JB And Sandy Return Monday

4-17-14

Austin personalities JB Hager and Sandy McIlree return to radio Monday as the morning team on new Adult Album Alternative Station "The Fringe." Austin?s Real Radio The Fringe (105.3) was created by locally owned and operated Genuine Austin Radio. Musically, the station will feature hits from alternative music charts and will be a blend of alternative current and classic hits with local artists and the occasional off-beat song playing a big role in the format. Until last year, JB and Sandy were heard on Mix 94.7 in Austin.

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Entercom Fires JB And Sandy In Austin

12-5-13

Ratings and money were apparently the reasons for the duo being let go. They had been with Mix 94.7 for 18 years. Vice-President of Programming Cat Thomas said "the declining performance of the show, and the expense of the show no longer made economic sense, and we were unable to come to terms." A new morning show host has been hired but not announced. Alex and Sara will be retained by the station.

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SBS Sponsoring Concert For Sandy Victims

11-20-2012

On November 24, Multiple Latin Grammy winning superstars Juanes and Juan Luis will perform at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the American Red Cross. SBS stations in New York, WSKQ-FM ?Mega 97.9FM? and WPAT-FM ?93.1FM La Variedad de NY!? are official media partners of the event.

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CBS Chicago Goes Wall-To-Wall Sandy

11-21-2012

The storm is long gone, however there's still a lot of rebuilding and recovering to be done before life returns to normal on the east coast. As we've been witness to since the destructive storm cleared, companies do not need to live in the path of Sandy to help their fellow Americans. In Chicago, for example, all CBS media properties (television, radio, digital, and outdoor) joined forces with the American Red Cross Tuesday to raise money. CBS Local Media dedicated a significant portion of its programming on Tuesday to raise money.

CBS Chicago Cares: Red Cross Sandy Relief was a live telethon/radiothon, which ran from 6:00AM to 7:00PM.  During the 13-hour fundraiser, volunteers from the Red Cross along with CBS broadcasters accepted donations from a phone bank set up inside the CBS 2 Broadcast Center, at the corner of Washington and Dearborn Streets. Market Manager Rod Zimmerman said "Hurricane Sandy struck real close to home. We have colleagues, business associates, and family members who are still living with the devastation from this horrific event. It is our civic responsibility as broadcasters to do everything we can to help make a difference.?

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Arbitron Shows Listeners Turned To Radio During Sandy

11/19/2012

Radio listening increased in the New York radio market as Super Storm Sandy made landfall during the evening of Monday, October 29. Compared to the week prior, the average number of people using radio* in any quarter hour from 7PM to Midnight on the storm night (10/29) increased 70 percent.

Percent increase
10/29 vs 10/22

In the coastal areas within the New York market, radio listening increased by even higher percentages.

Percent increase
10/29 vs. 10/22

When the lights went out, when TV and desktop PCs were no longer available, many New York area residents turned on their battery-powered radios. Many radio stations along the path of the storm, regardless of their regular format, revamped their programming to provide their listeners with weather updates, news, and emergency information. 

In the wake of the storm, radio remained an information lifeline to the residents of New York, particularly in the coastal areas of the market. Average radio listening on Tuesday, October 30 in New York was 1,525,500 persons in any given quarter hour between 6a.m. and Midnight, up 8 percent from 1,406,700 persons 6+ the week before.

The average audience in the NY coastal communities (Monmouth, Fairfield SN, Nassau-Suffolk, Staten Island, and Middlesex) totaled 670,200 on the Tuesday (6A-Mid) following landfall (10/30) which is 38 percent higher than the average of all Tuesdays year-to-date.

The Average in the NY coastal communities (Monmouth, Fairfield SN, Nassau-Suffolk, Staten Island, and Middlesex) totaled 651,200 on the Wednesday (6A-Mid) following landfall (10/31) which is 35 percent higher than the average of all Wednesdays year-to-date.

