This Isn't Burger King

You know those people who always have to have it their way?

Chances are you've dealt with them in school, work or just everyday life. And chances are the dealings you've had with those types of people are frustrating to say the least.

My station has dealt with such a situation for the past few months. The issue has finally been resolved, but it wasn't an easy road to walk down.

Everyone this person came into contact with ended up with a bad taste in their mouth. He burned literally every bridge he had at this station, which in this business is a bad thing. At the rate people move around, the chances of you running into someone again later down the road are really high. I would hate to go to another station and not have any bridges when I got there.

The communications industry, regardless of if it's television, newspaper, public relations or even magazines, is a small industry. Yes, it stretches across the country, and even around the world, but we're a tight-knit group. I know people in the business on the East Coast, Gulf Coast and the West Coast, not to mention in the desert and the badlands. As a station we work together, but we also have relationships with other stations all across the country. We share things - from ideas, to video and advice. If you want to make it, you learn how to work with other people.

So if you think you want to work in journalism of any kind, here's a piece of advice for you:

Remember that in order for you to be successful, the organization you're working with (notice I didn't say for) has to be successful as well. It's not always about you, and just because the plans and policies that are in place weren't your idea doesn't mean they're wrong.

This isn't Burger King. We don't do things your way. We do things our way. If you lose sight of that, you just might find yourself working at BK.

The Truth Behind Saggy Pants

As told by a coworker:

"If they knew they were advertising that they're open for butt-sex, I bet they'd pull their pants up."

A Poem for All Journalists to Live By

I keep six honest serving me

They taught me all I knew

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

- Rudyard Kipling

How We Spend Fridays at the Station

Introduction to HD: Day 3-5

Day 3 was ok. I don't remember anything major happening.

Days 4 and 5, though ... I had three bad shows in a row. And when I say bad, I mean it was a train wreck.

This automation ain't no joke. If you miss one code, it screws your show - and there's nothing me, as the producer, can do about it. That's such a helpless, horrible feeling, and one I'm not used to having.

I just keep telling myself - the directors are getting more comfortable and familiar with the codes. It will get better. I just wish their uh-ohs weren't making it on the air.

Life rarely leads us where we expect it to.

Sometimes opportunities come along that are just what we need. We just don't know that we need them until we take that chance.

And isn't that what life is all about? Taking chances. It's what gets us where we're going.

Of course, we could all take the safe route, the road most frequently traveled. We could step in someone else's footsteps and end up exactly where they are, but is that what we need?

If I hadn't ventured into the totally unknown side of journalism that is broadcast, I wouldn't be where I am now - running a newsroom. I wouldn't have met any of the amazing people I know, including my fiance. I would probably be hundreds of miles from home, working at a print publication with no real job security.

So take a chance on the road you don't have a map for. Maybe your destination should be happiness instead of 'job' anyway.

Introduction to HD: Day 1 & 2

So I've made it through nearly two full days of HD newscasts.

Other than being overwhelmed by the amount of extra work I now do to have a successful show, things went very well. In fact, both of my first shows didn't have any mistakes.

I guess all the mock shows and practicing and not taking dinner breaks paid off.

Seriously though. Our new graphics look awesome. The colors are so much better and I feel like I have more control over the look of my newscast.

The only thing I wasn't happy with yesterday was how late it was when I was finally finished with my 10:00 show - 20 minutes before showtime. That is unacceptable unless there's breaking news.

Today though I think I did a better job of managing my time. As you can see, I'm done well ahead of time.

Yesterday was also my first day in my new position. Honestly, things really weren't that different. I sent more emails than normal. More people came to me with questions. But I'm not the type of person who's going to get promoted and then bust out with a "Things are going to change around here!"

So we haven't had any major glitches with the new stuff, but we're not out of the woods yet. We're still in the process of converting our bureau newsrooms and live and satellite trucks. The engineers say it will probably be another two weeks before everything is 100% set.

Just in time for July sweeps.

Chaos in the Control Room: Final Day

So yesterday was my final mock show, only this one was a live replay of the 10:00 show on one of our other channels. In other words, it was a real show - a chance to see all the new stuff in action.

I must say it went really well, much better than I hoped, especially considering I missed three days of work this week because I caught a contagious virus (that's a story for another day) and this was my first live playback. I had done several mock shows, but none of them had OTSes that matched or even the right video.

There were a few glitches - like audio being clipped too early or not cut on early enough. We also had an issue with weather. My meteorologist got covered up with his graphics somehow. I assume the wrong code had been put in by my director. Unfortunately though, everyone at home who probably wouldn't have noticed the mistake definitely knew one had been made because my meteorologist basically stopped and then called undeniable attention to it.

Something happened with my sports guy's video. He, however, handled it wonderfully. He rolled with the punches and while it was probably obvious something was missing from his show, he didn't pitch a fit on air.

All in all, I'm pleased with the way things turned out. It looked like a real show, and let's be honest - the glitches that happened last night could and probably will happen when we launch on Sunday.

So stay tuned next week for my 'Introduction to HD' posts as we completely switch all of our equipment over. It should be exciting.