Early Days Tour Of KRWG-TV

Let's meet our general department secretaries, Mary Courtney and Linda Lawson, Mary over here at the front desk and Linda back here, Linda is Dr. Haitian, okay. I'd like you to meet Dr. Frank Hayes, who's the head of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication here at New Mexico State University. Dr. Hayes, ahead of this department, what are some of the things that you see as advantages to students in working in an operation like CRWGTV? Of course, from the beginning we have used our radio and television stations as practical labs for our students. We find there are great advantages to this. This is a professional department. We expect our students when they leave here to perform as professionals. We find that by having this type of training our graduates are much more employable than they would be if they were involved in a typical academic setting. By providing this professional experience during their training years, we find that they

are ready to go to work when they leave here. And we find that their employers are well satisfied for their performances when they do leave. I do find this a marvelous experience in working in what I actually want to do, like this show as an example. That is true. We find that our students are doing exactly the jobs here in their training experience that they will be doing when they leave here in a professional operation. In fact, we consider ourselves to be a professional broadcast operation. I do also. Well, thank you very much for talking with us, Dr. Hange. I think we'll go down now and meet our general manager of CRWG, Mr. James Dryden. Mr. Dryden, I was wondering if you would explain to our viewers some of the differences that you've noticed between working in a student staff station and an institution that's professionally operated. Okay, thank you.

I think, first of all, you've got to be aware of the fact that probably 99% of the television stations around the country, both commercial and non-commercial, do not have student staffs of any kind. They might have one or two students working on a part-time basis, not in the same sense that we do here at Channel 22. We are a unique situation, of course, in that our station operation is closely integrated with an academic program here at the University which trains students in broadcast production. We feel that Channel 22 offers a unique opportunity to students in the department to learn on the job skills in an operating broadcast situation that students would not have if they were simply to receive training outside of the station

environment. Of course, the fact that we have students working in the station is also an advantage to the station operation in that we have positions filled which would not otherwise be filled because of a limited budget. So we have to count heavily on students to perform some of the key jobs at the station. We're grateful for this working relationship. There are however some disadvantages which should be mentioned in all candor. One of these is that because stations, because students rather come and go in and out of the program, we do not have a steady labor supply of students that are at a consistent level. Because of this turnover, we have to train students that are coming into the program to do the

jobs that need to be done. And this is obviously a disadvantage. Okay, thank you very much, Mr. Dryden. I think we'll go in now and meet some of our engineers down in the engineering shop which is in the north wing of Milton Hall. Before we get to engineering, we'll be passing through our shop area. This is where we build a lot of the sets that you see on CARW-WG. And we're a lot of the work takes place which most people don't see. It's behind the scene activity. This is the engineering shop where many of the repairs of broken equipment take place here at CARW-WG. This is also the office of the engineers who help keep us on the air. They're the ones that take care of the transmitter, supervise studio operations, and generally make sure that everything is in working condition. Over here at his desk is Howard Butler. He's in charge of studio operations here at CARW-WG. And we might see him again later on. But for now, I think

we should head on out to Studio A so we can see what Howard is actually in charge of. Here we are in Studio A. Studio A is one of the largest color studios in the Rocky Mountain West. And put to good use, rather here at CARW-WG. Looking around the studio, you can see that a couple of the sets have been set up. And we'll be used, one of them, for instance, on Monday nights. The one over there in the corner is for the Ricardo Munoz Show. Then over here is NewsView22, East of the Montessierra. And that's the color news show which is on every weekday night at 6 p.m. Ricardo was on at 9 p.m. on Monday nights. And then the rest of the studio space is reserved for other sets which you can't see at this time. For instance, the Prism set, which is right out there in the middle, and you can't see it now, but you'll see it later on in the show. This is production control where a show like Prism, the university focuses control from. And sitting at the switching panel is our

director, Jim Fickland. And sitting next to him is our assistant director, Michael Fitzpatrick. Both of them hold other positions here at CARW-WG. Mr. Fickland is the production manager, and Mr. Fitzpatrick is operations manager. What are some of the things that go on behind the scenes at CARW-WG? Well, Brad, television is one of those things that you can't do with just one person takes several people. And so there's a lot that goes on that the viewer at home doesn't see. For example, we've got to show in about eight minutes here that we'll be doing. And at the present time out in the studio, which you saw a few moments ago, empty, the set has been set up, and the finishing touches are being put on the lighting. That involves several people. When we actually get the show rolling, besides myself, I'll have an associate director whom you just met, an audio man who is working with the audio board here to my left. There'll be a cameraman on each of the two cameras that they'll be working with. And there'll be a floor manager whose job it is to cue the talent,

