Scott Alan and Ron Burt are courtside with Tieline Report-IT

Tieline “Report-IT” Puts Excitement in My Small Market Stations

I have owned WERT and WKSD since 1995. WERT-AM 1220 is a 250 watt non-directional station with a 29 watt night-time authority, licensed to Van Wert, Ohio since 1958.  In 2016, I added a full-power 250 watt translator operating at 104.3. WKSD 99.7 is a Class A FM station licensed to Paulding, Ohio, a community approximately 12 miles north of Van Wert.

Being farming communities, both stations carry early morning agricultural programming as well as a full complement of sports – covering 6 high schools as well as The Ohio State Buckeyes and Toledo Rockets.  Thanks to long-time local ownership and heavy involvement in the community, WERT and WKSD enjoy a loyal audience and have been very successful in competing with the many other stations in adjoining larger markets.

What small market radio station owner/operator hasn’t been envious of the “big boys” high quality sound, especially when it comes to remotes and sports play-by-play.  Well, I can tell you, this one sure was.  The dial up telephone connection was the best we could do while other stations, not so cost encumbered, seemed to be able to show up and broadcast from anywhere with a sound that was indistinguishable from their studios.  For the little guys like me, cost is everything and that kind of equipment purchase cash outlay was out of the question. Then, along came Report-IT from Tieline.

Scott Alan and Ron Burt are courtside with Tieline Report-IT

Everyone on my staff has a smart phone and knows how to download a free app.  When I discovered that I could get that quality sound (in both directions) by installing a relatively low-cost Tieline Bridge-IT codec at the station and link to my individual staff members through their free Tieline apps, that changed everything!  Who knew that most smart phone mics sound that good?

Suddenly, impossible remotes became possible.  Basketball and football games sounded like the big leagues and staff members and even some clients could simply use their smart phones to send everything from sports and weathercasts to copy changes in their spots.  (We have a lot of sponsors who voice their own commercials.) Our Sunday morning church services are even broadcast using Tieline Report-IT and the church’s own smart phones and devices.

The day my Tieline Bridge-IT XTRA showed up I had a high school football game with an early evening start time.  Thanks to the accompanying 2-page, 10-step quick start guide, I had it on the air less than an hour after taking it out of the box.

Am I impressed?  Yup.  Did I break the bank?  Nope.  In fact, I bought a second one.  Now, the sky is the limit.

For more information about ViA and other Tieline codecs, visit http://www.tieline.com

Contact Tieline

I had it on the air less than an hour after taking it out of the box. Am I impressed? Yup. Did I break the bank? Nope. In fact, I bought a second one. Now, the sky is the limit.
Chris Roberts
Operator/Engineer WERT/WKSD
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