6:24 pm .
Me: Errr... I just saw a news flash on a hindi channel. Bomb blast in karol bagh. Should'nt we call one of our reporters or something?
Editorial person: No response. Dazed blank look.
IS SHE ON DRUGS????
Anchor:
(To me) Hindi channels carry this stuff all the time. Must be a car backfiring or something.
(On air) And its time for a short break. Stay tuned for our special report on blah blah.
Me :
(To myself) What do I care. I am about to go home in a couple of minutes anyways. Its Saturday night yippie!!!
6:28 pm.
Senior editorial person comes running in.
What are you guys doing??? There has been a bomb blast in Karol Bagh! Every single channel is on it. And we are on a BREAK???
Formerly comatose editorial person: Errr...
Anchor: Errrr....
Me: Errr....
4 hours and 5 bomb blasts later. I am still at work.
Just another Saturday night. Just another city. Just another 30 dead.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Snippets
Anchor rushes in to the studio barely 30 seconds before we go live.
Frantic miking up.
She: Ok I have just had a major nose bleed attack. I must have bled gallons.
Me: Ewwww.
(Imagining blood spewing out Kill Bill style, all over camera lens and onto television viewers the world over)
Errr... And it can happen again?? On air, I mean ???
She: Dont Worry.
Smiles.
Five Four Three Two One.
Tips Head Back.
Headlines.
Me: (Screaming out to shaking semi-new production sidey) YOU. Tissue papers. As many as you can find. Where from? Thats your problem!
She scrams.
This job is such a power trip sometimes. Sigh.
Frantic miking up.
She: Ok I have just had a major nose bleed attack. I must have bled gallons.
Me: Ewwww.
(Imagining blood spewing out Kill Bill style, all over camera lens and onto television viewers the world over)
Errr... And it can happen again?? On air, I mean ???
She: Dont Worry.
Smiles.
Five Four Three Two One.
Tips Head Back.
Headlines.
Me: (Screaming out to shaking semi-new production sidey) YOU. Tissue papers. As many as you can find. Where from? Thats your problem!
She scrams.
This job is such a power trip sometimes. Sigh.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
work.
Grandma called yesterday.
"Have you seen what all the news channels are saying? The world is coming to an end tomorrow. At noon. Something about black holes"
"What???? Black holes at noon?? Damn. Not on my shift!"
I am a studio director in a news channel. And in a country where the pan wala seems to own the local news channel , I work with the "leading international english news channel". Very professional and all.
So any hint of an important news development usually means utter chaos, lots of screaming by editorial, accomanied by complete indecisiveness as snap decisions are called for, but unfortunately can only be made after looking at what the competition is upto.
Take a lazy Sunday afternoon at work. We are rolling bulletin after identical bulletin, taking it easy, lounging about. I am starting to feel I can do this with my eyes shut.
Suddenly someone somewhere sees that Blah TV has cut to a press conference by a Nobody on a Nothing. Obviously noone in the entire office had any clue about this presser until Blah TV got on it.
"CUT TO IT!!! NOW!!!" Much screaming shouting and ranting ensues, while phones ring off the hook. We all wake up.
Meanwhile Nobody is droning on and on. Being a creative production types, I feel that anyone stupid enough to watch this shit on a Sunday afternoon instead of getting brain dead drunk with friends should get to look at more than just his deplorable mug.
"Maybe we should put some nice relevant pictures in a box to liven things up??" I suggest timidly to the editorial person behind me.
"NO" she barks back.
I quitely slink into my chair (Thats right. The "director's" chair).
The phone rings. The editorial boss. As soon as she picks up, editorial starts screaming "Take pictures. Now!. What are you waiting for??? I have been asking them to take pictures for the longest time. Production never listens!"
Huh???
Thats right. I look at Blah TV, they have the guy with pictures in a box. How can we possibly not??
And you thought we actually cared about getting you the news now, did you not? Aw, you poor baby! Welcome to the world of Indian Television.
"Have you seen what all the news channels are saying? The world is coming to an end tomorrow. At noon. Something about black holes"
"What???? Black holes at noon?? Damn. Not on my shift!"
I am a studio director in a news channel. And in a country where the pan wala seems to own the local news channel , I work with the "leading international english news channel". Very professional and all.
So any hint of an important news development usually means utter chaos, lots of screaming by editorial, accomanied by complete indecisiveness as snap decisions are called for, but unfortunately can only be made after looking at what the competition is upto.
Take a lazy Sunday afternoon at work. We are rolling bulletin after identical bulletin, taking it easy, lounging about. I am starting to feel I can do this with my eyes shut.
Suddenly someone somewhere sees that Blah TV has cut to a press conference by a Nobody on a Nothing. Obviously noone in the entire office had any clue about this presser until Blah TV got on it.
"CUT TO IT!!! NOW!!!" Much screaming shouting and ranting ensues, while phones ring off the hook. We all wake up.
Meanwhile Nobody is droning on and on. Being a creative production types, I feel that anyone stupid enough to watch this shit on a Sunday afternoon instead of getting brain dead drunk with friends should get to look at more than just his deplorable mug.
"Maybe we should put some nice relevant pictures in a box to liven things up??" I suggest timidly to the editorial person behind me.
"NO" she barks back.
I quitely slink into my chair (Thats right. The "director's" chair).
The phone rings. The editorial boss. As soon as she picks up, editorial starts screaming "Take pictures. Now!. What are you waiting for??? I have been asking them to take pictures for the longest time. Production never listens!"
Huh???
Thats right. I look at Blah TV, they have the guy with pictures in a box. How can we possibly not??
And you thought we actually cared about getting you the news now, did you not? Aw, you poor baby! Welcome to the world of Indian Television.
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