tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372581982024-03-05T09:39:52.593-05:00Fried Bagels Broadcast ConsultingProviding Professional Broadcast Consultation and Engineering since 1998!<br><strong><i>ENGINEER'S CREED:</i></strong> You can have it fast, cheap or good quality...pick two!Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-37776879876968996602014-08-15T15:44:00.001-04:002019-04-23T18:33:33.172-04:00Follow me at the Engineer's Corner
Perhaps you're wondering why there's no new posts since October 2012? Well, rest assured, I have not run out of things to talk about. Anyone who knows me knows this is not physically possible. :)
These days most of my writing takes place at The Public's Radio "Engineer's Corner". There tends to be a lot of stuff about my station (WNPN 89.3FM) specifically, but IAaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-73366408397599325192012-10-08T20:45:00.000-04:002014-02-26T21:15:34.283-05:00Low-Cost Sportscasting with Skype!
During my time at WEOS/WHWS (2007-11) we carried a LOT of live sportscasts, usually over 100 each academic year. As such, I got to know a lot of different ways to get audio reliably from the field back to the studios. Towards the end, one technology we started looking more at was simply using a netbook and Skype to get audio back to the studio. Can it be done? Yes it Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-57485356900803983142012-08-28T22:52:00.005-04:002012-08-28T23:04:12.291-04:00What Exactly is "College Radio"?
WTBU of Boston University. I made that sign in 1997,it's still there, at least it was in 2010.
I've worked in and with college radio since 1994, when I started at my alma mater's student station, "WTBU". Since then, I often hear people try to define "college radio" and inevitably the analysis falls apart. To put it in perspective, consider this analysis:
"College radio" is Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-60250108043051177992012-07-29T02:11:00.002-04:002014-08-15T15:50:17.981-04:00Radio World: InoMini 632 - Pro Features, Reasonable Price(this article appeared in the July 25, 2012 edition of Radio World)
The 632 in action, tuned to KCBX-HD3 whileinstalled on Broadcast Peak.
In May of 2010, the FCC codified an informal policy of allowing analog FM translators to rebroadcast an HD Radio multicast feed, thus bringing that programming to a (theoretically) wider audience. For many operators, this was a golden opportunity to Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-48136272093924561552012-06-14T23:50:00.001-04:002014-08-15T15:54:26.496-04:00
I izz a wickid vo-dyeland engneah!!!
Hi y'all. As many of you have noticed, I have a new job! As of Monday (June 18th) I start as the IT/Engineering Director of Rhode Island Public Radio.
"But Aaron," you say, "don't you live in Santa Barbara, California? How ever shall you commute??"
Well, that's the thing: I don't live there as of June 2nd. As of June 13th I, and Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-68633157692601233412012-04-16T00:49:00.002-04:002012-11-23T19:01:40.114-05:00Paid Political Ads on Non-Commerical Radio/TV
Maybe the world really IS ending
in 2012 after all??
UPDATE Nov.23, 2012: the full Ninth Court (all eleven members) have agreed to the FCC's request for a rehearing of the case, scheduled for March of 2013.
http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Public-TV-political-ads-to-get-rehearing-4058834.php
On April 12th, 2012, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a verdict on Minority Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-23372453363865274692012-03-12T13:35:00.001-04:002012-03-22T14:46:54.839-04:00You Wanna Sell HD Radio Receivers?
Yes, it's an awful pun...but guinea pigs do "wheek".
Sales of HD Radio receivers are perennially weak in the USA. There's a simple reason: nobody knows about it. Consumers aren't aware, because nobody is telling them about it. Because they're not aware, they're not asking for HD Radio receivers. And because they're not asking for HD Radio receivers, nobody hasAaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-33567614146761481932012-02-16T16:04:00.000-05:002012-03-13T00:03:28.712-04:00I am a Broadcast EngineerI admit, the meme was getting a little stale. But hey, I didn't see any for broadcast engineers and that's just not right. So I made one myself - enjoy!
