TVLifer

The bulk of the coverage from Haiti may be coming from the major networks - but local crews are also on the ground providing solid reporting from the devastated Caribbean nation.

WPLG (ABC) reporter Calvin Hughes is covering the search and rescue missions as well. Hughes arrived shortly after the quake and has been filing reports, blogging, and tweeting. Click here to watch one of his latest reports.

Be sure to let us know if about other local TVLifers who are in Haiti covering this story. Just drop us an email at tvlifer@tvlifer.com.

A new study suggests that local television newsrooms are still a step behind newspapers and online sources.

The findings are based on an analysis of how local news stories evolved in Baltimore during one week last summer. The review by Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism monitored 53 media outlets — newspapers, television and radio stations and Web-only operations.

Newspapers and their Web sites provided 61 percent of the original reporting or fresh information on six major news stories that unfolded during the week of July 19-25, the study found. Local television stations and their Web sites accounted for 28 percent of the new information, followed by radio stations and their sites at 7 percent and Internet-only "new media" at 4 percent.

The conclusions bolster the arguments of newspaper publishers and editors who trumpet their publications as indispensable sources of information about their communities.

J. Montgomery Cook, editor of The Baltimore Sun, wishes the study would have examined more than just a one-week window. A longer look "would have more clearly proven how dominant and comprehensive The Sun is compared to other media," Cook wrote in an e-mail.

Yet The Sun and other big newspapers are getting smaller as their print editions lose readers and advertisers to the Internet.

If you've spent any time roaming the TVLifer site, you may have noticed the Drop Box on the left hand side of the screen on various pages.  Many users have been asking us what that's for, so we thought we'd let you know.

The official help bubble reads, "This is your chance to help drive the conversation without going on the record. Tell us about newsroom happenings, job openings in the near future, or something that you think people want to chat about."

We created the Off the Record forum for television professionals and those considering getting into the business to discuss various topics.  That might sound like message boards you've found on other websites, but we wanted to make this a little different.  In order to keep the conversation constructive, the TVL Staff posts the topics of discussion.  This way we can avoid the constant negative sniping that often occurs on those boards.

But we want TVLifers to take part in the process, so we developed an anonymous tip box (aka "The Drop Box) so that you can direct the conversation. 

These are located on all the market homepages and of course on the Off the Record page.  Keep the ideas flowing and maybe give your fellow TVLifers a heads up on a job opening at your station or in your market.

Any questions?  Just email us tvlifer@tvlifer.com

TVLifer is proud to announce that TVL's College Tour will be visiting three more schools during the upcoming spring semester.

TVL will visit with students at Boston University, Emerson College, and the University of Maryland to discuss the most effective ways of breaking into the business.

The College Tour is designed to show students how to begin building a professional network and to take advantage of all of TVL's free job search resources including the Market Map platform.

Don't forget that TVL's "Job Drive" also begins this semester. TVLifers will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with our staff in order to achieve their goal.

Email us at tvlifer@tvlifer.com and let us know where you want to go. What region? What market? Even what station? TVL will work to bring your resume up to speed and put your profile in front of the news director that you want to work for.

TVL's job hiring technology took years to perfect and is the most advanced system in the business. Haven't signed up yet? Click the icon on the left and become part of the fastest growing network in television news.

Into the Off the Record Drop Box this morning comes news that WMTW (ABC) anchor Tory Ryden has informed management that she intends to leave the station this spring.

Ryden, anchors the 6pm and 11pm weekday evening newscasts. Prior to joining WMTW (a Hearst-Argyle owned station) Ryden worked in markets including Boston (WBZ & WFXT) and Jacksonville (WJKS).

TVLifers out there - especially in the Portland, ME market are welcome to join the conversation Off the Record by clicking the icon to the right or send the TVL staff a tip using the Drop Box.

Getting a job in local television often comes through connections at stations or in markets that you hope to work.  The saying has always been "it's not what you know, but rather who you know." 

During this tight job market that could not be more true and TVLifer hopes to connect you with current professionals that are working where you want to end up.

