For regional radio operators, staying connected to listeners goes far beyond music and programming – it’s about delivering timely, trusted information when it matters most.

Elkhorn Media Group, a portfolio of 15 local radio stations across the Pacific Northwest, partnered with Buildfire to create a mobile app. The app keeps their communities informed, engaged, and safe – especially during emergencies like wildfire evacuations, snow closures, and Amber Alerts.

As Elkhorn Media Group expanded across multiple counties and markets, their team faced a growing challenge: how do you provide listeners with a single, reliable destination for local news and station access?

Their owner was inspired by apps that consolidate content into one place – like major sports and media apps – and wanted the same experience for Elkhorn’s audiences.

“We’re spread out between different locations across different counties. The goal was to have one spot where people can get the news they’re looking for and stream all of our stations.”

Previously, Elkhorn had experimented with multiple apps as the company grew, but managing separate platforms became inefficient and fragmented.

“It wasn’t as user-friendly… it was an extra step of things we had to do when something happened instead of having it all in one place.”

With Buildfire, Elkhorn Media Group consolidated their experience into a single, streamlined mobile app – giving listeners easy access to:

Live streaming across all stations

Local news in one place

Push notifications for urgent community updates

Seamless connection across web, social, and broadcast

Rather than overwhelming users with constant promotional alerts, Elkhorn uses the app strategically – ensuring notifications remain high-trust and high-impact.

“We want it to be where they’re not going to silence that notification – because they know when they get it, it’s important.”

That philosophy has helped the app become an essential part of Elkhorn’s role as a trusted local news source.

In Eastern Oregon and Washington, conditions can change fast – from dangerous mountain pass closures to wildfire evacuations.

Elkhorn uses push notifications to reach audiences instantly, even when they aren’t tuned into the radio.

“Our freeways close here all the time; we use notifications to alert travelers of the closure or when the freeways are back open. Similarly, we use the notifications to keep citizens updated on wildfires, including evacuation zones related to those fires.” 

These alerts don’t just support engagement – they support safety.

And because Buildfire is mobile-friendly for administrators, Elkhorn can publish urgent updates from anywhere.

“I can do it from my mobile device… I’ve literally done it right from my phone while parked in my car.”

Elkhorn tracks success through consistent app growth and listener interaction, monitoring:

• App download increases
• Notification opens and link clicks
• Spikes during major local events

During wildfire seasons and winter storms, engagement rises sharply across all channels – with the app playing a central role.

“We can definitely see an increase… our website spikes, our Facebook spikes, our engagement spikes – because it’s not something people are getting anywhere else.”

Over time, Elkhorn has earned deep trust from its audience by prioritizing accuracy and local reporting.

“People learned they could trust us… we were talking to people on the ground.”

For Shannon and the Elkhorn team, Buildfire stood out not only for the technology – but for the partnership and support.

“You don’t have to be super tech savvy… you could be a small group of radio stations or a bigger group. It works for everybody.”

The platform’s flexibility allows each station group to use mobile in the way that best fits their community – whether that’s constant updates or only urgent alerts.

“It’s not one-size-fits-all… you can use it in your own way.”

And with Buildfire’s customer support, the team always has backup when needed.

“If I have a problem, I can call my account manager and he can walk back whatever I may have screwed up.”

Elkhorn Media Group’s app is more than a digital streaming tool – it’s an extension of their mission as a community-first media organization.

By meeting listeners where they are – on their phones – Elkhorn has created a modern local media experience built on trust, urgency, and connection.

“It worked for us, and the needs that we had for our business, for our listeners, and our community.”