Anchors On A Scroll Across The Country By Jim Barthold TVNewsCheck
Jan 28 2010, 11:57 AM ET http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2010/01/28/daily.4/ Anchor Loriana Hernandez at KTBC, the Fox O&O in Austin, Texas, says operating the teleprompter by foot pedal when she does the news with co-anchor Mike Warren is like dancing. "We have our own rhythm," she says. "When you've been dancing for a while, you know when you're going to move to the right, move to the left. I know when he's going to roll it." While it's fairly common for anchors in smaller markets like Austin (DMA 48) to control their own prompting, the practice is slowly creeping into the largest markets as TV station groups explore every opportunity to operate more efficiently. If anchors can control the prompters, stations don't need behind-the-scene prompter operators. Hernandez says her big-market counterparts have nothing to worry about. "I can see where people when they first hear about it might be concerned," she says. "Within two minutes, they're going to fall in love with it and wonder where this has been all their lives." By scrolling her own scripts, she says, she can more easily ad lib when she feels she has something to add to a story. The foot pedal also frees her to gesticulate more with her hands to describe stories. "You're in charge of your own destiny and your own pacing." Fox is introducing talent-operated prompting at most of its O&Os, but not demanding that anchors use it, says Earl Arbuckle, VP of engineering for the group. It's another way to save money, he says. "Our spending is far more constrained than it was two or three years ago." Fox is by no means alone. "All of the networks in one form or another are customers of ours across the country. We have affiliated stations and independent stations," says Gordon Tubbs, VP of Autoscript, a supplier of prompting gear. "I don't want to get into specifics about who's doing it, but it isn't just the small markets." Aaron Brady, head of American sales for another vendor, Autocue-Qtv, says his customer base is expanding as well. While it started with smaller stations, budget considerations have led stations in larger markets to follow suit, Brady says. "It's certainly helpful in a lot of cases to invest in the infrastructure to save on long-term operating costs." Autoscript, Autocue Qtv and Listec Video are among a cadre of companies that develop and sell software and hardware for scrolling and viewing scripts. Hardware includes prompters that can be mounted on cameras, desktop and wired and wireless handheld controllers; and foot pedals used to scroll scripts. The vendors also have software that can turn any computer into a prompter. Besides offering newsroom-based systems, the vendors provide software and hardware prompting gear for field reporters, including high-end, WiFi-based prompters. Prices are determined by the type of software a station licenses as well as by how many controlling devices are needed. A base newsroom system that includes software, a scroll controller and the interface for the newsroom computer system would run around $5,000. The price goes up as each foot pedal or desktop controller is added to the mix. While still an added burden for an anchor, running a prompter is not as difficult today because the technology is getting better. The most common controls are foot pedals and mouse-like hand devices, which people have gotten used to from using computers. Voice recognition technology that listens to what the anchor is saying and correlates that to the movement of a prompter script is "on the cusp of being ready for primetime," Arbuckle says. "There's a lot of effort on the part of prompter manufacturers to provide additional support mechanisms to make the prompting process more efficient," he adds. Right now, foot pedals are most prevalent. Antocue Qtv's Brady compares the foot pedal not to dancing, but to driving a car. Pushing down on the pedal moves the script forward and removing pressure stops the script. Another button moves the script backwards. "Talent might find it uncomfortable if they're not used to it," Brady says. "But it's certainly an intuitive way to control a prompter." Hand controlled devices can be wired or wireless. The more traditional ones are knobs placed unobtrusively on an anchor desk. Smaller wireless units, sometimes referred to as "rats" because they have small black bodies and have antenna tails, have thumbwheels to move the scripts forward and backward. Rats fit into the anchor's hand and cannot be seen on camera. Even with new equipment and past experience, anchors need dexterity and practice to do their own prompting, says Raymond Blumenthal, VP of Listec Video. "If you're doing your own prompting, it's a little harder. Some people just can't do it." But the crew at KTBC doesn't seem to be having much trouble. KTBC has eight foot pedals in operation throughout the studio, including four under the anchor desk, says Pam Vaught, the station's news director. Like Hernandez, Vaught says the other on-air talent has quickly adjusted to the scrolling their own scripts and "embraced" the opportunity. "They pay attention to what they're reading in the news," she says. "There are problems out there in every business and every business is looking for ways to make itself more efficient and maintain quality." -- ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 Mail: antunes at uh dot edu *********************************** * POST TO [email protected] * *********************************** Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
