[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5106-S5111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Carper, and Mr. 
        Pryor):
  S. 1223. A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act to support efforts by local or regional 
television or radio broadcasters to provide essential public 
information programming in the event of a major disaster, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak about the 
First Response Broadcasters Act, legislation I am introducing today 
along with Senators Stevens, Carper and Pryor.
  As my State suffered the devastating impact of Hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita and the levee breaks that followed, we learned that one of the 
most vital relief supplies is information. In providing it, all of our 
local media--newspapers, broadcasters and web sites included--did 
amazing work to keep the people of my State informed, even when 
displaced thousands of miles away. But with phone lines down and 
streets too flooded to move around, the sound of a local radio or 
television station was for many of my constituents the only voice in 
those first few dark nights after the hurricanes. Our local 
broadcasters provided life-saving information and comfort when both 
were needed the most. Many of them worked through unimaginable 
technical and emotional obstacles, staying on the air as their 
facilities and staff homes were destroyed, and loved ones remained 
missing.
  With the entire industry dependent on public airwaves, broadcasters 
have a duty to serve the public in times of crisis. As local radio and 
television stations stand up, as so many did, to put commercial 
interests aside to serve the public interest, the federal government

[[Page S5107]]

should be ready to stand with them. This is not a new partnership.
  Under laws going back to 1951, radio and television stations are 
today required to participate in the national Emergency Alert System 
(EAS), and many stations have protected, government-funded circuits 
connecting them to emergency command centers. This legislation would 
directly connect more stations nationwide to this network by 
authorizing $6.5 million to FEMA to set up Primary Entry Point radio 
stations in another twenty five states and U.S. territories. Currently 
there are thirty-two stations and two under development in Alabama and 
Mississippi.
  A Primary Entry Point (PEP) station is a radio broadcast station 
designated to provide public information following national and local 
emergencies where there is no commercial power. For example, WWL Radio 
in New Orleans was the only PEP station in the Gulf Coast after Katrina 
and it provided radio broadcasts for two weeks after the storm until 
commercial power was restored. FEMA commissioned recommendations from 
the Primary Entry Point Advisory Committee, a non-profit group they set 
up to oversee the stations, and just needs the additional funds to 
build the additional facilities. Included in the findings of the 
legislation is a comprehensive list of the states that are currently 
without PEP stations and which would benefit from this provision. There 
are also States which have PEP stations, but because of geographic 
limitations, require an additional station to fully cover the State. 
This bill would provide those two additional stations in Kansas and 
Florida.
  But what good is this successful emergency information chain if the 
last link fails? By technical necessity, this last link is right in the 
disaster's path. Simply put, the transmitter needs to be in the same 
area as the people in need of warning. Despite our Federal investments 
in the emergency system and entry point stations, there were several 
Gulf Coast broadcasters after the hurricanes that could not stay on the 
air simply because the government took their fuel away. They were told 
they weren't on the list.''
  This legislation puts these broadcasters on the list, where they 
belong. To protect vital broadcast infrastructure and encourage more 
broadcasters to deploy disaster-resistant telecommunications equipment, 
this bill would also create a 3-year pilot program managed by the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide annual matching grants 
to qualified First Response Broadcasters for the protection and 
reinforcement of critical-to-air facilities and infrastructure. The 
program would receive $10 million per year to fund matching program 
grants, and grants could also be used for projects to enhance essential 
disaster-related public information services.
  As the program encourages both disaster preparedness and community 
coordination, increased scoring would be granted to applications from 
broadcasters who form cooperative proposals with other broadcasters in 
the area or those who submit plans in conjunction with local or State 
governments. Priority scoring would also be given to applicants in 
disaster-prone areas and also based on the public service merits of the 
broadcasters disaster programming plan.
  No disaster warning, evacuation plan or emergency instruction matters 
if it can't get to the people who need it. This is why the Federal 
Communications Commission and a presidential advisory panel have each 
recommended we take steps to keep these lifesaving broadcasts on the 
air.
  In particular, this bill would require that the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency and other Federal response agencies, in coordination 
with State and local authorities and the National Guard, honor press 
access guidelines and credentials set by the local governing authority 
in the declared disaster area. For example, if the City of New Orleans 
issued press credentials before the disaster and the city decided to 
continue honoring them post-disaster, FEMA officials operating in the 
area would be required to honor those credentials as well. The local 
entity, at its own discretion, would be able to request that this 
credentialing authority be passed instead to federal or state 
officials.
  Along these same lines, the bill would also direct the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local and State agencies 
to allow access, where practicable and not impeding recovery or 
endangering public safety, into the disaster area for personnel and 
equipment essential to restoring or maintaining critical-to-air 
broadcast infrastructure. The priority policies and procedures for this 
coordination would be similar to those practiced for restoring public 
utilities, and would include access for refueling generators and re-
supplying critical facilities.
  For all journalists working to tell the story-newspapers and web 
sites included-the First Response Broadcasters Act makes sure that the 
local officials, who know local reporters best, decide where the 
journalists can go, not some Washington bureaucrat who just stepped off 
the plane.
  In closing, I would like to submit for the record the stories of a 
few incredible broadcasters who through recent disasters have 
demonstrated exactly the type of response this bill is intended to 
encourage. I would also like to submit for the record a list of 
organizations which have already endorsed this legislation-including 
the state broadcasting associations from every one of the 50 states and 
the District of Columbia.
  Broadcasters have a duty to the American people to spread the word in 
times of crisis. No one else can do it. They are already a key part of 
our national emergency response plan, and have been for more than 50 
years. This bill merely reinforces this fact and secures the logical 
extension of commitments already made by Federal government. We have a 
responsibility to make sure the tools are protected to make the system 
work.
  Broadcasters are first responders--and with this bill today, we will 
strengthen our essential partnership with them for the benefit of all 
Americans. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation 
and ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation, the 
broadcaster stories, and a list of the organizations already supporting 
this bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1223

