Chicagoans Survive Blizzard Thanks to Local Broadcasters' Multicasts, Mobile Video and Up-to-the-Minute Reporting
Last week Chicago, like many cities across the United States, was hit by a massive snow storm that brought sleet, ice and record inches of snow to residents from western Texas to Maine. While most Chicagoans hunkered down in their homes to weather the storm, local broadcasters were hard at work providing round-the-clock coverage of the blizzard. Television stations across the market offered expanded reporting on Wednesday, and one station, Tribune's WGN-TV, provided the "Blizzard of 2011 Special Report" starting as early as 3 a.m. CBS-owned WBBM-TV canvassed the city in its Mobile 2 video truck, providing live footage of the storm's aftermath. Meanwhile, Fox's WFLD encouraged viewers to submit their own snow videos, which were included in newscasts throughout the day. NBC-owned WMAQ-TV utilized its multicast station, Channel 5.2 to deliver continuous blizzard coverage, while ABC's WLS-TV relied on social media and mobile video to update viewers with "up to the minute" bulletins. Click here to learn more about Chicago broadcasters' efforts.
Did your station cover the massive snow storm? Send NAB's Public Service Initiatives department tapes and stories of your stations' blizzard coverage. Contact Allison Kreutzjans at (202) 429-5448 for more details.
Salt Lake City's KUBL-FM Radiothon Raises $630,000 to Fight Cancer and Fund Research
Citadel Broadcasting-owned KUBL-FM Salt Lake City, Utah, raised $638,132 during the station's 36-hour radiothon last week. KUBL-FM, locally known as K-Bull 93, joined the Huntsman Cancer Foundation for the ninth annual event. K-Bull personalities Shotgun Jack, The Outlaw Pat Garrett, Coyote McCoy and Andy Waits invited local cancer survivors on air to share their stories of hope and demonstrate the significant role cancer research plays in saving lives. All funds were donated to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, which serves the needs of cancer patients and their families by conducting research, providing patient treatment, educational materials and outreach activities. Click here to watch a recap of KUBL-FM's successful radiothon.
