Re: digital automation

["'A. Joseph Ross'" <lawyer@world.std.com>]

On Fri, 11 Apr 1997, Rob Landry wrote:

> >Many problems with automation systems happen because stations try to make
> >them do things that they were not designed to do or they think they can run
> >with no supervision or maintenance.
> 
> Classical formats present some unusual challenges to automation systems
> designed for rock or news/talk formats:

One of the first classical stations to be automated was WCOP-FM back in
1961-62.  It was also the first 24-hour classical station.  To do that,
they repeated a part of their earlier programs during the overnight shift.
Sometimes things tended to get a bit out of sinc, and a program that was
supposed to start at noon, say, would start at quarter of or quarter past.

I once called the station and asked about this, and they said this was
because classical music wasn't written with radio schedules in mind.  What
probably made it more difficult was the 24-hour broadcast day, which meant
that once something got out of kilter, it could stay that way for days. 
If things were running late, at least, they could probably have manually
interrupted something at the end of the night shift and started the next
broadcast day on time.  But if things were running early, they would have
to allow a period of dead air to get back on schedule.  And we all know
how radio stations hate dead air.

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  A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                                          617/367-0468
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