Category Archives: E! News Live!

JERRY MEANDERING

Got to talk to my old friend Jerry O’Connell today – on TV. Haven’t seen him since he came to my house in L.A. for a birthday party several years ago. We had a great chat before this segment aired – here’s Jerry and Randall trying to get me on camera. I appeared – but only viewers in Indy got to see it. I edited myself out for this Facebook version! Continue reading JERRY MEANDERING

THE KITCHEN TABLE!

THE CENTERPIECE OF YOUR SHOW

On The Golden Girls, where did Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia spend most of their time? At The Kitchen Table. At your house, where does the family end up together more often than not?  Correct! The Kitchen Table! It’s where you have your everyday meals, it’s where the kids do their homework, it’s where dad does his crossword puzzle and where mom reads her magazine. When a friend stops over, he joins the family at The Kitchen Table.  The centerpiece of your home is The Kitchen Table – it’s the “home base” of your family.

The Kitchen Table is also the home base of your morning show. It’s where your family of anchors, sports and weather casters, reporters, and contributors hang out. When Chris Pine drops by,  he joins everybody at The Kitchen Table. When the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders arrive, they join the gang at The Kitchen Table. When the mayor visits to discuss the teachers strike, he does so at The Kitchen Table. You don’t take guests and move them to a more formal location (like a living room set). You all hang out around The Kitchen Table where everyone joins in on the interview, the food and the small talk. Continue reading THE KITCHEN TABLE!

CAN YOU PINPOINT THE SECRET SAUCE?

-THE RECIPE FOR RATINGS-

Do you know  the “secret sauce” to morning show success? It’s a simple recipe. And it’s right there on the screen.  It’s the one thing all these clips have in common.

ESTABLISH YOUR ATTITUDE

OPEN TEASES MUST SET THE TONE

How do you open your morning newscast? Let me guess. Video of that overnight fire, wiping to that avalanche caught on tape, wiping to the footage of a dolphin giving birth. Music is urgent, your talent is breathless and graphics are flashing all over the screen. Yep. You’re producing that pre-open tease exactly as Walk Away Joe tells you to do it. If you’re producing a personality-driven newscast, Joe, aka your news consultant, is dead wrong. Here’s why. Continue reading ESTABLISH YOUR ATTITUDE