September 2009 ff amera The NationalC Academy of Television Arts and Sciences www.emmysf.tv /Northern Chapter

“SKYPE” Night at Beyond Pix

NATAS Night at “KING TUT” Thu. Sept. 24 You won’t want to miss this edgy event! Join us Tue. Sept. 22 on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at Beyond Pix Studios live in San Francisco or online via Skype for Activities/Program Chair, Cynthia Zeiden says an evening of networking, technology and innova- “Don’t miss this opportunity to see Tutankhamun tion. and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. This special At 7 p.m., the evening will start with a network- event is open to NATAS members, their friends and ing reception of food and drinks. At 8 p.m., there family on Thursday, September 22nd at the will be a tour of Beyond Pix’s Broadcast Center and de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park in San then we will watch the presentations and demon- Francisco. We will meet in the de Young Café for a strations of how Skype can be used in newscasts reception at 6:30 p.m., and then at 7:30 p.m., and in other applications in place of traditional walk through the Tut exhibit as a group.” satellite technology, at a much lower cost. continued on page 2 continued on page 2 McGowan to Emcee Gold & Silver Circle A member of the NATAS Silver Circle McGowan came to San Francisco in Class of 2006, long-time Bay Area TV 1978 and for 14 years was the popular interviewer Ross McGowan, will serve as co-host of People Are Talking on KPIX Master of Ceremonies for the 2009 with Ann Fraser. Annual NATAS Gold & Silver Circle Ross has received many television Induction Luncheon on Saturday, industry awards in his distinguished October 24th, at the San Francisco career, including the New York Film Festi- Hilton - Financial District (near val Gold Award, the Cable Car Award for Chinatown). Outstanding Broadcast Journalism, the Ross is the host of KTVU Fox 2 Morn- Communication Excellence to Black ings on Two, airing from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Audiences (CEBA) award and was in- weekdays. ducted into the S.F. NorCal NATAS Silver He began his broadcasting career Circle in 2006. while still studying for his college degree A long time activist and volunteer in at San Jose State. He worked summers for KBMX in charitable organizations, McGowan has served as Coalinga, and later worked as an announcer for KSJO co-host of the Bay Area March of Dimes Telethon and KLIV Radio in San Jose, KYOS Radio in Merced, and the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. and KIRO Radio in Seattle before joining KING-TV, Ross will introduce seven distinguished NATAS where he hosted Seattle Tonight, a live, nightly talk Northern California Chapter broadcasters and their show. continued on page 3 Off Camera, September 2009, page 1 “KING TUT” Tuesday Sept. 22

continued from page 1 More than 3,000 years after his reign, and 30 years after the original exhibition opened in San “Is paid programming good for TV?” Francisco, Tutankhamun, ancient Egypt’s celebrated Cold hard facts are a necessity in traditional “boy king,” returns to the de Young Museum. articles. But the opinions in Trade Talk can give us a Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, fresh perspective on controversial topics. NATAS is a glorious exhibition of over 130 outstanding works puts a finger on the pulse of the chapter each from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as those of month by asking one contentious question. This his royal predecessors, his family, and court officials. month industry professionals answered the question Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pha- “Is paid programming good for TV?” raohs includes many new and exciting elements not “The pervasiveness of paid programming is a by- seen in previous versions of the exhibition, including product of the current economic challenge facing a revised version of the catalogue, a new audio tour, most television stations. Most stations now air and additional artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb. some paid programs and in time periods that in the Tickets are $20 and must be purchased by past would not have been offered. To achieve September 15 on the Academy website: revenue goals, it’s difficult to turn away paid pro- www.emmysf.tv. Contact the Academy for addi- gramming when you can make more than by selling tional information at [email protected] or call spots. Until unit rates and spot sales improve, (650) 341-7786. there’s little chance paid programming is going The de Young is located at 50 Hagiwara Tea away.” - Pat Patton, KRON 4 Station Manager Garden Drive, in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. “Paid programming I feel is good for TV. It brings in Cross streets are John F. Kennedy Drive and Martin new revenue for TV stations. Perhaps contributes Luther King, Jr. Drive. money for better reporting/journalism.” - Mike Garza, Photojournalist, KXTV News 10 Thursday “At this point in the economy I think any money a TV station can bring in is worth it. I would rather Sept. 24 keep my job and have to watch an infomercial about the “Magic Bullet” than lose jobs in the newsroom or anywhere else at the station.” - Noah Chipley, Producer, KRCR News, Chico/Redding “Long format advertisements masquerading as programming are disingenuous and can thus deceive the public. As long as they are identified as paid ads, they can bring much needed revenue to sta- tions who are limping along with our weakened economy. If running an infomercial late at night Sean Karlin Don Sharp Julian Spittka means keeping our colleagues on the job, I’m all for continued from page 1 them. But I still won’t watch them.” - Alison Presenters Don Sharp, News Operations Man- Gibson, Producer, Media Cool ager, KPIX; Julian Spittka, Engineer, Skype and “Some of the best programming on TV today is Sean Karlin, Director of Photography, Beyond Pix paid, so it seems to be generating quality produc- will show different examples of how Skype is being tion.” - David Hakim, Bay Area Film Alliance used in different applications. There will also be a “It has been seen as the cocaine for TV but now three-way quality comparison between regular it’s like a strong pain reliever in this down economy. consumer Skype, a satellite image and Skype using It employs TV professionals and it obviously works high end cameras and large amounts of bandwidth. for the advertisers.” - Javier Valencia, NATAS Admission is free, please RSVP on the Academy Chapter President website www.emmysf.tv. Let us know if you will Soon you will be able to continue the conversa- attend in person or on-line via Skype. tion online by posting your comments at Contact the Academy for additional information www.emmysf.tv. Look for Trade Talk each month. [email protected] at or call (650) 341-7786. Off Camera, September 2009, page 2 Gold & Silver Circle Induction Luncheon Oct. 24

Ross McGowen & Ann Frazer present Emmy® Awards; Ross & Ann; Ann & Terry Lowry induct Ross into the Silver Circle 2006. continued from page 1 recognize individuals who have been: actively engaged in television for at least 25 or 50 years presenters. Six professionals will be inducted into respectively (at least half of their careers in the the Silver Circle and one into the Gold Circle. NATAS Chapter Area - Northern California, Reno and Silver Circle: Stefani Booroojian (KSEE 24 NBC, Hawaii); actively involved in a performing, creative, Fresno); Michael D. Clark (KGO ABC7, San Fran- technical or administrative role within the industry or cisco); Tad Dunbar (KRNV, NBC 4 Reno - retired in a peripheral area directly related to television, KOLO TV 8, Reno); Dr. Dean Edell, KGO Radio such as commercial production, journalism and (retired KGO ABC 7, San Francisco); Don Knapp education; distinguished in their career and made a (KPIX CBS 5, San Francisco - former KRON, KTVU, significant contribution to the television industry and KGO, CNN); Emerald Yeh (former KRON 4, San to the community in the NATAS Chapter Area. Francisco). Gold Circle: Jan Moellering, KNTV, San “This event is not to be missed,” says Terry Jose. Jan was inducted into the Silver Circle in Lowry, Chair of the Gold & Silver Circle Committee 1994. and member of the 1996 Silver Circle. “I encourage In addition, the 2009 TV Academy Scholarship everyone to attend on October 24th and support all recipients will receive their plaques, $3,000 checks the inductees and the scholarship recipients. The and present samples of their work. Proceeds from Gold & Silver Circle Induction Luncheon is a fun way the event will go to the TV Academy Scholarship to get together with old friends and colleagues, Fund. celebrate some of “the best among us” and contrib- The prestigious Silver Circle and Gold Circle ute to our industry’s future.”

THE NATIONAL A CADEMY OF TELEVISION A RTS AND SCIENCES SAN FRANCISCO/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO THE 2009 GOLD & SILVER CIRCLE INDUCTION LUNCHEON Saturday, October 24, 2009 Hilton San Francisco Financial District 11:00 a.m. - Reception 12:00 p.m. - Luncheon 1:00 p.m. - Induction Ceremony

Stefani Booroojian Michael Clark Tad Dunbar Dr. Dean Edell Don Knapp Emerald Yeh Jan Moellering KSEE 24 ABC 7 KRNV 4 KGO CBS 5 KRON 4 NBC Bay Area Master of Ceremonies, Ross McGowan, KTVU Channel 2 Sponsorship & Tickets www.emmysf.tv or call 415-777-0212 Off Camera, September 2009, page 3 Skipper Bruce Sedley