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``First Response Broadcasters 
     Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) in the periods before, during, and after major 
     disasters that occurred not long before the date of enactment 
     of this Act (including Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and 
     the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001), local media 
     organizations (including newspapers, public and private 
     broadcasters, and online publications) provided a valuable 
     public service by transmitting and publishing disaster-
     related information, guidance, and assistance;
       (2) local broadcasters, public and private, provided a 
     particularly valuable public service by transmitting 
     evacuation instructions, warnings of impending threats, 
     timely response status updates, and other essential 
     information related to such major disasters to listeners and 
     viewers to whom other forms of media were often unavailable 
     or inaccessible;
       (3) an inability to access a disaster area may impede the 
     ability of local media organizations to provide such public 
     services;
       (4) according to the report by the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, titled 
     ``Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared'', dated May 
     2006, ``It is essential that the news media receive accurate 
     disaster information to circulate to the public. News media 
     can also help inform the public by reporting on rumors and 
     soliciting evidence and comment on their plausibility, if 
     any'';
       (5) according to testimony provided on September 22, 2005, 
     to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
     the Senate, an estimated 100 Gulf Coast broadcast stations 
     were unable to broadcast as a result of Hurricane Katrina, 
     with approximately 28 percent of television stations and 
     approximately 35 percent of radio stations unable to 
     broadcast in the area affected by Hurricane Katrina;
       (6) according to testimony provided on September 7, 2005, 
     to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives, following Hurricane Katrina only 4 of the 41 
     radio broadcast stations in the New Orleans metropolitan area 
     remained on the air in the immediate aftermath of that 
     hurricane;

[[Page S5108]]

       (7) the only television station in New Orleans to continue 
     transmitting its over-the-air signal uninterrupted during and 
     after Hurricane Katrina was able to do so only as a direct 
     result of steps taken to better protect its transmitter and 
     provide redundant production facilities in the region;
       (8) fuel and other supply shortages inhibit the ability of 
     a broadcaster to stay on the air and provide essential public 
     information following a major disaster;
       (9) according to the report by the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, titled 
     ``Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared'', dated May 
     2006, there were instances of Federal authorities 
     confiscating privately-purchased fuel supplies in the area 
     affected by Hurricane Katrina;
       (10) the ability of several broadcasters in Mississippi to 
     remain on the air was unduly compromised by the confiscation 
     of their privately-purchased fuel supplies;
       (11) practices put in place following Hurricane Andrew to 
     involve broadcasters in disaster response and expedite access 
     by broadcast engineers to disaster areas for the purpose of 
     repairing critical-to-air facilities and infrastructure has 
     significantly increased the ability of broadcasters in 
     Florida to continue transmitting essential public information 
     during subsequent major disasters;
       (12) a June 12, 2006, report to the Federal Communications 
     Commission from the Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of 
     Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks recommends that 
     cable and broadcasting infrastructure providers, and their 
     contracted workers, be afforded emergency responder status 
     under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and that this 
     designation would remedy many of the access and fuel sharing 
     issues that hampered industry efforts to quickly repair 
     infrastructure following Hurricane Katrina;
       (13) the partnership of competing radio broadcasters in the 
     wake of Hurricane Katrina, casting aside commercial interests 
     to provide uninterrupted, redundant public information 
     programming from multiple transmission facilities, served the 
     public well and for many hurricane victims was the only 
     source of disaster-related information for many days;
       (14) other similar models for regional broadcaster 
     cooperation nationwide, such as the initiative by 3 public 
     and private radio groups to cooperatively produce essential 
     disaster-related programming in eastern and central Maine, 
     will further prepare the industry to effectively respond to 
     major disasters;
       (15) following Hurricane Katrina, a Primary Entry Point 
     station in Louisiana, operating only on generator power until 
     commercial power was restored 2 weeks after the disaster, was 
     instrumental in providing life-saving information to the 
     general public throughout the area as battery-operated radios 
     were the only source of official news and information;
       (16) as of April 18, 2007, there were 24 States with 1 
     Primary Entry Point station, 4 States with 2 Primary Entry 
     point stations, 2 Primary Entry Point stations located in 
     territories of the United States, and 2 Primary Entry Point 
     stations under development in Alabama and Mississippi;
       (17) in the event of a man-made or natural disaster, it is 
     essential to provide for Primary Entry Point stations in any 
     State or territory where there is not a facility, meaning an 
     additional 23 stations are required, located in--
       (A) Arkansas;
       (B) Connecticut;
       (C) Delaware;
       (D) the District of Columbia;
       (E) Indiana;
       (F) Iowa;
       (G) Kentucky;
       (H) Maine;
       (I) Michigan;
       (J) Nebraska;
       (K) New Hampshire;
       (L) New Jersey;
       (M) Oklahoma;
       (N) Oregon;
       (O) Pennsylvania;
       (P) Rhode Island;
       (Q) South Dakota;
       (R) Vermont;
       (S) West Virginia;
       (T) Wisconsin;
       (U) American Samoa;
       (V) the Northern Mariana Islands; and
       (W) Guam; and
       (18) in the event of a man-made or natural disaster, it is 
     essential to provide for the Primary Entry Point stations in 
     larger States where there is currently a facility, but an 
     additional station is required to ensure full sufficient 
     geographic coverage, meaning 2 stations are required, located 
     in--
       (A) Kansas; and
       (B) Florida.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
     the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
       (2) the term ``disaster area'' means an area in which the 
     President has declared a major disaster, during the period of 
     that declaration;
       (3) the term ``first response broadcaster'' means a local 
     or regional television or radio broadcaster that provides 
     essential disaster-related public information programming 
     before, during, and after the occurrence of a major disaster;
       (4) the term ``major disaster'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
     and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122); and
       (5) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security.

