Topic: Disaster Relief and Recovery
Posted on 12/4/2014
According to Inside Radio, Entercom Communication’s WBEN-AM Buffalo pre-empted programming for wall-to-wall coverage, critical information and community support. "This is a dangerous situation for people south of Buffalo," host Larry Hunter said. "That’s why we’re going to be here all night for you." A woman named Liza and her 12-year-old daughter had been stranded in their car for 18 hours. They were cold, hungry and afraid. After host David Bellavia asked nearby listeners with snowmobiles to help, the two were rescued. "This is what talk radio is supposed to be about," Bellavia said. "Helping people." Another call came from a man trapped at a gas station with 30 others in an area unreachable for emergency vehicles.
Other radio stations with expanded coverage include Western NY Public Broadcasting Association’s WBFO-FM Buffalo. WBEN-AM sister station WLKK-FM carried WBEN-AM updates on-air and on social media. WBEN-AM’s social media posts included galleries of listeners’ storm pictures. One aerial photograph had 10,000 shares and 740,000 views. "It’s the old storm spotter thing taken to the social media level," Entercom-Buffalo operations manager Tim Wenger said. "It’s amazing the ways we reach people and they reach us."
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