IS IT SWEEPS YET?
HOW COULD YOU TELL?

It's time for those middle-of-the-book blues. Well, it's actually a little PAST the time for that. It's getting-toward-the-end-of-the-book blues... which is usually a pretty good time to start thinking about alternatives to this thrice-a-year madness we visit upon our loyal viewers.

It IS madness. We've been stockpiling stuff for months, contrary to every news instinct we have that getting our best foot forward as quickly as we can is what it's all about, so that we can foist it upon them "when it counts." It "counts," of course, only during those twelve weeks a year (counted from Thursday to Wednesday) when a relative handful of folks are filling out little booklets for Nielsen about what they watch.

Over the years, I've heard a number of proposals for different ways of doing things.

A one-time colleague (and still a friend) of mine suggested that the best thing for everyone would be exempting news from ratings entirely. He didn't have any good ideas, in the absence of the numbers, for putting a price tag on the advertising time that finances all this frivolity.

Someone on one of the Internet listservs recently suggested year-round ratings, which would mean that 365 days a year would "count" instead of the 84 days that currently do. Someone else emailed in to say that it's impossible under the present diary system to go to year-round ratings, because the cost of collecting the demographic information that goes with the numbers would be astronomical. (Overnight ratings in most of the top 50 or so markets don't have demos with them.)

Given the basic facts -- that the point of broadcasting is to make a profit, and that the "product," which remains in every market the inventory of available time for advertising, can't be priced without some yardstick -- it's highly unlikely that sweeps will be going away any time soon.

But our reaction to these months as if they're the ONLY ones that count certainly can change. And it's probably a change that -- if it ever happens -- will come about from the bottom up -- from the people in the trenches who do their best EVERY day to make the product sizzle, from people who provide their managers with compelling reasons why a story will be stale if it doesn't run as soon as it's ready, from those involved in the process who know that each passing day presents another chance to get beat on your own beat.

It doesn't take looking at too many rating books to figure out that the erosion of our audience coincides quite neatly with our increasingly inflated view of the importance of sweeps. Or have we completely forgotten that there just aren't as many eyeballs watching what we do as there once were?

Sweeps, after all, amounts to less than 25% of the year. Exactly what are we delivering the other three-quarters of the time?

---

KNOCK-KNOCK. WHO'S THERE?:
A TALE OF A TV CAMERA AND
A SEARCH WARRANT

A federal appeals court has come down hard on federal agents and a CNN crew who made a written agreement to shoot the service of a search warrant in 1993. The decision raises some very real questions about how frequently in the future the media will be allowed to photograph law-enforcement activity.

The case in question stems from a 1993 raid at the Montana ranch of Paul and Erma Berger. The Bergers -- he was then 71 years old and she was 81 -- had been accused by former employees of shooting or poisoning eagles on their property. Agents of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service began investigating, and CNN's environment unit caught wind of the investigation and asked to be included in the action.

On March 11, 1993, CNN presented a "letter of agreement" to the Assistant U. S. Attorney heading the investigation. That letter is included in the court record of the case:
 
 

Dear Mr. McLean:

This confirms our agreement that the United States Attorney's
Office for the District of Montana agrees to allow CNN to accompany
USFWS Agents as they attempt to execute a criminal search warrant near
Jordan, Montana, some time during the week of March 22, 1993. Except as
provided below, CNN shall have complete editorial control over any
footage it shoots; it shall not be obliged to use the footage; and does
not waive any rights or privileges it may have with respect to the
footage.

In return, CNN agrees to embargo the telecast of any videotape
of the attempt to execute the search warrant until either: (1) a jury
has been empaneled and instructed by a judge not to view television
reports about the case; or (2) the defendant waives his right to a jury
trial and agrees to have his case tried before a judge; or (3) a judge
accepts a plea bargain; or (4) the government decides not to bring
charges relating to the attempt to execute the search warrant.

Please acknowledge your agreement to the foregoing by executing
the signature line below.

Sincerely, Jack Hamann, Correspondent, CNN Environment Unit.

