Focus 580; Talk with Station Manager Dan Simeone

We have had that well a little bit because a couple of changes this morning so we could bring you the special report there from National Public Radio also another change. Well earlier this morning we heard from Dennis Baron Professor head of the English department at the U.N. who was going to be with us for the second hour and he said he was sorry but something had come up and he wouldn't be able to do the show and we said well we'll get John here another day. And so in his stead with a different topic we asked our station manager Dan Simeoni to come and spend a little time with us. This something that we try to do occasionally. Sometimes it's our emergency fallback position but we do like to give you a regular opportunity to make comments about the programs that you hear on our stations. And that's why we do the shows we call them talk to the manager. Sometimes we do programs with our AM program director Jay Pierce and this has a little bit broader sort of frame because Dan oversees the programs both on AM and FM. So if you will if you have questions sort of wondering why we made particular programming decisions. If you have comments criticisms things you like things you don't maybe you have some suggestions on how we might do things

differently. We're always interested in hearing those we can't promise that we're going to make everybody happy but we're certainly interested in what you think about our shows. So this is the opportunity to call him here and talk with our station manager. The number here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5. Also we have a toll free line that's good anywhere that you can hear us that's 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5 and you can give us a call back we got somebody here. Get ready to go right now. Well thanks very much. It's good to be here. Actually it's I think actually been a long time since we've done this. You know it's a good time to do it. All right. Well a couple things we thought we could talk about and I don't know how much this whole occasion I guess when Ed West has been here on the show. We've talked a little bit about antennas. All right. And this thing that we were involved in testing a new kind of antenna and maybe we could talk about that a little bit this morning because I think it's it's pretty interesting and could have for W while could have really

important implications of things worked out. Absolutely. In fact I usually like to talk about things that I think will have you know have the prospect of having some direct beneficial effect on listeners and ultimately this certainly would be in that category. You might recall that when we talked about this before we talked about a new kind of AM antenna called a crossed field antenna which was being tested actually. Through the Scottish engineering professor that had invented the antenna and an Egyptian graduate student who was working with him on the project and it was actually never tested in this country but had been tested elsewhere and in Egypt actually. And the reason we were interested in this antenna is that it doesn't produce a lot of sky wave radiation which is one of the reasons why

AM stations like AM 580 have to reduce power at night because of the interference that's created by the sky wave radiation. And this particular type of A-M antenna was an antenna that produced very little sky wave radiation and more much more intense ground wave radiation and would have allowed us to if it were tested and approved by the FCC. It would have allowed us to stay at higher power throughout most of our coverage area even at night. So we were obviously very interested in this a lot of investigating. The problem was that we really had a difficult time at the latter points in this process making contact with the inventor and the graduate student who was working with him on the project we obviously needed their approval to secure rights to test the antenna here which we were prepared to do. But there were

also some disputes involved in terms of who actually owned the rights to the antenna and all of that and ultimately we just had a very difficult time making contact with with the people involved and obviously the distance involved in this is also has also been a factor. In the meantime we came across another antenna that works on basically the same principle it's called an EPA chant. And it was invented by a fellow by the name of Robert Hart and he had been conducting research on this new type of antenna. It's I don't know if you recall our descriptions of the the earlier antenna that we were talking about the cross field antenna. But it was a rather strange looking kind of antenna it sort of extended like an umbrella. A configuration 40 feet in the air. I had almost a look to it. Well this antenna is also a little strange looking. It

consists of a couple of cones with their apexes together. It has a couple of different figuration is another one is a couple of cylinders. Honest honest stern sort of like if you if you consider two popsicles on the same stick. That's sort of what it would look like. And this antenna again produces very little high high angle radiation or skywave radiation and it's been much easier for us to get in touch with Mr. Hart and we have secured rights for Mr. Hart to do some some testing of this new antenna. And so we're working on that and we have to get experimental test authority from the FCC which requires an application which we have submitted and we're hoping that if we can get the FCC approval we can. We can't test the sand and get

