3-20-13
One week ago the upstate New York community of Utica experienced tragedy most people only watch unfold on TV or in a movie. A gunman went on a rampage killing four people, schools and businesses went into lockdown and law enforcement was in a stand-off with the man behind the shooting spree.
It's an event that, without a trained news department, radio would not be able to cover from the many different angles that unfold during a fluid situation. Townsquare's News Talker WIBX 950-AM was ready, providing the community with the type of compelling coverage only local radio can produce. The station, lead by General Manager Karen Carey, had a plan in place for a situation just like this. Here's what happened.
Morning man Bill Keeler (picture right) was driving around town when he heard about the situation unfolding. He
made the decision to race to the scene and feed information back to the station. His local connections and knowledge of the town allowed him to get into position where he was getting information about the unfolding event that had local residents huddling around their radios. It was exclusive coverage of a cummunity changing event that the Television stations, still airing soap operas, were unable to match. In this clip you can hear Keeler describe what's going on, including the gunshots from the scene.
With the help of Google Maps, Keeler helped Townsquare Utica?s Digital Sales Manager, Karl Schultz, and Digital Assistant, Phil Creighton find exactly where he was. They began shooting over 150 photographs, and continuously updating WIBX950.com and utilizing social media, including WIBX 950-AM?s Twitter feed and Facebook pages.
OUR INTERVIEW WITH GM KAREN CAREY AND MORNING MAN BILL KEELER
Coverage on WIBX950.com received over 18,500 page views from 12,500 unique visitors and over 13,000 streaming sessions of WIBX 950-AM's online
stream during a 48-hour period, clearly evidencing the community?s appetite for, and engagement with, leading, live, critical and courageous coverage. One Twitter user commented on the coverage: ?WIBX cov of #HerkimerCoShootings is compelling. This is why local radio should never go away. Great coverage.? A summary of live blogging on WIBX950.com can be found HERE.
LISTEN TO A CLIP FROM KEELER REPORTING FROM THE SCENE HERE
On the day of the tragedy, media industry crisis management consultant Howard B. Price sent Townsquare Media Utica an unsolicited email from New York City where he had been following developments. ?I've been listening to WIBX's coverage of the tragic shootings for most of the day ? and you are to be congratulated for your on-air commitment and service to your community. Even your sales force pitched in, deploying to the field in the kind of ?all hands on deck? response one would expect in this kind of an event. I hope you'll document how your station prepared for and responded to this event, and might allow me to share your experience (and your air-checks) so that others in our business might learn."
In this audio from WIBX, Jim Rondenelli calls in to report situation is over and the suspect killed by police. A canine dog was used as a decoy. The dog was shot and killed by the suspect. Police then shot and killed the suspect. The way the dog was used has sparked an additional story in the community which WIBX has also been covering extensively.
What are you doing LIVE and LOCAL to serve your community? Send all the details to Radio Ink Editor Ed Ryan edryantheeditor@gmail.com
(3/20/2013 5:45:04 PM)
A "canine dog?"
Is there another kind?
Moooo.
Great job on the part of this local broadcaster. It's just too sad, though that so many of our stations owned by some of the bigger companies (even those who own news-talk stations) are choosing to greatly curtail, or end entirely, local news operations thinking that they are either unnecessary, too great a cost, or think they can get by with an out of market voice covering the news reading local newspapers and blogs on a computer.
Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend
