Earthquake radio coverage

[rdotinga]

Hey folks,

I'm writing my column this week about radio earthquake coverage.

Do any of you have anecdotes about being on the radio during (or reporting on) an earthquake? Do you think radio stations are any better or worse at this than they used to be?

-Randy Dotinga/North County Times radio columnist

 

[RadeoEngineer]

I'll take a shot.

Radio with real people at the console is very dynamic at reporting on any event. Unfortuneatly, the cancer of voice tracking makes the purpose of immediate information via broadcast radio moot. As more and more stations resort to the "magic" of the computer, and the release to the unemployment rolls of the live person at the microphone, the local radio station becomes irrelevant to any actual event. When the guy in Milwaukee records his show for San Diego reporting temps in the 70's and clear skies a dozen hours before that voice is heard, and everyone at the local station has gone home or to the unemployment lines, there is no option for immediate response to an earthquake, mass killing, beached whale, or mayoral resignation. The lights may be on, but there's no one home. The automation and the dial out remote control will keep the "content" flowing. EAS will interrupt the normal day with it's "belch, belch, belch, chirp, chirp, chirp" nonsense, but people seeking real time information will tune their radios to whomever happens to be providing actual information of the moment. There aren't very many stations that do that these days after 10:00 AM.

Terrestrial commercial broadcast radio has become an automated jukebox without the ability to serve the public interest. The demand of increased profit on decreasing involvement in the community of listenership has destroyed the medium. It won't soon be back, if ever.

Your best bet in an earthquake situation is to have sufficient food and water in storage, and a place to stay outside away from things that can fall on you. Don't rely on radio to give you any guide. The computer only knows what to play from its last program update.

"Clear and sunny in San Diego, and the time now is 1/2 past the hour."

Take your earthquake and move outside. Don't expect any help from your local broadcaster serving the public interest, but expect Michael Savage to tell you what a poon you are for whining about it. That's what gets ratings these days. Ya' know?

 

[jprg]

I had to listen to KNX Radio 1070 in LA to get anything about the quake especially here in SD. I guess Rush Limburger is more important then reporting real news.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

I had to listen to KNX Radio 1070 in LA to get anything about the quake especially here in SD.

Same here, and I actually brought up their stream online and listened to that. It would never occur to me to tune in to a San Diego station during a major emergency: breaking news requires a set of skills and resources that are in short supply in San Diego radio news. KPBS has those ever so genteel sounding reporters who do their pleasant recorded stories, but they don't sound like they have the chops to wing it when the damn breaks. I say that from experience in seeing otherwise decent news readers break down during the stress of being on air when there is no script, information, often conflicting, is coming at your like water from s firehouse and you have sort it our on-the-fly and adlib something coherent. I knew of two San Diego newscasters who lost their jobs during coverage of the Oct. 1979 6.4 quake in the Imperial Valley because they flopped under pressure. KOGO still has a couple of old workhorses in their stable, but Clear Channel has made it clear news is not a priority and that handicaps even the best efforts of those on staff who might think otherwise.

And heaven forbid if a disaster happens at night or on weekends...

 

[SDRadio]

I had to listen to KNX Radio 1070 in LA to get anything about the quake especially here in SD.

And heaven forbid if a disaster happens at night or on weekends...

Despite my report at SDRadio and KOGO's calming effect that the region was safe, it's really KNX that has the pulse of Sandy Eggo:

Wildfires <-- accurate factual
La Jolla Landslide <-- accurate factual and on the ground at the scene
Earthquake <-- 1070 had the pulse, the facts and covered it on air, on computer stream, and via iPhone

It is going to get worse for CCU employees. With big payouts (Rush, Hannity, and that going private thing), expect any loose change found on the floor to be recycled to the coffers in Texas. That's sad as a once-mighty team ten years ago has had to do more with less ... and less .... and less.

Even the new owners of the Tribune company, locally with KSWB, are bankrolling a new station; but if the return on investment isn't fast enough, expect Sam Zell to borrow from CCU: Cutting things off .... like employees.

So next time breaking, and shaking news happens ... KNX.

 

[Snarkin USA]

Should listeners expect a San Diego radio station to broadcast full comprehensive coverage of a moderate earthquake 120 miles away in Chino Hills?

 

[evalmaster]

Considering that the NBC, ABC and CBS tv network affiliates went live with coverage in San Diego it is not unreasonable to expect that from radio. At least KOGO and 760 could have gone live and local for a while. KNX did do an excellent job with the information. It took until about 2-1/2 hours after the quake to hear the first "bababooey" get on the air there.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

Should listeners expect a San Diego radio station to broadcast full comprehensive coverage of a moderate earthquake 120 miles away in Chino Hills?

I live in San Diego County and when my heavy sofa bounces up and down I am somewhat curious as to what caused that and I imagine that others might feel the same and of course an earthquake 120 miles away is very close, seismically-speaking. One of the most devastating earthquakes in the history of the Americas was the so-called "Mexico City quake" of 1985: the actual quake was more than 200 miles from Mexico City, but thousands of people died in Mexico City. Here in Southern California, a quake that causes major shaking in parts of San Diego County could be one that causes major damage to infrastructure we depend on: freeways through LA, the California water system, electricity lines, etc. An earthquake is a regional event for sure and it does indeed justify comprehensive coverage until such time as we know for sure all is okay and the time has passed for large aftershocks.

