It’s nearly go time, and the five monitors in the control room at Sacramento’s KCRA-TV are about to be filled with more than 80 different video and audio sources from satellite feeds, traffic cameras, helicopters, live trucks and a half-dozen reporters.
A director, producer, audio operator and a video operator/technical director will manage the newscast like conductors of an orchestra.
“There is no such thing as a perfect newscast. You’re always staying two steps ahead, and you can’t watch the weather,” says Video Operator and Technical Director John Archer. “We are always flexible, and at any moment we can go into live coverage and whatever the producer worked on for the past eight hours can go out the door.”
Archer has been behind the scenes at KCRA-TV for 32 years, since he was a student at Sacramento State, working summers as a vacation-relief camera operator. He even met his wife at the news station.
Advancements in technology have decreased staffing needs within the control room; years ago, seven people were needed to manage multiple audio feeds, video feeds, direction and graphics. Now, Archer is part of a four-man team, and other Sacramento news stations can operate with just two people in the control room.
Where the News Comes First
The news team assembles in KCRA-TV's control room