In light of recent natural disasters in Australia, it is interesting to hear that in America, people meter ratings have tracked higher than normal ratings when radio stations cover disasters.

PPM data for all-news station KYW-AM showed “a marked increase in Average Quarter Hour ratings for persons 25-54 on 5 December, the day of a snowstorm,” compared to the station’s weekday average from 13 November through 4 December.

“These situations prove once again that communities rely on radio for essential news in times of crisis,” says US ratings agency Arbitron.

“It reminds us of how important our responsibilities are, not just for providing entertainment, but for news that people truly need. When it comes to immediacy, radio truly wins out.”