The Desk 1/2

THE DESK

The newsletter about TV news gathering...
And the people who do it

Volume 1, Number 2
May 19, 1997

BREAKING NEWS

SWEEPS SWEPT AWAY
The May book comes to a resounding close the day after tomorrow. That's Wednesday, May 21, for those who haven't yet marked their calendars. It's hard to tell if sweeps has become as much of a burden to the viewing public as it is for the people who give the audience something to watch.

All of the attention on the three major "books" -- the freewheeling spending, the powerhouse promotion, the thinly clad effort to "spike" the numbers -- does raise the question of what we're expecting the viewers to watch outside of sweeps. Even counting the "summer" book -- which no one in TV seems to take seriously -- there are 112 sweeps days a year. Which means, by process of simple subtraction, that there are 253 NON-sweeps days. Simply put, there are more than TWO DAYS not in sweeps for every one day that is in sweeps.

Seems a strange way to concentrate our resources, doesn't it? Perhaps the next age of audience sampling will bring year-round ratings to the whole nation and news people can go head-to-head 365 days a year. ---

INFO FEES ON THE INCREASE
Lexis-Nexis has announced across-the-board price increases, effective June 1 -- a fact which may escape notice in some newsrooms but unlikely to pass without comment in the business offices. Lexis-Nexis -- which has long had the most convoluted billing structure in the entire commercial online industry -- said it will raise "file" charges. Those are the fees for accessing certain areas of the database. The cost of searching CURNWS, Lexis-Nexis' file of current news articles, will go from $33 to $36, an increase of about 9.1%. A romp through ALLNWS, which is the whole news database, goes from $45 to $49, up 8.9%.

A new fee category -- Online Time -- will be created by merging the old billing categories of Telecommunications and Connect Time. It will be priced at $45 an hour.

This increase strikes at a time when the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is increasing less than 2.5% per year, and many experts believe that the CPI OVERestimates inflation by at least a full percentage point.

Darryl Fisher, Chief Operating Officer for Lexis-Nexis Business Information Services, says in a letter to customers that "providing new software options and providing you outstanding reliability and support requires that we periodically adjust our rates. . . ." ---

TALKING THE TALK
The California State Senate voted overwhelmingly last week to overturn a ban on print and broadcast interviews with state prison inmates. The State Assembly is expected to take up the measure next month. Media groups have actively tried to restore reporter access to inmates since the Department of Corrections imposed the ban. For more information, contact Peter Y. Sussman, president of the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, pys@sirius.com. ---

DID THE MOUSE STUMBLE?
A front-page article in last Friday's Wall Street Journal questioned just how effectively the Walt Disney Company has brought the promised synergies to its ownership of ABC. Marketing experts quoted by WSJ say the effort has fallen short of "synergy," which is the term Disney used in announcing its intentions for the acquisition. It's really cross-promotion, they insist -- and not terribly effective cross-promotion at that. The article does point out that under Disney ownership, ABC network programs have turned in some of the worst ratings in TV history.
---

STRONG WORDS, STRONGER IMPLICATIONS
Buried under that mound of paper that our federal government is so effective at churning out is a curious little report from the U. S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics (USDOJ BJS, to the initiates of initials) called "Lifetime Likelihood of Going to State or Federal Prison." This report -- available from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/llgsfp.htm in ASCII or Adobe Acrobat versions -- estimates that nearly one in ten Americans (9.0%) will some day end up incarcerated for a substantial period.

BJS statisticians estimate that about one in 25 white males will go up the river at some point in their lives, about one in six Hispanic males are headed to the Big House, and slightly more than one in every four black males will do Hard Time.

We're not talking overnight in the drunk tank, or even a few multiples of thirty days at the county ranch. We're talking The Joint.

The report has astonishing implications -- which means there's a lot in here that would make for some hard-hitting news coverage.

Who's going to pay for all this time behind bars? Well, we know the answer to that one. The bigger question is HOW are we going to pay for it?

Why the disparity in prison time between blacks and whites? (Hint: this is a mathematical irony that has NOT gone unnoticed in the African American sector.)

