[BC] Ignoring Station Procedures. "I Know Better"

[Paul Smith W4KNX]

When I was young, I remember remotes were a real production.  Most stations
owned a mobile studio.  Basically a trailer with a glass enclosure small
console, turntables cart machines etc, so the public could watch the DJ spin
records, and do what they do.  They would have interviews with the people
who sponsored the remote.  The audio was usually sent via Marti RPU so that
it was nice and clean.  I remember a station I was with early on would have
me tow the trailer over to where the remote would be the day before, set up
the Marti and check the audio path and have it ready.  It was also good
advertising for both the client and the station.  For those remotes beyond
the range of the RPU, we also had an acoustic coupler for a phone line.  If
needed we could run a phone extension out from the client and do the remote
over the phone line.  Today, stations send out a station van with a few
helium balloons, maybe a blow up balloon and some speakers set to blast the
stations audio.  Then the talent uses a cell phone to promote the remote.
Cell Phone audio no matter how you process it almost always sounds terrible.
I've always thought to myself that I would never pay for something like
this....  But maybe I'm getting old

Paul Smith
W4KNX
Sarasota, FL

-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net]On Behalf Of
JYRussell at academicplanet.com
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 9:45 PM
To: Broadcasters' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [BC] Ignoring Station Procedures. "I Know Better"


another point could be the idea of *WHY* we are doing remotes in the first
place... ;-D

Some businesses would be better off with a good set of spots through a
quarter to make them sound 'larger than life'... at least it seems that way
to me...

Bad remotes?
Without a reason to respond - the audience showing up at your remotes starts
to fall off as they learn there are no incentives to respond.  They learn
from your bad remotes as well as your good ones.  They learn when you cheat
on drawing names out of the reg box, or, don't bring gimmes to the
remotes... when you claim to have concert tickets and then 'oops, forget
them'... and give them to your personal friends... and people ifnd out.
When you charge big bucks but don't deliver, people find out.

 As an air person - I always asked (in addition to all the stuff you've
mentioned) "WHY are we doing this remote?  HOW is this going to create a
win-win situation for us and the client? What we will we be doing for our
listeners to make sure they come back to our next remote?"  Stupid stuff
like that.  Things about "community service"... a 'raison d'etre' if you
will.  I let the client figure out how to sell their product... it's our job
to deliver hot bodies.


   Of course, there are folks who'll argue "It's all about the money".  To
the point that they have their hand out first... 'show me the money and I'll
go do a remote."  Even get nasty about it.  They just charge to go out and
read newspaper ads from a remote location.

-I saw one tiny hometown station go out and charge a bunch of school kids to
promote the first home game of the season. The coaches paid it out of their
own pockets... Boy did they p'o the parents and coaches.  Station wanted a
fistful of cash to do a celphone break or two from the scrimmage field, out
of the back of the GM's pickup.  No, none, ZERO station presence.  NO
impact, or even suuport for the home team. NOt even any sound reinforcement,
or cool party music, or anything.   Just a 50 something year old in dentures
with a celphone.-

  (Local station, local team, could have been a sports news actuality,
actually, IMHO. Or, a pre-season Go, team, go, sort of thing.  Great PR, or
a really bad remote tha turned people  OFF..... guess which they made
happen.... but they got PAID... yee haw.  And never did another for that
client... plus lost a bunch of sponsors for the fall football package.)

   Like I said..... "WHY are we doing this remote?" is another BIG question

to me... none of the window dressing makes any difference if there's no
professionalism to start with... no public service, no community interest,
no support, etc.

Jason