IT'S TIME TO UPGRADE

We all know that HD has had it's issues. Critics have been quick to point out that they feel HD programming, along with awareness and acceptance is anemic. Well, the web is full of nothing but critics and remember, critics have nothing to do unless content creators and innovators do something first.

That leads us to talk about HD success stories. We found a blog that took its shots at HD but didn't forget to talk about the good stuff. The blog is http://hdradionews.blogspot.com/. Here's an excerpt from it...

"We are again witness to early innovation, this time around by HD Radio multicasting pioneers. Their work is, again, being largely ignored or discounted. The work of Mark Pennington [RIFF2], Clear Channel, Boulder [The Studio C Channel, KBCO] and Bonneville, St Louis [iChannel.fm] are some that merit our attention, serious study and praise. "The play's the thing" so said Shakespeare and operators need to embrace and drive nothing less than a content and application renaissance, a creative revolution of game-changing innovation."

The blog also put the programming quagmire in perspective by pointing out that a similar sitch existed when FM was just getting off the ground. Operators just simulcasted AM programming until the government interfered. Then, innovation exploded and FM was the next big thing.

Realistically, HD is sort of in its infancy or maybe the terrible twos. Radio companies are putting resources into it and things are happening but, in a web culture driven by flaming and laptop critics, the success stories can be harder to find.

If you know of a success story, tell us at production@brownbagimaging.com. We'd love to help spread the word.

UNDER THE KNIFE

We have a new home page http://brownbagimaging.com/. It was time for a face lift and some new functionality. Now, you can link to our twitter, facebook and Bagazine pages directly from the home page. The latest tweets are handy but if you want to look up classic tweets, click through.

All four of our current barter services are seen on the home page. If you have access to the Signature Series, just log in and you'll see it right where it used to be. More changes are coming. Changes to the interior of the site will follow.

Thanks for diggin' The Bag.

TV TEACHES US STUFF

Many programmers have said that radio could learn a thing or two from television. True, but what we ending up learning most is that tv spends a lot more money on almost everything. Of course, tv is working with a network mentality and radio has been a local medium. Networks have budgets such that they can produce promos for a sports broadcast that run only twice. Hours are spent making a 30 sec piece that runs only in pre-game to create some additional hype on top of what the commentators are doing. Good lesson there. Possibly two lessons. One, all promos don't have to be repeated ad nauseum to be effective. Two, promos can be done in a way where they seem like part of the programming instead of a commercial interrpution.

Perhaps these two lessons are related. When a promo is repeated frequently, it may take on the feel of a spot. Naturally, if it's also driven by sponsor copy points, it may be hard for it to be perceived any other way.

In the sports hype promo mentioned earlier, it's important to know that the promo uses video that looks like programming. If the Giants are playing the Eagles, clips from past Giants/Eagles games are chopped up over a familiar music bed to frontsell the action. In between hits, passes and touchdown grand standing are shots of rabid fans with bare, painted chests that prove beer makes one impervious to January temps. Production that's fun and exciting? Promos that exist for the sole purpose of entertaining the audience? Yes, it's true and radio can certainly learn something from that part of television.

Radio can do this kind of production quickly and cheaply. No FOX network budget is necessary nor is a team of producers lead by an expensive director. If you have a personality driven morning show, why not ditch the standard clip promo occaisonally and do it up NFL style?

Making production an integral part of programming does take more thought and creativity but that has always been what it takes to make a station stand out. Enteraining content wins and imaging can be a major part of it. Just ask KROQ or Z100 or WEBN or ALICE or Howard Stern. A new convert is FOX sports radio. They have hundreds of affiliates and have gone mad with the imaging.

So television (a.k.a the boob tube or idot box) actually has something to teach us. Hang out and watch the promos instead of running to the kitchen and plowing through a bag of chips like Megan Fox is at the bottom.

RIPPED ALASKA

The title of this article is not a new dessert spinoff of Baked Alaska. It's a shout out to our newest Ripped user KZND in Anchorage. Our last add was WLUP Chicago. So, Ripped continues it's world tour of all radio stations big and small that are buried nose ring deep in pure, uncut, shovel to the face attitude. Don't miss the axle throbbing, ground pounding excitement. We'll sell you the whole seat but...

EVOLUTION. JUST DO IT.

Being a creative services director these days involves writing, editing voicing, mixing, mastering, promos, commercials, an air shift and dealing with the neighborhood schizophrenic who shows up wearing a tin foil hat insisting your transmitter is making him wet the bed. That makes you indispensable right? Not even close. All that stuff that used to be considered creative magic is now the domain of anyone with a cracked copy of a DAW and the ability to read English reasonably well. Is that dude as good as you? No, however, it's not that simple.

Radio is looking for new revenue and new ways to reach an A.D.D audience that has an iphone pouring jibber jabber into one ear, and an ipod jamming stolen music into the other. As you've noticed, many stations are not focused on imaging right now. They're trying to populate HD channels, squeeze more cash out of the website, develop twitter contests, provide podcasts and of course, figure out the people meter.

So, ask yourself where you fit in to these new priorities. Have you shifted your attention? Learned new skills? Contributed ideas? Evolved?

As a production person, your tendency is to tweak and refine. You're likely to have valuable critical thinking skills and a creative mind that always remembers to entertain or at least be interesting. That makes you a great candidate to lead your station in new directions. Tough times always provide opportunities to those who are flexible and resourceful.

Sometimes having fewer tools and smaller budgets forces people to be more inventive. Many of you may remember being more wildly creative when you were working in smaller markets with less of everything. You took more chances and you went the extra mile to make goofy ideas come to life. Those corny commercials you made actually got results for local clients. You were evolving all the time. Some of you are in that phase right now.

No matter who you are, it's time for a growth spurt. Here at The Bag, we're trying new things too. We're using ipods for field recording, using more live musicians, experiementing with analog stuff and one time, we bought a bag of kazoos for a holiday project. Even on the tightest budget, you can still afford a bag of kazoos.

YOU STINK AT BEING A NINJA

It's 4a.m. and you have an irate neighbor/roommate/significant other threatening your life because he/she has been listening to you voice, edit, mix and master all night. Ever so politely you explain that mixing on headphones is a no no for audio pros. Further, you explain that you feel you've been fairly quiet since you blast it much louder when you're at work. Still, the enraged victim persists in detailing exactly how he/she will dismember you if you don't stop with the racket.

Save yourself from a CSI-style crime scene with a new plug-in called Redline Monitor from a company called 112db. It allows you to mix and master on headphones by simulating near-field monitors.

The usual wide/extreme stereo separation that you hear in headphones is replaced with
the detailed stereo image that you are used to hearing. You will be able to
mix with confidence using your cans. Set your levels, stereo placement, and
finalize your mix with out punishing those around you.

Headphone mixing is now a reality anywhere, anytime, and without ear fatigue (as long as you don't slam yourears with unsafe volume levels). Redline will help you achieve better
separation and make your mixes sound as if you mixed in front of your near
field monitors.

This is a great tool! We test drove the demo. Remember, we don't get paid or get freebies for endorsing anything. We're not greasing friends in the biz. We just test stuff and if we like it, we tell you about it.

Check out the 60 day demo at:

http://www.112db.com/redline/monitor/?demo


We did some math for you too:

1 Meter = 3.28 Feet

1.5 Meters = 4.92 Feet

2 Meters = 6.56 Feet

2.5 Meters = 8.20 Feet

3 Meters = 9.84 Feet

3.5 Meters = 11.48 Feet

4 Meters = 13.12 Feet