Power outages and their effect on Houston radio

[davideduardo]

All I'm saying is that if it is true (that they never lost power from the grid), then most of their power usage was wasteful. Residents were told to turn off non-essential electronics and appliances to conserve energy because "every little bit helped". Radio was absolutely non-essential during the storm. They served no purpose during an emergency.

I'll give you an example of a situation that occurred some years back in Puerto Rico when a major hurricane passed right over San Juan.

All of us that could remained on the air with emergency facilities, generators. The station I was with lost the top of the tower, but we had an auxiliary antenna on the building roof. During the storm, we had to switch to it and run on the generator. We kept our salsa music format, with frequent mentions of which stations had regular storm updates.

We were in the middle of a ratings period. We ordered a breakout for the day of the storm and the two days afterwards. Our station, WPRM and its network normally had around a 25 to 30 share in 18-34, but during the storm the number increased to over a 50 share. There was no TV, and power was out for 24 to 72 hours, and people were confined to their homes and wanted something other than storm and damage reports all the time. Oh, and Puerto Rico was a 120 station market back then.

We had already made a standard hurricane procedure where some of the air staff came to the station before the storm, brought the family which stayed in the office areas, and we put lots of food in freezers. Since our facility was made of reinforced concrete, including walls and the roof, it was nearly hurricane proof. So we had live personality radio, took calls from listeners telling of their experiences and created a community.

But we did no straight news. We had no staff and no knowledge or experience to do that. Instead, we entertained people who had just been through a huge hurricane and were trapped in their home.

There is more than one way to be of service.

 

[BamaTX]

Again, those stations that were in areas affected by blackouts were using their own independent local generators.

Are you saying that the Senior Rd. facilities got off of a working grid and generated their own power instead?

Corporate Radio being noble? Never heard of her.

 

[BamaTX]

If they were airing satellite programming controlled by a computer in a closet then fully agreed, completely non-essential if all the other assumptions you've made about their use of the power grid during that time were true.

This is exactly what happened across the board, which is why I believe radio stations were non-essential at the time.

 

[BamaTX]

I'll give you an example of a situation that occurred some years back in Puerto Rico when a major hurricane passed right over San Juan.

Apples and oranges situation.

Your example was of a post-disaster situation, which usually means people are out and about cleaning up and working to get back to normal. The freeze was a different monster. We've been through hurricanes and those have been nothing like the massive freeze that paralyzed an entire state for almost a week.

 

[ThatVoice22]

There's a missing element of essential information here regarding whether (or not) the Missouri City broadcast facilities lost power from the grid.
If they did lose power and went on emergency generators, that was no problem for other electricity customers.
If they did not lose power, some would say they were wasting power if broadcasting non-essential programming.

 

[davideduardo]

Apples and oranges situation.

Your example was of a post-disaster situation, which usually means people are out and about cleaning up and working to get back to normal. The freeze was a different monster. We've been through hurricanes and those have been nothing like the massive freeze that paralyzed an entire state for almost a week.

You have never been in a hurricane where the wind measurement devices at a nearby military base broke after they registered 208 knots. Here we are talking about Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

There was no power on most of the Island, except for the far western area. Most roads were impassible, and where you could drive, there were so many loose nails and glass and metal shards that you'd have 4 flats in less than a couple of miles.

At the stations I managed, we had no power for 6 days next to a major shopping center and surrounded by high-density residential. The transmitter site had fuel for over 7 days, and we were able to put drums of fuel in a 4-wheel drive vehicle and keep the FM on the air continuously.

I could not get to my house for 5 days, even though it was nearby. I was able to dispose of all the fresh food in the refrigerator, and make sure everything was locked. The huge metal sign from the gas station about a half mile away was on the roof of my neighbor's home, and there were still huge fallen trees all over.

Things did not get back to normal for over a month. The port was closed, and as PR produces nearly no crops on its own, food was getting scarce and many markets still could not open due to damage.

