Changes in radio
It seems that in the short time I’ve been doing this blog, a few things that I applauded that were going on in local Detroit radio have either eliminated or have been watered down substantially. Or perhaps in some other way those involved were simply given a slap in the face for doing a good job.
Work in smaller or medium market radio if that’s what you want to do. It appears job security is better. The value that today’s bigger market owners put in talent is minimal, no matter how “good” you are or how many awards you were given or how many ratings wars you won.
While what you’ve done in the past may get you the job in the first place, it doesn’t really matter much any more, and your job may only last months regardless of anything else. You can thank the local economy in part for this scenario -- but that's only part of why it is the way it is.
I am sure I’ll have more to say about this later.
Bob Sneddon, “Bob B” and others
(NOW IT CAN BE TOLD... AGAIN)
By Bob Burnham
This is an extended re-cap from a fresh perspective of some of the places I’ve been and a few of the people I’ve worked for and with in broadcasting.
To the best of my knowledge, Robert J. Sneddon was a broadcast engineering graduate (a now discontinued program) of the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield, Michigan, but he was already managing a radio station and teaching at Southfield High School by then.
Thanks to his education at Specs, Sneddon held a First Class FCC license back when most of us only had “Third Phone Endorsed” (and back when such things actually existed). At that time, you HAD to have one to operate any kind of licensed broadcast facility.
My earliest radio memories include working under Sneddon and the part I played in Southfield Public School’s non-commercial FM station, WSHJ (which is still in operation today). In the 1970’s when I was involved, as mentioned, he both managed the station and taught at the high school. But he was also known on the air as “Bob Daly” on WXYZ-AM, back before the station switched to a talk format.
Although of non-commercial status, he formatted WSHJ-FM as tightly and as professionally as any commercial station, with a hit radio full service format by day and an album rock approach at night.
The studios were state of art for their time. There were two triple-deck cart machines and a massive cart library, and also a pair of Russco turntables for the album rock format at night. We even had a complete jingle package.
I was among the “adults” who worked nighttime air shifts. Sneddon was relentless in guiding people as to the importance of following format, meeting the top of the hour ABC news feeds precisely (the jocks read their own news at night).
He was a tyrant, but he was a tremendous teacher! He would call people in the middle of their shift to point out mistakes, at any hour of the day or night and I do mean any hour. At 4:00 AM just when you thought you could be a little sloppy or slide something in that didn’t quite fit the format, the hotline would ring and Sneddon would growl… “what was THAT!?” It didn’t matter that you were a volunteer at a public radio station. We were professionally programmed to high standards that no other non-commercial station could touch at the time. The fact was many WSHJ alumni went on to major radio stations and careers.
At WSHJ, I perfected a lot of skills that I would use extensively in the years to follow. Computer-based automation systems didn’t exist back then. The only thing that made a tight show tight – was the jock himself.
Sneddon, in reality, was a helluva good guy who gave us “real world” experience at a high school station that was actually on the FM dial with a couple hundred watts. He made a tremendous impact on all of us lucky enough to have worked under his direction. I have always felt lucky to have been a part of his “Super Rock 88” format.
The Sneddon-voiced liners and jock ID’s were unforgettable. He would almost growl: “Public radio…. COMMERCIAL free! You’re on WSHJ Southfield…” We all loved to imitate the guy, but he was one of the best teachers one could ever ask for.
When WXYZ switched to WXYT and an all talk format, Sneddon was also one of the few “Music Radio” air talents to survive and embrace the switch to talk radio.
BRC Productions, my business as a young company at that time, also sold programming services to WSHJ on reel to reel tapes, thanks to Sneddon.
By 1978, I had arrived at the suburban Detroit AM station, WBRB, in Mount Clemens, Michigan. The station was at the time, owned by Gilda Radner of “Saturday Night Live” fame. The General Manager was her uncle, Leigh Feldsteen, who hired me to work the mid-day shift Monday through Friday.
The “full-service AM” format was one I had developed a knack and a passion for, and while I enjoyed a lot of what was going on at, as we called it (WBRB) “The Burb,” (long before the Tom Hanks movie) for the most part, I was uncomfortable with a lot of what was going on at the management level at WBRB.
The Chief Engineer was Bob Sietz, who was a super nice guy, but seemed old enough to be our grandfather. He appeared to be always struggling with one technical problem after another and couldn’t catch up. At least that’s the impression I got. The bottom line was simply he was ready to retire.
Feldsteen would eventually offer his job to me if I got my “First” ticket, but I declined: I wasn’t done with being on the air!
A female Program Director (it seemed) did nothing but whine and grumble and send me on endless numbers of remote broadcasts. There was no talent fee or even gas mileage paid. She did didn’t work an air shift or do much production herself and was eventually replaced by Don Alcorn (a former WHFI-FM jock).
It made sound economic sense, especially for a stand-alone AM. Alcorn had worked air shifts at many Detroit area stations and he wanted my air shift, and he of course got it. So I became a part time employee.
The station made a lot of money selling remote broadcasts, and after about two or three weekends of me doing remotes in often unexpected VERY remote locations, where the signal barely reached, I walked out. If nothing else, during my WBRB stay, I did enjoy working with our morning guy, Larry O’Brien (who was at the time, booth announcer at Channel 9, then CKLW-TV), and our afternoon drive guy, the late Bob Stone, who was a great talent. WBRB eventually went dark (as in went out of business).
It was later while working as Chief Engineer for Wolpin Broadcasting Company, I was the individual who dismantled that very station when Wolpin acquired the license some 15 years later. Wolpin, however, did not put it back on the air, but the newer WBRB transmitter (in the 1990s) was moved to WCAR in Garden City and became the main 1090 AM transmitter.
By Summer of 1979, I arrived at WAAM, in Ann Arbor, Michigan for what would be the highlight of my radio career. Michigan broadcast veteran, Jack Hood, brought me on board as on-air talent where I was known as “Bob Marshall.”
The station’s Chief Engineer at that time, the Texan-accented Randy Custer, also tapped into my resources and made me his Assistant. I worked extensively making sure weekly broadcasts from various Kroger stores featuring “Fat Bob” Taylor were flawless. Taylor had been a fixture on the legendary J.P. McCarthy’s WJR-Detroit show, and he was our midday guy on WAAM.
Within months, however, Hood had offered me a full time position (officially) as Production Director and air talent six days a week.
During Christmas of 1979, I worked many over-time hours assembling on reel tapes, Hood’s 24-hour “Christmas’s Past” Special that aired on the station during Christmas eve and day along with producing several promos. It was a massive project completed in just a few days, but it was great fun.
Custer eventually had to find another technical Assistant. While Hood would resign his position as WAAM Operations Manager a year later, it was during that period I absorbed and adopted many of his programming philosophies as my own. During that short period of time, I had further developed both a production style and on-air “schtick” that became the foundation for what I would do for the rest on my on-air career.
I survived a couple more management changes at WAAM. By the time the station decided they wanted to try their hand at producing their own talk show, they also decided they could no longer afford their Production Director (me).
A month after I was married in the first part of 1981, I was no longer WAAM’s production guy. A year later, however, Jimmy Barrett (best known as talent at WDEE and later at WJR) was WAAM’s interim PD would ask me to return to do weekends.
I’ve always considered the time spent at WAAM as a high point of my career. While there were high points and low points of any job, the level of talent that developed there was tremendous. I actually trained Ken Kal as a weekend fill-in air talent. Today, Ken is best known as the voice of the Detroit Red Wings. Mostly, I’m grateful to Jack Hood. I wouldn’t say he taught me everything I know, but he provided a level of encouragement, mentoring and programming concepts that I carry with me to this day and try to pass on to others.
