Radio Remains #HoustonStrong
• Houston radio stations continue to go above and beyond in serving the public during the unprecedented flooding caused by the former Hurricane Harvey, which remains stubbornly stalled over the region and continues to dump historic amounts of rain. CBS Radio Houston has been running a commercial-free simulcast across KILT-FM & AM, KHMX (Mix 96.5) and KKHH (95.7 The Spot) featuring storm updates, evacuation information, disaster relief resources and taking live calls. Sports-Talk daytimer KIKK 650 was granted Special Temporary Authority by the FCC to run for 24 hours during this emergency period and has been turned into a continuous loop of evacuation information, routes and shelters. Spanish Pop KLOL (Mega 101) is airing a commercial-free simulcast of Telemundo until further notice.
Many employees can’t make it home and are camped out in the offices or in a nearby hotel. Food and water were stockpiled ahead of the storm and local residents and grocers have even brought food to the office. Chief Engineer Robbie Green has been continuously on-site since Friday, and any and all on-air hosts that were able to make it safely to the stations were pulled in to provide continuous live updates: George Lindsey, Cowboy Dave and Mo, Nick Russo and Erin Austin on KILT-FM (100.3 The Bull); Geoff Sheen, Sarah Pepper and Lauren Kelly from KHMX (Mix 96.5) and Sean Pendergast, Mike Meltzer and Paul Gallant from KILT-AM (SportsRadio 610). Over the past 24 hours, The Bull’s Nick Russo has reached over 251,000 people on his Twitter feed while the station has reached over two million.
• CBS Radio Houston SVP/Market Manager Sarah Frazier stated, “Our employees are 100% dedicated to broadcasting the latest information to help evacuate Houston residents, keep them safe and connected to loved ones. This is a difficult time for everyone in the area but we are all working together to get through it. In emergency situations such as this, the power of local radio is undisputed, unparalleled and reaches everyone in the community. We are all proudly #HoustonStrong.”
