RGV: Hurricane Dolly Coverage

[Smittian]

It's 1 AM and Hurricane Dolly is bearing down on the Valley.

KRGV -- Live coverage with Tim Smith and reporters stationed around the RGV.

KGBT & KVEO--- Infomercials


As for the Radio, KURV-AM has blown the competition away with coverage for the past 36 hours. The only other station on which I've heard live hurricane information was KVLY-FM earlier this afternoon.

 

[arnoldevns]

Sounds like KGBT and KVEO need to have their licenses challenged when they come up for renewal.
If you've got a news department and you can't figure out that you're not serving the public interest by running informercials instead of news when there's an impendind disaster bearing down your community, you should not have a license to broadcast - period.

 

[dhett]

Sounds like KGBT and KVEO need to have their licenses challenged when they come up for renewal.

That would be in 2013 or 2014.

 

[KERCAlum]

Licenses are typically three years, according to release number FCC 73-451, which also set forth how broadcasters are required to let viewers and listeners know how they can comment on the station's performance "in the public interest as a public trustee." I would recommend that, in addition to sending complaints to those two stations (which must remain in the public file for public inspection until and unless the complainant desires otherwise), complaints also be sent to the FCC. I do not believe the FCC has ever suspended its rules in order to allow stations to place revenue over public safety.

 

[dhett]

Licenses are typically three years, according to release number FCC 73-451, which also set forth how broadcasters are required to let viewers and listeners know how they can comment on the station's performance "in the public interest as a public trustee." I would recommend that, in addition to sending complaints to those two stations (which must remain in the public file for public inspection until and unless the complainant desires otherwise), complaints also be sent to the FCC. I do not believe the FCC has ever suspended its rules in order to allow stations to place revenue over public safety.

No, television licenses are now for up to eight years. See 47 CFR 73.1020. I believe the change was made in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. For example, the KGBT-TV license expires 8/1/2014, having been renewed in 2006. The license of any new Texas station will also expire 8/1/2014.

 

[Smittian]

Now that the storm is over, let me say that the TV stations in the Rio Grande Valley did an admirable job of covering the storm. If I had to give grades for their handling of the storm it would be..............

KRGV (A+) Continuous coverage from Tuesday evening until around 11:30 PM Wednesday night. Tim Smith was on the air for all but about 1 hour of that time. Had reporters stationed in Port Isabel, South Padre Island, Brownsville, Port Mansfield, Harlingen, McAllen, Weslaco with numerous live remotes from each location. Anchor people did a great job as well.

KGBT (B-) The only reason they get a grade this high is because of meterologist Bryan Hale. He's good but the rest of the weather staff there is horrible. They recently brought in a girl who can't even talk. I can't believe they pushed Larry James out the door to bring in someone like this. Their coverage was continuous from Early Wed. Morning to around 10:30 at night. Not as many reporters/live remotes as KRGV.

KVEO (C-) I'm gonna cut them some slack because their news department has only been in existance for less than a year. You can tell they're trying, they just don't have any resources. Sort of like Slippery Rock trying to take on the Dallas Cowboys & New York Giants. Their weather girl is quite attractive, which gets them some extra points!


Radio..........KURV and no one else even comes close. It would not surprise me to see some awards coming their way.

 

[mmnassour]

I don't know why any of this would be surprising. KRGV has for years been the leader in weather coverage down there. As far back as Hurricane Allen (1982?) everyone from the newsroom to the engineers were busting their you-know-whats to keep that station hot. During Allen, when TV went down (finally) everyone shifted over to radio and continued it there. They were also the first station back on. IIRC, that was the end of KGBT's dominance in the Valley.

FWIW, does anyone know whether it's correct that NBC threatened to pull KVEO's affiliation unless it began that newscast? A good friend mentioned that to me a while back.

 

[azumanga]

FWIW, does anyone know whether it's correct that NBC threatened to pull KVEO's affiliation unless it began that newscast? A good friend mentioned that to me a while back.

I don't believe NBC has such as policy -- some stations such as WTWC in Tallahassee and WNKY in Bowling Green, Kentucky have no local newscasts. WNKY only has a brief 10PM weather segment.

 

[Horns]

Boy, I agree, the girl I saw on KGBT (I believe she was the morning girl) was horrible. And, yes she couldn't talk. Looked like she had no clue what was going on. Terrible.

I listened to the big country station (KTEX I believe) on the web for a while when Dolly was hitting. I was shocked they were still in regular programming. The DJ would occasionally give an update on the location of the storm, but add very little local information. Horrible programming in a local emergency. Just sounded like another day with a few extra weather reports.

 

[mmnassour]

I'd be surprised if any of the Valley radio stations besides KURV really shone for the storm. Unless you've got some kind of agreement with a TV station or newspaper for coverage in this kind of situation, the music stations are pretty much lost. Ever since the FCC decided in the 80s that you don't have to do news (for all intents and purposes) music radio is about as much good in an emergency situation as an IPod. And that' s not just in the RGV, it's everywhere.