Switcher: out sick

Notice anything odd about the screen in the photo below?



It's in the middle of the five o'clock newcast. It's not a promo. It's the actual newscast. Look hard... See any graphics? Any logos? Any chyrons?

Well, that's what happens when your control room switcher goes down an hour before the news. We had no graphics, couldn't go to live shots, fullscreens or video, and had only one camera shot.



I was out shooting when everything fell apart. I came in about 5 minutes into the show and I have to say, I thought it would be worse. Fortunately for us, it snowed today. If we hadn't have had that, I don't know what we would have done. The anchors played it off as a "Breaking Weather Special," and they just went for it. They tossed to phoners, tossed to reporters on the set and just kept everything moving for a whole hour long show.

Major props goes to our production manager, Joe, who shot the whole thing, off the shoulder. Ouch.