basically the same results if if it were approved as we would have gotten from the cross field antenna that we talked about earlier and again the real benefit to listeners is that this is probably the number one issue for a lot of our A.M. audience who don't who live outside the immediate area is I wish I could get your AM station at night when we have to reduce power using an antenna of this type would allow us to stay on at high power in the evening hours and at night so that so that we would be able to serve listeners outside of the immediate area 24 hours a day with with a strong signal. So that's where we're at in this process and we're hoping that we can get FCC approval again this is a long term proposition because we're probably talking about a two to three year project here to get all of the approvals to do the construction involved and do all the testing and and then get final FCC approval to actually use the technology. But it's interesting and it is something that we think would substantially improve our

service to our audience and so we're going to continue to work on it and Molly has been working hard in securing the information and at West our chief engineer in securing the the FCC approvals required to actually do some testing on this new antenna so that's where we're at with that. Well it's really encouraging because it seems like that all the time I've been working here the question that we probably get more than anything else now is people asking that question about is there. You think there's ever any chance that you will not have to power down at sunset is there any any possibility I think over all of these years the answer pretty much has been it doesn't look real good that that might ever change but if this antenna works the way that we think it works and that the inventor thinks it works maybe and it's not not going to happen next week but but maybe that that will be the answer to that question. It certainly could be and we also That's one of the reasons why we pursued live streaming so intensively for the AM station on the Internet was that this

would give listeners at least one other option when we're at low power to be able to hear the station over the Internet. Right well we are here talking this morning with our station manager Dan Simeoni oversees things here both AM and FM. If you have questions comments concerns criticisms about the programs you hear on W while I AM or FM you can call us and tell us about the number here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 and toll free 800 2 2 2 9 4 5 5. First caller is in champagne on line 1. Hello. I'm glad you mentioned the streaming audio that's how I listen to your program at work. My question was I was just wondering whether or not you had any plans in the future of accepting questions for your guest of the e-mail because although it is easy for me to listen to you on the Internet at times I can't get to it. I'm busy doing other things and I just want to if you're ever going to questions over email for you guess and I'll hang up and listen to you answer all right.

Very good. We have talked about doing that and I think that we are going to try. I think that the only thing that's holding us back is figuring out well logistically how would we get out here in terms of the hardware that we have in the studio. We've been here now for a while but things aren't the dust hasn't quite settled from the moving in process and one of the things that I think we're going to be doing here pretty soon is doing a little rearranging of how things are in this studio where we do MORNING EDITION and focus 580 and computers and computer screens is going to be a big part of it so this is kind of a long way of answering the question. I think the answer the question is yes we want to try that and we hope maybe sometime next year we'll get you'll get it set up so that we can do that I think. The only concern that that I have and also that Celeste has in the afternoon is that if it's sort of depends on how many emails there are and how long they are it could get to be real difficult because when you're doing this show you're juggling a lot of stuff you're dealing with the

interview you're dealing with callers you're trying to listen to what the person is saying you that you're interviewing you're trying to think about where you're going. And that adds one more element and it's possible that it could be kind of difficult so I think we're willing to try it and sort of see how it works and maybe sometime next year will be doing that. We have somebody else here to talk to that's isn't champagnes line number two. Good morning. Yes I just wanted to commend you all for your Saturday and Sunday radio programs. They're really excellent and I also want to comment that. I usually don't follow sports too much but Bill Littlefield is only a game is just great. I like that. And Gray matter's is superb and on Sunday afternoon I think that you're Michael Fellman shell. He's much funnier than Letterman or Leno and more people ought to really realize that. And let's see what Also my husband listens to the morning show with the

sound money. He says that every week and I just want to let you. You know that possibly you ought to maybe advertise both Saturday and Sunday programs because they're excellent and many people may not be aware of them. Well thanks very much and I will pass those comments along to Jay pierce the program director for the AM station we do try to promote many of those programs. Throughout the course of at least the latter part of most weeks on the air so that people are aware of or aware of them but. And we don't do that much outside promotion of the programs simply because our promotion budget is very limited. Yeah and we we try to use those dollars as efficiently as we can and and but I agree with you I think there are a number of programs on weekends that are are certainly worth listening to and would encourage people to sample. Gray Matter is only a game and some money and some of the other programs we have on weekends that that I think are really

worthwhile. OK the only negative point I have is that for years I haven't really appreciated as it happens from CBC and I don't know how much you all pay for that but it can't compare with the NPR and all things considered. So if you are looking to cut back things at least you have my vote that I wouldn't be unhappy if you were to drop it. OK. I would expect somewhere in this hour that we'll hear from some. So if you fans of as it happens but actually that show is is very cost efficient from that perspective we really don't pay all that much for it. The CBC makes it available to us. Ral rather inexpensively has actually distributed by Public Radio International from the CBC. They negotiate an agreement with the CBC to make the program available to public radio stations throughout the country and there's no doubt that the style of the program is very different from the style that you

would hear on traditional public radio news programs like Morning Edition or All Things Considered and sometimes that stylistic differences rubs people the wrong way. But but other people find that it's a you know it's just another perspective on news events that that isn't generally available in this country and and that usually peaks our interest in it. That's true. Well thank you very much. Sure. Thanks would go other questions the comments about programs that you hear on W while I am fm that's what we're doing here sort of an impromptu edition of the show we call talk to the manager and our guest is Dan Simeoni the station manager for W. I love Radio 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 2 2 2 9 4 5 5. We really need to give. As it happens it's due though in fact because as it happens was a program that was on before all things considered was conceived and I think that really ALL THINGS CONSIDERED was

modeled on as it happens. I think you're right. For many many years the CBC had been doing a lot. You know I think I don't know how many people recall the older version of CBC Sunday morning which was on for many years on this station and sort of transformed itself somewhat over the last few years into a slightly different kind of program. They don't do as many radio documentaries as they used to and I thought I always thought that that was sort of there. Their high point on that program they did just some some outstanding documentary work for a number of years. When we first started broadcasting that program and I think in many ways they did sort of set the tone for some of what people hear these days on NPR and other public radio news programs so. But of course the CBC has

gone through its own transformations in recent years due to budget cuts and other changes. They've lost they've lost a lot of staff. A lot of reporters and I think that they are doing much less we miss engine II we travel to Canada in the fall and have every year for quite a few years and it's something that we've certainly noticed because we listen to the CBC while they're there and talk to the people there about how much the programming has been cut back and it's happened both in radio and in television they've laid off a lot of people they're not producing as many as much programming as they did and now they do. You know they do a kind of a magazine show that's mostly in studio interviews that runs in the mornings during the week which which is a fine show. But you don't see the kind of location stuff undock radio documentary and then I think on the weekends what they're doing is they're just kind of recycling that material from this show that they do during the week in the mornings. They even do some of that at night. So they're really they're really getting a lot of mileage out of it. Part of a particular shell in

particular set of interviews. So there I think sometimes we should you know when we talk about the difficulties that public broadcasting in this country has gone through we're probably in better shape than they are in Canada. We're suddenly full with goals. OK let's go at it and I think the first one will be south eastern Illinois and line. For years I would like to put in an early vote against the mayo or if you gravitated out kept to an absolute minimum because the first phrase be read this newsgroup you're the first night asking the question and second to me. What makes this program unique among talk shows is the. An expanded dialogue between knowledgeable callers and the guest I mean and there's no there's no chance for followup or interplay

between the caller and the and the guest in an email and in fact I evidently am this being a minority but I sort of regret the fact that you can sort of cutting people back to a single question and then or or any two short ones and it sort of makes this show just like every other call in the show I mean it's a I am I wasn't good there and joy even when I don't agree with them I enjoy the some of the regular callers that call in and I miss are the ones that that seem to drop out I wonder why why they do I mean I have. Wandered all through the Microsoft thing but the independent programmer that was on it was calling in for a long long time on on the program. What is opinion is whatever happened to Hammond during the Reagan years there was a woman an elderly woman and I'd swear that that woman in the

state of coffee or deep red that had a couple bottles but she was really I mean strong against the right but I missed it. I I don't know what happened dear I mean whether you know I don't. The last time I heard her on she was called and asked about how to minimize the tax due on the sale of our home so she may have had closer home and still visit there was somebody else or something. I want to color you as much as you and your guests and. And just e-mail there's no chance if you don't know I mean it's completely anonymous and so out how good you got others but that was my feeling on that strategy. OK well I appreciate the comment I guess I'm still. I'm interested in giving a try to see how it goes. And because I think that it would be a way for some people to participate in the show who would not

do so otherwise who would not call maybe they couldn't or they wouldn't and I think that would be good for the program. And as I say I guess I'd be interested in giving it a call and giving it a try and see how it goes. I don't think about the callers as we've gone back and forth on this over the years. I still would maintain that we give callers more airtime than any other show I've ever heard. But they also consistently over years. It's the thing that people complain about most that we let callers go on too long. I have tried to tug in the reins just a little bit over the past couple of years particularly I guess I'll be honest and say particularly with people who call a lot like every day maybe twice every day because they get an awful lot of time. But we still I think want to are sort of on the side of trying to give people lots of time and plenty of time and for there to be some dialogue and. I'm here I'm repeating myself I guess I would maintain I've never heard any other show that would give the callers as much time.

