Traffic Announcers that you think should not be reporting traffic

[roadman65]

Are there any traffic reporters out there who should not be reporting due to constant inccorrect things about roads, names, etc.?  Basically no bashing of character or things of a reporters politcial party affiliation, just about those who maybe get road names wrong or something of the sort and feel that they should move on to something better.

I have a  little problem with Deano on Z88 in Orlando.  He always reffers to all the Orlando Toll Roads by there respective numbers except FL 528 where he always calls it "The Beachline' with a big smile on his face.  Not that I am upset  or to lose sleep over or somehting lilke that as I think he does a good job as DJ and Traffic reporting, it just seems strange that he re-acts that way when talking about that particular roadway.  Even on Merrit Island where FL 528 is technically the Bennett Causeway, he refers to 528 as "The Beachline" with his smile.  Plus, he might be one of those who got Tallahasse to change the name in the first place cause he sometimes kidded in the past when it was the Beeline Expressway that it should be called that. 

With all the tourists who travel FL 528 to and from the Airport in Orlando, it would be best to call it by the name that all the sign say it is.   Every entrance ramp to FL 528 is signed with a "TOLL FL 528 shield, and only two highways have the Beachline name on some of its advanced guide signs.  If there is a wreck on the Beachline and it is mentioned as so, a stranger visiting may hear that broadcasted  may be on FL 528 and think that the announcer is refering to antother Orlando highway and not worry that he will be in traffic sooner especially if he has a plane to catch. Then a few minuets later, he encounters it.


I know that many other announcers on other stations do so as well as him, but he is on a Christian Station that is supposed to be preaching truth and hope and should be doing it the righ t way and not with local slang.  Other than that he is great andif he wants to talk to us locals who know are way around like that is fine.

[1995hoo]

I find some of XM's traffic reporters to be very annoying because they haven't learned that simply reading from a screen without thought is not a good way to report traffic. They routinely either omit articles when appropriate or insert them when not appropriate. For example, there is a town in Virginia called Triangle. It's about 30 miles south of DC and it's the spot where a particular backup clears up every afternoon. Several of XM's reporters see "Triangle" on the screen and assume it refers to a road feature like a roundabout and so they call it "the Triangle." No, that's a region in North Carolina. I've heard others simply read "Beltway" off the screen without inserting "the," as in "I-95 backed up from Beltway to Occoquan River Bridge." It makes them sound like they don't have a clue what they're reading.

[Brandon]

The Sirius/XM ones for Chicago and Detroit (same channel) are on the worse side IMHO as well.  They have no idea what the slang is for the various interchanges and landmarks.  Of course, the locals (WBBM) can confuse the out-of-towner...

"On the Ike it's 45 from the Tri-State to the old Post Office, slow through the Avenues with a stall at Central."

[Mr. Matté]

Anyone who calls the highway between I-295 in Bellmawr, NJ and the Walt Whitman Bridge "The 42 Freeway."

[golden eagle]

It's not the reporters themselves, but Clear Channel's Jackson cluster uses the Timesaver Traffic service out of New Orleans. I suspect XM's traffic reporters are not in the cities in which they're reporting for. The problem with using out-of-town services is not knowing the streets and the local jargon as well.

[Laura]

I dislike how many of the local stations around here (Baltimore) seem to purposely omit accidents on state and county roadways from the reports. Those are the roads that I need to know the most, especially on a day where is an accident/issue on the interstates and U.S. routes.

[roadman65]

Its because traffic segments have to be 30 seconds.  Many traffic reports come out of a different city and that is why many do not know slang if the area and sound funny!  Only the most important roads make it to the 30 seconds that are allowed on air.

Example, Clearchannel in Orlando layed off all of its announcers including Kevin Baldinger who was the chief announcer for that company for years.  Now Orlando roads are being reported out of Tampa (Clearchannel needs to save money) where many reporters do not know the names and slang of a place 70 miles away.  Plus it is read off a script where they have to act like they know all to sound proffessional!

