• 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

wow... how much radio has changed...

I

in the loop

i have been in radio 11 years... in those 11 years - it is amazing how each year, it just gets more and more blah... not exciting... and just plain boring... its time for a change i guess...

so whats new on OKC?
 
Subject: Are the DJ's really in Tulsa?

This was sent by our fearless leader today to our listener database at KXOJ.


Subject: Are the DJ's really in Tulsa?

Recently a number of newspaper articles have been published in major cities across America pointing out that at many radio stations the DJ you hear on the air may not even live in that city, might work on several radio stations on "tape" or might otherwise pretend to be "live and local" when they are not even in the studio.

Before this type of story spreads to Tulsa, I just wanted to reaffirm to you that at KXOJ we only employ local DJ's who live, work and worship in Green Country just like you. In fact, KXOJ is the only Christian station in Tulsa that does not either originate from another state and get piped in via satellite or feature DJ's who work full time for other (secular) stations or in other cities.

At KXOJ we do not want to be another button on the dial, we want to develop a relationship with you. Thanks for listening.

Bob Thornton
 
If only all radio owner/ops could get the picture, yeah I know it's all about the money.
 
Unless you want to build a career by moving market to market, I would suggest having a plan, at least a basic one, for leaving the business by the time you are thirty.
Radio is a great job to get you through college, go to some concerts and hang around back stage, but I personally do not believe it has the promise that it used to have. Voice-tracking has replaced the need for jocks, and believe me, going in the production room to "track" your show is not being "on the air." It isn't. It can sound good, but the hands on experience of working with the music, talking to listeners, doing a live request show (they used to be done, really!), placing the spots in the break in the order of what sounded good, those days are probably gone for good. If you're new to the business, you really do not know what you are missing if you are only tracking your show. But times have changed and people just want the lastest Justin Timberlake song and they don't care if its on their iPod or K-HITS. When I started in radio a long long time ago, the "automation" was a big clunky old machine. Some of you may remember the old Carousel cart machines that when they turned they went in a circle, turning the carts upside down so the tape would shift. When the cart would be trayed in to play the tape would jam and boy it sounded like someone being strangled. Today's computer system is so efficient and sounds so good, that reallly, what do you need jocks for... or you just need a few. Not a good sign for people who want to be "DJ's" - and what is worse, with fewer jobs, that means what jobs remain will have their salaries pounded down so low that you just can't afford to stay in the business. It is just the truth. Management has a budget, a "number" that they will pay for a morning jock, the midday and afternoon shows (note nights and overnights are tracked, no job there... where there used to be!). The morning guy may make in the 30's, the afternoon guy high 20's, when not too long ago, these shifts used to be high paying jobs. So, enjoy radio while you can. It can still be a fun business, but get your education, move to another job where you can make more money, stuff your 401K, buy a house, and live happily ever after. Oh, and if you want to have some real fun, Google "radio station control rooms" and look at the old stations from 30, 40 years ago with the cart machines and turntables... now, fella's (and ladies, if you're reading) those were FUN days!

Good luck.

PS: Let's stop the petty nonsense. Really, who cares who KXOJDJ is? Let's talk radio, ok?
 
Radio55 said:
Unless you want to build a career by moving market to market, I would suggest having a plan, at least a basic one, for leaving the business by the time you are thirty.
Radio is a great job to get you through college, go to some concerts and hang around back stage, but I personally do not believe it has the promise that it used to have. Voice-tracking has replaced the need for jocks, and believe me, going in the production room to "track" your show is not being "on the air." It isn't. It can sound good, but the hands on experience of working with the music, talking to listeners, doing a live request show (they used to be done, really!), placing the spots in the break in the order of what sounded good, those days are probably gone for good. If you're new to the business, you really do not know what you are missing if you are only tracking your show. But times have changed and people just want the lastest Justin Timberlake song and they don't care if its on their iPod or K-HITS. When I started in radio a long long time ago, the "automation" was a big clunky old machine. Some of you may remember the old Carousel cart machines that when they turned they went in a circle, turning the carts upside down so the tape would shift. When the cart would be trayed in to play the tape would jam and boy it sounded like someone being strangled. Today's computer system is so efficient and sounds so good, that reallly, what do you need jocks for... or you just need a few. Not a good sign for people who want to be "DJ's" - and what is worse, with fewer jobs, that means what jobs remain will have their salaries pounded down so low that you just can't afford to stay in the business. It is just the truth. Management has a budget, a "number" that they will pay for a morning jock, the midday and afternoon shows (note nights and overnights are tracked, no job there... where there used to be!). The morning guy may make in the 30's, the afternoon guy high 20's, when not too long ago, these shifts used to be high paying jobs. So, enjoy radio while you can. It can still be a fun business, but get your education, move to another job where you can make more money, stuff your 401K, buy a house, and live happily ever after. Oh, and if you want to have some real fun, Google "radio station control rooms" and look at the old stations from 30, 40 years ago with the cart machines and turntables... now, fella's (and ladies, if you're reading) those were FUN days!

Good luck.

PS: Let's stop the petty nonsense. Really, who cares who KXOJDJ is? Let's talk radio, ok?
Click to expand...


Yeah, the Carousels were clunky, but if you really wanted to see a mess just watch one of those old 48 cart Go-Cart player self destruct. Another entertaining habit of the old 8-bit automation systems was when the brakes on the takeup spool of your music reel to reel players hung up, unraveling a couple of thousand feet of tape on the floor. You had to fix it and hand spool it back on the reel because Bonneville or Drake Chenault would charge the station several hundred dollars for a replacement, and there's no way your boss would spring for that.

Memories like that will cause you to wake up in a cold sweat. :D
 
I actually had that happen to me! Thanks for the memories(?) :D
Was it the old IGM automation you worked with?
 
KVOO-AM (now KFAQ) had the IGM until the early 90s.
The main unit was located outside the studio with a wired remote next to the console.
 
Radio55 said:
I actually had that happen to me! Thanks for the memories(?) :D
Was it the old IGM automation you worked with?
Click to expand...

I don't remember what brand the first one I used was, It's been way too long ago, but mostly I worked with the old Harris systems, the last one was a Harris 9000. That was the first one with an actual screen. The others all had a keyboard and a one line LED readout in a rack mounted head.
 
The old IGM system I worked with was in the early 70's. It had the old push-pin system. With the push-pin rows across and down. One white set of pins programmed the top carousel, and the red programmed the bottom carousel. If you put a white and red pin in the same row, the machine would play both carousels and you would have two commercials on the air at the same time. Lovely. And Lord help you if you got your finger caught in a carousel! We actually got ours to sound pretty smooth. We were constantly working with the "switch tones" to make it sound right. Great memories.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom