Re: Amber Alert & WBZ

[Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com>]

On Thu, 02 Jan 2003 13:43:26 -0500 Shawn Mamros <mamros@MIT.EDU> writes:
> >I'm a little surprised to see that the Boston outlets would allow 
> WBZ a
> >jump start on the Amber Alert considering that if and when it is
> >activated it will be for a missing child that will turn into a lead
> >story.  As I read the specs, and granted Mark Manuellian is chair 
> of the
> >committee, the State Police Trooper that will decide these things 
> will
> >notify ONLY WBZ to start the ball rolling. I don't know how else it 
> could
> >be handled but I do think it gives WBZ an unfair advantage over 
> other
> >news organizations in town...

Shawn writes: 
> What other news organizations? :-)  Seriously, aside from WBZ and
> WBUR (right?), is there any other local-to-Boston radio station that
> does more than just rip-and-read (or the modern online equivalent) 
> news
> gathering?

Just off the top of my head I would think passing it along to Metro would
get the information to the greatest number of stations the quickest since
every station that has traffic has to use Metro/Shadow/SmartRoutes and
Metro provides news and teletype information to a large number of
stations in the state.  
I'm not slamming the way it is set up but I am just commenting that in
the so-called competative business that we are in that other groups would
allow a competitor any advantage.   Even if Mark passes the information
along immediately without making a side comment to anyone down the hall,
the alert is first broadcast by WBZ giving the newsroom a few minutes
head start prior to the alert being repeated on other stations.   
df