natas_monitor_2007_02

From the President...
Phew! It’s over. Or I think it is.
February, 2007
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES
MONITOR
I’m talking about the wild weather we’ve been having in Seattle. Since my last President’s Message in early November, we’ve been battered with wind and rain, snow and ice. And, just when
we thought it was over, another round. And another. So maybe I spoke too soon when I started
this column by saying “It’s over!” I hate to say it, but maybe it’s just the calm before another
storm. You have to admit, though, the awful weather made for some spectacular television. I’m
sure we’ll see many of these stories and coverage on the nomination list for Emmy Awards this
spring.
Mark your calendar. April 13th— yes, Friday the 13th. That’s when we’ll find out who’s nominated for what. Our Emmy All Stars, Scholarship Auction, and Nomination Party will include
bands from many of the local stations and karaoke performances from you! I’m happy to announce that once again, the Emmy All Stars will be held at the Experience Music Project at the
Seattle Center. This is a great chance for us to hang out with our colleagues and competitors, and
a wonderful opportunity to help raise money for the NATAS Scholarship Fund.
Another date to remember: June 2nd. The Emmy Awards Ceremony will take place again at the
Fremont Studios and Theater. NATAS members were very pleased with last year’s event and
happy with our decision to switch from a theatre setting to a full-blown Gala Dinner Ceremony.
So that’s what we’re doing this year as well. We expect an even bigger turnout for the Event of
the Year! I’m thrilled that Producer Nancy Guppy and Host Joel McHale have signed up to provide you with another entertaining show.
But first things first: your NATAS members are hard at work preparing your dubs for judging.
Thank you for getting your DVDs in on time! Broadcast journalists from the Upper Midwest
market are judging us this year. And later in the summer, NATAS Awards Chair Dan Ibabao will
be asking you to judge their work.
Also, before I forget, we’re still looking for nominations for new Silver and Gold Circle members. So let us know who you think might be strong candidates. We’d love to hear from you
about Silver Circle or anything else that’s on your mind.
John Sharify
President, Northwest Chapter
REMINDER!
Inside this issue:
A
No
!
uction
min
ati
on
Convenient ATM
2
Opportunitiy Awaits
2
Whatever Happened To…?
3
From Missoula to Orlando
4
Experience Music Project
JP and Stan Boreson Back on TV
5
Seattle Center
Howard Ramaley Remembered
6
News @ the Stations
7
Emmy All-Stars
April 13th
oke!
Kara
s!
A Convenient ATM
KCTS is all About The Money. The show, that is. About The Money
with Christine Chen, or ATM, is a weekly half-hour series about
money for consumers. How to spend it. How to save it. How to
multiply it.
Hosted by former KCPQ anchor Christine Chen, ATM features strategies for achieving financial goals, relevant local and regional business
news and inspiring interviews. Local CEOs and entrepreneurs share
their personal stories and insights.
About The Money airs Tuesdays at 7.30PM on KCTS
starting February 13th.
Photo: Greg Davis
Regular segments feature regional business news and Money 101.
Money 101 is aimed at helping viewers understand some of the most
basic concepts. A sure-to-be popular segment features your biggest
investment: your home. The Home Front offers tips on buying, selling, remodeling, repairing and caring for a house or condo.
KCTS’ host of About The Money, Christine Chen
Also on KCTS ...Generation IX
These days, it’s no longer an insult to “play like a girl.” Girls play tough. Girls play to win. But winning is hard.
And few people realize just how hard it is to be a girl athlete, even at a time when Title IX has long been the law
of the land. The true story of “Generation IX” is compelling, and has barely been told. This documentary produced by veteran Seattle journalists Jack and Leslie Hamann with KCTS Television tells the story of three exceptional young athletes who are teammates on the University of Washington women’s volleyball team—the best
collegiate women’s volleyball team in America. Generation IX follows team members on a tour of China, where
volleyball is a national obsession. With Chinese athletes expected to dominate the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, volleyball match-ups between the very best college team in America and the top universities in China are a
very big deal indeed. The China tour inspires the characters in the documentary to compare and contrast the role
of female athletes in the two nations.
Opportunity Awaits
Looking for advice? Need someone to critique your photography? Trying to move to a bigger market or another
part of the country? The NATAS Mentor Program can help. The Mentor program is for NATAS members and is a
member benefit. NATAS is committed to nurturing its members, growing the broadcast and media industry and supporting excellence in Northwest television and media.
