WSPD's Automation is garbage

[radioandtventhusiast]

Listened to WSPD this morning. I can't believe how bad their automation is getting. Commercials running on top of the Fox News bulletin, "The following is a paid announcement." liner twice in a row, TOH at 10:55, at least 15 minutes of random commercials and IHeartRadio week in history and sports time capsules which run when no ads are sold in a particular slot, plus PSA's as well, followed by the same TOH at 11:15 leading into the Purity Products infomercial. This is also a station that seems to have technical difficulties after Guardians Games air, as I've noticed on Sundays the required TOH never runs and local commercials never play. For at least two years now, it's not uncommon to hear commercials running on top of various shows at :05 minutes past the hour. I know engineers can't listen 24/7, but I think WSPD's needs to see how bad his station sounds at various time. I wouldn't doubt their EAS fails when it should be relied upon at some point.

[FakeAndyStuart]

Listened to WSPD this morning. I can't believe how bad their automation is getting. Commercials running on top of the Fox News bulletin, "The following is a paid announcement." liner twice in a row, TOH at 10:55, at least 15 minutes of random commercials and IHeartRadio week in history and sports time capsules which run when no ads are sold in a particular slot, plus PSA's as well, followed by the same TOH at 11:15 leading into the Purity Products infomercial. This is also a station that seems to have technical difficulties after Guardians Games air, as I've noticed on Sundays the required TOH never runs and local commercials never play. For at least two years now, it's not uncommon to hear commercials running on top of various shows at :05 minutes past the hour. I know engineers can't listen 24/7, but I think WSPD's needs to see how bad his station sounds at various time. I wouldn't doubt their EAS fails when it should be relied upon at some point.

Straight downhill since they got rid of me... BTW, were you listening on air or online?

[radioandtventhusiast]

Listened to WSPD this morning. I can't believe how bad their automation is getting. Commercials running on top of the Fox News bulletin, "The following is a paid announcement." liner twice in a row, TOH at 10:55, at least 15 minutes of random commercials and IHeartRadio week in history and sports time capsules which run when no ads are sold in a particular slot, plus PSA's as well, followed by the same TOH at 11:15 leading into the Purity Products infomercial. This is also a station that seems to have technical difficulties after Guardians Games air, as I've noticed on Sundays the required TOH never runs and local commercials never play. For at least two years now, it's not uncommon to hear commercials running on top of various shows at :05 minutes past the hour. I know engineers can't listen 24/7, but I think WSPD's needs to see how bad his station sounds at various time. I wouldn't doubt their EAS fails when it should be relied upon at some point.

Straight downhill since they got rid of me... BTW, were you listening on air or online?

On air.

[FakeAndyStuart]

Listened to WSPD this morning. I can't believe how bad their automation is getting. Commercials running on top of the Fox News bulletin, "The following is a paid announcement." liner twice in a row, TOH at 10:55, at least 15 minutes of random commercials and IHeartRadio week in history and sports time capsules which run when no ads are sold in a particular slot, plus PSA's as well, followed by the same TOH at 11:15 leading into the Purity Products infomercial. This is also a station that seems to have technical difficulties after Guardians Games air, as I've noticed on Sundays the required TOH never runs and local commercials never play. For at least two years now, it's not uncommon to hear commercials running on top of various shows at :05 minutes past the hour. I know engineers can't listen 24/7, but I think WSPD's needs to see how bad his station sounds at various time. I wouldn't doubt their EAS fails when it should be relied upon at some point.

Straight downhill since they got rid of me... BTW, were you listening on air or online?

On air.

I guess firing all the engineers to have enough money to redo my office had consequences.

[Deleted User 15408]

This is what happens when you farm out the traffic and billing to the hub and spoke. Timing gets all fubar. Also, this is what happens when who ever merged the log doesn’t scroll thru to time things out.

While it sounded like a train wreck wspd still does a better job at news that the plagiarist on Q105. WSPD still at least creates their own content instead of grifting it from the blade.

[BASProShop]

Wait, wait, wait. Why is this the engineer's fault? The engineers are responsible to make sure the automation system works as designed. It is the PROGRAMMERS responsibility to set up the system to play as it is supposed to. This seems to me this is 100% programming's fault, not engineering.

[Deleted User 15408]

100% fact. This is a programming/traffic issue. Technically the software worked and it didn’t go off the air.

Hopefully programming was out doing actual prep and writing their own news stories. Unlike the Ron “The Plagiarist” Burgundy at WQQO.

[radioandtventhusiast]

Wait, wait, wait. Why is this the engineer's fault? The engineers are responsible to make sure the automation system works as designed. It is the PROGRAMMERS responsibility to set up the system to play as it is supposed to. This seems to me this is 100% programming's fault, not engineering.

I assumed it was engineering at first because the problems tend to happen during overnights and weekends when no one's in the studio running the board, but whether it's an engineering or programming issue, there's something seriously wrong with how the station sounds. And I can name other things I've heard like dead air when Guardians Games conclude.

[Deleted User 15408]

I can name other things I've heard like dead air when Guardians Games conclude

WSPD used to have a board up run the Indians games. I guess they no longer do if there is dead air at the end of the game. I wonder how they handle extra innings.

Good thing I have Q105 to repeat what they said on 13 abc and in the blade for me to hear a repeat of the news.

[rugratsonline]

I know engineers can't listen 24/7...

Maybe it's time to bring them back to monitor the station? This corporate "set it and forget it" approach very rarely works.

[Deleted User 15408]

Maybe it's time to bring them back to monitor the station? This corporate "set it and forget it" approach very rarely works.

You're asking radio companies to care. If they cared, the problems with the timing of the automation wouldn't be messed up. If they cared, the afternoon guy on Q105 would be doing an entertaining lifestyle focused music shift. Not pretending to be on the 6 p.m. news.

[CurlyHoward]

Guardians? I was going to listen to a game earlier this season and they played imaging saying "get ready Tribe fans, Cleveland Indians baseball is up next on WSPD!"

[schmave]

Maybe it's time to bring them back to monitor the station? This corporate "set it and forget it" approach very rarely works.

You're asking radio companies to care. If they cared, the problems with the timing of the automation wouldn't be messed up. If they cared, the afternoon guy on Q105 would be doing an entertaining lifestyle focused music shift. Not pretending to be on the 6 p.m. news.

OK, we get it, you have an issue with Q105. Four posts about it in a thread concerning another station might be overkill.

[radioandtventhusiast]

Guardians? I was going to listen to a game earlier this season and they played imaging saying "get ready Tribe fans, Cleveland Indians baseball is up next on WSPD!"

Yep. Heard that, along with Toledo's news is coming in X minutes.