All News 106.7 is Here…Finally [last song, audio, first impressions]

[BarryATL]

I listened to the morning show yesterday (Wednesday) for the first time since the week of the format flip. I am pleased that they have made so much progress. The two anchors seemed a lot more conversational and comfortable with each other. The news was still fast paced, but it did not have the AM 750 and 95.5 FM WSB rapid, machine gun fire feeling. The morning show on WSB goes just a little too fast sometimes... their cues are too tight. I always feel tired after listening to Scott Slade and crew for about 20 minutes.

The morning traffic seems to be spot on with the exception that since they only have about 55 seconds, they are starting to sound like Captain Herb. During drive time, I think they need to devote a little more time to traffic.

The weather was a live interactive with the Fox 5 weather person in one break, and the AN106.7 anchor doing the weather live at another break. They are giving conditions all day now on weather, but I don't think the anchor has access to radar. Sometimes, the conditions do not match what is going on. I think it gives authority/credibility to the weather when the anchor refers to the radar... that is why the TV stations do it.

So, overall, the morning show is shaping up.

Now, the sound quality. I have started plugging in my iPhone when in the car and listening over iHeart Radio. The analog signal is just plain bad. If anybody at AN106.7 is reading this, do some pre-sets in your car for 95.5, 90.1, and 106.7. Punch between them and you will see the differences in quality. When Clark Howard's nasal voice is pleasing compared to AN106.7's analog signal (which is the test I did today), then there is definitely a problem.

Also, why is the stereo pilot going off and on all day long?

 

[BIGSTICK]

106.7 has always sounded bad, for what reason I have no idea. When it was music it had no bass and no treble,????Barry, check your inbox?

 

[HGR1290]

Back alonnnnggggg time ago, WYAY had great audio. Back in the first years of its country format as Y106 and Y104. It screamed, it was loud, it was punchy, at the same time it was easy to listen to. Thank You to littlejohn for those days. Some of that stuff last year was some of the most amazing audio I have ever heard---and not amazing in a good way. Cumulus did clean it up quite a bit when it was still playing music.

The stereo pilot during spots seems to be an appeasement to clients---although I doubt many really care one way or the other if the spot is mono or stereo. When the mono mikes are on off goes the pilot, which does cut down on the level of pops and slop from multipath.

 

[FLjack2]

The stereo pilot during spots seems to be an appeasement to clients---although I doubt many really care one way or the other if the spot is mono or stereo. When the mono mikes are on off goes the pilot, which does cut down on the level of pops and slop from multipath.

So you mean that the stereo switches on and off all day long? (I'm out of the market and listen on the stream)

 

[HGR1290]

>>>>>So you mean that the stereo switches on and off all day long? (I'm out of the market and listen on the stream)

Yes

 

[Kilbasa123]

>>>>>So you mean that the stereo switches on and off all day long? (I'm out of the market and listen on the stream)

Yes

I was listening (and watching) today while driving up and down 400 . . . . it seems they turn on the stereo for commercial, weather, traffic and Atlanta Bus Chronicle spots (likely just a convenience for those due to lead-in/out), but mono while news anchors are on.

I assume they are doing this auto-magically somehow? Surely some dude/dudette isn't being paid to switch the signal type . . . .

 

[taylorengineer]

Probably using the automation system to automatically turn it on/off. Most systems can have a relay closure created by event triggers.

 

[littlejohn]

Everything which isn't live mic is out of a storage system. Easiest way would be to simly kill it with the same switch that turns the 'on air' light on. Best way, to me, would be simply turn it off period and enjoy the coverage gain. I'm with BarryATL, I'd love to see it be successful.. but I currently have serious reservations. They'll get the button back in a month or so and I'll give them another try and see how they do.

 

[BarryATL]

CONGRATS TO AN106.7!!

I am driving home from my mom's in Dallas, GA (posting this from a McDonald's parking lot). Tonight the Jerry Sandusky verdict came in. AN106.7 was all over it. Finally, when the defense and prosecution attorneys were ready to talk to the press, AN106.7 went live to ABC at 10:38 PM. They stayed with the network and gave complete press conference coverage until it was over at 10:59 PM (the prosecutor was giving a stump speech that really had nothing to do with the trial). I think they dropped out a minute early to go to the top of the hour news. Good job!

