In your opinion, who provided the best, most accurate & least sensational coverage of the recent tornadoes for both radio & TV? Did any radio stations go wall to wall without a TV simulcast? Let's hear your feedback!
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Best storm coverage? Radio & TV
- Thread starter upstate29651
- Start date
I've already mentioned James Spann and the ABC 33/40 weather team in another thread. I saw some of Fox 6's coverage as well, but it seemed less on the ball than 33/40. Didn't check out 42 or 13, I don't think they stream online. 13's weather graphics just annoy me, they're off a Mac I think. Great for everything in the world apparently but their weather radar looks like Playskool™ graphics. Too many bright distracting colors, no good resolution on storm edges.
19 out of Huntsville streams online and I watched some of that. They do good with what they have but I didn't get to see how they handled the Harvest or DeKalb County storms.
2, 5 and 11 out of ATL streamed and they all pretty much stunk in different and unique ways.
Radio's role seemed to come into play after the storms instead of during them. WAPI has been capitalizing on the community angle and has been doing some morning outreach programming, letting people vent, ask questions or even make a joke or two. Dunno about anyone else. Rick & Bubba were back to their antics from what I heard this morning. I guess being syndicated means having to tamp down local interests for the good of the network.
19 out of Huntsville streams online and I watched some of that. They do good with what they have but I didn't get to see how they handled the Harvest or DeKalb County storms.
2, 5 and 11 out of ATL streamed and they all pretty much stunk in different and unique ways.
Radio's role seemed to come into play after the storms instead of during them. WAPI has been capitalizing on the community angle and has been doing some morning outreach programming, letting people vent, ask questions or even make a joke or two. Dunno about anyone else. Rick & Bubba were back to their antics from what I heard this morning. I guess being syndicated means having to tamp down local interests for the good of the network.
33/40 is king of the hill and I imagine James Spann is where the majority of people go for their information. He's known across the country as being one of the best in the biz. He was at WBRC-6 when it was an ABC affiliate and moved to 33/40 when the big TV changes hit the market in the mid 90's
As for radio, I noticed that the Clear Channel Tuscaloosa cluster has been constant coverage in the days since the storm, even on their music stations. With all of those people without power, cell phones possibly dead from lack of chargers, they are probably a main source of information. Good job!
As for radio, I noticed that the Clear Channel Tuscaloosa cluster has been constant coverage in the days since the storm, even on their music stations. With all of those people without power, cell phones possibly dead from lack of chargers, they are probably a main source of information. Good job!
Agreed on kudos to Clear Channel for continuing to have a major focus on providing information to the community. I read that Citadel's stations did the same as well. Shame on the "live and local" stations around central Alabama that went back to their regular schtick in the couple of days following the storms.
People in the business often forget that radio in this country is not a toy -- it is a public service. Put the people first. Hats off to the stations and clusters around the region who have done just that.
People in the business often forget that radio in this country is not a toy -- it is a public service. Put the people first. Hats off to the stations and clusters around the region who have done just that.
I feel dirty saying this, but big props to clear channel going wall to wall on WDRM/WBHP, and cumulus for the WVNN/WUMP/WZYP trimulcast. My only complaint was during the storms while running coverage from WHNT, while WHNT was giving critical information on the location of the tornado WDRM would cut in every 5 or 10 minutes with a generic "you're listening to News 19 storm coverage on 1021 WDRM... tornado warning for madison limestone"... etc. If you're going to run TV coverage in events like this, just let the TV coverage do all the talking, a top of the hour "WDRM decatur" is understandable, nothing else, it's annoying to no end to be listening to them talk about something on TV, and have someone in the studio cut in providing absolutely no more information than what has already been given from the TV.
Bamawolf: I am not disagreeing with what you have said, can be annoying.
I noticed that WAPI would occasionally break from WIAT's coverage and provide information more tailored towards radio when the TV coverage was caught up in the awe of the live videos, and weren't providing anything of much value to a radio listener. In that case, I think that is very beneficial.
One thing I noticed, many of the TV mets were mentioning that you can watch our stream here, follow on twitter, etc... for when you lose power. When there is a tornado, the cell networks become heavily congested and encouraging more people to use the cell network might not be in everyone's best interests. I mostly was watching WIAT & WBMA... Believe me, i'm not trying to criticize the on air mets, but.. it seemed like they didn't mention very frequently where they were simulcasting on the radio.
Regardless, countless lives were saved thanks to the efforts taken by radio and television stations. I remember seeing in a video clip of Midwest City after the May 3rd tornadoes of people walking out of their destroyed homes, with radio receivers on their head.
I noticed that WAPI would occasionally break from WIAT's coverage and provide information more tailored towards radio when the TV coverage was caught up in the awe of the live videos, and weren't providing anything of much value to a radio listener. In that case, I think that is very beneficial.
One thing I noticed, many of the TV mets were mentioning that you can watch our stream here, follow on twitter, etc... for when you lose power. When there is a tornado, the cell networks become heavily congested and encouraging more people to use the cell network might not be in everyone's best interests. I mostly was watching WIAT & WBMA... Believe me, i'm not trying to criticize the on air mets, but.. it seemed like they didn't mention very frequently where they were simulcasting on the radio.
Regardless, countless lives were saved thanks to the efforts taken by radio and television stations. I remember seeing in a video clip of Midwest City after the May 3rd tornadoes of people walking out of their destroyed homes, with radio receivers on their head.
