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This is what happened to WWL...

J

JamzUSA

Guest
From Radio and Records:

Entercom/New Orleans Hit Hard By Katrina

Entercom VP/News & Talk Programming Ken Beck tells R&R that News/Talker WWL was knocked off the air by Katrina overnight but reports the station's coverage has continued on the company's FMs in the market. However, those stations as well have been on and off the air intermittently since the storm hit the Big Easy.

"Our studio and office windows are blown out," reports Beck, "but thankfully no one has been hurt as of 11am."

Meanwhile the New Orleans Superdome, the city's primary storm shelter, lost a portion of its famed domed roof overnight. No injuries were reported to any of the 10,000-plus citizens who took refuge in the stadium. Power in the Superdome failed at about 5am, and although emergency generators kicked in to provide light to the arena, the backup power is not enough to run the building's air conditioning units.
 
That is too bad. WWL was an important information resource to residents who were on the road and needed reports from home. WWL failed them. I am disappointed with them, that they could not do a better job. The hurricane winds had not even started when they went off the air.


> From Radio and Records:
>
> Entercom/New Orleans Hit Hard By Katrina
>
> Entercom VP/News & Talk Programming Ken Beck tells R&R
> that News/Talker WWL was knocked off the air by Katrina
> overnight but reports the station's coverage has continued
> on the company's FMs in the market. However, those stations
> as well have been on and off the air intermittently since
> the storm hit the Big Easy.
>
> "Our studio and office windows are blown out," reports Beck,
> "but thankfully no one has been hurt as of 11am."
>
> Meanwhile the New Orleans Superdome, the city's primary
> storm shelter, lost a portion of its famed domed roof
> overnight. No injuries were reported to any of the
> 10,000-plus citizens who took refuge in the stadium. Power
> in the Superdome failed at about 5am, and although emergency
> generators kicked in to provide light to the arena, the
> backup power is not enough to run the building's air
> conditioning units.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
I wouldn't be so quick to jump to a conclusion that WWL failed its audience. Last night, they switched to their auxiliary studios at the emergency headquarters of civil defense which apparently was in a very secure building and not at the WWL studios.

Just because their windows were blown out at the studios shouldn't have impacted their ability to broadcast..or the way it was explained on WWL last night, it shouldn't.

I suspect the problem was much more serious and likely at the transmitter site. I wouldn't be surprised if their two 620 foot towers may have been damaged or the site, south of downtown, was flooded.

> That is too bad. WWL was an important information resource
> to residents who were on the road and needed reports from
> home. WWL failed them. I am disappointed with them, that
> they could not do a better job. The hurricane winds had not
> even started when they went off the air.
>
>
> > From Radio and Records:
> >
> > Entercom/New Orleans Hit Hard By Katrina
> >
> > Entercom VP/News & Talk Programming Ken Beck tells R&R
> > that News/Talker WWL was knocked off the air by Katrina
> > overnight but reports the station's coverage has continued
>
> > on the company's FMs in the market. However, those
> stations
> > as well have been on and off the air intermittently since
> > the storm hit the Big Easy.
> >
> > "Our studio and office windows are blown out," reports
> Beck,
> > "but thankfully no one has been hurt as of 11am."
> >
> > Meanwhile the New Orleans Superdome, the city's primary
> > storm shelter, lost a portion of its famed domed roof
> > overnight. No injuries were reported to any of the
> > 10,000-plus citizens who took refuge in the stadium. Power
>
> > in the Superdome failed at about 5am, and although
> emergency
> > generators kicked in to provide light to the arena, the
> > backup power is not enough to run the building's air
> > conditioning units.
> >
>
 
