Computers and the Radio

[admin]

Stan: With the rise of computers many things changed for all of us. Can you comment on impact of computers as they became a part of broadcasting? From this side of the speaker, being able to access radio over the internet has allowed me to listen and participate in radio programs broadcast around the world. I never would have imagined this while listening to my transitor radio in 1965.

[Scastles]

The impact of computers on the radio were immense. Computerized play lists were a boon for owners wishing to cut overhead, but did little for listeners and more importantly personalities. On air people became very expendable. Everything is on computer, music, spots, news, etc.
Besides having every song pre-programmed with computers, about seventy five per cent of the announcers heard on the radio are ‘voice tracked’. Inserted talk breaks recorded hours or days earlier and programmed in. One person can voice track multiple stations.
Computers removed the local flare of stations and the one on one contact with its audience. It’s automation at its finest.

[jdogric12]

I often fantasize about driving down to Clear Channel HQ, finding who's in charge, and punching them in the face. If you think that's violent, well, I blame the media.

[paologregorio]

Internet radio offers more choice for the consumer, so I'm all for it. Examples I like are Radio Nigel, and the now Internet only Indie 103.1 FM, which evidently couldn't "make it" on the airwaves and is now a Spanish Language station, playing stuff that's even worse than American top 40!

It's also cool to be able to listen to programs from other parts of the world.

For talk radio lovers who work inside a building where there is substantial interference with AM band signals, it also offers the option of being able to listen to one's favorite shows with a crystal clear signal, and one superior in quality to the clearest AM signal.

[kiramdear]

I don't watch TV. I have internet radio on all the time. I listen to the old radio shows, Jack Benny, Gunsmoke, X Minus One, The Whistler, Broadway Is My Beat. For music I rely on my extensive iTunes library. I just can't listen to commercial radio anymore. There's no real people at the mic and the advertising is too much and annoying. Ads will drive me right away from a station every time.

[jps]

Ads will drive me right away from a station every time.

+1,000,000,000,000,000,000

[Scastles]

Ads will drive me right away from a station every time.

+1,000,000,000,000,000,000

There was a time, in a galaxy far, far away, when radio stations were only allowed to carry a certain number of commercial units per hour. IIRC, it was around 10-12 units per hour and no more.

Now, to give the illusion a station plays more music (with less commericals), they'll load a cluster, and play six or seven spots in a row.

[jps]

I only listen to commercial radio under duress! My preference these days is either NPR or college radio.

[kiramdear]

Well we have our local KPFA here which has some great music shows, but it's kinda like eating at the Mission - you have to listen to the sermon before you get to the soup. And the pledge drives are no better than ads - it's like listening to the Progressive Shopping Channel. Ah, what are ya gonna do? Someone's gotta keep the lights on.

[jimk]

I'll take the local NPR affiliate any day. One of the few stations that still programs classical music from 9:00 AM until about 10:00ish or so on week days.

JimK

Well by golly! How about that...2K posts before the Awaited One arrived. I knew it would happen!

jrk

[jps]

Well by golly! How about that...2K posts before the Awaited One arrived. I knew it would happen!

jrk

You should have contained yourself!

Congrats on 2K!

[cjj]

I've become a big fan of internet radio too. Where I live, there's precious little you can receive over the air, one country station, one that plays a mix of classic rock and that horrid teen pop stuff (IMHO), and the local station that plays teen pop and various really strange stuff broken up by announcers who haven't yet learned how to read, it's amazing how many goofs and stumbles they make, it's actually hard to understand what they are saying. We've also got an NPR station, it's based on the Indian Reservation and spends a large portion of the day playing Indian drums and singing, which is difficult to listen to for very long...

[s4001]

Internet radio offers more choice for the consumer, so I'm all for it. Examples I like are Radio Nigel, and the now Internet only Indie 103.1 FM, which evidently couldn't "make it" on the airwaves and is now a Spanish Language station, playing stuff that's even worse than American top 40!

It's also cool to be able to listen to programs from other parts of the world.

For talk radio lovers who work inside a building where there is substantial interference with AM band signals, it also offers the option of being able to listen to one's favorite shows with a crystal clear signal, and one superior in quality to the clearest AM signal.

I'm with you on the internet radio. You'd figure that a huge place like LA would have decent radio, but instead it's a horrid wasteland with 40 min+ of commercials per hour. I'm now a big fan of internet radio.

[rickenbrother]

Ads will drive me right away from a station every time.

+1,000,000,000,000,000,000

+2,000,000,000,000,000,000

And that's probably why many radio stations have their commercials set to air at the same time as others. If you changes stations, you just wind up at another one airing commercials.

I'm with you on the internet radio. You'd figure that a huge place like LA would have decent radio, but instead it's a horrid wasteland with 40 min+ of commercials per hour. I'm now a big fan of internet radio.

I guess it's okay radio if like like pop, hip hop or Hispanic music. That stuff is not for me. The NYC area is horrible for rock oriented radio also.