Soapbox #2567

Our little indy station just signed a contract with the Department of Homeland Security.
We've been working on this for months- total hush-hush- but now it's official.
We are now a contractor to the DHS -just like Halliburton, except we actually help people, not kill them.

I'm serious.

Not a single corporate radio station in Fallentown was willing to provide the resources ( one live human ) needed to ensure that the Emergency Broadcast System had immediate response capability in case of disaster or emergency- during the last couple floods/hurricanes we had here-(2003,2004) FEMA was unable to contact a live DJ at any of the "Big" stations since none of them have live DJ's- (NOTE: almost all modern FM radio is piped in from Corporate HQ's in California or NY or somewhere else)
We, on the other hand, have live persons on-air 24/7.

None of the "Big" stations would touch this contract because- get this- if there were to be an actual emergency, those stations would be obligated to dedicate themselves to informing the public as to the current local situation. This means that there can be no commercials broadcast during a declared State of Emergency. The Big stations cannot take that chance- if there's a tornado, flood, earthquake, or nuclear attack they aren't gonna let it interfere with their ad revenue. We don't play commercials -ever- so this is no problem for us.

So the DHS came to us, the plucky little leftists and misfits who refused to be quiet and go away .

Hey, if there's a local emergency, then by Godzilla you oughta be able to turn to the local radio to get the news you need- where's the potable water and ice? Clinics? What roads are out? Who has power? Where can I get food? Medicine?

In 2004 no one could answer those questions. The Clear Channel stations don't have locals humans running the broadcast- and they won't - because it's not profitable to do so. I remember being trapped on one side of the river, trying to find a bridge to cross in order to get home and turning on the radio for help. I heard car commercials, beer ads and a Two- for-Tuesday of Creed songs. I'd almost rather drown than listen to Creed- and I almost did because I had no way of knowing that all the roads home were washed out.

Nobody on the radio mentioned this, but they did tell me about a great 1/2 price tanning salon offer before the rising water shorted out my car's electrical system.

So the next time the shit hits the fan, it'll be local volunteers staying on-air, doing it because someone has to - and the Giant Corporate Media Gloms don't care if you live or die -only if they sell their ad space.

If you don't have a community radio station in your neighborhood, start one today.