Louisiana TV Station Slammed – Oops, Turns Out They Were Right

Louisiana's media landscape moves like the surface of the bayou. If you've ever watched the scenery along the Atchafalaya Basin or out at Lake Martin in St Martin Parish you can see the connection.

On the surface, things appear calm and moving slowly but the part the eyes can't see and the ears can hear, that's where all the action is going on, and trust me, in the world of media it's just as murky, it sometimes smells bad, and we've got more than a few snakes slithering among us.

Still, as someone who has been involved in Louisiana media for the better part of three decades, I can tell you the assembled professionals at most of the commercial broadcast outlets in the state understand their jobs and they do them well. It's when you, the listening or viewing public don't understand what the job is that we tend to catch flack.

Never is the disconnect between what broadcasters are required to do and what some people want them to do made more visible than in times of severe weather. Every media outlet licensed by the Federal Communications Commission has an obligation to inform you of dangerous weather conditions.

So that's why sometimes during a football game or important political discussion you will hear an alert come over the air. Your local broadcasters are not responsible for creating the alert. However, they are required by law to air it no matter how much it takes away from your singing along with Shaboozey or guessing the puzzle on Wheel of Fortune.

Our friends at KATC TV in Lafayette recently were the recipients of some rather hostile comments on social media when they "dared to interrupt a football game" with something as silly as "life-saving" information.

Kudos to Rob Perillo and the KATC crew for doing the right thing. I am sure if you asked the people who were in the line of the severe storms which was more important, football or a possible tornado, I am sure they'd opt for the weather information.

There is an old saying that suggests "Don't shoot the messenger" and in the case of local broadcasters that is what we are. We are the messengers of what is happening in your community. We are here to keep you safe. We are here to keep you informed. And yes, part of our mission is to keep you entertained as well but not where your safety is concerned.

So, the next time your favorite song gets interrupted by a "test" or your favorite prime-time drama gets pre-empted because Rob Perillo or Daniel Phillips wants to keep you and your family safe please realize it is just part of the real job they were hired and entrusted to do.