ABC AC Network

[99-5jamz]

Is it me or is the ABC AC network the worst sounding radio network in radio history. They play a song,let if fade all to way out, 2 sec of dead air, fire off a local liner, the the jock talks. And it goes on like that every hour, everyday. I just wanted to see was im the only one that do not like this?<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>

 

[westlife]

> Is it me or is the ABC AC network the worst sounding radio
> network in radio history. They play a song,let if fade all
> to way out, 2 sec of dead air, fire off a local liner, the
> the jock talks. And it goes on like that every hour,
> everyday. I just wanted to see was im the only one that do
> not like this?

Maybe you're just listening to a DJ/board op who's a bit sloppy with the controls? It also could be because the local station you're listening to has unusually short liners... obviously "Soft Rock 97.7, WWZW" takes quite a bit more time to say than "Q-101", so the network has to make room for stations with long ID liners -- or else the satellite DJ will be stepping over his own voice, which sounds very bad!
<P ID="signature">______________
It's a common mistake to not use punctuation in its proper form.
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.cgl.uwaterloo.ca/~csk/its.html>Be kind to your friend, the apostrophe.</a></P>

 

[JeremyAndrews]

> Is it me or is the ABC AC network the worst sounding radio
> network in radio history. They play a song,let if fade all
> to way out, 2 sec of dead air, fire off a local liner, the
> the jock talks. And it goes on like that every hour,
> everyday. I just wanted to see was im the only one that do
> not like this?
>
I hate it now. It used to be much better back in the 90s.<P ID="signature">______________

</P>

 

[99-5jamz]

The music and all to me is ok. But then again im not a AC expert. But I am a programming expert and that network is badly programmed. I think its too many majic calls, and all of that stuff it just clutters up the network and it kills the flow of the format. One of the stations I work at use to run the Westwood one Soft AC format and the station sounded good, it had a good flow, their was not 50 dead air breaks a hour it had a good flow and it sounded good. <P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>

 

[gr8oldies]

Westwood was OK when I worked with it..all the sat nets can sound a bit choppy because of the optional breaks that the net fills with music.<P ID="signature">______________
"Your right to know supersedes your right to exist"..Gary Burbank</P>

 

[Iowan]

Does anyone know any ABC AC station that has an audio feed you can listen to online (such as the Chicago or Central Florida feed of the True Oldies Channel)? Any kind of help will greatly be appreciated

 

[abc-radio-dj]

Is it me or is the ABC AC network the worst sounding radio network in radio history. They play a song,let if fade all to way out, 2 sec of dead air, fire off a local liner, the the jock talks. And it goes on like that every hour, everyday. I just wanted to see was im the only one that do not like this?<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>

Before you verbally degrade the network, why don't you learn how satellite radio networks operate and what exactly the affiliate station is expected to do on their end? The network is VERY professionally run by a group of seasoned professionals. Many times, the affiliate station does not do their part when it comes to something as simple as changing liners to match each jock's voice or more difficult projects like upgrading and/or repairing necessary equipment to assist in the overall sound of the station. Affiliates are often on a shoestring budget which is why they pick up satellite programming to begin with but to be a darn good affiliate takes cooperation and investment from the affiliate in their overall sound. ABC can provide the programming, but we can only do so much with making suggestions to the affiliates in how they should operate and why. The decisions are ultimately up to each individual station.

 

[abc-radio-dj]

> Is it me or is the ABC AC network the worst sounding radio
> network in radio history. They play a song,let if fade all
> to way out, 2 sec of dead air, fire off a local liner, the
> the jock talks. And it goes on like that every hour,
> everyday. I just wanted to see was im the only one that do
> not like this?
>
I hate it now. It used to be much better back in the 90s.<P ID="signature">______________

</P>

Why don't you offer some specifics on what you do/don't like? Your statement is very broad with no substance.

