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Radio is not in tune with its snowbound listeners
On the morning after the big storm, thousands awoke to an initially breathtaking site of untouched snow and ice-trimmed trees - and no way to tell anyone else via e-mail or telephone. There wasn't even a way to learn exactly how this dazzling display of winter's wonder occurred. Cable television service wasn't being delivered, and neither were newspapers.
People were in the dark - literally. The eye-catching landscape had unexpectedly produced an eye-opening event - a tech-savvy generation without the use of its toys.
After fumbling through basement closets with the help of scented jar candles, I finally found an old, battery-operated radio and, miraculously, some still-sealed batteries to go with it.
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Around the dial, music was everywhere. You could get your fill of Lady Gaga, Lady Antebellum and "Single Ladies, Put a Ring on It." You could hear songs two in a row, four in a row and six in a row. Ditto the commercials. It was maddening and enraging on a continuous loop. Finally, an announcer said something like this: "Well, folks, we've got a situation," and proceeded with a list of ... mall closings!
Nary was a word offered about the status of electrical power or when one could expect a telephone - or even a cell phone - to be operable.
The unaffected voice continued, "We'll be right back with Foreigner, Bryan Adams, the Four Seasons and Jim Croce."
Uh, no you won't.
The "situation" wasn't any better elsewhere on the FM dial. A blizzard of songs and commercials confronted me as I manually spun the metal tuner knob, but I found not one update about whatever it was that had occurred overnight. Even the scented candles couldn't mask the ever-thickening odor emanating from the old Panasonic.
Impatient and increasingly less comfortable, I jumped into the snow holding a yardstick that had long been propped inside a coat closet, then hurried back inside into an almost-as-cold game room to spark the propane fireplace. In shorter time than it took to hear a live, human voice on the radio, I had answered two questions. It was a 22-inch snowfall, and I wouldn't freeze to death as long as the propane tank held out.
Then it was back to the radio, this time the AM dial.
I recalled how, in an earlier era, KDKA had canceled its normal programming Nov. 9, 1965, to keep the entire East Coast and Canada up to date during the power blackou, and, six years later, how KQV ingratiated its local audience with an every-three-minute update on the cancellation of the Alice Cooper "Killer" concert at the Civic Arena. If that evening was overkill, though, this morning was pathetic.
Virtually the entire AM dial was droning with syndicated programming. Eventually, a real-time announcer offered a weather forecast, followed by a list of postponed or canceled events. What, though, of the real news? What about the state of electricity? Why weren't cell phones serviceable? And how had the 6-inch to 10-inch forecast evolved into a 22-inch wallop?
More importantly, if electricity wouldn't be returning soon, where could one go for warmth? And how would they get there?
Instead of answers, there was a silent, chilling press of a button that produced a packaged legal information show - an electronic flip of the finger, if you will.
The lights flickered, the furnace sputtered and once again I had lights and heat.
It would be two days before a newspaper landed on my doorstep and double that many days before cable and telephone services were available. That surreal Sunday, I could have listened to the Super Bowl on radio, I suppose, but I didn't. In fact, I don't think I'll be relying on radio for much anymore.
Who knew that my best friend from the '60s could be so distant and disengaged 40 years later, when I needed it most? Who knew that music I discovered through radio could be so enraging in a different scenario? Who knew that radio programmers were so insensitive to the needs of their audience?
Snowstorms apparently don't fit into radio's format. From this day forward, radio doesn't fit into mine.
Terry Hazlett can be reached at snowballrizzo@aol.com.
no power : 2/15/2010
had WJPA been able to broadcast-- I am certainly sure we would have been updated. These guys are on it. It's not their fault loosing electricity like the rest of us. If there's any fault at all-- maybe they should have invested in a generator.
Radio : 2/15/2010
As you noted, Terry, you can't blame WJPA, because they were hit by an outage. But KDKA's performance was shameful. This used to be a station that people in the region would count on for news, especially in emergency situations. On that Saturday, they were running their usual assortment of paid programming. Sad.
Dead on : 2/15/2010
You are exactly right - radio was useless during the days after the storm. Barely any local news - all syndication. KDKA spent 97% of its time reading closings (was somebody going to try to make it to baking class after getting 22" of snow?) Local radio stations should be obligated to give updates of what's going on during a situation like this.
