Behind The Scenes On The Weekends

Sometimes I hear, "You just sit there and read the teleprompter, right?" I wish! As a Weekend Anchor, just as any other anchor at our station we have multiple job duties and although it seems quiet on the weekends, it sometimes gets a little hectic but we have a great weekend crew which you will see in the below pictures.

So, let's start! Here is a look at behind the scenes on KRBC Weekends!

I usually go into work anytime from 1 to 2 p.m. to prepare for Saturday 6pm and 10pm newscast as well as Sunday's 5pm and 10pm.

The first thing is, I find out what the weekend reporter has for the day, what else he/she could do, what kind of story it could be, and for which newscast it will be ready for.

This particular weekend, Tim Johnston was our weekend reporter and in this picture he was working on a couple of stories for Sunday's 5pm and 10pm.

I then sit down and start producing the show. Meaning, I get all the local stories we have, look up other sources locally and statewide to see what is going on in Texas and start building my show.

Trust me, it's not easy, when the weekends are slow story days. After finding local or statewide news, I start looking for national headline news, and even go international at times. I edit some stories, I write, and add them to my show.

At times I even run out and be reporter, as I am trying to produce the show. Those days get a little crazy, when I am running out to a scene of an accident or checking on a structure fire, getting footage and interviews when I should really be back at the station trying to get my show organized, my timing, and stories accurate.

Anyways, as I am stacking my shows together or running around getting more local stories, Tyler Edwards the Weekend Sports Anchor is also getting his sports headlines together and editing compelling highlight video for you. He does a great job of keeping viewers entertained with his sports videos and his energetic attitude.

When my show is all stacked ready to go, I go over scripts, make any necessary adjustments and then.... I print. Big relief!

I then head to the dressing room to get changed and do my make up. Even on the set, sometimes I touch up and our production crews are always laughing about it.

We do our mic checks, our camera crews set up shots. I usually
give the guys a hard time, I am jittery before the news cast, drinking my water or pop, adding last minute touches to my make up or moving around looking at my scripts and laptop but the guys are really great about it!

As we do our last minute preparations we are ready to roll!!


Oh yeah, did I mention I run my own teleprompter as well? Ha, it's not so bad because if I mess up or something goes wrong I can slow it down or stop it. (It's a foot pedal by the way)

Now, we are now underway with our newscast but how do all the video, audio, and graphics come up? We have a great crew for that as well!
There is someone on audio to turn our mics on and off when needed.

Once, our director thought we were on, it was after a football game and since we don't have an accurate time we kind of have to go with the flow. So, after the post game show, our news channel went to black so my mic was turned on because she thought we were going on but actually a commercial was about to run and at the time I didn't realize my mic was turned on and the 695-1181 commercial came on, normally I always bust out singing it and being silly during commercial times... luckily this time I didn't!

I'm not going to lie, when I am cued to start the top of the show, my heart starts pounding but there is no turning back!! The worst part of it is, when you don't go over scripts in full detail, because if there is a misspelled word.. or the sentence that was written doesn't make sense, it could trip you up completely!! As you are trying to make sense of what in the world you just said.. you need to get back on track but you lose your concentration and sometimes it gets ugly.

Then, after the newscast is done and over with, Tyler, Randy, and I, or if it's a Saturday with Clemente we get together with our production crew and we discuss things that went wrong in the newscast. For example, video didn't come up at the right time, or they have "Mary Jo's" name on "Joe Smith's" soundbite, or maybe a tun time for a story wasn't on the script. This makes us (both production and talent) make sure those errors aren't made again and sometimes it happens but we try to improve each newscast.

These Are My Confessions.

Maybe one day I should roll an extra camera during the newscast so you can get a real look at what happens before, during, and after the newscast!

I love anchoring! It's my favorite part of my job at KRBC. I'm not even close to those big time anchors you see on CNN or MSNBC, but this is where I start, where I grow as a reporter/anchor, and as a person. I am really glad that Abilene is my first TV job. Every day I learn more and more.

There are amazing anchors at KRBC. Downing, Kyna, and Stephanie, which I don't come close to their knowledge and expertise but this is why I am here. I am here to learn from them and become better as each day goes by.

It's Over For Uncle Jack!"