     SEC. 4. PRIMARY ENTRY POINT STATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     $6,500,000 to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency for facility and equipment expenses to 
     construct an additional 25 Primary Entry Point stations in 
     the continental United States and territories.
       (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Primary Entry 
     Point station'' means a radio broadcast station designated to 
     provide public information following national and local 
     emergencies where there is no commercial power.

     SEC. 5. BROADCAST DISASTER PREPAREDNESS GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``pilot 
     program'' means the Broadcast Disaster Preparedness Grant 
     Program established under subsection (b).
       (b) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a 
     pilot program under which the Administrator may make grants 
     to first response broadcasters, to be known as the 
     ``Broadcast Disaster Preparedness Grant Program''.
       (c) Priority.--The Administrator may give priority to an 
     application for a grant under the pilot program that--
       (1) is submitted--
       (A) on behalf of more than 1 first response broadcaster 
     operating in an area;
       (B) in cooperation with State or local authorities;
       (C) on behalf of a first response broadcaster with 50 
     employees or less;
       (D) on behalf of a first response broadcaster that is 
     principally owned and operated by individuals residing within 
     the State, county, parish, or municipality in which the 
     broadcaster is located; or
       (2) provides, in writing, a statement of the intention of 
     the applicant to provide disaster-related programming 
     dedicated to essential public information purposes before, 
     during, and after a major disaster.
       (d) Use of Funds.--A grant under the pilot program shall be 
     used by a first response broadcaster to--
       (1) protect or provide redundancy for facilities and 
     infrastructure, including transmitters and other at-risk 
     equipment (as determined by the Administrator), critical to 
     the ability of that first response broadcaster to continue to 
     produce and transmit essential disaster-related public 
     information programming; or
       (2) upgrade or add facilities or equipment that will 
     enhance or expand the ability of the first responder 
     broadcaster to acquire, produce, or transmit essential 
     disaster-related public information programming.
       (e) Federal Share.--The Federal share of an activity 
     carried out with a grant under this section shall be not more 
     than 50 percent.
       (f) Termination.--The authority to make grants under the 
     pilot program shall terminate at the end of the third full 
     fiscal year after the date of enactment of this Act.
       (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the pilot 
     program $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
     2010.

     SEC. 6. FIRST RESPONSE BROADCASTER ACCESS FOLLOWING A MAJOR 
                   DISASTER.

       (a) Access.--Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
     Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(3)(B), by inserting ``(including 
     providing fuel, food, water, and other supplies to first 
     response broadcasters, after providing essential emergency 
     services, health care, and utility restoration services)'' 
     before the semicolon at the end; and
       (2) in subsection (c)(6)--
       (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 
     subparagraphs (B) and (C), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting before subparagraph (B), as so 
     redesignated, the following:
       ``(A) First response broadcaster.--The term `first response 
     broadcaster' has the meaning given that term in section 
     707.''.
       (b) Confiscation.--Title VII of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5201 
     et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 707. CONFISCATION FROM FIRST RESPONSE BROADCASTERS.

