diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php b/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
index cefff769e..7d1ea2a6d 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
@@ -61,7 +61,13 @@ class Application_Model_Preference
 	            ." VALUES ($id, '$key', $value)";
 	        }
         }
-        return $con->exec($sql);
+        try {
+            $con->exec($sql);
+        } catch (Exception $e){
+            Logging::log("Could not connect to database.");
+            header('HTTP/1.0 503 Service Unavailable');
+            exit;
+        }
     }
 
     public static function GetValue($key, $isUserValue = false){
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/models/StoredFile.php b/airtime_mvc/application/models/StoredFile.php
index 886f9a8ba..a6044c868 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/models/StoredFile.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/models/StoredFile.php
@@ -235,7 +235,9 @@ class Application_Model_StoredFile {
         foreach ($c['user'] as $constant => $value) {
             if (preg_match('/^MDATA_KEY/', $constant)) {
                 if (isset($dbmd_copy[$value])) {
-                    $md[$constant] = $this->getDbColMetadataValue($value);
+                    $propelColumn = $dbmd_copy[$value];
+                    $method = "get$propelColumn";
+                    $md[$constant] = $this->_file->$method();
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimemetadata.py b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimemetadata.py
index cab57381c..1cef988b1 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimemetadata.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimemetadata.py
@@ -88,17 +88,16 @@ class AirtimeMetadata:
         try:
             airtime_file = mutagen.File(m['MDATA_KEY_FILEPATH'], easy=True)
 
-            for key in m.keys() :
+            for key in m:
                 if key in self.airtime2mutagen:
                     value = m[key]
-                    if (value is not None):
-                        self.logger.debug("Saving %s to file", key)
-                        self.logger.debug(value)
-                        if isinstance(value, basestring) and (len(value) > 0):
-                            airtime_file[self.airtime2mutagen[key]] = api_client.encode_to(value, 'utf-8')
-                        elif isinstance(value, int):
-                            airtime_file[self.airtime2mutagen[key]] = str(value)
-
+                    
+                    if value is not None:
+                        value = unicode(value)
+                    
+                        if len(value) > 0:
+                            self.logger.debug("Saving key '%s' with value '%s' to file", key, value)
+                            airtime_file[self.airtime2mutagen[key]] = value
 
             airtime_file.save()
         except Exception, e:
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimenotifier.py b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimenotifier.py
index 42f22b0ba..e527d56cb 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimenotifier.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimenotifier.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class AirtimeNotifier(Notifier):
         message.ack()
 
         self.logger.info("Received md from RabbitMQ: " + body)
-        m =  json.loads(message.body)
+        m = json.loads(message.body)
 
         if m['event_type'] == "md_update":
             self.logger.info("AIRTIME NOTIFIER md update event")
@@ -103,9 +103,9 @@ class AirtimeNotifier(Notifier):
             self.mmc.ensure_is_dir(self.config.imported_directory)
             self.mmc.ensure_is_dir(self.config.organize_directory)
 
-            self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(self.config.storage_directory, True)
-            self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(self.config.imported_directory, True)
-            self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(self.config.organize_directory, True)
+            self.mmc.is_readable(self.config.storage_directory, True)
+            self.mmc.is_readable(self.config.imported_directory, True)
+            self.mmc.is_readable(self.config.organize_directory, True)
 
             self.watch_directory(new_storage_directory)
         elif m['event_type'] == "file_delete":
@@ -150,7 +150,6 @@ class AirtimeNotifier(Notifier):
                 file_md = None
                 data = None
 
-
             if (os.path.exists(filepath) and (mode == self.config.MODE_CREATE)):
                 if file_md is None:
                     mutagen = self.md_manager.get_md_from_file(filepath)
@@ -192,17 +191,13 @@ class AirtimeNotifier(Notifier):
 
         mm = self.proc_fun()
 
-        self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(directory, True)
+        self.mmc.is_readable(directory, True)
         for (path, dirs, files) in os.walk(directory):
-            
-            for d in dirs:
-                self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(os.path.join(path, d), True)
-            
             for filename in files:
                 full_filepath = os.path.join(path, filename)
 
                 if self.mmc.is_audio_file(full_filepath):
-                    if self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(full_filepath, False):
+                    if self.mmc.is_readable(full_filepath, False):
                         self.logger.info("importing %s", full_filepath)
                         event = {'filepath': full_filepath, 'mode': self.config.MODE_CREATE, 'is_recorded_show': False}
                         mm.multi_queue.put(event)
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimeprocessevent.py b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimeprocessevent.py
index 0d6a6e602..419bbd685 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimeprocessevent.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/airtimeprocessevent.py
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class AirtimeProcessEvent(ProcessEvent):
             #file is being overwritten/replaced in GUI.
             elif "goutputstream" in pathname:
                 self.temp_files[pathname] = None
-            elif self.mmc.is_audio_file(pathname):
+            elif self.mmc.is_audio_file(pathname) and self.mmc.is_readable(pathname, False):
                 if self.mmc.is_parent_directory(pathname, self.config.organize_directory):
                     #file was created in /srv/airtime/stor/organize. Need to process and move
                     #to /srv/airtime/stor/imported
@@ -151,14 +151,14 @@ class AirtimeProcessEvent(ProcessEvent):
                             self.logger.error('Exception: %s', e)
                             self.logger.error("traceback: %s", traceback.format_exc())
 
