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WSCA Station Handbook and Training Manual

1. To get you working as fast as possible this manual begins with a 10 second tutorial Here you can find quick information on any feature of the console and a page reference where you can find a more detailed explanation EH Eni THE 10 SECOND TUTOR CD MIC INPUT XLR A CD LINE INPUT 1 Jack ED INSERT POINT V4 Jack GAIN CONTROL CD EQ STAGE CD AUX SENDS PAN CONTROL MUTE SWITCH soo PEAK LED INPUT CHANNEL FADER MIX OUTPUTS XLR OC MIX INSERTS 14 Jack MONITOR 0 Ps V4 Jack CD MASTER FADERS MAIN METERS CD MONITOR CONTROL PHONES CONTROL AUX OUTPUTS 4 Jack AUX CONTROLS CD STEREO INPUTS 1 Jack Connect Microphones here If you are using a condenser mic ensure phantom power is Supplied by pressing the switch at the top of the master section WARNING Do Not apply Phantom Power before connecting a microphone Connect Line level sources here e g Synth Drum Machine DI etc Connect Signal processors here e g Compressor Gate etc Adjust this to increase or decrease the level of the incoming signal Adjust these controls to change the signal tone the character of the signal Adjust these controls to change the level of the signal to an FX unit or an artist s monitors neadphones in ear stage monitors Aux 1 amp 2 are switchable pre post fade
2. File your playlist in the vertical file located on the wall opposite the mixing console 5 Be sure the Community Calendar is also returned to its proper location Remove any expired calendar listings and recycle them 6 If you are closing the studio at or after Midnight please place the completed Operating amp Program Logs in vertical file If you are closing the studio before Midnight please leave the Operating amp Program Logs out in plain sight near the mixing board in the studio a general Programmer might just show up and need to sign in Closing the Station LIGHTS Leave the Outside amp Reception lights ON Everything else OFF Don t forget the kitchen amp bathrooms DOORS Make sure the back door Studio A Studio B Library amp office doors are LOCKED Lock the front door on your way out APPLIANCES Even if you didn t use them make sure the coffeepot toaster oven toaster etc are OFF X INFRACTIONS Accidents happen Please if an infraction accidentally occurs on your watch just let the Program Director know This accomplishes two things 1 In the event that an upset listener takes action even just by calling the station then the Program Director won t be taken off guard 2 We really do care about keeping our license as well as satisfying our listeners standards In the unlikely event that our dedication is ever brought into question documentation would help prove our responsible and profes
3. Broadcasters should Resist distortions that obscure the importance of events Clearly disclose the origin of information and label all material provided by outsiders Broadcasters should not Report anything known to be false Manipulate images or sounds in any way that is misleading Plagiarize Cak A A a A A d Present images or sounds that are reenacted without informing the public Fairness Broadcasters should present information fairly and impartially Broadcasters should 9 Treat all topics and people with respect and dignity Seek to understand the diversity of their community and inform the public without bias or stereotype Presenta diversity of expressions opinions and ideas in context 9 INTEGRITY Broadcasters should present facts with integrity and decency avoiding real or perceived conflicts of interest and respect the dignity and intelligence of the audience Broadcasters should Identify sources Clearly label opinion and commentary Use technological tools with skill and thoughtfulness avoiding techniques that skew facts distort reality or sensationalize events Use surreptitious techniques including hidden cameras or microphones Disseminate the private transmissions of other news organizations only with permission Broadcasters should not Pay sources who have a vested interest in being represented on air 0000 994 Accept gifts favors or compensation from those who might seek to influence bro
4. Use this control to position the signal within the stereo field When this is pressed you will hear no signal from the channel post mute signals When pressed the signal will appear on the monitor outputs use this to monitor the post EQ signal from the channel This is used to indicate that the signal close to distorting clipping on a specific channel This is used to control the level fed to the Mix Bus and post fade sends Connect these to your analogue recording device or to your amplification system This is a pre fade break in the signal path which can be used to feed a dynamics or mastering device The signal is sent from the tip of the jack plug and the return path comes back in on the ring of the jack plug These are used to feed your monitoring system This can be directly connected to powered monitors or indirectly via an amplifier to standard monitors These faders control the overall level of the mix bus These show the level of the mix outputs When the SOLO LED is lit the meters show the level of the signal sourced This controls the level of the signal sent to your monitoring system This controls the level of the signal sent to the headphones jack socket These two outputs can be used to send the channel signal to an FX unit or an artist s monitors headphones in ear stage monitors Aux 1 amp 2 are switchable pre post fade These two switches globally switch the AUX1 and AUX2 feeds respectively on all the input modules
5. speak into the microphone Place your mouth 4 6 inches or closer to the microphone Speak directly into the microphone not into the sides B Projecting your voice Microphone etiquette If you are a soft talker learn to project your voice strongly and maintain a consistent volume 17 V HEADPHONES Wearing headphones allows you to better monitor all aspects of the broadcast Headphones are plugged into a headphone amplifier which is connected to the mixing board Each headphone set has its own volume control Using headphones is important in developing good microphone technique and ensuring good sound quality Monitor playback This button is located below the red monitor pot and above the left channel main fader The position of this button determines what signal is goes out to the studio monitors and headphones When the button is depressed the output signal is our on air signal summed to mono which is brought into the board from an FM tuner locked on 106 When the button is in the up position the output signal is in stereo and is coming direct from the board mix itself Leave the button down If you listen to the board mix you will be unaware of our actual broadcast quality VI OPERATING THE CD PLAYERS There are two CD players in the studio a Denon DND4000 and a Marantz CDR510 Manuals for both CD players are located in the studio in a black binder labeled Equipment Manuals They are similar to
6. Y y pprop proceeding to revoke a broadcast license and that it may consider indecency violations in deciding whether to renew a broadcast license WHAT SORT OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES CAN TAKE Solutions will vary from station to station but here are a few general suggestions 1 Adopt a station policy about indecent and profane material 2 Educate all on air and production staff about that policy 3 Screen all recorded material before it is broadcast 4 Institute a delay system for high risk live broadcasts 5 Investigate any violation of station policy immediately and 6 Take swift disciplinary action if there is a violation of station policy SHOULD CALL THE FCC IF DISCOVER THAT INDECENT MATERIAL HAS AIRED ON OUR STATION OUTSIDE OF THE SAFE HARBOR PERIOD No The FCC doesn t ask stations to report indecent broadcasts but it does expect them to take immediate remedial action Fines may be substantially reduced if a station can show that it took unprompted disciplinary action against those who aired indecent material HOW DO KEEP TRACK OF FCC DECISIONS The FCC publishes a useful guide to indecency law and a catalogue of recent indecency decisions on its web site hitp hvww fcc gov eb broadcast opi html WHAT S NEXT Expect more more FCC rulings more Congressional authority to regulate content and more severe penalties for violations of content related regulations Indecency complaints are li
7. s Weather Radio NWR this allows NWR signals to be decoded by the EAS equipment at radio and television stations This enables the system to be used by state and local officials to issue weather related emergency information targeted to a specific area In 1997 EAS replaced the weekly on air only a test broadcast notifications used by the EBS with less obtrusive weekly internal tests and monthly on air tests All AM FM and TV broadcast stations as well as cable systems with 10 000 or more subscribers use these procedures B EAS tests and activations Located in the studio head end rack at the last stop on the station signal chain is an EAS receiver This receiver automatically monitors incoming communications from the EAS Located in the on air studio is the EAS studio handbook please always make sure it ends up in the studio when you are finished reading it In case of monthly tests the EAS receiver automatically mutes our programming and broadcasts the test announcement over our FM frequency If the timing of the monthly test corresponds coincides with your show and you are monitoring the on air broadcast you may will hear the test If you are monitoring the output of the studio board however you will be unaware that your program was briefly interrupted The schedule of these tests is kept in a log next the EAS receiver where the time and date of these tests are recorded in by a member of the engineering department once they have
8. significant hardship for those who have legitimate purposes for long distance phone calls Pets No Pets Allowed in the WSCA facilities To avoid allergic reactions to those sensitive to pet dander please wear clean pet hair free dander free clothing in the studio Closing the studio The security of the station facilities is the responsibility of all who use them Never leave the station unlocked If you are the last one to leave the station the facility must be properly secured That means 36 locking the studio the library the office and lastly the front door If for some reason you do not have a key to the front door lock the door from the inside and leave through the back exit Follow the studio closure procedures if you are the last DJ in the studio 6 Leave the studio neat 7 Turn off the CD Players lights Computer Monitor 8 DO NOT TURN OFF COMPUTERS 9 Turn down studio monitor 10 Lock the studio and Library doors 11 Turn off the lobby tuner 12 Lock the front door Underwriting Logs Underwriting Logs must be followed If for some reason underwriting acknowledgements were missed by the previous DJ you should read them during your show to ensure the underwriter received the acknowledgements for which they contracted Do Not Embelish underwriting acknowledgements FCC regulations are very specific about how underwriting acknowledgements are presented Using Station Computers The station is not an internet cafe
9. CDP i l Cassette i u mic 4 mono 4 I ndje Il K Pe ers i l tt 2 stereo 2 i CD 1 stereo 3 HP 1 HP Distribution Headphones n l CD2 stereo 4 f cassette stereo 5 Aux 1 i rT mix minus li i stereo 6 f u stereo 7 u i Stereo 8 l l stereo 9 i i stereo 10 u O8Nov05 Questions production 4 vyscaim org 15 III OPERATING THE MIXING BOARD A What is a Board Mixing boards are used to combine a number of sound sources into one output usually stereo For example if you were recording a rock n roll band using 8 microphones you would need some way of combining the 8 signals together In the case of WSCA we need to switch from one source to another as well as blend for example when a DJ transitions from one song to another or when music is heard behind voices The components of the board that you need to be familiar with include Input Channels Gain Master faders Mute and Cueing Channel faders 09000060 See The 10 Second Tutor and a detailed diagram of the board for more information B Cueing cueing is the process of previewing and or readying a recording for broadcast There are currently two signal paths with which you work in the studio The first is the on air path which is broadcast and heard by your audience Materials listened to in the studio that are not being broadcast are referred to as being in cue To listen to a recording in cue 1 Press the
10. board output Individual faders control the individual levels of each input on the board The use of faders is discussed more fully below Individual variations in program content and signal strength are adjusted with the individual channel faders D Input Selection The process of choosing what the DJ or operator is going to broadcast The current in studio WSCA inputs include 4 microphones 4CD players 1 Cassette deck USER GUIDE Overview GAIN Line 1545 GAIN Lire 1545 30 30 6 H I O p s 6 3 606 E z 00000000000 9 0000000000 O 46 d o o u w SOLO MUTE f SOLO MUTE SOLO MUTE f s0t0 MUTE J SOLO MUTE SOLO MUTE f SOLO MUTE SOLO MUTE f SOLO MUTE f SOLO MUTE f SOLO MUTE f SOLO MUTE f SOLO MUTE f solo MUTE O O PEAK D FEK CO PEAK O PEAK O PEAK C PEAK Cy PEAK CO PEAK CO PEAK PEAK gt PEAK POWE m CO et STEREO 1
11. for news coverage Context is important however and The FCC could conclude based on all the facts that the utterance was not patently offensive 11 Even if a joke or bit has a genuine association like celebrating Thomas Crapper s birthday with some toilet humor the FCC could come down on it TRUE Depending upon whether the material taken as a whole in context was patently offensive the FCC could find it to be indecent G E SOG REN e E KERR Test Your IQ B i Indecency Quotient Page 3 12 There is no need to vvorry about lyrics in classic songs like Louie Louie FALSE If song lyrics are understandable and are found to be patently offensive they may be indecent 13 The FCC distinguishes between a live broadcast of for example a rock concert and the broadcast of a concert previously recorded There may be no excuse for profanity heard in the recorded version since it can be edited for broadcast but the live broadcast is forgivable FALSE The FCC makes no distinction between a live and a recorded broadcast in evaluating whether broadcast material is indecent 14 A little indecency could be regarded as an acceptable risk from a cost benefit standpoint if the show is profitable FALSE The FCC can levy up to 32 500 for each indecent utterance on each station on which the utterance was broadcast For serious and repeated offenses the FCC can initiate license revocation proceedings Congress may up th
