Emmis’ NewsRadio KLBJ in Austin was right in the middle of the action, right on top of the story in Austin, as Mark Anthony Conditt went on his bombing spree in and around Austin. We reached out to KLBJ Program Director Mark Caesar and News Director Todd Jeffries to get a glimpse of how the station followed the event that seemed to be changing by the minute over a three-week period.
The first bombing happened on March 2 and Caesar says the station sprang into action. “We began reporting on the attack that day and subsequently followed up with all of the new information released by the Austin police. The coverage subsided somewhat as police began to scale back their release of information.”
The two bombings one week later elevated KLBJ’s coverage to a level where they were carrying every police news conference live and making the bombings their lead story in every newscast. It also became the prime focus of all KLBJ’s local talk shows.
Caesar says the day of the two bombings is really when the entire city became very alarmed. The first bombing happened just before 7 a.m. and the second of the day happened around 11 a.m. “People innocently picking up packages on their front porch were being blown up. The police began warning everyone to call 911 about suspicious packages and they implored citizens to share videos or eyewitness accounts that might help catch this bomber.
Callers to KLBJ began speculating as to who was doing it and why. They wondered who would be next, and some suggested ways to catch the bomber or bombers, according to Caeser. “This was an unprecedented crime and outrage in our city. People were angered, shocked and saddened as they learned details about the victims. Our goal was to be a dependable source of updates and immediate bulletins as needed until the bomber was stopped. The story led our local news updates on the hour and half hour and continued to be the lead through the day after the bomber blew himself up.
Caeser said he wanted KLBJ talk shows to be a source of information and a place where people could share their thoughts. “I did not sense any panic or high levels of fear in the listeners who were calling. Just an intense interest in catching the bomber and stopping the attacks.
Here’s our interview with KLBJ-AM News Director Todd Jeffries.
Radio Ink: Tell us about how you initially covered the bombings.
Jeffries: That was March 2 at 6:55 a.m. Austin police received reports of an explosion and found a man critically injured. The 39-year-old victim was transported to Round Rock Hospital. News Radio KLBJ broke the story at 7:00 a.m. The Todd & Don Show immediately took a couple of calls from listeners who heard the blast. At 7:48 a.m. the man is declared dead at the hospital. Authorities announce the death is being investigated as “suspicious.” Some callers thought the man might have been playing with “something” and hurt himself. That turned out to be wrong when the second package-bomb killed a teenager. Later that morning, Austin police say they’ve determined the device was inside a package, and are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to reconstruct the item and learn who may have created it.
Radio Ink: What was it like in Austin in terms of how the residents were feeling, acting, etc.?
Jeffries: In one word, shocked. Some residents immediately assumed this was an attack on people of color. More than a 1,000 911 calls were made from people reporting suspicious packages. Those turned out to be false alarms. We informed the team to proceed with caution and do not report on all suspicious packages because it could incite unnecessary fear.
Radio Ink: How did your coverage evolve?
Jeffries: By March 12 at 6:45 a.m. News Radio KLBJ was covering the story at the top and bottom of the hour giving listeners the latest news on the “package bombs.” We aired all press conferences and our live shows interviewed countless experts, residents, and police officials as new information pour in. Austin Police received a call about an explosion in a neighborhood on the northwest side of the city after a 17-year-old resident found a package on the front step, brought it inside and opened it in the kitchen, where it exploded. News Radio KLBJ was on the scene within minutes and the Todd & Don Show was taking calls from listeners in the area. Callers start suggesting the attack is racially motivated. Authorities confirmed the teenager was dead and the woman in her 40s was seriously injured. Police say the teen died at the scene while the woman was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. With a second death as a result of an exploding package, the FBI offers to assist Austin police with the investigation.
Radio Ink: What kind of calls were you getting?
Jeffries: Most of the calls were from “couch detectives” who have watch a lot of CSI. They all had a theory, from racially motivated attacks, ISIS, to a someone angry about Amazon coming to town. It was very important for Todd & Don (the morning team) to inform the audience with “facts,” not speculation. They did a great job of feeding the audience with calm facts.
On March 12 at 11:50 a.m. another explosion is reported in the Montopolis neighborhood, located southeast of downtown Austin. News Radio KLBJ provided breaking coverage on the air and on social media from the scene. I reported, “Now we have a serial bomber in our community.” The Austin Police Department confirmed police were responding to an “urgent” call. First responders confirmed in a tweet that a woman in her 70s has “serious, potentially life-threatening” injuries. Based on evidence gathered at the scene, police say they believe the third incident is related to the two previous ones involving package bombs.
Radio Ink: Now that he’s been caught, was there surprise or shock that he was 24?
Jeffries: Yes! Shock that it happened and shock that there was not more to the story… “just a kid.”
Radio Ink: Talk about how your team performed during this entire three weeks.
Jeffries: The News Radio KLBJ Newsteam performed the way local radio news across American has performed a long time. The news team jumped into action at every new breaking moment. Live, local, and on the scene.
Radio Ink: What stood out about your coverage?
Jeffries: The will and unprompted desire of our reporters to go to the scene. Without asking, everyone, talk hosts, producers, and reporters/anchors knew exactly who to talk to and how to cover the story.
