WMMS's delay during Browns broadcast

[timbuc2]

About three or four weeks ago was the last time I've been able to watch the Browns. When I do this I mute the TV and turn on WMMS. The last time I did this there was maybe a one second difference between the TV and WMMS. But, yesterday when I muted the TV and turned on WMMS, WMMS was about four seconds behind the TV. Now, when I turned on WTAM yesterday there was virtually no difference between them and CBS.

So, I guess my question is this. Why does WMMS have a delay but WTAM doesn't? Is it just a management decision by WMMS? Is it technical? Something else? I was just curious by this and thanks for any feedback.<P ID="signature">______________
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein
</P>

 

[OldAkronite]

> So, I guess my question is this. Why does WMMS have a delay
> but WTAM doesn't? Is it just a management decision by WMMS?
> Is it technical? Something else? I was just curious by
> this and thanks for any feedback.

Two possibilities here:

1) WMMS is using a traditional profanity delay of some sort.

2) WMMS has a digital HD/IBOC feed, and it needs to match the analog audio with the delay introduced by the digital feed. When a digital IBOC feed is not available, the radio switches automatically to analog, and that switch is only seamless if the analog audio is delayed by the amount of time a radio needs to process the digital feed when it's there.

Since WTAM is not delaying, #1 above would seem unlikely, as it's obvious WTAM HAS a profanity delay, and is probably more likely to use it than WMMS would be...and it wouldn't make sense for Clear Channel to delay WMMS and not WTAM. But I can't remember if 100.7 runs IBOC.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[bomatthews]

> > So, I guess my question is this. Why does WMMS have a
> delay
> > but WTAM doesn't? Is it just a management decision by
> WMMS?
> > Is it technical? Something else? I was just curious by
> > this and thanks for any feedback.
>
> Two possibilities here:
>
> 1) WMMS is using a traditional profanity delay of some sort.
>
>
> 2) WMMS has a digital HD/IBOC feed, and it needs to match
> the analog audio with the delay introduced by the digital
> feed. When a digital IBOC feed is not available, the radio
> switches automatically to analog, and that switch is only
> seamless if the analog audio is delayed by the amount of
> time a radio needs to process the digital feed when it's
> there.
>
> Since WTAM is not delaying, #1 above would seem unlikely, as
> it's obvious WTAM HAS a profanity delay, and is probably
> more likely to use it than WMMS would be...and it wouldn't
> make sense for Clear Channel to delay WMMS and not WTAM.
> But I can't remember if 100.7 runs IBOC.
>
> -OA
>
How about this...?

While the Browns are home, TAM will run the games live for the people in the stadium and MMS will run the game in delay to best match up to TV feed. There are several different cable systems with different delays on each of them-- and DirecTV is even more of a delay. We try to split the difference between them and get as close as possible to the cable feeds.

On away games, both WMMS and WTAM are synced up with TV. (or at least attempted to be).

 

[OldAkronite]

> While the Browns are home, TAM will run the games live for
> the people in the stadium and MMS will run the game in delay
> to best match up to TV feed. There are several different
> cable systems with different delays on each of them-- and
> DirecTV is even more of a delay. We try to split the
> difference between them and get as close as possible to the
> cable feeds.

Thanks, Bo! That's option #3 - none of the above - though I suppose you folks are using a profanity delay to do so.

I appreciate it, by the way. But it's difficult to match it given some more variables - for one, the 1-3 second delay (or so) introduced by digital decoding on HDTV/digital OTA TV, and even on Adelphia cable, which even sends down its analog feed of WOIO and WJW by digital encoding on boxes. (But NOT, by the way, on direct cable feeds without a box!)

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[bomatthews]

> > While the Browns are home, TAM will run the games live for
>
> > the people in the stadium and MMS will run the game in
> delay
> > to best match up to TV feed. There are several different
> > cable systems with different delays on each of them-- and
> > DirecTV is even more of a delay. We try to split the
> > difference between them and get as close as possible to
> the
> > cable feeds.
>
> Thanks, Bo! That's option #3 - none of the above - though I
> suppose you folks are using a profanity delay to do so.
>
> I appreciate it, by the way. But it's difficult to match it
> given some more variables - for one, the 1-3 second delay
> (or so) introduced by digital decoding on HDTV/digital OTA
> TV, and even on Adelphia cable, which even sends down its
> analog feed of WOIO and WJW by digital encoding on boxes.
> (But NOT, by the way, on direct cable feeds without a box!)
>
> -OA
>

biggest pain in the ASS. So tough to please everyone...

 

[OldAkronite]

> biggest pain in the ASS. So tough to please everyone...

I think it's good that you're even trying. It's impossible, considering how many different delays there are for TV.

At times, I've taken to using my Sirius satellite unit, which in itself has something of a 20 second delay, and then pausing my TiVo to match it!