Of course, in the more recent hurricane several years ago, there were entire towns that did not get electricity back for up to six months. There are still, after three years, a few radio stations that have not been able to get back on the air as entire roads disappeared in the inland areas.

Oh, and all those greedy commercial stations rand commercial free for nearly a week except for ads for companies offering supplies, towing services and the like.

In any case, preparing for a storm like that consists of saying, "Stay at home. If your home is wood, go to a shelter. Stay away from rivers and streams. Don't go outside. Cover your windows." At that point, a Hurricane Preparedness Kit consisted of a couple of cases of Corona and a lot of bags of Doritos. There was nothing more anyone could do.

 

[davideduardo]

There's a missing element of essential information here regarding whether (or not) the Missouri City broadcast facilities lost power from the grid.
If they did lose power and went on emergency generators, that was no problem for other electricity customers.
If they did not lose power, some would say they were wasting power if broadcasting non-essential programming.

At every station I've been with or managed since the 60's, when power becomes unstable we went on the generator. Nobody is going to risk hugely expensive transmitters to voltage variations, voltage spikes, lightning hits in the lines, lines hitting each other, etc.

And I'll repeat: the small amount of power a radio station uses, when compared to being the only entertainment available to most people, is minimal. That is a considerable service during hard times.

 

[davideduardo]

Are you saying that the Senior Rd. facilities got off of a working grid and generated their own power instead?

Corporate Radio being noble? Never heard of her.

We get off the grid when it becomes unstable. Some generators have control circuitry that turns them on and transfers when read when multiple voltage variations, loss of cycling or more than one failure occurs in a set period of time. That is intended to prevent the "bad" line power from destroying equipment that may be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (such as two big FM transmitters run in parallel or two rigs, one always on hot standby).

In other cases, the engineer may remotely turn on the generator when they see erratic readings, carrier losses, etc.

That is not being noble. It is protecting very expensive equipment.

And everyone here is vastly exaggerating the power consumed by a broadcast transmitter. Example: I have a 20 kw home generator. It won't run the entire home, and shuts off lots of devices and areas. A pair of 20 kw FM transmitter that might be put into a combiner to get 100 kw ERP with 10 bays, give or take, might use a 60 kw generator run at around 80% for efficiency. That is just the power needed for minimal service of three or four homes on my block.

Of course, the tower lights have to be kept on anyway to prevent air hazards, so I am not counting that. But all the Senior Road FM stations combined might use less power that one square residential city block. The local supermarket that is trying to keep frozen foods from melting uses more than a couple of radio stations do.

 

[BamaTX]

You have never been in a hurricane where the wind measurement devices at a nearby military base broke after they registered 208 knots. Here we are talking about Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

So you're willing to compare a hurricane disaster to a freeze, but not to another hurricane?

The fact is that Radio failed to provide basic news/information when we needed it most. You can't compare the needs of a post-hurricane Puerto Rico to the needs of Texans during an ongoing freeze (nevermind that the cultures, values, and habits of both are completely different).

 

[BamaTX]

We get off the grid when it becomes unstable.

Like I said, it was alleged here that this wasn't the case during the freeze. The stations were run off of the grid the entire time.

Are you saying that information was incorrect?

 

[AnyHuman]

At that point, a Hurricane Preparedness Kit consisted of a couple of cases of Corona and a lot of bags of Doritos. There was nothing more anyone could do.

Sounds good especially during a hurricane, alcohol consumption is going up due to the pandemic actually. LOL I ordered pizza for breakfast this morning BTW, while we're on the subject.

 

[davideduardo]

Like I said, it was alleged here that this wasn't the case during the freeze. The stations were run off of the grid the entire time.

Are you saying that information was incorrect?

I don't know, but can ask any of a half dozen engineers. But the fact is that the draw of an average FM is less than a 3 or 4 houses with electric heat and appliances.

