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Columbus Under Water
- Thread starter ChiefEngineer
- Start date
I heard some of QMIX/KORN's coverage on the way back from Terre Haute which was excellent (and can you really not lighten it up a tad or does it have to be all-doom and gloom all the time?). There's no perfect system, and if younwant fuilly staffed stations, then yes, cancel every license issued under Docket 80-90 and all LPFMs.
QMIX, WRZQ really should get an award for the great job covering the flood. I was amazed as I heard what seemed like
the whole station staff helping out. It has been very few times in the last 15 years that I have heard a station put in such
an effort. Only a family station or one that is like a family could do this so well. Great Job QMIX!
the whole station staff helping out. It has been very few times in the last 15 years that I have heard a station put in such
an effort. Only a family station or one that is like a family could do this so well. Great Job QMIX!
gr8oldies said:
Yes, I agree... and retract the earlier statement. My brother lost most everything under about 4 ft of water and my other half was trying to get to a job that needed to be manned and was looking everywhere for updated road information.
Automating during emergency situations can just be a very hot topic for me.
It appears that some in this business, not on the board, have lost sight of what radio is intended for. Simple, radio is the giver of info. Radio does that in several ways. Play music, that lets you know what music is available to you. But in my opinion, the most important info they give people is info you need during an emergency. Although TV is a good source of info, a couple of things to remember. If the power goes out or cable goes out, TV is of no use. Wait, I know what you are thinking, but radios do have a battery backup so it can still be used. Also, you may not always gets timely info from TV unless the station is physically located in your immediate area. They just don't have the people to be everywhere at the same time. One of the previous posters made the point of radio people living close to where they work. In most cases they do. A good bit of the time they know the area extremely well and thereby are able to help people more effectively. Example, you find that a certain area has a street closed and people are looking for a way out. You can immediately give someone an alternate route. I do not believe the people in Indy could do that for the people in Columbus. But people that live in Columbus could. We also discuss how stations are operated in theis day and age. Sure there is a ton of VT'ing going on. Bottom line is, when severe weather strikes, everyone gets to the station and starts to work. Everyone should already know what role they play in the team when that happens. Everyone should know who will be on the air, who will be talking to the local police, who will be talking to the disaster relief folks. Work on those plans ahead of time, so when the time comes, it will be well organized and the flow of info will be as seamless as possible. As one of by former PD's once said about radio, "We play music in between disasters". He was right, we are here to "Serve the Public Interest", and the owners can still make money as well. In radio, never short change your listeners, they depend on you for info, entertainment and comfort in their time of need. So rather than spend time bickering about who did the better job and who did not, why don't we discuss ways to make the system better. As jocks we are creative, take the initiative and develop the plan for the next event now, not when it is happening. BY then it may be too late.
A
AndTheLambGoesBAA
Guest
Timewarp said:
Trizivir. I pray you'll never need it.
R
radioindy
Guest
Timewarp said:
This is a RADIO board, NOT a FEMA site - it IS about local radio's COVERAGE or LACK OF COVERAGE (as in MOST cases) of disasters/floods. If you just want to talk about what you lost in the flood, go to some other board. This is about RADIO!
Radio is NOW only about profit and ego. It was INITIALLY about SERVING THE PUBLIC - FCC should either get back to that or disband and just let the highest bidder have licenses (like they do now) and be done with this sham/scam of licensing.
The current FCC is like the IRS if it did not enforce tax laws. WHAT would be the point? WHY is there even an FCC in place? To fine vulgarity? That's all they seem to have accomplished in the past 20 years. Certainly they are not about protecting the well-being of the public.
AND WHY DOES A STATION HAVE TO BE FORCED TO SERVE THE PUBLIC ANYWAY? Shouldn't there be a MORAL call to do this, especially given you are USING PUBLIC AIRWAVES!
MOST of the Indianapolis stations did NOT serve their public. Therefore, they should ALL be reprimanded and it should go into their permanent files AND these stations should be boycotted!
THIS would start getting these greedy owners off their asses and actually MAYBE serve the public they've been given a license to DO!
I hear a lot of talk on here about radio's lack of coverage. What about tv? They make even more money and two weeks ago two of the three local stations left during the storm to go back to regular programming. That really makes me upset.
You can bet those switchboards were lighting up demanding the TV stations get back to regular programming. Just try pre-empting Desperate Housewives for wall-to-wall coverage of a tornado or a flood in a distant outlying county sometime. Or a sporting event.
I don't know what else to say..some of you amaze me. You really think back in the good old days owners mortgaged their houses, spent their life savings and borrowed money from the bank just because they wanted to "provide public service"? Wrong! They wanted profits as well.
