• 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

Newstalk Bumper Music

ChuckTiller

ChuckTiller

This is for the producers and board operators for national talk shows. Do some of you cats give consideration about what it sounds like on the local station when rejoining the network after the spots? While it may sound cool to you, it sounds like a TRAIN WRECK when YOU play music with vocals.

The local stations generally play a 'dry' liner over the music you play. This works fine when the net is playing instrumental music. However, when a vocal is played, it sounds TERRIBLE! If you have musicradio experience you would know and draw on that experience NOT to talk over vocals.

I have created stagers (liners with music) which I play after spots and then fade the network in at the conclusion. This seems to be the only way to make it smoother.
 
Sounds like bad production. I've never even sat behind a console, and even I know that bumper music isn't supposed to have lyrics.
 
I'd like to see networks give more consideration as to what they play underneath the local sets. Many of them play commercials, but they'll leave zero rejoin room between the commercials and the show, so when a station returns to the feed it gets the last second of a covered commercial. In some cases networks simulcast the flagship station a show is based out of, and you might even hear the end of a station ID.
 
Dennis Miller's radio show regularly comes back from commercials playing songs, lyrics intact. In fact, he'll even build on some of the artists behind those songs, i.e. "Kim Carnes Bumper Music Wednesday."
 
Although there is train-wreck capability here, I think it's ok to use vocal music if it fits the theme of the days show. Michael Savage almost always uses "Blue Monday" by Fats Domino to start out the show on Mondays, and to return from some commercial breaks. Then he uses '50s vocal Rock on "Rock and Roll Friday's".

Dennis Prager almost always has his custom instrumental music being used. In fact, a few years ago he had a real upbeat, dramatic Rock-based one that was often used during his third hour, and he hasn't used it recently, sad to say.
 
Better Idea:

Don't play liners over network content.

Even better idea:

Put your brain power into making your local content more than just fancy production. Use whatever time you get to serve your community.

I'm oft amazed at News/Talk stations who pay an overpriced production guy to re-arrange the beeps and boops that play alongside the call letters at the top of the hour... but gut the newsroom completely.

And being that prod guys are usually former DJ's (Or current DJ's at the sister FM station)... it's no wonder why they get all pissy when the local liner "goes over the post".
 
That's real easy for you to say. However, you do not know the situation here in Houston and what restrictions I have concerning the operation of this and the other two stations for which I am responsible. I came to this station with a "gutted" newsroom and a very small staff. If I had the budget, I would do it. I can't! Yes, I am a former AM and FM DJ and production guy. There is nothing wrong with that. I am a broadcaster who wants it to sound as good as possible with the resources I have.The thread is about music with vocals as bumper music right out of the commercial breaks.
 
Chuck Tiller said:
The thread is about music with vocals as bumper music right out of the commercial breaks.
Click to expand...

Well, your first post made it about the network board-ops who played music that didn't let you have the transition you wanted... based on your musicradio experience, (as if broadcasters working outsde of musicradio are idiots for not knowing how bad it would sound when you chose to play something over the network's time).

This isn't musicradio. "Hitting the post" isn't all that important here. Getting back to the programming is. Since your station obviously thinks local hosts and news in morning drive isn't cost-effective, all you got is the syndicated show. And this show uses music with vocals for bumpers. Guess you're SOL.
 
Not SOL at; I solved the problem as illustrated in my initial post. I've been in radio for over 38 years and I know what sounds good and what doesn't. I'm not going to argue with you about it.
 
Again, this is from a listener's perspective, but couldn't you talk to someone at the syndicator and express your dislike for the lack of production? What you're asking for doesn't sound like much to ask from a professional radio show.
 
Just thought of another example: Dave Ramsey. At times, they'll come back from commercial playing the chorus of a song, before Dave rejoins, nothing as over the top as Dennis Miller, whom I mentioned on the previous page of this thread.
 
DToTheJ said:
Just thought of another example: Dave Ramsey. At times, they'll come back from commercial playing the chorus of a song, before Dave rejoins, nothing as over the top as Dennis Miller, whom I mentioned on the previous page of this thread.
Click to expand...

Ramsey's a moot point... they give affiliates an extra :10 in the spot breaks... We fill it with a :10 liner... but it's just as easy to fill the break with a :05 liner at the top and :05 at the end, going back into the song....
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom