[Journalists] radio questions

Tue Aug 18 01:44:15 UTC 2009

I doubt Art Schreiber will be of any help to you.  He is a great guy 
but has worked as talent and management at major stations for a long 
time, and isn't involved in day to day board operating and the like.

Ed McDonald may or may not be able to help -- he has worked in live 
radio in the past, so don't write him off out of hand.  He may also 
know of others who can help.

We did not access the system remotely, but directly, and the physical 
touch screen wasn't used.  The keyboard was used -- any good 
application should include keyboard commands to do what you can also 
do with a mouse and/or a touch screen.  Unfortunately, most 
applications aren't well written, or well behaved.

Dave

At 06:02 PM 8/17/2009, you wrote:
>Hi All!
>
>I'll try to answer all your emails and questions in one email to make things
>easier.
>
>First, thanks so much for all your ideas and help!
>
>I will look into the AFB Tech, and NFB Tech. I don't think he's a NFB
>member, but someone suggested to me to try Jim Allen from Texas.
>
>And, do any of you know if Arthur A. Schreiber would be able to help?
>Doesn't he have his own talk show?
>
>Also,  I called Job Accomodations Network and they are also working on this.
>
>E, I don't have a reader. But, I have been looking into hiring a personal
>assistant that could be my eyes for this just in case technology doesnt work
>out. Would I have to pay the person out of my pocket? I know the station
>won't hire two peple to do one job.
>
>It's ironic you guys mentioned Ed McDonald. He actually used to work at this
>company for one of the stations about 20 years ago and is good friends with
>my boss Jim Stallings. I asked Jim about him, but Jim said he had a
>completely different situation in that all his shows are recorded. If he
>makes a mistake, he can go back and edit. It's not operating 3 live radio
>stations. I can certainly call Ed, but I'm afraid he may not be much help to
>this situation.
>
>David, and Brian, you guys present a good idea in accessing the system
>remotely the way Jim does but there may be a problem with this. The way I
>have had this explained to me is hat when Jim logs in he gets an exact view
>of what is on the screen. It's like his computer turns into a
>touchscreen.So, basically he uses the mouse to access everything...and since
>it looks exactly like it does on te touchscreen, I'm afraid it may be too
>graphical. David, is that what the guy in Minnesota did to accss this? Or,
>did he have actual scripts that enabled him to use the touchscreen? Because,
>accessing it remotly is a great idea, but from what I've been told it's
>pretty graphical and you have to use the mouse.
>
>Thanks so much for all your help and I look forward to haring your
>responses. David, I'll email that guy...but I'm really interested to
>hear...did the scriptor make it so he could access the system remotely or
>did he actually enable him to use the touchscreen?
>
>And, as for rehab I don't honestly want them involved because I do still
>have a very good internship whether I get this job or not. I don't mind if
>they help me but I don't want them taking control of things...taking control
>of this job if I would somehow make it work, or taking control of my
>internship. Does that make sense?
>
>Again, Thanks!
>
>Kerri
>
>On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Brian Buhrow
><buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org>wrote:
>
> >        Hello.  I'm not sure how to address all your questions, but I think
> > the way to go about solving these issues is to try and solve them one at a
> > time.
> >        The first clue I think about  when thinking about solving your
> > problem
> > is in your message.  You say that your boss thinks you could do the job and
> > if things are going weird, you could call him up and he could fix it
> > remotely.  If he can fix it remotely, why can't you?  What I mean is , if
> > it's accessible via a modem or over the Internet, you could use an
> > accessible laptop to access the computer system via  a modem or over the
> > radio station's network to get at the data you  need.  In other words,
> > forget the touch screen, use the same technique he would use to help you
> > out to fix the problem yourself.
> >        If there is no way to get the transmitter readings other than via a
> > visual screen, then you may need a reader for that.  But, they sound like a
> > fairly modern radio station setup and it may just be that no one has
> > learned another way to get the readings because they didn't have to.  Some
> > research on the equipment they're using may reveal an answer which isn't
> > known by the current staff.
> >        I'm sure there are others who know more about radio station setups
> > than
> > I do on this list, but this is a start of some ideas.
> >        The most important thing, of course, is for you to remain excited
> > about wanting to do the work, and continuing to search for creative
> > solutions for problems like this.  If you talk to enough people and think
> > outside the box, you'll be able to get most of the solutions you need.
> > And, it might be that another opening will come along with this company
> > which you'll be able to move into soon, meaning that even if a solution you
> > come up with today is not good for the long term, it will be good enough
> > for
> > your needs.
> > Good luck, and keep searching.  I'm confident you'll get useful answers and
> > be able to further your career.
> > -Brian
> > On Aug 17,  1:36pm, Kerri Kosten wrote:
> > } Subject: [Journalists] radio questions
> >  } Hi:
> > }
> > } My name is Kerri Kosten. I am a sophomore Journalism major at West
> > } Virginia University in Morgantown, W.VA <http://w.va/> in the United
> > States. I want
> > } to do sports reporting as a career...not sure whether broadcast or
> > } writing yet...'m trying to learn both and not limit myself since they
