We Interrupt This Program, This Is an Emergency: Revisiting the Role of Radio in a Crisis

During disasters and emergencies, radio stations frequently operate in the public interest through the dissemination of critical information. To assess the current perceptions and preparedness of radio stations to broadcast crisis information, the current study replicates and extends a survey conducted in the United States in 2009. Results suggest that radio stations devote a similar amount of time to crisis training and preparedness and continue to consider the Emergency Alert System (EAS) as an appropriate resource. However, the widespread popularity of social media appears to have shifted the way that some stations perceive the ideal placement of crisis information.