*radio encoded for Arbitron PPM measurement

Note: The Arbitron New York Radio Metro consists of the following counties:

Connecticut: Fairfield (Stamford-Norwalk Split)

New Jersey: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union

New York: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester

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Cox Donates $75K To Sandy Relief Efforts

11-15-2012

Cox Media Group is making a corporate donation of $75,000 to aid relief efforts in Southern Connecticut, Long Island, and surrounding areas of New York City. CMG?s contribution will be shared with charities identified as having some of the greatest need by Cox Reps New York, CMG Connecticut, and CMG Long Island radio stations. Cox has stations in Connecticut and on Long Island that were in the path of the storm.  

CMG President Doug Franklin said, ?As the Northeast continues healing and rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy, Cox Media Group and our local businesses want to support those organizations that are making a difference in the lives of those who have suffered great losses. Our employees in these communities exude great passion for the work they do for their communities every day. Many continued working through the storm to inform their audiences, and others now are giving of their time to help their communities rebound from this disaster.?

Earlier this week, CMG?s parent company Cox Enterprises, in partnership with The James M. Cox Foundation, announced a combined cash donation of $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist the relief and recovery efforts of the communities affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Cox Reps New York is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to support its relief efforts in Connecticut, Long Island, New Jersey/New Jersey Shore, The Rockaways, and Staten Island. ?Cox Reps is honored to provide support to Habitat for Humanity, which is working on the frontlines of this disaster where many of our Cox Reps employees and our buying communities? families and friends reside,? said Cox Reps President Jim Monahan. 

In Norwalk, Conn., CMG Connecticut  ?  WEZN, WPLR, and WFOX  ?  will partner with Family & Children?s Agency, which has served Fairfield County and beyond for more than 70 years. Each year, the agency serves over 10,000 children and families, youth, adults, and seniors. ?We want to help Family & Children?s Agency rebuild fully and quickly after Sandy,? said CMG Connecticut General Manager Kristin Okesson. ?Our donation will support a relief fund that will help them recoup the losses due to the storm and will directly benefit the programs that have been disrupted and which are vital to many people in Fairfield County.? 

Long Island?s WBAB and WBLI will lend support to Island Harvest, Long Island?s largest hunger relief organization. For over two decades, Island Harvest has provided feeding services to those in need through their network of over 570 food pantries, soup kitchens, and other non-profit organizations. ?On behalf of Cox Media Group and our Long Island staff, it is truly an honor to provide Island Harvest with this financial support during one of the most critical times in Long Island history,? said CMG Long Island General Manager John Shea. ?This donation reflects our belief in the mission of Island Harvest and their dedication to the Long Island community.?

(11/14/2012 10:31:00 PM)
That's a drop in the bucket, you cheap shits!

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We Were Only Six Blocks From Hurricane Sandy. What A Rush!

11-12-12

This American flag just outside Greater Media's WRAT in Lake Como, New Jersey didn't look like this before Sandy paid a visit to the East Coast. WRAT is located six blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, lined up perfectly in the kill zone of the softly named storm that packed a powerful punch. Greater Media employees, who had to worry about their roof being ripped off, stood their ground throughout Sandy to deliver life-saving information to the community. The hurricane left an ugly path of devastation that stretched across communities, cities, and states. And Old Glory still stands outside WRAT, not as pretty as she once was, but a strong symbol of how the Greater Media team performed under pressure. Dan Finn is the Market Manager for Greater Media in New Jersey. Finn says when an event like this happens, there's an element of danger, but it's also an adrenaline rush. Here's Finn's Sandy story, in his own words.

"It was an adrenaline rush. It was providing the best content possible. It was all about teamwork. We became the gathering point for the community. When power was lost, television and cable were irrelevant. Our responsibility was to gather and disburse critical information at this time when television and cable were nonexistent. Internally, there was the energy of doing goodwill for the community and at that same time, there was an element of danger, especially in Belmar and Lake Como, where WRAT is six blocks off the beach. The building was literally shaking. There was the fear of the roof being ripped off or there being a physical catastrophe with the physical structure because of our close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. That didn't happen. Thank God that didn't happen. But, there was nervousness in the air at the same time of providing live coverage of what was going on outside of the building."

"We have a responsibility as broadcasters to remain on the air. There were enough precautions to make sure that the staff was not in any danger, to the best of our capability. We weren't foolish about that aspect of it. We were confident with the building that it would remain intact, and it did. But, we have a responsibility to the public, from where we were reporting and what was going on in real-time that was capable of delivering extremely powerful radio."

"We suspended all promos and give-aways. We were making it available to the listeners that they would be made aware of what was going on. We were taking all the information from listener call-ins, from FEMA, from local town officials, from Emergency Management, across all areas. Then, we were rebroadcasting and letting people know where to seek shelter, where to bring pets, where to get food, which gas stations may be open. We were taking the information and putting it right back out to the community."

"At the same time with social media, before the storm hit, we were updating with information from NOAA, the Red Cross, and FEMA. What was going on with the storm, where it was and what that meant. It was constantly updated. So, we hit it on both ends, with social media and on air, but keeping in mind that a lot of people didn't have power. So a lot of people didn't have the Internet. Even smartphones started to not be effective because a lot of the power at certain cell sites was out. It was that severe. Radio was absolutely the place to get your information, tried and true."

"We were so close. The water came up from the ocean, pretty much right up to where the building was, which was unheard of for the Atlantic Ocean, to come all the way up six blocks. The RAT is a true standalone station. It is the only station there. It is basically a shed. It is an aluminum shed, with a tower in the back. It has a lot of character."

The tattered American flag continues to fly outside WRAT as a symbol of what the station and the community went through and what Greater Media employees did to help their fellow citizens.

Reach out to Dan Finn and congratulate him on the amazing job his team did HERE

Subscribe to Radio Ink in time to receive the December 10th issue and read about how many other stations prepared for Sandy HERE

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Or do it the old fashioned way, call 561-655-8778

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Clear Channel Launches "Stronger Than Sandy"

11-1-2012

Clear Channel says it has launched a station on iHeartradio inspired by songs suggested by fans on Facebook. ?Stronger Than Sandy Radio,? features songs from The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and others. The station is now available on iHeartRadio via iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio mobile app. 

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WTOP Sees Huge "Sandy" Digital Success

11-1-2012

WTOP has done a ?Post-Sandy? analysis which shows the 24-hour all-news station scored big during the killer storm of 2012, especially with its digital products. On Sunday, one day before the storm, WTOP.com logged more than two million page views, with that number jumping to nearly three million page views from 335,000 unique users on Monday. During the storm WTOP was listened to for more than 900 hours on its Audio Now phone line.

Overall in the month of October, WTOP.com received more than 23 million page views and was visited by more than 2 million unique users. WTOP?s mobile usage has almost doubled, receiving more than 2 million mobile page views. Program Director Laurie Cantillo (pictured) says, ??WTOP is ubiquitous.  We broadcast to more than one million people each week, but we also can be reached wherever our listeners go, 24/7, via our mobile website, our iPhone and Android Apps, Twitter, and Facebook. More than a radio station, we?re Washington?s news source, and when severe weather strikes, WTOP is a lifeline.?

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Sandy Will Help FM Chip Campaign

10-30-2012

Hurricane Sandy may prove to be another national episode that states the case that radio should be a permanent icon on every cell phone sold in America. When the director of FEMA admits cell phones and the Internet are not 100 percent reliable when a natural disaster strikes, and advises citizens to listen to radio, even the staunchest critic of the chip has to take note. Several factors could make this moment in time perfect for local radio to own a permanent position on the one item the American public just can't leave home without.

Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan has been working tirelessly on getting FM chips into all cell phones and he says his efforts are gaining momentum. In this  election year, Washington appears very willing to listen to broadcasters as they push the safety issue on Capital Hill to try to secure chips in all phones. The fact that consumers spend three billion hours a year listening to local radio through the data networks is also a factor. A lot of that would be eliminated if the chips were more common. Smulyans says, "The wireless networks understand that?s not the wisest allocation of their resources."

It's inevitable that once Sandy is a memory, reports will follow that power was out and some residents were unable to receive information about shelters, where to get water and gas, and when the lights would come back on. It's like living in a Third World country when modern technology is available. There's no debating that radio provides listeners with all of that vital information. There's also no debating that every year some natural disaster will occur, maybe several, somewhere in the United States. The debate is whether the wireless providers want to give up, or sell, some of that valuable cell phone real estate. Smulyan says, "It?s too important. It makes too much sense. We?re now starting to see this move very dramatically."

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How One New Jersey Station Battled Hurricane Sandy

10-31-2012

Denis Brown (pictured here with morning man Mark Hunter) is News Director (among other things) at Coastal Broadcasting's WCZT-FM in Rio Grande New Jersey, which is located in Middle Township just off the Garden State Parkway. WCZT is another shining example of what radio does for its local communities when a killer storm like Hurricane Sandy pays a visit. Brown has been preparing for a monster like Sandy ever since Irene hit the area last year. Brown tells Radio Ink how bad the storm was, how his team prepared and what listeners are saying about WCZT's coverage.

Brown says he had lunch with management at the beginning of 2012 because he believed his station could do more with hurricane/storm coverage. "I suggested allowing someone from the station to be placed inside of the headquarters for emergency management so that we could get the updates on the air as soon as they get them. He agreed and for the first time ever in our region, we had a reporter stationed inside on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Also, the station's owner, Bob Maschio, invested in generators at both our tower site and at the physical studios, so in the event of the power going out, we could remain on the air and continue the public service that a radio station should provide in the event of a storm such as this. We learned from one of the big blizzards a few years ago the importance of having a back up system and now we can remain on the air, while other stations were off."

WCZT, which is a Top-40 music station went wall-to-wall storm coverage according to Brown. "We went live on Saturday morning with interviews with local mayors and state lawmakers, and followed it up by carrying a live press conference by Gov. Chris Christie out of North Wildwood. We continued it with 16 hours of live coverage beginning at 6 a.m. on Sunday and Monday that I anchored both days along with our Morning Show host Mark Hunter on Monday. Both of us covered the storm on Tuesday through 5 p.m. when many of the last updates had come out for the day. Phil Pizzi was our reporter on scene at the OEM office, who also hosts the morning show and is a news anchor."

Brown says listeners were kept informed in a number of ways. "There is the old fashioned way of those listening on the radio. But we can do so much more. We flooded our facebook page with information and pictures throughout the days of the storm. Any key piece of information was posted to our

facebook page. Bigger updates were on our main website, but people interact with facebook. They shared photos and videos with us and

we with them. We also provided text alerts. We do breaking news texts throughout the year but ramp it up significantly during the storm. Facebook and texting is huge because many of our listeners evacuated. But they were able to know what was going on at the shore via these two means. We also had a number of vacationers and second home owners check in on facebook to share their well wishes for a place they love to come in the summer."

Brown emphasized how important a role social media plays in the lives of consumers these days. "Social media was huge. We started the storm with roughly 1,700 likes and ended the storm just shy on 3,000. All within three or four days. People were responding to our coverage by sharing photos and commenting on their experiences during the storm. It created great content online and kept many of those who were far away connected to the events at the Jersey Shore. Especially with a storm whose eye passed right over Cape May County and brought so much flooding with it...people were dying to know how their home or business held up. We had so many people requesting if anyone had a photo of specific street or home."

At the end of all the hard work, there's a certain satisfaction with that live and local radio family. "I was really touched by the way people responded to our stations during the storm. So many people said thank you on facebook and calling. One woman who was up in Mount Holly during the storm who lived in Wildwood said she wanted to do something for us. They know we were locked in the station and sleeping here for multiple days. I tried to let them know that we were one of them. I was a person who evacuated my home. I didn't know if it flooded. I was sleeping on an air mattress and posted the photo online before I went to bed...only to find out it had a slow leak and I was on the flood by 2:30 a.m. and on facebook updating the station site. Also, I was eating oreos and drinking soda at 9:30 a.m. Stupid stuff, but people respond because they know we are riding it out with them and bring a great public service. Here are a few of the posts we received on facebook after the storm."

Reach out to Denis HERE
Visit the station Facebook HERE

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