Beasley Media Group Prepares for Hurricane Helene

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Beasley Media Group

Beasley Media Group has announced plans to ensure safety and continuous service as Hurricane Helene approaches Florida, impacting its Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples markets. The company has put specific protocols in place to safeguard staff while continuing to deliver critical updates to listeners.

Tampa: The Beasley Tampa office will close to non-essential personnel on Wednesday at 3 p.m., with full closure on Thursday except for storm team members. Engineers will work remotely to address technical issues, and stations will remain in format with continuous weather updates from Denis Phillips of ABC News, unless conditions escalate. In such a case, Operations Manager Rick Thomas will oversee a switch to local television broadcasts.

Air personalities have been equipped to track and broadcast remotely, and Q105's Afternoon Drive host Geno Knight has been actively reporting on the storm's path. Beasley's digital team is preparing a newsletter with the latest storm updates and preparation tips, while social media will provide real-time updates, including sandbag locations and school closures. Tampa Market Manager Ron deCastro will assess the situation Thursday evening to determine Friday's plans.

Fort Myers/Naples: The Beasley Fort Myers/Naples office will close on Thursday, with potential closures continuing into Friday due to possible flooding. All generators have been tested and refueled, and a newly acquired off-road vehicle will enable engineers to reach tower sites even in flooded areas. Stations will continue to broadcast updates from NBC-2 unless Hurricane Helene intensifies, in which case, stations will switch to round-the-clock coverage.

The Fort Myers/Naples digital team has launched hurricane guides and resources on station websites and will continue to assess conditions for staff and listeners.

Corporate/Naples: At the corporate level, Beasley Media Group is closely monitoring the storm and prepared to close its Naples office as necessary. A backup generator has been installed to ensure continued operations in the event of a power outage.

Listeners are encouraged to download station apps for updates and rely on Quu in-car messaging for the latest on Hurricane Helene.