ABC Far North has been breaking into program since mid-afternoon with updates on a bushfire burning near Cooktown - which has so far destroyed one property. The emergency warning signal was used for the first few on-air warnings.
One imagines a similar situation in Tasmania where an emergency bushfire was also current for an out-of-control fire that was burning near St Helens earlier today too.
What studios were compiling the emergency coverage? @glen2006?
The report from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements has been tabled in parliament and is available to view on the Commissionâs website (link)
Recommendations relevant to the scope of emergency radio broadcasting:
13.125
State and territory governments should explore how to improve engagement between emergency managers and media representatives before, during and after natural disasters.13.126
All state and territory governments (and relevant emergency service agencies, as appropriate) should provide timely warnings and public information to appropriate broadcast media to maximise the potential for critical information to reach the public.
Surely the time has come where appointing specific âemergency broadcastersâ is over and the government makes all broadcasters carry the message (with the guidelines for each mode [FTA TV/Subscription TV/Radio])
Very damaging thunderstorms this afternoon around South-East Queensland prompting emergency alerts and the emergency siren at one point. 13 cm sized hail reported in one part of the region. Three people were forced to free themselves from a home after their roof collapsed. Courier Mail report here.
Not sure about other stations - however ABC Radio was breaking into Grandstand programming and Digital Radio programming at regular intervals with warning updates and occasional BOM interview.
Is this the first time ABC broke into digital radio programming with emergency messages?
Happens all the time in Melbourne during bushfire season.
I always thought (wrongly) that digital radio programming wouldnât get interrupted by emergency messages.
Local Radio yes even weekends when analogue has Grandstand but the Grandstand / ABC Sport dab station will usually continue as usual.
Exactly.
We need a system like they have in Japan, Canada, USA, where the emergency messages are broadcast across all smartphones, TVs, radio, etc. automatically.
Like this:
Emma Rennie out of ABC Central West NSW doing the updates tonight on 720am Perth.
Doing a decent job with some of the WA tongue twisters, especially Muchea (Moo-shay), and Gidgegannup.
Interestingly not on 1215am Northam, despite the fire also being on the border of that licence area.
The latter gained infamy as the place where Peter Brock met his untimely end. Would have butchered âMucheaâ though.
On the Mid North Coast, Triple M and Hit Mid North Coastâs rolling coverage of flooding in the region wrapped up around 4pm - of note was the return of Jason âBodgeâ Bodger who was anchoring coverage on Hit this afternoon. Local updates continue through networked shifts.
Well done to SCA⌠was it the same program on both Hit and Triple M?
Separate programs for MMM and Hit.
Goes without saying, but ABC Local Radio have been breaking in and out of NRL coverage/the usual digital and online fare for detailed updates
According to his Instagram he was also on yesterday.
Triple Mâs 100.7 frequency was off air for a period. Not sure if hitâs frequency from the same site was affected.
Last night during ABC evenings, Sydney aired a whole of state warning bulletin after being rejoined by Mid North Coast who had their own, more detailed emergency info following TOH news.
Newcastle & Hunter, at least between 7 - 10pm did not have local info, nor did Grafton and north.
I was surprised how limited it was.
Isnât it sad that it takes an emergency like this for us to go back to decent local regional radio.
Flood evacuation orders for parts of Traralgon at present with an SES/Victorian emergency commissioner press conference due shortly. ABC Gippsland is staying with the Conversation Hour, which has dumped its usual schedule for ongoing flood and storm updates.
Triple M Gippsland has dropped the networked mornings for local updates - unsure of the presenter or where these are coming from. TRFM is live and local, while Gold is continuing to carry Neil Mitchellâs program.
Neil often has a lot of callers from disaster areas, info is usually better than locally sourced.
What happened this morning in Central West and Northern Tablelands of NSW? Any coverage of local road closures, snowfall, ice, black ice, sleet etc?