By Cheryl Calhoun
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

Scott Sandes directs the 11 a.m. news on ABC Channel 13.
photo by Natalie Seifert

The Communication Association, a student organization on campus, recently toured ABC Channel 13 facilities at 3310 Bissonnet in Houston.

Norma Ferguson, Channel 13 production assistant, led the group on an informative tour which focused on producing a live news broadcast.

The sound of about 30 police, ambulance and life-flight scanners, constant telephone rings and voices of assignment editors is where the process begins-the assignment desk. Newsworthy information from concerned citizens and scanners is funneled through the assignment desk to the producers.

Producers take the information and decide which stories will be used to inform and entertain audiences.

From this information, reporters and anchors begin researching and interviewing and begin the process of writing.

During the actual live broadcast, producers and technical directors in the control room are responsible for the graphics, captions and getting pictures and stories on the air according to a very tight schedule.

Meanwhile, in the network production room, producers work as a liaison between Houston and ABC's national network producers. During the tour, students observed the live 11 a.m. news broadcast.

"One of the most interesting parts of the tour was watching the live broadcast," said Angie Smith, vice-president of the Communication Association.

After the live broadcast, Melanie Lawson, Channel 13 news anchor, visited with the group.

"Internships are invaluable," Lawson advised the students. "You learn on the job; you learn while it's happening."

Lawson also assured the students that being an anchor is not as glamorous as people think it is. "It's a 24 [hours a day], 7 [days a week] gig," Lawson said.

The students would not leave the station until they met nine-time Emmy Award winner, Wayne Dolcefino, 13 undercover reporter. Dolcefino invited the group into his office, where they observed the latest undercover cameras-cameras hidden in buttons, beepers and eye glasses.

Dolcefino has his own producer and photographer because his investigative stories are top secret even within the station. He says that although the station has been sued more than 20 times due to his undercover reporting, he continues to change policies and procedures inside many corrupt organizations in Houston.

"As vice-president of the Communication Association, I thought it was imperative that our members go on the tour because this was a golden opportunity to meet and talk to professionals in our field," Smith said.

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