Bob's Banter

The Root Is The Problem

2011-10-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

Trees are nice. They provide shade. They make noise when the wind blows. They give squirrels a place to scamper. They add beauty to the landscape. In general, I like trees, altho not the squirrels so much.
But trees have roots (thank you Mr. Quincey for biology). And those roots drill their way into water and sewer lines. I don't know exactly how long they had been drilling into the lines at mom and dad's house, but it had been awhile. The plumber tried to clear the pipe, but it was solid tree roots for 12' or more. So, a new sewer line was in order. Not what anyone, except the plumber, wanted.
And then there are the roots spreading underneath the house, breaking apart the foundation. And the roots that are toppling the fence. And raising the sidewalk to new heights.
All in all, I love trees and hate to see the stress they're under in the drought. But you can have the roots. (I realize it doesn't work that way.)

Streaking

2011-06-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

In the old days, streaking referred to something entirely different than what several viewers texted, tweeted, e-mailed and called us about the other night.
Shooting (streaking) star. At least that's what they said they saw. Abilene folks said it was northwest. Humongous shooting star!!!!!
I didn't see it, and haven't seen any pictures. But this is apparently different than the Unusual Flying Objects we've been reporting on lately. Those are more like flashing lights and flit, fly and leave. Still looking for an explanation for those.
Shooting stars are meteors entering and burning up in the atmosphere. Happen a lot. But can be pretty spectacular, especially when it's a big space rock and takes awhile to burn up.
Keep us advised.

Don't Get Mad

2011-04-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you. That's to those of you who are making courteous phone calls to us, or appropriate comments and questions on social media. You understand that when the tv station has a problem, we are not targeting you. And we would much rather be on the air providing you your favorite programs and news, than not. We're in business to be on the air. When you punch the on button, you expect us to be there, and our plan is to be there.
Sometimes bad things happen. Like thunderstorms that knock out electricity to our transmitter and power surges that fry equipment. It is not intentional that we are unable to broadcast, as tonight 04-20-2011. We want to be on the air.
We also understand that missing your favorite show, that you've waited a week to see, is disappointing. We understand that. We have favorite shows that we hate to miss, too. I like NCIS, The Mentalist, CSI, The Amazing Race, CBS News Sunday Morning and several others including KTAB News. I am not happy when they aren't on as usual.
But life should not revolve around the tv set (except when its time for KTAB News, of course. It shouldn't revolve around the computer or cell phone either.) I understand that for some, tv is the only connection to the outside world. And for those viewers, I can take being raked over the coals.
But, for the rest. Understand that we're doing the best we can, we're all human, all equipment breaks and we really want to be there for you. Nasty messages and phone calls don't help fix things. And the person answering the phone is doing that because everyone else is trying to solve the problem. Don't take it out on the phone answerer.
I would appreciate it.

Why Do They Drive Like That?

2011-02-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

We are recovering from the February Freeze. It was a long 4 days, with restricted travel, stores closed, schools closed, not to mention the cold temps and terrible driving conditions.
When I lived in the north land, we had feet of snow, but not so much ice. With snow, you can get some traction when driving. On ice, nothing. So learning to drive on snow is not very good training for driving on ice.
It is easy to slow down, keeping just enough momentum to keep moving, not do anything quickly, maybe even busting a stop sign if no traffic is coming. Basic unauthorized driving techniques.
The main thing is to keep from sliding. You simply have no control. Lower speed means if you do spin, you may not take out a telephone pole or somebody else's car.
So, if its so easy to slow down, why do some jokers pass you, either on left or right. We're all going to get to wherever we're going..... What's an extra minute or two? Slow Down.
I'm fairly certain the joker in the white car that sailed past me, spun out just ahead of me, and then took off again is not reading this. I hope he got where he needed to be, safely.
I just want my family, my friends, my co-workers, and you to not get hurt or have your car damaged.
Maybe I won't have to get on my soap box anymore this winter.
Spring is just around the corner. Then we can talk about driving on rainy streets.

Off and Running

2011-01-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

If nobody else has mentioned it, Happy New Year. Hope things are off to a good start for you.
Most of the KTAB crew is getting back after various days and weeks off for the holidays.
What will happen in 2011? That is a question we have no answer for (contrary to the promo we're running.) We do find answers to questions, but seeing into the future does not fall under "news." We'll report it when it happens.
There is, of course, a lot of speculation. What will the Republican controlled U-S House of Representatives be able to accomplish? Will the Texas Legislature be able to plan a budget with no new taxes? Will we get an answer to "What are those flashing lights to the south of the Big Country?"
Looking ahead to what may happen in 2011 is pretty much what we all face all of the time. You never know what will happen in the next hour, minute, second. And that's the cool thing about news. We never know what stories we'll be presenting to you during our newscasts, until they happen.
Stay tuned.....

Check the Calendar

2010-11-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving. Is that for real? Some how this holiday season seems a little early, or a little off side, or a little "I'm not ready yet."
It could be the weather. But, we've slid in and around "normal", so that's not much different than other years.
It could be the family away. But then, it has been that way for 10 years as my three daughters each started leaving for college, all out of town. Now one son in college, the other in high school. So its gradually changed around the house, so this should not be a reason for this seeming to be a slow start to the holidays.
In the newsroom, we've been talking turkey and dressing and home for the holidays and days off, but the old holiday spirit just hasn't rekindled from a year ago.
But the family will all be together around Thanksgiving, turkey will actually be smelled (and eaten) not just talked about, and more leaves will fall to be raked.
All of a sudden, it feels like holiday time.

They Got Him

2010-10-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

It was like NCIS or Hawaii Five-O, when a prisoner escaped from the jail in Abilene.
I heard it first on the police scanner at my desk. That certainly set the wheels in motion in the newsroom, planning our coverage. We were working another major story at the same time. So, getting people and equipment to the right places and continuing to put together our evening newscasts called for coordination. We got that taken care of.
But, what I want to talk about is the coordination by the law enforcement agencies. Within minutes, TSO, APD, DPS had the area surrounded where they thought the escapee might be. But there is high grass, trees, a creek, all providing places to hide. And that's where he stayed for about 7 hours. Men, horses, dogs. All looking.
But then the cavalry showed up, in the form of a DPS helicopter. (It was about 10:45pm). The crew in the chopper talked with the lawmen on the ground by radio. And the helicopter with infrared technology, zeroed in on the suspect almost immediately.
"Walk straight ahead, 20 yards." "Move to your left a little." "Straight, 5 yards." "Under that tree." "Right where that officer is pointing his gun." (The suspect had covered himself with dirt and leaves, and its really dark.) "The officers have him, at gunpoint. He's in handcuffs."
Just like that, Darrell Schenk is back in the lock-up.
From Sheriff Les Bruce to DPS chopper crew "Thanks and have a safe flight home." Chopper crew: "Glad to help."
It would make a good tv show script.

