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Winter Closing Reports do they matter anymore?

Mike Sheridan

Mike Sheridan

Having come to Charlotte a long time ago from sunny south Florida I must admit I was more than a little excited about doing the school and work closing reports on the radio. It took me back to a time when in Buffalo I eagerly awaited the school closings due to a "Winter Weather Event". I felt like I was doing a real public service and it sure was a nice change from the usual day to day playing the hits...

My question is, with so many sources for information is this relevant anymore? Automatic call outs, call in, and internet access seems to be all that's needed. That's sad because like I said it was always such a kick to do these reports when the weather got bad.

I never had a problem getting to work in Charlotte on a snow day. For one thing I worked afternoon drive, my apartment and the station was on the main road so that wasn't a problem. Plus they told me that if for some reason I couldn't get to work, they would come get me! I took the hint and always made it to work.
 
Closing reports are almost completely irrelevant, as annoying as getting a phone call from the school corporation at 5:00 am is.
 
No, they are not relevant.

Yes, radio people like doing them and that may be why they continue despite the fact that they have become irrelevant.

Also, notice stations that do them generally have listeners well beyond the age in which people raise children. In addition, to providing information no longer directly relevant to listeners, they are not providing the information which is relevant. School closings preempt most of the rest of the news and other regular programming.
 
The interesting part of this to me is the information itself is still useful, and therefore still commercially viable, just not necessarily as an on-air service. Information is still information, and that's supposedly what broadcasters provide.

A creative broadcaster might think this would be a great way to build a text information service to the listeners. Get a few thousand text numbers, and you might be able to get a sponsor. The sponsor gets a billboard with the text, plus on-air mention in promoting the text service. Sell it as a package: On-air, online, on the phone. If it works for this, maybe do traffic reports this way 5 days a week. Hello? Anybody home?
 
Surprise snowstorms do occur after people are on the road and can't....or at least shouldn't....be playing with their phones. There is a place on the air for at least the major school system closings. Do those on the air and direct folks to the website for the beauty schools (amazing how many of them used to call in cancellations just to get an on-air mention). You could also go with a number system (schools number 1-99 closed today) instead of droning on with "Our Lady of Perpetual Motion, 2 hour delay; " . Easy solution.
 
I used to live in the north. School closings on radio, when the weather was bad across the region, go to the point they'd take up all of the time that could have been used for traffic or news.

I think in 2014, it's almost a waste of time for radio to do this. If your school district or work doesn't have a line of communication set for situations like weather, they're the exception, not the rule.
 
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