If you’ve been commuting in the snow in Metro Vancouver the past couple of days and missing AM 730 traffic radio, you’re not alone. Many have felt the gap left by the station that’s no longer on the air.
We’ve shared several stories about AM 730’s demise and the reaction to the station going off the air. We also reported that AM 730 is the future permanent home of CKNW.
Even though it has been over seven months since the traffic station went offline, it hasn’t left the minds of commuters in Metro Vancouver. Just today, the top comment in a thread on Reddit concerning driving conditions was, “I miss AM 730 on mornings like this.”
We connected with Jeff Jeffries, who runs a traffic channel on Twitch, to try to fill the gap. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he also happens to be a former veteran reporter at AM 730.
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AM 730 was never known to be a station that brought in the ratings, but was that a fair way to judge the station’s success and impact on listeners?
“While it’s true that AM 730’s ratings were consistently at the bottom of the list in Vancouver, I never thought it was fair to judge 730’s place in the Vancouver radio lineup based on traditional listenership. AM 730 was very unique as it was a place to go when you needed up-to-date information,” Jeffries said.
The ratings weren’t always bad. Jeffries said that on days that were bad for traffic or major road incidents, the number of listeners skyrocketed.
“We now know everyone tuned in at some point during their day,” he said.
We wondered why a station with constant traffic updates and practically nothing else, except for some humour, struck such a chord with listeners.
“I believe it was just the comfort of knowing what was ahead of you and the friendly voice getting you through it. Yes, there are apps and maps to help you plan your routes, but there wasn’t that human touch riding with you. You’re stuck in traffic, and you just want to know why and maybe get a little humour and empathy while you wait to get home, and that’s what AM 730 was. A friendly co-pilot preventing you from getting too flustered on the roads.”
Winter was a particularly crazy time for the station, and when engagement from listeners also shot up. He said announcers “really sweat” during those times.
“Snow days are when traffic reporters have to set up. The phone at 730 would constantly be ringing; there are social media posts describing the chaos, the traffic map is jammed with congestion, the cameras show nothing but headlights and all the while, the announcer on air having to put that together on the fly to bring you a coherent report.”
We asked Jeffries what prompted him to start his own traffic reporting channel.
“As good as the traffic reporters are at News 1130, Global and CTN, they don’t have the ability to be constant as I can be, and constant traffic updates are something Vancouver commuters deserve. You can catch live updates every weekday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/
We also wondered if there was, at least in Jeffries’ eyes, a discernible difference on the road now that AM 730 doesn’t exist. While that’s hard to quantify scientifically, he does feel like maybe more incidents go unreported.
“I believe a lot of the incidents around Metro Vancouver go unreported because no one knows who to call anymore.”
Finally, we wondered how he felt knowing that so many people missed AM 730.
“I’m not surprised that people miss it as much as they do. The outpouring of support I’ve heard and read online was another reason to start Twitch Traffic Vancouver. There was a definite hole in the community when 730 left, and I’m just doing my part to fill it.”
Earlier this year, we asked the BC Ministry of Transportation what form of traffic reporting best serves residents’ needs. It pointed us to DriveBC.
“The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure provides traffic information in a variety of ways, including timely traffic advisories to media, social media posts, signage, and through DriveBC – the most comprehensive source for information on highway conditions throughout BC.”
Would having a traffic radio station have helped you navigate the snow in Vancouver the past couple of days? Tell us how you feel in the comments.