Re: Radio and Y2K

[Rob Landry <umar@nerodia.wcrb.com>]

On Fri, 26 Nov 1999, Donna Halper wrote:

> Given the mistakes I still hear (spots not firing, dead air, etc) even on 
> major market stations, it's not just Y2K.  Much of today's complex 
> automation gear is operated by people who do not always know how to use 
> it,  or what to do when it malfunctions.

Yup. Many people don't seem to want to take the time to learn how these
things work.

Another problem is that even the most sophisticated automation system is
still a dumb machine; it does what it is told to do. No jock would likely
read yesterday's weather forecast or six-month-old copy over the air, but
any automation system will do so if it is misprogrammed. Managers and
programmers who are used to having a jock as the last line of defense
against mistakes in production, traffic, or sales can find automation very
frustrating. 

Rob Landry
umar@nerodia.wcrb.com