Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking • Hacker News Board

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#81

Post by autoexec » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:02 AM UTC

manishsharan wrote: post #15

scrapcode wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along with uBlock, there's nice extension called SponsorBlock that uses crowdsourcing to block in-content ad placements. edit: Did not notice this was already mentioned. Sorry!

I have always wrestled with the ethics of adblocking YouTube. If am subscribed to a channel, that means the content in that channel has value for me. And it is only fair that I provide some value to the content creators in return. Otherwise it is theft. Anyways this is my reasoning. Hence as much as I find ads to be annoying, I put up with them. I am considering cancelling my Spotify subscription and using the saving…

> I have always wrestled with the ethics of adblocking YouTube

have you considered the ethics of the ads themselves? Ads are all too often nonconsensual, manipulative, and harmful. They're designed to exploit us. You should respect yourself enough to avoid them when you can.

While I haven't verified the attribution, I can't really argue with this sentiment: https://i.redd.it/43f9y0p4ni281.png

Ad-blocking really isn't a problem and there's zero reason you should feel at all guilty about it. It certainty isn't theft.

If there is an artist, entertainer, or content producer you want to support there are almost always ways to do that directly without involving ads.

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#82

Post by JustSomeNobody » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:05 AM UTC

It used to be* that this was a requirement for Television (in the US). It seems that has gone so unenforced that nobody cares and just jacks the ad volume up.

I wonder if there's a requirement for radio as well.

* Probably still is.

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#83

Post by imtyler » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:14 AM UTC

matthewfelgate wrote: post #2

A script for automatically lowering the volume during radio advertisements and DJ announcements and turns the volume back up when songs are playing. It controls a Sonos speaker using the Soco-cli Python library when Tunein is being used.

Aw. I want to like this, but I work in radio.

If you remove ads then there's no reason for the broadcaster to keep going.

I'm not trying to be controversial, but if you remove profit how can the business continue to exist? And if terminating the business is your goal, why? People seem to have a grudge against radio and I honestly don't know why.

It's my livelihood. I'm not seeking sympathy, but I am curious.

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#84

Post by hedora » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:18 AM UTC

creeble wrote: post #65

tinyplanets wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also a KEXP listener and supporter. Long live KEXP!

Listening now! While we're plugging: WFMU (NY) KALX (UC Berkeley) KZSC (UC Santa Cruz) KXT (listener-supported radio from Dallas/Ft Worth) Radio Paradise (no ads, listener supported) And many more...

More listener supported SF Bay Area stations worth checking out:

KFJC 89.7 (Foothill College - Los Altos Hills)

KBCZ 89.3 (Community radio - Boulder Creek)

KPOO 89.5 (SF)

KSQD 90.7 (Community radio - Natural Bridges Media)

KDFC (multiple frequencies) (Classical music)

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#85

Post by technofiend » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:19 AM UTC

tinyplanets wrote: post #62

Analemma_ wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're few and far between, but a good radio station make this a non-issue. KEXP in Seattle is phenomenal; I listed to them just as much as Spotify or my local collection.

Also a KEXP listener and supporter. Long live KEXP!

Also Pacifica stations KPFT, KPFA, KPFK, WBAI, WPFW - https://pacificanetwork.org/

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#86

Post by jzb » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:22 AM UTC

imtyler wrote: post #83

matthewfelgate wrote: post #2

A script for automatically lowering the volume during radio advertisements and DJ announcements and turns the volume back up when songs are playing. It controls a Sonos speaker using the Soco-cli Python library when Tunein is being used.

Aw. I want to like this, but I work in radio. If you remove ads then there's no reason for the broadcaster to keep going. I'm not trying to be controversial, but if you remove profit how can the business continue to exist? And if terminating the business is your goal, why? People seem to have a grudge against radio and I honestly don't know why. It's my livelihood. I'm not seeking sympathy, but I am curious.

It’s been a while since I listened to commercial radio, but it seemed like commercials were at a higher volume than music. Adjusting volume can be useful to keep ads from being jarring.