(click for a larger version)
Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-71132554532248317292011-12-19T12:00:00.000-05:002014-09-24T14:25:46.413-04:00It's Not Selling Out - It's Buying In: Underwriting for College Radio
I've mentioned before that I'm a big believer in that the only way a "college radio" station can be sure to prevent a sale of its FCC license (by its parent institution) is to be fiscally self-sufficient. It's hard for an administration to claim they're saving money via a sale when you're not costing them any money in the first place. And, by definition, if you're Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-87424313746491703622011-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:002013-07-29T14:23:03.633-04:00Protecting Your College Radio Station from a Sale
The past 18 months have not been kind to college radio. Their budgets battered by the Great Recession, we've seen colleges and universities experiencing a sea change in their attitudes towards their radio licenses. Instead of being viewed as something that would never be sold, some are electing to sell with little to no public warning to the students or station staff, and sometimes even Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-78541450958780884722011-12-04T19:29:00.000-05:002012-01-13T03:21:04.729-05:00Cross Country in 21,000 Images!
The Beast! (pic is near Thousand Palms, CA)
In August of 2011, my wife and I moved from Canandaigua NY (the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, near Rochester) to Santa Barbara CA. We loaded everything into a 24-ft long Penske truck, put the Toyota on a trailer towed behind, and set off on a 3,072 mile journey that would entail five days of driving through a 100+ degree heat Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-77249805259366491582011-12-01T14:02:00.001-05:002011-12-01T17:11:05.408-05:00A Damn Good Fundraising Video
"Here & Now" host Robin Young
busking in Harvard Square T Stop
Public radio is, by and large, considered to be a "very serious" media outlet. It's an image that most public radio outlets, and NPR et al, work hard to maintain. It works very well for them; means people trust the content they hear.
But it ALSO means that when public radio decides to poke fun at itself, it can Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-43643541638120136552011-11-28T16:17:00.001-05:002011-11-28T17:17:56.531-05:00Engaging Your Audience - Holiday Greeting Line and Listener Calendar Contests
Today I've got two ways you can engage your audience; get them to be more active participants in your station and, both directly and by example, increase your fundraising totals as engaged listeners are more likely to be donating listeners.
On-Air Holiday "Shout Outs" or Greetings.
Listener Calendar Contests.
More, after the break...
First, is timely, simple and easy: Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-20188227336371291302011-11-17T18:01:00.001-05:002011-11-17T18:49:29.131-05:00EAS and Anonymous
The timing is undoubtedly due to the publicity given the National EAS Test earlier this month, but now the hacker group Anonymous is claiming that they plan to "take over" radio stations via EAS, by exploiting the lack of security inherent to the system. The attitude seems to be half showing solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movements, half trying to call attention to a glaringAaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-75179525058755433442011-11-16T19:00:00.000-05:002011-11-17T18:49:46.153-05:00Out of Bounds with Tish Pearlman
Just a little reminder to my readers that in my spare time I also serve as "syndication lackey" for the weekly arts-and-culture public radio show: Out of Bounds with Tish Pearlman and if you're interested in carrying the show on your station, it's available for free via the Public Radio Exchange here: http://www.prx.org/group/oob
On a related note, you may also be interested in Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-68637114417847217152011-11-14T23:55:00.001-05:002013-11-14T15:50:25.401-05:00Play Ball! Remote Tech Options for SportscastsWhile I'm specifically talking about radio remote broadcasting options for sports, most of this info can be used for any remote broadcast. And I do recommend that for most college radio stations: don't stay hiding in the studio - get out and do a weekly live broadcast from the student center for a few hours...it's totally worth it.
Note: this is a written version of a presentation I often Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-75452738288998785992011-11-11T13:19:00.000-05:002011-11-17T18:01:20.008-05:00EAS: Politics vs. EngineeringWas the November 9th National EAS Test a qualified success or a total failure?
Like most things in life, it kinda depends on your point of view.