Between my WAAM strints, I worked an afternoon drive shift at WKHM in Jackson, Michigan. This AM station was then the sister station to the rock station WJXQ-FM "Q-106" (where I wanted to work, but never did). The AM was destined to go to a satellite-fed format. I was the guy hired to work afternoon drive time on the AM before the switch kicked in, and that was it.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed my stay at WKHM immensely, and wished it could have been longer. Around this time, I began a more intensive self-training in broadcast and studio electronics. Realizing the style of AM radio I enjoyed most was being replaced by syndicated shows and talk programming, I recognized a need to diversify if I was going to remain in the broadcast industry. Although my high school yearbook has a photo of me working on the school’s radio station control board, my real interest up to that point had been on-air and production work.
The first station I did a significant amount of technical work for was also in Jackson, Michigan. WJCO was another stand-alone AM with a 5,000 watt daytime signal, and new owners who really had no idea as to how to program, operate or maintain a radio station. Their equipment and transmitter was very old, poorly maintained and unreliable. All the major equipment had the RCA logo on it. I eventually got them to replace the audio console, but the RCA transmitter remained in service at least through the mid 1990s while the site still existed before the license was donated to a local college.
While I was doing work for them, they changed the call letters to WHBT, then it was sold again. Much later, I believe they changed the call letters back after General Motors got wind of their “Heartbeat” slogan. GM felt was infringing on their Chevrolet ad campaign.
As for myself, originally, I had pitched the station on what I could do for them programming-wise. The desperate state of their ancient transmitter and studios, however, soon put me in a position as their main tech guy. This would lead to one of my first significant facility redesign and rebuilding projects.
After a few years with WJCO / WHBT, I wound up back in the Detroit area, at a position that found me. The original owners I had worked for in Jackson were former hosts on WCAR, a suburban Detroit station whose success was built on a combination of talk and ethnic brokered programming but that really wasn't my official introduction to WCAR.
Another thing that happened is a Knight-Ridder syndicated newspaper column appeared about my “old-time” radio show catalog business. The article was a tie-in with Woody Allen’s film, “Radio Days.” Life for me was never the same after that, as my business became my full time “job” for a few years after – yet present-day radio remained a passion!
I would be a featured guest with Peter Werbe on Detroit’s WRIF weekend public affairs show. But I would also be interviewed on WCAR.
The success of WCAR (the Garden City station) was in part due to the guidance of a man I would soon work for and with for the better part of 10 years: Jack Bailey. Bailey had surrounded himself with one of the finest group of professionals I had been associated with up to that point – yet turned out to be the most fun to work with. A few remain good friends today. During the years spent at this station, I was involved in the technical aspect as Chief Engineer, but at the programming level as well. I produced and hosted a series of programs called “Radio Vault.”
The owner of the station, Walter Wolpin, was also generous with us during the holidays. The annual holiday parties were memorable and fun. After that, the station eventually went through a couple of ownership changes, which ultimately, none of us quite survived.
Somewhere in the midst of this, I provided technical services for WXYT / CBS, specifically for their syndicated broadcasts of Detroit Lions Football. During the 1998 season, I was on the scene for each and every pre and post game show originated at the stadium or an area sports restaurant.
Next I arrived as Chief Engineer for a group of stations in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Monroe, Michigan as well. The stations were (are again today) operated by Cumulus Broadcast Corporation, a huge corporation with over 200 stations under its belt. My stay here was relatively short.
My business, BRC Broadcast Services was doing well at the time but the Cumulus Ann Arbor radio stations were going through a difficult transitional period. The group, having gone several months without ANY kind of technical help, meant I had to be the daily “miracle worker” guy on short notice. I had to deal with four radio stations crammed into a space formerly occupied by only two with of course, a minimal budget. Nothing new, right!?
The stress level quickly got to be more than I was willing to tolerate (especially with my own business being profitable but now somewhat neglected). I WAS there, however, for the surprise FCC inspection during the last week prior to my resignation date! The result: The stations passed, with no problems. The General Manager asked me to stay, but I declined.
I won’t say anything further about the Cumulus period, other than a person or two I actually enjoyed working with: Mark Thompson, the Ops Manager at the Ann Arbor group was a good guy to work with; ditto for John O’Leary who was then doing drive time on the rock station, WIQB. John would later arrive at WCSX, Greater Media’s classic rock station in Detroit. In Monroe, Michigan, Herb Cody, General Manager then at WTWR-FM was also the best.
I survived those days for a time, which is something I attach some pride to.
In addition to having BRC Broadcast Services producing syndicated talk shows almost around the clock (it seemed), I was also doing technical maintenance for a couple of local stations, in most cases, as “designated” Chief Engineer.
Another life-changing occurence: I also took on an extra project for Specs Howard School of Broadcast. While none of this work involved what I truly liked doing the most, nonetheless, it kept me busy, was profitable, and was work I did in fact, gain some enjoyment from.
I assumed upon leaving Cumulus, self-employment would occupy 100% of my time. I was doing both management of my own studio and broadcast engineering as well, now all I needed was to get a weekend on-air gig! But instead the musician-side of me bubbled back to the top of my life, and I started playing in local bands more than ever!
A friend who was then an instructor at Specs Howard said I should apply for an opening at the school. This turned out to be a full-time opportunity. I wasn’t planning on working for anyone except myself for the next few years, however, the gig at Specs turned out to be a great change in my life. I became part of the Operations Department in ways I never could have guessed.
I have helped the school in its transition into the digital age, by doing most of the hands-on work myself which I do enjoy. But I also bring a lifetime of experiences in the industry to share – that actually came to me (from what seems like another lifetime) from people like Bob Sneddon, Jack Hood and others.
At Specs, I try NOT to be that stereotypical weird engineer guy with the pocket calculator who comes out only at night….instead I work daytime hours!
And again, the fact that those ‘SHJ Sneddon liners from “that other lifetime” are STILL burned into my brain forever should be evidence of the impact he had on all of us: “Commercials DON’T get in the way…. On Eighty-Eight…’SHJ!…”
Today, Mr. Sneddon is a Florida resident. I wish him well.
I’m still a Michigan resident where the weather sucks, and life is not quite perfect for me (and a lot worse for a lot of people) yet I’ve still been lucky in many respects.
" -Bob B "
PRESS RELEASE
ENCO Systems Announces System Expansion at Specs Howard
Southfield, Michigan, March 25, 2009: ENCO Systems Inc., a leading worldwide provider of Digital Audio Delivery Systems, announced a significant expansion of the ENCO DAD system at the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield, MI, including adopting ENCO’s new Presenter delivery system.
Specs Howard has been serving the broadcast education field since 1970 and has been using ENCO’s DAD system to teach students since 1999. This expansion will grow the system from three to twenty four workstations, allowing radio students to have more access than ever before to advanced radio storage
and delivery technology. The school evaluated a number of systems before deciding on ENCO’s Presenter.
Eugene Novacek, President of ENCO Systems said, “Specs Howard has done an exceptional job over the years preparing students to become broadcasters as they have focused on the important skills that allow their graduates to get jobs and advance in the broadcast industry. It was very gratifying to receive this endorsement of Presenter early on from Specs Howard. Their hands-on approach and our new Presenter product will complement each other nicely.”