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[GoodBuddy]

Re: Dumb Question

> > biggest pain in the ASS. So tough to please everyone...
>
> I think it's good that you're even trying. It's impossible,
> considering how many different delays there are for TV.
>
> At times, I've taken to using my Sirius satellite unit,
> which in itself has something of a 20 second delay, and then
> pausing my TiVo to match it!
>
> -OA
> Why are the games on both WTAM and WMMS? Why not just air the games on WTAM?

 

[timbuc2]

My guess is...

> > Why are the games on both WTAM and WMMS? Why not just air
> the games on WTAM?
>
During September (and possibly October pending playoffs) the Indians are on WTAM. It seems to make sense to have a flagship station be able to carry all the games for a team (no matter the sport), and WTAM can't do that.

Why have the games on WTAM October through December? My guess is Clear Channel has 50,000 reasons why. That being WTAM has a monster 50,000 watt signal. You have WMMS for signal quality (and decent range for a FM station) and WTAM for distance. It could also be that the Browns pull in better ratings than anything else WTAM could put on during that time.

This is just a pure guess on my part. Seems to make sense though.<P ID="signature">______________
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein
</P>

 

[techie]

> > biggest pain in the ASS. So tough to please everyone...
>
> I think it's good that you're even trying. It's impossible,
> considering how many different delays there are for TV.
>
> At times, I've taken to using my Sirius satellite unit,
> which in itself has something of a 20 second delay, and then
> pausing my TiVo to match it!
>
> -OA
>

What, you don't want to hear the TV announcers? I think the Browns are on the "Don Criqui" level at the moment....

 

[JohnnyMorganWXJX]

Re: My guess is...

> > > Why are the games on both WTAM and WMMS? Why not just
> air
> > the games on WTAM?
> >
> During September (and possibly October pending playoffs) the
> Indians are on WTAM. It seems to make sense to have a
> flagship station be able to carry all the games for a team
> (no matter the sport), and WTAM can't do that.

And the Cavs. WTAM is sole home to the Indians and pseudo-sole home to the Cavs (watch when baseball season starts, though, and the Cavs get bumped to 100.7 when conflicts arise).

The Browns, since 1999, have ALWAYS had an FM flagship (and CC seems to have a history of this. The Steelers' flagship is WDVE, with simulcast on 970 AM).

 

[OldAkronite]

Re: My guess is...

> The Browns, since 1999, have ALWAYS had an FM flagship (and
> CC seems to have a history of this. The Steelers' flagship
> is WDVE, with simulcast on 970 AM).

Many NFL teams have FM flagships these days. It makes a lot of sense, when you figure that pro football is an easy sport for an FM music station to run. There are few, if any, weekday preemptions - save for Monday evenings - and it gives the station the "halo" of being the Home of the Team and all that implies.

It also gives the station a heck of a platform on Sunday afternoons, to sell football fans on the station's regular format. (Why do you think WMMS runs a zillion promos for their morning team? )

As far as the simulcast goes, why not? What else is WTAM going to put on the air on Sunday afternoons, when the Indians or Cavs aren't playing?

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[I_Know_Stuff]

Re: My guess is...

It's on two stations for one simple reason: LOCAL SALES.
You can sell the local inventory on the game to two seperate clients on two different stations.

Makes biz sense to me.

 

[captainrexk]

>
> While the Browns are home, TAM will run the games live for
> the people in the stadium and MMS will run the game in delay
> to best match up to TV feed. There are several different
> cable systems with different delays on each of them-- and
> DirecTV is even more of a delay. We try to split the
> difference between them and get as close as possible to the
> cable feeds.
>
> On away games, both WMMS and WTAM are synced up with TV.
> (or at least attempted to be).
>
I don't know about you guys up there....but here in Steelers country, even the TV games are on delay. I have worked in the press box and have seen plays on TV a good 5-10 seconds behind what actually happens on the field. Even the Penguins games here are also on delay. BTW, I am NOT coming up there Xmas eve Browns/Steelers game. LOL

 

[adz]

The Delay is because..

...The Browns have had three instances of ''F-Bombs'' hitting the airwaves..the famous Ravens/Browns CoinFlip from last fall, opening weekend, when the captians started woofing at one another, with ''yeah I hear you mother F-er'' loud and clear over the P-A..and the network..

and...

During postgame interviews the one and only time the Browns backed into the Wild Card..when the Dolphins missed a field goal..the monitors were turned to the game in the Browns locker room...a shouted ''OH F!'' could be heared at a distance..

and...

The ''watch the f'n ball'' from the Green Bay game earlier this year..

Sometimes the guy at button catches it..sometimes not..

The NFL has used ISDN lines for several years..each venue now has several lines for home and visiting broadcasting crews..

I think every NFL franchise now has an FM flagship..WDVE started the trend in Pittsburgh several years ago..AM flagships are still in vouge..WTAM has joined Browns games in progress during September once the Indians network is finished..