Many news organizations based in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina have been forced to move their operations to less-affected areas. Below is a start on a directory of Gulf Coast television and news organizations with information about relocations and operations. We will be updating the directory as new information becomes available. Click here for more information about lost and found journalists. To get help, or to offer help to journalists covering and affected by Hurricane Katrina, click here. If you have updates about what's happening with various news organizations, please send them to us here.
Louisiana Mississippi
LOUISIANA
WWL-AM (new Orleans, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 7, 2005)
Operational status: Tom Roche, editor at Crawford Communications in Atlanta, reports:
WWL-AM was off the air for a few hours when the hurricane first struck, but their coverage has been non-stop ever since. Their 50kw transmitter and clear channel frequency... on 870khz makes them an easy catch across the southern US after sunset.
WWL-AM and a number of other stations in the New Orleans market have entered into a unique broadcasting cooperative, the United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans. Their one feed is presently simulcast on a number of local AM & FM frequencies, with URBNO the only station ID.
There is no webcast for WWL-AM, but now LeSea, the religious broadcaster who bought the Christian Science Monitor's discontinued shortwave transmitters, has agreed to temporarily re-transmit WWL-AM certain hours of the day via SW radio.
[CDT = UT -5] So dust off the old shortwave radio and give them a try. This schedule, like SW reception itself, is somewhat tentative, but their 250K signal (the tranmsitter is in Virginia I believe) should make for good listening well beyond the US borders.
Monday
10PM-Midnight on 5.835 MHz 0300-0500 5835
Tuesday-Friday
Midnight-6AM on 5.835 MHz 0500-1100 5835
7AM-9AM on 11.785 MHz 1200-1400 11785
9AM-3PM on 15.285 MHz 1400-2000 15285
5PM-7PM on 9.840 MHz 2200-2400 9840
Saturday
Midnight-7AM on 5.835 MHz 0500-1200 5835
9AM-Noon on 15.285 MHz 1400-1700 15285
6PM-7PM on 9.840 MHz 2300-2400 9840
7PM-9PM on 5.835 MHz 0000-0200 5835
10PM-7A on 5.835 MHz 0300-1200 5835
Sunday
Midnight-7AM on 5.835 MHz 0500-1200 5835
9AM-Noon on 15.285 MHz 1400-1700 15285
1PM-5PM on 15.285 MHz 1800-2200 15285
(Updated: Sept. 15, 2005)
Relocated to: Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge and other temporary locations, including Houma, La.
Operational status: Resumed print edition Friday, Sept. 2. The paper is also posting its reports on its Web site. Printing has been moved from The (Houma, La.) Courier to the Mobile Register.
(Posted: Sept. 4, 2005)
Relocated to: WBRZ-TV News 2 (Baton Rouge, La.)
Operational status: Broadcasting with WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge. According to WBRZ-TV's Web site, "In addition to its normal on-air and cable outlets, WBRZ's broadcast signal is now available on the cable outlets normally occupied by WGNO." WGNO-TV's Web site is also streaming WBRZ-TV broadcasts live.
WGNO-TV employee informationWWL-TV (New Orleans, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 4, 2005)
Relocated to: Baton Rouge, La.
Operational status: According to the WWL-TV Web site, "Louisiana Public Broadcasting and WWL-TV are teaming up to provide daily coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: 4:30-5:30PM daily on the six-station LPB network (WLPB, KLPA, KLPB, KLTM, KLTL, & KLTS). In addition, live coverage from WWL-TV is also airing on LPB Kids and You (Cox Cable 11 in Baton Rouge) all day except during the children's programming block which runs from 5:30-9:00 p.m. 5:30-9:00 p.m. remains regular children's programming. [...] Live feeds from WWL are being picked up by CBSnews.com, yahoo, Time Warner Cable, and many other cable news outlets." The station is also streaming broadcasts on its Web site.
WLAE-TV (New Orleans, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 5, 2005)
Operational status: According to the WLAE-TV temporary Web site, "The operational facility of WLAE TV has been severely damaged in hurricane Katrina." The PBS station directs its Web site visitors to the
Louisiana Public Broadcasting site.
(Posted: Sept. 5, 2005)
Operational status: According to a message on wdsu.com signed by David Barrett, president and CEO of Hearst-Argyle Television Inc., the station's parent company, "Although WDSU remains off the air due to significant flooding at our transmitter site, and we have evacuated our studio/office facilities until further notice, we have continued to provide live news coverage around the clock from two remote locations: WAPT Jackson and WESH Orlando, broadcasting via our Web site."
(Posted: Sept. 6, 2005)
Operational status: According to ABC News Radio, the company is providing a satellite feed of WIBR to ABC affiliates. ABC has plans to maintain the satellite feed for as long as Citadel Broadcasting Co., WIBR's parent company, is interested in keeping it up. According to the WIBR Web site, the station's broadcasts can be accessed on 106.5, 103.3, 92.3, 93.7 and 94.1 FM and AM1300 and AM1460.
(Posted: Sept. 6, 2005)
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: According to the Louisiana Press Association Web site, "The newspaper did an abbreviated single page edition last week and plans to resume publication Friday. The area, while still waiting on power restoration in some areas, is basically intact."