I agree I think I think I think it's one of those things you just have to try to achieve a balance within and it can be difficult because people feel both ways about it. And it also has you know one sort of controlling factor is at any given point in the program how many people you have waiting because I try to get in as many people as possible try not to to make people wait. So it's always every day it's always a little bit different. Well let's let us talk with some more people urbanist next in line one. Hello hello. Yeah I didn't you know here were some times when you called various different businesses help which I want to hold and you'll get a radio station in the background and I don't know if W was ever consider with any of your stations contradicting that use for your services because I think I would find a much more interesting listening to your program and some of the other talk programs locally that I've heard on when I'm on hold. Just an idea. You know with that has come up before and we have to be a little

cautious about that because it. Although we don't play a lot of music for instance on the AM station we do occasionally use music in various programs and the interests that own the rights to the music behalf of composers and performers. Happy right. Yeah. Are very watchful of such uses of their material particularly if it in some way is used to enhance the profit of a private business or corporation. And so sometimes it gets to be a little tricky. So we have to be careful about the extent to which we advocate that how other stations deal with that particular issue I don't know. But Tom programs Yeah. Yeah and there are you know places that do use music on hold for from radio stations no doubt about that but it is it is tricky in

that sense because there are rights issues involved. Working with the crowd thank you very much. Sure thank you. The next caller is in Charleston. Lie number two. Hello. Hello. I'm calling I wanted to challenge the comment about as it happens because in our household in Charleston we love as it happens and it actually is very frustrating because it comes when your power is going down towards the end of the program. And sometimes we have trouble hearing it. And we've been known to travel in the car a little bit longer to hear it we get reception better in the car at times. So in the interest of fuel economy we all would like to for you to be sure to continue that program we like it very much. And the second comment I have is that recently during our protracted election process you ran. And is there an addition rather of a TALK OF THE NATION. And I was wondering how that happened to occur and and why that decision was made. We

like TALK OF THE NATION we've lived elsewhere and like that but it's a dilemma because we also like the program generated by the well itself. So I also like Diane Rehm for example but I very much like the local produce programming as well but. I'd be interested in that and I am going to have to hang up but I want to endorse support for. As it happens the Canadian programming thank you very much. Cher thanks very much for the got a fair comment and I will note your support for as it happens. Occasionally NPR will make an edition of Talk of the Nation available to all public radio stations whether they purchase the program series or not. Usually it is a program that is somehow tied to an important news story as was the case with a program that you refer to in the whole vote count issue.

When those programs become available and they do make them available to all to all stations as a part of a sort of special news service then we are authorized to broadcast the programs and we will often do so depending on the the nature of the particular show involved. We do not purchase the series TALK OF THE NATION because. We at least at this point you know we have always felt that that focus 580 is really an exceptional program and does many of the same things and can often deal with issues that are important to our audience that may not necessarily be on the national agenda and also give our audience the opportunity to really participate actively in the program and without having to compete with the nationwide radio audience. And so we've always felt that you know for years before TALK OF THE NATION even existed focused 580 was was doing many of the same thing certainly we feel as well

as talk of the nation has and and so we've opted to stay with our show. It doesn't mean we couldn't broadcast TALK OF THE NATION at some other time during the day. But it is a fairly expensive show. And and that's of course always one of the other issues involved in that kind of a decision and you know what if we weren't broadcasting it at some other time of day on a tape delay basis if you really couldn't participate if our audience couldn't participate directly in the program and so there a variety of reasons why why we don't take the show on a regular basis but you will occasionally hear one of the TALK OF THE NATION programs on the air on AM 580 when it is particularly topical and when on that basis it's made available to all of the NPR member stations which does happen occasionally. We have other callers let's go to let's say line number three. That's filed.

