IT'S POLITICAL SEASON AGAIN....

What you need to know about Radio advertising by political candidates.

If you’re a regular listener to WION, you know how much I, as owner of the station despise political ads, and ALL advertising disclaimers. For instance, I believe that if you buy a product, be an educated consumer, make the decision, and…if you decide to buy something that turns your skin purple over time, but makes your smile wider, NOBODY FORCED YOU TO BUY IT. You should do your homework before buying, (or buying INTO) any product, individual, or campaign that requires more than casual attention.

So, when it comes to political candidates’ advertising on the radio, remember, they only believe in “Spending more money buys more voters.”

Let’s say this again in a different way. Politicians attempt to BUY your vote with advertising. At WION it is our hope, instead of being swayed by all the ads you’ll hear and see that you’ll be an educated voter in November, and not base your decisions on ADVERTISING ONLY. 

At WION radio, if you’re a regular listener, you already know that we REFUSE ALL political ads except….. (And there’s always a catch) those who are running for FEDERAL office. The FCC will not allow us to refuse these, and furthermore…..the FCC requires that they pay LESS than most, if not all our regular advertisers pay based on lowest per-commercial rate in any of our packages, regular sales or specials.

Thus, we ask you to keep in mind that if you hear ANY political advertising on WION, it is not by our choice. It’s FCC law.  And, you should RESEARCH any candidate heard on our airwaves, not take what they say as Gospel truth.  We endorse, back, and encourage you to visit our LOCAL clients, but we do NOT endorse political ads, PERIOD.

You should also know that the people who work PLACING those annoying ads (commonly called “agencies”) on WION for their respective candidates are as much an equal pain in the rear end as their candidates’ negative ads are to your ears.  Frequently, a candidate’s advertising agency will demand time on the air on short notice, shorter than standard for our station. This places our staff in a position of putting the work for OTHER regularly supportive clients of WION aside to attend to their politics. And, while paying the least, the candidate can demand placement WHEREVER THEY WANT on our station’s normal broadcast sales day of commercials.

The bottom line is this:

As an owner of radio media, I’m tired of these practices and policies favoring political candidates over our regular advertisers. I feel it unfair and demanding.  This is why we only run political ads which we have to by law.   

I also believe you, the listener should know that while most all of the commercial content on our stations is locally acquired, verified, written, produced, and presented to inform and entertain you, NONE of the content for candidates comes from the computer, pen, or mind of any of our station staff, and we are not responsible for their claims. 

Thus, as once said, “Buyer Beware.” After all, like the process of buying any product, aren’t you supposed to “buy into” what these mud slinging, unlimited spending politicians tell you? 

Do your homework before you go to the polls. And, take a minute to realize that should you hear any political ads on WION, they are not the opinions of the staff, management, or owners of our station.

Why can't radio manufacturers make a good AM radio?

A “Sound” Idea….

Believe it or not, local radio, even on the AM band can sound GREAT! At WION in Ionia, MI we’re mighty proud of our quality of sound. It comes from owners who care, and equipment properly chosen and maintained.

At  WION we do that very well. So much so that we get compliments fairly regularly that we “stand out” against even the bigger-city stations. People even hear details in their favorite songs that they haven’t heard before!  That’s how well we pay attention to our sound!

Over a weekend in September, however, I was made painfully aware of how many people, as they drive, may NOT know what our (AM) signal really sounds like! 

I love my Jeep. It drives well, it’s fun, gets great mileage with its stickshift transmission, and it came with a GREAT original sound system. Except… the original system has a weak link. The speakers in the front doors. They are unique to the system, make replacing expensive and difficult. So, when the second of two speakers died, it was time to upgrade. Or so I thought: to a new stereo receiver, and new speakers.

So, I chose a Jensen in-dash, “heavy duty” receiver. Chosen for its larger knobs and buttons, very VISIBLE display, and conveniences of dual inputs, I had faith that the sound would be at least as good as the price-tag which was not inexpensive.

