To CBS Radio management: WCBS-FM DJ's should not be voice tracked

[Jul]

According to someone on another radio message board "I believe that Jeff Mazei will be voice-tracked overnights" If that is the case then WCBS-FM is making a huge mistake. The station needs to have live DJ's on the air 24/7 like the old WCBS-FM. Voice tracking or automating a radio station at night has messed up radio in the last 5-10 years in my view. That should cease

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

According to someone on another radio message board "I believe that Jeff Mazei will be voice-tracked overnights" If that is the case then WCBS-FM is making a huge mistake. The station needs to have live DJ's on the air 24/7 like the old WCBS-FM. Voice tracking or automating a radio station at night has messed up radio in the last 5-10 years in my view. That should cease

Mazzei is also the music director, and has to be there when everyone else is. If they want him on the air on overnights, VT is the only way to do that.

Besides, it's not VT that has "messed up radio." Martin Block was doing VT on WABC in the 1950s, and you couldn't tell the difference. VT, by itself, is a tool programmers have. How they choose to use it determines whether it's good or bad.

 

[Jul]

Mazzei is also the music director, and has to be there when everyone else is. If they want him on the air on overnights, VT is the only way to do that.

Besides, it's not VT that has "messed up radio." Martin Block was doing VT on WABC in the 1950s, and you couldn't tell the difference. VT, by itself, is a tool programmers have. How they choose to use it determines whether it's good or bad.

I rather have a live DJ during the overnight period. That's just my opinion.

 

[jamjimaria]

I agree with you Julius. I drive to work at 4:00 AM and love a live voice to keep me company, but in this day and age, programmers will always try to save a buck. Martin Block was never one to spend more money than he had to anyway. However, for N.Y. my vote for the city that never sleeps would be for CBS to be live and find another personality other than Mazzei if he can't be there live.

 

[radio124]

CBS-FM should DEFINITELY have a live overnight jock. This is New York City not Dubuque. There is more going on here at 3am than in most other places at 3pm. Otherwise it's no different than Jack. Just substitute the Supremes for Def Leppard. If CBS classic hits stations KRTH and WODS can have live, entertaining overnight personalities so can CBS-FM in market #1.

 

[chuckydoll]

CBS may have no choice

WODS is heritage CBS and has IBEW engineers 24 hours a day. KRTH is heritage RKO General -- it once was a sister station to 93/KHJ -- thus the DJs run their own board.

Clear Channel got AFTRA to agree to voice tracking in New York for at least overnights. If Clear Channel can do it, so can CBS.

 

[Barry45RPM]

I'm sure, in time there will be a live Jock. I remember periods of overnights in 1972 (particularly every Saturday night after 2 AM) No live jock. Just music and Endless PSAs "This is Spectrum... 7 Opinions on various topics...etc. etc.)

The first order of business is to tweak the playlist so that everyone can be relatively happy, and listen through the tunes they can tolerate but wouldn't look for. Its doable. I say: Give them some time to "get some legs".

If they don't do this, in the long run then we will go quietly, at our own time and place of choosing, at least having had a chance to say goodbye.

Keep sending them e-mails and snail mail with suggestions of actual song titles you need to hear on the station. Don't just ask for a station playlist CBS won't want to give us. No blanket request "give us the fifties!".

 

[jamjimaria]

Chucky great post I listen to WODS on the way to work in the morning (4:00) and they are live with J.J. Wright. It is great to hear a live personality while you are driving to work especially at that time of the morning.

 

[tothedj]

I agree, maybe they should get Don K. Reed or Holly Levis to return, if they are
available.

 

[Starscream]

What if it was Wolfman Jack voicetracked, like XM is doing now? Then would people complain?

 

[kirkiefan]

What if it was Wolfman Jack voicetracked, like XM is doing now? Then would people complain?

..in your case....YES. The Wolfman was an entertainer..NOT a suit out to make his wad as cheaply and haphazard as possible. He would roll over his grave and haunt 'yo bum i am sure!

 

[OldiesCat]

voice tracked

I think the fact that any radio station is voicetracked matters only to radio people. The sound coming out of the speakers is what counts.
Do you think listeners notice or even care? ANSWER: no.

Besides, haven't you noticed- 97% of Television programming is "voicetracked", pre-recorded? CNN Headline News is about 80% pre-recorded.

This is 2007- please get over the fact that voicetracking is here to stay.

 

[theairdownthere]

I've said it before and I'm saying it again: Does the average listener know or care if a DJ is live or not? I'm willing to bet the "old" CBS-FM did a fair amout of voice tracking before and you just didn't know it. Just because you hear a phone call doesn't mean it's live, you know.

 

[Jul]

Re: voice tracked

This is 2007- please get over the fact that voicetracking is here to stay.

It is a joke that this has ruined personality radio as we know it.

 

[mcmannors]

maybe they should get Don K. Reed... to return, if... available.

I'd rather hear dead air.

 

[leethalweapon]

I'll vote for voicetracking any day. I know I hear live shifts these days, and they might as well be voicetracked because they are standard time-temp-liner break's. On the other side, if the voicetrack talent has the time, they can turn an ordinary voicetrack shift into a voicetrack show. ...and yes there is a difference if you are prepared to work at it.

Also, in these days of multi-skilled talent, voicetracking can let you get a lot more achieved in your day.

 

[Oldbones]

Re: voice tracked

This is 2007- please get over the fact that voicetracking is here to stay.

It is a joke that this has ruined personality radio as we know it.

The joke, my friend is on you...so-called "personality" radio was dead long before voicetracking as we know it today even existed. The fact of the matter is that the majority of listeners want to hear the music, not some yappy dj. Tight formatics have existed for decades...had the technology been available at the time, the Drake stations of the 60s (KHJ, WRKO, etc.) could have been VT'ed and no one would have been the wiser.

Yes, voicetracking has gotten a bad rap because it makes it easy for someone to just blast thru their shift being generic, but if done correctly you can't tell if it's live or VT'ed.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

What if it was Wolfman Jack voicetracked, like XM is doing now? Then would people complain?

XM is NOT VT'ing Wolfman Jack, except for promos. They are running complete programs, originally distributed on records. Note that while he's on, there's no PAD data on the radio...only the legend "Wolfman Jack."

 

[OldiesCat]

maybe they should get Don K. Reed... to return, if... available.

I'd rather hear dead air.

Spoken like the true "I've been displaced" or "I see voicetracking as an insult to my value in radio" has-been.

 

[mcmannors]

maybe they should get Don K. Reed... to return, if... available.

I'd rather hear dead air.

Spoken like the true "I've been displaced" or "I see voicetracking as an insult to my value in radio" has-been.

I never worked in commercial radio. Looking at it from a listener's point of view, my opinion is that Don K.Reed was a terrible jock. He had trouble reading live copy, he was sloppy running the board, and he just plain put me to sleep. Just my opinion.