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FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page i
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page ii

Although you may recognize the names of news anchors and reporters, news
producers remain mostly anonymous. The on-air people get most of the
glory, but you couldn’t have a newscast without the behind-the-scenes
work of the producers. To the thousands of producers across America who
grind out broadcast news on a daily basis, this book is dedicated.
Special mention goes to Mike McHugh and Matt Ellis, who had
what it took to become the very best producers in the business.
Ora et Labora: 1 Corinthians 1:31
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page iii
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page iv

Copyright © 2005 by Sage Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

For information:

Sage Publications, Inc.

2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, California 91320
E-mail: order@sagepub.com

Sage Publications Ltd.

1 Oliver’s Yard
55 City Road
London EC1Y 1SP
United Kingdom

Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd.

B-42, Panchsheel Enclave
Post Box 4109
New Delhi 110 017 India

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Schultz, Brad, 1961­

Broadcast news producing / Brad Schultz.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-4129-0671-7 (cloth)
1. Television broadcasting of news. 2. Television—Production and direction.
3. Radio journalism. 4. Radio—Production and direction. I. Title.
PN4784.T4S35 2005
070.4′3—dc22
2004005705

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquiring Editor: Margaret H. Seawell

Editorial Assistant: Jill Meyers
Project Editor: Claudia A. Hoffman
Copy Editor: Catherine Chilton
Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd.
Indexer: Will Ragsdale
Cover Designer: Janet Foulger
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page v

Contents

Preface ix
Introduction xi

1. What Is a Producer? 1
Newsroom Structure 3
The Station Manager 3
The News Director 4
The Assignment Editor 5
Reporters and Photographers 7
The Production Department 8
The Engineering Department 9
Sports and Weather 10
The Traffic Department 12
The Sales Department 13
Studio Personnel 14
Other Station Departments 14
What Else Does a Producer Do? 15
The Producer’s Role in the Newsroom 16
Thinking More About It 21

2. Producing Today’s News 23

The Evolution of News Production 23
Network News 25
Emphasis on the Bottom Line 25
Emphasis on Anchors 27
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page vi

Emphasis on Entertainment 28
Emphasis on Technology 29
Implications for Local Producers 31
Thinking More About It 34

3. The Producing Process 37

Story Ideas and News Value 37
Rundowns 39
Skeleton Rundowns 45
Blocks and Stacking 47
Finishing Strong 60
Scripting 62
In the Control Room 66
Thinking More About It 69

4. Writing 71
Overview 71
Communicating an Idea 71
Using Available Elements 73
Audience Understanding 73
Ten Suggestions for Better Broadcast Newswriting 74
Writing for Packages, V/Os, and VO/SOTs 83
Voiceover 83
Voiceover–Sound on Tape 84
Packages 85
Summary 85
Thinking More About It 86

5. Producing for Television 89

Alternative News Formats 90
Live 91
Roundtable 93
Town Hall Meeting 94
Debate 94
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page vii

Election Night 95
The Call-in Show 96
Alternative News Strategies 98
Breaking News 99
Summary 101
Thinking More About It 101

6. Weather and Sports 103

Weather 103
The Producer’s Role 104
Severe Weather 106
Credibility 108
Good Relationships 111
Sports 111
Special Sports Programming 112
Sports Producers 114
Working With the Sports Department 119
Thinking More About It 121

7. Producing for Radio and the Internet 123

Radio 123
How People Use Radio News 124
News on Talk Radio and All-News Stations 125
News on Music Stations 130
Public Broadcasting 132
The Internet 134
Internet Producing Strategies 134
The Future of Internet News 142
Thinking More About It 143

8. Surviving the Newsroom 145

Theories X, Y, and Z 145
Theory X 146
Theory Y 146
Theory Z 147
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page viii

Newsroom Relationships 148

Working With News Directors 148
Working With Anchors 152
Working With Reporters 154
Personal Relationships 154
Thinking More About It 158

9. Issues in Producing 161

Quality Versus Ratings 161
Live Reporting 164
News Cutbacks 168
Market Size 172
Ethics 175
Honesty 175
Visual Bias 176
Personal Biases 177
Creating the News 178
Consultants 180
Thinking More About It 183

