Burning down the newsroom
A screwy heating system set off fire alarms at WNEP this weekend. I was going to make a joke about station rivalry, but screw it, I'm tired.
posted by Howard Beale at 12:42 AM
One person's uncensored look at the news in northeast and central Pennsylvania
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posted by Howard Beale at 12:42 AM
7 Comments:
I was working at a radio station (COL Bridgeport CT, located in Fairfield CT) in the Exide Battery Company complex; we rented the second floor of the administrative wing. One day, I heard our outrageous Asst ND doing the news and he mentioned a fire at 2190 Post Road in Fairfield. "Gee," I said to myself, "that's the station's address. Our building is on fire." And Gonzo the Magnificent is going to report it, even if it's the last thing he does. Fortunately, it was limited to some other part and not to the station.
Here's where it involves our NEPA Howard Beale: This Gonzo guy was so much like the fellow in "Network" who manipulated Peter Finch's "HB" that when I saw the movie I was ready to swear on any amount of Bibles that they modeled the character after him.
My guy "retired" from CBS not long ago, having moved into engineering, when they unceremoniously got rid of a lot of old timers.
I recently interned at an ABC affiliate way up north, and the news director told me of how a few years back the station, tower, and sat. dishes were all damaged by a tornado. The tower was heavily damaged, the dishes were nearly bent inside out, and the building was heavily damaged. Their larger sister station sent down their sat truck and ran the operation out of that for several days. After I saw a picture of the studio prior to the storm, I realized how much bigger it was, and when they rebuilt it wasn't as large. Im glad nothing was destroyed at WNEP. It's slightly humerous, but still, at leats no one got hurt.
I think it's very funny that the other station---22 and 28---didn't cover this. They must have heard it called out on the scanner. Why didn't they send a photog for --at least--a VO???
I can tell you why Channel 50 didnt' send a photographer. They missed the story altogether. Most likely the "assignment editor" was too busy watching sports on TV instead of listening to the scanners. That's what you get when Nexstar hires cheap help.
according to an insider, 22 and 28 heard it, and chuckled for half an hour listening to it on the scanner. when there was no report of flames, they chose not to go. the insider did say there was a bit of a debate in the newsroom. i'm glad they didn't go. a heating system malfunction causing some smoke at a rival station is not a story. i can only imagine how people would rip them if they DID report it.
>>>A heating system malfunction causing some smoke at a rival station is not a story. I can only imagine how people would rip them if they DID report it.<<<
I think it can be done, with humor and no harm.
"Our friends over at WNEP didn't need to travel far for their own big story today ... a heating system malfunction at the studio caused some smoke and fire alarms, but no fire and no injuries. We know they get all fired up about their work, but don't take it too far; we may be competitors, but we're also friends."
The stations in this area will cover each other if there's a big story, i.e. Keith Martin's nomination for state homeland security secretary, Jeff Holloway's child porn bust, and Jim Renick's child porn bust.
(What is it with child porn and news employees?)
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