       ``(a) Definition.--In this section, the term `first 
     response broadcaster' means a local or regional television or 
     radio broadcaster that provides essential disaster-related 
     public information programming before, during, and after a 
     major disaster.
       ``(b) In General.--In the event of a major disaster, and to 
     the extent practicable and consistent with not endangering 
     public safety, a Federal officer or employee may not 
     confiscate fuel, water, or food from a first response 
     broadcaster if that first response broadcaster adequately 
     documents that such supplies will be used to enable that 
     broadcast first responder to broadcast essential disaster-
     related public information programming in the area affected 
     by that major disaster.''.
       (c) Restoration of Services.--The Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
     et seq.) is amended--

[[Page S5109]]

       (1) by redesignating section 425 (42 U.S.C. 5189e) 
     (relating to essential service providers) as section 427; and
       (2) in section 427, as so redesignated, by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(d) First Response Broadcasters.--
       ``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `first 
     response broadcaster' has the meaning given that term in 
     section 707.
       ``(2) In general.--In the event of a major disaster, the 
     head of a Federal agency, in consultation with appropriate 
     State and local government authorities, and to the greatest 
     extent practicable and consistent with not endangering public 
     safety or inhibiting recovery efforts, shall allow access to 
     the area affected by that major disaster for technical 
     personnel, broadcast engineers, and equipment needed to 
     restore, repair, or resupply any facility or equipment 
     critical to the ability of a first response broadcaster to 
     continue to acquire, produce, and transmit essential 
     disaster-related public information programming, including 
     the repair and maintenance of transmitters and other facility 
     equipment and transporting fuel for generators.
       ``(3) News gathering employees.--This subsection shall not 
     apply to news gathering employees or agents of a first 
     response broadcaster.''.
       (d) Guidelines for Press.--
       (1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
       (A) the term ``credentialing authority'' means a Federal, 
     State, or local government agency that--
       (i) issues press credentials; and
       (ii) permits and coordinates access to a designated 
     location or area on the basis of possessing such press 
     credentials;
       (B) the term ``press credential'' means the identification 
     provided to news personnel to identify such personnel as 
     members of the press; and
       (C) the term ``news personnel'' includes a broadcast 
     journalist or technician, newspaper or periodical reporter, 
     photojournalist, and member of a similar professional field 
     whose primary interest in entering the disaster area is to 
     gather information related to the disaster for wider 
     publication or broadcast.
       (2) Access to disaster area.--For purposes of permitting 
     and coordinating access by news personnel to a disaster 
     area--
       (A) any State or local government agency that serves as the 
     primary credentialing authority for that disaster area before 
     the date of the applicable major disaster shall remain the 
     primary credentialing authority during and after that major 
     disaster, unless--
       (i) the State or local government agency voluntarily 
     relinquishes the ability to serve as primary credentialing 
     authority to another agency; or
       (ii) the State or local government agency, in consultation 
     with appropriate Federal disaster response agencies, assigns 
     certain duties, including primary credentialing authority, to 
     the Federal Emergency Management Agency or another 
     appropriate Federal, State, or local government agency; and
       (B) the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other 
     appropriate Federal disaster response agencies operating in a 
     disaster area shall permit and coordinate news personnel 
     access to the disaster area consistent with the access 
     guidelines determined by the primary credentialing authority 
     for that disaster area.
       (3) Catastrophic incident access.--In the event of a 
     catastrophic incident (as that term is defined in section 501 
     of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 311)) that 
     leaves a State or local primary credentialing authority 
     unable to execute the duties of that credentialing authority 
     described under paragraph (2) or to effectively communicate 
     to Federal officials a determination regarding the intent of 
     that credentialing authority to retain, relinquish, or assign 
     its status as the primary credentialing authority, the 
     Secretary may designate the Federal Emergency Management 
     Agency or another Federal agency as the interim primary 
     credentialing authority, until such a time as the State or 
     local credentialing authority notifies the Secretary of 
     whether that authority intends to retain, relinquish, or 
     assign its status.
                                  ____


                       Organization Endorsements

     1. The National Association of Broadcasters
     2. The Radio-Television News Directors Association
     3. The Alabama Broadcasters Association
     4. The Alaska Broadcasters Association
     5. The Arizona Broadcasters Association
     6. The Arkansas Broadcasters Association
     7. The California Broadcasters Association
     8. The Colorado Broadcasters Association
     9. The Connecticut Broadcasters Association
     10. The Florida Association of Broadcasters
     11. The Georgia Association of Broadcasters
     12. The Hawaii Association of Broadcasters
     13. The Idaho State Broadcasters Association
     14. The Illinois Broadcasters Association
     15. The Indiana Broadcasters Association
     16. The Iowa Broadcasters Association
     17. The Kansas Association of Broadcasters
     18. The Kentucky Broadcasters Association
     19. The Louisiana Association of Broadcasters
     20. The Maine Association of Broadcasters
     21. The Maryland/DC/Delaware Broadcasters Association
     22. The Massachusetts Broadcasters Association
     23. The Michigan Association of Broadcasters
     24. The Minnesota Broadcasters Association
     25. The Mississippi Association of Broadcasters
     26. The Missouri Broadcasters Association
     27. The Montana Broadcasters Association
     28. The Nebraska Broadcasters Association
     29. The Nevada Broadcasters Association
     30. The New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters
     31. The New Jersey Broadcasters Association
     32. The New Mexico Broadcasters Association
     33. The New York State Broadcasters Association
     34. The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters
     35. The North Dakota Broadcasters Association
     36. The Ohio Association of Broadcasters
     37. The Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters
     38. The Oregon Association of Broadcasters
     39. The Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters
     40. The Rhode Island Broadcasters Association
     41. The South Carolina Broadcasters Association
     42. The South Dakota Broadcasters Association
     43. The Tennessee Association of Broadcasters
     44. The Texas Association of Broadcasters
     45. The Utah Broadcasters Association
     46. The Vermont Association of Broadcasters
     47. The Virginia Association of Broadcasters
     48. The Washington State Association of Broadcasters
     49. The West Virginia Broadcasters Association
     50. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association
     51. The Wyoming Association of Broadcasters
     52. Calcasieu Parish (La.) Sherriff Tony Mancuso
                                  ____


