Maria Demolishes Communications In Puerto Rico

It’s not easy to reach a broadcaster in Puerto Rico right now, or any resident for that matter. The island was slammed by Hurricane Maria and 100% of the residents on the island lost power. Broadcast attorney Frank Montero, who represents the Puerto Rico Broadcasters Association, has been working with the FCC’s Lisa Fowlkes to get the Commission in touch with broadcasters on the Island to assist with emergency alert activations. Montero tells Radio Ink that he spoke with an engineer who told him there is still no power or reliable fresh water, and that only two radio stations were on the air with radio towers toppled everywhere.

When a major Hurricane makes landfall, the FCC posts a report on areas impacted. It’s called the Federal Communications Commission’s Disaster Information Reporting System. The daily report includes a rundown of which radio stations are still on the air and which ones were knocked out. As of Wednesday, not a single station has even reported into the system. FCC rules state that a station has 10 days to report going dark, although in the case of a massive storm like this one you would think the Commission would be very willing to work with stations.

SBS General Counsel Richard Lara tells Radio Ink, Hurricane Maria was devastating, but the full extent of its destructive impact is still unknown. “We are extremely proud of how our people at our radio and TV stations stayed on the air during the hurricane to provide emergency information and updates to our listeners until the island-wide power outage took our signals down. We are extremely proud to have been the first and only FM radio station broadcasting (“La 94”) in the immediate aftermath of this unprecedented storm. “La Mega” is now also back up and transmitting critical information to our listeners regarding all areas of the island, not just San Juan. Meanwhile, in Miami, SBS is conducting a massive relief drive to raise much-needed emergency food, water, clothes, medicines, and generators for our personnel and listeners in Puerto Rico to airlift as soon as the local airport opens.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Hurricane Maria has had a catastrophic impact on Puerto Rico’s communications networks. “Ninety-five percent of Puerto Rico’s wireless cell sites are currently out of service. The FCC is proactively reaching out to communications providers in Puerto Rico to gather additional information about the situation on the ground and find out if there is anything that the Commission can do to assist with restoration efforts. We are also working closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and providing all requested support. Unfortunately, getting Puerto Rico’s communications networks up and running will be a challenging process, particularly given the power outages throughout the island. But the FCC stands ready to do whatever we can to help with this task. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Puerto Rico.”