Free Software, Priceless Results: Essential Open Source Tools for Broadcast Engineers
05/12/25 • 10 min
Dive into the world of free and open source software that's revolutionizing broadcast engineering! We're peeling back the curtain on the powerful tools that keep stations running without breaking the bank.
The humble Linux penguin (affectionately known as Tux) might be the unsung hero of broadcasting. As Kirk Harnack perfectly put it, "Linux is the air you breathe in broadcasting. You may not always see it, but without it nothing moves." From remote transmitter sites to complex playout systems, this open source powerhouse runs approximately 90% of cloud infrastructure and serves as the foundation for tech from industry giants like Grass Valley, Telos, and Evertz.
Monitoring doesn't have to cost a fortune either. We explore how LibreNMS, Grafana, and Zabbix provide enterprise-level visibility without the enterprise price tag. I share how these tools once helped me catch a transmitter cooling fan failure before catastrophe struck – saving thousands in potential equipment damage. For audio and video production, we delve into the surprising capabilities of Audacity, BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool), OBS Studio, and the Jack Audio Connection Kit. These aren't just budget alternatives; they're powerful solutions that often outperform their expensive counterparts.
Ready to level up your broadcast engineering game? Check out the resources mentioned in this episode to build your open source skills. And don't miss our next show where we'll tackle how cloud services are transforming remote broadcasting – for better and worse. Subscribe now to keep your signals clean, your mind open, and your config files backed up!
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📚 Learn more!
- https://www.comptia.org/certifications/linux - CompTIA Linux+
- https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training/linux - CBT Nuggets Linux Courses
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💬 Get in touch!
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
Dive into the world of free and open source software that's revolutionizing broadcast engineering! We're peeling back the curtain on the powerful tools that keep stations running without breaking the bank.
The humble Linux penguin (affectionately known as Tux) might be the unsung hero of broadcasting. As Kirk Harnack perfectly put it, "Linux is the air you breathe in broadcasting. You may not always see it, but without it nothing moves." From remote transmitter sites to complex playout systems, this open source powerhouse runs approximately 90% of cloud infrastructure and serves as the foundation for tech from industry giants like Grass Valley, Telos, and Evertz.
Monitoring doesn't have to cost a fortune either. We explore how LibreNMS, Grafana, and Zabbix provide enterprise-level visibility without the enterprise price tag. I share how these tools once helped me catch a transmitter cooling fan failure before catastrophe struck – saving thousands in potential equipment damage. For audio and video production, we delve into the surprising capabilities of Audacity, BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool), OBS Studio, and the Jack Audio Connection Kit. These aren't just budget alternatives; they're powerful solutions that often outperform their expensive counterparts.
Ready to level up your broadcast engineering game? Check out the resources mentioned in this episode to build your open source skills. And don't miss our next show where we'll tackle how cloud services are transforming remote broadcasting – for better and worse. Subscribe now to keep your signals clean, your mind open, and your config files backed up!
----------------------------------
📚 Learn more!
- https://www.comptia.org/certifications/linux - CompTIA Linux+
- https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training/linux - CBT Nuggets Linux Courses
----------------------------------
💬 Get in touch!
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
Previous Episode
From Engineers to Babysitters: How Corporate Consolidation Transformed Broadcast Technology
Remember when your local TV station actually felt local? When engineers knew every inch of the equipment and could fix problems with a screwdriver instead of a help desk ticket? Those days are rapidly disappearing as corporate consolidation reshapes the broadcast landscape.
The quiet revolution in local television has transformed independent stations into remote outposts of massive media conglomerates. Since 1995, we've witnessed a 40% drop in companies owning local stations while giants like Nexstar and Sinclair now control hundreds of stations across the country. This isn't just changing what viewers see – it's fundamentally altering how broadcast engineers work and what "local" television actually means.
Today's broadcast engineers face a radically different reality. Instead of maintaining equipment they can touch, they're managing playout servers across multiple states, troubleshooting automation systems via VPN, and hoping their remote connections don't fail during breaking news. As legendary consultant Fred Baumgartner puts it, "We used to be engineers, now we're IT administrators with a broadcast badge." Technical staffing has been cut by 30% over the last decade, while the average engineer's workload has doubled. Meanwhile, nearly one in five TV markets has lost locally produced news entirely.
But it's not all doom and gloom. The evolution has brought new challenges and technologies – IP systems, virtual machine playout, remote workflows – that push engineers to develop new skills. The question remains: are we empowering engineers to truly run these systems, or just babysit them? If you've lived through this transition, text me your experiences with the link in the episode description. Whether your story involves multimarket automation nightmares or MacGyver-level engineering solutions, I want to hear how you're keeping television signals flowing in this brave new world of consolidated broadcasting.
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
Next Episode
When Your Backup Plan Needs a Backup Plan: The Slow Death of a Generator
There's a special kind of dread that comes with finding metal shavings in your generator's oil pan. That unmistakable sign of internal engine breakdown couldn't have come at a worse time for our critical broadcast site.
The story of our Cummins 400kVA generator is one of changing technology and infrastructure planning challenges. Installed around 2002, this diesel workhorse was appropriately sized for an era of power-hungry tube transmitters that could each draw 30-50 kilowatts. Fast forward to today, and our modern solid-state equipment—a 32kW TV transmitter, two FM transmitters (18.5kW and 3.6kW), and a 1kW NOAA weather radio transmitter—barely scratches the surface of what this generator was designed to handle. Our monthly power consumption rarely exceeds 200 kilowatt hours, even in peak summer months.
This mismatch creates a perfect storm when equipment failure looms. Do we rebuild this oversized dinosaur or replace it entirely? The economics favor replacement, but that means navigating a labyrinth of quotes, load calculations, site drawings, zoning approvals, and emergency contingency plans—all with a 6-12 month lead time hanging over our heads. Meanwhile, we're stuck in infrastructure limbo, hoping our metal-shedding generator keeps breathing long enough for procurement to work its magic. The stakes couldn't be higher: this site houses critical communications infrastructure serving entire communities with television, radio, weather alerts, and emergency communications.
Have you ever faced a similar infrastructure challenge? Share your generator breakdown stories or replacement nightmares with me—the link to text me is in the episode notes. Until next time, stay redundant, stay resilient, and when your generator starts coughing, don't just turn up the radio to drown it out.
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
Fully Modulated - Free Software, Priceless Results: Essential Open Source Tools for Broadcast Engineers
Transcript
Thank
Speaker 1you . Hey there , welcome back to Fully Modulated , the show , where we peel back the layers of broadcast engineering , media tech and sometimes flat-out nerdy stuff you didn't even know you needed
Speaker 1out , nerdy stuff you didn't even know you needed . I'm Tyler Woodward and I've spent the
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