WHBO Runs The Wrong Weather Forecast

[DToTheJ]

WHBO runs weather updates from Alan Archer twice an hour. So imagine my surprise when in the 12 noon hour, they run his forecast for... the Virgin Islands. And it was two minutes longer than the usual Tamps forecast so it bled into the start of Jimmy Failla's show. Ugh...

 

[b-turner]

Sounds to me a one-time error likely from the source.

 

[billalm]

Correct. Most likely the source sent the wrong audio to the local "cart" in WHBO's system. An automated station like WHBO receives elements like weather and traffic directly fed from the source as an audio file that's simply re-written every time. The critical piece of this setup is the originating source must double check to make sure the audio is edited to the proper length and is going to the correct customer. This is the same situation for anyone who's voicetracking or doing anything for on-air remotely without a local board op confirming it's correct.

 

[wadio]

Radio today is, shall we say, "sloppy? "

I just heard an ad that ended with, "Enjoy a brighter smile in 2024! "

There's another ad that's been running for weeks that mentions Mocha but pronounces it, "Ma-cha" instead of "Mo-ka."

I could go on, but there are too many examples and there's no point.

My suspicion is that the people who write and program this stuff don't listen to the radio.

 

[b-turner]

Do them a favor, point these things out.

At my station we are so overworked a details gets past us sometimes and some stuff just can't be explained. For example, we had the kill date of 12/25 on a spot but for some reason, the computer decided to play a dead file about January 10. It was not on the log but my operation and sales managers heard it, so we checked the log and it wasn't there but it played on the air. And yes, the client heard it.

 

[TheBigA]

My suspicion is that the people who write and program this stuff don't listen to the radio.

Keep in mind that the commercial content is the responsibility of the advertisers. They're the ones who pay for it, and often write & produce the spots.

Yes there are station traffic people who keep track of the air dates and that kind of thing. But there are other people involved.

I bet if a listener said something to the advertiser it would shake things up.

 

[PTBoardOp93]

There's another ad that's been running for weeks that mentions Mocha but pronounces it, "Ma-cha" instead of "Mo-ka."

Matcha and Mocha are two different drinks. Matcha is a style of green tea pipular in Japan.

I have no idea which one the ad was trying to sell, just pointing out that it might not have been an error.

 

[MichaelD1972]

WHBO runs weather updates from Alan Archer twice an hour. So imagine my surprise when in the 12 noon hour, they run his forecast for... the Virgin Islands. And it was two minutes longer than the usual Tamps forecast so it bled into the start of Jimmy Failla's show. Ugh...

The wonders of automation. 🤣

 

[radiofan2023]

Do them a favor, point these things out.

At my station we are so overworked a details gets past us sometimes and some stuff just can't be explained. For example, we had the kill date of 12/25 on a spot but for some reason, the computer decided to play a dead file about January 10. It was not on the log but my operation and sales managers heard it, so we checked the log and it wasn't there but it played on the air. And yes, the client heard it.

I did that once, nicely, and got a snarky reply back. When I heard a different commercial for “new cars and trucks for 2023” last year, I decided not to say anything.

 

[wadio]

Matcha and Mocha are two different drinks. Matcha is a style of green tea pipular in Japan.

I have no idea which one the ad was trying to sell, just pointing out that it might not have been an error.

Interesting. Maybe that's it. It's an ad for a "health supplement" that can be added " ... to your favorite coffee, mocha (or matcha) or smoothie." It's a well produced spot so I was surprised nobody in the chain from creation to production to air caught it.

 

[wadio]

Do them a favor, point these things out.

At my station we are so overworked a details gets past us sometimes and some stuff just can't be explained. For example, we had the kill date of 12/25 on a spot but for some reason, the computer decided to play a dead file about January 10. It was not on the log but my operation and sales managers heard it, so we checked the log and it wasn't there but it played on the air. And yes, the client heard it.

Good, glad to hear that people are listening.

 

[b-turner]

Yes, the email from the client was in the inbox in about 5 minutes. They weren't ticked off, just giving us a heads up.

 

[Dondd]

Still, regardless of source errors, it's ultimately the stations' responsibility what airs. The buck stops there.

 

[TheBigA]

Still, regardless of source errors, it's ultimately the stations' responsibility what airs. The buck stops there.

So sue 'em. The FCC doesn't regulate content. If you feel you were harmed in some way by hearing the wrong weather forecast, sue the station.

Seems a bit frivolous to me, but that's your recourse.

 

[Dondd]

It's not surprising the station is run absentmindedly.
The station's owners have never really cared about broadcasting.
Even when the owners had their news-talk on 50kw 820, when they had good local hosts like Mark Larson, they blew it and managed it improperly, eventually firing all the local hosts and airing automated classic country. In a major metro market like Tampa? Whose brainchild was that?
https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/wwba-flips-to-classic-country.717903/

Then, there were all those times of dead air.
https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/wwba-am-820-dead-air.646943/post-5859505

 

[wadio]

Still, regardless of source errors, it's ultimately the stations' responsibility what airs. The buck stops there.

But many of these errors are the fault of the companies that do the streaming, no? *

* I only listen to radio online.

 

[vw86]

Yeah. There are many times I am listening to a station via stream and I hear outdated fill content during the spot break. But in no way is it the fault of the individual station. All that fill content is on a server somewhere and plays based on your device, your location, etc.

 

[MetroMuscle]

Also to add on 97X they ares till running station promos saying "Bro it's 2024 have you heard of the internet?"
Also last year after their 97X Next Big Thing concert they were still running promos for the event 1 month after it occurred.
No one answers their phone and who knows if their email is even monitored.
Had to give up with that issue last year.
👻

 

[Dondd]

Yeah. There are many times I am listening to a station via stream and I hear outdated fill content during the spot break. But in no way is it the fault of the individual station. All that fill content is on a server somewhere and plays based on your device, your location, etc.

Uh.... at the risk of being repetitive, the station is responsible for what it airs, regardless of source.
If a supplier continuously provides bad product, then the station should go to another supplier.

An example was one of those satellite "Music of Your Life" services. One day, a station owner heard the service play a song way out of format. I think it was an 80s metal ballad or something.
The station owner called the satellite service and said he may stop subscribing if they keep adding non-format songs like that.

And I'm talking about over-the-air errors.

 

[wadio]

The ad I posted about before that mentions "matcha" (which I guess is correct) is for a "supplement" called, "Ancient Nutrition."

That thing is running almost non-stop on many streams I listen to. What I mean is it's in every break and sometimes several times in the same break! 😩

Since this is a slow time for advertising, I'm wondering if the streamers have something similar to ROS that offers to fill every available remaining slot with the client's ad?

If that's the case, the advertiser should supply at least a couple of different versions of the spot.