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Bad Weather Bonus

J

JustPastBuffalo

Blizzards, wind storms and power outages usually compel the staffs of radio stations to do some of their best work, especially news-talk stations. WNED-AM, WBFO and WBEN very likely were the "go-to" stations today, especially for the many Western New York residents who were affected by the lake effect snow bands which parked over certain areas south and east of Buffalo. There's a certain irony to all of this as the Fall book ended Wednesday (12/9/09). Timing is everything.

There may, however, be a bright lining. Phase three diary holders, particularly those in week #12, are said to be particularly "inattentive" to completing their diaries (Christmas shopping, kids concerts and other holiday events get in the way.) Filling out diaries on the last day of the week (or maybe, the day after the last day of the survey week) is not uncommon. PPMs aren't as forgiving.

Bon chance!
 
WBEN in my opinion does wonders with weather reporting and its news reporting. As I make myself some nice hot chocolate with my Oneida friend tonight I have to give WHAM props for also doing a wonderful job with winter weather coverage. Too bad it missed us, I like getting snowbound  ;D
 
One of the biggest headaches I can remember during morning drive was the telephone ringing off the hook with all of the school and business closings. This was a time when it was just little ole me alone in the newsroom with no assistance; unlike today where some overnight person, or additional staff is called in during weather emergencies.

Any way these closings were important to our audience and I managed to get all of them on the air, which is part of the job. When the internet came along I posted the closings on the station's web site.

But you know what was really a pain? Joe's barber shop, Millie's Beauty Parlor, or St. Mattress on Spring Street's (Bingo Game) calling in to announce they were closed because of the weather. Those of you who worked, or still work in radio news departments know what I'm talking about.

I will never forget one pizza joint owner calling the newsroom insisting that I inform the public that because of the weather, he was reducing the price of his pizzas. I tried to tell this gentleman that while this was a nice gesture on his part, there were more important closings I needed to report. Finally, after listening to this guy scream at me, I just hung up the phone.

Now that I'm out of broadcasting I can empathize with those of you morning folks that have to deal with all of these cancellations. All I can say is “good luck!"
 
Yesterday on my Facebook page, we had a very detailed discussion with friends in WNY and around the country regarding the weather, radio, the blizzards of '77 and '85 and the value of closings and cancellations. The discussion began when I noted the school cancellation notice at our home came by phone around 5:30 a.m.

Many school systems in WNY utilize automated phone blasts to alert students and staff members on their landlines and cell phones. Other methods like Tweets and Internet connectivity are used as effectively. I'm just guessing, but there's probably an iPhone app for closings and cancellations as well. Years ago, TV entered the competition using the now well-known "Closings and Cancellations Crawl."

During the WGR Newsradio 55 days with Chuck Finney, Daryl Parks and myself, an extensive list of schools, hospitals and not-for-profit organizations was compiled, updated and maintained by the news and engineering departments. Many considered the list and its detail second to none. When WGR was sold to Keymarket, one of the most coveted assets for the CHR station in the cluster was the WGR's school closing list.

In a way, doing school closings harkens back to how things were done in the 70's. Buffalo radio stations established a benchmark for serving the public during the Blizzard of 77. WGR, WYSL, WEBR, WKBW and WBEN rose to the occasion. It's well documented that Dan Neaverth claimed the service crown because he was live, local, friendly and unflappable in extreme times.

Given the vagaries of PPM, not yet in Buffalo or Rochester, doing closings and cancellations can be a tough call for some PDs. But do you want to cede that immediacy and advantage to another station or another platform? I'd argue that radio remains a powerful personal medium, especially in times of duress.

Radio stations that choose not to do closings do so at their own peril. Referring listeners to the station website is to be commended, especially if the station's website is well-maintained, accurate and easy to access. But does playing another Pink song or Eagles classic have greater value than a news person and/or jock informing people about (changing) weather and traffic conditions?

Especially in bad weather, bonding with your listeners is a critical componet of serving in the public interest, convenience and necessity and as noted, it can help a station make its mark in the ratings books.

As to those business closings, I'm told WKBW management made a decision that distinguished between non-profit agencies from commercial businesses. KB sold airtime to companies like Ford, Chevy, Bethlehem Steel as well as Bruno's House of Pasta to announce their closings, shift cancellations and menu changes.

A friendly "I'll connect you with our sales department" might satisfy both parties.
 
I've got to believe the days of long lists of closings on the air are coming to an end. That they are even done at all these days is a testament to the inability of broadcaster to think beyond "That's the way we always did it." Gone are the days when kids and parents were glued to the radio (or, more recently, the TV crawl) waiting for their place in the alphabet to come around. A majority of these folks now get what they need from automated phone services, text message alerts and Web sites. If radio and TV are going to make the most of weather coverage then the emphasis has to be on stuff people can't easily get elsewhere -- live road conditions, hard news about power outages and accidents, info about what emergency management people are doing, etc. The closing lists are just filler, and increasingly useless for most of the audience.
 
OldNumber7 said:
I've got to believe the days of long lists of closings on the air are coming to an end. That they are even done at all these days is a testament to the inability of broadcaster to think beyond "That's the way we always did it." Gone are the days when kids and parents were glued to the radio (or, more recently, the TV crawl) waiting for their place in the alphabet to come around. A majority of these folks now get what they need from automated phone services, text message alerts and Web sites. If radio and TV are going to make the most of weather coverage then the emphasis has to be on stuff people can't easily get elsewhere -- live road conditions, hard news about power outages and accidents, info about what emergency management people are doing, etc. The closing lists are just filler, and increasingly useless for most of the audience.
Click to expand...

You're probably right, 7, but I hope you're wrong. Early in the week there were a couple school closings in the Rochester area and WHAM referred people to their website. I was curious if they would do the same on Thursday and they did read the closings on the air. Maybe it's because I'm older but I still I think a lot of people out there want on-air school closings. IMO, school closings are something a "news leader" should be including in their on-air content. If it's crappy enough out that I have to be shoveling or snow-blowing I don't want to have to go to a website. Just my two cents and I'm probably in the minority.
 
Not off topic, but "out of area"...

I recall particularly snowy day when a local station in New Jersey had so many closings called in that they "flipped" the list and only announced the schools that were open. Now that takes confidence in the accuracy of your information!

I suppose I was quite dense then... it didn't even occur to me that the lists were alphabetical, which they generally were unless the calls were so fast and furious that the staff couldn't keep up with them.
 
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