Local Radio Station Gets The Facts Out On Shale
Late in the spring, I was approached by AVC Communications out of Cambridge to potentially lend a hand with short radio spots designed to inform the public on everything from the safety of shale development to the economic benefits associated with it. With a listening area comprised of Guernsey, Muskingum, Coshocton, Noble, Tuscarawas, Belmont and Harrison Counties this seemed like the perfect opportunity to discuss what could be the biggest economic opportunity eastern Ohio has seen in a generation.
I was genuinely excited about the opportunity as it had a personal meaning to me. See, as a kid I grew up listening to their radio stations. Of course back then there were only two stations, WCMJ which played top 40 music and WILE which played 1930’s and 1940’s music. Since then AVC has grown to incorporate WCMJ, WILE, WBIK, KC105, 94BNV, and 107.9 ESPN Radio.
After meeting with the heads of AVC, they found Energy In Depth’s knowledge of the industry could be helpful in their pursuit. AVC then put together a plan and shopped that plan to local businesses to see if they would be interested in sponsoring the project. The plan generated great interest and AVC began moving ahead and saw the project to completion.
With the project complete you can now hear the result of these discussions. These short informational spots run about 4-5 times a day on each of the stations listed above covering topics like the history of hydraulic fracturing, environmental safety procedures, and the economic benefits of oil and gas production to eastern Ohio.
I am still proud of this project now although sometimes it gets embarrassing when people say they heard you on the radio. However, that means people are listening and learning about shale development in our region so that makes the embarrassment a bit easier to manage.
For those not in the listening region, I was able to grab a few of the promos that have been running. You can click on the keywords hydraulic fracturing, environmental safety and local benefits below to listen to the segments.
The first promo that was introduced was a quick background on hydraulic fracturing. As many know this completion process has been used in over 80,000 wells in Ohio and over 1.2 million across the United States since 1947 with no cases of groundwater contamination.
“While the conversation on hydraulic fracturing may seem new, the technique itself is not. We’ve been using hydraulic fracturing as a completion technique safely and effectively here in Ohio for over 50 years. In that time, this process has allowed for the proper development of over 80.000 wells in this state, and over 1.2 million nationwide.”
These are not just my words but the words of regulators across the United States as well as EPA Director Lisa Jackson. It was my job to condense the message and make it resonate with the listening area.
The next promo that is running tackles environmental safety of shale development in the area. With the passage of SB 315 just this summer, as well as SB 165 passed in 2010, Ohio has some of the most stringent rules and regulations in the nation. While the industry is proud of their record, local citizens have to know natural gas development is being done right and is well regulated.
“These companies are using the most modern, responsible and effective techniques in tapping into these resources. These practices, coupled with some of the most stringent oil and gas regulatory laws in the nation, ensure the ability to produce this energy, generate revenue for the state AND create tens of thousands of jobs while remaining good stewards of our environment.”
The final spot available at the moment touts local benefits to our region. My area of the state didn’t even know we hit a recession a few years back because we have constantly been in one for just about as long as anyone can remember. That was until shale development began to change that by providing economic opportunity to our area which has helped lift our local and state economy to levels not seen in recent years.
“This is really a very exciting time in our region being as resident and born and raised here in Guernsey County. We are seeing oil and gas development with the Utica Shale in Guernsey County, Noble County, Tuscarawas, Monroe, Harrison and Belmont County. And these are all areas that have seen an increase in jobs from this new development.”
Of course, these announcements would not be possible without the sponsors. Companies like US Bank, David R Hill Inc., Go Frac and the Learning Jungle on Main Street are just a few of the companies that stepped up to help ensure the community was able to gain this information before Utica Shale development ramped up. While I won’t be spinning the tables at any of the above stations anytime soon it was a nice opportunity to be a resource to residents of southeast Ohio on radio stations I fondly remember listening to as a child.
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