              Real Stories of First Response Broadcasters

                    [From WWL-TV--New Oreleans, LA]

                   (By News Director Chris Slaughter)

       Our 150 employees developed a plan that would enable WWL-TV 
     to be the only television station to stay on the air and keep 
     information flowing in our community's darkest hour. 95 
     percent of the station's news, engineering, production and 
     administrative personnel made sure their families were safe, 
     then devoted 14 straight days and nights using their most 
     valuable tool--information--to help their metropolitan New 
     Orleans neighbors survive. Many did this while knowing they 
     had lost everything they owned (40 percent of station 
     personnel lost homes in the storm). Many worked with the 
     stress of knowing that spouses, relatives and friends were 
     missing or working in dangerous situations.
       During the course of the storm and initial aftermath, WWL-
     TV broadcast from four different studios. When the storm 
     forced the evacuation of our French Quarter studio, the 
     broadcast seamlessly shifted to the Louisiana State 
     University Manship School of Mass Communications in Baton 
     Rouge, which WWL-TV had chosen as an alternative broadcast 
     site in early 2004. Half of the newsroom worked from that 
     location while the other half stayed in New Orleans and 
     worked from the station transmitter site. When it became 
     apparent that lack of city services would keep us out of our 
     undamaged station for an extended time, we rented the 
     Louisiana Public Broadcasting studios in Baton Rouge. Our 
     signal was carried by satellite to our New Orleans 
     transmitter.
       WWL-TV informed viewers wherever they were. The commercial-
     free programming was broadcast from our transmitter, 
     simulcast on radio, streamed on our website and seen 
     statewide on Louisiana's public broadcasting channel. 
     Satellite feeds of our coverage were rebroadcast by stations 
     from Texas to New England, and other areas housing evacuees.
       Our parent company, Belo Corp., and its affiliated stations 
     provided major support. Corporate staff worked to provide 
     communications, housing, fuel, food and clothing for 
     displaced WWL-TV employees. Satellite News Gathering trucks 
     from Belo stations began moving in shortly after the storm 
     first entered the Gulf of Mexico. The stations also sent 
     news, production and technical staff to help as WWL covered 
     the storm of the century.
                                  ____


                    [From KPLC-TV--Lake Charles, LA]

                     (By General Manager Jim Serra)

       KPLC's non-stop coverage of the approach, passage, and 
     aftermath of Hurricane Rita began several days before the 
     storm came ashore just south of Lake Charles and extended for 
     two weeks until the region was reopened to evacuees.
       Throughout the storm, KPLC never lost its broadcast signal, 
     and maintained full coverage including live streaming video 
     on its website. Evacuated citizens of Southwest Louisiana, 
     even those who fled far from the station's broadcast signal, 
     never lost touch with local emergency information from their 
     community
       Upon its approach, Rita was the strongest hurricane ever 
     recorded in the Gulf. Based on the anticipated threat of wind 
     damage and flooding, 25 KPLC employees rode out the hurricane 
     in a makeshift studio in the more secure confines of nearby 
     CHRISTUS-St. Patrick Hospital. Hospital employees became our 
     partners in the storm coverage.
       After the hurricane, KPLC produced a DVD documentary on 
     Rita, donating nearly $50,000 in proceeds to the St. Patrick 
     Foundation. As a result of this partnership, CMN

[[Page S5110]]

     (Children's Miracle Network) awarded KPLC and St. Patrick 
     Hospital their national community service award.
       KPLC's coverage was simulcast on multiple local radio 
     stations. It was also augmented by the efforts of several 
     television stations within Louisiana and beyond.
                                  ____


                       [From WLOX-TV--Biloxi, MS]

                    (By News Director Dave Vincent)

