To start this off, I'd like to collect all of the various ways it is possible to listen to The Ticket other than through a conventional radio. There is, of course, the online stream accessible on the website.
There. I've exhausted my knowledge of the topic.
I'd like to give listeners a list of as many other ways of listening to The Ticket -- mobile and non -- as possible. Can some of you get us started with a catalogue of online sites and programs? While knowledgeable listeners are doing that, you are also free to throw out questions on problems you're having, and someone out there will probably have encountered it and solved it.
If you're savvy, please contribute to (1) listing the programs and sites available for listening (podcasts, too), with any preferences you may have; (2) questions and problems; and (3) solutions. If this is too huge a topic we'll break it down in future episodes.
Don't know why I didn't think of this before. Might actually do Confessors some good for a change. Thanks in advance for your contribution, be it information, problem, or solution.
Ranjit, Chad, if you're out there, please check in.
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when i'm traveling (which i've been doing an unusual amount of lately..) i use the TUNE-IN RADIO (android) app on my phone and either bluetooth stream it into the rental car system or i bring a cable to connect it to the radio. works great. nothing like driving in the great white north while listening to the hardline to make you feel less homesick. ~topher
ReplyDeleteI never listen to the Ticket live or on the radio. I record the stream every day and listen to it as a podcast the next day.
ReplyDeleteSpecifically I use NetTransport to record the stream as a raw WMP formatted file by show. I use MediaCoder to convert the files to MP3 files. I use MP3Tag to tag them so that iTunes recognizes them as podcasts. Then I listen to them the next day.
The advantages of this way are I get to listen to all of every show, I get to listen to them at double speed, and I get to skip the interminable sweet jack commercials.
The disadvantage is that I'm always a day behind, but I don't usually give two squirts about the sports opinions that are out of date by then.
That's more than made for by the fact that I can listen to every segment from 5:30 to 7:00 every day for the last few years. If I skip Norm, skip commercials, skip 6:40 bit replays, skip tickers, skip most formatics it actually goes pretty fast. The double-speed thing helps (obviously) and I feel as though I'm concentrating the funny intake and using my time more wisely.
Like Topher said - TuneIn. Before the smartphone, there was RadioTime, and it was good...and it ultimately became TuneIn Radio. Think of it as a DVR for streaming audio; all it really lacks, IMO, is an audio export function.
ReplyDeletePlainsman, if you have an iDevice or an Android one, you really ought to give this a look.
Off to a splendid start. I don't think there's any other single respository of online-listening advice aimed at the P1, so let's fill it up, Confessors.
ReplyDeleteI stream via tunein.com at my desk.
ReplyDeletehttp://tunein.com/tuner/?StationId=35596&
It starts immediately rather than having a 60 second promo if you click "Listen" on theticket.com. FWI, I also think that it is a little more reliable but that may be subjective thinking.
Of course, if there is a webcam involved then that is my stream.
I love TuneIn. I am wondering about performance streaming with 3G though. For at least a year I never noticed a difference in connecting whether I was on wifi or 3G. At some point though, trying to connect over 3G got very slow. It will say Connecting for 10-20 seconds and then Buffering for a good 30 seconds. With wifi it all happens with a second or two. Does this happen with everyone now? Strangely, a month ago 3G performance went back to being very snappy, but that only lasted for a week. It's very slow for me on 3G again. FStream always connects very quickly for me on 3G, but lack of record function kills it for me.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Shaggy's latest post...I've got an HTC Inspire 4G, which isn't true 4G speeds, but I don't have any buffering at all anymore using TuneIn. Does anyone know if there are any podcasts for the Top Ten, like back in the day? I only find dead links from years ago. Also, there is a website for Why Today Doesn't Suck, but I haven't found a convenient way to podcast it up either. I don't use podcasts, so I'm probably just a noob at it.
ReplyDeleteI believe I may owe topher and Deezy a welcome to MTC. Thanks for checking in with your preferences.