Mark Woolsey was the ultimate professional. When there was silence, Mark dropped in with a "You are listing to continuing coverage of the Jerry Sandusky verdict on All News 106.7".

Now it is about 11:10 PM and Larry the producer/news center reporter (I am not sure what they call that position) is already feeding Mark actualities about the Jerry Sandusky verdict.

Not bad... late Friday night and AN106.7 is all over the breaking news.

AM 750 and 95.5 FM News-Talk WSB continued to broadcast the recorded talking heads.

P.S. My apologies to Larry the producer/news center person. I called the news line to complain that they stayed all the way through the 15 minute district attorney's stump speech and cut out just before the questions. Larry said he was watching her on one of the TV news channels and all she did was say good night while taking no questions. So, Larry, thanks for being polite and willing to let me know what as going on.

 

[taylorengineer]

Everything which isn't live mic is out of a storage system. Easiest way would be to simly kill it with the same switch that turns the 'on air' light on. Best way, to me, would be simply turn it off period and enjoy the coverage gain. I'm with BarryATL, I'd love to see it be successful.. but I currently have serious reservations. They'll get the button back in a month or so and I'll give them another try and see how they do.

I think it stays stereo when a music bed is played underneath voice but you're right.....probably several ways to skin that cat.
And I agree.....they should just leave the stereo off.
Sounds like an Omnia 9 on the air. I see you're getting ready to play with one of those at your place Littlejohn. They(like all Omnias) seem to get really bright - I think that's what everyone is complaining about with 106.7.

 

[taylorengineer]

Everything which isn't live mic is out of a storage system. Easiest way would be to simly kill it with the same switch that turns the 'on air' light on. Best way, to me, would be simply turn it off period and enjoy the coverage gain. I'm with BarryATL, I'd love to see it be successful.. but I currently have serious reservations. They'll get the button back in a month or so and I'll give them another try and see how they do.

I think it stays stereo when a music bed is played underneath voice but you're right.....probably several ways to skin that cat.
And I agree.....they should just leave the stereo off.
Sounds like an Omnia 9 on the air. I see you're getting ready to play with one of those at your place Littlejohn. They(like all Omnias) seem to get really bright - I think that's what everyone is complaining about with 106.7.

 

[BarryATL]

I think it stays stereo when a music bed is played underneath voice but you're right.....probably several ways to skin that cat.
And I agree.....they should just leave the stereo off.
Sounds like an Omnia 9 on the air. I see you're getting ready to play with one of those at your place Littlejohn. They(like all Omnias) seem to get really bright - I think that's what everyone is complaining about with 106.7.

So, if that is the case with that particular processor, why can't the engineers at Cumulus get it fixed? Do they not know how to set up that processor correctly?

Also, why in the world would a 100,000 FM radio station purposely set up the reception issues caused by a rim shot station turning the stereo pilot off and on several times in a 30 minute period? 106.7 already has reception issues in the Ansley Park, Cheshire Bridge, and inside the perimeter I-85 corridor. That could be improved by just turning off the stereo pilot. Instead, Cumulus has the stereo pilot going off and on which means the signal improves for 30 seconds than we hear more noise. Then it improves, then we hear more noise. I do not understand the logic. Is this an engineering decision or operations?

The engineers at Cumulus did not even know the HD1 had been out of sync for weeks until I called the news desk. The guy there sent an email to the chief engineer and it was fixed the next morning.

Do the Cumulus engineers actually listen to the over-the-air signals of their stations?

 

[gj567]

This is my first post ever. So YAY! (no pun intended, of course.)

I have been very annoyed at the theme package choices by AN106.7. I wish they would go back to what they were using before. It sounded much better. And, WDUN even used the "Impact News" Package.

Just a thought.

