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KNGT/Lake Charles, LA's Mike Soileau And Buddy Russ Remain In-Studio Following Hurricane Laura
August 31, 2020 at 1:20 AM (PT)
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TOWNSQUARE MEDIA Country KNGT (GATOR 99.5)/ LAKE CHARLES, LA is keeping listeners connected while recovery from HURRICANE LAURA continues. KNGT on air-hosts MIKE SOILEAU and BUDDY RUSS have been broadcasting live around the clock since last FRIDAY (8/28) providing listeners with news, relief center locations, traffic information and much more.
“Both of us are born and raised here," said SOILEAU. "This is our city and we are so worried about our community. It is an absolute disaster area here and it is going to take not weeks but months for us to recover. But we are going to be here every step of the way as long as mother nature and modern technology lets us.”
"We just want to do what’s right for our community," said RUSS. "MIKE and I grew up here, and we could not sit around any longer and watch our city suffer. We will break our standard New Country format to help our listeners smile and make the best of this situation.”
While SOILEAU and RUSS are able to broadcast from the station's studios, which remained safe after the storm, the remainder of the cluster's DJs will broadcast from home while Market President DARREN RYDER works to find a safe way for the rest of the staff to return.
“After seeing the devastating aftermath in HURRICANE LAURA’s wake, our TOWNSQUARE MEDIA engineering team in LAKE CHARLES quickly assessed damages early the next morning and by that afternoon we resumed our radio broadcasts," said RYDER. "The safety of our staff and listeners is first and foremost. Our team has done selfless, tireless work to get our stations up and running on air and online. I could not be more proud of our local LAKE CHARLES team. This is what local radio does that nothing else can.”