After many months on this forum I detect that part 15 members share the conventional broadcast practice of keeping the language decent, and I share this preference after many years in radio following the standard practice of wholesome speech.
But the programs that come in the form of podcasts sometimes include grungy words, as the internet seems to have opened the door on “anything goes.”
When such language slips through and gets sent on AM I cringe because what if that was the exact moment someone nearby chanced upon the station.
Tonight I tried a roundabout band-aid solution during a show that is otherwise very good except for blunt words once in awhile. I turned off my main frequency and switched to a second frequency, knowing no one would be monitoring an inactive channel.
Have you had experiences with this problem?
mram1500 says
Yes, Yes, Yes
I have been approached by more than one Internet Radio broadcaster requesting I carry their show. When I preview their show, generally the language is rough at best. I have to inform them that as an over-the-air broadcast I must follow the FCC rules which don’t allow that type of content.
The big problem I have experienced is that occasionally one show I carry will have technical problems. Their show audio drops and the Host will insert some other show and LOOK OUT, it was RAW. Fortunately, I happened to be monitoring and cut-away quickly. Most of my programming is automated as I can’t sit here 24/7 to do that.
I’ve seen equipment advertised that can recognize content you deem objectionable and bleep it out without user intervention. But, I’m sure that’s outside the budget most of us operate on.
RichPowers says
You brought this subject back
You brought this subject back to my mind. Last month I was considering, and a little concerned about potential language slips on air.
Intention is, there will be multiple voices involved with my station, whether it be present in the studio or via phone. And a great deal of it will be live. I was wondering how this could be handled.
I had briefly looked around for some kind of transmission delay methods, perhaps some kind of software 3 second delay or something.. but wonder if it would be worth the hassle.
I suspect in general, most people would conscience of their language in public air, but slips to happen, and I really want to maintain a family suitable programing.
Incidentally, Carl, I couldn’t sleep last night and went to go fiddle around in the garage with finishing touches on my studio setup, and I put your 2 part “Margaretta Tutorial” thru the transmitter to listen to on the radio.. and heard you tell a dirty joke on air!
And another thing.. your switching your KDX numbers around again – and confusing my easily confused mind!
By the way, when is the next Low Power Hour due?
RFBurns says
GAG Gear
I’ve seen equipment advertised that can recognize content you deem objectionable and bleep it out without user intervention. But, I’m sure that’s outside the budget most of us operate on.
Yes..there is GAG gear that will effectively mute or bleep out the dirt. I have one I use on my AM and FM stations while the goose is loose on the internet side. Works via a simple text file loaded with the colorful metaphors and does a great job. Mine is home built, but there are commercial units available..and yes they will be WAY beyond the pricing range of typical Part 15 installations…unless finances are not an issue.
All Part 15 stations should do two primary things as the licensed stations do….
1. Operate a clean signal on the band.
2. Air a clean program on the band.
Now I have heard some questionable words quite often on licensed stations after 10 PM and some even more questionable after midnight. This does not mean that it opens up the flood gates for Part 15 stations to cut it loose and get filthy. However it can serve as a guideline.
But overall, Part 15 stations should run EXACTLY as the licensed stations operate and avoid ANY colorful metaphors AT ALL TIMES!!
Also…follow the same rule as licensed stations do with live programs and RECORD them and keep them on file. Its best to record them in two places, on an outboard piece of gear such as a tape recorder, and on the computer in digital form so that it will have the time stamp and date when that file was created and saved. Proof will be in the file pudding.
RFB
RichPowers says
The real story revealed…
Ahem!…. I stand corrected, The joke had nothing to do with a male member, nor women… I couldn’t remember what the joke was, I only remember a word that evidently was never there at all..
The joke I actually heard was about 18 minutes into part 2:
“You can lead a COP to knowledge, but you can’t make him drink”…
Don’t know if that joke was funny or not, but it wasn’t crude.
(I was occupied with something and only half listening to you when I became so surprised to hear you say what you didn’t say at all!)
It was either me with my poor hearing, or me and my dirty mind. – or both.
All apologies Carl.
Carl Blare says
Watch Those Mixed Drinks
Eeew, me tell dirty joke? Maybe the mixed drink tutorial went too far. I’ll have to listen to that episode again and hear what I said. Lucky you were listening late at night when “adult” programming is more tolerated.
Thanks for asking for a LPH update. Right now there are several possible guests who have agreed to appear, but each one is busy with other projects and cannot do a show until a later time.
But I am guessing that within a few days a show might appear, because I’m contacted some additional prospects this week.
Carl Blare says
Cleaning Up the Act
I spent the afternoon going through the first half of Tutorial 2, and so far found a joke that wasn’t dirty, but also didn’t seem all that funny, so I replaced key words with beeps so its meaning is concealed.
Later I’ll go through the second half so I can doctor that off-color joke that you reported, and which I don’t remember, because I want to cover my tracks and be true to the high standard I spoke about.
