No more school closings?

[TRF]

Conelrad consisted of high-power regional stations, on specific frequencies,
that would be the only ones on the air, during a declared emergency. This
was during the days of the "Cold War" era. Check it out on the internet.
Interesting reading!

The Wikipedia page doesn't elaborate, but these weren't separate, dedicated stations, just existing AM stations that retuned their transmitters to 640 or 1240 (or maybe some had an dedicated Conelrad transmitter?), and operated in a round-robin sequence to prevent homing in on a transmitter signal. See, for example, http://www.oldradio.com/current/bc_conel.htm - scroll down to Phil Alexander's story for a description of the frequency change.

Most of the Google search results are just versions of the Wikipedia page, but a transistor radio project in Boys' Life (January 1956) has a good explanation of how the system worked (though I doubt that the system intended stations as far apart as New York and Kansas City to be part of the same rotation):
http://books.google.com/books?id=biVS179K0A0C&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[TSBench]

Why would I even need to turn the radio on if the info is only on the website?

For the same reasons that a couple of million New Englanders do when the weather is nice and school is in session. IOW, like every other day.

No station is going to cater to folks who just tune in for storm cancellations at the risk of boring their regular listeners into pushing the button.

You can trust me on this.

Regards,
TSB

 

[MickeyD]

Why would I even need to turn the radio on if the info is only on the website?

For the same reasons that a couple of million New Englanders do when the weather is nice and school is in session. IOW, like every other day.

No station is going to cater to folks who just tune in for storm cancellations at the risk of boring their regular listeners into pushing the button.

You can trust me on this.

Regards,
TSB

Well what do you do when there is no internet service, no power, just total destruction? The radio was the only game in town and half of them were wiped out. It was all we had. It was the first time that people actually used those hand generator radios. No one was bored they listened to every word.

 

[Schuyler]

I used to watch Morning Almanac with Jack Chase and Don Kent for school closings. Jack was intense. "NO SCHOOL, ALL SCHOOLS, ALL DAY IN THE FOLLOWING TOWNS".

When that was done they would have Chris something with the pans bang one together and destroy it. Don't remember what the company he worked for.

Saladmaster?

That's correct. That guy used to bang away on pots and pans during wrestling matches in spots that I'm pretty sure were longer than just 60 seconds. Maybe he tossed the beat-up Brand X pans out into the snow.

 

[Oldbones]

Well what do you do when there is no internet service, no power, just total destruction? The radio was the only game in town and half of them were wiped out. It was all we had. It was the first time that people actually used those hand generator radios. No one was bored they listened to every word.

Big difference between 4" of snow and Hurricane Sandy.

 

[TRF]

Well what do you do when there is no internet service, no power, just total destruction?

Um, stop wondering whether school is closed today?

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Big difference between 4" of snow and Hurricane Sandy.

Just for perspective, also keep in mind: Big difference between 4" of snow.... IN BOSTON and say 4" of snow in Little Rock or in Atlanta. One of the challenges of radio is to keep in mind that if we work for a company that has stations in many markets, of if you work for a Mom-and-Pop operation, there is always this tendency of people INSIDE the business to look around and want to "fit the mold"... radio people want to do what they think radio people are expected to do... or the public won't see how professional we are.

 

[DG02816]

To answer Scott's question, KYW still does school closings; each school still has the 4-digit number assigned to it.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

I lived in Atlanta, GA for awhile, in the early 1980's.
If they get a DUSTING of snow there, that does not
melt right away, the entire COUNTY shuts down.
No plows/salt/sand, except out at the airport...

On the plus side, it is alot of fun to watch the locals
try and drive in it! ;D