January 2016
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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January 2016 "Off Camera":
EMMY 2016: Call For Entries Deadline Jan. 15
EMMY 2016: New Entry Rules and Reminders
Time to Renew NATAS Membership
KCRA to Launch New 4 p.m. Newscast
Reno Radio, TV Personality Jack Joseph Dies
Sold: Chico's KHSL/KNVN Changes Hands
Reno Anchor Wendy Damonte Leaves TV News
Gold & Silver Circle Profiles: Remembering KCRA's Mike Boyd
On The Move
Our People: KTVU's Rob Roth
The Health Reporter: What's Your New Year's Plan?
The Daily Saga of Satellite Media Tours
Do You Remember?
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   Kevin Wing

   Editor 

 

 

EMMY® 2016
Interested in Viewing 2015 Emmy ® Recipient Videos? Now You Can!
Visit Chapter Website for Links

By Kevin Wing
Chapter Vice President, San Francisco

       Every year, and especially during Emmy® season, the most popular question posed to the San
Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is, "Can I see the entry that won last year?"
     Now, in order to assist you in deciding which category to enter your submission, recipients of a 2015 Emmy® Award have granted permission to post their entries on our Chapter website, www.emmysf.tv. 
     Viewing is solely for information to help you in determining what to enter this year. No downloading is allowed. Commercial use is not permitted. 
     Please note that not all of the 2015 entries are available for viewing. 


     For more information and instructions on how to view last year's recipient entries, please click here:





EMMY ® 2016
Jan. 15 Deadline for  2015-16 S.F./NorCal  Emmys® 
       It's that time of year again! Holiday parties, gift giving and Emmy® entries! After all, we are just months away from the 2016 Emmy® Awards Gala, to be held Saturday, June 4, at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco!
      Nominations will be announced May 4.
      But wait! Before you rush off to enter your best work and add all of your colleagues' names to the entry, make sure they have applied for a membership or renewed their membership BEFORE you add their name or they will be charged the non-member rate!
        There are a few other things to note as well, some listed in New Rules and Reminder Notes below.
        Last year, many found new and creative ways to try to get around the double-dipping exclusion, and a few other national rules, so we've updated the Call for Entries this year to better clarify a few things.
        Keep in mind that your entry may be moved or disqualified if you enter it in an inappropriate category or enter any portion of it in more than one category (with a couple of specific exclusions).
        Bottom line, the same entrant cannot enter the same content in more than one category (see the Craft exception).
        If you did a series of stories on the same topic, you cannot enter different stories or episodes from that series in different categories. Similarly, if your story aired alone in a newscast and again as part of a 30-minute special, you cannot enter that 30-minute special in one category and the stand-alone news story in another category.
       Please also be sure to read the category descriptions carefully and note the exclusions this year.
       Per national rules, because our Chapter has categories that are specifically intended for investigative stories or sports stories, those stories are required to be entered exclusively in those categories. There are a few exceptions.
       However, please note that this year the Call for Entries specifically excludes investigative and sports stories from ALL News and Program Specialty categories (i.e. documentary, arts & entertainment, lifestyle, etc.).  You can petition the committee for an exception but you will have to explain why the story should not be entered in one of the other designated categories.
      This year, we will also begin enforcing the judging requirement. Every entrant agrees to serve as a peer judge for other chapters. Beginning this year, each entrant has exactly 24 months to serve as a peer judge.
      If you do not judge within the next two years, you will have to forfeit your member discount in 2017 and pay full price for each Emmy® entry ($200!).
      And speaking of $200 entry fees, we'll say it again: if you don't want your colleagues to be stuck paying the full non-member price this year, make sure they are NATAS members BEFORE you add their name to your entry!
     FYI, the  member prices this year range from $45-$70 per entry depending on your market.
      And with that, go pull those air checks, figure out who's entering what, and enjoy the kick-off of award season 2015-2016!
      See you in June for the 45th Annual Northern California Area Emmy® Awards Gala! 