Acknowledged signature of Kris McLean, Assistant United States
Attorney for the District of Montana, Helena, Montana.

cc: Jennifer Falk Weiss, CNN Legal Department. Chet Burgess, CNN
Environment Unit.

The court seemed to reserve some of its strongest remarks about the fact that a camera was present, frequently referring to "entertainment" interests:
 

In this case we have not only a verbal agreement, but a
written contractual commitment between the government and the media to
engage jointly in an enterprise that only the government could lawfully
institute -- the execution of a search warrant -- for the mutual benefit
of both the private interests of the media and the government officials'
interest in publicity. It is also alleged that the federal entities
shared confidential information with the media. Indeed, the record in
this case suggests that the government officers planned and executed the
search in a manner designed to enhance its entertainment, rather than
its law enforcement value, by engaging in, for example, conversations
with Mr. Berger for the purpose of providing interesting soundbites, and
to portray themselves as tough, yet caring investigators, rather than to
further their investigation.

---

PASSINGS:
RON TINDIGLIA

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Ron Tindiglia died
last Monday in a hospital in suburban
New York. A "giant" of local TV news
for decades, Tindiglia had been news
director of WABC-TV in New York at the
age of 29, general manager of KNXT-TV
in Los Angeles and WCBS-TV in New
York, and vice president of news
for the CBS o&o's. For the last
several years, Tindiglia headed his
own consulting company, working with
TV stations across the country as well
as with a number of nationally syndicated
reality shows.

[Ron was 51 years old. He died of lung
cancer.

[Ron's wasn't a name that many people on
the other side of the TV screen would
recognize. But he touched an enormous
number of lives within TV news with his
energy, with his vision, with his ideas,
and with his favorite adjective -- "giant."]
 

When I remember Ron Tindiglia I think of his contagious energy, his innovative genius and his love of our industry. I consider myself lucky to call Ron a friend and to have grown from his mentoring. He had such an incredible understanding of our business. Ron showed me how to tell stories, not report facts! He showed me how to identify a single central character and not fill a story with boring people. He had a wonderful ability to simplify the complex things we do each day in our newsroom. I will miss Ron.

Ron was always a positive energy. This past summer at the IRE conference in Phoenix, he sat me down and in a wonderful fatherly way gave me a much- deserved lecture. Essentially, he said as you move from one newsroom to the next, it's important to remember the positive and forget the negative. It's advice I will never forget. I will miss Ron.

I lost a friend... our industry lost a "Giant"... but Ron Tindiglia's spirit, vision and energy will live with me, and with many, forever.

Tony Kovaleski
Investigative Reporter
KPRC-TV
TonyNEWS2@aol.com

---

PASSINGS:
PATRIC BROWN

Patric "Pat" Brown, an anchor, reporter, and news director in a number of markets, died earlier this month in New Iberia, Louisiana, after a two-year bout with cancer. He was 50, according to an obituary in the New Iberia (LA) "New Iberian" (http://www.iberianet.com/obits/97111001o.html).

Pat had been news director and anchor at KATC in Lafayette, LA, from 1989-91; news director at WAFF-TV in Huntsville, AL, from 87-89; news director at KTXS in Abilene, TX from 84-86; anchor and news director at KGMB in Honolulu, HI from 76-82; and a correspondent for WLS-TV in Chicago from 72-76.

---

THE SEARCH FOR THE
BEST SEARCH ENGINE

I was on the phone with Alan Schlein -- a great Internet researcher and a phenomenal newsroom trainer for online resources -- kicking around ideas and concepts. I figured I'd ask him his current favorite Internet search engine. (There are so many out there, with new ones coming online every day.) I fully expected Schlein to suggest one of the big ones -- AltaVista (http://altavista.digital.com/) or HotBot (http://www.hotbot.com) -- but true to form Alan mentioned one I'd never even heard of before: Northern Lights (http://www.nlsearch.com/).

The difference between Northern Lights and the other search engines is that NL contains links to some proprietary information. It calls this stuff its "Special Collections" -- meaning books, magazines, trade journals, and hundreds of other resources that aren't otherwise indexed or available on the Net -- and it offers access for a nominal per-document charge.

Let's take a hypothetical search. I decided to look for Schlein himself. I know Alan is the principle of the Schlein News Service in Washington, DC; I know he writes widely; and I know he operates DeadlineOnline, a division of the Schlein News Service that specializes in training newsrooms in how to search online more efficiently. Northern Light returned 59 hits on Alan's name, including one reference to a 1995 article in "Washington Afro American" magazine about a program Alan is involved in to acquaint reporters with the ins and outs of Washington reporting. The article from "Washington Afro American" is clickable and instantaneously available via Northern Light for $3, with a money-back guarantee is for any reason you're not satisfied.

The Northern Light interface is, in that great computer term, "intuitive," which means it's pretty easy to figure out what's going on without reading a lot of instructions. Besides the hits ranked by percentage relevance, there's a separate area called "Custom Folders" that groups the hits by type of WWW source (commercial site, organizational site, etc.) that can be pretty handy.

Schlein's own site -- which contains a good many helpful hints, insights, and tricks for better searching -- is at http://www.deadlineonline.com.

---

BUSINESS BEAT:
SHOULDN'T WESTINGHOUSE
KEEP ITS DAY JOB?

CBS will be back by December 1st. We allude here not to the shifting fortunes of a particular TV network, but rather to a Quotron symbol on the New York Stock Exchange. The Westinghouse Electric Corporation (http://www.westinghouse.com) has decided to sell off its industrial assets (like its power-generation company, which is going to German industrial giant A. G. Siemens), keep the broadcasting assets it purchased a couple years ago, and rename itself CBS Corporation (http://www.cbs.com).

It seems a circuitous path to get back to the same starting point, but perhaps Westinghouse CEO Michael Jordan and the Board of Directors know something that got past the rest of us.

Investors took the news calmly, with the stock dropping something more than 60 cents a share in trading Friday, 11/14/97. Viewers took the news about the same way they've been taking CBS programming lately. (Prime-time ratings for CBS have been weak throughout the November book, with the network failing to ignite from the spark it showed last May.)

---

WORKING BACKWARDS:
A NEW ONLINE
REVERSE DIRECTORY

Reverse telephone directories -- where you enter a number or an address and get back a corresponding name or phone number in return -- have long been assignment desk institutions. But online versions of the ol' "backward books" have had a checkered history online -- with many groups claiming that making the information available to so many people is really an invasion of personal privacy.

There's a new one online these days at http://www.infospace.com, provided by InfoSpace of Redmond, Washington. Actually, InfoSpace has quite a few helpful directories -- things like reverse area code finders, which -- with AC's changing all the time -- is extremely helpful for well-worn memory circuits like my own.

The reverse directory seems fairly accurate. I ran as a test "all the usual suspects"... my own phone number, my parents' phone number, etc. It doesn't seem to give anything away. If there's no address listed in the regular old phone directory, InfoSpace returns a name and a city and state (without a street number).

No telling how long it'll remain up on the Web before "privacy" complaints cause it to come crashing down.

---

MAKING SENSE OF STATS

What's the difference between "median" and "mean"? If you slow the rate of increase, is it really a decrease? Having trouble remembering if a standard deviation is a concept you need to understand, or just a way of describing the average social deviant?

Help is a click away... at "Statistics Every Writer Should Know," a handy web page posted by Robert Niles at http://nilesonline.com/stats/. Besides being the webmaster for the "Rocky Mountain News" in Denver, Niles has a background in statistics -- degrees (at least according to his online resume) from Northwestern University in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS) and Political Science.

Niles' descriptions of some basic statistical concepts -- the kinds of things that come up every day in wire copy, news releases, and pronouncements from politicos who'd like to snow us with seemingly advanced calculations -- are in everyday, easy-to-understand English.

---

SLANG TERMS OF THE WIRED WORLD:
THERE'S HOPE FOR US YET

Stumped by some especially strange words used in the computer world? Not in your dictionary? There's some hope... at a website put together by University of Amsterdam math and computer science staffer Arjan de Mes. The site -- at http://www.wins.uva.nl/~mes/jargon/ -- is a compendium of computer terms, clearly defined, with probable derivations for each word. Where does "kluge" -- as in, "How'd you ever 'kluge' this thing together?" -- come from. Mes puts forth a plausible explanation. What's it mean? With the care of a philologist, Mes explains the terms... and the varying shades of meaning that might come with different inflections.

---

LETTERS FROM AFAR:
THE "STARRY-EYED"

I had to chuckle at Dave Linder's tale in the last issue of "The Desk" of a news director bemoaning the lack of male job applicants. I saw the same thing two years ago when I was acting news director at KADY-TV in Oxnard, CA. I was trying to hire a replacement for my male anchor, and 90 percent of the resumes I got were from young women!

That's not what really got me about these applicants, though. Some of them were already working as producers or associate producers, but thought they really belonged in front of the camera.

I wish I could beat it into the heads of the Starry-Eyed that they're not being insulted when they're advised to stick with producing. They're being tapped for future greatness. The producers of today are the news directors of tomorrow.

Gina Diamante
NewsMaker Systems
gina@nen.NMAKER.COM

---

MANAGING THIS MESS:
BRANDED, SCORNED IS THE STATION THAT RAN
by Gary Kanofsky
kanofsky@total.net

What exactly does the word "branding" mean to you? No, no, not the kind of action you might see on a cattle farm. I'm thinkin' Procter & Gamble branding, Folger's Coffee branding.

Read a trade paper lately? It is hard to get away from "branding" talk. Every GM, it seems, is concerned all of a sudden about branding. Small wonder. The proliferation of channel choices makes the once-mighty local station less omnipresent. Channel surfing is widespread - not just the fleet-fingered young are doing it, everyone's doing it. Even my grandmother surfs.

Speaking of Grandma: When I was a kid, I'd visit my grandparents' house to watch the hockey game on Saturday night (they had the only color tv in the extended family). I'd pick up some deli, head over, and then pick up some mighty interesting lingo. It soon became very clear to me that Grandma and Granddad weren't watching "CFCF," they were watching "Channel 12."

Years later, I'd call my mom up to tell her to put on an especially good show - something I had produced. She'd say "What channel is it on?" - and, proudly, I'd say, "Mom, it's on KNBC". Silence. "Channel 4, Mom!" "Okay, got it."

Fact is, most people don't pay attention to call letters or fancy monikers. My wife doesn't say, "Is that on CBS2?" I've tried to educate her. Lord knows, I've tried. Hey, her hubby works in the "biz." But I can't. Old habits die hard, and my wife, my mom, my grandma - they all insist on saying "Channel 4" or "Channel 12" or "Channel (whatever)".

There's something fascinating about that, too. We recently had a major channel realignment on our cable system, the kind of thing broadcasters nationwide are dreading with the imminent digital spectrum changes. Know what? Almost overnight, my wife STILL wanted to know "what channel" NBC was on. But what she said is, "Where is Channel 16 now?" It was no big deal to her that it switched from 16 to 23, but damned if she still doesn't care about call letters. To her, now, it is simply Channel 23.

I would have thought the "marketing wizards" would have noticed this long ago. But no, through the years, they've tried over and over and over again to redefine their station names. News 4 becomes News 4 LA becomes Channel 4 becomes Channel 4 News becomes KNBC-4 becomes NBC 4. The geniuses at the Big Three have pulled off a great move in Los Angeles - where the affiliates are now ABC7, CBS2 and NBC4. Yeah, that's brilliant branding all right! That would be like Maxwell House and Nescafe changing their brand names to Folgrams and Folmans.

The only bigger boob is the guy who wrongly deduced that you could call a channel "News Channel 5" - when they put on a whopping 2 hours of news daily. Yep, 8.5% of a broadcast lineup sure warrants calling your station a "News Channel." The good news is the audience is smarter, and guess what, they're turned off. When they want "News Channel", they look for CNN.

Years ago, shortly after Tom Capra took over as news director at KNBC Los Angeles, a newspaper writer asked him what his strategy was going to be. Tom, with alarming simplicity, said, "We're going to cover the news better than everyone else".

THAT is one hell of a branding strategy! Think about it. Why not create a superior product and stick with it for, like, ever? Name and all. Think of companies like Rolls-Royce, Hewlett-Packard, SubZero. Quality companies, tremendous QUALITY brand identity. And no name switching. And then, think of International Harvester. Years later, the public still doesn't have a damn clue who or what Navistar is - no matter how good the product may be.

To be the best at "branding" in your local market means creating a superior product which reflects your total comprehension of the viewers' needs and making sure that they know about it - by way of consistent, solid marketing. Do the hard work, put forth a superlative product, keep the name straight and your station will eventually enjoy a SubZero-like brand identity and viewership, instead of enjoying substandard ratings.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Gary Kanofsky is a veteran
news producer and production executive based
in Montreal and Los Angeles. He spent 11 years at NBC
Burbank, the last 5 as Entertainment Producer for the
o&o, KNBC. Most recently, he served as Director
of Production for CFCF-TV in Montreal.]

---

TROGTALK:
THE LENS NEVER LIES
by Dave Linder
dlinder@lvnexus.net

It occurred to me that the photo that was recently published in the Las Vegas "Sun" of yr hmbl svt hunkered down with a Betacam taping a guide dog who was thrusting his nose into my lens

[see the following URL, which is
so long you won't be able to click
the mouse to get to it but will
instead have to use the "copy"
command to paste it into your browser:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-gov_cut/1997/oct/30/c00002193.html)

means my career (checkered as it has been) has come full circle.

I remember my VERY FIRST assignment as KXLY's new-kid-on-the-block photographer (videographer was YEARS away) in Spokane nearly 31 years to the day. The assignment: get some film of the beautification project going on down by the Washington Water Power building. "OK," I thought, "this is it! I am really going to get paid for this!" So, I go down to the site, and see a couple of Public Works wonks planting trees along a median.

OK, I take a light meter reading using the battered old Sekonic. Something like f11, so I set up the two lenses on the Bell and Howell (which had room for three, but our boss could teach Ebenezer Scrooge fiscal responsibility) for f11 and begin filming. I remember the things I learned in college just a few months ago -- Establish, Closeup, Action, Completion, with plenty of cutaways. Cutaways -- hmm, what could I use? It's a fairly quiet street, and the only thing happening is the two guys planting trees.

Hmm... I look around. And, at that moment a flash of divine intervention, an actual inspiration -- I spy a scruffy mutt walking down the sidewalk. I set the 50mm lens (telephoto in those days) on the dog as he walks up on the row of newly planted trees... could he? would he? Naaah, no such luck for this kid -- he didn't pee on the tree. But, because he didn't, I got another bit of inspiration.

Back at the station, I processed the film (Black and White Negative) under the watchful eye of the chief photographer Dave Mann (who taught me more about film than a University full of Professors), then wrote the 45-second voiceover script with all the requisite factoids. The film showed the usual Wide Establish, Tight shot of digging, tree being inserted into hole, etc. The dog appeared every other scene or so, looking more and more interested in the doings than it really was (I suppose), but the juxtaposition of tree and dog made for a cute sight gag that was totally not referenced in the script.

After the piece aired on the 5 o'clock show, the phone rang. It was the news director/anchor's wife, who was rolling in laughter at the sight gag. She got it. I assume other viewers did, too, but She Got It and Liked It! And, I started a career that would take me to all corners of the Western U.S. and Asia... with the firm adage implanted in my mind -- You can't go wrong with "Tits, Tots, Pets and Vets"-- the formula for teevee news in the 60s and still viable in the 90s. Except the "tits" aren't necessarily clad in one-piece swimsuits (Miss America for, instance), the "Tots" are too often victims (JonBenet Ramsey), the "Pets" haven't changed much, and the "Vets" represent a thankfully rare breed, as Desert Storm recedes back into foggy memory that covers up recall of Viet Nam and (f'sure) WWs II and I.

But, the animals will always touch our hearts. Like a loyal puppy or cuddly kitten, they only expect love and a meal on a regular basis. They also can inspire a wet-behind-the-ears college kid to use his imagination to lift the mundane up to the meaningless or trivial, or on occasion, beyond.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:
Dave Linder is about the only one
who can remember not only every TV
station he worked for in three decades
in the news business, but the name of
every news director as well.

His use of certain vernacular terms no longer
appropriate in newsrooms, and still not
appropriate on television, is duly
noted. The term is allowed to stand
in the text here because it is historically
accurate, not because it's still appropriate.]

---

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE:
A BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY OF SORTS
By Alisha Ryu

Two weeks ago, I was in Jerusalem... stuck in the worst traffic jam I've ever seen. The hilly road leading up to West Jerusalem was a virtual parking lot and fuses were burning short. I rolled down the window and asked an Israeli man in the car next to me what the problem was. He answered (in a perfect New York accent, I might add), "Oh, it's Dennis Ross again. Who else could screw up traffic this badly... and for what??"

American shuttle diplomacy at work once again... and more people felt put out by it than grateful. Could it be because Ross' umpteenth meetings with Netanyahu and Arafat, once again, produced the usual "frank" discussions with little else to show for it except massive street chaos? Although his visits are always the lead story on every Israeli and Palestinian TV news program and in every newspaper, you get the distinct impression that everyone is bored silly by the monotony of it all... and very pessimistic that anything positive can come out of it. They appear to have a good reason for the pessimism.

Near the Western Wall (the remnant of the Second Temple destroyed by the Romans and better known as the "Wailing Wall"), big Caterpillars were at work, busily tearing up the ground. Next to me, a Hassidic man explained to his young son that if all goes well, this would be the site of the Third Temple. He looked at me, pointed at the construction site, and gave me a big smile. He said he prayed to see the temple completed. It was his dream to see that happen.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian shopkeeper on Via Dolorosa was fuming. He stood outside his antique shop, scowling at the heavily armed Israeli soldiers patrolling nearby. When I passed by, he pulled me into his shop and insisted that I visit with him for a few minutes. As we sat on the Moroccan-style cushions drinking muddy Arabic coffee, he went into a tirade. "Do you see what the Israelis are doing over by the Western Wall??" he shouted. "They are encroaching on the Dome of the Rock, the holiest of all holy places for Islam and they don't care! You're an American journalist. Why don't you ever report the facts about what is going on in Jerusalem instead of blaming everything on the Palestinians???" And then, he said something which sent a shiver down my back. He said, "Well, the Jews will never see their Third Temple built because it will be over our dead bodies. If you think the Intifada in '88 was bad, just you wait!"

Outside the shop, Christians were making silent Stations of the Cross pilgrimages down Via Dolorosa. But some couldn't help screaming, "Jesus loves you!" and exchanging heated words with both Jews and Palestinians as they walked past each other.

As I watched, I sipped my coffee and shook my head at the madness that is Jerusalem. Poor Dennis Ross... he's got his work cut out for him.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:
Alisha Ryu is now on her way back stateside.
For the last several years, she has been a
journalist overseas -- first as a reporter for
CNBC/Asia in Hong Kong, and then as a producer
and English-language reporter for the German
TV network ZDF in the Nairobi bureau.]

TOM SIDES, former assistant news director at WJBK (Detroit) joins KTVX in Salt Lake City as news director.

ROB MANNING heads north next month from WEAR in Pensacola to join the reporting staff at WTVF in Nashville.

BETSY NOLEN joins WJCL Savannah, Georgia, as Criminal Justice reporter after serving five years in a similar role with WOLO- TV in Columbia, South Carolina.

ABC News London correspondent LINDA PATILLO will join CNN Dec. 1, the cable network announced this week. Patillo will be based at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. (NY Post)

SAMARA SODOS moves from 10pm producer at WFXR-TV in Roanoke, VA to General Assignment Reporter at WSLS-TV the NBC affiliate in Roanoke, VA.

CHARLEY JOHNSON, news director/anchor, named General Manager at KVLY-TV, Fargo/Grand Forks, ND. TOM MOLITIR, managing editor, and ROBIN HEUBER, anchor, named News Director and Assistant News Director, respectively.

PETER R. SPECIALE. has been named News Director of WKBN-TV, the CBS affiliate in Youngstown, Ohio. He moves from Senior News Producer, of WOIO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Cleveland, Oh.

GARY HARPER joins KTVK Phoenix as reporter, from reporter, WZZM Grand Rapids

REPORTERS (2) & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER (KNTV - SAN JOSE, CA)
KNTV-TV, the ABC affiliate in San Jose/Silicon Valley, is looking for a solid Executive News Producer. We're looking for a great writer and copy editor. Someone who's creative and innovative, besides being a solid journalist and excellent "people person". This position is open as of January 1. Send resume and news philosphy to: Terry McElhatton, News Director, KNTV-TV, 645 Park Avenue, Sam Jose, CA. 95110. terrym@kntv.com KNTV also has immediate openings for both a dayside and nightside reporter (2 positions). Experienced and aggressive journalists, who are great storytellers and strong on live shots. No beginners!

FREELANCE NEWSROOM INSTRUCTOR (AVID TECHNOLOGY, INC.)
Avid Technology, Inc. Tewksbury, MA What is Avid Technology? We are the developer and manufacturer of software and hardware systems used primarily in the film and television industry. Products include film and television editing systems and broadcast editing, digital news gathering and newsroom systems. Position: Avid Certified Instructor- Newsroom Systems. Terms: Freelance Description: Are you a whiz on the newsroom computer system and would you love to share your knowledge? Does the freedom of freelance work and the excitement of travel appeal to you? Then you may be the person Avid Technology, Inc. is looking for to train broadcast storytellers on our next generation of newsroom software. Experience: 2.5 years or more broadcast newsroom experience is necessary, as well as excellent interpersonal skills and a strong interest in education. We will train qualified individuals on our newest state-of-the-art newsroom software, so you can instruct broadcast professionals in its' use. Contact: If this sounds interesting please Email your name, telephone number and contact information to: James Rowe, Manager Newsroom Education Services, Avid Technology, Inc. james_rowe@avid.com.

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER (KELO - Sioux Falls, SD)
Excellent opportunity for recent or soon-to-be graduate looking to start at a great station. We need a journalist who wants to do it all ... news, weather, sports, write, report, shoot and edit. Position is in our Aberdeen, SD bureau. You must have a clean driving record, the ability to lift and carry Beta gear, a positive attitude and a desire to make each story better than the last one. EOE. To apply for either job, send tape and resume (no calls) by November 30 to: Mark Millage, News Director KELO-LAND TV, 501 S. Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57104

REPORTERS (2) (KTUU - Anchorage, AK)
Alaska's #1 News Team is growing again! We're adding a new morning newscast starting January 5, and are looking for applicants for the following positions: 2 REPORTERS: Two years of experience required. We want story- tellers, not cookie-cutters. Must be a good writer, creative thinker, and have the poise to craft solid live shots. One of these positions will be filled by our new Weekend Anchor/Reporter, so anchoring experience is a plus. KTUU offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and the chance to travel. RUSH non-returnable tapes (3/4, Beta SP, or VHS) and resumes to: John Tracy (for anchor/reporter and producer openings) KTUU-TV 701 E. Tudor Road, Suite 220 Anchorage, Alaska 99503 No phone calls, please EOE.

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER (KRCG - Jefferson City, MO)
Mid-Missouri's top rated news station has a reporter opening. This job isn't for everyone. We're looking for someone who wants to make a difference. Can you come to work every day with ideas and not rely on the desk? Are you willing to get involved in the community? Do you understand the production techniques that make for compelling television? If so, we want to see your tape. Your tape must demonstrate your ability to shoot and edit or it won't be considered. 1 year experience preferred, but we will consider beginners. Rush tape, resume and cover letter to: Al Zobel, News Director, KRCG-TV, P.O. Box 659, Jefferson City, MO 65109. Your phone calls are welcome!