Only two people are ever allowed to tear apart my car, and one of them got the short straw, so Bill tore into it. He had to custom-design new tweeter brackets, run some new wires, bypass the Jeep’s amplifier circuits built into the doors, and install extra boxes for “high frequency adjustment.” All of it went well, and when turned on, the FM sounded FANTASTIC. The Inputs from the mp3 player were sounding great, and the long drive home was exciting with tunes I choose for my personal player.

Then came the problem.  In the very town….and the very DRIVEWAY where WION radio originates, the AM sound was not the familiar “Jeep” full, wide sound, but rather, the sound of a phone call if patched through a small CB radio speaker. Yes, it was that bad.  FM remained beautiful, inputs from the player were beautiful, but AM literally “HOOVERED.” The AM couldn’t be made to sound good, let alone….GREAT. AM was at best, unlistenable.

Obviously Jensen put out a product that would turn you, my listeners and friends completely OFF to the potential great sound  that AM radio stations have to present. And, its just not fair. I wouldn’t have even listened to TALK programming on this AM receiver, let alone our music and “full-service” content.   I believe that this is not an isolated incident. 

On WION we often invite you to switch to our AM for  “longer distance listening” and our “quality of sound” and, we mean it!  We DON’T sound like a phone call through a CB radio, and our AM is the BEST sound AM can offer! Unfortunately, (some) manufacturers are leading you, the consumer to believe that AM radio sound literally sucks!  (If you’re offended by that term, so be it. I mean what I say.)  

Radio manufacturers have, by cutting corners and costs,  tossed aside a medium that can sound as good as FM, reach farther, and in many towns like Ionia, an (AM) station is the only LOCAL live media! It deeply angers me that public perception of what AM “sounds” like should be “crap” when in actuality, its potential goes far beyond what most people have ever heard!  I hope when you hear WION  proudly talking about our "sound" that you realize it's your RADIO that limits the quality of what you hear, not the AM band itself!

Who enjoys good AM?  People with Chrysler/Jeeps from the mid 90’s to mid 2000’s, with the familiar rounded corners and the 3-letter receiver codes on the front in white. (some are even AM Stereo!!)   Most NON-HD original equipment also sounds good. But, if the “HD” logo has been hung on it, the AM has likely been compromised. I have yet to OWN an HD capable radio that did justice to AM broadcasters. I hope that there actually are a “few” good HD radios in dashboards which give good (normal) AM sound.

I know that AM is not the first thing on your mind. I know we have a local  FM signal that sounds great. But, how would YOU feel if you put your heart and soul into a product, then found it was being diminished by forces beyond your control?  Our American economy is driven by purchases, and purchased by price, that’s a given. But, that DOESN’T mean that a few pennies here, or a dollar per unit to improve the quality of AM sound in radios would break the manufacturer, or the consumer.

Once you’re done reading this, please give a listen to this clip, posted on my website.  It’s taken from a REAL tuner “off air”. It’s REAL AM broadcasting, not audio piped into the recorder from our control room. It actually is a recording of a BROADCAST, edited for length. THIS is what AM radio is capable-of and this is what our local audience SHOULD be hearing, if the radio manufacturers would allow it!  And yes, in Ionia County, it’s what we offer on the air 24/7!

Enjoy the link below.

AM as it CAN sound, and how it DOES sound in Ionia County, MI

"This is ONLY a test...."

Remember those words?

We heard them in our younger years when local radio stations tested their "Emergency broadcast system." Today, its called the "Emergency alert system."

At the end of June, most radio and TV stations were mandated to have changed their old "EAS" boxes to a newer, updated box, still called the "Emergency Alert System" but this one offers "oh, so much more!".

And, for tech geeks, it does. In terms of keeping logs for (required) FCC rules, yes. In terms of its concept for access via a web browser for programming the options, yes. But, rating it based on:  relying on the 'net for part of the emergency messaging, cost, and overall concept, I give it an "F."

