Helping A Fellow Broadcaster in Need

Broadcaster Loses Home While On The Air.
Let's Help Him Recover

by Ed Ryan

How would you feel if you stood at the doorstep of the home you put so much of your blood, sweat and tears into and all you saw was this? Not only material things but the memories created all crumpled into a meaningless nothing after one big blow from Mother Nature. For some, for sure, family members, community, and a strong faith will help get them through the initial shock of losing everything. Faith, however, will not put clothes on their back. And that's where people like us come in. 

Cox/Birmingham's Chris Coleman was on the air at WBHK 98.7 KISS-FM Wednesday afternoon when he realized a mega-tornado was headed straight for his house. Can you imagine the horror for Coleman, knowing his two daughters were home alone racing for the basement? The family had practiced a tornado drill that morning, just in case. As the tornado ripped Coleman's house to shreds, all he could do was wait it out. A horrible feeling no one would ever want to experience. Once the weather settled, a relative raced to the home to find 14-year-old Aliya and 11-year-old Asia safe in the basement. But Coleman, with no way to communicate with his daughters, still didn't know if they were all right. When he got to the home, he could finally breathe easy. His daughters were alive and safe.

We all know what the radio industry can do for our local communities. We've all been there. We'll risk life and limb to stay on the air, pushing critical information out to the public. We interview local officials we've developed close relationships with over the years. We'll take therapeutic calls from listeners just looking for an outlet to cope. In some cases we'll pray for each other, with each other. That's just part of local radio. There's a certain adrenaline rush to being there when the community needs us. A weird sort of once-in-a-lifetime rush when a little voice inside your head whispers "this is why you are here." Chris Coleman was simply doing what every one of us would do if called upon.
Today many of us will go about our business enjoying the beautiful weather, a picnic with the family, hit a few golf balls, drink a few cold ones. A long and stressful work week should be followed by rest and relaxation. Work hard. Play hard. That's the American way. The people of Alabama and the surrounding states will be sweeping shingles from their homes, looking for broken picture frames and, still, looking for missing neighbors. In conjunction with Cox's Vice President/Market Manager in Birmingham, David R. DuBose we have set up a PayPal account for Chris Coleman. And, while many of you have already helped Alabama with your Red Cross donation, 100% of this PayPal donation will be given to Chris quickly so he can purchase clothes and other essentials for his two daughters who now have nothing. They'll be starting school again soon and only possess the clothes on their backs. We hope you'll join us all in helping the Coleman family because as you all know this is what radio does best. Any small amount will help.
Thank you and have a great weekend.
Send Chris an e-mail message of encouragement HERE
You can listen to our audio interview with Chris HERE.

Feedback me at edryan@radioink.com