[BC] Do We Still Like Our Jobs?

[WFIFeng@aol.com]

In a message dated 07/30/2005 10:16:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
balfore at bellsouth.net writes:

> Also small market stations are quick at buying consumer grade electronics
>  (CD players, Cassette decks) and want you to repair them after over 18
>  months use.

I remember trying to get replacement heads for a cassette deck about 10-15 
years ago. They wanted $80! I nearly fell-out! Eighty bucks?! The whole blooming 
deck only cost $120! Now that we only have a small handful of programs on 
cassette (one-by-one, we're pushing them to CD or FTP) our cassette decks last 
"forever". They only see about 4 hours/week of use, where they used to see up to 
5 hours per day, each!

As for how things have changed... I started 18 years ago at WFIF, and I am 
still there. Changes, yep, they are aplenty! When I started, we had one 
satellite-fed program, live. Everything else was on cassette or reels. Music was on 
vinyl. Spots/promos/jingles on carts. The transmitter was an all-tube beast.

Now it's all solid state, not a tube in the place. No more carts, no more 
vinyl, and no more reels. Just that hanful of cassettes from the local program 
providers. All of the nationals are on the bird, digitally recorded overnight. 
Used to need a warm body in the studio from sign-on to sign-off. Now, "Robbie 
the Robot" runs most of the airshifts. It makes it possible to diagnose (and 
sometimes fix) problems without leaving home... just log in and tweak things via 
computer. Amazing technology!

I am very fortunate to be working for a Company that still thinks the FCC 
Rules are important enough to follow, and is responsible enough to budget for 
maintenance/replacement of critical systems. Being the morning guy and also Music 
Director adss variety to the Engineering hat. 18 years, and counting... yes, 
I do love my job. :) I wish more stations were like this. Some of the horror 
stories I've read here have made me even more thankful!

Willie...