First of all, a box for a station carried a cost to the broadcaster of around $2000 each. Remember, this is mandated by the FCC and your federal government. THEN, take the fact that this box did not carry with it any offer for "zero percent financing" or "government backed loans" to the broadcaster, many of which operate on shoestring budgets in local markets. This is the same FCC which MANDATED  a change to digital TV all over the United States, but...somehow found the money to buy digital TV converter boxes for everyone, from the millionaire on down to the welfare recipient, just so they could CONTINUE TO WATCH TELEVISION.

What's wrong with this picture?  We, as broadcasters are charged with protecting the public. Being at our posts during everything from severe weather to National Emergencies. No offers of help to us. Banks certainly aren't jumping to help anyone right now, especially small business!  But, we can all go home to our "free" converter  boxes.

And then there's the "ecological" side of things.  How many TV stations do you suppose there are in the USA?  Then add-in radio stations, and cable system "head ends" which needed to replace these boxes.  All the old boxes are completely without use. There is no other purpose for them except to go to landfills. Did the FCC or the government even OFFER to head-up a recycling program? Maybe a "mail us your old one for $$CASH$$ discount on your next license regulatory fee or renewal fee? You know the answer. It's a loud "NO!"  So, in areas where there may not be electronics recycling, hundreds or thousands of these older metal boxes are going in landfills. BECAUSE OF AN UNFUNDED GOVERNMENT MANDATE.

Then, there's the day we got our box ready to put-in.  It's designed to take updates to its firmware over the internet. The PUBLIC internet. It's designed to poll state and Federal servers for emergencies and their "newer" style of testing as I understand it.  So, what happens the day our station's engineer was in to do the updates and install?  THE INTERNET IN MY TOWN SERVING OUR STATION WAS DOWN!

See the irony here?

In any case, the new system is "in". Many stations are still waiting for their back orders to come in I'm hearing through the grapevine, because even ordering well in advance, there weren't enough to go around.  

We're all used to the "quacking" sound of an EAS alert tone for weather and for testing.  Now, with the new technology, if given the chance, here's what my recorded message would say to our listeners about the new system. (As it assures you the world is NOT coming to an end during a test).....what do you think?

THIS IS A TEST OF THE GOVERNMENT MANDATED EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM, COMING TO YOU AT HIGH COST TO THIS BROADCASTER. THIS IS ONLY A TEST TO SATISFY A GOVERNMENT RULE.  IF THIS  WAS AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY, A REAL PERSON WOULD HAVE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO BE IN THE STUDIO, BECAUSE WE ARE CONSCIENTIOUS BROADCASTERS.  REMEMBER, THIS IS  ONLY A TEST.  THIS STATION PARTICIPATES IN THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM TO KEEP YOU BETTER INFORMED, WITH HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT WHICH COST US A BUNDLE, MANDATED BY THE US GOVERNMENT WITH NO OFFER OF ZERO PERCENT FINANCING OR ANY FINANCIAL HELP.  WE’RE YOUR LOCAL STATION.  PLEASE SHOP LOCALLY WITH OUR ADVERTISERS SO WE CAN AFFORD THE LOAN FOR THIS NEW GIZMO.  NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog.

Hello!

It's July 1, 2012.  We've brought back the "Carlyle Comment" online here, and may resurrect it in its "blog" form at sometime soon, but YOU are my intended audience. The people who support, listen-to, and respond-over things on WION radio.

Much to tell, so we'll do it like a "lightning round."

1) Again this year, WION is taking NO political money from candidates at the local and state levels. We're also not accepting advertising from issues-related groups on our airwaves. Why?  You won't like the answer. The people who handle political advertisements are a pain in the butt for the most part. The paperwork they cause is unruly, and, we'd rather give our attention to advertisers who support us and need us every day of every year. While we can't stop our newscasts from containing politics, we CAN determine that WION will be a nice, quiet island in the middle of the ocean known as "Political Advertising Hell."  Please note, however: WION, being federally licensed IS required to carry Federal candidates' advertising, if placed directly on behalf of the campaign.  So, ENJOY the music you know and the information you need without the political arguing and mudslinging.

2) Summer's going Fast!  WION wants to say, "Thank you" to our Ionia City DDA for partnering with us and reducing the cost of advertising for DDA district businesses.  24 businesses and organizations joined us on the air July 1st, and we hope it will help you to "Shop locally" and realize that Ionia really DOES have diversity in business offerings. We all win when the businesses in our community thrive. Please listen to their ads, and thank THEM for being on the air, and in our midst. Being in business these days is NOT easy for anyone.

3)  WION is supporting "Relay for LIfe" in Ionia actively.  There's a contest between our morning and afternoon shows to see who can raise more funds, all of which are credited to the team known as "Volunteers for a cure." The morning show is winning as I write this, but the BIG winner is the ACS and cancer research. Please have fun with the fundraisers this month, and even if your business already donates, if a fun opportunity comes along to play with a new Relay for Life promotion, please DO!  It can only HELP you to look better!  Turn it into a POSITIVE thing for your business. Flocks of Flamingos and Toilets that travel are two ways some teams are doing this, its creative, its fun, and its all for a good cause.  Please play along in the spirit intended. We ALL know someone whose life was impacted by cancer.  The cause bonds us together.

4) WION's engineer has done some GREAT work recently on both our AM and FM signals. Here in Ionia County, our FM 92-7 has the "fullest" sound its ever had, and really sounds fantastic. It's sending out a signal bringing you music the way we believe it was meant to be heard. It's clear, clean, and not "in your face" with too much bass, or all the "loudness" that the big city stations put into their signals to war with each other. We want you to enjoy our station, not "tire of listening to it".  Our AM is also the best sound on the AM dial!  We recently changed processors, and are getting GREAT comments from our long-distance listeners and those who commute in the Grand Rapids and Lansing areas, while listening daytimes. Some receivers even pick us up in AM stereo. Your "HD" radio may render stereo AM as well. Some do, some don't.  We hope you'll notice the increase in sound quality on both our AM and FM signals, we do it "because we can" and because the quest for the BEST sound on the dial never stops. Thank you for listening to Ionia County's I-1430 and FM 92-7!

It's no fun being a responsible adult, but......we stay safe!

Well, it's Wednesday the first of February. The plan by now, (7AM) was to be about an hour on our way to Punxy, PA for groundhog day.  The traveling group included me, Scott B. and a friend from another Michigan radio station, Russ from WCSR in Hillsdale.  Certainly a fun group for travel!

As of last night, we had a "window of opportunity' to head east, and beat the incoming snowstorm that is scheduled for West Michigan and Pennsylvania, stay through it for our broadcast and return after it. 

Then, at 3:40 this morning, the weather service woke me with a "Blizzard Warning" for not only Ionia County but much of the area of Michigan we would travel, and that prompted a look at the weather maps for Pennsylvania.  PA had "pink" on the maps, meaning ice, and none of the TV stations online could agree on where the ice and snow was going to be the worst, all of them cover the area we were headed-to.  Certainly the maps are the most colorful they've been in quite some time. If one doesn't have travel plans, the (weather map)  colors are quite pleasant to look-at! They're like a 1960's "technicolor" movie.

So, we stay home. And, we thank the sponsors who (signed on to) sponsor our trip.  These are the people who believe in the uniqueness of our station, and the "out of the ordinary" things that WION AM and FM does!  Please, in your travels thank them: 

THE IONIA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MUIR VILLAGE MARKET ON M-21, MUIR
THE LAMPLIGHT GRILL, MAIN STREET IONIA
D.O.C. PROPERTIES, IONIA
DISCOUNT TIRE & BATTERY, M-66 NORTH OF IONIA
DOOD'S JEWELRY, MAIN STREET IONIA
IONIA DIAL-A-RIDE
PREMIER TRANSMISSIONS, IONIA

It's sponsors like these that make the fun of WION possible. We hope that our event has helped people be more aware of them through their fun advertising for groundhog day.

So, what's next on the list for WION?

Well, we've got our first anniversary of WION's FM signal on 92-7. We celebrate that on March 3rd at the Lamplight Grill, another Thursday night!  (and we celebrate for a whole week on the air.)...