No One Should Get A Day Off

2010-09-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

So here it is, late on a Friday. Why am I still here? For one thing, I have to write this blog. But its being done at nearly the "witching hour" because this is the first time I've had a chance to do it.
Lane is gone, producer Tim is gone. All reporters and photogs are on football duty. So a/p Cody and I put the newscasts together. Usually Lane produces (organizes) the 5, I do the 6, and Tim the 10. But with them gone, its up to us. Reporters and photogs gather and write the stories, but producers put those stories in order, write transitions, edit videos. Those newscasts don't just magically happen. Its a real job to put them together. Stressful.
And we're working against the clock. When its 5:00 (or 6:00 or 10:00), the newscast starts. No waiting five minutes, or half a minute, or five seconds. But that's the fun of it too, putting all the pieces of the newscast together and working with the production department to get it on the air.
But it is very challenging when one of the members of the team is gone. Or two with Lane and Tim missing. So no one should get a day off.
(I may need to take a day or two off to recover from this.)

Another School Year

2010-08-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

Our last child has entered high school. That means the last Bartlett is moving thru the Abilene Independent School District. At one time, all five of our children were in AISD at about the same time. And our cars knew how to get to the elementary school all on their own, going the same way for more than 20 years.
Now, all three daughters have graduated from college, two are married, one of them has a baby, the other two have jobs, one son is in college, the other in high school. As I have mentioned here before, I would love to have them all still at home. But they aren't....spread across west and north Texas. The house has gradually gotten quieter, one departure at a time. But when any of them is around, and/or our grandson, it seems like the good old days.
We all are cranking things back into a schedule which most of us fall out of during the summer. Here's to early alarms, lunches, school buses, teachers and homework. Some things never change.

Back To The Classroom

2010-08-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

L=play. V=insert edit. E=in point. This what I have been dreaming for the last week. And it's not a dream.
It has been a year or two since I have sat in a classroom as a student. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had some formal technical training about anything.
We often have workshops to sharpen skills on writing, editing video, shooting stories with a camera. I always walk away from those, hoping I can put into practice the good things which have been demonstrated (and disregard some of the other stuff).
But KTAB has purchased some new equipment which will help us better tell the news stories we deliver to your tv set and computer every day. It's the equipment you don't see. The computers used to assemble the video, audio and graphics which our reporters, photographers and producers use to tell the stories which we show throughout the day.
The new system requires a great deal of training. And Curtis has flown in to help us through it. So with 8 computers side by side on the big table in the conference room, we hear about "connection manager", "transfer manager engine", and "workspace." It is really a terrific system, and Curtis leads us in, around, and over the topics for today's class. The skills will help us bring you the news of the day and the people who are the news. It's an ongoing process. Kind of like learning the new edit syst!@#$%^&.
(I'm dreaming that Ctrl Z (Undo) will fix everything.)

Rain, Rain Go Away.....

2010-07-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

It isn't often that folks in West Texas say enough is enough when talking about rain. But, enough may be enough. For one thing, mosquitoes. (Is that one thing, or a million?) And then the meteorologist's favorite term "Feels Like". That's when the real air temperature is 90 and the relative humidity is 99% making it "Feel Like" 170. Construction, roofers, road work, car washes..... a big impact on lots of jobs. And then there is walking the dogs where there is only mud.
But Sam says the La Nina and El Nino are about to stop and start, or start and stop. That means we're probably heading into a dry spell. That's West Texas summer afterall. So that 7" we are above normal rainfall, may quickly evaporate.
And the joy of scalping water from the Clear Fork of the Brazos River into Lake Fort Phantom Hill may come to a halt. (Phantom less than 2' below the spillway.... 90% full. When was it we were talking about the lake being nearly 6' low?) There is just never enough water (except flooding of course.)
So at least for now, enough is not enough.....

Welcome Lane

2010-06-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome Lane Stone. Lane has actually been at the station for about 3 weeks, meeting contacts in the community, learning our editing and writing computer programs, co-anchoring with Ron at noon..... now Lane begins what will be her normal routine. She is the co-anchor and producer of KTAB News at 5. That means she writes and organizes the 5pm newscast and co-anchors it with Victor Sotelo, and Sam Nichols does the weather.
After the news, interviews and banter at 5, she turns right around to co-anchor the 6pm with me, and then helps get things ready for the 10 o'clock.
It will be a long day, but after just these short weeks, Lane is easily picking up all our systems, our news values, and learning to deal with the various characters in the newsroom.
She is definately a news professional, knowing what counts as a news story. But she is also a "people person" interested in what is happening to residents of the Big Country. She has a dog and cats, too. Lane likes sports. So she has lots of interests, which means she likes to know about things that you like to know about.
We're happy to have Lane with us, and look forward to continuing Coverage You Can Count On and doing it in the Spirit of the Big Country.

Farewell Angela

2010-05-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Angela surprised me tonight. She has been doing a series of stories on Big Country people who helped her when she first moved to Abilene 5 years ago, and those who have impacted her life since. Tonight, she talked about me. That was very kind.
But, Angela has made a great impact on the Big Country too. She is a hard worker. A reporter, writer, video editor, producer, anchor. She has covered the Cross Plains fires, health issues, the need for a sidewalk at a new Abilene school, bad weather. She interviews guests on KTAB News at 5 who are interesting, provide good information, and do fun things.
And outside of news hours, she helps athletics causes, judges community events, co-anchors telethons. She has played an active role in what we do at KTAB and what happens in the community.
We all wish her well as she stays in the news business to anchor newscasts at 4029TV in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Angela has several days left with us, so be sure and say thanks when you see her around. Angela, Justin and Turner will have a wonderful time with this new opportunity. Our final farewell will actually be Memorial Day.

A Tough Day

2010-04-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Very sad. That's the only way to describe the loss of Abilene Police Officer Rodney Holder. I had known Rodney from about the time he joined the force. I would not put myself in the category of a "best" friend like the "Police Brotherhood", but certainly we were friends. I often saw him working and contacted him for information about an incident that he had investigated.
My wife, my children, and I all know his wife from elementary school events. His son is a dynamo. His daughter presented him with two grandchildren.
He was a nice guy who liked people and wanted to help them. And he did a lot of that.
We will miss his helpfulness, his humor, his smile.
Very sad.

