The World According To Chris Brewer

Boy did I ever get a crash course in commercial TV news. Tuesday was hectic with all the snow that blanketed Northwest Oregon, and the resulting live TV coverage until 8 PM.

I arrived at the KPTV studios at about 12:30 after an hour and a half of navigating Highway 30, I-405 and Hwy. 26. I made it up without chains, as many other vehicles were unsuccessful in doing. It amazed me how many people here in Oregon cannot drive in the snow to save their lives.

Once I got to the studio I immediately started editing, all the while being shown by our editors, Gordon, Jason, Derek and Alex, how to route feeds and send the finished news packages up to air. Seems the work I did turned out to be helpful because I finished six news pieces that ended up airing either during the breaking news cast or the 10:00 cast.

There was no way I went home that night due to road conditions. Fortunately they provided us with hotel rooms for the night just a couple miles from the station.

I worked yesterday from 1 PM-11:30 PM…I took some training courses on how to operate a satellite truck, then I shadowed a couple of guys shooting stories and live standups for the news. They knocked out three stories in the span of eight hours. We were out in Gresham to get stories about a robbery at a bar, safety while walking on the ice, and a local American Idol contestant who made it to Hollywood.

Suffice to say the last two days have been a good learning experience. Now it’s time for a three day break for Winter Retreat, then I go back on Monday to train some more.

My initial impression of the place is awesome. Great people, great work environment, great everything so far. God definitely provided and I’m thankful for my new job!