Commercial broadcasting began in the U.S. in the 1920s and has drastically evolved since then. There are seemingly endless radio stations that feature a variety of music and/or talk shows. During my mornings, I flip between “Mike and Mike” on ESPN radio and the “Big Philly Show” on Wired 96.5. The two radio segments are very different, but both offer something unique. I get my weekend sports recap on “Mike and Mike”, but during commercials I switch to 96.5 and listen to either their morning talk show segment or today’s hit music.

Both radio stations are fun and entertaining in their own way, but in order for each station to continue with their regularly scheduled programming, they must sell advertising space. Without the money made on advertising, the radio stations could not continue to function. For this reason, radio stations must utilize paid commercials.

The average time a radio station has in between commercials is three minutes. This means they have three minutes to figure out which segment to discuss next, or which song they want to play. In order to have a smoother transition from commercials to programs, the stations should install a digital synchronized time system with an Elapsed Timer.

The Sapling Company has been manufacturing synchronized time systems for over two decades. A digital clock system from Sapling with an Elapsed Timer would be a perfect fit for a wide range of radio station crews for a few reasons. A synchronized time system will allow everyone in the station to operate on the same accurate time. This means that no matter where you are in the building, the clocks will all be showing the exact same time. Timing is very important in the broadcast industry, so this can help reduce the amount of dead air.

With only three minutes in between the radio show and the commercial, installing a synchronized time system can make for more seamless transitions. Also, with the addition of an Elapsed Timer, the hosts of the show will always know how much time they have between segments. An Elapsed Timer is a device that connects to a digital clock allows the user to start a real-time count up or countdown with the push of a button. Please note that Sapling’s Elapsed Timer only works with our 3200 or 3300 series digital clocks.

Sapling’s time systems are among the most innovative available, and have many benefits to many industries. For any other questions on Sapling’s time systems, please contact us.