Re: Weather cancellations

[Chuckigo@aol.com]

Chris B. raised some valid points but i still agree
with removing the scroll/crawl canx notices under paid
product. i find the stock ticker annoying, & even CNN's 
own "headline ticker" very distracting.  while trying 
to focus on the story of the moment that is being 
reported on-air, the flashing headlines pull attention 
away and the viewer, at times, is very much left with 
only pieces of either event (the story and/or the 
headline.)
   have we, as a society, become SO much in a hurry that
we need to be subjected to information overload? if so,
maybe radio should follow tv's lead and split their
stereo channels... left could be music/news/programming
and right could be all spots, all the time!  heck, we
could tell the advertiser that at least they'd be 
getting partial attention of the listener. (sarcasm mode
off)
   as far as the radio cancellations and how the info is
obtained, i can tell you that, personally, when calling
a TV station for canx info, i've been told that "...we
get our stuff from you..."  it goes both ways, but it
depends on the effort put forth by the radio or tv 
station. used to be that up here in Maine, the stations
would coordinate with the area school superintendants 
and all would exchange pertinent details (code words,
phone numbers ((home&hotline)), contact names).
  it is more than likely that the removal of importance
on *local* news and information by the radio side has
contributed to the lack of radio involvement. it comes
down to:  if radio wants to let what was once proudly
theirs escape, then they'll be destined to continue to
rely on the resources of others as their primary
source.  the only exception to this, at the moment,
appears to be the professional and still proud newscrew
at WGAN radio.  there was a time not so long ago when
Portland had at least three bonafide, staffed & able
news departments all getting their mic flags up higher
than the TV ones.  even Boston's once mighty radio news
gangs have dwindled. (and as always, KUDOS to the WBZ
radio news gang.)
  the only redemption i can see coming is that as tv
starts to follow radio's lead in making cuts and 
eliminating staff, it will be up to radio to jump back
in and reclaim its heritage.  as the article in the 
Casco Bay Weekly (the link to which Dan B. posted here)
points out, there are still some believers in the craft
that is radio. 
  and for the moment, listening to radio in the car
 while driving has NOT yet been outlawed. 
(along with reading a newspaper or surfing the net on
your wireless laptop, all while sipping a coffee and
adjusting your radar detector.) 

- -Chuck Igo