The NATAS Mentor program puts television and media professionals together with an opportunity to learn and grow
professionally. If you are a writer, reporter, producer, photographer or any other craft member, NATAS will help team you with another
member who can contribute to your development, give you career advice, or provide feedback on your work.
Make membership in NATAS part of your professional life. Make mentoring your way to give back some of the knowledge you’ve
gained and help the next generation coming up through the ranks.
The Mentor Program is for everyone - students, small market professionals on the move – large markets moving to the network. Mentoring is for everyone and there are benefits to the entire Northwest region when we work together to improve the quality of NW media. To
participate in the NATAS Northwest Mentor Program, contact Scott LaPlante, KIRO-TV. 206-728-7762 or slaplante@kirotv.com
Page 2
MONITOR
Whatever Happened To…?
Bill Brubaker was a fixture at KOMO TV and in Seattle for more than two decades.
He arrived at KOMO-AM radio in 1962, after having been a News Director at Portland’s KPOJ-AM Radio. During his tenure at KOMO-AM, Bill racked up seven
Sigma Delta Chi Excellence in Journalism
awards for his reporting.
Then, in 1965, Bill joined KOMO-TV, working in the production department as a floor
manager and production assistant. If that wasn’t enough, Bill was also working towards a
Masters Degree in Communications at the
University of Washington. Then, Bill was
asked to do something that is almost unheard
of now — to go in front of the camera. His
first assignment: anchor a five day remote
broadcast from a moving tug boat, reporting
on the capture and return to Seattle of NAMU,
the killer whale.
An Early Ad for KOMO’s News Final
When Bill returned to dry land, he was named anchor-producer of News Final, KOMO’s 11
o’clock newscast. For 13 years, News Final held a first place slot in the Seattle market. In
1965, Bill’s role expanded to co-anchor the 5 o’clock newscast.
AFTER KOMO
Then, after twenty-five years, Bill slipped back behind the camera and accepted an unexpired term on the Snohomish County Council. During this
time, Bill also served as President of the Puget Sound Regional Council,
and the Co-Chairman of the Regional Transit Authority and chairman of the
Snohomish Transportation Authority. Once his initial term on the County
Council expired, Bill
ran for office twice,
He won both times.
In between his second and third terms
on the County Council, Bill was named
Assistant Secretary
of the Washington
State Department of
Transportation, serving as the Director
Bill Brubaker promoting the Pacific Science Center’s
of the Aviation Division.
Annual Kite Show
“RETIREMENT”
After the County Council, Bill worked for a short while with the engineering firm CH2Hhill. Then, Bill “retired.” He enjoys being
with his family, friends and grandchildren. But he is also called in for the occasional consulting for political, media and aviation
groups. To answer whatever happened to Bill Brubaker…? He’s living in Edmonds with his wife of 44 years.
Photos Courtesy of Bill Brubaker
Ed.’s Note: Whatever Happened To…? is a new feature in the Monitor. It is aimed at catching-up with people we knew, we worked
with side-by-side and lost touch. If you have a Whatever Happened To..? suggestion, email us at ecarlos@kriotv.com
MONITOR
Page 3
From Missoula to Orlando...
Editor’s note: Andy received a NATAS scholarship TWICE — in 2005 AND 2006. He zipped from Missoula
to Cox Broadcasting’s WFTV in Orlando.
Dear NATAS,
It’s halfway through January, and I am wearing shorts. No, I am not crazy, it’s normal here. I live in
Orlando, where 80 degrees is considered winter weather. Now, where I am from, it’s a totally different story.
In Montana and the Northwest this time of year, your nose freezes shut. But the tropical temperature
is one of the reasons I came to the Sunshine state from Big Sky country. The other is my job. I am a news
photographer for the ABC affiliate WFTV in O-town. I made the 149 market jump from Missoula after
graduating from the University of Montana last May. The graduating part was easy, compared to the cross
country trek, and adjusting to the “real” world job.
As a part of my studies in Missoula, I was fortunate enough to receive not one, but two NATAS
scholarships. Without the Northwest NATAS support, I would not be where I am today, sitting in a live
truck in downtown Orlando at 5AM waiting for my upcoming live tease. No, really. I wouldn’t.
Because of NATAS, I was able to fund my internship at WFTV in the summer of 2005. That experience alone delivered the opportunity for employment at WFTV. During the internship, I worked my butt off,
chased hurricanes, witnessed shuttle launches and discovered exactly who I am and what I want to be.
The NATAS scholarships allowed me to follow a dream.