to tell people on the floor how much time is left to keep cables out of the way, a multitude of things to make the titles move up and down on the screen that we use in the show. In addition to that, there are more people. There's a fellow called a master controller who's responsible for putting our show actually on the air at the scheduled time. And there's also an engineering staff, some of whom you've met, who have to take care of things like getting the video tapes on the right video tape machines and start it at the top of times. All the technical adjustments on the cameras done, one of the engineers right now is shading our cameras or making the technical adjustments for color and for picture brightness and so forth for the show that we'll be doing here in a few minutes. We'll have about five minutes. In just a few moments, he will move those cameras away from the charting area and we'll begin when he started the show. And maybe the easiest way for the viewers to see just what goes on

behind the scene is for them to watch as we get the show started. Okay, Roy, you let me know when the cameras are ready, please. And let's get mics on, Brad and Irene, please. We have about two minutes till show. Which machine is the opening tape on, please? BTR3. Okay, check the crawl. Okay, cameras are ready, move to your opening shot, please. Okay, we have about one minute.

Camera 2, dolly in a little please and check your focus. Camera 1, zoom in, we'll open on a close-up on Brad, please. Okay, stand by to roll video tape, stand by to take audio on video tape. Three ready to come up on video tape. Roll tape, five seconds. Up on tape, audio on tape, stand by for crawl roll, stand by for mics and the cue. Ready mix. Titles are super roll crawl. Ready camera 2, stand by to fade the audio on a VTR, ready to open the mic, stand by to cue the talent. Fade audio on VTR on camera 2 and cue.

And now we're going to talk to some of the people that we've already seen here at CARATWG. This is master control, and I think the first person we should talk to is the master controller. And the one that's on duty right now is Tim Marigas, so let's go talk to him. Tim, how long have you been running master control here at CARATWG? About two years, and do you find that it's a pretty difficult job every once in a while? And every once in a while it was really hard at first, you know, being new and all the buttons, it's just kind of overwhelmed you, but you get used to it. Okay, well, what are some of your responsibilities as far as our air signal is concerned? Well, I'm responsible, first of all, before the break, which is what we call the period between video tapes, is loading all the slides up over here, and the films that we might have, and then we have parts that we hear that have things like patient IDs, that you hear, and formally, you know, in other words, maybe we'll have news next,

and we have a promo saying, watch, you know, NewsView22. I'm responsible for making sure all the slides and all the carts are loaded, you know, are in the machines, and then when the break does come around at the top of the bottom of the hour, I'm responsible for making sure that these slides, you know, the appropriate slides and carts go in the air at the same time, and making sure the video tape is rolled and put on the air at the right time, and just following this log that we have here. You see this has the time for each thing, and we have like a show, and then that's for this long, and then a break, and things like, you know, with the different carts, and everything that we put it over the air is on this, on this log, and I'm responsible for making sure that I follow this, and all those things in the air at the top of the levels, and things like that. Okay, well, thank you very much. And now let's talk to John Cohn, who's the transmitter engineer on duty tonight. John, could I interrupt you for a minute? You know, what is it exactly? What are you doing right now?

Well, right now I'm taking off the video tape. It's been played and needs to be replaced. Okay, and I think we'll see you loading one later on, but what are your other responsibilities besides running the video tape machines? Well, primarily to operate the transmitter, and also to fix any minor equipment failures that happen during my shift. Okay, well, can we see you do something with the transmitter? Well, it's about time to take some transmitter reading, and I'll go over and do that right now. Okay, fine. Our transmitter is remote controlled. It's located about 22 miles away from here at the state fairground, so since we can't actually put our hands on it to operate it, it's necessary to control it from here, and to take readings of the transmitter operating parameters that interval to about an hour or so. That's what I'm doing right now, reading the plate voltage

to the transmitter too. This log that you're keeping here now, this is entirely different from the program log. Does this have to be sent to the FCC? No, this is retained here in our files, and if the FCC wants to see it, they are entitled to see it at any time, as is the public. Okay, well, thank you very much for your time, and for letting us interrupt your work. Now let's move into traffic and continuity, where the log that you saw before is produced, and also where we take care of all the videotapes, which you also saw previously. Well, here we are in my home away from home, the traffic and continuity office here at Carrot WG. This is my desk over here, and it's where I produced that daily station program log that you saw Tim had out there on the desk. This desk right here is for traffic and continuity. Well, rather just traffic. This is where we can control the mailing and shipping of different videotapes, like the two you see there on the desk,

