-
-
-
[quote name=\'mcfly95\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 03:39 PM\']I just have a few observation questions about Chuck Woolery's catch phrase/hand signal, "two and two"
1) Has anyone ever seen him say it more than once in a show?
2) Does he traditionally do it moreso on the 1st or 2nd commercial break?
[snapback]102910[/snapback]
[/quote]
Welcome to the board. He generally does it at random and could do it a few times in each show.
But I don't believe one of his commercial breaks has ever been exactly two minutes!
-
[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 01:06 PM\']But I don't believe one of his commercial breaks has ever been exactly two minutes!
[snapback]102918[/snapback]
[/quote]
That said, it's standard broadcast lingo, since not very long ago the majority of commercial breaks did in fact run 2:02.
-
So THAT'S what "2 and 2" means? I've never realized that. I always thought "2 and 2" was just a random phrase that rhymes with "back at you." I didn't know it had significance.
-
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 04:50 PM\']That said, it's standard broadcast lingo, since not very long ago the majority of commercial breaks did in fact run 2:02.
[/quote]
Speaking of "lingo", he's also used the phrase on that show as well.
Random minutae brought to you by ImmodiumAD. :-P
-
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 07:25 PM\']Speaking of "lingo", he's also used the phrase on that show as well.
[snapback]102931[/snapback]
[/quote]
He also said it in his infomercial for Ameriquest Mortgage. No mention of stoppers, though. He talks about them a lot on Lingo, too.
-
[quote name=\'mystery7\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 05:47 PM\'][quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 07:25 PM\']Speaking of "lingo", he's also used the phrase on that show as well.
[snapback]102931[/snapback]
[/quote]
He also said it in his infomercial for Ameriquest Mortgage. No mention of stoppers, though. He talks about them a lot on Lingo, too.
[snapback]102933[/snapback]
[/quote]
What about Shandi?
-
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 04:21 PM\']So THAT'S what "2 and 2" means? I've never realized that. I always thought "2 and 2" was just a random phrase that rhymes with "back at you." I didn't know it had significance.
[snapback]102929[/snapback]
[/quote]
Nope. Two minutes and two seconds. My first exposure to it was in the early 80's on a short-lived weekend late-night show called "The Rock & Roll Evening News", hosted by Steve Kmetko. He would pitch to the first break by saying "We'll be right back in TWO minutes and TWO seconds!", and the audience would sing along like it was Here's Johnny or one of The Rock's wrestling catchphrases back in the day.
('Cuz, see, it takes a second on each side to transpose from the program to the commercial break sequence and back again.)
-
That makes sense. I suppose it was regulation to run four commercial spots at 30 seconds apiece?
-
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 05:01 PM\']That makes sense. I suppose it was regulation to run four commercial spots at 30 seconds apiece?
[snapback]102938[/snapback]
[/quote]
Nope. Just how it usually worked out.
-
Aha.
lol. You learn something new everyday. I don't remember that from the media class I took last year. I must've been sleeping. ;-)
-
Where is Kmetko these days? Is he behind the scenes still with E!?
-
[quote name=\'FOXSportsFan\' date=\'Nov 22 2005, 06:14 PM\']Where is Kmetko these days? Is he behind the scenes still with E!?
[snapback]102949[/snapback]
[/quote]
He's actually behind the scenes with Greg Louganis.
On to the 2:02... once upon a time there was the NAB Code. The National Association of Broadcasters is primarily a lobbying force in Washington. To help maintain the appropriate dignity with this new fangled invention that had invaded America's living rooms, the NAB established their voluntary "Code of Good Conduct". The NAB Code logo used to be displayed quite regularly by participating stations.
Among the quaint provisions of the code were guidelines such as never showing the inside of a toilet bowl; commercials for toilet bowl cleaning products would show the toilet only in profile or in animation. That's why the "Tidy Bowl Man" was such a clever campaign that lasted for years; he could demonstrate how he turned the water blue with a cleaning solution, while always pictured in his boat in the tank portion of the toilet.
Women were never shown wearing brassieres. A woman would merely refer to a bra while it was worn by a manequin. Later, a bra would be superimposed on a fully dressed woman while she moved to demonstrate the comfort and flexibility of the "living bra".
Now to the 2:02 aspect. The Code also mandated that breaks not exceed two minutes of commercial matter, at least not without returning to the show in some form or another. In the later years, before the code was ignored, that often simply meant a return to the show or a slide of its logo long enough to say something like, "_____ will return in a moment". Then up to another 2 minutes of commerial matter would follow.
