[JPL] Re: Digital Distribution

[Arturo]

At jazz89KUVO like I imagine most stations across the nation we have been
downloading the 4 satelite fed shows we air, PRI's Riverwalk, NPR's Piano
Jazz and Jazz Set as well as the indy feed of Lincoln Center directly to
hard drive and they via automation. We like at Brad Stone's outlet are in
the process of downloading our CURRENTS onto a hard drive, which I like
because I can control the host's selections as the non-approved tracks for
day parts will not get downloaded. That said we are not ready to download
music to incoporate into our daily CURRENTS or as part of our re-issues and
new arrivals in-studio carousel, as Bobby Jax said they would get lost and
over looked. Moreover our hosts are still used to the hands on approach,
having the disc's jewel case for artwork and liners in hand, heck we still
have a turntable in the on-air studio for those rare out-of-print albums not
yet on CD. I know that eventually the music industry will convert to
downloaded music only, that is a day I dread but such is life, so called
progress goes on. What happens when downloaded music programs crashes and
there is no actual CD?, No music, no airplay. If we should get hit with a
solar flare that wipes out all digital disc information I won't care as I
have enough vinyl to listen to several hours of music daily without
repetition for years. In fact there is no guarantee of the longevity of
discs, already many of the first generation of discs from the mid-80s have
gone blank because the sealant has allowed the data contained to dissapate,
it is said the new and improved sealant will last longer, we'll have to wait
and see, will it be 30, 40 or 50 years now instead of 15 to 20? I don't know
but I do know I have records that are over 50 years old that still play and
will continue to play into the future. I am not advocating a return to
vinyl, I am just saying that computer technology is not all that it is cut
out to be.

Arturo