So long West Palm Beach...

I know you have been wondering, since our last episode, what actually happened on April 30th...

I went to Chattanooga for a job interview. It was not a supervisor position, but another hub operator position. It went well... Very well. I went into it, thinking I was hot stuff, and found out that I was. Not "savior of the world" hot stuff, but pretty hot. I met with the supervisor there, who was extremely nice. Sitting in the conference room at NewsChannel 9, looking over this guy's shoulder at the rolling green mountains, I knew that I could find this to be an acceptable base of operations. While impressed with all the skills I already had, this supervisor guy told me there are more skills I could pick up, while flying under his wing. It was so tempting, and I knew when I left to go back to West Palm, that I was like that old Eagles song... "Yes I'm already gone..."

I had to go back and drop the big news to my co-workers. It was awkward for me, as they had become a second family. I didn't expect some big crying party, which is good, because how weird would that be. A quiet parting of ways... which was good for me, since I am kind of like that old Whitney Houston song. "I get so emotional, baby!"

It was weird to leave something I helped build up. I wondered if they would be alright without me, as I had become a major player in the Hub. Fortunately for everyone involved, I have a lot of different skills and clutch plays, and I love showing them off. Of course they picked these skills up... They are Hub Life! Besides... I picked up a lot of those skills and clutch plays from them! I left there knowing that they would be just fine, because that's how we rolled in the Hub. Why would they stop?

After "The Decision" (hee hee), I was there for another two months. Part of being an internal transfer is making sure your previous duty station is OK without you. I stayed long enough to cover all the operators going on vacation, including myself. In the end, it was as much for me, as it was for them. Honestly, I did not want to leave "The Golden Metropolis".

I took my vacation 2 weeks before I left Florida. I mostly spent my time with family, since I don't see them at all. I got some time with friends too, but it was fleeting moments. I got to see my daughter graduate high school and nursing school in the same week. Who gets to do that? When it comes to diplomas, my daughter is "two-fisted". How cool is that? I'm going to get put in a good home someday...



Next stop... Chattanooga...

Lots Going On... No Time to Talk About It...

It's been 15 months since our last meeting. I have been busting my ass the whole time. The whole time... Turns out... I wasn't quite the "hot stuff" I thought I was. I made a huge mistake, which was quite the wake-up call. I needed to re-invent myself, if I had any chance of completing my goal at all, let alone make any real progress toward the lofty goal. (What is the goal? Past posts will reveal, and we need all humanoids to catch up. I know it's been a while...) I proceeded to re-invent myself. Learning all I could, I have taken on every task put before without hesitation. This has afforded me a very nice position within what is now called "The Hub". These tasks have made me into quite the operator. Dare I say... "Smooth Operator"??? I now, with pride, feel that I am one of my Supervisor's top lieutenants. You'd have to ask him if this is true, but I am confident that he would answer yes, while laughing of course. This "new me" is confident, and looking for a new posistion in "The Evil Empire". Perhaps my own command is not out of reach, and certainly fits in my plan. West Palm Beach be expensive, and I need to stack major chips if I am ever taking over the world. A less expensive home base could allow for this. I have sent out feelers to other stations, to see just how I am viewed throughout the Empire. Not quite the result I was expecting. I have gotten two nibbles... one of them being a hard bite. On April 30th, I will be travelling to Chattanooga, Tennessee. I have an interview there. It's not quite the glamour I had my sights set on, but I make the best out of any situation I am in. "It's how I roll." I turn negatives into positives. Chattanooga is not a negative, in any way whatsoever. There are so many positives about this, on paper of course, that I need to see exactly how they operate. In the end, I am not auditioning for them, but they are auditioning for me. Make no bones about it. I have a career goal and 5 year plan. If they are a good fit for me, then that is the route I will take. I am going to go there prepared. I have a list of things I must see, and a list of things I must not see. I am excited to see how another hub operates, as the one I work in now is extremely efficient. Stepping back, I am amazed at what we do on a daily basis. The sparkle is still just as bright. I am quite specialized now, thanks to my Supervisor. He knows how to push me. He knows how to test my limits. I go to work every day with the purpose of impressing upon him that I am always his personal "clutch player". He rewards me with "special projects", and other things that show me that I truly am one of his top guys. No words are ever exchanged like that. I feel that he doesn't train "operators". He trains operators to be supervisors. Now... I teach operators, waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger. Steady... Breathe... Stand by...

I'll explain Step 26 now...

By now, you may know, or maybe you don't... In which case, check this out...

I am taking over the world. I'm going to do it, using broadcasting...

Why am I explaining this when I'm already on Step 26? Because I realize there is no working manual for achieving this lofty, yet attainable goal. It has to be possible. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be on Step 26 now, would I? Followers and friends, the first 25 Steps will be explained in short stories about the past, and the decisions that got me to this point. Besides... That 25 Steps! We're on Step 26 now! Let's keep going...