[1995hoo]

It's not the reporters themselves, but Clear Channel's Jackson cluster uses the Timesaver Traffic service out of New Orleans. I suspect XM's traffic reporters are not in the cities in which they're reporting for. The problem with using out-of-town services is not knowing the streets and the local jargon as well.

I don't know whether it changed with the merger with Sirius, but XM's reporters used to work out of their DC headquarters near Union Station. A lot of people in other cities used to complain about them not knowing local conventions such as using road names instead of numbers in Chicago (seems to me a poor beef: it makes more sense to use BOTH to please BOTH the locals and the visitors) or mispronouncing idiosyncratic names. My beef was more with just reading directly off the screen without thinking about it, although it did strike me as odd that traffic reporters based in DC wouldn't recognize DC-area names.

When the XM traffic reports first came on the air in 2004 I kind of liked that they tended to include estimates of how long it would take to drive a particular route. The FM traffic reports around here have never included that. But XM seems to have discontinued that info. I also kind of liked that they didn't use some of the more annoying pet phrases used by some of the FM traffic reporters, most notably "the lanes are open." I've always hated that phrase because it doesn't tell you anything. All the lanes can be at a complete standstill due to volume, but as long as no lane is blocked, then "the lanes are open."

The big advantage XM USED to have, prior to SiriusXM consolidating multiple cities onto one report, was that they could devote more time and give you a more thorough report. FM reports face the problem "roadman65" notes where they have some fairly strict time limitations in most situations and so they usually have to decide what to drop. Most often, that means that the roads that are routinely backed up don't get mentioned unless something unusual happens (e.g., I-395 in Virginia doesn't get mentioned unless there is a crash or a truck overturns such that the backup will be worse than normal). That makes a lot of sense for regular commuters, not so much for visitors, and it's where XM was useful if you were visiting another city or just wanted more info. Now they've consolidated multiple cities onto single channels, such as DC/Baltimore/Atlanta all on one station. (That seems dumb to me because it's not a logical progression. DC/Baltimore/Philadelphia seems to make more sense.) As a result, they have more time limitations due to the need to include the other cities.

On the other hand, the big advantage FM reports have always had is that they're live. XM's reports are–or at least they were, don't know if this has changed recently–recorded every half-hour and looped through, so if a new crash occurs, there's often a delay in giving that info, whereas FM reporters sometimes give out new info partway through a report if someone in the studio passes them a note based on listener phone calls.

[Brandon]

^^ FM traffic reporters?  Here, around Chicago, we go straight to AM if we want decent traffic.  WLS, WBBM, and WGN all have far better traffic than anything on FM, and will spend as much as two minutes on traffic.

[Michael in Philly]

^^[jingle on] KYW...Newsradio...ten-sixteeee! [jingle off]  (Cheesy slogan in the '80s:  "Philadelphia turns us on!")

Never turn anywhere else for traffic.  Unless I'm en route to the 'rents, in which case it's WCBS or WINS.  When the Yankees are playing, WCBS traffic is unavailable.  Which is yet another reason....

But KYW does talk of "the 42 freeway," which someone up-thread finds objectionable.

They're also one of about three stations east of the Mississippi with call letters that start with K.  The other two, for some reason, are both in Pittsburgh.

[hobsini2]

The Sirius/XM ones for Chicago and Detroit (same channel) are on the worse side IMHO as well.  They have no idea what the slang is for the various interchanges and landmarks.  Of course, the locals (WBBM) can confuse the out-of-towner...

"On the Ike it's 45 from the Tri-State to the old Post Office, slow through the Avenues with a stall at Central."

My biggest gripe with WBBM is that sometimes during rush hour, they only announce the travel times/situations on the expressways and omit the tollways.

Other slang references in Chicago:
"The Merge" or "The (Edens) Junction" - 90/94 northern junction
"The Circle" - 90/94/290/Congress Pkwy Jct
"The Feeder Ramp" - Ohio St exit/Ontario St entrance onto the Kennedy
"The Extension" - I-290 west of I-294
"The Strangler" (not used as much anymore since it was "rebuilt") - 88/290/294 Jct
"The Mile Long Bridge" - I-294 from south of I-55 to Archer Ave, not to be confused with the Bensenville Bridge on 294 south of the O'Hare Oasis that is nearly a mile long.

