Sample Run Guide for a two hour program.
by Monty Fox
ArtStarter! Monday to Friday 700 to 900. Contents: less talk, more music.
Music to be of the upbeat variety with an ever changing mix of shorter tunes of differing genres.
Items ought not be longer than 4’30”. Avoid Heavy Metal and head banging music and avoid sad songs. We don’t want to drown people in their tears.
Arrive 30 minutes before air time. The Studio block may be locked and alarmed after last night’s closure.
Setting up the panel:
1. Check that the computer hasn’t frozen. For example, turn on the Clock on screen. If nothing
happens carefully look at the screen’s display. If it does not respond to your clicks, assume
frozen. You have to fix it. Use the instructions on the single page in studio, written by Chris.
2. Set up your screens. Left side for the RadioBoss and right side for Weather and Clock. Work
by that Radio Clock, it reflects the system time.
3. Check that you can find the SPONS (Sponsors’ messages) and PROMS (Promos) listed in
your running sheet from RadioBoss and insert them into your playlist.
4. Have your typed opening greeting and closing farewell at hand.
5. If not already done, place AUTO fader to normal volume. Depress PGM button, and hit the
ON-AIR button. Once the On-AIR button is on you must not play anything outside your
two hour show. To take the console on AUTO so you can prepare a show, see below.
The program:
The previous, on auto News prevents AS! starting at 7.00. The News runs on Auto for about 3
minutes, resulting in you generally not starting until after 7.03.
Be ready to fade down and out the “Auto” slider, whilst beginning the play of a minimum 15 second
ArtStarter theme on RadioBoss. If you use the longer 65 second theme, at any time after ten
seconds of theme, fade it out, begin your program with a voiced, greeting, and away you go.
Remember to reset the RadioBoss Fader to the Zero mark, its normal play volume.
Note that when you setup the console, the RadioBoss fader should be put at the middle zero setting
and its channel ON. Then, in order to play a song, just double click on the item you want to play. It
may be short, so watch the run-down time being displayed.
8.00 o’clock News will begin exactly at 800 by the System time (Radio Clock’s display). You
cannot delay it, so select an item that ends about 30” before 800, back-announce the last tune or
talk a bit, announce “the 8 o’clock News” etc and remember to fade UP the AUTO channel whilst
you turn OFF your MIC.
Have a short (10 or 20 sec) AS! theme cued to play off RadioBoss when the News finishes.
Remember to fade down and out the AUTO channel as you fade UP the RadioBoss channel. And
on you go with the second half of your program.
Across the whole two hours, you ought do 5 Station Ids, any number of time calls and weather.
A Station ID needs to include the name of our station, our FM frequencies of 92.7 and 90.3,
Internet access via our website “artsound DOT fm”, and “on Digital Radio via DEE- AY-BEE plus”.
A mouthful I know, but that’s what is required.
Say it at the start, in the middle (after the 800 News) and in your sign-off at the end.
And speaking of “the End”, give yourself time to say the names and Presenters (if known) of the
afternoon programs – use the Running Sheet. And give tomorrow’s AS! Presenter a positive plug,
too.
Pre-announce “News at 12, followed by Arts Café, presented by Neil Doody” – or whomever).
If you want to use the long theme (about 1 min long) under your voice, be sure to have the “music
under” fader way way down.
If at any time you want to use instrumental music “under” your voice,be sure the music is way way
down. It is easy to accidentally and unwittingly play the “music under” too loudly, destroying the
audio to your listener’s ears.
At end of your program you will be putting the console into AUTO mode.
As soon as the “900 News” has begun depress the ON-AIR button (at top right of the sloped
console panel), hold it depressed until its light begins to blink. Release the button and then
depress the AUTO button immediately below the ON-AIR butto. You can now prepare to close
down your Console.
Lastly sign the running sheet.
Reckon that’s it. But I have probably forgotten something critical.
YOUR STANDARDS AND TRAINING COMMITTEE
The purpose of the Standards and Training Committee is to:
1. Increase cooperation between all volunteers, to focus on the quality of what we do, and get rid of the it’s-not-my-job mentality
2. continuously search for ways to improve every program by seeking feedback from its listeners and sponsors, and promoting suggestions from all sources, both externally and internally, on how to improve.
3. Encourage all aspects of the organization to work as a team to solve problems and exceed listener expectations rather than competing against each other.
4. Empower volunteers at every level, permitting them to be actively engaged in decisions that affect ArtSound, and provide the opportunity to have pride in what they do for ArtSound.
Want help? You can reach out to us! email training@artsound.fm