The recent earthquake and devastating tsunami affecting Samoa, American Samoa and northern Tonga has brought forward several shining examples of radio broadcasting dedication in the face of extreme danger, says the Radio Heritage Foundation.
In Pago Pago, American Samoa, the morning DJ at KKHJ-FM felt the earthquake and activated emergency warnings immediately. Lupe Lohmann then broadcast calls for residents to head for higher ground and by the time she realised that a tsunami was heading up Pago Pago harbor towards the studios, it was too late for her to leave. She stayed on the air as surging waters smashed into the ground floor of the Pago Pago Plaza, home of KKHJ-FM.
Across in independent Samoa, another DJ also stayed on duty as the earthquake struck the islands. Radio 2AP broadcasts at 540AM from sea level near the capital, Apia, and Epati Tamati felt the earthquake and also realized a tsunami was likely. He also chose to stay on the air, accepting hundreds of calls from worried and frightened listeners and broadcasting emergency messages.
Olga Keil of Radio Polynesia in Apia is also reported on the BBC Asia-Pacific website with her comments about the earthquake. Since the earthquake, the staff have been broadcasting from makeshift studios in the hills behind Apia, close to their transmitter complex.
(Source: Radio Heritage Foundation)
