Oregon Media Insiders

I personally listen to KMUN, and I volunteer there as well.
During this last storm, KMUN was THE station to listen to for accurate, not second hand storm information. I personally fielded calls coming in from nursing homes that were being broadcasted as being in dire need of help, when in fact they were never in trouble. This secondhand information clogged phone lines, and put those wanting to help on roads better not traveled.
KMUN has a practice of no hearsay broadcasting. So nice job to all stations able to be on the air during times like a week ago, and I suggest you give KMUN (91.5 fm) a try during our next storm.
I am a resident of Astoria, and a life resident of Oregon
Good job KMUN!
Herb

But frankly, the efforts to keep the transmitter on the air and information flowing require a great deal of persistence and plain hard work in the face of adversity. The weather was horrible, the logistics were daunting, and you try to find a staff of nine people anywhere to work around the clock to keep the beast fed, and making sense to an audience hungry for information and news about their local area, when they have been cut off from the rest of the state, let alone the country. The only way out of the area was by air or boat until Wednesday, when US 30 reopened to one-way traffic. And, yes--KMUN was also on the air, and broadcasting news and information, as well. I felt that the staff of KAST were more innovative at getting out and about in the community. KAST was the designated station of record, and received help from the Sheriff and other public officials that KMUN didn't get.

But your point is noted.

Please tell me you're not a journalist. Adversity? Give me a break.

And yes, I am a journalist. That storm, and the challenges it provided was in every sense of the word adversity, and not just for a little radio station on the North Coast of Oregon. Just keeping the lights on was a monumental task. Just ask the 40,000 residents of Clastsop county who woke up and went to bed each night in the dark, without hot water, lights, fresh food, or the means to cook it easily.

Clearly you weren't there, and don't have a clue what anyone on the coast went through last week, or you wouldn't question the use of the word. Even when the winds subsided and the rain stopped, there was continuing damage from melting food in freezers and rotting waste everywhere. Pumps in sewage treatment plants were silent, and fresh water treatment plants were damaged by fallen trees and lack of electricity.

Keeping a transmitter and studio on the air is minor compared to some of the other issues faced by residents slammed by the storm, but there is also the issue of gathering and disseminating relevant and meaningful information to help the community.

C'mon, give me a break!

That is because nobody could get to KMUN. They has a tree down right in front of the station.

Staying in Cannon Beach for our anniversary (and this one was really memorable!)

I don't know what radio station they were continually playing in the lobby, but the reports were continuous, and it allowed us to feel connected. Looking back on it, I don't think they were particularly accurate, but they were probably as accurate as they could be, since rumor was rampant. There were a couple of times I went to our car for the KEX hourly news, and I felt the road reports were much more accurate coming from them. But since the coast was cut off there was no report of anything else pertinent to our situation - I only learned that our house was likely safe. Also, as we left, we asked at the fire station for a road-open report, and that confirmed that the local station was a little behind the times with their news.

Again, given what everyone down there had to work with, I thought it was a spectacular job. It is exactly this why I love radio!

Steve Forrester's a tool. He's hated The O for a long time, for some reason. Peter Bhatia called him on this editorial and he had no defense. It was apparently clear he'd barely even read the paper. And to level this cheap shot right after admitting that Patrick Stickel called out of the blue offering to print his little paper? Wow. Wouldn't count on that offer coming next time you need bailing out, Stevie.

He had some remarkable blog posts from the scene on the LB peninsula and in Astoria and Seaside, and he wrote an amazing piece about his car almost being blown off the Astoria-Megler bridge in the midst of the storm.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/12/reporter_crossing_astori...

It's a shame the Daily Astorian editorialist didn't have electricity and thus missed those posts.

(And it's a shame the posts weren't made more prominent on OregonLive.)

But the Oregonian was in the middle of it and posting news about it while it was happening.

I live in Portland, but was raised in Astoria, had a place at the Coast until recently, and have many friends on the North Coast. I think the coverage was pretty poor until the last couple of days. Only this morning did we learn about Royal Nebeker's gallery. I haven't seen a story on the damage on Commercial and Marine (downtown areas) yet.

Having covered Florida hurricanes years ago, I know it's tough to get info out of a storm area and taht the North Coast was really isolated, but I still feel it was too little and far too late.

Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Scott Burton with KGW did a story about Nebeker's studio last Thursday (12/6) That was the first day the roads to Astoria were safely re-opened. It could not have been done any earlier. The story ran first Thursday night and then again all day Friday. If you just heard about it this Thursday, clearly there were some stories you were missing. Maybe the downtown damage was covered and you simply didn't see it.

We did a phoner with Nebeker, plus he sent us some pictures. And we had a stringer pick us up video. Full story -- a day ahead of KGW.

but who saw it?

arrogant

typical koin...we pieced together a story because we didn't/couldn't send a crew. thank god for stringers and kptv's video share agreement. so sad.

Typical KOIN? KOIN was the first and ONLY station during the storm. I watched KOIN the whole time of the storm. KOIN and KOIN only had pictures from Seaside, KATU, KGW, KPTV not once had pictures as they were there. Driving around Astoria and Seaside (checking on family, big mistake I know) KOIN was the only news truck to be found. So, clearly KOIN gets the award for being the top station during the storm.

I agree. The newspaper has become a joke.