TN312: BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY AND ACOUSTICS

Module 4-5

Week 4-5: September 14-27, 2020 | 1st Semester, S.Y. 2020-2021

Introduction
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Multi-media and its system have been our major sources

of information and entertainment nowadays. We get to
hear or watch news via radio equipment and televisions.
We imagine happenings when we hear of creative
dramas in radio devices. We sympathize with the series
of dramas when we watch it with our families in each of
our homes. But what is behind all of this? How is a single
activity being delivered in all parts of the world? This is
the concept of Broadcasting Technology.

Broadcasting plays a vital role in the development of this

nation as an important medium of dissemination of
information.

Information plays an important role in almost every

human activity. Its values in the development process
have been a topic of extensive discussion. Information
 dissemination and accessibility have reduced the world to
a global village.

Information is an essential resource in the operation and

management of all kinds of industry. In the
communication arena, information is crucial in the
collection, storage and processing of data relevant to
cover real life situation, news and events in a
responsible, complete, balanced and meaningful manner.
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Therefore, information access to the media, government

and non-government institutions, and the people is
necessary in order to play active role in the development
process of the nation. Information distribution and
dissemination put the people in touch with the times and
make them feel the pulse of the nation. Hence, the
development of information system is essential for the
development of this country. And that system is referred
to as the Broadcast Communication System.
 Intended Learning Outcomes
• Interpret and appreciate different aspects in broadcasting
technologies
• Know the broadcast standards

Topic 1 – Overview

• What is Broadcasting?
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In communication, broadcasting is the term that refers to the form

of communication that sends information such as video and audio
electronically to large receiving audience. The information is sent
in different forms:
I. Radio waves,
II. Through a wire or,
III. By a communications satellite.
Then the receiving audience (radio listeners and television
viewers) pick up the signal using their television sets and radio
receivers (modules).

There are two types of broadcasting transmission technique in

communication:
I. Radio Broadcasting.
II. Television Broadcasting.

There are many differences but the basic difference between

Radio and Television Broadcasting is that Radio Broadcasting
only transmits audio, while Television Broadcasting, whether
analog or digital, transmits both audio and video.

Topic 1.1 – Transmission of Broadcasting Signals

The figure below is the block diagram of how broadcasting signals

gets from the studio to the receiver or end user:
 The signal from the studio must first be transmitted to the
transmitter. From the transmitter, it travels through the
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transmission medium and then to the receiver. The transmission

medium depends on the type of transmission. It can be cable (for
cable transmission) or it can be antenna (for wireless
transmission).
• Transmitter
Definition 1: A transmitter is an electronic device used in
telecommunications to produce radio waves in order to transmit or
send data with the aid of an antenna. The transmitter is able to
generate a radio frequency alternating current that is then applied
to the antenna, which, in turn, radiates this as radio waves. There
are many types of transmitters depending on the standard being
used and the type of device
A transmitter is also known as a radio transmitter.

Definition 2: Transmitters are devices that are used to send out

data as radio waves in a specific band of the electromagnetic
spectrum in order to fulfill a specific communication need, be it for
voice or for general data. In order to do this, a transmitter takes
energy from a power source and transforms this into a radio
frequency alternating current that changes direction millions to
billions of times per second depending on the band that the
transmitter needs to send in. When this rapidly changing energy is
directed through a conductor, in this case an antenna,
electromagnetic or radio waves are radiated outwards to be
received by another antenna that is connected to a receiver that
reverses the process to come up with the actual message or data.
A transmitter is composed of:
• Power supply — The energy source used to power the
device and create the energy for broadcasting
• Electronic oscillator — Generates a wave called the carrier
wave where data is imposed and carried through the air
• Modulator — Ads the actual data into the carrier wave by
varying some aspect of the carrier wave
 • RF amplifier — Increases the power of the signal in order to
increase the range where the waves can reach
• Antenna tuner or impedance matching circuit — Matches
the impedance of the transmitter to that of the antenna in
order for the transfer of power to the antenna to be efficient
and prevent a condition called standing waves, where power
is reflected from the antenna back to the transmitter, wasting
power or damaging it
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• Receiver
Definition 1: A receiver is a hardware module or device used to
receive signals of different kinds, depending on the context of the
application. It may receive analog electromagnetic signals or
waves, or digital signals through wired media. The term receiver,
however, is mostly used in communication, specifically wireless
communication in terms of networking and cellular
communication. It is the device that receives and decodes signals
and then conditions or transforms them into something that
another machine or computer understands.

Definition 2: A receiver mostly refers to that part of a device that

receives signals; often, the device acts as both a transmitter and a
receiver (transceiver) such as in the case of cell phones (cellular
radio) and antennas used for data communication. If both the
transmitter and the receiver are in the same locality, the
transmission medium would usually be cables or wire, but
wireless signals are also viable to allow for a broadcast method of
transmission to multiple receivers.
In the context of general communication, the receiver is the one
who receives the item, be it in the form of speech, a letter or an
object. This concept permeates and applies to all forms of
receivers in any form of technology as all of them, without
exception, have the ability to receive something that has been
sent by a transmitter in the form of either electromagnetic waves,
electric signals, sound waves or even light.
An example of a receiver is the transceiver module, which also
serves as a transmitter for bi-directional communication of a
terrestrial radio installation or cellular tower. It uses its transceiver
to send signals to a cell phone such as voice, text messages and
data, and, in return, it receives the same kinds of signals from a
phone to be retransmitted and received by other towers until they
reach their final destination. The same applies to the
communication between a Wi-Fi router and a laptop or mobile
 device; signals are transmitted and received bi-directionally.

