Radio World / 11.12.2012 10:41AM
Post-Storm Update from N.J. Broadcasters Association
MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- In
the aftermath of Sandy and then a nor’easter, New Jersey broadcasters continue
to play a role in recovery even as they face their own challenges. Radio World touched
base again with Paul Rotella, president and CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters
Association.
We
spoke last week, only a few days after the first storm hit. How have stations been doing since we last spoke?
They were
briefly out during the transition from AC to DC power, but it was a minimal
disruption in services. A vast majority of our stations
are still running on generators. A vast majority of our station groups are
huddled in the central location. I think they’re working as efficiently as
possible. But audiences don’t know that. They’re not missing a beat. By and large, whether it takes generators, gasoline,
engineers, office, on-air talent, support staff, producers, GMs, everyone’s
pitching in and doing what has to be done to keep the stations on the air.
Are other operations returning
to normal?
The radio stations and the television
stations have been all up and running and dealing with their situations as they
need to. They’re doing a terrific job of staying on the air. The primary
concern is to stay on the air, and they’re doing it magnificently, but a lot of
the ancillary business functions of the industry have been put on the back
burner for now. And for a very good reason. Our job as first informers and first
responders takes precedence.
What are you hearing broadcasters and listeners say about the storm?
We were hit in a way that we’ve never been hit in over a
hundred years, since the beginning of broadcast, probably. It’s impacting
lives. Our broadcasters are in the same position as the people they’re serving.
Our drives for food, clothing, blankets, medicine, are affecting them as well.
They’re not just asking, they’re also receiving. It’s very close to their hearts,
very personal commitments.
How do you think the storm has affected your relationship with your
audiences?
Even though New Jersey broadcasters have
always helped to preserve life and limb with catastrophes, I think this last
storm helped to make our unique bond with our audiences even stronger. It’s a
massive effort that’s going on in the aftermath of Sandy, and it’s just
started. It’s going to take years.
To get everyone back
to where they were, it’s going to take a Herculean effort, and radio and
television broadcast is going to be a very, very important to getting this
monumental task done. Countless radio stations are now actually doing food
drives, doing clothing drives, helping their communities. We are now in a
rescue and recovery mode, and we will continue to do what we have to do help our
listeners. We’ll keep going.