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What overall problem or
challenge were you trying to solve by getting
Travelers Information Radio Stations?
FS: Visitation had dropped off at the Park
over the years, from a high of 260,000 in 1998
when we opened POW Museum, to a low of 114,000.
We needed to do something to promote the site.
What made you decide on MP3
Edition Information Stations?
FS: I used to be chief ranger at the Jimmy Carter Site
in Plains, Georgia, at which time I first became
familiar with the value of TISs [Travelers
Information Stations]. Harper's Ferry and former
National Park Service wireless program chief Frank
Weed referred me to Information Station Specialists,
who had supplied numerous stations to parks across
the country.
 How
was your project funded?
FS: The project was funded through 'Friends of
Andersonville' and the 'Andersonville Trust.'
How is your radio system set up and managed?
FS: We placed 2 stations on the Interstate to attract visitors
and 1 in the Park itself to greet guests as they enter,
i.e., 'Welcome. Here's what we have for you to see .
. .' We write our own scripts and hire
professional voice artists in a studio in Atlanta to
record broadcasts. Then we download the recordings from
the studio's FTP site onto our memory sticks (flash
drives), which we plug into our station's transmitters.
Playlists are usually 3 to 5 minutes long to catch
motorists on the Interstate traveling at highway speeds.
Our stations' antennas are strategically located near
the highway; then billboards announcing the stations are
located 2.5 to 3 miles from our transmission sites. With
our stations, we purchased from ISS recording software
for creating our own messages to advertise special
programs, as they come up, and to change messages
ourselves, quickly, if needed in an emergency.
What do you see as the overall result of your
effort?
FS: One way we measure the success of the stations is to
announce in our broadcasts, 'If you let museum staff
know you heard this message, you will get a free
gift at the museum store.' We have given away many
bandanas. Visitation has increased approximately 14%
since the billboards and radio stations were put in
place.
What advice do you have for others
who might be considering the purchase of such a
communication system?
FS: The stations themselves are obviously very
practical. It's just a matter of the appropriate
solution for each individual application. As I said,
they're a great marketing and welcoming tool for the
Andersonville National Historic Site! Another idea might
be to use Information Stations for driving tours to tell
travelers about sites they are passing through.
What was your experience working
with ISS?
FS: Great. No problems. In our case, we did the heavy
installing, and ISS just came in and did the final setup
and staff training. It was straightforward. |
