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#11
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WHLO studio picture
John Higdon wrote:
I was musing just today about how easy (and cheap) it is now to do a full remote broadcast from anywhere in the world, and yet no one seems to be interested in remotes anymore. [irony on] Too much work, I guess! [irony off] More than 30 years ago a popular DJ at KNEW did a remote from somewhere, I forget. I think it was Hillsdale Mall. Anyhow, his setup was (1) mic, (2) headphones, (3) mixer, (4) button. Wasn't much to look at. Today I doubt that many advertisers would pay to have remotes, and likely because with so much stereo and studio equipment in people's homes, there is no magic in showing off a radio remote. My new housemate has a bigger mixing board with more channels and more effects than any commercial broadcast console in existence. Now, as to the the location advantage, that only really works for interviews, and few stations but talk stations do interviews much. It'd be good if KGO got out. Some years back I tried to get KALW interested in siting their studio in a storefront in a rent/promo exchange. I had a potential landlord lined up but the KALW people were already destined to locate at the Burton high school instead. |
#12
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In article ,
dave wrote: Excellent points. Speaking of remotes, most stations use a cell phone. It is difficult for me to watch a radio personality wait for the program cue ("...and now, live and remote..."), then they talk into a cell phone until the automation takes back control. Contrast that to the 60's when the radio station had a dedicated broadcast line, a Sparta board, and a live board operator at the station. Yes, it is easier this way, but TV diners are easier than a good meal too. That actually wasn't what I was talking about. I was referring to remotes with full-fidelity stereo links to the studio, with full broadcast setups from the remote site. KKIQ periodically does the whole morning show from Tommy T's in Pleasanton. The setup is scalable to do that show from anywhere in the world. Now, instead of ordering broadcast circuits from the east coast or Europe, or even ISND lines, it can be done over the Internet for zero-cost per minute. By the way, WHLO was one of the kings of remotes. They did a lot of them in the 60's. Car dealers, restaurants, furniture stores, exhibitions, amusement park, department stores, etc. KKIQ used to do several "real" remotes a week. That's been cut considerably, even though today's technology provides quality unattainable in past years. One other point that I'm hearing a lot -- there is no money in radio unless one is in a major market. Thus, creative people go elsewhere, and the remote is as cheap as possible. Elaborate jingles -- gone. News coverage 24/365 -- gone. Good radio personality 24 hrs. -- gone. Yes, that is how the creative-less conglomerates excuse themselves for only being able to sustain stations in the top ten (maybe top twenty) markets. I'm at the NAB for the primary purpose to deal with a shopping list of major equipment for the small stations I work for. They're doing just fine, thank you very much. Thank goodness for the mp3 player. It is as good as radio is today. I have to agree with you. But please remember where the blame lies. We have financiers, investment brokers, MBAs of every description, self-proclaimed programming consultants, and private equity companies controlling the major so-called broadcasting companies these days...not broadcasters. -- John Higdon +1 408 ANdrews 6-4400 AT&T-Free At Last |
#13
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"Mark Howell" wrote:
I know of one who does a request show from his home studio via voice-tracking. The station's request line is forwarded to his house, he takes and records the calls, cuts and edits the voice tracks, and sends them via high-speed internet to the station's automation system, which he also can control remotely, and changes the playlist and inserts the tracks as needed. The calls and requests are delayed by mere minutes. Gosh, this beats Wolfman Jack's days when you didn't hear your request to the next night at the very same time... You bring up a fascinating point: Will radio stations become the server farms of broadcasting? On the weekends, it's not unusual for KGO's "live 'n' local" talkshows to come from a station with empty studios. I remember one day when KGO aired Leo Laporte from 11 to 1, Bob Brinker from 1 to 4, Len Tillem from 4 to 7, Karel from 7 to 10, Bill Wattenburg from 10 to 1, and Christine Craft from 1 to 5am -- none in the KGO studios. |
#14
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#15
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John Higdon wrote:
This is nothing new. For years, Sunday has been the day when engineers could get into the studios to work on them. A *real* engineer works nights and weekends, in the rain and sleet and snow and gloom of night. This daytime work is for sissies. Indeed, back they only had one studio, Sunday was a lifesaver. Having two studios has taken the heat off considerably. At least KGO works on their equipment. I find it hard to fathom that KNBR, former NBC West Coast flagship, has audio so bad you have to turn up the volume to understand what they're saying. Sounds like their high end rolls off at 1khz. |
#16
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In article , David Kaye wrote: John Higdon wrote: This is nothing new. For years, Sunday has been the day when engineers could get into the studios to work on them. A *real* engineer works nights and weekends, in the rain and sleet and snow and gloom of night. This daytime work is for sissies. What makes you think that the Sunday work is *instead* of the other six days and nights? Patty |
#17
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#18
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Patty Winter wrote:
What makes you think that the Sunday work is *instead* of the other six days and nights? (1) The equipment is too dependable these days to require all that much work. You have engineers today who service 3 to 5 or more stations whereas there used to be one engineer per station, who maybe moonlighted at a non-comm. (2) Stations used to care about making a good presentation, so they wouldn't allow the station to go off the air between 6am and midnight. Now, they don't really care, as long as they can get their spotbreaks in when they come back on. |
#19
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#20
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On 4/17/2011 8:17 PM, Phil Kane wrote:
Of course, to paraphrase Prof. Dr. C.T. Yang, he of MIT fame in the early 1950s - "_THIS_ KNBR not same as _THAT_ KNBR - it only con-fuze you". Its technical quality really went downhill after Susquehanna sold it. There was a point - maybe about a year ago or so - where the transition was dramatic. I remember there was speculation that they were getting ready to turn on HD, and narrowed the bandwidth in preparation. But that never happened. Dave B. |
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