Abilene Police finally decided to unseal "Uncle Jack's" Urn. As many of us questioned but some of us couldn't believe... it was a prank! The ashes inside of the urn were confirmed as fireplace ashes. Who would take the time to place fireplace ashes in an urn. Now whoever did it, just lost about $500 to $1,000!! That's right! The urn is worth that much!

These are my confessions.

I am glad we figured out the big mystery of Uncle Jack but I wish this wasn't a prank, I would have loved to find out who "Uncle Jack" was!

Who Is Uncle Jack?

Who is Uncle Jack? Are you wondering the same thing? Ever since I heard this story I've been wanting to find out who "Uncle Jack" is. Was he an amazing man that had many accomplishments in life? Maybe an Air Force pilot? A father that guided his sons to a successful life. I guess for sometime we wont know.. or maybe we'll never find out.

Terry Diamond from KBCY called to tell me the story of the urn on her front porch. When I went to the radio station on Monday, I couldn't believe this urn was real! How could someone randomly leave an urn with possible ashes inside at a home that wasn't the right one!

The note on the urn read: Domi, I've called many times!! Your new home is nice. Had to drive back. Take care of Uncle Jack. Love, Eddy.

Terry gave the urn to the police and this is why I think we might not find out who Uncle Jack really is.

I spoke with a Jack North from North's Funeral Home, and he told me that if the urn is unsealed there could be a coin in there that identifies the funeral home it came from or a document that has information on the person.

How GREAT would that be if we can find out who Jack is and why someone left him at the wrong home!

Wait... not so easy. Police have Uncle Jack's urn and they will not unseal it. They don't want to be held responsible or "liable" for opening the urn. I understand that opening an urn is like opening a casket, very disrespectful but it could help identify Uncle Jack. It would also give Uncle Jack a resting other than the Abilene Police Department's Property and Evidence storage area.

What do you think?

These are my confessions.

I would rather have someone open my urn to identify me and find my family. I would much rather have police unseal it then leaving me in property and evidence for sometime. Maybe Jack wasn't a great man but no matter who he was he deserves to be with family.

Don't get me wrong. I understand where the Abilene PD are coming from. I respect that. I'm just curious who is inside the urn, the story of his life, and have him back to the person that was intended to receive the delivery of the urn.

Always,

Maria

Drunk Driving

On December 30, I did a story about drunk driving and how you should think twice about driving while intoxicated. New Year's Eve is a big day for celebrations. We say goodbye to 2008, the good and bad times and we welcome in a new year but it’s a day that many people get behind the wheel drunk.

On December 31, I did another story, this time highlighting a family that went through the heartache of their 20-year-old son being killed by a drunk driver. It's sad to me that ONE choice changed the lives of so many. It really touched my heart talking with Mr. and Mrs. Robinson about Zach. I thought this would also touch the lives of others and make a difference.

Now, I was hoping my story would change people's minds about driving drunk. I don't think I'm superwoman but I thought if I could make some kind of difference, I did something right.

I feel like I didn't.

On New Year's Day early in the morning about 1:30, there was a terrible collision on South First and Arnold. Krystal Limonez, Mazie Paulino, and Clifford Cartwright were all involved in the collision. Krystal passed away after being on life support for a day, Mazie is still in critical condition, and now Clifford has many questions to answer.

I received that phone call from Sgt. Doug Wrenn from the Abilene Police Department on New Year's Day about what happened because just the day before we did the story about drunk driving. The whole day I couldn't stop thinking about these two young girls that got in the car with this guy that changed their lives and their families lives.

These are my confessions.

I am not calling this an accident as most media have. As Sgt. Wrenn and I discussed on New Year's Eve, getting behind the wheel drunk is intentional and accidents are unintentional.

I am not here to try to save the world, but I feel like I need to try to make a difference, whether it's doing a story about a non-profit organization to promote donations, or about a teacher that is making a difference in a student's life, or getting people to think twice about drunk driving. I want to make an impact and I am hoping I did in someone's life but I feel this week I failed because Krystal is no longer on this earth.

Always, Maria

My Confessions

As each day goes by, I continue to learn what a Reporter and Anchor does and what it means to be one and I am happy to say I now get to share these moments with you.

These are my confessions. My moments out in the field reporting or in studio anchoring. They could be embarrassing, funny, things I didn't expect, hard times, or about interesting people I am meeting along the way.

I am very excited to take this journey with you!!
Feel free to comment, ask questions, make suggestions... or just anything at all!


Always,
Maria