Now, of course, you could raise a family (or at least start one) during the marathon commercial breaks especially evident on some cable channels.
"Best in view, Channel 2". "This is WNBC, your community-minded station". And other great quaintness...
Randy
tvrandywest.com
-
Nowadays, instead of 2:02, it's more like 3:03, 4:04, 5:05, or, if you have an infomercial, try 28:28.
In case anyone wondered whatever happened to the NAB Television Code, which was also labeled the "Seal of Good Practice" by that organization, some TV producers convinced a Federal court to throw it out more than 20 years ago, arguing "restraint of trade", and that, more than not, has allowed public service to be replaced by infomericals.
-
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 02:17 AM\']Best in view, Channel 2". "This is WNBC, your community-minded station". And other great quaintness...
Randy
tvrandywest.com
[snapback]102971[/snapback]
[/quote]
You and I are probably old enough to remember that stations actually signed off daily! And came back on about 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. with the farm report or somesuch.
(What would a high-definition test pattern look like?)
Channel 2 (WCBS) always used to show the Television Code seal full screen as part of its sign-on.
-
You and I are probably old enough to remember that stations actually signed off daily! And came back on about 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. with the farm report or somesuch.
Yes, and old TVGuides used to stop the listings at around 1:30 a.m. because most stations didn't program anything in the wee hours (come to think of it, the new TVGuides do too - but that's another story!)
As for the longer commercial breaks, I fully understand why it's done and realize it's here to stay, but it's still very annoying to see them run on so long these days. It's the same thing on radio too. Sometimes if I have to drive just a short distance away, I'll have the car radio on and hear nothing but commercials for those few minutes. But I guess we've got to live with it!
-
While the NAB may have limited the amount of commercial time in a break, it was the FCC that limited how much a station could run in an hour. The stunningly successful broadcast lobby got that overturned--along with ownership limits, foreign ownership rules and virtually anything else holding back their profit margins--and THAT'S what gave us the infomercial.
-
[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 10:29 AM\']The stunningly successful broadcast lobby got that overturned--along with ownership limits, foreign ownership rules and virtually anything else holding back their profit margins--and THAT'S what gave us the infomercial.
[snapback]102983[/snapback]
[/quote]
There's a hot spot reserved for them in the afterlife. The first two I remember were a half-hour informercial for "financial independence" anchored by some woman and Charlie O'Donnell. The other was for a hair-growth product called New Generation under the guise of a talk show called Conversation With Fred Lewis. "It won't grow hair on this table. It works in follicles". The pimper of this product was busted a few years later as a fraud on the ABC newsmagazine 20/20.
But sure, being a former LIVE! booth announcer, I remember the sign-offs very well and specifically recall reading the following copy while the aforementioned NAB symbol was shown on viewers' screens:
"WJKW-TV 8 Cleveland subscribes to the NAB Code and is proud to display this seal of good practice".
25 years later, I now finally know what that code means. Or meant.
-
[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 07:29 AM\']While the NAB may have limited the amount of commercial time in a break, it was the FCC that limited how much a station could run in an hour. The stunningly successful broadcast lobby got that overturned--along with ownership limits, foreign ownership rules and virtually anything else holding back their profit margins--and THAT'S what gave us the infomercial.
[snapback]102983[/snapback]
[/quote]
YES! Stunning is the word!
"Duopoly" was an unknown word. Moguls from Australia were not broadcast licensees. Media conglomerates exerting undue market influence over cable MSOs to get carriage was unimagineable. Nobody dreamed we'd see programming "repurposed" across corporate outlets through in-house deals that stole residuals from writers, producers and talent. Owning a newspaper and a TV station (or two) in the same market was considered to be not in the public's best interest.
How about one company owning eight radio stations and other advertising media in a market, and over 1,200 stations in total, continuing to lobby for the right to further concentrate and consolidate. And don't even start the discussion of how every TV set in your house will be obsolete in a few years.
On the anniversary of JFK's assassination (in Texas) if you wanted to theorize about conspiracies you'd question whether the owner of the huge radio company (based in Texas) is an old friend and neighbor of the current President. And you'd ask why the Australian owner previously referred to runs a cable TV "news" channel that has a clear bias. In fact, you'd expand that specific to ask why virtually every radio talk outlet and personality rants from a right-wing Republican point of view. Could they be furthering each others' agendas?
Perhaps somebody should build studios in Dealy Plaza for the FOX News Channel. Maybe Rush Limbaugh could broadcast from the School Book Suppository(!) Building. I think there's a drug store up the street!!
