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Traffic reports outside of drive time: where did it start?

I

ixnay

Perhaps I could've put this on News/Talk, but the first example of regular non-drive time traffic reports I recall encountering was on a music-intensive station, WFIL Philadelphia, so on Coast to Coast it goes.

During 1983-84 when WFIL was in its "The Boss is Back" oldies format, Famous 56 broadcast "expressway checks" (as the station called them) in midday (I know on weekdays, don't recall about weekends) during "News First at :56". This was a few years before KYW launched "Traffic [now Traffic and Transit] on the 2's".

Were there precedents to WFIL's "expressway checks"?

ixnay
 
Not sure, but a good starting place to look would be markets/areas with the WORST traffic problems......
 
Bongwater said:
Not sure, but a good starting place to look would be markets/areas with the WORST traffic problems......
Click to expand...

Exactly. I left Los Angeles 38 years ago - but even then, traffic on the freeways could back up anytime between 5:00 AM and Midnight. Come to think of it, I remember heavy traffic on the 405 (which we old timers used to call the "San Diego Freeway") at 2:00 AM. It may have been worse during traditional commute hours, but it could suck anytime day or night.

I don't recall if radio stations actually had regular traffic reporters outside of drive times or not, but I know that SigAlerts could come at any hour, and were announced by somebody - perhaps the news anchor or DJ.
 
Lkeller said:
Bongwater said:
Not sure, but a good starting place to look would be markets/areas with the WORST traffic problems......
Click to expand...

Exactly. I left Los Angeles 38 years ago - but even then, traffic on the freeways could back up anytime between 5:00 AM and Midnight. Come to think of it, I remember heavy traffic on the 405 (which we old timers used to call the "San Diego Freeway") at 2:00 AM. It may have been worse during traditional commute hours, but it could suck anytime day or night.

I don't recall if radio stations actually had regular traffic reporters outside of drive times or not, but I know that SigAlerts could come at any hour, and were announced by somebody - perhaps the news anchor or DJ.
Click to expand...

Well, we have *a* "precedent" here. :) Thanks, Lkeller.

ixnay
 
Lkeller said:
Bongwater said:
Not sure, but a good starting place to look would be markets/areas with the WORST traffic problems......
Click to expand...

Exactly. I left Los Angeles 38 years ago - but even then, traffic on the freeways could back up anytime between 5:00 AM and Midnight. Come to think of it, I remember heavy traffic on the 405 (which we old timers used to call the "San Diego Freeway") at 2:00 AM. It may have been worse during traditional commute hours, but it could suck anytime day or night.

I don't recall if radio stations actually had regular traffic reporters outside of drive times or not, but I know that SigAlerts could come at any hour, and were announced by somebody - perhaps the news anchor or DJ.
Click to expand...

I DO think areas with SEVERELY high traffic problems do REALLY NEED a radio station absolutely devoted to traffic. Because it's only going to get WORSE.......
 
KMPC, Los Angeles was the pioneer, providing traffic information phoned in by listeners as early as 1956 (Johnny Grant's "Freeway Club") and their own traffic reporters in ground units by 1957. They added aircraft in 1959.

Coverage was in drive times only until the late 70s, except for unusual events. I think the all-news stations (KNX, KFWB) went to traffic outside drive time a couple of years earlier...'75 or so.

By 1984, KHJ thought there was a market for round-the-clock traffic coverage, with its Car Radio format (traffic every 10 minutes and music). Again, I think the all-newsers were there first.
 
So who started shore traphic on non-traditional news outlets?
Now you hear traphic for the jersey shore on any number of stations around the area.
 
Bongwater said:
I DO think areas with SEVERELY high traffic problems do REALLY NEED a radio station absolutely devoted to traffic. Because it's only going to get WORSE.......
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll get much more than traffic every 10 minutes. An all-traffic format would have severe TSL problems, which is death in the PPM world.
 
michael hagerty said:
Bongwater said:
I DO think areas with SEVERELY high traffic problems do REALLY NEED a radio station absolutely devoted to traffic. Because it's only going to get WORSE.......
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll get much more than traffic every 10 minutes. An all-traffic format would have severe TSL problems, which is death in the PPM world.
Click to expand...

Understood, although I have to ask - why is it that I never seem to hear the traffic report about the massive backup (caused by whatever) until I've already been stuck in it for 5 mintues, and there's no way out?
 
michael hagerty said:
KMPC, Los Angeles was the pioneer, providing traffic information phoned in by listeners as early as 1956 (Johnny Grant's "Freeway Club") and their own traffic reporters in ground units by 1957. They added aircraft in 1959.
Click to expand...

*There's* our "precedent"! Makes sense that car-crazy L.A. would set it, and early.

OK, now narrowing the cut a little... what was the first station outside the Los Angeles/Orange County market(s) to implement non-rush hour traffic reports?

ixnay
 
ixnay said:
michael hagerty said:
KMPC, Los Angeles was the pioneer, providing traffic information phoned in by listeners as early as 1956 (Johnny Grant's "Freeway Club") and their own traffic reporters in ground units by 1957. They added aircraft in 1959.
Click to expand...

*There's* our "precedent"! Makes sense that car-crazy L.A. would set it, and early.

OK, now narrowing the cut a little... what was the first station outside the Los Angeles/Orange County market(s) to implement non-rush hour traffic reports?

ixnay
Click to expand...

Guess no one knows... ::)

ixnay
 
There are a string of rock/country stations between LA and Las Vegas that do LA/LV traffic at the :00 and :30 of the hour 24 hours a day. I heard them do a traffic report at 3:00 am when we took a road trip many years back.

http://highwayradio.com/

Excerpt from their website:
• Highway Radio is without peers because it is the only broadcaster serving this huge feeder market with up-to-the-minute traffic and weather information 24/7...that's all night and weekends too!
 
borderblaster said:
Would you count trucker's shows?
Click to expand...

Like Interscan on WWL overnight? Thanks for reminding me, I'd forgotten. That said, my response to your question... not necessarily.

ixnay
 
Charleston didn't do this until the past five years on 94.3 when they changed format. I don't know when WTOP started it, but on music stations, I remember it starting around 2000 or 2001 in the Washington area (may have been earlier). I remember hearing traffic reports at midday on WBIG 100.3.
 
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