-                self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(pathname, dir)
+                self.mmc.is_readable(pathname, dir)
                 is_recorded = self.mmc.is_parent_directory(pathname, self.config.recorded_directory)
                 self.file_events.append({'mode': self.config.MODE_CREATE, 'filepath': pathname, 'is_recorded_show': is_recorded})
 
         else:
             #event is because of a created directory
             if self.mmc.is_parent_directory(pathname, self.config.storage_directory):
-                self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(pathname, dir)
+                self.mmc.is_readable(pathname, dir)
 
     def process_IN_MODIFY(self, event):
         # if IN_MODIFY is followed by IN_CREATE, it's not true modify event
@@ -237,9 +237,9 @@ class AirtimeProcessEvent(ProcessEvent):
         if event.pathname in filename:
             self.handle_mount_change()
         #if stuff dropped in stor via a UI move must change file permissions.
-        self.mmc.set_needed_file_permissions(event.pathname, event.dir)
+        self.mmc.is_readable(event.pathname, event.dir)
         if not event.dir:
-            if self.mmc.is_audio_file(event.name):
+            if self.mmc.is_audio_file(event.name) and self.mmc.is_readable(full_filepath, False):
                 if event.cookie in self.temp_files:
                     self.file_events.append({'filepath': event.pathname, 'mode': self.config.MODE_MODIFY})
                     del self.temp_files[event.cookie]
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/mediamonitorcommon.py b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/mediamonitorcommon.py
index b28b1dfcd..fdd83de6b 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/mediamonitorcommon.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor/airtimefilemonitor/mediamonitorcommon.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class MediaMonitorCommon:
             return False
 
     #check if file is readable by "nobody"
-    def has_correct_permissions(self, filepath, euid='nobody', egid='nogroup'):
+    def is_user_readable(self, filepath, euid='nobody', egid='nogroup'):
 
         try:
             uid = pwd.getpwnam(euid)[2]
@@ -76,35 +76,13 @@ class MediaMonitorCommon:
         return readable
 
     # the function only changes the permission if its not readable by www-data
-    def set_needed_file_permissions(self, item, is_dir):
+    def is_readable(self, item, is_dir):
         try:
-            omask = os.umask(0)
-            if not self.has_correct_permissions(item, 'www-data', 'www-data') or not self.has_correct_permissions(item, 'pypo', 'pypo'):
-                # stats.st_mode is the original permission
-                # stat.S_IROTH - readable by all permission
-                # stat.S_IXOTH - excutable by all permission
-                # try to set permission 
-                if self.is_parent_directory(item, self.config.storage_directory) or self.is_parent_directory(item, self.config.imported_directory) or self.is_parent_directory(item, self.config.organize_directory): 
-                    if is_dir is True:
-                        os.chmod(item, 02777)
-                    else:
-                        os.chmod(item, 0666)
-                else :
-                    # add world readable permission
-                    stats = os.stat(item)
-                    if is_dir is True:
-                        bitor = stats.st_mode | stat.S_IROTH | stat.S_IXOTH
-                    else:
-                        bitor = stats.st_mode | stat.S_IROTH
-                    os.chmod(item, bitor)
+            return self.is_user_readable(item, 'www-data', 'www-data') \
+                and self.is_user_readable(item, 'pypo', 'pypo')
         except Exception, e:
-            self.logger.error("Failed to change file's owner/group/permissions. %s", e)
-            self.logger.error("traceback: %s", traceback.format_exc())
+            self.logger.warn("Failed to check owner/group/permissions for %s", item)
             return False
-        finally:
-            os.umask(omask)
-            return True
-
 
     #checks if path is a directory, and if it doesnt exist, then creates it.
     #Otherwise prints error to log file.
diff --git a/python_apps/media-monitor/media_monitor.py b/python_apps/media-monitor/media_monitor.py
index d9dcf518c..7c39bba0a 100644
--- a/python_apps/media-monitor/media_monitor.py
+++ b/python_apps/media-monitor/media_monitor.py
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ def configure_locale():
     
     if current_locale_encoding not in ['utf-8', 'utf8']:
         logger.error("Need a UTF-8 locale. Currently '%s'. Exiting..." % current_locale_encoding)
+        sys.exit(1)
             
 # configure logging
 try: