As a former member of the WOBM news department (1980-1996), just wondering if anyone has heard their or other local station coverage of the big fire. I know there is a reduced local news presence, but was just wondering if there was any ramped up coverage. I listened online around 6 pm Tuesday to WOBM-FM and WJRZ and just heard passing references to roads that were closed but no extensive continuous coverage.
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Forest Fire Coverage
- Thread starter coops
- Start date
Ken..
Those were the days with 9 person news staffs, to actually COVER a story this large. So now-a-days, we're left with a 15 second story on channels 3, 6, 10, Fox, and in NY 2,4, Fox, 7, 9 & 11. And the ONLY reason they ran this story was because it LOOKS good on TV from their helicopter. It scares the old ladies in Seizure Village, and that's what TV news DOES best..on purpose. *Check out their weather-casts*
I also lament the lack of local news on MANY stations. But if they couldn't afford ME, how the heck are they gonna actually cover their marketplace with a news staff? Press has at least SOME local content on The Breeze, and a bit on the other stations..And, at least Millenium has SOME news on their stations. They still seem somewhat committed to getting news on. But it's a shell of what it used to be. Local politics is barely dented anymore..because the former owners WERE involved in local politics.
Local news MADE WOBM what it was. I was a newsman there in 1970. I remember.. JRZ also had a staff for a time, smaller, but now it's just my pal Anita who has virtually NO resources to gather her news. Good thing she's smart, or they'd have nothing.NOTHING. .
So from now on when there's a fire or other disaster..turn on the tube. Remember:
President gets shot, volcano destroys Rome, but the big story on Action News is a rowhouse fire in N.Philadelphia.
And on local radio it's: President gets shot, vocano destroys Rome, but the big story on local news...uh..doh..we dont' HAVE anyone to COVER it!!!
Shame on you bean counters. Shame on you listeners for ALLOWING this to happen without demanding better coverage of your area..
I guess knowing what day Paris Hilton is going to jail is MUCH more important on most area morning shows these days. Dispicable.
There..how was that Coops?
BE BIG
Those were the days with 9 person news staffs, to actually COVER a story this large. So now-a-days, we're left with a 15 second story on channels 3, 6, 10, Fox, and in NY 2,4, Fox, 7, 9 & 11. And the ONLY reason they ran this story was because it LOOKS good on TV from their helicopter. It scares the old ladies in Seizure Village, and that's what TV news DOES best..on purpose. *Check out their weather-casts*
I also lament the lack of local news on MANY stations. But if they couldn't afford ME, how the heck are they gonna actually cover their marketplace with a news staff? Press has at least SOME local content on The Breeze, and a bit on the other stations..And, at least Millenium has SOME news on their stations. They still seem somewhat committed to getting news on. But it's a shell of what it used to be. Local politics is barely dented anymore..because the former owners WERE involved in local politics.
Local news MADE WOBM what it was. I was a newsman there in 1970. I remember.. JRZ also had a staff for a time, smaller, but now it's just my pal Anita who has virtually NO resources to gather her news. Good thing she's smart, or they'd have nothing.NOTHING. .
So from now on when there's a fire or other disaster..turn on the tube. Remember:
President gets shot, volcano destroys Rome, but the big story on Action News is a rowhouse fire in N.Philadelphia.
And on local radio it's: President gets shot, vocano destroys Rome, but the big story on local news...uh..doh..we dont' HAVE anyone to COVER it!!!
Shame on you bean counters. Shame on you listeners for ALLOWING this to happen without demanding better coverage of your area..
I guess knowing what day Paris Hilton is going to jail is MUCH more important on most area morning shows these days. Dispicable.
There..how was that Coops?
BE BIG
Millennium statewide news network is doing a nice job with coverage across all of their outlets (WJLK, WOBM, WCHR, WKXW, WSJO, WFPG, WPUR, etc) - staff reporters on the scene, interviews and regular updates. Most of all their flagship NJ 101.5 is really on top of the story...Press and greater Media are doing a typical crummy job.
May I UPDATE my thoughts on this?
I think that indeed Millenium did handle it best, as THEY at least have a staff to cover it, even grabbing folks from the mother-ship.
