that horrible BEEP

[Sid Schweiger]

>>I can recall visiting WEEI in the early 60's when they were in the
Edison Buiding on Tremont. In master control there was a huge rack
that was devoted to Net Alert. I don't know if the affliates had the
same rack that the O&O's had but the engineer on duty told me they had
no control over it. If New York wanted air the system would give it to
them.<<

I worked for one or two CBS Radio affiliates over the years.  The
affiliates' NetAlert box was, eventually, a small module about three
inches square, with screw terminals on the back for an audio connection
from the network, and a single-character digital readout in the front. 
It also had a small plastic card on the bottom which you could pull out,
on which were printed the meaning of the number codes.

FCC rules, then as now, would prohibit the network from taking control
of the on-air programming away from stations they did not own.

IIRC the term NetAlert was also used on air, as in: "We interrupt this
program to bring you this CBS Radio NetAlert bulletin..."



Sid Schweiger
IT Manager, Entercom New England
WAAF - WEEI AM/FM - WKAF
WMKK - WRKO - WVEI AM/FM
20 Guest St / 3d Floor
Boston MA  02135-2040
Phone: 617-779-5369
Fax: 617-779-5379
E-Mail: sid@wrko.com