‘89 San Francisco Earthquake

The San Francisco earthquake of 1989 caught nearly everyone by surprise and the potential for panic and chaos was great. KGO-TV, knocked off the air by the quake, soon restored its signal and immediately began exclusively broadcasting quake-related information. The station provided residents of the area with information about avoiding dangers with gas and electrical lines, telephone usage, aftershocks, and related topics throughout the night and in the days to come. The station became a clearinghouse for information as a service to other news entities and to area residents. And the station provided a series of follow-up reports, after order was restored, that might help people faced with similar events in the future. But the station went beyond merely providing information. It aided in the relief effort by participating in fundraising campaigns for the Red Cross and Salvation Army, and by distributing survival information. For outstanding service to its community during a time of crisis, a Peabody Award to KGO-TV, San Francisco, for ‘89 San Francisco Earthquake.