Hansel and disgruntled

There is something I need to get off my chest, shoulders, head, neck, throat, ect.

After learning a few facts the past few days, I learned I have been shafted the past few months. This is going into negotations, so I won't give you the details. Let's just say that I was being paid way less than I should have been and an agreement was never upheld by the new company because they never knew about it. But the thing was they should have known this when acquiring the station what I was making.

I have work hard for the station, as you may have read in previous posts, and whenever I am needed, I never said no. I love working here--the people, the stories I cover. I don't wanna leave the station but I need to make sure I am not getting disrespected for my hard work. Right now I feel I am not being respected and that obviously makes me feel angry and stressed out. I however feel better today than I did yesterday.

Part of the residual anger actually made me mad at something Jenny, the reporter who was leaving, did last night. She was taking pictures as people left last night as kind of a memento of her party. Even people she may have only met a few weeks agao. I said my goodbyes and didn't take a photo with me. I had defended her on several occasion with other people and felt that I at least gained her respect.

So, I wait and wait. Let's hope that I get what I deserve.

Sit and wait

After a meeting with the general manager of the station and my news director, they said something will be done about my raise, but not right now. As much as that sounds like a cop out, well here's the sitch. (Btw, sitch=situation for those of you who don't watch "Kim Possible"--guilty pleasure on my part.) The original agreement I had signed was never brought to Journal when they came over to the company. When the new company came in, they should have renegotiated with me on salary, seeing I was now a new employee.

So why the wait to resolve? Simply because we are launching the new product right now and the new morning show is about to start. There are many things to do, and I understand that. But they promised me it will be resolved and they seem to feel for my sitch.

One of our anchors-reporters, Jenny, is leaving and I am a little sorry to see her go. She wasn't the most well liked person in station (a lot of people didn't really talk to her and visa versa) and some considered her a diva of sorts. I guess working with her I got to see more of her character and charm that lies under those tough layers she has as a reporter. She has frustrations, and feelings just like the rest of us. She is just one of those people who didn't like to hang with people in the newsroom. She is heading to Germany for a fellowship and wish her the best of luck.

The new set was finally launched and we had one of the biggest ratings in the station's history, as we followed the huge "American Idol" finale and the relaunch seems to be a bigger success than we anticipated. Now it's the morning show launch on June 5th we need to get through. What's funny is that the morning crew will be on different hours, and won't be hanging with us on nightside as much. They are cool people and wish that they would a bit more.

That's it for now. Laters.

Help wanted NOW!!!!!

"You get on stage and a Shakira video breaks out."--A quote from one of the producers at the station after seeing me karaoke.

I get to bust my butt all summer. Photographers are needed down here bad. We are losing another photographer, which makes me one of the senior photographers here. And one of only three at the main station. The good news is we are training one of our production assistants to be a photographer. But the go-to guy is here and I assume I'll be working one of my days off every couple of weeks. Plus subbing for vactions and what not. But the good news is that my raise is in the works. The only thing is if they are going to honor my previous commitment.

My finances are better that a trip to Montana is not too much of a hassle. I am thinking late July or August.

That's it for now. New show launches on June 6. Laters.

Smoke on the water

If there is one thing Florida and Montana has in common, its fire season. Here it's brush fires and we had to cover two over the weekend. I smell like smoke and been through more cinders than a preist on ash Wednesday. But I do enjoy the action of it and it gets me prepared for hurricane season in a way.

Right now I am debating what I shall due with my five days off that I have to use before Sept. 5. I want to go to Montana but money maybe an issue. I have to see how I am financially next month. If not, I will have to do something fun with the days. Key West isn't out of the realm of possiblity.

I am settled into my place finally and have been trying to relax. I however been going out with peeps from the station, which won't lessen while we are still get more and more new blood into the place.

Speaking of which, one of our new hires, a photographer, quit only after being on the job three or four days. He came from a Tampa station, so his expectations were high. As a person moving up markets, I never have high expecations when it comes to technology when I take the job. He was moving down markets, which made him think we had the budget, staff, and experience a station like Tampa would have. He basically had a temper tantrum and quit. After hearing all of his complain the day before, I wasn't surprised.

That's it for now. Laters.

Lehigh Bar-b-que

Prepare for another long one. But this will be interesting...

After thinking it was going to be an easy weekend after what was a long and tiresome move (I had to wake up early and stay up late at night to get stuff moved out of my old place and into my new one) I thought it was going to be an easy weekend. I was wrong.

2:00 PM--I was heading to Naples, which is about 45 minutes from here with traffic, and when I reached there, I picked up the reporter and was to head to a brush fire in Lehigh Acres, which is near where I started anyways, so it was basically a difficult day from the get go.

4:20 PM--(No pun inteneded) When we got there, it was like the scene of Atlanta burning from "Gone with the Wind". A lot of black smoke and some flames. It was choatic and I did get some good video, although a lot of places were blocked off to us. There were officially four separate brush fires in the area.

5:00 PM--Headed back to the staging area to get the live shot set up for a news cut-in. That went on until 1:30 am. I left the station at 3:00 a.m. Twelve hour day.

Sunday was less messy, as I was to cover the Red Cross shelter. The fire was pretty much contained that day. I tried to go live from the red cross shelter, but something happened with the truck. Got back in a reasonable time.

Then came Monday. I switched days with another photographer who wanted Monday off. I am taking off Sunday. I was asked to get the arrainment of one of the kids who was suspected of starting the brush fire--AT 8:00 PM!!! Which Meant I had to leave my house at 6:30 a.m. after heading to bed about 1:00 a.m. So basically not much sleep. I did however get a great postion and was able to be the only network to get audio from the courtroom. Only one audio plug and since I was there early, I got it. The kid looked sweet, innocent, and scared.

This leads into the ethical debate back at the station--should we show the video of the kid or cover his face. We covered his face because as far as we know, he isn't being tried as an adult. We didn't release his name either. If you saw the story on Fox News Channel the past few days, I shot the video you saw.

Two more kids were arrested yesterday for the fire, and ourselves and the CBS affliate didn't release the names or photos. However, the NBC and ABC (owned by the same company) did release it, and get this--they had a poll asking viewers if they should do it. I found this weird since the cat was out of the bag.

After shooting court, and three or four other stories, I got out about 7:00 pm, so another 12 hour day.

I had Tuesday off, and finally got some rest and was able to unpack a lot of my stuff. Still a few odds and ends to do over the weekend though.

That's it for now. Laters.

-MarQ