“How did you get started in television?”
“If you work on the morning show, when do you sleep?” 

These are the most common questions people ask me about my job as a producer for 10News.  I started as an intern on the morning news with Bill Griffith and Lisa Lake in 1997.  After months of learning how to write stories, prepare scripts and review video, I was hired as a writer.  Eventually I became a producer, deciding which stories to run, booking live interviews and sending the crew to live shots.  During the show, I’m listening to my head-set in the control room and I keep the pace moving with the occasional “wrap it up”! 

Producing has its glamorous moments.  I’ve met dozens of celebrity guests including “The Fonz”, Henry Winkler, Jennifer Garner, and Rita Moreno.  When Disney opened its California Adventure theme park, James Quinones and I traveled to Anaheim to produce live weather segments.

Being a producer also has its challenges.  The 10News staff is constantly working to bring up-to-the-minute information to you at home.  Behind the scenes, that means we’re rushing to meet deadlines and verify facts.  We work long hours and some of us work overnight to make sure you wake up to the latest developments in San Diego and the rest of the world.

Whether it’s staying on top of the headlines or learning something new, I plan the show with the goal of informing and entertaining everyone at home.  At the end of the day, the effort pays off when I’m at the grocery store or the gym and someone mentions a great story we’re following on 10News!

 Submitted by Allison Horn, 10News Producer

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Submitted by Dave Gonzalez, Senior Promotion Producer

As you’re probably already aware, 10News is the only local TV station with a newscast on at 7 PM. One of the key advantages to you, the viewer, is time. As a station, we recognize the demands on your schedule, and we’ve adjusted our schedule to meet your needs.

In doing so, I’m working on reformatting the news tease that airs right before the 7PM newscast. If you’re a regular World News viewer, you’ve probably seen this 17 second tease within a commercial break. You usually hear Steve Atkinson or Kimberly Hunt telling you what’s coming up.

In reality, the tease portion only lasts 13 seconds, and the remaining 4 seconds reinforces the time and name of the show. These 13 seconds are critical. They let you know whether it’s worth your time to stick around past World News.

We want to make those 13 seconds more valuable to you. In the coming days, you’ll notice some experimentation with the tease. You’ll see more of the anchor on camera. We’re also going to be using video only to support the story. And we’re going to try to make that brief experience more engaging.

I am open to your constructive criticism. Feel free to drop me a line and tell me what you think about the changes. What works for you? What doesn’t? Did the tease help you make an informed decision on whether you wanted to invest your time in watching the 7pm news show?

My e-mail is dave_gonzalez@10news.com. Make sure to put “Viewer Comment” in the subject line. I don’t expect many people to write in. I’ll be surprised if even one viewer comments. However, I think it’s important that you have an opportunity to comment. Everything we do at 10News is a service to our viewers, and our viewers should let us know whenever we can do something better.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. And even if you don’t comment, you can be assured, we’re working hard every day to make sure every second counts.

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If you’ve ever been curious as to how a news department picks the stories that are featured in a newscast, this blog is for you.

Every morning, there’s a meeting in the newsroom to discuss the newsworthy events and ideas of the day. Those in attendance are the news director, the assignment desk editors, reporters, anchors, digital correspondents, producers, web editors and promotions staff. They go around the room and discuss what’s buzzing around the “water cooler” — whether it’s yesterday’s news that’s still on people’s minds, the latest rumors or new stories they’ve heard. Then they’ll go over all the story ideas that have been sent to the assignment desk through press releases, emails or phone calls. On this particular Wednesday, about 30 story ideas were pitched – topics ranged from gas prices to science fairs…educational budget cuts to the Olympics. The next task was to figure out the top ideas that could be covered with the reporters and photographers scheduled for the day. Reporters were assigned multiple projects, in case some fell through and had to be shelved for the next day. So the communication is constant throughout the day between news staff members. The last task was to decide which stories will air in which newscasts – the 5pm, 6pm, 7pm or 11pm show.

