Sounding Off: City’s radio reception is a problem

On the afternoon of Nov. 5 I drove to El Toro. As I passed the festival grounds I turned on the radio. I heard the president, but his voice was punctuated by static. Obama was saying, “...horrifying that ... come under fire at an Army base on American...”

Annoyed and concerned, I looked for another station but heard only raspy interference. When I got to Club Laguna, the problem went away. But by then the story had concluded. I learned the horrific details of the Ft. Hood story later, but I was incensed enough again by the bad radio reception to write this letter. This was not the first time, nor even the fifth, that a broadcast I was listening to in my car was interrupted at the worst possible moment by bad reception.

I know that our radio signal may not be given priority now. But it is too easy to imagine a scenario where radio reception in Laguna becomes suddenly, critically important.

When I attended a telecommunication committee meeting a couple of years ago with this issue in hand, I had research suggesting that this problem could be resolved for a relatively modest cost. After all, cell reception is far better than radio here. But my inquiries were dismissed. Laguna would soon be subscribing to satellite radio anyway, the chairman asserted. End of subject.

Can it be that I am the only resident frustrated and annoyed by radio reception in the lowlands? I don’t believe I am. And how many readers actually subscribe to Sirius/XM radio now? Not many. The radio problem also affects the economic well-being of the town.

I hear tourists discussing their travel plans: “Madge, I know you want to stay in Laguna Beach but the radio reception there is awful. The World Series/World Cup/Wimbledon/Preakness/ U.S. Open/playoffs are going on while we are there. If we stay in Laguna we won’t hear it. Let’s book a hotel in Newport Beach instead.”

Laguna Beach can ill afford to lose vacation bookings for silly reasons.

In coming weeks I will conduct a one-day “man on the street” survey to see if other residents share my concern for this issue. I will also append a short survey to the next issue of my online newsletter, the Geek City Gazette. The results of both will go to the Telecommunications Committee.

To get on the mailing list to receive survey and results, send an e-mail with the word “subscribe” in the subject line to info@LagunaPC.com.

JIM RUE lives in Laguna Beach.