The “radio survives Sandy” stories keep coming.
AudioNow, a company that streams audio onto phone lines, was recently able to trumpet their success in porting Washington news station WTOP(FM) onto easily accessed phone lines during Hurricane Sandy’s visit to the Nation’s Capital.
The simple service operates by making an audio signal, in this case the WTOP feed, available via a phone number that can be dialed up. For smartphone users this allows them to hear the station via the phone function without incurring the wrath of the data plan. For POTS landline users this meant being able to hear the station even if the power went out.
According to AudioNow, WTOP publicized the phone number before and during Sandy and claimed that over 5,000 listeners took advantage of the service.
Director of Digital Media for WTOP John Meyer said, “AudioNow has allowed us to super serve our audience in their greatest times of need.”
AudioNow also worked with Arlington County in Virginia to aid it when its local emergency AM malfunctioned during the storm.
Debbie Powers, the station’s deputy coordinator said, “We were able to send an audio file with those updates to AudioNow … Arlington County has been very pleased with the addition of AudioNow to our tool box of ways to get information out to our residents, employees and visitors during an emergency.”
