NAB Exhibitor Viewpoint: Philippe Generali, RCS

The spring NAB Show is approaching. Between now and then Radio World will conduct several short Q&As with manufacturers about their plans and offerings, to help you get the most out of the big annual trade show. Philippe Generali is CEO/president of RCS.

Radio World: How has your business been for RCS since last year’s NAB?

Philippe Generali: RCS grows each year. Being in 110 countries, there is always something happening. While the radio industry in the U.S. is very established, we operate in places like China and India that are just now expanding their local radio stations. The Middle East is another area of the world that will also contribute to our reach. We deliver software to wherever there is a demand.

RW: What are you hearing from your customers about their business outlook this year?

Generali: We hear an optimistic ring in their voices. They want software and devices to help them do more. They want to be more efficient and work smarter. All businesses, including broadcasting and Internet services are doing more with better. That is why we keep coming back to the NAB Show.

RW: RCS is an NAB veteran. What’s your favorite thing about the show?

Generali: As the world’s largest broadcast software company with software in more than 14,500 stations, the NAB Show in Las Vegas is the best way for us to see as many people as possible. We get to talk to our client and old friends and make new friends and potential clients at the show. RCS has never missed an NAB Show in Vegas in the history of our company. During good times and the tough times, we’ve been there.

RW: What’s the latest and what will visitors to the RCS booth expect to see?

Generali: We always listen to our customers and when they told us they wanted to do things on their mobile devices, we answered very quickly with a complete line of RCS2GO products: Zetta2GO, Selector2GO and Aquira2GO.

For example, Zetta2GO lets them fire Hot Keys right on the air, whether they are moving around in the studio or doing a remote at a dealership. By the way, RCS invented Hot Keys and has a trademark on it, so it’s only natural for us to constantly modernize this staple of automation systems. Users can also record and insert a voice track right from Zetta2GO from their office or from their home. Or start a macro to launch any procedure back the station. No need for a printed log at the remote, you can see what is coming up right on the mobile device. They can monitor in real time one or many of their channels on a tablet: the possibilities are endless!

RW: What can a radio person expect in mobile music scheduling?

Generali: As you know, RCS also invented music scheduling with a computer, so our latest innovation, Selector2GO takes this to a whole new level. Imagine being able to schedule your logs from wherever you are, then edit your logs: juggle, insert, manually edit your schedule. We have also been the first and only system allowing to run multiple logs from one single song database: your FM, your HD channels, your different curated streams … They are all accessible on a tablet or mobile phone. And the best part, with full-real-time integration with Zetta, all your changes instantly show in your automation system.

RW: What about traffic?

Generali: Well, to be clear, Aquira2GO is not a platform for a traffic director to do all the complicated functions of his or her position, but right now in Australia we have sales people able to see avails, place orders and get a digital signature of the client right from Aquira2GO. We are also starting to install the same mobile order forms for AEs with Aquira2 Go in Europe now. This changes the whole dynamic of the selling and buying experience. Not only do you have the order, the order is placed, signed, sealed and delivered right from the mobile device.

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