       For more than 12 days, WLOX employees banded together & 
     provided exceptional coverage of Hurricane Katrina despite 
     personal danger & ultimately great personal loss. WLOX News 
     broadcast 24/7 for 12 days delivering life saving information 
     to the people of South Mississippi. Our news coverage went 
     wall to wall when it became apparent that Hurricane Katrina 
     would gravely impact South Mississippi. Katrina's winds & 
     deadly 30 foot plus tidal surge did not stop our coverage. 
     Neither did her massive path of destruction nor her impact on 
     our TV station. We continued to broadcast even when Katrina 
     ripped off our newsroom roof, destroyed another wing of our 
     station, toppled one of our TV towers, wiped out our Jackson 
     & Hancock County news bureaus & forced us in the main station 
     to evacuate to a safer section of our building.
       There is no doubt that without the courageous action of 
     WLOX employees many more lives would have been lost in this, 
     the worst natural disaster to hit our county. In addition, we 
     have been told by many viewers that we were their only life 
     line during the height of the storm & in those first days 
     after Katrina, when our community was devastated & very much 
     like a third world country.
       Here is an excerpt from one letter: ``During the storm we 
     ran our small generator a few hours a day. Your station was 
     the only one we could count on to have news when we could see 
     it. God Bless all of you for being there for all of us.'' 
     Scott and Lori Lasher of Carnes, Mississippi Sept 16, 2005.
       Here is one other letter: ``First of all, I would like to 
     commend you on an AWESOME JOB!! Your coverage of Hurricane 
     Katrina and her aftermath was and continues to be superb! 
     Thanks for giving us here in South Mississippi some semblance 
     of normalcy during such a teffifying time.'' Doyla Ashe, 
     Poplarville, MS Sept., 16 2005.
       During our coverage, we were the source of information for 
     our community. We told people where to find shelter, where to 
     find food & medicine & other needed supplies. To insure that 
     life saving information reached our community we reached out 
     to all the radio groups on the coast & they carried our 
     signal. Also the local newspaper contacted us & we put many 
     of their reporters on the air. The local FOX affiliate even 
     carried our signal for a few days. After Katrina knocked out 
     our ability to stream our continual coverage on our web site, 
     our sister stations in the Liberty chain took over the 
     postings & helped us keep thousands of evacuees informed 
     through wlox.com.
       Hurricane Katrina left thousands of people homeless & 
     forever changed the face of our community. Our station is a 
     reflection of the community in which we live & work. At least 
     12 of our employees lost everything. Another 60 had 
     significant damage to their homes. Everyone suffered some 
     loss. Yet our employees continued to work putting the safety 
     & welfare of their community above their personal situation.
                                  ____


                     [From WRC-TV--Washington, DC]

                     (By News Director Vicki Burns)

       September 11th 2001 presented broadcast journalists with 
     unforeseen and unprecedented challenges. In Washington DC and 
     New York City, those challenges were especially difficult. 
     The nation had never been attacked on this scale at home. 
     Modern television journalists had a critical role in 
     communicating what had happened and what it meant.
       As journalists in the nation's capital, our 
     responsibilities were two-fold: to report rapidly changing 
     developments amidst an uncertain and frightening environment, 
     and to keep the community and ourselves safe and informed.
       The day of the initial attack was chaotic. Our ability to 
     provide crucial public safety information to the community 
     depended upon our access to key officials, locations and 
     events, along with the ability to be mobile when necessary.
       Our efforts were severely hampered when our portable Nextel 
     radios, our cell phones, and our landline phones went down. 
     Newsroom decision makers were unable to communicate with 
     reporters and photographers for some time.
       Our field teams were on site and on air for hours, 
     sometimes days at a time. In order to sustain that coverage, 
     we used couriers to shuttle food, water and supplies. Due to 
     road closures and other limitations, that task became 
     extremely difficult.
       At every location, we were forced to provide several pieces 
     of identification, and at times were turned away from 
     critical places.
       It is important to note that in a time of great chaos and 
     danger, our role as journalists contributes to the solution. 
     We cannot provide a service to the community without the 
     cooperation and support of governing jurisdictions.
                                  ____


     With Power Out, Local Radio Station Becomes Voice in the Dark

        (By John Curran, Associated Press Writer, Apr. 21, 2007)

