• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WILM Legal ID

J

jhguthlac

Guest
Does WILM ever give a complete legal ID at the top of the hour?

Whenever I hear it, they usually get WILM-Wilmington in there, but the FM-HD call is incomplete, being cut out by the computer switching to the news.
 
I can't say I've in recent times heard the entire thing either. They usually get in the WILM Wilmington part, but that WDSD-HD2 gets cut off. They've have that problem since going automated when they moved to New Castle. Their computer system seems to cut off the last couple of words, even the spots or PSA's.

Ah, low budget radio where the computer is King. Yea why bother, having those part time weekenders, overnight folks, heck even weekday people during the day, so there's someone actually running the station, what a concept. Those days are gone. It's not just WILM either. I noticed WHYY-FM has had some computer foul ups during the weekday as no one is running their station either. Even WDEL must still have the computer set to cut out if the live and local person goes too long.

Technology's great when it works. Its a real mess when it doesn't. I've tried to listen to Face the Nation on WDEL and sometimes, their computer goes to never never land, and you hear a beep........beep.........beep. I'll tune back in 10 minutes later and still the beep........beep........beep. So this seems to be a problem for all the stations.
 
WILM is one of the worse I have heard. It used to be a matter of the last one out setting the computer clock before turning out the lights. That was Bob Mercer's instruction to me before I left WDEL each night at midnight. Of course when your one person crew leaves at noon and doesn't return until 5am, you've got a problem.

Also, the weather forecast is freuquently from a day or two earlier. That is careless radio! Whatever happened to professionalism?
 
Unfortunately, the corporate mindset is not longer professional radio, but bottom line radio.

The thing I really don't get is for both WILM and WDEL. Both have FM sister stations located in the same building. Now I'm making a dangerous assumption, but don't most FM's have a live person other than maybe overnights? So why can both WILM and WDEL have those issues and yet it seems the FM person doesn't do anything about it, as in that case of Face the Nation on WDEL. It was over 30 minutes before something other than that beep beep was airing on WDEL. That is just as inexcusable as WILM's computer cutting off the legal ID or spots which it also does prior to going into a network feed from Fox News Radio.

Of course most listeners don't really care if the legal ID or spots get cut short, my guess is the WILM answering machine rarely gets complaints about that. Then again, maybe I'm the only person who listens to Face the Nation on WDEL and since I haven't bothered to complain the few times that has happened with their computer, maybe they too have received no complaints. It's frustrating to call either WDEL or WILM after normal office hours as you get a long BS load of non-sense from Bob Mercer before he gives you the info you need to get to a certain department at the station. WILM's isn't much better. So anyone who might call the station probably just says the heck with it and tunes elsewhere.

As jhguthalac said, whatever happened to professionalism? Bottom line radio. Don't spend a dime for quality. The radio corporations probably see AM as liabilities that they are trying to milk the last penny of profit from before unloading them to ethnic or religious broadcasters. So they really don't care.

I do give WDEL credit as they've invested some serious capital into their "live and local format" where they now have the largest news team of any radio station between Philly and Washington (so in other words they have a larger news team than any Wilmington/Dover/Delaware or Baltimore station ( including WBAL). So maybe we need to cut WDEL some slack when they do use the computer as they're giving Delaware a solid news department that is rare in such a medium market like Wilmington.

From what I've heard, not sure if it's true, but apparently WDEL is self supporting, paying its own bills. They do not get any financial support from any other Delmarva station including WSTW. In today's world, where AM stations are dieing out fast due to a lack of local paid spots, WDEL seems to be an example of how an AM station today can survive and NOT be on the bird and computer 24/7. Too bad for WILM/WWTX/WDOV that CC Delaware apparently hasn't figured out what WDEL and WBAL in Baltimore have. (apparently from what I've heard WBAL too is doing fine local spot wise).
 
Mike, please don't exaggerate.

There is NO WAY we were off the air for 30 minutes - if for no other reason than the fact that the FM jock would have committed suicide if he had to listen to the silence sensor alarm for that long.

With that said, we were having satellite transmission problems with Face the Nation...and every time we thought it was fixed, another problem cropped up. Phil Mathews, who is on the FM at that time, put on on backup program (Yahoo! Sports Radio) as soon as he could each time, but there was some lag time because he does have his own job to do. There were also times when we got the show on the air, but it crapped out later. Maybe you kept tuning in at a time when we had lost the feed.
 
Mike, WDEL and WBAL have money because of one very important feature they have in common: live and local. Morning news block and afternoon news block. Local hosts during the non-drive day parts. Two heritage stations that are still a class act.
 
Chris, I was not exaggerating. I went back numerous times over a 30 minute period and YES each time all I heard coming out of the radio on 1150 was beep beep. Maybe your jock is hard of hearing or wasn't using his headset, or maybe he had actually gone in there several times and reset the thing and it kept going off line. Sir, you have a great station, I listen often, but you folks don't walk on water and frankly your assumption is insulting (blame the listener rather than WDEL). Stuff happens even to YOUR station. Get over it.
 
Mike, it's not fun when someone criticizes you publically, is it? Funny how when you criticize us you tell me not to take it personally, but when I call you on something, I have to "get over it."

Like I've said before, you are entitled to your opinion, but when you state something as fact and it's wrong, I'm going to correct you. I owe it to the hardworking people here.

If we were off the air for 30 minutes, then shame on us. But I find that hard to believe because our FM counterparts do a good job of keeping an eye on us when we need it.
 
Chris, this IS a radio chat site. We discuss radio, both good and bad. Great and mediocre. I seem to remember that I applauded WDEL for winning the Marconi Award a couple of weeks ago. I'm not trying to get into an argument with you, but frankly, you appear to only want us to ever mention the positive stuff for WDEL and you get your "knickers in a twist" when anything negative comes up. If I worked for WDEL I'd do that, just as I did when I worked for WILM, never mention anything negative about the station. I've always been very loyal to whatever station I was employed. But I don't work for WDEL or you, so I can be honest and when your station messes up, just as with WILM I have no problem making mention of it as part of the discussions here. I've said it before, it isn't personal towards you, WDEL, just as it isn't personal towards WILM or CC Delaware. It's simply conversation.

It's more in how you say it too. You essentially accused me of exaggerating without any consideration at all. I know what I did and what I heard. But your reply wasn't fact and you blindly assume that I don't know what I'm talking about. It's like you are like a permissive parent with a teacher, claim my little darling couldn't have done that. That is what you sound like. Your words lack credibility. Most of us here have worked in radio. We've all seen our share of problems at any station we've worked. One time that beep beep thing happened, I tried to call the station to give whoever was there the head's up, but as I said, your after hours phone menu is miserable and I don't remember being offered an option to connect to the on air person on WSTW. So now I don't bother, let the station sit there beeping all day, it's NOT my problem.

I make negative comments about both WDEL and WILM. I used to work at WILM and it's not easy to watch what formerly was a good news/talk station turn into the one man automated circus from the bird, but you're so competitive that you'd easily believe anything negative about WILM which shows how you lack in the ability to be fair and above board in these discussions. Frankly, I give those couple of "on air" employees at WILM/WWTX/WDOV/WDSD/WRTX a lot of credit as a few people literally keep all those stations humming each day. But as jhguthlac brought up there is sloppiness in their on air product due to their computer system, possibly because they have so few people even there in the building. But in either case, those mess ups be they at WILM or WDEL will probably get brought up here, if not by me, someone else. When you're in the public domain as a radio station is, you have to expect folks to notice the mess ups, especially here where most are former radio folks. We listen much closer than your typical listener.

I know jhguthlac, both him and I really mention this stuff, not to bash either or any station, but so that if people like you (who work at the station mentioned) are reading, they can improve even more their on air product. We're friends, not enemies.
 
When I spoke the other day about professionalism, another station came to mind that I did not mention. WNRK. When the station first went on the bird with 24/7 operation, the station business manager took great pride in the on-air sound. All of the dj liners aired during the proper shows. Jingles played at the proper times. It was mostly as tight as if you had a top-of-his-game live board op.

Then she was replaced by another business manager, who is still in the business as a dj. No attempt was made to have the liners air properly. Jingles would play in the middle of ads. During the weekends, when there were no games, I was being paid to record news and weather. Yet most of the time it never aired, because that would require including it in the computer sked. A few minutes of work would be required! There was no concern to put a tight, clean sound on the air. Professionalism went right down the tubes.

Those of us who have been in the business really get caught up in the air-on product.
 
Mike,

"Without any consderation at all"? Based on our logger and the phone call I got from the FM jock that day, I know exactly what happened. I'm trying to tell you, but you don't see me as credible. Fair enough.

I can't believe I actually have to state this, but obviously it would be inappropriate for me to comment on other stations. And why would I make negative comments on our product - effectively calling out staff members in a public forum? If that ruins my credibility, then so be it.
 
Chris Carl said: Mike, please don't exaggerate.