Something Different

2010-04-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Why do you like what you do? Your job or spare time or school or retirement. Or maybe you don't like what you do. That's kind of how I felt about school. Just wasn't my thing. Retirement I haven't tried yet. So, that leaves jobs and spare time about which I can comment.
I haven't had a lot of spare time over the years, with five children and my wife to keep me entertained. I enjoy flying, music, reading. Yard work is there, most of the time.
But my job. Behind my family, my most enjoyable pastime. And the reason..... there is something new and different everyday. I sit behind a computer all day, and have the deadlines, but the stories we air are always fascinating. Accidents are not joyous, but you can learn things. Did you know its a bad thing to keep your cruise control on while driving on wet or slippery roads? Trooper III Sparky Dean says with cruise control, your tires will keep rotating at the same speed on dry pavement or wet, so going over a puddle of water can spin the vehicle out of control. Happened last weekend near Eastland. Two people died. Several injuried. That's not the type of story we like to report, that accident, but if we can save a life with that cruise control info.... well, that's what we do.
Did a story tonight about Abilene Police Officer Jeremy Holmes. On routine patrol. Flagged down by a mother whose baby was in trouble. Officer Holmes used the Heimlick Manuver to dislodge food in the child's throat. Officer Holmes, salute.
Will be doing stories leading up to Big Country Appreciation Day at Dyess Air Force Base. Dyess and Air Force people have meant so much and done so much for the Big Country. This is the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the first B-1B Lancer. KTAB was covering the arrival live from the flight line. I said, "Look up Abilene", as the B-1 approached from downtown and flew (fast) to Dyess, made a few passes and landed. Those are the kinds of stories that keep a newsman coming back for more. That's why I like what I do.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

Its starting to feel like spring. And on the 20th, it is. You remember winter. We'll all remember the winter of '09-'10 for a long time. 5 major snow events. A very white Christmas. Total moisture accumulation putting us more than 3 inches ahead of normal. And cold a lot. I know that's how winter is supposed to be, but with 1 minor snow the normal in the Big Country, this one was unusual.
But now, the birds are back. The weeds are growing in the lawn. Time to start transitioning so we can complain how hot it is, instead of how cold. We're just never satisified. And there's nothing we can do about it.
Spring means "spring break" for lots of folks. School is out. Families travel. This year, while two of our daughters are with their husbands and baby, the third is getting a break from her job and will be home for a few days. And the boys are both traveling along the east coast and to Washington, DC.
Seems like a quiet week ahead. Sleeping late, afternoon naps. But, of course, there are those weeds.....

The Plane Game

2010-02-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

A flight by an unhappy pilot into an Austin building will no doubt lead to calls for more rules for airplanes and pilots.
Speaking (writing) as a pilot, we have enough rules. The incident in Austin is tragic. And the events in the pilot's life which apparently led to it, are tragic too. He felt the federal government, especially the IRS, was targeting him. Maybe he is right. Maybe there are rules for the rich, and then for the rest of us. But trying to destroy one building and take some innocent lives with you is not the way to convey the message.
The IRS will still have its pages and pages of regulations. And people who might agree that government is too big, taxes too high and there is no way to get "their" attention, will be tarred with what this one individual did.
And pilots and airplanes may be victims too. There is always an out cry immediately after an event which gets so much attention. But, if the pilot had driven a car with a bomb into the building and caused similar damage, would there be a demand for stricter controls on drivers and cars?

This Is Where I Came In

2010-02-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

Even tho we've been talking about my 30 years at KTAB, I've been doing television in Abilene and the Big Country a lot longer than that. I began at KRBC in the fall of 1971. As a mere child, I produced and anchored the news and weather at noon, and sports at 6pm. (And of course there was Jackpot Movie in between. I picked phone numbers at random from Big Country phone books, and if they answered and knew the amount in the jackpot, they won the cash. Had a surprisingly large number of people watching those "B" movies, because the jackpot never got too big.) As sports director, I went to the schools in every town in our coverage area, talking with athletes and coaches, parents and fans. Many of them still come up to me and say, "I remember when you interviewed me." I love it when a woman or man, toting children or even grandchildren, thinks of those "good old days." Do you realize how along ago that is? A player I covered in high school baseball is now my son's middle school math teacher.
I bring this up, because today the UIL, in its wisdom, has once again changed the make up of school districts across the state. That has to be done of course, as the student population in schools change. Sometimes you wonder how they decide to send a school 5 hours one way to play football or basketball. But then, I'm happy someone else is having to make the plan. That's a tough one. The competition changes for fine arts and other fields, as well as athletics.
Folks were mad when the Little Southwest Conference was broken up two years ago, sending Cooper to 4A and Abilene High to Weatherford and Fort Worth. Now, we're back heading west on I-20 to compete with the Midland and Odessa schools. Even Big Spring will be coming to Abilene, altho to play Wylie instead of AHS or CHS. (The Steers and San Angelo Central had been with Abilene, Midland and Odessa schools way back when.)
When Victor Sotelo interviewed some students at AHS, they knew nothing of Mojo or the Little SWC, much less the Big SWC. Several, but not all Big 12 colleges were in the SWC. This UIL move probably means more to older folks like me, than those in high school right now. Familiar rivals.
So, if Cooper is 5A again, and joins AHS with Midland and Odessa in the Little SWC, then the collegiate SWC may be on its way back. March Grandioso may become our theme song again. We may shoot stories on 16mm film. And I may be hosting Jackpot Movie once more.

What Goes Around.....

2010-01-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned this particular event in previous notes to you. Somalia, 1992. Operation Restore Hope.
Starvation is leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands. The United States comes to the rescue. The Air Force is dispatched by President George H.W. Bush in August to fly food and water into the interior sections of Somalia. Later the Army and Marines are needed.
War lords are ruling the country. And they are all very well armed. There is little electricity. Phone service is almost non-existent. And people are continuing to die. A poor country.
Dyess sends C-130's and personnel to Africa for the mission. Air crews, maintainers, medical. Just about everyone at one time or another. My trip there was just before Christmas '92. The Dyess planes were already there, so I flew in the back of a C-141 to Newfoundland, Germany, Egypt and then Mombasa, Kenya. That's where the Dyess people were working. Flying missions up the Indian Ocean coast to Mogadishu, Somalia, and air strips around the bone dry countryside.
This is brought vividly to mind, as KTAB's Katherine Lane reports on her mission with Dyess C-130's to help in the Haiti disaster. "Riding in the back, feet propped on a Humvee, the web seats, no windows." For military men and women, that kind of transport is common. For civilians used to windows, reclining seats, and maybe even peanuts, it is a big adjustment.
My 141 had the same accoutrements.... web seats along each side of the plane, a couple of small windows providing no light, heavy equipment as cargo chained down in the middle, little room to walk around, and lots of noise. A 747 it was not. But military cargo aircraft are not designed for creature comforts. They're to get equipment and personnel to where they need to be.
For a reporter traveling half way around the world to Africa, or a couple thousand miles to Haiti, the thrill of getting the story helps you overlook the discomfort. I know the military has to do that all of the time. It's part of the job.
I remember the fine folks who got me there and back, and those who were away from their families Christmas 1992, helping people who needed help. I was gone for only two weeks. The Dyess folks much longer.
It makes me appreciate the sacrifices of those who represent our nation by wearing a uniform, and their families. I salute you.

What Happened To '09

2010-01-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

The years just slip by. I know I'm not really getting any older, but the time does go by quickly. What happened to 2009? Have I said this before? Memory, you know.
There were many events, large and small, which each of us will remember from '09. Some national events which get us, whether we like them or not. And some personal things which aren't always what we had planned. But for those of us with family members who live away, it makes the holidays a joyous time when they return. So, my holiday was joyous. I hope yours was too.
So what's to come in 2010? No one knows of course. We are hopeful it will be good, but all will not end well, and all problems will not be solved in the length of a television show.
I just know the KTAB news crew will keep delivering the news, KTAB will be involved in community events, and we hope to be a positive part of your lives.
Be sure and let us hear from you about events we need to cover, stories which need to be told, people who need a camera pointed at them (for good or bad reasons).
And just maybe that clock will slow down a little.

Betwixt and Between

2009-12-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

So Thanksgiving was two weeks ago. And Christmas is two weeks ahead. We're in the tweens. Recovered from all the turkey and fixin's and settling into getting ready for Christmas.
This will be the first Christmas for our grandchild, so we're looking forward to that. And most of our children are out of the "expecting lots of presents lined up under the tree" phase. We're more pratical now.
And, besides, with an expanding family base, grandchild, two daughters married, their husbands and their families, its becoming a big group. But one, big happy family so far.
The best part of this time of year, is getting to see our grown children. They may not all make it for Christmas on the same day, but its okay as long as I get to see them sometime. They all made it for Thanksgiving, altho we saved the big meal for Saturday when work would allow everyone to be here.
I wish for you the most joyous Christmas. A holiday is just like any other day, with some tinsel added. Even if family and friends are not part of the picture for you, remember, you are never really alone.

I Missed It

2009-10-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

I meant to write this on October 6th. That was the date in 1979 that KTAB-TV first signed on the air. But here it is now.
As I've mentioned, Bill Terry was the moving force behind KTAB. While manager at KRBC-TV, he hoped to be a part owner, but the family owned business declined to make that offer. So, Bill started his own TV station. It took less time and less money than most new operations. And he made money and ratings from almost the beginning. He was a real broadcasting whiz.
And he surrounded himself with good employees. So with his brains and our brawn, we had a winner. That first Saturday (October 6, 1979)we signed on with CBS children's programming, sports in the afternoon, followed by prime time programming.
And at 10pm, NewsTAB32. Larry Fitzgerald anchored, Bill Chaney did the weather and I did sports. Those are the positions we had been filling at KRBC-TV until mid-August, so the newscast looked very familiar to the viewers. I moved in to news and weather after that first night, with Bill Bourland doing sports. That was our on air line up for the next 2 years. David Bacon became sports director around Christmas of 1981.
In those early days we had a limited, but talented news staff, including Skip Watson senior reporter, with Frank Chavez and Jeannie Miller reporters, and Bobby Farquhar photographer. That was it.
We increased the size of the staff over the years, with as many as 8 reporters, 3 photographers and anchors for morning, noon, evening, night and weekend broadcasts.
But that size staff, just as the ratings, took time to build.
I will leave names off the list, so please send them along if you have one I don't.
Ron Rosseau, Monte Brock, Ned Austin, Fran Adkins, Frank Healer, Janis Cochran, Joel Fox, Kevin Palivec, Loren Halifax, Diane Dotson, Jennifer Douglas, Byron Webre, Buzz Lopez, Dan Edwards, Randy Turner, Bill Saunders, Jeannie Blaylock, Rusty Rhodes, Bill Carter, Elaine Martin, Paul Serrel, Artie Ojeda, Paul Osman, Brad Burns, Julie Adams, Lisa Aquafredda, and the list goes on. I'll do some research before I do this again. There are many I haven't mentioned, including the more recent and current team members. If you're one I missed, it must be the 30 years taking a toll on me. Forgive me, and let me hear from you.

Thanks Dan

2009-09-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

People come and people go. It is part of life, part of any company. But, when you visit thousands of people in their homes every night, departures are much more obvious. So when we said so long to Dan Edwards the other night, we got calls and e-mails. There is a lot of turnover behind the cameras, in all parts of the KTAB building, but it's those of us who are on the air that people know and react to when there is a change.
Dan was with us for more than 2 years, doing his weather thing at 5, 6 and 10pm. And doing the overnight severe storm coverage thing which has been a staple of KTAB since we signed on the air. Any type of weather is important to those of us in the Big Country, but when it gets nasty, we really pay attention. Dan had the technique of sitting at the computer, moving us around the area getting different views of the storms and then walking back to his position in front of the radar image. Talking (and making sense) the whole time. Very smooth.
Dan also enjoyed working with various maps and charts, to create something which would visually show the weather he was talking about. He called the forecast more accurately than most meteorologists we've seen come and go over the years. His goal was to make his air time meaningful, educational, even fun. He did that.
Here's wishing Dan and his family well. Thanks, Dan.

