Severe Storm Coverage in Vermont..

[NO DAG]

A line of powerful severe thurnderstorms hits the greater Rutland area with ample warning and prediction.. Power is out, lots of trees down, lots of inconveniences similar to the April 2007 Nor'Easter (Some called this a "Nor-Icane").. And since the storm hit on a weekend, not on a weekday between 6am and 7 pm, the storm coverage locally was... nonexistant..

Power was lost at my house for at least 12 hours. I do give some credit to WNVR/WNYV Poultney since I heard their coverage coming back from Lake Bomoseen the other day. They had lots of forecast updates outside of the EAS from the time I heard them..

 

[louiemanno]

JoJo:

We had a similar situation here in Chittenden County about 2 weeks ago. I was out for a walk on Burlington’s Bike Path when a Parks and Rec official on an ATV told me and a few other people to take cover because there was a tornado warning. I had a portable radio with me and tuned in WVMT assuming that a news talk station would be all over it.

In the hour I listened all I heard was a bunch of lame generic promos declaring how great their local news coverage is followed by the canned Accu-Weather forecast which called for partly cloudy skies and perhaps a quick passing shower. And this was in the middle of afternoon drive!

I don’t care how many cut backs there are in local radio crack open a freaking mike during an emergency. And if it’s the weekend or the middle of the night … GET YOUR ASS TO THE RADIO STATION. Radio is more than just a business… If it’s only about the money open a Dunkin Doughnuts franchise.

I don’t know if the Emergency Alert System kicked in… if it did, it didn’t happen during the hour I was listening.

The tornado eventually touched down in grand isle… Sure hope they didn’t get their information from the radio there.

WVMT failed the community and they should hang their heads in shame.

Louie

 

[BRNout]

I don’t care how many cut backs there are in local radio crack open a freaking mike during an emergency. And if it’s the weekend or the middle of the night … GET YOUR ASS TO THE RADIO STATION. Radio is more than just a business… If it’s only about the money open a Dunkin Doughnuts franchise.

So well put - and I could not agree more! I too have been in places where a tornado or severe T-storm warning has been issued and the local "news/talk" station continues with syndicated fare while voice tracking and music rule the FM dial. This is commonplace in sub-100 markets. And, God help you if a tornado has the nerve to strike on a weekend or at night! In those cases, instant local radio coverage can be tough to find in markets smaller than the top 25!

Sadly, this is a growing trend that affects more areas than ever before and the residents in those places suffer from a lack of current, updated information in an urgent situation. This is where that whole "public airwaves" thing needs to kick in. Although I usually find that things work better when market forces take over, this is a case where that is not working.

Someone should be on call to relay emergency information to the public, and perhaps it needs to be a regulatory requirement. Let 'em pool resources if they must, but there needs to be a local info source on the radio aside from telling people to go out and purchase NOAA weather radios. Until all cars come with them (which will never happen), that suggestion is useless. That's a cop-out.

Local radio needs to step up at times like these.

 

[louiemanno]

BR:

It stems from a larger and pervasive problem in the radio industry... it is the sin of indifference. Far too much energy is put into posturing (saying how great they are) And far too little energy is put into being great. It seems to me the you burn the same amount of calories by doing as you do by saying that you do.

Louie

 

[Radiodeity]

I think we can all agree that ‘Serving the Public Interest’ is pretty much a non-requirement anymore. All you have to do is make up something to insert in the public file and the Feds continue to be happy even though they are well aware the whole ‘Serving the Public Interest’ and Public File thing is a lie.

Which brings me to a really off beat idea – the kind of idea that keeps me from getting that really good radio gig…

Why don’t big corporate radio owners just combine the radio operations with the local 24 hour fast-food franchise and save themselves a pile of bucks. That way they can locate the sales department in the back room next to the hamburger buns and put the voice-track studio right next to the French fry station.

Now here’s where it gets good… if there is say, a big local emergency – something like an huge thunderstorm event, an event I never get there in time to get the really good tickets down front – the guy with the drive thru headset just pushes that BIG RED BUTTON that the contract engineer rigged into the system and Bingo! They’re On-The-Air instantly letting the news hungry citizens know to take cover – which would be amusing since you won’t ever know if the frying sound you’re hearing is from the fry station or the Drive-Thru Microphone guy crisping up from a direct lightning strike.

Well I better go now – something tells me the meds are wearing off…

(Just another point of view…)

 

[louiemanno]

Radiodeity

lol... Don’t give the owners any idea’s …But while we are on the subject… I think fast food is a good metaphor for the state of radio. Just like the fast food joints radio doesn’t care if what they feed you is good for you or not as long as you buy it.

Politicians are all worried about the “Fairness Doctrine” when they should be enacting the “Responsibility Doctrine”

If as a broadcaster you actually do serve the public interest… that would be something you could hang your hat on. It would actually be good for business! Here’s a free slogan: “We’re the radio station that has your back”.


Lol... I just can't help myself …No wonder I haven’t found a job yet.

Louie

 

[Radiodeity]

Here’s a free slogan: “We’re the radio station that has your back”.

Louie...

Ummm... maybe you want to adjust that slogan just a bit. Although that's a really good one, if its pondered too long it begins to have a double meaning in a way. After working in radio over 30 years I've been at quite a few places that did have my back. But it was the knife they were keeping there that really began to hurt after awhile when the rust started to make it truely uncomfortable...

Maybe you might want to change it to: "We’re the radio station that will cover your back" or some such wording.

Yup... and ideas like that are what keep me from getting that really good radio gig...

 

[louiemanno]

RD:

My friend, everything you “ponder to long” has a double meaning… even the phrase “double meaning” !

Till next time…

“Were working long and hard to be your favorite radio station”- Scott Shannon WHTZ New York circa 1982

Louie