Re: Boston's Newsradio Void

[SteveOrdinetz <steveord@xtdl.com>]

At 12:35 AM 6/15/98 -0400, Mark wrote:
Greater Boston desperately needs a true 
>> purveyor of Newsradio...a 24-Hour News Service, perhaps 
>> along the lines of service provided by WEEI, some years ago. 
>I agree!!! I guess the days of local radio coverage in times of crisis are
>by the boards!!         Mark Watson
>
>
>

I think this was discussed to death (so to speak) last fall when Princess
Diana died...how many stations, even the big boys, can afford to keep a
full news staff on hand 24/7 for the few times (such as this) when
emergency coverage is warranted?  Most operations have a minimal staff
after hours, who generally have their hands full just keeping programming
on the air (and this staffing is sufficient, probably 360 days a year),
without having to make a zillion police calls (which, from my own
experience, most police depts won't tell you squat anyway), listen to
scanners, etc.

A co-worker and I were just the other day discussing why news coverage has
gone down the tubes over the past 10 years or so.  We agreed that 2
conditions fed off each other....most of the time the public doesn't care,
so stations cut back on "extra" news coverage.  With less coverage
available, listeners are less apt to turn to radio for such info.  With
less demand for info, stations cut back on news coverage.  And so on and so
on and scooby dooby dooby.

Witness the number of irate calls tv stations received when the space
shuttle Challenger crashed in the mid 80s.  People were furious that the
station would interrupt General Hospital (or whatever) for something as
"unimportant" as this.

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End of boston-radio-interest-digest V2 #97
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