Franklin.TV tells the story behind the FHS graduation broadcast issues

Good v Bad Days, Part 2

…and we srsly hate it when that happens

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 06/03/2023

It’s 6am, Saturday, 6/3. Yesterday’s graduation ceremony is history. So is the torrential weather that plagued it. I’m still stunned and dismayed by events that prevented us from covering FHS graduation live. Last week I wrote:

“These days (good or bad) there is much digital complexity in what we do. So, we maintain backup systems wherever we can.”

That reflection became a prophetic understatement: Yesterday was a bad day. We do all we can to prepare for the worst, but even the best preparations and plans go only so far. Here is the simplest telling of events:

First – We lost power at the high school and longer still at the field.

Backup plan: emergency power – we had that, but – Parts of the school did not.

The school’s PA system on the field was not working.

Facilities brought in their electrician to troubleshoot the issue.

Second – Fiber communication lines went dark.

We had no direct connection to the school, our studio, and the internet. 

Backup plan: Verizon cellular internet service to our studio.

Third – Verizon cell service was also disrupted – for the duration. 

We no longer had power or a digital connection of any kind. 

Backup backup plan – Record the event and rebroadcast later.

We were on the field with torrential storm, thunder and lightning all around. We had to pull and keep all our gear – cameras, microphones off the field, shut down and cover the school’s PA systems while the storm rolled through. Setting and testing it all in place takes an afternoon. What could we do in about 20 minutes?

We scrambled to get PA systems working for one podium mic and hustled two of our 5 cameras back onto the field. We are reassembling our recording of the event for rebroadcast and video on demand as soon as possible.

They say, “Man plans, God laughs.” I fail to see the humor.

The storm was indeed biblical. We had no power, no communication, no joy. 

Thanks for listening to 102.9 wfpr●fm.

And – as always – thanks for watching.

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

rain? Yup, some rain!!!

and the show does get recorded...