Producing

Television Newscast
 OBJECTIVE
a. apply methods and techniques for
presenting news items orally
b. conduct a simulation of a TV news
program.
Producing is an
exceptionally
difficult art.
 INTRODUCTION
The time constraints are brutal; a 30-minute newscast
contains 8 minutes of commercials, leaving only 22 minutes
for news. Subtract 3 minutes for your weather report (19
minutes remain), another 4 for sports (now 15 minutes are
left for news), and then another minute for bumps, opens,
and closes. Your half-hour of news lasts a mere 14 minutes.
 Producers—
Definitions and Skills
 PRODUCERS
Most TV news producers will tell you that they are the
creative force that makes the difference between a good
newscast and a poor one.

Producers lay out the newscast, decide what stories will

lead the newscast, and determine the flow of the rest of
the stories so that they best hold the attention of the
viewers.
 PRODUCERS
Producers also play an important role in deciding how to
use the video and sound bytes that are available to them
and their reporters and how to best work them into the
newscast to maintain a maximum of interest.
 PRODUCERS
The success of television news programs—regardless of
whether they are at the network or local level—depends
not only on the quality of the news gatherers, reporters,
and videographers, but also on the ability of the producer,
the executive producer, and the line produce.
 Executive Producer
The executive producer is responsible for the long-term
look of the newscasts. He or she determines, in
consultation with the news director and the station’s
general manager, the set, the style of the opening and
close, the choice of anchors, the philosophy, and other
details. The executive producer reports directly to the
news director.
 Line Producer
(show producer)
On a day-to-day basis, the line (or show) producer is mostly
responsible for deciding what goes into the news broadcast and
making sure it’s ready to air.
He or she prepares the rundown (lineup), which outlines which
packages, voiceovers, and readers will appear in the show, in what
order they’ll appear, and how much time will be devoted to each
story. Line producers also work with each other to ensure that
their newscasts are not repetitious .
 Associate Producer
associate producers help reporters put together packages
when they are in a rush or have been assigned to a second
story. They cut sound bytes and pick video for the
packages.
The associate producer also takes in the microwave or
satellite feed from reporters in the field. Working closely
with the line producer, the associate producer informs him
or her if the feed has any problems.
 Field Producer
Field producers help reporters with research, plus the
detail work, setting up interviews, locating people at the
scene of the story (often in advance), directing the
cameraperson, and making travel arrangements. The field
producer is often described as the “advance” person or
“facilitator.”
 PRODUCERS AND WRITING
SKILLS
Here the advice of the executive producer for Fox 5 in New
York, Luke Funk:
a. Check your facts, AP wire copy is not “the truth”; you
need to independently confirm information.
b. Think simple thoughts, simply expressed. If your writing is
confusing, complicated, poorly written, or misunderstood,
the viewer has an excuse to leave.
 PRODUCERS AND WRITING
SKILLS
c. Have another person read your copy. If you don’t have
an executive producer or copy editor, make sure your
anchor reads copy before it hits air, which should be a must
in any case, even if you do have a copy editor.
d. “read, read, read—not only the local paper every day,
but a variety of periodicals, most of which are available on
the Internet, free of charge.
LOGISTICS AND
STRATEGIES OF
PRODUCING
 There are basic steps
that are universal in
newsrooms
The newscasts begin with staff meetings, continue
throughout the day as stories either thrive or die, and
then finally go on-air at their appointed hour. While no two
days are ever alike, there are steps that make the
producing job much more manageable.
 Staff Meeting
The producers hold staff meetings as many as three times a
day—in the morning, the late afternoon, and after the
early evening newscast—to discuss that day’s news
coverage.
 Staff Meeting
That’s where initial newscast decisions are made: What will
the lead story be? Which stories will be covered? Which
reporter and cameraperson will cover them? Keep in mind
that these decisions are subject to change, depending on
the day’s events.
 Staff Meeting
The last meeting of the day is a debriefing to discuss what
went right and wrong with the early evening newscasts and
to plan coverage for the late evening news.
 The Run Down
The rundown is what comes out of the staff meetings.
Decisions reached at the morning meeting determine what
goes into the rundown for the evening news, and discussions
at the afternoon meeting establish what the late-night
news looks like.
 The Run Down
A rundown is a blueprint of what stories will be presented in
a newscast, which anchor reads them, how long the story
lasts, and what type of story it is (such as a reader or
package). Rundowns also contain detailed information for
the technical crew, including which camera is to be used on
the anchor, which tape machine has the footage for
playback, and how many graphics are needed for a
particular story.
 Peaks and Valleys
One popular approach to producing a newscast is known as
the peak-and-valley format. Although the phrase has been
around for decades, many producers use the format
without using that name.
The concept behind peaks and valleys is that if you sprinkle
your most interesting and important stories throughout
the newscast, you’ll hold your audience.
 Peaks and Valleys
If you place all your top stories in the early part of the
newscast, you’ll lose the audience because the newscast—
and your audience—will fizz out by the middle. Worse yet,
the audience will switch to your competition. Instead, you
should spread your most interesting and important stories
throughout the newscast
 Rhythm and Flow
Although packages appeal most to the audience, producers
shouldn’t play one off another. You should place them
effectively throughout the newscast, inserting readers or
voiceovers between them. The package also serves another
important purpose; it gives the anchors a breather and a
chance for them, the producers, and the director to get
organized for the rest of the show.
 Ad-libs, bumps, teases,
and tosses
Today, most banter is limited to adlibs, bumps, teases, and
tosses. These terms may be used interchangeably in
newsrooms, although there are some slight differences.
 Ad-libs
Ad-libs are used when the newscast runs short by perhaps
20 seconds. Instead of cramming in a final reader, the
producer will alert the news team to ad-lib.
 Bumps and Teases
Bumps and teases are similar to one another, but there is a
subtle difference. Say the anchors are ending the A block
and are heading to a commercial break. A bump is generic,
such as “We’ll be back with more. Stay with us.” These are
handy if the anchor doesn’t know what’s coming in the next
block or, as is sometimes the case, the producer isn’t sure
if a late-breaking story or lastminute live shot will come
through. In these cases, bumps are perfectly appropriate.
 Bumps and Teases
Teases are far stronger. They promote a story in the
next block, give a peek at the weather forecast, or maybe
tease viewers into staying for something much later in the
program.
A well-crafted tease is essential for keeping the audience
over the commercial break.
 Toss
A toss is simple. This occurs when the sports or weather
anchor is introduced to give their segment. These are
unscripted; the teleprompter just reads TOSS TO SPORTS
 Toss
A toss is simple. This occurs when the sports or weather
anchor is introduced to give their segment. These are
unscripted; the teleprompter just reads TOSS TO SPORTS.

