I have the Nuggets playoff game on the TV to my right and I actually have the volume up just enough so I can make out what is being said, but it's no louder than any one of the 11 scanners that surround me. This is rare. I have so much else to pay attention to I rarely pay any attention to the TVs. Same goes for the producers and writers doing their job to get ready for the newscasts. Unless we're watching another station's news lead or breaking news coverage, the TVs get little attention.
Just a few minutes ago I answered the phone and was asked what song was just sung for George Straight. What? I had to tell the caller that I didn't know what he story he was asking about and I asked if he knew the date of the story that aired.
He paused, "Um, I'm talking about the show on your air right now. What song did SugarLoaf just sing for George Strait?"
"Sir, I'm sorry I didn't realize you were asking about current programming. I don't know what song was just sung."
"Don't you watch what you broadcast?" he asked.
"No, sir, I'm working and am not able to watch the TV, but I'll ask if any of my coworkers happened to hear the song." I then asked the producers if they had been watching our air. Their answer was no as well.
"Sir, I'm sorry, none of my coworkers were watching the show either. We don't know which song was just sung for George Strait."
"I don't understand how you don't know! Unbelievable you don't watch your own programming." I could hear the genuine surprise and disbelief in voice. He continued with a sigh, "Ok then, have a good night." Click.
I can't count the number of times I've had conversations like this. I don't know how many times I've had to say, "I only have access to information that ran in the local news. I don't have access to other shows, even national news that is aired."
I bet most of you aren't able to watch TV while on the job. So why would it be different for me?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I worked for a newspaper publishing company some years ago. Whenever the subject came up of where I worked... I told them the Publishing Company, and they asked if I was a writer, and editor, or a researcher (photographer, etc.).
ReplyDeleteThey were always shocked and in disbelief when I told them I play with computers all day. It's just one of those shallow-unpositional lack of understandings.
Artists work for Graphic Design Firms.
Programmers work for Software Companies.
News Anchors work for News Stations.
And no one else.
(Except for security, janitors, accountants, advertising reps, IT staff, newspaper delivery drivers, etc. etc. etc. You know, all the other people that keep things running inside and out. In addition to the primary subject staff.)
I could go on a whole 'nother tangent about when I worked for a web hosting company, and had the "pleasure" of taking a support call, from someone in dispute with some website operator.
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR OWN CUSTOMER?"
No, I don't, I don't have the mental capacity nor the time to form a personal relationship with over 1,000,000 website operators. Likely /well/ over that.