My own decades-long experience in Georgia broadcasting has shown me time and again that whether it’s one of Atlanta’s occasional “snow jams” or our state’s spring storms and tornadoes, Georgians tune in to their free, over-the-air, radio and television stations to assess the situation and take life-saving steps to protect themselves.
No other medium conveys the urgency of an emergency better than live and local broadcasting. Stations have invested enormous resources that enable them to stay on the air and provide the public with vital information during life-threatening situations. When we see severe weather headed our way, local stations take to the airwaves well in advance to give people time to prepare.
During crises ranging from tornadoes to floods to hurricanes and wildfires, broadcasters routinely replace regular programming with wall-to-wall “boots on the ground” reporting to keep citizens out of harm’s way. On countless occasions — from the Tuscaloosa and Joplin tornadoes two years ago, to Superstorm Sandy, to the January tornado closer to home in Adairsville — reliable and authoritative reporting from local broadcasters was credited with saving countless lives.
Smartphones, broadband, cable and satellite television often crash or are rendered inoperable during disasters, but local broadcasters are nearly always on and always there (even if only via battery power), playing our part as “first informers,” as indicated by the storm survivors. Even when cellular and broadband remain in service, broadcasters’ websites and live streams provide an invaluable complement to our over-the-air coverage and are most often the “go-to resource” for Georgians.
When the danger passes, radio and TV stations continue to have an integral role in their community’s recovery. Broadcasters sponsor efforts such as food and clothing drives for those in need and fundraising to support relief efforts and, possibly most important, provide a virtual gathering place for people to stay connected and informed.
I can think of no better example of local broadcasters fulfilling this mission than Community Radio WBHF in Cartersville, which went live to warn Bartow County residents about the approach of the devastating EF-3 tornado on Jan. 30. The following week, WBHF and its listeners raised over $32,000 in a day-long radiothon for victims of the storm, an event that was publicized and supported by fellow radio and television broadcasters across the state.
It is important to remember with the arrival of tornado season, Georgians should update their emergency preparedness plans with guidance from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) website, www.ready.ga.gov.
A battery-powered radio or television must be an essential part of those plans, as has been noted by the director of FEMA. These are the tools that allow those in danger to connect with the best information resources available during a crisis: local radio and TV broadcasters.
Bob Houghton is president of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.
