The 2024 US presidential election is rapidly approaching, and coverage is ramping up. Over the next 15 months, broadcasters will be going live from campaign events, and commentators will be calling in from their homes or offices to discuss predictions and poll outcomes.
For reporters working in the field, there’s often no time to set up anything more than a drop-in call. And political commentators will rarely have access to a professional studio. Calling in by phone is the easiest option for everyone, but there’s one huge problem – phone audio sounds horrible. It drives away listeners, and it brings down the production value of a program.
Fortunately, there’s a solution: Gagl.
Gagl is a remote contribution application that allows up to five users to send and receive audio from computers and smartphones. That audio is “Gagl’d” together (if more than one user), and delivered to a Comrex hardware codec like the new BRIC-Link III, usually in a studio. All participants can hear each other and the codec “send” audio back to them.
Here are some of the reasons Gagl is perfect for election season –
Gagl works with consumer electronics that everyone already owns
Your contributors just need a smartphone (or a laptop), and a headset. There’s no need for an onsite engineer, complicated networking, or a special kit. This means your less-technical guests and your busy reporters are able to connect to your studio codec as easily as possible.
Gagl sounds great
Because Gagl works with Comrex IP audio codecs, audio is near studio-quality. It’s like everyone has their own Comrex codec (even though they’re just using their smartphone). This leads to increased listener retention and engagement, and higher production value, without a lot of extra gear.
Contributors don’t need to install anything
Gagl is not an app – it’s web browser-based, meaning that it uses common web browsers to work. In practice, this means that the only thing your contributors need to do is click a link. There’s no technical know-how of a codec required, and they don’t need to install anything. They just open the link you send them, hit “Connect”, and they’re on air. Getting connected with Gagl is as easy as joining a phone call.
All your contributors can be on the call (or just one)
Gagl can connect up to five users at once, making it perfect for round-robin programs and moderated discussions between commentators. Your field reporters and expert guests can all be on the line together.
Gagl can also be used as a portal for just a single guest to connect. Conduct an interview with a local candidate for office or bring on a national political analyst. Just send a Gagl link and have them connect – simple as that.
Each participant’s involvement can be controlled
Gagl Moderators can assign different permissions to each guest, designating them as either Silent or a Participant, and can easily re-assign roles if needed. This enables them to control who can be heard at any given time, preventing accidents with the mute button and cross-talk.