 

[taylorengineer]

There are just two engineers for the entire Cumulus Atlanta cluster. And one of the guys is the IT guy responsible for around 1 gillion computers, a few thousand servers, and megamillions printers. These guys are amazing in that they keep everything spinning as well as they do. HD is way down the list of things to worry about, as is audio processing.
While the processing is not perfect it does not sound horrible on any radio I have listened to. It is very loud - just as a rimshot should be. That helps to mask the noise in fringe areas. Some here have opined that the audio is terrible......not to my old, used up ears.
I agree with others who have stated they should leave the pilot off all together. But give the Cumulus engineering guys their due here.....I'm sure they were asked by sales to set it up this way and they have once again shown themselves to be innovators with technology.
As much as we give Lew sh*t you must admit the Dickey boys are the most aggressive business people in the radio business and they are making big things happen. Don't be surprised to find they have bought/merged with CBS radio in the future.....or some other major player.
It's hard to stop a Dickey.........

 

[jambox]

Hi TaylorEngineer

Did you ever wonder why the staff went from 5 engineering types to two after the deal closed? IMHO, you give way too much credit to the thier managment abilities.

 

[taylorengineer]

Hi TaylorEngineer

Did you ever wonder why the staff went from 5 engineering types to two after the deal closed? IMHO, you give way too much credit to the thier managment abilities.

Now I never said Lew and the boys are "great leaders of men."
But to minimize their accomplishments in the radio industry would not correctly reflect their impact on the business either. Like 'em or hate 'em, the Dickey boys have become major players in the world of radio. And they have become an axis of power in an economic climate so unfavorable it really makes you wonder how they did it. To find lenders willing to lend north of 1 billion dollars for radio.....in the year 2011.....says much about what the financial guys think about Lew & co.
Would it be to their own benefit if they at least pretended to care about their employees? My guess is it would have a positive affect on profits. But it is their game and they get to set the lines. And as long as their are alternatives to the two main radio players, ClearChannel and Cumulus, i.e. internet, then let them go build......or bury....an empire.

 

[BarryATL]

taylor, I did not know they are so short staffed. I understand when a company sometimes have unrealistic expectations on work load. It sounds like that is the position the two engineers at Cumulus are in.

With that said, I am having trouble with sound on 106.7's analog for the reasons you stated. I live in an low area on the back side of a ridge (Cheshire Bridge-Ansley Park area) and have always had reception issues for all of the NE rim shots (97.1 and 106.7 being the worst). The fuzziness of the signal amplifies any problems with the processing. Especially with the highs. Since the processing is "bright", the highs are more of an issue. As an example, David Hull's voice happens to hit the right frequency that makes him sound distorted.

I think it is fair to compare 106.7's sound to 95.5's sound and for me 95.5 has more reception issues than 106.7. In the beginning I thought maybe I was being too critical, so I started comparing the FM talkers with each other by punching back and forth between them. WSBB-FM 95.5 is the second best sounding talker in the market. The engineers at Cox have done a great job with making a rim shot sound really good with the spoken word even with the reception issues thrown in.

I guess my expectations were, and are, for the 106.7 sound to be as good as 95.5. I have made the switch. 106.7 has the first button on my radio. I want it to sound as good (or better) than the station that I divorced. If Cox can make Clarke Howard sound good, then I expect David Hull to sound golden.

By the way, I have also done comparisons between 106.7's iHeart Radio feed in the car and the analog signal. There is a lot of difference between the two with the stream having less distortion issues. Again, I think this is a small problem that is amplified when the signal is marginal.

The best sounding FM talker on my radio is 90.1, however, I discount them in this comparison because their transmitter is 1000 feet from where I live.

 

[littlejohn]

Remember what your Daddy told you when he saw you were getting serious about the little girl when you were in high school:

"An uncovered Dickey has no conscience."

 

[trusty]

Remember what your Daddy told you when he saw you were getting serious about the little girl when you were in high school:

"An uncovered Dickey has no conscience."

Thanks for the comment, LITTLEjohn.

 

[HGR1290]

Remember what your Daddy told you when he saw you were getting serious about the little girl when you were in high school:

"An uncovered Dickey has no conscience."

Post of the year!