• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Macy's July 4th Fireworks Broadcast on WINS + WHTZ

P

pjc1961

I wish I had posted this earlier...sorry! From my post on the NYRMB:

Probably since pop/R&B star Usher has musically choreographed this year's event, the Macy's Fireworks show is being broadcast on both 1010 WINS (with WWFS-HD3-102.7) and Z100 (WHTZ) 100.3.

The Z100 feed is ahead of the WINS feed by several seconds. The WWFS-HD3 feed is about 30-60 seconds behind.

The NBC over-the-air TV feed is closest time wise to the WINS feed. Your mileage may vary depending on over the air/cable/satellite/digital delays.
 
What's the point of broadcasting the fireworks on the radio? It's just a bunch of bangs and crackles...There's no visual and way to lose listeners Z100.
 
The Classical music station in Miami, normally programmed from St. Paul, was supposed to have coordinated with the City of Miami Beach's fireworks display and synched the two.
I don't think it worked very well.
 
Some people probably want a soundtrack during the fireworks - don't they? Many stations did this tonight. I noted two or three in Seattle simulcasting the fireworks soundtrack for their respective fireworks shows.

-crainbebo
 
crainbebo said:
Some people probably want a soundtrack during the fireworks - don't they? Many stations did this tonight. I noted two or three in Seattle simulcasting the fireworks soundtrack for their respective fireworks shows.

-crainbebo
Click to expand...

Yep this is nothing new.. Each year here in Columbus Ohio for "Red White and Boom" WNCI (CHR) does the soundtrack.
 
XCountry285 said:
What's the point of broadcasting the fireworks on the radio? It's just a bunch of bangs and crackles...There's no visual and way to lose listeners Z100.
Click to expand...

You obviously didn't watch on NBC (or haven't watched for many years when it has been on NBC and previously WPIX-TV NYC). It's much more than crackles and pops aurally. Pretty much since the Bicentennial Fireworks of 1976 in NY Harbor, there has been a musical soundtrack to go along with the visual. Early on it was almost entirely classic, patriotic music (think of marching music, Boston Pops, etc.). Over the years there's been more current (recurrent ;D) pop music included.

As I mentioned in the thread starting post, Usher (I know, you're a rock guy, maybe never heard of him ;)) musically choreographed this year's show. Thus, there were tunes included that weren't or not usually part of the program previously, such as David Guetta/Usher's "Without You", Rihanna's "Diamonds", Katy Perry's "Firework", Jay-Z/Alicia Keys "Empire State Of Mind", songs appropriate for the Z100 audience.

WINS was there (as in previous years) from 9pm-10:01pm while Z100 only carried the actual fireworks from 9:29pm-9:55pm. Not much time for Z100 to hand over on a holiday weeknight when listening levels were likely lower than usual to begin with.
In addition, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some corporate/promotional tie-in between Usher and Z100/Clear Channel.

The one problem that is hard to overcome is the synching of the feeds - trying to get as close to "live" as possible.
Z100 had its HD signal off from ~9pm onward and appeared to be as close to "live" as possible - their feed was ahead of WINS (which stayed in HD, thus keeping the 8 second digital delay making it impossible for WINS to synch live). Plus there's the obvious differences in AM + FM fidelity.
Z100 was even ahead of the NBC over-the-air TV feed (the newer digital transmission has inherent delays). Not ever being at the event itself past or present, I can't vouch for how it is to listen to the music track over the radio vs. listening to it from the site - could be quite conflicting.
 
All I can say is Usher = bad choice. I say, doesn't Usher just scream "patriotism"? How about that American anthem "Without You"?

Made no sense on so many levels. And FWIW, they used "Firework" a couple of years ago on the broadcast (as you would expect).
 
I didn't listened or record this show since I was away in Florida, because I recorded a whole day of WGNY's "Fox Oldies" on my TuneIn, but I didn't record last night's show, but now, I don't have it for this year. The reasons why I didn't record, I saw it on the beach last night, and after the fireworks are over, it started to rain a half hour later and I was lucky after it was over. If I missed last night's show, I should check Google and download the video using Torrent and the full show on YouTube without the soundtrack.
 
Totally inappropriate to use those Usher and most of the other currents in this years show. There is a time and place for his music and it should not be on the 4th during a fireworks show, the biggest one in the USA!

