Today in Ellsworth, Maine two local radio stations are doing "remotes". One is WQCB from Brewer and the other is WNSX from Ellsworth. They both must be using cheap cel phones because when on location the sound from both is terrible. These are two of the better stations who usually have a crisp, clear,strong sound. I am just surprised that they would tolorate such a poor presentation. I mean it's bad !
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remote broadcasts using a cel phone
- Thread starter radiome
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A
AMandFM
Guest
I hate it when that happens, but sometimes you just have to do it. Still, I would rather broadcast live form a car dealership using a cheerleader's megaphone that a cell. No landline?
so many stations in New england do it, heck I know stations that make you do remotes on your PERSONAL cell cause they either dont have a station cell or its a traded out cheapy.
1
105
Guest
I have always believed the thousands of dollars companies invest for these silly machines to make live broadcasts "sound better" is the biggest mistake a company can make. The listeners think the DJ is in the studio again rambling about the forecast, which they tune out anyways, because the listener thinks it is another voice tracked DJ talking about how it will be a beautiful day, although it is pouring rain.
The scratchy sound produced by cell phones gets the listener to respond and actually pay attention to what is going on, because they know that the DJ/station is broadcasting live at an event. They can tell something is going on.
So the big bucks companies pay for these machines actually losses money for the companies, because the clients get zero response at the live broadcast, and decide "radio does not work," and they don't buy radio again. My advice to the big guys. Save the money and, and keep the cell phones for live broadcasts.
The scratchy sound produced by cell phones gets the listener to respond and actually pay attention to what is going on, because they know that the DJ/station is broadcasting live at an event. They can tell something is going on.
So the big bucks companies pay for these machines actually losses money for the companies, because the clients get zero response at the live broadcast, and decide "radio does not work," and they don't buy radio again. My advice to the big guys. Save the money and, and keep the cell phones for live broadcasts.
A
AMandFM
Guest
That's quite an interesting way of looking at it, 105.
1. In all my pre-radio career years I have never once thought that a DJ on remote was actually in the studio...usually because they mention they are out somewhere at the beginning and end of the break. There's also a certain loss of normal signal quality, background noise, etcetera that is indicative of a remote broadcast. Some places try to fake it nowadays in the production studio, but you can always tell.
2. I have never heard a "scratchy" cellphone. It either has the signal strength (and quality) to sound clear or not, meaning it's either going to sound close to a landline phone or like you're broadcasting from a tin can. If I ever heard a scratchy cellphone over my radio, and the person wasn't talking about an alien invasion or something cataclysmic? I and most others would tune out right away.
3. I have never seen "zero response" to a remote. Maybe I've just been lucky these past thirteen years in the biz.
My station group (not in New England) used Marti primarily, but we also have Smarti (uses a broadcast mic and a telephone line...but of course it's a little more complicated than that), ISDN (usually for when the morning or afternoon shows are broadcasting their whole show from location. Great quality.) and the new dealie where it's hooked up via the internet like a Vonage phone. We have multiple units of each (not bragging, just stating a fact) because we are a major market and the way we and our advertisers see things...signal quality does count. The last thing we use is a cell. Why? Reliability. We normally go live with our remotes...we don't need the cell dropping a call in the middle of a break. Plus, a landline usually sounds better than a cell.
BTW...if I HAVE to voicetrack a shift? If there's a chance of rain I say it. Any pro would. Why? Because if it does in fact rain, we don't want to look like idiots! If your vt'ed DJ is saying that it's going to be a beautiful day when it's pouring rain, then he/she either thinks rain makes for a beautiful day or they're just not paying attention to the forecasts.
1. In all my pre-radio career years I have never once thought that a DJ on remote was actually in the studio...usually because they mention they are out somewhere at the beginning and end of the break. There's also a certain loss of normal signal quality, background noise, etcetera that is indicative of a remote broadcast. Some places try to fake it nowadays in the production studio, but you can always tell.
2. I have never heard a "scratchy" cellphone. It either has the signal strength (and quality) to sound clear or not, meaning it's either going to sound close to a landline phone or like you're broadcasting from a tin can. If I ever heard a scratchy cellphone over my radio, and the person wasn't talking about an alien invasion or something cataclysmic? I and most others would tune out right away.
3. I have never seen "zero response" to a remote. Maybe I've just been lucky these past thirteen years in the biz.
My station group (not in New England) used Marti primarily, but we also have Smarti (uses a broadcast mic and a telephone line...but of course it's a little more complicated than that), ISDN (usually for when the morning or afternoon shows are broadcasting their whole show from location. Great quality.) and the new dealie where it's hooked up via the internet like a Vonage phone. We have multiple units of each (not bragging, just stating a fact) because we are a major market and the way we and our advertisers see things...signal quality does count. The last thing we use is a cell. Why? Reliability. We normally go live with our remotes...we don't need the cell dropping a call in the middle of a break. Plus, a landline usually sounds better than a cell.