“We’ve been using ENCO’s DAD system for ten years and it has proven to be a solid and reliable performer in a high pressure environment like ours,” noted Bob Burnham, Specs Howard’s Chief Engineer. “Having examined the current market and then having a chance to see Presenter, we were convinced that growing our ENCO system and adding Presenter to the mix made the most sense for Specs Howard students. Preparing students in a real-world environment for a long-term future in broadcasting is what we’re all about. Hands-on cutting-edge technology has always played a major role in our success as a teaching tool for the thousands of Specs grads employed in the industry. Presenter is clearly a product that is looking ahead and in total synch with how we do what we do at the school.” The Presenter single screen interface features a panel design with integrated tools including voice tracking, hot buttons, recording, database search and display and more. Other features include cut, paste and block move of playlists elements, user tabs, backsell log and a number of new and refined user friendly tools designed for live assist and voice tracked operations. Presenter will be on display at NAB 2009 in Las Vegas, NV, April 20-23 in Booth N-7607 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Initial Presenter information is available at the ENCO web site at www.enco.com and will be regularly updated. Presenter will begin shipping in May 2009.
About ENCO ( www.enco.com )
ENCO Systems is a leading provider of Digital Audio Delivery Systems for demanding television and radio organizations worldwide.
ENCO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan with offices in Nashville, South Carolina, India and the United Kingdom and retains distributors throughout the rest of the world.
About Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts ( www.specshoward.edu )
Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts is a recognized center for radio, television and film education located in Southfield, MI. Founded in 1970, over 12,000 students have graduated from Specs Howard over the years, filling positions in all facets of the broadcast industry. Specs Howard recently added a Graphic Design Program to its offerings and the first class will graduate in May 2009.
For further information on ENCO Systems, Inc. contact Don Backus, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, ENCO Systems, Inc., 29444 Northwestern Highway, MI 48034 USA Tel: 800-362-6797 or 248-827-4440 Fax: 248-827-4441
or e-mail: sales@enco.com. Additional information about ENCO is available on their website: www.enco.com .
Authorized For Immediate Release, March 25, 2009.
###
So where’s the SOUND and where’s the COLOR?
As a re-cap, this blog is about my life and your life and the things that interest me the most, which is the broadcast industry, past and present, and music as well.
By design, there is nothing fancy about this website.
I have some limited graphic design experience, but it’s not my specialty and the intent of this site is not to dazzle your with fancy web programming.
But I do have lots of stories about experiences in the industry and many COLORFUL characters I’ve met, worked with, in some cases worked FOR, as well as some I work with today (and maybe some people I haven’t met yet).
Radio and the broadcast industry in general is driven by people, and while I don’t know 1/10th of the people my colleague, Dick Kernen knows, we do move among slightly different circles. I also have a very in-the-trenches viewpoint which may provide useful insight to those trying to bust in.
As far as sound, it’s one of my passions. Maybe my biggest passion – making radio stations sound great who don’t have two cents to rub together – are among my accomplishments, as well as mixing (and performing in) live bands who have the talent and passion, but can’t afford or more often than not, can’t be bothered with studio time.
I work with one of the best groups of people I have ever been associated with… at the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, in Southfield, Michigan. The same criteria applies to those I associate with in a musical environment in the Detroit area (the best).
In no particular order, I love jazz, classic rock, blues, and even The Detroit Symphony Orchestra. If the music was created by people who care about what they’re doing, I will probably be able to find something I like about it.
From this, you can probably gather that by nature, I am a very positive person, but life isn’t perfect.. Yet the content of my blog commentary is generally upbeat, sometimes autobiographical, sometimes almost diary form and it’s meant to be descriptive of real life.
While I don’t paint rosy pictures if there’s a storm brewing, I’m not going to take anything truly negative to a personal level. The preference is to find “the bright side” of everyone and everything. If that bright side doesn’t exist, then the topic won’t be found here.
You can comment on anything here and some people have. Or you can contact me directly at bob at brcbroadcast dot com. I HATE SPAM, so don’t try to sell me breast enlargement cream or get-rich-quick schemes.
But I always answer e-mail.
This legendary ABC Radio broadcaster (70 years in the business) has died at age 90.
Paul Harvey wore a sportcoat and tie to work everyday just because he felt it helped him to "keep his edge."
Maybe so. He represented the end of an era where you couldn't get on radio unless you worked at it.... for YEARS...and YEARS... and especially when many didn't even make it on the air unless they were the best of the best.
The guy was a legendary daytime staple at half the stations where I worked. At some stations, he got tape delayed, but the show always ran, and the outcue was always....
"Paul Harvey....<long pause> Good Day!"
It sometimes sounded like he was chuckling under his breath during the close.
We all loved to do imitations of him, but if you actually listened to the show, you got hooked on his style and his no-nonsense approach to news as well as lighter stories.
The comedy skit we might have laughed at (but not at Harvey's expense) is a program of all bad news (as there seems to be so much of today) and the show would end:
"Paul Harvey.... <VERY long pause> Bad Day!"
He was not afraid of controversy and the show was decidedly upbeat from the very opening:
"Hello Americans! This is Paul Harvey! Stand by... for News!"
The inflection on "news" almost made him sound giddy with excitment that here he was getting set to open another show.
Maybe you thought he was a goof, but once you got into the content of the show, you could tell that here was a hard-core serious broadcast journalist who simply had that extra flair that no one else had.
Paul Harvey...<pause> ...you rocked the broadcast world. Thanks for your years of dedication. Good Day!
Even though content rules and it’s still out there…
The Future of Technology (and everything else) Still Moves Forward
By Bob Burnham
Aren’t you tired of hearing bad news?
It’s not just that the news is negative but it’s rooted in the fact that we are in the midst of change: Big change and changes in everything and anything. Sometimes the change works out for the better and sometimes it just doesn’t work.
Analog or digital TV? And if it’s digital, is it HD (high definition)? There’s a difference, you know. And what about those dates for switchover? February or June?
I have two words in response: WHO CARES!?
People have been connecting VCR’s to their TVs since the 1980s and now they can’t figure out how to connect a simple HD box?
C’mon folks, get with the program. It’s the same thing!
And what about HD RADIO? Does any number of people that amount to anything actually listen to those extra “stations between the stations”? The FCC, at least initially, doesn’t want licensees to sell commercial time on those “extra” HD channels, so there can’t be too much incentive to do anything too creative with programming on those channel. They are just more of the same bland programming. Why do we want more of THAT!? Why should we buy the radios in the first place? Furthermore, even if we wanted to buy the radios, where do we buy them? Hardly anyone is selling them to begin with!
And whatever happened to AM Stereo or for that matter, digital AM? The interference that was caused by this created far more problems than it solved and when most of the programming on AM is talk anyway, there seems little point to having anything too technically advanced on the AM band. For the most part it’s a dead outlet for mindless syndicated programming identical in every market small and large.
The two major satellite radio companies merged, but now appears they will fold as well.
The concept of paying for quality radio is apparently flawed, and following the merger, the companies reportedly started dropping many of programs that were actually popular among subscribers…. literally stripping away the channels of their product that were the very reason someone would actually give them money for it in the first place. Something is wrong with this scenario.
As for (analog) AM Stereo, it sounded pretty nice for a short time in the late 1980s around the time music programming was disappearing off the band faster than you can blink.
Newspapers are struggling as people use the internet more and more as their source of news and information, and those newspapers haven’t yet figured out how to make money with their internet sites. It’s part of the changing times. Me or anyone spending 50 cents on a newspaper is not going to stop or slow down the change no matter how good or bad the economy is.
