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Exactly how many reporters do you need to cover a HURRICANE?

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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:04 PM
Original message
Exactly how many reporters do you need to cover a HURRICANE?
This cracks me up everytime there is a hurricane. Every network and every station (we are about 2 hours from Va. Beach and 5 from the Outer Banks) sends at least one reporter to stand on a boardwalk/beach in their hightech logo-ed weather jacket and flipping around the channels it goes something like this.

Channel 6 (CBS)-"Let's go to Chip at Va.Beach"
Chip:"Well the wind is really gusting here Ted. It's (almost falls over)amazing how strong one of these storms is...

Flip to Channel 8 (ABC)-"Covering hurricane __________ for us is Marty..Marty?"
Marty:"Yeah Tom as you can see....

Flip to Channel 12 (NBC)-"What's it like down there Gene?" "Well Gene IT'S A F**KING HURRICANE WHAT DO YOU THINK IT'S LIKE?!?!?"

Just one time I'd like to hear one of them say that.

You also get to these the pecking order at the local stations. They send their "redshirts" to the coast when there is a F**KING HURRICANE!!! 20 miles off shore!

They always end with something like, "Why it looks really dangerous are you planning on leaving anytime soon?" "No IF I F**KING DO THAT MY CAREER WILL BE OVER!! GENE.

I imagine a line of like 20 reporters all in basicallly the same spot when really only one is needed and who can't imagine what a F**KING HURRICANE is like anyway.

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slackmaster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:06 PM
Response to Original message
1. Something I've always wondered about hurricane reporters
Do they have to get their hair all coiffed as usual and standard pancake makeup before they walk out in the driving wind and rain?
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:20 PM
Response to Reply #1
11. Which ones, the locals or their network reporters...
standing about 15 feet from them?

The Weather channel will probably have 15 reporters down there if they don't already.
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Liberal Veteran Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:24 PM
Response to Reply #11
14. The Weather Channel usually uses the hunky looking reporter...
...for "live" reports from dangerous weather spots.

I am pretty sure he is a just one of those mannequins like the one's in "It's a Small World" ride at Disney World.
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marigold20 Donating Member (802 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 08:08 PM
Response to Reply #14
24. Why is the Weather Channel guy always reporting from a strip mall?
We've seen the poor guy attempting to measure the snow near his feet after the predicted major blizzard fails to show up. "Kristina, it looks like we have three inches of snow and it's really windy."
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Liberal Veteran Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:09 PM
Response to Original message
2. One of these days during a live report of a hurricane....
....we are going to get to see the reporter decapitated by flying piece of sheet metal. I can only hope it's one of the Faux News people when it does happen (okay...just kidding).
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:12 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. I've always wanted to see the shot of a camera laying on the ground...
And you three guys (reporter/camera man/sound guy) running off down the boardwalk.

Shouts of "F**K THIS SH*T!!!!" can be heard quite clearly.
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Blue_Chill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:11 PM
Response to Original message
3. The dairy industry is paying them
nothing sells milk like shitty weather. Why that is I haven't a clue but it does.
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trotsky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:14 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. Milk? Really?
That is so odd...
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:18 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. Oh yeah there will be live TV coverage from the grocery store
Starting tomorrow night probably.

I've never understood this either. If you have kids don't you always have milk in the house???

Personally I'm going to the liquor store.
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Blue_Chill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:23 PM
Response to Reply #10
13. heh
without fail I stock up and vodka, tonic, rum, coca-cola before a storm.
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ewagner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:47 PM
Response to Reply #10
17. Yep!
This looks like a "two bottle" hurricane!
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DemNoir Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 01:00 PM
Response to Reply #10
19. You have that right!
Every time there is a hint of snow here the local news is at a supermarket where people are lining up for "milk and bread". God knows what for..french toast maybe.
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newyawker99 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-16-03 10:35 AM
Response to Reply #7
30. Congrats trotsky!! 900 posts
:toast:
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Liberal Veteran Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:16 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. Milk....cause you need lots of calcium during bad weather.
HEY! It's as good a theory as any.
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:17 PM
Response to Reply #3
9. Oh I have to go get bread and milk......
No honey what you need is some plywood.

Here locally I've always thought that Ukrop's (local chain that got Howard Stern off the air in Richmond) pays the guy on channel 12 (NBC) everytime he just mentions the word "snow". Of our local stations this guy is a household name around here and is NEVER I repeat NEVER right. He just mentions every possible weather anomaly every day and he always starts the weather with "as we told you last night...."

This is the BIG LIE in action. No one doubts him either.
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electricmonk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 07:59 PM
Response to Reply #9
23. I was in Richmond a couple Januarys ago
For a show at Twisters and after the show it started snowing. We were sitting in the Village drinking a last beer for the evening and the snow was coming down fairly light. Went backed to the hotel and every weather report we saw said 2-3 inches by morning. We were like man that ain't nothing and went to bed. Woke up to a full blown nor'easter blizzard and about 8 inches on the ground and still putting it down. I had to be at work back in Roanoke that afternoon so we hit the road and VDOT in that part of the state does not know how to clear an interstate or they just don't have enough plows. Here in the western part the plows on the interstate will clear all the lanes in one pass by using 3 trucks at a time. from Richmond all the way to the foot of Afton Mt we were lucky to have one lane plowed and it took almost 6 hours to do a drive I usually do in 2.5.

