A Glossary of Newsroom Jargon

[Randy Steinman]

The recent thread about A-roll and B-roll inspired me to search for this. One of our veteran directors had e-mailed it to me about a year ago.

A great list. If you've been around long enough, you've probably used/heard most of these. (My longtime favorite is still, "foam the runways".)

I see that even David Busse has contributed to this. If anyone would like to add any more, feel free.

RPS

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NEWSROOM JARGON
By Various Contributors

The addition of several terms to the Newsroom Jargon list in recent weeks has inspired the editors to move it to its own page. The list of terms is intended to help new producers.

NOTE: Here's a list (http://www.scripps.ohiou.edu/producer/thebook/chapter9.htm) of less flattering TV news phrases heard on the air.

100s, 200s, 300s: Stories in the first, second and third blocks of a newscast.

15 minutes: How long assignment editors think it takes to get from one story location to another, regardless of what the map might indicate. Often used in conjunction with the term "just swing by." (Robert Carver)

A-Close: The last story in the first block ( or "A" block ). It can be like a kicker, or it can be sad, but it should make the viewers think or feel something.

AAA: Called "triple-A" man on the street interviews; "ask any a**hole." (Victoria Deaton)

Abortion: When everything is going wrong during the newscast, i.e. remote lives crashing, prompter going down, stories not making slot, misc. other producing horrors, someone will usually say, "There are picketers outside the station right now." That's because we call that situation an abortion. (Anonymous)

Anchor-pak: A package that's written usually by someone other than the anchor, but the anchor's voice is on it.

Anchorette: A derisive term for a female anchor who's attractive, but inexperienced. Used sparingly these days to avoid sexual harassment lawsuits. (Bruce Layman)

Assume the position: See Cluster F*** or Abortion.

B-roll: This term comes from the days of film when pictures were edited onto one reel and the sound was edited onto another reel. The picture reel was the B reel. Since in large markets reporter, photographer and editor skills were very good, there were also sometimes C-rolls, even D-rolls, so the director could dissolve his pictures from reel to reel, to indicate change of location or time change. The director assumed any reporter pakage was a synched B roll. He had to be notfied on the script of a "C" or "D" roll. (Al Volker)

BOPSA: "Bunch Of People Standing (and/or sitting) Around." Refers to the generic type of video often reaped from attending a meeting while working nightside. (Carver)

Back on: Anchor tag to a package or tag delivered from set after a live shot or newsroom hit. Hadn't heard this one till I hit Birmingham. (Volker)

Backgrounding: See Warm Props. What the people in the newsroom do, whether intentional or not, when they appear behind the set during a newscast. (Carver)

Back Time: Adding up the length of the show, starting at the end and working toward the begining. What we had to do manually before newsroom computers. I used a calender and a slide rule. (Jim Hurwitz)

Bag: See Block. As in, "The first bag's a little light; I need more news." According to one contributor, bag" is derived from "bag of ****," as in: "Is your first bag (of ****) long enough?" Apparently developed in L.A. or New York in the early 60's. (Volker)

Bat Phone: The direct line from the producer to the anchors when you want to talk 2-way instead of in the IFB. (AJana Calkins)

Big Board: The giant TV a reporter will do the standup tease in front of. Displays station logo, chart, poll, most often bulleted list.

Bird: A satellite used to relay TV signals.

Black Hole: The gap in your package that you forgot to fill with b-roll video. (Carver)

Block: Any segment of a newscast. Includes everything between the commercials. As in, "Your story is in the 3rd block at 6."

Bone Phone: An inelegant term used by a particular reporter to refer to the portable cell phone he wore on his belt. (Carver)

Brady Bunch: A video effect denoting team coverage featuring several boxes of liveshots and anchor talent reminicent of the opening credits of the sitcom.

Brick: Camera battery. (Deaton)

Budget: The editorial meeting with News Director, Porducers and Reporters. Before I became ND the producers divied-up the stories like a married couple decidling which bills get paid at the end of the month, hence: Budget. (Bill Evans)

Bullets: Usually at the end of the first block, weather and sports casters join the anchors on set to tease what's coming up. (Philip Sedlacek)

Cameos: These are alternating shots of the anchors, at the end of the show, or end of a segment as you go to break. They were usually run over credits and music, or to fill a little time at the end of the show. (Volker)

Chafe: To be teetering on the edge, whether because of time or other factors. "Are you chafing?" "No, it's under control." All purpose word. "Today's a real chafer." (Bill Hoel)

Clean Kill: Thats when a newscast goes very well, almost to the point of perfection. Term is used by a director who was a Marine sniper in Vietnam.

Cluster-buster: Content used to put separation between something else, either unavoidable back-to-back packages in a newscast or especially long commercial blocks.

Cluster F---: See Abortion, Pig-f---. Usually refers to a combination of events and people that combined to screw up a show, a story, a segment. (Volker)

Cold Open: The VO or SOT video that starts a newscast before going to the anchor at the desk. (Zack Millican)

Crash and Burn: What happens when nothing goes right and the newscast falls apart.

The Crunch: Slang for the most tense period prior to a show ... usually an hour or less. As in: "we're in the crunch." (Deaton)

Cucam: Another Birmingham term for a straight on shot of the anchor. This is director talk. Pronounced "Q-cam." (Volker)

Deer-in-the-headlights: The anchor has stopped communicating, but is still reading the teleprompter. Where is that darned commercial when you need it? (Larry Gillick)

Do It!!!: The term a director gives multiple commands to multiple people at the same time. Example: Take 4, Mic, Super Chyron, Roll VT 10 SOT. This happens when the news talent try to spice up the show after a bad ratings book! (Dave Slie)

Donut: A package used within a reporter's live shot.

Drive By: When a 'tog does little more than shoot a wide shot at some event. "We've got Drive By video of the mayor kissing a pig." (Richard Adkins)

Efforting: A verb in newsrooms, as in "I'm efforting that story and hope to have it for the 6." (Deaton)

Execution: Worthless reporter stand-up. "Stand 'em up and shoot 'em." (Adkins)

FFI Guys: A term for freelance cameramen who are so bad they are only to be called in extreme emergencies-Fires, Floods, Insurrection. (David R. Busse)

F.M.: A derogatory term the technical crew uses when producers ask for something technically impossible, or incredibly complex stuff beyond the capabilities of the crew. An abbreviation for "f--king magic."

Face Time: The amount of time each anchor gets in a show. When one person gets too many stories, the feathers start flying. (Layman)

Feeds: Services (networks) that supply copy and/or video over telephone lines and satellite.

File: Old saved video that's re-used.

Flak: Derisive term that is synonymous with Public Information Officer. (Carver)

Float: What happens to a videotape package that doesn't get finished in time for its scheduled airing (e.g., it "floats" until the producer can slip it in later that block or into the next block). Guaranteed to make producers upset.

Foam the Runways!: A warning from the producer to the director and crew just before the newscast begins, indicating that an abortion or crash and burn appears to be imminent!!

Franchise Piece: You Paid For it!, Southern New England's Most Wanted, Healthcast, Turn to 10, Scambusters, 12 On Your Side.

Gang Bang: A politically incorrect term that will not go away. It refers to pack journalism, or a situation where a large number of reporters crowd around a single person-often, in Rhode Island, a politician leaving the courthouse after his sentencing.

Generic Live Shot, or ":01": It's the live shot that networks offer to their affiliates on a big national story. It's called a generic because the reporter doesn't toss back to a specific person. He or she just says "back to you." It gives stations the appearance of presence across the country. It's also called an ":01" because the anchor tosses to the reporter at one minute after the hour, and the reporter does a hard start at that time. (Bob Connors)

"The Glass": Used at WROC-TV in Rochester for teleprompters, as in-"Just shut up and read the glass." Or, "Sure he's nice, but all he does is read the glass." (Scott Orr)

Go as Scripted: The next segment is to be aired the way the producer planned it. This is used usually after a hectic segment where there were adds or deletions. Example into the intercom or IFB, "B block goes as scripted."

Grip and Grin: A photo opportunity with a candidate for something or other who shows up to shake hands, smile and get on tv.

Haircut: Derogatory term for talent. "Live shot's in 60 seconds. Get the haircut in front of the camera."

Hard Out: When your satellite window ends it ends and you either go to hash or someone else's color bars. Opposite of soft out. (Tom Kole)

Hit Times: When the supers hit in the package. (Deaton)

Hose-n-go: See spray it.

Hot Roll: That's when a crew in the field doesn't have enough time to feed back tape to the newsroom, so they must roll it from the live truck during the show. (Connors)

IFB: The little earphone in the talent's ear through which you talk to him/her. When you are not talking, he/she hears the newscast minus his/her own voice. Actually stands for "Interuptable Fold Back." Often called a "Telex." (Jim Hurwitz)

In Studio: see Set Piece.

Insert: Same meaning more or less as a donut. A tracked package that a reporter wraps live in and out. (Connors)

Item: see Reader.

Jesus Lights: These aren't actually lights. They are filters for the studio cameras that create a "star effect" on the studio lights. Great effect for the end of the show.

Kicker: That's the light story that ends a newscast.

Kill: Eliminate a story from the newscast mid show. "OK everybody, kill C2 . . . C2 is OUT!"

Krispy Critters: An irreverent coping term used in Knoxville, Tenn. newsrooms in the mid-1980s to describe a fire story that involved burn victims. Reporters, photographers and producers invent these terms to handle difficult subjects quite often. A variation on this was used when someone in the newsroom quit the business after burning out it was said that he "had done his last krispy-critter story." (John King)

Land Line: Telephone. When discussing an exclusive story, assignment managers ask reporters in the field to call on a regular phone to guard against another station monitoring a conversation on a two-way radio frequency.

Landscape: Exterior shot of crime scene. What you may be stuck with if you arrive late.

Lip Flap: Person is talking, but we don't hear the words. In the days of film and the 28 frame delay, the director sometimes could not punch out in time and you saw the interview subject continue to flap with no sound. Today with tape, it tends to be used anytime you show a medium to close-up of someone speaking without hearing what they're saying. Needless to say this is a no-no. (Volker)

Locator: see Landscape.

Lollipop: Stick Microphone shoved so close to an interviews mouth that he/she might as well lick it. (Adkins)

M2bad: Refers to a certain tape format and the problems created by it. (Adkins)

MOS: Man on the street interviews - quick bites.

Meat Puppet: Derisive term for anchor talent. (Carver)

Mike-stand: A photog's name for reporters.

NAT: Natural sound. Used with VO to match the video.

Newscast: What is used to fill the space between the commercials, according to one of my former GMs. (Hurwitz)

Newsgasm: Nice big juicy flaming disaster that happens in time to actually cover it; assignment desk term. (Deaton)

Newsroom Hit: Reporter from newsroom with donut or insert. (Volker)

Nice-nice: A feel-good community event that a photographer sprays ... it could be used as a kicker.

Nuts and Bolts: On a big story with team coverage, one crew does 'nuts and bolts' (the basic facts). (Deaton)

OTS: Over the shoulder graphic.

Official: Someone who may know what's going on, but who you don't want in your package. Real people, whether they know anything or not, are preferred (see Triple-A). NOTE: Everyone is a witness after a couple of beers. (Carver)

One Man Band: S/he shoots, cuts, even reports! Often known as "bureau chief" in markets below 15th ADI. Becoming very common at regional 24-hour cable news operations. (Hurwitz)

Outro: Tag. Or the opposite of an intro.

Pad: How much extra time you don't fill under the assumption that no show runs exactly 22 minutes... (v.) to eat pad. (Brandi Davis)

POS: Politically correct term for MOS.

Package: A reporter's story told on tape with video clips of people he or she has interviewed, plus animation, graphics, stills or other visual elements.

Pig F---: see Gang bang. Another politically incorrect term that's heard OFTEN.

Plasticam: The cheap plastic industrial Betacams usually relegated to backup duty. (Deaton)

Post Mortem: The "what went wrong" meeting after the shows.

PrePro: Video production done before the actual newscast and inserted into a taped package. (Adkins)

Rain Fade: When a KU satellite signal starts to degrade. It's caused by inclement weather ... really. (Kole)

Reader: Story read by the anchor, without any video.

Reader Head: Only heard this term used in South Dakota. Refers to a VOB (i.e., reading over the video to a talking head). (Carver)

Real Estate: see Landscape.

Reporter Involvement: see Touchy Feely. (Carver)

Rip and Swim": A term used in Lubbock, Texas for separating 5 part scripts into anchor, director and producer piles. They called it that because you had to rip off the computer tabs, stack the paper, and then separate into 2 piles on the left and 2 on the right. Always done at the last minute -- thus the swimming motion. (M.B. Taylor)

Roundy-round: What the news helicopter does over a scene while the photographer shoots video. (Carver)

Rubber Room: Detroit term. Today it's called tape ops, or microwave receive. People in there bounce around like the room is made of rubber. It's where satellite and eng feeds come into the news operation. As in: "get down to the rubber room and see if reporter A has fed his insert yet," or to see if the network feed is in yet. (Volker)

Run and Gun: see Spray.

Segment: see Block. As in, "I have four packages in the first segment alone!"

Set Piece: Reporter will present his or her story from the anchor set, rather than live, or in the newsroom or paked in the field. (Volker)

Shooter: News videographer. Some consider it a demeaning term.

Show and yell: The daily critique producers are subjected to in their news director's office after each show.

SLAP Shot: "Stupid Live And Pointless." Refers to live shots that are done for no particular reason. (Carver)

Soft Out: When a satellite window is scheduled to end but no one else is behind you so your window closing is "soft." Opposite of hard out. (Kole)

Spray It: Instruction to a photographer to shoot as much video as possible, often in a situation where the photograher is working without a reporter.

Stack: Putting the newscast's stories in order. Also, what uncreative producers are accused of doing: "She's just a show stacker." (Hurwitz)

Stake-out: See Pig f---. Not unlike what the cops do when waiting for a suspect. A pack of reporters and photogs wait for something or someone. (Kole)

Standup Tease: A brief "tease" or headline from a reporter, on camera, promoting an upcoming story.

Sticks: A camera tripod.

Stop and Pop: When your live crew gets caught, at news time, where they are not supposed to be, like in traffic, and are forced to do their live shot from "on the way." They "stop and pop." Originally it was a basketball term for a long jumper, but it's come into use as above in our shop. (Al Volker)

Stop-n-Rob: The convenience stores that are often subjects of bank robbery stories. (Deaton)

Straight Live: Live shot without tape where reporter stands there and tries to explain what's going on. (Carver)

Suck Button: As in, "push the suck button." Anytime a director or other tech makes a goof that is noticible on the air-usually a major screw-up. originally a musician's term for when a musician plays badly. (Bill Stivers)

Suck Factor (rated from 1-10): When anchors start a stupid conversation in the middle of a block, either to eat pad or just to talk. Usually ends with one of them saying "ok" or "anyway." (Davis)

Synch Roll: Film term for a story that was edited on two or more reels. Each reel contained exactly the same length of leader and film. Since both reels were rolled at the same time, they were a synch roll. (Volker)

Talent: Those who appear on the air, such as reporters, anchors, and meteorologists.

Talking Bean: A talking head that says nothing.

