[BC] Making "Breaking News" Happen

[Xen Scott]

At 12:16 PM 12/27/2006 -0500, Robert Meuser wrote:
>Think about this. It is more than having a camera ready reporter 
>available. You also need at a minimum one video technician, a camera 
>man at least one  (probably two) audio people, a lighting director, 
>an electrician, a producer, a director, an AD and possibly some 
>graphics people. That is a big staff to carry for no planned show. 
>Would you pay 12 or more people the appropriate salary to sit around 
>all night doing nothing?  Then double that for the two shifts needed.

Actually, with modern technology and current union contract language,
it doesn't take that many people to put a basic news report on the air.

ABC News/Wash maintains a hot control room 24/7 with a Producer,
Director/AD, audio and a Technical Director.  The single "flash camera"
is un-staffed and hot all the time.  Lights are a wall switch.  Talent
puts on their own mike and IFB.  Minimal graphics can be called up
by the Tech. Dir. from storage in the control room switcher.  Additionally,
there are usually enough people in the building working on regularly
scheduled shifts 24/7 to expand the on-air coverage by reassigning
them from their normal duties to Special Event coverage.

ABC Master Control in New York is staffed 24/7 and can control remote
locations in Washington and probably elsewhere.

Early Saturday morning is the only time when staffing is minimal, but
it's still enough to get on the air with live coverage until more
people can be called in.

Xen Scott
(formerly ABC News/Wash, now retired)