ReplyDeleteI believe I may owe topher and Deezy a welcome to MTC. Thanks for checking in with your preferences.
ReplyDeleteShaggy, I listen via TuneIn on an Iphone 4 in Houston. I have experienced the exact problems you describe. Wifi works without fail; 3G has been painfully slow to buffer for a year, save for the month respite that has ended for me too. I thought it might be a cache issue with the Iphone, but obviously the problem is more widespread. I wish I had a solution, but slow Ticket listening is still far superior to Astros/Rockets/Texans genero talk any day.
ReplyDeletethe 3g fall-off may be due to phone provider... not to take it there necessarily, but i'm on sprint with unlimited data usage... haven't had any problems on wifi or 3g...
ReplyDeleteWell Holiday, i guess I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteI'm with AT&T and an iPhone 4. The frustrating thing though is that streaming The Ticket on 3G with FStream is fast, and streaming 103.3 on 3G with TuneIn is fast too.
If you use Mac and have Flip4Mac installed you can listen to the ticket at:
ReplyDeletehttp://player.cumulusstreaming.com/stations/KTCK-AM/PubPoint.asx
This is my preferred method because you can pause and time-shift Tivo style and then save the whole thing as a recording at any time. I know TuneIn Radio will allow this as well on your iPhone but for your laptop this does the same thing.
I concur on the greatness of TuneIn radio. A DVR for audio.
ReplyDeleteHows about a new topic, Plainsman. I know this stuff fascinates you and a few others, but like hockey talk, it's only for the geeks. Let's talk Ticket. Let's talk about how Jake Z is doing; if and how the presentations are or are not changing. Or somethin'
ReplyDeleteGet us started, Anonymous. All threads are open for all topics at all times. Some of the best writing coming from Confessors spring off of 90-degree turns in the comment threads.
ReplyDeleteI think it's too early to say much about Jake. He's been admirably under the radar, and I suspect he'll stay there for awhile, and maybe forever. But too early to say much.
And I think you're wrong about geekiness. The online and mobile audience for The Ticket is huge, to the extent that I'll bet conventional ratings grossly understate The Ticket's influence.
Finally: Now that I'm back from my biz trips, I'm facing a family health issue that's keeping me away from both the channel and this site. Nothing mortal, but extremely time-consuming, so things will continue to be a bit thin here for awhile. I've got a topic I'm puzzling with how to approach, and maybe I'll get to it this weekend.
In the meantime, take it away, Confessors.
I thought it was curious that The Musers did not seem to know whether Jake was a permanent replacement or not. Then during E-Brake someone gave a shout-out to a John Garrett (not Jason's brother) and a reference to running the board. The Musers didn't know what that meant, but Rich said it was someone who had been recently hired.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, the passing of the torch from Grubes to Jake has been pretty seamless. Like others have noted, there aren't nearly as many drops being played. And like others have noted, perhaps it isn't such a bad thing. On many occasions in the past I've found myself either wishing I could've heard what was being said but couldn't due to drop-diarrhea, or left thinking that sometimes drops are used in place of the host having to actually finish his thought/own up to what he's saying.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder if we'll see a more Grubes-like presentation once Jake gets more comfortable with his role and the board/software. While I hope Jake does these things, I also hope he doesn't go the way of Grubes. Grubes was greatness, but Grubes was Grubes. I do think Jake understands this and doesn't want to be Grubes Jr.. I imagine he wants to put his own stamp on things. So far, his stamp seems to be "Old School Ticket," which is fine by me.
Other than this particular, I don't really have a feel for anything going on at the station that warrants discussion. Maybe I'm missing something?
I don't think that Jake's unobtrusiveness has anything to do with learning the board or the Enco; he's been putting together the Top 10 for long enough that I'm sure he knows it all blind by now. I think he's just trying to let the game come to him, which is admirable, mature, and the obvious right thing to do. He's a bright guy and I think he'll fit in well without trying to fill Grubes' shoes.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge BaD Radio P1, but 45 minutes of Days of Thunder talk is brutal.
