Smith Salutes Broadcasters Reporting on Sandy

Cites FCC and FEMA advice to tune in to local radio and TV

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/29/2012 3:10:10 PM

Citing the FCC and FEMA's advice to those in Hurricane Sandy's path to tune to local broadcasters for emergency info, National Association of Broadcasters President Gordon Smith sent a shout-out to those stations.

"I salute the remarkable work of our radio and TV station colleagues now putting themselves in harm's way to keep millions of people safe and informed on the devastation of this deadly storm," Smith said. "As FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate noted this weekend, in times of emergency there is no more reliable source of information than that coming from local broadcasters. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those in the path of Hurricane Sandy."

Broadcasters continue to point to such life-saving info as one of the reasons the government should not be in a rush to move spectrum from broadcasting to mobile broadband.