You want to know what it's like to really be a broadcaster? Listen to Reitman, Mueller and Amy Taylor handle today's blizzard in SE Wisconsin (first official blizzard of the decade!).
We have a phone bank with a dozen operators on duty that has been busy since the end of Conan O'Brian. The phones are manned by volunteers from 94.5 WKTI, 620 WTMJ and Today's TMJ-4. These dedicated broadcasters have been here all night long. Businesses, schools and organizations who have signed-up ahead of time and have the "secret" code, can call in their closing and get in on all three of our stations plus our web-sites instantly.
Yes we use a code ... it keeps us from hearing:
"Ah, yeah ... this is like the principal ... and ... ah ... school is closed today ..."
Once the closings are verified, we have someone from our Internet department (known inside the building as "Internet City") enter the closing under the proper county. Reitman, Mueller and Amy Taylor then see that information pop up instantly on a control room monitor and get it right on the air.
The cool part - is that we have an interface on WKTI.COM that lets you see the information the same time they see it. If you click closings, you'll then be able to choose your county and search for your school/business/organization. Closings ON-DEMAND - how cool is that?
So if you're home today as a result of a "snow-day," remember all of those closings you saw on TV or heard on KTI were gathered and processed by some real broadcasters who you will never hear on the air. But they drove in this morning (or late last night) knowing their duty and they did it well.
Now ... we're going to have pizza. If you've been here all night --- it's lunchtime (at dawn)!
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