I started to blog about this recent rash of Smash and Grab robberies and these annoying Blue Jean Bandits, but it quickly turned into more of a rant than a blog. So, in an effort to bring my blood pressure back into an acceptable range, I thought I would answer a few questions I’m often asked.
“Is the news recorded?” Nope … It’s all live all the time.
“When do you get to work?” 2:30 in the afternoon.
“Do you guys go home between shows?” No.
“Who does your makeup?” Sad but true … We do it ourselves. I consider myself a pretty ‘manly’ guy, but I can put on my makeup and be ready to get in front on the camera in less than five minutes.
“Do you write a lot of the stories yourself?” The vast majority of the stories in our newscasts are written by talented people you never see on television. They are the producers and writers. But it is extremely rare that you will ever hear a story I’m telling you that I haven’t tweaked in some form or fashion. On occasion I might re-write a story in its entirety. The same holds true for my co-anchor. We need to be able to read the story in our respective ‘voices’. I also see it this way: If someone else took the time to write it, then I should take the time to read it before it goes on air. It’s also my responsibility to correct any grammatical or factual errors before it gets on the air. To complain about it after-the-fact is too late.
‘What do you guys talk about during the commercial breaks?’ The conversations can be about virtually anything. We talk about stories that just aired or are about to air. We say all the things we wish we could say on the air, but can’t. Mind you … We have to be very careful because with the push of a button, every word we say might end up on the air. Nothing is off limits during our conversations. It ranges from busting the chops of a member of the floor crew in the studio to a serious exchange of political views.
We often joke that if viewers were able to hear just half the stuff we say during commercial breaks we’d have the highest ratings of any TV station on the planet! And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the sense of humor that’s pervasive in a television news environment. There’s always something to laugh about … sometimes to the point of tears. There have been more than a few times I’ve been laughing so hard I’ve had to wipe tears from my eyes seconds before we returned from a commercial break. Humor is a very necessary commodity in this business which is filled with far too many negative things.
If you have a question or comment about my blogs or a story we aired, please feel free to leave your comment here or email me at bill.gaines@cbs46.com.
