Jünger Audio says its flexAI CastCompanion can perform parts of a live broadcast mix autonomously. The real test is not whether it can produce clean audio in a demonstration—it is how the system behaves when live television or radio becomes unpredictable.

The company is positioning CastCompanion for sports commentary, news, live production and podcasts. Its functions include automatic mixing, noise and background reduction, voice enhancement, loudness management and upmixing to immersive formats as large as 7.1.4.

Jünger’s latest integrations include 12G-SDI, NDI and TVU MediaMesh, which could make the system useful in remote and cloud-connected productions where a traditional audio-control room is unavailable or too expensive.

Why automation is attractive

Smaller broadcast crews routinely ask one operator to manage cameras, graphics, communications, streaming and audio. An automated mixing layer could keep commentary intelligible, control background noise and maintain consistent loudness while the operator concentrates on the rest of the production.

That possibility is especially relevant to local sports, field news, Internet radio and podcast video. These operations need professional sound but may not have a dedicated audio engineer for every event.

Live programs rarely behave like demonstrations

Commentators interrupt one another. A crowd suddenly erupts. A microphone is moved or disconnected. A remote feed arrives late. An emergency announcement must immediately take priority.

Before a broadcaster puts an autonomous mixer on the air, it should demand clear answers:

  • How does the system decide which overlapping voice should dominate?
  • What is the end-to-end processing latency?
  • Can an operator override every automatic decision immediately?
  • What happens when network or cloud connectivity fails?
  • Does the audio path continue locally if the management layer becomes unavailable?
  • Can the system process equipment from competing manufacturers?
  • How are mistakes logged so an engineer can reconstruct what happened?
  • What hardware, subscription and licensing costs are required?

Assistance is not accountability

Automated mixing could become a valuable production assistant, particularly for repetitive level management and cleanup. It does not remove the broadcaster’s responsibility for intelligibility, emergency audio, legal compliance or the final program heard by the audience.

Radio News Now will seek a working demonstration and compare CastCompanion with a conventional operator-driven workflow. Until those tests occur, its performance and reliability should be treated as manufacturer claims.

Sources: Jünger Audio flexAI product information; RBR+TVBR, September 8, 2026