Media

Grand Stranders could not live without the media. Literally. When Hurricane Hugo thundered into town in September 1989, the radio became our nearest, dearest, and most trusted friend. We found ourselves again beholden to the radio during fall 1996 with stormy visits from Hurricanes Bertha and Fran. Even when power outages shrouded us in darkness and rudely shut off the television set, local radio stations such as WYAV-FM and WYAK-FM kept us informed. A number of local radio and television newscasters braved the swirling, high winds on Ocean Boulevard to give us up-to-the-minute reports, while newspaper reporters left the safety of their own homes to get the story from shelters and police outposts.

Besides comforting us through natural disasters, the media help us digest the burgeoning amount of local goings-on. The Grand Strand has become a veritable boomtown. Without media reports and newspapers, we would have one heck of a time keeping up with the daily opening and closing of businesses, entertainment venues, new housing developments, and retailers.

In an area that is frenetically attracting national franchises, recording artists, and movie stars, the sense of the Grand Strand as a community would be lost in the shuffle without media stories about the people we know—our neighbors.

One thing is sure: The Grand Strand media will keep you in touch and up-to-date. Figuring out where to go on the weekend is easy when you pick up a copy of the Sun News on Friday and rifle through the “kicks!” insert. Every festival, arts event, feature movie, new restaurant, entertainer, and venue is listed.

You can even start making plans while driving into town by surfing the channels of your car radio. Especially from March through September, radio airwaves are packed with announcements from nightclubs, restaurants, and shops. Nightclubs generally advertise what’s happening that evening for entertainment, plus food and drink specials. In fact, your night’s itinerary can be set even before you check into your hotel room.

With that in mind, get in touch with the Grand Strand by lending your eyes and ears to the local media.