[BC] Radio Engineering not a profession

[Xmitters at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/5/08 5:00:31 AM Central Daylight Time,


 >  Technical people DO deserve more respect, but I don't know that one
 >  can legislate or regulate it.  It's too bad that owners don't
 >  understand that awful audio (and awful programming) are hastening the
 >  demise of the industry.
 >

Regarding the Respect thing, it has to be earned. Dr. Phil also mentions in
one of his books that each one of us trains other people how to treat us,
whether or not we realize it.  I've had pretty darned good luck with 
radio people
over the years. Sometimes when people blow up at you, it's mostly about them
and very little about you. I've also worked with PD's that were an absolute
bundle of nerves. Unfortunately, that's their problem and has little 
to do with my
being respected.

Managers and PD's will give audio more consideration once there is credible
evidence that suggests that doing so is worth the cost. I have been 
longing for
such documented facts and research since I had my first argument 30 years ago
with a PD over squashing the audio. It's a cave man thing; loud = strong.
Everyone wants to be strong. Survival of the fittest :-) If you find any such
credible facts and research results concerning what good audio is, 
please post it
here. That would make my day.

Unfortunately, listeners are being trained that what we as engineers would
call crappy audio, is really how audio is "supposed to sound." It's 
really hard
to find a decent audio source of any kind anymore.

Once the out of date promos, multiple sources playing at once, and all of
those other  audio defects start cutting into the marketability of 
the station's
services, the problems will be remedied. That's the only way that the expenses
for a body hired to fix the problems can be justified these days. It's
economic survival.

It costs so much to run a business anymore that many businesses have to cut
quality to make a profit. I don't like it either, but it's true.

How long ago was it when Bell Labs did all of its research into
characteristics of audio, the required bandwidth for discernible 
audio, and required phone
performance in general? Long time. How many cellular providers would be able
to pass those standards?  There are now ten digital phone calls in that same
bandwidth once used by an AMPS cell phone. AMPS sounded damned good, and it's
gone. Consumers did not appreciate it enough to pay for it, so that quality of
service is gone.

Good or bad, more money can be made by providing a marginally acceptable
product. There is nothing in the product production costs that can be cut any
further these days. performance will improve once people stop buying poor
performance. People are being conditioned to accept mediocre products 
and services of
all kinds. It's too much hassle for most people to get a service that is
better than good enough. When it is not good enough, then the service is
inconvenient, which results in a pissed off customer. Quality? 
Consumers could not care
less.

I'll take a two meter FM hand held audio via a repeater over a digital
cellular phone any day. It is just plain easier to understand what's 
being said on
two meters compared to cellular! Has nothing to do with golden ears, it just
"is."


Jeff Glass, BSEE CSRE
Chief Engineer
WNIU WNIJ
Northern Illinois University