[tdindy88]

I was in Chicago last Christmas and had no trouble understanding the traffic reports, and I'm not from there. Of course, I do my homework before I take trips and I was familar enough with the area that I knew the names of the expressways and even some of the interchanges such as the Circle. Of course, once they started mentioning accidents on local streets and highways (other than expressways) I had no clue what they were talking about.

[roadman65]

I was in Chicago last Christmas and had no trouble understanding the traffic reports, and I'm not from there. Of course, I do my homework before I take trips and I was familar enough with the area that I knew the names of the expressways and even some of the interchanges such as the Circle. Of course, once they started mentioning accidents on local streets and highways (other than expressways) I had no clue what they were talking about.

Here is something of interest.  In Orlando way back in the early 90's, Kennedy Boulevard in Eatonville, FL was known on traffic reports as "The Kennedy."  Sounds, nice right?  However, it was a reference point on I-4 where there is no interchange with this crossing and no markings either.  I was new to the area, and was totally confused at first, but being a roadgeek I did figure it out real soon, but what about those who never did?  I guess maybe that is why they stopped using Kennedy Boulevard as a point along the busy interstate of Central Florida.

[The High Plains Traveler]

It isn't totally responsive to this thread because I don't think necessarily she shouldn't be reporting traffic. I don't regularly watch Denver TV since it's outside my home TV market, but the traffic reporter on KUSA Channel 9 (NBC) is named --- Amelia Earhart. I always thought that was an assumed name for someone who purported to provide air surveillance of traffic conditions. Turns out, it's her real name. She really is a pilot, daughter of pilots (the Earhart family) who gave her the Amelia moniker.

[Alps]

It isn't totally responsive to this thread because I don't think necessarily she shouldn't be reporting traffic. I don't regularly watch Denver TV since it's outside my home TV market, but the traffic reporter on KUSA Channel 9 (NBC) is named --- Amelia Earhart. I always thought that was an assumed name for someone who purported to provide air surveillance of traffic conditions. Turns out, it's her real name. She really is a pilot, daughter of pilots (the Earhart family) who gave her the Amelia moniker.

Yeah, if I were the TV station I'd be keeping her on the ground. Don't want her getting lost over the Pacific.

[agentsteel53]

Yeah, if I were the TV station I'd be keeping her on the ground. Don't want her getting lost over the Pacific.

if she manages to get lost over the Pacific while doing a Denver traffic report, I'd say "good riddance to bad navigation".

[oscar]

^^ FM traffic reporters?  Here, around Chicago, we go straight to AM if we want decent traffic.  WLS, WBBM, and WGN all have far better traffic than anything on FM, and will spend as much as two minutes on traffic.

In the Washington, D.C. area, WTOP (my main local traffic report, along with Sirius) moved to FM some time ago.  A new all-news station, WNEW, recently started up on FM -- too soon to tell how its traffic reports will work out, though the other day I did catch a few rookie mistakes (wrong name for a road, and a few blocks off on where an emergency road closure began).  AFAIK, only WMAL (both AM and FM) still provides traffic reports on the AM dial. 

[The High Plains Traveler]

It isn't totally responsive to this thread because I don't think necessarily she shouldn't be reporting traffic. I don't regularly watch Denver TV since it's outside my home TV market, but the traffic reporter on KUSA Channel 9 (NBC) is named --- Amelia Earhart. I always thought that was an assumed name for someone who purported to provide air surveillance of traffic conditions. Turns out, it's her real name. She really is a pilot, daughter of pilots (the Earhart family) who gave her the Amelia moniker.

Yeah, if I were the TV station I'd be keeping her on the ground. Don't want her getting lost over the Pacific.

Long way to the Pacific from here. More likely she'd hit a mountain if navigational skills were deficient.

[Alps]

Long way to the Pacific from here. More likely she'd hit a mountain if navigational skills were deficient.

See that? That's humor. You're killing it.

[cpzilliacus]

^^ FM traffic reporters?  Here, around Chicago, we go straight to AM if we want decent traffic.  WLS, WBBM, and WGN all have far better traffic than anything on FM, and will spend as much as two minutes on traffic.

