[BC] Thought For The Day

[Bob Tarsio]

Margaret:

We used some of the very same techniques. We took into account the arm
length distances, sight lines, and egress for example. This was something
that just developed over the years by looking at facilities that were
designed to be technically functional but nearly uninhabitable! 

Sometimes the air talent would take matters into their own hands. I remember
when I first started working in New York the station had a Gates Executive
mounted on what looked like someone's kitchen table but with legs long
enough to make the console a stand up affair. The overnight guy decides in
the middle of the night of course that he is sick of standing and decided to
make the console a sit down affair by sawing through the legs of the table
to make it nearer to the floor. This guy managed to saw through three and a
half legs before he decided that the cabling wasn't going to reach. Mind you
that this console was on the air and this guy was doing a show through it! I
came in the next morning to find a very wobbly console table and the morning
guy in hysterics! - Lesson learned, ask the staff if they prefer stand up or
sit down operation, one of many lessons learned! 

Regards,  

Bob 
 
www.Broadcast-Devices.com
 
 
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Margaret Bryant
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 22:18
To: broadcast at radiolists.net
Subject: RE: [BC] Thought For The Day

Bob, we always sought out input from the users and frequently implemented 
their ideas. One time at WMAQ we even built a cardboard mock up so the 
anchors could test out  and feel comfortable with sightlines and arm reach 
distances before the furniture was ever built. But as noted below, all that 
input can only go so far. We still thought beyond that, to things that the 
users would never think of. Things that could be traps under the right 
circumstances. To the best of our ability, we made sure the "traps" weren't 
there. We did our best to make all of the equipment and systems the easiest 
for the operator we could possibly make them. In my mind, making the 
operation easy by staying a few steps ahead in our thinking was what our 
jobs were all about. We were quite serious about that even as we joked 
about our slogan.

Margaret


>From: Robert Bowe <robertb at gjradio.com>
>Subject: Re: [BC] Thought For The Day
>To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>
>I always try to involve the people who will actually use it as well -
>but then again I employ a similar 'rule' as Margaret since there are
>many limits to their expertise in studio design.  Plus I show them the
>layout graphically so they can see what will or won't work.
>
>The final design will purposefully limit the users ability to screw
>things up accidentally, but make it as easy as possible for them to use
>it and let the engineer maintain the gear without being a contortionist.
>
>
>Bob Tarsio wrote:
> > When I was chief engineer at WLTW in NYC we really had a much different
> > attitude about the air staff. I always engaged them in the process when
we
> > designed studios or were about to make fundamental changes. I never had
the
> > thought that I had to know better then them or to protect them from
> > themselves.



_______________________________________________

The BROADCAST [BC] list is sponsored by SystemsStore On-Line Sales
Cable-Connectors-Blocks-Racks-Test Gear-Tools-Lots More + Now Barix too!
www.SystemsStore.com       Tel: 407-656-3719    Sales at SystemsStore.com