BACKBONE Co-Host

Radio Backhaul Service Documentation

Your Station Anywhere. This means you can produce your radio shows from everywhere, simultaneously. Conference studio quality live feeds from your co-hosts around the world, guests and field reporters, who require nothing more than an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, using the free Luci Global app. Backbone Co-Host, is the cloud- based radio backhaul service  for correspondent feeds developed specifically for professional Sports, News and Talk stations.

Backbone Co-Host is a cloud-based radio backhaul and production service for the radio station that manages incoming feeds using Apple Mac-based producer/screener software. Co-Host allows multiple hosts, guests and reporters to conference with each other, and also with listeners who call into the station’s phone system (Backbone Talk™).

LUCI Global enables a community of reporters, radio guests and co-hosts to contribute to broadcasts of any station listed in the LUCI Global directory, via 4G or wi-fi, using a free iOS app from the iTunes App Store. Upcoming versions will be available for Android and other devices.

Developed specifically for professional Talk, News and Sports Radio stations produced digitally “in the cloud” using our Backbone Radio platform, this software-based phone suite gives your station the freedom to broadcast live from virtually anywhere and stay connected with your listeners in the middle of the action.

System Requirements: OS X 10.7+ with Apple Java 6 and Oracle supplied java 7.x

Network Requirements: A high quality internet connection that is capable of supporting Voice over IP. This is an internet connection with the following characteristics:

Upstream bandwidth 1MB/s

Packet loss < 1% (0.5% preferred)
Round Trip packet transmit time < 200ms
Jitter < 30 ms

UDP and TCP traffic allowed out
ftp allowed out

To test the capability of your internet connection run the 8×8 VoIP test. This test requires a 64-bit browser that supports Java such as Safari. The Chrome browser does not currently support this test.

Network ports out for control/telephony are 5062, 6660-7000 and 9990-9999. If you can’t connect to the phone system, these ports will likely need to be opened on your network by your IT department.

Mix-Minus – For your DJ phone computer — set up a mix minus with your mixing board auxiliary output, and input channel on your board similar to:

• Start phone client — if OS X asks you to install Java, do so.
• Then download and install the Oracle Java SE Dev kit 
• Set your mac audio inputs to be your mix minus audio device (both input and output)

DJ and Screener programs are zero config. Copy the DJ program to DJ/Talk host computer, Screener to screener computer and run them.

If they connect to the hosted cloud phone PBX, you’ll hear a single ring sound and see the interface.

Phone Number: If you also have Backbone Talk the DJ and Screener programs have your call in phone number with area code in the title.

How to use the Conferencing System: Either of the two programs DJ and SCREENER can be used independently, or together to allow for remote access screening. DJ and Screener can be at different locations, anywhere they need to be in the world, as long as there is an internet connection.

As remote Co-Hosts connect they will hear an intro message, and appear in the conference list. Here’s how to screen and talk to multiple remote co-hosts and callers for your talk radio show.

• Click ANSWER to talk to/screen a remote Co-Host.
• Incoming calls show RING in interface. Screener will speak ‘CALL‘ through default audio interface
• On SCREENER interface, notes dialog will appear (info entered here will be shown on the DJ interface).
• Screener notes will be saved for individual caller IDs and remote co-host clients. ‘Blacklist’ callers to id them later if they call back.
• SCREENER: Click HOLD to hold call. ANSWER to talk again.
• DJ: Click AIR to mark call as on air, Click HOLD to hold, ANSWER to talk again.
• Conference multiple callers and co-hosts together with CONF button.
• DROP to disconnect caller
• Click BUSY ALL to disallow all new calls (and hangup existing)
• Click HANGUP ALL to drop all existing calls

For communication between DJ and SCREENER, chat in CHAT box to the right of status light in lower lefthand corner.

Configuration parameters, accessed via ‘configuration’ button should not be changed.

Network tester indicator below Hangup All button indicates quality of network– NET OK in green good, Yellow NET WARN or RED Net Fail indicates substandard network message.

Initial message can be changed to a recording of your choice.

Submit bug reports to: phone@backbone.com

LUCI Global

Radio Backhaul Service Documentation

Introduction

A Unique Radio Backhaul Network

LUCI Global represents a different approach to providing LUCI products. LUCI Global is a subscription service provided to broadcast entities and other live-content broadcasters. Unlike other LUCI products it is a subscription service, payment is priced on monthly service and prepaid annually.

LUCI Global is intended for enterprises, station groups, and networks that require studio quality live reports and audio contributions from anywhere in the world at any time. Any remote co-host, reporter, or influential guest can go “live” on radio, in studio quality, by simply using an iPhone or other device, with an Internet connection. The superior audio quality makes it sound as if all participants are together in the radio studio. LUCI Global is a major advance in making remote audio “backhaul” user-friendly.

Client organizations register in the LUCI Global directory. LUCI Global permits individual remote contributors to provide live reports to their affiliated stations, as well as to a community of other LUCI Global clients by addressing target recipient stations through the LUCI Global directory.

Preliminary Directory Structure

• Miscellaneous • Newspapers

• NL • Support

In the future we plan to expand and standardize the directories as follows (where B2= Broadcast To)

• Support (Backbone, LUCI Echo Server, Glensound)

• B2 Newspapers • B2 Magazines

• B2 Podcasts • B2 National

• B2 Worship • B2 Federal

• B2 Universities/Colleges

• B2 Attorneys • B2 Other

Other directories planned:

• Arrange by Country/Category

• Add the stations logos to the directory

• Add all other platforms / OS

How Difficult is this to Start? Not very.