As tropical storm/hurricane Isaac chugs northward toward the Gulf Coast, It is a great time to point out how valuable over the air radio is to all of us. I’ve been listening to WWL in New Orleans.
The ‘Big 870’ is comprised of locally based staff delivering timely news and information to their listening audience not only when they need it, but more importantly, before they need it. As I write this blog entry, WWL is conducting an audio sweep of the region speaking with local parrish (county) leaders as to each area’s storm readiness and advice for people living there.
This is radio gold. Public service gold. How irrelevant are those stations whose management are voice tracking and/or pulling programming off a dish now? You don’t have to have a huge staff to be effective. An amazing thing happens during a crisis when people know your station is in the trenches with them…information comes to you. It is a shame that you have to look to the larger markets forf this type of effort almost exclusively.
WWL is getting the job done, thank you and congratulations to everyone there, New Orleans is lucky to have you.
At The Mic 