Then, there's the Ionia Chamber expo on March 12th. We'll broadcast live from Ionia High School. This event is kind of a "rite of spring" and tells us all that spring is just around the corner, regardless of what the Groundhog would have said during our broadcast.

There are very few things we adults have happen that disappoint us like they did when we were kids. I can remember as a "geeky" kid wanting to meet Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock from Star Trek) at an event in Detroit. My father was going to drive me to it, a long 60 miles......and...the weather moved in, much like today. We didn't go. As a kid I was devastated. Never did meet Mr. Nimoy. Yes, I was a geek then, and a huge Star Trek fan....and still can say that today.

But, this trip being cancelled?  Yes, disappointing. Yes, hoped to go. No, its not quite the let-down I had as a kid. Its a minor setback, and we'll miss our broadcast for this year.  But..it also opens a new avenue....

Hmm....where can we take our microphones NEXT......."because we can?"  

Ideas welcomed.

Stay safe, stay warm as this storm moves through our area...and send me your ideas! Our microphones are packed and ready for a good road trip!  (in better weather.)



 

New Year's Tech "Housecleaning" (imported from my "tech" blog)

So, its 2011. You've made your resolutions. You're going to lose weight. Spend more time with the family. Make more money. GREAT. What are your "Tech" resolutions?

You could start with cleaning out your computer. I'm guilty. Too many old e-mails causing the program to take too long to load. Don't delete 'em yet, though...BACK THEM UP. My favorite backup application is called "Express Assist" because its simple, works well, and can backup your internet favorites and bookmarks, documents, mail, address book, mail rules and more. Do a backup. Save it to a folder on your PC....then burn a couple backups of that and store them safely somewhere. Then, you can delete all your old mail, speed up your system, and start "new" in 2011. If you're not ready to delete all your old mail, keep six months, a year, or so....and AFTER the backup, delete the rest.

Speaking of backups, there's a HUGE chance you can lose files this year. Your PC is on more. Your hard drive is a physically running device prone to eventual failure. Why not do an "offiste" backup of everything you don't want to lose? I got convinced to use Carbonite. There's many other backup programs, too..but this one works for me personally, and for my business. Let it work in the background, store your backups of mail on your PC, and they'll automatically be backed up offsite, too! It's a good investment.

How about a "communications audit" of your entertainment and communications budget? I'm a huge fan of the ROKU box, delivering lots of FREE entertainment to my television. I bought it to enjoy the basic NETFLIX subscription with one DVD at a time, but I find I don't watch the DVD's. Lucky for me, Netflix this year has introduced a "streaming only" option for a buck LESS than the basic unlimited plan-was. Sure, you're only going to save $12 a year, but that's 4 gallons of gas at today's rate! If you've got reasonably-priced internet service, the ROKU box is great entertainment, and there's more content each day, even local radio! (check out our sister station WGLM's feed.) Make sure your DSL speed is at least 3mb, higher is better...but that works with ROKU. I've tried it!

Speaking of "free" entertainment, have you ever heard of "free to air?" There's lots of free programming in the skies, some can be enjoyed on a small 18 to 30 inch dish, and basic systems are not that expensive! Public TV in great quality, Networks that some cable companies carry, new "up and coming networks" and other programming, no fees, and LEGALLY in your home with the proper free to air equipement. Learn more about FTA on my favorite satellite TV site, "satelliteguys.us" They're the 'net leader in information on programming and equipment on small dish subscription services, cable, internet, home theatre, free to air equipment, and much more. they're polite, paid membership to the site is only $20/year and, even as a "free" member, you'll learn how to best use your internet and entertainment options and how to better budget for them, too!

There's some classic TV now available on local station's subcarriers if you have a good antenna for your "over the air" (free TV) enjoyment. Don't skimp on your antenna, however. All the digital channels are in what's called the Upper VHF and UHF bands, regardless of what "virtual" channel shows on your TV. Research antennas available for your home, whether inside or outside, and you may find that an antenna investment combined with internet programming via a ROKU box (or similar) may just reduce your monthly subscription bills by leaps and bounds.

