The First Response Broadcasters Act

U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu | The First Response Broadcasters Act | WLOX-TV's Story

WLOX WLOX-TV
Biloxi, Miss.

News Director Dave Vincent tells their story...

Warning: Video may contain disturbing images related to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.
For more than 12 days, WLOX employees banded together & provided exceptional coverage of Hurricane Katrina despite personal danger & ultimately great personal loss. WLOX News broadcast 24/7 for 12 days delivering life saving information to the people of South Mississippi. Our news coverage went wall to wall when it became apparent that Hurricane Katrina would gravely impact South Mississippi. Katrina’s winds & deadly 30 foot plus tidal surge did not stop our coverage. Neither did her massive path of destruction nor her impact on our TV station. We continued to broadcast even when Katrina ripped off our newsroom roof, destroyed another wing of our station, toppled one of our TV towers, wiped out our Jackson & Hancock County news bureaus & forced us in the main station to evacuate to a safer section of our building.

There is no doubt that without the courageous action of WLOX employees many more lives would have been lost in this, the worst natural disaster to hit our county. In addition, we have been told by many viewers that we were their only life line during the height of the storm & in those first days after Katrina, when our community was devastated & very much like a third world country.

Here is an excerpt from one letter: “ During the storm we ran our small generator a few hours a day. Your station was the only one we could count on to have news when we could see it. God Bless all of you for being there for all of us.” Scott and Lori Lasher of Carnes, Mississippi Sept 16, 2005.

Here is one other letter: “First of all, I would like to commend you on an AWESOME JOB!! Your coverage of Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath was and continues to be superb! Thanks for giving us here in South Mississippi some semblance of normalcy during such a teffifying time.” Doyla Ashe, Poplarville, Ms. Sept., 16 2005.

During our coverage, we were the source of information for our community. We told people where to find shelter, where to find food & medicine & other needed supplies. To insure that life saving information reached our community we reached out to all the radio groups on the coast & they carried our signal. Also the local newspaper contacted us & we put many of their reporters on the air. The local FOX affiliate even carried our signal for a few days. After Katrina knocked out our ability to stream our continual coverage on our web site, our sister stations in the Liberty chain took over the postings & helped us keep thousands of evacuees informed through wlox.com.

Hurricane Katrina left thousands of people homeless & forever changed the face of our community. Our station is a reflection of the community in which we live & work. At least 12 of our employees lost everything. Another 60 had significant damage to their homes. Everyone suffered some loss. Yet our employees continued to work putting the safety & welfare of their community above their personal situation.