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KIRO-AM has new "disaster" studio on Vashon
- Thread starter DN14224
- Start date
Awesome. When the big one hits (take your pick which earthquake is the 'big one'), there will be at least one radio broadcaster on the air -- although I'm sure that in the event of such shakers some other stations will survive, too, especially when one considers that large number of stations in the region. But still...
Fundamental question is can information for public safety and survival be a public resource (utility), without being under the control of business interests, a political party or a group of people who are not acting in collective interest of all persons living in the USA. And most importantly, can information be distributed without being at the mercy of emotion driven consumer choices?
All things considered I think the government is doing a pretty good job. Great to see FEMA is hardening a cost-effective way of getting information out.
Re: consumer choices- how many people are maybe 24 to 48 hours away from total freak out, when the battery runs out? How many people have solar cell chargers? How many would support Congress directing FCC to require 10-day power and network back-up by wireless providers, understanding this would increase consumer cost?
It is weird though. In my area they have back-up generators for sewage pumping, yet many of them are below base flood level elevation. But how many homeowners have shut off valves on their sewer and water lines? The power substation for the entire area will flood in a proper hurricane. A house elevated on columns won't help if a 40-foot boat from the marina comes floating in at wind driven speed and hits the house.
I suppose sometimes you are on your own, regardless. When Hurricane Andrew began peeling off roof shingles at 3 AM I picked up the old-fashioned dial tone and called my mother. She said "son why did you wake me up? Get in the bathtub and pull a blanket over your head". Then she hung up.
All things considered I think the government is doing a pretty good job. Great to see FEMA is hardening a cost-effective way of getting information out.
Re: consumer choices- how many people are maybe 24 to 48 hours away from total freak out, when the battery runs out? How many people have solar cell chargers? How many would support Congress directing FCC to require 10-day power and network back-up by wireless providers, understanding this would increase consumer cost?
It is weird though. In my area they have back-up generators for sewage pumping, yet many of them are below base flood level elevation. But how many homeowners have shut off valves on their sewer and water lines? The power substation for the entire area will flood in a proper hurricane. A house elevated on columns won't help if a 40-foot boat from the marina comes floating in at wind driven speed and hits the house.
I suppose sometimes you are on your own, regardless. When Hurricane Andrew began peeling off roof shingles at 3 AM I picked up the old-fashioned dial tone and called my mother. She said "son why did you wake me up? Get in the bathtub and pull a blanket over your head". Then she hung up.
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So....we're saying when the Puget Sound landscape is a smouldering mess, KIRO is still on the air, we're going to have to listen to DORI?
Since the studios are for the AM I’d say the answer to that is no. But anything IS possible…
Well, of course they would move news programming to the AM in a dire situation. Hell they likely would even do that even if FM was still running.
A bit off subject, but the entire west coast is overdue for a major quake. Not trying to scare anyone, just be prepared. The west coast has been quake quiet for awhile, atleast in major populated areas.
A bit off subject, but the entire west coast is overdue for a major quake. Not trying to scare anyone, just be prepared. The west coast has been quake quiet for awhile, atleast in major populated areas.
That's great, but who below the age of 55 still has a battery powered radio in their home? If the information isn't available via smartphone, who's going to hear/see it?
Ironically, KIRO-AM has towers that are old and held up with guy wires. Stations on Vashon have had tower damage in earthquakes past. Vashon is made up of granite chunks, glacial till, and sand, which moves around like Jello(tm) when shaken. Knock just one of those KIRO towers down in an earthquake and it's radio silence. Especially the reference (also ND) tower.
If FEMA really wanted to harden the broadcast communications infrastructure; they should have done the same to at least one FM station. For example; KPLZ has their own building on Cougar, which, like KIRO-AM, used to house a studio, and has a kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom. Depending on who would be assigned to react when the big one hit, my bet is its going to be much easier and faster to get someone on the air from a 100kW FM on Cougar with a self-supporting tower, than even coordinating the USCG to boat someone to Vashon. But why not cover your bets and do both stations?
(At the time) KING lost a tower.
Sure, but how old are those towers? When were all the guy's replaced? What's the condition of the base insulators? Just keeping them painted hides the salt water corrosion under years of paint.
As you say, if you lose the reference tower ( also-ND tower) it's game over. Especially if one folds in half and takes out the tower next to it.
Do we know whether FEMA / the powers responsible for the hardening of the facility haven't done some work to the towers?
Xmtrland would know that. My guess the answer is: Tower work was not included in the FEMA investment.
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