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Excerpted from a radio news documentary by Martin Hardee, Fall, 1978.  


In-House Reporting Resources...


Reporters: 2 reporters
2 editors
3 writers
Specific beats: General, with some specialties
Telephone interviews: “Fair amount”
From reporter's desk
Do you duplicate coverage of the wires? Yes
Police info: Pull off the wire
Bureaus: No
Stringers, freelancers? No
Versions of voicers: Not many.
Reporters send raw tape
Tape library: Yes
Long distance budget: Yes, unlimited
Influenced by competitors? “No”


Outside Sources...


Subscription services: UPI: Greater NY, Natl Br
Reuters: Cana-Carib
Alternatives: None
Audio services: UPI Audio
Pacifica
National Black Network (very limited use)
PR, politicians: Rarely
Daybooks: Yes
Newspapers: All the time
Traffic/transit: Off wire
WCBS


Facilities...


Open reels: 2 Ampex 440
1 Scully 280
Cart machines: 4 Gates
1 Tapecaster
Timers: Circular clock
Phone: Nearby recorders
Cassette portables: Sony TC-110s
Cassette decks: No
On-street mikes: EV 635a
Equalizers: Yes
Broadcast lines to bureaus: n/a
Cart machines at each desk? Nearby
Separate news studio? Yes


Writing Style...


Stylebook? No
Sound bite limits: AM: No
FM: :40
Story line limits: General
15 lines
Grammar: “Not cutesy”
Use of 'straight wire copy': Rarely


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About this report
This research documentary is Copyright 1979, 2002  Martin Hardee - All Rights Reserved. (read more...) Material may be quoted or excerpted for non-profit research purposes without additional special permission. For additional information email martin @ hardee.net.