I am now working in one of the most fast-paced, high-tech
markets for local TV. Eyewitness News Daybreak is my
show, a shift that starts at 3AM and routinely goes until
3PM. During an average shift, I will cut 3 packages and
do countless live shots. The intensity and frequency of this
shift is nothing like college, but I have gained unparalleled
experience. The news product is in high definition, we are
almost a completely tapeless newsroom, and our crews are
equipped with the latest gear. I use P2, Avid and DSNG
equipment daily. Because of you and the University of
Montana, I was able to come to WFTV with a skill set allowing me to hit the ground running in this digital newsgathering environment. As WFTV has equipped me with
the latest tools for ENG, NATAS Northwest Scholarships
equipped me with the means to take my next step after
graduating, and for that I am forever grateful.
Also, during my internship, I met my fiancé! Good
weather, great job, beautiful girl. What more could a guy
from Montana want?
Thanks NATAS!
Sincerely,
Andy in Orlando (notice the shorts)
Page 4
MONITOR
Andrew Atkins Vanlieshout
JP & Boreson Return to TV!
The studios of the SEATTLE CHANNEL were abuzz with old-fashioned local holiday TV buzz in early December,
as Chris Wedes (also known as JP Patches) and Stan Boreson dropped by. The duo were on hand to tape new segments for the "JP Patches & Stan Boreson Holiday Special," a nostalgic 90-minute program that premiered on the
SEATTLE CHANNEL on December 17. The special played a number of times during the holidays on cable and
streaming at www.seattlechannel.org.
In addition to new segments, the special featured vintage holiday episodes of JP's KIRO morning program, and a
Stan Boreson holiday show produced by Steve Wilson at KING in 1980. Grateful emails from expatriate Patches
Pals and Boreson Buddies who "tuned in" via the web came from as far away as Arizona! If you missed the show in
December and could still use a little post-holiday pick-me-up, don't worry! The "JP Patches & Stan Boreson Holiday Special" may be viewed anytime as video-on-demand at www.seattlechannel.org.
NATIONAL AWARD COMPETITION OPEN TO
ALL HIGH SCHOOL VIDEO PRODUCERS AND JOURNALISTS!
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announces the fourth annual National Student Television Award for Excellence. NATAS invites all high school students nationwide to submit examples of
their best work in television broadcast, cablecast and webcast production.
The NST Award gives high school students the opportunity to be recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences,
the organization that awards the coveted Emmy. The goal of the nationwide initiative is to promote best practices in video production,
encourage the pursuit of excellence in television journalism, and to focus public attention on outstanding achievement in video production
by high school students.
The Northwest chapter of the National Academy will honor regional-level winners at the regional Emmy Awards ceremony in June. Productions by regional winners will then be judged for national honors. A blue-ribbon panel, chaired by Av Westin, will select seven national awardees. The national awards will be presented at a ceremony in New York on May 1, 2007 to representatives from awardwinning schools.
The entry deadline is February 16, 2007. All entries must have been originally broadcast, cablecast or webcast between February 1, 2006
and January 31, 2007. Applicants must be currently enrolled as full time students as of the application deadline (Feb 16, 2007).
The categories are (1) News, (2) Arts & Entertainment/Cultural Affairs, (3) Documentary, (4) Sports, (5) Hubbard Family Public Affairs/
Community Service/Public Service, (6) Technical Achievement, and (7) Writing. Schools may submit as many entries in each category
as desired. For contest details, visit the NSTV site at http://www.nationalstudent.tv.
Page 5
MONITOR
In Memoriam...
Howard Ramaley March 27, 1922– October 30, 2006
Howard Ramaley, pioneering Seattle
television photographer, died October
30, 2006 from complications of an infection. He was 84.
Ramaley helped start the news operations at two Seattle TV stations. When
KMO, channel 13 in Tacoma, began
broadcasting in 1953, Ramaley was
using a 4X5 Speed Grafic still camera to
“shoot” news.
Later that year, he moved north to
Seattle, joining KOMO television news,
as that station began to broadcast for the
first time.
Born in Yakima, Washington on
March 27th 1922, Ramaley demonstrated
a fighting spirit. He was not expected to
survive birth, he had small pox when he
waws four, and survived. Later, he
nearly drowned carrying 80 pounds of
explosives ashore at Utah Beach during
the invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944.
Space Needle in April of 1961, Ramaley used his still– and movieshooting skills to monitor the construction of the landmark. When construction was finished, Ramaley took a single frame of each picture on film, resulting in an animated film clip that
viewers saw the Space Needle take shape in
about 30 seconds.