 

[davideduardo]

Like I said, it was alleged here that this wasn't the case during the freeze. The stations were run off of the grid the entire time.

I am saying that when power becomes unstable, stations get off the grid to avoid destroying very expensive gear and they run on the genny until the line power is stable.

 

[davideduardo]

So you're willing to compare a hurricane disaster to a freeze, but not to another hurricane?

You are trying to make the loss of power different in two different situations. The fact is, people have no power, have no refrigeration, and generally can't get very far away from home.

The fact is that Radio failed to provide basic news/information when we needed it most.

Most stations don't have news departments and have not since the 70's. But they provide company, entertainment, etc. which is also of value.

You can't compare the needs of a post-hurricane Puerto Rico to the needs of Texans during an ongoing freeze

There is no difference in the power need when the electrical system goes off from a flood, storm, earthquake, etc.

(nevermind that the cultures, values, and habits of both are completely different).

So human bodies are different in PR than TX?

Both jurisdictions are part of the USA, and Puerto Rico even has a bunch of McDonalds and WalMarts there.

 

[Mediafrog+]

This thread has become tiresome. Perhaps the vitriol should be reserved for the managers of the Texas electric grid, who fell flat on their face during a weather event that we knew was coming.

 

[davideduardo]

This thread has become tiresome. Perhaps the vitriol should be reserved for the managers of the Texas electric grid, who fell flat on their face during a weather event that we knew was coming.

Good point. Building weather events like storm fronts and hurricanes allow for a certain degree of preparedness, while earthquakes, flash floods, tornadoes and the like don't.

But the real issue is the crazy Texas system for purchasing "open market" power and not being connected to the national power grid plus the failure to realize that wind and solar power are highly variable and can not be "upped" on demand.

Whether some radio stations stayed on the air, likely using their own generators, is a tiny, insignificant sidebar to this larger issue. As America tries to use less and less fossil fuel, finding solutions for situations like this while using more environmentally friendly electricity generation need to be studied... quickly... and solutions found.

 

[BamaTX]

I don't know, but can ask any of a half dozen engineers. But the fact is that the draw of an average FM is less than a 3 or 4 houses with electric heat and appliances.

All residents and businesses were asked to make sacrifices to help a dire situation. If you had a working TV set, you would have seen city, county, and state officials pleading the public to be mindful of all power usage (including turning off small devices that drew the smallest amount of power).

All help was appreciated.

I am saying that when power becomes unstable, stations get off the grid to avoid destroying very expensive gear and they run on the genny until the line power is stable.

Yes, but I'm not sure what that has to do with the discussion. Someone claimed that the Senior Rd. tower never lost power back in February. Is your statement meant as a fun factoid or as knowledge of what actually happened at the facility? Because I'm simply going by what was reported here in February.

You are trying to make the loss of power different in two different situations. The fact is, people have no power, have no refrigeration, and generally can't get very far away from home.

They WERE different. I experienced the freeze and have experienced hurricanes here in Texas. I can say with confidence that both disasters were nothing alike.

Most stations don't have news departments and have not since the 70's.

It hasn't stopped stations from picking up TV feeds in the past.

But they provide company, entertainment, etc. which is also of value.

Regular programming may have been perceived to be that way in Puerto Rico. But it wasn't in Texas. Different cultures, different catastrophes, different situations, and different times.

Keep in mind that your average hurricane comes and goes from an area in less than 24 hours. Once the sun comes up after a hurricane, everyone just wants to rebuild to get on with their lives.

This freeze wasn't like that at all.

The freeze lasted almost an entire week, with some areas not having power for over 4 days. There was no rebuilding, just waiting in the freezing dark for a lot of folks wondering what the hell was going on.

There is no difference in the power need when the electrical system goes off from a flood, storm, earthquake, etc.

Except that you can't freeze to death from a flood, a storm, or an earthquake.

So human bodies are different in PR than TX?

No, but the disaster and culture is.

