Re: The NAB, part 2

[Sven Weil <sven@lily.org>]

Mark said:
> I was at WHAV when Hurricane Gloria hit back in 1985.We blew off the music
> for wall to wall info/phone calls reporting power outage ... .I agree with Bill
> on his "hard drive repeaters"comment.Especially in the Merrimack Valley
> area,where satellite,hard drive,or ethnic programming seem to prevail.If we
> should experience another hurricane or major weather or emergency event in
> the near future,Heaven forbid,how would local radio react to cover,if at
> all??                                                                 

WHile I agree with Mark regarding the lack of public service or coverage
on automated stations during a crisis, I have to disagree with his inclusion
of the so-called "ethnic" broadcasters.  People who can understand the
programs of Greek, Polish, Spanish, CHinese, Hebrew/Yiddish, etc. , stations
WILL get the information. THe reason why some of these stations exist is 
because -- lets face it -- NOT EVERYONE CAN SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY

*putting down the megaphone*

These people rely on these stations to keep them informed about the world
around them. Put yourself in the shoes of a recent Korean immigrant. A 
hurricane breaks loose in the New York City area (a long shot-but just for
the sake of argument). You can't speaktwo words of english. WHo are you going
to tune into? NewsRadio 880 or RadioKorea 1480? 

While I may not sometimes like a station switching to a  language I can't
speak or comprehend, I understand what these stations are doing; providing
their listeners with a link to the rest of the world. 

I am not thrilled with the idea of groups like ADD Media and Multicultural
Broadcasting buying stations and turning them into "phone booths of
the air" (sort of like what WEAF was when AT&T started it -- all leased
access) allowing quack doctors and unscrupulous financial "adviser"
charlatans to peddle their wares. But I admire people who get together
and start a radio station in their own language to keep their fellow
countrymen informed -- and I wish them well. 

Lets face it. WIth the growing diversity in this country, I wouldn't
be surprised with stations like WRKO, WBCN-FM, WBZ, WXKS AM/FM or even
WJIB switching to languages other than english. Imagine turning
the dial sometim in the future and pasing by stations broadcasting
in Malay, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Urdu or even Swahili. All that while
searching for the only radio stationbroadcasting in English. Maybe a 
small 5000-watter like WUNR (where the english-only speaking minority
will have tobe buying time, just like the caribbean and spanish and
other ethnic groups do now). :)
> 
> 
- -- 
Sven Franklyn Weil            "The needs of the many outweigh 
<sven@lily.org>                          the needs of the few
<http://www.lily.org/~sven>                      or the one." 
                                                     -- Surak

------------------------------