Pattern Changes and You (was: WLS)

[Chuck Igo]

John queried:

> How much control/foreknowledge does the on-air staff (or even the  board 
> op, these days) have of the pattern change?  Is it fully  automated on 
> stations like WEEI? If so, you won't necessarily know  when it's going to 
> happen without consulting an ephemerides table...
>


Nowadays, if a station is on any kind of a delay (be it intentional due to 
talk programming or unintentional due to "HD Broadcasting"), it doesn't 
matter much when, as the pattern will change whenever it needs to thanks to 
pre-programmed computer controls... the personnel in-studio or at the 
controls are forced to monitor real-time "program" as opposed to now-delayed 
off-air.  it's got to be almost impossible to properly judge a "break," 
intentional or otherwise, to facilitate an un-noticeable pattern change. 
Many stations are equipped with remote-metering and auto-adjustment 
transmitter features, although as an "OOD," i still need to verify sunrise 
pattern change for two AM stations in our building each weekday morning.

- -Chuck Igo



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Francini" <francini@mac.com>
To: "Kevin Vahey" <kvahey@comcast.net>
Cc: "Boston Radio Interest" <boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>; 
<radiojunkie@yahoo.com>; "Bill O'Neill" <billohno@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: Pattern Changes and You (was: WLS)



>
> On 27 May 2008, at 17:31, Kevin Vahey wrote:
>
>> It drives me nuts how sloppy WEEI is with the pattern change. CLUNK
>> There is no excuse for a station with a talk format.