and this whole bank of videotapes that we keep over here against the wall. These are all programs that you've either seen on Carrot WG, or we'll see in the future, and we keep them for a week or so, and then send them back to the public broadcasting service, or onto another station on our network, since we are not a network connected station, but are a network affiliate, and hope to get the network in the near future. So let's move on out to the newsroom, and meet Sandra Steinberg, the producer and editor of NewsView22, and her student and professional staff. This is the newsroom, where NewsView22 is produced, and it's also the newsroom for Carrot WGFM. Sandra Steinberg isn't in the newsroom right now, so we'll be talking with her associate director and producer Ed Swina. Ed, can we interrupt you for just a second? How long have you been working at Carrot WG now? I've been working with Carrot for three years now. And you appear on the air every once in a while. What are your responsibilities as the assistant producer? Well, as the assistant producer, I have to sort of keep an eye on things, the

assistant's Sandra Steinberg, and also act mainly as an assignment editor, make sure that we generally get to everything covered that is happening here in Massachusetts. You also have a responsibility as a reporter, don't you? Right, in the absence of other students, in the absence of students who, if we don't have any students here, then I take a quarter and grind and film whatever has been done. Okay, well thank you very much. There's some students working in the newsroom right now, getting ready for the next newsview 22. In the corner there is Victor Romero, he's the sports director here at Carrot WG, and we can go over and ask him a few questions before he rushes off for another sports cast. How you doing, Vic? I just find yourself. Okay, how long have you been doing sports at Carrot WG now? I've been doing sports in May of this year, almost six months or so. Something like that, and what are some of the problems you encounter, or do you encounter any problems

as a student working in a professional news media? Well, the problem is that not having enough time to do anything I need to do. Thank you very much Victor. Let's talk now with the video director of Newsview 22, a student here at Carrot WG and NMSU, Randy Bailey. Randy, can we interrupt you for a minute? What exactly are you doing right now? I'm killing the script for I'm trying to get the cameras on the right people at the right time, and I'm trying to get the right visuals with each story at the right time also. I see some initials like a CK, what does that mean? That means chroma key. At a certain point, all what we call dissolve in a chroma key, that's what you see on the screen, there's pictures, something behind it. And that's all done electronically. Yes, it is. What are your other responsibilities besides doing what you're doing right now? Well, I mean, as far as directing goes. I have to make sure that

well, like I say, I have to make sure that each picture and each camera is on the right person of the right time. I have to make sure all the graphics are with form manager, all the correct graphics. And in order, I have to make sure we're on time and I have to make sure well, it's about all I can thank you, really. Okay, how long have you been doing this now? I just started last week for regular directors. I've been doing it off and off for last month. Is this something that you'd like to continue doing after you graduate? Oh, yes definitely. Thank you, Randy. Now let's go talk to the Spanish news person here at CARATWG, Pedro Villagrana. Oh, Pedro. Oh, great. Why don't you tell us what you have to do as the Spanish newscaster to put together your part of this of the script for NewsB22?

Well, first of all, I got to check the wire machine so they didn't have national and international news. Then I got to select local and state news. I got translated local and state news. Well, the national and international and all that to just rewrite it here. And how much time are you allotted on the news show? Well, five minutes. You have trouble getting all that news compressed into five minutes worth of time. Well, not really. What about graphics and visual stuff that go with it? Are there very many Spanish graphics that people can understand as in Spanish? Yes, they do use. I've been asking the graphic person out to make me some graphics of the stories that I have for the day. Okay. How long have you been doing this Spanish news here now? I've been here since May of this year and is this what you'd like to do

and you graduate from elementary? Yes, definitely. Yes, how would I say? Okay. Well, thank you very much for talking with us. Thank you. You heard Pedro talk about television graphics. Well, that's where we're going next. The television graphics room here at KRWG where all our local artwork is produced. Here we are in graphics art. Our graphics artist Laura Beach isn't here right now. Our former graphics artist who was here for three and a half years since KRWG was a black and white cable station with Joyce L. Well, and she's now graduated so she's not here either. But this is where the chroma keys are produced that we talked about in the newsroom. This is where graphics for other shows are produced. A crawl for instance for titles and credits at the end of shows. This Christmas ID which we'll be using just very shortly. So actually this is where everything that has to do with artwork and everything associated with that is produced. I guess that's about

it since there's no one at the moment to talk to. I think we'll head on out to Studio A again and this will be we'll be concluding the show that is after they set up our set. As minutes passed I became obsessed with the idea of making love to Helen without waking her. It seems strange now, but I...