 

[LSARADIO]

I personally agree with "abc-radio-dj! I worked for about 4 years for one of the top ABC-AC "star station" affiliates in the southern states! (Alabama) The Programming of ABC-AC is "Top Notch"! Don't knock them if you don't know the specifics of a particular network. Many networks require jocks to pause during a jock break or directly after before a stopset, in the middle of a network- to - local stopset. some network to local stopsets are optional in some networks giving local stations the option to cover it with local spots or fill with a short sponsor mention of 2 to 4 sec. then continue network with network feeding an early news cast or some may be mandatory locals or the same where it is a spot feed, liner feed, or network cutting local weather for certain stations to netcatch. Many stations either don't have the funds to meet professional sounding network equipment or local programming changes....and then there are those select few that someone like you may here and then make biased spoken opinions of and declare the whole network "CRAP"! My friend. whoever you are. If you have radio experience.... I certainly hope that you don't think much of yourself. If you do.... take a couple of steps back and make a better judgment by listening to other stations... either in the area that carry the same network format or get on line and check out some of their affiliates..... I'll be glad to point you in the direction if you want to hear one.
I'm not flaming.... but as hard as the ABC-AC works and did amazing things while I programmed for a very good affiliate of theres... I truely stand behind them 100%!

LSARADIO

 

[lash]

Haven't heard any of the networks AC products. Who sounds the best? Dial-Global, Jones, or ABC?

 

[clichemoth]

I personally agree with "abc-radio-dj! I worked for about 4 years for one of the top ABC-AC "star station" affiliates in the southern states! (Alabama)

107.7 the Fox down in SE Alabama? That is a nice-sounding station.

The Programming of ABC-AC is "Top Notch"! Don't knock them if you don't know the specifics of a particular network. Many networks require jocks to pause during a jock break or directly after before a stopset, in the middle of a network- to - local stopset. some network to local stopsets are optional in some networks giving local stations the option to cover it with local spots or fill with a short sponsor mention of 2 to 4 sec. then continue network with network feeding an early news cast or some may be mandatory locals or the same where it is a spot feed, liner feed, or network cutting local weather for certain stations to netcatch. Many stations either don't have the funds to meet professional sounding network equipment or local programming changes....and then there are those select few that someone like you may here and then make biased spoken opinions of and declare the whole network "CRAP"! My friend. whoever you are. If you have radio experience.... I certainly hope that you don't think much of yourself. If you do.... take a couple of steps back and make a better judgment by listening to other stations... either in the area that carry the same network format or get on line and check out some of their affiliates..... I'll be glad to point you in the direction if you want to hear one.
I'm not flaming.... but as hard as the ABC-AC works and did amazing things while I programmed for a very good affiliate of theres... I truely stand behind them 100%!

LSARADIO

Yeah, it's not the format itself, it's how much effort the local folks put into it. I know with ABC's country formats, the flow of programming will vary widely from station to station. Some mesh everything together so well that you forget they're on the bird, and others sound like no one on the local end is paying attention to what they're putting on the air. Not as familiar with the AC, but I'm guessing the same applies.

 

[easternoregon]

Regarding who has the better programming between ABC-AC and JONES. ABC by far has a superior programming. The music is upbeat and excellent rotation and the DJ's are great.

Jones, the music is ok, and the rotation is also OK but the DJ's SUCK...

We do not have a Dial-Global AC affiliate around here or that I have heard.

~E~

 

[ngriffin]

Has anyone listed to Waitt's offering? I like their concept of having some localized breaks recorded by the network jocks. Instead of sending all of the programming out over the satellite, they send only the breaks and run the music locally off of a hard drive on their customized automation system. The only stations I know using their formats seem to be ones owned by Waitt/NRG, but I'm sure there are others.

I think ABC's AC sounds good musically. Some of the jocks are better than others. True, the flow isn't always the best, but I think it's the nature of the beast when you are programming for several hundred stations.

 

[sneaky snooper]

Has anyone listed to Waitt's offering? I like their concept of having some localized breaks recorded by the network jocks. Instead of sending all of the programming out over the satellite, they send only the breaks and run the music locally off of a hard drive on their customized automation system. The only stations I know using their formats seem to be ones owned by Waitt/NRG, but I'm sure there are others.

I think ABC's AC sounds good musically. Some of the jocks are better than others. True, the flow isn't always the best, but I think it's the nature of the beast when you are programming for several hundred stations.