There is NO WAY we were off the air for 30 minutes - if for no other reason than the fact that the FM jock would have committed suicide if he had to listen to the silence sensor alarm for that long.

With that said, we were having satellite transmission problems with Face the Nation...and every time we thought it was fixed, another problem cropped up. Phil Mathews, who is on the FM at that time, put on on backup program (Yahoo! Sports Radio) as soon as he could each time, but there was some lag time because he does have his own job to do. There were also times when we got the show on the air, but it crapped out later. Maybe you kept tuning in at a time when we had lost the feed.

If you had omitted your first sentence, I'd have not replied. But you assumed that I exaggerated. Your statement implied that I was lying or didn't know what I was talking about, etc. IF I had not challenged that statement, I'd have been giving tacit agreement to that statement. THAT was my point sir. Yes, what you described after that made sense and probably is what happened and answered the question quite well.

Obviously I don't expect you to say negative stuff about other stations in a public forum as that would be unprofessional. Obviously you'd not want your counterparts at your crosstown rival to say negative stuff about your station either. You are competitors and I agree that it's better that neither make shots at the other's station. It's just a shame that you don't treat your listeners on this board that make any critique of WDEL, as former radio folks, with that same respect.
 
Mike, again, based on our logger and the information I got from the FM jock who was taking care of the problem, I didn't assume you exaggerated, I KNOW you did.

Again, you are entitled to your opinion, but when you state something derogtory as fact and it's wrong, I am going to correct you.
 
Mike,

I realize now that after our many conversations on this board and on the phone, I may have thought our relationship was more informal, so I apologize at the way I've addressed you.

With that said, I am uncomfortable with continuing this dialogue in a string that's using another station's call letters as the subject.
 
For the love of god it was only a Legal id and it sounds like the automation hard timed it.

Instead of complaining about it here call that station and complain if you are bothered by it so much.

Also it sounds like someone here dished it out and couldn't take it.
 
Actually heard it clean this morning. And it is intentional. They end the id, illegally, by saying WDSD HD2, without the city name. It is part of the CC deception. They want listeners to think WDSD is a New Castle County radio station.
 
I don't know what is required, but today while listening to 94.1 WIP their legal id mentioned 94.1hd WIP Phila, and 610 WIP Phila (they didn't say WIP AM/FM Phila, but did do them seperately, but of course in their case that is the actual FM station not a secondary HD-2 or 3 signal for online or HD only.

I also listened to KMPS HD-2 (Seattle) online obviously and they did only the id for KMPS-HD2 Seattle, not mentioning the main KMPS. KMPS 94.1 (ironically) airs Country top 40 like WDSD, WXCY, or WXTU. KMPS-HD-2 airs Classic Country, even more Classic (going back to the 1950's thru 2000) than WDSD-HD-2 does.

I also listened to WILM and yes their legal id does stop after saying1450 WILM Wilmington, WILM.com, and 94.7WDSD HD-2. They don't say Wilmington or Dover after the HD-2. They may not be required to say a COL and if not I can see why they don't as the WDSD legal id does say 94.7 WSDS Dover/Wilmington, but that's not a new thing as many stations seem to try to identify with the larger market if they can as WXCY does with 103.7 WXCY Havre de Grace/Elkton/Wilmington.

If I remember correctly, WDEL does say You're listening to 1150 WDEL Wilmington, WDEL.com and 97.3 WSTW-HD3 Wilmington, but don't quote me. Maybe Chris Carl can fill us in on what is required in terms of the HD-2 and 3 signals and the legal id in this world of online and HD radio.
 
I do not know the current law. But I did notice that after WDEL went on WSTW-HD3, they simply said that. But then they changed their TOH ID to make sure they said Wilmington after the FM-HD call letters. At around the same time, so did KYW, WPHT, and now of course, the WIP setup. I figured at some point, there was an FCC clarification on the ID regs.

KYW is interesting. They simply can't bring themselves to change the Top and bottom hour ID's. They can't get that ancr to re-record it, so they have one of their female reporters do "KYW, KYW-HD and WIP-HD2 Philadelphia." At WIP, its now "94 WIP-FM, WIP-FM-HD1 and 610WIP Philadelphia."

So it seems to me there must be a law requiring it.
 
It would seem the COL is to be the last thing said after all the calls, which does put WILM/WDSD in a bind as you can't get WILM in Dover. I guess their legal id should be you're listening to 1450 WILM, WILM.com Wilmington, and WDSD-HD-3 Dover/Wilmington.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom