Subject: Clear Channel prepares for war

From: John Starrett <jstarret@carbon.cudenver.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.slack
Date: Wed, Feb 19, 2003 6:57 PM

Clearchannel
Preparing for war

WAR PLANS
KFBK and KSTE

Make certain that we are monitoring CNN and ABC's Sat Que.
Sat Que must be turned up loud. We can not just rely on
someone occasionally checking the wires. Do NOT turn
down the volume on ABC Sat Que. Ross, please consider
setting the volume high and removing the volume knob,
otherwise someone will turn it down and you'll miss an
important bulletin.

Board ops: The second you get a notification that war has
begun make sure you are prepared to hit news bulletin
sounder and get the information on IMMEDIATELY. As soon as
it is offered, cut to network updates or long-form coverage
immediately. Then call and page Ken and Cristi.

If War breaks out after 10AM M-F please make sure that we
call Joe and Jack to come in and take KSTE into long-form as
well.

Our Coverage will be called America's War with Iraq In
writing copy please call our coverage, 'LIVE In-Depth Team
Coverage of America's War with Iraq.'

After a major terror attack or after the war begins take all
presidential addresses and public appearances.

Branding liners have been produced and are in the system.
Michael please issue a memo making it clear where board ops
will find this important imaging. Mike also make certain
that our cross promos on the FMs all address Live in-depth
team coverage of the War with Iraq on Newstalk 1530 KFBK

Editors, producers get to work on a 'war list' immediately.
Make sure it includes local experts, sources, military
types, other CC newsrooms around the country, network
contacts etc. Cristi please coordinate this and make certain it is
posted everywhere.

As soon as something happens, notify everyone! Cristi will
make sure a complete staff phone list is posted in the
newsroom, the studios. Take one home; leave one in your car.
You may be asked to help with staff notification.

As it becomes evident something is approaching, the entire
news staff will be placed on standby, even when you're not
working. In your off hours listen to KFBK, KGO, and
KCBS, watch CNN, MSNBC. Not only will this help keep you
posted on war and possible attacks you will find some
terrific story ideas. News immersion. Watch, listen, read!

Make sure pagers, tape decks, mini discs all have fresh
batteries. Carry spare batteries. Reporters should carry
cell phones at all times. Remember!K.we ARE or about to be
at WAR.

CNN-TV audio feed will undoublty be our first on air
coverage. Make certain that you know how to bring CNN up on
the boards of both KFBK and KSTE. They were first by a mile
in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War and again on September
11th. Despite all the news sources out there they are the
best in spot situations and could be first again.

When the war begins take What CNN and ABC offer. Go to long
form as soon as they offer it. Turn it up and let it go.

While I fully expect to be executive producing our coverage
you may find yourself in charge of this breaker for some
time prior to Cristi or I getting to the station. Anchors
only, unless you think you can do a better job by jumping in and
out of network long-form with local windows, stay with it.
You can still start branding our coverage immediately with
the bumpers already standing by in the system. Just force
them over the network. Network coverage sounds good and will
contain the information the listener most wants to
hear. And the network has national resources that simply
cannot be duplicated on a local level. Getting to network
coverage quickly and staying with it for a time also allows
our newsroom to mobilize forces to gather angles pertaining to
our region.

While the network is on make sure our team of reporters,
editors, anchors and talk hosts are working local angles,
local people involved, local experts for commentary, federal
buildings on alert, watch local gas prices etc.

Then when appropriate we'll find ways to work local into the
national programming. ABC has a tight long-form wheel but
there are optional cutaways at :19:55, :30:25, :49:50
and :58:50 around status reports.

Remember, don't do local just to do local. This is an
international/national story and the nets do a great job.
You will know when it is right and you have the right
stories to use. If you are going to make a mistake, do too much network.
Especially early. THIS IS WAR. We will only get hurt by not
giving people enough information at a time like this not by
giving them too much.

If long form coverage is not warranted by the situation,
then carry ABC status. Anchor those in studio plus other
locally produced coverage. Start with four per hour minimum.
Always err on the side of overkill. Actually, there is no
such thing as overkill in a situation like this. Ideally,
long form coverage is the way to go using a combination of
local anchors/hosts and network updates and cutaways.

The initial hours of coverage are critical. People who have
never listened to our stations will be tuning in out of
curiosity, desperation, panic and a hunger for information.
RIGHT NOW, convert them to P-1's, or at least make them a future
cumer. We must make sure we meet their expectations,
otherwise they're gone forever and they ain't coming back.

Don't forget KGBY, KHYL and KSTE. They'll need help and
information as well. They will help with KFBK
cross-promotion also.

Monitor TV networks and local stations for contacts and
leads. If they have good ideas, turn them around and quickly
make them our own.

Don't forget, when appropriate use language like 'a Newstalk
1530 KFBK exclusive' 'a story you are only hearing on KFBK'
or 'a story you heard first on KFBK'. Make sure we own
being FIRST.

Ross, if possible, can we have a short wave radio wired up
in the newsroom so that we can capture audio. Obtain a copy
of the latest edition of Monitoring Times magazine, which
lists all of the International English language broadcast
stations. If we don't have one in the family I would
recommend pricing the Sony ICF-2010 (or its equivalent) for
a good, moderately priced, portable short-wave radio with an antenna
on the roof.

Don't forget about the time difference between here and the
Middle East/Iraq. They are eight to ten hours AHEAD of
Eastern Standard Time. In other words, when it's 12 Noon on
the West Coast, its 11pm in Baghdad.

Make sure a list of all Satellite channel assignments along
with instructions on how to access them is posted in pit and
both control rooms. Plus all network news numbers need to
be all over your news and control rooms.

Make sure everyone is accessing WireReady checking the Clear
Channel Wire Service for updates, information, ideas, news
copy, etc.

ALWAYS roll on every on air interview, including during the
network coverage. You never know when they will have
something for other dayparts and for your newscasts.
Remember the War Room with Mark Williams needs a ton of
stuff.

Fold audio back into newscasts, talk shows, promos and
sweepers

Talk shows, find the right time to work local callers into
the coverage. People will be angry, frightened!Kthe emotion
of America IS part of the story. Use it!

INTERVIEW AND NEWS POSSIBILITIES:
Local and State Universities for a published guide of
'Spokespersons and Experts.'
Local Congressmen (know key committees involved)
Local Senators (same)
Terrorism experts
Chemical/Biological warfare experts
High ranking local military or ex-military officials
Military History professors
Former G-Men
Local Mosque spokesperson
Political Science professor
Government & Politics professor
International affairs experts and/or professor
Hazardous materials expert / Local Haz-Mat Director
Middle Eastern Studies professor
ROTC Instructor
Veterans of Desert Storm or the recent Afghanistan Conflict
Local families with loved ones currently in the Middle East
Local families of business types working in the Middle East
Local Companies with business ties to the Middle East (oil
etc.)
Arab League Rep
Jewish Community Center Rep
Local airports and airlines
Military recruiting offices
Hotels !V stranded travelers?
National Guard/State Police (Are they on alert?)
Local emergency management officials or agencies
What about public access to Federal and State buildings?
Local schools !V business as usual?
Psychologists for effects on children
Is there a foreign consulate nearby (Israel has one in
Houston)
Keep focused on the wires whatever for story angles
occurring in CC markets
If a local TV station sends someone to the area find a way
to use them, radio exclusive
Anti-war types

Dispatch reporters to area military bases. Talk to anyone
you can. Most officers can't and won't speak directly about
any ongoing actions in the Middle East. However, they will
usually speak in hypothetically and quote standard
procedure, etc. Look for protestors outside the bases as
well.

PROGRAMMING

An 'A' team(s) will be identified and on hot standby at all
times. I'll try to schedule talent intelligently and
strategically. Since initial reports and coverages will
probably be network, we'll save morning drive team for morning drive.

Start booking guests immediately!K.regardless of the time.
DO NOT worry about waking up people!K.there's a war going
on! Plus we can stash the tape for later use if these folks
can't be on call for later. Even guests of national stature
won't hang up on you during a time like this. You can't
afford not to do it. It is in these first few minutes or
hours we'll either win or lose the image.

Exploit our web site. Provide updates, informal flash
polling, email reaction. Put links on your site to good
links. If you have web questions contact Andy Friedman. He
is the Senior Content Manager for News/Talk with Clear Channel
Interactive. He can be reached at [phone removed] or at
[email removed]. Make your coverage a truly interactive
experience for the listeners. The Internet is also an
obvious valuable resource for information, guests to
interview, weather in Iraq, etc.

Talk shows are also a very important piece to the coverage
puzzle. After the long form coverage dies down talk shows
should live it and breathe it 24 hours a day. YOU CANNOT
OVERKILL this story. It's like disc jockeys playing records.
When the jock gets tired of it, the public is just getting
warmed up. Stay focused and on Topic 'A'. Fresh angles,
relentless promoting and pre-promoting. Talk shows are very
important for the public just to vent at first.

Don't get hung up on being 'local.' Just be the BEST.
Doesn't matter where the talk show originates from, as long
as it is the best available. Remember after 9-11 Clear
Channel provided some around the clock talk programming focused on
the news for stations without local hosts. These were great
programs and better than taped syndicate fare.
Especially in a time of War. I am sure our company will look
to do this again. Keep your eye on your e-mail for updates
and I will keep you posted on what I find out. But let's
plan on not running Best ofs during the first few days of
the conflict.

Remember to ask me if regular programming should continue to
run on weekends and if we have specialty shows that can't or
won't talk about the war!K.we will probably blow
them off. Even Dr. Laura. Remember, no fishing shows,
gardening shows. We are AT WAR.

In the opening minutes of coverage blow off commercials.
Contact me immediately.

Be sure to discrep all commercials that are missed. We'll
have a plan for making spots good.

If there is imminent danger, under the FCC rules, AM
stations may remain at full power through the night as long
as they are in a non-commercial mode. This would be under
the most extreme circumstances. For instance, the New York AM's
did this the first couple of nights after the World Trade
Center bombing. Ross, keep this in mind for KSTE.

Remember, normal weather, traffic, news beds may not be
appropriate in wall to wall coverage. Please ask before
proceeding on auto-pilot

As Rivercats season approaches we need to make sure we are
aware of our contractual obligations with regard to
interruptions for news of this magnitude.

We'll be proactive. Let's set a meeting with Rivercats now
and make them aware of War or Terror attack plans? We MUST
find a way interrupt for bulletins.

Everyone should know studio ISDN numbers. Everyone should be
fully trained on ISDN. Make sure every shift has someone
trained on how to use the ISDN any time day or
night. This will come in handy for several reasons.

We may be feeding content to our new station in San
Francisco Talk 910 KNEW. Their ISDN numbers will be on phone
list. Please note they are included on notification list.

Notification list:
Ken Kohl
[phone removed]

Cristi Landes
[phone removed]

Don Alias
[phone removed]

Brad Waldo
[phone removed]

Clark Reid
[phone removed]

Len Konecny
[phone removed]

"Those who cannot remember their past lives are condemned to
repeat them."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re: Clear Channel prepares for war
From: "U. M. Zaporets" <shut@up.com>

"John Starrett" <jstarret@carbon.cudenver.edu> wrote:

> Clearchannel
> Preparing for war

What a colossal Pink Boy that memo writer probably is. Where's Chris Morris
when you need him?

"War it is? Yes! It's war! This... Is... A... War!"

Yes, wouldn't want the local talk radio station to feel like it wasn't
competing with the heavy hitters.

http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:N_Dn7Rael2wC:distraction.free.fr/index.
php%3Fitemid%3D38+chris+morris+%22yes+it%27s+war%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Chris Morris: War! [He's delighted] Gentlemen, I'll put you on hold - if
fighting did break out, it would probably take place in Eastmantown in the
Upper Cataracts on the Australio-Hong Kong border. Our reporter Donald
Bethl'hem is there now - Donald, what's the atmosphere like?

BETHL'HEM: Tension here is very high, Chris- the stretched twig of peace is
at melting point. People here are literally bursting with war. This is very
much a country that's going to blow up in its face.

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Original file name: Clear Channel prepares for war - converted on Monday, 21 July 2003, 13:45