[Tom Burns]

WEFM will open the season with broadcast of the Michigan City/Marquette game Wednesday at 7 p.m. under the direction again this year of Paul Condry, twice picked the "Indiana Sportscaster of the Year." If you are beyond on-air listening range of northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan, you can hear our broadcasts on the internet as in past years at http://www.rrsn.com/body.cfm?lvl1=calevn&id=233.

[Southsider2k12]

Good luck guys, hopefully we have a special season to cover!

[JoeJ]

WEFM will open the season with broadcast of the Michigan City/Marquette game Wednesday at 7 p.m. under the direction again this year of Paul Condry, twice picked the "Indiana Sportscaster of the Year." If you are beyond on-air listening range of northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan, you can hear our broadcasts on the internet as in past years at http://www.rrsn.com/body.cfm?lvl1=calevn&id=233.

when you going to put the rest of the station online, or will it interfere with the rest of the dead air

[Tom Burns]

when you going to put the rest of the station online, or will it interfere with the rest of the dead air

Let me see if I can address this in a manner you will not consider confrontational.

There are two problems with streaming. Cost of computers and bandwidth are minor but there are licensing issues if we are to do this legally. First streaming music requires a separate music license above the thousands we are already paying SESAC, BMI and ASCAP. Until recently these fees were very high but that may be changing. Second, commercials by members of performance unions are subject to royalty each time played on the internet even if they do not originate at the streaming station, i.e. network commercials. In major markets stations now resuming streaming are covering over these commercials. WQXR, the New York Times station, does this cleverly with music vinyettes. Others just leave blank air. Ads we regularly get from agencies have specific written restrictions forbidding they be broadcast on the internet.

Dead air? We can and do monitor around the clock, actually with a secure computer link. My only thought is that you may be listening to the Chicago public radio from our tower. They have had dead air issues due to remote control. We have nothing to do with their operation which hopefully will move their transmitter from our tower and building as we need the space and they now have a new tower in north Porter county. If my assumption is incorrect and you have specifics we can address that issue.

The only other thing I can think that might be relevant is that a CD occasionally sticks. Because we are live/local CD's allow up to the moment programming, not possible with hard drives and satellite delivered music, which we use at our other stations. For local control, nothing beats hands on operation. We have a very elaborate system at another station which generates programming, logging and billing and has all the new bells and whistles, and it can be a nightmare if you need to make a running change.

Oh, we will be broadcasting Santa’s arrival at Maquette Mall noon day tomorrow. If you care to stop by Ron can show you up close the remote equipment. It is neither tube-type nor amateur radio equipment. All such equipment must be FCC type accepted and licensed. Our equipment gets much hard use but it is current. Actually we have several of these units to permit back to back remote broadcasts.

Have a good Thanksgiving.

[JoeJ]

I have seen the equipment it may not be tube-ish, but it is certainly not from this decade or the last. We all have heard the broadcast from local spots and I think most of the time you are lucky to have a remote broadcast. I have seen your studios and you still use carts on machines that break down half the time when most stations in the area are computerized. Todd may be your only talent, Ron is good but unlike Superman cannot be everywhere. He does a good enough job.

Am I being critical? Yes, Yes, I am. I just think you have a lackluster station that could be doing so much more. WIMS, the old new kid on the block has beaten you to the punch time and time again. I am sure it makes you money and lots of it. So, you see little to no reason to upgrade.

Ah nevermind, just beating a dead horse here

Joe

[Roger Kaputnik]

vinyettes.

Vignettes.


Excellent response, and I think we all learned something from it, whether it has to do with radio or if it is how to behave in a mature manner. I know I did!

[Tom Burns]

Vignettes.
Excellent response, and I think we all learned something from it, whether it has to do with radio or if it is how to behave in a mature manner. I know I did!

Thanks for the spelling correction. I tell my wife, an English major, that I got into broadcast news in part because my spelling is not suitable for print.