12. gray button labeled solo This will override the on air broadcast in your headphones and in the studio monitors so you can listen to material other than what is being broadcast This is important for previewing new music that you ve never heard before to ensure it complies with FCC standards 2 When finished previewing a recording for broadcast make sure to take the channel is out of cue by releasing the solo button 3 Stay in check with what is currently playing the air before engaging the next material C Signal levels Turntables records cds and voices all give out signals of varying strengths It s the role of the DJ to maintain a consistent broadcast level regardless of the source insuring that what the audience hears is neither too soft nor too strong Meters located at the far right side of the board above the main faders display output level The ideal output level of broadcast programming is at Odb represented at the lower end of the yellow output LED s Peaks levels which are temporarily higher then fall back above Odb but still in the yellow portion of the LED are OK Levels consistently in the green are two low and levels consistently in the red are two high and indicate that there is distortion present The peak LED is a red light above each channel fader that indicates a input signal level is distorting when it peaks 1 Faders located at the far right side of the board adjust the left and right channel
13. next and final phase of the training program Trainers and trainees alike are encouraged to refer policy and procedure questions to the training coordinators for further discussion and clarification When the trainee has completed to the satisfaction of the trainer 1 the skills checklist 2 asupervised demo broadcast which in the opinion of the trainer shows skills competency 3 a complete read through and discussion of policy procedures and protocols 4 the Indecency Quiz Then the trainer can clear the trainee to solo that is create their solo broadcast recording and must notify the training department and programmer director that the trainee is cleared to sign up for training fills The point of training fills is to produce a great solo and be reviewed for on air clearance as soon as possible It is not a license to training fills for an extended period of time So plan on no more than two perhaps three training fill slots 1 3 hours each to complete your solo Contact the training coordinators when you are done or just leave your recording labelled with name date and time of show in the training box outside the office II THE SIGNAL CHAIN AND FM BASICS Haven t you always wanted to know how the WSCA signal gets from the studio out to our eager listeners The following will help you to understand a little about that process A FM Radio What are radio waves anyway A radio wave is an electro
14. on the National Weather service website which is the homepage on the in studio computer Feel free to pass on this valuable weather information to our listeners as a public service especially if the notification is specific to Portsmouth and the immediately surrounding communities 22 Ne PAS ii S KAT TUL Pis P AS zh Aa 5 1 Ini Ty Ne OSS Em FARRE on oy Ti Fi MIE pr AMD i Some of the happy faces of WSCA s Youth FM 23 On air skills and studio equipment skills checklist DJ trainer please initial and date Understanding signal chain Discuss locate signal chain equipment in head end rack and review with trainee Mixing board and sources Identify major controls and displays on the mixing board and their uses including faders gain controls mute and solo buttons main LED s and peak LED s Demonstrate proper microphone technique Discuss mic levels compared to signal levels Discuss and demonstrate how different material has inherently different levels hot signals vs weak signals Discuss distortion and peak output levels Discuss and demonstrate the use of the cue channel Demonstrate proper output levels and verify the trainee is aware of and maintains appropriate board output levels Discuss transitions between different recorded materials and different programs Share experiences re Passing the torch Have trainees make a brief recording and listen to their recorded on air v
15. one collective could collaborate on one half hour of programming every week a second may share one slot among eight interested programmers and another may seek to balance 80 hours of original content every month There is no set requirement that every Programmer be an active member of any collective However as a contributing member of the radio station all Programmers with similar interests are encouraged to communicate with one another The categories listed in bold are those currently represented in the Program Schedule Arts amp Culture Business amp Finance Children s Comedy Community Service Environmental Features General Programming Health History News and Public Affairs Radio Drama Science amp Technology Senior Spiritual Spoken Word Sports Youth Produced both by and for young people Part of the fun of contributing to WSCA in these infant stages is the newness of our canvass If you think you have something to contribute to the collective vision at Portsmouth Community Radio you re probably right We invite you to contact us right away VII PROGRAM REVIEW Please keep in mind that programming on Portsmouth Community Radio is fluid By signing this contract WSCA LP in no way guarantees permanent or indefinite programming and scheduling decisions The entire program line up will be re visited twice every year and changes to the schedule including the removal of certain regularly scheduled program
16. personal initiative of members like you We thank you for sharing your time On air volunteers should be aware of the general guiding principles of WSCA LP as well as the duties and responsibilities specific to on air operations Certain FCC regulations and station policies apply only to broadcast operations and must be adhered to at all times therefore on air volunteers have duties and responsibilities above and beyond other volunteer staff All Programmers must have completed the required training in production or on air work and be certified by the station management Programmer I the undersigned fully understand the duties and responsibilities required by being a Programmer for the WSCA LP volunteer staff as these duties and responsibilities are outlined above and have been satisfactorily explained to me during my training at Portsmouth Community Radio Programmer Name Programmer Signature Date Emergency Contact Name amp Relationship Phone Number s Name of Parent or Legal Guardian if Programmer is under 18 years of age Parent or Guardian Signature Date I the undersigned believe that the above signed Programmer possesses the full understanding and capabilities necessary to perform the functions of a volunteer Programmer at WSCA LP Training Department Signature Date 39 RESOURCES Learn more about LP radio by checking out the following resources FCC LPFM web site The FCC s website containing detailed
17. record labels to see If we don t play new music we don t get new music Try to play at least 30 new tracks 6 With 48 hours notice another DJ may contact someone who has signed up for a fill to inform them of a live performance during that time or a new member that needs to be trained These events take precedence over a normal fill In the case of training if the person signed up originally is a certified trainer they have the option to do the training themselves 31 IV WSCA MUSIC DEPARTMENT A Overview 1 WSCA s music department is guided by the desire to provide the community wih an alternative to commercial radio WSCA features artists that the commercial stations overlook or ignore thus providing something different and unique to the listeners 2 The majority of our new music comes from promotional companies or labels They will keep sending new music only if we keep playing it The new music in the studio at WSCA is tracked and reported to College Music Journal CMJ Large commercial stations report their playlist to Billborad magazine most non commercial and community radio stations report to CMJ Therefore the Music Department encourages playing new music whenever possible and Music Policy at WSCA requires DJ s to play 30 new songs per hour 3 Specialty shows are programs which focus on a specific musical genre style or even specific band These shows add interest and texture to our schedules While t
18. s last name These genres are each designated by a single letter which is found on the third line of the label on the front of the recording Both the new music stacks 32 and the back stacks are divided by genre so it is important to pay attention to the genre when re filing music after playback The main genres currently represented in our music library are Rock Blues Classical Electronic Folk Americana Country Urban hip hop Rap Jazz Local E Playlists DJs must track songs they play in every show by writing them on the playlist forms located in the folder on the far wall If the song you play is new music check the N in the left column If it was a request check R in the left column V WSCA NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COLLECTIVE A Mission As citizen journalists the mission of the WSCA LP News and Public Affairs Collective is to gather and report stories of interest to our listening area including those stories other news organizations may ignore We will look beyond the conventional treatment of stories already in the public realm We will find stories of relevance and context that will help answer one central one central question What is distinctive about our community The News and Public Affairs Collective of WSCA LP will endeavor to report the facts fairly with as much honesty and integrity as possible We will use credible sources and varied appropriate voices to most fully represent those facts B Who c
19. sessions unless otherwise noted in rare circumstances of Portsmouth Community Radio are open to members and indeed each person is invited and encouraged to participate in every arena The governing structure of WSCA LP is transparent and lateral rather than secretive and hierarchical allowing you to exercise as much interest and ownership as you would like All regularly scheduled dj s are expected to give two hours every month to the radio station outside of their own programs Myriad opportunities to contribute to the station abound and the Volunteer Coordinator is here to assist everyone in finding their way Attendance at station meetings is counted as volunteer time for 50 of the time of attendance For example attendance at an hour long meeting would be counted as one half hour of volunteer time IV STATION OPERATIONS The Board of Trustees of Portsmouth Community Radio is ultimately the guiding force and enforcing body of WSCA LP Additionally the Board has created several committees and departments each of which oversees a particular arena of the business and operations that keep our station humming General Manager The general manager s position is a compensated part time position The general manager works in concert with the station department managers to oversee and administer to ongoing operations of the station The general manager has primary responsibility for station fundraising and public relations and is responsib
20. slots are now yours for up to two hours You can fill in for up to three hours in a four day period but if someone else comes in or fills in the book after two hours you are expected to hand off the studio respectfully 3 Do not fill for longer than 3 hours over the course of four days This means if you do a three hour fill slot you should not do another fill slot for four days If you do a two hour fill slot you can do one additional hour in the next four days etc If you have a scheduled program or are volunteering to cover for an absent DJ with that DJ s approval this does not count against your fill time If you have a specific need to fill beyond these time limitations ask the programming director at least one day in advance for approval 4 Ifyou are doing fill you are expected to be using the board actively Please do not come in and play an LP complete Ipod or laptop on the air while you work or socialize elsewhere in the station This is unfair to people who wish to use the air time to explore new music or music from our library learn or explore their board technique or make time out of their day to come in and plan an active show Ipods and laptops are permissible if you are in the studio with them If you want to listen to music while working in the station feel free to use the big speakers in the lobby 5 For music based fills make an effort to play new music Plays of any genre s new music are charted nationally for
21. the seven dirty words Brace yourself Shit Fuck Piss Cunt Cocksucker Motherfucker Tits These words are by no means the only things that the FCC regulates Other words that are blocked from the station s available vocabulary are John bringing his FCC friendly voice to the airwaves derogatory terms towards any group as a result of its race gender sexual orientation or physical handicaps Hate speech and hate music are not permitted at WSCA Because of enforcement power of the FCC our station these are not lapses that can be overlooked A SINGLE FINE COULD SHUT US DOWN You are expected to use your good judgment when you are on the air The FCC may reduce fines and penalties if it finds that pre emptive disciplinary action has been taken against members who violate these standards Therefore we often have no choice but to penalize DJs in the case of any complaints brought to us by the community If any of these words are spoken on air WSCA retain the right to expel you from your program for any period the station management determines is appropriate Safe Harbor There is an FCC policy of Safe Harbor for broadcasting between the hours of 10PM and 6AM Because of our role in the community we have elected to honor a safe harbor period just within that running from the hours of 11PM to 5AM Minor infractions such as cursing will be tolerated between the hours of 11 and 4AM so long as they occur in the music At n
