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How to cover the worst storm since 1990?

S

SeattleObserver

So... we've now had ice/snow pack, more snow (5+") and now a thin layer of ice covering it. It's one of the rockiest, worst transit disruptions ever. People are without power in the south sound... how is it being covered on people's (possible) one lifeline?

Well, first off, I think stations have done a disgustingly poor job of communicating the massive disruptions to Metro service. Yes, most people do have mobile phones now, but the Metro Info. Line gets overloaded and sometimes you can't even wait 'in queue' to talk to a rider info. official.

Secondly, as I sit here in a touch of insomnia, KIRO is in infomercials and scheduled to run recorded programming today - not even a newscast this Sunday morning before Seahawks pre-game at 10 am...

KOMO is following the "KIRO" approach if it were a weekday and running listener calls. *gag* Frankly, I would rather that KOMO follow a TV style of reporting and play information from spokespeople from the local governments, etc. and then tell people, "hey, we're doing a live call in show for those of you that want to talk about the storm on our sister station K-V-I AM 5-70..." I also don't see why KOMO 4 reporters that are on scenes now can't be calling in with 'professional' condition reports to KOMO's one anchor at this point.

It's also weird/funny for me to hear their traffic reports talking about roads (not highways) in Maple Valley. Isn't there anything more pressing? Updates on road surfaces on major roads? Pass closures? Metro schedules for those trying to go to the Hawks game Sunday?

Well that's my 2c. I'm going to try to fall back asleep and hope I don't lose power. None of this really matters anyway since Arbitron diary reporting went into "holiday mode" December 11.

*Curled up at home*
~ Seattle Observer
 
I think both KIRO and KOMO are doing a fine job of covering the storm, each in their own way. I woke up without power and turned on the radio to find out what was going on. KIRO had CBS National News, then a complete local newscast/weather update and then back to CBS programming. KOMO did not go to the network. They did a complete local newscast/weather update and then went to driver to driver coverage.

I noted during the week that KIRO did expanded newscasts and then went back to the local talk topics of the day. KOMO did the same then went back to driver to driver coverage.

Both models work for me. For a news station, break up the news reporters and experts with listeners calling in. (KOMO) For a news/talk station break up the news reporters and experts with local or national talk. (KIRO) If ratings were underway both stations would do well. Music stations play music and do quick weather/traffic updates. I tend to flip around, as you can tell, and each station delivered what I expected. That is a good thing.
 
Sorry, Observer - I don't agree with you. I think it's an ABSOLUTE JOKE that KIRO - the station which positions itself as "This is where Seattle stays in touch" - couldn't dump ONE NIGHT's worth of infomercials for live storm coverage. Maybe the KIRO positioner should change to "This is where Seattle stays in touch, as long as it doesn't impact our revenue stream".

As for KOMO taking calls instead of talking to the "professional reporters": First of all, TV reporters resent having to do "extra work" by filing separate reports for radio. So that's why you usually don't hear the TV people on radio all that often unless the audio was edited from a TV package. And to me it's better radio hearing how the storm is affecting individual residents instead of rerunning the same canned Greg Nickels press conference run ad infinitum. So kudos to KOMO.
 
Some expect that no matter which MINUTE they turn on the radio there will be the information THEY want. Unfortunately, 24/7 coverage of a storm like this would be very boring for all. Repeat, repeat, repeat... there should be a limit on how many times a station airs that the roads are slick and that people should only venture out if absolutely necessary, and that they should be careful.

It works best if the listeners understand WHEN the updates will be, and then listens for them.
 
KJAQ played Foreigner's "Cold As Ice" before setting a new guiness record by playing Funky Cold Medina for the 10,000th time. Does that count for anything? ;D
 
KOMO's doing a good job.....better than KIRO or KGMI up here....
 
Bongwater said:
KOMO's doing a good job.....better than KIRO or KGMI up here....
Click to expand...
KGMI is doing anything? Nice.

