Art Vuolo Offers Radio’s Perspective On 9/11 In Documentary.

Radio historian and videographer Art Vuolo is encouraging radio stations nationwide to air his documentary marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The roughly 20-minute presentation, which Vuolo describes as a tribute from an audio perspective, is constructed entirely from actual radio broadcasts recorded on 9/11. There are no recreations, with the documentary using the voices and sounds heard on radio as the attacks unfolded.

Vuolo says the presentation was originally produced as a less-than-13-minute piece for a talk radio conference in Washington, DC. He expanded it five years ago for the 20th anniversary and is now hoping its widest exposure will come on the 25th anniversary.

The documentary was first publicly shown at the Achievement In Radio (A.I.R.) Awards in Manhattan in February 2002. The presentation was stopped shortly after the halfway point because, according to Vuolo, the material proved difficult for the audience to handle. The event, which raised money for the March of Dimes, was subsequently covered by New York Daily News columnist David Hinckley under the headline “9-11 Film Cut Short at Benefit Dinner.”

Following the incident, the audio version of the presentation aired on WOR (710) and WABC (770) in New York City. It has since been played at radio conferences and by stations around the country.

Vuolo says the documentary offers a unique record of how radio responded to the attacks, noting that Sept. 11 occurred during morning drive across the country. He estimates that roughly three-quarters of the nation first heard about the attacks through radio.

For the 25th anniversary, Vuolo is asking stations to consider airing the presentation as a special program. At approximately 20 minutes, he says it can fit into a 30-minute programming window with room for news and spots.

Vuolo is specifically asking that the presentation air without commercial interruption, emphasizing the importance of allowing the original radio coverage and its emotional impact to stand on its own.

The presentation can also be used strictly as an audio program, making it adaptable for stations that do not have a video platform or want to incorporate it into their on-air programming.

“On this 25th anniversary of the attack on America, people need to see this!” Vuolo wrote in promoting the project. Download the documentary HERE.