Important dates:
Jan. 15 - Entry Deadline
Jan. 22 - Deadline to Upload Entry Video 
May 4 - Nominations Announced
June 4 -  Emmy® Awards Gala, San Francisco


Call for Entries, Categories, Emmy® Express Entry Form and More Information:

EMMY® 2016
New Rules, Reminder Notes for Emmy Season

Emmy Statuette
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY 
OF 
TELEVISION ARTS 
& SCIENCES
45th Annual 
Northern California Area Emmy ® Awards 
2015-2016


NEW RULES  AND  REMINDER NOTES
 
1. Entry Form:
Please use Upper and Lower Case when filling out your entry form and membership application.  The name you use on your membership application will show on your entry forms.
 
2. Region:
We are accepting entries from the U.S. Territory of Guam.
 
3. Entry Quota:
There is a maximum quota of 12 eligible names allowed per entry without further written permission . Any additional names will require a written request from the primary entrant detailing how the additional entrants specifically contributed to the Emmy ® -worthiness of the entry. 
 
4. Judging Requirement:
By entering, all entrants agree to be peer judges for categories submitted from other NATAS chapters. Members who do not judge within a 24-month period will forfeit their member discount and will be required to pay the full non-member Emmy ® entry fee for each entry they submit until they serve as a judge.
 
5. Video Upload:
The person filling out the entry form is responsible for the video upload.
 
6. Time Code: 
New field on entry form. Please put in the starting time code for your 30 second clip to be played at the Emmy ® Gala if your entry is nominated.
 
7. Deadline:
A $25 processing fee will be added to all fees not paid by the end of the grace period.

8. Montages:
No Montages are allowed. Segments must be separated by one to two seconds of black.
 
9. Composites:
You must list your segments (Title, Air Date, & TRT) in the remarks section of the entry form (recommend three to five segments for a composite).    
 
10. Double-Dipping:
No single entry may be submitted in its entirety in more than one programming category. An entrant cannot enter the same content in more than one category.

Individual segments or stories that aired as part of a multi-part program or series on the same subject may be entered in only one category. An entrant cannot enter individual stories from that series in different categories.  Content produced as both a multi-part series and a full-length program may be entered only once, regardless of the amount of new material added.

Content produced as a single report that later aired as part of a longer program or special may be entered only once. An entrant may not enter a single story in one category and also enter a longer program or special that includes that story in another category.
                 
a. Double-Dip Exception 1: Craft Categories
An individual can only be recognized once for the same job function, utilizing the same program content. However, craft persons (photographer, editor, reporter, writer, etc.) who also preformed another role on a specific entry (i.e. producer) may submit the entry in the programming category and again in their respective craft category as long as the second entry specifies a different job function.
 
This exception does not apply to the Video Essay or Video Journalist categories because those entrants are performing multiple roles and being recognized for this expertise. However, as an option, they could enter each specific craft they performed individually. In doing so, they would not be eligible to enter the same material collectively under the rules of the Video Essay or Video Journalist categories.
 
b. Double-Dip Exception 2: Overall Excellence/News Excellence and Newscast Entries
Content that is included in the "Overall Excellence/News Excellence" or newscast entries may also be entered in a second category, as long as the entrant(s) in the second category is not also listed on the newscast entry.
 
11. Category Changes:
a.    2 A-B - Journalistic Enterprise - is now a News Programming Category.
b.    10 A-D Feature News Report - no longer excludes stories that are investigative in nature.
 
12.  Appropriate Categories For Content:
Content must be entered in appropriate categories. For instance, an investigative report cannot be entered in the Lifestyle category, nor can a sports report be entered in Arts and Entertainment. The Awards Committee has the authority to disqualify or move an entry submitted in an inappropriate category.
 
13. Program Specialty Categories:
Program Specialty Categories 12-20 are not intended for stories that are investigative in nature or sport reports. An entrant may petition the Awards Committee to allow them to enter an investigative or sports story in a program specialty category. However, the entrant will have to explain why the story should not be entered in one of the designated News Programming or Sports categories. 

Stories that include investigative news-gathering techniques like undercover or hidden camera video, public records requests or data-based journalism, and stories that are produced by a member of an investigative team may be considered investigative in nature.

Reports that include coverage of athletics, that aired in a daily or weekly sports program or newscast; or as part of a sports special, may be considered sports stories.


Call for Entries, Categories, Emmy® Express Entry Form and  More Information:

NATAS Membership Expire? 
Renew Now, Take Advantage of Emmy® Savings



By Kevin Wing
Chapter Vice President, San Francisco

       Your membership with The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences may have ended Dec. 31. 
       If it did, renew your membership now to  take advantage of reduced Emmy® Award entry fees and receive discounts on Emmy® Award Gala tickets. 
       Plus, members get free or discounted admission to industry seminars, workshops, programs and networking mixers.
       Membership also includes receiving, each month, the award-winning  Off Camera newsletter, which helps you to stay up-to-date on all of the happenings from around the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter. 
       One big member benefit is Cinema Club -- free movie screenings, often first-run Oscar contenders, with filmmaker Q&A sessions, for you and a guest. 
       Also, there's help with career advancement through the Mentor Match program, the online NATAS Job Bank, and a complimentary copy of the Motion Picture, TV, and Theatre Directory. 
       If you renew for two years, you'll receive a 5 percent discount. You'll take advantage of a 10 percent discount when you renew for three years. 
       Important: if you're planning on entering the 2016 Emmy® Award competition, you must renew your membership before your name is added to the entry form in order to receive member rates.
       If you have questions, or if you need help logging in, please contact  Darryl Compton, the Chapter's Executive Director, at (650) 341-7786 or email him at darryl@emmysf.tv


More News For Sacramento
KCRA to Launch New 4 p.m. Newscast Jan. 25

        KCRA in Sacramento will launch a new 4 p.m. newscast later this month.
       The station made that announcement in December. 
       The new, one-hour weekday newscast at 4 p.m. debuts Monday, Jan. 25. It  will be anchored by  Lisa Gonzales and  Brian Heap , with weather delivered by KCRA 3 Meteorologist  Eileen Javora
       The program will also feature the market's only live, high-definition traffic updates and breaking news coverage from the air delivered by LiveCopter 3.
      "At KCRA 3, 'Where the News Comes First' represents a 60-year commitment to delivering top-quality news coverage of our Sacramento community." said KCRA 3 and KQCA My58 President and General Manager Elliott Troshinsky. "Research has shown that people are looking for news no matter what time of day, and our new 4 p.m. newscast will give our viewers even more opportunity to get news and weather information. Whether it's on our traditional broadcast stations, online, or on our social platforms or mobile apps, it's our goal to deliver the same level of quality news and weather where and when our viewers want it."
     "We are very excited about launching our new 4 p.m. newscast," KCRA 3 News Director Lori Waldon said. "Just as we did when we expanded our 10 p.m. news, we are adding sizeable resources to our 4 p.m. newscast. Viewers can expect strong, aggressive reporting on the ground and also in the sky with Livecopter 3.  In these turbulent times, breaking news has never been more important. KCRA 3 News at 4 p.m. is positioned to put our viewers on the very front lines of where news is happening."

 

Reno's Jack Joseph Dies
Beloved, Longtime Radio and 
TV Personality was 91

By Terri Russell
Chapter Vice President, Reno

      He died nearly two months ago, on Nov. 13. His real name was Jack Brosnan, but everyone in northern Nevada knew him as Jack Joseph. Even if you have only lived in the area a couple of years, you at least knew his face.
      Even if you don't use them, you probably get coupon books at your home every week.  In one of those books, if you take a look in the left hand corner, you'll see Jack Joseph.
      He began his radio career after World War II.
       Working in places like Syracuse, New York, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, and Cocoa Beach, Florida, he eventually ended up in Reno.
Jack Joseph
Beloved Reno TV, radio personality was 91
      "I always thought of Jack Joseph as Mister Cool. He was cool in his dress. He always seemed to drive a Cadillac, a fairly new Cadillac," says Bob Carroll, a friend of Joseph's as well as a fellow broadcaster of the time.
     In the 1960s, Joseph would do his radio show late into the night, at the Waldorf Restaurant on South Virginia.  Anyone who was anybody and performing downtown would stop by for a visit.
     "He liked to play jazz," says Carroll.
     He had a radio show on KOLO Radio.
      But he also worked at other stations around town.
      While he learned his trade behind the microphone, he would hone his skills of ad-lib, and relaxed easy speak on television.
     "Say Jack, here is a piece of furniture, or whatever, the price is $3.95, you know. He'd say, 'fine, got it.' There were no scripts or anything. Jack was a great ad-libber," Carroll says. 
     Many would recall his After Hours Show on KOLO-TV and remember how comfortable he was to watch.
      It was a soft sell, and had a conversational way about him to which he seemed to be just speaking with you in the late- and early-morning hours.
      Later in life, he would go on an Honor Flight with fellow Marines.
      He was part of the first wave at Iwo Jima and was awarded the Purple Heart.
     "Listen, have a good day tomorrow. Blue skies, green lights, and peace." That was his trademark sign off.
     Jack Joseph was 91.

Changing Hands in Chico
KHSL, KNVN Begin 2016 with New Ownership



By Alyssa Deitsch
Chapter Vice President, Small Markets
Chico-Redding
 
       The CBS-CW/NBC-Telemundo affiliates in the Chico-Redding market are heading into 2016 with new owners.
       During an Action News Now employee meeting in the Chico studios in early December, Bob Prather and Dan Modisett, owners of Heartland Media and Maxair Media, respectively, welcomed KHSL/KNVN employees to the company and handed out "baby bonuses," bonus checks to employees who had babies in 2015.
       Station Manager Don Fisher was promoted to general manager of KNVN NBC/Telemundo, while Peter O'Brien remains the general manager of KHSL CBS/CW.
       Action News Now now has sister stations in Oregon, Mississippi, and New York.

In Her Own Words
Longtime Reno Anchor Readies for New Career Chapter

By Wendy Damonte
Special to Off Camera
 
       When I started in the news business, I was a baby. A 22-year-old baby who knew nothing about the "business" of news. I quickly learned this when my news director stormed out of her office and demanded to know who I thought I was for taking the second week of May off. 
      "But I already have my tickets to Mexico," I cried. 
      She screamed, "Well, enjoy it because it's the last time you will ever be in Mexico in May!" 
       I grew up quickly and learned there were four books that would dictate my life. I also learned the power of broadcast journalism when our district attorney stormed into our newsroom and demanded we hand over raw video of a case he was working. We, of course, turned him down. And I learned the faith people have in us when they allow us into their homes to tell their personal stories. I've cried on many people's couches all over northern Nevada, sharing their heartache or their triumphs or whatever their specific story was about.
Wendy Damonte
Reno anchor's new career
      So, why in the world would I leave all of that to become a Vice President of Advocacy and Community Partnerships at Renown Health in Reno? I can answer that with two words: my kids. 
      We all know how hard the schedule is in broadcast news. It gets us in early in the morning, it keeps us here late at night and it forces us in if it rains or snows too hard. When you're single and without kids, you don't notice. Being on the scene is why we all went into this business. We didn't mind those crazy hours because we wanted to be the ones getting the story. It's what makes us tick as human beings. But for many in this industry, something changes inside of you when your children start to grow up.                     
      For me, the first few years as a mom were okay. I was still a hungry journalist so I was okay in missing their first steps. I was okay learning they went potty on the potty chair during a phone conversation with an elated grandmother. And I kept telling myself back to school nights really weren't that big of a deal anyway. 
      But then, the anxiety set in that my children would be leaving my house in six and seven years, respectively, and they would be gone without me seeing a single soccer or baseball game during the week. It crushed me. 
      Then, I faced a new problem: what would be just as rewarding as working in the news business? There aren't many jobs that allow you to interview presidents, jog on the track at Talladega and fly to Washington, D.C., with World War II veterans. We don't leave our positions easily, or lightly. We all went to school to become journalists. Being a journalist is who we are. Face it, we are the most interesting people at Christmas parties! We don't just quit our jobs. It's like quitting the very skin we live in. 
      That's when Renown called.            
      My new position fits me like a glove. It will allow me to follow my passion of helping people to be healthier. It will allow me to make my community a healthier place to live. That's not every girl's dream, but it's my dream. At least it's my latest dream. Twenty-one years ago, all I could think about was becoming a television news reporter. Twenty-one years later, I can say I gave that career my all and did a damn good job of it. I'm proud of my work here at KTVN. And mostly, I'm proud of the people I've met here at the Deuce (yes, we are Channel 2). But eventually, all babies grow up and leave the nest.          And I know KTVN has taught me to fly.