10. The Job Market 185

The Numbers 185
Finding a Producing Job 187
What Stations Want 188
Where to Look for Jobs 190
The Job Search Process 192
The Cover Letter 192
The Resume 194
The Resume Tape 196
The Interview 197
Summary 198
Thinking More About It 199

References 201
Index 207
About the Author 217
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page ix

Preface

D uring a recent university advising session, a freshman student told

me that she was in broadcast journalism because she wanted to
“travel, make good money, and be on TV.” Obviously, this is not what
broadcast journalism is about, and the student ultimately decided to trans­
fer to the business school. But this attitude is pervasive among college and
high school students, who constantly read about the million-dollar salaries
and celebrity status of today’s TV news anchors. Today’s journalism and
broadcasting schools are crammed with people who see broadcasting as a
path to personal fame and fortune.
Students need to know that there’s another side to the business, without
which these famous anchors and reporters wouldn’t even make it on the
air. Every newscast has to have a producer, someone responsible for
putting the show together and making sure it runs smoothly. This is the
unglamorous behind-the-scenes work of putting together a broadcast
news program. News producers aren’t well known, and they certainly don’t
enjoy the perks or salaries of on-air performers. They labor anonymously
at big and small stations all across the country, often working 12+ hours a
day, cranking out newscasts. Many times the stress level is off the charts,
leading to cases of premature burnout.
Why would anyone want such a job? Well, there are several benefits to
working as a news producer. Because so many people want to be on the air,
there are fewer people who want to be producers, so producers have tradi­
tionally been in high demand. That makes it easier for producers to get into
the business and then move up to higher paying jobs. The work is also
considered much more stable compared to on-air positions, which have
a lot of turnover. Producing is also considered a pathway into higher
management, such as news director or even station manager.
Once you get behind the glamour of a news anchoring position, the job
itself is not very interesting. Most anchors, especially those in larger mar­
kets, do nothing more all day than write a few stories and read them on the
air (in fact, anchors are known in England by the more appropriate name
of news readers). Producing is a constant challenge that involves a variety
of skills: news judgment, writing, resource management, deadline pres­
sure, delegation of authority, and so on. The good producer must bring all

ix
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page x

x BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCING

of these skills to bear in every newscast, and sometimes just getting the
show on the air is a supreme accomplishment.
To some people, this challenge is irresistible. They view producing as
a thrill ride, a roller coaster without seatbelts. Every day they climb to the
top of the coaster and careen down the hill at breakneck speed. What
many would view as insurmountable obstacles, they see as simply bumps
in the road that must be overcome. Every twist and turn of the track is
different, and they often finish the ride exhilarated and out of breath.
There are others who get into the business for much more practical
reasons. As the realities of the broadcasting business become clearer, many
frustrated on-air performers eventually drift into producing. Some people
simply don’t have the ability to perform on the air but still want to work in
radio or television. Others see producing as the first step on a management
track that they hope leads to news director or, someday, station manager.
Whatever your interest in broadcast producing, I hope you will find
what you’re looking for in this book.
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page xi

Introduction

W hy write a book on broadcast news producing? Actually, there are

several reasons. Primarily, the demand for talented, trained pro­
ducers in the broadcast industry continues to grow. New technology has
led to an explosion in the number of channel offerings and an increased
demand for programming. Many cable and satellite channels have filled
the void with news, some of it on a 24-hour-a-day basis. Think of all the
news you can access now from such sources as CNN, Fox News, CNBC,
MSNBC, and other sources, not to mention local news providers. All those
programs need producers to get the news on the air, and the result is that
news producers are in demand like never before.
Traditionally, news producers learned their craft the old-fashioned way:
by going to work at a station and getting some hands-on experience.
Unfortunately, many producers got thrown right into the fire with a min­
imum of training. News is a demanding business, and producers generally
don’t have the luxury of waiting until they feel comfortable to start pro­
ducing. News directors expect a producer to immediately jump in and put
together a solid newscast. Expectations are high, and the learning curve is
short.
This book is meant to help those producers by giving them the basics
they need to know. Certainly, newscasts vary in style from station to
station, but they really aren’t all that different. Most of them have the same
look and feel, which suggests that there are some basic producing strate­
gies common to the various news media. This text will introduce you to
some of those basic strategies and provide the groundwork for putting
together a good newscast in radio, television, or even on the Internet.
There is more to news than just the newscast and more to producing
than putting out the same old show every day. This book will introduce
you to producing special shows, such as debates, town meetings, and elec­
tion night coverage. It will also give you an idea of how components within
your show work, such as sports and weather, which will be helpful when
you have to produce a special extended show on these topics.
This book also aims to go beyond the mere “nuts and bolts” of produc­
ing and get you to think more about putting together a good newscast in
the theoretical sense. What is news? What makes a good newscast? What