In the midst of an economic crisis “brick and mortar” retail outlets are disappearing while certain commerce-based websites are at least surviving – if not setting the world on fire.
And what about music? When was the last time you (or anyone you know) actually made a specific trip to the store to BUY (as in pay money) for a CD?
For that matter, you can probably count on one hand the number of record STORES that are not part of a “big box” operation within 100 miles.
And whatever happened to the video rental stores? Having recently bought out one of the major movie downloading businesses, now there are rumblings that our friends at Blockbuster are dangerously close to bankruptcy.
For many people, life revolves around computer operations, highly advanced cellular phones that do everything.
Ipods, however, WILL be on the way out (rapidly) once the next generation of portable players emerge that connect everyone with everything they ever wanted to listen to or watch – without storing it (the music / video) in the player itself.
So what about those of us who grew up working in radio, figuring it was the only business we ever wanted to be in? What’s left for us?
The internet is out there folks. Forget about the commercial bands at least for your own use. You’re going worldwide on the ‘net.
Someone recently asked me about Part 15 of the FCC’s rules (micro power without a license). Forget about that, too!
Audio cable is cheap! You could run a piece of wire (even in digital format) to everyone’s crib within the range of a flea-power operation and deliver a product far superior than anything being broadcast anywhere… providing YOU know how to create the product itself YOURSELF. So get busy with those internet or hard-wired “stations” and show them how its done! Maybe you could even recreate your own flavor of the “Boss Radio” sound, but with your own name behind it.
....seeya soon!
-Bob
VUOLO, TED THE BEAR AND D & D
Content rules in radio, and it still can be found if you know where to look...
by Bob Burnham
Art Vuolo is best known in the Detroit area as “radio’s best friend” and his now defunct columns in the Oakland Press.
His commentary can still be read on the web at www.michiguide.com and he has a business that offers airchecks and programs he has produced over the years about and for radio. Just go to www.vuolovideo.com/
Video featuring just about any air talent you can remember can be found in Art’s offerings.
He is also known for his rock Radio Guides which always greeted me at the cash register at Big Boy restaurants. It was a listing on all the radio stations in Michigan along with their formats and cities. Last year, however, the Guides were sorely missed, due apparently to a lack of sponsorship.
During our rare in-person encounters, he rarely remembers who I am. Our first meeting in the 1970s was at his Ann Arbor apartment during which he proudly played a University of Michigan documentary he was working on – from his Sony reel to reel tape decks.
As I have mentioned in these blogs in the past, I worked on-air at Ann Arbor’s WAAM, back when the station had live talent around the clock playing music, but for a couple years in the early 1980s, I was also WAAM’s Production Director.
Art and I had something in common in those days: We knew how to do fine editing on reel to reel tape!
But I also collected rare moments on the radio, including moments people probably would prefer I erased!
In the 1970’s, the original WDRQ had a Public Affairs talk show on the weekend during which they put the music format on pause.
“Speak Out” was hosted by broadcast veteran, Don Zee and produced by Lee Scott.
In May of 1973, Art was a featured guest talking about radio station jingles, promos and playing some of his recordings like “The Un-Contest” a take-off on 7-Up commercials.
I have in my possession a tape of this program, during which Art and Don talk radio then take questions from listeners. A few days ago, I listened to that tape in its entirety.
It’s interesting to hear today, realizing that radio was in general more important to more people at the time, and still had a youthful audience. WDRQ was apparently doing well at the time as an FM station that was giving serious competition to the previous market leader, CKLW (which had its own problems as well). The public was switching to FM.
Today, the Detroit FM band actually has a few bright spots if you know where they are and if the type of programming appeals to you.
While Art has lowered himself to trying to sell bricks from torn down transmitter sites, he is still present at all the major broadcast events. Most broadcasters appreciate his efforts to promote a business that like so many others, is struggling today.
Another rare “Art” audio nugget in my possession was “filler” material I stumbled upon on a tape with some other material:
You won’t find “WARV 91.7” on any of his Radio Guides or any lists of Michigan radio stations but apparently it could be found in Art’s home many years ago. It was a DJ show hosted by Art himself! I’m not going to say anything bad other than Specs Howard’s tuition in those days (late 1970s) was a real bargain that might have been a good investment for Art!
But we can cut the guy some slack! He has been known to support today’s Specs Howard in various ways and obviously, we appreciate it!
Even though Art claimed WARV “played the best music” on the aircheck, I can’t say exactly that his “station” rocked MY world <chuckle!>.
As far as bright spots on radio that DO rock my radio world…
Ted “The Bear” Richards (veteran CKLW-AM jock of the 1970s-80s), just celebrated a year of being back on the air in Detroit. Catch him afternoons on WOMC 104.3. The playlist of this station is microscopic compared to what “The Big 8” aired back in their heyday, but Ted is better than ever. In the midst of tough times, Ted’s show is always bright and upbeat. I don’t know how to describe the jock style that is typical of most of the talent on WOMC to people who haven’t lived through it. They feature strong personalities that are allowed to do more than just read liners. The program elements are no-mess-around-TIGHT much like they were in the days when hit radio formats could be found on the AM band. It’s easier to do today because computers take the place of mechanical cartridge machines that at the biggest stations, even required a separate engineer to operate.
A more laid back “classic” approach is a little further down the dial at 94.7, Greater Media’s classic rocker, WCSX.
The painfully-long awaited return of Jeff Deminiski and Bill Doyle made its WCSX debut on New Years the very second their old contract allowed them do. Mornings with “D & D” are now a fixture on WCSX having now completed a full month of being “back.”
Ted Richards’ WOMC show basically sounds exactly the same as his CKLW days. The same for D & D comparing their “old” show to the “new” one. Their old station went through a variety of “flavors” before finally becoming a sports station, but D & D never changed, and the current show, although airing mornings and now having more of a classic rock edge (what ever that is!), still sounds like a bunch of people chatting at the corner pub, and not much different from the “old” show.
The shows (Ted the Bear and D & D) both sound “real” --not phony. It’s not about formats, it’s not about how many spots run per hour, what the “cume” is, how many “power” oldies are played per hour or how many listeners spend money on what products. These things all translate into money, but good radio is about good people.
The numbers and statistics (and money) will follow IF there are good people delivering good content. That is the very bottom line.
Deminski and Doyle are perfect examples I have pointed out in the past. No other hosts on their old station lasted from beginning to the very end the way they did. Good, consistent ”real” content will generate good numbers no matter hour good, bad or indifferent the rest of the broadcast day is. Sometimes it takes time to develop a following and sometimes a station cannot afford to wait it out in these tough times.
Somehow, D & D beat the odds. There must be a reason for that. It has been said they were and are hard workers.
These winners of Detroit radio have made the best of it merely by doing their jobs to the best of their ability. That’s all it is. Captain “Sully”did it making an emergency water landing on the Hudson River. No one died, but it wasn’t any big deal to him. He was merely doing his job as a professional pilot. He saved lives, but no big deal! Every day occurrence. Heck, a doctor saves lives for a living.
Meantime, Detroit radio had been making a severe sucking sound for several years.
That is until people like Ted, Jeff and Bill came back. They saved Detroit radio.
“Aw shucks,” they would probably say, “We were just doing what we love to do – doing what we get paid for to the best of our abilities.” (Those shows btw, SOUND like these people are having fun every single day).
There’s still a lot of dead space on the bands, including stations that come entirely out of a computer that runs from morning to night without human intervention. If someone is making a profit from that computer – so be it – but it’s not my kind of radio.