Is there any reversing this trend, or are we doomed to live these statistical projections? ---

OLD PEST TAKES THE BLAME
Another study, this one financed by the government, blames the lowly cockroach for causing as much as 25% of asthma among children in America's inner cities. This study drew a little attention the week before last, when major newspapers picked up the researchers' report from the New England Journal of Medicine (http://www.nejm.org/public/1997/0336/0019/1356/1.htm). But again, the implications are powerful.

The American Lung Association estimates there are 15 million asthmatics in the U. S. Roughly a third of them -- which works out to about 5 million -- are kids. Calculate the cost of medication, hospitalization, missed school, parents missing work to care for sick children, and there's a pretty good chunk of economics there. Factor in the incalculable cost of asthma's annual death toll -- 5,000 victims -- and this becomes an incredible story.

Researchers working on a grant from the National Institutes of Health are going to continue their study for another three years in an effort to "explore more extensively what environmental changes are most useful in reducing allergen exposure and asthma symptoms." ---

DESKNOTES

WHERE'D THE ENTERPRISE GO?
Scott Tallal, the president of Advanced Research Services of Dallas, emailed to take me to task for my assertion in the last edition of "The Desk" (1/1) that perhaps news consultants and audience surveys were responsible for the slow death of investigative and enterprise reporting in TV news. Scott thinks it ain't so:

Paul, you have a very interesting newsletter and I look forward to reading future issues, but in my eighteen years in research and consulting I have never once heard of (much less delivered) any survey which said anything even close to what you've indicated above. While I have frequently reported that viewers want more positive coverage to go along with the rest of the day's news, our surveys consistently show two things:

1) Viewers do NOT want the news censored. Why they would like stations to exercise a little editorial restraint with regard to some of the pictures they show (i.e: no body bags or bloody close-ups, except in the case of something like an Oklahoma City bombing), they want to know *all* of the news, good and bad -- especially if it's happening in their neighborhood.

2) When viewers say they want more positive coverage, they are NOT asking for more fluff. Quite the opposite: they are looking for more substantive coverage which happens to have a positive angle. When asked to provide examples, they mention such things as medical breakthroughs, people going out of their way to do good things for the community, even investigative reporting: they feel that when a reporter really digs into a story and exposes evidence of serious wrongdoing by business or government, it's "good news" because now something can be done to right a serious wrong.

By the way, before getting into research and consulting, I spent almost ten years on and off the air writing, delivering, producing, and managing local news. In many respects, I'm still doing the same job, only now I go and and interview five or six hundred people before I come back and present my report.

Scott Tallal
newsdoc@sprintmail.com ---

THE "NUT"
Lately, I've been seeing a lot of stories in a lot of places that lack what we used to call "the nut" -- that simple statement of fact that renders an otherwise random assembly of shots and sentences a news story. It's the relevance statement, the line in the story that provides context and lets the viewer understand why we're bothering him or her with this information.

One flew by me while I was on a trip to Washington, DC a few weeks ago. But the most glaring example I've seen was in my home DMA, Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater, FL, on WFTS, the ABC affiliate. A late-night newscast (during sweeps, of course) led with a highly produced, well-scripted, music-enhanced, multi-minute slice of a crack addict's life.

It had everything -- the user's middle-of-the-night search for drugs, the user's wife's dramatic search for the user along these mean streets, the user using, the user's young child explaining that daddy was just on the rock sometimes and wasn't himself. Everything -- except why the station was sharing this view of hell in the slot usually reserved for the day's most important news development.

Nowhere did the reporter mention just how many people in the area might be going through the same kind of hell, how big a problem crack was in the community, how much economic damage cocaine does. Nowhere did the reporter get to the "nut" of the drug problem.

The "nut" is what gives chronology context, what turns straight narrative into news. It's the difference between a journal and journalism. It's presumably the gist of what we're trying to get across.