In the first 25 Steps we did manage to get a television signal to a really good portion of the State of Florida. It's not blanket coverage, but hey... Can you match me? Ok then! ("We"? Yes, maybe it's the other guy in my head fighting to get out, or maybe I'm trying to get you on board with the cause. It could be OUR CAUSE!)

Step 26 involves funds now. Up to this point, it's all been dropped in my lap... Controlling TV stations... Making connections in other cities... Multiple channels simultaneously... And now multiple stations, in multiple cities, all across the state. You know what this means, right?

Exactly! I need to start a television show! I need a show, that reaches every station, all across the country, that operates under the Sinclair Broadcast Group umbrella. That's 87 stations in 47 markets!

Wikipedia says a market is...

That would make for lots of viewers. We need to jump on that. See... Paid Programs (infomercials) don't cost a lot of money for their time slots, especially the ones that play in the overnights. Even still, you have to buy the time in bulk to get the best deal for you. Let's say... Saturday at 3AM. This slot could cost 50 bucks. Advertisers stick their infomercial in there, and then pay that small amount of money. The contract might state that if someone actually calls for the ShammyHey... or the SmackChopper... and those incredible knives... The station gets something extra.

What would the show be about? How will you market this? How are you going to pay for this?? Wouldn't it be cool if the show was on at the same time of night in every city at the same time? Read on...

Have you ever seen those "locally produced" shows about fishing, or motorcycles?? You know, shows like that. People go out and produce the shows, and then stick them in these cheap time slots. That's why they are always on at weird hours. We could do that!

What would the show be about?? Well... It could be about how I'm taking over the world. I'm on step 26. Now that I'm writing the manual here, we can make a video journal, so that there's no question. There will be visual proof of my reach, and my power. We could just film from the control room. It's my control of this space which is my source of great power. For a start, I can monitor my show on these 7 station I run now. I can ensure that you, the viewers, are getting the proper transmission, the proper episode in the journal. As my reach grows, I'll have to trust others. Until then, it can all fall on me.

How will I pay for it?? The cool thing about Paid Programs, is that you own that time. You can do with it as you please (as long as you don't break FCC regulations). I can sell advertising time in the show. It can look like it has commercial breaks. So, suppose "Jimmy's Hedge Trimming", or something like that, wants to advertise on TV, but can't afford it. He can buy time in my show. Surely he can afford a 15 second spot now, right?? I'm not some corporation. If I support local businesses, I'm helping to right the economy, right? Good "World Leaders" make sure all their actions count for the betterment of the world. And if Jimmy wants me to produce that commercial for him?? Ch-ching!

These commercial breaks will do two things: Pay for the show, and break up how much time I have to fill for my show. I've also thought about finding someone who deals those extended 2 and 3 minute mini-infomercials. They would probably pay good, and be a nice slice of time. 28:30 (20 minutes 30 seconds) is a long time in TV time.

I'll need equipment to shoot my show. I could use company equipment to do everything, but because I'm trying to make money for my plan... You know... World Conquest... There starts to be rules that I have to follow. For this to work, I'll have to wheel and deal. I'll have to balance on that razor's edge. When you are taking over the world, you have to expect that the odds will seem insurmountable. Look at the goal. It's not going to be easy for us.

One problem is called "Non-Compete". Simply stated, I can't compete against the company for money/anything. This is gonna be tricky, because they don't want to give away money. So... I won't be able to use their stuff. Equipment is expensive, and this part will take time. Hopefully as long as it takes to get sponsors.

The other problem is that I can't use the control room to film the show. They call it "Intellectual Property". I can't show their equipment/anything else to make money that doesn't go straight to them. I'll need to find a way around this.

I need funding. I'm not afraid to pound the pavement, literally. I walk all around my apartment complex. I walk the halls, the stairs, all of it. I do this for exercise. ("World Leaders" need to be in shape, you know...)I pick up pennies off the ground, during my exercise route, to fund this "project". Nothing will stop me!

I'll give a full progress report as soon as I've collected enough information.

Quick update! I'm sorry!

I haven't posted in almost 6 months. I figured telling you about what I do, and this new Master Control would be enough. It's not. We have been live for a couple weeks now. I couldn't tell you how long, as the weeks all run together now. I've been working 60 or so hours a week for so long now. I'm going to just tell you... from now on... how things are going, and what is expected of me.
I am a bottle of nerves anymore. Each day is a psychological roller coaster ride. Is that bad? Of course it is. It's also awesome. See?
I need to share other things, that I think are overlooked, like my feelings each day. I'm going to have to write a journal, of sorts, each day. This way, I can decompress, and you can learn.
I'm trying to take over the world. I have an avenue to do so, and now it's time to take command. There are new challenges on the horizon. I will embrace these, as they are just a part of my quest to take over the world.
Haven't quite heard of that yet? I'll outline the first 25 steps, and how to achieve the next step in later blogs. Stay tuned.
Sing along... Send some money... Join the Chosen Few...

I'm Batman?? Maybe...

