Wheatnet

Wheatnet
Name	Wheatnet
Type	Private
Industry	Broadcasting technology
Founded	2000s
Headquarters	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Products	Audio-over-IP consoles, routers, audio engines
Key people	Glenn Wheat (founder)

Wheatnet is a proprietary AoIP (Audio over IP) solution designed for broadcast radio and television studios, combining digital mixing, routing, and metadata transport. It integrates hardware and software to support live production workflows used by broadcasters, content producers, and media networks. The system interfaces with broadcast consoles, automation systems, and studio peripherals to provide synchronized audio distribution and control across facilities.

Overview

Wheatnet provides an integrated platform linking consoles, blade engines, control surfaces, and networked I/O for studios, stations, and networked clusters. It emphasizes low-latency routing, integrated metadata handling, and control-layer interoperability with automation systems deployed at institutions like iHeartMedia, Entercom, Cumulus Media, BBC, NPR, and Clear Channel Communications. The platform is positioned alongside competing AoIP technologies such as AES67, Dante (audio networking), Livewire, AVB, and Ravenna (audio over IP), and is often compared with products from Studer, Yamaha Corporation, Calrec, Wheatstone Corporation, and Imagine Communications. Integration options are promoted for facilities using consoles from Ross Video, DHD, Soundcraft, and routing from Evertz Microsystems. Major broadcasters adopting AoIP have included SiriusXM, Marconi Award-winning stations, and regional groups like Forever Media.

History and Development

Development traces to early 21st-century transitions from analog routing to digital audio networks, coinciding with standardization efforts such as AES3 and later AES67 interoperability. The platform evolved in parallel with the rise of digital consoles from vendors including Harris Corporation, Harris Broadcast, and Orban. Early deployments involved partnerships with manufacturers of studio furniture and automation systems like RCS (company), WideOrbit, ENCO Systems, and Burli (software). Wheatnet's roadmap reflected influences from developments in broadcast standards discussed at organizations such as Society of Broadcast Engineers, International Telecommunication Union, and trade events like the National Association of Broadcasters show and IBC (conference). Adoption accelerated with consolidation in radio groups such as iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media, and with public broadcasters exemplified by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation installations.

Technology and Architecture

The system uses dedicated networked blades and engine units to handle audio I/O, routing, mixing, and logic. Its architecture mirrors concepts found in distributed computing and network switch design implemented by vendors like Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks, but specialized for broadcast audio. Core components include control surfaces patterned after designs from SSL (Solid State Logic), Neve (company), and Calrec Audio, and embedded processors comparable to those used in Avid Technology and RME (audio). For synchronization, it interoperates with standards like Precision Time Protocol and builds on clocking strategies similar to Word Clock practices used by Studer Professional Audio. Metadata flows are handled to support traffic systems from MusicMaster, Selector (radio automation), and Zetta (radio automation), enabling features used in markets served by companies such as Cox Media Group and Townsquare Media.

Applications and Use Cases

Wheatnet is deployed in commercial radio clusters, public radio facilities, regional network hubs, remote broadcast trucks, and television studios. Use cases include live chaining of morning shows produced for networks like SiriusXM, syndicated programming distribution similar to systems managed by Westwood One, and voice tracking workflows used by automation platforms from RCS, WideOrbit, and ENCO. It supports remotes for sports broadcasts involving franchises like National Football League, Major League Baseball, and NASCAR through integration with field codecs from Comrex and Tieline. Educational installations at universities such as University of Oklahoma and public stations like WBUR demonstrate use for training and regional news. In multi-site operations, it enables features comparable to those implemented by broadcast groups like Bonneville International and Audacy, Inc..

Industry Adoption and Market Impact

The platform influenced the broader shift toward AoIP within radio and television, contributing to consolidation of networked audio at broadcasters including Entercom, iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, and public broadcasters like NPR affiliates. Its presence at trade shows such as NAB Show and IBC (conference) has positioned it among systems promoted by manufacturers like Wheatstone Corporation and Ross Video. Adoption trends mirror larger media consolidation by conglomerates like Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery that invest in networked studio infrastructure. The market effect includes reduced reliance on analog patchbays historically supplied by firms such as Jupiter Systems and the emergence of integrated audio-over-IP solutions competing with products from Dante (audio networking) providers and traditional console makers like Solid State Logic.

Criticisms and Limitations

Critics cite vendor lock-in and interoperability challenges with open standards such as AES67 and Ravenna (audio over IP), raising concerns echoed in discussions by Society of Broadcast Engineers forums and analysis from outlets like Radio World and TV Technology. Some engineers compare maintenance burdens versus modular designs from Studer or Calrec and express reservations similar to historical debates involving Harris Corporation and Thomson Multimedia. Other limitations reported include scaling constraints for very large networks as discussed in whitepapers by Evertz Microsystems and Imagine Communications, and concerns about dependency on specific control protocols referenced in materials from AES (Audio Engineering Society). Post-deployment issues noted by station groups like Cox Media Group involve training needs paralleling earlier transitions when broadcasters moved from analog consoles manufactured by Neve (company) and SSL (Solid State Logic) to digital ecosystems.

Category:Audio over IP