You keep talking about the FCC not enforcing laws? What laws? Show me the precise FCC regulation that reads: "During any weather emergency, all licensed radio stations will immediately broadcast continuous uninteruppted coverage of the weather emergency directed solely at the city of license, and not interrupt such coverage, either for music or commercial content, until the weather emergency is over". Find it for me please or stop claiming such a law exists and is not being enforced. (Wow, the poor guy on the air wouldnt even be able to go to the bathroom, let alone make a phone call to law enforcement .) I would suppose that even now you would demand that each licensed station be in continuous coverage because the flood threat continues for many areas. Guess if I'm stuck at home during a flood situation I'd better turn on cable TV or a CD if I want some entertainment because every station has to remain in weather panic mode....updates aren't acceptable apparently.
If you're going to accuse all of these stations of "not serving the public" and blast the FCC for "not enforcing the law" then please provide chapter and verse of the law they're failing to enforce or get off the soap box.
For the record, as far as I'm concerned, the FCCs job is to be a technical traffic cop to make sure station A isn't interfering with station B, not to enforce decency, or someone's idea of "public service" which usually means "airing programming the public has absolutely no interest in."
I don't know what else to say..some of you amaze me. You really think back in the good old days owners mortgaged their houses, spent their life savings and borrowed money from the bank just because they wanted to "provide public service"? Wrong! They wanted profits as well.
You keep talking about the FCC not enforcing laws? What laws? Show me the precise FCC regulation that reads: "During any weather emergency, all licensed radio stations will immediately broadcast continuous uninteruppted coverage of the weather emergency directed solely at the city of license, and not interrupt such coverage, either for music or commercial content, until the weather emergency is over". Find it for me please or stop claiming such a law exists and is not being enforced. (Wow, the poor guy on the air wouldnt even be able to go to the bathroom, let alone make a phone call to law enforcement .) I would suppose that even now you would demand that each licensed station be in continuous coverage because the flood threat continues for many areas. Guess if I'm stuck at home during a flood situation I'd better turn on cable TV or a CD if I want some entertainment because every station has to remain in weather panic mode....updates aren't acceptable apparently.
If you're going to accuse all of these stations of "not serving the public" and blast the FCC for "not enforcing the law" then please provide chapter and verse of the law they're failing to enforce or get off the soap box.
For the record, as far as I'm concerned, the FCCs job is to be a technical traffic cop to make sure station A isn't interfering with station B, not to enforce decency, or someone's idea of "public service" which usually means "airing programming the public has absolutely no interest in."
It was a real comfort to this community when QMIX did provide wall to wall coverage. Jimbo and Dawn did a great job.
If you had been here with the lights out and creeping high water, then you would understand how important this was.
The High water came to my neighborhood in the darkness of night. Thanks for the info WRZQ!
I have no complaints. Everyone else did fine too. That includes TV.
If you had been here with the lights out and creeping high water, then you would understand how important this was.
The High water came to my neighborhood in the darkness of night. Thanks for the info WRZQ!
I have no complaints. Everyone else did fine too. That includes TV.
For those of you who like to argue on here for unattended operation and automated EAS,
this should be your warning.
It is only due to the Columbus stations having live human beings present that any warning got out.
If we were waiting on the EAS, we would still be waiting for a warning. There was none on June 7,
2008. Many more would have died.
this should be your warning.
It is only due to the Columbus stations having live human beings present that any warning got out.
If we were waiting on the EAS, we would still be waiting for a warning. There was none on June 7,
2008. Many more would have died.
R
radioindy
Guest
Flying-Dutchman said:
What you don't realize dutchman, or you probably do, but the 'radio' people on this board aren't interested in PUBLIC service. It's all about ego and being 'kool.'
The fact that radio frequencies are dolled out with the ORIGINAL intent that they belong to the public is completely lost on owners/board ops of today. The board ops want to blame ownership for not giving them welfare handouts (a monkey can run automation or push buttons repetitiously, or at least a fifth grader could), and the owners complain that (even though it's their fault with faulty management) they're not making ENOUGH money.
I'm all for capitalism, but when it comes at the expense of the public safety, I think it's wrong.
The FCC should REQUIRE someone on the air when a weather warning is issued. Otherwise, stop the stupid FCC participation and just let the radio industry go to free for all free-market operation like all other profit-generated businesses in this country.
At least we wouldn't be let down by the premise that radio is here to serve the public.
My house is headed down-river, but give me some more Skynyrd - whoooooo!
As I said in my previous post, it is time to quit arguing over who did the best job and who did the worst job.