Topic 2 – Frequency, Wavelength, & Amplitude

When dealing with signal transmission, these are the words you
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must know and be able to define:

I. Frequency
Frequency is a measurement of how many cycles
can happen in a certain amount of time (cycles per
second). Hertz is the unit of frequency, and it just
means how many cycles per second. It is
abbreviated as Hz.
II. Wavelength
Wavelength is defined as the distance from a
particular height on the wave to the next spot on
the wave where it is at the same height and going
in the same direction. Usually it is measured in
meters, just like any length.
III. Amplitude
Amplitude is a measure of how big the wave is. The
amplitude of a wave is measured as the height from
the equilibrium point to the highest point of a crest
or the depth from the equilibrium point to the lowest
point of a trough. Waves might have the exact
same frequency and wavelength, but the
amplitudes of the waves can be very different.
 Topic 3 – Radio Broadcasting
Radio Broadcasting is the transmission, via radio-frequency
electromagnetic waves, of audible program material for direct
reception by the general public. Electromagnetic waves can be
made to travel from a transmitting antenna to receiving antenna.
By modifying the amplitude, frequency, or relative phase of the
wave in response to some message signal (modulation process),
it is possible to convey information from the transmitter to the
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receiver. In radio broadcasting, the information usually takes the

form of voice or music. The figure below shows how a radio
broadcasting signal is transmitted to the listener.

Topic 3.1– Transmission Modes in Radio Broadcasting

Modulation is the process by which voice, music, and other
"intelligence" is added to the radio waves produced by a
transmitter. The different methods of modulating a radio signal are
called modes. An unmodulated radio signal is known as a carrier.
When you hear "dead air" between songs or announcements on a
radio station, you're "hearing" the carrier. While a carrier contains
no intelligence, you can tell it is being transmitted because of the
 way it quiets the background noise on your radio.

The two main transmission modes of Radio Broadcasting are:

I. AM (Amplitude Modulation)
In amplitude modulation, the strength (amplitude) of the
carrier from a transmitter is varied according to how a
modulating signal varies. When you speak into the
microphone of an AM transmitter, the microphone
converts your voice into a varying voltage. This voltage is
amplified and then used to vary the strength of the
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transmitter's output. Amplitude modulation adds power to

the carrier, with the amount added depending on the
strength of the modulating voltage. Amplitude modulation
results in three separate frequencies being transmitted:
the original carrier frequency, a lower sideband (LSB)
below the carrier frequency, and an upper sideband
(USB) above the carrier frequency. The sidebands are
"mirror images" of each other and contain the same
intelligence. When an AM signal is received, these
frequencies are combined to produce the sounds you
hear. Each sideband occupies as much frequency space
as the highest audio frequency being transmitted. If the
highest audio frequency being transmitted is 5 kHz, then
the total frequency space occupied by an AM signal will
be 10 kHz (the carrier occupies negligible frequency
space). AM has the advantages of being easy to produce
in a transmitter and AM receivers are simple in design. Its
main disadvantage is its inefficiency. About two-thirds of
an AM signal's power is concentrated in the carrier, which
contains no intelligence. One-third of the power is in the
sidebands, which contain the signal's intelligence. Since
the sidebands contain the same intelligence, however,
one is essentially "wasted." Of the total power output of
an AM transmitter, only about one-sixth is actually
productive, useful output! Other disadvantages of AM
include the relatively wide amount of frequency space an
AM signal occupies and its susceptibility to static and
other forms of electrical noise. Despite this, AM is simple
to tune on ordinary receivers, and that is why it is used
for almost all shortwave broadcasting.

II. FM (Frequency Modulation)

In AM, the carrier of the signal will not change in a
normally operating transmitter. However, it is possible to
modulate a signal by changing its frequency in
accordance with a modulating signal. This is the idea
 behind frequency modulation (FM). The un-modulated
frequency of a FM signal is called its center frequency.
When a modulating signal is applied, the FM transmitter's
frequency will swing above and below the center
frequency according to the modulating signal. The
amount of "swing" in the transmitter's frequency in any
direction above or below the center frequency is called its
deviation. The total frequency space occupied by a FM
signal is twice its deviation. As you might suspect, FM
signals occupy a great deal of frequency space. The
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deviation of a FM broadcast station is 75 kHz, for a total

frequency space of 150 kHz. Most other users of FM
(police and fire departments, business radio services,
etc.) use a deviation of 5 kHz, for a total frequency space
occupied of 10 kHz. For these reasons, FM is mainly
used on frequency above 30 MHz, where adequate
frequency space is available. This is why most scanner
radios can only receive FM signals, since most signals
found above 30 MHz are FM. The big advantage of FM is
its audio quality and immunity to noise. Most forms of
static and electrical noise are naturally AM, and a FM
receiver will not respond to AM signals. FM receivers
also exhibit a characteristic known as the capture effect.
If two or more FM signals are on the same frequency, the
FM receiver will respond to the strongest of the signals
and ignore the rest. The audio quality of a FM signal
increases as its deviation increases, which is why FM
broadcast stations use such large deviation. The main
disadvantage of FM is the amount of frequency space a
signal requires.

References

• Broadcasting by Owen Simon

• https://www.techopedia.com/