ReplyDeleteDays of Thunder talk would've made a nice one segment, pop culture, time killer. I agree with Shaggy, it went on far too long. Everything that was said could've been said within the single segment time frame. Also, enough Lamar Odor talk. He's gone. He moved on. Cubes moved on. The team moved on. Now, please, BaD and the rest of the station move on.
ReplyDelete45 seconds of Days of Thunder anything is too much. I heard them saying the were going to review it while I was at lunch and I lost my BaD appetite for the rest of the day.
ReplyDelete"Breaking News, the Ticket has just announced that Jake Kemp is the new Noon-7 Board Op, and Thomas Charles Fleming will be running the Ticket Top 10."
ReplyDeleteAs I twote on Twitter, I'm very happy for Jake as I believe he's more than qualified for the position. I'm also very bummed for Kevin Turner, not only because I consider him a friend, but also because I thought he was better qualified for the job. Obviously, there's personal bias at work here, so let's see what other MTC'ers think.
Your thoughts, GO!
I think the fact that Jake got it rather than KT or another long time board-op is a testament to how much of a game changer Grubes was. Since when did it matter who the board-op is, as long as he could place some timely drops here and there? Now there seems to be a need to have a personality, a de facto co-host, as a board-op. I think that's where Jake fits in better than a Kevin or a Killer.
ReplyDeleteI just read on Whitt's End that Richie and Sybil are now dating.
ReplyDeleteI think I threw up a little in my mouth.
Where does one find "Whitt's End" these days? If he is in fact dating her, it only further enforces his image of someone with little respect for boundaries and professionalism. I mean, there's NO WAY that such a relationship ends up in a disastrous and very public fashion. I guess little RW is milking is 15 for all it's worth.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I found the new-same old "Whitt's End." Good gravy! Why in the Wide World of Sports did he feel the need to address such a thing? And to let in on the little detail of co-workers of the opposite sex sharing a room on official company business and on the company dime is not just asinine, but also stupid. Then again, what do you expect from a knot head like Twhitt. How sad. How very very sad. And how small time, rinky dink, bush league.
ReplyDeleteLet's please not start a Whitt bashing thread, people. He's got nothing to do with The Ticket, so who cares what he does. No, he's not my cup of tea, but let's not use this forum to bash him.
ReplyDeleteFor my own edification, were the last three postings by Anon all by the same person?
ReplyDeleteLooks like the first two are the same Anon. If the thirds one is, that's one confused person.
ReplyDeleteLast Anon - There has been a small level of interest / comparison / comments about 105.3 on this blog so I think the Plainsman would support comments.
ReplyDeleteTo the other two Anon postings - I believe this was at the Super Bowl when they shared a room. I thought then it was unprofessional and unwise but they played it up for schtick all week on Rage.
I agree with all of your other thoughts; re: unprofessional, unwise, will end in disaster.
@ap
ReplyDeleteThe first two Anon posts were mine. The third is not.
@East Texas
Gagree with you on all points.
@3rd Anon
RW has a show with Greggo and is in direct competition with The Ticket and more specifically, The Hardline. So while I see where you might be coming from, I do think RW and The Fail are fair game. I didn't and don't wish him ill. My comment is pretty much stating the obvious. RW is what he is. (For the record I don't think he's a horrible person, just an aging dbag trying to hang on to the scraps of his youth for dear life...like many of us are, but just not in such a public and silly way.) The man has a history of unprofessional behavior, and this is only the latest incident in a long string of many. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that he's more than a bit C.J. Wilsonesque. What sports writer or talk show host writes or talks about his love life? And to date one of your show's cast...and basically brag about it publicly? It's poor judgment and rather immature to say the very least.
Richie/Sybil comments OK. Comments wishing people would not comment about Richie/Sybil also OK.
ReplyDeleteLook, Richie has qualities and flaws, and one of his flaws is an inability to stifle his macho preening. From Internet viewings, Ms. Summers appears to be an extremely attractive young woman, and Richie can't keep from bragging about whatever relationship he may have with her.
