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Broadcasting Is Lifeline In Haiti

FCC International Bureau Chief Talks About Medium's Reach As Key To Getting Critical Info To Public

John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 2/6/2010 12:23:00 PM

The FCC sent a team to Haiti not long after the quake to help get the communications system up and running.

DeLaTorre said that the TV and radio stations in the country, still coping with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, were in particular need of help.

"The earthquake affected all of Haits communications infrastructure, but the damage to radio and TV stations has been particularly debilitating because they are normally staffed 24/7 so the proportional loss of life and building and equipment damage was enormous," she wrote Friday evening in a blog posting.

She talked of the importance of TV and radio as a point-to-multipoint lifeline: "A good thing about broadcasting is that it can reach so many people at once. Now more than ever, radio and TV is a critical source of information for the people of Hait regarding location of food and water distribution, medical services, shelter, weather, etc."

DeLa Torre said that when she left, only six of 18 TV stations were on the air, with only intermittent operation.

She said the FCC is working with U.S. broadcasters to provide equipment and programming for stations having to cope with llimited power, damaged facilities and an obvious lack of ad revenue to support ongoing operations.

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• 
  Tony Coloff - 2/8/2010 6:06:07 PM EST

• Wow, broadcasting is the lifeline in a country where the average annual income is less than $500. The NAB can certainly point with pride to that.

  
  John McNary - 2/8/2010 1:57:46 PM EST
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