WBZ Hourly ID

[DavidZ]

I noticed that WBZ has now added this message to their ID at the top of the hour at the start of each news block when a new anchor takes over. I.e. 5 a.m., 9 a.m., Noon, etc.

“Portions of the following program have been pre-recorded”

They never had this in the past when Bradley Jay was still live and local during the overnight.

Did someone call them out about the pre-recorded news during the overnight?

 

[johnster]

https://radioink.com/2020/01/30/why-salem-was-hit-with-50000-fcc-fine/

https://nysbroadcasters.org/2020/03/if-program-is-pre-recorded-you-may-need-to-include-a-notice/

 

[Eli Polonsky]

This is a long standing regulation that a lot of stations seemed to have forgotten about in recent decades, but it looks like enforcement is being brought back.

I remember many years ago the in-station term for it was an “MRA” for “Mechanical Reproduction Announcement”. Before playing a pre-recorded show, the program log had listed to play an “MRA”.

At the same station back then, an “MRA” was not to be confused with an “MRF”, which was a “Maintenance Request Form” for DJ’s to report broken or malfunctioning equipment to an engineer.

 

[TheBigA]

Keep in mind that even during live news casts, they run pre-recorded reports. All of the actualities are recorded. So any claim of being live all the time is technically incorrect.

 

[Deleted User]

When Barry Armstrong had a come to Jesus meeting with regulators a few years ago, ( https://www.sec.state.ma.us/sct/arc...Graham-Armstrong-Administrative-Complaint.pdf ) shortly thereafter WRKO started running a "paid programming" disclaimer on Barry's show.

Many radio stations liked to play fast and loose with the rules, figuring the FCC had not N.O.L.A.'d a station for an infraction in years, but when one did pop up, they all went into C.Y.A. mode... and in a few years someone will stop doing the right thing and he FCC may nail them again

 

[nowradioguy]

Keep in mind that even during live news casts, they run pre-recorded reports. All of the actualities are recorded. So any claim of being live all the time is technically incorrect.

Oh, no question about it, and i have no problem with it.

However, hearing “Portions of the following program have been pre-recorded” during the DAY on WBZ made me wonder if iHeart was pre-recording the actual newscast, save for the traffic reports.

I'm sorry, A, but whenever anything new and/or strange occurs on WBZ, I, for one, am going to suspect iHeart is up to something I'm not going to be pleased with, even if, as you say, it is their property. Ironically, they decide to run this now, during this awful crisis, when we need as much up-to-date information as there is available.

I'm glad someone else noticed this, too. It seems I'm not the only one who is concerned with HOW WBZ fulfills its mission to the public.

 

[davideduardo]

This is a long standing regulation that a lot of stations seemed to have forgotten about in recent decades, but it looks like enforcement is being brought back.

For some reason, the FCC seems to take one step forward and then two back.

The rule was written when "recordings" were written when the recordings were disks and, maybe, tapes. The rule was never intended for things recorded a few moments before and inserted in an automatic system... they were sometimes hours old, but more often days old.

I remember many years ago the in-station term for it was an “MRA” for “Mechanical Reproduction Announcement”. Before playing a pre-recorded show, the program log had listed to play an “MRA”.

The rule should be re-written so that shows that are not live are not announced as being so.

Even then, think back to the "live from Hollywood" (Or "beautiful downtown Burbank") on so many network TV shows that were not live at all.

At the same station back then, an “MRA” was not to be confused with an “MRF”, which was a “Maintenance Request Form” for DJ’s to report broken or malfunctioning equipment to an engineer.

I have never heard the term "MRF" so it must be an internal abbreviation at one company or station.

Obviously, someone with a retentiveness problem at the FCC rediscovered the rule and, instead of saying, "this is outdated" decided it had to be enforced viciously. That's why it takes so long to get regulations changed long after they are relevant.

 

[TheBigA]

Obviously, someone at the FCC rediscovered the rule and, instead of saying, "this is outdated" decided it had to be enforced viciously.

That's because the FCC is the for-profit agency in the federal government. They make money by levying fines. The bigger the better.

 

[TheBigA]

Ironically, they decide to run this now, during this awful crisis, when we need as much up-to-date information as there is available.

What do you need to know? Wash your hands, stay at home, everything is closed, and if you develop symptoms, contact your doctor. Repeat.

The main source of information is the state house. They're not doing hourly briefings. They do one a day. After that, repeat, repeat, repeat.

 

[CTListener]

Even then, think back to the "live from Hollywood" (Or "beautiful downtown Burbank") on so many network TV shows that were not live at all.

And then there was "From Hollywood ... almost live ... it's The Gong Show!"

 

[raccoonradio]

Two meanings of live--actually happening now, and something before a live audience.I remember the Globe had radio listings in the daily paper and also as part of the Sunday TV Week.Listings for shows on WCRB and some other stations would feature an italicized
Live in the latter case.

The Boston Phoenix had a TV highlights section, Hot Dots w Clif Garboden.Listings for The Gong Show would say "more em-Barris-ment".
They also had some radio listings though eventually that got dropped.After all they had their own station and who'd want to hear anything besides 'FNX?

The paper went on an anti-corporate message (that whole Occupy thing)...so when Mindich sold FNX he made sure it would go to a local owner who--no, wait.He sold to Clear Channel. Yay...