TVL's Market Map is the place to start your research. Each pin on the map represents one of the 210 markets across the country. Click on one of the pins and link directly to the market homepage of your choice.

Once you land on a market homepage like Portland, ME make sure to check the left column for TVLifers in this market. 

As the TVLifer network grows you'll see more and more professionals in that left column to contact and ask questions about life in that market. 

People have always helped each other along the way and now TVLifer uses technology to make that relationship happen in a non-intrusive fashion.  TVLifers helping TVLifers, it doesn't get much better than that.

Any questions just email us at tvlifer@tvlifer.com

Are you gearing up for a job search? Maybe it's just time to update your resume but you're just not sure exactly how to make your reel more appealing to news directors.

TVLifers are taking advantage of Critic's Corner. It's simple: click on the Critic's Corner icon on the right and from the drop down menu choose which one of your reels in your online profile you would like to have critiqued by a TVL Contributor.

TVLifer Contributors are veterans of the industry and work at the highest levels including the national broadcast and cable networks. In just a matter of days the TVL Contributor will provide detailed feedback on how to bring your reel to the next level.

There's no catch. Critic's Corner is the place to start if you need to rebuild your reel or start from scratch if looking to break into the business.

Not a TVLifer yet? Join the fastest growing network of television professionals by clicking the icon on the left.

The News Press in Ft. Myers, FL reports that viewership is down at television stations in market #64. 

"Last year was an election year and it was cooler last November," Bob Beville, director of sales for NBC2 and ABC7, proposed. "This year it was really nice out and we didn't have the big political stories. Weather and politics - they drive news."

Also, while NBC2 is down a bit at 11 p.m., so is everyone else. Thus it's difficult to say how hard the disastrous "Jay Leno Show" is hurting NBC2's late newscast.

If you take a look at the key demographic (viewers aged 25 to 54), NBC2 and WINK come out much closer than they do in overall viewers. It really is a horse race for that target audience that advertisers love to reach.

“We are fighting over tenths of a point,” said Russ Kilgore, WINK’s news director. “When you look at the demo, we have closed the gap (with NBC2) considerably.”

Finally, it was a gamble when WINK and then ABC7 launched 7 p.m. newscasts. Managers predicted there would be an audience as people are getting home later from work and busy with dinner at 6 p.m. Sure enough, today both stations are pulling solid numbers in this time slot.

Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that 2010 will be a rebound year for local television. The Winter Olympics and mid-term elections will ensure that, and so hostile is the Democrat-Republican turf war in Washington that spending on the elections and issues should make 2010 look like a presidential election year.

General managers say a surging fourth quarter in 2009, with the retail and automotive categories finally finding their wallets, gave stations momentum going into 2010. Cash from retransmission consent saved numerous station groups' bacon last year and continues to be a solid source of revenue; the question among subscription TV outlets is no longer if they'll pay broadcasters cash for carriage, but how much.

So everything's rosy, right? Not quite. Tossing away the 2009 calendar doesn't automatically make the 2010 revenue picture bright. Late in 2008, general managers repeatedly said they were all too happy to close the book on a dreadful year and get things moving in the right direction. Look at how that turned out—BIA/Kelsey reports a 22.4% decline in station revenue in that annus horribilis we call 2009.

We understand how hard it is to find a job in television (believe us, we’ve been there). The current climate has proved more difficult than ever before and TVLifer.com wants to lend a helping hand in 2010. The TVLifer Job Drive aims to find out what you are looking for from this business.

Join TVLifer.com and tell us where you want to go, what region, what market, what station and we’ll work with you to make that happen. Our staff will listen to you and provide one-on-one support to get your resume up to speed, then get it in front of news directors, and relay constructive criticism.

The question always comes up, when should you hire an agent? The answer is now and TVLifer.com will work as that agent. We want to team up with you to get your foot in the door. This isn’t a pitch promising you an easy transition to your dream job, it takes a lot of work, but it is always nice to know someone is putting that work in with you. We have been in your shoes and know that there are a lot of questions about this complicated process that are left unanswered. Let the TVL Staff answer them for you.

Become a premium member today and e-mail us your thoughts at tvlifer@tvlifer.com.