And I suspect it’s not Art Vuolo’s kind of radio, either.
Like myself, Art comes from the days when hundreds of top 40 stations with live talent could be heard on medium powered regional AM stations, all of whom sounded like they were top 5 markets. Today, if they still exist, they are infomercial-based and/or satellite driven stations with the same shows that are heard in every other market.
Radio has already done damage to itself that may be beyond repair. But there are still those of us around that still love radio. There are still people around like “Radio’s Best Friend,” Art Vuolo, who kept that title for a reason.
The talent is also still around who remember when you had to be REALLY REALLY GOOD to have a chance to do weekends at a radio station or even sweep the floor.
As the saying goes – Content IS KING – but today it will cost more than a minimum wage salary to find the people who know how to deliver that content. Luckily, there have finally been some management in this market who realize that and gave the listeners what they wanted for a change.
-Bob Burnham
James Jamerson, the Funk Brothers and Reflections…
By Bob Burnham
I think I am mostly elated that the U.S. has elected its first African American President. The number of African Americans who have had a positive impact on my life will probably continue to grow!
I’m not merely a dumb geeky “techie” white guy even if that’s what I appear to be!
I was passively listening to an oldies station yesterday and I heard the Motown classic from the Supremes, “Reflections” and the brilliant bass line reached out and literally sucked me into a song I’d heard a million times before. The legendary late great James Jamerson who dug those bass grooves so many years ago, was the man responsible.
As you may know, I’m not only a radio and techie guy – I’m also a musician. My favorite instrument is bass.
I have literally grown up with the Motown sound. I was a Detroit Public Schools student in the 1960s and had friends of all religions and races during that time. I was a listener of all the great Detroit radio stations of the time including WXYZ, CKLW and WKNR.
My family later moved to the suburbs but I took a piece of that with me, and part of it was the groove of Motown music. By then, I was already playing guitar myself and the Beatles and Stones were obviously already on the scene. These English dudes already had a taste of OUR music and they were feeling it as well.
True musicians and singers really have to feel it to play it the way it should be played or sung.
In the earliest days, bands played strictly by charts or written music. James Jamerson, however, took a piece of music and applied his own interpretation to it. He used syncopation, stops and he even recorded double parts first with an acoustic bass, then a Fender electric bass. His grooves were so accurate, you couldn’t tell there were actually two parts. The point being they were HIS grooves… not just an exact duplicate of what was on the charts.
While Motown had other great bass players, they only had one James Jamerson. No one else could duplicate his work. Someone else could do THEIR version of whatever was on the written music, and parts of it might be close, but never exactly the way he would play it.
Any piece of music in fact. can be played “straight” EXACTLY as it was written, OR with some interpretation. I’ve played bass since the 1980’s, learning mostly by listening and studying the work of others.
There is an art to imposing your own interpretation on someone else’s song without harming what the writer had in mind.
I worked for many years with former “Badways” front man, Todd Luneack. He told me I played “melodic” and generally liked everything I did with the songs he wrote as well as covers. Others thought I “over-played” but what I was doing was imposing lead guitar parts I thought were “missing” –on bass (I am also a fan of bassist, Stanley Clarke).
When the instrumentation is sparse, my tendency was (and still is) to “fill in the holes.”
Depending on the circumstances, I will either “hold back” – or not.
As I would discover, just a few years ago, when pressed into service as lead guitarist of “Wherez My Limo,” everything I was picking up on bass translated over to a six string guitar as well.
The instrumentation is sparse, yet creative and brilliant on the Supremes’ “Reflections.”
So here I was yesterday re-discovering this major radio hit simply by zeroing in on the bass line, which was completely unlike any traditional approach. Jamerson was throwing in notes that completely fit and were totally in the right key, yet were also totally unexpected.
To me, this is what makes music so exciting – to discover things you missed over forty years after the tune was recorded and I can ALMOST forgive that oldies station for having such a limited playlist.
“The Funk Brothers” were the studio musicians who did such an incredible job at Hitsville when Motown was entirely Detroit-based. None of the stars who came out of that building would have made it without such top notch musicians who created the sound and groove of those records. They were not credited at the time, but featured in the film “Standing in the Shadows of Motown.” I was lucky enough in my more recent radio career to work with people who were part of that scene in some way.
The late Martha Jean “the Queen’s” Steinberg’s radio station, WQBH-AM kept people like Jay Butler and Ray “Raymon” Henderson on the air for many years. They were part of WJLB when it was on the AM band. These guys had passions for Motown, R & B and blues music unlike any I’d worked with up until then. They were also super people to work with at the radio station where I was a maintenance engineer several years.
The same passion can be found in Mark “Paz” Pasman of the Motor City Blues Project on WCSX. Paz invited me to sit in with him at some of his "super sessions" with some of the finest musicians in town.
So if I do a good or even a “reasonable” job playing bass or anything else. If I do even a passable job at any of my gigs scheduled in 2009, it is only because I have sponged up whatever “groove” I could working with, listening to or gigging or practicing with many of the best in the business. And it didn’t hurt to grow up in the Motor City, either.
Thank you Mr. Jamerson, where ever you may be, for your deep grooves as well.
This article was prepared during the spring and summer of 2008 for Radio Guide. It covers the latest audio upgrade at the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield, MI... www.specshoward.edu
PRODUCTION, NEWS & RADIO STUDIO RENOVATION ON A BUDGET
PART 1
By Bob Burnham
What kind of work can there possibly be at a broadcast SCHOOL for an engineer? Ten years ago, that question may have been on my mind when I climbed aboard the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield, Michigan. For those of you who have read my Radio Guide articles over the years, you know this has been my “day job” for some time.
Within my first couple years, I had carried more than 50 cart machines, cassette players, reel decks and similar obsolete technology to the dumpster. In the process, we had upgraded 15 “practice” studios, four radio stations and added six completely new studios. I handled the majority of the physical design and wiring personally.
The Production and News studios’ “time” had finally come (again) and we were ready for another cycle of radio station renovations as well.
The answer to the first question about what my work at the school would consist of should be obvious: My life has been a continuous cycle of upgrade projects and making sure the existing technology was behaving as expected AND that staff and students knew how to use it.
With a facility this large and comprehensive, another challenge has been keeping the technology CURRENT. The school is situated in the Detroit area, and is not immune to the soft local economy. Our relationship with many vendors and manufacturers, however, has helped to keep the budget under control.
My challenge is multi-fold: It involves figuring out what capabilities we need in the studio. Second, to select a combination of high quality industry standard equipment that falls within the budget. Finally, collect quotes and see if the grand total is a number within our range. If not, then substitutions or even design changes are made. There was a lot of that going on with this project.
NEW CONSOLES: OUT WITH MACKIE, IN WITH ARRAKIS
Production was originally set up several years back with two Mackie 1402 mixers (which had replaced a REALLY old rotary console). Two Enco DAD workstations and a couple racks of equipment were also part of the set-up. Those two Enco workstations were kept in service with updated displays.
As for the mixers, no one really understands how to use a Mackie mixer who is merely trying to record a quick radio spot. There are more adjustments on a Mackie that can (and did) ruin audio in the hands of someone in a hurry or lacking the kind of detailed knowledge that it seems only engineers possess. Also the out-in-the-open ¼” plugs on a Mackie encourage frequent re-patching by people who really have no clue of what they were doing.