I must also commend my former peeps as JRZ for at least TRYING to cover it WITHOUT a news staff. They have had someone on LIVE for this, when the evenings are usually voice-tracked.. Chris Van Zant, who has been so nice to me since my leaving, stayed up ALL night and did a shift and interviewed folks at shelters, etc.. THAT's dedication..in spite of the fact that USUALLY the lights are turned off in the bunker from 7pm til 5am Monday-thru Friday.
I can't reply about Press, 'cause I didn't hear them..on ANY of their stations..but I imagine they had SOME news about it during the day. I think ALL stations here should have been LIVE AND LOCAL ALL NIGHT..PERIOD.
The POINT..(sorry) that I was trying to make earlier was, that back in the day, NEWS was sacred at MOST local stations in NJ.. Remember WJLK back in the day?
Remember WCTC? Remember WFPG AM? Remember WHWH? WOND? WMTR? When you thought of LOCAL news in emergencies and other times, you went to THEM. Those and others, really DID local news. (Forgive me if I left some jersey call letters out).
Today..many operators opt for getting away with as little as possible, without regard to how the markets they serve FEEL about it. I bet that if ya did a focus group on this topic, you'd find many people still get their RADIO news from 101.5, WCBS-AM or KYW-AM near Philly..but here at the shore..it ain't what it used to be.
And THAT'S the only point I was trying to make. LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL!!!!!!!
I'm taking to task the CORPORATE suits that have to look at themselves in the mirror at night. Are they beholden to their bosses and stockholders in some far away office? Or are they responsibly handling the public trust that got them the license in the first place?
I hope that clears up some issues that I'm already dealing with among pals and associates in the radio biz here at the shore for my earlier comments.
I realize that MOST station news-folks WANT to do more..but are held back in some way, because God forbid Delilah gets bumped, or some voice-tracked issue can't be overcome unless someone comes in LIVE.
In closing..(cheers + applause sfx)..
I think THIS FIRE EVENT should put ALL local stations on notice..ya can't fake it..and ya can't cover it AFTER the fact. People NEEDED info NOW..and in some cases couldn't get it in a timely way with DEPTH.
Hats off to news-folks and jocks who DID do the best they could under bad circumstances..You know who you are. Once again..shame on decisions that are made because of the almighty dollar instead of being LIVE AND LOCAL at least 'til Midnight..and you know who you are.
I think that indeed Millenium did handle it best, as THEY at least have a staff to cover it, even grabbing folks from the mother-ship.
I must also commend my former peeps as JRZ for at least TRYING to cover it WITHOUT a news staff. They have had someone on LIVE for this, when the evenings are usually voice-tracked.. Chris Van Zant, who has been so nice to me since my leaving, stayed up ALL night and did a shift and interviewed folks at shelters, etc.. THAT's dedication..in spite of the fact that USUALLY the lights are turned off in the bunker from 7pm til 5am Monday-thru Friday.
I can't reply about Press, 'cause I didn't hear them..on ANY of their stations..but I imagine they had SOME news about it during the day. I think ALL stations here should have been LIVE AND LOCAL ALL NIGHT..PERIOD.
The POINT..(sorry) that I was trying to make earlier was, that back in the day, NEWS was sacred at MOST local stations in NJ.. Remember WJLK back in the day?
Remember WCTC? Remember WFPG AM? Remember WHWH? WOND? WMTR? When you thought of LOCAL news in emergencies and other times, you went to THEM. Those and others, really DID local news. (Forgive me if I left some jersey call letters out).
Today..many operators opt for getting away with as little as possible, without regard to how the markets they serve FEEL about it. I bet that if ya did a focus group on this topic, you'd find many people still get their RADIO news from 101.5, WCBS-AM or KYW-AM near Philly..but here at the shore..it ain't what it used to be.
And THAT'S the only point I was trying to make. LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL!!!!!!!
I'm taking to task the CORPORATE suits that have to look at themselves in the mirror at night. Are they beholden to their bosses and stockholders in some far away office? Or are they responsibly handling the public trust that got them the license in the first place?
I hope that clears up some issues that I'm already dealing with among pals and associates in the radio biz here at the shore for my earlier comments.
I realize that MOST station news-folks WANT to do more..but are held back in some way, because God forbid Delilah gets bumped, or some voice-tracked issue can't be overcome unless someone comes in LIVE.
In closing..(cheers + applause sfx)..
I think THIS FIRE EVENT should put ALL local stations on notice..ya can't fake it..and ya can't cover it AFTER the fact. People NEEDED info NOW..and in some cases couldn't get it in a timely way with DEPTH.
Hats off to news-folks and jocks who DID do the best they could under bad circumstances..You know who you are. Once again..shame on decisions that are made because of the almighty dollar instead of being LIVE AND LOCAL at least 'til Midnight..and you know who you are.
NJ101.5 and KYW1060 had the best coverage on the radio. NBC10 and 6ABC had the best coverage on TV.
The "Manahawkin" stations (WKMK/WCHR-FM/WJRZ) had some coverage but nothing to brag about.
"Ocean County's" WOBM was also rather lackluster.
The fire did get extremely close to the WKMK/WCHR-FM tower off Recovery Road but I don't think it effected anything.
The "Manahawkin" stations (WKMK/WCHR-FM/WJRZ) had some coverage but nothing to brag about.
"Ocean County's" WOBM was also rather lackluster.
The fire did get extremely close to the WKMK/WCHR-FM tower off Recovery Road but I don't think it effected anything.
8
8638
Guest
bigjay said:The POINT..(sorry) that I was trying to make earlier was, that back in the day, NEWS was sacred at MOST local stations in NJ.. Remember WJLK back in the day?
Remember WCTC? Remember WFPG AM? Remember WHWH? WOND? WMTR? When you thought of LOCAL news in emergencies and other times, you went to THEM. Those and others, really DID local news. (Forgive me if I left some jersey call letters out).
And THAT'S the only point I was trying to make. LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL!!!!!!!
Great point, Jay. I remember ALL of the stations you mentioned. When I lived in Mercer County, if something happened, you turned on Herb Hobler's WHWH. And you got local news there. I remember WOBM before it was gutted. I don't like it's music programming at all, but would tune to them if something was going on here in Ocean County. Turned it on when the fire hit....NOTHING. That's exactly the time when you need to be live/local. I guess live, local news coverage went the way of independently owned radio stations.
A
abonita
Guest
First, thanks to my pal Jay Sorensen, who -- as usual -- showed tremendous class in acknowledging the efforts of the station which without warning terminated his position.
As Jay mentioned, I am the news department at WJRZ, and our resources are admittedly limited. But in a time of emergency, my colleagues are first and foremost radio professionals -- and that means being live and local, as we were, through the entire night. News was not readily forthcoming; the state police, local police, and Forest Fire Service were not always in agreement on what was going on (but then again, to be fair, they of course were trying to get an out-of-control situation under control).
I commend the entire staff of WJRZ for its excellence in a most trying time, with special kudos to APD Chris Van Zant and webmaster Billy Clanton. On Tuesday, Chris did his regular afternoon shift, went home and took a shower, came back and took phone calls and fed information while Marc Lee was on the air ... and then proceeded to do the overnight shift, giving whatever new information he could cadge from various sources. After Spyder and I took over at 5, he went to Southern Regional High School to check on evacuees and talk with the Red Cross, and then drove out to Whiting to get an overview of just how big the thing was -- calling in to give us the latest from his sources. A few hours later, he was back on the air to do his regular afternoon shift again. Frankly, I'm amazed that he's still standing.
Billy spent most of the day updating the website with fresh information as it happened. WJRZ.com featured photos of the blaze submitted by listeners, road and school closures, necessary information on evacuation and water conservation, and even audio of press conferences and police reports.
We're also lucky in that OM Jeff Rafter hearkens back to a time in which news was considered of primary importance in local radio, and he knows how to set the wheels in motion even when we don't have any wheels to spare.
Was our coverage up to the standards described by others in this thread, of radio stations past? I couldn't say; I neither lived nor worked here then. But I can say that collectively, we did the best we could -- and based on the response from listeners, we were able to help them out in a time of need. And that's what it's really all about.
