New stuff, and a funny story

DMA's, station gossip...lot's o new stuff

so originally when I was going to post this it was right when the DMA's shifted...H'vill stayed steady in the early 80's.

Other news our morning and midday anchor is leaving, weekend sports guy is leaving.

Justing anchored the soon to be gone 4pm show today and yesterday...didn't see it today but he did awesome on Tuesday.

Story Time:
Demeaning the station? not purposely..this was just too funny not to tell. So the mast on our live unit #42 takes a FREAKING long time to get up (haha, immature but needs some viagra?). Tuesday at the courthouse it took a full hour and half to raise, WHAT?! it worked about half up for the 5 SOMEHOW and by 6 we had an even better signal...by the time we were done it had finally reached the top, nice. Try 2 for the 10pm took it a little less, a full hour.
After editing today, this once agian was the only truck availible, it was 25 minutes out as we headed down the mountain. At 15 out (of the 10pm) I started raising. As Justing was pulling out camera and tripod, I dumbfounded him by jumping on TOP of the van and manually PULLING the mast up. As he stood looking up mouth open saying "I didn't know you could do that"..I can't help but thinking I didn't either, but it was worth a shot right? How else was it going to get to hieght?
By darned, I didn't miss my shot..by 2 out we were set up and established.
:)

A $#!TTY Day

Let's see, how did the day go?

A (pardon my French) shitty experience...so there was a septic tank trunk with crap it (literally) that crashed and spilled all over the place.

Then we (Justin and I) went to a family that found 5 mules in their yard the other morning and want the rightful owners to come pick them up. So there were ass jokes o plenty...like "Coverage your ass can count on"

Wow so there was shit and a couple of asses and..well a circus of a day really

the 3-1 gang sign

If half the people that throw us the 3-1 watched us...well that's actually the problem I guess, only half of them do.

Election day for the city. All incumbants won. If you can ever get into local government and don't screw up..you're pretty much good, that's my theory.

EXCLUSIVE!!

The week continues to redeem from last week. I was out shooting school busses, as in cheese wagons (yea fun right?), and got a call that we're going to Athens for an exclusive!!
This teacher that was fired for showing politically one-sided and heated materials to his students decided that he'd give us a day's advance on the other two stations...how cool!?

He told his story, he believes that he's being crusified for receiving some funny political cartoons via email...that other teachers had set to him or received, fowared by him. School's agrument, he showed students.

"Great use of technology," was the phase I heard from our main male anchor. Becasue we didn't know how long the interview was going to last our news director suggested we take a camera phone pic and send it back so that we could show something on the 5 and 6. I did that and then questioning the resolution (640x480) on my phone took a couple with my handy dandy Nikon (4mp) and emailed those back as well. Aparently that pic on my LG worked wonders and they used the other 2 pics that I sent as well.

Yea for exclusives, yea for thinking up some interesting ways of doing things, and yea for a good start to a week

Eegy squeegee

after such a not good week for me I had a very easy day Sunday. Collected a total of 2 VOs with an attempt at a 3rd.
Ate dinner with some of the guys
Then I remeixed some video that I pulled.

Well see what today brings. I think Justin is back from his trip so I should be back with him today.

augh

thank goodness this week is over...augh...augh..augh

The show kicked butt, no lie...but I didn't have fun from the field. I have let my feelings known and we've discussed the issues, let's just leave it at that.

I hate Ramsey. I hated the soap opera coverage she got after she died and I hate the soap opera catching her "maybe" killer has become and only more because there are ties to North Alabama...gah.

A much needed weekend coming!

Too much work

I've worked a whole extra day so far this week...dang

Justin gone to his conference...making things a little different

I worked a 11-8 today...HATE it...give me either day or night side but not b/w. One more tomorrow and then that'll be done.

Rumors of sale...that same group apparently has been surveying our parking lot, looking through time sheets, and had EPA out to make sure that in the 70's and pre the station disposed of it's film processing chems correctly...

