August 28, 2017, Issue 565
Harvey Hovers, Texas Pushes Back
Hurricane Harvey came ashore along the Texas Coast late last week and has camped out while deluging the region in rain, wreaking havoc and causing catastrophic flooding. On the ground, Country pros are working to meet their communities’ needs. iHeartMedia KRYS/Corpus Christi PD/morning host Frank Edwards returned to the station yesterday (8/27) after evacuating Friday. They had been simulcasting sister Talk stations KTRH/Houston and WOAI/San Antonio, but returned to local programming Sunday. Edwards tells Country Aircheck, “Right now I’m in here with the morning show host from our Rock and Tejano stations. This is the most emotional thing I’ve ever been a part of. A listener from Port Aransas called crying, her house is gone.“ Edwards says staffers had minimal damage to their homes, but most are still without power. RCA’s Chris Young donated $100,000 for relief efforts and started a Go Fund Me page yesterday here. “Next week we’ll fill up a semi and head down there to help,” Young tells Country Aircheck. “I have a house in Texas and a bunch of friends and family there and it looks like many have been wiped out.” Their Woodlands show near Houston was called off, but Capitol’s Lady Antebellum donated all their merchandise sales from the Dallas show Saturday (8/26) to relief efforts. Country Radio Hall of Famer Dan Halyburton, who is a Red Cross volunteer, was called in to assist Friday. “We’re setting up a mega-shelter at the Dallas Convention Center that can accommodate 5,000 evacuees,” he says. Halyburton has been filing reports for the Red Cross on television Dan Halyburton networks and stations all weekend. See his latest here. In Houston, CBS Radio KILT PD Bruce Logan reports, “There is water everywhere. Lots of staff evacuated and water in houses everywhere. I have heard from PDs and talent all over the country. Many are cutting audio, PSAs, etc. for us to help us add voices to our simulcast coverage. The love and help has been wonderful.”
Hold Dominion: RCA’s Chris Young pulls in Virginia programmers during a weekend stop in Virginia Beach. Pictured (l-r) are WKHK/Richmond’s Garret Doll, WGH/Norfolk’s Mark McKay, Young and WUSH/Norfolk’s Dave Parker.
To his point, Scripps Milwaukee including Country WKTI ran a fundraising drive Monday afternoon for the American Red Cross. Likewise, iHeartMedia is featuring a call for aid (text “Harvey” to 90999 to make a $10 Red Cross donation) across all its stations and platforms. WQDR/Raleigh has issued a “‘QDR Brown Bag Challenge” asking listeners to bring lunch from home one day this week and text in a $10 donation in lieu of eating out. Josh Abbott Band is selling a “My Texas” shirt on JABCares.com with all proceeds going to hurricane relief. Abbott travelled to Rockport to assist in on-site efforts today (8/28). “We stopped by Cabela’s and they gave us a discount on batteries, clothes, flashlights and bug spray,” he tells Country Aircheck. “We’re taking a food truck and serving up brisket until we run out.” Cox/Houston Dir./Operations Johnny Chiang and crew have been camped out since Friday at the stations. “Christi Brooks [KKBQ MD/middays] and Cactus Jack [afternoons]
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