
support, allowing users to automatically upload recorded shows, was announced in May 2011.
Airtime 1.8.2 was released on June 14th with improvements to installation, upgrade, file upload limit and the interface.
Airtime 1.9 was released on August 10th with a new file storage system that allowed users to set ‘watch’ folders, to synchronise files and to browse their audio archives. Also added were Shoutcast support, a one line Ubuntu install command and improved front-end widgets. 1.9.4 was released on September 27th with DEB packages for Ubuntu & Debian.
In September 2011, Airtime was nominated as one of five finalists in the Packt Open Source Awards 2011 in the Multimedia category.
Radio stations using Airtime
On 18 January 2011, Resonance FMResonance FM
Resonance 104.4 FM is a London based non-profit community radio station run by the London Musicians' Collective .The station is staffed by four permanent staff members, including programme controller Ed Baxter and over 300 volunteer technical and production staff.Until September 2007, ResonanceFM...
announced in Issue #324 of UK music magazine The Wire
The Wire (magazine)
The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
a partnership with Sourcefabric to help "with testing the software and developing new features."
West Africa Democracy Radio
West Africa Democracy Radio
West Africa Democracy Radio is a trans-territorial, sub-regional broadcaster based in Dakar, Senegal. WADR is a project of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa set up in 2003 to protect and defend the ideals of democratic and open societies by disseminating development information through...
(WADR) launched a news platform that incorporated Airtime on April 1st 2011. This platform won a Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism in July 2011, with Airtime cited as part of the platform.
Catalyst Radio announced the use of airtime for organising and broadcasting transmission content on June 13th 2011.