And, for those of you who still have the large dish satellite systems in your yard (like me)....check out how you can pick and choose programming on many of the most popular channels and networks with what's called a "DSR-410" receiver. No moving of the dish is required once its aimed at satellite W-5, and, the programming is cheaper than the small dish systems or cable. Its' STILL an option, and easy to install or add-on to your existing big dish. New systems with non-moving six foot dishes are under $300, and a very good option. The best part? NO CONTRACTS! There's no penalties if you want to shut down for a month or two. Good, friendly people. Check out more at the site above, satelliteguys.us and the programming that is available from "satellite receivers limited" known as SRL. Just recently a longer writeup on this showed up on wikipedia, too!

I'm toying with doing a short "tech" feature on WION in 2011, because I've been helping people lately with their PC's, satellite TV decisions, and other fun "tech" things. Let me know if you'd enjoy it. There's much good knowledge "out there" but, its always nice to sort through the garbage and get to the "real" information, too. We all have some "tech housecleaning" to do...make it one of your resolutions, and I'll see you along the way!

-Carlyle

Why we (WION) left Facebook, and other "Random" thoughts

It's an old saying, "you get what you pay for." and...in many cases, its true!

Over the weekend, the WION administrator's account for our Facebook page was hit with a virus that is making the rounds in the Facebook community. It did what all viruses do, mess with other users by annoying them with bogus e-mails and links that "looked" like they came from WION or our administrator,  yours truly, Jim Carlyle.

The rule I've preached on the air  time and time again is, "don't open attachments" in your e-mail, along with "don't open e-mail from people you don't know", and NEVER ever reply to an e-mail asking for information on your social security, banking, or any other personal information. I've always believed this, I've always practiced this, and by practicing this "safe computing" I've enjoyed the web, and still do. This virus was confined to Facebook only, not the computer on which Facebook was viewed.  I haven't had a virus on my personal or business computers for the better part of 10 years!

But, when any service on the web allows a virus to penetrate its servers, and propagate through its unsuspecting users, trouble begins.  If the service expects us to give  up seemingly personal information to them, shouldn't they protect us while on their service?  It's a reasonable expectation. 

Thus, came the question, "Can a radio station in the year 2010 exist without a Facebook page?"  Well, the answer is..YES.  In fact, it will mean more time to update our own WION website and that will be where we hope you'll look for information on our station, our events, our clients, our food-drive and anything that AM 1430 and FM 92-7 may be doing!

Yes, we miss the "instant messaging" capabilities, but....there's e-mail!
Yes, we miss the "instant updates" on (some of) our listeners...but there's e-mail

No, we don't miss the famous, "X likes this "thumbs-up on everything people report....that gets very old, very quickly. I've always believed I could post something like, "My toilet's backed-up and flowing all over the floor" and there would be a whole bunch of people who, like lemmings would click "X likes this!"  So, that part, we won't miss.

 Nor will we miss people who take others' money to set up Facebook accounts (something any basic computer user can do themselves) and the perception of "you need Facebook" to survive. After all, first it was Myspace, and in the mix came Facebook, and Twitter. We have YET to "tweet" a single thing, and we're still growing as a company. Our "tweeting" is live, and is done by the human voice. On the air.  What a concept! Human to Human communication!

Facebook is, after all, a FREE service. It's not meant to be a primary advertising source, and only reaches those who are OTHER Facebook members. If that many of you (and we had a respectable amount) were following us on Facebook, you'll certainly continue to listen.....and to e-mail.....and to call......and to participate in WION's community events.  And, yes, the decision to close the account is permanent. We didn't just "deactivate" we are on the "deletion" list, though Facebook thinks they are SO important that THEY make you wait 14 days for the account info to be deleted.  They think USERS can't live without them, and will change their mind before two weeks is up!  Interesting isn't it?

