Transcript Radio Automation Options Joel Willer/KXUL & Aaron Read/WEOS

STAYING ON THE AIR
WHEN NO-ONE’S THERE!
Radio Automation Options
Aaron Read / WEOS & WHWS
Tim Teeling / WLOY
More than just a computer and
sound card…and why a Winamp
playlist doesn't (usually) cut it !
Housecleaning
 CBI
listserv: www.askcbi.org
 Opening for Student position on
CBI executive board. E-mail app
to [email protected] (must still
be a student thru Dec.2011)
 Fill out a feedback form, dammit!!
Why do you NEED automation?
 Listeners
demand 24/7/365
operation
 Freedom to discipline airstaff
 Protect against 47 CFR 73.561
timeshare
 Enhance DJ operation (“live assist”)
 Reduce CD theft (to some degree)
Why is automation HATED?
 Often
done BADLY
 Reduces
diversity
 Sounds like crap if done wrong
 To do right = 1 hr work for every 3-8 hrs air
 If
done right it sounds nearly as
good as live DJ’s. Sometimes
better.
How much d’ya need?
 Format:
more varied = more work
 Size of music library
 Available labor (now and future)
 Hardware budget (now and
future)
…the
piper is always paid!
Paying the piper
Go cheap = bad idea
 Mission-critical! 24/7 for years!
 Redundancy, redundancy, redundancy!

 Multiple,
mirrored hard drives (RAID)
 Regular, off-site backups
 Backup UPS/generator
 Redundant hardware
OTOH – cost of failure?
 What
does each minute of dead
air cost your station?
 Commercial station can be
$1000’s per minute. Could be
less for you; what’s the ROI?
Holy #$%&!!! Why is BRAND X
SYSTEM so EXPENSIVE!!!
 Testing
/ Compatibility
 Capabilities
 Less
relevant in today’s world
 Support
 NOT
/ Help
a magic wand!
 Service
(upgrades, new OS, etc)
 $$$ does NOT always mean better!
Examples! I’m Totally Broke
$0 aka FREE!
 Winamp
Radio Scheduler
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/
details/138768
http://www.wbrs.org/stuff/wrs
 Freeware,
old but serviceable.
I’m Merely a Cheap S.O.B.
$100 - $1000 range
 Jockey
Pro LT
 RadioLogik – WLOY case study
 Raduga
 MegaSeg
 Arrakis Digilink XTREME
 Many others…OTSjuke, Spacial
Audio, SAM, etc etc etc
I have some money…not much
$1000 - $10000 range
 This
is an awkward place
 BSI Simian
 Wireready
 “Cheap” versions of AV, Enco
Exception:
Enco for PRSS
We got phat bills
$10,000 and up
 Where
the big boys play
 AudioVault, Enco, Prophet, Dalet,
WideOrbit, iMediaTouch, DAVID
 Excellent systems, but overkill?
 WEOS/WHWS has Enco
Advantages
/ Disadvantages
Final Thoughts / Ask Questions
 Don’t
look at your budget and say
“We can’t afford to do this.” Look at
your needs and decide if you have to
get more revenue/budget because
you can’t afford not to do this!
 Slides will be available at
www.friedbagels.com/cbi
Final Thoughts

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
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Questions – tell us your situation, we’ll try and
recommend a good place to start.
One last thing: don’t look at your budget and say
“We can’t afford to do this.” Look at your broadcast
needs and decide if you can’t afford not to do
this…and then figure out how to raise funds or cut
costs accordingly.
Aaron Read can be reached via the CBI listserv.
 Sign up at www.askcbi.org
Aaron’s blog : www.friedbagels.com/blog
These slides available at : www.friedbagels.com/cbi/