NEWPORT BEACH : Plan Linking Police, KOCM Considered
Warnings about traffic jams, crashes and detours may soon be available on the airwaves of station KOCM, 103.1 FM.
Under a proposal by Newport Beach Police Chief Arb Campbell, the station, known as K-OCEAN, would become the official link between the police and the community, for use during local emergencies and to alert drivers to area congestion and collisions.
The City Council on Monday will consider spending $2,550 to begin the partnership.
If approved, the money would be used to buy two emergency power generators for the station, a telephone hot line between the police headquarters and the radio station, and installation of six city signs at all the main routes into the city. The signs would tell drivers they can receive local traffic information on the K-OCEAN frequency.
According to Sgt. Andy Gonis, a Police Department spokesman, the partnership will allow police to reduce congestion and to keep people informed in the event of a local emergency, such as an earthquake or large fire.
The idea came out of a 1988 proposal that the Police Department set up its own low-watt public radio station. According to police estimates, such a station would have cost the city about $24,000 initially, plus operating and maintenance costs.
K-OCEAN is a 2,500-watt station with an audience of about 100,000 people, according to station General Manager Richard Lyons.
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