Talking Head: The dreaded, long, uninterrupted head shot of a person speaking. If the person is crying or screaming, that's different.

Team Smotherage: aka team coverage, when not one, not two but three or more reporters are assigned to do a piece on a story that hardly deserves it. (Kole)

Ten lbs of **** for a 5lb bag: When you had too much material for a 1:30 story running time.

Thumb-sucker: (1) Also called a "bunny story" that you know is a meaningless waste of time but hey, everbody needs a kicker. Or, (2) A live report on an upcoming event. You got no tape. You're just talking to the camera, "sucking your thumb."

'tog: TV News Photographer. (Richard W. Adkins)

Touchy Feely: Reporter stand-up where reporter feels the need to pick up something and show to the viewer. (Adkins)

Tracked-VO-SOT: Usually a live donut with no stand-up. done in a rush to get something on the air while stuck out at the scene. reporter does a voice-on-tape lead in to a sound bite, then back to the live shot.

Train Wreck: Ancient and honored term, especially from film days, when the newscast is about to crash on-air. You always get warning, however, because some prophetic soul begins singing a Johnny Cash tune: "I hear the train a comin'..." Originated at old WLW-I , Indianapolis, when a thick-fingered TD punched up some videotape of an actual train wreck instead of the show open, then punched up an amazed anchor man caught with his mouth open, trying to figure out what he'd just seen. (Bud Gillett)

VBV: Voice-bite-voice (like VOSOT, but indicates video after a bite). (Deaton)

VO: Voice over. Either an anchor when live over video, or over video pre-produced in a package.

VOSOT (VO'-sot): Literally, voice-over, sound on tape. Usually, it's a story read by an anchor, in which the viewer sees some kind of video over part of it (the crime scene, for instance), followed by a soundbite (from the witness, for instance).

Vid: Video, pictures. "Did you check out Chuck's story? He got great vid!"

Walk and Talk: Reporter demonstrates story. Usually because of lack of b-roll pictures. Good for police scene, or for helping transport the viewer from one scene in the story to the next. Works well sometimes, but can be over-used. (Volker)

Wall, The: The chroma-wall used by the meteorologist.

Wallpaper video: Nondescript, generic video used with a voice-over when there are no better pictures for a story.

Warm and Fuzzy: See Kicker.

Warm Props: Newsroom employees who buzz around in the background of "live" news programs. "OK, for this next wide shot of the studio, we need a lot of warm props on the floor."

Weathergasm: see Weather Woody.

Weather Woody: When the weather turns nasty and the meteorologists have something to do.

Whip and Ride!!!: aka hurry... Miss-timed the show by a minute... So sports guy needs to rip through his scripts and vid (purely A Texas term).

Window: Anchor has graphic over his shoulder. As opposed to cucam. (Volker)

Wrap: see Package.

[Girt B. Frobe]

Great! Everyone here got a huge kick out of this. Plus we learned some new terms, a big fan of the "just read the glass stupid!"

[Laughing Angel]

Nice work, Randy.

That's the best laugh I've had in over a week!

[my moniker]

Here's an addition, from one of my favorite crusty photog types. (With apologies for the crass nature.)

Polishing a turd - Making the best of a story that doesn’t merit coverage, much less a package. Derived from “You can polish a turd all you want, but it’s still just a turd.” See also, chicken salad.

[Mom]

This is actually a phrase from the theatre world but works here as well. It's similar to "crash and burn" but pertains more specifically to the performance of a reporter doing a really bad stand-up. The reporter spirals down, down, down into a disaster from which they cannot recover. This stand-up performance is called "Death on a Cracker."

[SigSauer]

Another one:

SWAG (Stuff We All Get): Can mean something that all the stations shot ("Yeah, we got some SWAG of that housefire. All the stations were there.") More commonly it refers to the free stuff given to crews/photogs covering "generous" press conferences or PR events ("Check out the cool SWAG I got at that presser. I've been needing a new cap/t-shirt/etc...")

[Vulcan]

Randy -- please add the following to your list:

Dog Lick: A live shot performed at a place and/or time that is fundamentally irrelevant to the story. Done by consultant-driven shops eager to increase the pace, and selected on the basis of "least objectionable" reasoning. Named for the old joke "Why does a dog lick his balls? Because he can."

Showcase Element: A high-falutin' term used by a producer that wants a live-shot from a field crew, but can't come up with a better justification for the expense of time and resources. "This story needs a showcase element." or "I want a showcase element in my second block." (see "Dog Lick")

[Wes Mantooth]

JDLR ---just don't look right.

[blazingswordofTRUTH]

here's a couple more.....

"fuzz & was" sensational stories involving cops & dead bodies

"paintmonkey" the junior graphics person who does news GFX

"flamer" a show that self-destructs. see "foam the runways!" usage: "damn, that show was a flamer!"

"POP" acronym for Proof of Performance. a promo demonstrating superior news coverage. usage: "great job folks, we'll POP the sh*t out of that tomorrow"

"look-live" - a pretaped segment that intentionally mimics the look and feel of a live shot.

[Pro]

....and a couple I've heard used in different shops:

Look-live (or as-live): a totally taped package with reporter intros and outros simulating a live shot. Usually starts out with a personalized "Well, John and Mary...." intro. News Directors feel this is perfectly OK as long as no one use the "live" word or super.

Sig Out : short for "signature outro", when the reporter uses the standard tag line fro the package ("John Smith, Channel 2 News").

[ March 30, 2004, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: Pro ]

[Howlin_Wolf]

Krispy Critters: An irreverent coping term used in Knoxville, Tenn. newsrooms in the mid-1980s to describe a fire story that involved burn victims

I actually heard this term several years earlier, but also in Tennessee. I was covering a fatal accident in which an 18-wheeler went out of control and crashed into a car, which instantly exploded. This is the term the cameraman jokingly used to describe the occupants of the car. Unfortunately, we arrived BEFORE they blocked off the scene. One of the reasons I was glad to leave news behind.

[Yeah, well...]

Well, I'm havin' another %$#&@ flashback. I'll have nightmares tonight.

[Cambot Mk. II]

Chicken Salad--- Making the best of a bad situation; i.e. taking what MIGHT have been worth a VO and turning it as a package.

"Let's go make some chicken salad."

Chicken Salad is short for making Chicken Salad out of Chicken... er, droppings.

[graybeard]

Chirpping Birds: Requests for feeds by stations from smaller markets of a major story you're covering. You're usually already crowded in your station's sat truck, and the weekend desk person at the other station doesn't understand the concept of your networks' affill news service. This also refers to a crew from another station who just shows up at your sat truck to see if they can feed to their station.

"He/She makes a mighty tasty sh*t sandwich." This is meant as a compliment to those who have been tasked to make a "sh*t sandwich", Given no information,directions,contacts only the deadline on what's usually a lame story, and turn out something almost palatable. Oh,they have to supply their own bread too.

[FD2BLK]

Switcher Tour, when your TD punches out multiple incorrect sources before finally getting the right thing on air.

[tommy m]

similarly we had "tours of the studio", when one of the robotic controlled cameras would go haywire and start moving on air and showing the "wall" and the prompter op, the camera op, etc. before the TD could punch off of it.

[photogguy]

Architectural Study : when you shoot video of a building HOURS after an event took place. Example: shooting the exterior of a bank at 6pm when it was robbed at 9am, or a house that burned overnight but is being shot during the day.

[On Air]

Also : Lens meat: a term for anchors

Read the pretty words: see read the glass

Dog and pony show: some story that merits a vo or vo/sot at most, involving anything from kids to politicians. Will probably end up as a producer's "kill story." (Defined as the story in a show that's not teased and that a producer has designated he/she will kill if the show goes over)

Eye candy: a good looking anchor with nothing upstairs

[Lenslinger]

From a photog's perspective...

"Hey Guy!" : a favorite phrase of a particular assignment editor, and the last thing a photog wants to hear. Often used as a past-tense verb. Ex: "Johnny was about to leave for the day when he got 'hey guy'd'".

"Put some eyes on it" : Another common assignment editor directive, used when sending a photog to a questionable story in a far off region. Sure to make the average shooter's blood boil.

Elbow Fiesta : Colorful name for gang-bang interview. Denotes especially crowded conditions.

Walking the dog : The slightly out-of-focus ground-level footage that's inadvertently recorded when the photog travels from one interview subject to another. Usually follows the dreaded double-punch.

Double-Punch/Double Clutch : When a photog hits the record button twice, thereby stopping the tape a millisecond after recording begins. Usually results in missing valuable footage. Discovery of such often occurs only after returning to shop. No known cure.

Yak : Any anonymous bystander who agrees to talk on tape. Usually derisive.

War and Peace : What the reporter/anchor is said to be cutting when they hog up the audio booth for extended periods of time. See also 'Old Testament'

Man Bag : A male reporter's make-up case.

Anchor Water : The highly-filtered and immensely refreshing H2O available only in the ultra-chilled water cooler just outside the news studio.

House Cats : Producer types who never leave the building. Usually quite blustery and full of bravado - as long as the nearest air-conditioning vent is pointed directly at them.

[Promo Cowboy]

Two more from a few shops I know of...

BAM aka Big Ass Monitor. An oversized monitor reporters/anchors cozy up to when the producer wants to get them off the desk or claim to have one more spot for a "live shot" See big board.

B.O.H.I.C.A (bow-hee-ka). aka Bend Over, Here It Comes Again. Generally uttered by directors or producers or generally anyone who has more than 6 months seniority when management wants to "revamp, rework or retool" the newscast.

[On Air]

House cats. I like that. I have to remember that.

[Hedley Lamar]

Vulcan beat me to Dog Lick Live Shot, but here is one I haven't seen here:

FTA-Same as MOS, short for First Three A$$holes.

[Ralphie the buffalo]

Originally posted by Lenslinger:
House Cats : Producer types who never leave the building. Usually quite blustery and full of bravado - as long as the nearest air-conditioning vent is pointed directly at them.also known as

Porch Dogs: they will tell you how to chase a car, but have never actually done it themselves

[ March 30, 2004, 09:25 PM: Message edited by: Ralphie the buffalo ]

[Kilgore Trout]

Same as the term "gang bang". We've called it a
"PIG-F_ _ _" for years.

