WWV – The Tick!

As a former Coast Guard Radio operator who spent many minutes synchronizing clocks, I find this pretty funny:

The funding for WWV may be cut out of this years budget or next.  Take a few minutes on 5, 10 or 15 MHz to reminisce.  Then turn that thing off, it gets annoying after a while.

Cost saving measures

Excerpt of a memo from a few years ago, during the great recession:

(Redacted) has implemented a consumables reduction program.  All consumables; copy paper, toner, note pads, pens, pencils, paper towels, garbage bags, paper plates, plastic flatware, toilet paper, and so forth must be reduced by 25%.  (Redacted) is spending far to much on such material which is impacting our financial performance.

The Management

My contribution to the effort:

new consumable reduction program
new consumable reduction program

I wouldn’t want the CEO to miss his bonus this year…

WVWA Nine Double Oh Radio

It seems branding and programming issues are a long-running problem for radio stations. This is a copy of something that was made at WALL in 1974.  It has been circulated extensively in the NY metro market, but perhaps some of you from other areas or countries have not heard of it yet. There is no WVWA 900 in Pound Ridge, it is a fictitious station:

What is hilarious is that the same exact this is still going on forty years later. How many times have programming consultants, program directors, and corporate programming gurus sat around and said “What we really need is a catchy name, like The Buzz or something.” I don’t know how many times I have heard “The X” or “The Eagle” or “fill in stupid name here.” Do the listeners really think “Oh wow, they changed their name, I will listen to this station now!” No, not likely.

The funniest part is; “After more than 100 hours of extensive research… (the programming consultant) developed, refined, molded, polished, honed, shaped and pulled out of left field a revolutions new formatic programing concept…”  Play music, say nothing, and scream “NINE!” between each song.