Radio stations across America are getting hacked through vulnerable Barix audio codecs, and your station could be next. In September 2025, hackers hijacked KPOG in Des Moines and KRLL in Missouri during Labor Day weekend, broadcasting explicit content and fake Emergency Alert System messages. Over 600 Barix Instreamer and Exstreamer devices remain exposed on the public internet, discoverable through Shodan searches by anyone with basic technical knowledge.

This episode breaks down exactly how these Barix STL (studio-to-transmitter link) hijacking attacks work, why legacy broadcast equipment remains vulnerable despite years of warnings, and most importantly—how to protect your radio station's audio codecs from exploitation.

Learn the critical security measures every broadcast engineer needs to implement, including VPN tunnel deployment, proper firewall configuration, and alternative security approaches when full VPN implementation isn't immediately feasible. Hear directly from industry experts like Fletcher Pride (Family First Radio Network), Shane Toven (Frandsen Media), and Barix founder Johannes Rietschel about preventing codec hijacking.

Whether you're running a small-market station with limited IT resources or managing broadcast infrastructure for multiple facilities, this episode provides actionable cybersecurity strategies to keep your Barix equipment secure and your station protected from internet-based attacks.

Topics covered: Barix Instreamer/Exstreamer security, Shodan vulnerability scanning, VPN tunneling for broadcast equipment, STL link protection, port forwarding risks, emergency alert system security, and IoT device hardening for radio stations.

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