So the decision was made early on to replace the Mackies with small broadcast consoles. The project had to be planned within a tight budget, however, combined with space limitations. So I couldn’t merely order a couple more digital consoles similar to those used in our practice studios: They were way too expensive AND large and it was basically over-kill anyway. The number of available small affordable consoles, however, had diminished. Manufacturers have focused more on their higher end digital products.
Elsewhere in the building, we use Audioarts and Radio Systems’products quite extensively. Obviously, both companies had options that would be suitable for Production, but with a two position, dual console environment and a limited budget we had to look elsewhere.
OVERVIEW OF THE CONSOLES SELECTED FOR THE PRODUCTION STUDIO
The new “ARC-10” series from Arrakis Systems seemed to be the best option for our application. Seemingly designed for small-market broadcasters, these consoles however, sported a sleek, low profile modern appearance that rivals higher-end equipment. This in itself was a major selling point as the studio being upgraded is in a prominent location adjacent to the front lobby prospective students see on a regular basis.
As a broadcast engineer, I am familiar with to almost every conceivable method of equipment termination. The ARC consoles are literally designed for plug and play. The plugs, however, are out of harm’s way.
The basic model is all RCA plugs with a couple of XLR connections. I ordered the balanced audio version at a slightly higher price (Model ARC-10BP) whose balanced inputs were modular CAT 5 style plugs, (although there were still several RCA connections required). I did not use most of the supplied RCA cables, preferring to make my own using metal Neutrik RCA plugs and the usual Belden 9451 cable. Arrakis supplies most of what you need with the console but I also ordered a few break-out cables terminated with XLR connectors.
The console also includes a USB connection that interfaces directly with Arrakis’ own automation software, “Digilink X-treme,” which is bundled with both the ARC-10BP and ARC-10UP models). A channel is dedicated to the USB function although it can be easily switched to standard use. Yet another Telephone-designated channel is fully balanced with in and out logic with the usual Mix-Minus capability.
The console truly is a self-contained Radio-Station-in-a-Box. Adding a computer, microphones some source equipment and you are ready to go live. As Arrakis states, it is specifically designed for “On-Air, internet radio and podcast applications.” Production in an educational environment such as ours, therefore, should not be a challenge.
The real strength of this console, however, is the price. We were able to purchase two consoles for the price of what we might have paid for one.
HAVE TO TAKE THE BAD WITH THE GOOD…
There are drawbacks to this console. Arrakis had to find areas it could cut costs.
One area that is lacking is the control/logic functions of the console. The logic is very “stripped down.” For an extra fifty cents in parts, Arrakis could have done a better job rather than giving us a page of suggested “home-brew” circuits (such as for Start-Stop circuits). For these functions (and an On-Air light) make sure you order a couple LogicConverters from Henry Engineering. If you are considering this console, make sure you allow for budgetary items such as these (unless you really want to build your own interface).
In a typical environment, however, who has the time or patience anymore to cobble together a bunch of discrete transistors/diodes into a somewhat serviceable box? We are also reminded in the manual that “improper connection to console logic can damage the console.” So if you mess it up, it’s gonna cost ya’ !
Cosmetics. As mentioned, the console’s appearance is a major plus. On the negative side, the VU meters are only of average mechanical type (which are NOT lit). Again, cuts need to be made somewhere and this one area Arrakis designers chose to economize.
Console Maintenance & Repair Considerations
Arrakis suggests a call to their tech support department before beginning any type of repair. A few pages in the manual are devoted to a few troubleshooting basics. There was a major disappointment in this area: The most common failure component in any console is the slide fader. Arrakis notes the sliders on the ARC are soldered to the motherboard directly and the whole console must be returned to the factory for fader replacement. The rotary faders, however, are field serviceable. But save the shipping carton, just in case!
It is obviously my hope that the sliders are at least as durable as those in Mackie mixers that the console is replacing.
I did call Arrakis about this console regarding switching the USB input over to line level. The manual implies there is some kind of secret magic that tech support will somehow convey to you in a phone call.
There was no such magic, but the gang at Arrakis IS very friendly and helpful. Take off the handful of screws on the bottom of the console and you have complete access to the motherboard. There’s your “magic.” Now make the changes or repairs without messing anything up!
PREPARING FOR THE BIG PROJECT
No matter how much preparation and thought you put into a studio project, you can never do too much planning, but even the best laid plans will and do go south when unexpected problems arise. Although I did some of my pre-work, I had more than my share of unexpected “issues” with this project.
Projects that are put together totally “on-the-fly” always take more time, cost more money in one way or another and have even more problems or unexpected surprises at the end that have to be fixed.
Set priorities, budget limitations and specifically what you want to accomplish as early as possible. Develop equipment and supplies lists and specifically WHICH vendors to use to acquire this equipment. This is easily accomplished using a simple Excel file.
There may be surprises! Equipment models are frequently discontinued, alternate options develop that may be more expensive – or even less expensive. Manufacturers frequently modify their product lines, or they stop making products altogether.
For example, originally, JBL’s “Control 1” speakers were not supplied with any mounting brackets. The current model “Control 1 Pro,” INCLUDES the mounting brackets. Another surprise this year was discovering legendary microphone boom manufacturer, Luxo, recently stopped making microphone-related products. They still make arm-mounted copy-holders. O.C. White is the only remaining broadcast boom manufacturer.
Broadcast vendors will be helpful in getting your list together and there are many good ones who support this publication.
For this project, I used Broadcasters General Store (BGS), Broadcast Supply Worldwide (BSW), and for the odd parts, MCM Electronics.
Your list should ultimately contain cable, any connectors required, mounting hardware and cable control supplies. Punch blocks as well as extra drill bits should also be on the list along with saber saw blades and any tools you don’t already have at your disposal.
Don’t forget extra power strips, and don’t buy the cheap $6 fire-hazard strips from the corner hardware store! Most of my studios have at least one Furman (or similar) rack-mounted “line conditioner” per rack. By the way, the term Line or Power Conditioner is simply a better quality surge strip. If you’re on a budget, the no-frills entry-level Furman rack-mount model is just under $50 from a broadcast supplier
For mission-critical applications, invest in an APC or Tripp UPS (conditioner with battery back-up). If there is a computer on the equipment list, make sure it has its own adequate and dedicated UPS. Don’t load a bunch of studio gear on the same UPS as a computer. Both companies make UPS models that are rack-mountable.
When building a studio, when possible, I prefer to bolt everything in place rather than having anything loose behind the rack. That isn’t always possible, however, in the case of AC wiring, proper and neat routing is a crucial ingredient to doing a professional job. It can also impact performance of the studio. Most import (to you especially) it also makes the studio easier to service if everything is plugged into a central MOUNTED device.
The current Furman model (“Mx8”) also has extra spacing for a couple of wall warts (plug-in power supplies) as well.
While assembling the furniture, I added many cable-tie mounts and “loops” in anticipation of where I thought the wire runs would be.
The preliminary furniture assembly took place in an unused video studio to eventually be moved to the actual studios.
PRE-WIRE PLANNING
It’s time to make another of those Excel lists!
This part of the planning should start once you have ordered your new equipment.
Since I have built so many studios at Specs Howard and elsewhere I have settled on many standards (such as “wire #1 and #2 are always mono, MIC-1 and MIC-2”). Part of those standards also include labeling each and every cable that passes audio or control, pre-cutting most of the cables to length and adding the connectors BEFOREHAND – if required or if appropriate.
The Excel list includes a list of designated WIRE numbers, a separate column for the SOURCE equipment a column for any PUNCH PIN-OUTS and finally, the DESTINATION equipment, providing the equipment pin-outs if necessary.