> From Radio and Records:
>
> Entercom/New Orleans Hit Hard By Katrina
>
> Entercom VP/News & Talk Programming Ken Beck tells R&R
> that News/Talker WWL was knocked off the air by Katrina
> overnight but reports the station's coverage has continued
> on the company's FMs in the market. However, those stations
> as well have been on and off the air intermittently since
> the storm hit the Big Easy.
>
> "Our studio and office windows are blown out," reports Beck,
> "but thankfully no one has been hurt as of 11am."
>
> Meanwhile the New Orleans Superdome, the city's primary
> storm shelter, lost a portion of its famed domed roof
> overnight. No injuries were reported to any of the
> 10,000-plus citizens who took refuge in the stadium. Power
> in the Superdome failed at about 5am, and although emergency
> generators kicked in to provide light to the arena, the
> backup power is not enough to run the building's air
> conditioning units.
>
None of the New Orleans signals that I can usually hear in Lafayette can be picked up. That includes the AMs WWL, WNOE, WTIX and the FMs WQUE, WYLD, and WRNO. I am receiving a carrier with no program on 92.3.
Am I to assume they are off the air? Or are they operating at reduced power?
I have to think that many station transmitter sites are flooded since many are along Paris Road in Chalmette.
As to WWL, I assume there is a serious problem keeping them off the air.
I believe it is unprecedented in my lifetime for WWL to be off the air for this long.
 
I listened to the explanation given after midnight of where the broadcast was coming from. That is, a former garbage incinerator with no doors or windows and I was impressed. I planned to be running tapes all night.

Broadcast engineers are well aware, that to get a signal into the air, a chain of events must take place, from the announcer's voice on the mic up to the transmittor signal going out. If one piece of the chain is breaks down then the rest of the chain is useless and there will be no broadcast.

I am disappointed that the WWL engineers did not have a backup or even a redundent backup for every piece of the chain. Starting with a backup announcer to a backup transmitter which is protected (somehow) from flooding.

This is WWL! A unique radio station with a unique signal and special plans should have been taken to preserve this particular station. That is why I am critical, because they are strategic in an emergency.



> I wouldn't be so quick to jump to a conclusion that WWL
> failed its audience. Last night, they switched to their
> auxiliary studios at the emergency headquarters of civil
> defense which apparently was in a very secure building and
> not at the WWL studios.
>
> Just because their windows were blown out at the studios
> shouldn't have impacted their ability to broadcast..or the
> way it was explained on WWL last night, it shouldn't.
>

<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
...and without knowing the full story of what happened you have no right to be so critical.

I'm someone who has a job that has to plan for these sort of things. You can have every contigency plan in place and executable, but in a storm such as this unpredictable things happen. Perhaps the site flooded, and their longwire backup fell down. I'm fairly sure they are doing everything they can to get back on the air too.

Don't be so judgemental unless you know the full facts.


> I listened to the explanation given after midnight of where
> the broadcast was coming from. That is, a former garbage
> incinerator with no doors or windows and I was impressed. I
> planned to be running tapes all night.
>
> Broadcast engineers are well aware, that to get a signal
> into the air, a chain of events must take place, from the
> announcer's voice on the mic up to the transmittor signal
> going out. If one piece of the chain is breaks down then
> the rest of the chain is useless and there will be no
> broadcast.
>
> I am disappointed that the WWL engineers did not have a
> backup or even a redundent backup for every piece of the
> chain. Starting with a backup announcer to a backup
> transmitter which is protected (somehow) from flooding.
>
> This is WWL! A unique radio station with a unique signal
> and special plans should have been taken to preserve this
> particular station. That is why I am critical, because they
> are strategic in an emergency.
>
>
>
> > I wouldn't be so quick to jump to a conclusion that WWL
> > failed its audience. Last night, they switched to their
> > auxiliary studios at the emergency headquarters of civil
> > defense which apparently was in a very secure building and
>
> > not at the WWL studios.
> >
> > Just because their windows were blown out at the studios
> > shouldn't have impacted their ability to broadcast..or the
>
> > way it was explained on WWL last night, it shouldn't.
> >
>
 
