Clear Channel Cluster in Florida Praised

The good deeds of radio people in Florida have been getting ink this week.
One such article appeared in the St. Petersburg Times, reporting on the efforts of a five-station Clear Channel cluster in Punta Gorda.
“That evening, General Manager Mike Moody returned to the building,” the newspaper related. “The roof was shredded, the ceiling collapsed. But one studio, no bigger than a walk-in closet, was in working order.
“‘There was no sound. Nothing,’ Moody said. ‘There was only silence.’ So he started broadcasting. A generator provided the power. Moody plugged a phone cord into a fax outlet and got a dial tone. He put the phone to the microphone and let callers unravel their terrible tales of storm survival.”
The newspaper reported that, “The radio studio, the only one based in Charlotte County, has become a lifeline for residents searching for information to help them cope with the storm’s aftermath.” The stations “were first to report Sunday that school was canceled for two weeks. They were the first to say Monday that upcoming local elections were kaput. They offer phone numbers, locations where food and water are available, even information on where people can bring their horses. The building has become a trading post of information.”
The article quoted the local school superintendent as calling the radio operation “phenomenally important … It is the only lifeline people have.”