A column for special remarks can also be included.
Since this is an all-analog installation, I used traditional wiring techniques using single pair Belden 9451, however, these same methods can be applied with the growing popularity of using Cat 5 (four pair) network cable to wire the entire studio. This studios being built are analog only which was dictated by budget and type of consoles. The only difference is each WIRE number represents four pairs and those pin-outs should also be shown on your Excel wiring chart.
A separate block diagram can also detail any special wiring that may be required.
Each wire run required for studio assembly needs to be pre-cut if you are building your own pre-wires in house and from scratch. In general, it is better to over-estimate the lengths required and allow extra length for a service loop (or cut the surplus off at installation time and re-label the wire).
Wire runs to various parts of the rack should also be pre-bundled with cable ties, even if your shipment of the actual racks hasn’t arrived yet.
TOOL TIP!
Use good quality tools! This includes such things as the ever-present diagonal cutters. A small green-handled pair of FLUSH cutters will allow you to trim cable ties. The “cheapie” cutters are generally not of this type and will leave a little tail of the cable tie where you trim them. This “tail” can and will cut your hands as you pull wires through the nooks and crannies of the furniture. Spend $19.95 rather than $4.99 on your dikes and save your hands from being hacked up.
OTHER TASKS & TIPS…
Those O.C. White microphone booms need to be pre-threaded with the appropriate cable and XLR connectors added to each end. I use actual microphone cable such as from Canare or Belden, rather than the thin line-level cable. The XLR jacks can also be mounted on the countertop near where the boom base is located. Use a ¾” spade drill for the jacks, then 1/16” bits for the screws. I used the tiny #4 ½” flat head phillips screws for this application. Be aware of what is beneath the countertop before drilling. Drill the holes first, then put the screws in by hand. If you try to high-speed the screws, you will either strip out the very small amount of wood below or tear up the face of the screw.
If you selected Shure SM-7 microphones, use right-angle XLR connectors from Neutrik so the microphone can fully rotate. Right angle XLR’s can be a real challenge to attach to the end of a braided-shield mic cable. This is why these type of tasks are best completed BEFORE the actual construction begins, perhaps when you are less stressed, have more patience and can take time to do a really good job with tasks such as these.
It is important to take care of whatever details you can think of that can be pre-assembled before your studio furniture arrives. Once the studio construction begins, the many “little details” you forgot or didn’t around to will only add to your studio downtime.
TEST THE NEW EQUIPMENT...
If necessary, assemble cables specifically for testing. As mentioned, the control / logic of the Arrakis ARC consoles selected needs extra attention. Work out the details of what is required to make it work and bench test the console. I also played music through the console for weeks while it was on the bench and tested each input. This is not always practical, but modular plugs for this model made it easy.
One of my tasks some 30 years ago (back then I was “Assistant to the Chief”) was to frequency sweep and measure distortion on all the inputs of our Pacific Recorders consoles. These tests were performed and the results recorded PRIOR to installation and last I heard, those consoles are STILL in service some 30 years later.
Today, manufacturing methods including quality control, technology and simply available time make these tests less important or at least less practical. If you can feed some audio in from a CD player and simply confirm it passes and sounds okay, calibration is in the right neighborhood AND take care of this BEFORE installation, you are ahead of the game. If you catch something flakey, it’s easier to send it back to the manufacturer before it is installed and while you haven’t gotten around to throwing out the shipping cartons! If you buy one of these ARC consoles from Arrakis, however, it is important to hang on to the shipping carton. More on that later.
DEMOLISHING THE OLD STUDIOS
This project had to be coordinated with carpet people and painters as well as our own staff and student needs. The first step was to remove any equipment that was going to be kept in service. Existing small racks were moved to a temporary storage area.
Countertops which were mounted on every wall also had to be removed and disposed of. This in itself was no small project. Equipment in the meantime, was salvaged from the old racks that was intended to kept in service.
A wall corner cut-out impacted the overall re-design of the room and we decided to make that side of the room a utility work corner with a matching countertop. Non-racked equipment and secondary voice-over microphones were located here.
As far as physical wiring, my preference was to do the Production studio first, as some of the tasks performed in the Newsroom could be done in Production while we were re-building the Newsroom.
THE STUDIO FURNITURE (SPECIAL NEEDS)…
Our Production studio is unusual because it contains TWO operator positions with two consoles and two of almost everything else. That made the furniture requirements very specialized and combined with an odd-shaped room, limited our options.
We had worked with Rod Graham in the past. Formerly building furniture for Arrakis, Rod now calls his own shots for Graham Studios. He has a depth of real-world knowledge and experience having designed and built broadcast furniture for decades.
My experience with his products at other facilities had also been a big selling point. Also, our success at Specs Howard with Graham’s help in turning six tiny video editing suites into six AUDIO studios was a major factor as well. His furniture continues to serve its purpose well, looks good and lasts a long time despite constant abuse.
OUT OF CONTROL DELAY FACTOR...
Unfortunately, for this project, furniture that was due for shipment on a June 6th …wasn’t. The delay would stretch into several more weeks. The simple result was our whole project came to a screeching halt.
Painters, carpet layers and a whole department not to mention basically my life had to be put on hold. Major projects delays such as this are common, but it is frustrating when they come at an unexpected time. I had even coordinated some personal time off from the time we placed the order to the expected ship date. Obviously, things didn’t work out as expected.
In any project, working and planning ahead of time is the key to success. Unfortunately, there are always factors that WILL be out of your control. Building in time allowances (where possible) for the unexpected is helpful but it doesn’t always work. I was ready for a few days or even a week of “slop” time, but not a month.
On the plus side, the school did not have a “hard and fast” deadline for when these studios HAD to be “up and running”, so we can cut quite a bit of slack, especially considering the product ordered was completely customized to our needs.
Obviously, this was one of those “out of control” items.
I was grateful to all other vendors who delivered everything else in some cases within days of placing the order. They are listed at the end of this article.
As noted, for our new studios, the new furniture could not be installed until the existing set-up was demolished, and new paint and carpet was installed. Typical of all studio installations, the sheer weight and size of the furniture requires assembly in place although most of the Graham furniture is modular. So as mentioned, we pre-assembled the modules, in another location, without bolting the furniture modules together. Using two-wheel dollys and a furniture moving dolly, the furniture modules were later moved into their final location.
WHEN THINGS REALLY GET OUT OF CONTROL…
At the time I would have LIKED to have started the actual wiring project, the old studios were quite heavily in use. The trick was in the timing and unfortunately, that “timing” turned out to be a bit of a wait. Any station renovation has to be concerned with the day-to-day operation of the facility, unless they have the luxury of re-building in a completely new location.
As mentioned, much of the pre-wiring and partial furniture assembly took place in a back room. The most time on the Production studio, since this was the dual console configuration with the Arrakis ARC-10 consoles I wasn’t as familiar with.
The delay would not have been so bad had it not been for yet ANOTHER little personal inconvenience: The doc says I need to go to the hospital for a routine procedure. Unfortunately, the hospital messed it up, which took ME out of circulation. Further unfortunately, they forgot to give me enough antibiotics and on the day the old studio demolition began about 10 days later, I was told to check into the ER immediately. My blood was choked with bacteria! Nothing is more frustrating to an engineer than delays – except for maybe not seeing the completion of a major project at all due to being hospitalized or dead!
So the demolition crew was about half way through their task when I left the building expecting to return in an hour or two on that fateful day that I checked into the hospital.