22. the station for six violations not just one TRUE The FCC reserves the discretion to fine a station not just for the broadcast of a program containing indecent matter but for each indecent utterance within a program 24 If a morning show is syndicated on 50 stations an indecent episode might result in 50 prosecutions not just one TRUE 25 If it s a network broadcast the FCC won t go after the local station FALSE If a complaint about network material is made against a local station the fact that the material was not locally originated is not relevant to the question whether the broadcast was indecent 25 6 Plugola Payola DJ s can have on air status revoked for indecency but also for engaging in Payola or Plugola These rules vvere created by the FCC so vve don t have any flexibility here Payola involves accepting payment from a band label or anyone else in exchange for airplay or chart placement or even favorable mentions It is not the acceptance of the money or gifts that is illegal but the failure to disclose to listeners that you have accepted payments from the label or artist So it is fair to say These guys gave me a free CD and I gave ita listen it s pretty good here you go and you are not engaging in payola WSCA s own internal policy however does not allow for receiving rewards in exchange for airplay whether disclosed or undisclosed Plugola occurs when you plug or make an annou
23. to be either pre or post fade These two inputs can be used to connect line level stereo inputs from keyboards sound modules samplers computer based audio cards etc These inputs pass through a normal channel strip with EQ Auxes and a Balance control PLAYBACK INPUTS RCA Phono Here you can connect the playback from your recording device PLAYBACK CONTROLS RECORD OUTPUTS PHANTOM POWER CD HEADPHONES 1 4 Jack Use these to control the playback signal The MONITOR PLAYBACK switch sends the Signal to the monitor outputs and phones whilst the PLAYBACK TO MIX switch sends it to the main mix Here you can connect the input to your recording device Press this to switch the phantom power 48V on for condenser microphones WARNING Do Not apply Phantom Power before connecting a microphone Plug your headphones into this socket 16 2 Turntables 1 free input for portable devices iPod laptop 1 telephone line input OTIS computer generated music programming E Fading Changing the signal level output of an input source for example when switching from one recording to the next Changes are typically made gradually 1 When do you fade When blending one input to another When transitioning from one program to another 9 Your DJ trainer will demonstrate fading techniques F Passing the Torch Turning the studio over to another programmer The most important thing to remember with reg
24. various operations 20 30 minutes During this Our fair studio and all of its various pieces of equipment supervised shifts the trainer can evaluate the trainees competence in the various skills needed to operate the station Using the checklist provided with this manual the trainer will sign off as the trainee masters each skill This checklist remains with the trainee during the training process During the skills training process the trainee is expected to thoroughly read and review all the information on FCC policy station policy and studio protocols that is included in training module three Once the trainee has reviewed this material read the handout on FCC policy and to taken the obscenity quiz the trainer should review FCC policy and the other materials in module three with the trainee After this point and when the trainer has checked off on most of the skills checklist he or she should supervise the trainee as they take full responsibility for a one or two hour demo broadcast This broadcast should be during the trainer s show or be during a fill slot signed up for under the trainer s name Program material should be consistent with the trainer s program or the block programming if any appropriate to the schedule and should in case of music programming consist of at least 30 new music Prior to this broadcast the trainer should share with the trainee their experience s and suggestions on the issue of s
25. NG THE TURNTABLES the studio currently has 2 turntables A Cueing Cueing a song from a record called back cueing must be done manually and requires practice and always involves using one of the two dedicated turntable inputs on the mixing board Records take a bit of time to get up to speed Thus when preparing to play a record you must back it up 1 2 to Ya of a revolution so that it is at the correct rpm when the desired song plays Slip cueing is a second way to start a record Ask you DJ trainer about this method 18 B Cleaning records should be cleaned before use using the disk washer C Signal Levels Typically record signal levels come in lower than other sources such as CDs Watch your levels and adjust accordingly D Remember turntables are less stable than a CD player Be careful not to jostle or bump them when a record is playing VIII OPERATING CASSETTE PLAYERS Don t rely on cassette material for your show Sound quality is low We recommend only using this as a backup IX TELEPHONE INTERFACE AKA THE GENTNER The Gentner phone hybrid is the interface device between the telephone and the studio mixing board and is wired to accept incoming calls on 430 9722 line one from a studio phone extension It is located to the right of the mixing console in the small black rack which also contains a microphone amplifier and a broadcast digital processor The Gentner modifies th
26. Portsmouth Community Radio WSCA LP106 1 Station Handbook amp On Air Training Manual Portsmouth Community Radio PO Box 6532 Portsmouth NH 03802 General station training checklist Sign this sheet below when you receive this manual and keep it with you throughout the training process Print your name here Sign you name here 1 General station orientation completed Training module one Module one presenter initials 2 On air skills training completed Training module two DJ Trainer or Training coordinator initials 3 Policy procedure protocol completed Trainees module three DJ trainer or Training coordinator initials If you complete the module two skills checklist and module three with several different DJ trainers the training department or program director will sign off once all the checklist items are completed MODULE ONE General station training for DJ s on air announcers and studio engineers I WELCOME Welcome to the world of Low Power FM Radio LPFM and congratulations on your involvement with a rare and wonderful resource Thanks to the ingenuity and perseverance of a growing community of Seacoast and world citizens of which you are now a part our own airwaves have been given back to us With this opportunity our mission is To operate a dynamic listener supported volunteer run nonprofit noncommercial FM radio station dedicated to serving Portsmouth an
27. Station computers and the wireless network are only to be used for station related activities Do not use the them for personal purposes and do not download any software without first consulting with Jim Layton WSCA IT coordinator Only the Computer Network Administrator is authorized to change or make modifications to station computer settings preferences etc DJs and volunteers are not authorized to make such changes If these guidelines are violated station privileges may be withdrawn Changes to your show If you can t make your show you are required to look for a sub by emailing djs portsmouthcommunityradio org If you can t find a sub you must contact the Program Director to give them the opportunity to find a sub 9 If you are unable to make your show or will be late make sure to contact the DJ before you well in advance Understand that it is possible that your show will be occasionally pre empted by special programming You will be notified well in advance of a show preemption at least Zdays or more if possible but it should be understood there may be compelling reasons for shorter notice The addition of occasional special programs that are either live a web stream or have some time sensitive nature that would be of interest or value to our audience and help WSCA fulfill our educational mission are part of what makes community Public Affairs and Special Show Announcements Producers of Public Affairs and Spe
28. The FCC has taken the position that all broadcast stations must comply with its indecency policy no matter what their target audience The only defense that the FCC will consider is a study which shows that there are no children listening to any station in the market at the time the indecent material aired It sure does It fined a station 25 000 for airing Candy Wrapper a song in which various candy bar names symbolize sexual activities and the Monty Python song Sit on my Face which contains the lyrics Sit on my face and tell me that you love me life can be fine if we both sixty nine The Commission fined a Las Vegas station 2 000 for airing a Prince song that repeatedly used the word fuck Yes it would The Commission has repeatedly rejected arguments that the indecency policy interferes with the spontaneity of talk or call in shows Although the Commission has stopped short of requiring that all sources of broadcast programs install delay systems it has strongly encouraged networks and broadcast stations to undertake such technological measures and has noted that delay bleeping systems can now block fleeting words with ease That notion now seems quaint In the past the Commission dismissed complaints which merely cited the broadcast of isolated words or phrases and stated that it would not necessarily take action against the isolated use of unplanned expletives during live coverage of ne
29. actor has been virtually eliminated by the FCC s ruling that Bono s use of the F word during the Golden Globe awards was actionably indecent even though the word was used only in isolated and fleeting circumstances The third factor is whether the material panders titillates or is used for shock value It is not necessary that material satisfy all three factors For example material that has an unmistakably sexual meaning may be indecent even if it is not titillating or pandering in nature HOW DO KNOW IF MATERIAL IS OFFENSIVE Material is offensive if it offends the average broadcast viewer or listener Commission staff and ultimately the Commissioners themselves decide what the average person finds offensive Examples of the Commission s findings include popular songs which contain repeated references to sex or sexual organs e g I Want To Be A Homosexual Penis Envy Walk with an Erection Erotic City Jet Boy Jet Girl Makin Bacon DJ banter concerning tabloid sex scandals e g Vanessa Williams photographs in Penthouse and a honeymoon er whose testicle was caught in a hot tub drain discussions between DJs and callers concerning intimate sexual questions e g What makes your hiney parts tingle What s the grossest thing you ever put in your mouth dirty jokes or puns Liberace was great on the piano but sucked on the organ
30. adcasting Engage in activities that may compromise their integrity or independence INDEPENDENCE Broadcasters should defend the independence of the station and its volunteers from those seeking influence or control over content Broadcasters should 2 Gather and report information without fear or favor and vigorously resist undue influence from any outside forces including advertisers sources news subjects powerful individuals and special interest groups Resist those who would seek to buy or politically influence content or who would seek to intimidate those who gather and disseminate facts Determine news content solely through editorial judgment and not as the result of outside influence Resist any self interest or peer pressure that might erode service to the public Recognize that sponsorship will not be used in any way to determine restrict or manipulate content Refuse to allow the interests of ownership or management to influence content inappropriately Defend the rights of the free press for all broadcasters S ACCOUNTABILITY Broadcasters should recognize that they are accountable for their actions to the public the station and themselves Broadcasters should Actively encourage adherence to these standards by all broadcasters Respond to public concerns Investigate complaints and correct errors promptly and with as much prominence as the original report Explain broadcasting standards to th
31. age are safe like Est n cambiando el aceite they re changing the oil for a couple having sex FALSE The indecency law and FCC analytical guidelines apply to all broadcast matter regardless of the language in which it is spoken 20 The FCC will probably give us a break if we re the obvious target of a malicious letter and email writing campaign resulting in hundreds of identical complaint forms being sent in FALSE The origin of a complaint has no impact on the central question whether a broadcast 1s indecent One person s email campaign is no different than one listener s letter 21 The FCC will excuse exclamations uttered by winners on a live call in contest line like Holy shiti FALSE The extraordinary circumstances of an utterance vvill be evaluated on a case by case basis and the FCC has warned that use of blasphemy or coarse vulgar language could expose a station to liability 27 One of the infamous Seven Dirty Words has now become so accepted and commonplace in our language that it has been taken off the list FALSE The FCC maintains no list of prohibited words The Seven Dirty Words were brought together in a monologue by comedian George Carlin The FCC has however said broadcast of the F word and its variants will depending on the context be regarded as indecent or profane 2 If one morning show contains six different indecent utterances the FCC will consider fining
32. ake an informed decision about what to do until you arrive DJ trainers Please do sign off on module three on the checklist page at the front of this manual when you are reasonably certain that the trainee understands and is comfortable with the material covered in module three Please do this prior to clearing the trainee for solo Trainee When your solo recording is complete drop it off in the training department box and contact us via email so we know its there Or email us a digital copy of your solo We will contact you when it has been reviewed and approved 35 VII DJ PROGRAMMER RESPONSIBILITIES Quick and dirty do s and don ts A programmer s responsibilities do not end after his or her show The following is an important list of do s and don ts that all volunteers are expected to follow as members and programmers Facilities Respect the shared community nature of the WSCA Facilities Keep it Neat Pick Up After Yourself Leave the station cleaner and neater than when you found it this applies to both the studio and the station as a whole If you use or move something please put it back in the proper location All DJs must refile CDs immediately upon finishing their show CDs are filed by music genre and then alphabetically Improper and sloppy filing of CDs makes it very difficult for a DJ to find CDs All DJs are responsible for assisting with cleaning the studio once every 7 weeks Plan on setting aside 15 minutes b
