Don’t F— It Up! Written by Bruce Schiller Posted in In the Trenches. This story is a good example of the way we broadcasters often have to troubleshoot and fix problems, … Continue reading
Sites You Visit Only if You Really Want To! Written by Barry Mishkind Posted in In the Trenches. July 2021 – Sometimes a picture needs context to really illuminate what we are looking at. Here is a pair of pictures from … Continue reading
The Day a Cow Took Our Radio Station Off The Air Written by Mark Voris Posted in In the Trenches. Throughout my years as a Broadcast Engineer I have seen a lot of things disrupt the transmission of a broadcast station whether it … Continue reading
When the County Says “Move That Tower!” Written by Ted Thayer Posted in In the Trenches. Often, broadcasters operate as a business, getting the job done. But often, having a good relationship with local governmental authorities will … Continue reading
Transmitter Site Access Issues: Part 2: Grader Meets Neighbor Written by Tom Epperson Posted in In the Trenches. When we left Tom Epperson, he was facing a CP that was running out and a neighbor who was committed to … Continue reading
Transmitter Site Access Issue: When the Grader Meets the Neighbor (Part 1) Written by Tom Epperson Posted in In the Trenches. This First Person account takes us back about 65 years to the installation of a three-tower array in Tucson, AZ. A … Continue reading
Doing the EBS Dance Written by Dave Hultsman Posted in In the Trenches. Before the Emergency Alert System (EAS) there was EBS – The Emergency Broadcast System. Several things led to its abandonment and the implementation … Continue reading
My First View From The Very Top Written by Ted Thayer Posted in In the Trenches. In the days before liability and insurance issues, many engineers also changed out their own light bulbs – yes, including the … Continue reading
KRKO and Sister Station do Digital AM Written by Barry Mishkind Posted in In the Trenches. After Over the weekend of October 2-7, KRKO, and sister station KKXA were picked by NAB Labs to conduct experimental broadcasts of digital … Continue reading
Curing Interference with a 2×4 Written by Mike Langner Posted in In the Trenches. Few things are more unnerving than getting a call where the FAA is claiming interference. Add in the FCC and other … Continue reading
The Story of An Interesting Match Between Transmitter and Phasor Written by Ron Nott Posted in In the Trenches. Returning to the scene of his late night encounter with the wild javalinas on Catalina Island, Ron Nott finishes his story … Continue reading
When the Danger is Outside the Transmitter Shack Written by Ron Nott Posted in In the Trenches. We often think of the dangers presented inside the transmitter room but sometimes just getting there can be (how shall we … Continue reading
Mom, I Killed the Transmitter! Written by Jim Michelinie Posted in In the Trenches. In the “Good Old Days,” aspiring broadcasters got training from mentors who usually prevented us from killing ourselves as we learned. … Continue reading
Diddums R.I.P. Written by Sean ONeel Posted in In the Trenches. Many stations have mascots, even “house pets.” Of course, it is important that they not go into places where … erm … Continue reading
Giving Personal Attention to Your Listeners Written by Barry Mishkind Posted in In the Trenches. How to treat listeners properly: Glen Kippel: “We don’t have voicemail at KWXY, so when people ask me to put them through … Continue reading
Western Union’s Time Was Up Years Ago Written by Don Kimberlin Posted in In the Trenches, When the FCC Calls. The year 1962 The place: Fort Lauderdale, FL – when “Miami” was still a separate market, and people listened to local radio. However, … Continue reading
Mystery VSWR Knocks Station Off Written by John Price Posted in In the Trenches. Few things are more frustrating than a transmitter that refuses to load into the antenna. Many issues can be in play, … Continue reading
Chasing an Interference Bug Written by Burt Weiner Posted in In the Trenches. Dealing with the neighbors when there is an interference complaint can be as much of a “public relations” problem as a … Continue reading
When Antennas Attack Written by Tom Bosscher Posted in In the Trenches. I have heard of transmitter fires, but how many folks have been attacked by their antennas? Pull up a chair and let grandpa … Continue reading
Camelot on the Moon Written by Don Kimberlin Posted in Broadcast History, In the Trenches. The Real Story of How We Managed to Fulfill Kennedy’s Promise and Put a Man on the Moon JFK said we would go … Continue reading