> ...and without knowing the full story of what happened you
> have no right to be so critical.
>
> I'm someone who has a job that has to plan for these sort of
> things. You can have every contigency plan in place and
> executable, but in a storm such as this unpredictable things
> happen. Perhaps the site flooded, and their longwire backup
> fell down. I'm fairly sure they are doing everything they
> can to get back on the air too.
>
> Don't be so judgemental unless you know the full facts.
>
>
> > I listened to the explanation given after midnight of
> where
> > the broadcast was coming from. That is, a former garbage
> > incinerator with no doors or windows and I was impressed.
> I
> > planned to be running tapes all night.
> >
> > Broadcast engineers are well aware, that to get a signal
> > into the air, a chain of events must take place, from the
> > announcer's voice on the mic up to the transmittor signal
> > going out. If one piece of the chain is breaks down then
> > the rest of the chain is useless and there will be no
> > broadcast.
> >
> > I am disappointed that the WWL engineers did not have a
> > backup or even a redundent backup for every piece of the
> > chain. Starting with a backup announcer to a backup
> > transmitter which is protected (somehow) from flooding.
> >
> > This is WWL! A unique radio station with a unique signal
> > and special plans should have been taken to preserve this
> > particular station. That is why I am critical, because
> they
> > are strategic in an emergency.
> >
> >
> >
> > > I wouldn't be so quick to jump to a conclusion that WWL
> > > failed its audience. Last night, they switched to their
> > > auxiliary studios at the emergency headquarters of civil
>
> > > defense which apparently was in a very secure building
> and
> >
> > > not at the WWL studios.
> > >
> > > Just because their windows were blown out at the studios
>
> > > shouldn't have impacted their ability to broadcast..or
> the
> >
> > > way it was explained on WWL last night, it shouldn't.
> > >
> >
>

I spoke with a friend around lunchtime and said that WWL is on the air, but it may be at a reduced power. I'm just north of Lafayette and cannot receive anything.
 
> > From Radio and Records:
> >
> > Entercom/New Orleans Hit Hard By Katrina
> >
> > Entercom VP/News & Talk Programming Ken Beck tells R&R
> > that News/Talker WWL was knocked off the air by Katrina
> > overnight but reports the station's coverage has continued
>
> > on the company's FMs in the market. However, those
> stations
> > as well have been on and off the air intermittently since
> > the storm hit the Big Easy.
> >
> > "Our studio and office windows are blown out," reports
> Beck,
> > "but thankfully no one has been hurt as of 11am."
> >
> > Meanwhile the New Orleans Superdome, the city's primary
> > storm shelter, lost a portion of its famed domed roof
> > overnight. No injuries were reported to any of the
> > 10,000-plus citizens who took refuge in the stadium. Power
>
> > in the Superdome failed at about 5am, and although
> emergency
> > generators kicked in to provide light to the arena, the
> > backup power is not enough to run the building's air
> > conditioning units.
> >
> None of the New Orleans signals that I can usually hear in
> Lafayette can be picked up. That includes the AMs WWL,
> WNOE, WTIX and the FMs WQUE, WYLD, and WRNO. I am receiving
> a carrier with no program on 92.3.
> Am I to assume they are off the air? Or are they operating
> at reduced power?
> I have to think that many station transmitter sites are
> flooded since many are along Paris Road in Chalmette.
> As to WWL, I assume there is a serious problem keeping them
> off the air.
> I believe it is unprecedented in my lifetime for WWL to be
> off the air for this long.
>
Diva 92.3's transmitter site is in LaPlace, LA, about 40 miles west of New Orleans. If their New Orleans studio lost power or the STL failed, then there would be a dead carrier if the transmitter were still on.<P ID="signature">______________
17-year-old radio geek
Location: Princeton Junction, NJ
AIM: KewlDude471</P>
 
> I am disappointed that the WWL engineers did not have a
> backup or even a redundent backup for every piece of the
> chain. Starting with a backup announcer to a backup
> transmitter which is protected (somehow) from flooding.
>
> This is WWL! A unique radio station with a unique signal
> and special plans should have been taken to preserve this
> particular station. That is why I am critical, because they
> are strategic in an emergency.

I understand your point, but one of the things that's unique about WWL is the topography of the area it serves. I attended a presentation at the NAB convention in April by WWL's CE about their emergency plans, which were extremely comprehensive and well thought-out.

Unfortunately, when your entire area sits at or just below sea level and the big one (or even, in this case, the nearly-big one) hits, even the best plans can fall short.