REPORTER (KREX-TV - Grand Junction, CO)
On Colorado's beautiful Western Slope, is looking for an almost-entry level reporter to join our small, young and enthusiastic staff. We're looking for a person with some writing, shooting and editing experience who wants to learn and get better. You may also be doing some anchor and weather presentation work. Send tape and resume to Harvie Nachlinger, News Director, KREX-TV, 345 Hillcrest, Grand Junction, Colorado, 80502. Women and minorities encouraged to apply. No phone calls.

WEEKEND ANCHOR/REPORTER (KDRV - Medford, OR)
Southern Oregon's news leader has an immediate opening for a reporter/weekend anchor. We need an enterprising storyteller who can shoot, write and edit. On weekends, you'll team with our veteran female coanchor for our 6:00 p.m. newscast. Previous applicants need not re-apply. Rush cover letter, resume and VHS tape to Mark J. Hatfield, News Manager, KDRV-TV, 1090 Knutson Ave., Medford, OR 97504. No phone calls. EOE. Pre-employment drug screen required.

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER (WVEC - Norfolk, VA)
The A. H. Belo station in Norfolk, Virginia has an immediate opening for a general assignment reporter. If you're the best journalist in your shop and are looking for the coaching to be even better, WVEC-TV wants to see your work. We're in the market for someone with strong investigative and enterprise skills. Our reporters focus on human story telling and work with some of the best photojournalists in the business. If you have more than two years of experience and a college degree, send a resume and non-returnable VHS tape to: Human Resources, WVEC-TV, 613 Woodis Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23510. No phone calls, please. EOE

SEGMENT PRODUCER/REPORTER (KVIE - Sacramento, CA)
Central Valley Chronicles, a PBS magazine show about the Central Valley is seeking a full-time segment producer/reporter to produce weekly segments. Must be a self-starter and know the issues and people of the Central Valley. At least 2 years experience as a producer/reporter is required. Please send resume and tape to: KVIE Debby Everett Executive Producer 2595 Capitol Oaks Drive Sacramento, CA 95833. Absolutely no phone calls!

ASSIGNMENT EDITOR (WMAQ - Chicago, IL)
NBC News Channel 5 in Chicago has an immediate need for an Assignment Editor. This position is responsible for news gathering efforts by developing sources and contacts, and for contributing story and sweeps ideas. Responsibilities include executing major story coverage, developing and implementing the tactical and strategic plans for such coverage. Will handle the daily assignment and coordination of MiniCam crews, reporters, and field producers. Will work with Scheduling Supervisor to assure adequate MiniCam personnel on call while managing the budgetary goals for overtime. Must keep in constant communication with Newsroom management team. Will also handle Assignment Desk phones. This position requires 3-5 years in assignment editing or related News field, and applicants must be able to demonstrate sound news judgment. Must have the ability to manage MiniCam and satellite delivery systems and possess computer skills, with BASYS knowledge preferred. Excellent people and organizational skills are necessary, along with the ability to make instant decisions in pressure situations and handle a variety of projects and deadlines at once. Resumes and a cover letter referring to Job # STAE should be sent to NBC Employee Relations; 454 N. Columbus Drive; Chicago, IL 60611. EOE

ASSIGNMENT EDITOR (KPLR - St. Louis, MO)
We need an aggressive, well-organized dayside assignment editor. You'll be in charge of the desk. The person who gets this job can dig-out good stories from all kinds of sources, hear everything on the scanners, know the community, and work well with reporters and photographers to get the most out of them. We're looking to fill this position quickly. Send resume and references to Department G, KPLR - TV, 4935 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis MO 63108.

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER (WHBQ - Memphis, TN)
WHBQ, Fox O/O in Memphis, TN seeks an enthusiastic and aggressive reporter for daily news coverage. Must be creative storyteller with strong camera presence (in-studio and live shots). We're looking for someone who wants to be A-1 everyday. Proven journalist skills a must. Responsible for making news contacts, enterprising story ideas, concise writing and active story follow-ups. 3 years GA reporting experience. No phone calls. E.O.E. Send your news philosophy, resume and non-returnable tape to: Rochelle Brookson, News Director. WHBQ-TV 485 S. Highland. Memphis, TN 38111.
 

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