[BC] forget the brain dead engineers what about the DJ's?

[Rich Wood]

------ At 08:46 PM 4/5/2010, FrankGott at aol.com wrote: -------

>But don't most PD's begin their careers doing at least some air 
>work, which at most stations nowadays includes transmitter 
>readings.?  Logic dictates they have basic knowledge of the 
>technical side of broadcasting.

Knowing how to take meter readings and how to turn the transmitter on 
and off doesn't qualify as basic technical knowledge. It doesn't give 
them enough of an overview to be able to make good decisions when 
something beyond those rote understandings goes wrong. Most DJs are 
told to keep the transmitter on the air. With the meager knowledge of 
how to do that it doesn't surprise me that someone would tape the 
plate on control down to accomplish that goal. Most likely no one has 
ever told him/her what damage that can do.

While I've been a member of that contemptable group I do understand 
the system from one end to the other. When a transmitter went off the 
air I would make three attempts to restore it. After that I'd switch 
to the backup if there was one and call for help. I knew the problem 
wasn't transient. I made absolutely sure I knew how to make the switch.

A DJ without a technical interest is unlikely to know what to do 
beyond repeatedly trying to get the station back on the air. It's 
unlikely he/she has ever been shown how to switch transmitters or 
what kind of failure is fatal. Getting the station back on isn't 
worth destroying a DX-50. I know that. Others not trained probably don't.

Even after the FCC relaxed meter reading intervals I still read them 
every hour. I knew what the readings should be and wanted to catch a 
problem before it got worse during the three hour interval. At one 
station I noticed very unusual readings. Listeners began to call to 
say there was a fireworks display at 1100 ft. One of two bays was on 
fire. I dumped the power hoping it would quench the flames. Once it 
did I brought the transmitter up at reduced power where the readings 
were stable and it didn't reignite. We operated that way until a crew 
could get up to replace the damaged bay.

I'm certain no other person but myself and the engineer understood 
the system well enough to think our way through it.

I don't think you can expect a DJ to figure it out. It's not their 
area of expertise.

Rich