The demolition guys had NOT been told how I wanted a certain console that was to be kept in service removed. This would create a few extra days of work later. The console mentioned is a Radio Systems Millenium analog board. We have hopes of doing the digital conversion offered by RS at a later date.
Because the uninstall was without my direction, I had to recreate all the analog wiring. The console also had several minor prior problems that had gone unreported that I had to fix. Additionally, I converted six console inputs to microphone level. That’s easy to do with the RS consoles if you have extra plug-in DIP’s for the consoles. I did. For parts, Radio Systems and Cecile at Broadcasters General Store gave their usual great service.
This (the WJMZ studio), as it turns out, was also a studio Rod Graham had provided the super-deluxe premium furniture for, without charging the super-premium price (Thanks Rod!). This studio now looks like it’s ready for talk radio in any top 10 market. This was actually the second studio I was able to work on. Production was the first. I actually re-used a great deal of our older equipment – merely cleaning it up and repairing it. The impression is everyone thinks it’s ALL brand new. If it was, we would have needed a much larger budget.
WORKS IN PROGRESS
Specs Howard’s Production, News and WJMZ studios are actually renovation works in progress. Further technology upgrades in all studios are both anticipated and necessary.
Where possible, however, we have provided the infrastructure necessary to support additional equipment. Extra computer keyboard drawers in the furniture is an example of this support.
Those who read this publication hopefully already realize technology that supports our industries will never stop advancing at speeds that will challenge our minds and budgets.
It is hoped through my work, broadcasters of tomorrow as well as anyone reading this will find a means to stay on top of the advances and do so affordably in this tight economy.
PARTIAL EQUIPMENT LIST
Production
2 Electro-Voice RE-20 microphones
2 Arrakis ARC-10BP consoles
2 Denon DN-C635 CD players
2 Tascam MD-350 Mini-Disc Recorders
1 Tascam CD-RW402 CD copier/recorder
2 Dell flat screen monitors
1 Henry Logic Converter
2 Behinger Powerplay ProXL headphone amplifier
2 Furman M8x line conditioner
2 ART SLA-1 power amplifiers
2Advocent Longview KVM Extenders
2pairs JBL Control 1 monitor speakers
Newsroom
1 Shure SM-7 microphone
1 Radio Systems Millenium 6-A console
1 Dell computer, keyboard and mouse
1 ART SLA-1 power amplifier
1 pair JBL Control 1 monitor speakers
WJMZ Radio Studio
4 Shure SM-7 microphones
1 Radio Systems Millenium 12-A console
2 Denon DN-C635 CD players
2 Tascam MD-350 Mini-Disc Recorders
1 Sony MDS E-12 Mini-Disc Recorder
1 Behringer HEADAMP headphone amplifier
1 Furman M8x line conditioner
1 Samson Power Amplifier
1pair JBL Control 1 monitor speakers
PEOPLE TO WHO HELPED MAKE THIS PROJECT POSSIBLE
Tom Profit, Operations Manager, Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts
www.specshoward.edu
Rod Graham, President, Graham Studios LLC
www.graham-studios.com/
Cecile Gibson, Broadcaster’s General Store
www.bgs.cc/
Paul Schweiger, Broadcast Supply Worldwide
www.bswusa.com/
Which came first…? The D & D Show or The Fans?
Jeff Deminski and Bill Doyle of the former 97.1 show, affectionately known simply as the“D & D” show are determined to show their listeners a night they won’t soon forget.
Although there hasn’t been anything to listen to for the past year, on New Years, they are throwing a listener party at Snookers of Utica. From the plans unveiled so far, sounds like it will be the “mutha” of all New Years parties. It also includes a couple of live segments to be broadcast after the stroke of midnight, and yes, the band Mind Candy, headed by show producer Rudy DeSantis will help celebrate as well.
Their new show on WCSX, 94.7, officially kicks off January 5th, but they rather cleverly thought “What if we could be on the air the very second we legally could?”
A non-compete clause in their old contract at the old station prevented them from doing a show on Detroit radio for a full year. A podcast on the WCSX website, however, did give them a chance to say a few words to their fans without infringing on the old agreement.
Deminski has said of the new show, “We wouldn’t be here without the fans.”
But the fans wouldn’t be there in the first place if Jeff and Bill hadn’t worked their tails off to deliver a show listeners actually connected with. It's no different than winning (or losing) sports teams.
During their eight years of survival on 97.1, their former station, numerous show hosts came and went. No one lasted as long as D & D. When the terrestrial version of Howard Stern’s show went away, CBS invented the “Free FM” format. A variety of morning hosts were given a chance, but none survived. Only D & D survived in afternoon drive. The rest of the broadcast day was also gradually torn apart, as various hosts were fired, some supposedly simply to reduce costs. There was no shortage of talent in the other time slots, but they were never given much of a chance to prove themselves.
In the fall, a year ago, D & D invited listeners to visit the station to celebrate their 8th anniversary. There were so many, they were paraded only briefly through the studios. Ultimately, D & D wound up abruptly shifted to mornings during the final moments of their old contract.
For whatever reason, the show caught on with listeners and a “fan base” actually developed who became an important part of the show, along with the show’s producers.
Through a fan website and Yahoo group, fan support continued even during this past year the guys were off the air.
In December of 2007, D & D walked away from a new CBS contract because its duration was longer than they were prepared to work for the company.
I have tried to explain in these blogs what makes a show like this successful. In fact, it will work for other formats.
Being yourself and being creative is a big plus. D & D shared their lives with their listeners. They are real people like you might find at the neighborhood pub, as were the people involved in producing the show. Everyone who called in or in any way was heard also became a part of the show. There were sad moments, and there were deliriously hilarious moments. Any emotion that humans can feel was part of the show.
It could probably be said that the so-called “Hot Talk” format was a failure in Detroit, but not the D & D version of the format. Again, how does one survive eight years in a market doing basically the same format without acknowledging some level of success?
Detroit radio has been mediocre to poor for many years in part due to budget cutbacks, and the fact that apparently the market can no longer afford the level of talent it had been accustomed to. D & D came along from a smaller market, and simply did the best they could do on a day-in day-out basis. For whatever combination of reasons, their “working class regular guy” approach caught on and the show actually became profitable before anyone had a chance to take them OFF the air!
So who came first? D & D! Their likable on-air persona attracted regular listeners who ultimately became “fans” especially when the show went off the air.
Whenever you put someone new on a station in a new slot, there is always fallout. Obviously, that applied at WCSX.
Veteran broadcasters Jim Johnson and Lynne Woodison were shown the exit door at Greater Media. Their contract had wound down. The timing was right, but not for them.
It sucks to be in that position. I’ve been there.
My “On-Air” career eventually came to “one of” its ends when talk show veteran, Stacy Taylor was hired to replace my show in the Ann Arbor area decades ago. I wasn’t given a chance to do Stacy’s style of radio, but I unlike D & D, WAS given the chance to say “good-bye.” Stacy was ultimately fired a couple years later (as was I, doing drive time in another market). We were both replaced by syndicated shows fed by satellite. It happens.
Stacy is still on the air today in Los Angeles, having a background that included WLS in Chicago. I am doing technical maintenance and building studios.
And D & D make their triumphant return to the air doing THEIR type of radio that only they do best.
And The Fans will be there, too. You can bet on it.
Best wishes to all, and happy holidays.
- Bob Burnham
Meet the guys in person and hang out New Years at Snookers in Utica or tune in after midnight…94.7 WCSX.
Check the websites for more information:
wcsx.com
deminskianddoyleshow.com/
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