 

[Lupita]

Considering that the NBC, ABC and CBS tv network affiliates went live with coverage in San Diego it is not unreasonable to expect that from radio. At least KOGO and 760 could have gone live and local for a while. KNX did do an excellent job with the information. It took until about 2-1/2 hours after the quake to hear the first "bababooey" get on the air there.

KOGO was LIVE and local. They blew off regular programming and had special earthquake coverage with Ladona Harvey. They were on it before any of the other radio and TV stations. A few folks felt the jolt in the studio and the reaction and coverage was immediate. Indeed, other media outlets had their "breaking news" about the quake hours later.

Lupita

 

[jprg]

Lupita,

That was funny. I tuned into KOGO right after I felt the house shake and...nothing local. I went to KNX and wham! Live and local there! They even had a reporter here in San Diego giving witness accounts of what it felt like here! Imagine an LA station having a reporter in San Diego! Ten minutes later, I still didn't hear any coverage on KOGO. I don't know why they even mention the word "news" on their air

 

[Bob_Hudson]

Lupita,

That was funny. I tuned into KOGO right after I felt the house shake and...nothing local. I went to KNX and wham! Live and local there! They even had a reporter here in San Diego giving witness accounts of what it felt like here! Imagine an LA station having a reporter in San Diego! Ten minutes later, I still didn't hear any coverage on KOGO. I don't know why they even mention the word "news" on their air

Now, now.... we all know that Clear Channel has never waivered in its unwavering commitment to maintaining the facade of an apparent commitment to a pretense of full service news and double-talk.

 

[SDRadio]

Now, now.... we all know that Clear Channel has never waivered in its unwavering commitment to maintaining the facade of an apparent commitment to a pretense of full service news and double-talk.

Shhhh ..... it, Bob, they are a private company, so speak softly and carry a big schtick.

 

[136kgb]

You know I see a lot of people in here giving their opinion about KOGO and Clear Channel. Yet non of you have ever worked for the current incarnation of KOGO (with the exception of Lupita). KOGO also waited until they had all facts, and not opinions. And not a lot of listeners crying and whining (like KNX) . San Diego itself was not in jeopardy. The portion of LA that was hardest hit is not even in KOGO's listening area (Chino). There was no logical reason to break programming at the earliest point. And concerning KNX it is a pitiful excuse of the great radio station that it once was when it was at Columbia Square and under George Nicholoff. Today KNX is terrible in comparison. In fact radio and television in general is in poor condition.

The moral of this story is all of you should try to work in radio TODAY, and not 20 years ago in the past, then you will understand why radio is what it is!

 

[SDRadio]

KOGO also waited until they had all facts, and not opinions. And not a lot of listeners crying and whining (like KNX) . San Diego itself was not in jeopardy.

True, but if it shakes, rattles and rolls, I want answers.

The portion of LA that was hardest hit is not even in KOGO's listening area (Chino). There was no logical reason to break programming at the earliest point.

As I posted at SDRadio, KOGO's main point was calming the listening population that the area was safe. In the initial reports, finding out that it was north of here was good. KOGO reported the facts. I still believe KNX jumped on it faster; but KOGO opened the phone lines.

Make it a great day, 136KGB ... It's all good.

 

[136kgb]

Long live San Diego's Best radio station AM 600 KOGO! And San Diego's best AM signal!

 

[BobinPhoenix]

[ I knew of two San Diego newscasters who lost their jobs during coverage of the Oct. 1979 6.4 quake in the Imperial Valley because they flopped under pressure.

It actuallly was a bit stronger quake at 6.7 October 15, 1979. I was working on the air at KROP/Brawley that night. It was one of my most memorable nights in radio. (The quake struck at around 4:20 in the afternoon, but we had aftershocks all night long.) KROP was owned by the late Jack Stodelle back then, and community involvement was VERY important to him. We were taking calls all night, and our afternoon jock even went on the air for the west coast feed of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. We tried to stay on all night, but were knocked off the air by a 5.4 aftershock at around 12:30 a.m. When the shaking stopped, I remember Stodelle coming out from under a desk in the lobby and saying to the staff "And with that, KROP concludes it's broadcast day.....we're getting the heck out of here!" LOL

 

[Lupita]

You know I see a lot of people in here giving their opinion about KOGO and Clear Channel. Yet non of you have ever worked for the current incarnation of KOGO (with the exception of Lupita). KOGO also waited until they had all facts, and not opinions. And not a lot of listeners crying and whining (like KNX) . San Diego itself was not in jeopardy. The portion of LA that was hardest hit is not even in KOGO's listening area (Chino). There was no logical reason to break programming at the earliest point. And concerning KNX it is a pitiful excuse of the great radio station that it once was when it was at Columbia Square and under George Nicholoff. Today KNX is terrible in comparison. In fact radio and television in general is in poor condition.

The moral of this story is all of you should try to work in radio TODAY, and not 20 years ago in the past, then you will understand why radio is what it is!

Thanks 135kgb. Good moral of the story ;D