33. an participate Anyone is welcome to participate in the News and Public Affairs Collective whether one has previous experience or not News and public affairs broadcasts require great production effort and collaboration and opportunities abound not just in becoming an on air personality but also working behind the scenes to research write copy interview produce and more It is exciting and important work and we look forward to having you join us C The Editorial Board The Collective is just beginning to take shape and leading this effort is a volunteer Editorial Board The Editorial Board upholds the journalistic integrity of WSCA LP by advocating responsible use of the station as a media outlet in alignment with the collective s mission statement Specifically the Board serves 7 as an oversight and advisory body and supplemental resource to the News and Public Affairs Collective The News and Public Affairs Director if and when this position is filled shall remain the primary point of contact for the members of the Collective N in an advisory capacity to the News and Public Affairs Director and the Program Director lt as an advisor to the General Management Group and or General Manager as requested As of the making of this manual we are seeking a volunteer to serve as the News and Public Affairs Director a full job description is available on the Web site 33 www portsmouthcommunityradio org Until
34. ard to this is to be considerate It s best to prepare the studio tidy the counter replace music file logs etc for the next programmer prior to their arrival Strive to leave it the way you d like to find it yourself In general when making the transition you ll want somebody s music playing while you actually switch places Different programmers have different routines so plan to work together with the programmers before and after you to make transitions as smooth as possible For example when switching places with the next programmer you can After your last track has played say goodbye to your listeners and let them know who is coming up next the name of the show and what time it will end You can then start the next programmer s first track and take out your last After you switch seats don t forget to sign out on the operating log and have the next programmer sign in IV OPERATING THE MICROPHONE There are 4 microphone inputs on the mixing board However music DJs will generally only use a single mic When using more than one microphone check to make sure they are all hooked up to the mixing board and that the gain levels are adjusted to the needs of each speaker A The microphone sweet spot every microphone is different and learning to use them correctly requires practice and experience 9 Adjust the mic stand so that you don t need to strain to A few of the many voices of WSCA s Audio Theater
35. as you would on a home stereo and lets us talk over music fade between songs etc Studio Head End Rack The equipment shown in the rack on the signal chain diagram is not accessible to the DJs This equipment is used to condition the signal for transmission over dedicated telephone cables to the Music Hall Transmitter The transmitter converts the low level audio signal that originates at the studio to a high power radio signal This includes modulation discussed below and amplification The output of the transmitter is applied to the broadcast antenna C Signal Chain Interruptions If this signal chain is broken at any point the audio originating at the studio won t reach the antenna and thus won t be broadcast Fortunately all of the devices in the signal chain requiring electrical power are supported by uninterruptible power supplies that will continue to provide power to the equipment during short power outages So even if the lights go off we can still broadcast for a period of time However if you become aware that no signal is being broadcast notify the engineering department immediately The phone number for Erik Pearce co chair of engineering is on a contact list posted above the studio mixing board WSCA LP 106 lim Signal Flow ee u U e E e M M l mixing console i u input output I mic mono MAIN delay Fo u mic 2 mono 2 i gt Computer ii mic 3 mono 3 REC Distribution Amp
36. ation To jeopardize the station is not an option The FCC considers a broadcast to be indecent if it contains language or material that in context depicts or describes in terms patently offensive as measured by community standards for the broadcast medium sexual or excretory activities or organs IX STUDIO ETIQUETTE AND PROTOCOL Food and Drink There is a strip of tape on the studio floor which you may respectfully think of from now on as a Line of Death On the inside of this line between the line and the studio equipment no liquid may pass Thousands of dollars vvorth of equipment as well as the heartfelt efforts of well over one hundred volunteers from all over have gone into putting this studio together DON T SPILL There is Absolutely no food allowed in the studio Water is the only liquid allowed in the studio at any time whether you or anyone else are broadcasting live or not and only OUTSIDE of the line And no liquids which contain water do not count as water On that note it s a good idea to bring in your own water supply for your time at the station The plumbing may be improved someday but until then Booze amp Drugs The use of alcohol and or other mood altering controlled substances is strictly forbidden by Programmers and any guests and or visitors to the station Furthermore the Engineering on the job 10 presence of visibly intoxicated individuals in the studio is also forb
37. ation broadcasts regularly scheduled brief factually announcements acknowledging the businesses support of WSCA and factually describing its services Program Review Board These five station members are responsible for quarterly review of all proposed and existing programs on a quarterly basis The standing members of the review board are the program director the music director and the news director there are also two at large members drawn from the station membership The at large members generally serve for a term of one year Training Department The training department is responsible for general station training and for writing collating and editing materials for training new members of WSCA or introducing new equipment and techniques to existing programmers Engineering Department The Engineering department is responsible for maintenance our antenna and radio transmitter and is responsible for equipping and maintaining the studios and maintaining the signal chain from our facilities at 909 Islington Street all the way to the Music Hall in downtown Portsmouth Engineering also maintains the computers hosted in the station and is the go to team for remote broadcasts Music Department The music director is the head of the music department and is a member of the program review board The director is responsible for soliciting receiving and reviewing new music for the station and for tracking the number of plays received by vario
38. been received EAS activations are either national or state local All tests and activations are preceded two tones issued by the EAS receiver In the rare case of a national activation our station s broadcast will be interrupted by the following message This is an Emergency Action Notification requested by the White House All broadcast stations will follow activation procedures in the EAS Operating Handbook for a national level emergency The President of the Unites States or his or her representative will shortly deliver a message over the Emergency Alert System State and local activations are more common Page nineteen of the EAS handbook details the type of events which may cause a state or local activation of the EAS most often they are issued by the NWS in case of threatening or extreme weather When these activations are received a bell like tone sounds repeatedly at the EAS receiver and a message is sent to the printer located 21 adjacent to the receiver These messages are stored in the print spooler a blinking light will appear at the print button when there are messages ready to print You do not need to do this The messages are shorthand coded and somewhat hard to decipher Our participation in these alerts is optional Our broadcast area is covered by several larger more powerful stations that are responsible for broadcasting these alerts However if the alert is weather related you will find the same information
39. cial shows will prepare an announcement regarding upcoming shows particularly shows featuring special guests for insertion in the Calendar book Show information will also be provided for insertion in the Web Site calendar by emailing it to the Web Site Manager Lynn Tolfree portsmouthcommunityradio org If appropriate a press release should be distributed to the local media outlets The WIRE the Portsmouth Herald The Fosters Daily Democrat The NH Gazette etc 37 Encouraging WSCA Membership The continued operation and growth of WSCA relies upon increasing membership securing Underwriters and applying for and being awarded Grants As a DJ and volunteer for WSCA you are an ambassador for Portsmouth Community Radio and you assistance in promoting the radio station and obtaining revenue via the above methods is crucial Please encourage friends coworkers and businesses to support WSCA 38 WSCA LP lt On Air Programmer Contract gt 106 1 FM All volunteers wishing to participate in the operations of WSCA LP whether on or off the air should understand the principles philosophies policies and governance structures that underpin the entire organization This information is contained in orientation handbooks which are available to all interested persons according to their areas of interest of involvement As a volunteer operated organization Portsmouth Community Radio relies on the passion responsibility and
40. come some of the limitations of the EBS system the Federal Communications Commission FCC replaced the EBS with the EAS The FCC designed the EAS in cooperation with the National Weather Service NWS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA and each agency plays a role The FCC has oversight regarding the technical and operational requirements of the EAS and ensures that state and local EAS plans conform to the FCC s rules and regulations The NWS provides emergency weather information to alert the public about dangerous conditions FEMA provides direction for state and local emergency planning officials to plan and implement their roles in the EAS Some changes from the EBS include The EAS allows broadcast stations cable systems participating satellite companies and other services to send and receive emergency information automatically even if these facilities are unattended 20 The EAS is designed so that if one link in the dissemination of alert information is broken the entire system does not fail The EAS also automatically converts to any language used by the broadcast station or cable system As with the EBS the EAS provides the President and federal authorities with a network of broadcast stations cable and satellite TV providers capable of quickly distributing emergency information to the general public Because the EAS system shares digital bandwidth with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
41. d adjacent communities Portsmouth Community Radio will broadcast diverse and alternative programming which is produced locally and reflects the educational cultural artistic civic and business interests of the listening community About this DJ training Training at WSCA is broken down into three stages Module One General station orientation Module Two On air skills training and Module Three Policy Procedures and Protocol Further training in Production News amp Public Affairs or Engineering is provided by those departments What to expect As a volunteer Programmer at WSCA LP there are certain things you can expect A generally positive environment where open and respectful communication is fostered A solid introduction to and training in LPFM radio broadcasting after which you will be comfortable on your own at the helm of the station Clear and accessible guidelines to follow just in case you find yourself in over your head Opportunities to learn more about your community your neighbors and yourself in a host of different and valuable alliances A spirit of cooperation As a community radio station we are not only providing a service to the Seacoast community at large but we are striving to cultivate a community within the radio station itself This requires all of us to offer an inclusive attitude that sees the station as a whole not just a series of radio shows To this end it is important to
42. d encouraging more http www transom org index ph Pacifica Pacifica Radio is a network of five independent non commercial listener supported radio stations and the first public radio network in the U S http www pacifica or
43. ding discrimination stopping a war or voting a particular way is not 2 Retention of Material Broadcast Editorializing Labeling of Program Matter There are two categories of material that licensees are required to retain for limited periods personal attacks and political editorials Personal attacks occur when during the presentation of views on a controversial issue of public importance an attack is made upon the honesty character integrity or like personal qualities of an identified person or group The FCC s rules require that after a personal attack the licensee must no later than one week after the attack transmit to the person or group attacked a notification of the date time and identification of the broadcast b a tape script or accurate summary of the attack and c an offer of a reasonable opportunity to respond over the licensee s station Political editorials involve the endorsement or opposition of a legally qualified candidate or candidates during an editorial Within 24 hours after the editorial the licensee must transmit to the other qualified candidate s for the same office or the candidate s opposed a notification of the date and time of the editorial b a script or tape of the editorial and c an offer of a reasonable opportunity for the candidate or a spokesperson for the candidate to respond over the licensee s station The word editorial refers to a broadcast statement of the opinion o
