[BC] Silence sense? - was Clear Channel Wants More?

[Fee Lee]

Gary Peterson writes: 

>  
> 
> Silence sensors are nice but they don't catch a whole plethora of problems.
> A few years ago, a relay locked up on a satellite receiver at a competitor's
> station.  For over four hours, it played continuous liners over program
> audio.  I was unable to contact anyone having anything to do with that
> station (it was a weekend).  Last weekend, a local station (not one of mine)
> had time announcements that were way off (at 3 PM, their time announcement
> said "it's twelve midnight").  It was that way all weekend.  Another station
> had a nasty "whistle" on program audio for a dozen hours.  (again, not one
> of mine)  Recently, Jones network inadvertently switched their oldies format
> receivers to country.  If that had occurred on an overnight or weekend, it
> could have gone on for hours before being detected.  I don't believe this is
> unique to this market, as I have heard plenty of aural trainwrecks
> elsewhere.
 

I know what you mean, years ago a friend was made chief of an AM/FM station 
after being out of town for a few years.  The AM was not well thought of by 
the staff and they put a satellite service on it.  No one in the station 
ever listen to it.  Well my friend decide on a Saturday while he was driving 
around to listen to the AM.  He heard after a while "Stations, here is your 
updated commercial feed" and a 3 minute read of the flight changes new 
sponsors etc.  He went back to the station and looked at the log sent by the 
satellite service and there in big letters "MUST COVER" for that time block 
every day.  For a couple of years no one from the station heard that or read 
the log closely.  I guess there weren't any listeners either or no one 
complained.
                                             Fee Lee