       Rutland, VT.--Some of them needed generators, others 
     kerosene. Some wanted to know how many others were in the 
     dark, or which streets were passable. Some just needed to 
     hear a voice.
       ``This is Glendora,'' one caller said. ``I'm a little 
     nervous. The laundromat across my window here, the whole sign 
     just completely came out of its case off and is flying over 
     the street right now.''
       The power was out, she told Terry Jaye, who was taking 
     calls on WJJR. Her house was shaking from the high winds and 
     it had no heat. She didn't know who else to call.
       ``Only thing I have is my CD disc radio, listening to you 
     guys, and a cell phone,'' she said.
       When a ferocious nor'easter blew chaos into Rutland last 
     Monday, she and others turned to WJJR. With the lights out, 
     televisions silenced and personal computers powerless, the 
     50,000-watt local radio station shucked its adult 
     contemporary music format and turned over its airwaves to 
     listeners, giving and getting information about problems big 
     and small.
       It wasn't the first time local radio proved itself the go-
     to medium in time of crisis.
       It happened when ice storms ravaged northern New England in 
     1998, it happened when Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 
     2005, it happened Monday after 70 mph winds from a nor'easter 
     blew chaos into this small Vermont city.
       When the lights go out and Google is unavailable, radio is.
       ``Part of it goes back to the technology,'' said former 
     radio news director Suzanne Goucher, president of the Maine 
     Association of Broadcasters. ``People aren't likely to have 
     battery-powered TVs in their home, but everybody's got a car 
     radio. What you're left with is the old reliable standby of 
     radio. It's always on and it's always on when you need it.''
       It was on at 7:30 a.m. Monday, when the winds ripped into 
     town, snapping utility poles, blowing trees into houses and 
     collapsing power lines in the streets. Soon, the switchboard 
     at WJJR's studios in a downtown office building began 
     lighting up.
       The calls came from New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
       Don called to say a front window in his Victorian home had 
     ``imploded.'' Michelle from West Rutland called to say she 
     had no power and no telephone service. Millie's power was 
     out, and her back yard was full of fallen trees.
       ``It's horrible. It hit my ex-husband's car,'' she said.
       ``A lot of women would be happy if it hit their ex-
     husband's car,'' Jaye replied.
       Some people called to pass on information about impassable 
     streets. One was looking for a pet hotel. Another warned 
     about the hazards of operating a generator indoors.
       Jaye, 52, a veteran radio personality with a soothing voice 
     and the patience of a traffic cop, was in his element.
       ``I had a lady call about a generator, which she needed for 
     her husband's oxygen tank,'' he said Tuesday, taking a break 
     from the microphone. ``A friend of hers called the next 
     morning to tell us that within 40 minutes of that call, a man 
     from Springfield was on his way to her house with a 
     generator. You hear stuff like that and go `How cool is 
     that?' ''
       ``That's as important as it gets,'' he said.
       The only breaks came when there were studio guests. Mayor 
     Christopher Louras, Fire Chief Robert Schlachter, police 
     Officer Tim Tuttle and utility company spokesman Steve 
     Costello all made appearances, eager to get word out about 
     the condition of the city and the severity of the outages.
       ``We have 1,000 trees down,'' said Schlachter, asking 
     callers not to bother reporting downed trees that posed no 
     hazard. ``If it's against a car, or you see arcing and 
     sparking or someone in a car, let us know.''
       All that day and into Tuesday, as utility crews raced to 
     address downed power lines and crippled substations, lines 
     remained open.
       Sometimes, the information they got was erroneous, and 
     later corrected. Rutland Regional Medical Center was said to 
     be open only for emergencies; soon after, Jaye corrected 
     himself, saying anyone with an appointment there should go to 
     it,
       And there were callers like the one from Forest Dale, who 
     lost power and reported winds howling ``like a train'' 
     outside his home but appreciated having someone on the air.
       ``Boy, this is a real case for having radio stations that 
     are staffed by actual live people. Thanks to you guys for 
     getting into work and getting on the air,'' he told Jaye.
       On Tuesday afternoon, WJJR started easing back into its 
     normal format, as power began returning to many of the 50,000 
     homes and businesses in Rutland and elsewhere that had lost 
     it.
       Brian Collamore, 56, of sister station WSYB, also worked 
     the impromptu storm-a-thon with Jaye and studio sidekick 
     Nanci Gordon. He called situations like it the reason he got 
     into radio in the first place.
       ``Satellite radio can't do this. TV can't do this. The 
     Internet can't do this. When push comes to shove, and you're 
     in a situation like this, this is the only medium that can do 
     this,'' he said.

[[Page S5111]]

     
                                  ____
            [From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Oct. 16, 2006]

2 Stations Take Real-Time Lead--KSSK Radio and KITV Become the Primary 
              Sources for the Latest News After the Quakes

                          (By Gary C.W. Chun)

