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Programme Controller Paul Johnston |
This is my blog. I'll keep you up-to-date with progamming news and my views right here.
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Monday, 23 April 2007 Still off the air
We're still off the air, although the technical bods say it's nothing to do with the new high voltage main they were having installed at around the same time we went off the air. They've reached this conclusion because the cable linking our studio with the distribution box which transmits our signal around the site does not, apparently, pass through that area. I'm not entirely convinced myself, but we have no choice but to go with their diagnosis. We now await a visit from the contractor who deals with the distribution of our signal to see if he can identify the fault. It is most frustrating for the presentation team, and I am now getting daily text messages asking when we are going back on the air. Before too long we will also start getting calls from ward managers as well. I've made the best use of the time off air and the new version of our computer software is now installed and seems to be working well bar one or two minor technical glitches. And there's better news in the long term, because the hospital have now told us they are looking at installing new bedside units throughout the site.
posted by Paul Johnston # Monday, April 23, 2007
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Productive use of time off-air
The works department is now on the case trying to identify why we have gone off the air. Hopefully it can be sorted fairly easily as we think we've identified the cause of the problem.
Meanwhile, I have used the studio downtime to upload all of the new station jingles featuring our new slogan: "Your Music - Your Station". When we go back on air, "Here When You Need Us Most" will be consigned to the broadcasting bin where it will join other previous station straplines such as "Cuddly Clatterbridge" and "The station that fits snugly in your ear" - yuk!
It was only around 10 years ago that we first put together a consistent on-air jingle package. Before that, presenters generally did what they wanted. This was great for them, but totally confusing for the audience. One programme even had its own news jingle, which only they used! Some people took news bulletins, others didn't. At times it was like listening to 20 different radio stations and was a complete mish-mash. Nowadays, we know the importance of a consistent station sound so that patients identify us very quickly when they tune in.
posted by Paul Johnston # Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Friday, 6 April 2007
Silence is not golden
Discovered this morning that the hospital's engineers appear to have cut through the cable linking the studio with the wards and no-one can hear us! Because it's the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, there's not a hope of getting it sorted before Tuesday, so I've suspended all programmes until further notice. This has happened before, about seven or eight years ago when they were building a new road through the hospital site. From memory it took well over a week to get sorted then. Fingers crossed it can be resolved quite quickly this time...
posted by Paul Johnston # Friday, April 06, 2007
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Clatterbridge Hospital, Wirral CH63 4JY - 0151 482 7888