How does CCU's system of distributing music on hard drives work?

[Dave Tomm]

As far as the RIAA goes, I'm sure CC has a blanket deal with them that  
covers music, number of stations, size of markets etc.  Also, there's  
really no national contesting anymore.  The budgets don't allow for  
it.  With younger skewing stations, a lot of contesting is text or web  
based, so it doesn't even hit the air.  Facebook is becoming quite  
popular for station promotion/contesting.

The way I understand it, each CC station has it's own Prophet  
automation system, which is loaded with music, localized jingles and  
sweepers, and of course spots.  The music logs come down from  
corporate, as well as new songs.  Imaging is updated locally (although  
it could come from a remote source elsewhere).  Some stations just run  
the national stuff in fringe hours, and the remainder of their music  
is programmed locally.  Obviously, if there was a format change,  
everything could be accessed from corporate if need be.

Even though the logs are the same, some stations may run 10-12 units  
of spots in an hour while some may only do two to three.  There are  
drop songs at the end of each hour so a station can get back on track  
at the top of the following hour.

Voicetracking also comes in via FTP.  Many stations have their tracks  
come in mere minutes before they are run.  Ryan Seacrest has a  
producer that cuts up bits/interviews he does as they happen while  
he's on the air at KIIS/LA in the morning, then they are sent down  
right away to national affiliates to air on his syndicated midday  
show.  Even syndicated weekly shows like AT40 work this way.  As  
opposed to recording all of it it on Monday and sending CD's out to  
affiliates, updates and content can be tweaked throughout the week  
right up to airtime if desired.  Major market stations like Kiss 108  
still employ voicetrackers to do custom tracks just for them.  Kiss  
weekender Joey Brooks is based out of WIOQ/Philly, but custom tracks  
for Kiss, WHTZ/NY, and WIHT/DC among others.  He also generic tracks  
for Premium Choice.

-Dave Tomm

On Sep 9, 2009, at 8:01 AM, Brian Vita wrote:
>
> I had heard that all music and production element transfers were  
> handled
> seamlessly in the background via FTP and can be done almost invisibly
> without the knowledge of the local staff.  I had also heard that all  
> of the
> music elements are done this way so that a copy of any song has  
> EXACTLY the
> same timing in any market to allow them to do their (in)famous "call  
> when
> you hear this song" local/national contests in sync with multiple  
> markets.
>
> This, of course, begs the question as to how they are circumventing  
> the
> RIAA/DMCA.  A single copy of a CD goes to CC corporate, gets ripped  
> and a
> zillion copies are uploaded to all of their "in-format" stations.   
> Sounds
> like piracy to me.  C'mon.  Let' the RIAA go after them!
>
> Brian
>