Beginning at 8:00am on Thursday, May 21, WQLN TV and WQLN Radio will go off the air for about 6 hours. WQLN Public Media is installing a power switch for a back-up generator.
WQLN was awarded a grant by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to install the new backup power generator. The generator will allow WQLN TV and Radio to operate in the event of an interruption to the area’s power grid. The generator is powerful enough to provide enough electricity to keep both WQLN TV and Radio on the air at full power.
WQLN TV and Radio anticipates a return to air around 2pm.
WQLN Public Media began to research and apply for generator funding following the Northeast Blackout of 2003. The ‘Blackout,’ which happened on Thursday, August 14, 2003, at 4:15pm was the last regional power loss in Erie County. The ‘Blackout’ was widespread and occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada. At the time, it was the most widespread electrical blackout in history. The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in the Canadian province of Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states.
In the event of a similar emergency–one that includes the loss of the power grid–WQLN Public Media will turn over studio operations to WJET TV News and Erie County’s Emergency Management Agency. WQLN TV and Radio are the only broadcast facilities in the area capable of staying on air and relaying life saving emergency information in the event of a blackout.
So that's cool that WQLN can stay online in the event of a black out – but if there is a black out how are people going to listen and watch.
Yea I know, battery operated stuff – it just seems funny – like braille on drive up ATM's. – Just making a joke, don't go giving me a hard time about it.
Seriously though, how is one to watch WQLN TV when, in the event of a widespread power grid failure, TV's aren't going to work…nor cable. And as far as I know, there are no DIGITAL battery operated sets available. Those old reliable Sony Watchmen and other portable were rendered landfill material thanks to the digital conversion.
You're right, with a wide-spread power grid failure, no one's going to be able to watch them or care, but think about QLN's location in the heart of the snow-belt. As a former resident of that area, I know they often lose power when the rest of the city and county and neighboring counties for that matter still have power. This will allow them to keep broadcasting to the rest of their viewing audience…