My tongue is firmly in my cheek. Where's Lowry Mays'? ;-)
Randy
tvrandywest.com
-
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 08:58 AM\']My tongue is firmly in my cheek. Where's Lowry Mays'? ;-)
[snapback]102989[/snapback]
[/quote]
Thing is, I'm still not sure whether to laugh or to cry....
-
Doesn't the additional 'choices' of channels have to do something with the infomercial explosion as well? In the old days of getting a 5-10 no matter what you put on eliminated the economics of the infomercial, but with now that number at 1 an infomercial seems like a sad necessity.
-
Sometimes I wonder where Rupert really stands? With the Fox News audience or the Fox Network audience? Either way he's got a knack for collecting pictures of American presidents.
To the infomercial, didn't anybody else ever have those Art Instruction School or Changing Times magazine quarter-hour shows in the 60s-70s? How did those fly under the radar?
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 11:24 AM\']Sometimes I wonder where Rupert really stands? With the Fox News audience or the Fox Network audience? Either way he's got a knack for collecting pictures of American presidents.
[snapback]103003[/snapback]
[/quote]
I'd suspect it's safe to say that where he stands fluctuates so as to maximize the growth of his presidential portrait collection, if you know what I mean. :)
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 11:24 AM\']didn't anybody else ever have those Art Instruction School or Changing Times magazine quarter-hour shows in the 60s-70s? How did those fly under the radar?
[snapback]103003[/snapback]
[/quote]
I dunno, but I bet if you worked in Master at those stations that carried it, you could draw the _hell_ out of Tippy.
-
Perhaps somebody should build studios in Dealy Plaza for the FOX News Channel. Maybe Rush Limbaugh could broadcast from the School Book Suppository(!) Building. I think there's a drug store up the street!!
Must be tongue in cheek, Randy, since FOX 4 is the closest to Dealey Plaza, and most downtown drug stores are underground.
-
[quote name=\'sshuffield70\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 02:26 PM\']Must be tongue in cheek, Randy, since FOX 4 is the closest to Dealey Plaza, and most downtown drug stores are underground.
[snapback]103015[/snapback]
[/quote]
Actually I know that area very well. Some great restaurants in that "old town" corner of the city. Belo Broadcasting is nearby; damned if I can remember why I was there once. And you're right, there are no drug stores of supermarkets in sight. But Rush's drug purchases were always "underground"! ;-)
Randy
tvrandywest.com
-
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 11:58 AM\']On the anniversary of JFK's assassination (in Texas) if you wanted to theorize about conspiracies you'd question whether the owner of the huge radio company (based in Texas) is an old friend and neighbor of the current President. And you'd ask why the Australian owner previously referred to runs a cable TV "news" channel that has a clear bias. In fact, you'd expand that specific to ask why virtually every radio talk outlet and personality rants from a right-wing Republican point of view. Could they be furthering each others' agendas?
[snapback]102989[/snapback]
[/quote]
Crazy thing is, the huge telecom bill came about during the 90s--from Bill Clinton's FCC! Geez, you'd think that'd buy him a little gratitude! Boy, some days us Democrats just can't win.
-
Just a thought: how much does the FCC's increasing laxity with multiple-outlet-owning entities have to do with the fact that TV, radio, and newspapers are no longer the only practical ways of getting one's information about recent events?
(...or are they just concentrating too much on a boob seen two years ago to be concerned with anything else?)
-
[quote name=\'Steve McClellan\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 08:31 PM\'](...or are they just concentrating too much on a boob seen two years ago to be concerned with anything else?)
[snapback]103037[/snapback]
[/quote]
I don't think they cared much about Donny Osmond.
-
[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 06:29 AM\'][quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 02:17 AM\']Best in view, Channel 2". "This is WNBC, your community-minded station". And other great quaintness...
Randy
tvrandywest.com
[snapback]102971[/snapback]
[/quote]
You and I are probably old enough to remember that stations actually signed off daily! And came back on about 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. with the farm report or somesuch.
(What would a high-definition test pattern look like?)
[snapback]102977[/snapback]
[/quote]
I'm 22 years old and I'm old enough to remember signing off, because a TV station here still does it! WTAP TV-15 signs off every Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 am with a montage of scenes from the Mid-Ohio Valley, followed by 4 1/2 hours of test pattern and tone. Frankly, I think they could stand to take a lesson from WSAZ Channel 3 in Huntington and use the weather radar as their test pattern. If you're going to disappear for four hours, at least have something practical on that screen, ya know?
