Hurricane Florence

[rkolsen 1686]

Oh that’s the reason for the whiteboard. I thought it was a different situation.

 

They're using the whiteboard because they recognize that, even if they could get leniency on captioning not being available, it's imperative that the information be presented visually as well.

 

[ProduceGuy 31]

As of 12AM ET Sunday, the U-Verse severe weather channel is just showing the U-Verse slate.

[mre29 1558]

WCNC's streaming coverage is, I assume, online only. There are three people on, but they're all off-screen, with the video only being of the radar loop. None of them are talking in an "on-air" cadence, hence my thinking that they're online only.

 

https://www.wcnc.com/video/news/live_breaking/continuing-coverage-florence-moves-through-carolinas/275-1826991

[nathannah 2500]

1:02 - It looks like WWAY took cover for a tornado warning; I'm not hearing any audio on the stream right now (watching via All Access with my browser location switched to near Wilmington), and the screen just turned black after some on-air tech wandered onto the set to check something behind the chroma (tickers are still on, and the automation kicked in for the weekly EAS test).

 

1:06 - Radar is back on, audio is cutting in and out with really loud mechanical noises. It looks like the black period was a power cut while a generator may have kicked in.

 

1:08 - They're in a safe place telling us what's going on (confirmed touchdown near Leland; in the engineering workroom). Water is starting to gush into the studio, and a Shop-Vac is whirring behind and buckets are being deployed while behind-the-scenes staff is scrambling to contain it.

 

[MEDIA=twitter]1041191969056276480[/MEDIA]

[MEDIA=twitter]1041191822461214720[/MEDIA]

 

1:26 - We're back in the studio during a mic battery change for the mets; they're on the daytime couch set, no background screens on. A high cam is showing lots of scrambling going on to clean up on the regular side of the set; the water looks like it came right near the monitor array.

 

1:46 - Current setup; a few minutes before a bright LED light was washing everyone with bright white light. They are literally having BTS folks work around everyone.

 

 

1:53 - Another possible evacuation for a tornado warning south of Myrtle Grove SE of central Wilmington. Everyone jumped off the couch right away, but they're not headed back to shelter yet as they watch radar.

 

2:09 - Warning called off, so they're staying in-studio.

[GoldenShine9 1514]

Sounds like a tornado hit the WWAY studio area. They are investigating for damage now.

 

The building is also hosting Wilmington's newspaper, presumably because they were evacuated.

[cg41386 132]

Sounds like a tornado hit the WWAY studio area. They are investigating for damage now.

 

Where is WWAY in relation to WECT? Gannon Medwick and the other meteorologist with him were monitoring a possible tornado/strong indication of rotation near their studio and they told their staff to get to a safe place.

[Jess 1116]

[MEDIA=twitter]1041192568640471040[/MEDIA]

[GoldenShine9 1514]

Where is WWAY in relation to WECT? Gannon Medwick and the other meteorologist with him were monitoring a possible tornado/strong indication of rotation near their studio and they told their staff to get to a safe place.

 

WWAY is in Leland, so they likely had the direct hit.

[cg41386 132]

OK, so WWAY's studio is in Leland, which is where the confirmed tornado was.

 

Edit: GoldenShine beat me to it.

[cg41386 132]

WECT staff taking shelter again.

[east-tx-tv 121]

Oh that’s the reason for the whiteboard. I thought it was a different situation.

 

 

 

 

I hate to tell WECT, but if they're going the whiteboard route, they need to write their messages *much* clearer. I know they have a chaotic situation but viewers need the clearest information they can get in a situation like this. Three cheers for their ingenuity, though.

[evwalker0901 39]

WECT keeps writing tornado warnings on a dry-erase board. Not sure why.

 

They mentioned they lost their closed captioning service at one point so they were making sure the hearing impaired got info.

[Rusty Muck 4402]

They mentioned they lost their closed captioning service at one point so they were making sure the hearing impaired got info.

Garrett Morris wasn’t available?

[tyrannical bastard 4033]

They're using the whiteboard because they recognize that, even if they could get leniency on captioning not being available, it's imperative that the information be presented visually as well.

 

This CommLawBlog piece does a good job of explaining the accessibility requirements for stations in light of an emergency. Notably:

 

Hence why all of the Governors' shots had the interpreter alongside them...although that's more for getting the message out instead of a regulatory requirement....

[blizzard59 41]

WCTI started producing their newscasts with the aid of WPEC's satellite truck today. Graphics and other elements are being inserted elsewhere, and the feed going to the WCTI transmitter is a straight simulcast of WPDE aside from the local newscasts.

[rkolsen 1686]

A brief special report done on Friday at 4PM which I assumed was timed for the 4PM newscast affiliates.

 

[ColDayNews 438]

A brief special report done on Friday at 4PM which I assumed was timed for the 4PM newscast affiliates.

 

 

Al sounded very exhausted. Which studio were the video walls he was using located in? I’m guessing 1A or 3C.

 

Also, first time seeing Lester without glasses in almost a decade.

[appleachian 135]

WPDE being simulcast on WCTI has some interesting effects...like right now we have Steve Harvey on two stations at once at the same time. WNCT and WCTI.

[tyrannical bastard 4033]

Is WCTI doing any local inserts of their own or are they straight up broadcasting WPDE?

 

Normally this would be a syndex issue but I'm sure it's temporary until WCTI is able to resume their own programming....

[tyrannical bastard 4033]

WECT Meteorologist Gabe Ross throws down the hammer to the viewers complaining about a Tornado Warning interrupting their football games....

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155479291480163

 

They probably have it worse off than some of their viewers in terms of storm damages...

[rkolsen 1686]

Al sounded very exhausted. Which studio were the video walls he was using located in? I’m guessing 1A or 3C.

 

Also, first time seeing Lester without glasses in almost a decade.

 

1A is the only one with a curved video wall. 3K has the large tower but also those alcove U shaped ones.

[appleachian 135]

Is WCTI doing any local inserts of their own or are they straight up broadcasting WPDE?

 

Normally this would be a syndex issue but I'm sure it's temporary until WCTI is able to resume their own programming....

Straight up rebroadcast. Saw a WPDE talent ID run before Steve started.

 

I really can’t believe that WNCT, WITN, and now knowing they aren’t, WPDE, aren’t doing wall to wall coverage with the amount of corporate resources they have available. Both markets are half underwater and the water is only rising.

 

WRAL and WTVD are wall-to-wall coverage all day.

[Ntropolis 598]

WWAY, and soon WECT/WSFX, are currently/soon to be off-the-air while they await diesel fuel for their transmitter generators. They’re working with state and federal officials to make it happen.

 

https://www.wwaytv3.com/2018/09/17/wway-off-the-air-still-streaming-news-online-other-wilmington-stations-to-follow/

[appleachian 135]

WWAY, and soon WECT/WSFX, are currently/soon to be off-the-air while they await diesel fuel for their transmitter generators. They’re working with state and federal officials to make it happen.

 

https://www.wwaytv3.com/2018/09/17/wway-off-the-air-still-streaming-news-online-other-wilmington-stations-to-follow/

Sunrise Broadcasting’s Jammin’ 99.9 and Sunny 103.7 are in the same area and have been off for a couple days. Fuel ran out and they have no road access to the site. They are near Funston and 133 a bit east of the WWAY/etc site.

[Daybreak 289]

Here’s a picture outside of WPDE studio in Conway.