Master Control Operator mad at me-- how do i make a mends?

[Egbert Roscoe Murrow]

How well do you get along with your master conrtrol operators?
I used to think I had a pretty good relationship with the guys and gals at my station. But mine wont' talk to me ever since I wrote a memo to my news director (and i CC'd the chief eng) suggesting that we put a couple of the scanners in there workspace. I mean, often I'd come by and they'd just be sitting there. I figured they could give the assignment desk some help.

Any suggestions on how to make a mends? Thanks in advance.

[Desert Rat]

I am a master control operator....

I have an idea

Why don't we put some monitors in the assignment desk area so you guys can monitor sat feeds and help us out during your down time....oh I'm sorry, you guys must be busy every second of every hour of every day right....my bad for the assumption.

How about you go in there and try to find out what they actually do during their shift...talk to them like real people for a change.

Or since the job is so easy in your eyes, why don't you apply for it....hell you too could take it easy and do nothing for your entire shift.....instead of working real hard for your money....sounds like a great idea, right?

[Obewon]

I am a master control operator....

I have an idea

Why don't we put some monitors in the assignment desk area so you guys can monitor sat feeds and help us out during your down time....oh I'm sorry, you guys must be busy every second of every hour of every day right....my bad for the assumption.

How about you go in there and try to find out what they actually do during their shift...talk to them like real people for a change.

Or since the job is so easy in your eyes, why don't you apply for it....hell you too could take it easy and do nothing for your entire shift.....instead of working real hard for your money....sounds like a great idea, right?

Zingo!!!

It must have been a troll/joke post. Nobody, even in TV is THAT stupid

[TopRamen]

Nevermind

[Produce man]

One shop I worked at had scanners installed in MC. The MCO got $20 bucks for every story he/she picked up that made air.

[s'news]

It's not widely known, but Lorne Green put in some time in master control at a station in Austin.

[Omega Man]

Someone's trying really hard to be a Super Sally but lacks the necessary finesse.

[Desert Rat]

It probably is a troll post...

If it was, I'm mad at myself for falling for it..

Produce, now if they did that under those terms, hmmmmm....:)

[Spike]

Someone's trying really hard to be a Super Sally but lacks the necessary finesse.

I dunno. He's catching 'em right and left despite having half a dozen troll lines in the water at the same time.

[!]

Someone's trying really hard to be a Super Sally but lacks the necessary finesse.

True, but he's learning quickly.

[The Mockingbird]

How well do you get along with your master conrtrol operators?
I used to think I had a pretty good relationship with the guys and gals at my station. But mine wont' talk to me ever since I wrote a memo to my news director (and i CC'd the chief eng) suggesting that we put a couple of the scanners in there workspace. I mean, often I'd come by and they'd just be sitting there. I figured they could give the assignment desk some help.

Any suggestions on how to make a mends? Thanks in advance.

Tell Mike Crook he looked good in his Interview on Fox, he loves the attention.

[Produce man]

LOL, make "a mends". :rolleyes:

[TVMattNYC]

How well do you get along with your master conrtrol operators?
I used to think I had a pretty good relationship with the guys and gals at my station. But mine wont' talk to me ever since I wrote a memo to my news director (and i CC'd the chief eng) suggesting that we put a couple of the scanners in there workspace. I mean, often I'd come by and they'd just be sitting there. I figured they could give the assignment desk some help.

Any suggestions on how to make a mends? Thanks in advance.

Whoa. Are you ****ing kidding me?

You suggested the ops people "pitch in" and do YOUR work because YOU think they're "just sitting there" ... and now you wonder why they won't talk to you?

How old are you?

[Consider This]

One shop I worked at had scanners installed in MC. The MCO got $20 bucks for every story he/she picked up that made air.

How much did he get docked for every spot he missed while listening to scanners?

[Produce man]

How much did he get docked for every spot he missed while listening to scanners?It didn't ever seem to be an issue. This was mostly done during the overnight hours when there were no spots to miss. We ran infomercials overnight. They would hear something on the scanner and call the overnight photog.

