Worried about losing the satellite link to their transmitter during a thunderstorm, WFMU put connected an emergency iPod to the transmitter that can be switched on in case of emergency:
The Apple device is set on continuous random play from a playlist containing the extensive collection of “Live at WFMU” CDs (live music recorded at the radio station’s studios). “The iPod gives us the best, least expensive way of achieving audio backup for the long thunderstorm season,” Freedman said. “It’s a one-time expense instead of paying ISDN fixed and monthly charges. We could have used a cassette or minidisk, but that gets real repetitive since the transmitter shack is unmanned, and in thunderstorm season, we may need to employ this backup method for a few hours each month. You don’t want the listeners hearing the same one-hour loop each time there’s a thunderstorm. And space is at a premium also; we pay by the inch for our rack space.”
Read [Via BoingBoing] Amazon – iPod