> > } are both important. I definitely want to focus on online though.
> > }
> > } Anyway, last year I began an internship at a local radio station here
> > } in Morgantown. I write the sports page for one of the stations
> > } websites...it's a pretty big job for an intern.
> > }
> > } Well, now they want to actually pay me to run the rradio stations
> > } overnights on Saturdays. No, I would not be paid for doing writing the
> > } sports page, which is my internship job, but this is how you start
> > } out...baby steps.
> > }
> > } Here are the issues though. This shift has two requirements...one is
> > } that you take transmitter readings every hour. The other is that you
> > } make sure the programming works correctly, and fixing it if there are
> > } any problems. There are four radio stations...so I would be
> > } responsible for operating four radio staions
> > }
> > } Well, first, a couple of the transmitter readings have to be taken
> > } manually, not over the phone. In the WAJR studio, there is this
> > } machine. On the bottom, there are tons of buttons...just buttons not a
> > } keypad. Then, above that, there are two little slivers of screen. One
> > } is for one station, and then a little above it is the second sliver
> > } for the other station. You actually have to read physically with your
> > } eyes the numbers off the slivers of screen and then manually enter it
> > } in. Why you can't just do these readings over the phone like the
> > } others...I have no idea. So, that is one problem.
> > }
> > } The second is that again if something goes wrong with any of the
> > } stations it would be my responsibility to fix, or at least try to the
> > } best of my abilities, to fix the stations. Well, they are touchscreen.
> > }
> > } In each studio, there is a computer. The actual screen of the computer
> > } is a touchscreen...like the ones at Sheets...you touch it, the screen
> > } changes. There is a keyboard, but from what I have been told all it is
> > } used for is to search for liners and songs.
> > }
> > } The station just put in this new system called Google Radio
> > } Automation. When, I would start, everything would be in
> > } automation...so it's supposed to run by itself. On a regular good
> > } night with no problems all I wold have to worry about is getting the
> > } transmitter readings. The concern though is if something goes
> > } wrong...then I'd have four stations or at least one or maybe two I
> > } could not fix.
> > }
> > } The guy I work for, Jim, thinks that if I heard a problem, I could
> > } call him immediately and he could log in remotely from home and try to
> > } fix the problem. The concern though of course, is if the problem is
> > } too complex it may not be able to just be simply fixed from home.
> > } Plus, as you know, in radio it's important to fix any problems ASAP
> > } and just leisurely calling him maytake too much time. If I could not
> > } get a hold of him, or anybody, I'd be in trouble.
> > }
> > } So, do you have any ideas?
> > } I really want to do this, and don't want to just give up.
> > }
> > } Is my most likely option just going to be to maybe hire an assistant
> > } or a person who would be my eyes? If so, what are my options...do I
> > } have to pay them out of my pocket, or are there sources of funding
> > } that would give me the money, and I hire my own person?
> > }
> > } People keep telling me that there may be some sort of technology to
> > } make this work, but I don't think so. People keep telling me that I
> > } may be able to put some kind of braille overlap over the touchscreen
> > } but again, the screen changes...so this wouldn't work right? I'd
> > } almost need something like the Iphone3gs...like some sort of
> > } screenreader to read the touchscreen right? Which, is not practical in
> > } this case.
> > } Then, there is the issue of the transmitter readings. Someone told me
> > } they make these pen like things for dyslexics where you run the pen
> > } across the screen, and it reads it out loud. Have you heard of these?
> > } I'm worried though that it may not be accurate enough.
> > } So, would my best bet probably be assistance?
> > }
> > } Again, I know this job sounds almost impossible, but I really want to
> > } make it work. The way this company works is that you start out as an
> > } intern, then they fit you into one of theseshifts...then you work your
> > } way up from there until you get a full-time job there. I really like
> > } the company, and the work environment so would rlly hope to work
> > } there. I have been told I am one of the top 3 interns...the rest of
> > } them don't do anything. And, they don't just ask anyone to do
> > } something like this. And, I work a lot there...so to get paid would be
> > } sort of like a kind of reward. My bossJim refuses to give up...he
> > } thinks there is a way, he just is sighted so doesn't know exactly how.
> > } He really believes in me, and said the first day that his hope is that
> > } I start out as an intern, then could get a job there someday. This
> > } would be my chance at a start.
> > }
> > } I personally wish they could pay me for something else I could do
> > } better, like maybe computer stuff, or WAJR sports, but they can't. I
> > } guess with the economy they can only hire for existing radio
> > } positions...not new ones. So, from my unerstanding, this for now is my
> > } only option. And, as an intern, I don't feel I have the place to ask
> > } for something else, or challenge that in any way.
> > }
> > } So, I want to do anything I need to in order to potentially do this.
> > }
> > } Thanks so much for any info anyone can give!
> > }
> > } Kerri
> > }
> > } _______________________________________________
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> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/journalists_nfbnet.org/buhrow%40lothlorien.nfbcal.org
> > >-- End of excerpt from Kerri Kosten
> >
> >
> >
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