North Plainfield Borough Radio Case Study 2011

Case Study: North Plainfield Borough, NJ

February 2011

New Jersey borough publicizes free H1N1 vaccines with Information Radio.

North Plainfield Borough in Somerset County has an Information Radio Station that Borough emergency and health officials use to speak directly to motorists in a 25-75 square mile coverage area. Signs tell motorists what radio channel to tune to.

Photo courtesy of
Somerset County, NJ

"During the wave of H1N1 inoculation and immunization programs, President Obama declared that TIS stations could be utilized to help inform the public as to when and where H1N1 clinics would operate in local communities. We carried the announcements, here, in North Plainfield, and the TIS station was highly effective in drawing a good response of residents wishing to be immunized. We were very fortunate to have a highly responsive Somerset County and State of New Jersey effort to support our clinics and, once again, via the President, we were authorized to broadcast the advisory.

"In the history of our TIS, we have also broadcast advisories of upcoming street fairs, parades, processions and fireworks displays. As disparate as they may seem in relation to typical TIS information, each clearly qualifies as viable traffic information, since key Borough streets are shut down for each event – even the fireworks. We are a tight-knit compact community, and 4th of July fireworks are displayed very near some of our thoroughfares, which must be barricaded for the duration.

"...We are very fortunate on 1630 kHz. regarding our nighttime coverage, as there is no commercial station giving us co-channel skywave or adjacent channel splatter.... Although the Commission has not seen fit to provide the TIS service much protection, the proof is clear that TIS provides a valuable, sometimes lifesaving service to residents and motorists and – at the very least – deserves some respect."

Rich Phoenix, RMC
Borough Clerk & Chief Operator of WPQJ970 1630 AM Radio
New Jersey Radio Museum President