The WWL transmitter site, if you've never been there or seen it, sits IN Barataria Bay, about five miles south of New Orleans. It's outside the levee system, but both the building and towers are on concrete pylons that are meant to keep them safe from just about anything. There are weeks of emergency fuel at the site, and it's linked by multiple means to the emergency studios at the emergency operations center nearby.

I don't know yet why the transmitter site went down. It sounds as though they got back up at some point from their auxiliary transmitter at the WWL-TV tower, which is also in low land just across the river from downtown New Orleans.

What else could WWL have done? I suppose they could have had another transmitter standing by on 870 at a location outside the immediate New Orleans area, but that's an extraordinarily expensive proposition and assumes that you'd even have a way to get programming there. For the local audience, it sounds as though the various Entercom FMs (which have transmitters at a number of separate locations) stayed on through much of the storm, providing information. I also don't know, because I'm not down there, whether Entercom AM WSMB 1350 stayed on; it, too, was simulcasting WWL's coverage.

But I've talked to the WWL engineers and seen at least the broad outlines of their emergency plan, and I'm certainly in no rush to criticize them. Sometimes you just can't get a signal out. This is evidently one of those times, and unless you're the one down there actually making it happen, I don't think you're in any position to stand in judgment.<P ID="signature">______________
Tower Site Calendar 2006 JUST RELEASED! - <a target="_blank" href=http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html#calendar>www.fybush.com</a></P>
 
> Where exactly is WWL's transmitter site?
> I believe it used to be near the lakefront in Kenner.
>
Their transmitter is in a swamp somewhere in Marrero. So it probably took some damage is my guess.
 
> Their transmitter is in a swamp somewhere in Marrero. So it
> probably took some damage is my guess.
>


There was a guyed wired tower with a bunch of satellite dishes near it under water that they showed on Channel 6's coverage. They didn't know whos tower it was but the area around the badge/brownish transmitter building had water around it.

so needless to say, someones tower in New Orleans area is flooded.<P ID="signature">______________
Lenks
Program Director/Music Director
X Music Online
The X
Today's Best Music
http://www.xmusiconline.com/</P>
 
WWL must be back at full throttle. They are coming in like a local here in Bowling Green, MO as they do every night. Sounds like they are doing a good job with their wall to wall coverage, but you would think with a disaster of this magnitude, they wouldn't be airing so many spots. Sounds like they have been running their full spotload.



> > ...and without knowing the full story of what happened you
>
> > have no right to be so critical.
> >
> > I'm someone who has a job that has to plan for these sort
> of
> > things. You can have every contigency plan in place and
> > executable, but in a storm such as this unpredictable
> things
> > happen. Perhaps the site flooded, and their longwire
> backup
> > fell down. I'm fairly sure they are doing everything they
>
> > can to get back on the air too.
> >
> > Don't be so judgemental unless you know the full facts.
> >
> >
> > > I listened to the explanation given after midnight of
> > where
> > > the broadcast was coming from. That is, a former
> garbage
> > > incinerator with no doors or windows and I was
> impressed.
> > I
> > > planned to be running tapes all night.
> > >
> > > Broadcast engineers are well aware, that to get a signal
>
> > > into the air, a chain of events must take place, from
> the
> > > announcer's voice on the mic up to the transmittor
> signal
> > > going out. If one piece of the chain is breaks down
> then
> > > the rest of the chain is useless and there will be no
> > > broadcast.
> > >
> > > I am disappointed that the WWL engineers did not have a
> > > backup or even a redundent backup for every piece of the
>
> > > chain. Starting with a backup announcer to a backup
> > > transmitter which is protected (somehow) from flooding.
>
> > >
> > > This is WWL! A unique radio station with a unique
> signal
> > > and special plans should have been taken to preserve
> this
> > > particular station. That is why I am critical, because
> > they
> > > are strategic in an emergency.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > I wouldn't be so quick to jump to a conclusion that
> WWL
> > > > failed its audience. Last night, they switched to
> their
> > > > auxiliary studios at the emergency headquarters of
> civil
> >
> > > > defense which apparently was in a very secure building
>
> > and
> > >
> > > > not at the WWL studios.
> > > >
> > > > Just because their windows were blown out at the
> studios
> >
> > > > shouldn't have impacted their ability to broadcast..or
>
> > the
> > >
> > > > way it was explained on WWL last night, it shouldn't.
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
> I spoke with a friend around lunchtime and said that WWL is
> on the air, but it may be at a reduced power. I'm just
> north of Lafayette and cannot receive anything.
>
 
Well Mr Tree, as a radio engineer, we do our best to keep the signal on the air. Your comment about YOU being disappointed is nothing short of LAUGHABLE. We are tlaking about a cat 5 hurricane here.

