toledoblade.com --

The contrast in radio's programming philosophies - live vs. automated - was never more evident than on northwest Ohio's recent dark and stormy day.

Clear Channel stations, which rely extensively on automated programming on weekends, "were caught with their trousers down" - at least that's how one radio veteran described it - on Sunday, when severe weather ravaged several communities in the region.

Judy, who lives on Kelleys Island with her 94-year-old father, sent a rather chilling e-mail that should serve as a wake-up call for all stations that have lost the human touch. While she spoke specifically of WLEC-AM (1450), a Clear Channel-owned station in Sandusky, her criticism applies to all stations that use automated programming.

"We had seen warnings on TV before our power was knocked out. Imagine my surprise, as we sat in the dark with the wind wailing outside and the battery-operated radio on, when it was business as usual with WLEC," Judy wrote. "Obviously, no human was around, as the station continued to predict ‘possible thunderstorms' with no mention of severe weather. The oldie tunes played on, oblivious to the havoc around us."

The storm, which killed five people in the area, uprooted "about a dozen big trees" on Kelleys Island, Judy said.

WLEC program director Mark Fogg said a weather alert was broadcast at 5:38 p.m. and bulletins from the National Weather Service break into programming automatically. He said he didn't know how many weather bulletins were broadcast from 5 to 7 p.m.

Judy said that after the power went out, she listened to WLEC "for at least an hour" and didn't hear any weather alerts- just the forecast for "possible thunderstorms."

"I always have felt that the radio was our link to information when the power is out and weather is threatening. But no more," she said. "It was very upsetting."

In Toledo, all five Clear Channel stations rely heavily on automated programming on weekends. Additionally, the newscasts on WSPD-AM (1370) originate from Columbus.

WSPD's status as a "local" news station is a running joke with the morning crew on sister station WVKS-FM (92.5). In the day-after discussion of the storm, one sidekick said that, despite the ominous conditions on the drive home, no one in the car turned on the radio to get a weather update.

"Because you knew it was WSPD, and they wouldn't have anybody there local talking about it anyway? So why turn on [W]SPD?" morning-show host Denny Schaffer asked. (Seconds later, he backtracked when he found out that WSPD did break into programming.)

Five Cumulus-owned stations in Toledo were "live and local" Sunday and, consequently, were able to quickly spread the word about the severe weather. WKKO-FM (99.9) and WRQN-FM (93.5) simulcast the coverage of WNWO-TV, Channel 24, which featured reports from meteorologist Bill Spencer in the NBC affiliate's new "storm-chasing" van.

On stations with automated programming, the bands played on.

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