Gold & Silver Circle Profiles
GSC Profile Header_new   
      
    
      For 30 years, a reporter with a booming baritone of a voice by the name of Mike Boyd graced the airwaves at Sacramento's KCRA. 
      Boyd gained notoriety in the Sacramento Valley for his deep voice, his commanding on-air presence and his aggressive reporting style. 
      While he was especially known for that style of reporting, Boyd was also known to Sacramento viewers as a trusted, distinguished anchorman. 
      In 1990, the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recognized Boyd for his more than 25 years of contributions to the northern California television industry by inducting him into the elite  Silver Circle
      Boyd was 74 when he died 10 years ago, in 2006. The future television journalist destined for Sacramento was born and raised in Washington, D.C.
      After graduating from the University of Maine, Boyd began his career at KCRA. The year was 1963. An auspicious time in U.S. history. That year became the dividing line between the innocence of the early 1960s and the radicalism and unrest that portrayed most of the rest of the decade. The day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, on Nov. 22, 1963, the nation, and the world, changed forever. 
     Boyd hit the ground running when KCRA hired him. In 1968, he was in the ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, where Sen. Robert Kennedy appeared following his California presidential primary win. Moments later, Kennedy was assassinated.
     Shortly after, Boyd traveled to Hyannisport, Massachusetts, to file a series of reports about the Kennedys from their family compound there. 
     Boyd never shied away from the toughest stories of the era. He became the first reporter to sit down for an in-depth interview with convicted mass murderer Charles Manson at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. 
     Through the years, Boyd continued to cover Sacramento and northern California's most prominent, high-profile stories, including Sacramento's F Street boarding-house murders, and nabbing an exclusive interview with boarding-house landlord Dorothea Puente the evening she was arrested. She was later convicted of the murders. 
     Later in his career at KCRA, Boyd aired a series of reports on the subject of detecting colorectal cancer. His reports provoked more than 80,000 KCRA viewers to take part in a screening campaign. At that time, medical experts credited Boyd with saving more than 300 lives. 
     In addition to his hard-hitting man-on-the-street reporting, Boyd anchored KCRA's noon newscast for many years. 
     When Boyd wasn't working (he retired in 1993), he was very active with the non-profit organization, Volunteers in Victim Assistance. Through his efforts, thousands of dollars were raised for the organization. 

The February edition of  Gold & Silver Circle Profiles will feature  Lee Mendelson, a 1988  Silver Circle inductee and a 2015 Gold Circle inductee. Lee has been the Bay Area-based executive producer of the Peanuts specials for network television since 1965. You might have seen his latest TV special, It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown!, broadcast on ABC in late November. More on Lee next month. 

Kevin Wing (SC '13) is a San Francisco-based producer for ABC News' "Good Morning America" and is principal/executive producer of his production company, Kevin Wing Media Communications. He is editor of "Off Camera" and serves as San Francisco vice president on the Board of Governors of the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Inducted into the Chapter's Silver Circle in 2013, he has been penning "Gold & Silver Circle Profiles" since 2007.

On the Move

       
Natalie Brunell
KCRA
Natalie Brunell , anchor and investigative reporter at KESQ in Palm Springs, joins KCRA in Sacramento as a reporter and anchor. Her first day is Jan. 4.
     
        Ian Schwartz, meteorologist at KOVR in Sacramento, joins KPHO in Phoenix as weekend meteorologist.
      
      Have a new job? Got a promotion? Retiring? We'd like to know about it. Please write to  On the Move  and  Off Camera Editor  Kevin Wing at kevin@emmysf.com .

Our People
  
 
 
 

On the Beat, the Man on the Street
Rob Roth is a KTVU mainstay, and for very good reason. The Emmy® Award-winning reporter for the Oakland station has practically done it all in a KTVU career that began in the early 1980s. Roth is a no-nonsense reporter and he's very good at what he's been doing for KTVU all of these years. From covering the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and the equally-tragic Oakland Hills firestorm in 1991 to just about every general-assignment news story imaginable, Roth has been on it. He is one of the many reasons why Bay Area viewers watch KTVU's 10 p.m. newscast night after night.

PHOTOGRAPHY: WAYNE FREEDMAN/NATAS
 
The Health Reporter
health rep header


Is Passion a Part of Your New Year Plan?
 
