Transtar was the first
radio network
There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and the two-way radio ( duplex communication) type ...
to provide 24-hour music programming to local affiliates. The slate of 24-hour networks is now owned by
Westwood One
Westwood One is an American radio network
There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and ...
and operated by
Dial Global
Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming.
The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The company w ...
. The studios are located in
Valencia, California
Valencia is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California. This area, with major commercial and industrial parks, straddles State Route 126 and the Santa Clara River.
Development projects continue to be built in ...
.
History
Transtar was founded in 1981 by C. Terry Robinson and Bill Moyes. The network debuted at around the same time as the
Satellite Music Network
Satellite Music Network was the first satellite delivered network to provide complete live 24-hour-a-day music programming to local stations, under several different formats.
History
Affiliate stations, mostly in small and medium markets, co ...
, based in
Mokena, Illinois
Mokena is a village in Will County, Illinois, Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,887 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Census Bureau's 2019 estimate found that the population had increased to 20,159.
Etym ...
. Both companies marketed themselves to prospective affiliates by offering carefully selected music presented by major market talent of high quality that a local station could never afford, as well as the capability of using existing studio equipment like reel-to-reel tape decks and cartridge playback machines to help make an affordable transition. A station signing up for the service would likely need a satellite antenna and receiver, a 25 Hz tone generator to place at the end of commercial clusters at the end of a break recorded on the reel, and 25/35 Hz tone sensors to trigger local liners and station identification. The network communicated with affiliates by using a computer printer (most likely in the studio) that would keep local programming staff informed of announcer changes, closed circuit feeds, and other vital information.
While Satellite Music Network had more affiliates, Transtar offered one major advantage over SMN...a digital cue system. This was especially important among potential affiliates that were FM stations. The digital cue system allowed the network to cue tape machines at the local affiliate station with
external data channels sent on a separate digital subcarrier. SMN, on the other hand, cued stations using a
subaudible tone
A subaudible tone is a tone that is used to trigger an automated event at a radio station. A subaudible tone is audible; however, it is usually at a low level that is not noticeable to the average listener at normal volumes. It is a form of in ...
on the program feed as it was aired live, but eliminated them from being heard by listeners through filtering out the lower end of the audio signal. While the difference in audio would be negligible at worst on an AM affiliate, it was particularly obvious on an FM station subscribing to the service when a bass line heard on a particular favorite song was now found to be missing.
An engineer at the receiving station could tweak the lower end of the signal by making adjustments on the station's audio processing, allowing the missing bass line to be heard, but then the subaudible cues would, as a result, be fully audible over the air. Transtar used this as a sales tool when marketing their service to prospective affiliates, while often charging inventory on top of a monthly subscription fee, feeling that prospective affiliates would be willing to pay more for a higher quality service. On the downside, announcer shifts, because they originated on the West Coast, all began and ended in the Pacific Time Zone, which made it difficult for East Coast-based affiliates to successfully market individual announcer dayparts, particularly during the morning. This would change years later, when announcer start times were adjusted to favor Eastern and Central Time zones.
In 1989, the company merged with the
United Stations Radio Network
United Stations Radio Networks (USRN) is a radio network that provides a variety of radio programs and programming services for radio stations throughout the United States and elsewhere. It is based in New York City.
History
The company was fou ...
(which had already bought the
RKO Radio Networks
The RKO Radio Network, a subsidiary of RKO General, was the first commercial radio network to distribute programming entirely by satellite. When it began operations on October 1, 1979, the initial RKO network was the first new full-service Amer ...
in 1985). The new company was named Unistar. That entity, in turn, was bought by
Westwood One
Westwood One is an American radio network
There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and ...
in 1993.
The music networks were run as a self-branded division of Westwood One until 2006, when the agreement with Dial Global began.
Formats formerly owned by Transtar
Later added by Dial Global
= Active on Dial Global affiliates
= Due to the purchase of Dial Global
Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming.
The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The company w ...
, Waitt Radio Networks, Waitt, and Jones Radio Networks
Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such ...
by Triton Media Group
Triton Digital, LLC, formerly Triton Media Group, is a digital audio technology and advertising company based in Los Angeles.
The group was formally owned by E. W. Scripps Company which sold Triton to IHeartMedia in October 2020. The company work ...
; consolidation is pending.
Later added by Westwood One
{{American broadcast radio
Mass media companies of the United States
Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
Defunct radio networks in the United States
Defunct companies based in California
Triton Media Group
Radio stations established in 1981