Let’s be honest: The National Weather Service gets it right much more often than wrong. Those “clueless weatherman” jokes are so last century, thanks to today’s array of high-tech tools available to weather forecasters.
When they do get it wrong, the public probably should cut them some slack. The same goes for the officials who relied on severe weather forecasts last week to shut down government offices and schools.
However, one link in the severe weather chain must perform perfectly – the emergency broadcast system. The primary job for designated emergency broadcasters during a crisis is to inform residents about its cause, its likely duration and how to cope and stay safe.
It’s to inform, not entertain, and that’s where today’s chain could use some mending, as many listeners have concluded following Oahu’s island-wide power outage last month.
Emergency station KSSK’s Mike Perry and Larry Price, said to be the nation’s most dominant radio personalities, are exceptionally gifted entertainers who have been number one in their timeslot since taking over for the late Hal Lewis in 1983.
But emergency broadcasting isn’t primarily about entertainment. In addition to being the most influential broadcasters in the state, Perry and Price could be even more valuable during emergencies if they relied less on entertainment and adopted a no-nonsense approach that would help the public understand what’s happening and how to cope.
Here’s what an information-oriented broadcaster could do during future emergencies:
• Tell listeners not to call the station except to report emergencies. KSSK tends to open its phone lines to all callers, and the result is predictably frivolous (fish tank aeration was a big topic last month).
• Use valuable airtime to focus on real-world drama. Dozens of high-rise residents were stuck in elevators during the blackout, and others who rely on electricity-powered respirators were in jeopardy.
Without question, Perry and Price and KSSK are community assets, but we have other assets that could grow into valuable roles during future emergencies. One is non-profit Hawaii Public Radio, whose primary role is public service.
HPR’s journalists would bring an entirely different mindset to emergency broadcasts. For now, however, HPR’s biggest priority is to remain on the air during power outages, something it couldn’t achieve last month.
HPR always is in need of public support, and if emergency broadcast status is ever to be achieved, even more community backing will be required for HPR to add its public service voice to the current mix of entertainment-oriented stations.
The likelihood of future hurricanes, earthquakes and power outages in the islands requires an emergency broadcasting philosophy that emphasizes keeping citizens informed and safe, as well as entertained.
When they do get it wrong, the public probably should cut them some slack. The same goes for the officials who relied on severe weather forecasts last week to shut down government offices and schools.
However, one link in the severe weather chain must perform perfectly – the emergency broadcast system. The primary job for designated emergency broadcasters during a crisis is to inform residents about its cause, its likely duration and how to cope and stay safe.
It’s to inform, not entertain, and that’s where today’s chain could use some mending, as many listeners have concluded following Oahu’s island-wide power outage last month.
Emergency station KSSK’s Mike Perry and Larry Price, said to be the nation’s most dominant radio personalities, are exceptionally gifted entertainers who have been number one in their timeslot since taking over for the late Hal Lewis in 1983.
But emergency broadcasting isn’t primarily about entertainment. In addition to being the most influential broadcasters in the state, Perry and Price could be even more valuable during emergencies if they relied less on entertainment and adopted a no-nonsense approach that would help the public understand what’s happening and how to cope.
Here’s what an information-oriented broadcaster could do during future emergencies:
• Tell listeners not to call the station except to report emergencies. KSSK tends to open its phone lines to all callers, and the result is predictably frivolous (fish tank aeration was a big topic last month).
• Use valuable airtime to focus on real-world drama. Dozens of high-rise residents were stuck in elevators during the blackout, and others who rely on electricity-powered respirators were in jeopardy.
Without question, Perry and Price and KSSK are community assets, but we have other assets that could grow into valuable roles during future emergencies. One is non-profit Hawaii Public Radio, whose primary role is public service.
HPR’s journalists would bring an entirely different mindset to emergency broadcasts. For now, however, HPR’s biggest priority is to remain on the air during power outages, something it couldn’t achieve last month.
HPR always is in need of public support, and if emergency broadcast status is ever to be achieved, even more community backing will be required for HPR to add its public service voice to the current mix of entertainment-oriented stations.
The likelihood of future hurricanes, earthquakes and power outages in the islands requires an emergency broadcasting philosophy that emphasizes keeping citizens informed and safe, as well as entertained.
Honolulu communications consultant Doug Carlson previously worked at all-news radio stations in Philadelphia, PA and Los Angeles, CA.
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