About The Roseburg Receiver
The Roseburg Receiver is a community-driven emergency communications and media platform serving Roseburg and Douglas County. Founded in 2023, the platform was created to bridge the gap between emergency services and the public by providing real-time emergency communications, breaking news, and hyper-local reporting focused on the communities it serves.
What began as a scanner-focused initiative in 2023 has since evolved into one of the largest independent, privately operated journalism and media platforms in Douglas County, trusted by residents for timely, accurate, and transparent information, especially during critical events.
Mission & Purpose
The Roseburg Receiver exists to ensure the public has fast, reliable access to information when it matters most. During emergencies, minutes matter. Accurate information helps reduce confusion, improve preparedness, and support public safety.
Our work is designed to complement, not replace, official agencies by responsibly sharing verified information as it becomes available through trusted public safety and government sources.
Technology & Real-Time Coverage
The Roseburg Receiver leverages advanced monitoring and automation to deliver near real-time situational awareness, including:
- Voice-to-text transcription of fire dispatch, sheriff, and fire agency radio traffic
- Automated fire tone detection
- Keyword tracking across emergency communications
- Live audio streams and direct access to radio traffic
By combining automation with human verification, the platform prioritizes accuracy while minimizing speculation. This approach allows residents to stay informed about fires, accidents, weather events, and other emergencies as information is released by official sources.
Growth & Community Reach
After launching in 2023, The Roseburg Receiver experienced rapid growth during its first year of operation. By the end of 2024, the platform had grown to nearly 10,000 members in its dedicated Facebook community—entirely through organic, community-driven engagement.
During that first year, The Roseburg Receiver established itself as a reliable source for:
- Live emergency updates
- Direct access to emergency communication streams
- Integrated feeds from services such as Broadcastify and OpenMHz
This early growth demonstrated a clear need in Douglas County for a centralized, locally focused source of real-time public safety and community information. Since then, the platform has continued to expand in both audience and scope, evolving into a daily-use media resource rather than a tool used only during emergencies.
Expanding Beyond Scanner Traffic
As the platform matured, The Roseburg Receiver expanded beyond scanner monitoring to include:
- Public safety announcements
- Emergency preparedness information
- Community and civic news
- Coverage of major local developments
The platform also produces a daily Morning Scoop, offering a concise overview of the day’s news, weather, events, and other relevant local information. This evolution has positioned The Roseburg Receiver as a year-round resource—not just during emergencies.
Watch Duty Partnership
In early 2024, The Roseburg Receiver partnered with Watch Duty, a nationally used wildfire reporting service relied upon by residents, agencies, and emergency professionals.
Through this partnership:
- Watch Duty’s Echo radio-monitoring technology is housed locally in Roseburg
- Watch Duty staff can hear Douglas County wildfire radio traffic in real time
- Wildfire information reaches the public as soon as it is released by trusted sources
The owner of The Roseburg Receiver is also a volunteer Watch Duty reporter and is currently the only Watch Duty volunteer serving Douglas County, providing local knowledge and firsthand situational awareness during wildfire incidents.
Hyper-Local Media Focus
With the newest evolution of The Roseburg Receiver, our focus is intentionally hyper-local.
We exist to elevate Douglas County; its people, businesses, events, and issues, while continuing to deliver accurate emergency and public safety information. Our coverage prioritizes what directly impacts local residents, from breaking incidents and wildfire activity to business openings, civic decisions, community events, and public-interest news.
Through partnerships with local sponsors, organizations, and media collaborators, The Roseburg Receiver provides meaningful exposure for:
- Local businesses and entrepreneurs
- Community events and nonprofits
- Civic and public-interest information
- Emergency communications and safety updates
Our goal is not broad regional coverage, it is relevant, responsible reporting rooted in firsthand knowledge of the community.
Evolution Into a Media Platform
In 2025, The Roseburg Receiver partnered with The Roseburg Plug, accelerating its transition from a scanner-centric platform into a full media operation.
Together, the platforms expanded into:
- Community journalism
- Video reporting and live streams
- Coverage of major county-wide topics
- Long-form storytelling and public-interest reporting
Today, The Roseburg Receiver operates as a multi-platform local media company, combining emergency communications, journalism, and community engagement across Douglas County.
Leadership
Joseph Ziegler
Joseph Ziegler is the founder and operator of The Roseburg Receiver and a lifelong advocate for emergency communications, public awareness, and community resilience.
A native of Roseburg, Oregon, Joseph developed an interest in radio communications at a young age, beginning to explore radio technology at 11 years old. He earned his amateur radio license in 2013 and quickly recognized how radio communications could serve the public beyond hobbyist use.
Joseph Ziegler
Professional Background
Joseph began his technology career at Google, working in IT and developing a strong foundation in large-scale systems and problem-solving.
He later spent nearly a decade at Uber as a Site Reliability Engineer, working on globally distributed infrastructure supporting millions of users. His focus was on reliability, scalability, and system architecture. For several years, he worked remotely from Roseburg, bringing enterprise-level engineering experience back to his hometown.
In December 2024, Joseph joined Sporttrade as Lead Site Reliability Engineer. Since March 2025, he has served as a Senior Systems Engineer at ServiceNow, automating configuration and deployment across more than 100,000 Linux servers.
Building The Roseburg Receiver
After returning to Roseburg, Joseph identified a gap in accessible, real-time emergency information. Leveraging his background in automation, reliability engineering, and radio communications, he built The Roseburg Receiver to empower residents with timely, accurate information during emergencies.
What began as a personal project evolved into a trusted public resource used daily by thousands across Douglas County.
Ownership, Sponsorship & Independence
The Roseburg Receiver LLC is owned and operated by Joseph Ziegler and operates under the assumed business name “The Roseburg Receiver.”
The platform is supported through:
- Local business sponsorships
- Media partnerships
- Member support
Advertising and sponsorships are local, transparent, and community-focused. Editorial decisions are made independently and are never influenced by advertisers or partners. This model allows the platform to remain sustainable while staying accountable to the community it serves.
Community Commitment
Beyond reporting and technology, The Roseburg Receiver is rooted in community service. The platform works to strengthen public awareness, preparedness, and trust, especially during emergencies and major local events.
What started as an idea to improve access to information has grown into a trusted community institution serving Douglas County.
Contact & Connect
If you need to contact us, please let us know how we can help. Click the link or email info@theroseburgreceiver.com.
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We work for you
100% member-supported
Comments Policy
Community dialogue matters. Comments are limited to paying members and must follow basic standards:
- No hate speech, threats, or doxxing
- Keep discussions civil and constructive
- No harassment or repetitive disruption
- Add value to the conversation
Violations may result in comment removal or account restrictions.
Corrections Policy
Accuracy is a core value. If something needs correction or clarification, email us for review. Verified corrections will be transparently noted on affected articles.
Privacy and cookie policies: The fine print
The Roseburg Receiver will never sell your personal information. Aside from the automated cookies needed to run our site, your information will never be shared.