And another thing to make that a trip from hell the hotel we stayed in was a fleabag on Lombardy that didn't have any heat and the only soap in the bathroom was already used and stuck to the side of the shower.
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MediumBrownDog Donating Member (213 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 08:41 PM
Response to Reply #9
26. Was in Ukrops today
and there was the predictable hysteria to buy milk, bread and eggs. 12 years in Richmond and I've never understood the milk, bread and eggs thing before a big storm or snow. Okay, one could guess that perhaps French Toast is the ultimate disaster food for Richmonders, but hey -- your power IS GOING TO GO OUT and your milk and eggs WILL SPOIL. Get a grip.
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-16-03 07:38 AM
Response to Reply #26
28. Well Gene and Sabrina there has been a rush on Ukrop's delicious.........
delicious pre-prepared foods, they are just so wonderful

Sabrina:Mmm aren't they

Gene:Let's see what Jim Duncan has to say

Jim: Well........ snow hurricane rain wind hail tsunami did I mention it might be a good idea to get some milk and bread?

Gene:Let's go out to Ben at the racetrack

Ben: Well no more races here at RIR until next spring but I just like being here.

Gene:Sure sure

:bounce:

Welcome to DU :hi:
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Noordam Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:11 PM
Response to Original message
4. Well are they "EMBEDDED"
:evilgrin:
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:13 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. You want me to do WHAT?!?!??!
Sorry kid you got the short straw.

LOL
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FlaGranny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:22 PM
Response to Original message
12. I think they need one reporter and one camera man
for every single town within 200 miles of the possible strike zone. That's what it seems like.
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:32 PM
Response to Reply #12
15. Tulsa Action News 8 takes you to Duck North Carolina
Edited on Mon Sep-15-03 12:33 PM by underpants
Tim can you hear me?

Well Chuck it would be a lot easier if there wasn't a F**KING HURRICANE about 1/2 a mile from me.

Wow looks dangerous there Tim...

NO SH*T MORON (hood of jacket slaps him on the side of the face a couple of times)

(as the link goes black you can hear)WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TULSA?
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qb Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:39 PM
Response to Original message
16. They do the same thing with snowstorms in Minnesota
It's the media's way of avoiding serious news (wouldn't want to risk offending anyone, you know). During one average snow storm, local news had 4 reporters at different locations telling us that it was snowing a lot and traffic was moving slowly. No f***ing sh*t!
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ewagner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 12:53 PM
Response to Original message
18. Having a Meteorologist in the family
I have to tell you that these guys LIVE for this stuff.

In my son's case, he says that feeling the power of nature is the biggest high you can get. When he was younger, I had to drag him out of severe thunderstorms. To this day, he stands in absolute awe of severe weather.

Weather Channel types like Jim Cantore are the same way. I think a lot of weather types are really in touch with the earth and in awe of it's majesty and power. (not all of course, just a lot of them)
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underpants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 01:04 PM
Response to Reply #18
20. I wasn't bagging on meteorologists just the news organizations
It's just seems to be overkill. We really don't need that many "perspectives" on it.
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ewagner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 01:06 PM
Response to Reply #20
21. Understood
No umbrage taken...just supporting a family member....shamelessly!
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regnaD kciN Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 06:31 PM
Response to Original message
22. Good thing we don't get hurricanes here in Washington State...
...or we'd be sure to get KING-5 showing Jim Foreman in his yellow parka on the boardwalk at Ocean Shores.

(Seattle DUers will get the joke.)

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baldguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 08:20 PM
Response to Original message
25. All of them.
Think about it: the only reporters sent into dangerous situations with no possibility of glory - like hurricanes - are expendable.
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FloridaJudy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Sep-15-03 09:18 PM
Response to Original message
27. Just one with enormous gonads [testicles or ovaries - take your pick]]
I live in Florida.

I'm not sure whether to admire or deplore those lunatics who stand in the middle of a force-five storm continuing to broadcast ("Whoa, Dave! Three boats were stranded on the roof of the Health Department")

Crud happens to all of us.

But claiming it's our fault makes me want to strangle the losers.
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trof Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-16-03 07:39 AM
Response to Original message
29. How many do you have?
That's how many.
;-)
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commander bunnypants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-16-03 12:00 PM
Response to Original message
31. I will meet you at the liquor store
Would that be the one on main? I went to Home Depot last night and spent 50 bucks on tape, D-Cells, chains etc. etc.

We is gonna get blasted

DDQM
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Interrobang Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Sep-16-03 12:28 PM
Response to Original message
32. With the size of Isabel, a lot...
Although it rather depends on whether you're stacking them horizontally or vertically...

BUH dum dum!

/me ducks
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