What overall
problem or challenge
were you trying to solve
by getting 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 Information Station Specialists
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 Information Station Specialists?
FS: Great. No problems.
In our case, we did the
heavy installing, and
Information Station Specialists just came in and did
the final setup and
staff training. It was
straightforward. |