You Haven't Worked In TV News Until...

[1015RiverRat]

...Performed the careful balancing act of eating a McDonalds cheeseburger and fries while doing 70. Those who live on the edge try it with Taco Bell.

...you've been fired (and your only sin was doing what was asked of you exactly as they asked).

...until you've worked for news managers who have no business working in television.

...you've signed off with the tag "from Glendive, I'm (your name here)."

...someone at the station you work for has performed some sort of misdeed or indiscretion notable enough for mention on Medialine.

...You lunch with the Governor and spend the afternoon dodging cow pies in a pasture on the other side of the state.

...Your anchor asks you who the Vice President is.

...You hear your producer scream, "We need a plane crash!"

...The highest paid talent have gotten so cozy with the White House they sort of forgot to cover it.

...Your anchor is busted for DUI.

...You swear that last house fire call on the scanner was your address.

...you get upset when a traffic accident has no fatalities.

...you are working on a story for the 11 p.m. (10 p.m. central and mountain), it is mid June, and the producer doesn't want to see anything shot in daylight included in your story.

...the menu for your Thanksgiving dinner was determined by what was available from the vending machine in the break room.

...You have a water cooler in your newsroom but no water since sales can't negotiate a tradeout.

...Krogers is having their grand opening and you're doing a live shot from the shopping cart area at the top of the five and six.

...You are assigned to fly across the Country to cover a story . Your newsroom secretary hands you a "post-it" note with the name of a hotel and a phone number. All airfare and hotel charges are to be paid by you, on your credit card, to be reimbursed at the end of the month after your expense report is scrutinized by the accounting department. Remember, no "Skycap, tips, or hotel movies" will be paid for by the Company. And...Never fill up the rental car with anything other than "regular" unleaded and put the rental insurance under your name...not the companies. We do not pay parking tickets!!!

...you are told that you are only going to get a 2% annual increase in salary because "the budget is really tight". A week later, the station sends a reporter and photog across the country to do a puff piece on the final season episode on a reality show that just happens to air on the network your station is affiliated with.

...you've lied about what you do out of fear of reprisal or embarrassment.

...you're airing a live shot of the Tienamen Square slaughter and someone calls the desk complaining that they are missing St. Elsewhere.

...You realize you would have made more money, had better job security, more regular hours, worked with a higher class of people, not been nearly so troubled by ethics considerations and would have to deal with less crap than you get from viewers if you had kept that job playing piano in that brothel.

...you see a dead body and show no emotion.

...the assignment editor sends the new intern to the engineering shop to pick up a fresh supply of color bars for one of the photographers.

...The desk tells you to get nats of the sun.

...have shot and edited your pkg for the 6pm show...now time to go run teleprompter for the Anchor.

...you or a colleague is leaving to "spend more time with their family" or "pursue other interests"

...your newscast is leading in "a key demographic area" (but dead last behind reruns of I Love Lucy in overall ratings)

...you've uttered the phrase "We'll have that tape for you in just a moment..."

...Your story idea is nixed. Then it is in the local paper. Then you are assigned to it.

[Clay JD Walker]

...have ever been told, after driving to Athens for a VOSOT, and returning to the newsroom at 10:30, that "You're the man for editing tonight...".

...shoot the best package ever, then watch the reporter sit on the tape for hours as she plans her wedding...then edits at the last minute and uses none of the good video.

...wonder why all radio stations don't have WLOC as their call letters (A Local Radio Station).

ah I so much miss those days...exciting times.

[Dave Allen]

BTW Clay, meant to compliment you on the piece 'SAZ did on your drive down to Virginia Tech. Good piece, although you seem much taller on the radio.

[LtDunsel]

This actually happened to me...

I got a call one evening about 5:30 PM from the prosecuting attorney's office, advising me that "Tonight is THE night!" For weeks, they'd been telling me of a big drug bust that was going to go down in the area, and if I wanted I could tag along. GREAT !

While runnin' around grabbing my stuff, the girl who anchored the 11 PM news asked me what was up, so I told her what was goin' on, and headed out the door.

We (being myself and 6 law enforcement officers) all headed out to the designated area, to watch the sting go down. I had my camera at the ready, shot lots of b-roll, sat back and waited...6:30, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, nothing happened.

At 9:45, the prosecutor came to where we were all hiding like idiots in the dark, told us to pack up and go home, pulled me aside, and told me WHY...

After I'd left the station, having advised the 11 anchor where I was going, she went on the set at the end of the 6:00 broadcast and teased the 11...

"...and coming up tonight at 11, we'll have a story on a possible drug bust here in Fayette county..."

And yes, she WAS a "bubble headed bleach blonde"

I said the hell with small town TV news shortly after that

Strange but true

[1015RiverRat]

So the prosecutor pissed off 6 cops and one reporter in one night. And we call the criminals stupid!

[Hoosier Daddy]

So the prosecutor pissed off 6 cops and one reporter in one night. And we call the criminals stupid!

No, the stupid assed, Nappy Headed Ho newsbabe potentially jeapordized the lives of half a dozen cops and/or squandered taxpayer money by blowing the lid on a "secret" drug raid in her quest to spill the beans to boost the station's ratings.

It's no wonder that the cops despise and distrust the media and many law enforcement agencies refuse to give news tips or cooperate with local radio, TV and print new outlets. The station would have had a better story if Blondie would have kept her mouth shut, and the station could have captured exclusive video footage of the busts going down.

[1015RiverRat]

When you invite SEVEN people along to watch the bust, you obviously are not concerned with secrecy.

Now if they weren't INVITED to watch the bust and she found out about it and aired it, THAT would have been irresponsible.

[Arp2]

What HD said.


And, Mark, you know your account works, right?

[LtDunsel]

When you invite SEVEN people along to watch the bust, you obviously are not concerned with secrecy.

Now if they weren't INVITED to watch the bust and she found out about it and aired it, THAT would have been irresponsible.

er...did you hear this a lot in school ?

"RIVERRAT, WAKE UP, EYES FORWARD, PAY ATTENTION YOUNG MAN..."

There WERE seven people on the "stake-out"....Myself, and the six cops....(and that's just a number I pulled outta my head, it was 25 yrs ago...but it seems about right)....What did ya think, we had a party in the Hawks Nest Lodge, sittin' around eatin' popcorn and downin' a case of Ole MilStinkee, waitin' to watch a drug bust???

[1015RiverRat]

Now YOU pay attention.

I understand there were seven people at the stakeout. That is my point. This wasn't a secret bust.

And, no, I didn't think you were at Hawk's Nest eating popcorn. Everyone knows the popcorn is better at Stonewall Jackson!

[LtDunsel]

Now YOU pay attention.

I understand there were seven people at the stakeout. That is my point. This wasn't a secret bust.

And, no, I didn't think you were at Hawk's Nest eating popcorn. Everyone knows the popcorn is better at Stonewall Jackson!

OK, my bad....

...Just what part about six cops and a reporter hiding out in the visitors center, 14 eyes glued on the empty parking lot across the road waiting for the buy to go down, leads you to believe it wasn't a secret ?

Oh, wait...I forgot....It was announced on the news...

All together now, lets say "D'OH!"

(And, you're right....popcorn IS better at Stonewall Jackson)

[Zak Tyler]

no, i think river rat expects i lone cop to take it down on his/her own, not even telling his superiors just in case one of them is on the take. a lone wolf with nothing to prove? or a dedicated, to a fault, public servant? you decide... news at 11.

[Bob Campbell]

river rat is NOT Hallburn.
Signed,
Arp