KUDOS TO AREA STATIONS FOR STORM COVERAGE

[rtetro]

On Wednesday afternoon I was passing through Binghamton on my way to Oneonta from Philadelphia. When I got to Exit 2, Chenango Bridge, on I-88 the interstate was closed due to mudslides, trees, and flooding. Being unfamiliar with the back roads of Broome, Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego Counties it didn't take me long to get lost. Finally, I was able to get good directions from a fireman who pointed me in the right direction to get back to I-88 and continue my journey to Oneonta.

As I was driving around the region, I was listening to reports being issued on AM and FM stations across the dial. I was amazed at the quality and quatity of information I was hearing, paraticularly on WNBF and WAAL in Binghamton, WCDO
AM & FM in Sidney, and WCHN in Norwich. I could mention a few other stations, but have forgotten or did not get their call letters.

Reports were complete and detailed, well put together, and most importantly from the standpoint of a listener, they made sense of what I was experiencing on the roads.

With all of the talk in the industry about local radio having abrogating its responsibility to provide emergency information in times of need and peril, this market's coverage was healthy, alive, and well. As one who was passing through at a difficult weather period, thank you. You folks ROCK!!!!

 

[stevewillett]

A lot of credit should be given to Roger Neel who remained at the Citadel studios after the city evacuated the building and the downtown. The radio station was in the flood zone and the studios are in the basement. I heard that Roger stayed through the night and luckily all of the morning shows were allowed back into the city to get to the station the next morning with the river flooding just 1 block away.

 

[W2JUV_AL]

Have to say my experience with travelling through Binghamton yesterday (9/9) was difficult and local radio (News Station 1290) was virtually useless. There was a massive traffic tieup on I-81 northbound that started several miles east of the city and extended northward. Tuned to 1290 AM and listened to a guy talk about flooded cellars, and now "comments from the mayor"...Blah Blah Blah. More jabber about the Susquehanna river and more of the mayor's Blah, Blah, Blah. For almost two hours not one word about traffic conditions, closures or re-routings on the major arteries in the area. Finally stopped at a MacDonalds on Front St and got info from a courteous employee.
AM radio fails again.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Have to say my experience with travelling through Binghamton yesterday (9/9) was difficult and local radio (News Station 1290) was virtually useless.

Did you try hitting "scan"? There are lots of other radio stations in Binghamton.

Once again, the value of "old fashioned" towers and transmitters was demonstrated by a dedicated group of broadcasters.

 

[W2JUV_AL]

Scan results in Binghamton NY:

680 AM music of your great grandfathers life
1290 News/Talk
1360 syndicated sports talk
1430 syndicated sports talk

FM's various music formats

 

[Savage]

I want to send our heartfelt sympathies to Dave Radigan and crew at WEBO on the loss of their downtown Owego studios and offices. They had built a very nice storefront-studio facility which was a real credit to downtown. Sadly, fybush.com reports that the 1880s brick block containing WEBO has been condemned due to foundation undermining from the flood.

Dave, Mark Humphrey and staff and volunteers have been evacuating equipment from the flood-damaged building as the first floor starts to collapse. WEBO is broadcasting from the transmitter site and an RV-plus-generator arrangement.

About 6 years after WYSL signed on we suffered a disastrous overnight fire, putting us off the air for 3 weeks while we cleaned up. God watched over the situation and saw to it we didn't lose our building. I know the heartbreak of having years of hard work wiped out in a matter of hours.

Let's all keep Dave, Mark and their people in our thoughts and prayers. Meanwhile I have absolute confidence that Dave & WEBO will rebound just fine.

 

[Savage]

UPDATE ON WEBO: I am pleased to report that I heard promptly from Mark. Apparently the structural damage to the Owego block is not as dire as first thought, so the building can be shored up and repaired. Still WEBO will have to evacuate for several weeks pending renovation, replacement of floors and sheetrock. We also are told WEBO's equipment survived.

In the meantime WEBO will broadcast from "an alternate location." Praise the Lord!! ;D

 

[scappy]

Scan results in Binghamton NY:

680 AM music of your great grandfathers life
1290 News/Talk
1360 syndicated sports talk
1430 syndicated sports talk

FM's various music formats

I know for a fact that 680 and 1430 were cutting in with traffic, detour, and evacuation information. As were the "various music formats" on 92.5, 103.3, 105.7, and 107.5. I was one of the people providing those reports. No interviews, just information from Broome and Tioga county's emergency contacts.

As for 680's format, if your great grandfather is into hits from the late 50's through now, then yes, it is his music. WINR dropped the old "Music of Your Life" format years ago and now has the Dial-Global "Adult Standards" format.

 

[stevewillett]

Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkle and Ferrante & Teicher is stuff my mom would like and she's 90. Maybe a young great grandfather!

 

[RadioListener19]

I feel that Cool 100 & Q106 did a excellent job they did about 6 hours of nonstop coverage. They got rid of the music and commericals for that 6 hours and did nothing but talk about the flood. They did a great job.