It was at that time that Sedley realized he had a Class of 1997 talent for “doing voices.” He mixed up his show by Silver Circle Profile By: Kevin Wing using them, including one for a character named The life trajectory of Bruce Sedley began ever “Professor Fuddle,” who would give the daily so modestly in the Bay Area. Born in 1925 in Oakland weather forecast over the air. and raised in Berkeley, Sedley’s curiosity about the From KTIM, Sedley moved to Oakland’s KROW to world around him led to an interest in radio broad- be an announcer. “It was a great, fun job,” he casting at a young age. An early career in Bay Area recalls. “I had to be there at 6 in the morning. We radio followed by a stint in the service during World were independent. We did all locally produced pro- War II — to which he eventually did news broadcasts grams, including live remotes. We did remotes for for troops overseas — led him to an interest in the churches, airing their Sunday services. I did a lot of new medium of television. those remotes. They were difficult to do at times. I But, it was a gift from someone — in the form of just took a transmitter box and plugged it into a a rudimentary ventriloquist’s dummy (a “head on a phone line. It’s what got me involved in voice re- stick,” as Sedley describes it) — that would ulti- cording production.” mately change his life and open many doors along Sedley stayed at KROW four years, eventually the way, figuratively and, quite literally. Call it fate. opening up his own recording studio in his mother’s That is how Sedley, known in the 1950s and 60s San Francisco apartment building. The famous Don to young viewers as “Skipper Sedley,” and later, as Sherwood, who ruled Bay Area radio airwaves in “Sir Sedley,” became a celebrated television icon of the 1950s and 60s, was also a KROW announcer. He children’s programming in the Bay Area. mentioned to Sedley his desire to build spec houses Sedley, inducted into the elite Silver Circle of The as he was also an accomplished carpenter. Sedley San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The asked him to build his recording studio, which National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in Sherwood proceeded to do. 1997, was a huge hit on KRON-TV from 1957 to 1960. Getting involved with many recording projects That’s when he hosted Popeye cartoons, serving as through his studio, Sedley became associated with a the “human go-between” before and after commer- production company in San Francisco owned by cial breaks, announcing the next cartoon and having Gene Walker. Sedley says Walker was very re- a little fun by entertaining young viewers with “King spected in the production community in the Bay Fuddle,” a fun-loving puppet with a mind of its own. Area. The company specialized in producing docu- “Those Popeye cartoons were tremendously mentary films. popular in those days,” Sedley recalls. “For a station It was during that time that Sedley met Al to air Popeye on its schedule, well, it was something Dinsdale, an elderly man who came in to the studio else. It was that popular during that era.” one day, asking if the company needed the use of Sedley became so popular that he was recruited miniature sets, or dioramas. In his book of photos, by Children’s Fairyland, the iconic children’s theme there was a ventriloquist figure he had made for his park on the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt, to daughter, Shirley, who was using it on television in develop the Storybook Boxes operated by “Magic , having started on radio in San Fran- Keys,” that became a treasured symbol of the park. cisco at the age of 14. Shirley had received the His first stint on radio was for KJBS in San Fran- very first Emmy® award for being the “Most Out- cisco in 1944, then in 1947 with KTIM in San Rafael, standing Television Performer” of the year in 1949, immediately after his discharge from the service. for her show Judy Splinters, named after the figure “I was an announcer there,” Sedley says. “I was her father had made for her. there only six months, but it was one of those great Sedley mentioned to Dinsdale that he had done jobs where you had to do everything. I also spun my character voices on radio and would be interested in own records, collected them, put a playlist together.” having a puppet for his “Professor Fuddle.” A few continued on page 5 Off Camera, September 2009, page 4 NAB Review