30 Years Ago, Part II

2009-09-03T20:58:00.001-07:00

Maybe you were watching the 10pm news tonight. Parts of it were about me. I don't know that I agree with the decision to devote valuable newstime to cover me, but they didn't consult yours truly. It turned out to be great, and I'm humbled by the kind words that Angela, David, Dan and Victor Sotelo had to say about me.
There were other nice things said, at a gathering at The Grace last Saturday. My family was all there, along with KTABers and friends from the community. From my bosses to current co-workers to former teammates it was a very flattering evening. And some of what they said may be true. Besides David Robinett, "kind" words from the past by former Sports Director David Bacon, former co-anchor Fran Adkins, Chief Videographer Andrew Carlson, General Manager Eric Thomas, and News Director (and soon to be stand up comic) Austin Kellerman. The "social" was not a roast, altho the Bloopers you saw on the air were played and stories about me and us (which some found hilarious) were told.
What I've been able to do for the last 30 years (+8 at KRBC) is to tell stories about you. Some were sad, some were uplifting, some were funny. But our reporters and photographers have been on many of the back roads of the Big Country to find out what's going on.
We've traveled the world together, you and me. I've been to several places in Europe and Africa covering Dyess missions. Co-anchor Jennifer Douglas and Jason Kumalo also reported from Africa. I have reported live from Las Vegas and the MDA Telethon, from Fort Worth after a tornado tore thru downtown Cowtown, from College Station when the Bonfire collapsed, and from around Abilene and the Big Country. Our crews have covered elections, Super Bowls and special events from across the country.
And it all started from a very nice studio on South 14th in Abilene, Texas.
Our total number of employees has never been large, but founder Bill Terry lived up to his original hiring goal: hire good people, work them hard, pay them well. (All true, except for the pay part). He did a great job of selecting and hiring good talent.
Next time, I'll bring back some names that you old timers might remember.

30 Years Ago, Part I

2009-08-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

August 20, 1979..... A date to remember, at least for me... That was exactly 30 years ago... It was my first day as an employee of KTAB-TV... We didn't actually sign on the air for a month and a half, but it was a brand new tv station in a brand new building... Like any new business, we started with nothing... When I walked into the newsroom that day, there were no desks, only folding chairs, and the phones were on the floor... News Director Larry Fitgerald and I went about the task of putting together a news department... NewsTAB 32... But owner and GM Bill Terry was the spirit of KTAB.... He had given those of us who applied, the unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new tv station... That rarely happens... Most tv stations signed on in the 1950's or a little earlier...
Here we were in 1979, putting on the third tv station in the Big Country... A majority of the crew had followed Bill from KRBC where he was station manager... I'm the only one still around KTAB that made the move, although chief engineer Glen McCandless started work on the same day, August 20th...
Larry Fitzgerald taught me about the news business... Bill Terry taught me about the broadcasting business and how to manage and work with people... It was a real family atmosphere... Both of these great leaders and broadcasters are no longer with us...
I was the assignments editor, selecting the stories the reporters were to cover... Of course, they also came up with their own ideas... And Larry as news director guided all of us in what and how to cover the Big Country...
As a new tv station on UHF (Ultra High Frequency) channel 32, we were a strange duck... The other local channels were VHF (Very High Frequency)channels 9 and 12...
It was very similar to the confusion surrounding HD tv in 2009... Many tv sets didn't have a UHF dial, and if they did, nobody knew how to use it because they had never had to...
To promote the station, Bill put together a traveling caravan which took us to almost every community in what would be our viewing area... We had the opportunity to talk with people who would be in our tv audience... We had a booth at the West Texas Fair, handing out free antennas and explaining how to receive channel 32.. Working in our favor to attract viewers, besides good CBS network programming and a well known local news team, was the Dallas Cowboys... In 1979, CBS televised the Cowboys games and people would do almost anything to figure out how to watch the Cowboys... And they did...
We signed on in October, and in the November ratings period, we were the number two station in a three station market... We became the number two station in less than a month... It took a while longer to be rated #1, but we did that in 1984 and '85, and that's where we've been ever since...
Bill Chaney was our first weatherman (he moved from KRBC too).. Bill Bourland was sports director for a year until David Bacon joined us...
Fran Adkins and I co-hosted NoonTAB 32... Natalee Powers joined me at noon when Fran became pregnant... And Fran rejoined us later... I did news and weather at noon, plus the 5 minute cut-ins in the CBS Morning News, along with co-anchoring the news with Larry and the weather on NewsTAB 32 at 6, and assignments... It was a full day...
When I started, the transmission tower was in pieces on the ground... It had not been erected... The control board to select the studio cameras or video tape or commercials had not been delivered... The studio was like a big barn with no lights, no news set, no cameras... The cameras ended up being old ones which had been used and used and used to tape the Grand Ole Opry on WSM in Nashville... It took every engineer we had to coax true color out of those cameras, we often looked green or red... But everyone worked together... All the departments: news, production, engineering, sales... All to help make KTAB The Spirit of the Big Country...
I've rambled enough... But thanks to all of you many loyal viewers who have been so nice to invite me and my co-workers into your homes these many years...
There are many stories to tell, and I will in future postings...
I would like to thank my family, too, for putting up with news calls in the middle of the night, family outings cut short by breaking news or weather, and most of all, the police scanners which are constantly on at my house and in my car..... I Love You...
To Be Continued.....

News Takes No Vacation

2009-08-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

We are a news gathering organization. We have reporters who work beats, an assignments manager who checks emails, faxes, phones, and photographers, producers, news management and anchors who take calls, get messages and talk to people. And police scanners are constantly chatting away.
That's the way we find out things. But one of our best sources is you. When something happens, we often get phone calls or emails either telling us what happened or asking us to find out. That's the kind of help we really need and value. We can only hear so much on the scanners, or talk to so many people. But with all of you out there acting as our eyes and ears, we can pass along information that the rest of KTAB Country needs to know. We always verify information that we get from non-official sources.
I bring this up because some of our tipsters are really loyal. I got a call today from a woman on vacation in Michigan. She had heard about an incident in the Big Country and called to make sure we knew about it. That was the lead story on NoonTab,and KTAB News at 5, 6 and 10pm.
News takes no vacation. Its 24/7. A newsperson is on duty all the time. But we can't be everywhere. You don't have to be on call for us 24/7, but when you see something out of the ordinary, keep KTAB in mind. Remember, what happens a minute from now could be "The News That Hasn't Happened Yet."