BTW...if I HAVE to voicetrack a shift? If there's a chance of rain I say it. Any pro would. Why? Because if it does in fact rain, we don't want to look like idiots! If your vt'ed DJ is saying that it's going to be a beautiful day when it's pouring rain, then he/she either thinks rain makes for a beautiful day or they're just not paying attention to the forecasts.
We did a remote broadcast from Borders for the Harry Potter book release, using a laptop and a VoIP program called Skype. It was rock solid for three hours, and sounded damn near studio quality. We connected wirelessly through the TMobile hot spot at Borders, ran a mic through an MAudio USB Preamp/Audio interface, and connected through Skype to a computer back in the studio. It was one way communication through audio because the board op would have to turn on the studio mic to talkbalk, but with the use of AIM I was able to communicate back to the board op and adjust levels while my partner was live. Pretty slick.
haha you guys are talking about using remote broadcast from a cell phone... I did it for my entire radio show on WWLR 91.5 this Sat 9-mid because I had to work in CT this weekend... to make things even better, I was listening to our low band audio stream for 3 hours straight from my cell phone at 14kbs to keep up to date what was playing etc. Where I was working did not have hi-speed internet. It was a lot of fun any godly chance that any of you got to listen to it?
-OZ
-OZ
A
AMandFM
Guest
Great stories, J and Jamie...and that brings me to a point I forgot to make before: In the end, no matter how big or small your station is, you gotta do what you gotta do!
AMandFM said:
I've never heard "scratchy" cell reception, but sometimes if the sender (or receiver) is moving, the signal may get all broken up, or all chopped up.
(I've never known exactly what's the difference between those two, but I've heard some people say one, and some the other. I guess they're both synonyms for the same, or similar, effect).
I've done countless remotes, and believe me you Radiome...you...me...uhhhh, none of us like anything less than premo quality. We're kinda hooked on the processing that our stations deliver from the on-air studio...it makes us sound purdy. I did a remote in Ellsworth, too, on the same day, at the waterfront...I used a cell. Not great, but no one seemed to care...really. We had no other choice. No Marti shot, no cheerleader megaphone, no Skype, etc. Although after reading brother Parson's reply, we now have something else to consider. Most of our companies are not ready to invest the dollars for top-of-the-line-in-any-situation remote equipment...we've all begged. I know it's selfish, but at the end of my remote, I went home feeling mission accomplished, and I'm looking forward to that little bump in the next paycheck.
Out on a limb:
1. Remotes by cell phone sound bad on a good day. Remember, it isn't even as good as a telephone line.
2. Go poll some listeners...not those of us who WORK in the business...they'll tell you cell phone remotes sound like college radio. Your client isn't paying for college radio.
3. The client deserves better.
I am no fan of car dealer, restauant opening types of remotes to begin with. There are better ways of getting the audience to a venue then cluttering up the airwaves with a "remote" which is really a program length commercial. BUT...if you in a market where you have to do them, then at least do a quality broadcast.
1. Remotes by cell phone sound bad on a good day. Remember, it isn't even as good as a telephone line.
2. Go poll some listeners...not those of us who WORK in the business...they'll tell you cell phone remotes sound like college radio. Your client isn't paying for college radio.
3. The client deserves better.
I am no fan of car dealer, restauant opening types of remotes to begin with. There are better ways of getting the audience to a venue then cluttering up the airwaves with a "remote" which is really a program length commercial. BUT...if you in a market where you have to do them, then at least do a quality broadcast.
N
NO DAG
Guest
Keeps the "Bag Phone" business alive !
R
radiotony
Guest
ProBP, you've clearly worked in New Hampshire radio ... we've worked with similar management.
probuttonpusher said:
and as if personal use of cellphones isn't bad enough, how about the mileage issues or trade account abuse?
i once heard about a station with a station vehicle but the new management decided to sell it. however, management then expected the employees to drive their own cars to events, without paying them mileage. some even had mileage in their contracts!
then there was another station i heard about where the station manager and sales team had access to a trade account for gas and blew through $8,000 worth of gas in about two years. after they all quit, the account was audited and it as revealed that the station manager had a boiler installed in his house and had two years worth of oil delivered to his home and to the home of a female "friend." last i heard there was a legal proceeding going on about that one.