       Starting a new year often inspires new ideas, intentions and assessments about your career. Do you love what you do? If you do, you'll likely live a longer life. If not, how do you get there? Here's how.
        Connect with your excitement. Passion is what separates you from the mediocre and unremarkable. Passion is not defined by what you do, it's who you are. When you work from a place of passion, life is effortless. If you love what you do, you move through your day with enthusiasm, purpose and determination. But somehow along the way, you may have veered off course and you're no longer sure of who you are. Why? Because you're operating from the ever-so-confining rules of "I should" rather than your own burning desire.
       How many times have you said "I should" when it relates to why you're working at your current job? Have you ever said any of the following in the past few months?
 
     I should work here because...
  • It'll help me build my resume
  • I could meet people who might open doors for me
  • I need the money, benefits or both
  • I'm comfortable doing this type of work. It's what I studied in college
  • I'm good at what I do and I've invested __ years doing it
  • I don't know what else I could do
  • It's the family business and they need me to run it
  • It pleases my spouse, parents, or ____ (fill in the blank) and makes them proud of me
    I should start this new business because...
  • I could get rich quick
  • I can't get a job
  • It utilizes my skills
  • My friend wants to partner with me
     If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you are suffering from what I call "I Should Syndrome". If left untreated, you're destined to live a mediocre life.
 
The Best Treatment for "I Should Syndrome"
 
1. Revisit your childhood. What did you love to do? Clues to your passion are activities that cause you to lose all track of time. There is no timeclock when you're passionate about what you're doing. Children play. Adults worry. As an adult you've learned to worry about failing, about being judged, criticized, and how you measure up. Over time, you lose your sense of who you are and morph into who you should be -- not who you want to be.  Examine whether you can incorporate the fun experiences of your childhood into your career choices today.
 
2. Ask yourself this question: If you could do anything and know you would not fail, what would you do? The answer could unveil your passion. Frankly, though, the answer may not be so easy to figure out if you've been hidden behind many layers of "I Shoulds". But keep at it and eventually, your passion will reveal itself once again.
 
3. Stop analyzing and start doing. Now's the time to break out of the "I Should" shackles and start doing what you love. Forget about trying to figure out how to monetize it and let things evolve. Have fun! Get feedback. Figure out how you can contribute to solving a problem using your passion. By starting now, you'll have more clarity when it comes time to putting together a business plan. Here's my favorite inspirational quote by Kobi Yamada: "Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down."
 
4. Study the people who are where you want to be. Make a list of the people you emulate or envy. See what they're doing. The difference between you and those people is simple. You sell yourself short. So start studying and figure out what it takes to be successful in a career you love too.
 
Remember, you're either in a state of growth or in a state of decay. When you're 'comfortable', you're not growing. Only when you live from your passion can you be remarkable. Transform the world. Don't let it transform you. And most of all, live fearlessly. Happy New Year!
 
 
Karen Owoc is the Clinical Exercise Physiologist at a San Francisco Bay Area hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation program and former NATAS Governor. She produces/hosts "The Health Reporter," a half-hour medical program, and a series of short-format health and lifestyle TV segments. Visit her blog for more healthy living how-to's at http://TheHealthReporter.tv.
 
