We’re well into February and spring is around the corner … as well as the NAB Show in Vegas. This year the show is pushed nearly all the way to the end of April (Saturday, 4/22 through Thursday, 4/27). This is consecutive NAB convention #26 for me and I still find it one of the best ways to update my education in radio/TV (outside of school). Though you might be saying “it’s still two months away,” NOW is the best time (traditionally) to book your airfare. It’s also a good time to make sure your reservations for rooms or shows are done. If you wait much longer, you might find yourself staying where you don’t want (there’s always a room somewhere in Vegas, just not necessarily where you’d want to stay). As we get closer, I’ll update and “rerun” a previous OTBP about “things to know before you go.”
If you have any tips or advice to share for NAB, please shoot me an email (see below). If it’s not already in the list of good info to pass along (like wear comfortable shoes), I’ll add it and give you the credit.
Old TV Shows
Last time I mentioned IMDB (the Internet Movie Database) which packs in most movies and TV shows, but the Classic TV Database is a neat, small site with some good info and links for a few of our old “classic” TV shows.
Real News or Fake News
Lots of talk lately about real news versus fake news (and even “alternative truths”), and the internet sure has plenty of wannabe journalists who find a way to post something and create a graphic, and suddenly they’re “Edward R. Murrow.” Forbes recently listed 10 journalism “brands” where they feel you can get “the scoop” following the old NEWS acronym “Noteworthy Events Without Speculation.”
Attenuator & Pad Help
Recently I had to help a friend out with a resistor network. To help him understand, I found this link and thought it was pretty good.
Bruce “Wingsteen”
I spent many years on the air, and most of my time as a rock jock (KAZY/106.7 in Denver, WONE/97.5 in Akron/Cleveland, WLVQ/QFM 96 in Columbus, Ohio), so I’ve been to a lot of concerts and heard a lot of rock (including Bruce Springsteen). When I caught this video, I was amazed to see this happen. Turns out a fan in Germany at a big Springsteen concert was trying to get The Boss to play an old Chuck Berry song. Now if you know rockers and concerts, you know it’s all practiced, rehearsed, and there’s a set list (including encore song choices for the band). There’s no “winging it” to a concert. But you’ll see The Boss decides playing this song (as a he said “a song he hasn’t played since he was 16 years old”) is worth a shot. Man, this video if fun to watch and cool! No rehearsal … some playing around … and The Boss and his band tear it up!
Quick Audio Player
In radio, we often have need for “quick audio clip players” like the hardware-based 360 Systems “Instant Replay” or software-based versions like BSI’s “Stinger” and many other fine, similar systems. I was simply in need of a free little player for some testing and found one that people in live performances (like plays or shows) use. It’s a handy little player called “Cue Player” (and they have a few other little utilities you might find helpful), and, did I mention, it’s free!
Having a rough day? Need a little laugh? Love babies and animals? This link is for you!
If you stumble across a good or unusual web site that might be of interest, please don’t hesitate to send me the link and any info you might have about it. My email address is [email protected].
