2008 Woodie Awards
Arkansas City radio station offers alert services
Samantha Gillis
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Features
How nice would it be to have weather, news, concerts or school closings sent directly to your cell phone free of charge? There would be no need to even turn on the television, all the breaking news would be at your finger tips.
KSOK has teamed up with William Newton Hospital to offer a free notification system through a text message sent directly to cell phone.
Brian Cunningham is the business and operation manager for KSOK. He said, "Our job is to bring to you fast and accurate information."
The service is easy to sign up for. Just visit the radio station's website at www.ksokradio.com and click on "KSOK on the way" at the top of the page. All you have to do is register your phone number, choose the notifications you want and then verify your number, by replying to a text they will send. Cunningham said, "The purpose of the verification is to make sure it is your number."
Pam Miller, sales manager for KSOK, thinks the service is convenient and necessary for college students.
Miller said, "Say you wake up and want to know if class is canceled. You don't need to call anyone or even turn on your computer because you've already gotten a text telling you if it is canceled."
There is no catch, it is completely free, and you never have to renew it. Cunningham said, "The only restriction is if you do not have text messaging on your phone then the service will not work or your phone company will charge you for the texts."
The station just recently updated the service by teaming up with National Weather Service.
The NWS sends their alerts right when they are informed of the severe weather alert that way it arrives quicker than going through the station.
This service was brought to the attention of Sara Weinert, communications director, after the snow day when KSOK called her. Weinert said, "They told me to let the students and staff know they had the option of signing up for school closing notifications."
KSOK has teamed up with William Newton Hospital to offer a free notification system through a text message sent directly to cell phone.
Brian Cunningham is the business and operation manager for KSOK. He said, "Our job is to bring to you fast and accurate information."
The service is easy to sign up for. Just visit the radio station's website at www.ksokradio.com and click on "KSOK on the way" at the top of the page. All you have to do is register your phone number, choose the notifications you want and then verify your number, by replying to a text they will send. Cunningham said, "The purpose of the verification is to make sure it is your number."
Pam Miller, sales manager for KSOK, thinks the service is convenient and necessary for college students.
Miller said, "Say you wake up and want to know if class is canceled. You don't need to call anyone or even turn on your computer because you've already gotten a text telling you if it is canceled."
There is no catch, it is completely free, and you never have to renew it. Cunningham said, "The only restriction is if you do not have text messaging on your phone then the service will not work or your phone company will charge you for the texts."
The station just recently updated the service by teaming up with National Weather Service.
The NWS sends their alerts right when they are informed of the severe weather alert that way it arrives quicker than going through the station.
This service was brought to the attention of Sara Weinert, communications director, after the snow day when KSOK called her. Weinert said, "They told me to let the students and staff know they had the option of signing up for school closing notifications."
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