Read Clear Channel's way to do things. Although Clear Channel's voicetracking leaves a LOT to be desired (eg, Lymon James who has likely never been to half the towns he's voicetracking on)

 

[u-j]

[/quote]

Read Clear Channel's way to do things. Although Clear Channel's voicetracking leaves a LOT to be desired (eg, Lymon James who has likely never been to half the towns he's voicetracking on)
[/quote]

I'm not sure which markets, in addition to his, that Lymon voice-tracks in. But he's a Prince of a guy. It's a shame for you that you don't know him.

 

[sneaky snooper]

Read Clear Channel's way to do things. Although Clear Channel's voicetracking leaves a LOT to be desired (eg, Lymon James who has likely never been to half the towns he's voicetracking on)
[/quote]

I'm not sure which markets, in addition to his, that Lymon voice-tracks in. But he's a Prince of a guy. It's a shame for you that you don't know him.
[/quote]

I'm not knocking him as a person. The fact is that the stuff they give him to read makes it VERY blatent he's not in the markets he's voicetracking on.

If you're gonna voicetrack somewhere, it might be useful to know SOMETHING about the area.

I heard him on one station promoing something the morning show did and we were told we could see it on Fox and Friends which aired on the local FOX affiliate (he went as far to give the channel number for the cable system in town for it), however its a very well known fact that the TV station in question doesn't do a morning show, nor is the Fox and Friends show available on any FOX affiliate. (Its on the FOX news channel)

My point is the voicetracking just sounds very sloppy.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

IIt's more likely, then not the fault of the station as to why ABC AC Radio Network sounds bad.

We have a local station here whos liners are usually TOO long and coming out of a break, one liner will step all over a promo... or a liner at the end of the song will step all over the DJ.

it happens every day....

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I can write seven seconds of copy to send to ABC at my rate of speaking, but some of the DJs will take five seconds to read it, and another will take ten. Another "nature of the beast" thing.

Really hard to get it just right on all of the liners. Also really hard ot make magiccalls last 4 seconds.

One solution I've seen is to produce all of the liners and magiccalls locally, and send them to ABC purposely short. If only I had the time to produce hundreds of liners!

 

[radiodadtx66]

I work for a station that uses the ABC AC format, and I think they do a very good job. I've heard the Jones and Dial-Global formats...someone should tell their PDs that AC listeners do have a pulse (even if the announcers on those two don't seem to).

But, as many have said already, you can't just turn on the feed and not do anything at all on your end to make it work. At our station, we're thankful to have the equipment we need to make it work right. We send in new liners quarterly with local content to help keep things fresh. My rule of thumb is three syllables per second, and more often than not, the liners run as long as they should.

It sounds like the person who started this thread was listening to an ABC AC afilliate that's not taking pride enough in their station to make it sound the best they can. Just don't tar all of us with the same brush.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

If you're referring to "Today's Hits-Yesterday's Favorites..."

The only time I've heard consistent glitches on the network was between 1 and 6 a.m. Eastern Saturday night/Sunday morning. Here's hoping the new announcer has a better handle on things.

I actually listen to the "Hits and Favorites" format out of Mount Vernon, about 50 miles northeast of Columbus. I like the variety compared with the AC station locally, where they're not good as far as playing current AC material. Always have liked the "Hits and Favorites" format when I've heard it in my travels. The only time I listen to the local AC is when Delilah is on. The Mount Vernon station, which was the first to carry John Tesh's nightly show, was able to keep airing Tesh (after a brief absence) after the new owner, BAS Broadcasting, received enough listener response to arrange a deal with ABC. Tesh is the only music show outside "Hits and Favorites," and Delilah is on at the same time on Sunny 95 (7 p.m. to midnight).

Interestingly, the liners on Eagle 93.7 (WQIO) are by the announcer heard in station promos and not the actual jocks.

The music is just as good as it was under previous owner Clear Channel, but now there is a live voice 24/7--which is real nice.

By the way, while I like Richard and Lori, I was surprised Bob Leonard left morning-drive.