KYND/KGBC audio distortion, KTEK's new voice, and KYOK notes.

[purpledevil]

Have noticed that KYND and KGBC's audio is extremely distorted at different intervals during the week. One hour it sounds fine, next hour it's as if someone cranked the volume up too high and sounds atrocious. It seems this has to be a problem with the feed coming into the stations, as it's happening to both frequencies. Thought I'd bring it up as I know that there are people within the stations that are a part of our family here.


Also noticed today that KTEK has a new voiceover guy. First time I've heard the ID for KTEK not done by Chuck Tiller since Salem's takeover. Is this part of the process to disassociate Salem from 1110?

Finally, KYOK was off the air for a couple of days last week and Monday this week.. They returned to the air Tuesday and lo and behold the audio is fixed! Sounds like what ever was the issue with the transmitter has been rectified. Welcome back, KYOK. I kind of chuckled as I heard KYOK's ID which is now KYOK/Conroe-Houston-Galveston. Galveston? Isn't that a bit of a stretch?

 

[bturner]

Purpledevil,

You didn't mention how the audio cuts out frequently as well (think buffering). It has been very frustrating but it is being worked on. You know I was an on air guy before moving to sales and then management, so such glitches make me cringe.

The audio coming through the Barix from Los Angeles is sometimes very overmodulated but even worse, the audio is so low I cannot even enough audio to move the meters unless I amplify the signal. Add in breaks in the audio at almost the same times each day, sometimes lasting 15 to 20 minutes with likely 50% audio, 50% silence.

This problem should get solved rather quickly. They started working on it yeaterday and I think we'll have a dedicated connection with two backups in other cities just in case.

CRI continues to experiment in programming and I suspect it will get even more interesting in the coming months.

Bill

 

[foursider]

Considering that most of the KYOK signal is concentrated to the East of Conroe (assuming that the pattern is within parameters, which it's not); Galveston IS a big stretch.

 

[bturner]

I always considered KYOK more of a Montgomery County station, not a Houston station. I'm in Cypress and I can't pick them up too well here in NW Houston.

 

[schmave]

I always considered KYOK more of a Montgomery County station, not a Houston station. I'm in Cypress and I can't pick them up too well here in NW Houston.

That's because it puts almost no signal to the west, I think to avoid interfering with the 1150 in College Station.

 

[purpledevil]

Purpledevil,

You didn't mention how the audio cuts out frequently as well (think buffering). It has been very frustrating but it is being worked on. You know I was an on air guy before moving to sales and then management, so such glitches make me cringe.

The audio coming through the Barix from Los Angeles is sometimes very overmodulated but even worse, the audio is so low I cannot even enough audio to move the meters unless I amplify the signal. Add in breaks in the audio at almost the same times each day, sometimes lasting 15 to 20 minutes with likely 50% audio, 50% silence.

This problem should get solved rather quickly. They started working on it yeaterday and I think we'll have a dedicated connection with two backups in other cities just in case.

CRI continues to experiment in programming and I suspect it will get even more interesting in the coming months.

Bill

I figured you were on top of it with KYND, Bill. A couple of weeks ago I saw that you were playing music straight out of the studio while KGBC was dead air. The morning programming doesn't seem to be affected near as often as the afternoon programming. The music safari program seems to taking the worst hit with the audio problems and that's a shame as I have really liked the change from P.K. to Neil Jones as host. Neil plays a lot of 70's and 80's music, leaving out most of the R&B that P.K. focuses on.

 

[bturner]

I think the KYND and KGBC feed we were getting is more of a 'public feed' that's affected by online listening numbers. When it gets crowded, we get bumped. I hope that is solved or almost solved.

I like Neil's version of Music Safari better as well. I get the idea he is still figuring it all out. I heard him say he was from New Mexico, so I expect he will be more in tune to American tastes in music.

I've heard some unusual things on China Radio International's feed. A couple of weeks ago, an interview with a lady in California resulted in the host saying "America's form of government bwas the best" and something along the lines of it was the type of government the world aspires to have. I didn't figure I'd hear that on CRI.

They seem to be playing a bit with the lineup at the moment. I think CRI is experimenting with what the American audience wants to hear.

Bill

 

[johndavis]

I think the KYND and KGBC feed we were getting is more of a 'public feed' that's affected by online listening numbers. When it gets crowded, we get bumped. I hope that is solved or almost solved.

I like Neil's version of Music Safari better as well. I get the idea he is still figuring it all out. I heard him say he was from New Mexico, so I expect he will be more in tune to American tastes in music.

I've heard some unusual things on China Radio International's feed. A couple of weeks ago, an interview with a lady in California resulted in the host saying "America's form of government bwas the best" and something along the lines of it was the type of government the world aspires to have. I didn't figure I'd hear that on CRI.

They seem to be playing a bit with the lineup at the moment. I think CRI is experimenting with what the American audience wants to hear.

Bill

That makes sense. The Barix box is for all intents and purposes an internet streaming box, and it can be pointed at either a public or private stream.

It sounds like they could use some gentle AGC on the transmit end to smooth out the differences in source material.

If they straighten both of those things out, your life will be much easier.

 

[Mediafrog+]

That makes sense. The Barix box is for all intents and purposes an internet streaming box, and it can be pointed at either a public or private stream.

Many international broadcasters have 24/7 feeds on satellite for different areas of the world; in many cases these have replaced shortwave. Surprised CRI isn't doing that for the local stations.

 

[johndavis]

That makes sense. The Barix box is for all intents and purposes an internet streaming box, and it can be pointed at either a public or private stream.

Many international broadcasters have 24/7 feeds on satellite for different areas of the world; in many cases these have replaced shortwave. Surprised CRI isn't doing that for the local stations.

Barix boxes are cheap and easy.

Each receiver costs about $200 and all the station has to do is plug it in.

The future of audio distribution is IP.

 

[bturner]

KYND is using a Barix. We're clean and no drops in signal. Problem, as I understand it, was our connection was not exclusive. In other words, dowloads at the source were causing our feed to drop. Our Barix sure wasn't anything close to that cheap...must had been the Cadillac version.

 

[johndavis]

KYND is using a Barix. We're clean and no drops in signal. Problem, as I understand it, was our connection was not exclusive. In other words, dowloads at the source were causing our feed to drop. Our Barix sure wasn't anything close to that cheap...must had been the Cadillac version.

Yes, the big mama jama Extreamer (with closures) sells for about $950. Still a great price for what it does and much cheaper than comparable satellite technology.

Now that they've got you streaming from a different IP than where the public connects, you should be rock steady.

 

[bturner]

That's the one we have. From being on air for so long, those drop outs really made me cringe and scamper to bring in something other than dead air. Since we're manned, we can act fast but when there's no back up, that doesn't help much.

Our connection now is supposed to have a silence sensor and two other alternate sites to pull a feed if the primary goes out. I like that sort of comfort more than words can say.