Why is FM News failing?

[wadio]

It's actually normal to fire the first spot in a break as you're saying the last syllable in your break.

You're right, the cut-off is totally predictable. So the solution is to compensate with a delay.

Listen to WABC's stream and you'll hear over and over, "This is BlaBlaBla for WAB-."

Add an automatic half-second delay to the cut-off for God's sake! Or delay the mute. Technology is wonderful as long as people care enough to use it correctly.

 

[WNTIRadio]

This isn't going into a spot, it's going into a weather bed and forecast. Everything here, including the traffic is live. So that means someone is pushing the buttons. WAIT about 2 seconds to pot down the traffic report. This isn't rocket science, it's radio, especially when the outcue is the SAME EVERY TIME.

Since you said you can barely get 101.9, I have to ask if you're listening to WEMP off-air or online? If you're listening online, it could be because the producer is starting an agency spot that has to be covered right as the traffic guy's at the end of his outcue. If that happens, you'll get exactly that. It's pretty common on voicetracked stations, too.

Nope, this is regular FM. While I live on the edge of the signal, most of my client stations are well within range of 101.9 and every other NYC FM. If I'm at home I have the Yagi on the roof which gets a perfect signal.

 

[Kent]

You're right, the cut-off is totally predictable. So the solution is to compensate with a delay.

My experience has been that doesn't work either. Since no one will fire the spot break at exactly the same time (nor can you predict the exact moment AudioVault will fire), you'll usually get the opposite. You'll hear the start of a spot only to hear it suddenly get cut off and replaced with an internet only ad.

Technology is wonderful as long as people care enough to use it correctly.

Albeit for apparently different reasons, I do agree with you here. Streaming has been neglected, and it's really surprising to me that anyone can sell it at all. The touchiness of getting everything to flow on the stream really isn't that important to most people. People can deal with a split second here and there. However, all too often, you'll hear a station firing a liner only to find that liner gets replaced with an internet only ad because someone inadvertently labeled it a spot. When I find 25 seconds of my favorite song is interrupted by a PSA, I tend to flip the channel! Then, there are those terrible Ad Council PSA's. I'd air anything, even silence, before I ran those. Ideally, you'd air some kind of produced bit that also entertains the listening audience. A few stations have started doing that and seen a slight increase in advertiser interest for their streams. Those are just a couple high visibility areas broadcasters should look at fixing. I'm sure there are plenty more!