Did anyone notice...

[Lester]

...if Farrah, Michael, and Billy played hell with voicetracked stations?

With Billy pulling a "Creed", I'd think a lot of stations were scrambling today... if they compensated at all.

Any stories?

[Tom Taggart]

We're "live" --via Dallas, so no problem with Michael Jackson except for overkill.

Only content likely to have Billy Mays are network sources, with the sole exception of "non-wired"network spots.

Now there is an old term--all networks are "non-wired" nowadays. We do run programs that come in the old fashioned way--on CD, rather than download, which have embedded spots. We also run spots placed through TM, for example, that we download for the flight, insert in the automation, and promptly forget about (they show as "TM" when they pop up in the system). But these are mostly the more conventional advertisers such as Geico and Home Depot. Don't remember any "Sham Wow" pitches.

Now the TV folks have much more of this to worry about.

[TimeEnuf]

I had to redo about 10 hours of VT'ing because of MJ.
I was trying to get ahead of the curve before going to see Booker T and the MG's on Thursday.
The PD decided to change the weekend logs, because of his passing.
Remote on Friday till 7pm........... another hour back at the station to redo and finish the rest of the weekend,
I see it as just one of the hazzards of having to VT to keep the illusion of live radio alive for the masses.

[cgarison]

It sounded like all the stations in southeastern PA altered their VT'ing to over play Michael Jackson's Music.

The big scramble in these parts was one week prior when sports casting legend Gary Papa died on June 19th minutes before ABC6 went on the air for their 5:00pm news cast. WPVI pulled all their news content and offered a 90 minute tribute to the sports anchor and former Flyer. The other stations followed suit with extended sports segments as well.

[Bob Campbell]

I was very disappointed in the lack of attention given it by my old station here, and they're live in PM Drive.

[Arp2]

...if Farrah, Michael, and Billy played hell with voicetracked stations?

I'm not going to identify it, but I heard a station in a large market blow it.

The newswoman/sidechick records "news headlines" for use in afternoons...more of an attempt at recycling than anything. The newswoman either wasn't keeping up or didn't (think to) call in, and the afternoon (cough) talent didn't (think to) check it....

That afternoon, a potential "x" million people heard that Farrah was "said to be very sick" and that "a website was reporting that Michael Jackson had gone to a hospital with a possible heart-related issue."

And they're mostly live and just one daypart from being completely local....they just suck that much.

[Jay Nunley]

they just suck that much.

Sickening. Seriously. In this day and age in our business to have that much and do so little is an abomination.

[Tom Taggart]

CNBC--in the unbridled pursuit of capitalism--running "Billy Mays here, for the Awesome Augur" Thursday morning about 6:15.

[AmpedNow]

CNBC--in the unbridled pursuit of capitalism--running "Billy Mays here, for the Awesome Augur" Thursday morning about 6:15.

Those ads are also running on TWC at night.

[David Paleg]

Was that what they used to dig his grave?