This Time It Was Four

2009-06-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Tragedies come in threes.....not this time. David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. That's four. The biggest name in the recent string of deaths of entertainers, of course, is Michael. Carradine did tv and movies. Ed was the sidekick on the Tonight Show and did lots of commercials and Star Search. Farrah Fawcett was extremely popular for her tv shows and toys and dolls and her courageous battle with cancer. Any death is tragic, and these four leave families, friends and fans distraught. When you see or hear someone as often as we did these people, they can become a part of our extended family. Their passing can be emotional. And it points out our own mortality.
Of these four, though, Michael Jackson was the star. A Super Star. I played The Jackson 5 music when I was still a radio disc jockey. And, of course, followed his career from the news desk when he ended up in court.
It took 40 years to build his impression in our minds. Hard to believe that's all we have left (plus a record or cd and a poster).

Heat Hits Hard

2009-06-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Is it a bad sign when there is a loud squeal from under the hood of your car as you accelerate? Yes, it is. But I'm afraid to have it checked out. Will probably be very expensive to fix. Most things on a car are. But, not fixing whatever it is now, will probably cause more damage, making it more costly to repair later. "rock and a hard place"
My daughter's car needs some fixing up too. Changing the oil, the technician pointed out one or two things which might "last awhile" or might "break anytime." So to a repair shop that can do the work. The parking lot at the shop is full. Owner says, "hot weather makes things break", so with temperatures around 100, auto repair stores are seeing more business. Meaning a slower turn around.
But in this economy, many folks are having little things fixed, instead of buying a new car or truck. Although, there are pretty good deals on cars and trucks right now. Dealers are wanting to sell.
By the way, the noise in my car only happens when the air conditioner is on. And the a/c can be really expensive to fix. Just have to drive with the windows down.

Salute

2009-06-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not getting older, but my children are. Kathryn graduated from University of North Texas in mid-May. Tommy from Abilene High School in early June. Rebecca and Sarah graduated from Texas Tech 2 to 3 years ago. Christopher is moving up, so my wife and I have one more high school and maybe two more college commencements in the future. This does not count daughters and sons-in-law post graduate degrees which are not planned for now, but you never know, plus grandchildren, in-laws' children, other relatives and friends.
College and high school graduations are different. At the college level, you know your child who is getting the old sheep skin, and a friend or two. And that's about it. That's almost not worth sitting thru an hour and a half of name reading. But you can't leave. It is not polite. And they all have worked hard to get there, so they deserve your time.
High school commencement is different. Not just that it took 13 years to get there. It includes a lot of youngsters our children grew up with. Some back to kindergarten, which doesn't seem all that long ago. So even in a class of 500 or so, there are quite a few names even I recognize. Memories of the years gone by.
But a bright future for all the grads, even tho things are a little rocky right now. I'm very proud of what my children have accomplished so far and will do in the future. But that's just a dad talking.

Goodbye Channel 32

2009-05-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was at our transmitter site the other evening. It's about 15 miles outside of Abilene, and not a place I am required to go very often. In fact, the most recent visit was my third in the last 30 years. The first two were just before KTAB signed on the air in October of 1979.
The first found the Channel 32 antenna on the ground. The 75 foot antenna weighing thousands of pounds would later be lifted to the top of the 500 foot tower where it is bolted in place..free standing up there. No wires to hold it in place. It has seen a lot of lightning, strong wind and ice in those years.
The second time I was at "the mountain", was the morning KTAB signed on the air for the first time...October 6, 1979. I had just recorded the sign-on for the station. (A very last minute deal when I asked, "Has anyone recorded the sign-on?" No one had). In those days, before 24 hour broadcasting, we would use the sign-on as the official welcome. "Good Morning. KTAB-TV in Abilene, Texas, now begins another broadcast day..." followed by the National Anthem. At night, the sign-off. "This concludes another broadcast day..." followed by the National Anthem. Both included some legal requirements which the FCC mandated we (and all radio and tv stations) include. The sun was just rising over the eastern horizon, when the transmitter officially started broadcasting the KTAB-TV signal on analog Channel 32. Back in '79 we didn't think twice about an "analog" signal, that's all there was.
My return to the mountain 30 years later was because there isn't just analog, there is also digital. And the government was ordering us and all telecasters to stop our traditional analog transmission and go digital. (The feds sold off the analog frequencies to cell phone companies so there could be more cellular phone traffic than there is now. Some tv's won't turn off the analogs until June 12th.)
On May 12th, KTAB turned off its analog transmitter for the last time. Chief Engineer Glen McCandless had the honor. Glen and I are the only two remaining original KTAB employees still on the payroll. We both joined KTAB-TV on August 20, 1979. It was appropriate I think that Glen and I were there to turn off the transmitter, since we were both there 30 years ago when it was turned on. We did live reports from the transmitter site on May 12th during the 5 and 6pm newscasts. Photographer Danielle Reeves did a great job with the camera, showing what was going on.
Glen turned off the transmitter at 6:15pm while we were doing a live shot.
So, on October 6, 1979, my voice was the first heard on KTAB..."Good Morning...." And on May 12, 2009, my voice was the last heard on KTAB analog... "Goodbye Channel 32"....

H1N1

2009-05-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

How are you feeling? Wash your hands lately? Think we're talking and doing too much about H1N1? We now have confirmed "probable" cases of swine flu. 6 children from Merkel. All the cases were mild and the children have recovered. Merkel and Trent schools will be closed until May 11th. The "probable" samples now go to CDC in Atlanta where a third test will confirm swine flu (or not).
Congressman Randy Neugebauer says altho it may seem overkill, the government has to plan for the worst and have everything in place in case the flu really does spread like wildfire. It would be tough to play catch-up. So, he thinks, better to be cautious.
Dr. Zane Travis of the Health District has had more air time than me, as we cover the swine flu. He still encourages not to panic. Even if you get it, its pretty much like any other flu. Not good, but most will survive.
Lots of school activities... concerts, end of year banquets, field trips, sporting events... all cancelled at some Big Country school districts. Merkel and Trent closed until May 11th. Can't remember anything like this, especially when not much has happened. Again, erring on the side of caution.
Our newscasts this Friday (5-1) were extremely interesting. Dan needed time to cover storms in the viewing area. News needed time to cover the flu. And David wanted time for sports. And we start and stop on time (most of the time). So, as they say in Hollywood, a lot of what we wanted to say "ended up on the cutting room floor." Altho, we tried not to cut any of the important information.
Producer Mark, reporters Victor and Megan and Manny, live truck operators Danielle and Andrew, director Russell, production crew all had a real workout. Shooting, writing and editing more stories than usual, chasing storms and setting up live shots, producing newscasts with ever changing content, putting a newscast on the air which was more "seat of the pants" than normal. This is another one of those days that confirms as correct, the decision to get into broadcasting. It is easy to walk away from an informative and entertaining half hour as we did at 6:30 and 10:40, and know we gave our best effort and provided the viewers with information they needed. Thanks all. Team work.....