continued from page 4 for personal appearances at Fairyland by Sedley — days later, Dinsdale returned with what Sedley who was still on-air at KRON-TV — and his puppet, described as “a realistic man’s head on a stick.” “King Fuddle.” “It had movable glass eyes, eyebrows that “I sort of became the official host of Fairyland, raised, a mouth that moved, and everything was along with King Fuddle,” Sedley recalls. “KRON controlled by the stick,” Sedley was hooked. Then realized what a wonderful opportunity this was, so I Dinsdale brought in the rest of the dummy — a body did interactive things at Fairyland that would involve dressed in a sailor suit. the audience and the kids who were watching KRON. “At the time, I thought, hmm, maybe I could use The Hostess Company was a part of it all, as was this in some way,” Sedley said. Kilpatrick’s Bread. Coca-Cola would provide the soft With his experience as a voice talent and his drinks, Morrell Meats would provide the sausages, newfound love for ventriloquism and puppetry, and we’d have barbeques at Fairyland for the kids. Sedley went into animation work in the mid-1950s. 7,000 people would show up every weekend we did Eventually, he would pop up on KGO-TV, doing live this. Everyone was thrilled. It was a great cross- commercials for Laura Scudder’s Potato Chips, being promotion for KRON and for Fairyland.” the comic foil for his puppet. The commercials were Leaving KRON in 1960 to concentrate on his a hit. business of “the talking storybooks,” his newfound By 1957, KRON-TV had been looking for a way to business was installing the audio boxes at the San capitalize on the popularity of children’s program- Francisco Zoo and at zoos all around the country. ming, which it had witnessed by the popularity of Enter KTVU. In 1962, the station was looking for The Mickey Mouse Club on another station at that a host for its newly-acquired Three Stooges shorts, time. KRON bought the rights to air the Popeye and Sedley returned to children’s television, and he cartoons. In 1957, the station began airing them brought along “King Fuddle,” who was already very and hired Sedley to be host, to which he would do popular thanks to the KRON show from several years the live commercials. before. Sedley and his puppets entertained kids “I had to audition for it,” Sedley says, “and, by after school with that show, which aired at 4:30 golly, I got the job. I had great fun doing that for p.m. weekdays. Sedley stayed on until 1964. the next three years.” By then, doors were opening for Sedley in other It was also during his years at KRON-TV that ways, namely through his association with manufac- Sedley made contact with the Oakland Parks De- turing keys. He was one of the original developers of partment, which was looking for a “newfangled way” the card-key system, getting U.S. patents along the to entertain children at its Children’s Fairyland park, way. Sedley associated himself with a company in with the help of some type of audio recording that Burbank which manufactured identification cards for children could access throughout the park. defense plants and commercial facilities. The com- So, Sedley developed “message repeater” audio pany liked Sedley’s idea for card-key systems. units, which was a device with endless-loop audio, Within several years, Sedley’s company ex- as opposed to the method of reel-to-reel, which panded. With an office in Burlingame, his Corkey was commonplace in the 1950s. With the assistance Control Systems company expanded to Hong Kong, of a $3,000 loan from his mother, Sedley went to an where the key products such as card-keys would be Oakland company that would make a plastic key. It manufactured. “It was cheaper to do business in would operate a switch, which would turn on the Hong Kong,” he says. That was 35 years ago, and message repeater unit, and hence, the audio would the business is still going strong. It still maintains play and children would hear a fairy-tale story. offices in Burlingame. It was a done deal. Fairyland made the Sedley is always coming up with new ideas. In Storybook Boxes, and Sedley provided the keys and fact, he has 240 U.S. and foreign patents. He is the message repeater units and signed a contract currently developing an electronic lock which would with Fairyland. That contract also included a clause continued on page 6 Off Camera, September 2009, page 5 Skipper Bruce Sedley High School Awards Contest

The National Student Televi- sion Awards offered by the National Television Academy have been put on hold due to lack of funding. The San Francisco/Northern California Chapter Board of Governors has voted to offer High School Awards on a regional basis. All high schools in our chapter region (Northern California, Visalia continued from page 5 to the Oregon border, Reno and not require putting a key in a slot, instead, the user Hawaii) are eligible to submit would simply wave the card-key in front of the lock entries. to unlock it. The eligibility period is from “I’m an inventor of this type of card-operated October 1, 2008 until September 30, 2009. Awards technology. I enjoy it very much,” he says. His will be presented in six categories: company is small; between Burlingame and Hong 1. News Kong, Sedley has just 15 employees. 2. Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs Sedley, a youthful and energetic 84 years of age, 3. Long Form (Fiction and Non-Fiction) has lived in Hong Kong for years so he can be close 4. Sports to his lock factory there. He returns to the Bay Area 5. Public Affairs/Community Service/ occasionally, and was here late last month for the Public Service 50th anniversary of the Talking Storybooks and their 6. Writing Magic Keys at Children’s Fairyland. Sedley, whose The awards entries are due on October 23, first wife passed away, is remarried and also main- 2009. tains a home on Kauai, where his daughter lives. He Students will receive a certificate of achieve- has another daughter who resides in Nashville. ment and the entering schools will receive a pillar As for his years in TV in the Bay Area, Sedley similar to the photo above. looks back with fondness. Complete contest rules and entry forms are “It was just a very enjoyable time for me then,” available on the chapter website www.emmysf.tv. he says. “I was always interested in theatrics and The board thanked Governor Pilar Niño, Re- puppetry, and I enjoyed entertaining the kids. I’ve porter, KSTS Telemundo 48 for organizing the been lucky and fortunate to lead a very rewarding competition. life.” CBS 5 Goes VJ on Saturdays By Bill Mann, TV Critic/Columnist forge ahead without Shinnick. I’m guessing to save a This TV critic has always enjoyed weekend few bucks. Says one KPIX newsroom insider: newscasts. That’s when the “second stringers” “So, PIX is on its way to ... implementation of a come in. There are often misspelled graphics and new system, without adequate infrastructure or other technical errors. thoughtful, professional training, with disastrous But local weekend TV news has just gotten more consequences if it fails.” interesting: KPIX has just begun its version of the My source adds: “I really do wish Channel 5 “VJ” — video journalist — news on Saturdays, saving success, but this is like laughing at an infant as he money by having reporters shoot, report and edit learns how to walk. Schadenfreude? Stay tuned!” their own stories. KRON, which is now owned by The longtime KPIX staffer adds this: “Even creditors, started this dubious experiment first to before they started, one of the VJs came back with cut costs. a ‘negative roll’ tape (she thought the camera was KPIX sources now tell me that engineering/ on when it was off, and vice versa). Another was logistical whiz Andrew Shinnick, who’s ably handled caught using her husband to help her shoot in the technical chores for both stations, approached field. PIX’s first reporter proponent of VJs now says Channel 5 news director Dan Rosenheim offering to it’s a bad idea. The whole newsroom is in an uproar help KPIX avoid some of the mistakes KRON made. as reporters are rushed through VJ training, while He was politely turned down. editors and videographers are essentially ignored But, for whatever reason, KPIX news chose to and left to worry about their jobs.” Off Camera, September 2009, page 6 Hawai’ian Tri-opoly?

KGMB 9, KHNL and K5 television stations will KGMB’s employees will be termi- merge operations, eliminating more than a third of nated and they will have to reapply their 198 employees. The three stations will simul- for positions at the combined opera- cast news programs to cut costs and ensure they tions. survive the current economic decline. KGMB9 President Rick Blangiardi Responding to a drop in ad revenue, the local will run KGMB 9 and KHNL. Chris CBS affiliate, NBC affiliate and the broadcaster of Archer, the news director at KGMB, University of Hawai’i sporting events will combine will retain that title for the jointly newsrooms to create what they said would be the Blangiardi operated staff state’s largest television news department. CBS programs — such as 60 “You might have more news,” said Gerald Kato, Minutes, CSI and Late Night with journalism professor at the University of Hawai’i- David Letterman — will remain on Manoa, “But it might be more of the same news.” KGMB while NBC shows — including The three stations will continue as separate The Late Show and Saturday Night channels and non-news programming will remain Live — will remain on KHNL. largely as it is today. In addition to the merged news KGMB reported on its website on Archer operations, the companies will share the costs for August 18th that of the 198 employ- KHNL’s facilities in Kalihi, as well as engineering, ees now at all three stations, an production and marketing costs. The stations will estimated 130 would become part of have separate sales teams. the combined operations. Kato said the deal essentially creates a “tri- McTear said “the 68 layoffs is opoly” that gives the station owners a lot of lever- based on projections and is just one age when it comes to setting advertising rates and of several scenarios that is being controlling the scheduling of television programming. examined under the new agreement.” “Democracy requires diversity of opinion and Terry Hunter, a reporter/ robust communication of information,” said Chris videographer at KGMB for 27 years, Conybeare, president of the Honolulu Community Hunter says, “Hopefully, they’re going to Media Council. The merger “may help their bottom keep the best people, but with the line, but will result in layoffs, diminish diversity, and economy being the main reason this rob Hawai’i’s public of the best use of our airwaves.” is happening in the first place, who Paul McTear, president and CEO of Alabama- knows?” based Raycom Media, owner of KHNL and K5 an- nounced the merger at a news conference in Hono- lulu on August 18. He said annual television ad revenue is down by about $20 million, or about 30 percent, from three years ago. “This market cannot support five tradi- tionally separated television stations, all with dupli- cated costs,” he said. The announcement wasn’t a surprise to workers at the stations, who have heard rumors about it for several months. But several expressed worries about their job security at a time when the local economy Blangiardi meets with staff has lost more than 30,000 jobs and the statewide unemployment rate has soared to 7.4 percent.

Off Camera, September 2009, page 7 Super Hero Party Clown

What did you do on your By Keith Sanders One ever-present fixture on summer vacation? Randy Blair the set was Hollywood veteran was a superhero... at least he Ned Kopp. His 40-year career in played one in San Jose State film includes positions as assistant University’s high-definition film, director or production manager on Super Hero Party Clown (SHPC). many major motion pictures such Dozens of students worked 12 as The Godfather and The Right hour days in July and August to Stuff. When asked about his role shoot this feature on location. on the set, he modestly replied “I Coming from a theatre back- sit on an apple box and watch.” In ground, Blair plays the hero actuality he does much more. Eugene Stimpson a.k.a. Arachnid- Jeremy reflected that “Ned is Man. Shelby Barnes plays love not a theory guy and he won’t interest Emily Talbot. It marks her talk art: everything stems from debut as a lead character in a the logistics of production. If you feature film. Adam Sessa is Todd plan well, you can make a good Walker, who views Eugene as Director Jeremy Inman film because you give yourself the weak and will stop at nothing to time and the space you need to berate him. be creative.” “It’s his production- SHPC is just the latest film based, no nonsense view of film supervised by Barnaby that taught me how to make real and Nick Martinez. Together movies,” admitted Inman. they’re responsible for many Inman worked closely with award-winning features at SJSU, Cinematographer Jake Humbert. and serve as Executive Producers “Jake and I spent hours off set for Spartan Films Studio. This during production, planning our operation is part of the SJSU next day of shooting.” “Jake Research Foundation, a non-profit collaborated with Jeremy for campus auxiliary that manages Cinematographer Jake Humbert months leading up to the film,” $65 million a year in faculty offered Dallas. “He was also research grants and contracts. heavily influenced by Ned and his “Writer/Director Jeremy contacts in the industry.” Inman wrote the first draft of James Jeffrey is a film stu- the film script in my screenwriting dent who worked tirelessly as the class, then polished it over the producer of SHPC. “Ned gave me a next semester,” said Dallas. “We lot of useful advice, like how to shaped the script together,” said haggle better rates from equip- Inman. “Barnaby offered script ment rental houses, or how better prepare for each day. He told me notes that I almost always incor- Advisor Ned Kopp porated. I plugged away for a good producer should know another year and half before he more about the movie than any- started urging me to enter it into one, and he’d quiz me, to keep me festivals. When it started winning on my toes,” said Jeffrey. local, state, and national awards “During pre-production, I as a script, we figured it was time worried about how we would feed to turn it into a real movie.” people lunch on our budget,” said “My brother and Executive Jeffery. “Ned said I should be Producer Wes Nelson played a worrying about important stuff, major role (in making) this film not lunch. He quipped “you can possible. If it weren’t for his go to Costco the night before a believing in my abilities and my shoot and get a big jar of jelly, a story enough to put the money up big jar of peanut butter, and a lot for the film, then I wouldn’t have of bread... and that’s lunch.” had the opportunity to take part Dozens of students worked on in the most personally and profes- the film, nearly all doing their job sionally fulfilling experience of my for the first time. “Production life,” said Inman. continued on page 9 Off Camera, September 2009, page 8 Hollywood in San Jose Teen Filmaker Awards

On August 28, Bay Area viewers had an insider’s view of the hottest student film awards around, when KCSM-TV aired a special program of the 3rd Annual Spotlight! High School Video Competition Awards presentation at the College of San Mateo Theater. Teen talent invaded the red carpet in May, as seven of the Bay Area’s most promising local high- continued from page 8 school filmmakers were honored, and their prize- Manager and de-facto Casting Director Kate Staben winning short films were shown to several hundred was brutally efficient. If anything went wrong behind family members, friends, and local film-industry the scenes she would go in and fix it,” claimed supporters. Jeffrey. “Locations Manager Marina Chappie was “I was frankly amazed at the quality of these incredible. She could go into a restaurant we films,” says Dante Betteo, KCSM Executive Pro- wanted to shoot in, and in ten minutes lock it down ducer. “All of these youngsters can have successful and get them to donate lunch for a day,” he added. careers if they keep producing work like this.” The “The end of a shooting day is a huge emotional ceremony and all the winning 3-5 minute films were release for me, whether or not I got everything I broadcast on KCSM-TV Friday, August 28 and Sun- wanted,” concludes Inman. “I suspect it’s the same day, August 30. for Jake. One of the reasons we work so well to- Students from six high schools picked up awards gether is that we’re both ruthlessly hard on our- in nine categories. The 67% increase over last selves and we always expect better.” year’s entries reflects the growing popularity of “Jeremy did a good job of making this movie video and filmmaking – a total of 31 local schools bigger and better than any features SJSU has done submitted work judged this year by a panel of in the past,” said Jeffery. “Gaffer Chris Falkner’s industry professionals. influence with Jeremy and Jake brought the film The winners are: Pleasanton students William collaboration to a complete and finished circle,” said Ilgen and Cameron Vaughan; Peninsula high- Kopp. “The three united in a total package of film- schoolers Nicholas Dobkin, Daniel Bresnahan, and makers that should be the high point of the RTVF Jordan Velsco; and Alameda County students department.” Melody C. Miller and TJ Barber. Miss Miller’s film Now summer vacation has ended and HD editing earned her three awards, including a $1,500 cash begins. award for ‘Best of Show.’ Check out the Super Hero Party Clown website The winners received Gorilla production manage- at www.superheropartyclown.com for additional ment software, Adobe Premiere editing software, gift photos, videos and a director’s blog. bags from KCSM-TV management, and $500 scholar- In addition, two SJSU films are being released. ships to College of San Mateo. The animated feature Bye-Bye Bin Laden (BBBL) has And starting Sunday, October 18, Spotlight! will signed with Cinequest Distribution and will be avail- air as a weekly series on KCSM-TV. “The series will able September 22 on Netflix. SJSU Associate Pro- show the student films, giving them exposure that fessor Scott Sublett (who wrote and produced) most students can’t get,” says Emmy® award asks that you queue BBBL in your Netflix account recipient, and KCSM director Katherine Russell. now. Please visit the website at www.bye- “Our audience is larger than they’re likely to get on byebinladen.com. Also being released is Generic YouTube.” Thriller, a live-action comedy starring Oscar winner Several of the winners participated in this inno- Shirley Jones (written and directed by Sublett). vative show pairing high school filmmakers’ with working film professionals. Says Russell: “Next year Send your Press Releases we’ll add a ‘Best Documentary’ category to the and Stories to Spotlight! festival. And in the meantime, we antici- [email protected] pate that viewers will also like our new Youth Cin- ema series.” Off Camera, September 2009, page 9 TV’s ‘Woman on the Beat’ Broke Newsroom Barriers

Wanda Ramey interviews Ronald Reagan 1966; Bill Hillman, husband Richard Queirolo & Wanda at a Broadcast Legends Luncheon By Stephen Miller, The Wall Street Journal

She was an experienced broadcaster when she Ms. Diller says that when she started out as a took a job as one of the nation’s first female local stand-up comic, Ms. Ramey bought Ms. Diller a dress news anchors in 1959, yet Wanda Ramey was billed for her opening night at the Purple Onion, a local as KPIX-TV in San Francisco’s “Girl on the Beat.” nightclub. “She went on her Sunday TV interview Ms. Ramey, who died Aug. 15 at the age of 85, show and told viewers there was a new comic in had been on the air for more than a decade by the town who would break all the records,” Ms. Diller time Noon News had its debut. She specialized in says. “She took a stack of records in her hand and reporting from the scene at a time when newscasts broke them right there on the set.” were conducted mostly from the studio. She rode On New Year’s Eve of 1960, Ms. Ramey filmed a along on a night police patrol in a high-crime zone, report about inmates at California’s San Quentin peered into the exotic haunts of a Beatnik from State Prison. The story kicked off a lengthy relation- Greenwich Village, and reported on the construction ship with the prison community. Ms. Ramey helped of San Francisco’s latest high-rise from inside the to create SQTV, a close-circuit network that still emerging building’s skeleton. exists at the prison. Ms. Ramey and her husband, Within a year Ms. Ramey’s hard-news leanings led Richard Queirolo, a part-time cameraman, helped to a different slogan: “The Woman on the Beat.” train inmates in production skills. Eventually dubbed “People sometimes mistook her soft manner and an “honorary inmate” by some of the prisoners, she didn’t notice that she had a steel back,” says Belva once brought Ms. Diller with her to San Quentin to Davis, a veteran Bay Area broadcaster who counts perform stand-up comedy. The inmates presented Ms. Ramey as a mentor. Ms. Diller with a giant wooden “key to the prison.” On “Noon News,” she was paired with a male “Ms. Ramey was especially interested in helping anchor, John Weston. the inmates make movies about their experiences “John led the newscasts with the biggest sto- while incarcerated,” recalls Rick Cluchey, a former ries,” Ms. Ramey told the San Francisco Chronicle in San Quentin inmate. His play The Cage, a stark 1990. “In those days we didn’t think of equality.” depiction of prison life, was filmed on cameras Earlier in her career, she worked at several Bay provided by Ms. Ramey and her husband and broad- Area radio and television stations. Her reporting then cast on public television shortly after Mr. Cluchey was aimed primarily at homemakers, with features like was released, in 1966. He subsequently toured the “The Woman Behind the Man,” in which she inter- U.S. with a theatrical production of The Cage star- viewed the wives of famous men. ring ex-convicts, and later became known for his Ms. Ramey was determined to be on the air from productions of Samuel Beckett works. her student days at Indiana State Teacher’s College, Says Mr. Cluchey, “I don’t know if people under- where she majored in radio while hosting a children’s stand how important it is for people of substance to show called Story Princess of the Music Box. She come to the disenfranchised and broken down.” moved to Oakland, California, after graduating in Ms. Ramey left her anchor’s post in 1967 to take 1945, and was hired as an interviewer at radio a position with National Educational Television, the station KROW. precursor to PBS. She worked in the 1970s as There, Ms. Ramey was part of an illustrious California correspondent for Voice of America. broadcasting team that included Rod McKuen, Art “[It] was an innovation to have a woman as a Linkletter and Ralph Edwards, creator of This Is straight-out newscaster,” Ms. Ramey recalled of her Your Life. Also employed at the station was a writer early years at KPIX, in an interview recorded at the named Phyllis Diller. The two young women shared an office and became friends. continued on page 11 Off Camera, September 2009, page 10 Wanda Ramey On the Move Priya David, who left KTVU last year for CBS News, is returning to the West Coast to co-anchor a new 4 p.m. newscast on Portland CBS affiliate KOIN. David began reporting for CBS’ The Early Show and week- end editions of the CBS Evening News in April of last year after a three-year stint at KTVU. Stacy Owen, news director at KXTV in Sacramento, has been hired by WLWT-TV, Cincinnati (Ch 5) to replace Brennan Donnellan, who Wanda receiving Broadcast Legend of the year 2002 left the station a month ago. Owen Wanda with Jack & Elaine LaLanne has been news director for three continued from page 10 years in Sacramento. Before that, University of San Francisco in 2000. It was natural she spent 13 years at KRON-TV in for her to do hard news, she added, and not be San Francisco as an assistant news director, execu- “relegated to home hints and recipes.” tive producer and producer, and three years as news Wanda Ramey was a member of the NATAS Silver director. Circle, class of 1989 and a active member of the Says Richard Dyer, Channel 5 president and Broadcast Legends. Wanda will be presented the general manager: “Stacy’s career has been marked AFTRA WIN award (Women’s Image Now) in Novem- by high impact journalism, multi-media innovation ber. Her daughter Kristi Steadman will accept for and leadership through times of change.” her mother. At the Sacramento station, Owen “led the transformation from a traditional TV operation to a Multimedia Information Center, and launched a digital 24/7 weather and traffic station and calmoms.com,” Dyer said. Owen starts at WLWT Sept. 8. She is married and has a 4-year-old son.

