'Live' Radio

Southsider1

So how much radio is actually live these days? I was talking to an techie during the week and he reckons 60-70% of Irish radio is voice tracked. It started me taking notice of it and noticed quite a bit on Friday eg Country Mix daytime, Limerick 95 on Thursday. I believe in the UK virtually all the weekend (after 10am) programming on all stations is voice tracked/recorded.

I think it's sad really. The magic is gone.

MarkN

Dunno who your tech guy is or where he gets his theories from but he's talking shyte.

It'd be nothing even like 60-70% and same goes for the UK.

Fago!

Yeah documantaries and that sort of ****e are recorded but normal DJing on the radio isn't. The very odd time a DJ might record his show if it's on XMas or something....

You're talkin crap there fella!

giftgrub

Southsider1 wrote: »

So how much radio is actually live these days? I was talking to an techie during the week and he reckons 60-70% of Irish radio is voice tracked. It started me taking notice of it and noticed quite a bit on Friday eg Country Mix daytime, Limerick 95 on Thursday. I believe in the UK virtually all the weekend (after 10am) programming on all stations is voice tracked/recorded.

I think it's sad really. The magic is gone.

Your pal may be a techie but he doesnt know about radio. Even in stations where they have systems like RCS Mastercontrol, PD's are reluctant to let anything be voicetracked.

You'll get recorded stuff at christmas, like when they have celebrities presenting shows but its almost always live.

In fact some stations have it in their licence that they have to provide a live service 24/7, if they dont they're in breach of their terms

Fuzzy Clam

giftgrub wrote: »

In fact some stations have it in their licence that they have to provide a live service 24/7, if they dont they're in breach of their terms

Which stations?

While it's nowhere near 60/70 % of total output, it does happen a lot more than some here are aware of, esp at weekends.

giftgrub

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Which stations?

While it's nowhere near 60/70 % of total output, it does happen a lot more than some here are aware of, esp at weekends.

The older ILR's, like Fm104 and 98 in Dublin,

Now the newer ones such as Phantom or the iRadios may have different agreements. I know Phantom automates overnight. Newstalk pretty much shuts down after 10pm, but thats for another thread.

As you said its nowhere 60-70 percent, but any pre-rec stuff tends to be limited to specials, or best of's which tend to be at the weekend.

Fuzzy Clam

giftgrub wrote: »

The older ILR's, like Fm104 and 98 in Dublin,

How do you know this? Have you seen the contracts?

giftgrub

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

How do you know this? Have you seen the contracts?

I havent seen the contracts.

They tend to be quite dull.

However I'd tend to believe the PDs, jocks, music controllers, and even the occassional station CEO i've dealt over the last 9 years in my line of work.

MarkN

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Have you seen the contracts?

Yep.

And giftgrub is not telling porkies.

Southsider1

MarkN wrote: »

Yep.

And giftgrub is not telling porkies.

So some stations are getting a better deal than others? Really? That surprises me. I would have thought a certain amount of equality would apply....

MarkN

Well the older stations didn't start in an era of Master Control so it wasn't really an option. Newer stations that launched since the likes of Radio Ireland and Spin had automation from the start (could be wrong about RI).

Money wasn't always so closely watched then either (mind you, in 1989 there wasn't bags of cash around either!) but it's a factor, the BAI obviously looked at things somewhere along the way since the start and decided it wasn't as big a deal anymore.

Shayman

I've noticed, while watching the webcam on Newstalk, a fair share of their interviews are pre recorded.

Fuzzy Clam

MarkN wrote: »

Yep.

And giftgrub is not telling porkies.

Nobody suggested anybody was telling porkies. Please don't put words in my mouth.

Fuzzy Clam

Whether or not the contract states "Live 24/7", the fact remains that FM104 is not, with the best of programs and 98 do use voice tracking.

MarkN

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Nobody suggested anybody was telling porkies. Please don't put words in my mouth.

:rolleyes:

Didn't put anything in your mouth, thanks.

I said the guy was telling the truth as in I was backing up his claims.

And best of programmes are not what the BAI are on about when they say live programming 24 hours a day.

eth0_

Shayman wrote: »

I've noticed, while watching the webcam on Newstalk, a fair share of their interviews are pre recorded.

Of course they are - it's the same on BBC Radio 4 and 5 Live. They can't expect to get in-demand guests to drop everything to be on a particular show, so they pre-record the interview and play it within the live show.

60-70% of radio is pre-records...what utter nonsense :rolleyes:

Fuzzy Clam

MarkN wrote: »

And best of programmes are not what the BAI are on about when they say live programming 24 hours a day.

It's either live programing 24 hours a day or it's not. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

What do the contracts actually state?

Just to remind you what GiftGrub said;

"In fact some stations have it in their licence that they have to provide a live service 24/7"

MarkN

I really couldn't be arsed to bother typing it all out for someone that seems to think they know it all but suffice to say in the BAIs eyes if someone is operating the studio 24 hours a day to them, that is live.

They also ask for current affairs, comedy, live music to be featured in the schedule and these recorded shows are either repeated to make up the quota or they're recorded interviews featured in a show that's broadcasting live.

You ask a lot of question about this and seemed very doubtful of giftgrub's explanation so maybe you should chill the beans and stop attacking people that are explaining it.

Fuzzy Clam

I feel like I'm in slow motion with you MarkN.
I don't, as you wrongly assume, know it all, which is why I'm asking for clarification of the term "Live 24/7".
If prerecorded programs and voice tracking, which by definition are not live, are considered "live" by the BAI, then the statement by Giftgrub is wrong as regards being in breach of contract.

The original question was about voice tracking and Giftgrub stated that if certain stations used it, then they are in breach of contract. From what you've said, this isn't the case.
Quote "the BAI obviously looked at things somewhere along the way since the start and decided it wasn't as big a deal anymore."

giftgrub

Dudes...i'm just going on what i've been told by those in the industry. The debate over the definition of live is getting pedantic in my view.