11/25/05 EDIT: And working an overnight shift at the radio station through the week, I just discovered it's not limited to weekends. They sign off right after Carson Daly and come back for Early Today. Are you kidding me? Surely there's a juicer manufacturer trying to tap into the lucrative WV-OH border market.
-
[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 12:14 AM\']I'm 22 years old and I'm old enough to remember signing off, because a TV station here still does it! WTAP TV-15 signs off every Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 am with a montage of scenes from the Mid-Ohio Valley, followed by 4 1/2 hours of test pattern and tone.
[snapback]103052[/snapback]
[/quote]
WTAP=Worst Television Any Place
Are they doing their local news in color yet?
-
[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 12:14 AM\']I'm 22 years old and I'm old enough to remember signing off, because a TV station here still does it! WTAP TV-15 signs off every Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 am with a montage of scenes from the Mid-Ohio Valley, followed by 4 1/2 hours of test pattern and tone. Frankly, I think they could stand to take a lesson from WSAZ Channel 3 in Huntington and use the weather radar as their test pattern. If you're going to disappear for four hours, at least have something practical on that screen, ya know?
[snapback]103052[/snapback]
[/quote]
WTKR (YOUR NewsChannel 3!!) does the same thing as well on weekends, complete with an a capella singing of the "Star Spangled Banner", and video of an air force plane. They also have nothing but bars and tone for several hours.
-
[quote name=\'Steve McClellan\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 07:31 PM\']Just a thought: how much does the FCC's increasing laxity with multiple-outlet-owning entities have to do with the fact that TV, radio, and newspapers are no longer the only practical ways of getting one's information about recent events?
[snapback]103037[/snapback]
[/quote]
The government starting licensing broadcast operations in earnest with the Communications Act of 1934 under which it was made clear that the airwaves belonged to the people. Licensees were entrusted for very limited periods (usually 3 years at a time) to operate in order to serve the public's interest, neccessity and convenience. The licensee was required to do ongoing ascertainments of the local community's needs, and had to promise very specific percentages of news and public service programming to serve the city of license. To keep any one entity from controlling the dissemination of news and having undue influence in forming public opinion, ownership was later limited to to a maximum of 1 AM and 1 FM station per market, with no more than 7 stations nationally, with no newspaper ownership in any of those markets. As far as the government was concerned it was all about community service, and there were tight controls to keep any one "voice" from having too much influence. Clearly, the licensee's ability to make a profit or not was merely incidental.
Your comment about other sources of news in the 21st century is part of the argument used to successfully lobby for lifting ownership caps. But when these other news sources such as cable TV news channels and newspapers' internet sites are owned by the same entities, opponents wonder whether we really have other news sources, especially on a local level. And the question must be asked whether or not blog sites are truly sources of news.
Anyway, the whole argument went down the drain when there was a train wreck in Minot, North Dakota in which harmful gas that was being transported leaked and posed an immediate and serious threat to the community. The only local radio stations were all owned by Clear Channel, and when the sherriff and other authorities tried to enlist their cooperation in disseminating important information to the public, there was nobody at the radio station to answer the phone! The programming and engineering was controlled by computer, and any news and weather forecasts had been recorded hours in advance. A giant WHOOPS!
The incident certainly flies in the face of the argument of other news sources, and demonstrates just how far the original philosophy of serving the community's neccessity and convenience had been mutated.
If I have any of the minor details wrong, please correct me. But more importantly, please further the discussion by contributing another point of view. It all seems very black and white to me. Thanks.
Randy
tvrandywest.com
-
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 11:14 AM\']If I have any of the minor details wrong, please correct me. But more importantly, please further the discussion by contributing another point of view. It all seems very black and white to me. Thanks.
[snapback]103073[/snapback]
[/quote]
Speaking as someone who saw firsthand the effects of Sinclair's "centralcasting" -- in our case, a severe ice storm that the local Sinclair station (a Fox affiliate, in this case) didn't see fit to mention until, oh, two days in as its weather reports (done from Maryland) kept saying that the weather was "mild" -- I certainly don't disagree that consolidation can be overdone.