KGPE CBS 47 hired Evy Ramos, who worked at KMPH 26, 2005-07, to co-host the local CBS affiliate’s morning show. She replaces Roopam Sidhu who, after an extended leave, no longer works at the station. The first day on air for Ramos is Sept. 14. “We are thrilled because she is a familiar face, a talented reporter and has been a morning anchor here and in San Diego,” says Linda Danna, KGPE general manager. When Ramos left KMPH in 2007, it resulted in then-owners Pappas Telecasting Inc. filing a lawsuit in Fresno County Superior Court that alleged breach of contract because Ramos left the station with one year remaining on her three-year contract. She notified KMPH management she was leaving because her husband was going back to school and had taken a job in San Diego. Ramos became a reporter with KGTV, the ABC affiliate in San Diego. Danna says that lawsuit was settled and will have no affect on Ramos’ return to the market. Ramos, a University of Southern California graduate, worked at the E! Entertainment cable channel as an associate producer before she made her first move to Fresno. Off Camera, September 2009, page 11 The Silver Circle (above) 1986; (below) 1988 - check out all the classes at www.emmysf.tv (click Silver Circle)

THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OFFICERS: Javier Valencia, President Linda Giannecchini, KQED 9, VP, SF (Museum) Santiago Lucero, KUVS 19, VP Sacramento Nancy Osborne, ABC 30, VP, Fresno SAN FRANCISCO/ NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Pamela Young, KITV 4, VP, Hawaii Sarah Johns, KOLO 8, VP, Reno 4317 Camden Avenue gayle yamada, Bridge Media, VP, Sm. Mkts. San Mateo, CA 94403-5007 John Odell, CCSF, Emeritus, Secretary 650-341-7786 Sharon Navratil, KTVU 2, Treasurer Fax: 650-372-0279 Lynn R Friedman, KGO ABC 7, Past President [email protected]

NATIONAL TRUSTEES: Sultan Mirza, CBS 5 Alberto Garcia, Speakers Office, State Capitol Pilar Niño, KSTS Telemundo 48 John Odell Terri Russell, KOLO 8 Javier Valencia Keith Sanders, San Jose State University Lynn R Friedman, Alternate Faith Sidlow, KSEE 24 (Education) Dean Smith, ABC 7 GOVERNORS: Noelle Walker, Freelance Rick Bacigalupi, BACIPIX Julie Watts, KPIX CBS 5 Chris Bollini, CBS 5 John Catchings, Catchings & Assoc. (Museum) COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Janice Edwards, Edwards Unlimited Darryl Cohen, Cohen & Cooper (Legal) Craig Franklin, CBS 5 (Awards) James Spalding, Spalding & Co. (Finance) Wayne Freedman, ABC 7 Cynthia Zeiden, Zeiden Media (Activities) Mike Garza, KXTV 10 Alison Gibson, Media Cool EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Maria Leticia Gómez, Univision 14 Darryl R. Compton, NATAS David Hakim, Independent Richard Harmelink, ABC 30 Off Camera: Jana Katsuyama, KTVU 2 (Membership) Keith Sanders, Editor Felix Mendoza III, PACSAT Linda Giannecchini, Associate Editor Sidney Milburn, KITV 4 Darryl R. Compton, Publisher Off Camera, September 2009, page 12