44. e perfectly well contained even borderline prudish be just as clear There s no harm ensuring that someone s informed but there is great harm in making assumptions C Prepare to be surprised One thing you can count on is that things go wrong Don t be taken off guard How Ifthe CD players are broken and all you have are CDs it will be tricky 9 expand your horizons use our record library and the turntables If your guest doesn t show or if no one calls in you ll be left with the mic 9 Do your homework and next week s too You launch into a coughing spasm A German shepherd falls through the ceiling Your CD is skipping Who knows what could happen Have a plan B and keep it cued D Do unto others Respect respect common sense and respect If you have a show before another regularly scheduled program you should be ready to vacate packed up etc five minutes prior to the shows start time You do not have to go to OTIS but should play a song on a CD that allows you to exit completely and the incoming DJ should be able to sit down and prepare comfortably I Pods portable music players laptops newspapers and personal CD collections should not be left in the studio nor should the incoming DJ be subjected to your clean up during his or her time slot Ifyou are running late for your scheduled time slot do call ahead and inform the DJ whose show you follow This way they can m
45. e ante to as much as 500 000 per violation and may require a license revocation hearing after three fines 15 Under the First Amendment air talent cannot be personally fined for indecent speech FALSE The Communications Act prescribes conditions for imposing personal liability for a monetary fine for a violation of the indecency law 16 If a listener wrote me upset about my telling an off color joke on the air I don t have to report her complaint to the FCC TRUE Stations are not required to report the broadcast of matter that may be indecent 17 A listener sent an Eminem recording to the FCC that he claimed he heard on our station but since we play only edited cleansed versions of popular music we vvon t be fined NOT NECESSARILY The issue may devolve into a question of proof If a station cannot provide satisfactory evidence of the broadcast of edited versions of music that may be deemed indecent in unedited form the FCC could find that indecent material was broadcast 18 The FCC won t even give you a break if something that was said on the air is a double entendre or has a double meaning one of which is clean TRUE Merely because the material consists of double entendre or innuendo does not preclude the FCC from making an indecency finding if the sexual or excretory import is unmistakable G E SOG REN e E KERR Test Your IQ B i Indecency Quotient Page 4 19 Double entendres in a foreign langu
46. e phone signal so it can be input into the board and sends out a board mix to the caller on the phone 9 9 9 First confirm that the caller is on line one 430 9722 Manually pick up the handset greet the caller as you would at home and then put the call on hold and the handset in the cradle OR skip that step altogether and Put both your mic and the channel on the board labeled telephone in cue depress the solo buttons and then pick up the line by pressing the on button on the Gentner You just picked up the phone and put it in cue and can talk to your caller off air To put the caller on air simply fade up the telephone fader to an appropriate level The Cue button on the Gentner is not used Putting the telephone in cue does not require the use of this button X USING PORTABLE DEVICES Laptops iPods and other portable devices can be conveniently plugged into the board The dedicated input for portables is labeled Portable Line In The cord to connect the portable device to the mixing board is labeled and is permanently plugged into the board Using a portable device to pre record your show is quick and easy but it is no substitute for working the board with your personal touch XI OTIS A What is OTIS OTIS is our name for both the computer and the software controlled music database essentially an automated music jukebox that is located in studio OTIS is displayed on the monitor to th
47. e public especially when practices spark questions or controversy Recognize that broadcasters are duty bound to conduct themselves ethically Carefully listen to volunteers who raise ethical objections and create environments in which such objections and discussions are encouraged Adapted 2 3 06 from the Code of Ethics of the Radio and Television News Directors Association for interim use at WSCA Adopted at RINDA2000 in Minneapolis September 14 2000 A SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS 1 Underwriting Your show may have an underwriter If you need to credit an underwriter during your show read the message provided for you READ IT EXACTLY AS WRITTEN NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS Do not ad lib before during or after embellish add or subtract from it Nothing more may be said about that sponsor at any other time for the duration of their sponsorship Practice reading it before you go on the air Record the word Underwriter and next the name of the Underwriter in the daily station log with the time it was presented 7 23 Underwriter Girdwood Clinic No one will arbitrarily select underwriters or another entity even in jest as their sponsor of the day Here are the legal underwriting guidelines We are licensed as a non commercial educational broadcaster We are bound by the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission FCC in what we can do and say on the air when someone gives money or other consideration of
48. e right of the console This monitor also displays information from the national weather service they cannot be viewed simultaneously To switch between the two simply hit the scroll lock button upper right on the keyboard twice in quick succession OTIS runs continuously in the background even while live radio content is being broadcast Song title and time remaining are shown at the top of the screen When is OTIS used Whenever there is no live person to run the station DJs use OTIS when their show is over and there is no show following it How is OTIS cued up OTIS has a fader labeled computer on the mixing board If possible wait for the beginning of the next track before fading into OTIS The computer known as OTIS is also used for accessing Audacity recording softwareon the station file server When OTIS is connected to the file server via VNC Virtual Network Connection software the Audacity recording program will automatically be 19 open Generally speaking An Audacity icon is located in the task bar running in the background when OTIS is running in the foreground If it is not found in the task bar you will have to manually make the connection to the station file server by clicking the VNC icon either in the task bar or on the desktop The use of OTIS is limited to the OTIS program and accessing Audacity recording software on the station file server XII STUDIO COMPUTER A The studio com
49. efore or after your show to complete one of the posted cleaning tasks on the schedule Station Equipment Please treat all station equipment better than if it were yours This is community property and we all rely upon it functioning properly Specifically if you need to make changes to the board settings or connections in the course of your show return everything to its normal position when the show is complete Equipment malfunctions If a piece of equipment is malfunctioning describe the problem in detail in writing and leave the note in the Engineering mailbox Also place a copy or similar note in the GM mailbox If no one is notified of the problem it can t be fixed If it is a major equipment problem call Eric Pearce or the GM as appropriate Taking phone calls If while at the studio you receive a phone call for someone and need to take a message make sure to get all the necessary details and place the message in the appropriate DJ or volunteer mailbox If there isn t a mailbox post the message prominently possibly by tacking it to the office door or attempt to contact the person to pass the message on Making phone calls The studio phones are not for personal use beyond brief local phone calls Long distance or toll calls should only be for business purposes or for phone interviews during public affairs shows If it appears personal long distance or toll calls are being made the service will be restricted which will create
50. er above the mixing board Events are to be read at the top of the hour You are free to choose whatever you d like to read 3 Cardfile The cardfile contains all of the underwriting copy ticklers public service announcements and station announcements to be read on the air 4 Ticklers Each programmer will be asked to provide a scripted tickler for his her own show Other programmers will read this throughout the week as scheduled by the Program Director or designee in an effort at cross promotion Additionally this script will be used on the website and possibly in more of the station s publicity efforts The Program Log will tell you which card is to be read at what hour 30 5 Weather As a service to the listeners we encourage you to read the weather at twenty minutes after the hour This is noted in the Programming log B Fill process 1 Once you have been trained and approved for going on air we encourage you to come in and use the studio whenever it is empty To allow for the greatest variety of voices on the air we ask that you follow a few rules when filling in an empty time slot These rules are written to encourage the use of the studio by more members of our community and to keep the process smooth and fair to everyone 2 Check the fill in book in the studio and see if anyone has claimed the slot you are looking for If not write your name the show you plan to do and your phone number in the slot These
51. es to follow These are set as seen fit by the committees and Board of Directors of the station to reflect the values of the community served by WSCA LP In the event that a Programmer disagrees with any station rule or policy thoughtful and respectful discourse on the matter is encouraged Please keep in mind again though that the station ultimately belongs to the community as a whole not the individuals on air at any given time Federal policy on indecency is complicated nebulous subjective and REACTIONARY There is not a paid government employee in Washington D C tuned into and screening Portsmouth Community Radio 24 hours a day ready to pay us a visit if we violate any law There are however over 60 000 individuals who can tune in at any time of any day and all it would take is one phone call to the FCC from one of them for any reason and WSCA LP could be paralyzed Please see the Introduction to Indecency prepared by Garvey Schubert Barer and made available through the National Federation of Community Broadcasters which is an important part of the third training module A clear explanation of FCC regulations accompanied by person to person discussion is an important part of the WSCA training program Any questions regarding these regulations should be relayed to your DJ trainer the Training Department or another Department Head An infraction of FCC rules leading to FCC action would jeopardize the operating license of the st
52. f a licensee Comment or commentary refers to the broadcast opinions of persons other than the licensee Whether a statement of opinion is an editorial or a commentary will usually be made clear at the outset of the statement 29 3 Criticism Ridicule Humor Concerning Persons Groups and Institutions The First Amendment s guarantee of freedom of speech protects programming that stereotypes or otherwise offends people with regard to their religion race national background gender or other characteristics It also protects broadcasts that criticize or ridicule established customs and i nstitutions including the government and its officials As the Commission has observed i f there is to be free speech it must be free for speech that we abhor and hate as well as for speech that we find tolerable or congenial Consequently the Commission cannot prohibit such programming However use of such language may leave the station open to charges of defamation libel slander via civil suit Such a suit would jeopardize the station s ability to continue broadcasting Defamation Libel slander and defamation are commonly used as synonyms in ordinary language However defamatory communication in writing is termed libel while one made via the spoken word is termed slander However because the underlying distinction is between permanent and transient communications some jurisdictions regard all defamatory communications even s
53. hese shows may be exempt from the new music requirement dj s are welcome to discuss with the music department collaborative efforts to support their programs by contacting record labels in search of new music B New Music Library The music library stored in Studio A is considered New Music that is it is generally music released within the last two months The music industry generally promotes charts and supports a recording for a period of two months A recording is tracked by the number of spins it receives each week It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for the DJ to record these spins by placing a check mark on the white sticker affixed to the back of the CD or LP before returning it to the stacks Every week the Music Director creates the WSCA Top 30 by counting the checks on CD s and LP s in the new music stacks C General Music Library Two months after the station receives a new release it is rotated into the general library If at the end of that time a recording is still getting significant spins it is at the Music director s discretion to keep it in the New Music library Music that the station receives that is not a new release will be filed directly into the general library In early days of commercial radio these were often called the back stacks D Music Filing Our music library is divided into genres see attached list and filed alphabetically by band name or artist
54. home CD players but have advanced features for studio use A The Denon is the primary unit The buttons you will use are see illustration SO 2 Cue pressing the cue button while in play mode brings you to the beginning of the music on the displayed track some tracks have dead space before the music starts called dead roll Play Pause dual mode control that allows you to pause when in play mode or play when track is paused Push Enter also the track select knob dialing this left to right searches through the tracks Continuous Single allows you to switch between continuous and single modes continuous plays an entire CD straight through single stops after a single track Time Total displays elapsed time or remaining time on the track If pushed for more than one second it displays the total time of the disk Open close For more details see the diagram and playback instructions included in this manual B The Marantz CD player is used primarily to make in studio recordings of station broadcasts It is both a recorder and a player and so can also be used as a playback device Each of the two drawers functions independently The left drawer is a recorder The right had drawer is a back up CD player Ask your trainer for more information on the Marantz and also refer to the pages from the Marantz owner s manual included at the end of this document as an addendum VII OPERATI
