Monday, March 08, 1999
COMMUTING COLUMN
Radio can be lifeline for commuters
BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Catching a radio traffic report before making that split-second decision on how to get home can mean the difference between arriving in time for dinner or sitting in traffic while the food gets cold.
Television traffic reports and up-to-date traffic Web sites such as www.cincinnati.com/traffic provide rush-hour traffic information for Greater Cincinnati's highways.
But those don't help much once behind the wheel.
And without a cell phone, commuters can't get to ARTIMIS' 211 service, which gives updated traffic reports for interstate routes by dialing 211.
So, we rely on radio traffic reports to guide us to where traffic is flowing freely — or at least explain why we haven't moved in 10 minutes.
Just about all of Greater Cincinnati's 30-plus radio sta tions broadcast weekday traffic reports.
About a half-dozen helicopters and planes hover above Tristate freeways during the morning and evening rush hours to feed various stations — or sometimes just one station — information. Additional reports come from ARTIMIS cameras scattered around the interstates, police scanners and radio listeners calling in problem spots.
Some reports are live; others are taped and played later. Producers say ideally they're delayed no more than two minutes. Some traffic reports are read from information coming from ARTIMIS. Metro Networks puts up a helicopter and plane and feeds information to more than a dozen radio stations with live feeds from the air or in electronic form.
What I want to know, Tristate commuters: Which radio traffic reports do you rely on? And what do you like about that station's reports?
Write, fax and e-mail me and let me know.
Here's a list of what Cincinnati radio stations do to help figure out times commuters can catch traffic on their favorite stations, and who stations
rely on for reports:
WAKW-FM (93.3): Metro Networks reports from the Internet every 15 minutes from 6:45-8:15 a.m., with a final look at 9 a.m; 12:10 p.m. and live helicopter feeds at 3:15, 3:45, 4 p.m. and every 15 minutes during the 4 o'clock hour, and 5:20, 5:40 and 6 p.m.
WBOB-AM (1160), all-sports “BOB”: Live reports from Metro Networks every 20 minutes from 6-8:40 a.m. and every 20 minutes from 4-6 p.m.
WCIN-AM (1480): Tape-delayed Metro Networks reports every 30 minutes from 6-8:30 a.m. and at 3:45, 4, 4:35, 5 and 5:35 p.m.
WCVG-AM (1320): Live Metro Networks reports at 6:34 and 6:48 a.m. and at 4, 17, 34 and 48 minutes past the hour during the 7 and 8 a.m. hours. Afternoon reports start at 3:17 and are at 4, 17, 34 and 48 minutes past the hour until 5:48 p.m.
WEBN-FM (102.7): Morning reports are given at or about 5:56, 6:15, 6:42, 7, 7:17, 7:41, 8, 8:14, 8:45, 8:55 and 9:15. Afternoon reports are at 3:35, 3:55, 4:16, 4:34, 4:54, 5:15, 5:34, 5:50, 6:16 and 6:35. John Phillips reports live from the helicopter from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Other reports come via ARTIMIS.
WGRR-FM (103.5) Oldies: Live reports from J.C. SkyChief McCoy from helicopter every 10 minutes from 5:50-8:50 a.m. and every 15 minutes from 3:20-6:20 p.m.
WIZF-FM (100.9) “THE WIZ”: Live Metro Networks reports at 10, 20, 35 and 50 past the hour from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.
WKFS-FM (107.1) “KISS 107”: Tape-delayed reports from John Phillips and ARTIMIS reports from 6:10-8:40 a.m. at 10, 25, 40 and 55 minutes after the hour. WKRC-AM (550): Reports every 10 minutes starting at five after the hour between 5:35 and 9 a.m. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., reports are at 58 minutes past the hour. And afternoon reports are at 5, 20, 40 and 55 after the hour from 3-7. Reports from John Phillips and ARTIMIS.
WKRQ-FM (101.9) “Q102”: Live Metro Networks reports at 25 and 55 after the hour from 6-9 a.m. and at 15 and 45 after the hour from 4-6 p.m.
WLW-AM (700): Starting at 5:40 a.m., traffic is on every 10 minutes until 9 a.m. Scheduled reports on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Starting at 3:30 p.m., traffic is on every 10 minutes until 6 p.m. John Phillips reports live from 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Other reports come via ARTIMIS and police scanners.
WMOH-AM (1450): Metro Networks provides four to six reports between 6 and 9 a.m. Every 20 minutes during that time, there's local Hamilton traffic with information from Hamilton police. From 3-6 p.m., Metro Networks provides traffic at the top and bottom of the hour.
WNKU-FM (89.7): From 6:19-8:33 a.m., reports are at 9, 19, 33, 49 and 59 after the hour. From 4:19 p.m. until 5:59 p.m., reports are 19, 49 and 59 after the hour. Teletype from Metro Networks.
WNLT-FM (104.3): Metro Networks reports at 15, 30, 45 and 55 after the hour. From 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m., reports are every 15 minutes.
WNOP-AM (740): ARTIMIS information and people who call in help produce traffic reports at 10, 20, 40 and 50 after the hour from 6-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m.
WOFX-FM (92.5) “The Fox”: Three reports an hour from 5:50-8:40 a.m. and three an hour from 3:35-6:20 p.m. Tape-delayed reports from John Phillips.
WPFB-FM (105.9 FM): Live Metro Networks at 15 after and 40 after the hour from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.
WPFB-AM (910 AM): Metro Networks tape-delayed at 20 after and 10 before the hour between 6 and 9 a.m. and 3 and 6 p.m.
WRRM-FM (98.5) “WARM 98”: On the 10s from 5:30-8:30 a.m. and every 10, 20, 30 and 50 past the hour from 3:50-5:50 p.m. Reports are compiled using ARTIMIS, e-mail and listeners calling in.
WSAI-AM (1530): at 5, 15, 35 and 45 after the hour between 6 and 9 a.m. and at those same times from 3-6:15 p.m.
WUBE-FM (105.1) “Country B105”: The “Traffic Twins” in a helicopter and airplane provide live information every 10 minutes from 6-9 a.m. and every 15 minutes from 3:40-6:20 p.m.
WUBE-AM (1230), all-sports “BOB2”: Metro Networks reports at the top of the hour and at 20 and 40 minutes past the hour from 6-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m.
WVAE-FM (94.9) “The Wave”: On the quarter hour from 5:30-8:30 a.m. And starting at 4:15 p.m. reports every half-hour until 5:45 p.m. Reports are compiled using ARTIMIS, e-mail and listeners calling in.
WVMX-FM (94.1) “The Mix”: Reports every 10 minutes between 6 and 9 a.m. and 3 and 6:30 p.m. Reports are from John Phillips (usually live) from 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Other reports come from ARTIMIS when he's not in the air.
WVXU-FM (91.7): Live reports from Metro Traffic at 4 and 34 minutes past the hour between 6 and 9 a.m.; teletype reports at 19 and 49 past the hour. Live reports at 3:05, 4:05 and 5:05 p.m. and teletype reports at 3:30, 4:35 and 5:35 p.m.
WYGY-FM (96.5) “Y96”: Live traffic reports from Metro Networks at 10, 24, 40 and 54 past the 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. hours. In the 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. hours, traffic at 14 and 44 past the hour.
WYLX-FM (97.3): Live reports from Metro Networks every half-hour from 6-8:30 a.m. and reports at 4:50 and 5:50 p.m.
Tanya Albert's “Commuting” column appears each Monday in the Metro section. E-mail her at tmalbert@enquirer.com
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