The NAB issued a special Oklahoma edition of its Licensed to Serve community service newsletter saluting Oklahoma broadcasters in the wake of the tornadoes that have struck the state over the last few weeks.
Across Oklahoma stations cranked up the efforts to help their fellow Sooners. In Ponca City KPNC(FM) and KLOR(FM) raised $27,000 for the Red Cross while the whole town put together four truckloads of supplies in the wake of the Moore tornado.
Stillwater Radio, a group owner in Stillwater, raised $240,000 in a radiothon for the Red Cross. The group itself provided $10K of that.
Radio broadcasters across the nation made special efforts to raise funds or collect supplies.
Cumulus Media put the call out to its 500+ stations and retrieved almost $4 million in a variety of efforts, including involvement in the Healing in the Heartland concert by its country music formats.
Clear Channel also pitched in on the Healing in the Heartland benefit. CC’s Davenport, Iowa cluster partnered with Young Broadcasting’s KWQC(TV) to raise over $38,000 for the Red Cross.
CBS Radio’s KLUV(FM) in Dallas/Ft. Worth, just a drive down I-35 from OKC, teamed with KTVT(TV) to work with the Dallas Cowboys and Albertsons Markets to raise over $50,000. CBS’s Philadelphia TV and radio operations collected more than $225,000 in a one-day effort called, “Operation Brotherly Love: Helping Moore.” KYW(AM), WPHT(AM), WIP(AM/FM) and WOGL(FM) participated.
In St. Louis, a ride up I-44, another CBS property, KYKY(FM) used a 14-hour request-a-thon to raise over $33,000. A local fast-food chain matched that to bring the total to over $67,000.
WPOW(FM), a Beasley station in Miami, collected 80,000 pounds of supplies. A WPOW show host then traveled and documented the trip to Moore with the two truckloads of supplies.
Virginia-based group Centennial Broadcasting wasn’t going to let the big boys get all the glory. Using a company donation along with funds and items collected in a six-hour fundraiser, it collected over 15,000 relief supply items, with a heavy concentration on children’s needs.
Another small broadcaster, Illinois-based Premier Broadcasting filled a 53-foot trailer with supplies donated by local businesses and listeners in a company-wide “More 4 Moore” campaign.
Not to be left, Midwest Communications five radio stations in Terre Haute, Ind. Worked with local TV station, WTWO during “Mission:Moore.” Over $26,000 was raised and enough supplies to fill a semi-trailer.