Tired, may not have time to swim tomorrow morning..AGAIN this week, and well bed time.

Um me = 3 people

so today I was 3 people..well kind of...so the two dayside photogs called in sick..so I worked like 12 hours...being THE photog of the day...yes THE only photog working today at our station...gah..

I was done by 5:30 and by six I was about ready to flip..then I got to eat and it was ok...and I could finish up

Early again tomorrow...Justin needs to be gone for a conference he's going to...so we're working 11-8 tomorrow...and then without a reporter the rest of the week nightside...dang

That's Rich

One question, why did you let it get this bad?!?
Off of Yahoo from AP: "BP Says Oil Production May Be Closed for Months As It Works to Replace 16 Miles of Pipeline"
NICE, maybe THIS is why the colonies couldn't stand the British rule :)
Thank you for costing us MORE money oil compnies

Now off of my soapbox of the day
Today was chilling at first, then a trip to Guntersville (SUCH a beautiful place, I could see myself living there one day). The police dept. was giving out two purple hearts (btw not near as good lookin as the US purple hearts for the military).
I digress. This one officer got shot during a routine traffic stop when he realized the guy in the back had a warrent out for arrest.
The other given out was a retired officer who was paralized many years ago and one of his friends described it as "13 years too late."
I could see that I might be not so happy to recieve it 13 years AFTER I was paralized by the bullet...

Actually a Busy Sunday

Dad came to town, and we had a nice visit. We roamed around and ended up exploring some of Cullman County: a covered bridge, a Civil War Museum (Crooked Creek), and the Ava Maria Grotto. All were just as interesting.

Today we started out with tax free story ended up doing a death (from yesterday) and a drowning from today, at a State Park past Decatur. So we were kept busy to say the least. I will now get rest to prepare for a tomorrow.

Crazy Times in The Rocket City Broadcast News Arena

WOW so yesterday we, WAAY 31 had our general manager resign. (the owners said, basically, screw the 2 weeks peace out yo). Peter is moving to Illinois (2 markets up). I can't say that noone didn't see this. A new owner keeping the old GM? iffy at best.

Apparently WAFF 48 lost thier GM too (30 minutes before we did). I think I heard that he went to Memphis (don't quote me on that). Just a normal moving on up to the east side type deal there I suppose.

the only station to actualy gain a key figure is WHNT 19. They finally decided on a new News Director, I hear from Montgomery. So Nancy (the interim, from ATL?) can go back home. Probably means that the newsroom will take on a slightly different tone and a more stable atmosphere as far as that goes.

Honestly not much to say outside of that. We made up news today because there was nothing going on. Some report came in that the SWAT teams use of deadly force a month a ago was within guidlines. and it was hot...we rolled with that (5&6 and 10 repsectively)

I guess interesting is the fact that ... <_< ^_^ >_> (shhh) calkins media is spending the next couple days with us...new owners? It would be good for this station...they turned around a dying Sinclair in Florida and made it a winner...so there is hope!

That is all

Station Sell by the Seashore

Sooooo found out stations that I know people at (former media general's) in chatt and B-ham are finally sold.

The word is that there are more station visits at WAAY this week from a narrowed list of possible buyers (one of which is a big newspaper co. that currently ownes 3 stations one of which was a turnaround one (was crap now really good)...so that is hopeful.

The story today was about a lady whose son was killed in a hit and run exactly 6 months ago. Interestingly enough he was retarted, 19 so on his own, staying at a hotel, crossed (or tred to rather) like 10 (actually at that point it might be 12) lanes of traffic!!! on the parkway to get to a gas station for booze and smokes...how someboday knows what he was going to buy is one on me but that's what the word is.

So we was standing out there advocating justice AND for people not to cross that many lanes of traffic! Right in 48's backyard so of coure they have the best stuff on it, but I think we did the story justice