Radio's 9/11 Lifeline
Radio Stations Revisit 9/11 Coverage and Their Vital Lifeline Role 25 Years Later
Anonymous
Key Points
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At least 800 ironworkers from Haudenosaunee communities were working on projects across New York City when the attacks occurred, giving the disaster an especially personal impact in communities such as Kahnawà:ke.
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K103.7 operated with extremely limited communications infrastructure: the station had no cable or internet, so host David S. Lahache used his own dial-up connection to gather information as events unfolded.
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An ironworker at a job near Columbus Circle called K103.7 at about 9:15 a.m. to report seeing the first plane hit and said workers were evacuating on foot to their union hall in Brooklyn.
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Harvey Nagler, who was overseeing CBS News Radio’s national affiliate coverage, said the newsroom immediately began continuous broadcasting at about 8:47 a.m. and remained on the air throughout the day; he later stayed in New York City for five days because of the catastrophe.
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New Jersey 101.5’s live callers captured the rapid shift from uncertainty to recognition that the attacks were deliberate, including one caller’s exclamation: “I saw the second plane go into the second tower. It has to be on purpose.”
On the 25th anniversary of September 11, radio stations are recalling how broadcasts became a vital lifeline when phone networks failed and confusion reigned about whether the attacks were accidents or deliberate strikes. CBS News Radio began continuous coverage at 8:47 a.m., with reporters relaying live accounts from witnesses and callers as the scale of the disaster unfolded. In communities across the country and north of the border, radio connected frightened people seeking answers and reassurance during one of America's darkest days.
For Kahnawà:ke, Quebec and other Haudenosaunee communities, the attacks carried a personal weight. At least 800 ironworkers from these nations were working on projects throughout New York City when the planes hit the towers. Local station K103.7 became an emergency hub for community members desperately searching for news about colleagues and relatives who had been working on the World Trade Center itself.
Radio Networks Spring Into Continuous Coverage
When the first plane struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., newsrooms across the country sprang into action. CBS News Radio's Harvey Nagler immediately ordered continuous broadcasting from the network's national headquarters. The decision proved crucial—phone lines became overwhelmed within minutes as millions tried to reach loved ones or get information. Radio signals moved freely when every other communication channel jammed or failed.
Nagler stayed in New York City for five days after the attacks, coordinating affiliate coverage and managing the flow of breaking news. New Jersey 101.5 captured the live moment when callers realized the attacks were no accident. One caller reported seeing the second plane strike the South Tower and immediately declared: "I saw the second plane go into the second tower. It has to be on purpose."
K103.7 Becomes Mohawk Community's Crisis Center
In Kahnawà:ke, host David S. Lahache faced an extraordinary challenge with almost no infrastructure to work with. K103.7 had no cable or internet connection, forcing Lahache to use his personal dial-up modem to gather information as events unfolded throughout the morning. Despite these severe limitations, the station refused to go silent—its signal became the only reliable source of real-time news for Haudenosaunee communities desperate for word about their workers.
Around 9:15 a.m., an ironworker near Columbus Circle called the station with a firsthand account. He had just witnessed the first plane hit and was reporting that workers were evacuating on foot toward their union hall in Brooklyn. This caller's voice and experience were broadcast immediately, giving community members concrete information about what was happening and where their relatives might be heading.
From Chaos to Clarity Through Live Caller Reports
Live callers transformed radio from a one-way broadcast into a collective fact-finding mission. New Jersey 101.5 listeners heard ordinary people witnessing events in real time, their voices conveying shock, confusion, and gradually, understanding. Jim Gearhart remembers callers describing the second plane striking the South Tower and the immediate shutdown of all transportation routes between New York and New Jersey—information that helped people grasp the magnitude of what was unfolding.
The early hours were marked by uncertainty. Were these accidents or attacks? Radio hosts and callers worked through these questions together on live air. As more information arrived, the awful truth became clear: this was coordinated, deliberate, and catastrophic. Radio's accessibility and immediacy allowed communities to process the disaster together, finding strength in shared information and shared grief.
A Living Memorial 25 Years Later
Remembering radio's role on 9/11 is more than nostalgia. Radio historian Art Vuolo has created a documentary using actual radio broadcasts recorded during the attacks, preserving the authentic voices and immediate reactions of that day. These recordings capture a medium at its most essential—connecting people when everything else had broken down, providing facts when facts were scarce, and offering human connection when isolation and fear threatened to overwhelm.
The 25th anniversary reminds us that radio stations proved themselves indispensable during America's greatest crisis. They operated without scripts, without perfect information, and without hesitation. Broadcasters and callers together created a public conversation that helped an entire nation process an unthinkable tragedy.
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