Most radio stations have an “on-air” sign that lights up automatically when the microphone is turned on so that people wandering about the studio have a visual cue that it’s not the best time to carry on loud conversations. In addition to “on-air” lights, some stations go a step further by posting instructions reminding radio […]
Many of the signs posted in radio stations are similar to signs that you might see in any other workplace. Often they issue directives to staff/employees about undesirable behaviors. However, some of the more interesting signs that I’ve seen at radio stations are radio-specific, often to the point of being somewhat arcane to everyday folks. […]
I’ve been to a few radio stations that have posted handy lists of all of the forbidden naughty words which can never be uttered over the air. I’m sure that program directors get a vicarious thrill out of putting these nasty words up on the wall. On this sign, posted in a station’s music review […]
It’s so clever when radio station management has to resort to drawings and diagrams in order to explain proper radio and engineering techniques to DJs. In one of my favorites, this sign portrays proper mic technique, saying: “do not speak into the top of the mic! Tilt it up!” The same station also had a […]
Today’s sign is sort of a companion piece to yesterday’s warning sign about putting records and CDs back. What’s great about this schematic is that it clearly demonstrates proper filing techniques using stick figures to portray the concept of flagging records in the vinyl library: 1. Select a Record 2. Grab the Record Next to […]
There’s a lot to worry about at a radio station, including dead air, music thieves, graffiti, smells, and now…proper music filing. Unfiled and misfiled music is a huge pet peeve for radio staffers, who often try to track down the miscreants who can’t take the time to file or who are alphabet-challenged. The hilarious thing […]
Although there are some rules that are universal at FCC licensed terrestrial radio stations, it’s clear that there are DJs out there who need constant reminders. Today’s sign makes it abundantly clear that swearing and profanity are forbidden, although the consequences aren’t spelled out. I love the line “we are dead serious to point that […]
As part of KCSB‘s 50th anniversary celebration, the college radio station at University of California, Santa Barbara is digging into their archives and re-broadcasting some vintage material. As it turns out, one of their most notarious alums is conservative talk show host Sean Hannity. Yesterday, KCSB aired the program from 1989 that led to Sean […]
On the 4th Day of Radio Station Signage we arrive at KZSU at Stanford University, where this folksy sign reminds station staffers of the zero-tolerance graffiti policy. The amusing part of this sign to me is that it is covered with tags and graffiti. The not so amusing part of the sign is that those […]
Radio station signs come in a variety of forms, but often they are created by radio station staffers in order to discourage bad behavior. We’ve already covered not spraying, avoiding dead air, and now we move on to one of the most important: don’t steal music. Radio station music libraries are supposed to be sacred […]