55. idden It is the responsibility of the On Air Programmer the Programmer signed into the Operating Log to adhere to this policy In the event that a Programmer has difficulty removing an intoxicated individual from the studio and or the station the Programmer may either call the Engineering hard at work emergency contact numbers listed on the studio wall above the mixing board or the police for assistance Smoking is bad for you especially in the station There is absolutely positively under no circumstances whatsoever smoking of any type allowed in the studio or in the station in general Cigarette breaks may be taken OUTSIDE and standing in the doorway with a butt on the outside doesn t count Dispose of cigarettes properly in the provided butt can Pets are wonderful at home As much as we love our pets they are not allowed in the station Thank you for understanding Closing the studio If another programmer is not coming in after you even if there is another station member here it is still your responsibility to close down the studio here is the checklist 1 Put away all music filed correctly by genre and artist Turn all components OFF Otis will be playing but the monitor should be OFF Also turn OFF the CD players Cassette Player and both Turn Tables Even if you didn t use them it is your responsibility to make sure all these machines are OFF 3 Turn the volume dials on the monitors and headphones all the way down
56. ies to the broadcast of any obscene profane or indecent material 6 Even though listening drops off significantly after afternoon drive the FCC still cares about indecency in the evening hours TRUE The broadcast of indecent matter is prohibited between 6 a m and 10 p m i What plays in Philadelphia may not in Fresno so where a station is located has an impact on vvhether a broadcast is indecent FALSE The contemporary community standards to which the definition of indecency refers are not local but are national in scope The standard is that of an average broadcast viewer or listener not the sensibilities of any individual listener or viewer 8 Song titles mentioned on the air like Fuck It are not exempt from indecency prosecution TRUE There is no exception for song titles to the prohibition on the broadcast of indecent matter 9 There is a limited exemption for lyrics of songs like Fuck what I said it don t mean shit now so long as they are sung or spoken by the artist performing the song FALSE The prohibition on the broadcast of indecent matter applies to statements made by air personnel comments made by callers in or lyrics sung or spoken by an artist live or recorded 10 The FCC has a news exemption for serious reporting of bona fide news events so profanity heard in the background of a report on a rock concert would not be subject to prosecution FALSE The indecency law makes no exception
57. information about Low Power FM LPFM radio http www fcc gov mb audio Ipfm index html Prometheus Radio Project Prometheus Radio Project is a collective of radio activists who serve as a microradio resource center offering legal technical and organizational support for the non commercial community broadcasters Prometheus is instrumental in helping communities build their own grassroots radio stations http www prometheusradio or National Federation of Community Broadcasters The National Federation of Community Broadcasters NFCB is a national membership organization of community oriented non commercial radio stations http www nfcb org contact contact js Station Resource Group The Station Resource Group is an alliance of 45 public radio broadcasters SRG s focus is on issues of mission public service connection to community and meaningful station roles in local civic and cultural affairs Their aim is to help stations translate their vision into real effective and sustainable service http www srg or Media Access Project Media Access Project MAP is a thirty year old non profit tax exempt public interest telecommunications law firm which promotes the public s First Amendment right to hear and be heard on the electronic media of today and tomorrow http www mediaaccess or Transom Transom org is an experiment in channeling new work and voices to public radio through the Internet for discussing that work an
58. inition of indecency in 1987 it said that complaints should be filed promptly after the incident It has not strictly enforced that requirement however and has accepted complaints filed more than a year after the incident There is but it could be as long as eight years the length of a license term The rules prohibit a forfeiture if the violation occurred more than one year prior to the issuance of the appropriate notice or prior to the commencement of the current license term whichever is earlier In effect complaints can be filed at any time during an 8 year license term There are several important legal distinctions but here are the basics Indecent material 1 need not be pornographic i e it need not appeal to prurient interests 2 the indecency standard is based on contemporary standards for the broadcast industry a national rather than local standard 3 the indecency law is enforced by the FCC rather than criminal law authorities 4 there is no safe harbor period for obscenity i e obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment and 5 the merit of a work is an absolute defense to a charge of obscenity but only one variable in the determination of whether the work is indecent Yes The relevant statute prohibits the broadcast of obscene indecent or profane material The FCC s decision to regulate profanity is new however In the Golden Globe decision the Commis
59. kely to increase as are the sizes of indecency fines The definition of indecency may be stretched even further and profanity may emerge as an entirely new form of regulated content Content regulation is back Stay tuned This Indecency Primer is published by Garvey Schubert Barer It contains information of a general nature that cannot be regarded as legal advice Please consult a communications attorney if you have questions about the application of the indecency standard to particular situations You may contact John Crigler by e mail at jcrigler gsblaw com or call him at 202 965 7880 WASHINGTON D C OFFICE OTHER OFFICES fifth floor beijing china flour mill butlding new york new york 1000 potomae street nw portland oregon GARVEYscHuHuBpEeRTPARER washington d c 20007 3501 seattle washington A PARTNERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL CORPORATIONS TEL 202 965 7880 Fax 202 965 1729 GSBLaAw coMm Test Your IQ INDECENCY QUOTIENT This Indecency Quiz was created by J ohn Wells King a law partner in the Communications Group of Garvey Schubert Barer in Washington DC and is sponsored by Jacobs Media a Detroit based Radio Consulting Firm Mr King can be reached at 202 965 7880 or jking gsblaw com The material presented here is intended solely for informational purposes and is of a general nature that cannot be regarded as legal advice Please consult a communications attorney if you have questions about the application of the indecency standa
60. le for the recruitment and supervision of the all volunteer staff as well as the hiring of contractors The general manager has oversight of the station s finances General Management Group During the formative early months of the station in the absence of a general manager the GMG was formed to provide cohesive leadership The GMG is composed of representatives of each department of WSCA and continues to serve as a liaison between the general manager and the station at large GMG members serve voluntarily to assist and support the general manager with ongoing and daily operations GMG meetings are the first Wednesday of each month and are open to the membership Time and place of meetings will be posted on the station calendar Programming Department The Programming Department is headed by the Program director The director is responsible for scheduling and decision making policies surrounding programming and serves on the program review board The program director is responsible for overseeing all broadcast materials and exercises supervision of those activities of the Music New and Production departments that produce review and approve materials for broadcast Development and Public Relations Department The Development Team is responsible for all fundraising activities Membership Events Grant Writing and Underwriting Underwriting is the process through which a local business contributes financially to the station and in exchange the st
61. licious either Il STANDARDS AND PRACTICES Text of the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances Preamble Electronic broadcasters should operate as trustees of the public seek the truth report it fairly and with integrity and independence and stand accountable for their actions 26 Public Trust Professional electronic journalists should recognize that their first obligation is to the public Broadcasters should Understand that any commitment other than service to the public undermines trust and credibility Recognize that service in the public interest creates an obligation to reflect the diversity of the community and guard against oversimplification of issues or events Provide a full range of information to enable the public to make enlightened decisions Fight to ensure that the public s business is conducted in public Truth Professional electronic journalists should pursue truth aggressively and present the news accurately in context and as completely as possible Untrue statements or statements not supported by evidence are not protected by the First Amendment and could leave the station open to lawsuit or challenge
62. magnetic wave propagated by an antenna Radio waves have different frequencies and by tuning a radio receiver to a specific frequency you can pick up a specific signal Audio signals usually occur with in a range of relatively low frequencies from about 20 Hz to 20 kHz In order for an audio signal to be transmitted as a radio signal it must first be transferred to a higher 14 frequency This transfer is called modulation US radio signals use two methods of modulation Amplitude Modulation AM and Frequency Modulation FM WSCA is an FM station Using FM the low frequency audio signal is combined with a higher frequency signal called a carrier The signal of the carrier is the number you turn to on the dial In other words the carrier for Portsmouth Community Radio is 106 1 Mhz At the higher frequency the audio is then able to be broadcast B The WSCA Signal Chain Where does it go and how does it get there The signal chain is the path that our audio travels from the CD players microphones etc also known as source devices located in our studio to the broadcast antenna located at the Portsmouth Music Hall See the diagram on the following page for further detail Sources The sources in the studio are the devices that produce audio either from prerecorded material or microphones Mixer The sources are connected to the mixer in order to combine them This is easier than having a switch to select between them
63. n contacts you will need Please see the attached organizational chart for all contacts information Programming Ryan McGrady Interim Program Director rmcgrady porsmouthcommunityradio org Music Chad Beisswanger Interim Music Director el postino2001 yahoo com Engineering Erik Pearce amp Fran Clark Engineering Co Chairs engineering portsmouthcommunityradio org Production Eric Reuter amp Alex Case Production Co Chairs production portsmouthcommunityradio org IT amp Equip Problems Jim Layton 603 433 7174 News Lars Trodson Interim News amp Public Affairs Collective larstrodson comcast net Training Jenny Petersen amp Doug Simmons Training Co Coord training portsmouthcommunityradio org Volunteer Coordination Elissa Margolin Volunteer Coordinator volunteer portsmouthcommunityradio org VI COLLECTIVE PROGRAMMING Programming interest at WSCA LP has to date surfaced in 20 discernable categories which are listed below Not all of these categories are necessarily represented at all times in the active program schedule but it is nonetheless our goal to cultivate them all To this end we are evolving collectives around each one The premise of Collective Programming is primarily that Volunteers you don t have to be a Programmer interested in similar subjects are given a forum for communication with one another in advance of broadcasting to the community at large There need be no set format for a collective
64. ncement for a service product or business in which someone responsible for the announcement has a financial stake in what is being announced For example if you work for a business that is underwriting the station and you read their underwriting notice twice during your show when it is only scheduled once that is Plugola Other examples include DJ s who might work for clubs and describe club events on the air to boost club attendance without mentioning that they are an employee of the club This also applies to your guests or announcements For example it is okay to announce the time date and place of a performance but you cannot give out the cost of admission announce what beer is on tap or use any sort of superlatives ie This is the best spot for live music in Portsmouth That is plugola and it is not allowed Instead if you have the name of the venue tell them to call the venue for more of that kind of information and tell them to tell the venue they heard about it on WSCA It is important that you don t give out ticket prices over the air for this reason but also because it cuts down on the potential for announcing incorrect information Lastly Always try to use neutral language when describing any goods or services This is more in regard to our non profit status not being allowed to air advertisements and can earn the station penalties Do not say that an underwriter s food is terrible but don t say it s de
