3WS......Live vs Voicetracking

[db59]

For those who have any inside information, just how many hours in the day does 3WS have an actual live body in the broadcast chair. Jonny Hartwell's shift is from 5-9 a.m., Shari Van Dyke's is from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Mike Fraser's is from 4-10 p.m. How much time do they actually spend in the studio?

 

[Parttimer]

Probably as little as possible,and maybe not the same amount every day depending on what other work they need to get done. People tend to forget that stations VT airshifts because having a person sit in the studio while the music is playing is a massive waste of time. Sherri can be scheduling the music, or Fraser can be doing prodution during that time.

 

[garnet]

Yes. Best not to concentrate on your show.

 

[trefdawg]

IMOP, the only time the station seams to have real life is when Tom Kent is on ( Saturday night)

 

[Parttimer]

Yes. Best not to concentrate on your show.

Do you really need to sit through 20 minutes of music to be focused enough to deliver a 30-second break with some personality? Generally what jocks will do is a couple of hours live and then VT the rest of the shift.

The people who remain employed in the industry generally work very hard and wear multiple hats.

The lazy people who want to sit there for four hours and be on-mic for 16 minutes, then go home are the same ones who complain that the evil greedy corporations won't hire them.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

IMOP, the only time the station seams to have real life is when Tom Kent is on ( Saturday night)

I have to agree. Which is depressing since he's syndicated.

What's that quote from American Hot Wax? The kids can tell when you're listening? It sure as heck is the truth on this station. Even if Jack Malloy voicetracks his show, I feel like he actually did think about what he was putting into it when he did it. 3WS, not so much.

 

[db59]

With no person actually on the air, the listener loses any personal relationship with that particular station. Sometimes a listnener may want to talk to the DJ about the music, tell them about a traffic situation, or just shoot the breeze about the Steelers or Bucs for a few minutes. You can't do that if no one is at the station to answer the phone. I wonder if the average listener realizes they are being tricked into thinking there is actually a DJ at their favorite station, not realizing it is a voice pre-recorded. This is actually a form of fraud. God forbid that corporate radio would have to pay someone to sit in a chair and be an actual disc jockey for several hours.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

I wonder if the average listener realizes they are being tricked into thinking there is actually a DJ at their favorite station, not realizing it is a voice pre-recorded. This is actually a form of fraud.

This is what I don't like about it. I'd rather have a situation like on Bob, where it's blatantly obvious that it's all prerecorded.

 

[Al Timiter]

Yes. Best not to concentrate on your show.

Do you really need to sit through 20 minutes of music to be focused enough to deliver a 30-second break with some personality? Generally what jocks will do is a couple of hours live and then VT the rest of the shift.

The people who remain employed in the industry generally work very hard and wear multiple hats.

The lazy people who want to sit there for four hours and be on-mic for 16 minutes, then go home are the same ones who complain that the evil greedy corporations won't hire them.

Gosh, where to start?
Real, live, local radio did not used to be that way at all. It used to be that on air talents were fully engaged with their audience while on the air either on mic or on the phone-looking for a great call to air. Talk was not relegated to 3 or 4 breaks an hour but maybe 9 or 10 times an hour around 3 stopsets and maybe 6 speed breaks over intros. The fact that its not done that way now is just a shame and apparently lost on you, I guess. Maybe you never heard that type of radio but if you haven't heard it, you literally don't know what you're missing.

And it was monied special interests that lobbied congress to change things which led to corporations accumulating massive debt in an effort to expand which led to consolodation and down-sizing.

And, just because a talent still wants to remain live on the air, even suffering through a corporate dictate of no more than 3 talk breaks per hour, does not make him or her lazy. It might mean they are trying to hold on to some semblance of connection with the audience, or what's left of it.

 

[Boss Radio]

With no person actually on the air, the listener loses any personal relationship with that particular station. Sometimes a listnener may want to talk to the DJ about the music, tell them about a traffic situation, or just shoot the breeze about the Steelers or Bucs for a few minutes. You can't do that if no one is at the station to answer the phone. I wonder if the average listener realizes they are being tricked into thinking there is actually a DJ at their favorite station, not realizing it is a voice pre-recorded. This is actually a form of fraud. God forbid that corporate radio would have to pay someone to sit in a chair and be an actual disc jockey for several hours.

I don't like VT, but there's no point in having someone in studio to talk to the handful of people who like to call.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

People won't call if they have figured out that no one's in the studio.

 

[PirateJohnny]

I mentioned the phrase "the art of DJing" in another post. When I worked (in Top 40) my mic was open between almost every song, twice if I had a spot break between songs. I liked to work on the "flow" of the music I played, given the playlist restrictions and all. While a song was playing I would "get a vibe" from a song that I would pick to play next. I couldn't get that "vibe' two hours in advance picking out my whole show ahead of time. While listening to a song a clever way to tie in a lyric with the next live promo would come to me. That couldn't happen two hours ahead of time. I was a "live" DJ. If I VTed a show now and then did one live it would sound like two different people.

