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| Broadcast Electronics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Broadcast Electronics |
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Harry Askew |
| Headquarters | Quincy, Illinois, United States |
| Key people | Bill Bungeroth, Tom Finn |
| Industry | Broadcasting equipment |
| Products | Transmitters, Audio Consoles, Automation Systems |
Broadcast Electronics Broadcast Electronics is an American manufacturer of radio broadcast equipment founded in 1959 in Quincy, Illinois. The company designs and supplies transmitters, audio consoles, automation systems, and studio-to-transmitter links for AM and FM stations and networks across North America and internationally. Over decades it has interacted with major broadcasters, regulatory bodies, and industry consortia to influence standards for terrestrial radio transmission.
Broadcast Electronics traces its origins to mid-20th century postwar electronics entrepreneurship in Quincy, Illinois, with founders influenced by innovations from companies like RCA and General Electric. In the 1960s and 1970s the firm expanded amid regulatory shifts led by the Federal Communications Commission and market consolidation involving broadcasters such as Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Bonneville International, and Clear Channel Communications. During the 1980s and 1990s Broadcast Electronics competed with manufacturers including Harris Corporation, Nautel, GatesAir, and Crown International while integrating digital technologies from suppliers such as Motorola and Intel. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions in the 2000s connected the company to networks and groups like iHeartMedia, Entercom, Cumulus Media, and public broadcasters affiliated with Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Regulatory developments such as spectrum reallocations and the transition to digital audio influenced product lines concurrently with standards work involving National Association of Broadcasters and Advanced Television Systems Committee members. Leadership changes involved executives with ties to firms like Belar, Tieline Technology, and Wheatstone Corporation.
Broadcast Electronics' product portfolio spans transmitters, audio processing, automation, and emergency alert systems compatible with networks including ABC Radio, CBS News Radio, NPR, Westwood One, and BBC World Service affiliates. Key offerings include AM and FM transmitters competing with models from Nautel and GatesAir, audio consoles analogous to units from Studer and SSL, and automation systems interoperable with Harris Broadcast and RCS platforms. The company has incorporated codecs and network protocols used by Ravenna, AES67, and legacy systems referenced by EIA standards, and has produced STL links comparable to products from Telos Alliance and Comrex. Broadcast Electronics also developed solutions for remote broadcast integration with studios using codecs from Dolby Laboratories and networking approaches employed by Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks in broadcast facilities. Its emergency alert implementations coordinate with systems deployed by FEMA partners and municipal authorities such as City of Quincy agencies.
Primary manufacturing and engineering operations are located in Quincy, Illinois, with testing labs and anechoic facilities resembling those operated by Nortel and Bell Labs in historical contexts. The company sources components from global suppliers including Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Murata Manufacturing, and TE Connectivity. Logistics and distribution networks work with carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and freight partners used by OEMs like Siemens. Service and repair centers have provided field support to broadcasters in metropolitan regions including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Toronto.
Broadcast Electronics serves commercial and public broadcasters, educational institutions such as Iowa State University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign media departments, and network operators similar to SiriusXM satellite affiliates and regional groups like Townsquare Media. Its customer base includes heritage AM operators, FM chains, and community radio stations affiliated with organizations like Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, College Broadcasters, Inc., and Community Radio Network partners. The company has competed in tender processes alongside Nautel, GatesAir, Crown Broadcast and international suppliers such as Rohde & Schwarz.
Over its history Broadcast Electronics has undergone private ownership structures with executive leadership drawing on experience from firms like Rockwell International, Emerson Electric, Litton Industries, and SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers) membership networks. Board and managerial appointments have included veterans familiar with mergers and acquisitions seen in transactions involving Entercom Communications Corporation and Clear Channel. Corporate governance follows practices common to mid-sized manufacturing firms headquartered in U.S. municipalities similar to Peoria, Illinois industrial organizations.
The company has participated in standards and trade associations such as the National Association of Broadcasters, Society of Broadcast Engineers, and international forums connected to International Telecommunication Union recommendations. Broadcast Electronics contributed to interoperability efforts around digital radio standards referenced by European Broadcasting Union discussions and has implemented features aligned with Audio Engineering Society and EIA specifications. Its engineering teams have published technical white papers and presented at conferences like NAB Show and IBC documenting transmitter efficiency, audio processing, and STL reliability.
Notable deployments include transmitter installations and studio systems for market-leading stations in metropolitan areas served by groups such as iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Audacy, Inc., and public radio entities associated with NPR Member Stations. Projects have ranged from high-power AM transmitter sites comparable to installations by Clear Channel to integrated FM broadcast clusters in regions like the Midwest and Great Lakes broadcast markets. Emergency and EAS integrations have been implemented in coordination with state emergency management agencies and municipal partners similar to those in Illinois and neighboring states.
Category:Broadcasting equipment manufacturers in the United States