I only disagree that it somehow reduces the spectrum of opinion out there. Yes, there are more conservative outlets than there were pre-Limbaugh, but talk radio became overwhelmingly conservative because nearly all of the rest of the media were overwhelmingly liberal. People love to rant about Fox News being conservative, but they don't have a problem with the liberal news coming from ABC, CBS, NBC (I leave out MSNBC because it doesn't seem to know what the hell it wants to be), CNN, PBS, NPR, the AP, and Reuters. (Yeah, Fox News calls itself "fair and balanced," but you don't see the others admitting to being liberal, do you?) They rant about the right-wing New York Post and Washington Times but don't have a problem with the left-wing New York Times and Washington Post. (Gotta love the Wall Street Journal, whose editorial page has a conservative bias but whose news articles have a liberal bias... something for everyone. :-) And most of the same people who complain about Fox owning a zillion TV stations somehow never say a word about CBS owning a zillion TV stations -- and hundreds of radio stations to boot. (Credit goes to the Media Access Project and the few other activist groups who actually have complained about Viacom/CBS as well as News Corp/Fox; at least they're consistent.)
Yeah, I think consolidation's gone overboard. I think stunts like Sinclair's plan to run "Stolen Honor" to slam Kerry before the election show what can happen when there's too much power in one corporation's hands... but it's no different from what another corporation, CBS, did when it tried to sway the election toward Kerry with its disgusting, factless story about Bush and the National Guard. Abuses go both ways, folks.
In short, as much as one legitimately can lament the decrease in the number of voices, I don't see how it's possible to claim that it's somehow reduced the range of opinions; no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you can find something that will appeal to you.
-
Time used to be offered for "the opposing point of view." That is not the case now, so if you only watch or listen to one news source, you might only get one point of view. There should be differing points of view within the same station or network, so the casual viewer is introduced to all sides of a story.
-
[quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 10:09 AM\']no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you can find something that will appeal to you.
[snapback]103079[/snapback]
[/quote]
And, increasingly, isolate yourself from any viewpoints that differ from yours enough to make you, you know, think.
-
[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 02:30 PM\'][quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 10:09 AM\']no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you can find something that will appeal to you.
[snapback]103079[/snapback]
[/quote]
And, increasingly, isolate yourself from any viewpoints that differ from yours enough to make you, you know, think.
[snapback]103089[/snapback]
[/quote]
That's definitely a problem, but I don't know that force-feeding other viewpoints -- via a revival of the "equal time" rules, the Fairness Doctrine or what have you -- is the answer. And no matter who's in power, the government will always have its own agenda, and that agenda shouldn't dictate when the rules apply and when they don't.
In any event, someone who's so locked into a particular viewpoint that he'll listen to only, say, Air America Radio isn't going to change his mind if his AA affiliate has to run, say, Rush Limbaugh for an hour... he'll just turn it off. Just as a certain intellectually vacant member of our forum continues to declare that Fox has an anti-Canadian agenda in its baseball coverage even after he's been presented with solid evidence to the contrary... he just ignores the evidence.
You can't force someone to be open-minded, much as I'd like to. Of course, in this forum I wish some would keep their minds closed just long enough to keep their brains from falling out. :-)
-
[quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 01:00 PM\']I don't know that force-feeding other viewpoints -- via a revival of the "equal time" rules, the Fairness Doctrine or what have you -- is the answer.
[snapback]103090[/snapback]
[/quote]
I totally agree. Thirty seconds of one conservative viewpoint followed by thirty seconds of one liberal viewpoint does not make a news consumer well-informed on any issue. It's up to that consumer to seek out a variety of stances on any given issue and use them to help synthesize an informed opinion on that issue. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people are too intellectually lazy and find it too easy to watch only Fox News because it's "fair and balanced" (i.e., not challenging their belief system too often) and dismiss CNN as a bunch of partisan bull. Or vice versa.
Technology has evolved to a point where it allows us to travel in intellectual circles where our beliefs and opinions rarely get challenged. Is it any wonder we have Red and Blue states?
-
In case anyone wondered whatever happened to the NAB Television Code, which was also labeled the "Seal of Good Practice" by that organization, some TV producers convinced a Federal court to throw it out more than 20 years ago, arguing "restraint of trade", and that, more than not, has allowed public service to be replaced by infomericals.
Wow...if not for that ruling, PAX/i would've been off the air for awhile now! LOL
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
-
You and I are probably old enough to remember that stations actually signed off daily! And came back on about 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. with the farm report or somesuch.
Indeed...TVArk actually has a coupla old-school signoffs from NY's WNEW (now WNYW, Ch. 5), towards the middle of the page:
Ch. 5 Signoffs (http://\"http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/international/us_fox_wnyw.html\")
As well as a sign-on from WOR (Ch. 9):
Ch. 9 Sign-On (http://\"http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/international/us_upn_wor.html\")
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
-
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 11:14 AM\']Anyway, the whole argument went down the drain when there was a train wreck in Minot, North Dakota in which harmful gas that was being transported leaked and posed an immediate and serious threat to the community. The only local radio stations were all owned by Clear Channel, and when the sherriff and other authorities tried to enlist their cooperation in disseminating important information to the public, there was nobody at the radio station to answer the phone! The programming and engineering was controlled by computer, and any news and weather forecasts had been recorded hours in advance. A giant WHOOPS!
