Hats off to WABC

[Disillusioned Newsie]

I'm hoping we can set aside any differences for the moment, and give a virtual round of applause to the WABC-TV crew.

Just before last night's 11pm (http://www.michaelcrook.org/2007/05/28/wabc-knocked-off-the-air/), the studio caught fire, and the entire station was evacuated, as was the network.

They were back on the air by 1:15am, and showed footage of the goings-on in Master Control, the Tape Room, and quite honestly it sent chills up and down my spine. "Can we patch through the West Coast feed? Do you have anything we can take?"

Memories.

In all seriousness, though, hats off to these guys: everyone from Master Control all the way up to the on-air. They kept the on-air impact as minimal as they could under the circumstances, and as we all know, that's the name of the game.

I wish I was in the NYC market, because it's a rare sight to see a major-market station sitting in bars during the 11. It's not rare, however, to see the staff sitting in bars at midnight. (drum riff)

Anyway, just sayin..good on you, WABC.

[product of communism]

Talk about making yourself the story.... jeeze. Run a VO, update your viewers - explain why you're broadcating from the newsroom - then get on with what's really happening in the world.

[Disillusioned Newsie]

Originally posted by product of communism:
Talk about making yourself the story.... jeeze. Run a VO, update your viewers - explain why you're broadcating from the newsroom - then get on with what's really happening in the world.But in this case, they WERE the story. I think that if it weren't a holiday, and a slow news day, they would have just done a quick VO, but this adds a touch of reality to it.

[Kace]

http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/780/784845.jpg

[Allegheny Co.]

You don't need to use Michael Crook's link to get the story.
Just type in WABC.com---up comes their home page with video and stories---straight from the correct sources without editorial comment.

[Medicinematt]

http://www.hatsoff-to-chemo.org/images/Hats%20Off%20LogoTransparent.gif

[The Thrill]

Hasselhoff?

[Emily Latella]

Maybe Disney management should notice that the NABET represented employees they so desparately want to elimate at the recent contract talks, were the ones who worked so tirelessly and dilligently through the night to get WABC-TV back on the air quickly. Pride and knowledge of the workplace is what got them on air. Not low wage, no benefit, non-union turnstile workers.

-------------------
On the other hand, Mikey you've never been a "Newsie", so don't bother. The only news you might know is the newspaper you throw on people's lawns at 5 am. OR the paper he's putting someones groceries in at the Price Chopper Market. He's baaaaack.

[ May 29, 2007, 03:28 AM: Message edited by: Emily Latella ]

[Another side]

Nah, that's a cheap-shot. Any employee facing their workplace burning down would have pitched in, union or not. Some (non-union, obviously)would have helped for free.

(Yeah ... that's s cheap-shot,too.)

[Emily Latella]

Originally posted by Another side:
Some (non-union, obviously)would have helped for free.
Some union folks DID work for free through that night too, as did the supervisory staff. Many of them helped build that facility over many years and knew the workarounds necessary to get back on the air quickly. However, I didn't hear about the temps & daily PAs showing up to help out. Temps don't know how the facility really works. They just show up & push the buttons and then get paid by an outsourced payroll company.