What ever happened to Patriotic music, besides the two or so they managed to fit near the end of the show?? Disappointed.
 
I was at the fireworks show last night. WINS on Fresh 102.7-HD3 was extremely delayed, but Z100 was live and not in HD. It was convenient that they weren't in HD because I can't disable HD reception, nor can I null out the HD being so close to Empire. Didn't have an AM radio so I couldn't hear WINS in AM or hear whether their IBUZ was off.
 
And speaking of July 4th fireworks, WHUD had a fireworks show in August as part of the Peekskill Celebration with morning host Mike Bennett and the music for the fireworks are so much fun, with no sounds of the exploding pops and crackles like they did in the Macy's show. The Macy's version had some stock sound effects as heard on WINS, Z100 and on NBC (previously WPIX-TV) but the WHUD version has just music, but no stock sound effects in the background. WHUD does it again later this year in August for the Peekskill Celebration.
 
I love all the songs they played except for Katy Perry. However it doesn't make sense for those who can't see the fireworks to broadcast it on the radio.
 
XCountry285 said:
I love all the songs they played except for Katy Perry. However it doesn't make sense for those who can't see the fireworks to broadcast it on the radio.
Click to expand...

Yeah, a Part 15 station is all you really need. But the fireworks can be seen for a longer distance than a Part 15.
 
Here in the Dallas market, the promotional value for the annual July fireworks, KA-BOOM TOWN show in the DFW suburb of Addison is very high and the station (KJKK) is presented a large amount of "ears" at the live event. According to the Dallas Chamber the annual event draws 400,000* people in one night at one location. We've found over the years, it's a great way to expose the station to new "ears" and the PPM does not suffer through that period.

*link PDF: www.dallaschamber.org/files/IndustryClusters_Hospitality.pdf‎

I was CE for KJKK in Dallas for a number of years when we provided the soundtrack/simulcast for "KA-BOOM TOWN". Getting around the HD delay was easy. Since the music and AFSK firing codes were played at the studio and sent to the fireworks launch site by ISDN and/or RF, I used an 8 sec delay on the firing code track. The show is always perfectly in sync.
 
I've just noticed that last weekend, WHUD did not air the special Peekskill Celebration Fireworks Extraganza, because it was due to budget cuts and letting all these people go. That was disappointed and WHUD will not running a fireworks show anymore. They did a great job last year with Mike Bennett of Mike & Casey doing a live broadcast from the Peekskill Celebration. I missed the show, but sadly, it's not going to happen anymore. Macy's does it betfer than the Peekskill Celebration.
 
And now, just to bump this thread, since this topic is a year old, the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks will be going to air this coming Friday from the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge. This is the first time in 5 years that the Macy's fireworks will be returning to the East River once again. Are they're going to the same thing like they did last year? I wish 1010 WINS and Z100 will also be doing the same this year, but I'm not 100% sure, We shall see.
 
I've been going to these NYC shows almost every year since 1975. Until about 16 years ago there would usually be someone with a ghetto-blaster of some sort with the soundtrack broadcast. Nowadays -nothing. I wonder of people even know there is accompanying music.

Chan/NYC
 
After coming home from the fireworks last night, I finished recording this year's Macy's 4th of July fireworks show, this was recorded right off of 1010 WINS, but sadly, Z100 and iHeartRadio doesn't carried it at all, they both do well last year, since Z100 was a one-time thing to run the Macy's fireworks. Back where it belongs. The fireworks from the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge are out of this world. Thanks to them for bringing the fireworks back to East River where it belongs after 5 years of putting a show on the Hudson River. I hope they should stick around every year. There were videos from that show that is being leaked on YouTube, but this is was not from an actual NBC broadcast, this is the whole footage from that show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvz48wG-Ia8

And here is the aircheck of this amazing show. The fireworks began at 28:53 if you can follow along. Here it is.
http://ulozto.net/xGWR3qrC/macy-s-4th-of-july-fireworks-7-4-14-mp3

But sadly, the songs that are not being played during the fireworks are "Birthday" by Katy Perry, "Let It Go" (from "Frozen") by Adina Menzel (where she also sang the National Anthem during the show), "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and a couple of others that are not part of the show, just the patriotic songs. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
 
I watched from the rooftop deck above my apt and we tried playing 1010 and it just sounded bad and we ended up turning it off, making our own background pop soundtrack... but let the booms provide most of its own soundtrack.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom