[BC] The wrong way to deal with tech budgets

[Alex Hartman]

Actually, there's **ONE** radio outlet that sees the value of an engineering department... Public radio. I'm in Minnesota, home to the largest public radio network in the country (short of NPR of course, but MPR is the backup for NPR, go figure). They spend about 40% of their budget on engineering, the rest is programming and such. Now, they DO have almost 40 stations to maintain from Miami to LA... (yes, MPR has gotten a little... um, big)

But their engineers get a pretty respectable salary, time off, etc. All the things people should get. Not $30k/yr for being on-call 24/7, and expected to fix a million dollar problem with 20 bucks. (i always told one of the GM's I worked for in commercial radio that engineering might cost you money, but with the crap they're putting on the air, the PDs are going to cost you a LOT more... yet i'm the one costing money.)

Also, look at it this way, the broadcast plant *IS* turning into a datacenter, not anything the 'old timers' would even recognize. The guy who taught me everything about RF was telling me a while ago that in the 20 years he's been doing radio, he's NEVER had to REBOOT a transmitter... until now. So, to think that traditional analog AM/FM broadcasts are going to stick around like the good ole days... pretty sure the rude awakening is coming.

The broadcasters have to get up and start bitching about these royalty fees, find a few lobbyists, i know they have them. It's extortion the way it is. ASCAP/BMI should cover streaming as well, but someone wants to get rich quick, and it's not us. Looks like the royalties are somewhat figured out to be "somewhat" reasonable nowdays. $500 "minimum" and $0.0019/per performance.

My whole take on it, mail them the $500 minimum and call yourself a small-time broadcaster, because they never took into consideration AM/FM stations doing this, they put the fees in place to stop internet-only radio stations. they should be happy they get any money at all given that i'm sure NO FM/AM broadcaster does more than 6000 "aggregate tuning hours" in a month.

As for the rest of the digital world, podcasts and the like, unless you've got a highly specialized show you're already spending the money on to produce, don't bother.

--
Alex Hartman

On Sat, Nov 20, 2010 at 10:49 AM, Dana Puopolo <dpuopolo at usa.net> wrote:
>You just defined the problem with radio, Tom!  Radio expects us to work with
>all those things like computers, etc. AND maintain transmitter sites, AND fix
>toilets, etc., with unreasonable budgets to work with, while other industries
>do not!  A friend of mine got laid off in September because the network he was
>the engineer for moved to Houston (it was sold). Rather then bothering to stay
>in radio he said: "screw it" and took a position as an IT administrator at a
>law firm that has multiple offices. He has half the work, a budget that
>reflects reality, a better salary, and a more stable position. I was told that
>a major market job opening for a cluster transmitter supervisor attracted FOUR
>applicants-and one was a bus boy! It's been open for four months-and still is,
>by the way. Radio is shooting itself in the foot by making the assumption that
>there will always be engineers eager to work in it. THERE WILL NOT BE! Right
>now, I don't know a single engineer under 30 in radio. Twenty years ago, I
>could rattle off a dozen without even thinking. I can't tell you how many
>station engineers call Barix looking for 'half off' deals on demo units
>because their managers won't let them spend 600 dollars for an Instreamer and
>an Exstreamer to replace their failing STL. Barix has gotten stiffed so many
>times offering demos that they don't offer them any more-and many dealers
>don't either. I can't tell you how many stations have called me that have 50
>computers connected to a Linksys, Belkin or Netgear home router-and then
>wonder why their Barixes break up and all their computers' Internet access
>runs slow. I guess there must be a reason why Cisco (also) offers business
>class equipment after all-to run larger syetems! Home type routers generally
>are only useful up to about 20 computers-after that their performance begins
>degrading rapidly-yet they are the mainstay at most radio stations.

>Engineering has always been considered a cost center. Unfortunately in radio
>many managers don't make the connection between a well funded engineering
>department and the 'big picture' of the radio station running well. In other
>industries they DO. That law firm, car dealer or restaurant would be dead in
>the water without a good IT staff/department, and they KNOW IT!
>The avearge radio station doesn't....

>That's the BIG difference between radio and other industries today....

>-D

>From: "Thomas G. Osenkowsky" <tosenkowsky at prodigy.net>

>Yes, but....there is this phenomenon known as progress. Reality dictates
>that we change with the times as our audience has. We must embrace, not
>reject new technologies. If I were unable to maintain computers, digitally
>controlled devices, automation, satellite, etc. I would be unemployed. I'm
>not advocating it, just stating it. I couldn't knit a damn thing if I tried.
>The last time I sewed a fallen button, I had to do it three times....