[NewsJedi]

These are so funny! I love the "house cats" term! Our station is full of 'em!

Currently, some on our staff are saying "Get out the Whipped Cream."

It's best used for lame stories that have no news value.

It's meant as in "putting whipped cream on sh*t" ... it's still crap, but we're adding a special touch.

[TVShootist.]

How about backhaul? Ought to put that one on there.

Another along the lines of chicken salad-lemonade: the lemon being a sucky sorry story.

This is kind of a given: segue. Not sure if it really needs to be on the list.

[ March 30, 2004, 11:43 PM: Message edited by: Booger ]

[mothball]

Chestnuts -- stories that are done because they've been done year after year after year.

Cheese -- schmaltzy stuff that icks out even the heartiest of producer, but the audience eats up. Anchor chat often falls into this category.

[Steve Scott]

Great thread! Keep 'em coming! smile.gif

[Stack It]

"Evergeen" or "in the can" story: one that can be used anytime

Throw-away sound: useless soundbite that says something that the talent could have said in the voice over.

money shot: photographer gets awesome video of a story, usually involving a crime

firing squad interview: the words say how it looks

diva: another way to describe a female anchor in a mean way

"ankle grabber" or "get the vasoline": what someone might say when a segment, or a newscast is a train wreck

photo j: short for photojournalist. another way to describe some photographers.

[ March 31, 2004, 05:55 AM: Message edited by: Stack It ]

[facts]

God, house cats. That's so perfect. It must suck to be one of those.

Also MEGO (Mee-go): My Eyes Glaze Over
A good description of a story on Roth IRA's for instance.

and

SayCowSeeCow

the necessity for our video to match our voice over, something editors often miss. When you talk about cows, I don't want to see horses.

[ March 31, 2004, 05:58 AM: Message edited by: facts ]

[facts]

Originally posted by Booger:
How about backhaul? Ought to put that one on there.
What is backhaul?

[Michigan J. Frog]

Wire 'n' Fire: When the anchors interview a guest at a remote location while they stay in the studio. You "wire" up the guest with a mike and an IFB and you "fire" questions at 'em.

[TVWonderBoy]

Wire 'n' Fire- aka Talk Back.

[Stack It]

AKA Geek In The Box

[SigSauer]

DRT: Dead Right There. A dead body that EMTs don't bother trying to revive.

No need to say "DOA" because the deceased will only be "arriving" at the morgue.

[Original Cynic]

These may seem obvious, but what about

Derail- when part of a show goes wrong causing a chain reaction of other things to go wrong resulting in an unrecoverable..."trainwreck".

and

Slammed- Too busy to even breath..as in "I can't help you find that file right now, I'm totally slammed!

I always thought "Spraying the scene" meant to get minimum footage required for a vo.....as in panning from left to right (like spraying) just to get the basic jist of what happened. Can somebody back me up on this?

[s'news]

"Wave the camera." A brief appearance by the crew at an event, just to show that they are there. Usage: "Go to this lunch and wave the camera, because the GM wants us to be there."

"Short between the headsets." Old-timey radio phrase for when the announcer screws up.

"Sony Sandwich." Old-timey phrase for the package that runs during a live shot.

"Elements." A word I hate but have come to live with, this refers to the pieces that go into making a story: SOT, video, graphics. Usage: "What elements do you have for the story, s'news?"

"Pickin' up the garbage." A crew that runs around getting an assortment of SOTs and VOSOTs, leaving other crews free to work on packages.

I love house cats and, might I add, porch dogs.

Crispy critters is a longtime reference to fire victims that has been used in many, many markets.

[s'news]

"Slammin'" is rushing to put a story together, as in there are just minutes to go until air and the editors are "slammin'" to finish their stories.

[NYC Street]

Alternate meaning for crash and burn: slamming together the package at the last second to make slot.

Alternate meaning for wallpaper, (synonymous with papering) - to cover the frame of the package (the track and sots) with video, after the frame has been put together to ensure that you're not going over allotted time.

[product of communism]

Originally posted by Randy Steinman:
Deer-in-the-headlights: The anchor has stopped communicating, but is still reading the teleprompter. Where is that darned commercial when you need it? (Larry Gillick)
Oh my God... that guy was my first Assignment Editor!

[amp]

Originally posted by Lenslinger:
From a photog's perspective...

Elbow Fiesta : Colorful name for gang-bang interview. Denotes especially crowded conditions.

Man Bag : A male reporter's make-up case.

House Cats : Producer types who never leave the building. Usually quite blustery and full of bravado - as long as the nearest air-conditioning vent is pointed directly at them.I love these 3!!! "Elbow Fiesta" is so much nicer to say, especially to friends outside the biz. I always get weird looks when I say "gang bang"!

[Mighty Dyckerson]

And now, boys and girls, let's apply our new vocabulary words: How many can you use in one sentence???

[zapp]

When ASAP isn't good enough, there's RFN--Right fu**ing now.

[s'news]

"Feed the monster." The act of putting together enough stuff to fill the newscasts.

[Chase]

"Gump Writing" The process of writing into a soundbite with overly similar words or phrasing.

Example - Reporter: The Mayor was impressed with today's service.
Mayor: "I was impressed with today's service."

"Walking the post" See also, Hard Out Feeding from a satellite uplink untill the last possible minute before the window closes. Usually accompanied by a satellite engineer with both hands on two different buttons, sweating furiously and cursing. :eek:

[Cambot Mk. II]

I almost forgot...

PITA--- Noun. Abbreviated form of Pain In The A$$. Pronounced "PEE-Tah"

Usage--- "Boy, That PIO was a real PITA."

Related Usage--- PITA Pile.
"I'm going to have to file that last interviewee in the PITA pile."

=================================================

Scanner Hound--- Noun. Anyone in the newsroom who religiously keeps up with the scanner traffic.

Usage--- "Boy, That photog over there is a real scanner hound. If anything happens, he'll be on it for sure!"

=================================================

Triple-Digit-Certification--- Noun. Describes an ill-advised activity involving news vehicles, breaking news and tight deadlines.

Usage--- "I'm pretty sure that truck's triple-digit-certified now because I just made a 50 mile trip in about half an hour."

[Liveshotboy]

C-roll or See-roll: Video of the college coed's ass, bikinis at the pool, up the cheerleader's skirt, etc.

Checking the registration on the camera: A bunch of photogs looking at C-roll i.e. "Hey Charlie, come here and check the registration on my camera."

Group Grope: See gang bang.

[bride]

Jelly Donut: Term used to denote a live wraparound package. The anchor lead-in is the powder, the reporter lead-in is the dough, the package is the jelly, the reporter tag is the dough again, and the anchor tag is the powder again.

Quilt Show: The fluffy Saturday event going on down at the convention center that runs on Saturdays.

[Classbrass]

An Old Chief Engineer friend of mine had three classifications for News Stories.

Fire Plug Paintings: Pretty dry, minimum of motion.

Goat Ropings: Still dry, but a bit more motion.

Dead-Dog Whippings: Speaks for itself.

[fletch f fletch]

One of my all time favs:
Prompter Jockey- A kin to The Just Glassers. One who rides the teleprompter but promptly falls off whenever the ride goes even slightly off track.

[Mark Felt]

AC/DC On air talent who also hold management jobs at the station.

Me Roll B-Roll that uses a lot of reporter reversals or other walking footage of the reporter with the interview subject.

Photag Stations that require using the photogs name at the end of standard packages. For example: "With photographer Joe Blow, I'm ________."

Tommy Gun A live reporter who stumbles over his/her words so much that they begin to stutter.

[TVShootist.]

Originally posted by facts:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Booger:
How about backhaul? Ought to put that one on there.
What is backhaul?</font>[/QUOTE]Here's a definition from a website.

"Backhaul feeds" are raw satellite transmissions used by TV stations to send live sound and video from one location to another. They often contain footage of politicians, news reporters and other television personalities as they prepare to appear on television. While these feeds are sent unscrambled over the public airwaves, and are accessible to several million home satellite viewers, they are generally considered "off-air" by the television industry.
As a result, these feeds reveal a side of television that we normally see only in glimpses and usually by mistake -- like when a newscast cuts to a reporter and he or she is unaware that they're on the air. Seen in their entirety, these feeds are much more than bloopers, they are capsule dramas, told in real time. The drama in this case is not today's plane crash, it is the news reporter covering the plane crash.

[14 GHz]

Backhaul usually refers to uplinking a sporting event, or other event not being produced in the satellite truck. Backhauls are easy for truck ops because they involve simply plugging in audio and video from some other source and uplinking it. What comes in goes out.

News shots or tape feeds are not considered backhaul.

[zapp]

One Stop Shopping-A story you can do at just one location.

Cross the Street-Going to work at another station in town

[Historian]

Anchoroid: A robotic looking performance from an anchor.

The fine folks at an Oklahoma City TV station used to require their anchors to sit rigidly with palms flat on the anchor desk. They were not allowed to move the hands or turn their heads. If they wanted to look at a co-anchor, they had to swivel in the chair, keeping neck incredibly stiff, and palms in place.

They applied this same nonsense to a station they owned, and I worked at. We joked about the hands not moving so that we wouldn't expose the wires running from under the desks through our arms.

It lasted less than one show for us.

[RollTide98]

On the Fly: As in "editing on the fly." Reporter bypasses a separate voice tape by voicing a package on the master tape as its A-rolled... simply setting an in point, choosing Channel 1 audio only, and then speaking into the mic as the edit begins.

Slice 'n Dice: What is done to the story order whan the EP doesn't like the flow.

Video Box: VO plays inside a full-screen graphic, with text typically revealed as the talent reads.

Drop Down: An over-the-shoulder graphic to which chyron text is added in bulletin points from top to bottom as the anchor reads corresponding information. This is ordered by a producer to compensate for a lack of video... or to try to impress other producers.

[ April 02, 2004, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: RollTide98 ]

[jama]

What about Cleveland Steamer, Dirty Sanchez, Abe Lincoln...oh, wait, that's a different list.

[Pro]

A couple of more:

Slam Dunk - a story that is so easy that very little time, effort or insight is needed.

Ted Baxters or Teds - overbearing, phoney, pompous on-air anchors.

