New online capabilities at the center of discussion.
On Monday, KHTS AM-1220 held their twice-yearly Advisory Board meeting at Marie Callendars. The meetings are designed to bring selected community members up to speed on where the station is heading, and to get feedback on existing on-air and online programming.
The meeting began with a reflection on the October wildfires and the I-5 tunnel fire, in which the station saw a record number of online visits to its extensive news coverage.
After those incidents, KHTS developed an Emergency e-mail Alert System. The community can subscribe for free, and when a major emergency occurs that affects many in Santa Clarita, KHTS can send out a mass e-mail with the news. This can be done from the field by a KHTS reporter with the push of a button. To date, this system helped hundreds avoid substantial delays caused by the accident that forced the closure of Soledad Canyon Road for one full day. The system also allows residents to sign up for a daily e-mail listing current news headlines.
[view:node_ad=5]AM-1220’s role in the community was also discussed, as the station continues to devote several hours on on-air programming per week to local non-profit groups and covers events on hometownstation.com.
While local News continues to be the main draw at hometownstation.com, KHTS is also ramping up special web features, including an extensive community calendar, “KHTS Cares” section, a senior portal, “Think Green” section, and advice regarding the current mortgage crunch. These features go hand in hand with longtime web attractions including show podcasts, live broadcast streaming, and “KHTS Around Town,” featuring community pictures.
If you have any questions about KHTS or hometownstation.com, you can send an e-mail to info@hometownstation.com, and station personnel will assist you.