Broadcast consultant Paul Shulins recommends minimizing air chain complexity by utilizing linear audio and optimizing the physical placement of audio processing equipment. The article also provides technical guidance on distinguishing streaming-specific audio processing strategies from traditional over-the-air requirements, including maintaining PPM watermark integrity.
Simplifying the technical stack directly improves signal reliability and reduces the maintenance burden as radio increasingly competes for digital audience share. The shift toward linear audio and dedicated streaming processing addresses the growing fragmentation between RF and IP delivery, where listeners expect higher fidelity. Strategically, this allows broadcasters to optimize for newer metric-critical technologies like PPM watermarking, which determines ad revenue. As regional bandwidth improves, those failing to transition from compressed STLs to linear flows risk audible quality degrades that can impact listener retention. Monitoring stream level control and metadata is no longer optional but a baseline for hybrid broadcast operations.
The push for audio chain optimization coincides with broader regulatory and technical shifts in the industry. Per ATSC in July 2026, the organization updated its A/85 Recommended Practice to provide the first comprehensive loudness guidance for streaming media, reflecting the transition toward hybrid IP-broadcast delivery models. This update is designed to help broadcasters maintain consistent audio quality as they move away from bespoke hardware toward software-defined infrastructure. In 2026, industry reports from NAB highlighted that live production has become more connected over IP, making monitoring mission-critical for distributed workflows.
Simultaneously, Nielsen has overhauled its audience measurement technology to reflect changing habits. As of early 2025, Nielsen reduced the PPM listening credit threshold from five minutes to three minutes, a move that per the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) was expected to increase Average Quarter-Hour (AQH) audience levels by an average of 24%. By 2026, researchers from Edison and Nielsen noted that traditional and digital radio accounts for 62% of daily ad-supported audio listening, despite increasing competition from podcasts. These measurement updates underscore the financial importance of Paul Shulins’ technical guidance; ensuring that PPM watermarks survive the air chain is now more lucrative as shorter listening sessions finally count toward ratings. Furthermore, Nielsen's 2026 launch of wearable measurement devices during Super Bowl LX signals a continued move toward more granular, individual-level data, heightening the need for error-free watermark transmission at every point in the signal path.
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