       Soon after the earthquakes hit yesterday morning, ``the 
     coconut wireless'' kicked into high gear at KSSK radio, 
     getting out the news as quickly as possible to anxious local 
     listeners.
       At another building, KITV was using the Internet to stream 
     its newscast on its Web site to a worldwide audience.
       The key for such rapid response: backup generators.
       Also, KSSK is the state's designated emergency action 
     system radio station, connected to the state Civil Defense, 
     and is expected to stay on the air.
       Popular morning personalities Michael W. Perry and Larry 
     Price took over the microphones around 9 a.m., relieving on-
     air personality Kathy Nakagawa and director of programming 
     Paul Wilson, who broke into recorded public-service 
     programming an hour earlier.
       ``When it's something of this magnitude, it's Perry-and-
     Price time,'' Nakagawa said.
       With the help of their listener ``posse,'' the familiar duo 
     were the voices for the constantly flowing information, 
     staying on the air for most of the day. Nakagawa and Wilson 
     hung around to help. ``It feels great to be here,'' Nakagawa 
     said. ``Those two are such a reassuring presence, just 
     passing on the info to the public as we get it.''
       ``Everyone's working well in crisis mode,'' Wilson said.
       ``And everyone on staff that was needed came in on their 
     own,'' Nakagawa said.
       ``I'm planning to stay put till the power is restored,'' 
     said Hawaii National Guard public relations officer Maj. 
     Chuck Anthony, who was at the KSSK studios. ``Coincidentally, 
     the Guard is on drill weekend, with about 5,000 at the ready 
     at duty stations and armories. We're just waiting to get 
     damage assessment teams assembled.''
       Simulcasting on most of the other Clear Channel-owned 
     stations, chief engineer Dale Machado, looking at all the 
     activity around him, said ``when something like this happens, 
     it's back to basics. You dig out your transistor radio and 
     turn it on for the news.''
       Regular morning newscaster Julia Norton-Dennis and 
     assistant Gina Garcia were busily screening phone calls in 
     the adjoining room to the on-air studio, occasionally typing 
     up messages to send to Perry and Price for their immediate 
     attention. Announcements about the cancellation and 
     postponement of scheduled events and airline flights, the 
     occasional emergency tip and the inevitable ``will there be 
     school tomorrow?'' were all taken care of on air.
       Gov. Linda Lingle called the station around 1 p.m. for her 
     latest assessment of the disaster that struck especially 
     close to her, having stayed at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel in 
     Kohala the previous night.
       JUST AS KSSK was able to stream its audio on its Web site, 
     KITV was doing the same thing, albeit with the additional 
     help of its news staff and technicians.
       KHON and KGMB were unable to stream their newscasts, 
     although they did broadcast newscasts and updates when power 
     was available.
       KHNL/KFVE Internet coordinator Mike Strong said that with 
     the help of a fellow Raycom station in Tyler, Texas, they 
     were able to update information on its Web site and had set 
     up a Yahoo! address to have people send digital photos of 
     quake damage and information.
       Photos were also sent to KITV, which inserted some of them 
     into the streaming newscast.
       KITV General Manager Mike Rosenberg said that anchor Pamela 
     Young started it off around 8:15 a.m. from the update desk, 
     with Paula Akana and Shawn Ching joining later.
       ``Coincidentally, we were in the process of doing emergency 
     continuity planning, in light of what happened to our sister 
     Hearst-Argyle-owned station in New Orleans after Hurricane 
     Katrina,'' said Rosenberg. ``We realized that even though 
     we're not on the air, we could start streaming our newscast 
     on the Internet.''
       CNN's pipeline premium subscriber service even picked up 
     the KITV Webcast for further distribution on the Net.
       Managing Editor Brent Suyama said that the station's site 
     would easily approach 1 million hits yesterday. ``I've 
     already received dozens of e-mails from people everywhere 
     thanking us for doing this. I even received one as far as 
     South Africa from a man who wanted to check on his mom.''
                                  ____


                 [From the Dotham Eagle, Mar. 14, 2007]

                      TV Weather Report Saves Life

                           (By Lance Griffin)

       Enterprise.--The sound of a backhoe moving debris next door 
     rumbled as Gwen Black stood outside what is left of her 
     Henderson Street home.
       A blue Enterprise High School stadium cushion rests in a 
     tree in her yard. It is one of the few trees left standing in 
     this neighborhood. An American flag flies from one of its 
     branches.
       She still has moments when the tears come. This is one of 
     them. It is almost two weeks after the March 1 tornado, but 
     everything around her is a reminder of that terrible 
     afternoon.
       ``I'll be glad when they knock this house down so I don't 
     have to see it anymore,'' she said.
       But Black is alive. She doesn't know how long she spent in 
     the hall of her modest brick house. Sometimes, it feels like 
     seconds, sometimes, hours. What she does know is a television 
     weather alert saved her life along with the lives of most of 
     her family.
       Black, her three grandchildren, younger sister and her son 
     were home watching television that afternoon when Dothan 
     television station WDHN interrupted programming for a special 
     weather bulletin. A tornado had been spotted on the ground in 
     Enterprise. Meteorologist Greg Dee warned residents.
       ``I just remember him saying `Enterprise, take cover now,' 
     '' Black recalled.
       Black and the others were in the living room at the front 
     of the house. She ordered everyone to the home's interior 
     hallway. She held the remote control in her hand and turned 
     up the volume as she backed into the hall.
       At the same time, the twister was ravaging Enterprise High 
     School. Black's home sits across the street from the football 
     stadium. She and her husband bought the house last July, the 
     first house they ever bought together.
       ``That's when the power went out and the roof blew off,'' 
     she said.
       Black said she remembers reaching her arms around her 
     grandchildren, trying to protect them from flying glass and 
     other debris tossed into their home.
       ``We were screaming, yelling and crying,'' Black said.
       When the storm passed, much of the home was gone. The 
     interior hall, however, remained. Black said a fireman 
     responded almost immediately and took them to safety. 
     Everyone was fine, other than a few scrapes and minor cuts 
     from the glass. When she walked outside, something was 
     missing.
       ``Where is our car-'' she asked.
       The wind snatched the Black's 2005 Mazda Tribute and tossed 
     it into a back room of the house.
       A few days later, a relative sent an e-mail to WDHN, 
     letting management know Dee's report spurred the family to 
     act.
       Black and Dee met for the first time Tuesday at the 
     Henderson Street home. Black cried and her hands trembled as 
     she embraced Dee.
       ``If it hadn't been for you, we would have been dead. I 
     know it,'' she said.
       Dee walked through the destroyed home as Black showed him 
     where the family huddled to avoid the storm.
       ``You talk about it on television, but when you see it 
     first-hand, it brings it home,'' Dee said. ``Just the fact we 
     were able to make a difference means something. When I got 
     that e-mail on my desk and read it, I just welled up.''
       Workers will tear down what is left of Black's home soon, 
     but she plans to rebuild there.
       ``No tornado is going to move us away,'' she said.
                                 ______