In the Washington, D.C. area, WTOP (my main local traffic report, along with Sirius) moved to FM some time ago.  A new all-news station, WNEW, recently started up on FM -- too soon to tell how its traffic reports will work out, though the other day I did catch a few rookie mistakes (wrong name for a road, and a few blocks off on where an emergency road closure began).  AFAIK, only WMAL (both AM and FM) still provides traffic reports on the AM dial.

WTOP Radio (103.5 FM, all-news, CBS Radio affiliate, but not owned by CBS) is (by far) the best traffic reporting in the Washington, D.C. media market.   Interestingly, WNEW (99.1 FM), the new all-news competitor to WTOP, is owned by CBS Radio, but cannot carry any CBS Radio Network content).

Getting to traffic reporting, WTOP's afternoon drive reporter, Bob Marbourg has been on the air since the 1970's, and is (IMO) the best and the most-experienced guy in the market. WTOP decided to bring all traffic reporting in-house about a year ago, so they had to hire a slew of people, but they could not get any of their former on-air reporters except Bob (who always worked for WTOP), since the rest of them worked for Metro Networks.  As a result, the former WTOP A.M. drive time reporter, Lisa Baden, is now heard on WNEW. 

[blawp]

Yesterday morning, while driving in Los Angeles, I did a scan of the AM radio stations and came upon one out of Salt Lake City. I'd say the traffic report was twice as detailed and lengthy as the ones on KNX 1070, despite the fact Salt Lake probably has little, if any, problematic rush-hour traffic.

[cpzilliacus]

Yesterday morning, while driving in Los Angeles, I did a scan of the AM radio stations and came upon one out of Salt Lake City. I'd say the traffic report was twice as detailed and lengthy as the ones on KNX 1070, despite the fact Salt Lake probably has little, if any, problematic rush-hour traffic.

IMO, the traffic reports on KNX (correctly) concentrate very nearly all of their efforts on the freeway network of a very large geographic region. 

When something goes badly wrong on a freeway, KNX traffic reports try to report the viability of non-freeway alternates.  For example, if there's a problem on I-405 between I-110 and U.S. 101, they will frequently mention if Sepulveda Boulevard is a viable alternative.

[blawp]

Yesterday morning, while driving in Los Angeles, I did a scan of the AM radio stations and came upon one out of Salt Lake City. I'd say the traffic report was twice as detailed and lengthy as the ones on KNX 1070, despite the fact Salt Lake probably has little, if any, problematic rush-hour traffic.

IMO, the traffic reports on KNX (correctly) concentrate very nearly all of their efforts on the freeway network of a very large geographic region. 

When something goes badly wrong on a freeway, KNX traffic reports try to report the viability of non-freeway alternates.  For example, if there's a problem on I-405 between I-110 and U.S. 101, they will frequently mention if Sepulveda Boulevard is a viable alternative.

I agree with you. KNX's reporting is top-notch. And from listening to them for the past year or so, Sepulveda is rarely a viable alternative. Beverly Glen is nearly always better.

[froggie]

WTOP decided to bring all traffic reporting in-house about a year ago, so they had to hire a slew of people, but they could not get any of their former on-air reporters except Bob (who always worked for WTOP), since the rest of them worked for Metro Networks.  As a result, the former WTOP A.M. drive time reporter, Lisa Baden, is now heard on WNEW.

A loss for WTOP, IMO.  Lisa had some good quips and one-liners when she was with WTOP.

[1995hoo]

WTOP decided to bring all traffic reporting in-house about a year ago, so they had to hire a slew of people, but they could not get any of their former on-air reporters except Bob (who always worked for WTOP), since the rest of them worked for Metro Networks.  As a result, the former WTOP A.M. drive time reporter, Lisa Baden, is now heard on WNEW.

A loss for WTOP, IMO.  Lisa had some good quips and one-liners when she was with WTOP.

Agreed, and she was great about taking listeners' calls. Her replacement, Rita or Reena Kessler (I'm not sure which it is), seems competent enough, but just about everyone I know finds her voice grating.