Amite Tangi Digest (Amite, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: According to the Louisiana Press Association Web site, "The newspaper had printed its biggest edition of the year, focusing on high school football, when the hurricane struck and the post office closed, preventing delivery. One staffer lost her home and others experienced significant damage, including losing their cars. The newspaper is regrouping and ready to publish as soon as the post office opens. Many busiensses in the area were hard-hit with hurricane damage."
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: On the Louisiana Press Association Web site: "According to reports, the newspaper is heavily damaged. Publisher Ed Roy, despite the total devastation, is continuing to ride it out in the area despite the total absence of any infrastructure... The building, whose walls were plastered with photos depicting the area's history, is registered with the National Historic Register."
The Plaquemines Gazette (Belle Chasse, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: The Louisiana Press Association Web site reported that "the co-publishers say they believe their building is intact... Publishers hope to resume publishing next week, according to reports."
Plaquemines Watchman (Belle Chasse, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: According to the Louisiana Press Association Web site, "the co-publishers [who also publish The Plaquemines Gazette] say they believe their building is intact."
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: The newspaper posted this message to readers on its Web site: "Hurricane Katrina was a heavy blow to our community. We are temporarily unable to publish your community newspaper.
We are establishing a special link to allow our readers to share news, information and inquiries directly. The entrance to this link will be listed on the front page of our Web site as soon as it is up and running. If you have a specific story or photo you wish to share, please forward them to our sister newspaper in North Carolina -- the
Daily Herald. Address them to
johnmoeur@rrdailyherald.com. They will post them on the site as soon as possible. We know this isn't the perfect method of communication but it is a start. We are confident that our community will rebuild and be even better in the future. For now, our prayers are with you and all our neighbors, and our hopes are for better days ahead." The Louisiana Press Association reported that the newspaper plans to resume publication this weekend, but that it "may be pritned elsewhere, as power is still out. The newspaper is still workingo n locating staff, many who have been hard-hit by hurricane wind damage."
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: Jointly publishing with Slidell Sentry-News. The Louisiana Press Association reported that the newspapers expect to continue publication at least a few times per week, and that they are still trying to locate staff displaced by the storm.
St. Tammany Farmer (Covington, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: According to the Louisiana Press Association, the newspaper has power, and plans to resume publication, after missing last week. The publisher "said she plans to publish an abbreviated edition this week and be back full force next week."
The Era-Leader (Franklinton, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Relocated to: McComb, La. offices of The Enterprise-Journal
Operational status: The Louisiana Press Association reported that the newspaper is without power, and is handling its operations out of the Enterprise-Journal offices.
St. Helena Echo (Greensburg, La.)
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: According to the Louisiana Press Association, "the newspaper is in the geographical area that suffered severe wind damage and continues to experience power outages and the loss of other services."
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
Operational status: According to the Louisiana Press Association, "the newspaper suffered power outages and published off-site at the Livingston Parish News [in Denham Springs, La.] for several issues. Operations have resumed at the newspaper, where power outages and telephone disruptions continue to plague daily operations."
(Posted: Sept. 9, 2005)
Operational status: The Louisiana Press Association reported that
The Courier "missed publishing the day of the hurricane and published a joint edition with the Thibodaux
Comet for a few days. The newspaper is printing other newspapers, such as the
Times-Picayune, to help out in the aftermath of the hurricane."
The Courier's Web site provides a
full explanation of the paper's decision to go Web-only on Aug. 29.
Radio-Info.com is also keeping a list of radio stations that are on and off the air. Here is the link for
Louisiana.
MISSISSIPPI
(Posted: Sept. 8, 2005)
All staffers accounted for. Detailed
report here.
(Posted: Sept. 5, 2005)
Operational status: Full power has been restored to the
Sun Herald building. The paper moved its printing operations from the
Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga., to its headquarters in Biloxi, where it has been printing since Saturday, Sept. 3.
Sun Herald employee informationIn their own words
(Posted: Sept. 5, 2005)
Relocated to: The second floor of the Mobile Register's headquarters in Mobile, Ala.
Operational status: Floodwaters have receded from the Press' headquarters in Pascagoula, but the building is not operational. The paper, which, under normal circumstances, shares the Register's presses, has been turning out a print edition since Tuesday, Aug. 31. A full PDF version of the paper is available at the Press Web site. All newsroom employees have been accounted for.
(Posted: Sept. 5, 2005)
Operational status: The American has been relying on generators to power its building since the storm. The staff has not been forced to relocate, and its Web site has been updated constantly. The print edition of the paper has been produced every day but one (when its generator failed) since the storm. The American is now slowly working its way back to full route delivery. Earlier in the week, circulation had been a distribution-point effort. All members of the newspaper staff have been accounted for.
(Posted: Sept. 5, 2005)
Operational status: The Leader-Call's Internet access was restored Sunday, Sept. 4. Its power was restored Saturday, Sept. 3. The newspaper resumed distribution of its print edition Thursday, Sept. 1, after a two-day halt in production. Its Web site was up and running again Sept. 4. All newspaper employees have been accounted for.
(Posted: Sept. 5, 2005)
Operational status: The Enterprise-Journal has been able to publish its paper every day but Monday, Aug. 29, the day the storm hit the town, because of power failure. On Aug. 30 and 31, the paper used the presses at The Hattiesburg American to publish, and has been using its own presses since. The Web site was up and running again Monday, Sept. 5, after Internet service was restored that morning.