Edit: Also, this was in the early 90's. There werre almost no satellite feeds to catch. Most programming and spots were fed-ex'd to the station. So it was a way for underpaid MCO's to earn a little extra scratch. On a side note, if they had additional time on their hands, they could dub over viewer story requests and make $15 for each one they dubbed. It seemed to be a win-win for everyone.

[ewink]

Master Control...

Nobody know what we do, till we don't do it.

There are days I miss it. However I don't miss how it would never fail that sales would bring someone in on a tour while I was eating lunch, so it really looked like all I did is sit around and watch TV all night. (It was only most of the night.)

Had a GSM get mad at me once because when I was refered to as 'babysitting the transmitter' I mentioned to another MCO, quite loudly, that I'd have more to do if sales could sell any airtime. :)

[the original buttongod]

Ok, here's a question from one MCO to any others out there. Do you have to "help production" by running audio during the newscasts ? This takes the mco out of his room, and across the hall in production. This "saves money", but when the op isn't there to fix a problem and it costs a $250 spot, does it really save money ?

[Produce man]

Ok, here's a question from one MCO to any others out there. Do you have to "help production" by running audio during the newscasts ? This takes the mco out of his room, and across the hall in production. This "saves money", but when the op isn't there to fix a problem and it costs a $250 spot, does it really save money ?Doesn't the newscast director run the commercial server during the cast? They do here.

[Desert Rat]

Ok, here's a question from one MCO to any others out there. Do you have to "help production" by running audio during the newscasts ? This takes the mco out of his room, and across the hall in production. This "saves money", but when the op isn't there to fix a problem and it costs a $250 spot, does it really save money ?

Not in our shop buttongod....

We help out two nights a week running prompter for the 10PM because we have the extra person on that day...we have a 2 man shift, 3 on Thursdays and Fridays so everyone can get their 40 in. The only exceptions are for 4 hours on Mon-Wed and Weekends till 7 PM. Overnights are done by one person as well

Our station decided that the Operations department would stay seperate from every other department when I started working there 21 years ago. If you ask me that decision has paid off dividends both financial and otherwise for all 21 years. Since it is the same way today, the station would agree that this setup is the right thing to do.

We just concentrate on air and nothing else, even in this day and age....:)

[wx or not]

God Bless Our Overlords for the Ignore function. This is as close to a Thuper Thally wannabee.

[Desert Rat]

Doesn't the newscast director run the commercial server during the cast? They do here.

They don't in our shop..

[the original buttongod]

Doesn't the newscast director run the commercial server during the cast? They do here.

Yes, the director does roll his own breaks, however, with the lighting on our set, there tends to be a lot of camera shading. There is also the issue of moving the microwave for live shots. (and no, Sally, it's not the one in the breakroom). The main point, is we are running 2 stations and then audio, and only getting paid for one job. I don't expect to get 3 different checks, but a bit of a boost would be nice. [/rant]

[DoneThatToo]

Doesn't the newscast director run the commercial server during the cast? They do here.

In a lot of shops the newscast director rolls the breaks. But when it comes to having to modify the structure (drop / add / replace) during the show then you very much need somebody else to do that.

I've seen lots of diffenent staffing setups to execute the newscast, but have never seen MCOs pulled from their duties. If having somebody dedicated to watching your on-air and maintaining your signal isn't important . . . .

[Roy Hobbs]

I've never made a "mends."

http://www.coutant.org/murrow77.jpg

Good night and good luck...with your trolling.

[Produce man]

In a lot of shops the newscast director rolls the breaks. But when it comes to having to modify the structure (drop / add / replace) during the show then you very much need somebody else to do that.

I've seen lots of diffenent staffing setups to execute the newscast, but have never seen MCOs pulled from their duties. If having somebody dedicated to watching your on-air and maintaining your signal isn't important . . . .Interesting. In our shop, when I'm boothing the show, if I want to drop or add a promo for time purposes, the director doesn't seem to have any trouble reaching over and addind/dropping something in the server. I do agree, however, it's always best to have someone MC at all times.

Oh well...

[!]

They don't in our shop..

In ours, the director directs. That's their job. Not rolling anything.