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What Would Toronto Media Do If This Had Happened Here?
The Internet is filled with a number of articles on Monday about a news reader in New Zealand, who is being praised for keeping her cool when a large earthquake struck her country on the weekend. I think it’s a bit of an exaggerated story, but they’ve got the audio, so they’re selling it.
But it brings up a larger issue for me. The disaster took place just after midnight their time, with panicking people running into the streets and a lot of buildings damaged. It was a significant story and at least two people were killed.
But if something totally unpredictable like that happened in Toronto, I can only wonder where listeners/viewers would turn. Just about all the music stations are on auto pilot after hours. CFRB, once branded as “Ontario’s Authoritative News Voice” has taken to pre-taping their late weekend news (the quake happened just as the clock struck midnight, so they were coming off weekend shifts) and going to rerolls, so no one would have been there to report it.
AM640 would have been smack dab in the middle of Coast To Coast, without a host.
And both stations are now often taking the same Canadian Press radio feed at the same time – and even that’s now pre-taped a few minutes before it actually goes to air. So presumably they wouldn't have had it either.
Things aren’t that much better on the TV side. Many of the all news cable channels are long signed off and into repeats or special programming by the witching hour, especially as Sunday turns into Monday.
As far as I can see, only 680 News and CBC Radio might have been able to cover it – albeit with reduced staffing at first.
It’s interesting to speculate how the major news media in this town, especially those owned by Rogers and Bell, would likely have let most of the people they’re licenced to serve down simply by continually cutting back on the one place where there should always be someone around – the newsroom.
So a note to Mother Nature. If you’re going to do something dramatic, can you please have it happen between 9 and 5 PM? Otherwise, sorry, but we just won’t pay for the staff to cover it.
- ig
- Iain Grant
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Re: What Would Toronto Media Do If This Had Happened Here?
[disclaimer blah blah.. work for 1010.. work for bell.. CP24 is downstairs, etc. etc. etc..]
In all fairness I think you're forgetting to take into account not only what the on-site resources may be, but also how quickly off site resources can be mustered and put to air. With today's available technology the entire broadcast, including co-ordinating reporters, filing online, feeding other stations, and wall to wall broadcast can be orchestrated from the back of a moped. (Studio 10-1).
I was there then, I'm there now, That was almost 10 years ago, there's been a lot of 'turn the lights out' and 'rolling in his/her grave' horseshit between then and now, but believe me, I'd say without hesitation that the 'RB newsroom is far more capable today of going wall to wall within 3 minutes, than it was that morning.
Don't forget, Reporters can be on-air driving to the scene then wall to wall from there if necessary. Christ with today's technology you could log in, interrupt programing, put the reporters to air, and run spots just to piss off posters on the yellow board all from the basement computer in your house.
There's also the capability of a tiered response to be considered. With CTV and CP24 also as part of the response team, In a 'disaster', I believe wholeheartedly you'd get the best overall coverage from the 1010/CP24/CTV combination.
If push came to shove, in the middle of a disaster, and with the right passwords, I have no hesitation that me and a good tech. producer could produce an excellent show from our basements. As with every other 'major' crisis I've been involved with, people start showing up on their own at the station, 'what can I do, where do you need me'. Remotely, with the ability to log in, control the on air computers, control the phone hybrids, setup and call guests, put reporters to air, run ID's or whatever else, as I said, I believe it would be light years better today than it was a decade ago.
my 2c.
Last edited by ig (November 14, 2016 1:07 pm)
Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.