Radio Automation Options Joel Willer KXUL Aaron Read WEOS

1
Radio Automation OptionsJoel Willer / KXULAaron
Read / WEOS

• More than just a computer and sound cardand why
  a Winamp playlist doesn't (usually) cut it !

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Why do you need automation?

• Your listeners demand 24/7/365 operation.
• You need the freedom to de-air live staff that
  are being disciplined.
• Sometimes you gotta lay on the smackdown.
• Protect against 47 CFR 73.561 time-share
  challenges.
• Technically only _at_ license-renewal, but can be
  referenced from any time between renewals!
• Can also be used to enhance live DJ operation,
  and reduce CD theft impact.

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Why do people hate (hate, hate, HATE) automation?

• Because a lot of stations do it very badly!
• Reduce playlist diversity and to lay off staff.
• When done cheaply/poorly, it sounds like crap.
• It requires approximately 1 hour of work for
  every 3 - 8 hours of programming.
• Think about how much work that means every day.
• When done right it can sound exactly like your
  live DJs. In some cases, better! ?

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Just how much automation do you need?

• Determined by various factors
• Format of your station.
• More genre diversity Exponentially more work.
• Size of your music library.
• Rip CDs in house or outsource?
  Moondogdigital.com
• Man-hours available now long-term.
• Expect to spend several hours every week just on
  updating.
• Budget for hardware, maintenance upgrades.
• The piper is always paid! See next slide

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Piper is always paid?

• Cannot treat this like a desktop PC project where
  you get the cheapest HW/SW you can scrounge.
• This is a mission-critical application that must
  run reliably 24 / 7 / 365 and be used by many
  people!
• Redundancy, redundancy, redundancy!
• Multiple, mirrored hard drives (RAID)
• Regular, off-site DVD-ROM backups
• UPS / Battery backups
• Redundant hardware (on hot or warm standby)
• Ideally can be switched to remotely via
  cellphone/wireless internet or will switch
  automatically.
• If it can possibly fail at the worst possible
  time, it will!

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On the other handWhats the cost of failure?

• What does each minute of dead air (automation
  failure) cost your station?
• Underwriting make goods?
• Lost listeners / indirect impact at fundraisers?
• College admins respect / indirect impact with
  annual budget?
• Other factors?
• Commercial big pubradio stations spend a lot on
  automation because every minute of downtime can
  cost them 1000s or more.
• May not cost your station as much.
• If you shut down for overnights and weekends
  anyways, the cost per minute of dead air is
  probably a lot less.

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Holy !!! Why is AudioVault so
EXPENSIVE?!?!?or Enco, or Prophet, or Dalet, or
Google (formerly Scott Systems)

• Like many things in radio, you dont really pay
  for the equipment or software itself you pay
  for the SERVICE!
• Adapting to new paradigms ContentDepot, codecs,
  operating systems.
• Updating to new Operating Systems / User
  Conditions
• Some help in emergency situations.
• No substitute for your own engineer!
• Expensive does not always equal Better Service.
  Ask your peer stations for advice.

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So if Im paying for service

• why does the service SUCK?!?
• Because youre not paying for a vendor to wave a
  magic wand and fix your problem.
• You need someone who knows the system on your end
  who can do that.
• Youre paying to get a system that will take
  advantage of changes in the overall broadcast
  engineering world.
• ContentDepot, podcasting, RDS, new Windows/Mac
  Operating Systems, etc.

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Examples Im Completely Broke. 0 aka FREE!

• Winamp Radio Scheduler
• http//www.winamp.com/plugins/details/138768
• Freeware Visual Basic plugin for Winamp
• Very basic, but surprising features for freeware.
  It can schedule playlists, jingles/legal IDs,
  and have heavy rotation.
• No voicetracking ability this cannot
  realistically sound like a live DJ is in the
  station. No live-assist ability, either.
• Good if youre testing the waters, or dont
  care too much about how it sounds you just want
  something on the air. Requires an innate
  knowledge of Winamp playlists to really set up
  right, though.
• Software is free, but dont be too cheap with
  your computerits gotta be reliable enough to
  run 24/7/365.
• ZERO tech support!!!

