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Would people care if an ATL station eliminated Traffic altogether?

H

hail2theorange

Aside from major disasters, such as the truck fire taking out the bridge on 285 a few years ago or the tragic bus accident last Friday -- do the traffic reports really help anyone? In nearly 20 years of Atlanta commutes, I can count on one hand the number of times that I was actually helped by what I heard on a traffic report -- more often than not, I've been adversely affected by people trying to avoid something they heard on a traffic report and subsequently jumping onto secondary alternates that weren't designed for the increased load -- leaving the artery described in the original report flowing freely.

If you live in a metropolitan area like Atlanta, and take the same route every day, you just assume that there will be a few days each year where you get hosed by a traffic incident -- I just don't see the justification for the amount of time, money and other resources it takes to report adequately. Unless a major artery is completely closed, don't bother me with it.
 
Stations can find sponsors for traffic reports easily.. they'll never disappear.
 
Why do traffic reports half cocked? That's what everyone else is doing except for WSB. If you're going to do a traffic report put someone in the air. Otherwise you're just spinning your wheels. It's a waste of time otherwise.
 
I'm not for or against this idea, but when I want traffic news that affects my drive I take 2-3 minutes and check www.georgia-navigator.com. I can also check it on my PDA, in case I'm already on the road.
 
andyfrom88 said:
I'm not for or against this idea, but when I want traffic news that affects my drive I take 2-3 minutes and check www.georgia-navigator.com. I can also check it on my PDA, in case I'm already on the road.
Click to expand...

I hate research...but all I heard was how important "service elements" were to listeners. But all traffic reporters do these days is get the traffic off the internet.
I understand that copter reports are costly, but at least you get accurate reporting, and the helicopter sound in the backround is cool!

War Captain Herb!
 
Since I live in Atlanta's largest trailer park, Douglasville, traffic reports are important to me. Captain Herb at least warns me that my toe is gonna be achin'......usually not much to do except put on some nice music and chill. At least I can call home and let my wife know she can enjoy our five screaming children, all alone, for an extra few minutes.
 
well i do traffic in montgomery,al and although we only have half the problems ATL has and definately are a smaller market, i think it matters! I used to not think it did, but from what ive learned over the past few years about half of them do care and plan routes based off our info.It's one of those elements that are 50/50. You can have it and help your listeners or not have it and you wont lose anything.It's like the weather,top of the hour time and temp, all can be sponsored.
 
Helicopters are no longer necessary to cover traffic in a market like Atlanta where there is such an extensive Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Add in ground units and cell phone callers and you've got all of the important bases covered. In a helicopter, you can only be looking at one thing at a time, and by the time you travel to another area, things have changed where you were a few minutes ago. In contrast, when you can monitor hundreds of cameras live and in real time, the information is MUCH better. All the big markets have their lead anchor on the ground and just throw it to an occasional(usually pretaped, Metro) airborne soundbyte for "color." Let's also remember Brian, the "WSB Skycopter" and "Skyplane" are aircraft leased by Metro Traffic for ALL of their affiliates, not just WSB. WSB stopped paying for their own aircraft in 1993, and wouldn't have any at all if they didn't have a deal with Metro to foot the bill which is ENORMOUS.
 
hail2theorange said:
Unless a major artery is completely closed, don't bother me with it.
Click to expand...

I think I'm close to being your opposite on this subject, as traffic is one of the most worthwhile things on any radio station (well, assuming it's done reasonably well). And, it looks like I'm closer to the average listener than usual.

Last study I've seen shows 2/3rd of listeners who have heard a traffic report in the past month as at least somewhat interested in rush hour traffic reports, and only 13% of people who have driven/riden in a car as "not interested".
 
dont eliminate Traffic altogether?

Dont eliminate it....re invent it ......80% of the traffic reports I hear have no influence on me so they are just more irrelevant radio chatter to me. Several times I have heard that the interstates are clear while sitting in a traffic accident. That eliminates credibilty and makes me think its just another way to jive me compliments of some genuis pgmmg mgr who cant come up with anything better.

What you should actually is let people sign up for text alerts on your station website and then send them sponosored text alerts based on their route. u just need an xml feed from georgia-navigtor. Thats thinking ahead......And thats a tip for a sales guy looking for a new way to sell a tired media.
 
I think the mentality of having to go airborn in order to provide "good" traffic information might be one of that factors that dissuades many stations from even trying. However, stations can provide informational reports with minimal cash outlay.

For instance, if the station (or group of stations) actually staffs a newsroom, even with only one person, some scanner monitoring would not be out of the question. Some college students would jump at the chance to get time on the air while serving as interns at their favorite station.

Also, there are a lot of cops out there (often with scanners or police radios of their own) willing to accept little more than minimum wage to drive the streets during rush hour -- maybe in a vehicle festooned with your call letters -- to provide the color reports for the on-air personalities. When we did this in Chattanooga, the officers were quick to provide great info about which lanes to use, alternate routes, etc. that our listeners found extremely valuable. Granted, they can't get around as quickly as a chopper could, but they know the roads better than anybody.

While the small upfront cash outlay probably won't produce a lot of immediate revenue, it's incredible what it can do for your ratings in the longterm -- as well as your station's stature in the community. Geez, whatever happened to operating in the public interest?

Old School
 
Old School said:
Some college students would jump at the chance to get time on the air while serving as interns at their favorite station.
Click to expand...

Perhaps ... when & if they showed up to work.
 
I'm with Old School. New ideas. Traffic Reports are an asset to listeners if done right.
 
Radio research projects have shown Traffic information as the number one desired service element. Number two is weather. And the studies I refer to have been done for music stations appealing to Adults (Country, AC, Classic Rock).
 
Ive gotten screwed over a number of times on 'traffic reports', if you do it right, its great. Granted, 'crash' did a good job at reporting traffic, yet he still reported it hungover for a number of years.
 
Let me tell you how important traffic is. I have to drive from the South side of 285 to the North side, and when I start to leave I always find out where the traffic is so I can choose between taking 285 East or West or 75 / 85 North or South, or I might go down Peachtree Street if all the above is blocked. I decide this everyday by what Capt. Herb says is going on, so to answer your burning question, yes we would care and we do care that others are not in the air as well. Why is WSB the big guy in this department, because everyone else has quit and made them bigger at it than the rest.
 
It is just so dang simple. A station in nearly any format can gain cume by providing credibloe traffic reports. Then they must promote it and follow through with whatever promise they make. This is what LOCAL means.
 
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