Although it’s similar to an ad-lib, a toss is an internal

transition among the anchors. An ad-lib is more likely used
to just fill time.
 Producing Tips
Television news consultant and former producer Mary Cox
provides her “baker’s dozen” suggestions for news
producers:
■ Ask: What’s the viewers’ benefit?
■ Win the lead
■ Put news in every section.
■ Make the show video-driven—go from video to video to
video. (Most producers disagree on this one.)
 Producing Tips
■ Write tight, to the point.
■ Look for live opportunities without going live for the
sake of going live.
■ Give stories the time they need.
■ Don’t “force” a package, even if a reporter worked all
day on it. If it doesn’t work, dump it.
■ Tease news at the end of every section.
 Producing Tips
■ Include some of the newscast’s best writing and video in
the teases.
■ Go out strong, with a big finish (generally a package) to
keep the audience with you.
■ Create a “magic moment” consisting of something
memorable, such as great photography.
■ Avoid getting locked into local, local, local, national,
national, national. People don’t think that way and they
don’t tell stories that way.
Technical Aspects of
Producing
 Balancing the anchors
Visualize two anchors relaying the news on an evening
newscast. Except for the weather and sports anchors, the
two news anchors are the foundation of the program; the
viewers expect to see them five evenings a week.

The station’s management hires anchors to lend credibility,

convey authority, and serve as the “face” for the
station’s local presence
If one anchor will present seven readers and the other has
only two, then the first anchor will appear on camera much
longer than the other. This may happen in an occasional
program, but if one anchor is consistently shown on-
camera while the other is hidden behind voiceovers, the
news director is bound to notice. Even worse, the anchor
with less face time will object—and when the line producer
is confronted with rundowns that reveal a perceived slant
for one anchor over another, the meeting will quickly
become unpleasant.
 As a side note, newsrooms are filled with anchors who feel
they always receive the stories with difficult-to-
pronounce foreign names or tongue-twisting medical
phrases. Most veteran anchors realize that a pure balance
(of either tricky stories or stacks of readers) is difficult
to achieve every night. However, the line producer must be
fair in balancing the anchors over the course of newscasts.
 Still Pictures
Many producers tend to avoid still pictures, but when used
correctly, especially in a sequence, they can be effective—
almost as much as video.
Maps and other graphics also should be used to support
copy. If a plane has crashed in some relatively unknown
area, it helps the viewer if you show a map and indicate
with a star where the plane went down. The map should
include at least one town familiar to your audience.
 Live Shots
The need to use the live shot as much as possible seems to
have diminished somewhat as the novelty wore off and
station managers have complained less to news directors.
In the past, the managers often said, “We paid a bunch for
this stuff … make it pay for itself.”
 Back Timing
The timing is particularly critical when local news is followed
by a network program. The network computer will take
over regardless. If the local news anchors are still saying
goodbye or the station’s final commercial or logo is still
playing, something is going to get cut off if the newscast
timing is not accurate. If your commercial is cut, that
revenue goes down the drain.
 SUMMARY
Good writing is essential. Some experience in reporting is
also desirable. You will also need to have an excellent
knowledge of production techniques—microwave and
satellite feeds, computer technologies, video editing,
electronic still storage, and emerging technologies
 SUMMARY
Another important consideration is stress. It’s a tough,
emotionally and physically draining position with long hours.
But the potential rewards are great if you have any
interest in management. Producers are on the best track
to the management offices. You must learn how to do just
about everything in the newsroom and how to work with
and manage a variety of co-workers. Who could be better
qualified for the “boss’s” job?