xi
FM-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 6:06 PM Page xii

xii BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCING

should my relationship be with the news director? What are some of the
issues that news producers must deal with on a daily basis? My hope is that
this book will help you find the answers to these and other questions. It
also focuses on the most practical question students have: How do I find
a job? Compared to on-air people, producers often have an easier time
getting into the industry and then moving up to better markets. Matt Ellis
started as an on-air reporter for a small station in West Virginia. Frustrated
with what he perceived as his lack of ability to get better jobs, he switched
to producing. Ellis became head writer of ABC’s Good Morning America in
New York and is now news director at WBZ-TV in Boston.
Matt Ellis is one of several industry professionals who have contributed
practical advice and information to this book. Unlike Ellis, Mike McHugh
went into producing right out of college and worked his way up to assis­
tant news director at WBBM-TV in Chicago, where he was responsible for
the 10:00 p.m. newscast. He and other broadcast producers share their
thoughts about the practical and theoretical side of putting together a
good newscast.
Very few books on the market address these subjects. Most of the books
you see today on broadcast “production” focus on the technical end of
the business—audio and video setups, camera placement, and so on. That
is important information, but it’s hardly useful to the person who has
decided to make a career of producing broadcast news. Whether you are
already committed to becoming a broadcast producer or perhaps thinking
of making a career change, I believe this text will give you the information
you need to get your producing career going.
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 1

What Is a Producer? 1
A sking what a producer is or does is a little like asking “how deep is
a hole?” Ask a hundred different people and you’ll probably get a
hundred different answers.
The short answer is that a producer does anything and everything to
get a newscast on the air. They are with the newscast from beginning to
end, not just the half hour or so that the newscast is on the air. Producers
are involved in the editorial meetings that lay out what the newscast
will eventually look like, and then they are there in the control room when
the show actually goes on the air. Depending on the size of the station,
this process can be extremely short and simple. But usually, it is a lengthy
and exhaustive process that challenges every skill the producer has: plan­
ning, writing, editing, resource management, delegation of authority, and
decision making under deadline pressure, just to name a few.
First and foremost, producers must produce a newscast of a predeter­
mined length. For most television producers, this means a half-hour or
hour-long show; radio producers deal with much shorter programs. That
is the reality that faces every producer when he or she begins each work
day. A certain amount of news time must be filled for the show to go on
the air. The time constraints cannot be ignored, delayed, or forgotten.
Many producers liken them to a hungry beast that must be fed every so
often. Feeding the beast requires a variety of skills, including news judg­
ment and value, putting stories in the correct order, and making sure
the show gets on the air properly. Ultimately, producers are judged by the
quality of the on-air newscast.
But producing is far more than simply putting a show on the air, as
computer software can now easily arrange a newscast with a minimum of
effort. Obviously, much of the difficulty lies in the process. Producers
must oversee the various components of the production process, and

1
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 2

2 BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCING

Figure 1.1 Producers Must Process Hundreds of Pieces of Information Each Day,
Usually Under Deadline Pressure
SOURCE: Photographs by Mary Lou Sheffer. Printed by permission.

these components have a tendency to break down or operate dysfunction-

ally. News vans will break down or live shots will fail. Photographers will
get lost on the way to a story, or reporters will change story assignments.
Breaking news will often force producers to rearrange a newscast at the
last minute. There could be problems with the production, engineering,
or traffic departments, all of which affect the newscast.
Technology has also made the role of the producer more complex.
Improving technology, from digital communication to satellite trans­
mission, means that producers must now deal with more information,
and in less time, than ever before. Oftentimes, critical decisions must be
made in seconds. In case of failure or the need to make a sudden change,
producers must know exactly where to go and what to do next. In this
sense, critical decision making under deadline pressure is one of the most
important attributes of the news producer.
Producers must also be amateur psychologists. The producer is respon­
sible for pulling together the people that contribute to the newscast
and getting them to work together as a team, which is not always easy.
Newsrooms are filled with jealousy, personal animosity, and strained
relationships. Reporters may balk at working with certain photographers
or vice versa. As silly as it sounds, producers will sometimes have to
referee serious arguments in the newsroom, if they’re not a part of the
argument themselves. Even when everyone tries to work together, people
can misunderstand their assignments, leading to confusion and delay. All
of this takes place under the watchful eye of the news director, to whom
the producer must report.
The producer is also expected to contribute to the content of the news­
cast. Reporters will cover most of the bigger stories, but producers usually
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 3