 

[KeyTimes950]

I mentioned the phrase "the art of DJing" in another post. When I worked (in Top 40) my mic was open between almost every song, twice if I had a spot break between songs. I liked to work on the "flow" of the music I played, given the playlist restrictions and all. While a song was playing I would "get a vibe" from a song that I would pick to play next. I couldn't get that "vibe' two hours in advance picking out my whole show ahead of time. While listening to a song a clever way to tie in a lyric with the next live promo would come to me. That couldn't happen two hours ahead of time. I was a "live" DJ. If I VTed a show now and then did one live it would sound like two different people.

Brilliant observation. In one of my former lives I did DJs gigs both as a paid employee and as a volunteer, on a variety of stations, commercial, college FM and carrier-current. I understand that "vibe" and knew a good inspiration didn't come during the prep time or its modern equivalent on so many stations, the voice-tracking.

I think this also contributes to what I think is the losing of a fine art. I can listen to, say, Terry Lee's Internet show much as I could his old shows on Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Mon Valley stations. I can appreciate a Frankie Day, though I admit I can't listen to him for very long and in morning drive I'm flipping the dial frequently for news and talk. (I only use these two for examples, my point is upcoming

My point is, I don't listen much to radio for the deejays, and I think it largely is because the voice trackers aren't more than a cracked mic that is inserted to give the listener the impression that there is more than a jukebox on the other end of the transmitter. I preset a bunch of stations in two states for music. I don't believe I preset any of them for personalities, because I don't think there are any. And your point explains it.

 

[Boss Radio]

I mentioned the phrase "the art of DJing" in another post. When I worked (in Top 40) my mic was open between almost every song, twice if I had a spot break between songs. I liked to work on the "flow" of the music I played, given the playlist restrictions and all. While a song was playing I would "get a vibe" from a song that I would pick to play next. I couldn't get that "vibe' two hours in advance picking out my whole show ahead of time. While listening to a song a clever way to tie in a lyric with the next live promo would come to me. That couldn't happen two hours ahead of time. I was a "live" DJ. If I VTed a show now and then did one live it would sound like two different people.

The kind of DJing you're talking about hasn't been present in the bigger markets for at least 20 years, probably longer than that. They'll have a sequence of music ready for you, and you'll push the buttons. They're not waiting for your "vibe" to make the choice.

 

[Parttimer]

Look, I get what some of you are saying.

You used to be a lot busier in the studio. You had to pull the music and spots, maybe cue up records or CDs and play the spots from carts. And even then, if you knew what you were doing, pulling everything maybe took 5 minutes.

That pretty much ended 30 years ago.

Literally, sitting there waiting for the music to play with nothing to do for 20 minutes is boring. It's actually easier to do it as voice tracking where you can focus your energy and get the whole shift done in 20 minutes.

The entire business world has changed and, like it or not, radio is a business. No company can stay in business paying someone to sit there and do nothing anymore. And chatting with listeners makes no substantive contribution to the health of the business.

This is actually a form of fraud.

Seriously?

 

[Al Timiter]

That pretty much ended 30 years ago.

Music and spots on hard drive only became fully realized en masse about ten years ago.

Literally, sitting there waiting for the music to play with nothing to do for 20 minutes is boring. It's actually easier to do it as voice tracking where you can focus your energy and get the whole shift done in 20 minutes.

You're missing the big picture: More live, substantive talk breaks-be they humorous, thoughtful or just plain interesting equals more engagement with the audience....which equals a bond..which equals loyalty, which equals TSL which equals bigger ratings which equals bigger revenues. No, I'm not talking about people sitting around with their thumbs up their...The industry would be better off with that kind of radio again but I realize it's probably not going to happen.

 

[Parttimer]

You're missing the big picture: More live, substantive talk breaks-be they humorous, thoughtful or just plain interesting equals more engagement with the audience....which equals a bond..which equals loyalty, which equals TSL which equals bigger ratings which equals bigger revenues. No, I'm not talking about people sitting around with their thumbs up their...The industry would be better off with that kind of radio again but I realize it's probably not going to happen.

Talking about different formatics is an entirely separate conversation. And while you might find it more entertaining, as I would, time after time research says shut up and play the music. And you don't need live bodies there to do that.

 

[secondchoice]

IMHO if the station is targeting anyone under 50, there should be someone present 24 / 7 to handle the "social media" and or the old fashion phone. Even more important the business line (or e-mail) where the advertisers contact the station has to be covered 6 AM till at least 10PM. This does not have to happen at the physical station but it should happen somewhere in the market.

 

[F.M.Hertz]

You're missing the big picture: More live, substantive talk breaks-be they humorous, thoughtful or just plain interesting equals more engagement with the audience....which equals a bond..which equals loyalty, which equals TSL which equals bigger ratings which equals bigger revenues. No, I'm not talking about people sitting around with their thumbs up their...The industry would be better off with that kind of radio again but I realize it's probably not going to happen.

Talking about different formatics is an entirely separate conversation. And while you might find it more entertaining, as I would, time after time research says shut up and play the music. And you don't need live bodies there to do that.

Gee, relax! Sounds like someone desperately wants to be in management someday. ;D

 

[PirateJohnny]

Here is the "chicken or the egg" question: Has management taken the live DJ off the air in favor of voice-tracking because listenership/advertising revenue has declined or has listenership/advertising revenue declined because management has taken the live DJ off the air in favor of voice-tracking?