[BC] Operators

[Edwin Bukont]

Sorry Rich Wood.  Wrong again, and again, and again.
 
Per the FCC, which is how I get paid.  They issue a licensce for a broadcast station.  That is what pays me.  Not you DJs.  Per the FCC, there are no DJs, jocks, announcers or other talent.
 
 But there are operators on duty.  Some may even be standing by.  Their job, amazingly so, is to operate the station.  That means reading the meters and making adjustments as necessary, and knowing when, why and who to call.  Thats the stuff that a station can get fined over.  Or loose their licensce.
 
Now here is the fun part.  YOU, Mr Programmer, are often the one to whom these operators reports.  Therefore, as their supervisor and the first line of defense in preventing their incompetence , IT IS, VERY MUCH IN FACT, YOUR JOB to see that they are properly trained and disciplined if they do not do their job of operating the station.  That is what is required by law, nothing more.   It is not the engineer's job to train the operators.  Outside of some union situations, at most radio stations, it is the PD or OM who supervise the operators.
 
Perhaps it should be the engineers who train the operators, but programmers and thierOM buddies have made sure for the last 30 years that it is indeed programmers, and not engineers who supervise the operators and largely run the station.
 
So rocket science or not, common sense or not, it is in fact the job, the legally required and enforcable by fine, duty of the operator to operate the station.  No talent, announcing, jocking, DJing etc is recognized by law.  In fact, about the most that comes into play is when 'talent' break phone, obscenity or other content laws.
 
If you dont like that role, as the defacto Chief Operator, I suggest you step away from the industry before you do more harm in how misguide 'talent' and their supervisors.  I would love to transfer control of the operators back under the authority of the chief operator, who is mistakenly often the CE.  The CO should be the person with control of the operators.  That would be you or the PD. 
 
 This industry would be far better off it it went back to the basics and the Chief Engineer could write, write up and enforce responsibility as it should.
 
Anyone who has ever seen a Smitty warning from the days of licensced ops. knows what I mean.

Edwin Bukont CSRE, DRB, CBNT 
V- 240.417.2475; F- 240.368.1265