I wanted to give you a quick update, and show you pictures of the new Master Control. From what I've heard, it's going to be like the BatCave. There is going to be a fresh new floor. We'll see when it starts going faster. So far, all the tear out is done, and a new wall has been built and finished. I used to be able to see the tuners for the satellites we use. That is all behind the new wall. Four new air conditioning units have been installed for the new space, so they must be preparing to combat a lot of heat from the equipment that we'll be running. I'm very excited!

Clicking on each picture will bring up each album.



We have had a contractor group come in, and it seems as the rumors I'm hearing... are true. We have a new floor now, and the components are being installed. I asked one of the contractors how long it would take to get this up and running. He told me a month. It sounds like a long time, but for what is being built, I don't think it's a long time at all. This will make being in this broom closet well worth the time.

This next set of pictures was taken only 10 days later. Ten days! It's really starting to take shape. I'm getting really excited, as this will bring new skills to my repertoire. These pictures show installed racks, miles of wires, and a look at what will be.

Tornadoes and Warnings and Cut-ins! Oh My!

Today has been a crazy day. I figured I would tell you about it, while the action is hot. Today, we've been having Tornado Warnings, for the last 2 hours or so. As Master Control, it's my job to run crawls for weather warnings. But, what happens if it's so severe that there could be tornadoes?

If the threat is real for tornadoes, we might have to cut into programming, which we have done two times so far today. For me, it's a matter of dumping out of my programming, and giving control to the news department. They will do everything that they have to, to inform the public, so they can stay safe. But my work has just begun, in this process.

It's my job to monitor the programming schedule. I have to decide ways to cut programming, so I can stay on time. First, I'll decide how much time I'm losing. I can remove promos for shows on the station, or PSAs (Public Service Announcements). We don't get paid for these, so losing them is OK.

Next, I have to figure out if time constraints can save the paid commercials. I am basically running the cash register for the station, as the paid sponsors are what brings in our revenues. Right now, in an election time, it's important to make sure those play, as they are bigger money. That won't be an issue for me today. It's always bad to lose commercial revenue, but it's more important to keep our viewers informed and safe.

The main bummer for me today, is that I am in a block of paid programming (infomercials). These are half hour blocks, that make quite a bit of money. If you've ever wondered why stations play infomercials, it's because they make good money. I've dumped out of one program, and had to join another in progress when we came back. As I'm typing this, we are cutting into another one. My job is to make sure that the money gets played, without errors. Today, due to circumstances with weather, which I cannot control, I can't complete that task.

It makes the time go fast, and it's very exciting to be a part of this team. Our meteorologist Craig Gold, has been on point, talking for 40-50 minutes at a time. Our director Chris Siegert, has been switching weather graphics at Craig's cues. We really do have the best coverage, when it comes to severe weather. Our passion, and commitment to being the best really shows on days like today.

The New Digs- An Update

If it seems that I have been slacking in telling you more about what it's like to be a "Television God". There's been well... really not much to say, as I am waiting for my crystal castle to be constructed. What? You heard me. Master Control will be a crystal castle. I get hints, here and there, about what it will be like. I am very excited, but I'm a little apprehensive. I'm sure you're asking, "Why? You're a Television God?". It will be the start of a daunting task. I will be going from running 3 stations, to running many more.

I get information, a little at a time. Some from this guy, some from that guy. I have to disseminate the intel, and decide what could be true, as I'm the last to know anything. The ability to adapt on the fly, to new technology, and use it to do my job, is one of the things a Master Control Operator has to excel at. In the end, I really don't like having to use that skill, but tricks in the stash, are what separates the good ones from the bad ones.

Let's go with what I have decided might just be the course of action, in the coming weeks. (Like how that's vague? Welcome to my world!) Soon, we'll be running, what looks like, 8 stations. A bunch will be "canned programming". This means that we take a feed, and get it ready for a later airing. This will mean that my workload will increase substantially. There will also be that many more commercials, many more show promos, and many more crawls for weather and news. Don't worry, I'm good for it. It will just take some getting used to.

We were told that construction would begin on my new digs in June, after sweeps. Construction couldn't start, until after the tear out. It also took some extra time for things that I really didn't understand. Turns out... My boss, who really is a "television god" (Ask his peers. He's like a legend in South Florida TV.) had to get approval to use money for all the different parts of this. He had to decide how much money, and where all of it will go. There is the "wall guy", the "floor guy", the "this guy,and that guy". There are all the different companies that have to come in, install their equipment, and show us how to run it, too. He has to schedule it all, so each part gets installed in order. Reflecting on all this, if this was my job, I would be totally stressed out.

I took some pictures, to show how things looks, as tear out starts. Equipment has been taken out, and that went relatively quick.











Next time, I'll be showing the progress of the new space, which should be state of the art, as anything less is below my Chief Engineer's standards. I'll also be telling you about what editors do, and how they are responsible for making sure you have video, when you watch your local news.

Thanks for reading. Please subscribe, so you don't miss any of the progress in my "Fortress of Solitude", and so you know everything you need to know, should you ever want a "Life As A Television God"...