I come from a place in another part of the country where the local FM adult contemporary station became the only voice for people in the last similar event (it was a major wind storm, not snow, but power was out everywhere).

The "News Talk" stations there never leave the bird. (and this is an area with as many people as Bellingham)

DJ Dan, I accept your point. Radio Pro, I wasn't disagreeing with what you just said. I also felt the station "where Seattle stays in touch" shouldn't be airing a week in review canned CBS hour.
 
I like KOMO for it's Driver to Driver coverage. This is how to deal with a snowstorm right....
 
Bongwater said:
I like KOMO for it's Driver to Driver coverage. This is how to deal with a snowstorm right....
Click to expand...

here's a plan to keep us all busy. We take up collection...buy an AM for about $187.23 and launch the all "Marco Polo" format. One person chasing another using driver-to-driver throughout the Puget Sound using the station and cell phones. It has "NTR" and "New Media" written all over it. Ooops...gotta go. VC guys are already calling to get in on this....
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
Bongwater said:
I like KOMO for it's Driver to Driver coverage. This is how to deal with a snowstorm right....
Click to expand...

here's a plan to keep us all busy. We take up collection...buy an AM for about $187.23 and launch the all "Marco Polo" format. One person chasing another using driver-to-driver throughout the Puget Sound using the station and cell phones. It has "NTR" and "New Media" written all over it. Ooops...gotta go. VC guys are already calling to get in on this....
Click to expand...

...and kudos to KUBE for their Gangsta to Gangsta, Boo to Boo coverage......
 
I find it more than a little amusing that Luke Burbank is apparently so incapable of multitasking that they brought in Frank Shiers for a second airshift from 7 to 10 of snow coverage instead of having Burbank do snow coverage (or was he on one of his many vacations?). (Not that I'm not grateful for KIRO keeping us from having to listen to Burbank pronounce "snow" as "sthnow" for 3 hours.)
 
The November trend reveals the show may just be on the wrong station. KIRO dominated November election numbers literally doubling any other station in the Seattle market in every daypart with the exception of nights which was 70% off from the rest of the day. The KIRO brand is news and talk and their dominance in ratings in the Oct and Nov books have re-established that brand, which targets 44-65. Luke's show is aimed much younger and will not even get the chance it might deserve to connect with its audience on KIRO. Kind of like putting the T-Man on KCMS. Not a good fit. The night show might be a better fit for an FM station like KNDD or KMTT, possibly mixed with some music. Other than 7p-12mid it is hard to fault KIRO AM/FM for delivering the numbers in any other daypart. During the election they were the big winner along with sister station KTTH. The storm coverage would have helped them as well which is probably why Luke got the night off.
 
All I know is that Frank Shiers/Josh Kearns tag-teaming TBTL tonight was some of the most compelling local PM talk radio I've ever heard in a market outside the top 10 with the exception of the nightshift show on the talk station in Greeley, Colo. Those two would make a good team after Burbank gets the axe in a few months.

It was non-political, non-blood boiling, anecdotal neighborly chit-chat of the kind that Burbank tries to pull off but always fails due to his insistence on weaving in poorly timed jokes, tortured and overly scripted bits that are derivative of better radio and tv shows, the distraction of his speech impediment and the constant interruptions by the bellicose laugh-track supplied by his sidekick/call screener, Jenn.

I wouldn't make a point of trying to listen to Shiers/Kearns, but I'd at least be willing to hit 710 on my presets if I were motoring about in the evening, something I'm loathe to do now.
 
The guys on KIRO tonight sound like they know what they're talking about and I'd take that any day over Burbank. Overall I think KIRO does a better job with this kind of stuff. KOMO's neighbor to neighbor coverage is an interesting idea, but executed very poorly when I was listening to someone named Jennifer who couldn't ad lib anything more than a "good advice" when someone had a comment about driving.
 
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