What Is a Producer? 3

write many of the other stories in the newscast. Thus producers must be
good communicators, writers, and editors.
Finally, despite the need for producing on a daily basis, there is also
a long-range aspect of producing. As a member of the news management
team, the producer provides input to the news director about the direction
of the newscast. Does the look of the newscast need changing? What
components of the newscast need to be reevaluated for the future? More
frequently, producers must engage in long-range planning for special
event programs. Often, months of planning will go into the production
of news programs for election night, political debates, local roundtable
discussions, and so on. The producer plays a pivotal role in this plan­
ning, as he or she will be the one in control of the program on the day that
it airs.
By now, you should be thinking of the producer as someone who must
possess a variety of important skills. Much of this relates to the producer’s
position in the newsroom and his or her place within the station’s news
structure.

Newsroom Structure

Every news organization has some sort of hierarchical structure or

organization, most of which are very similar. The producer deals with
almost every one of these departments in the process of putting together
a newscast.

THE STATION MANAGER

At the top of the structure is the station owner, general manager (GM),
or station manager (SM). Many times, especially at smaller stations, these
roles will all be handled by one person. But because of increasing con­
solidation and corporate ownership in the industry, a station manager
or general manager will usually run the station on behalf of the station
owners.
Very seldom does a producer deal with a station manager. The manager
is more concerned with the day-to-day operation of the station, of which
news is only a small part. Some managers prefer a more hands-on approach
to news and want to get heavily involved in the news production process.
More often, however, they will delegate responsibility for the department to
a news director and stay out of daily news decisions. Managers do have ulti­
mate hiring and firing responsibility at the station, and that may be the
only time producers actually talk to them.
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 4

4 BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCING

Owner, GM, SM

Sales Engineering GA News director Traffic Production

Weather EP, producer Director, master

Sports Assignment editor Studio personnel

Reporters Photographers Editors Writers Misc

Figure 1.2 Typical Television and Radio Newsroom Structure

Note: EP indicates executive producer; GA, general administration; GM, general manager; Misc, all
others under the assignment editor; SM, station manager.

THE NEWS DIRECTOR

The news director has direct authority over the newscast producers
and is responsible for the overall news product of the station. Unlike that
of a producer, this responsibility is not just the nuts and bolts process
of getting shows on the air. News directors are more concerned with large-
scale issues, such as overall news quality, audience feedback, and long-
range planning. This is not to say that news directors have no interest
in the day-to-day workings of the newscast, but having delegated most
of that responsibility to producers, they are free to focus on the news
department as a whole.
Producers work very closely with the news director in planning the
newscast. Most days, the news director, producer, and several reporters
will take part in an editorial meeting to discuss what stories merit cover­
age in the newscast and how to cover them. The editorial meeting usually
gives the producer a good idea of what the newscast will eventually look
like. By the end of the meeting, producers know what stories will be
covered, the importance of each story, and which reporters will be working
on them. The news director usually takes a strong hand in the editorial
meeting, outlining what he or she would like to see covered. Once these
decisions have been made, the news director usually turns over the show
to the producer.
The news director will talk with the producer several times a day to
check on the progress of the newscast. A producer might go to the news
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 5