65. nd news production skills 4 After requisite general station orientation and training Collective training is expected to encompass but will not be limited to the following areas a journalistic standards and practices to which citizen journalists are held accountable b news gathering news gathering techniques researching interviewing writing editing c news production field and studio refinements producing skills encoding and posting stories online for edit board review Contact The News and Public Affairs Collective If you would like to be involved on any level or if you would like to learn more about the Collective please contact Lars Trodson by email at larstrodson comcast net or by phone at 603 498 4742 34 VI SO YOU RE READY TO DO A SHOW A Preview Preview Preview As the Programmer on duty you are responsible for the content of your broadcast KNOW YOUR MATERIAL You re the one who will have to explain it B Prepare your guests and choose them wisely After all you will be responsible for what they do or do not say When choosing a guest for your show be it music or talk programming don t play the fool Being challenged is good being upstaged is not Remember guests are not station members don t assume they know our station guidelines or FCC policy regarding low power FM broadcasting Review the FCC policy and station guidelines regarding profanity and indecency If you know them to b
66. non clinical references to gay or lesbian sex masturbation penis or breast size sodomy erections orgasms etc description or simulation of various sexual acts and the seven dirty words shit fuck piss cunt cocksucker motherfucker tits References to oral or non heterosexual sex are typically found to be patently offensive The FCC does not ask for any evidence on the issue of whether material is offensive In one instance however it reversed a decision that the hip song Your Revolution was indecent based in part on evidence that the performer Sarah Jones was invited to perform the song in high schools and junior highs An Introduction to Indecency by John Crigler Garvey Schubert Barer John Crigler is an owner Communications Group at Garvey Schubert Barer in its Washington D C office He can be reached at 202 965 7880 or jcrigler gsblaw com The information presented here is intended solely for informational purposes and is of a general nature that cannot be regarded as legal advice Please consult a communications attorney if you have questions about the application of the indecency standard to particular situations National Standard No Children No Defense Liability for Song Lyrics Fleeting and Isolated Instances Innuendo Counts Humor Doesn t Importance of Context No The standard applied is a national standard based upon what the Commission believes to be indecent No
67. nsee had aired indecent programming when it broadcast excerpts from a critically acclaimed play about a person dying of AIDS The merit of a program is a factor to be assessed in determining whether a program is indecent but the Commission has said that merit is simply one of many variables and it would give this particular variable undue importance if we were to single it out for greater weight or attention than we give other variables The Commission refused to issue a declaratory ruling that James Joyce s Ulysses was not indecent and denied a complaint against a reading from Ulysses primarily on grounds that the reading occurred in the safe harbor period No indecency complaint has yet been denied solely on the grounds that the material was meritorious You may not know the answer to either question Complaints can be filed anonymously and are not required to be served on the subject of the complaint If FCC staff determine that the complaint raises an issue of whether indecent material was broadcast they will send a letter of inquiry asking the station to confirm or refute the allegations made in the complaint If the FCC concludes that a violation has probably occurred it issues a Notice of Apparent Liability NAL which proposes a fine The station is given a chance to contest the NAL Based on the station s response FCC staff will rescind or modify the NAL or issue a Forfeiture Order When the FCC adopted the expanded def
68. o point is a DJ s on air banter granted safe harbor and this should not be considered a license to engage in or play music that would be considered obscene Content vs Speech While this Safe Harbor period loosens restrictions on the content of material played during a broadcast it does not loosen any rules regarding what can be said over the microphone No matter what time of day it is NEVER acceptable for any Programmer guest or visitor during a broadcast to use profane language Again you may be able to play it from 11 PM until 5 AM but you cannot say it What If Read the Indecency Primer included in this manual and then complete the Indecency Quiz If you have any questions about either discuss them with your DJ trainer Station ID The FCC mandates that we broadcast a scripted legal ID at the top of every hour It reads The time is now ___ and you are listening to WSCA LP FM 106 1 Portsmouth Community Radio Cy GA VAR q S C HUBERT BA R ER Hours of Enforcement Definition Approach taken by the FCC Offensiveness The FCC s indecency standard is both amorphous and complex This memo gives some guidance as to its meaning by analyzing the definition of indecency and summarizing FCC rulings In 1987 the FCC replaced its seven dirty words indecency standard with a generic definition of indecency Since then the Commission has levied indecency fines mounting to millions of dollars Recent fine
69. oice Discuss Demonstrate adjustment of headphone levels Check trainee for proficiency in cross fading Demonstrate the use of monitor playback button Discuss monitoring the board vs monitoring off air broadcast Demonstrate basic playback operation of all CD decks Check trainee s proficiency with all CD players Demonstrate the proper use of turntables Demonstrate cueing up a record in preparation of playback Demonstrate a slip cue Demonstrate proper outputs levels and verify the trainee is aware of and maintains appropriate board output levels The Gentner Demonstrate its correct use Make a cell phone call or call from the fax line and test the trainee s ability to bring up the phone and talk with the caller in cue mode Show the trainee around the OTIS program and how to switch back and forth between OTIS and the studio computer Demonstrate to the trainee how to find the NWS weather report Make sure they can find it quickly from a situation where OTIS is displayed on the studio LCD monitor EAS system DJ trainer and trainees read this part of the training manual over and find the pink EAS binder in the studio 24 MODULE THREE PPP Protocol Policy Procedures I FCC REGULATIONS 1 Profanity The FCC strongly prefers that radio broadcasters completely ignore the existence of sex and excrement This includes references to oral sex anal sex or masturbation Every DJ agrees not to say or play music that contains
70. poken statements broadcast on radio or television as libel According to the American and English Encyclopedia of Law a libel is a malicious defamation tending to blacken the memory of one who is dead or to impeach the honesty integrity virtue or reputation or to publish the natural or alleged defects of one who is alive thereby exposing him to public hatred contempt ridicule or obloquy or to cause him to be avoided or shunned or to injure him in his office business or occupation Statements presented as fact must be false to be defamatory Proving to be true is often the best defense against a prosecution for libel Truth alone may not be a complete defense It may be necessary to show that there is a well founded public interest in the specific information being widely known and this may be the case even for public figures III PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT A Overview 1 Program logs The program log tells you when to read announcements and helps the programming department track what has been read and who is on at what time The log also tells about any special events and contain any special information from the FCC The log is always in the studio near the board DJs must sign in whenever they go on the air noting the time and listing any guests New Program Logs are located in the folder on the far wall 2 Community Calendar The Community calendar is a listing of local events to be announced on the air It is located in a bind
71. puter shares a monitor and keyboard with OTIS To switch between the two simply hit the scroll lock button upper right on the keyboard twice in quick succession It serves two primary purposes The National Weather Service s Maine forecast office website is this computer s home page This is the programmer s source for the weather report that is a routine part of our broadcast hour If you use the computer for another purpose please switch back to the NWS website at the end of our program The studio computer is internet enabled to allow DJ s to responsibly access news items music and other potential program material from the studio Like the other station computers internet access is not provided for unlimited personal web browsing XIII THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM A History This is a test of the Emergency Alert System this is only a test If you have heard or seen these words on a radio of television station then you re acquainted with the Emergency Alert System EAS In 1951 President Harry Truman established CONELRAD Control of Electromagnetic Radiation as the first national alerting system CONELRAD later became the Emergency Broadcast System EBS which was intended to provide the President with a means to address the American people in the event of a national emergency Through the EBS the President had access to thousands of broadcast stations to send an emergency message to the public In 1994 to over
72. rd to particular situations What s your Indecency IQ Be an FCC Commissioner for A Day and test your knowledge about how the FCC interprets and enforces the indecency rule Twenty five correct answers qualifies you as a Master of Indecency One wrong and you re guilty of an indecent utterance for which you could be fined up to 32 500 500 000 if Congress has its way More than three wrong and you ve sunk into the Indecency Quagmire you risk possible revocation of your license 1 The FCC is concerned only about bits routines and call ins or call outs that dwell on sexual content like the couple that coupled in St Patrick s Cathedral PA The FCC will slam me for cussing in Czech TRUE theoretically The law is not limited to obscene profane or indecent material broadcast in the English language J It is okay to use code words for body parts and sexual acts FALSE Innuendo that persists and is sufficiently clear to make the meaning inescapable may be indecent 4 Profanity counts even if it goes out over the air by mistake like if a mike is left on a E SOG REN e E KERR Test Your IQ B i Indecency Quotient Page 2 TRUE The mere fact that specific vvords or phrases are not sustained or repeated does not mean their utterance is not indecent 3 There is an exception for profanity that comes from practical jokes station personalities play on each other FALSE The law appl
73. remember that EVERYTHING here happens out of personal initiative and community motivation not because someone else will take care of it Whether it is reporting a technical problem through the proper channels updating the website manning a WSCA LP booth at a local event or cleaning the bathroom all of it is up to us Given this nature of the station there are many hats to wear often at the same time While hosting a show at WSCA LP any one of us may be the only person on the premises This means that we must be prepared to answer the phone and the door relay messages refill the paper in the fax machine secure the building from fire or other danger follow FCC regulations while operating the station troubleshoot audio equipment know who to call for help all while engineering a live radio broadcast 4 Plenty of training will be provided for all of these duties and more in fact no one will receive permission to broadcast until both Programmer and trainer are confident in these abilities Nonetheless please do not lose sight of the privilege and responsibility of your role as a WSCA LP radio Programmer II A BRIEF HISTORY OF LPFM As a matter of public policy during the Clinton Administration the Federal Communications Commission opened a window of opportunity for low power FM radio which was to be community based and to allow a seriously local orientation to the programming The FCC did this because the economic
74. ring a wiretapped conversation with reputed gangster John Gotti in which he repeatedly used variations of the word fuck It also denied a complaint against the telecast of a high school sex education class But context is not an easily defined concept nor a sure fire defense The Commission fined a station 4 000 for a program in which two DJs read from and commented on a Playboy interview with Jessica Hahn In that ruling it rejected arguments that the DJ s remarks were essentially news commentary and warned that while the newsworthy nature of broadcast material and its presentation in a serious newsworthy manner would be relevant contextual considerations in an indecency determination they are not in themselves dispositive factors The Commission reached a similar conclusion in fining station Beyond Pandering and Shock Value Merit is Only One Factor Complaint Process KRON TV San Francisco 27 500 for an interview with performers in a stage production of Puppetry of the Penis During the interview included in the morning news program one of the performers exposed his penis Not true Material may be indecent even if it is not pandering or titillating in nature Songs such as Penis Envy Makin Bacon and Erotic City were held to be indecent because they contained lewd sexual references even though those references may not have been titillating In one instance the Commission found that a lice
75. s may be made at this time All Programmers of regularly scheduled shows are asked to maintain a commitment to his her show for this biannual period of six months In the event that a one is unable to fulfill this commitment either for a day or for the duration of the time period it is the responsibility of the Programmer to line up a back up Programmer whose eligibility is determined by the Program Director The responsibility for the program then will fall to the fill in The Programming Committee will be engaged in on going review and development of on air programs as well as the review development and implementation of proposals for new programming Programmers are expected to comply with any and all requests of the Programming Committee If compliance with programming recommendations from the Committee at any time throughout the year is not sufficiently met then it is within the authority of the Programming Committee to remove any program from the schedule Vill WSCA AND THE FCC While the spirit of LPFM and community radio in particular embraces 1 Amendment principles and encourages freely expressive forms of communication every radio station is nonetheless REQUIRED to 9 conform to the standards the FCC has seen fit to set for us That means by association that every radio Programmer is bound by these rules vyhether vve like them or not Additionally Portsmouth Community Radio may implement its own House Rul
