Bridge Collapse Media Source

Congratulations on your coverage of the tragic bridge collapse. Getting individual stories from local media was insightful.

However, you missed one of the public’s most important media sources for information on that day. Jazz 88, KBEM, broke this story at 6:10 that night…just a few minutes after the bridge fell and provided vital traffic reports directly from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

That day, Susan Spongberg sat in for our regular Afternoon Cruise host Kevin O’Connor and at 6:07 she took a phone call from a panicked driver on the scene who called KBEM with the news.

At the same time, Don Zenanko, reporting from the Regional Transportation Management Center, watched as the MNDOT camera on the bridge went dark. At 6:10, KBEM went into continuous coverage of the collapse and the traffic affected by it, immediately giving people alternatives to their normal route.

We stayed with continuous coverage until 8, pre-empting our regular music programming with only two short breaks for weather, news and for Don to catch his breath. Don and Susan handled the situation with calm and common sense, providing virtual on-the-scene coverage. One listener told me: “After listening to KBEM, CNN’s coverage sounded like a joke.”

The next day, and the rest of the week, we continued to provide our audience with detour routes and valuable information straight from MNDOT.

Your coverage of the media’s response to the bridge collapse was excellent but incomplete when you failed to acknowledge the role KBEM played in providing the public with the most comprehensive coverage. Thank you for this opportunity to congratulate Susan and Don on their great work on KBEM that day.