Anthrax Complicates Mail Sorting
Radio Networks, Groups Adjust Policies, Try to Safeguard Employees
Against Contamination
by Naina N. Chernoff
 WASHINGTON
The threat of biological weapons targeted at some U.S. media companies
drove several radio networks and group owners to take added precautions.
Mailroom personnel at many radio stations donned protective
gloves and masks in recent weeks after traces of anthrax spores
were found on pieces of mail sent to the offices of television
news anchors Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather and following several anthrax-related
deaths.
While reports increased of the bacteria being detected on pieces
of mail sent to members of Congress and about 20 federal buildings
in the nation’s capital, including the Voice of America,
stations took precautions to protect employees.
Soon after the incidents, most media companies began following
the procedures set out by the U.S. Postal Service and the FBI
detailing how suspicious mail should be handled. Both organizations
advised companies to scrutinize mail carefully for signs of tampering
or suspicious contents, including strange odors, poor handwriting,
excessive postage, an unusual return address or no return address.
In addition, many companies invested in industrial gloves and
masks for their mailroom employees.
Several radio companies, including CBS/Infinity and ABC Radio
Networks, stopped mail delivery for one day in mid-October following
the first incident at the NBC office of Tom Brokaw.
On Oct. 15, CBS/Infinity Radio, housed in a separate building
from the one that houses Rather’s office, began to sort all
inbound mail in an enclosed area using protective equipment, said
spokeswoman Kim Sartori.
All business mail was examined and distributed, while packages,
listener mail and correspondence addressed to specific employees
were opened and inspected. She said employees were being asked
to identify personal or confidential mail before it was given
to them.
Though the benefits of the procedures outweighed the disadvantages,
Sartori said, the procedures cause a slight inconvenience. "Mail
is going to be slower," she said. "There are some unavoidable
delays."
According to ABC spokeswoman Julie Hoover, ABC halted network
mail distribution for one day and then resumed operations the
next day following the federal procedures.
The mail is examined every day and separated into two piles,
she said. "Anything that is clearly business mail will be
distributed," she said. "Anything that is not in that
category will be held in the mail room."
Correspondence addressed to an employee was being held in the
mailroom and staffers were asked to identify the material before
it is given to them, she said. Because of this policy, Hoover
said some "fan" mail, correspondence sent by listeners
and viewers, would most likely be unopened. The network’s
television shows asked viewers to send postcards instead of letters
in envelopes.
As for as taking additional steps to protect ABC mailroom staff
from anthrax infection, she said the network was considering more
changes but could not comment further.
More precautions?
Other radio organizations were taking a wait-and-see approach
to making additional changes to mail handling procedures.
NPR also began following the procedures outlined by the postal
service, and was evaluating the situation each day to determine
whether further changes are needed, said spokeswoman Gretchen
Michael.
As of the beginning of November, mail delivery was still slow
at NPR’s Washington headquarters. Because the network received
its mail from the Brentwood processing plant in the northeast
section of the District of Columbia, where two postal workers
had died of inhalation anthrax, NPR did not receive mail for almost
a week. Soon after, the network started to receive mail originating
from a plant in southern Maryland.
NPR began asking listeners to send faxes and e-mail instead
of letters, Michael said.
Emmis Communications left the decision of what to do with listener
mail to each of its 23 radio stations, said spokeswoman Kate Healey.
Though the staff distributed information from the postal service
and the FBI to each of Emmis stations, each set up its own security
procedures.
Healey said all the stations instructed employees that handle
mail to use gloves and masks and increased general security. Some
stations went decided to confine mail sorting to one area, put
one person in charge of the sorting or restrict mail delivery
to early-morning hours when the fewest people are at a station.
The stations, she said, have come up with good ideas of their
own, which have been shared throughout the group. While morale
was high throughout the company, Healey said, "Everyone is
being cautious. We’re all in a state of heightened awareness."
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