Also not to beat a dog to death but the earlier posting that we use cart machine is correct for the reason I cited earlier, as it allows more flexibility in live programming. To be able to hold in a physical form a bit of audio allows us to move it to another time to be inserted on air. The computer systems at our other stations makes it difficult to rearrange audio and worse a lack of a proper cue notation in the computer can cause a glitch. When we went with those systems elsewhere, WEFM inherited three almost new cart machines in the past couple of years and they are humming right along. Meanwhile we are playing a game elsewhere called find the audio in the bowels of the computer.

The audio goes next through all solid state equipment including a new transmitter installed a couple of years ago at WEFM. At the appropriate time we will be able to move that transmitter to digital audio which can provide up to three simultaneous channels. One of the two, at lower bit rate, is suitable for sports broadcasts, the other we will use for a more contemporary music and news format. Now that digital system, called HD, is running in Chicago, but there are technical problems with it, essentially in the digital compression. There are two better systems which hopefully will replace the current digital system.

The other implied observation is that we could improve our product. Any business needs to seek higher optimum levels of operation and that applies to us.

Finally our other stations are in markets ranging from 7 to 10 stations, and we are familiar with lots of stations in a market. Since we are often sold out in key times, there should be plenty of business in Michigan City for all broadcasters.

[Southsider2k12]

Hey Tom, I went ahead and took the stuff that wasn't really related to your original topic out of here and put it else where. For continued discussions of that stuff Click HERE. Thanks all.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I guess we were gettin' just a tad off-topic.



There does not seem to be animosity among outlets. Let's not degenerate into the annoying sox/Cubs thing. Frankly, I know lots of people who listten to the local call-in stuff, and that is fine. Also, I enjoy the Colts games, especially since they are almost as good as SSider was on WIMS.

The more outlets the better. I would just like to have more live coverage of local meetings.

[eric.hanke]

The more outlets the better. I would just like to have more live coverage of local meetings.

It's interesting you say that Roger. I know ALCO TV is looking to expand their local coverage using the Michigan City Cable channel (Channel 98/99). I don't live in the city and cannot subscribe to cable so I am not very familiar with which channel is which. But in order to provide MORE local coverage Bart Lombard, the General Manager of ALCO wants to put all the locally produced shows in the midnight to 6AM timeslot.

Not knowing how many locally produced shows there are I am not sure why all of them need to be in such a disadvantaged play time.

I know there are only 4-6 producers of shows and look forward to everyone's input.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Why aren't they YouTubed so they can be seen whenever? Did you see Rick's column today in the ND?

[Tom Burns]

Friday night broadcast, Michigan City against Chesterton at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. (early start) against New Prairie. Both games at 95.9 fm with market wide signal and on internet again this year:
http://www.rrsn.com.

[JoeJ]

Friday night broadcast, Michigan City against Chesterton at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. (early start) against New Prairie. Both games at 95.9 fm with market wide signal and on internet again this year:
http://www.rrsn.com.

So, we will be able to listen to them both on WIMS and WEFM? Sort of like, Dueling Banjos? I am taking bets that WEFM will have more dead air. If I were to listen to basketball on the radio it would have to be the true local guys at WIMS. OMG, I just remembered SuperSub is going to be working one of the games. This is going to be good. Hey, Brophy, they don't allow smoking in the gym and can we make sure the paramedics will be near by! Maybe, setup some sort of hand signal just in case he goes down during the game for a lack of oxygen.

Just busting balls - Go Wolves, and for true local flavor tune into WIMS.
Joe

[Tom Burns]

So, we will be able to listen to them both on WIMS and WEFM? Sort of like, Dueling Banjos? I am taking bests that WEFM will have more dead air. If I were to listen to basketball on the radio it would have to be the true local guys at WIMS. OMG, I just remembered SuperSub is going to be working one of the games. This is going to be good. Hey, Brophy, they don't allow smoking in the gym and can we make sure the paramedics will be near by! Maybe, setup some sort of hand signal just in case he goes down during the game for a lack of oxygen.