Both jurisdictions are part of the USA, and Puerto Rico even has a bunch of McDonalds and WalMarts there.

You of all people should know that demographics plays a role in how, when, and where people seek/want/need information. We are in a message board for an industry that specifically exploits age, race, sex, religion, culture, wealth, etc.

 

[BamaTX]

This thread has become tiresome. Perhaps the vitriol should be reserved for the managers of the Texas electric grid, who fell flat on their face during a weather event that we knew was coming.

I don't feel like the thread is vitriolic at all. There is some misinformation on whether or not radio stations were using the grid or not (but that's not a big deal).

Other than that, it is a healthy discussion on whether radio served its purpose or not during a once in a decade weather phenomenon.

Bashing the power grid seems like an off-topic issue that usually ends up with heated politic arguing. Not something I'm interested tbh.

 

[davideduardo]

Regular programming may have been perceived to be that way in Puerto Rico. But it wasn't in Texas. Different cultures, different catastrophes, different situations, and different times.

It's really hard to believe that, other than language and climate, Puerto Rico is really much different than the rest of the United States. After all, it has been part of the USA for 123 years.

Keep in mind that your average hurricane comes and goes from an area in less than 24 hours. Once the sun comes up after a hurricane, everyone just wants to rebuild to get on with their lives.

The storm itself may be gone, but the flooding, washed out roads, lack of electrical power and communications and many other things last, at best, for weeks. At worst, several years.

A power outage leaves very little after-effect. Melted frozen food, issues at blood banks, laboratories and continuous proecess industries, etc., take some time to repair but the bulk of infrastructure just turns back on like a light bulb.

The freeze lasted almost an entire week, with some areas not having power for over 4 days. There was no rebuilding, just waiting in the freezing dark for a lot of folks wondering what the hell was going on.

And that is what happens after a major hurricane... it can be a week or more for power to be broadly restored. In the case of Puerto Rico, it's taken three years and it's still not all repaired.

Except that you can't freeze to death from a flood, a storm, or an earthquake.

Sure you can, if such a disaster happens in a cold climate or during a cold season.

I remember a massive power failure that lasted several days in Quito, Ecuador, when I lived there. There were people nearly freezing to death at night, and the city opened schools, military bases, even vacant jail cells to accomodate them and they rounded up burlap used for shipping as blankets.

No, but the disaster and culture is.

Puerto Rico has a regional version of American culture because all Puerto Ricans are Americans and the economy, the food products, the educational system and much more all are modeled after the 50 states.

You of all people should know that demographics plays a role in how, when, and where people seek/want/need information. We are in a message board for an industry that specifically exploits age, race, sex, religion, culture, wealth, etc.

No, radio does not "exploit" those characteristics. Individual stations serve different subsets, such as sports fans, hip hop fans, A/C fans, conservative talk fans and the like. Except for a smaller slice of total radio listening, stations are not, generally, based on religious beliefs. Tastes vary by age, by ethnicity, gender and other factors and, depending on each metro area's number of people liking a particular kind of programming, one or more stations will decide to serve that group and market the delivery of same to advertisers.

If I like classical music, and there are enough other people who like it in my area and advertisers or a non-profit group want to reach all of use, we'll have a classical station. But I won't feel exploited, I'll feel served by a free radio service that I enjoy listening to.

 

[JustinT]

Stepping away from the power/generators discussion...

Radio had a golden opportunity during the power outage. After years of audience attition to new technologies, suddenly you had a moment where data networks across the city were down, and TV stations were impossible to watch with no power or wireless data. Radio was the only game in town for many, and had a completely captive audience as Houstonians warmed up in their cars.

We can say that radio stations were understaffed and couldn't do more. We can say the pandemic prevented stations from doing more. We can say lack of warning prevented radio stations from doing more. There were some select and notable exceptions where good programming did happen. But in large, the freeze was an opportunity to make the possibilities of radio known to audiences that have otherwise fled for other technologies. Opportunity lost.