What's In A Picture?

2009-04-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before, one of the really great things about doing my job, is never knowing what will happen in the next second, which might become a story, or at least hot conversation in the newsroom. As an example, I was sitting at my desk writing the 6 pm news, while Victor Sotelo was editing video for a 6pm story at a computer about 10 feet from my desk. As we edit, the last frame of video is frozen in place, until the next video is ready to add on. When I happened to glance at the computer monitor, I was surprised at the image I saw. The frame I saw is below. What do you see? (It is actually a burning tree next to a house on fire in Abilene this weekend.)

I Want News

2009-04-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

There are days, and then there are days. A large dry-erase board is on one wall of our newsroom. The day's assignments are posted there, with the reporters name assigned to the story, the story name and for which of our many newscasts it is expected to be completed.
As I may have mentioned before, there are days, and then there are days. Days are when the board is overflowing with projects completed or being developed but expected to be done. Days are when everyone also has an idea or two to toss into the mix about things we need to report, people we need to profile, story ideas to follow.
Days are when all the cameras are working, the batteries are all charged, the live trucks are all available, and people have remembered to put gas in all the news vehicles.
And then there are days. Like today. When the assignment board is about half full, there were not a lot of workable ideas presented, and one or two of those other things didn't fall into place. Sometimes, when it's a "slow" news day, there will be some stormy weather for Dan, or David has a new head football coach at a local high school.
And then there are days. Like today. Not a bad news day, just nothing really exciting, but still things you need to know about. We do our best to put together an interesting half hour of information, no matter what kind of day it has been in the newsroom.
But the wonderful thing about the news business is we never know what's going to happen in the next minute which will create our Top Story for a day like tomorrow.
That's when we'll be back with all the news that hasn't happened yet.....

Breaking News

2009-04-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Most evenings we can all take a dinner break between the 6 and 10 o'clock newscasts..
That's MOST evenings.. But when there are severe storms in the KTAB viewing area, or when there is Breaking News, its all hands on deck.. We listen to police and fire radios and scanners all day.. Accidents, fires, shootings.. Those are all incidents we may hear on the police/fire radios.. Of course, we get phone calls and e-mails from viewers about what's going on too..
I also have radios and scanners at home.. My wife has "good ears" to pick up what's happening.. My children hated the scanners, but actually have heard useful news over the years.. Obviously, we use the information only for news coverage..
Wednesday (04-08) I was home for a meal break when the Abilene Fire Department started broadcasting a fire at The Windsor, a multi-story retirement community at North 4th and Pine, downtown.. In news, we really (believe me) don't wish for bad things to happen, but when they do, we have to be prepared to cover them.. That fire call ended my dinner break.. My wife put my dinner in a plastic dish, and I rushed back to the station, just in case.. Altho there was significant smoke and water damage to several apartments, there were no serious injuries and this did not turn into a major event (unless you live in one of those damaged apartments)..
This will obviously lead our newscast at 10pm.. But things are under control, and we have a plan for the 10pm news..
So, that gives me an opportunity to write this.....

What You Get May Not Be What You Want

2009-03-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

So, "gang initiation is calling for shooting 3 women shoppers at Wal-mart." The phone is ringing off the hook around here. Reporters are being questioned at every story they cover. Abilene Police hold a news conference. People are really worried.
But its all a HOAX!! A message that was first sent more than a year ago by e-mail, is being recycled now by text message. And it is spreading coast to coast. It is not just in Abilene, Brownwood, or Sweetwater where there are Wal-marts in the Big Country. It is wherever there is a Wal-mart.
In these days of violent gangs and terrorists, I understand the concern. But this message shows the skeptical eye which we have to use in this day of instant communication. Just because it is on the Internet or on your cell phone, doesn't make it real. Anyone can put anything out there and you have to be able to sift thru what you get to figure out what you may not want.....like a bunch of malarkey which is being used to hold us in terror.
That's why we're here. We can be had, just like anyone else. But generally, a news operation like KTAB has enough contacts to find out the story behind the story. We try to live up to "Coverage You Can Count On" everyday, on every story. (We mentioned Wal-mart threat was a hoax when we started getting calls Wednesday night.)
And something else worries me....postings on Facebook and myspace. But I'll get to that next time.

Time Passes

2009-02-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

Not sure if it is just "getting old" or having a long memory. But either way, sometimes a story just happens to cross my desk that flashes me back in time. This day, it was the story of an Army soldier who wears and has special affection for a bracelet with a Texas soldier's name on it. The name is that of Sergeant James Casey Joyce who was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia in October of 1993. His grandmother was long time Abilene resident and loyal KTAB viewer Mary Galbraith. She passed away a few years ago, but was well known and very active in Abilene. Casey was part of the group of 18 Americans killed on October 3rd during a firefight in which a Blackhawk helicopter was shot down by gunmen of a Somalian warlord. Sgt. Joyce was a part of a ground unit in a Humvee. The movie "Blackhawk Down" is based on what happened to Sgt. Joyce and the 17 other soldiers who died that day.
I did not know Casey, but I did know his grandmother. The story brings to mind the many Americans who have served and died for their country. Proud of all of them.
My recollection is of Somalia. I was there with the 463rd Airlift Wing, Dyess Air Force Base a year before the Blackhawk Down incident. A group of journalists flew to Somalia at Christmas time 1992 to showcase the effort by the United States to save lives. Somalia was in a long drought and thousands of people were dying from starvation. The 463rd flew the C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft from Mombasa, Kenya, up the coast of the Indian Ocean to Somalia. Many flights were to the capital, Mogadishu, but others were to remote airstrips to drop off tons of grain and other food items. Pilots flew low over the runway to scare away animals and make sure the right people were there to pick up the supplies. Navigators made sure we were at the right place. The crew in the back sweated over the cargo, its loading and unloading. It was hot. On my desk in the newsroom, I still have a 1.5 litre water bottle (Kilimanjaro Mountain Spring Water)which everyone carried or kept near by. Drank a lot of water.
I have some great video of the Somalians carrying the heavy bags of grain and putting them in the back of trucks, then taking a break, dancing and singing. Video was used for individual news stories and a half hour special which aired right around Christmas, 1992.
Probably most of the people in those tapes are long gone from the Air Force... That was nearly 20 years ago. Operations Provide Relief and Restore Hope, may have been the name of the operation. The journalists, I was the only one from Abilene television to go, flew there and back in a C-141 from the New Jersey Air National Guard. Altho, on the way home, I hopped on an American Airlines DC-10 at Frankfurt/Rhein-Main and flew non-stop to DFW.
That trip to Africa was one of the many great opportunities I've had to work and travel with the fine folks at Dyess.