[snapback]103073[/snapback]
[/quote]
This story has always confounded me because I'm wondering if my brain just "invented a fact" or something...My impression has always been that as long as a station is on the air, somebody has to be in the building. ("Has to" in the regulatory sense). This is going back to me working at the Marshall campus station and having to sign off the station for a few hours specifically because everyone on the staff had one exam or the other and couldn't sub for the ill DJ scheduled next. The radio station I interned for in Huntington saw an employee get in HUGE trouble with the bosses for ducking out for a few hours during his shift. (His reason being "Everything seemed to be running fine so I didn't see a reason to stay.") Finally, when I first started working overnight shifts three years ago, my boss offered the shift to me by saying "We have to have somebody in the building."
I can't remember it coming up in a class to save my life, and I can't remember ever asking anybody. I realize this is an embarassing question coming from somebody with a Radio/TV degree, but seriously, don't you HAVE to have someone in the building while you're on the air?
-
[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' date=\'Nov 25 2005, 02:10 AM\']but seriously, don't you HAVE to have someone in the building while you're on the air?
[snapback]103131[/snapback]
[/quote]
Probably. Do they have to be somewhere in the building where they can answer a certain phone if it rings? No.
-
Having asked a question like this before to my bosses at the ol' college station, it's because someone had to keep an eye on the antenna controls every three hours. I had to do that at sign on (6AM) and when I signed off (9AM). Now, that was back in the day when there wasn't any computers running radio stations. Now, we have a few noncommercial stations like that (KEOM - Mesquite and 89.7 PowerFM - Sanger/DFW [available on the Internet]). I last spoke to my ol' boss about 18 months ago, and he said they were working on that possibility of going 24/7 (the computer would take over from 12AM - 6 AM).
-
Here's the official word:
A radio station may broadcast without personnel on site if it can comply with these three simple requirements:
1) All EAS tests and alerts are to be automatically rebroadcast from the originating station, preempting regular programming, or in the case of the originating station, tests and all required alert messages from the appropriate local and national authorities must to be capable of being aired without human intervention;
2) The station's public inspection file must be available for public inspection, during regular business hours. (The file may be maintained at an office location separate and away from the studio facility);
3) The station must automatically comply with transmitter output power limits (-10%/+5%), directional antenna parameters and other basic transmission limits. If automatic adjustment devices fail to maintain tolerance and/or automatically summoned manual intervention does not correct the out-of-tolerance situation within three hours, transmission must cease until the situation is corrected.
From a Clear Channel employee who will remain nameless:
Minot could easily happen again any night now, as these requirements clearly don't address the obligation of the local civil authorities who have responsibility for the EAS alert message content, and compliance inspection by the FCC is not done on a scheduled basis. Responsible broadcasters participate in the voluntary annual inspections conducted by local chapters of the SBE and consulting engineering firms hired by state broadcasters associations. The FCC will promise not to inspect a radio station for a period of three years if the station furnishes a certificate of compliance following successful voluntary inspection by a certified organization. These voluntary inspections, by the way, are prescheduled at a mutually convenient time, so station personnel roll out the red carpet for the inspector.
As an aside... as early as 1974, at WALL, Middletown New York, we were taking the required transmitter readings using a device that graphed the plate current, plate voltage, etc. electronically using a logger with a moving pen that wrote on graph paper. We were only required to have a licensed operator sign directly on the graph at the beginning and at the end of their shift that he had inspected the logger's operation. That's 30 years ago. It's no trick today to monitor and correct discrepancies, log pertinent information and make coffee by computer.
Randy
tvrandywest.com
-
It seems to be forgotten in the twists and turns of this thread, but the "Changing Times" radio and TV programs could get around the bans on program-length commercials by reason that most of the program was still informational in nature, even if Doug Fletcher did get around to plugging the magazine and selling subscriptions eventually. It still had about 10 out of 14 minutes of actual information.
Paid religion got away with murder--I can easily recall the Bible-thumpers on 50,000-watt red state stations who spent *at least* half of their broadcast fund-raising. There were also the record shop shows on the legendary WLAC in Nashville, where the R&B records Gene Nobles and John R were playing just happened to be part of their special packages available postpaid, no C.O.D's please. At least they played the records all the way through and a good number of them were good songs--not all of them, though.
