On the radio call-in heard around the world: WWL New Orleans and local radio in times of local crisis. On September 2nd 2005 the mayor of New Orleans phones radio station WWL970 after the fifth day of the crisis brought on by Hurricane Katrina. Mayor Ray Nagin's call -- his words on the radio -- are so striking, so significant...the call gets picked up and broadcast around the world.  It's widely recognized as being the moment that woke up senior levels of government and agencies and got real help on the way to New Orleans.  Today, I am looking back at that event of 20 years ago.  This episode makes fair dealing use of audio from WWL Radio New Orleans.  Includes bits from my own personal interview with the host who got the call -- Garland Robinette -- from when I visited New Orleans and went to talk to him at WWL in 2008. In Robinette's own words, had the mayor not phoned the radio station that day...and said what he did...it likely would have been even longer before help arrived and "...more people would have died." 

WWL's own documentary and interview series about its remarkable performance during the Katrina crisis may be available to you at:  

https://www.audacy.com/wwl/news/local/wwl-presents-katrina20-years-later-a-new-orleans-story

The radio station's live stream appears to be unavailable outside the United States.

This episode is being posted on September 2, 2025 - 20 years after this historic broadcast.