It is time to figure out how to make the system better. You do not have to wait on owners or managers to do that. People on the air need to do the right thing when it comes to a disaster. You all know what needs to be done, GET THE INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE. It is not rocket science. It is very cool to be in radio, but along with that goes a great deal of responsibility. On air people can put the system in place that works best for their station or stations. If more people would have died during this flood due to lack of information, some people would not be saying anything because they would not want to take the blame. You can't have it both ways. The point is that radio must do a better job of informing people and being in touch with their community and that is the bottom line. I am a former jock. I would have loved to been a part of the coverage and assisted with getting the info out. That is what I did for 20 years. There is no greater feeling that you may have help save someone's life or you were able to help a family with info on where they could get help. Things change in an instant and radio has always sold the idea of immediacy to everyone. Radio needs to get back to that. I have worked at a station where we just finished a car give away, were notified by local authorities a tornado was on the ground, got people to shelter, and then watched an F4 tornado go down the street about 100 yards across the street from where we were. Within 15 minutes all personnel were at the station, making the calls, collecting the info and giving it to our listeners. It was able to be done that quickly because we had a plan for emergencies. In the next few hours we found out that 15 people had been killed by the tornado. We also found out that quick action had helped save some lives. Radio needs to get back into doing some of the things that it used to do.
It is time to figure out how to make the system better. You do not have to wait on owners or managers to do that. People on the air need to do the right thing when it comes to a disaster. You all know what needs to be done, GET THE INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE. It is not rocket science. It is very cool to be in radio, but along with that goes a great deal of responsibility. On air people can put the system in place that works best for their station or stations. If more people would have died during this flood due to lack of information, some people would not be saying anything because they would not want to take the blame. You can't have it both ways. The point is that radio must do a better job of informing people and being in touch with their community and that is the bottom line. I am a former jock. I would have loved to been a part of the coverage and assisted with getting the info out. That is what I did for 20 years. There is no greater feeling that you may have help save someone's life or you were able to help a family with info on where they could get help. Things change in an instant and radio has always sold the idea of immediacy to everyone. Radio needs to get back to that. I have worked at a station where we just finished a car give away, were notified by local authorities a tornado was on the ground, got people to shelter, and then watched an F4 tornado go down the street about 100 yards across the street from where we were. Within 15 minutes all personnel were at the station, making the calls, collecting the info and giving it to our listeners. It was able to be done that quickly because we had a plan for emergencies. In the next few hours we found out that 15 people had been killed by the tornado. We also found out that quick action had helped save some lives. Radio needs to get back into doing some of the things that it used to do.
R
radioindy
Guest
moster - I'm sure that's the way most owners/PD felt BEFORE they bought a station.
PROFIT OVER LIVES! Many stations PROVED that THIS PAST week.
TAKE IT TO THE ADVERTISERS!
I've started taking down info on ADVERTISERS contact info for a particular station in town that neglected its COL. Whether it's legal or not with the FCC, I, as a RADIO LISTENER, will INFORM all advertisers of my dissatisfaction and how lives were put in danger. My opinion doesn't count with the FCC OR the station, so maybe it will with those involved in flooding, house damage, etc that advertise on these stations and may not realize the station did NOT do it's public duty.
Let the advertisers decide. I will send this letter to EVERY advertiser, and hope others will do the same. Pick a station that did NOT serve us (other than some Skynyrd) and do the same.
PROFIT OVER LIVES! PROFIT OVER LIVES!
PROFIT OVER LIVES! Many stations PROVED that THIS PAST week.
TAKE IT TO THE ADVERTISERS!
I've started taking down info on ADVERTISERS contact info for a particular station in town that neglected its COL. Whether it's legal or not with the FCC, I, as a RADIO LISTENER, will INFORM all advertisers of my dissatisfaction and how lives were put in danger. My opinion doesn't count with the FCC OR the station, so maybe it will with those involved in flooding, house damage, etc that advertise on these stations and may not realize the station did NOT do it's public duty.
Let the advertisers decide. I will send this letter to EVERY advertiser, and hope others will do the same. Pick a station that did NOT serve us (other than some Skynyrd) and do the same.
PROFIT OVER LIVES! PROFIT OVER LIVES!
Radioindy, I understand the frustration and in alot of cases it appears that it is profit over people. But if Owners/GMs/PDs and others connected with station would sit down and think about it, there can be a balance and in most cases, taking care of your listeners and your community will increase your cash flow. I made a living out of getting connected with the community that I lived in for the last 20 years and it was always beneficial to both my listeners, my community and my station. All it takes is people to take the time and find that balance and everyone has the time to do that. I have been away from the business for awhile now and I have seen alot of things fall by the wayside and it is upsetting and shameful in my opinion. But like all things, not all stations around the country have the same mindset about the community service issue. The biggest problem I see is that the people that work at these stations have an attitude about really working at radio. It does take work and it is a real job. And most importantly, it is a real important job.
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