Could you please keep "now playing" screens up

[Rob Richardson]

Greetings!

I like to know what I am going to hear when I enter B.com, but lately, I can't. There is almost no chance that the Now Playing information on the main page is accurate, and even the page that comes up when I click "Now Playing" under "On-Air" is no longer reliable. As I type this, the main page said that Beethoven's 3rd is being played, with a CPE Bach cello concerto next. The "Now Playing" page says the LAGQ is performing Back's 6th Brandenburg. And what I'm listening to is a string quartet!

This is extremely irritating . Could you please make sure that those screens are up to date?

Thanks very much!

Rob Richardson
Cleveland, Ohio

[DavidS]

And I wouldn't mind knowing what is scheduled for the coming few hours.

[tan]

..thanks for mentioning thit, it was what probably sent me into the my britton/ sermon frenzy last week
thanks again
tan

[hal 9000]

Rob- Sometimes you have to refresh the Now Playing window to get it to update. Remember, this is a website and sometimes websites tend to freeze up and need a reboot. Unfortunately, from time to time you can expect the info to be out of sync. For the most part though, B.com seems to run smoothly and the Now Playing page is correct a large percentage of the time.

DavidS- A list of what is coming up in the next few hours? I think that would be rather difficult to do since this is an all-request station. Though the good folks at B.com are pretty great, they aren't mind readers.

tan- HRH NM actually commented on your particular situation. That sermon is a paid program that occurs every Sunday and is not affiliated with B.com. Therefore the sermon does not populate in the Now Playing field. That means that the last piece to be played will display the entire time the sermon is being broadcast. So that Britten piece was the last music played before the sermon started.

[hal 9000]

Originally posted by Rob Richardson:
Greetings!

I like to know what I am going to hear when I enter B.com, but lately, I can't. There is almost no chance that the Now Playing information on the main page is accurate, and even the page that comes up when I click "Now Playing" under "On-Air" is no longer reliable. As I type this, the main page said that Beethoven's 3rd is being played, with a CPE Bach cello concerto next. The "Now Playing" page says the LAGQ is performing Back's 6th Brandenburg. And what I'm listening to is a string quartet!

This is extremely irritating . Could you please make sure that those screens are up to date?

Thanks very much!

Rob Richardson
Cleveland, Ohio

Rob- I looked at the music log for this morning. You posted this message at 8:31am and at that time the main page was displaying the correct music- Beethoven's String Quartet No. 3 was playing at that time. The On Air page was however a few minutes out of sync... the Bach Brandenburg Concerto was aired around 7:40am, just prior to the Beethoven String Quartet.

[Nicole Marie]

Rob - The Now Playing on the homepage updates based on the version of Flash you have on your computer. If you do not have the correct version the window will not update. You can open the Music Log (it's under the On Air tab at the homepage) that does not require Flash and updates as we play things.

DavidS - What hal 9000 said. We are a request only station. If we planned hours ahead that would defeat the point of a request only station. We play the requests as they come in. Furthermore, IF we were a station that programmed hours ahead and for us to post that info, would require us to write a new program for the web site. Honestly, we don't want or have the time to do that.

[tin0002]

I was listening a couple of hours ago and heard Palladio and GuitarFun@Halfpast 1. It is now almost 3EST and, despite refreshing and also going to a different homepage and returning, they are still listed as the What's Playing and What's Next on the beethoven.com page. The separate "Now Playing" page is accurate ("Night on Bald Mountain)". So I still haven't seen why they don't stay in sync.

thanks,
tin0002

[Nicole Marie]

tin0002 please read my post above. The Now Playing window on the Beethoven.com homepage will not update correctly if your computer does not have the correct version of Flash required by our website. (And if you are at work you may have the added trouble of firewalls.) Refreshing and opening a new browser will not change the fact that the Now Playing program is not compatible with the version of Flash on your computer.

The Music Log does not require Flash or any special program and will update just fine. The Now Playing, What's Playing and Music Log are 100% individual programs, have nothing to do with each other and have no relation. Yes, they post the same info but it's done in very different ways. This is why they do not stay "in sync".

<small>[ 06-16-2005, 03:42 PM: Message edited by: Nicole Marie ]</small>

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

tin, it's all magic. The What's Playing and Now Playing and the window on the WMP player are separate channels and your computer does not possess the correct set of crystal balls to display them all.

You can update the crystal balls in your computer by going to the software manufacturers' websites and loading newer versions of the wretched things. Check the version number that your computer has and if the "current version" number is higher, you're out of date.

The Player seems to keep up with the info best. You can try minimizing the browser, and just watch the player. Or you could do something else altogether and just listen to the music

[mamagrabber]

I appreciate having the opportunity to click a button on my computer and have GREAT classical music. There are some selections that I would not choose, but that is true of any radio station. You are trying to satisfy a very wide group of people. Plus if there is a piece that I particularly like, I will go to the music log later and check out the title.

B.COM ROCKS!!!!!!!

ko

[DavidS]

Originally posted by Nicole Marie:
If we planned hours ahead that would defeat the point of a request only station. We play the requests as they come in. Furthermore, IF we were a station that programmed hours ahead and for us to post that info, would require us to write a new program for the web site. Honestly, we don't want or have the time to do that.

I imagine that even a "request only" station sometimes accumulates a backlog of requests that will take a few hours to clear, and somebody has to decide on and document the order they will be played (even if it is good old FIFO). And are you allowed to reveal periods when the quantity of incoming requests dwindles, and what you do about it? But I do take your point about it being difficult and expensive to produce the software for publishing upcoming playlists on the website. What you do now is admirable.
Oh, and another question: Can you tell me what your general approach to playing complete works (not just eg 2 movements of a symphony) is?

<small>[ 06-16-2005, 04:49 PM: Message edited by: DavidS ]</small>

[hal 9000]

DavidS- I'm sure a more extensive answer to your question about complete works is forthcoming, but I can give you this much for now... Symphony Sunday. They play complete symphonies starting from 12PM EST to 6PM EST every Sunday.

<small>[ 06-16-2005, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: hal 9000 ]</small>

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by DavidS:
...Oh, and another question: Can you tell me what your general approach to playing complete works (not just eg 2 movements of a symphony) is?

They have Symphony Sunday. Whole works, and I think they preprogram the computer and then the deejays take the day off. You can do requests for this during the week, no guarantees that you'll hear it played when you're listening, and you have to figure out how to avoid the church service if you don't enjoy it.

Saturdays have a theme. Again, requests can be included as appropriate. That "Requests" button is a wonderful tool

[Nicole Marie]

What hal 9000 said. (We need to hire you hal to be our spokesperson )

DavidS-

We are very different from "other" classical stations. We are pop top 40 classical. We limit the time dedicated to one piece to 20 min or under. If it's over 20 min we do not play it. (Once in a while we break that rule.) Why this rule? One major reason, we recieve HUNDREDS of requests each day. To be fair and to try to get in as many requests as possible, we limit the amount of time dedicated to one piece. So no we don't do full length pieces but Symphony fans can tune in to Symphony Sunday at noon EST.

We also NEVER have a moment where we are low on requests. And we do not plan more then an one hour ahead so no we do not have "a few hours of backlog requests" that we could post. So why do you hear us asking for requests at times? Several reasons.

Our audience rolls over every 4 hours. 4 hours is the average time spent listening to Beethoven. So a request that comes in at 8AM, chances are that that person is not listening at 3PM. When I get on the air I delete the requests that came in before 11AM. Chances are those people are not listening and I do know I have people tuned in that want to hear their requets.

Also I may have "junk" requests. Junk takes the form of duplicate requests (someone wants to hear the 1812 but it was already played that day). And it's also the requests we will NEVER play. As I said above we are top 40. We play the hits. We don't do Schoenberg, etc. As much as I am a classical snob and much of the music we play on Beethoven makes me want to run screaming from the building (if I have to hear Rodeo one more damn time...) is not the point. Beethoven Radio is what it is, top 40, upbeat, short, fun. Those are the requests that get played all else are deleted. So when you hear us make a call for requests it's because we are weeding out the junk.

[piqaboo]

originally posted by HRH"
So a request that comes in at 8AM, chances are that that person is not listening at 3PM. When I get on the air I delete the requests that came in before 11AM.

That explains a lot!

Thanks, YRH.

[hal 9000]

Originally posted by Nicole Marie:
What hal 9000 said. (We need to hire you hal to be our spokesperson )

Sure thing, but only if I can get my wages paid daily in M&M's (no brown ones!) and Mountain Dew. Oh yeah, and throw in a lifetime supply of Rice-A-Roni. :p

[DavidS]

NM, thanks for a very convincing explanation - it has made me even fonder of B.com and will help me plan when I can send in requests knowing I have a chance of actually hearing them.
I would also like a bash at landing your spokesperson job, and would probably undercut hal 9000 for the pay.

[treebeau]

I think the station has 2 peanut M&Ms that were once worn in the ear holes of Katie. Pending Ebay auction?

Regards,
Tim B.

[tin0002]

Nicole Marie,
Thanks for all of the details about the workings of the requests, etc. I have wondered why some requests never got played (obviously either not popular or too old).
tin0002

[dai bread]

The night shift also plays a lot of complete works. They're not billed as such, but you find if you check the "now playing" box in Mediaplayer that what started as "So & so's symphony #x in ? minor/major 1st mvt" has somehow become ".....2nd mvt", 3rd mvt, etc.