Is winter over yet? This season has produced some of the most widespread, disruptive weather that the United States has seen in many years. Bouts of frigidly cold temperatures, snow, ice, slush and everything in between has blanketed the country from top to bottom. In fact, at one point in February, snow was on the ground in all 48 contiguous states.
As this unprecedented wintry weather continues to hit millions of Americans this season, one thing remains abundantly clear: when inclement weather strikes, Americans turn to local broadcasters for storm updates, school closures and potentially life-saving information that only they can provide on a daily basis.
Local broadcast TV stations are just that: local. The value of having a news team on the ground in local communities cannot be overstated when it comes to winter weather. National news sources can and do provide important news and updates relevant to all Americans, but there is no substitute for local reporters and meteorologists who can devote their entire newscast to updating area residents on forecasts, road conditions and school and event cancellations.
In November 2014, Western New York was hit by a crippling lake-effect snow blitz that dropped 7 feet of snow on Buffalo residents in less than one week. The unprecedented series of deadly snow storms recorded a snowfall rate of six inches per hour, paralyzing communities and causing a 132-mile stretch of the NYS thruway to be shut down for days.
FCC Commissioner and Buffalo native, Michael O’Rielly, praised the dedication and commitment of local broadcasters during their relentless and continuous winter storm coverage last November, saying, “They kept powering through the storm, committing umpteen hours of airtime, and bringing in teams from other parts of the country, making sure they had troops to get out the information. I was very impressed also with their use of social media — not only were people listening and watching their broadcasts, they were also getting their information out as fast as they could on different media as best they could.”
This winter’s been unkind to New Englanders as well. Boston was continuously hammered by winter storms, ultimately recording more than 100 inches of snow this season. During this inundation of snow, Bostonians turned to local broadcasters to receive updates on what was coming next, and how the city planned to help shovel and remove the unprecedented amount of snow from roads and sidewalks. As the city ground to a halt, local television stations were able to alert area residents to the most important and vital information that would help individuals and families navigate through a city paralyzed by unprecedented snow accumulations.
For example, when Boston Mayor Marty Walsh took steps to shut down the city’s main public transportation arteries – MBTA’s “T” commuter rail and bus routes – local broadcasters were able to inform city residents of cancellations or long delays that could severely impact a worker’s commute, or a suburbanite’s planned route into or out of the city.
As much of the nation watched national news reports on the snowstorms walloping the New England region, Boston’s on-the-ground broadcasters continued to diligently report the news in ways that made life in a frozen city a bit more tolerable. Yet, Buffalo and Boston weren’t the only U.S. regions facing severe winter weather.
Local broadcast TV weathercasters continued their relentless coverage this past weekend with a massive winter storm blanketing roadways in the Midwest and throughout the eastern seaboard – from North Carolina to Massachusetts – with a deadly wintry mix of ice, sleet and snow.
Many southern states that are normally spared from Jack Frost’s fury have been forced to face snow and ice storms in cities and towns that have limited infrastructure for dealing with perilous wintry conditions. As schools close their doors due to winter storms from Louisiana to Virginia, local broadcasters have worked overtime to provide viewers with up-to-the-minute information on closings and delays, and helped to provide information for drivers who may have never driven on icy roads before.
With yet another winter storm sweeping across the US now and expected to hit Chicago, Cincinnati and Boston this week, television viewers in storm-impacted regions can take some comfort in the fact that their local TV stations will provide continuous storm coverage to keep them informed on dangerous travel conditions, school closings and other storm-related developments impacting them.
It is for all of these reasons that we appreciate Congress’ ongoing support of local TV broadcasters, and our elected officials’ awareness of the importance of locally-tailored news. Members of Congress have continued to show support for the vital information and severe weather updates broadcasters provide to their communities. It is also the reason why Congress originally put laws and regulations in place so that America’s television viewers had access to the lifeline reporting that local TV stations provide– and for this, we are thankful.
Any legislative changes to the rules governing the U.S. video marketplace must take into consideration the irreplaceable lifeline reporting that local TV stations provide to all Americans. Where would we be without it?
Kenny is director of Public Affairs for TVfreedom.org, a coalition of local broadcasters, community advocates, network TV affiliate associations and other independent organizations advocating for preserving the retransmission consent regime. He is a former press secretary at the FCC
