Early Emergency Broadcasting

      The new role of radio became clear with two events in the spring of 1937. Massive snow melt flooding of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers inundated towns and countryside alike, and local stations often were the only link with the outside world for days at a time. Stations that were themselves flooded out loaned their personnel to those still on the air. Regular program schedules were replaced with day and night reporting (sometimes around the clock) and radio broadcasters directed rescue teams where they were most needed. Some stations became arms of official state or federal agencies and provided a personal message service that might normally have been an illegal point-to-point use of radio stations. Radio's immediacy and portability were well demonstrated.

     The most spectacular disaster covered on radio was the burning of the German passenger airship Hindenburg as it attempted to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey, near New York City on 6 May 1937. Although 36 people were killed in the fiery crash, 62 survived the disaster, which was hard to believe as the nation watched the subsequent newsreel coverage. But people first heard about the crash as Chicago station WLS reporter Herb Morrison reported what was presumed to be a routine landing. Morrison's gripping eye-witness account, in which he cried with a broken voice, "This is one of the worst catastrophes.in the world," was aired on the networks the next day, all of them suspending their usual rule against use of recorded programs.

     In all too many later natural disasters-floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes-radio stations provided the crucial warnings of impending trouble and then the critical links with rescue help and the outside world. People soon learned to turn to the radio if concerned about the weather or some unusual event. Radio's growing transistor-driven portability in the 1950s continued the medium's unique role even in an age of television. Most radio stations have emergency generators and portable studio-transmitter links that allow reporters to get close to the scene of disasters or emergencies and provide on-the-spot reporting.

     One sure indicator of radio's central role in emergencies was its use in government emergency communications schemes. Beginning with the CONELRAD system (1952-63), which can still be seen in old radios with tuners marked for the two frequencies (640 kilohertz and 1240 kilohertz) to be used in national or regional emergencies, and progressing to the Emergency Broadcast System (1963-97), radio was to play a key role in Cold War civil defense planning and emergency warning schemes.

Radio's Role in More Recent Disasters

     In the 1960s, radio's emergency role showed in two man-made emergencies. When President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas, on 22 November 196 3, radio was often the first medium most people tuned to; television was far less common in schools and in the workplace then. As that Friday afternoon wore on, one could see people clustered around portable or car radios trying to learn the latest from Dallas, including the swearing in of a new president. During the massive overnight electric power failure in most of northeastern U.S. in late 1965, WBZ's Bob Kennedy became famous for his reassuring radio coverage during the many dark hours in the Boston area. New York DJs and news reporters filled much the same role there in the almost total absence of television reporting. Those who owned battery-powered transistor radios could tune in local radio personalities who did their best to communicate what was going on, how widespread it was, and when the lights began to come back on (the next morning). Many argued later that radio's collective voice helped to avert a widespread panic in the darkness.

     In early 1989 stations in the San Francisco Bay area were on top of the Loma Prieta earthquake and provided the first reports of downed bridges and collapsed and burning buildings, and thus assisted in crowd control and channeled rescue workers to where they were most needed. Later that same year, stations in the Caribbean and along the U.S. coast warned of the looming hurricane Hugo, one of the most powerful storms in years. Station WSTA in the Virgin Islands assisted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and for several days was the only source of news and information for and about the people on the devastated island. The station served as a government communications center, emergency police dispatcher, and chief contact for emergency medical personnel. Stations in southern Florida played similar roles when hurricane Andrew struck in 1992 and wiped out many communities south of Miami.

     In January 1998 a huge ice storm struck Maine and Eastern Canada, cutting electricity for at least hours, often days, and up to two weeks in some isolated communities. Thousands also lost their telephone connections, and the state's emergency broadcast system was knocked out as well. Hundreds had to move to central shelters. Throughout the storm, two radio stations managed to stay on the air and launched call-in shows. WW BX-FM in Bangor began "Storm Watch" around the clock, combining an aural bulletin board with message relay, town meetings, and a sharing and coordination center. The station linked people with other people, announced the location of shelters, and passed on cold-weather survival tips. WVOM­ FM, also in Bangor, stayed on the air thanks to propane gas carried up to its transmitter. It, too, provided a makeshift command center, often a voice in the dark for thousands with portable radios.

     A year later, flooding from heavy rains ravaged eastern North Carolina. Stations again scrapped entertainment programming and went into a 24-hour emergency mode, reporting what was happening, linking people with safety spots on high ground, and helping to funnel rescue workers and food supplies where they were most needed.

     When terrorists struck New York's World Trade Center (WTC) and Washington's Pentagon on 11 September 2001, radio again came to the fore as a primary means of media communication, especially to those in or near the attacked areas. With the loss of the multi-station antenna atop the WTC's North Tower, television reception was lost for much of the metropolitan New York region, save for cable subscribers. While across the nation many tuned to cable news services or the internet, thanks to battery-powered portables, radio was again the prime means of initial news reports and guidance for many listeners.

     While television stations play similar roles, not everyone can receive signals if power is lost. Radio's portability and pervasiveness in cars, offices, schools, and homes makes it the medium of first resort in disasters and emergency conditions.