How do you exaclty suggest that the engineer implement their back plan? Drive out to the transmitter to see what is going on???? How do you think they switch over to a back up tranmsitter??? Thats right via phone lines.... phone lines that are more than likely down. How do you get a signal out to the tranmsitter site? Via microwave (which is probably down due to rain fade) or those lovely copper lines again.



> I listened to the explanation given after midnight of where
> the broadcast was coming from. That is, a former garbage
> incinerator with no doors or windows and I was impressed. I
> planned to be running tapes all night.
>
> Broadcast engineers are well aware, that to get a signal
> into the air, a chain of events must take place, from the
> announcer's voice on the mic up to the transmittor signal
> going out. If one piece of the chain is breaks down then
> the rest of the chain is useless and there will be no
> broadcast.
>
> I am disappointed that the WWL engineers did not have a
> backup or even a redundent backup for every piece of the
> chain. Starting with a backup announcer to a backup
> transmitter which is protected (somehow) from flooding.
>
> This is WWL! A unique radio station with a unique signal
> and special plans should have been taken to preserve this
> particular station. That is why I am critical, because they
> are strategic in an emergency.
>
>
>
> > I wouldn't be so quick to jump to a conclusion that WWL
> > failed its audience. Last night, they switched to their
> > auxiliary studios at the emergency headquarters of civil
> > defense which apparently was in a very secure building and
>
> > not at the WWL studios.
> >
> > Just because their windows were blown out at the studios
> > shouldn't have impacted their ability to broadcast..or the
>
> > way it was explained on WWL last night, it shouldn't.
> >
>
 
> Sounds like [WWL's] doing a good job with their wall to
> wall coverage, but you would think with a disaster of this
> magnitude, they wouldn't be airing so many spots. Sounds
> like they have been running their full spotload.
>
Also, is there any point to running these spots, as many of those advertisers would'nt be open again in New Orleans for quite awhile.
 
> WWL must be back at full throttle. ........ but you would think with a disaster of this magnitude, they wouldn't be airing so many spots. Sounds
> like they have been running their full spotload.
>

The bills still have to be paid. Some of those spots have flight dates that also may end before the end of the month as per the contract.
 
> >
> None of the New Orleans signals that I can usually hear in
> Lafayette can be picked up. That includes the AMs WWL,
> WNOE, WTIX and the FMs WQUE, WYLD, and WRNO. I am receiving
> a carrier with no program on 92.3.

Amazingly I was listening to WTIX 690 here in Memphis at 3AM Monday morning. They had a SOLID signal - apparently they run a different pattern at night and stayed on the daytime signal because I've never picked it up before. Those guys were doing a great job with coverage, despite the fact they said they had no power and only the studio console & transmitter were on a generator. WWL was apparently knocked off the air early.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> Also, is there any point to running these spots, as many of
> those advertisers would'nt be open again in New Orleans for
> quite awhile.


It's just ludicrous; they're running ads for DSL! Not to mention public events in Kenner and Slidell next week!
 
WWL Heard in Northeast Ohio Tonight

I'm guessing they aren't shooting their normal signal up here, but I did hear a faint skywave catch of WWL/870 on the way home tonight.

I don't listen to them regularly, so I don't know how good or bad the signal was compared to normal. It wasn't really a long-term listen, but it was coming through enough to be sure it was them.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> > Also, is there any point to running these spots, as many
> of
> > those advertisers would'nt be open again in New Orleans
> for
> > quite awhile.


They kept running a spot last night for the Imperial Palace Casino in Biloxi which probably doesn't even exist anymore.
 
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