So where did it go? And what will it take to get it back?
---

TROGTALK:
Broadcast History in Bite-Size Chunks - Part II
by Dave Linder
dlinder@vegas.infi.net

Dallas. November 1963. Memphis, then Los Angeles. 1968. VietNam. The Living Room War that started as an excursion for "advisers" sent over by Ike before he turned the reins over to JFK who escalated long before LBJ inherited the reins. I remember that June day in '68 when I read in the morning paper that Bobby Kennedy was dead. We sat around the newsroom, the five of us who made up the staff of KXLY in Spokane at the time, and tried to figure out what we could do to "localize" the story. Just as we had done a few months earlier in the wake of MLK's assassination. MLK was in many ways easier, since we could merely go down to the "black part of town" and get a few MOS (no political correctness then, it was Man On Street) bites and be done with it.

This time, I guess because of the rule of threes, it seemed harder to do. No one we talked to, from the mayor to the "man" on the street, knew what to say. The News Director, Ron Bair, and I were out on the street sampling opinion from people we encountered, and were getting nothing. In fact, we were so desparate we stopped one bum (again, well before PC invented "Homeless") who said, "Who... shot? I didn't shoot no one last night, I was drunk!"

At about the same time, '68 was a hell of a news year, The VietNam thing kept growing, like Topsy. The Living Room War raged on. Morley Safer went over and went out with a company of Marines who showed the world a new use for a Zippo. Win the Hearts and Minds of the people by burning down their very livelihood and heritage.

A few of the bigger local stations in the larger local markets began to hitch rides over there with the local military outfit, or even paid full fare to fly. The Living Room War soon became a Local News Story. Like those intrepid CBS'ers with their Motion Picture Mitchells in Korea in the 50s, the Locals with their Auricons and Nationals and Filmos and Bolexes began to come back with compelling stories of our boys at war.

At the same time, the local news operations were venturing out into their local neighborhoods and began uncovering neat stories about real people living in real situations. I remember watching intently what the big boys on CBS were doing every night on Cronkite, and every Sunday on "60 Minutes." They had a "style". They lit with a key, fill and back light. They used a tripod. They used reverse two-shots. Cutaways that meant something. Stuff we could do, too!

We got some of the same stuff they used -- MA11 amps, shotgun mics, color- film processing. Local news, even in Spokane or Portland or Seattle, started producing neat stuff. And, some of our stuff even showed up on the Network from time to time! And, they Paid us in Big Bucks!

Next -- the line begins to blur.. (is it the onset of middle age, or the comet that brought the demise of the dinosaur?

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Dave Linder was personally present for almost everything he writes about. After three decades in local news, he packed it in last year-- and went to work coordinating video coverage for a large county government in the western U. S.) ---

SERVICES AVAILABLE
I am a freelance cameraman-producer, based in Hong Kong and covering the whole Southeast Asia region, as I travel quite a bit. (I also write for several international broadcast magazines.) I have lived in Asia for more than 20 years.

I am writing to offer my services to those small- and medium-sized TV stations that do not have a "presence" in Southeast Asia. This can mean anything from spot news coverage, to longer background or travel-type features for current affairs programs. Also "home towners", featuring someone local to that TV station, visiting or doing business in the region. All stories are offered on an exclusive basis.

With almost 30 years in the industry, I STARTED (!) as a combat cameraman for NBC News in Vietnam, and I have since shot for the BBC and WTN (Worldwide Television News) in Britain, ARD-TV in Germany, both Hong Kong local stations, California's KABC and KGO -- and also for Fresno's ABC affiliate, KJEO, in between studying at Cal State, Fresno. For several weeks I was the only cameraman/editor preparing the nightly news at KJEO-TV, working under the-then News Director, Gary Bentley. (A great guy -- anyone know where I can contact him?)

I would like to hear from any TV station seeking to expand its coverage with exclusive stories, of any type, from Asia.

Sincerely,

Martyn Green, B.A. (Hons Director, Action Studios, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2581 1355
Fax: +852 2900 2400
Email: 101504.2440@compuserve.com
---

WHO'S WHERE

GARY BROWN to News Director, WTOV-TV/Channel 9, (Steubenville,OH/Wheeling, WV), from producer at WPXI in Pittsburgh. Gary has served as a producer or executive producer in Altoona, PA, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA. [ShopTalk, 5/19]

DREW HADWAL leaves his position as News Director at WABG-TV in Greenville, MS, at the end of the month for the Evening E.P. job at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh. His new job becomes effective June 6. [ShopTalk, 5/19]

BOB MURDOCK will be leaving as Assignment Manager/Chief Photographerat at WESH-TV Orlando, to team up with SCOTT HANSON, the station's former investigative reporter. The two have formed Carolina Broadcast News, and plan to relocate to the Raleigh area and produce freelance investigative and syndicated news stories. The two did Emmy-award-winning work as "The Investigators" for WESH. [ShopTalk, 5/19]

DOUG BANNARD has been promoted to News Director, from Assistant News Director, at KSAZ-TV, the Fox o&o in Phoenix. Doug replaces BILL BERRA, who left the station after three years. [ShopTalk, 5/16]

PERRY BOXX will join KTNV, the ABC affiliate in Las Vegas, as news director on June 9th. Boxx joins KTNV from KRIS-TV, the NBC affiliate in Corpus Christi, TX, where he is currently News Director. Prior to KRIS Boxx ran news departments in Nashville, Birmingham, Kalamazoo, and Oklahoma City. Boxx replaces former News Director ED CHAPUIS, who leaves KTNV on Friday, May 23rd for the same position at KCRA-TV in Sacramento. [ShopTalk, 5/16]

ABBIE KEARSE, former senior producer at MTV, will now report on-air for MTV News. [ShopTalk, 5/16]

LAUREN ASHBURN becomes a full-time reporter at WJLA-TV in Washington, DC. [ShopTalk, 5/16]

CATHY HOBBS, an award-winning general assignment reporter, recently joined WPIX in New York as a reporter/anchor. For the past three years, Cathy reported for WRC in Washington, D.C. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

CAROLYN DOUGLAS moves from Spokane to Tampa, where she is a reporter/anchor for WFTS, the ABC affiliate. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

STEVEN COOPER has joined KNXV, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix, as a reporter after spending eight years at WGGB in Springfield, MA. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

JUDY CHONG recently began reporting for WTNH, the ABC affiliate, in New Haven, CT. She previously worked for WPRI in Providence. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

VIRGINIA SILVA becomes a reporter for the syndicated show EXTRA! Prior to this assignment, Virginia was a reporter at KNXV-TV in Phoenix. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

RUSS LOPEZ has joined KXTV, the ABC affiliate, in Sacramento, CA as a reporter from KSBW-TV in Salinas, CA. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

PABLO PEREIRRA becomes a reporter at KABC-TV in Los Angeles. Previously, Pablo was a weather anchor at WFAA in Dallas, TX. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

LINDA LEVY has been named news director of KOCO, the ABC affiliate in Oklahoma City. "Linda is an exceptionally talented journalist who comes to us with broad experience and very impressive credentials," said station GM Jeff Rosser. Levy is currently Director of News Services with the A.H. Belo Corporation. Levy's new position becomes effective in June. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

MARK BERRYHILL has been named news director of KDKA, the CBS o&o in Pittsburgh. Berryhill became KDKA's assistant news director in January. Before that he was news director at KGAN-TV, the CBS station in Cedar Rapids, IA, and had been a news director in California and Arizona. He replaces Sue McInerney who is becoming news director at CBS-owned WFOR in Miami. JEFF WEISSBART, the news production manager, has been promoted to assistant news director. Weissbart has been with KDKA for 15 years and has held several news management jobs for the station. [ShopTalk, 5/13]

FRED D'AMBROSI has been named news director of KFMB, the CBS station in San Diego. He joins the station with more than 20 years of TV News experience, most recently as news director at WISN-TV in Milwaukee. [ShopTalk, 5/13]

ROBIN SMYTHE has been named News Director of CentralFlorida News 13, a joint 24-hour news venture between Time-Warner andTribune/Orlando Sentinel in Orlando. Robin is formerly news director of WTSP-TV, the CBS affiliate in Tampa-St. Petersburg.   [ShopTalk, 5/8]

LIAM SULLIVAN joins WGHP, the Fox o&o in Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, NC, as Managing Editor. Liam was previously at WTVJ in Miami. [ShopTalk, 5/8]

Some chages at Conus Communications: RALPH GREEN to Senior Managing Editor, overseeing all newsgathering functions; DEB BALZER to manager, 24-hour news services, from manager, Conus Midsouth Regional; and MARK ISOM, managing editor/assignments.

                               TO BE ASSIGNED
                                    (JOBS)

SPORTS REPORTER (KDFW)
We've got the teams... we're looking for a dynamic sports reporter to cover them. If you have 3 to 5 years television sports reporting/anchoring with extensive knowledge, and a college degree, you just may be the ticket. Send tape/resume/letter of interest to Linda Amelunke, Human Resources Manager, 400 N. Griffin Street, Dallas, TX 75202. EOE/M/F/D/V [ShopTalk, 5/19]

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER (KNTV)
KNTV-TV, the ABC affiliate in San Jose/SiliconValley, has immediate openings for a General Assignment reporter. [ShopTalk, 5/16]

ASSIGNMENT MANAGER (WESH)
WESH-TV, a Pulitzer Broadcasting Station in Orlando, Florida is looking for a leader...a news leader...a leader who can manage a large shop of highly skilled professionals. You will be in charge of an organization covering news that matters... that has impact... that affects our viewers. Our news philosophy is NOT if it bleeds it leads. We cover important and relevant spot news and issues important to our viewers. The assignment manager will be involved in day to day operations and long-term planning. Credentials: 6 years of tv news experience, 2 years managing experience required, excellent people skills, quick thinker, clear communicator, exceptional organizer. College degree preferred. Send Resumes to: Kent Morton, Managing Editor, WESH-TV, P.O. Box 547697, Orlando, FL 32854. NO PHONE CALLS! An Equal Opportunity Employer. [ShopTalk, 5/16]

ASSIGNMENT DESK MANAGER (GOP-TV)
GOP-TV, a Washington-based political television network, is seeking a full-time Assignment Desk Manager. Job Responsibilities include: managing daily assignment desk operations, crew scheduling, satellite live shot coordination, newsfeed production, story development and implementation. Day shift hours and great benefits! Please fax resume to: GOP-TV (202) 863-8504. [ShopTalk, 5/16]

ANCHOR/REPORTER (KJAC)
Anchor/Reporter is needed immediately at KJAC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange, Texas. Should have Anchor experience and a solid reporting background because you will anchor and complete packages on a daily basis. Must be a self-motivated person with a capacity to grow as a journalist. Applicants must have a clean driving record and a desire to grow professionally with a station that is building a solid news team. Applicants should possess strong news judgment, excellent writing and editing skills, and a great attitude. In addition, we want someone who voluntarily contributes time in the Community. Please don't call or send faxes to the Newsroom. Each applicant will be sent an application, but because of the large number of applicants anticipated for this position, only finalists will be contacted personally. Send a non-returnable VHS or tape that demonstrates your abilities in the field and studio, a cover letter telling why you should be the successful candidate and how you learned of this opening, a detailed resume with references and a self-addressed legal-sized envelope to EEO Officer, KJAC-TV, P.O. Box 4008, Beaumont, Texas 77704. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

VARIOUS POSITIONS (WPDE)
WPDE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC is looking for a full-time reporter. Tapes and resumes to: Don Butler, Assignment Editor, WPDE-TV, South Cashua Drive, Florence, SC 29501 [ShopTalk, 5/15]

SPORTS REPORTER (KRIV)
Cover sports news, and prepare/develop features. Fill-in sports anchor. Requires 3 years mid- to- major market sports reporting experience; extensive sports knowledge and excellent communication skills. Must bring high production values to the sportscast. Must have excellent on-air presentation and liveshot skills. 4-year media-related degree or work equivalent. Send non-returnable tape and resume to: Charmaine Steiner, Human Resources Director, KRIV Fox Television Stations, Inc., P.O. Box 22810, Houston,TX 77227. EOE/M/F/D/V. [ShopTalk, 5/15]