-
[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 01:05 PM\']Paid religion got away with murder...
[snapback]103335[/snapback]
[/quote]Amen to THAT!
Randy
tvrandywest.com
-
Paid religion got away with murder--I can easily recall the Bible-thumpers on 50,000-watt red state stations who spent *at least* half of their broadcast fund-raising.
Well, I watched my pastor on TV over the weekend. And I didn't hear him tell people to support the ministry as often as you claim. And he's not a local preacher, either.
-
[quote name=\'sshuffield70\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 08:04 PM\']
Paid religion got away with murder--I can easily recall the Bible-thumpers on 50,000-watt red state stations who spent *at least* half of their broadcast fund-raising.
Well, I watched my pastor on TV over the weekend. And I didn't hear him tell people to support the ministry as often as you claim. And he's not a local preacher, either.
[snapback]103367[/snapback]
[/quote]
Please quote the portion of Mark's post that referred to either religion on TV or any present religious broadcaster. Hint: note Mark's use of the past tense.
-
I just found out today that it's now legal to have your EAS unit automatically send out weekly tests. Now... you don't even have to have a human there to push the button. Amazing.
I hear stories from some of the people who have worked in radio for 30+ years... saying how they had to display their "ticket" in the studio while they were on the air... how there was someone at the radio station all the time... or at least during the hours where they didn't sign off (and some stories about one particular DJ getting fired for fornicating with a member of the opposite gender on the PD's leather couch)... how radio stations actually used to cater to the area they broadcast from. Most of that isn't happening now. Well... my PD doesn't have a couch in his office.
Most of these guys will tell you that deregulation of radio has ruined the medium. And... even though I've only been on the air for 7 years... I'd have to agree. Automation... voice tracking... syndicated programming... there really isn't something as "local radio" anymore. Sure... maybe on one of the few "mom and pop" stations... but that's about it. Clear Channel has made sure that every radio station in every market they own stations in sounds exactly the same... like crap.
And... with automation comes cutting jobs for jocks. Again... I'll use Clear Channel as an example... only because I know they do this locally. Here in the Salisbury/Ocean City, MD market, we have a local "Kiss-FM" station... just like every other Clear Channel market. With the exception of the morning jock... the rest of the shifts are voicetracked by jocks from other markets... DC, Philly, and NYC. And... all of the "local" news comes from Baltimore.
It's ponderous man... just ponderous.
I'm stepping down from my soapbox now... my nurse is telling me it's time for my meds and a "sleepy time nap".
-
[quote name=\'bossjock967\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 06:29 PM\']I just found out today that it's not legal to have your EAS unit automatically send out weekly tests. Now... you don't even have to have a human there to push the button. Amazing.
[/quote]
Not legal or now legal?
-
Corey, as a 35-year vet in the trenches, I'm with you. This whole thread has been fascinating for a variety of reasons, and brought back a lot of memories. Glad someone brought up the NAB Seal Of Good Practice. I was watching an old b&w tv show on disc with the seal in it's closing credits and wondered why I never saw it any more. It was part of the sign-on and sign-off of the local stations I grew up with. Thanks for the info. Especially thanks, Randy, for the background stuff.
If I didn't push the button for the weekly EAS test, I'd get no exercise at all...
-
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 08:35 PM\'][quote name=\'bossjock967\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 06:29 PM\']I just found out today that it's not legal to have your EAS unit automatically send out weekly tests. Now... you don't even have to have a human there to push the button. Amazing.
[/quote]
Not legal or now legal?
[snapback]103377[/snapback]
[/quote]
It's *now* legal.
Damn retarded fingers.
-
[quote name=\'bossjock967\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 07:02 PM\'][quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 08:35 PM\']
Not legal or now legal?
[snapback]103377[/snapback]
[/quote]
It's *now* legal.
[/quote]
Aha. Now it makes sense. :)
-
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Nov 23 2005, 11:32 AM\']
But sure, being a former LIVE! booth announcer, I remember the sign-offs very well and specifically recall reading the following copy while the aforementioned NAB symbol was shown on viewers' screens:
"WJKW-TV 8 Cleveland subscribes to the NAB Code and is proud to display this seal of good practice".
[snapback]102985[/snapback]
[/quote]
All Right, Don...Curiosity has finally gotten to me. Given that most booth announcers have been replaced by voicetracking, or pre-recorded voice-overs, does that mean you still lend your dulcet tones to Channel 8, or any well-known sponsors around Cleveland?