Just busting balls - Go Wolves, and for true local flavor tune into WIMS.
Joe

You are clueless.

[Johnny Rush]

OMG, I just remembered SuperSub is going to be working one of the games. This is going to be good.

I hope that everyone gives Brian Brophy a chance during this game...first off, he is going to be the color analyst...so he will not be doing the running commentary of the game. Secondly, due to Matt not being able to make the game, Brian is being pushed into this weeks ahead of schedule. He has not done a game before, and I'm betting on him doing well due to the fact that he is a sports fan, a broadcaster and I think he has listened to the two CDs I gave him of the first two games about 20 times since last night. Still a lot of pressure since our own Southsider Mike set the "newbie bar" so high.

I'm still happy that we decided to do the games ourselves rather than with a third party...we love broadcasting Michigan City sports...and we have some more BIG announcements coming up in the very near future about local sports.

[davew]

OMG, I just remembered SuperSub is going to be working one of the games. This is going to be good.

I hope that everyone gives Brian Brophy a chance during this game...first off, he is going to be the color analyst...so he will not be doing the running commentary of the game. Secondly, due to Matt not being able to make the game, Brian is being pushed into this weeks ahead of schedule. He has not done a game before, and I'm betting on him doing well due to the fact that he is a sports fan, a broadcaster and I think he has listened to the two CDs I gave him of the first two games about 20 times since last night. Still a lot of pressure since our own Southsider Mike set the "newbie bar" so high.

I'm still happy that we decided to do the games ourselves rather than with a third party...we love broadcasting Michigan City sports...and we have some more BIG announcements coming up in the very near future about local sports.

I am sure Brophy will do just fine. Oh yeah, doing them with live and local personalities is much better than some guys who have no history of MC Sports or some talking head.

The Dave

[Southsider2k12]

So, we will be able to listen to them both on WIMS and WEFM? Sort of like, Dueling Banjos? I am taking bets that WEFM will have more dead air. If I were to listen to basketball on the radio it would have to be the true local guys at WIMS. OMG, I just remembered SuperSub is going to be working one of the games. This is going to be good. Hey, Brophy, they don't allow smoking in the gym and can we make sure the paramedics will be near by! Maybe, setup some sort of hand signal just in case he goes down during the game for a lack of oxygen.

Just busting balls - Go Wolves, and for true local flavor tune into WIMS.
Joe

Or maybe some kind of internet signal for those posing as others?

[Tom Burns]

Friday night broadcast, Michigan City against Chesterton at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. (early start) against New Prairie. Both games at 95.9 fm with market wide signal and on internet again this year:
http://www.rrsn.com.

Addition of games through year's end on WEFM:

Tonight: Michigan City vs Merrillville (Dec. 16 missed on earlier posting)

Friday 12/19: Michigan City at Crown Point (rescheduled for Saturday night on WEFM)

Tuesday 12/23: LaPorte at Michigan City, BOTH GAMES, DOUBLEHEADER

12/27: Valparaiso at Chesterton

Plus college and professional game coverage.

[Tom Burns]

I hope Wolves fans enjoyed our exclusive WEFM broadcast last Saturday night. Next game is 12/23 when LaPorte visits Michigan City FOR A DOUBLEHEADER BROADCAST. Bonus game broadcasts....Bears football & Valparaiso University basketball later today and Chesterton/Valparaiso high school traditional basketball competition on 12/27.

[Tom Burns]

Upcoming high school basketball broadcasts on WEFM, plus pro and college games.

12/27 Valparaiso at Chesterton
1/2 Chesterton at LaPorte
1/9 Valparaiso at Michigan City
1/16 Michigan City at Chesterton
1/23 Portage at Chesterton
1/30 Michigan City at Merrillville