anyone need tires? there was a rumor going around last year that a big chain of radio stations in the state had blown through so much trade from a tire company chain that the owner laughed at a sales rep. from a competing station pitching him spots saying that he was owed so much by the big radio chain, he wouldn't have to buy radio spots for years.
all off the books of course. and what the shareholders and the i.r.s. don't know, won't hurt them, right?
i once heard about a station with a station vehicle but the new management decided to sell it. however, management then expected the employees to drive their own cars to events, without paying them mileage. some even had mileage in their contracts!
then there was another station i heard about where the station manager and sales team had access to a trade account for gas and blew through $8,000 worth of gas in about two years. after they all quit, the account was audited and it as revealed that the station manager had a boiler installed in his house and had two years worth of oil delivered to his home and to the home of a female "friend." last i heard there was a legal proceeding going on about that one.
anyone need tires? there was a rumor going around last year that a big chain of radio stations in the state had blown through so much trade from a tire company chain that the owner laughed at a sales rep. from a competing station pitching him spots saying that he was owed so much by the big radio chain, he wouldn't have to buy radio spots for years.
all off the books of course. and what the shareholders and the i.r.s. don't know, won't hurt them, right?
"trade" has been abused for years which is why so many large groups stay away from it. Frankly I have never had a problem with it so long as **someone** is policing the accounts.
I am reminded of the story of a radio talk show host at a fairly large station whihc was doing an ad 1x per day for a loca **high end** car dealer. Nobody thought anything of it until this nitwit wrecked the car when a cigarettte fell in his lap and he drove into a guardrail...or something.
In any event, turns out the station didn't have a trade. Old loud mouth had set up his **own** trade without bothering to tell management.
I pass this story along to note that people are only as honest as you make them. Trade isn't bad....it is the staff people who abuse it.
They'd steal pencils if they worked in a pencil factory.
I am reminded of the story of a radio talk show host at a fairly large station whihc was doing an ad 1x per day for a loca **high end** car dealer. Nobody thought anything of it until this nitwit wrecked the car when a cigarettte fell in his lap and he drove into a guardrail...or something.
In any event, turns out the station didn't have a trade. Old loud mouth had set up his **own** trade without bothering to tell management.
I pass this story along to note that people are only as honest as you make them. Trade isn't bad....it is the staff people who abuse it.
They'd steal pencils if they worked in a pencil factory.
Back to the remote gear, Comrex makes a nice unit that works on both broadband & landline connections. I think it will also work with a Smartphone like Blackberry, etc. It's a little pricey, but if you're doing remotes on a regular basis it can pay for itself rather quickly. It does matter whether it sounds good or not. There's no reason for a small mkt station to sound small mkt. It's been my experience that the more professional you are when it comes to remotes the more you will have booked. The way it sounds is very important. Don't forget that the client is probably monitoring the broadcast when they're not being interviewed on air. There's never a good reason to just "phone it in".
N
NO DAG
Guest
Overall it seems that remotes do not have the zest they once have. Most stations I see have older beat up vehicles, crappy looking displays, that simply do not look good. More often then not, the DJ's are often unprepped by the sales staff or have no relevant knowledge to talk up the event. In some cases, the remote buyer has these 'oh wow' expectations on how many people will come to save 10% off of something they could not sell anyways, then blame the station for the failure. On the air, remotes usually sound like crap (technically and content) where the poor well intended DJ shows up and throws up all over the air and talks well beyond the pique of interest to the listener.. And the station sticks it to the customer for an outrageous cost that brings no real value for the money spent.. Comrex, cell phone, marti, or not.. Yep, I'm a cynic on this one.
Jo Jo is right. Remotes, no matter what market you work in, have lost their appeal. Why? Too many remotes! It waters down the "wow" factor. Plus, many stations have lousy looking vehicles...lousy broadcast sound...and most importantly...DJs who don't prepare. Remotes are not the "events" they used to be.