First, the system itself did indeed fail during the test. The final tally will take weeks, but there are tons of anecdotal reports that most stations did receive the data tones, but did not receive proper audio. Early reports indicateAaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-16197519005138217892011-11-08T07:00:00.000-05:002011-11-28T17:10:15.916-05:00The Three Lies of College Radio
Especially the Lies.
Bashir: What I want to know is, out of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?
Garak: My dear doctor...they're all true.
Bashir: Even the lies?
Garak: Especially the lies.
(I admit it, I'm an incurable Trekkie)
Much like my hairline, I'm going to go a little bald with this post: I think it's time that college radio stations stop Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-11857700034496917982011-11-01T19:00:00.000-04:002011-11-28T17:12:40.202-05:00The Power of FM over AMWow. This article from the Boston Globe really brings it home.
We've all known for a few years now that AM Radio, as a medium, was slipping badly. Traditional cornerstones of AM formats...sports and talk...were losing market share, and several major AM signals were electing to simulcast on an FM station and seeing positive results. At the same time, we're also seeing a lot of traditional AM Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-23717905175072674062011-05-09T00:20:00.002-04:002011-11-28T17:17:31.021-05:00Little Things - Showing Appreciation for Your Staff
One of the trophies
It's amazing how much the littlest things can have such a big impact on student volunteers. Two years now at WHWS I've given our student volunteers...the ones who have done more than "just" been an on-air DJ...little trophies. I've meant to get around to holding real "superlative" contests where all the students can vote on fake titles for each trophy, but never really Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-88985738698581626132010-04-23T14:52:00.002-04:002010-04-23T14:57:22.147-04:00World Cafe Live...Austin?Upon seeing this news about the Cactus Club potentially being taken over by KUT, I find myself wondering how could it possibly NOT be an awesome idea to "franchise" the World Cafe Live venue that operates adjacent to, and in conjunction with, WXPN in Philadelphia.I've long hoped that the first "franchise" of WCL would be in Ithaca, NY...even though extensive discussions with WCL manager Hal Real Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-62512107981718411092009-08-30T16:19:00.002-04:002009-08-30T16:29:07.953-04:00The Curse of CelebrityDoes anyone really think that Jenna Bush Hager would be getting a job as correspondent for NBC's Today show if she weren't the daughter of a former US President?Anyone? Anyone at all?Yeah, didn't think so.And actually, that could well be a horribly unfair judgment. Having done a little work on both sides of this particular aisle, I know there are lots of young newshounds out there that are Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-68918006707522563272009-08-25T11:55:00.004-04:002012-11-12T15:41:11.274-05:00Shameless Commerical PlugsOkay, so I will reserve a little judgment on this, since all I know is what the Boston Globe reported. But this story about how McDonald's "tricked" a class of Boston University students into being in a coffee commercial just gets my blood boiling. Here's the money shot, almost literally:
After the commercial was taped, students featured in the ad signed a release so that their images could beAaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-48110066741710632972009-05-04T12:34:00.004-04:002009-05-10T02:13:40.666-04:00Speed Limits are Proof that People are StupidOkay, I'm intentionally just being a jerk with that title. I admit it. Unfortunately, the residents of Ashley Drive in Brighton are apparently in denial of their jerkiness.So here's the deal: as reported by the Democrat & Chronicle, the residents of Ashley Drive are pissed because people are speeding down the street. The speed limit is 30 MPH. They want to lower it to 25 MPH because they Aaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37258198.post-80624021281089385842009-04-16T23:17:00.003-04:002009-04-17T00:18:26.501-04:00Go Away Kid, Yer Botherin' Me...So Jesse Thorn, host of The Sound of Young America, has some uncomfortable truths and he's not afraid to say them pretty bluntly. The "hot tape" in those transcripts? Check this out:My situation is that if I had to choose between losing my (public radio affiliate) stations and losing my direct podcast fundraising, I’d pick the one that would allow me to continue to pay my rent and I would loseAaron Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07971835990882097517noreply@blogger.com3