What's New

12/02/02

Deliver Audio to the STC via FTP

In an effort to streamline the delivery of programs to the System Technical Center (STC), NPR Distribution recently began accepting delivery of audio via File Transfer Protocol, or FTP. FTP transfer gives producers an electronic option for delivering programs to us.

According to Ralph Woods, NPR Distribution�s deputy director of Operations, producers with the appropriate plug-in to their digital audio editing software and a high-speed connection to the Internet will be able to transfer an hour-long, broadcast-quality MPEG-2 audio file in about 30 minutes. By comparison, �sending the same file as an uncompressed .wav file would take many hours,� according to Woods.

In order to fully benefit from the use of FTP to transfer files, producers will �need the right software and a big connection pipe to the Internet,� Woods said. Files will need to be formatted as MPEG 1 Layer 2, joint stereo, 256 kbps data rate, at 48 kHz sampling rate. Not all producers will have the capability to make the files or transmit them. As Woods noted, �You must consider whether this is the right delivery system for you.�

Stephen Hill, producer of Hearts of Space, was one of the first users to test the new audio delivery method.

Hill said that while �nothing involving computers is simple any more,� the process of using FTP to deliver audio was a success. Hill added, �I�m delighted to be among the first producers to do this and elated to stop paying Federal Express to fly my discs to Washington.�

While FTP will provide efficient delivery of programs to the STC, until a system of redundancy has been set up—a process that allows for backup of files transferred—�we are asking producers to send us a backup CD,� said Woods. Woods added that in the near future, �sending a backup won�t be necessary.�

To ensure security in the file transfer process, a username and password will be set up for users of the system. In addition, users will need to review the FTP requirements for properly sending files.

�If people are interested in doing this, they should definitely contact us,� added Woods. Woods can be reached at 202.513.2664 or via email.