Anita
As Jay mentioned, I am the news department at WJRZ, and our resources are admittedly limited. But in a time of emergency, my colleagues are first and foremost radio professionals -- and that means being live and local, as we were, through the entire night. News was not readily forthcoming; the state police, local police, and Forest Fire Service were not always in agreement on what was going on (but then again, to be fair, they of course were trying to get an out-of-control situation under control).
I commend the entire staff of WJRZ for its excellence in a most trying time, with special kudos to APD Chris Van Zant and webmaster Billy Clanton. On Tuesday, Chris did his regular afternoon shift, went home and took a shower, came back and took phone calls and fed information while Marc Lee was on the air ... and then proceeded to do the overnight shift, giving whatever new information he could cadge from various sources. After Spyder and I took over at 5, he went to Southern Regional High School to check on evacuees and talk with the Red Cross, and then drove out to Whiting to get an overview of just how big the thing was -- calling in to give us the latest from his sources. A few hours later, he was back on the air to do his regular afternoon shift again. Frankly, I'm amazed that he's still standing.
Billy spent most of the day updating the website with fresh information as it happened. WJRZ.com featured photos of the blaze submitted by listeners, road and school closures, necessary information on evacuation and water conservation, and even audio of press conferences and police reports.
We're also lucky in that OM Jeff Rafter hearkens back to a time in which news was considered of primary importance in local radio, and he knows how to set the wheels in motion even when we don't have any wheels to spare.
Was our coverage up to the standards described by others in this thread, of radio stations past? I couldn't say; I neither lived nor worked here then. But I can say that collectively, we did the best we could -- and based on the response from listeners, we were able to help them out in a time of need. And that's what it's really all about.
Anita
K
krichardson
Guest
Yes! KUDOS to ALL NJ stations for covering the deadly fire in a manner befitting the news heritage of this great state!
E
eatspaste
Guest
krichardson said:Yes! KUDOS to ALL NJ stations for covering the deadly fire in a manner befitting the news heritage of this great state!
It wasn't a deadly fire, except for several thousand pine trees. That aside, in an area typically ignored by Philadelphia and NYC TV stations, I wonder how many people depended on radio for 100% of their information, especially in an area without a traditional AM news/talk station?
bigjay said:Ken..
Those were the days with 9 person news staffs, to actually COVER a story this large. So now-a-days, we're left with a 15 second story on channels 3, 6, 10, Fox, and in NY 2,4, Fox, 7, 9 & 11. And the ONLY reason they ran this story was because it LOOKS good on TV from their helicopter. It scares the old ladies in Seizure Village, and that's what TV news DOES best..on purpose. *Check out their weather-casts*
I also lament the lack of local news on MANY stations. But if they couldn't afford ME, how the heck are they gonna actually cover their marketplace with a news staff? Press has at least SOME local content on The Breeze, and a bit on the other stations..And, at least Millenium has SOME news on their stations. They still seem somewhat committed to getting news on. But it's a shell of what it used to be. Local politics is barely dented anymore..because the former owners WERE involved in local politics.
Local news MADE WOBM what it was. I was a newsman there in 1970. I remember.. JRZ also had a staff for a time, smaller, but now it's just my pal Anita who has virtually NO resources to gather her news. Good thing she's smart, or they'd have nothing.NOTHING. .
So from now on when there's a fire or other disaster..turn on the tube. Remember:
President gets shot, volcano destroys Rome, but the big story on Action News is a rowhouse fire in N.Philadelphia.
And on local radio it's: President gets shot, vocano destroys Rome, but the big story on local news...uh..doh..we dont' HAVE anyone to COVER it!!!
Shame on you bean counters. Shame on you listeners for ALLOWING this to happen without demanding better coverage of your area..
I guess knowing what day Paris Hilton is going to jail is MUCH more important on most area morning shows these days. Dispicable.
There..how was that Coops?
BE BIG
I heard lots of coverage of the fire. . . on Philadelphia Public Radio. I guess there IS value in non-commercial radio, huh Jay?
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