MANAGING EDITOR (CENTRAL FLORIDA NEWS VENTURES)
Tribune Company and Time Warner have created a joint venture to launch a local 24-hour cable news channel in Orlando, Fla. We are seeking a Managing Editor. This is agreat opportunity to get in on the ground floor and be part of our management team in building and staffing a cutting-edge, digital newsroom. This position will supervise local newsgathering, including management of the assignment desk and the staff of reporter/videojournalists. Responsibilities include implementing and maintaining newsroom systems, procedures and deadlines to ensure high journalistic standards. Staff scheduling experience a plus. Must have ability to generate story ideas for daily coverage as well as manage special projects planning. If you would like to be part of this exciting news organization,please send a resume with salary requirements to: Central Florida NewsVentures, c/o The Orlando Sentinel Employment Center, 633 N. OrangeAve., Orlando, FL 32801, Fax: (407) 420-5766,E-mail: SentHR@aol.com [ShopTalk, 5/13]

ASSIGNMENT EDITOR (WLVI-TV, Boston)
WLVI-TV, Tribune Broadcasting's Boston station, has an immediate opening for an assignment editor to join the "Ten O'Clock News" staff. We are looking for an aggressive individual who has the ability to consistently produce interesting and unique stories in addition to a strong background in day-to-day news coverage. Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, daily development of news stories, assigning reporters and crew members to cover news events, covering spot news, and more. You will also be involved in future planning and assist in generating ideas for news series and special sweeps projects. Applicants should possess a bachelor's degree in journalism or communications. Two years of previous television experience in a news operation preferred. Knowledge of Boston and New England strongly desired. The ability to communicate effectively and work as part of a team is essential. EOE. Please send a resume and cover letter to: Darcie Fisher, Assignment Manager, WLVI-TV News, 75 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125. [ShopTalk, 5/12]

WKND ASSIGNMENT EDITOR/PRODUCER (WAAY)
WAAY-TV, the ABC affiliate in Huntsville, AL, is in search of people who want nothing more than to rock-n-roll with the best. I need a weekend assignment editor/producer. These are immediate openings, so get busy and write me TODAY! Terry Heaton, News Director, WAAY-TV, 1000 Monte Sano Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35801. heaton@waaytv.com [ShopTalk, 5/9]

NEWS MANAGER (WGHP)
WGHP, the FOX o&o in Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is seeing an experienced news manager to lead and inspire a talented team of professionals. Those applying must be able to motivate and manage the people responsible for 32 hours of news per week. Our goal is to constantly improve our award-winning news product and maintain solid journalistic ethics. Positive interaction with other departments will be critical to our team-oriented management. Candidates should have experience as a News Director. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply for this opportunity in the 46th television market. Mail resumes to Karen Adams, VP and General Manager, WGHP/FOX8, HP-8, High Point, NC 27261 [ShopTalk, 5/8]

REPORTER (KFSN)
KFSN-TV, the ABC-owned station in Fresno, CA, has an immediate opening for a Reporter with an extensive live and long-style reporting background. The successful candidate is an excellent writer and self-motivator. Minimum three years field reporting/writing experience. Four-year college degree. Send resume and tape to Michael Espinoza, News Director, KFSN-TV, 1777 G Street Dept. DF Fresno, CA 93706. No phone calls please. KFSN-TV IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. [ShopTalk, 5/7]

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT EDITOR (KTVT Dallas/Fort Worth)
CBS affiliate. Candidates must understand contemporary newsgathering and story telling techniques. Must be able to enterprise issues and trends stories, while keeping the trains running on time. At least one year's assignment editor experience required. No beginners. Send resume to: Human Resources Coordinator, KTVT-TV, 5233 Bridge St., Fort Worth, TX. 76103 No phone calls. [ShopTalk, 5/7]

(ShopTalk material used by permission)

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