Why don't radio stations read school closings any more?

Question

Our local radio station has discontinued reading school closings on air. They make an announcement that if you want to find out any school closing or delays, go to their Web site. It's like they're assuming everyone has a computer. It just seems a lazy way to get out of reading the announcements.

Answer 1

Another reason is someone would call in and say they were from the school and that it is closed AND that would not be true, since that person would call in as a prankster.  During incremental weather they will announce on local radio to either call the school HOT LINE or go to their website.

Answer 2

I used to work an an intern at a small radio station and I think I can answer your question. DJs simply do not want to take up air time time reading public announcements when there are other ways to get it. Advertisers are paying for this time and want the entertainment they are paying for. Also, if you live in a large metropolitan area with suburbs, they could literally be hundreds of announcements to read taking up to as much as 40 minutes. I have heard DJs complain vehemently and with explicitives about reading school closings, so don't blame the radio stations. We are living in a modern world and MOST people DO have computers and Internet service.

Answer 3

My local station still does.

ET

Answer 4

with out a doubt all of my local T.V. stations STREAM ALL THE SCHOOL CLOSINGS, your right about not everyone having a computer, but it would be my thought that NEARLY every family has at least 1 t.v.       i didn't say all.

de  (i hope you don't mind me calling you that)    there are far to many to read over the air, and if the t.v. people did that i for one would shut the t.v. off.

school closings don't effect every family.

i would guess it takes about 20 minutes to stream all the school districts in my area, i live near Philadelphia and when they stream all the schools in the area it streams them for the TRI-STATE area and then list them by the counties that the schools are in.    TIMES CHANGE  not always for the better for some of us.

good luck to ya

Answer 5

Wow, here in SD all of our stations read off school closings, but I can see how in a bigger city or area that the jocks really could be wasting up to 40 minutes or so doing that.  We just had a big snowstorm and my boyfriend (a jock) read announcements for about 30 minutes!  But out here it's an expected thing since we don't usually get that many closures.  Well, so many that it takes 30 minutes to read.  We also do 'severe weather coverage' which takes priority over any programming already on air.  Most people around here don't mind the fact that their ad got bumped over to let people know there's a tornado or that the school is closed today, but I can see where that would cause major conflict at other, larger listener-base stations.

And yes, we also have a hotline and a website that posts these things, as out here, you really may not be able to get the internet or cell phone coverage; so they're read on air as well.

Answer 6

Alot of schools now have an automatic system that notifies

student by phone you should ask if your school would consider using this system

Answer 7

Maybe your  area is to big and there is too many schools for it to say.  Also all the school closings are on tv now and most everybod has a computer.

Answer 8

I know a lot of more powerful stations won't do it just because of the sheer size of their listening area.

For example, WOMC in Detroit has a 12 or 13 county listening area plus a decent chunk of Ontario. If they announced school closings after a snowstorm, they'd be doing nothing but reading the school closings.

But WHMI in Howell, Michigan has a limited listening area so they'll announce the school closings, especially since there are a small number of school districts in the listening area.

Your best bet is using the computer or watching TV. Or call up the radio station and complain.

Answer 9

It's more wise to list them so they don't have to repeat them!

I remember being called in to morning shows just to keep the list going for all closures! I'm not cheap they must pay me !  so why not save some money in the business that is going down the drain and just post it on the site!