"You're Next, San Francisco"
The Saga of the Annual Holiday Satellite Media Tour

By Sean Karlin
Chapter Governor, San Francisco

     The walls are painted black to suck up any light that happens to stray from the twinkling control boards and video screens. Framed in a 70-inch program monitor, a young man with an unusually green complexion sits staring blankly as he repeats the mantra "Check one-two. Check one-two-three. Check one-two," over and over.
       In the dim light, producer Cara Miller, 46, shakes her head at the young man's image. She presses the talkback button on her gooseneck microphone. "Can we warm it up a bit?" Miller says. "He looks dead."
       A large clock above the program monitor reads 5:45 am, but that is East coast time. The time in San Francisco is 2:45 in the morning. But in this windowless studio time is what the program clock says it is.
      A bespectacled Briton named Pargeter Simon, 53, concentrates on his monitor and responds in a low voice. "Increasing red and saturation by five percent," he says.
      The face of 25-year-old assistant engineer Kyle Draper returns to life as he gains a ruddy complexion.
      Miller shifts her attention back to the phone she is cradling. "Okay - Stacy in Maryland is up on the bird, " Miller says. "We are fifteen minutes away. Let's get Barb in the chair."
      Every year, starting around mid-November and ending the night before Christmas, the airwaves are bombarded with Satellite Media Tours - paid programming inserted into the morning news cycle to inform viewers about seasonal topics as corporations make a big push to get their products into every stocking. In the media industry these are called SMTs.
     The SMT is beamed out from a single studio over satellite from one station to the next touring the U.S. media outlets - time zone by time zone - hitting all the morning shows. There is some debate as to whether or not the SMT is simply another "info-mercial" platform masquerading as current events.
     This morning, Barb Dehn - Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, award winning author, and a nationally recognized health expert - is seated in front of the camera with an image of downtown San Francisco as her background. She is here to talk about women's health thanks to Skyla, a female contraceptive device made by Bayer, the sponsor.
     Over the earpiece, Miller gives instructions to Dehn. "You'll hear the show in your ear. When they introduce you - you're on. Just smile and keep looking directly into the camera," she says.
     From the moment they latch into the first station in Maryland until they sign off in Alabama -- unless someone cancels -- this tour is non-stop for the next three hours.
     Albert Leung, 46, the lead engineer, says he doesn't like the breaks. "I hate waiting around for the next station to pick you up," he says. "Except there are no bathroom breaks, either."
     "That's okay, I was an O.R. nurse," Dehn says over the audio system. "We're used to it."
    Most of the shows are for television, but every now and then Dehn catches a break and a radio show comes into the rotation. That's when she can rest her eyes and slouch down as she does the interview.
     Young Draper chooses this moment to step out.
     Through the 1990s and early 2000s, media tours like this had become so popular that everyone was queuing up to hit the airwaves. Nintendo was selling their hottest games. Jenny Craig was talking about the difficulty of dieting through the holidays. Even Netflix was showing up to push the old classics like "Miracle on 34th Street".
      Kelly Lawrence, 58, began selling media packages to his corporate clients back in 1991 when SMTs were still fresh -- and free. Lawrence would send the stations a summary of the topic and five or six suggested questions they were expected to ask the guest.
      In some ways these media tours hijacked news programming with thinly disguised commercials. "It got so obvious that stations started charging money to put our spokespeople on the air," Lawrence says. "But everything changed with Facebook." Social media was cheep and offered direct access to a product's audience.
      By the end of the last decade, all of the PR companies had experienced a mass conversion to social media driving the SMT into hibernation. For almost ten years broadcast television was considered old-fashioned and passé.
      Eventually things evened out a bit. "PR agencies realized that broadcast still had the random audience factor that social media just does not have," Lawrence says. "But it never came back as strong as it was." Except around the holidays.
      KGUN, the ABC affiliate in Tucson, Arizona, calls Leung on the producer's line. They cannot see the program. "All the other stations saw our feed so I assume the problem is yours, Tucson," Leung says to the assistant on the phone. "Put your station's engineer on." At 6:30 a.m., the engineer is not in yet.
      "We're going to have to give them a 'generic' at the end of the tour," Miller says. "Let's move on to the next station."
      The control room door opens and Draper walks back in.
      As the next segment gets started, Tucson calls back on the producer's line. The engineer has arrived and now they can see the show. They want to go live. Unfortunately, the schedule is relentless. They will have to wait.
     "No more bathroom breaks for Kyle," Simon says.
    "Hi this is Barb Dehn -- rhymes with 'queen' -- who am I speaking to?" Dehn repeats over and over.
 
Gene at WFIN out of Ohio;
Robert from WOCA in Florida;
Jenny, WSFA from Alabama.
 
     By 8:45 a.m., they conclude all the live shows. There are still a few stations, like KGUN in Tucson, that need the generic version of the interview. Once that has been recorded, the tour is a wrap.
     Leung  finally slips out to a deck overlooking the San Francisco financial district and lights up his first cigarette in over three hours. "That was pretty smooth," he says, exhaling smoke. 

Do You Remember?

Yes, it's Dance Party.  
Who is hosting? Who is the guest?
What station aired the program?

 
In December, we asked if you know
who was celebrating the holidays in this photograph.
And on what station and what program?
  