"Re-lit a previously-ignored spark." Now there's a metaphor for the ages.
Query: Does the image of Richie Whitt "dating" Sybil tend to make her more attractive to you (hetero guys, that is), less, or no difference?
We should also give some thought to the possibility that this is a bit.
I think there's one thing we can know for sure, and that is that Greggo is absolutely dying. Absolutely dying.
Stay hard, Titanic.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet anything that Greggo is thinking "crap, she's going to be the new Corby!"
ReplyDeleteMy Ticket prediction: Danny leaves The Hardline within the next 6 months and Jake becomes its producer, with TC as the board-op. Bank on it. Danny is on the cusp of moving on to other things in life. I see it. Have been seeing it for a while now. It's about to come to fruition.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, that is not the craziest theory I have ever heard. I have often wondered when Danny would tire of laboring for (what we all presume is) peanuts and either take his talents elsewhere, or angle for a better gig at Cumulus. He's 42 and extremely talented. Time to make some dough.
ReplyDeleteDanny is 44.
ReplyDeleteSybil dating Whitt is not very professional on her part as well. Not sure how old or young she is, but the chick is confused. She wants to be a nookie girl who is respected as a TMS representative (or whatever her connection is to TMS)? I heard her jump down the producer's throat one day because he didn't give her cred for the TMS connection. She tries too hard - http://www.sybilsummers.com/templates/sybil.s/images/random/3.1.jpg. She looks late 20's in that pic, and the fashion is late 80's? Maybe she was going retro, real hard. Who knows.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Danny goes, while he's one of my favorites, what else would he do? Graduate to a Rich Phillips-type job at another station?
This morning I'm back to excellent performance on TuneIn with my iPhone 4 over 3G.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking Danny will leave the radio/sports biz altogether. Unless he can somehow get on with the Rangers or Mavs. I can see him going all music, all the time. From what I've heard, as it stands he makes more from his solo and King Bucks gigs than he does producing. Is that true? Don't know. But I've heard it on more than one occasion from people who seemed to be in the know. Like Plainsman said, Danny is too talented both musically and smarts wise to forever remain a producer. Then again, Fernando seems pretty darn smart and I don't see him ever leaving (and he's older than Danny, I believe). I do know from personal experience that turning 44 (officially being in your mid 40s) has a way of kicking you in the nards. It'll get you to thinking about where you've been, where you are, and where you want to go. I think Danny is probably ripe for a change.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense. And one of the first things I thought about when I heard about Grubes's departure was the effect it would have on Danny's own thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe guy is a natural. (We can quibble about musical snobbery, but frankly, he's right about a lot of modern music and he hears so much music that I don't begrudge him his musical tastes in the slightest. I like getting educated.) A big talent. Could he be a big-time weekday host anywhere with the attitude that we all love on The Orphanage? (Because he wouldn't be himself if he tried to adopt a different attitude for a weekday star gig.) I dunno, there's no station other than The Ticket that promotes the kind of naturalism that Danny -- and, frankly, most of the other hosts -- embody. He and a Davey-style co-host might not play during the work week. Women listen to BaD -- would they listen to Danny?
I have no idea whether you can approach middle age with no income other than that from being a fixture -- writing, performing, producing -- on the local music scene. I think it would be a stretch.
What I wish most of all for all of the Ticket guys is that Cumulus would leverage its crown jewel into making more money with a better signal, syndication, and, quite frankly, satellite. I know there are supposed insiders out there who pooh-pooh my emphasis on this, but I think I'm right that The Ticket could bring in lots more dollars than it does. How long does Cumulus have to look at the stats on on-line listening and downloads before they realize that they're sitting on a national treasure? A property like The Ticket should be able to hang on to assets like Danny and Jake and maybe even younger up-and-comers like Michael G.
But time's running out as the current hosts age, gather their nest-eggs, and consider their own next moves.
I thought Sybil was recently happily married?wow that didn't last long lol.
Delete