WDRC-AM loud hum on stream

[Weiserguy]

Fair question: Like you, I tuned in, and didn't hear the hum. Then again, I listen on a small tablet, not headphones. However I empathize with a small local owner that's trying to help listeners by offering a free stream. I also give them credit for providing users of that service with contact information to convey individual issues and concerns. As I noted, not many stations provide that kind of information. The fact that they do that tells me that they DO care about their listeners. It bothers me when observers equates hum on an outside stream with a broadcaster not caring. They care about the area for which they're responsible. I think we can all understand that.

The contact information they provided was the names/phone numbers/emails of their sales manager and promotions manager. Neither of them are technical or operational management, which I couldn't locate on either WDRC's or FullPowerRadio's websites. (I wrote to the listed sales manager.) I also tried to cc "[email protected]" and "it@...", and both bounced as nonexistent.

As for "Streaming Help", here, verbatim, is what it says:

Streaming Help​

​

If you are having trouble streaming our station from your desktop here are some suggestions.​

1. Make sure that your web browser has the latest updates installed. Click the name of your browser in the navigation bar then click about.
2. Or download the latest and best browsers for free from these links:
   • Google Chrome (Chrome is our recommendation!)
   • Mozilla Firefox
3. If you are on Windows 7 and use Internet Explorer you may experience some problems. If so try these free options:
   • Google Chrome (Chrome is our recommendation!)
   • Mozilla Firefox
   • Or upgrade to Windows 10
4. Try our pop out player click here
5. If none of the above steps worked for you then submit a help request to our streaming engineers by clicking here.

It should be obvious that references to "desktop", "Win7" or "upgrading to Win10" are not indicators of timely information, or that the boilerplate has been reviewed in recent years.

 

[TheBigA]

As for "Streaming Help", here, verbatim, is what it says:

Streaming Help​

1. If none of the above steps worked for you then submit a help request to our streaming engineers by clicking here.

If you click on the link where it says "clicking here" that brings up an mail address for TuneGenie.com, the company that provides the streaming service for them. Right?

 

[wadio]

I don't have a dog in this fight, but reading this six-month-old thread got me to throw on my own phones (a pair of bluetooth JBL's with respectable frequency response and sensitivity) and pull up WDRC's website. When I started the stream, the 60 hz buzz was unmissable to anyone who hasn't spent their working life testing jet engines.

I then pulled up KSFO's (San Francisco, the market where I live) website and stream, and that sounds crystal clear, no discernable hum. Then KABC out of L.A., same thing. Keep in mind, that's Cumulus in both cases, not exactly the poster boy for excellence in crudblasting.

Then I went back to 'DRC and the hum was back.

So whatever else is fair game to criticize wadio about, an audio problem that has existed on the stream of a legacy commercial Hartford station for half a year shouldn't be one of them. IMO it is absolutely fair game to criticize ownership/management/engineering/I.T. for not doing de minimus of quality control on their digital distribution platform for (if wadio's timeline is accurate) at least six freakin' months...

Also, I see the point that it's not his (or yours or my) responsibility to report a problem that would have been noticed on air in fairly short order. That responsibility squarely belongs to station and/or ownership group staff. But I would also say, to anyone who has added their thoughts in this thread, why haven't you?

I don't care all that much either, but this has gone on for too long and I'm going to see if a DM gets any response. I'll let you know...

THANK YOU!!

It's amazing to me that no one else got the point. You are indeed a wise guy! 😊

I'll be interested to see if you get a response from the station.

Thank heaven, common sense is alive and well!

 

[wadio]

If you click on the link where it says "clicking here" that brings up an mail address for TuneGenie.com, the company that provides the streaming service for them. Right?

I'd say there's a 99% chance that the hum originates from the station, not TuneGenie. I listen to a lot of radio streams and I've never heard anything like this.

 

[Weiserguy]

If you click on the link where it says "clicking here" that brings up an mail address for TuneGenie.com, the company that provides the streaming service for them. Right?

I did not click on it. It is the station's problem, and thus theirs to troubleshoot, even if the source of the technical issue originates with a subcontractor. (And in this case I doubt it does. It's an analog audio problem, likely originating in the station's audio chain. Unless digital streaming can now miraculously produce 60 cycle hum. Right?)

 

[wadio]

I did not click on it. It is the station's problem, and thus theirs to troubleshoot, even if the source of the technical issue originates with a subcontractor. (And in this case I doubt it does. It's an analog audio problem, likely originating in the station's audio chain. Unless digital streaming can now miraculously produce 60 cycle hum. Right?)

CORRECT!

 

[TheBigA]

I did not click on it. It is the station's problem, and thus theirs to troubleshoot, even if the source of the technical issue originates with a subcontractor.

Oh well. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

 

[Weiserguy]

Oh well. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

As I originally wrote, I don't have a dog in this fight.

However, in the last hour, what I did do was track down the owner/CEO's name and (presumed) email address, and forwarded him my earlier message. So unless he's in bed with Covid or something -- and even then someone's got to be monitoring his inbox -- he's now on notice and can route the problem report to the appropriate person. Done.

 

[TheBigA]

Done.

Great!

 

[wadio]

As I originally wrote, I don't have a dog in this fight.

However, in the last hour, what I did do was track down the owner/CEO's name and (presumed) email address, and forwarded him my earlier message. So unless he's in bed with Covid or something -- and even then someone's got to be monitoring his inbox -- he's now on notice and can route the problem report to the appropriate person. Done.

Well congratulations!! Your email did the trick. The hum is now gone. Did the CEO by any chance get back to you with a word of thanks?

BTW, the "Streaming Help" page is still outdated. I tried clicking on "4. Try our pop out player click here" and received the message, "Recently Played Songs Currently Unavailable." Remember, this is a talk station.

I'm not sure what we've learned from all this but it's an interesting study in inattention and mediocrity.

 

[Weiserguy]

Well congratulations!! Your email did the trick. The hum is now gone. Did the CEO by any chance get back to you with a word of thanks?
...
I'm not sure what we've learned from all this but it's an interesting study in inattention and mediocrity.

Nothing, not a word. Appreciate hearing from you that the problem's been solved, because I didn't receive the least little bit of loop-closing from them, even though I specifically requested they confirm receiving my message.

There's probably a bit of hubris at work here too.

 

[TheBigA]

There's probably a bit of hubris at work here too.

I think it's an interesting study that when you complain to the right person, change can occur

Good job!

 

[Weiserguy]

I think it's an interesting study that when you complain to the right person, change can occur

Good job!

Thank you. Now if only I can figure out why Turbotax no longer will update, and why my Windows PC has gone on strike, refusing to recognize any flash drives or external disks I plug into a USB port. Radio is easy, I.T. support is the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[TheBigA]

Thank you. Now if only I can figure out why Turbotax no longer will update, and why my Windows PC has gone on strike, refusing to recognize any flash drives or external disks I plug into a USB port.

Sounds like you have a new version of Windows 10, that has a 'feature' in it that won't allow any programs that you didn't buy from their Microsoft store. Once you disable that, you'll be ok.

 

[Weiserguy]

Sounds like you have a new version of Windows 10, that has a 'feature' in it that won't allow any programs that you didn't buy from their Microsoft store. Once you disable that, you'll be ok.

I stumbled across that option yesterday, and IIRC it was set correctly, i.e. to allow programs to be installed from any source, not just Microsoft. But I'll double-check later. I did update to a preview version of Win 10 last week, and I suspect that's the culprit. Thanks for the tip.

A career in I.T. is like the Hotel California or working for the Mob. You can check out but you can never leave.