Magic 98.3 automation screw up

[nd2023]

I fell asleep to Magic 98.3's Christmas music last night. Woke up around 7:30 in the morning to the annoying sound of the Emergency Alert System, and then heard Magic 98.3 repeat the same commercial several times, then play a jingle, a liner, another jingle, basically everything they'd normally play except for music. Then went into another stopset, then more liners and jingles without music, another stopset, etc. After about 20 minutes it played a song and it was back to normal.

At least the automation failed on a Sunday morning when few people would be listening, but I could have done without an EAS test to wake me up earlier than I wanted. I wonder if the EAS test threw off the automation.

 

[Kent]

EAS shouldn't be able to mess up automation like that. Most likely, Magic does a syndicated program or a local show that doesn't run off the computer, and the musical programming simply ran out. So, it started firing the next hour, which was nothing but stopsets. Hours running too short is a big problem when Christmas music takes up all or part of the playlist because most Christmas songs run about a minute less than your regular songs. You either have to schedule a super long hour or redesign your clock. Depending on your automation system, one, none or both can be difficult.

 

[nd2023]

I just remembered that many stations air their public affairs programming early on Sunday mornings. Maybe its public affairs programming ran short or got cut off by the EAS. But what explains the same commercial playing multiple times?

 

[Kent]

I just remembered that many stations air their public affairs programming early on Sunday mornings. Maybe its public affairs programming ran short or got cut off by the EAS.

The EAS shouldn't be able to cut anything off. I believe there's one system, I think Prophet, that will insert the EAS alert into the automation, but the EAS usually just overrides the audio chain, and the automation system has no idea the EAS ever played. Do you know if the EAS that ran was an actual alert, a required monthly test or a required weekly test? If it was the first two, it was probably just a case of the music running out. If it was the last, it was probably a case of operator error and/or the music running out.

But what explains the same commercial playing multiple times?

It could be several things. If the music ran out, it's possible the board-op put the same commercial in to fill time while trying to reach the PD. I've never worked for a PD who'd prefer dead air. It's also possible that those spots were make goods. "I don't care about overnights!" was one of my former PD's philosophies. I guess it's possible Magic 98.3's PD has similar feelings. Exclusivity for that hour or a scheduling error would also be possible. Regardless of what happened, if there was some kind of computer mishap, it probably occurred at scheduling on Friday afternoon rather than after the EAS test. The timing of the test and the music running out was probably just coincidence.

When I worked for a small operator who owned a 7 station cluster in a small market, we had all kinds of stories like that. The satellite on the news/talk station dropped out early on a Sunday morning, and the board-op found himself playing a station promo and "PM Dawn" over and over for about 15 minutes until it was time to start the live programming!