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The Ax Falls At CNN: 50 Jobs Cut

at the same time they let the people go they say how much they appricate their work.

"good job, people now get the hell out".
 
flashback said:
at the same time they let the people go they say how much they appricate their work.

"good job, people now get the hell out".
Click to expand...

Losing your job is always traumatic. I've lost a couple of jobs myself, due to the economic health of the companies. But this shouldn't be a shock to anyone. The economy sucks, and so does CNN's ratings. Being told you are appreciated while you're being kicked out the door is at least something.
 
Yeah I agree, I've got a job now, but it's less than half of what I made before.

Companies have really learned, they don't need as many employees as before, especially since those they have are willing to work harder and longer for less.

And news seems to be grabbing more and more amature videos. It's not uncommon for news programs to show home vids, cell phone vids and read the action. I don't know if they pay anything for those, but if so it'd be a lot less.

And sharing between stations seems like a no brainer. Do you really need FIVE helicopters (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and WGN) in Chicago to cover traffic? Seems like they could share one and have each station dub in a voice over.
 
Mark said:
Yeah I agree, I've got a job now, but it's less than half of what I made before.

Companies have really learned, they don't need as many employees as before, especially since those they have are willing to work harder and longer for less.

And news seems to be grabbing more and more amature videos. It's not uncommon for news programs to show home vids, cell phone vids and read the action. I don't know if they pay anything for those, but if so it'd be a lot less.

And sharing between stations seems like a no brainer. Do you really need FIVE helicopters (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and WGN) in Chicago to cover traffic? Seems like they could share one and have each station dub in a voice over.
Click to expand...

On San Francisco radio, that's exactly what was done. The stations acted like they had their own traffic copters, but there were only 2 or 3 reporters who worked for multiple stations, and they were all riding in the same copter.

In the mid 80s, I remember that K-101 radio hired a new reporter who told the morning DJ (Terry McGovern) on air that she was really air-sick. McGovern had a lot of fun with that, teasing her during the next hour or so. I tuned over to KGO-AM, and their reporter, sounding very annoyed, announced on air that another reporter sitting behind her was about to "blow chunks" all over her back.

I think that copter has now been decommissioned. As I understand it, the traffic reporters these days drive out to selected spots along the highways, and stand there as spotters. Undoubtedly saves a lot of money.
 
Lkeller said:
As I understand it, the traffic reporters these days drive out to selected spots along the highways, and stand there as spotters. Undoubtedly saves a lot of money.
Click to expand...

Our freeways all have traffic loops embedded in them connected to a system of roadside cameras. Anyone can dial up any location and see the traffic load and get a visual of selected areas. The helo's here are used more for PR (visits to elementary schools, etc.) and human interest stories (cat perched on top of very tall cactus) than any sort of traffic. This all happened after two news choppers collided several years ago covering a high speed chase and killed two reporters and two pilots.
 
landtuna said:
Our freeways all have traffic loops embedded in them connected to a system of roadside cameras. Anyone can dial up any location and see the traffic load and get a visual of selected areas.
Click to expand...

Plus in most states, local DOTs own small AM radio stations where they broadcast updated traffic reports 24/7. Who needs "traffic on the 10s" when you can get it on demand?
 
Lkeller said:
In the mid 80s, I remember that K-101 radio hired a new reporter who told the morning DJ (Terry McGovern) on air that she was really air-sick. McGovern had a lot of fun with that, teasing her during the next hour or so. I tuned over to KGO-AM, and their reporter, sounding very annoyed, announced on air that another reporter sitting behind her was about to "blow chunks" all over her back.
Click to expand...

I don't laugh at someone else's misery, but this is funny... I do wonder whatever happened to her, and did she ever "blow chunks." Poor thing, I completely understand what it's like to get air sick.
 
landtuna said:
Lkeller said:
As I understand it, the traffic reporters these days drive out to selected spots along the highways, and stand there as spotters. Undoubtedly saves a lot of money.
Click to expand...

Our freeways all have traffic loops embedded in them connected to a system of roadside cameras. Anyone can dial up any location and see the traffic load and get a visual of selected areas. The helo's here are used more for PR (visits to elementary schools, etc.) and human interest stories (cat perched on top of very tall cactus) than any sort of traffic. This all happened after two news choppers collided several years ago covering a high speed chase and killed two reporters and two pilots.
Click to expand...

Same here in Houston. Transtar operates a network of highway cameras that the public can access (still shots that can be looped, livestream for the tv stations) with speed sensors embedded into the roadbed that reports an estimated travel time from point A to point B.

I think most of the radio traffic reporters - like the tv folks - just repeat what Transtar reports.

Three of the stations share a chopper (2, 11 and 26) while 13 operates their own. I don't know that viewers really notice that the video is shared, if they are tuned to one station the likelyhood of them flipping channels to watch the same story (and notice the same chopper shot) is pretty slim.
 
notalkallstatic said:
Lkeller said:
In the mid 80s, I remember that K-101 radio hired a new reporter who told the morning DJ (Terry McGovern) on air that she was really air-sick. McGovern had a lot of fun with that, teasing her during the next hour or so. I tuned over to KGO-AM, and their reporter, sounding very annoyed, announced on air that another reporter sitting behind her was about to "blow chunks" all over her back.
Click to expand...

I don't laugh at someone else's misery, but this is funny... I do wonder whatever happened to her, and did she ever "blow chunks." Poor thing, I completely understand what it's like to get air sick.
Click to expand...

Yes - I can sympathize too - my problem is sea-sickness, so I generally avoid any boat smaller than a cruise ship. But this incident was hilarious. I guess that first day was a trial-by fire for her, but she got over her nausea and it still a traffic reporter.
 
Mark said:
Yeah I agree, I've got a job now, but it's less than half of what I made before.


And sharing between stations seems like a no brainer. Do you really need FIVE helicopters (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and WGN) in Chicago to cover traffic? Seems like they could share one and have each station dub in a voice over.
Click to expand...

re, "Sharing..." Good point about the choppers. Also, for years, network news has shared resources to cover news conferences, particularly in DC. They call it "Pooling".
 
landtuna said:
Lkeller said:
As I understand it, the traffic reporters these days drive out to selected spots along the highways, and stand there as spotters. Undoubtedly saves a lot of money.
Click to expand...

Our freeways all have traffic loops embedded in them connected to a system of roadside cameras. Anyone can dial up any location and see the traffic load and get a visual of selected areas. The helo's here are used more for PR (visits to elementary schools, etc.) and human interest stories (cat perched on top of very tall cactus) than any sort of traffic. This all happened after two news choppers collided several years ago covering a high speed chase and killed two reporters and two pilots.
Click to expand...

And to broadcast live footage of car chases, and for aerial file footage of fires...but not much for traffic, no.
 
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