[SBE] Video cameras in radio studios

[Barry Thomas]

There's a discussion I always go through about cameras in radio studios.  Have done it dozens of times at multiple stations:

What we do on radio is just that....radio.  It's actually not that
exciting for most people to watch...it's not really supposed to be exciting to see.  Whenever I've put
in radio studio webcams or feeds to the local cable system, the feed has novelty for a
couple of weeks but then it becomes incredibly boring.  Either the
talent starts doing his show for the cameras and the radio product
begins to suffer, or the TV program is just simply boring.

Think about Imus' show on MSNBC.  Nothing visual there at all (especially when Don was wearing the hat)!  Stern's show on E! was more visual but in many person's opinions the radio program began to, simply, suck once the TV show started.

Now now with many stations running Ryan, Elvis, or whomever
else..what will be on that feed during many shifts?  An empty
studio...thereby breaking a very careful and expensive perception that
the high-priced-talent from the top 5 market is actually airing a shift
on my station in market 25.  

I have been advising stations against webcams but to instead bring have a video camera handy (even the new "Flip" cameras) to capture the show when artists visit or when exciting things happen (we generally know when a "bit" is going to happen).  Edit and post those things instead!  Much more compelling video than a staid, boring radio studio strewn with papers....

Barry Thomas, CPBE CBNT

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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:29:00 -0500
From: "Kent Kramer" <kentkramer at att.net>
Subject: Re: [SBE] Congratulations DTV and a request
To: "'sbe member discussion mail list'" <sbe at sbe.org>
Message-ID: <002a01c9edce$025831b0$07089510$@net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I like that idea Steve, could be great cross promotion between TV and Radio.
Put a camera on your morning show on a DTV channel and the TV audio on the
HD channel. I've always wondered also if it would be possible to get at
least one radio station in a market to retransmit the NOAA weather radio on
the HD-2 or 3 channel also.that would be truly using the channel to serve
the community.
***********************************
 Barry Thomas, CPBE CBNT
Atlanta, GA
barryt at sbe.org
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