What Is a Producer? 5

director with any major problems or concerns but usually does not need
approval to make minor changes to the show. As with station managers,
different news directors have different management styles. Some are very
hands-on and want to get involved in the actual news production process.
Others prefer to delegate that responsibility to the producer. Unless there
are major problems or breaking news requires drastic changes, the news
director typically lets the producer put the show together.
Ideally, the news director should be available to give feedback to the
producer after the show. This can be done in person, when the news
director and producer sit down to discuss the newscast, or it can be done
in the form of a written critique distributed to the entire newsroom.
Either way, it is important for the producer to know the strong and weak
points of the newscast. Unfortunately, not many news directors take time
to do this because of time restrictions or other deadlines. Many times, the
only time the producer knows how the news director feels about the show
is when it goes badly. In those cases, feedback is often immediate and
forceful.
The relationship the producer has with the news director will have a
direct bearing on the quality of the newscast in general and the producer’s
future in particular. It is virtually impossible to produce a good newscast
if the news director and producer are not working together and do not
share the same news philosophy. It is also unlikely that both parties would
remain in such a situation, and usually the producer would want to find
another job. This is why it is essential for the producer to cultivate and
maintain a good working relationship with the news director. This does
not mean that the two have to be friends, but rather suggests such things
as good communication, trust, and respect.
For more on the relationship between the news director and producer,
see chapter 8.

THE ASSIGNMENT EDITOR

Aside from the news director, producers work most closely with assign­
ment editors. Assignment editors are responsible for the coordination of
news coverage, which primarily means assigning reporters and photogra­
phers to cover certain stories. They have to juggle the schedules of all the
people going out to cover news, making sure that reporters have enough
time to do their stories. Many times, assignment editors will have reporters
cover two or three shorter stories a day or will pull reporters off one story
and send them to another.
In addition, assignment editors are responsible for coming up with
story ideas. They take part in the daily editorial meetings, monitor other
local news media, and listen to police and fire scanners for breaking
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 6

6 BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCING

Figure 1.3 Assignment Editors Must Stay in Constant Contact With News Personnel
SOURCE: Photograph by Mary Lou Sheffer. Printed by permission.

news. They also sort through the mounds of information that come
into a station every day, including news releases, meeting announce­
ments, and story ideas phoned in by the audience as news tips. It is a
job of constant communication and activity, especially during times of
breaking news.
The producer needs to stay in constant contact with the assignment
editor to see what, if any, changes need to be made to the newscast. The
assignment editor will be one of the first to know if coverage of a story
falls through or the story needs to be changed in format. For example,
if a reporter gets delayed coming back from a story, that story might need
to be moved to later in the newscast. Assignment editors can warn the
producer of potential problems in these areas.
Technically, because the producer is in charge of the newscast, he or she
has authority over the assignment editor. But it is a much better situation
if the two work together, instead of one trying to control the other.
Producers who become too authoritative with assignment editors (or
other newsroom personnel) find that those people are much less willing
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 7

What Is a Producer? 7

to contribute to a quality newscast. The assignment editor position is one

of the most thankless jobs in the newsroom, but it is absolutely vital in
terms of helping the producer with the newscast.

REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

Even though the assignment editor coordinates the activities of reporters

and photographers, it is really the producer who depends on them the most.
Producers must know how reporters are covering their stories. Constant
communication is essential, for if reporters deviate from their assigned
coverage, it is likely to mean that the producer will have to make changes
to the newscast.
After the editorial meeting, reporters and photographers get their story
assignments. This includes not only the type of story but the format. There
are different ways to cover stories, depending on their importance, the
resources available, and the deadline involved (see chapter 3). Generally,
more important stories are covered as live or packaged reports, and other
stories are limited to voiceovers or short interviews.
Producers expect that reporters and photographers will cover their
stories in this predetermined fashion, unless circumstances dictate
otherwise. There are many circumstances that could change the way
a story is covered, including equipment breakdown, the need to switch
reporters to another story, or lack of time to meet deadline. It is imper­
ative that reporters and photographers keep in constant communica­
tion with the producer so any changes can be made promptly. No
producer wants to make a major change to the newscast minutes before
show time.
At the same time, producers must have backup plans available in the
event that such changes must be made. If a reporter is assigned to cover a
story as a live shot and engineering loses the live signal right before the
story goes on the air, the producer must have alternatives. These are things
that a good producer considers ahead of time, well before the show ever
starts.
Most producers do not try to dictate the content of reporters’ stories.
They understand that reporters and photographers have specialized train­
ing in this area and are also much closer to story sources and information.
However, producers should feel free to suggest things that would help
improve the reporter’s presentation, such as different people to talk to,
possible locations for live reporting, and other places to get information.
Aside from this, producers want to know two main things from reporters:
the format and the length of their stories.
Most of the problems between producers and reporters come from
poor communication. Producers need to clearly define what they expect
from reporters on their stories, and reporters need to maintain constant
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 8

8 BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCING

contact with producers to make them aware of anything that would

require changes to the newscast. Chapter 8 goes into more detail about the
relationship between reporters and producers.

THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT

The production department is technically not part of the news depart­

ment and spends much of its time putting together commercials. But this
department has a prominent role during the newscast, as it is responsible
for the technical part of getting the show on the air. The key person in this
regard is the technical director, who sits in the master control room during
the newscast and supervises the audio and video presentation of the show.
Audio personnel adjust audio and microphone levels, graphic artists work
with chyrons (any printed material that appears on the screen), and tape
operators roll taped stories at their appropriate time. Much of this process
is becoming streamlined as more stations switch to digital technology. For
example, many stories are now simply stored as computer files and not
even put on video or audiotape.
Before the newscast, the producer and technical director may discuss the
basics of the newscast—what stories go where, the specific technical needs,
and any out of the ordinary requests such as special graphics. An hour or so
before the show, the director will go over the list of stories and mark them
to his or her specifications. Copies will be distributed to other members
of the production team working in master control so that everyone is aware
of what is going on.
During the newscast, the producer watches from master control but
leaves the technical part of the show to the director. The producer focuses
more on timing and organizing the show (see chapter 3). Stories are con­
stantly being dropped, added, changed, and moved within the newscast,
and all these decisions must be made by the producer. The producer must
also make sure that the show times out correctly. This means it must begin
and end at a certain time, and these times are usually very rigid. To
account for changes in time, producers will add or drop stories or ask the
news anchors to speed up or slow down in their presentation. Oftentimes,
certain segments of the show will be adjusted to compensate for time
problems. If the show is running long, for example, a producer might have
to cut the sports segment from 3 minutes to 2½.
The producer is not expected to know how the production department
works or how to “punch” the show from master control. Technical direct­
ing is a highly specialized skill, beyond the scope of producing. However,
the producer should realize that no matter how well the show is put
together, it does not mean anything if the show cannot get on the air.
Producers should make every effort to create an effective working rela­
tionship with the technical director that is built on solid communication.
01-Schultz.qxd 7/7/2004 5:45 PM Page 9

What Is a Producer? 9

THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

The engineering department is in charge of protecting, maintaining,

and improving the technical equipment associated with running a media
outlet. In a news sense, this particularly applies to electronic news gather­
ing (ENG) equipment, such as cameras, microphones, news vans, and
satellite trucks. Engineers spend some of their time on preventive mainte­
nance and trying to keep equipment from breaking and much more of
their time fixing equipment that has already broken. This last job is espe­
cially important, considering that the high cost of new technology makes
it difficult to replace equipment.
Like the production department, the engineering department is not
a part of the news department but still plays an important part in the
newscast. Producers assume that reporters and photographers will have
working equipment to cover stories. If some of the equipment is not
working, it will influence how a producer puts a show together. For
example, if the station live truck is inoperable, it would eliminate certain
options for covering a story. Producers need to know if certain ENG
equipment is not working or is unavailable.
Beyond that basic knowledge, producers rely more on engineers
for satellite transmission and live story coverage. Certain stories require
the downloading of satellite feeds, which is particularly true in the case
of network newsfeeds. Most organizations have relationships with larger
media outlets that involve these outlets providing national and regional
news material on a daily basis. Because this information is sent by satellite,
it is imperative that the satellite reception process works properly.
Producers count on many of these stories to use in their newscasts and rely
on engineers to keep the process running smoothly.
Engineers are more directly involved in the news process when the story
involves a live report, which has become quite frequent in modern news
reporting. Many stations want to go on location, either by satellite truck
or microwave unit. The microwave unit is the more common method: the
kind of news truck with a high mast that sends a microwave signal back to
the station. Engineers have to make sure that the signal has a clear “line of
sight,” which means there are no trees or tall buildings in the way that
could interrupt the signal between the truck and the station. Even a good
signal has an effective range of only around 60 miles, and it can also be
disrupted by high winds or rain.
A more sophisticated process is the use of a satellite truck. The truck
bounces the signal off an orbiting satellite, which sends it back down to
the station. There is no limit to its range, but engineers must have the
exact satellite coordinates to download the signal. Because of the expense
of buying satellite time, stations usually only have a limited window in
which to do their transmissions. As with microwave transmission, unfore­
seen problems can interrupt or erode a satellite signal.
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