911 Calls in North Dakota Town Reveal Dangers of Media Consolidation

[Sequoia]

Five years ago this week a train derailed in Minot, North Dakota leaking thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals into the air. One person died and hundreds were treated for immediate health problems. The city’s six non-religious commercial radio stations – all owned by Clear Channel – never aired warnings for local residents.

911 DISPATCH: 911. Emergency.
MINOT RESIDENT 1: Hello?
911 DISPATCH: Hello.
MINOT RESIDENT 1: We're out at Terracita Vallejo, 625 37th Street SW. We don't know what's going on. Something sparked and flew. It wreaks in our backyard. We're going to try to get out of the house.
911 DISPATCH: OK --
MINOT RESIDENT 1: What is it? It's bad. We're going to try to go to the neighbor's. What is it?
911 DISPATCH: OK, wait.
MINOT RESIDENT 1: Kelsey! Come in here! It smells really bad. I don't know if the train blew up or --
911 DISPATCH: OK, yeah. There is a train derailment there.
MINOT RESIDENT 1: OK. Where's Kelsey at?
911 DISPATCH: Do you have everybody in the room?
MINOT RESIDENT 1: No, we don't. She sent my daughter out.
911 DISPATCH: Outside?
MINOT RESIDENT 1: Yell at her! Jackie!
MINOT RESIDENT 2: Kelsey, come back! Kelsey, can you come back?
911 DISPATCH: Do you have everybody there now?
MINOT RESIDENT 1: No, we don't. My daughter isn't there. I don't have anything on. They're all dressed, and she sent her out. But it smells really bad outside.
911 DISPATCH: OK, yeah. Just --
MINOT RESIDENT 1: Is she here?
MINOT RESIDENT 2: No, honey. She's gone.
MINOT RESIDENT 1: Huh?
MINOT RESIDENT 2: She's not here.
MINOT RESIDENT 1: Here, you stay on the phone. I got to get some clothes on.
911 DISPATCH: Ma'am?
MINOT RESIDENT 2: My daughter ran out the front door.
911 DISPATCH: She ran out? How old is your daughter?
MINOT RESIDENT 2: She's twelve. Is she going to die out there? You guys have to hurry, please!
911 DISPATCH: Just stay inside, OK? Tell everybody in your house to --
MINOT RESIDENT 2: Burn her lungs? Oh, my God! I’m sorry! I didn’t know what to do! Oh, she's going to die. She can't breathe out there. Where are you guys? It's getting --
911 DISPATCH: OK. Are your doors closed?
MINOT RESIDENT 2: Yeah, we’re closed up, but we can't breathe.
911 DISPATCH: Stand by.
MINOT RESIDENT 2: My daughter's going to die out there.


http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/25/153207

[Bitwit1234]

1. That is changing...Clear Channel

was bought by some woman and the first thing she did was pull all of rush limpbughs markets and put on Shultz.

[Sequoia]

2. The stations in ND?

I listen to this program on the radio as I get ready for work. This was pretty scary to listen to first thing in the morning. I wonder what happened to the little girl though?

[rfranklin]

3. Aren't those stations just a bank of computers in a closet?

I seem to recall that they basically would play recorded programs and the news was from central station with no local coverage.

[KharmaTrain]

Why A Review Of Telcom '96 Is Needed Yesterday

You nailed it about media consolidation...it's taken a lot of previously locally-owned stations and turned them into automated earth stations for cookie-cutter formats strictly designed to make money from national advertising. One of the first things that is cut when a corporate comes in is local news and public affairs...so there's no one at home and nowhere to turn to.

This is also the case in areas prone to tornadoes, earthquakes and other catastrophes that can occur quickly. There's few local voices out there since all the licenses have been gobbled up by corporations that use them to "print money"...or try to.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Why A Review Of Telcom '96 Is Needed Yesterday

You nailed it about media consolidation...it's taken a lot of previously locally-owned stations and turned them into automated earth stations for cookie-cutter formats strictly designed to make money from national advertising. One of the first things that is cut when a corporate comes in is local news and public affairs...so there's no one at home and nowhere to turn to.

This is also the case in areas prone to tornadoes, earthquakes and other catastrophes that can occur quickly. There's few local voices out there since all the licenses have been gobbled up by corporations that use them to "print money"...or try to.