Don’t know if their show or others have a producer on hand. Probably does. It would be up to them to say so or not. Another morning show has mentioned elsewhere that the ops director, program director and other support staff often work remotely from home. Especially since the pandemic. So those people might not even be there either. I’m waiting for that jimmy q person to shed more light on the situation. If they do choose to do so. It would add context to the on tv banter and this thread.
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The Jet has no engineering department?
- Thread starter Cobra14
- Start date
Is iHeart Seattle an AFTRA unionized operation? At non-union stations, of course, anyone can be asked to do anything in a pinch.
I would imagine that the biggest problem encountered in virtually any broadcast studio involves software. Most of the equipment should be fairly reliable, with the only weak link being the computer software (depending on what company the software comes from). If it’s Pristine, you better have two engineers handy.
It seems like it would be tough having so many locations away from the studios. If my research is correct it looks like they have Cougar Tiger Vashon and Tacoma locations to go fix stuff at when needed. There’s probably other places too. It’s like if you had to be at one of those places for some reason and then something fails at the studio building what do you do? Just grab your tools and go there? What about the stuff you just left? What if that stuff is priority? Do you just call the 800 and have them tell them how to fix it over the phone? One of my really brilliant friends says “One is none, two is one, and three is two”. Means that way you have a backup person or equipment device or whatever no matter what. If you only have one you’re screwed. If you have two, then if one fails you have one, if you have three, than one fails you still have backup.
One of the problems in a situation like this is that those that know need to be carful they are not disclosing information that could get them no longer employed.
Cobra14 is trying to drill down to what Bender meant when he said "We don't have an Engineering department". Did he mean that "we" as in Jodi and bender don't have an engineering Department? The overall morning show does not have a personal engineering department? The Seattle iHeart cluster does not have an Engineering department? Bender does not give much context to his statement with just "We"
Does iHeart have engineers based in Seattle, Yes. But like sales and other departments in this new age of radio. Engineering does not have an actual office with a door at the new studios. I think this may be what Bender was alluding too. Engineering is out in the field working at the locations Cobra14 mentioned above.
The weak link in computer software is Windows.
Cobra14 is trying to drill down to what Bender meant when he said "We don't have an Engineering department". Did he mean that "we" as in Jodi and bender don't have an engineering Department? The overall morning show does not have a personal engineering department? The Seattle iHeart cluster does not have an Engineering department? Bender does not give much context to his statement with just "We"
Does iHeart have engineers based in Seattle, Yes. But like sales and other departments in this new age of radio. Engineering does not have an actual office with a door at the new studios. I think this may be what Bender was alluding too. Engineering is out in the field working at the locations Cobra14 mentioned above.
The weak link in computer software is Windows.
I haven't had to manually repair anything, so I cannot speak to that. But yes, you call the 800 number, make a report. Then you wait for someone in the nationwide chain to get back to you, often logging in remotely to fix tech problems or they try and talk you through it. There are these remote engineers all over the country. Some pulling double duty with other shifts. Sometimes you get a call back quickly. Other times...
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Even 30 years ago there was almost never an engineer in the building before 8 or 9 a.m. If there was a minor issue, like a droopy microphone stand, you would be a professional and power through it. About once a year when there was a major AudioVault or NexGen meltdown, you would have to call the on-call engineer and run CDs or do your talk show NPR style until they could fight traffic to get in. Having an eningeer there during the morning show would have been nice, but most of the time it just wasn't a big deal.
I just don't get the point of bashing your co-workers or complaining about your work situation on air. Bender is far from alone in doing it. Some sports talk hosts have almost made a sport out of it. Do they think it breaks the "fourth wall" and connects with listeners? Maybe. I think it's just tiresome. We all know someone who complains all the time. Do we enjoy being around them? Besides, I know very few people who enjoyed being the butt of the jokes.
I just don't get the point of bashing your co-workers or complaining about your work situation on air. Bender is far from alone in doing it. Some sports talk hosts have almost made a sport out of it. Do they think it breaks the "fourth wall" and connects with listeners? Maybe. I think it's just tiresome. We all know someone who complains all the time. Do we enjoy being around them? Besides, I know very few people who enjoyed being the butt of the jokes.
To listeners, people like engineers are never heard, or never featured, unless mentioned by the talent. Talent doesn't report to them, so unfortunately the technical folks become fair game as talent tries to give the listeners an inside look behind the scenes.
As unfortunate as it is; I've had to tell the engineers who work for me, that most times pursing the technical side of broadcasting is one of those careers where you can't expect attaboys or pats on the back. The goal is silence. If nobody is complaining, then take it as a sign that you're doing your job.
I had an engineer once say to me "If you didn't use the equipment, it wouldn't break."
I had to remind him that if we didn't use the equipment, he wouldn't have a job.
Apparently in some cases even if the equipment is being used, there may or may not be a local engineer to fix it should the equipment break.
There were also plenty of places that had contract engineers who had full-time jobs at larger radio or TV stations, and serviced a number of smaller ones in the evenings and on weekends. Of course, 30 years ago staffs were typically larger and there would usually be someone at the station or available to call quickly who could help with computer or minor hardware or technical issues. Redundancy was also key at those types of facilities. Even after the satellite or computer automation system went in, for instance, the CD players, libraries, carts and tape machines usually remained in the racks.
