Posted on by Shannon Shark @metspolice

Here is what is wrong with the WOR Mets audio and the audio on the MLB App

People keep arguing with me about this first point, and I am sick and tired of MLB Fan Support asking me to contact them on the second.

There are two different issues.

First let’s start with Mets games as heard on WOR-AM. The AM signal.

When play by play is heard on the AM signal (again, on the AM signal, not the FM HD-2, not the feed to Sirius) there is a metallic WAHwah WAHwah WAHwah. It makes the game extremely annoying to listen to, so I don’t.

People keep telling me to get a new radio. I would like to think I am the one with the issue, but this only happens during play by play and not during the commercials and not during Pete’s show or Len & Todd or anything else on WOR, just behind play by play.

And here is what it sounds like. Please note this video came from WITHIN WOR, and as you will see, the guy running the board is pushing the button from his studio feed to what’s actually on the air. If I am making this up, this is one hell of a forgery. Listen (and watch) what happens six seconds in.

OK got it? That’s not my radio, that’s something happening to the WOR signal. I don’t know how else to point it out.

Now that’s a complete wrap on Topic 1. We now move on to a completely different issue.

….

Since WOR-AM is annoying to listen to, I use the MLB App on an iPhone 6 with the latest version of the iOS and the latest version of the App.

When listening to the WOR feed of Mets games, the audio of the play by play is nice (maybe a little low but that’s fine) and does not have the issue mentioned above. The issues begin when the feed goes to commercial break.

We get a taste of the local commercials. Then the national cover spots clip out the local break. We get the national spots and then come back to local, mid-commercial. It sounds like garbage and I can’t believe this hasn’t been fixed after years of sounding like that.

In terms of the “local” elements, each individual piece of the break being fed by WOR is at a different level by the time it hits my ears. One commercial is loud, the next low, then the next will be at a third level. The station imaging (say the Todd Schnitt promos) are super loud and make me dive for the volume controls. I know they sound fine on the radio, and I’m sure the board-op or the computer is doing a good job, but by the time it passes through the app the audio is all over the place.

So Mr. MLB Fan Support, just listen to one half inning of a Mets game on WOR and you will hear what I am talking about. Then you can work together with WOR and figure this out. You can also fix your automation cues on your own end so you stop clipping out late and then re-joining mid-spot.

…

So a third issue….since WOR-AM gives me headache (WAHwah WAHwah WAHwah) and the WOR feed on the APP is a mess, I tried listening to opponent feeds. So far this season I have tried the Braves, the Nats, and the Brewers.

On those feeds, the game levels are fine. The local levels are fine (all commercials and station imaging at a consistent levels).

However, when you cut away, just like the WOR feed, we get a hint of local, then you cut and clip into national spots which are at an absurdly low level that if I were a paying advertiser I would refuse to pay the bill. It’s practically inaudible. (As a listener if you are going to give me crap levels I will take low over a blaring Todd Schnitt pomro any time). Then you clip back into the middle of the local break. Same thing on all three feeds, same thing every time.

So there you go Mr. WOR Chief Engineer, Mr. MLB Fan Support and any Mets executives who might want to call all over to WOR and/or MLB and ask why your fans are saying this. This has been going on for YEARS. Doesn’t anyone listen?