And one that is used in all businesses, not just television:

Fishing Off The Company Pier - dating/sleeping with a co-worker.

[ April 02, 2004, 01:25 PM: Message edited by: Pro ]

[eldirector]

Originally posted by jama:
What about Cleveland Steamer, Dirty Sanchez, Abe Lincoln...oh, wait, that's a different list.shocker, donkey punch, lunch box, hot carl.

sorry couldn't resist.

[Erik Foreman]

We had "The Experience" at my shop. When it started it was tape of the editorial meeting with the stories we were working on with some broll of the respective stories. Then, it was a heavily produced promo that went on before the show.

The Flex-A news promo right before the show that "flexed" the screen so it was news promo right and the show's credits left.

[CN]

Originally posted by Erik Foreman:
We had "The Experience" at my shop. When it started it was tape of the editorial meeting with the stories we were working on with some broll of the respective stories. Then, it was a heavily produced promo that went on before the show.

The Flex-A news promo right before the show that "flexed" the screen so it was news promo right and the show's credits left.What??

[CN]

Dial-A-Bite:

That seasoned interview subject who gives perfect, 10-second soundbites each time, and many from which to choose.

[JB in Yo.]

How about:

"Little Girl Reporter Syndrome". That describes a lot of female reporters, fresh out of college, who spend a lot of time at their first stations pacing nervously, worrying about their hair, whining in the news director's office and frequently throwing tantrums with their photographers.

"Meat Puppets" Reference to anchors.

"Ray Charles" An untalented photographer

"Keep the Commercials from Bumping Together" Usually refers to the stories we do just because we need to fill the newscast.

[Stack It]

I almost forgot:

one-man band: photographer/reporter rolled into one. person who shoots and puts together their own stories.

[Pro]

"Ray Charles" An untalented photographer
I've heard them referred to as "Stevie Wonder"... I've also heard this term used for TD's and studio camera people.

[Nussbaum]

Here are a few more I've encountered along the way:

"F.O.B.": font on background. Used to denote graphics (usually a bullet-pointed list) fonted over a preproduced background. Caused a small problem when an anchor called the then-governor of Alabama, Fob James, "F-O-B James." She may have been distantly related to the anchor who once said "World War Eleven," having read "World War II" on the prompter.

"Wipe": going straight from piece video to the next with a live special effect (I thought everybody used this one.)

"Tech F--k" (noun): a derisive term for a TV engineer.

"Eatin' Meetin'": learned this one in South Georgia. It's the Rotary, Kiwanis, or Civitan meeting you always have to cover to get a soundbite from the speaker (even if you don't run it). The payoff is that the crew gets a good meal.

[Laughing Angel]

Escape Tape:

Videotape containing examples of your best on-air work.

The videotape you send to news directors (and others in the position to hire on-air talent) in order to get a job in another market.

"That station was so bad, the escape tapes were flying out the door!"

[upandown]

This is beautiful, Randy.
It shows how sick we are.

YAP: The talking head in a swing-by VO-SOT.
As in, "Get a quick bite from the yap, and come on back."

BFWOTVOSOT (pronounced BIFF-WHAT-VOH-SOHT): Big f---ing wast of time voice over sound on tape.
As in, "Grab the yap for a bfwotvosot."

"...JUST ANOTHER VO-SOT": What you say to your wife when she wants to attend one of those weekend community festvals.
As in: "And you expect conjugal relations?"

RIDING THE ELEPHANT: Feature reporters who make themselves the main characters in their own stories.
As in: "Too bad she didn't ride the elephant at that porn convention."

SLAM JAM: A hurried edit.
As in: "Slam it, jam it, no thanks, dammit!"

PHONE IT IN: No effort at all.
As in: "Why bother to show up?"

[ April 06, 2004, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: upandown ]

[Producer1]

U2 Mode-When the desk gets all excited about something they heard on the scanners. Without knowing what it is, they get three or more crews out the door to cover it, amid much loudness and managers around the desk. Called U2 Mode because the desk' Still Hasn't Found What It's Looking For"

[thepowerproducer]

Don't know if this one is on here yet.. Efforting: trying to get in time for the newscast. I'm not a big fan of the term, but I'm sure I've used it.

[kgsl]

"Mister Rogers Neighborhood"

This was used at my last station. Whenever we heard "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" over the intercom, we knew there was someone in a control room with delicate ears (manager, visitors, kids, church group tour).

It was a signal for everyone to watch their language very carefully.

[Sir Dropham Pants]

"Turd Hunt" - When a crew is sent to 'just check something out.' They spend the rest of the day searching for that thing, only to find out in the end it's well...

"U.P.S. Newscast" - Often found in small markets. All packages - none of them from around here.

[s'news]

BOXER: A junior technical director who performs so poorly it is often remarked that he punches the show with boxing gloves. AKA: Sugar Ray. As in, "Nice job Sugar Ray."

(Posted on behalf of a fellow who goes by the name of Chase, who says he's having trouble with his computer.)

[Cookiehead Jenkins]

"Playin' Piano"...
Another term for frantic punching of switcher buttons

[Tripe Face]

Originally posted by Pro:
A couple of more:

Ted Baxters or Teds - overbearing, phoney, pompous on-air anchors.

This is redundant