Jamey Tucker

Beside the Point

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Archives for July 2007

Shootin’ (from) the Bird

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TV helicopters have been in the news this week and last. Two crashed into each other in Phoenix killing 4 people. Today, the bird for KDFW crash landed.

I’ve worked for two tv stations when they first got choppers. And I let both news directors know, I had no interest in going up.

My decision not to fly had less to do with fear though and more to do with what I saw ourselves doing up in the sky.

In Huntsville, WHNT became the first station in the market with a helicopter. We were the #2 station at the time and the “Sky19” along with the first satellite dish in town helped us become the #1 station in a couple years time. There were reporters in the newsroom who couldn’t wait to go up. I suppose liveshots from a helicopter make a resume tape sizzle. But I’ve never been inclined to strap myself in one of those birds.

A few weeks after 19 got the chopper, one of our reporters and photographers had a close call. While flying over high school football games the helicopter stopped running. If it weren’t for a nursing home underneath, Kevin Osgood and Matt Green might not be here today. I was anchoring that night and we blew out nearly all of our news that Friday night to talk with both of them live about what happened.

I did go up once. We had the chopper in the parking lot in downtown Huntsville. At around 4:45 there was scanner traffic that an inmate from the downtown jail had escaped. I was about the only reporter in the newsroom and my news director literally begged me to go up and shoot a look live of the search. After a few glances hoping to see someone else volunteer, I reluctantly agreed.

The pilot took me up, I shot a look live report in one take and we set it back down. We weren’t up for more than 5 minutes. I ran back inside with the tape and we led the newscast at 5. The timing made it look like we were live up there.

But that was it for my flying days. I was asked a few times to go up at WREG but I stood my ground and stayed there.

I suppose there is some fear. I don’t like flying in small planes and certainly feel no more secure in a helicopter. But the biggest reason for me to say no to flying is I know how they use those choppers. Once they buy or lease it, they have to use it. During ratings months, it was a given that the helicopter would be used for a live shot in every show.

Story on potholes? Use the chopper. School’s out for the summer? Chopper. Day after Thanksgiving shopping? Use the chopper.

One of those stories makes sense, the others don’t. Why put a reporter in a helicopter for a live report on potholes? You can’t see the potholes from up there. But it’s been done.

Joe’s got a good discussion on this subject over at his blog.

We don’t have a helicopter at 2 but if we ever get one, I’ll let the young reporters fight over the opportunity.

The News from Huntsville

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I moved from Huntsville ten years ago next month. It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been that long. And quite frankly, if I knew now what I didn’t know then…I would have stayed.

That said, I still keep up with the news from Rocket City and found this interesting. WAAY, the ABC affiliate in Huntsville has hired a new news anchor. His name is Michael Scott.

No…not the guy from “The Office”, but still, I bet you’ve seen him before.

yup…the Lizard Man.

I’ve laughed as hard at this clip as any other tv news blooper. You’ve got to hand it to Scott, he laughed it off and kept going. I think he’s probably a pretty good guy judging from how he handled the thing. Don’t know what I’d have done.

Also, Gary Dobbs is returning to Channel 31. At least that’s the rumor but they’ve scheduled a news conference for tomorrow to make an announcement about a new position or employee.

And that’s not all. My old friend Keith Lowhorne is on board at WAAY as assignment editor.

Things are looking up at 31, waay up in fact. The new website looks terrific and another former co-worker tells me their new look which debuted tonight or last week is a step in the right direction.

Good for them. There’s a lot of really good folks up on that mountain and I’d like to see them become competitive again.

That station was tops when I first came to town in 1992. They had managed to stay on the air during the horrible tornado in 1989 and was putting out a darned good news product. I remember wondering how any station could ever take their spot in the hearts of Valley viewers. But they slid as 19 started to rise. 31 was #2 for awhile when 19 took the lead. Today, 48 leads every newscast with 19 second and 31 picking up the rear.

Good luck guys.

When TV Folks go to Radio

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I’m thinking tonight about a local talk-show on Memphis radio about 7 years ago, featuring a popular local television news reporter. The show aired on an up-start AM station, mid-mornings when the night-side reporter was on his own time.

I remember management had some concerns when Mike Matthews approached them with the idea. They were concerned that a local news reporter should remain non-biased when covering local stories, and since talk-radio is mostly about opinions…it didnt’ get the green light easily.

But they apparently saw some cross-promotional possibilities and Mike was allowed to go on the air with the Mike Matthews’ Radio Show.

And man was it entertaining.

I tuned in on day-one with my photographer Hutch behind the wheel as we headed out on a story (probably something on monkey-flu).

Now Mike was great on the radio, but the trouble was…nobody called in. And I mean nobody.

Mike was left behind the mic for long periods of time with nothing but AP copy, the Commercial Appeal and his thoughts.

“Now come on…I know somebody is listening. Give me a call.”

But hardly anybody did.

I felt for the guy. In fact, I even called in. But as I remember there was a problem with my cellphone and after giving my name “Jim from Hernando”, I got cut off.

“Hey…we’ve got a call!” Mike said. “Jim from Hernando…how’s it going?”
But there was no voice on the other end. “Hey folks…listen. When you call in, this is pretty important. Don’t hang up!”

After a couple of days, I thought it might get better for Mike, but it never did. One of the funniest things I heard was Mike offering a free lunch at the Arcade to everyone who called in. “And if we get enough…hey, we might even get a booth.”

Mike had a great attitude about the whole thing and really did a great job. I don’t know that he ever got paid for his work as the station went down the tubes a few weeks or a month later.

TV folks don’t make the transition to radio very often. The nature of their job (non-biased, no opinion) makes it nearly impossible to host a talk-radio show. Mike managed to host the show without crossing that line.