Iowa Library Sets Stage for TV Caucus Reports

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Envision a five-level atrium completed in 1882 in a Iowa Library spectacular state capitol building that was dedicated in 1884. Imagine those levels on their long sides built around floor-to-ceiling alcoves, five to a side plus corner rooms, lined on three sides (open to the middle of the room) by Sets Stage for decorative cast iron. Picture curved cast iron stairs, five levels high, one at each end of the room. (Sorry, no elevator!) A small block-and-tackle dumb waiter is used to move materials from level to level. TV Caucus Reports Look up and see the highly ornamented ceiling, recently restored to original by Linda Robertson elegance by skilled restoration painters who spend nearly full time working in the Capitol, now in its 16th year of restoration and renovation. The exterior of the building is scheduled for completion this fall. (An area resident recently wrote the local newspaper asking if the crane was the new state bird since one had been around the capitol for so long!) For a building begun not long after the Civil War and completed for a cost just under ello, $3 million, the $62-million renovation/ this is Dan restoration project seems pretty reasonable, “H Rather. We’d even to Iowa’s taxpayers. like to use your library as our CBS News studio during the So, other than overall beauty, what else draws Iowa caucuses in January.” the networks—and others—to Iowa’s law library? A recent $1.5-million restoration/renovation, phase Well, that may not be exactly how the one of a two-phase project, made the Y2K version of State Law Library of Iowa came to shine on CBS coverage a much simpler affair than the 1996 network television in January but it was the CBS News broadcast. Included in the renovation were new wiring, production staff who called and came to Des Moines in lighting, heating and cooling system, A-V panels, public October 1999 to look the place over. Not that the library access voice and data outlets, carpeting for offices and staff were unknown to CBS—many of the same staff and the upper tiers, two 18-branch chandeliers (exact and crew were here for the ‘96 caucuses as well. replicas of the original gas lights), restored three-branch wall sconces, and hard-wired PCs that have operated As first in the nation to test presidential candidate waters, remotely (on good days) for five years. Iowa—and Des Moines, in particular—is a hotbed of broadcast activity. ABC A huge plus in the renovation has been the installation of News pleaded for the library and fiber optic cabling in finished areas. Thanks to numerous became a leverage with CBS in air shafts in the library, it was no problem pulling all the number of broadcasts it the cables and phone lines CBS needed. A staff would originate in the library. CBS originally had planned to do only the Bryant Gumbel “Early Show” from the library The State while ABC promised full Law Library of Iowa, coverage from Friday through replete with Tuesday morning. An ultimatum replica was delivered during a call to chandeliers, CBS which, after a 30-minute restored wall meeting in New York with those sconces (all who control such things, decided it originally would broadcast “Face the Nation” with gas), and Bob Schieffer on Sunday morning, the cast iron “Evening News with Dan Rather” on Sunday spiral staircases. and Monday with caucus updates on Monday evening, and Monday and Tuesday “Early Show” broadcasts with Gumbel. So, what makes the State Law Library of Iowa such a hot ticket with the networks? credit: CBS News

office, used as a control/switching room in ‘96, was freed up for Gumbel’s office/work space and Rather CBS News VP Lane used the librarian’s office. Five other alcoves were Venardos used by CBS crew and staff for writers, producers, sits in at the researchers, et al. Hundreds of feet of cable needed anchor desk in 1996, along with generators for back-up power before a sources and a huge switching unit, were not broadcast of the necessary this time because switching was handled Evening outside the building by a contractor, interior wiring News with was all new, and changes in technology reduced Dan Rather. the amount of equipment needed for broadcast. The Iowa legislature adjourned on Thursday afternoon and setup for credit: broadcast began immediately thereafter. CBS News What a nice surprise that setup was, too: cameras that were on wheels instead of stationary tracks, much less cabling, and library’s balcony. Some of the views are still being about half of the supplemental lighting shown in promos or openings to other shows. needed in 1996. At the end of the Tuesday morning “Early Show,” what In ’96, anticipating a return in ‘00, CBS had had taken three days to set up took no more than three stored a locally made anchor desk and pulled that and-a-half hours to tear down, pack, and get onto trucks out of Des Moines storage. A little work on the carpeting heading to New Hampshire. on the stage platform made the unit elegant once more By noon on Tuesday, it was all a memory, but what great and ready for the cameras. memories staff had! Priceless were the comments by CBS During the weekend, the set designer and the law librarian staffers as they watched the Des Moines “rush hour” traffic prowled legislative spaces—“borrowing” a chair here, a from the balcony and laughed! Priceless was the Tuesday coffee table there, some framed prints elsewhere—all to “Early Show” toward the end be returned to their “homes” by the time the legislature when local expert “Big returned after caucuses at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Setup was Daddy” from Big the hard part as far as library staff was concerned. Actual Daddy’s Barbeque broadcasts were the “gravy.” in Des Moines regaled Gumbel Sunday’s “Face the Nation” saw and others with host Bob Schieffer in rare form— his tales of hot a really funny, funny man—with sauce and in-library guest Steve Forbes and brought samples remote guest Bill Bradley. The of ribs and various host was quite at home, having strengths of sauce—the done a quick news interview in hottest of which Gumbel the library a few days earlier described as “quick, with a Drake University very quick” and which professor. The law librarian even brought tears and suggested to Schieffer that he coughing spasms to one might try stand-up comedy after of the staff! Priceless retirement! He and Dan Rather were the expressions of have a great relationship and friendship and gratitude it’s easy to see, both on camera from the CBS crew! and off, that they have worked Priceless were the visits together a long time and enjoy CBS News production crew squeezed into a first-floor library alcove. each other’s skills and thoughts. and comments from credit: CBS News other networks as they The “Evening News with Dan visited “the set.” And Rather” and “The Early Show” broadcasts all went without priceless are the memories of the law library staff as the hitches. A bystander found it difficult to get a feel for what cast and crew departed with promises to stay in touch. was really going on, as much of the broadcasts were cutaways to other people in other locations and only what And, oh, yes—CBS has already booked the State Law was actually being said by those in the library could be Library of Iowa for the 2004 Iowa caucuses. We look heard. The cutaways were useful, however, for telephone forward to it! calls, deep breaths, dashes across “the shot,” food ... Linda Robertson ([email protected]) is Law Librarian while getting back in place before going “live” again. at the State Law Library of Iowa in Des Moines. There were some great shots of the law library, other parts of the Capitol, and downtown Des Moines as seen from the

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