76. s have been as high as 755 000 and pending legislation could push the maximum fine to 3 million or more Indecent speech is speech protected by the First Amendment Courts have ruled that indecency can be channeled but not banned The FCC implements this distinction by enforcing its indecency policy between the hours of 6 00 a m and 10 00 p m The hours between 10 00 p m and 6 00 a m are regarded as a safe harbor period during which indecent material may be aired without FCC sanction WHAT DOES THE FCC CONSIDER TO BE INDECENT The FCC considers a broadcast to be indecent if it contains language or material that in context depicts or describes in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium sexual or excretory activities or organs WHAT DOES THAT MEAN The FCC considers three factors in determining whether material is indecent The first factor is the explicitness or graphic nature of the material The issue is whether in context the material depicts or describes sexual or excretory organs or activities Because the meaning of works or images is not always clear and because the definition of indecency encompasses innuendo and double entendre the Commission first seeks to determine whether material has an unmistakably sexual or excretory meaning The second factor is whether the material dwells on or repeats sexual or excretory matters at length This f
77. s of the marketplace in commercial radio drove and continue to drive the stations to chase a certain narrow demographic in their audience While this may be legitimate in economic terms it does seriously limit the potential to explore the incredible scope of radio By encouraging community based LPFM the FCC hoped that at least some of the radio spectrum could escape the driving forces of the marketplace and would help local communities establish a sense of village So they permitted LPFM which did not present an economic threat to the commercial stations and which addressed other needs that commercial radio simply could not IHI MEMBERSHIP AND VOLUNTEERISM The privilege of access to the studios at Portsmouth Community Radio is reserved for members It is acceptable for and expected that guests and or non members will join member programmers aka dj s in studio and live on air However if anon member is a guest so often that they are in attendance during a particular program more than 50 of the time then the guest will in most cases be considered a co host or co producer and membership and completion of station training will be expected of that person Keep in mind membership is more than just buying your way in Membership at WSCA LP is an active Oh the perks of being a volunteer at WSCA role in which your voice can be heard over the airwaves within the station or both All committees meetings and work
78. sion found that even if the F word used by Bono was not indecent it was profane and could be regulated as vulgar irreverent or coarse language The Commission defined profanity as language that denotes personally reviling epithets naturally tending to provoke violent resentment or denoting language so grossly offensive to members of the public who actually hear it as to amount to a nuisance The Commission will apparently regulate profanity during the same hours as indecency Remedial Action Stay Tuned GOSH IF CAN STILL SAY THAT WHAT ELSE Well possibly violence The FCC may investigate the effectiveness of the v chip installed in new TV sets and explore additional ways of regulating violent content on TV and possibly radio HOW DOES THE FCC DETERMINE WHAT FINE TO IMPOSE The FCC has considerable discretion to set fines and will consider such factors as the extent and gravity of the violation any history of past offenses and the ability to pay Currently the maximum fine for a single violation is 27 500 This fine can be multiplied if the violation occurs in more than one program or if a program is aired on more than one station The Commission has also made it clear that in the future it will impose fines for each utterance of an indecent word Thus a single program may now result in multiple fines Even more commonly the Commission has announced that it may in appropriate circumstances initiate a
79. sional approach That said every Programmer is responsible for the content of his her show as well as the behavior of on air guests Additionally any member is responsible for the actions of his her guest s while at the radio station whether or not the presence of said guest s at the radio station is related to programming In the 11 event of an infraction whether intentional due to gross negligence or manifesting as a pattern of too many accidents of any station rule or policy the following actions will take place a In general on the first offense management will have a conversation with the volunteer regarding the infraction This conversation will clarify the policy and confirm that the volunteer understands the full ramifications of his her actions b In the event of a second infraction of any station policy the volunteer may be suspended from access to the studios and or station as deemed suitable by management for a period of at least but not limited to two weeks The privilege of studio and or station access will be reinstated if and when conditions set forth by station management are met c Inthe event of a third offense the volunteer may be suspended from access to the studios and or station for any length of time deemed appropriate by the management d Management reserves the right to indefinitely and or permanently deny access to any individual at any time in the event that a real or perceived threat
80. this position is filled the Collective will be responsible for its own operations under the advisement of the Editorial Board and within parameters agreed on by the Board and Collective members D Training Training opportunities specific to news and public affairs will begin in January or February of 2006 largely in conjunction with the Production Department Training methods may include one on one coaching study and research developing stories in workshop format and lecture discussion groups The Collective will follow a simple graduated system of training combined with a tiered system to approve pieces for broadcast quickly giving rise to a substantial group of well equipped volunteers This will require a base group of experienced trainers mentors approved by the News and Public Affairs Director and the Program Director to provide training and oversee the initial stages of forming our Collective E Expectations of News and Public Affairs Collective members 1 To fulfill the mandates of the News amp Public Affairs Collective s mission statement the Collective will train citizen journalists according to established journalistic standards and practices 2 Everyone is expected to contribute to the development and nurturing of the Collective This may include research attending workshops peer review and recruitment 3 Collective members are expected to participate in ongoing training to learn and refine their journalism a
81. to the health and safety of the station s members volunteers guests staff visitors and or license exists What to do in the case of an on air obscenity outside of Safe Harbor When an FBomb or other similarly obvious obscenity occurs during playback of recorded material it is best to say absolutely nothing Do not apologize or refer to the incident The best course of action is to start immediately to slowly fade down the material and fade up your next track Then write a brief description of the incident including time in the program log MODULE TWO On air skills training I INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW On air skills training at WSCA training is an informal apprenticeship After completion of general station orientation trainees are matched with dj trainers for a period generally not to exceed 8 weeks It is the dj trainer s goal to pass on to the trainee all practical skills necessary to a station operator on air announcer The format is hands on the trainer demonstrates a skill to the trainee when they understand the concept the trainee attempts to perform that skill under the trainer s supervision As the trainee practices and becomes competent in studio skills and learns the operation of specific equipment he or she will be entrusted with on air duties under the direct supervision of the trainer These supervised on air shifts should be of a duration and frequency sufficient to allow the trainee to repeat
82. tyle and form in live programming This two way discussion might include but should not be limited to the following topics The concepts of smooth programming transitions whether from song to song or between recorded and spoken program elements Set dynamics If the trainee is interested in on air music programming The uses and limits of background music or bed 13 Personal style as an announcer subtitled but please speak clearly in case someone is listening to what you say Personal opinions and the disclaimer The trainee is expected to preview the music or program content prior to their demo broadcast and to include music from the station s new stacks as 50 of their material The inclusion of recent recordings helps trainees broaden their vocabulary familiarizes them with the challenges and rewards of incorporating varied programming into a live broadcasts and it better tests a trainees skills than the use of familiar comfortable material Trainers should make certain that the trainee s supervised on air broadcast incorporate as many checklist skills as possible and is in compliance with FCC and station policies It s important that this demo is recorded so the trainee can review it privately Questions regarding music and programming policy and other station procedures covered in the Protocol Policy Procedures module should be discussed between the trainer and trainee prior to the
83. us recordings creating our weekly station top 30 and reporting back to the music labels who are supplying the station with recorded music 7 News and Public Affairs Collective The News amp Public Affairs Collective is responsible for gathering and reporting stories of interest to our listening area including those stories other news organizations may ignore The news director is a standing member of the Program Review board Production Department The Production Department connects people with the equipment and training they need to record and edit material for broadcast The Production department is responsible for membership training in the skills needed for basic recording both in studio and in the field mixing and editing of all types of prerecorded content produced for broadcast at WSCA The Production Department also oversees the system through which members may reserve sign out and track the full range of the station s recording equipment and accessories Volunteer Coordinator The volunteer coordinator is in touch with the valuable human resources of our station membership and matches the talents and skills of station volunteers to the needs of the station When a department director needs short term or specialized help for a specific event or project they can contact the volunteer coordinator V CONTACTS a quick reference The WSCA contact list is posted above the phone in the studio Listed below are a few of the mai
84. value to us We are an IRS 501 c 3 tax exempt organization 28 In less than 30 seconds we can say the following Who you are your business name mentioned twice What your product or service is How to find you address telephone email etc A slogan used in your business What we can t say There can be no pricing information including such statements as warranties discounts all you can eat free and no pass no pay No inducements to buy sell or lease as in a bonus available this week special gift for the first 50 visitors free parking Messages must be non promotional in nature cannot identify favorable qualities of the underwriter s product and cannot have comparative or qualitative language Statements such as the oldest the best cleaner than safest speedy reliable for a good time etc cannot be used There can be no call to action that is anything that could induce the listener to take action therefore the use of the words call for more information hurry on down be sure to see them don t miss it try our product cannot be used All verbs must be passive We cannot accept any consideration money to express the view of any person or any issue of public importance or public interest Innocuous messages such as Love the Earth or Be Kind to Your Children would probably be OK anything more controversial or topical such as legalizing marijuana en
85. ws or public affairs programs Any tolerance the Commission once had for fleeting or isolated instances ended with the Golden Globe decision That decision puts everyone on notice that even a single occurrence of a single expletive may be a violation of indecency standards It sure can Material may be indecent even if it does not contain graphic descriptions of sexual activity An indirect allusion may be deemed offensive if it is understandable and clearly capable of a specific sexual or excretory meaning which in context is inescapable WIOD AM Miami was fined 10 000 for airing material such as Butch Beer a satiric commercial which in the Commission s view contained an unambiguous lesbian theme A station s humorous or ironic intent is not a defense In fact the Commission has emphasized that the broadcaster s intent is irrelevant The only issue is whether the material is or is not indecent The Commission s definition of indecent programming explicitly recognizes that context is important Material contained in political advertisements news and public affairs programs has been found not to be offensive because of context For example the Commission denied a complaint against a political ad in which a mayoral candidate opposed the incumbent s proposal to buy a clock for the City Hall with the rallying cry clocksuckers It rejected a complaint against a segment of All Things Considered featu

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