(Also used to work as a DJ, but not since the nineties…)

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#87

Post by gcau » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:22 AM UTC

imtyler wrote: post #83

matthewfelgate wrote: post #2

A script for automatically lowering the volume during radio advertisements and DJ announcements and turns the volume back up when songs are playing. It controls a Sonos speaker using the Soco-cli Python library when Tunein is being used.

Aw. I want to like this, but I work in radio. If you remove ads then there's no reason for the broadcaster to keep going. I'm not trying to be controversial, but if you remove profit how can the business continue to exist? And if terminating the business is your goal, why? People seem to have a grudge against radio and I honestly don't know why. It's my livelihood. I'm not seeking sympathy, but I am curious.

If radio ads weren't full of yelling, car-honking, sirens and overly attention-grabbing things, people wouldn't care as much. Same as websites putting up huge, 5MB-big popup ads and not liking that people want to adblock them. Especially worse, is when the ads are far louder than the content itself.

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#88

Post by 8note » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:24 AM UTC

manishsharan wrote: post #15

scrapcode wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along with uBlock, there's nice extension called SponsorBlock that uses crowdsourcing to block in-content ad placements. edit: Did not notice this was already mentioned. Sorry!

I have always wrestled with the ethics of adblocking YouTube. If am subscribed to a channel, that means the content in that channel has value for me. And it is only fair that I provide some value to the content creators in return. Otherwise it is theft. Anyways this is my reasoning. Hence as much as I find ads to be annoying, I put up with them. I am considering cancelling my Spotify subscription and using the saving…

If the first hundred audible ads haven't sold me, the next hundred won't either

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#89

Post by grey_earthling » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:27 AM UTC

imtyler wrote: post #83

matthewfelgate wrote: post #2

A script for automatically lowering the volume during radio advertisements and DJ announcements and turns the volume back up when songs are playing. It controls a Sonos speaker using the Soco-cli Python library when Tunein is being used.

Aw. I want to like this, but I work in radio. If you remove ads then there's no reason for the broadcaster to keep going. I'm not trying to be controversial, but if you remove profit how can the business continue to exist? And if terminating the business is your goal, why? People seem to have a grudge against radio and I honestly don't know why. It's my livelihood. I'm not seeking sympathy, but I am curious.

> If you remove ads then there's no reason for the broadcaster to keep going.

Unless the broadcaster cares about their show and wants people to hear it. If enough people care enough, someone (perhaps the broadcaster themself) will fund the cost of broadcasting.

There are broadcasters that don't have adverts and apply this model successfully. Crucially, the definition of “success” is that the audience and broadcaster can continue to enjoy the show, not that the broadcaster makes a huge profit.

To invert a Rule of Acquisition: “Anything worth doing is worth doing at cost”.

Re: Turn the radio volume down for adverts and DJs talking

#90

Post by ohelabs » Thu, Dec 15, 2022, 1:31 AM UTC

imtyler wrote: post #83

matthewfelgate wrote: post #2

A script for automatically lowering the volume during radio advertisements and DJ announcements and turns the volume back up when songs are playing. It controls a Sonos speaker using the Soco-cli Python library when Tunein is being used.

Aw. I want to like this, but I work in radio. If you remove ads then there's no reason for the broadcaster to keep going. I'm not trying to be controversial, but if you remove profit how can the business continue to exist? And if terminating the business is your goal, why? People seem to have a grudge against radio and I honestly don't know why. It's my livelihood. I'm not seeking sympathy, but I am curious.

The problem starts when ads are significantly louder than the rest of the content in order to be an "ear catcher"..... Now radio is much better than other forms of media (looking at you cable... and now some streaming services that are on the take from both sides) but its also the fact that ads have become steadily more intrusive over the last decade(+).

My real hope is that there is a movement back to "sponsored content" and more subtle ads... with less ads overall.... i.e "this hour is sponsored by , check them out on ". This is probably never going to happen as there is now a constant need to sell and more expensive ads does push out smaller businesses.

Not sure there is really an answer here but I think moderation can help here