Hello I'd like to make a couple of comments may be directed toward Mr. Ange. I listen to your show daily and what I think it concerns me most often is I think your need to show more live not so matter of fact not so mechanical your need to loosen up to meet your dislike stick to the point. I mean can't be in Denny and us in the Celeste Quinn in the afternoon and I almost wonder sometimes he's nodding off your decide sometimes you talk too much now and then and it just shows you know why you get in your interviews more I think. It's a might call called Why did he do to mechanical when he when he went to Cox and stuff and they're asking about They've been injured it upsets me is oftentimes you have a guess that the Colts and I have a cover calling who does not disagree to agree with the view being presented. You seem to be awfully short with him and often times get a little bit. It's obvious you sound a little irritable toward him and I don't like that because after all it's what the call enforces abuse. That's all I have.

OK well I'll take that to heart I guess and try and be a little bit more relaxed and I guess a lesson more coffee before you. Well I think I think the other thing I'll say about that David and thanks very much for your for your comments I mean I think you know we are interested of course in comments that are you know they give us things to think about in terms of the way we do things. I think it's also important not to mistake. You know what is a real intent on the part of I'm sure both David and Celeste to be really fair and not to necessarily go out of their way to express personal points of view on the air. There are an awful lot of talk programs these days that are that that are built on the views and ideas and opinions of the hosts. And there's plenty of that on the air throughout the commercial talk radio

these programs are really designed to help and lighten up on important issues and to try to exchange a variety of opinions on those issues. And I think in many ways David and Celeste. Are facilitators in that process. And I think they do an exceptional job in that respect. Perhaps at times you know you you would say well you know it would be nice if they would express an opinion or an eye an idea of their own. And I think occasionally they do but generally the programs are really designed to be create a forum for discussion in discussion rather than you know just a podium for the host to express their own ideas and opinions. So while occasionally that may come across to some people as disinterested I certainly

don't think it's a matter of disinterest or or you know a lack of involvement as much as it is you know an idea the idea of trying to facilitate intelligent discussion and and create a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions because sometimes if people if someone if the host is very outspoken on a particular point of view and that sort of thing tends to alienate some people and really discourage involvement by people who have contrary opinions and I think that's one of the things that that really makes the program worthwhile is that it does provide a forum for open discussion of ideas and opinions and and I think our hosts try to be facilitators in that process. Well the truth is that I'm really a dull guy. That's what it is. I mean you know you're not that's my idea it's my real personality or lack there of it's going to hurt anyone who's listen to your show Morning years realizes you couldn't. There it's not possible for you to be a dull person and a host of this show for as long as you have. Let's get any more color line number one in Champaign Illinois.

Let me first say that I am a big defense fan. I I listen to you often I'm asked questions and I'm thinking I would like to hear asked how many days I push you but I've had to beat my call as I think I know the answer to the budget. I really missed you know NPR News at the bottom of our particular evening hours. I think it's available that you probably don't care at the budget. It's really not a budgetary matter to be perfectly honest with you it's more. Well first of all the newscasts news summaries that NPR does at the half hour are really only available within the news programs MORNING EDITION and ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. They do not make any news available through the rest of the day on the half hour. The rest of the day there are newscasts at one minute past the hour that NPR makes available to us. So it's a question of you know carrying or not carrying the national news

summaries during MORNING EDITION and ALL THINGS CONSIDERED on the half hour. And we generally have done is to preempt those summaries for regional state and regional news both within. Morning Edition and during ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. And it's but it really doesn't have anything to do with budget basically since we purchase both MORNING EDITION and ALL THINGS CONSIDERED we're entitled to broadcast anything that is available within those two programs. And so in a sense we're already paying for it although I should say that the newscast on the half hour within those shows are dated compared to the newscast you hear at the top of the hour. And generally the stories are are shorter. And really it's one of our only opportunities to be able to do state and regional news summaries which we do which we do on a regular basis and we know people have some interest and so that's

really the rationale for it. We're going to have to stop here with our on air version but I there are a couple of people who are holding on and want to try to take them out there. OK. If the callers there would like if they can hold on Dan we'll take their calls off the air. We're always interested in what you think of the program. You may call us we have a listener comment line you may send e-mail. You may send conventional mail whatever you like. We try very hard to respond to your questions and concerns and I'm sure in another time Dan will come back and will do this more sure. Good to be here.