Answer: That's TV's beloved Green Grocer,  
Joe Carcione, with  Terry Lowry  (SC'96) on her show, 
AM San Francisco, on KGO-TV.   

If you know the answer to this month's
Do You Remember?, please write to 
Off Camera Editor Kevin Wing at kevin@emmysf.com.

In Next Month's 
Off Camera
Blanca Garza
KSTS

       In February's Off Camera, watch for our feature on the
Bay Area's  Blanca  Garza , the  longtime news anchor of Noticiero 48 at Telemundo's KSTS in San Jose. 
      Garza begins 2016 celebrating her 15th anniversary at the station. 
      More on her in next month's Off Camera in  our launch of Editor Kevin Wing's reformatted  Soundbites series, which will begin showcasing occasional feature profiles of the people who make up our San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 
     See you next month!

Write Us! Off Camera Wants to Hear From You!

        

        Off Camera wants to hear from you. Have a great story idea? Interested in writing a story for us? Want to tell us how we're doing? Whatever it may be, please feel free to drop us a line.  Write to Off Camera Editor Kevin Wing at kevin@emmysf.com
       Thank you!

NATAS Job Bank
 
The Board of Governors
S AN FRANCISCO/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES
OFFICERS
President:  Keith Sanders San Jose  State University
Vice President- San Francisco:  Kevin Wing*, ABC-TV Good Morning America
Vice President-Sacramento:  Cynthia Zeiden* Zeiden  Media   
Vice President- Fresno:  Kim Stephens* KMPH Fox 26 
Vice President- Hawaii:  Pamela Young* KITV 4
Vice President- Reno:  Terri Russell KOLO 8  
Vice President-Smaller Markets: Alyssa Deitsch, KHSL/KNVN
Secretary:  Randy Forsman KCRA 3
Treasurer:  Jim Spalding Spalding & Company
Past President:  Javier Valencia* Consultant
 
NATIONAL TRUSTEES
Linda Giannecchini* KQED 9  (National Awards Chair)
Alison Gibson Media Cool  (National 2nd Vice Chairperson)
John Odell* CCSF Emeritus
Steve Shlisky*KTVU Fox 2  
Alternate: Kevin Wing* ABC-TV Good Morning America
 
GOVERNORS
Kent Beichley KRON 4
Wayne Freedman* KGO-TV ABC7 
Luis Godinez KDTV Univision 14
Richard Harmelink KFSN ABC30   (Nominating Chair) 
Pablo Icub KUVS Univision 19
Brian Johnson KFSN ABC30
Sean Karlin, Independant
George Lang*The Big Picture
Da Lin KPIX 5
Terry Lowry* LaCosse Productions   (Gold & Silver Circle Chair) 
Melissa Mapes KITV 4
Joyce Mitchell* 4 U Productions
Michael Moya, fotografx
David Paredes KNTV NBC Bay Area
Pat Patton Consultant
Ross PerichProMotion Studios
Manny Ramos* Manny Ramos Communications
Erik RosalesKMPH FOX 26
Brenda Salgado KGMB/KHNL Hawaii News Now 
Don Sanchez* KGO-TV ABC7 (Retired) 
Matt Skryja CSAA  
Karen Sutton Independent  (Emmy Gala Chair)
Melanie Woodrow KGO-TV ABC7
Noemi Zeigler Sanchez, Laney College
 
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Activities/Programs:  Cynthia Zeiden* Zeiden Media 
Archives/Museum:  John Catchings* Catchings & Associates
                            Linda Giannecchini* KQED 9  
Awards:  Julie Watts KPIX 5
Education:  Steve Shlisky* KTVU Fox 2 
Finance:  Alison Gibson Media Cool  
Legal/Bylaws:  Mark Pearson ARC Law Group 
Membership:  (Vacant)
Marketing:  Patty Zubov Platonic TV

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Darryl R. Compton* NATAS

* Member of the Silver Circle 

  

Contact Information:

National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
San Francisco/Northern California Chapter
Darryl Compton,
Executive Director
4317 Camden Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403-5007
Phone: 650 341-7786 or 415 777-0212
Fax: 650 372-0279
darryl@emmysf.tv

 

The name "Emmy®" and the graphic image of the statuette, are registered trademarks of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.