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Im Merely a Cheap S.O.B. 100 - 1000 range

• JockeyPro LT
• http//www.11software.com
• Is the cheapest (99) automation software that
  has some form of voicetracking ability. Also has
  playlist scheduling/dayparting.
• Also has decent live-assist functionality
• Has quirks will not play improperly encoded
  MP3s, wont play anything but MP3s or WAVs.
  Requires you to set InQ/OutQ points for every
  track you load (this is something you really
  should do anyways, but its very tedious at
  first)
• Historically, 11software has poor track record on
  tech support.
• Turn-key systems offered, but specs are a
  little shady.
• Good choice for a station that has one or two
  professional employees, a very involved faculty
  advisor, and/or a good track record of skilled
  students, to help keep the automation updated and
  running.

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Im Merely a Cheap SOB. 100 - 1000 range

• Raduga (150-1000)
• Doesnt offer much over WRS but costs a lot more.
  Tech Support is minimal, software is buggy
  (wont play MP3s if wrong encoding algorithm was
  used)
• Arrakis Digilink Xtreme (100/month)
• Pretty cheap, but Arrakis track record for
  quality is not good.
• MegaSeg (250)
• Gets high praise from users, runs on a Mac (plus
  or minus?). Really more of a DJ-style program
  than a radio station automation program.
• Many others (OTSjuke, Spacial Audio SAM, etc etc
  etc)

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I have some money...not much1000 - 10000 range

• This is an awkward range, its not cheap, but
  theres a limit to functionality support youll
  get.
• BSIs Simian - http//www.bsiusa.com
• Generally has all the functionality of the big
  boys voicetracking, live-assist, dayparting,
  scheduling, etc.
• They do offer good Turn-key systems.
• Some find it clunky and hard to useespecially to
  set up.
• Others say its bulletproof once set up.
• Support better than freeware, but no substitute
  for a real engineer or technically-inclined
  manager.
• Wireready - http//www.wireready.com

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I have some money...not much1000 - 10000 range

• Audiovault, Enco others may have sub-10k
  versions, but these are hard-core systems being
  stripped down to make it cost less. Probably
  overkill and/or too complicated for your needs,
  but lacks the top-notch service.
• One exception Enco PRSS
• ContentDepot requires an automation system to
  work. So if you dont have a compatible one,
  PRSS will provide you with a very basic Enco
  system. (as part of what you pay to be a PRSS
  member)
• This is barely an automation system, though.
  In some ways its less functional than WRS.
  However, for not too much extra money you can get
  a more functional Enco.
• Moral of the story if you are thinking of
  getting pubradio programming and dont have
  automation, consider Enco!

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I have mad money! 10000 - 50000

• Audiovault, Enco, Prophet Systems, Dalet, Google
  Automation (aka Scott Systems), etc
• All excellent systems, but may have too many
  features for your needs / capabilities.
• Better investment might be in professional staff.
• Fortunately, all have fairly knowledgeable
  relatively honest sales staffs who (usually)
  wont try to roll you.
• FYI Prophet was created specifically for Clear
  Channel stations and their needs. May or may not
  work for you.
• Long-term view is dicey with CCs business
  selloff.

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Final Thoughts

• Questions tell us your situation, well try and
  recommend a good place to start.
• One last thing dont look at your budget and say
  We cant afford to do this. Look at your
  broadcast needs and decide if you cant afford
  not to do thisand then figure out how to raise
  funds or cut costs accordingly.
• Aaron Read Joel Willer can both be reached via
  the CBI listserv.
• Sign up at www.askcbi.org
• Aarons blog www.friedbagels.com/blog
• These slides available at www.friedbagels.com/cb
  i/