Once comment that I've seen here sticks out to me. The fact that a TV TRIMULCAST is #1 in the state's largest media market, even beating an O&O. I did view the stream on 33/40 and was very impressed. I also viewed the stream from 31 in Huntsville. They appeared to do a reasonable job, albeit with some ustream mic issues.
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milton77 said:
Oh absolutely it saved lives. I just get OCD over some things like that and can't let it go until i vent about it. I've been sitting in the dark here in NW Madison co (5 miles north of Anderson Hills) listening to WDRM almost non stop, and tethering my droid X over a weak 1x verizon signal to post this while the generator is running. They are truly doing a fantastic job, and after this I can say my anti-clear channel views may change from this, not all of the apples in the clear channel barrel went bad like I thought.
da music said:
Do you mean the LISTENERS, or CC themselves?
Please clarify.
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Just returned from a 3 day trip to Tuscaloosa to help out the CC stns there......one thing came to mind while I was there as the LOCAL CC stations were pumping out news and info for the LOCAL population.....you we keep hearing about the demise of "over the air broadcasting".....
HOW'S THAT STORM COVERAGE ON PANDORA WORKING OUT FOR YOU?
OR
HOW'S THAT SMARTPHONE WORKING WITH THE CELL NETWORKS DOWN OR BUSIED OUT?
OR
HOW'S THAT STREAMING OF A MILLION RADIO STATIONS WORKING OUT FOR YOU WITH NO POWER OR INTERNET?
Dont get me wrong..... all of the new technology is important but it will NEVER replace what radio is doing in Alabama right now.
cceng
HOW'S THAT STORM COVERAGE ON PANDORA WORKING OUT FOR YOU?
OR
HOW'S THAT SMARTPHONE WORKING WITH THE CELL NETWORKS DOWN OR BUSIED OUT?
OR
HOW'S THAT STREAMING OF A MILLION RADIO STATIONS WORKING OUT FOR YOU WITH NO POWER OR INTERNET?
Dont get me wrong..... all of the new technology is important but it will NEVER replace what radio is doing in Alabama right now.
cceng
I am listening out of market with a whole lot of trouble around us in Mississippi. I thought listening that WERC is all you needed for Tornado coverage. Listening to WERC streaming reminded me a lot of the Radio coverage during Katrina in New Orleans after the Hurricane passed through. WERC is doing an excellent job of tornado coverage.
Yup. Right now radio is really shining. TV is still all over it during news broadcasts, but the rest of the schedule is obviously back to normal there. Not so with several radio outlets.
It was passed along to me that Russellville's WKAX (1500, 1 kW days only) has set up a temporary studio in Phil Campbell and is broadcasting news and updates to that area.
That whole area is generally devoid of choice on the radio dial so it's nice that someone semi-local is covering that area. No word on the status of Hackleburg's WFMH or whether or WJBB in Haleyville are also pitching in.
It was passed along to me that Russellville's WKAX (1500, 1 kW days only) has set up a temporary studio in Phil Campbell and is broadcasting news and updates to that area.
That whole area is generally devoid of choice on the radio dial so it's nice that someone semi-local is covering that area. No word on the status of Hackleburg's WFMH or whether or WJBB in Haleyville are also pitching in.
cceng said:
And radio NEVER does this unless there's a disaster, right cceng? :
'Cuz when the skies are blue & it's sunny out, well gosh darn it, we can't afford to man the stations. Instead, we'll VT from out of town! Go arrogantly crow somewhere else.
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Yeah, radio really shines when it has no other choice other than do it's job. The rest of the time, well everyone knows what it is the rest of the time.
Zach said:
I went to WFMH's website and pulled up their online stream. As of this evening, it is streaming nothing but static, so I assume they were taken off the air, since their tower is near Hackleburg.. however, the mailing address for the studio used to be off hwy 126 in Brilliant, so chances are it is probably just the tower which may be down.
-Travis
In Huntsville I prefer WAFF 48. Their graphics are easier to see to me and the meteorologists seem to know what they are doing best and do the best job explaining whats going on without using too much wording that the general public won't understand without explaining what they mean. It was scarry to watch the tornado move right toward their limestone county camera on their local radar all the way up until it destroyed it.
The problem I had with the radio simulcasts with cumulus is that it didn't stay on the same station! Every time we'd go back under a tornado warning after getting a break for a bit, I'd go back to the station they were simulcasting on the last time and it wouldn't be there. I'd have to find it on another one of their stations. Depending on the time of day, one minute it would be on WWFF, the next WVNN, the next WUMP, the next WHRP... That was a little rediculous. Pick a couple and leave it on there!
I'll give credit for both cumulus and clear channel clusters though for staying on the air for days after the storms with continuous information for the public. Especially WDRM. I think they stayed on the longest. I'm sure cumulus is thanking their lucky stars that their tower for WZYP on capshaw mtn didn't get destroyed. The tornado moved just BARELY north of it. Close call.
The problem I had with the radio simulcasts with cumulus is that it didn't stay on the same station! Every time we'd go back under a tornado warning after getting a break for a bit, I'd go back to the station they were simulcasting on the last time and it wouldn't be there. I'd have to find it on another one of their stations. Depending on the time of day, one minute it would be on WWFF, the next WVNN, the next WUMP, the next WHRP... That was a little rediculous. Pick a couple and leave it on there!
I'll give credit for both cumulus and clear channel clusters though for staying on the air for days after the storms with continuous information for the public. Especially WDRM. I think they stayed on the longest. I'm sure cumulus is thanking their lucky stars that their tower for WZYP on capshaw mtn didn't get destroyed. The tornado moved just BARELY north of it. Close call.
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