My experience similar : 2/15/2010
Here in Greene County, all one could get locally was a loop on what I assume was WANB--no call letters given out--detailing where to go for warming shelters. Interestingly enough most of the information pertained to Westmoreland and Fayette Counties. I have an elderly but quite reliable AM/FM/Shortwave radio that was difficult to tune during the height of the storm. Once the storm began to pass, I was able to piece together some information from WWVA, although most of it pertained to the Ohio Valley. WMBS in Uniontown provided some road information. Like you, I was a little peeved that I couldn't get details on road closures as I needed to make a 26 mile round trip to check on quite a number of farm animals. I feel the biggest letdown is how totally unprepared and unresponsive local radio was to getting out the news in this emergency. Don't any of them have backup generators? In the event of a national emergency, we're screwed. Local authorities will instruct us where to tune to hear dead air.
phone service : 2/15/2010
Thanks to my Apple iPhone and the 3G network I was able to make calls, surf the web and send and receive email..it was wonderful being able to call Allegheny Power and check their website. I charged the phone by using the battery power on my laptop and the car charger. The iPhone was our only link to news since I was able to read the O-R and Post-Gazette web pages. I agree about the radio stations...when JPA finally returned, it was just more music; no news until much later in the day. Very irritating, to say the least.
WooHoo! : 2/15/2010
iPhone for the WIN! We don't have a car charger, so we turned my wife's off and used mine until the battery died, then turned hers on. We had a fast and reliable link to the world until our power was restored.
Weekends : 2/15/2010
It appears that many media outlets are in such tight financial straights that they have little weekend staffing. In December, an ice storm hit the area on Sunday morning. KDKA admitted they had no reporters on duty, and then found the roads too slippery to get them out on short notice. Look at the TV news on the weekends. Very little is fresh material. Most is recycled from the week. Having little radio news coverage on the Saturday and Sunday is not surprising. It is merely a sign of the times of tighter financial controls.
Radio news : 2/15/2010
This article points out a real shortcoming in our communications system, perhaps also the reality that radio has taken a back seat to other sources in obtaining news. I was in a 50 degree house but did not find out the nearby fire station was a warming center until after my electric service was restored. I agree that WJPA would have broadcast that information for Washington County, had it been able to be on the air. But if you live in Washington County during an emergency, the Pittsburgh radio stations do not acknowledge that you are out there.
What about snow coverage on OR online? : 2/15/2010
I didn't find much useful, up-to-date info on this website, either. I think the local coverage was very poor, and the Pittsburgh media did a better job of covering our area. Our local paper missed a chance to shine...
Radio : 2/15/2010
And isn't this sad when emergency disaster prep tell people to have blankets, candles and....a radio. Perhaps they should rethink their advice, or tell the radio stations that people are depending on them. Hopefully some of them read the O-R and this article.
Radio not in Tine : 2/15/2010
It appears that WANB needs a "script" in front of them to perform. If it can't be read from the newspaper, there is NOTHING to report Some community interaction on air would be very beneficial to alert listeners of road conditions, shelters, etc.
Write to the FCC : 2/15/2010
I had the same experience (obviously) and I am equally outraged. I plan on writing the FCC. Those boradcast licenses are granted in return for stations providing service in the public interest, and in the wake of eight years of FCC governance by people who don't beleive in government we have this: a total disregard for public safety. It's an outrage and needs nationwide media attention.
Not just in your part of the country either... : 2/15/2010
I remember thinking the same thing when Ike hit Houston. We were without power for a week and radio kept on playing the hits.
travel and weather alerts : 2/15/2010
We were caught in the middle of the night in the storm.We were traveling from Vermont and could not get any info as to road closures,ramp access,etc.It was not until we came upon it that we found it was impassable.Traffic and weather updates were greatly needed.
