Radio Terminology

[Rock Chalk]

Time to vent. I mentioned this earlier on another post when someone used the term 'ads' instead of 'spots.' Here's a few more that I hear younger people using all the time and it makes me wonder if the times are a changin'. For starters, we called it 'audio' not 'sound'. It was an 'actuality', not a 'sound bite.' We wore 'cans', not 'headphones.' When the audio level was too low, we told the jock to "pot it up', not 'turn it up.' We worked in a 'control room', not a 'studio.' And finally, and this one drives me nuts, I see PD's today asking for "demos or demo tapes.' Excuse me. The term is air-check!!!

OK. I'm done. I'm just a soon-to-be-out-work old fart who had to get this off my chest.

Thank you and good night.

Jason Walker

 

[BBontheRadio]

I do love a nice set of cans...

 

[mic_check]

Rock Chalk, I feel your pain. I used to run a board and produce audio for a national talk host. She always called audio "sound" because she did tv too. Thing is, the woman has never worked in rafio except for being paid to sit down and talk on a mic. I think thats what you're dealing with, people who have never worked in the industry. I know I still use the lingo. Problem is, I'm currently out of radio and these stations can only afford to pay people with zero experience.

 

[fybush]

We called it "sound" and worked in "studios" when I was working at WBZ in Boston 20 years ago (with people who'd started there 30 years before me)...so maybe some of it's a regional thing?

 

[mic_check]

We called it "sound" and worked in "studios" when I was working at WBZ in Boston 20 years ago (with people who'd started there 30 years before me)...so maybe some of it's a regional thing?

Very possible..

 

[jondavidvox]

Sadly...It's an ignorance thing.

J-D
TWR

 

[Lancer]

I haven't heard of a Spot Agency

 

[dfwupallnight]

Time to reply. As a member of the "younger people," the times they are always a changin'. I'll bet you never said IBOC back in your day.

1. ads/spots: interchangeable, technically ads is more correct since spots is slang for ads
2. Audio is an electrical signal, sound is what you hear
3. Actuality is a journalism term, the use of sound bite is due to the reduction of the number of professional journalists in radio
4. Cans? really? That's like saying "let's go see a Talkie!"
5. Nobody Jockeys anything anymore... but anyone who works with audio equipment for a living says "pot it up"
6. A control room has an audio console, xmitter controls and eas box, a studio has live mics. If it has both, its both
7. An Air-check is for review and practice, a demo is to apply for a job. The two are NOT the same.

J-D - It's only ignorance to assume jargon and non-standard terminology would remain constant

 

[unclepudd]

Time to vent. I mentioned this earlier on another post when someone used the term 'ads' instead of 'spots.' Here's a few more that I hear younger people using all the time and it makes me wonder if the times are a changin'. For starters, we called it 'audio' not 'sound'. It was an 'actuality', not a 'sound bite.' We wore 'cans', not 'headphones.' When the audio level was too low, we told the jock to "pot it up', not 'turn it up.' We worked in a 'control room', not a 'studio.' And finally, and this one drives me nuts, I see PD's today asking for "demos or demo tapes.' Excuse me. The term is air-check!!!

OK. I'm done. I'm just a soon-to-be-out-work old fart who had to get this off my chest.

Thank you and good night.

Jason Walker

Some of the 'new' terminology makes me question the knowledge/experience of the user. I couldn't agree more, not because I consider you one of my very best friends but because you are a REAL radio person. I can't 'out' my identity here but I do think one of the funniest and greatest radio stunts I ever saw was the weekend you took WDH's plant on a tour of the Metroplex (and the after events in the Sales Department)... I don't think anyone ever knew but us...

 

[davideduardo]

1. ads/spots: interchangeable, technically ads is more correct since spots is slang for ads

I agree with the current usage, originally, "spot" was not slang. A spot is a "loose" ad, as opposed to a sponsorship. While terms change over time, saying "spot" is slang is not correct.

6. A control room has an audio console, xmitter controls and eas box, a studio has live mics. If it has both, its both

Nope again as to origin. The term "control room" comes from when the "studio" controlled the programming, including network shows coming over lines. Back then, a control room had no remote control or transmitter controls as transmitters were not remote controlled when the term originated... and even CONELRAD and EBS were still to be created...

I've always called them studios, though, because I didn't have much experience with old network-dominated radio because I am too young. And I'm so glad I could say that.

7. An Air-check is for review and practice, a demo is to apply for a job. The two are NOT the same.

Again, "nope" on the original meaning. PDs who knew what they were doing often specifically asked not to be sent "demos" as demo's were (and are) often "everything good I have done in the last 5 years... all of it... in 10 minutes." Airchecks, scoped of course, reflect what a person can do in a single slice of time.

It's only ignorance to assume jargon and non-standard terminology would remain constant

On that we agree, but the origins of the terms are really a bit different.

 

[dfwupallnight]

Appreciate the insight DavidEduardo, but I was making no claims as to the origins, merely current implementation and my thoughts on how they are distinguished.