 If you're a Facebook fan, enjoy!  Practice safe computing, and know who to interact-with safely.  We did!  But, we also were careful from day one with what information we gave to Facebook  and did not post any info about our administrator you couldn't find in public records. We didn't rely on Facebook for our only source of marketing, and.....ultimately, its Facebook that loses when they don't protect users from hacking of accounts, viruses, and when users DELETE their accounts. (taking one link in the virus chain out of their system.)

Remember, when you give Facebook information about yourself... (not limited to your name, age, location, likes, dislikes, interests) you're voluntarily giving them information they use to sell ads, to target you, and to make money...ON YOU. You ARE their income. You ARE their hostage, as long as you use the account you sign up for. So, be aware of what information you tell them at all times.  It was an innocent communication from a user that likely triggered the virus into our Facebook account, and...now, we don't have an account. By choice. Their loss. We got what we paid for....and....so do you. But, we were aware of that "going in"...so we feel no mourning at the termination of our fan page, or our administrator's page (which was bare minimum anyway.)

So, We'll see you on our website.
As of this writing...day number (3) without Facebook...and the world still turns, the sun still rises, the web still exists, and we're glad that we can put our former Facebook time to better use.

Jim Carlyle "likes" this.

Oops.





 

Lights were off....and nobody's home....

Well, Ionia County just finished a week that included power outages for about 13 thousand customers of Consumers' Energy.  The hum of generators echoed through many a neighborhood, and WION Radio was operating on its generator (at full power on both AM and FM) through the whole local emergency. 
 

This outage should-have, once again served to make an example of how prepared we SHOULD be for some basic small emergencies. I have a feeling, however that it did not. I base this on observations made while on the air at WION working, and by the calls we received...and those we didn't!
 

At least two local school districts, in their infinite wisdom relied entirely on electronic means to notify the public, if not their staffs of delays and closures.  Furthermore, one local school which serves its own website reportedly had internal failure of their system, and a third (according to a very upset caller)  would not answer its phones after repeated attempts to call.  Likely a symptom of the failure of an all-electic phone system.
 

As a guest to our studios noted, and I agree,  the use of digital/electronic notification may work in mid-winter when its a snowstorm building up on roads that causes a delay or closure. But, in a county with massive power outages, it is irresponsible for ANY organization to post its closures exclusively  via e-mail, text, TV and the internet.  It's an example of flawed-thinking.  At the height of our local outage, 13 thousand of the county's residents did not have access to electricity. The VERY SAME electricity that powers DSL modems, cable line-amplififers and cable TV, and also powers standard  "over the air" digital television sets. (There aren't many digital portable TV's in circulation, and those that ARE available have poor reception in our area.) 
 

It's time for residents of our area to take some responsibility. Responsibility for their own communications, their own emergency plans for similar situations, and.....in the case of schools and larger organizations, responsibility to those who put them in positions of authority. 
 

For schools, this means going back to the old "call the local media" with your information. In the case of WION, the owners receive phone calls 24/7, and the station is backed-up by an automatic generator. Most everyone in our county owns at least one or two radios, and if they don't they can sit in the car and get an update if necessary whether they have a battery radio, electricity, or not.  It makes NO sense for schools to rely solely on their information getting to the public via an internet that requires power in multiple locations, and TV that requires the cable system or the end-viewer to have power! This system failed miserably last week, as NO human communication came from any area school to WION AM and FM.
 

For families and businesses, it means having a PLAN. If your business is "dark" when the power's off, do you have flashlights? Rechargeable lanterns are wonderful, inexpensive, and come on when the power's off and are great for houses and businesses. The old fashioned "flashlight" can also become your best friend!   How about food in your home?  If you have an electric stove, what's the plan for feeding your family if that's your only way of heating food? If you have electric ignition on an LP or Natural Gas stove, can you light it safely by manual means? Have you tried?  And...here's a simple but overlooked one.....got an old-fashioned hand-crank can opener?  Do you and your kids know when to open the refrigerator/freezer and when not-to? Do you know how long certain foods can be kept safe during outages?  Great information is available from your county extension offices and the health department.

