Posts related to Television News and the crazy business is will always be.
It’s been a week. Despite going down hard with a case of Strep Throat, I’ve been inundated with depressing news. Not within my circle (thank goodness), but just in general. In TV News, there’s no shortage of awful stories. It’s the reason a lot of you don’t watch local TV News anymore. I get it. But I still work in it and have to read the stories. Whether it was the...
I was fired back in 2013. It was unexpected. It sucked at the time. But it was one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Truly. Because the following year I learned a lot about people, how they operate, how the world truly works and what our special powers are. When it comes to those of us who work in TV News (or any medium for that matter), we all have one particular power that we...
We live in a day and age where work gifts and parties are rare. The 80s were a time of excess and shenanigans: crazy holiday parties, big bonuses, extravagant gifts. Sadly, those days are a memory. Yes, it bled into the 90s. But in 2020 – while many companies enjoy big bottom lines – the giving is much less across the board. Regardless of who you work for. But I’m happy to...
Not only was Twitter a funny word, according to this photo there were a lot of funny moments back in Tucson, Arizona. Many moons ago, I worked in Tucson. Matter of fact, it was 2005 -2010. When I first moved there from Southern Minnesota, I was in shock. Easy to understand since it was a complete cultural bodyslam. I was a kid who could barely handle ‘Extra Mild’ Pace Picante sauce...
UPDATE: Facebook has taken the profile in question offline. This post has been updated to reflect their follow-up response. File this one under learning to live in a social media world. I’ve seen a lot of awful things in my television news career. This is one of them. I’ll spare you most of the details. During our noon newscast, I received breaking news details from my producer...
If you watch any amount of television news, chances are you’ve seen a news anchor or reporter put their finger up to the side of their ear as if they’re trying to hear something. That’s what’s happening. A tiny earpiece with a long cord attached is how producers, directors, camera operators, live truck operators and anyone else with control of a live situation in...
If you work in television news, you know all about budget cuts. Actually, if you work in any industry, you may have noticed the effects of slimmer budgets at some point. In TV News, there are certain things that crews go ‘without’ when times are tough and the belt is tightened. Vending machines, reporter notebooks, Sharpies, free company Polo shirts…the list is long. Some things...
A Boeing 777-200 operated by Asiana Airlines crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport, CA. Flight OZ-214 originated in Seoul-Incheon International Airport, South Korea. There were 291 passengers and 12 crew members on board The airplane impacted the ground while attempting to land on runway 28L. Photos and videos from the accident scene show debris including pieces of the...
Asiana crash audio from air traffic control Saturday, July 6, 2013: Here is a stripped down audio from air traffic control of the Asiana Airlines Flight #214 crash in San Francisco (click play button above). (via: San Francisco International Airport) Crash Narrative (Developing) A Boeing 777-200 operated by Asiana Airlines crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO). ...
TV News is a unique business in that you can’t get too comfortable. That’s been my experience, anyway. For most people in the industry, maintaining a job requires moving to several cities over the course of your career. Some are able to land a job at their home-town television station and stay for 30-40 years before retiring, but it’s not the norm. I’ve been in the...
Josh Benson writes about the web, social media, entrepreneurship, television news and life in general. He covers the days news as a news anchor for WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida. He's also a web designer/developer. He lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife Tara and two daughters Bella and Brooklyn.