1. Introduction
At 5:46 on January 17,1995,Kobe, with a population of 1.5 million, was struck by an especially strong earthquake, which is of straight-down type, magnitude 7. 2 on Richter scale and 7 degree. The earthquake caused huge losses. Sixty million citizens died and 30% of the houses were damaged or collapsed during the earthquake.
In serious mischief, AM Kobe had performed it's function by it's especial mastery in medium.
Before stating the functions of local radio stations during the earthquake, first of all, an introduction goes to the number and their conditions of the radio stations around Kobe.
In Hyogo Prefecture, there is only one folk AM radio station - "AM Kobe" (Gansai Radio Station). But in the neighboring Osaka, there are four AM radio stations, and people in Kobe can receive their programs clearly. So we can say that Kobe is one of the regions in which radio stations compete intensely.
However, among these radio stations, only AM Kobe was directly and heavily damaged during the earthquake. The general station building collapsed and the broadcast was severely damaged. In this case, the staff on AM Kobe insisted on broadcast under the same condition as the people of the disaster area. It in all senses produces deep effects on the functions played by AM Kobe during the disaster.
Firstly, from the aspect of positive effects, it prompted the staff on AM Kobe to naturally understand the feelings of the suffered citizens, stand on their stance and continue to broadcast. From this point of view, it was different from other cities' broadcast media, which broadcast the disaster only out of their own interest and in order to compete for special topic regardless the feeling of the people in the earthquake-stricken area. In this earthquake. AM Kobe as a local radio station won audience's trust and cherish.
But on the other hand, due to the damage to the general station and broadcast studios of AM Kobe, it brought some negative effects to the report. Compared with the normal time, during this period it seemed that the Station was short of microphones, telephone lines, recording equipment and staff. In spite of these difficulties, all the staff still worked hard at the earthquake disaster report.
2. Broadcast Conditions After the Earthquake
Below is the conditions in the broadcast studios on the very day of the earthquake. At 5:46 on January 17, the early morning direct broadcast programs were going on in the studio. Suddenly the earthquake took place. At that time, there were altogether 11 radio station staff. Of course, the electricity shut off. The broadcast studio was severely damaged. Fortunately, the power operator of the radio station was connected in time and successfully. The broadcast resumed after the radio wave shut off for only ten minutes. Furthermore, the aerials on the roof of the general station and on the transition station miraculously were not damaged so that the radio wave could be sent out to the disaster area in time. This was greatly significant to AM Kobe's afterward broadcast.
Of course, after the earthquake both gas and water supply shut off. Many telephones could not get through. people in the disaster area almost could not obtain accurate information. In this event, the only life-saving straw available was portable radios. In order to provide the earthquake victims with timely help, we broke the normal arrangement of programs and from six
o'clock we lively broadcast earthquake disaster special programs for 69 hour on without advertisements and program drafts.
Following the terrific municipal heavy earthquake were fire and traffic jams.
Fire was initiated by gas and static electricity in the places beyond fire resources. The fire in Nagada region was particularly serious, burning nearly 50% of all the stuff. In addition, the radio staff who wanted to go to work could not go farther because the traffic became paralyzed. They wanted to go by car, but the highway collapsed and the normal roads were congested so
that it took them three or four hours to reach the broadcast studio.
In this case, AM Kobe informed the staff through radio that they were hoped to constantly report the disasters in their homes and nearby areas through telephone. As a result, some staff who could not go to work drew on local resources, becoming temporary correspondence reporters. At that time the official news about the disaster was very little, but the disaster in the street were spread out continuously through the radio.
In addition, the radio station cars and motorcycles, which were taken out from the garage with difficulty, hustled streets and alleys with all kinds of lively broadcast.
3. Citizen Safety News and Telephones Open to the Public
After the severe earthquake had taken place, what did the audience expect of the radio station? It depended on the different time after the earthquake. Firstly, shortly after the earthquake, the audience expected the radio station to tell the general disaster condition, closely living-related news and whether their friends and relatives were safe or not.
The earthquake disaster headquarters of official bodies like the government, the county, the city and the police provided such news as the general disaster condition and the recovery of the closely living-related lifelines. We continuously broadcast such news to the audience. (However, the news provided by these official bodies was quite confusing and some of it came very late.)
Because the telephone lines were damaged during the earthquake, it was impossible to have normal contact over telephone and citizens were difficult to make sure whether their friends and relatives were safe and sound. Under this circumstance, AM Kobe opened the radio to citizens for the first time. From 8:00, 2 hours after the earthquake, on the one hand, the radio informed that the citizens themselves were safe; on the other hand, the staff on the radio station began to receive citizens inquiring about the safety of their friends and relatives.
One example is, "so and so in the western area of Kobe wants to contact so in the central area of Kobe. All my family members are safe and sound. If all of you are also safe, please contact us. We will stay at home." Another example is, "so and so in Nishinomiya city, I am so and so in Osaka. I have called you several times, but it can not get through. If you are safe and sound, please contact me immediately."
Many people contacted their friends and relatives at once after they heard their inquiry over radio. As a consequence, many people telephoned our radio station, saying, "Thank you. Your help made us know our friends and relatives were safe and sound."
On the very day of the earthquake and the next day (17th and 18th), there were many telephones inquiring whether their friends and relatives were safe. After 3 or 4 days, the inquiries about citizens' lives, medical treatment, help volunteers, traffic organisms and various information provisions became more and more gradually, such as "The electricity shuts off in the hospital. It is impossible to have dialysis therapy. Do you know which hospital can give dialysis therapy?" "Now, water-supply trucks have come to such and such elementary school. The nearby citizens are asked to come here and fetch water." "The gas station is close near my home. Do you know which gas station is still running?" After these inquires were broadcast, some doctor would tell us immediately which hospital could give dialysis therapy, and some driver would inform us of the gas station. Then we transferred the news to the audience through radio. Though such transference involved some trouble, we played the role of transferring information and meanwhile we won the audience's appraisal.
Through this earthquake, we come to know that the information needed by citizens after earthquake is changing all the time. This is one piece of experience we have learned.
4. Conclusion
Kobe, the densely-populated municipality, was hit by a serious earthquake. It left Japan with many valuable experiences and lessons. It also offered a huge topic for municipal disaster prevention.
The disaster-prevention consciousness greatly improved in the broadcast field. Last August, AM Kobe held an "earthquake disaster symposium" in Kobe, which was participated by 45 radio stations from all over the country.
In the symposium, the scholars presented many valuable suggestions and advice on future earthquake disaster reports. For instance, For instance, it is very limited for the radio station located in the disaster area to broadcast alone when a disaster occurs. The radio stations in one region should divide the labor and help each other. And the radio stations all over the country should join their hands and provide each other with aids.
Besides, the present all agree that it is when some severe disaster occurs that radio broadcast can show its importance. This is because radios are easy to carry and not easy to damage. Radios can bring people more warmth and encouragement through electric waves.
That strong earthquake struck Kobe has passed more than one year. Now, whole city is working for resurge. AM Kobe had moved into a new broadcasting house by August 1996 and continue active broadcasting.
AM Kobe, as a new electronic medium, has an important task for the coming 21 century. It will become an AM radio station welcome by listeners on residents' life of Kobe, just as it did before.