[IRCA] Broadcast Automation

[AM-DXer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Griffith, N0NNK / WPE9HVW)]

Someone mentioned early broadcast automation systems. The first one that
I saw was at WZEE (Z-104) in Madison WI around 1975. To me broadcast
automation was a new and exciting technology at the time. I'm not
positive but I think this may have been a Schafer system. It occupied an
entire wall of a large room with about eight 19" racks full of rotating
cartridge carousels, reel to reel players, and assorted electronics. It
was absolutely amazing to watch it in operation. I was especially
impressed by the two reel to reel players that contained an announcement
of every minute of the 12-hour day. One had the even minutes and one had
the odd minutes. One was always at ready cue while the other was
updating to the next position. When the automation called for a time
announcement the system would play the current time, such as "it's four
thirty-two", just as if the announcer was live. WZEE was running the
fantastic Drake Chenault CHR format at the time. I had no idea that my
favorite station in the northern IL / southern WI area was automated,
and programmed from the west coast, until I dropped in for a visit. I
stood in amazement watching the system operate for a couple hours. They
practically had to drag me out of the place. As I recall there were 3 or
4 large cartridge carousels containing ad spots, promos, news, local
weather, and new music releases that weren't yet on the reels. In
addition to the 2 time reels I believe there were 2 or 3 reels that
contained current music selections and 2 or 3 more that contained
oldies. Many of the music selections had pre or post announcements built
in to add to the "live" effect. Of course today this can all be done on
a desktop computer. But that isn't nearly as much fun to watch.

Not long after this someone got the idea that the public might enjoy
watching one of these automation systems in operation. In the late 70s
WYBR in Rockford IL put their automation system on display in the
largest shopping mall in northern Illinois. The call letters reflected
their slogan "the Yellow Brick Road". The floor of the Cherryvale Mall
actually had a yellow brick road winding through it that you could
follow to the viewing area and watch either the system operating in full
automation during the evening and weekends or the disc jockey operating
the system in live assist mode during weekdays. The last time I visited
Rockford the radio station was long gone from the mall. But the yellow
brick road was still there over 25 years later.

Patrick Griffith, Westminster CO
http://community.webtv.net/N0NNK/
http://community.webtv.net/AM-DXer/

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