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Coverage of School Massacre in Newtown

What department do you work in? Are you the soon to be "former" news director?
 
I called you out for not having any hard evidence as to what WTIC did wrong, so now you're dodging the issue.

To answer your question, no, I'm not Dana Whalen. I do not work for WTIC 1080. I just know how to recognize solid broadcasting and how to respect hard working professionals in the industry I love, the industry I've spent my entire career in.
 
I agree. WTIC's coverage = Epic fail. Even CC's WELI blew-out Rush and simulcasted NBC 30 for a few hours and Rush through EIB/Premire is a CC product.

I have all 4 CT TV News Stations on Facebook. I saw a story on one of the station's FB pages about a lock-down at Newtown Public Schools and a possible shooting at the elementary school. This was at about 10AM Friday morning. I then went out to the Southington Target to do some shopping. It was just after 11AM when I came back out to my car. I heard nothing on WTIC. I tuned around and heard a little bit more about the incident in mid-report on WBZ 1030 out of Boston. Then I tuned around and heard a more complete report on WABC 770 out of NYC including a news person who said he was heading up to Newtown. I went to lunch in Bristol and the restaurant had their TVs on Channel 3. When I finished lunch it was a little before Noon. I tuned over to WLAD 800 and listened to their simulcast of NBC 30. At noon they broke away for a local news update. Then their morning man came on and said they were breaking their normal format and would be taking callers from listeners about what was going on. I tuned around and heard NBC 30 on WELI instead of Limbaugh, but WTIC was still airing Limbaugh.

Needing to escape all the sadness I went out at about 2:45. I stopped by my employer (Shoprite of Southington) to get my work schedule for the following week. I was listening to the Christmas Music on Lite 100.5 - just about 3:10 the DJ said they would be switching over to WTIC to cover a press conference. That was the first time I heard anything on WTIC. (Even if it was via Lite 100.5) I went to Dollar Tree and then to the Hallmark Store. The press conference was playing over the store's speakers. (They play 96.5 WTIC-FM in the store).

Again kudos to KISS 95-7, KC-101.3/News Talk 960, 99-1 PLR, and 102.9 DRC-FM for their local coverage.
 
Anyone know if WBMW broke into their Christmas music for news on the shooting, and if it was local and not simulcasting one of the TV stations? Remember, as WBMW once said in a promo following Hurricane Sandy: "Don't be fooled by other radio stations simulcasting TV audio - that's not local."
 
WTIC was still airing Limbaugh in those early hours, but was also breaking in with news reports before going wall-to-wall. Do you know what "informatoin" you missed by not having TIC in wall-to-wall coverage at 11am?

1) The wrong identity of the shooter
2) That the father was killed, when in fact he wasn't
3) That the mother was killed in a classroom
4) That the mother was a teacher
5) That there were only 2 fatalities

What benefit did you have from having non-stop coverage? Stations scrambled to fill all that time, so they gave incorrect information that benefitted nobody. The public was not served by that early reporting. When there was information to be had, and it was correct informatoin, that message got out to listeners, and converstations were held about what was going on.

Tell me, how is that an epic fail?
 
I was at work (WIHS) when this story broke. I was checking the Associated Press newsfeeds every 10 to 15 minutes. (That's about how often they had updates.) The wrong info was going out over the AP, so any stations using it, were also getting the wrong info. As time wore on, more details emerged, and wrong info was corrected.

Because of the INTENSITY of the TRAUMA surrounding this horrific event, one MUST have SOME level of patience, as I'm sure even the most "hardened" First Responders on the scene "lost it" when they saw what happened... so when reporters shoved microphones into their faces, they weren't exactly in a talkative state of mind.

If I could play music on the air, I would play only songs that have reassuring, comforting, healing messages. Words of solace, peace, and calm.

Songs like these: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL182007018B5CC9DB
 
I know we sometimes show disdain for Corporate Radio but kudos to the folks at COX Ct and especially WPLR for coming thru for CT in this crisis. Chaz and Aj went back on the air last friday afternoon to take calls and talk people thru this. All evening long, Mike Lapitino and Peter Bush did the same thing (as they have done in the past),. networking their stations to help us all deal with this. This week, Chaz and Aj came off vacation (first for just two days but ended up being on the air all week) to talk and share. Cox caps off the week with a 12 hour radionthon today to raise funds. We talk about live and local radio. This a demonstration of what the right leadership and commitment can do for radio. Cox is corporate but thier put their finanacial resources to work help out these victims. Its just an example of what the leadership can do for radio.
 
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