The last step of all will be uploading the revised shows to the website so future listeners will be safe.
RichPowers says
Carl, I forget what the joke
Carl, I forget what the joke was.. but it had something to do with .. “that’s the kind of cock women want” .. or something along those lines, seems to me it was in part one, but I really don’ty know.. I was only half listening!
mighty1650 says
Obscenities
Generally I prefer Clean language but…
When The Crow still aired talk programs I made a point to air the raunchy shows after 10pm. and the Clean talkers would get primetime (5pm-9pm at The Crow). The Crow’s late Night Talk shows were mostly “un-safe” programs.
(Crude Language on occasion, sometimes Sexy Talk)
Hence why I aired them only in the “safe Harbor” of 10pm.
I personally liked the shows, but they didn’t quite fit The Crow.
which is why I started a 2nd station for Talk Programming. Which follows the same guidelines.
Clean Network Programming during the day, (TalkRadioX)
dirty shows after 10pm.
So Far the only Talk programming left on the Crow is Sports Radio NY, and The Hi-Fi Club (a show about radio, and radio news)
Carl Blare says
Trouble Report
Thank you Rich Powers for describing what you think maybe was said, but what I must discover is how such uncharacteristic language could possibly have been within the program. I never talk like that even in private, not even when I was in the army.
Now monitoring part 2 of the program in question and I’ll be back in a couple hours with a report.
Carl Blare says
Cleared of All Charges
Hey, good news. The Second Tavern Tutorial in which RichPowers thought maybe he heard some gritty language has been declared sanitary. Nothing like the words Rich thinks maybe he heard were found in the program. So what was it that actually happened?
Well, Rich admits listening late at night, and The Crow admits transmitting special programming during the “safe harbor” late hours, so don’t you see?
Somehow The Crow program got mixed with my show and I’m innocent!
When I started this thread I didn’t realize I’d end up being the guilty party.
Now I’m writing my own retraction.
RichPowers says
Hmmm.. Carl, I’ll find it
Hmmm.. Carl, I’ll find it tonight, before midnight! I know I heard that last night cause it caused me to look up at the radio – I was surprised to hear you say it! (I still think it was in part 1)
Stay tuned…
Carl Blare says
Part What?
Ah, I thought you said Part 2. I spent the whole day going through Part 2.
Now I’m panic-ing again. But, but, I played Part 1 over the air Sunday and my sister was listening. Nobody noticed anything goofy, except for the program being sort of goofy in general, but nothing ribald.
But thanks for your offer to check it yourself. I’ll stay up and watch for an announcement.
mighty1650 says
It’s a conspiracy!
its a conspiracy!
The radio waves must have e-skipped on
down into Rich’s computer temporarily overriding the program!
Though The Talkers were moved to another station
… the plot thickens… the mystery deepens!
Carl Blare says
Everybody Survived
Rich Powers you were noble to go back over the trail and correct what was a plain mis-hearing. I thank you.
Even that other joke you quoted has now been changed (beeps added), because of two reasons:
1.) It wasn’t really my joke, since I heard it on another program;
2.) I didn’t find it either true or funny;
3.) It is not my policy to go around repeating other people’s jokes;
Those are my two reasons.
There will be no non-licenses revoked because of this incident.
Carl Blare says
In the Afterlife
Just listening ahead to programs that I might post for listening on the website, I found an example of a borderline situation that is approved for broadcast, because it’s literal meaning is clean, but if you take it the wrong way it could be questionable.
It is a story told by a professor from the university. He said that authors have recently been expected to have equality when expressing gender. For hundreds of years everything was expressed as if “he” and “him” accounted for all of “mankind,” but now we should say “he or she,” so as to include the feminine. But we are always looking for a way to abbreviate our language so things can be said with as few words as possible. So the new proposal is to be all inclusive by saying “he,she,it.”
Ken Norris says
Slurr
“So the new proposal is to be all inclusive by saying “he,she,it.”
Don’t say that too fast in sequence 😉
Sometimes I wonder if late night internet talk show people are sitting in a pile of empty beer cans.
Also, I’d like to know what kind of software/hardware device can beep a ‘bad’ word before it goes to air in a live situation. Seems like it could only be detected after the fact, unless you deliberately put in a delay-line monitor.
When I interview someone, I have a release form in which the interviewee agrees to allow the likeness of their voice to go onto the air and the internet, as well as a warning that bad language won’t be allowed. I also like to put up a note on the door of a building entry letting people know a live broadcast is taking place. Those things hopefully cover liabilities.
Psychologists say swear/cuss words float on the surface of the mind, very easy to grab and put in place of more thoughtful language use. To me, that seems about right.
RichPowers says
Good thoughts
.. unless you deliberately put in a delay-line monitor.
How is that done?
When I interview someone, I have a release form in which the interviewee agrees to allow the likeness of their voice to go onto the air and the internet, as well as a warning that bad language won’t be allowed.
Excellent. Another thing added to my ‘To do list’.