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David Nicholas: Many voices were heard on 9-11 reporting on the events as they happened, including myself and my longtime colleague and friend John Sheffler. We spoke recently about that morning when we were both on the air as the tragic events began. What was your impression when you first came on the air and then as the story began to come out as to what had really happened that day?
John Sheffler: So, I was keeping an eye on the bulletins as you and I were trading places, and I started off the morning with a Mozart piano sonata and while the music was playing I was listening to the network coverage of the event. At about 5 after 9 or so it became evident that this was a bigger problem than just a Cessna hitting the North Tower.
DN: How long before they realized we've got two large jets that had created this situation?
JS: It took them a little while because of course, you know, the thing to be admired about NPR and their coverage of any event is that they don't speculate and, you know, they wait until they have the facts in hand before they begin to deliver that information. As I was listening to the reports from NPR, I turned the microphone back on, turned the music down, and said something to the effect that it appears that both towers had been hit and it appears that we're under attack and that we were going to return to Morning Edition and the coverage provided by NPR with Bob Edwards.
DN: There was a TV that was often tuned to our public television station out in the lobby, but it had been turned over to one of the news networks and it was the repetition, it was just the loop of I think somewhere along the line they realized that there was a camera angle that showed the first plane and then the subsequent second plane coming into the towers. And you just kept watching this over and over and over again while they were trying to come up with things to fill the story. What was your remembrance of how Bob Edwards and colleagues did that?
JS: They were bringing in experts from aviation. They were bringing in architects. They were bringing in whoever might be able to shed some light on what had happened and before the towers collapsed what the potential for a bigger problem was. And I can flat out tell you I was never prouder of NPR than I was that day and on the days to follow because their coverage was so exact and no panic no speculation I had a bigger respect if you will for NPR as a result of their coverage that morning.
DN: I would certainly agree and I think we could go around the room if we brought all of our colleagues at that time back to discuss it, that that's the same reaction that everyone had. Thanks so much. I appreciate it.
JS: Well, thank you, David. I appreciate you getting in touch and something like this when you're on your side of the radio now, on your side of the microphone and such. These events that we had to report on will leave a lasting impression.
DN: WCMU's former radio director John Sheffler speaking with me and remembrances of both being on the air and broadcasting on 9-11.
