Automation and auto-pilot studios

[jtr115]

I recently ranted on Twitter about radio stations that use automation. Other than letting a computer do the job a human could do, I don't have a huge problem with automation as long as it's done correctly.

When I worked as a temporary board operator at KRDO/KSKX, my main job was to monitor and record weather forecasts for then-sports KRDO-AM and smooth jazz KSKX. KRDO-FM (then Peak 95.1) was live during the day and voice-tracked at night, with an empty studio on auto-pilot.

My biggest pet peeve about this set-up was that the voice-tracked DJ would tell Peak listeners to call the studio for information about events being announced. If you're going to do this, either have someone in the studio to take the call (not in an adjacent studio for a different station) or have the event information readily available to other staff, either in a folder/book or on the station's Web site. It makes your station look bad when you tell people they'll get information by calling, then the multi-station board operator on duty doesn't have access to the information.

The only thing more frustrating than that are listeners who give cryptic requests like "I'm calling for information on the thing you announced five hours ago. It was something about a music show." The person who announced that has gone home and I'm busy doing my shift. I don't have time to play 20 Questions with anyone.

Automation is not the same as live staff. If you're going to have one or more of your stations' studios empty at night, either don't have the voice-tracked DJ tell people to call or have him/her tell listeners to go to the station's Web site to get information.

[Rob]

A lot of stations are putting out a terrible product now because of automation. It's up to the PD's and GM's to make sure this stuff is being done right. But most station owners only care about income, and programming is not the priority.

I see it in Denver too. Most of the stations here aren't live anymore which makes it where you can hear dead air on a more regular basis.

I miss the radio that was put out back in the 80s and 90s before automation was the thing to do.