The Human Factor.

While I accept the idea that these are tough times and we all must do "more with less" there are reasonable limits. I find that news producers seem to be immune to these limits.

I do push staff hard to gather the news of the day electronically, but I also try to be aware that people can only run and gun so long. I have been in the biz along time. If you're fair to your staff they will go the extra mile for you when you need it.

This is a foreign concept to many producers. The ones who never leave the building except to get lunch. The ones who don't truly know what it is to not have time to go through the drive-thru because the Assignment Desk has asked you to break the laws of physics and be three places at once. I have heard it a million times... "Oh, sure he can get that on his way back. He's close enough." (It should be noted here that "close" means in the same state.)

Now don't get me wrong, I have worked with some great producers over the years. There are even one or two that I would take a (slight) pay cut to work with again. These are people who can see the big picture. People who know when to push and when to back off. People that can get you to do things that you would not even consider for someone less. But the ranks of TV News producers are teeming with the inept, uneducated, over-confident, arrogant, and the plain stupid.

I have heard producers (and reporters) ask what the price of oil has to do with the price of gasoline. I have also heard them not understand why a live shot might be difficult for the top of the show when the field team is not at the scene yet. But I can write tomes full of observed (and committed) stupidity. This will be explored in painful detail at a later date.

For now, watch this space in the coming months for comments on news of the day, behind the scenes truth from the newsroom, and just plain old fashioned bitching about the people who run this god-forsaken business.