Barix

News Summary:

Barix notified users on February 26, 2026, that its Legacy Products do not fully comply with current general technical standards for security features, particularly cyber security, and may create technical, legal, or other risks when used or distributed. Previously, Barix announced on January 22, 2026, that it would cease operations of its free RetailPlayer portal on July 1, 2026, recommending StreamGuys' hosted RetailPlayer portal for continued managed hosting solutions. This followed a security reminder Barix dispatched to its customers on December 12, 2025, after two recent radio station audio hijackings in Texas and Virginia. The company advised users to reconsider operating Barix devices with accessible web-based interfaces directly on the internet without robust network security. This warning addressed a long string of audio feed seizures, including a hostile takeover at an FM radio station in the Colorado Rockies in April 2016 and subsequent security lapses involving unsecured Barix devices at a Spanish-language operation in Nashville and several LPFMs in January. The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) also issued a Public Notice on December 1, 2025, alerting broadcasters to a recent string of cybersecurity intrusions against radio broadcasters that resulted in the transmission of obscene materials and actual or simulated Emergency Alert System (EAS) tones.