It’s truly a group collaboration that decides which stories will be covered for our newscasts. The challenges they face are not having enough reporters/photographers to report on all the news that’s happening. There’s always crime and court cases to cover – but the news staff really makes an effort to balance those stories with new and interesting information that viewers can use.

Do you want to know more behind-the-scenes stuff on 10News? Let us know what you’re interested in – contact Sofia at sofia_salgado@10news.com.

 Submitted by Sofia Salgado, Public Relations & Marketing Specialist

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Submitted by Carol LeBeau, 10News Anchor.

These days, the news is full of stories about Holllywood celebrities in and out of rehab for all kinds of addictions. Some of these celebs treat their time in rehab like a badge of honor… a sort of rite of passage before achieving true “star” status. 

That’s too bad.  Because it’s sending a message to their young fans that flirting with possibly addictive behavior is okay. It’s not. Just ask the more than 14 million Americans in the real world fighting dependence or abuse of either alcohol or illicit drugs.  It’s no rehab party. For some, it’s a painful, day-to-day struggle to survive. Roughly half of those with serious mental disorders are also affected by substance abuse. And sadly, alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 12 and 14.

The fact is, no one is untouched by the effects of alcohol, drug abuse or mental illness.  Many of us have felt, first-hand, the devastating impact of these problems in our own families, within our circle of friends, our neighborhoods,our workplaces and communities. I lost my mother to suicide many years ago and have several loved ones who have been down the road to recovery.

That’s why I thought I’d alert you to a special event coming up Saturday, April 5.  You can join with thousands of San Diegans as they “challenge addiction” at the 6th Annual Walk For Recovery. It’s a great way to celebrate life and sobriety on a pleasant 3-mile walk through the lush grounds of the historic and beautiful Balboa Park. There will be live entertainment along the route, bands, bagpipers, steel drums, even a Chinese dragon dance… plenty to keep you motivated!

Your $25 registration fee will help support more than a dozen local, non-profit agencies working to fight and treat substance abuse issues. Without the support of family, friends, the community and the many agencies working to help them, many addicts would be lost in the downward spiral of their addiction.

So plan to start your day bright and early on the west side of Balboa Park near Quince Street and Balboa Drive. You can register starting at 7 am. Honorary Chair and Starter, Greg Cox will kick of the “Walk For Recovery” at 8. Then make a morning of it at the post-walk expo and entertainment venue. 

For more information, call Greg Block at 619-236-8397 or go to http://www.benedettopr.com/.  Have a great walk and thanks for your support!

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Submitted by Steve Atkinson, 10News Anchor

For the last couple of years I have had the honor of working with an organization called the Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers. This weekend I will be emceeing an event to benefit the organization’s three Family Care Centers located in San Diego County.

Before I tell you more about the Glenner Centers, I wanted to give you a few numbers to think about. It may be hard to believe but according to the Alzheimer’s Association every 71 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s also estimated that 10 million baby boomers, the largest growing part of our population, will develop Alzheimer’s disease over the next couple of decades.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that robs the brain of memory, reason, and ultimately life. It’s also important to know that 80 percent of those who have Alzheimer’s live at home. Now just imagine those family members, friends, and volunteers who provide care for these individuals and the number of people affected by this devastating disease grows exponentially.  

That’s where the Glenner Family Centers offers it’s “Sharing the Caring” program that helps so many people in San Diego. Dr. George Glenner was a researcher who spent his life trying to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. He made major discoveries about the disease but the battle continues. However, what Dr. Glenner and his wife Joy may have accomplished most was a way to provide assistance for those who give care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s. They founded the Glenner Centers which serve as a daycare program for those with Alzheimer’s disease. Each center is staffed with a registered nurse and a 5:1 patient to staff ratio. The three centers here in San Diego are so successful they have become the model for other centers like them across the country. And more importantly they provide relief and piece of mind for those who sometimes must provide 24 hour care to their family members.

I encourage you to find out more about the Glenner Centers by visiting their own website at www.alzheimerhelp.org. There are a number of needs the organization has for donations as well as volunteers. I think you will find the work and the care provided by The George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers a very worthy cause.

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