Corporate radio : 2/15/2010
The FCC used to require localism. It doesn't and corporate radio went hog wild and fired everybody. Some activists want to bring back localism. Conservative radio talk hosts say Fcc required localism is bad. In fact, they think it's "socialism." Indirectly, they're supporting the lack of news you found on the radio.
radio : 2/15/2010
Amen! All I had was a battery operated radio as well. I did have phone service most of the time, and was able to call people who did have power and the tv. Pitiful
Radio is not in tune? : 2/15/2010
Hi Terry, I noticed that it took you a while to dig up a radio. It also took you a while to remember that the AM band of your radio was the one that use to have a lot of the news. After reading your story and some of the comments to it, I see that you and some of your readers are upset that the radio stations did not drop “their usual assortment of paid programming” and broadcast what you wanted to hear. I have to wonder, when was the last time that you supported any of these radio stations by listening to them. Can you honestly say that when there is not an emergency that you have set you radio to KDKA and listened to it. I find it hard to understand how you can expect them to drop the programming that is keeping the station on the air for what you want to hear just because you have an emergency. You are right, we have turned to the internet, cell phones, iPods, and TV to get the news and music that we want to hear. With that in mind we should not be surprised that when at last we turn back to radio it is not there.
poor radio performance : 2/15/2010
I understand that WJPA lost power for a short while, however, they only updated every hour on the hour. That's frustrating and annoying that you couldn't find local news and updates on the only local station in town. If there's a next time, lets hope that WJPA alters their format so that we can be kept informed more frequently than once an hour for 5 minutes.
radio coverage : 2/15/2010
I think the stations are actually run by real people who were in the same situation as the rest of us. Wjpa had no power how are they supposed to broadcast ?
Emercency Radio : 2/15/2010
As I recall back in the “OLD DAYS” growing up during the cold war every radio station had a back up power supply and an emergency transmitter you know just in case somebody pushed the button. Why didn’t WJPA have a back up system?? Who knows money most likely cause there are no stations that are LOCAL any more, all are syndicated and who ever thinks of WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. This snow storm was bad but nothing to get your panties in a twist over, but then I forget that people forget the past, and run panicking into the streets and blame every one because the radio doesn’t work or the streets are not plowed or something or you ran out of bread and milk or what ever. Look in the mirror kids and see who is to blame, for the radio not working it is you and I because WE never gave it a second thought, and who has asked the station can you guys work in an emergency? Not I nor anybody else that might read this. Learn from this, learn to survive on your own, stock pile enough stuff for a couple of days. Remember you are in this alone and no one is coming to you until their own is taken care of first. KDKA should receive tons of mail the way this was treated and WJPA should as well. In the long run it is up to you to figure out what to do, no one can do it for you. Thus ends the sermon for today.
radio coverage : 2/16/2010
Liseners abandoned radio long ago for ipods and the Internet. Advertising and revenues nosedived. You don't support radio, it won't support you.
Ok, then fine! : 2/16/2010
"Liseners abandoned radio long ago for ipods and the Internet. Advertising and revenues nosedived. You don't support radio, it won't support you." Fine. Let's have back that broadcast license. Those are OUR airwaves, NOT theirs.
Got it right : 2/17/2010
radioguy has it right. trippin, when you get the license back, what then? Are you going to fund a station on your own so that you can do emergency broadcasting? Radio listenership has dropped at least 10% in the past couple of years. People are opting to other forms of entertainment and information. The radio stations exist as a business for the purpose of making money. No, that's not evil, that's the way business works.
: 2/20/2010
Got it right has got it wrong. A lot of these corporate radio owners paid too much for their properties and figured they could slash and burn their way to prosperity by cutting staff and going to automation and infomercials. They'd have no trouble making money with a live, local staff if they hadn't gone nuts in the 90's and bought stations at inflated prices. Bust up these companies, sell the stations for what they're worth (very little), and local companies can make a go with stations full of people, not computers.
Lots of truths but little focus : 2/21/2010
Radio is a business. The licenses are granted in the public interest. But times have changed and listeners really haven't seemd to care. Radio and television on weekends has been understaffed for many years, going back to the 60s and 70s. Stations that had backup generators were usually the key stations in a regional area (usually one in a county and relying on the closest major market for information). Not all stations have emergency power. And then the ones that do, if they can afford to have an engineering staff, the generator maybe gets checked once a week and then there's no guarantee it will work. Radio is in tough times, even the stations that aren't beholden to greedy Wall Street stock holders and investment bankers have a tough road in the bad economy.
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