[rfu-automation] Re: [rfu-tech] changing automation/dj software...

[dan blah]

On 11/25/06, Gary Cziko <g-cziko at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> Dan:
>
> Campcaster seems to have some exciting new possibilities for the automation
> side of WRFU. But I have a number of concerns about switching from our
> current Windows-based ZaraRadio software which has been working quite well.
> Among the concerns that immediately come to mind are:
>
>
> Can Campcaster play live streams from the Internet, as we currently do
> during the early morning hours from the World Radio Network, afternoons from
> Radio Bilingue and Friday nights from Ray's remote broadcast (and
> automatically go back to the playlist if the connection goes silent?)?
yes.

> Can it work with iTunes podcasts, automatically playing new downloaded
> podcasts as we do between 7 and 8 am each morning?
while one can get itunes to work within linux, there are a loads of
easier and smaller podcast software for linux we would probably use.

> Would using Campcaster require the studio computer to be on Linux meaning
> that DJs could not use familiar software on this computer, such as iTunes
> and other Windows- or based software?
yes it would be on linux and no the learning curve would not be
significant.  itunes would not be used as dj's will be playing the
music from campcaster.  the web browser (firefox), im client (gaim),
and other existing software will be very much the same.  as for
campcasters interface in the studio, check out the screen shots of
both the in studio and web interface
http://www.campware.org/en/camp/campcaster_news/624/.  it seems pretty
intuitive to me.

> Would Campcaster allow the mix of scheduled events (e.g., station IDs) with
> the music playlist with assignment of different priorities to allow top of
> the hour station IDs to occur at a precise time and during-the-hour station
> IDs and other announcements to be delayed until a song is finished?
yes.

> Would you or others who are more familiar with Linux than be willing to
> become actively involved in the automated operation of WRFU?
sure, but it wont require much of a learning cure.  if we move to
something else, we wont change over untill we have successfully
duplicated the existing scheduling setup.

> Finally, would you and Joe Futrelle and others interested in automation
> issues be able to attend a meeting about this at on Tuesday, December 5 at 7
> pm before the general RFU meeting which starts at 8 pm?
>
i can make that but cant speak on behalf of joe futrelle and the others :).

not so much related to this conversation but an automation issue...
how would people feel about having genre'd blocks of music put into
the automation.  with or without changing our dj software we will very
shortly be moving our music library off the automation computer and
onto the imc file server where several thousand more audio files from
several genres exist.  ie 12am to 5am is ambient/downtempo, 5am to 8am
world news, 8am to noon is classical, noon to 5pm is 60s+ rock, 5pm to
9pm is hip-hop , 9pm to midnight is all local music.  local music of
the right genre would be played in the appropriate genre block as
well.  these would be the default play lists when running unmanned and
thus could be put on the schedule.  i think we might retain listeners
if we stick to a single format for set blocks rather than the complete
randomness (i dont mind it) that is our unmanned play list now.
> --Gary
>
>
>
> On 11/25/06, dan blah <dan.blah at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > with the addition of streaming, we will be having to add a new
> > computer to the rfu mix.  i was thinking this might be a good time
> > stir up the automation/dc software question.  i have been looking at
> > campware's campcaster application
> > (http://www.campware.org/en/camp/campcaster_news/605/).
> it seems to
> > have everything we need and are wanting while using open source
> > software and running within and open source operating system (linux).
> > below are some key features:
> > --A free and Open Source professional-grade solution for radio
> > broadcast management
> > --Support for open standards for audio formats and multi-lingual
> > metadata information (playlists, XML news feeds, file storage)
> > --Remote control of radio stations (web based)
> > --Support for combined local broadcasts with centralized news and programs
> >
> > i have attached a quick image showing how wrfu'ers and listens would
> > interact with the system as i would like to see it.
> > --
> > Daniel
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > rfu-tech at lists.chambana.net
> > http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/rfu-tech
> >
> >
> >
> >
>


-- 
Daniel