He was always in the thick of the
stories he covered. He was inside a
SeaFirst Bank during a bank robbery
when Joshua Green , son of the founding
family came over, said hello and shook
his hand. He was there when the ferry
Kaleetan rammed Colman dock, damaging seven cars. Ramaley was on the car
deck working close to the damage when
he slipped on spilled transmission oil,
breaking three ribs.
When construction began on the
MONITOR
Husky football was a big part of Ramaley’s career. For years, he and fellow
photographer Willard Hatch, shot every
UW football game, both home and away.
One of the highlights of Mr Ramaley’s
career came in 1958, when he and Keith
Jackson became one of the few journalists
allowed into the Soviet Union. The pair
followed the UW Husky crew, which lost to
the Russians at Henley, England, only to beat
them on the Khimi reservoir, Lenningrad —
the first US sports victory ever on Russian
soil.
At the Moscow airport, Russian customs
confiscated all of the camera gear Ramaley
and Jackson carried. They explained they
were on a cultural exchange program.
“Nyet!” said the customs inspector. The next
day, the pair returned to the airport with their
guide, who told customs officials that she
was interfering with international politics.
The cameras were released.
At KOMO, he joined Merle Severn,
Herb Robinson, and Keith Jackson to
produce a fifteen minute nightly news
show. While Severn and Jackson left for
network jobs, (and Robinson returned to
the Seattle Times), Ramaley stayed on.
He watched as the station evolved
from shooting 16mm film (developed at
the station) to video tape, to flying helicopters, and using daily microwave and
satellite live shots. Back then, it took
days to plan and execute.
Ramaley got his film. Mr. Jackson
did live reports and with the Husky rowing team, came home heroes.
The Russians wanted the coverage, because they figured they would just show the
UW rowers. They were wrong. Ramaley,
joined by the late Seattle Times Sports editor
Georg N. Meyers, decided to ditch the guide
and strike out on their own. A suspicious
Russian woman, seeing them filming in an
alley, reported them to authorities, and the
pair was quickly arrested and interrogated for
forty-five minutes.
Unsure if they were facing local police or
the KGB, the pair found a way to communicate with their interrogators. Meyers, who
spoke German, found that one of the officers
also spoke German. Finally, they were released
Ramaley became a fixture at the annual
pre-season “Sportswriters and Sportscaster” media tour of the Pac 8 then Pac
10 teams.
Ramaley will be best known in television circles for things the viewer will
never see. . He invented and built a body
pod for the first sound film cameras. He
also put together portable light batteries
from scratch. For years, police and
firefighters asked KOMO photographers
to turn on their lights at fires, accidents
and crime scenes so that they could see
in the dark.
When Ramaley’s son, Stephen, decided
to get into TV News, he took him everywhere. “From the time I was seven years
old, I was dad's grip, soundman, and in
later years backup camera and reporter
assistant,” the younger Ramaley recalls.
“Nights, weekends, middle of the nightwhenever I wasn't in school, we worked
side by side. His spirit will be with me
as this business goes through some
very profound changes.”
Ramaley is survived by his wife of 24
years, Barbara. His first wife of over 30
years, Marilynn died in 1981. Ramaley is
also survived by two children, Stephen
and Jane of Seattle, their spouses and
four grandchildren.
Rememberances can be made in Ramaley’s name to Highline Hospice 12844
Military Road So., Tukwila Wa 98168.
Photos courtesy of KOMO-TV
Page 6
News @ the Stations
JENNIFER CABALA joins Q13 FOX
News as an anchor/reporter; Jennifer will
co-anchor Friday and Saturday nights,
and report three nights a week. She comes
to Seattle from KCNC in Denver.
ANGELA KING has returned to Q13
FOX News as a morning reporter.
ROXEANNE VAINUKU joins Q13
FOX News as a reporter/writer.
Roxeanne has been anchoring and reporting at KIMA in Yakima.
ALEX ARAGON is a new morning
writer for Q13 FOX News, joining
us from KVEW/Tri-Cities, where he was
a producer. ALEX replaces SCOTT
MASSEY, who has been promoted to
segment producer for Q13 FOX News
This Morning; also on the am team,
DAYTONA STRONG has been promoted from writer to producer.
NATASHA
CURRY returns to
the Puget Sound area
to join the KOMO 4
News Morning Team
as Anchor/ Reporter.
She also co-hosts
Northwest Afternoon
with Kent Phillips
and Cindi Rinehart.
MONITOR
GREG BAILEY, weekend KING 5 sports
anchor, is moving to Charlotte to be the
main sports anchor for Belo’s WCNC-TV.
TODD MOKHTARI joins KIRO 7 Eyewitness News as News Director and web
manager of kirotv.com. Todd comes to
KIRO from KNBC-TV, where he was a
managing editor. Before heading Los Angeles, Mokhtari was the assistant news
director at KNTV-TV in San Jose. Mokhtari is no stranger to the Northwest. He
helped create KCPQ’s newscast and news
department in 1997.
KING 5 News Director PAT
COSTELLO is promoted to vice president of news. Costello will take on a
more senior leadership role in the development of news and content for all the
ALISON AHMOYE and her husband
Belo-Seattle properties: KING 5,
Scott welcomed their son, Callum on JanuKING5.com, KONG 6/16, Northwest
ary 11th. Callum weighed in at 10:33pm,
Cable News and NWCN.com.
weighing 7 pounds, 20 inches long.
Callum’s dad says, “he looks a LOT like
his mom, but has his dad’s curiosity.”
KIROTV.com has added Videographer Michael Fox. Fox is your iWitness, dedicated
to capturing the untold stories of Western
Washington. You can contact him at:
mfox@kirotv.com.
Former KIRO-TV reporter, DAWN
SCOTT and her husband, Scott Jones welcomed their baby boy, Jackson Ty, on December 21st. His full name is Jackson Ty
Stevenson Jones. He weighed 7 pounds,
13 ounces and measured 21 inches. Dawn
Scott returned to Arkansas last year. You
can read more, on Dawn’s blog.
Page 7
Your
Officers
President: John Sharify, KOMO-TV
Vice-President: Dan Ibabao, Independent
Treasurer:
Secretary: Jennifer Bennett, KIRO-TV
Willie McClarron, Jr., KING-TV
National Trustee: Scott LaPlante, KIRO-TV
Alternate National Trustee: Jamie R. Jensen, Hope Heart Institute
Chapter Administrator: Diane Bevins, ASI
Board Of Governors
Walter Farley, KIRO-TV
Alissa Teel, KOMO-TV Dick Splitstone, NWCN
Anita Woo, Downtown Seattle Association Pamela Woon, Comcast
Board Office Held until June, 2007
Enrique Cerna, KCTS-TV
Kristina Moy, KIRO-TV Tracy Record, KCPQ-TV Brook Stanford, Independent
Lisa Yeakel, University of Washington
Standing Committee Chairs
Awards Co-Chairs: Walter Farley, KIRO-TV John Sharify, KOMO-TV
Education Co-Chairs: Catherine Carbone, Highline School District Tracy Record, KCPQ-TV
Emmy Judging Chair: Dan Ibabao, Independent Cleven Ticeson, KCTS-TV
Emmy All Stars: Gary Gibson, Seattle Channel
Finance: Peter O'Connell, KING-TV
JP Patches Project: Bryan Johnston, KIRO-TV
Marketing: Maria Lamarca Anderson, Flying House Productions
Mentor Program:
Dan Ibabao, Independent
Scott LaPlante, KIRO-TV
Newsletter: Ed. Carlos, KIRO-TV
Programs: Howard Scott, Independent Kristina Moy, KIRO-TV
Scholarships: Joanne Lisosky, Ph.D. Pacific Lutheran University
Silver Circle: Eric A. Riddle, KING-TV
Televising Emmy Awards: Willie McClarron, Jr, KING-TV Dick Splitstone, NWCN
Regional Committee:
Alaska -Lee Bullington, KTUU-TV
Central Washington - Steve Allwine, Independent
Idaho - Joan Cartan-Hansen, Idaho Public Television
Portland - Jamie Kern, KPTV-TV
Oregon - Alan Beck, KEZI-TV
Montana - Denise Dowling, The University of Montana
CONTRIBUTERS IN THIS ISSUE:
Spokane - Jerry Post, KXLY-TV
Felix Banel, Bill Brubaker, Catherine
Carbone, Scott LaPlante, Pat Mallinson,
Stephen Ramaley, Tracy Record, John
Sharify, Andrew Atkins Vanlieshout
Thank You!
www.natasnw.org
Northwest Chapter
1006 Industry Dr.
Seattle, WA 98199
Phone: 206-575-3444
Fax: 206-575-9255
natas@asi-seattle.net