Agreed. I've worked at a few facilities where upper management truly understood the importance and appreciated the engineering staff, they were paid well, shown appreciation, had adequate budgets and few funding requests were denied. That was often the exception, however. Engineers were usually out of sight/mind, a few were oddballs or socially awkward and didn't interact much with staff, weren't taken very seriously and funding anything for them was treated as an inconvenience. In other cases, upper management who weren't technical didn't understand why their nephew Joey who'd installed a few car stereos for family couldn't be called in to do the gig or at least "help", or why the handyman who did work on their house for cheap couldn't be used to install electrical systems. Yet others (usually smaller stations) couldn't understand why the engineers couldn't get anything they needed to fix the station and keep it running at the local mom and pop hardware store, who'd work out a trade deal with the station in exchange for spots.
And even if there is a local engineer in the building, it doesn't mean the problem is fixed instantly. It takes time for the engineer to solve the problem, and he may even have to order parts. We had a main transmitter tube go out, with no back-up, and we were off the air until we could borrow someone else's backup. Being off the air is inconvenient for the audience, but it costs the station money. If you want to get corporate's attention, have something cost them money.
Nobody wants to hear the morning host talk about how tired they are. Complaining about equipment and the lack of support staff isn't that much different, in my opinion. Everybody is dealing with something in their lives. I don't think the complaining endears themselves to their listeners the way they think it does.
Those are things I don't understand, but it illustrates how many stations are run by former sales managers who don't know programming and engineering.
I'd always have two levels of backup on expendable parts, such as tubes. And when I did have tube transmitters, I'd rotate tubes to first make sure they were ok and second to make sure they did not get gassy or lose their vacuum.
Today, spare modules for transmitters is essential.
In Buenos Aires at Radio 10 (AM 710), we had a 30 kw Nautel as backup for the 100 kw AM transmitter. But we did not want to be on the 30 for long as it did not fully cover the huge market. So we had a whole shelf full of modules that could be replaced instantly, and also spares for every component in the antenna tuning unit in case of lightening strikes.
But even at 100 kw on AM, we did not have staff on duty at all times. The site was at Campo de Mayo where the military government made people "disapear".
No excuse for no spares.
Only if they make it relatable to people at their own job.
Amusing story.. I had just taken over as VP of engineering for a radio and TV group. One of my local TV engineers who had been at this particular station since Christ was a corporal, decided to call up the company Chairman/CEO at home to alert him that the transmitter for the station was off the air, wondering what he should do? This was clearly a move on the local engineer's part to stage a little theater for the bosses-bosses-boss about how important he is. Earlier in the evening I had already apprised my boss, the President, that a service rep for the manufacturer would be on site first thing in the morning because the engineer on site wasn't very familiar with how to troubleshoot. I was going to catch a flight out in the morning, but the service tech was just geographically closer.
The phone call response from the CEO to the annoying engineer was priceless: 'Okay here's what I'd like you do to.. Is there a sporting goods or Army surplus store in the area? Engineer: Yes, yes there is. CEO: You should go to the sporting goods store and buy a tent. Engineer: A tent sir? CEO: Yes, a one person tent. Then set the tent up at the transmitter site, and don't leave there until my GO**AMN TRANSMITTER IS RUNNING AGAIN!!! Click... Next morning my boss explained to the CEO the situation was already well in hand, the service tech found something minor, had the transmitter up and running about an hour after arrival. The engineer in question was replaced the following day.
at least a few years ago, i heart denver did have an engineer in the building during the morning shows.. i dont know if anythings changed since my friend left
IMO his actions defylogic. If you have a new VP of Engineering, wouldn't you call them first (or work up to them in the chain of command), if for no other reason than to show a willingness to work with/for them in their new role? OK - if that VP seems clueless or too new to the position to understand the ropes or the company's protocols or the players involved and you feel guidance is needed from someone higher on the food chain, at least for this incident, then maybe... But if the new VP is already owning the problem and working the issue, then it's theirs to manage. If you're a bit long in the tooth have been there forever and need to acquire newer/more modern skills, I'd think working with the newer VP and saying, "Hey, I don't know all there is to know about XXX but when the manufacturer arrives, I'd like to be there to work with them and learn" would be the best approach. If may not save you if you're truly incompetent and clueless, but if you're a suitable engineer and just need to learn some things, most managers would rather retain you and your knowledge and history if you're willing and able to apply yourself and learn the skills you need.
It seems like this particular engineer was from the: 'If you can't beat them with brains (or knowledge), baffle them with BS-school'.
And I'm equipped with a finely-tuned BS meter.
I suspect the engineer wanted to look for sympathy from the CEO who couldn't tell whether he was being BS'ed or not, but in the engineer's mind, could potentially provide cover, verses his new boss who would likely ask: Did you try this? Did you check that?
I have known a number of such "not for your grade or rank" incidents. I found that they all ended up in either immediate or eventual dismissal.
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