The company I work for, Radio.Cloud, and its worldwide affiliate base stayed operational without any issues. The reason why lies in our cloud infrastructure, which uses only cloud-native services without any traditional Windows machines.

The benefits of going cloud-native and not relying on hardware apply to increasingly more parts of the radio air chain, and to other facets of our industry.

While Radio.Cloud is a completely cloud-native radio playout and programming suite, we do have a small on-premises Edge Gateway with an additional layer of security. This server handles the last mile playout and stores forward up to two weeks of logs and audio to prevent an internet outage taking your station off air. The only connection is from the Edge Gateway to our cloud infrastructure located in two AWS regions in Ohio and Oregon. Thus, there is no risk to catch a virus or be brought down by a worldwide Windows update.

We’re nearly 25 years into the 21st century. As an industry, we must stop relying on these manual software updates and hardware upgrades. Even in facilities with a newer AoIP chain, reliance on constant software and hardware maintenance keeps the industry fighting an uphill battle.

Most importantly, staying on the air is directly connected to radio’s ability to serve communities across America. As the NAB fights to keep radio in the dash, we as an industry must prove that radio can continue to perform during these types of situations. So as disruptions like the CrowdStrike outage become more common, it’s our duty as broadcasters to modernize our mentality and infrastructure so that we can stay on the air and keep listeners informed.