Re: remote broadcasts using a cell phone
First off gotta say they aren't remotes. They are 'out-of-studio live reads' - no more, no less. And really, you can't blame the DJ if there is nothing to talk about. More often than not the DJ is assigned the task to do these live reads and gets to the site only to find - nothing. The sales 'rep' is no where to be found until maybe five minutes before the first live read (if at all) and the DJ has to go searching for someone to get some sort of guidance and/or copy points then quickly make something up. If a DJ is the only one at the event they have to get there, set everything up and then do the live reads then rip everything back down and bring it back to the station parking lot. Unless they are lucky enough to have ‘an intern’. Then at times it is marginally better since very few interns are correctly instructed in the proper setup and operation of needed items – so once again it isn’t their fault. More often than not ‘remotes’ are used for nothing more than ‘added value’ and the clients really aren’t expecting to have to replace doors and hinges from mobs of people trying to squeeze into their establishments anyway. From what I’ve seen over the years most ‘remotes’ are give-aways for buying a decent schedule anyway so most clients aren’t really expecting anything other than what they get. That’s why clients usually aren’t phased by the fact there could be more than one ‘out-of-studio live read’ in a single stop set. The ‘old days’ of remotes are long gone so us 'old-timers' gotta move along with the program…
First off gotta say they aren't remotes. They are 'out-of-studio live reads' - no more, no less. And really, you can't blame the DJ if there is nothing to talk about. More often than not the DJ is assigned the task to do these live reads and gets to the site only to find - nothing. The sales 'rep' is no where to be found until maybe five minutes before the first live read (if at all) and the DJ has to go searching for someone to get some sort of guidance and/or copy points then quickly make something up. If a DJ is the only one at the event they have to get there, set everything up and then do the live reads then rip everything back down and bring it back to the station parking lot. Unless they are lucky enough to have ‘an intern’. Then at times it is marginally better since very few interns are correctly instructed in the proper setup and operation of needed items – so once again it isn’t their fault. More often than not ‘remotes’ are used for nothing more than ‘added value’ and the clients really aren’t expecting to have to replace doors and hinges from mobs of people trying to squeeze into their establishments anyway. From what I’ve seen over the years most ‘remotes’ are give-aways for buying a decent schedule anyway so most clients aren’t really expecting anything other than what they get. That’s why clients usually aren’t phased by the fact there could be more than one ‘out-of-studio live read’ in a single stop set. The ‘old days’ of remotes are long gone so us 'old-timers' gotta move along with the program…
There are so many factors here. The days of seeing a real, regularly heard "Disc-Jockey" actually "sayin' 'em and playin' 'em" from a local business or the frozen food department of a supermarket are indeed gone. Conveniece has replaced merit I dare say on what we now call remotes. (I am not old enough to recall when they went by the name nemo*, but I digress)
Time was when I'd go and watch Bruce Bradley in the "Sundeck Studio" at Paragon Park do his show or Norm Nathan broadcast from the glass box on wheels that WHDH would park for a week at a time a different A&P parking lot. Even podunk stations would have semi-big(and heavy) remote gear that they'd drag to the broadcast location and bring a stack of 45's to spin before the drooling public.
Now, it's reduced to sixty-to-ninety seconds or so during a break to talk up the special or event, with the talent
standing there, a tiny cell phone or BlueTooth against an ear. This person might not stand out in the crowd even with a shirt/jacket/parka emblazoned with the station slogan or calls, as everone there is a walking billboard for some product or service.
The cell phone is a tool and should be used correctly just as any tool should be used. There are times when a landline just isn't available or breaks down. Not every station can afford a Marti and it's not for use just anywhere. Yes, a bag phone is apt to work better than a regular cell phone. If it's a "the show must go on" situation, you do what you can do with what you've got. I step down from my soapbox now.
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*From Barry Mishkind's fine website: NEMO: Many sources claim this to be an early telephone company term, which referred to remote broadcasts as those "Not Emanating from the Main Office." Many older consoles have this label to the selectors and pots used for remote broadcasts. On the other hand, the name of the captain from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea may be a good clue. Nemo in Latin means "no name" or "no man."
Time was when I'd go and watch Bruce Bradley in the "Sundeck Studio" at Paragon Park do his show or Norm Nathan broadcast from the glass box on wheels that WHDH would park for a week at a time a different A&P parking lot. Even podunk stations would have semi-big(and heavy) remote gear that they'd drag to the broadcast location and bring a stack of 45's to spin before the drooling public.
Now, it's reduced to sixty-to-ninety seconds or so during a break to talk up the special or event, with the talent
standing there, a tiny cell phone or BlueTooth against an ear. This person might not stand out in the crowd even with a shirt/jacket/parka emblazoned with the station slogan or calls, as everone there is a walking billboard for some product or service.
The cell phone is a tool and should be used correctly just as any tool should be used. There are times when a landline just isn't available or breaks down. Not every station can afford a Marti and it's not for use just anywhere. Yes, a bag phone is apt to work better than a regular cell phone. If it's a "the show must go on" situation, you do what you can do with what you've got. I step down from my soapbox now.
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*From Barry Mishkind's fine website: NEMO: Many sources claim this to be an early telephone company term, which referred to remote broadcasts as those "Not Emanating from the Main Office." Many older consoles have this label to the selectors and pots used for remote broadcasts. On the other hand, the name of the captain from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea may be a good clue. Nemo in Latin means "no name" or "no man."
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