I'm trying to figure out which voice you were/are at Channel 8? I know Howard Hoffman was a booth announcer years ago, and Bill Ward is now the official "Voice of Cleveland's Own". But I do remember a few others -- I'm just trying to place the voice.
-
[quote name=\'bossjock967\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 08:29 PM\']
Most of these guys will tell you that deregulation of radio has ruined the medium. And... even though I've only been on the air for 7 years... I'd have to agree. Automation... voice tracking... syndicated programming... there really isn't something as "local radio" anymore. Sure... maybe on one of the few "mom and pop" stations... but that's about it. Clear Channel has made sure that every radio station in every market they own stations in sounds exactly the same... like crap.
[snapback]103375[/snapback]
[/quote]
Amazing how Cheap Channel will plug the hell out of the ratethemusic.com website, (which I believe they have financial ties to--go figure!!) yet they're too scared to create and/or plug a website called ratethestation.com (where people could rate every little aspect of the evil Clear Channel empire -- not just the info the Arbitron people are looking for).
-
[quote name=\'bossjock967\' date=\'Nov 28 2005, 05:29 PM\']It's ponderous man... just ponderous.
[snapback]103375[/snapback]
[/quote]
Well played.
-
[quote name=\'mcfly95\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 12:40 AM\']OK, hate to bring this up again, but I wonder about a few other things:
1) Did he ever say it on Scrabble or WoF? (I know he was said to have started it on Love Connection, but I've heard he said it on WoF)
2) Is the hand clapping before the phrase fairly permenant, or just for love connection? (an observation)
[snapback]105500[/snapback]
[/quote]
1) Does 1983 come after 1981? If so, consider your source your bowling buddy. It became permanent on all CW shows up to Lingo.
2) I suppose you've never heard of audio sweetening?
OK, mcfly, time to go back to the future.
-
[quote name=\'mcfly95\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 12:40 AM\']OK, hate to bring this up again, but I wonder about a few other things:
1) Did he ever say it on Scrabble or WoF? (I know he was said to have started it on Love Connection, but I've heard he said it on WoF)
[snapback]105500[/snapback]
[/quote]
Y'know, I wanna say he did use it at least once on Scrabble. I wanna even say it was the 93 revival.
Then again, I can barely remember what I did yesterday, let alone something I saw nearly 13 yrs. ago. :-P
-
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 09:45 AM\'][quote name=\'mcfly95\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 12:40 AM\']OK, hate to bring this up again, but I wonder about a few other things:
1) Did he ever say it on Scrabble or WoF? (I know he was said to have started it on Love Connection, but I've heard he said it on WoF)
[snapback]105500[/snapback]
[/quote]
Y'know, I wanna say he did use it at least once on Scrabble. I wanna even say it was the 93 revival.
[snapback]105525[/snapback]
[/quote]
And you would be correct to say it, man. I have VHS evidence of him having done so on both versions. Very sparingly, but he did do so. As for WOF, I don't even know if NBC daytime had commercial breaks of that length during his hosting tenure.
-
[quote name=\'mcfly95\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 03:46 PM\']
2) I suppose you've never heard of audio sweetening?
I mean how he claps his hands together before saying it, not anything about the audience.
[snapback]105587[/snapback]
[/quote]
He said AUDIO, not audience.
-
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 02:06 PM\'][quote name=\'mcfly95\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 03:46 PM\']
2) I suppose you've never heard of audio sweetening?
I mean how he claps his hands together before saying it, not anything about the audience.
[snapback]105587[/snapback]
[/quote]
He said AUDIO, not audience.
[snapback]105594[/snapback]
[/quote]
What mcfly is talking about doesn't have a damn thing to do with audio. The question he asked was "Has Chuck always clapped his hands before doing the two and two?" It's a totally asinine question, but the fact remains that audio sweetening has nothing to do with it.
-
[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 05:14 PM\'][quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 02:06 PM\'][quote name=\'mcfly95\' date=\'Dec 22 2005, 03:46 PM\']
2) I suppose you've never heard of audio sweetening?
I mean how he claps his hands together before saying it, not anything about the audience.
[snapback]105587[/snapback]
[/quote]
He said AUDIO, not audience.
[snapback]105594[/snapback]
[/quote]
What mcfly is talking about doesn't have a damn thing to do with audio. The question he asked was "Has Chuck always clapped his hands before doing the two and two?" It's a totally asinine question, but the fact remains that audio sweetening has nothing to do with it.
[snapback]105605[/snapback]
[/quote]
You're right, it is an asinine question. Unfortunately, I typed without thinking.....come to think of it....I think mcfly does too.