Our power outages lasted at the most around 48 hours in Ionia County. Roger Packard reminded us in his visit to WION during the height of the outage last Wednesday that autumn is prime season for more strong to severe weather activity, and...of course that winter with its ice storms and strong winds can re-create our outages very easily. 48 hours left people scrambling in businesses, homes, and schools.
 

With minimal time and minimal money invested, you CAN be better prepared. Keep food and water on hand.  Invest n a crank-powered or battery-powered radio. Don't expect Grand Rapids media to give a darn about Ionia County, they're too busy worrying about Kent county and their ratings. Tune-in to local radio. Don't assume your texts and e-mails are getting to your audience during an emergency, in fact, if you can.....go back to having ONE wired phone from a "real" bell system in your home or business, and you'll be thankful when you can still call 9-1-1.  Remember, that "magic jack" or "vonage" phone only works when there's power all along the network. Charter phone won't work when lines are down and power is out along the way outside your home. Think about these things when choosing and renewing your vital communications and less-vital entertainment services.
 

And finally, there are a few online resources you can access now that help later. WION placed a link to "ready dot gov" on our website's main page "info panel" for you to use. It goes deeper into addressing how to better prepare your home, family, and business for many kinds of emergencies.

Keep in mind, too..that the people who work in public service, at 9-1-1, the skywarn group, our local Amateur radio operators, Electric service, and others deserve our thanks. They're the ones "out there" while we're "in the dark"....and they're the ones risking their lives, at times to fix what mother nature brings our way, and rebuild our broken infrastructure. 
 

In this radio station owner's opinion, Ionia County got an "F" for "failure to be ready" in this last round of power outages. But, we ALL have time to plan and be ready for the next local emergency.  Plan. Now. And, remember, your cellphone/DSL/Cable and digital TV only work with the power "on"....so what's left to help you with information?  
 

Radio.  WION at 1430 AM and 92-7 FM.

 

Welcome to garage sale season, 2009. Officially, it got underway with Memorial Day weekend. UNofficially, it ends Labor day weekend, with those rare sales after that time being "gold" to us garage sale fans. But, to have good attendance at your next sale, please follow a few simple rules.

For those holding sales, please do this:

1)Make your signs very readable, very large, and NOT confusing. Do NOT make a sign like the one above, captured live in Ionia County, Michigan.

2) If you post hours you're open, STAY OPEN during them. There's nothing more irritating than chasing down what you think will be the holy grail of sales, to find it closed.

3) Price everything. Don't run an "ask us about pricing" sale. Rather, price things with room to negotiate, and allow your customers to ask for a better deal. Buyers don't know whether your sale is one to "get rid of it all" or, one to "make all the money I can, and if I don't sell it, so what!" Buyers want to know if your sale is an overall good deal or not.

4) Make sure everything is CLEAN and has its instructions, all parts, and is complete. If it's not, then label it as such, so your buyer knows of the honesty of your sale. Don't sell stuff that doesn't run, doesn't work, or isn't complete without telling your buyer.

For those attending sales, YOU have a responsibility, too:

1) Be polite. Don't look at something and insult it. If its not for you, so be it! If the price is too high, and you don't want to ask, then quietly move-on!

2) If you want a better price, don't say things like, "I'll give ya two bucks for this" when it's priced at $10. In other words, don't INSULT your garage sale operator. You're a guest in their garage. A better approach is always, "Is this your best price?" on a particular item, or..."Make me a deal on these things" when showing interest in multiple items. This usually works best.

3)Try NOT to park in such a way that others are blocked-in as you browse, and don't turn around on a lawn unless you ask first. I know this sounds basic, but...believe it or not, people do it.

4) It doesn't matter whether you're buying for a gift, for resale in a shop or on the 'net, or....for yourself. Don't blurt out things like, "I can re-sell this on Ebay"...or, "Wow"....what a deal. The seller may not know values on all their items. I've always maintained that if the seller sets the price and its low, you win. No matter what the intended use of the item.

This is the first of hopefully many random-topic blogs, some will be "lighter" than others, but...today, June 13th seemed a good day to start working with this new software for blogging and the new domain on the web where I can park these thoughts.

Have a successful garage sale season......and many more.