Fifty to 100 radio and TV stations remain off the air in the Gulf Coast region due to Hurricane Katrina. That’s according to Ken Moran, executive director of the Office of Homeland Security for the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau.
Moran testified before the House Commerce Committee during a hearing on the hurricane response efforts that of the 41 radio stations in the New Orleans market, only two AM and two FMs remained on the air after the hurricane.
Those stations remaining on the air are depending on back-up power supplies, he testified, and he praised broadcasters’ efforts. “Broadcasters are making every effort to get stations on the air, even at significantly reduced power, to provide survivors with important information.”
The FCC formed a task force to coordinate its response efforts that have included relaxing several rules to help stations get back on the air or share programming or engineering resources. It said some 200 agency personnel have been a part of its hurricane response effort.
50-100 Gulf Coast Stations Remain Dark
50-100 Gulf Coast Stations Remain Dark
