LOCAL ENTERPRISE: TALKING TRAFFIC

Published: Dec. 22, 2002
Section: BUSINESS, page D1
Source: DEBORAH MARKHAM THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
© 2002- Landmark Communications Inc

VIRGINIA BEACH — Traffic reporter Clay ‘‘Major’’ Miller slipped out of the Oldies 92.9 studio and crossed the hallway. Three other radio stations in the Hampton Roads Radio Group lined the corridor.

But Miller headed for the traffic service operating center, a lightning rod for traffic reports from all over Hampton Roads, a simple desk tucked away into the wall.

At 6:15 a.m., as he slid on his headset, the listener hot line began ringing. Jennifer Lewis breezed out of the Eagle 97 booth, checked the fax and printer for updates, and stopped to eavesdrop for a moment.

Jim Long, the third traffic reporter, appeared at the far end of the corridor, then disappeared into the Star 94.1 booth. He soon re-emerged, crossed into the ESPN studio for a moment, then zipped down the hall to join Lewis and Miller at the traffic desk.

The three traffic reporters shared notes, then split for the next round of musical studios. Their reports, compiled at a frenetic pace and delivered the same way, would be heard by tens of thousands of people who want to be warned of the traffic jams that turn rush hour into an agonizing crawl.

The competition to update Hampton Roads on its traffic flows has intensified. The Hampton Roads Radio Group, based in Virginia Beach, created its own traffic network in August. The radio group comprises six local stations owned by Barnstable Broadcasting of Newton, Mass.

Now, the five stations that use traffic reports no longer need the dominant player, Metro Networks, based in Houston with a local office in Virginia Beach. Metro supplies hundreds of stations in the United States, 23 in Hampton Roads.

A third option hits the airwaves Jan. 2 when Clear Channel Traffic, an offshoot of national media giant Clear Channel Inc., begins serving the four local Clear Channel stations. That will cut Metro down to 19 stations.

Timely, accurate interstate information isa mainstay of radio news.

‘‘Traffic is clearly an issue in this marketplace as evidenced by the public’s passion over the VDOT projects during the elections,’’ Andy Graham, general manager of the Hampton Roads Radio Group, said, referring to the Virginia Department of Transportation. ‘‘Traffic is a very important element of this marketplace, so we try to fulfill that need.’’ That’s why radio stations make air time available to the traffic networks, which make their money by selling brief ad spots that run along with the traffic reports. One radio executive estimated that it’s a $500 million business nationwide.

Metro is the nation’s largest traffic news operation, with more than 2,000 reporters, 65 airplanes, 35 helicopters and thousands of traffic cameras in 90 markets.

Its Hampton Roads control center features nine traffic reporters, who work split shifts that start at 5 a.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. Metro broadcasts about 1,320 traffic feeds a week, reaching more than 900,000 listeners, said Leila Rice, director of operations for Metro’s Hampton Roads and Richmond offices. The company also provides traffic reports to three local television stations.

Metro uses its own wire service and makes calls to police dispatchers and tunnel monitors. It works closely with VDOT’s Smart Traffic Center. It also depends on three mobile units and leases a Cessna 172 airplane for two eyes-inthe-sky reporters.

‘‘The aircraft is an important tool. You can’t just make a few calls to dispatchers to cover the area,’’ Rice said. ‘‘Because it’s sucha large area.’’ Although Metro focuses on national advertisers, a smallmarket client could spend a couple thousand aweek for 100 to 150 spots.

‘‘It’s just really hard to nail down,’’ said Meg Delone, Metro Network’s vice president of marketing for the Eastern Region. ‘‘I really don’t think any two advertisers do the same thing with us.’’ When Clear Channel starts up and takes four stations away from Metro, the dominant traffic disher will have lost almost one-third of its clientele, dropping from 28 stations to 19.

Metro doesn’t feel threatened, said Rice.

‘‘They do their thing. We do ours,’’ she said of Clear Channel.

HRRG used Metro for about three years before establishing its independent service. At the Hampton Roads Traffic Network, Miller calls seven city dispatchers, the major tunnels and state police every 15 to 20 minutes, checks the scanner, and takes about 15 listener tips an hour. Long and Lewis, who also serve as news directors, lend a hand.

Using this process, HRRG management believes it can provide more accurate information for listeners. As a separate provider, it believes it can offer better service to their stations and advertisers, Graham said.

‘‘It’s more effective selling our own product versus an outside company brokering a product,’’ he said.

From ad cost to news content, the entire process is under HRRG’s control. Graham thinks the autonomy makes the business run better.

‘‘The people are under our employment. There are no deals and no delays,’’ he said.

Graham said the operation is profitable, but he wouldn’t give any figures. He said the group has sold every advertising spot through December.

The rates for the 10-second spots that follow the minutelong traffic reports start at $20.

That price could increase to $56 depending on demand, said Everett DeCarlo, HRRG’s director of sales.

‘‘It’s a new service, so we don’t have an average. We make adjustments according to supply and demand,’’ De-Carlo said. ‘‘The price levels off aftera while.’’  Clear Channel Traffic will have up to three staffers announcing about 55 roadway updates a day through the four Clear Channel radio stations in Norfolk. It will pursue stations outside the Clear Channel set as well.

Clear Channel Traffic was established in 1997 in Atlanta under the name Total Traffic Network. It is now in 59 cities across the United States with new cities opening every month.

Clear Channel Traffic offers advertisers 15-second traffic sponsorships with a three-second open to the report followed by a 40- to 45-word spot. Their clients can advertise locally and nationally. The smallest package in the Hampton Roads market includes 25 spots for $35 each.

Job mixes fender-benders and fame

It starts as a small chat with someone in line at the grocery store.

‘‘I know you from somewhere,’’ the person will say.

‘‘Where did you go to school?’’

‘‘Bethel High School,’’ Leila Rice, Metro Networks director of operations in Norfolk and Richmond, will respond.

‘‘No. That’s not it.’’

‘‘Where do you go to church?’’

‘‘Uh.. . .’’

‘‘No. That’s not it.’’

Before they get too far, Rice, who began reporting highway happenings for Metro in 1989, will tell them they probably heard her doing news and traffic reports on a local radio station.

‘‘Oh! You’re the weather person!’’

That’s the kind of celebrity that radio traffic and news reporters garner.

‘‘After doing this for so long — remember some of us have been doing this for nearly 20 years— people tend to remember you,’’ she said. ‘‘People will recognize your voice if nothing else.’’ Traffic personalities can be heard on a variety of stations, and some serve as news directors and morning show sidekicks.

Jennifer Lewis is a morning traffic reporter, full-time news director and morning show sidekick with Eagle 97’s Jimmy Ray and Jay.

When Brian Kelly, a 26-year radio veteran, takes over as Clear Channel Traffic’s director of operations this January, he will keep his job as a morning personality on CD 107.7 Smooth Jazz.

On-air names may be used to promote a talent for a specific duty, to blend in with the demographics of a station or to protecta person’s privacy.

Jackson Taylor of Metro Networks took the last name of country singer Alan Jackson as her first name.

‘‘I figured even if I can’t have him, I can have his name,’’ she said.

Joking aside, she keeps the on-air name for security purposes. She has been in radio for nearly 20 years, and three people have stalked her with letters and calls.

Nathan James, who joined Metro in February 2001, uses his son’s name and his actual first name as part of his onair name. On one station, he is Nathan James. On another, he is ‘‘Big Nate.’’ Some reporters — like long-time traffic reporters Don DeIulio, Talie Germain and Frank Turner — use their real names. And, many of them use their fame to support charitable and community causes.

‘‘Whenever we get a request,’’ said Rice, ‘‘we do try to honor it.’’ And they do it for free.

That’s the price of a little regional fame.

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