Getting your attention...

When we're in the control room, we're all very busy in getting news out on the air, paying attention to the newscast and yet hearing things just fly by you.

Once an event is on the air, we're all busy getting the next event ready to air. As such, you may miss what is said while the current story is on the air.

As a director, I'm just listening for "trigger" words that I know are in the script to roll video or insert graphics on the air...or I may be following the teleprompter with the anchors to know when to roll video. At the same time, I may be cueing up the DEKO for a motion move, or just analyzing the AVID computer to make sure my next video is cued and ready to go. It goes on, but you get the idea.

If anyone had asked me what the high temperature of the day was, I couldn't tell you. No offense to Topper, Tony and Howard, but I'm in the midst of getting the next event ready...something that I'm sure Topper would like me to do if he wants to hear his "famous" ding dongs at the 7 day forecast!

At any rate, that doesn't mean we miss everything that is said on a newscast. I was helping out with remotes at 5pm, but the lead story at 5pm captured my attention along with everyone else in the control room.

It was about the woman in Ocean City who had dead babies discovered on her property.

When the details of the story came out of Phyllis Armstrong's report, several people in the control room let out a collective groan.

When people in the control room do that, you know that Phyllis just had a very powerful story go on the air with strong impact for the viewer.

I don't mind saying stories like this make me sick...it would make anyone sick.

I know our producer at 5pm will be balancing out his newscast with some other news to make people feel better, but there are some stories that I wish we never had to air.