Welcome

2009-02-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

What's it like having your first grandchild visit for the first time? It is great. It happened this weekend when his parents needed to travel on business. The three month old stayed at our place. It has been a long time since we have had a baby in the house. I had forgotten what that's like. It was really neat, what with the smiling, and looking all around, and finding objects to concentrate on, like the ceiling.
It was a joy just to watch. It was nice to have our two sons around to help with their nephew. Feedings every three hours, sleep but not quite on a regular schedule, diapers. My wife and I knew all of that well with our five children. But it is different when it's not your child. Special care required. It's fun to see his joy as he learns about the world around him. The world won't always be so pleasant, but he can enjoy it now.
I miss all our children being gone, although I know that's what happens. Same for the newest member of the family. He's been gone just a little while, but I miss him already.

Look, Up In The Sky.....

2009-01-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

For those who don't remember, the title for tonight's theme is the opening line from the "Superman" tv series of the 1950's. I would write the entire opening announcer voice over if I had time and there wasn't some copyright infringement probably lurking.
What brings that to mind is several phone calls and emails to KTAB. "What were those lights in the sky?" I have checked on unusual lights in the sky for years. Usually, its the sun reflecting off a weather balloon launched from Marfa and climbing to 100,000 feet plus. Or a B-1 or C-130 doing patterns at Dyess or tracking the VOR. Or a jetliner cruising at FL350. But calling the police, sheriff, DPS and feds as I have just done, usually gets you the "Huh? and stifled laughter" treatment. Same this 1/29 when lights displaying an unusual, intermittent pattern were reported generally to the southeast of Abilene.
The last time the lights were called in from roughly this area, a blimp with unusual anti-collision lights was making a nighttime landing at Abilene Regional Airport. The tower reported no blimp or any other unusual aircraft tonight. No calls from panicked citizens to local law enforcement. But calls and emails to us.
A callback from one of those folks had the answer. The military was doing some training near Brownwood. There is special military air space near Brownwood where lots of military training from helicopters to jets is done. This night, they were dropping flares from aircraft. As the caller told me, he had seen flares at night in Iraq, and they are brilliant. And that's what folks saw, as we reported on KTAB News at 10. Flares from military aircraft as part of an exercise. No UFO..... Sorry.....
"....it's a bird, it's a plane.. No it's Superman... Superman, strange visitor from another planet with powers and..."

The Winter of Our Content

2009-01-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

So how did you make it thru the Deep Freeze, as we called the ice event at KTAB? A few weeks ago, we had ice form on bridges and overpasses early one Monday morning. It was one of those things that there wasn't a whole lot of talk about on the newscasts the day before. And the ice just sort of appeared between 5:30 and 6 that morning.
This time Dan, Sam and Kira talked about the possibility of first, rain, then somesort of freezing precipitation, for nearly a week prior to the event. So, not only were we prepared as a news agency to cover it, emergency agencies and road crews were on top of it, and so were our viewers. So the late Monday thru Wednesday morning ice/sleet event wasn't a surprise. The KTAB team turned in hours of coverage on the freezing rain, freezing fog (that's a new one), sleet coming, arriving and leaving, plus whatever else happened because of the cold weather. Almost every school district in the Big Country called us with late start times, busses running or not, school closures and events postponed. That's a lot of phone calls with a lot of information to put on the air and the web site. There were other changes too, for Dyess, businesses, churchs, social clubs.
We aired extended morning broadcasts for those whose work and school plans changed. We did live cutins thruout the day to keep our viewers updated on the latest developments and devoted evening news programs to that topic. Plus additional information at bigcountryhomepage.com. KTAB takes the approach that there is no such thing as too much information in a critical time like that. And people took our advice... staying off the roads, or at least slowing down and driving more safely.
Maybe that was our last winter event, altho it will be cold again. Now, KTAB will start planning on how to deal with spring storm season.

Flashing Lights and News

2009-01-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

We’re an unusual group, news people. Just like some lawyers, we love to chase ambulances (and police cars and fire trucks… anything with flashing lights). Today for instance. When I showed up at the station, there was a list of fairly routine stories planned for our newscasts. Then grassfires started breaking out. And a bank was robbed. And a local religious group sent their attorney to talk with us. This all happened between 3:30 and our newscasts. It is stimulating to have your newscast planned, and then have it all go up in smoke and flashing lights.
We really don’t like bad things to happen. And I think if you look at KTAB newscasts for a week or a month, you’ll find mostly good positive stories about children and pets and schools and sports and weather. A majority of our stories are “good news”, even though people complain that we never do “good news.” But then there are days with fires and accidents and ice and high school football.
Again, we don’t want people hurt or property damaged. But our job is to report news… which is something that is out of the ordinary and that people are talking about. I could go on about KTAB news philosophy, but I just heard a fire truck go by.

Bob's First Banter

2008-12-30T19:39:00.001-08:00

Hello. And welcome to my blog. We're all starting the New Year around here (KTAB) with the opportunity to have a new style of two-way communication with you. Of course, television is just one-way. You're watching at home, and I'm hoping you're paying attention. Often it seems you're paying attention when we make an error (which hopefully doesn't happen too often.) That's when you call, which all of a sudden makes it two-way communication. We want to hear about that, of course, so we don't make the same mistake twice.
Actually, I'm amazed every time we do a newscast. With reporters and photographers gathering news all day, based on assignments from the assignment editor, then bringing back the video and the facts to write and edit stories, which the producer organizes into a newscast, which the director, audio operator, graphics designer, and studio crew put on the air, live, with the anchors on set, and with only a hiccup or two.... its a complement to each individual who spends her/his day getting a newscast together for you. Weather and sports are working at the same time to build their segments of the broadcast. And it comes your way at 6 and 10pm, plus our other casts at 5:30am, noon, and 5pm. And the developing new world of news delivery right here on the internet.
I'm wishful that your Christmas and New Year holidays were what you hoped they would be.
Until next time here, or on KTAB, Happy New Year.