Radio on 9/11/2001
On this 25th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, we wanted to look back at radio coverage of that catastrophic emergency that nobody was prepared for.
(THIS POST CAN BE UPSETTING TO READ.)
We found this helpful link to a collection of 9/11 radio recordings.
(THESE CLIPS CAN BE UPSETTING TO HEAR.)
We also asked ChatGPT for its summary of radio’s crucial role on that disastrous day. We were given the text below, which includes useful links at the bottom. (Highlighting is ours.)
Radio coverage of 9/11 played a monumental role in informing the public, with historians estimating that roughly three-quarters of the United States first learned about the terrorist attacks through the radio. Because the attacks occurred during the morning commute, millions of people were in their cars tuning in to morning-drive shows when the news broke. [1]
The medium’s role encompasses both the historical broadcasts of September 11, 2001, and ongoing efforts to preserve those recordings for newer generations.
The Morning of Sept. 11, 2001
When the first plane struck the World Trade Center at 8:46 AM, many radio stations initially assumed it was a freak accident involving a small aircraft. However, as the second plane hit the South Tower and a third struck the Pentagon, stations across the country immediately dropped their normal programming—including commercials—and shifted to “wall-to-wall” news coverage, often simulcasting national feeds like ABC News, CBS, or NPR. [1]
A unique element of the local New York radio response came from traffic reporters. Documentaries like Any Other Tuesday: Reporting On 9/11 From The Air capture how New York traffic-helicopter crews (including pilot Arthur Anderson and reporters Tom Kaminski and Brian McKinley) became crucial eyewitnesses, reporting the unfolding horror directly from the sky above Manhattan. [1]
The Sacrifice of Broadcast Engineers
The World Trade Center’s North Tower carried a 360-foot broadcast mast that housed a master FM antenna serving five major New York radio stations (along with eight television antennas). When the North Tower collapsed, the city lost the majority of its over-the-air FM transmission capability. [1]
Tragically, six broadcast engineers lost their lives while staying at their posts on the 110th floor to keep the emergency transmissions running: [1]
- Donald DiFranco
- Gerrard “Rod” Coppola
- Steve Jacobson
- Bob Pattison
- Isaias Rivera
- William Steckman
Archiving and Historical Preservation
Because so much of the day’s reporting was chaotic and ephemeral, massive efforts have been made to preserve radio’s audio record.
The American Archive of Public Broadcasting: Features the 9/11 Special Coverage Collection, which preserves 68 historical public television and radio programs from stations like Illinois Public Media and Talk of Alaska recorded on and immediately after 9/11.
Art Vuolo’s Radio Documentary: Radio historian Art Vuolo compiled a widely broadcast 20-minute audio presentation featuring the real-time reactions and coverage of legendary stations like WOR (710) and WABC (770) in New York City as the crisis unfolded. [1]
First Responder & Cockpit Radio Issues
Radio communication also refers to the tactical and emergency frequencies used during the attacks:
First Responder Radios: The 9/11 Commission Report highlighted that the FDNY’s radio systems performed poorly inside the World Trade Center towers. High-rise structural interference prevented many firefighters from hearing the ultimate orders to evacuate the North Tower. [1]
Inadvertent Cockpit Transmissions: The hijackers on the planes did not fully understand how to operate the aircraft radio and intercom switches. Believing they were speaking only to the passengers, they accidentally transmitted threats directly to air traffic controllers, which gave federal authorities their first confirmation of the hijackings. [1]