Deadlines

To say that deadlines are a huge part of journalists' lives would be a gross understatement. Today's experience with our first news broadcast at KTCU reminded me of just that. After so many years of working under the constant pressure of deadlines, our tolerance for that pressure just gets higher.

This is our head radio guy still editing the recording two minutes before it was supposed to go on air. I think we got it ready with about 30 seconds left. Ah!

Michelle, the NewsNow adviser, said we had no reason to freak out until about 10 seconds before the newscast. I had already been freaking out for about three minutes by then. I'm thinking broadcast journalists have quite a different perception of deadlines. Wait, what am I thinking? The term "broadcast journalist" is so 1995. We're all journalists now.

Anyway, I know I'm only required to post once a week but my news judgment tells me that our first newscast will have lost its timeliness by time my next post is actually due (journalism buzz word alert). I even used my 2-megapixel camera phone to document the experience.

Rebekah, News Now news director practicing the script. I was very impressed with her voice.

Phil, who did the sports part, and Michelle anxiously watching as Rebekah reads the newscast. She particularly had a hard time with "Hillary Clinton."

Now here's a sneak peek at what the news cast actually sounded like. You can also get a sense of the anxiety in the station after having barely made the deadline. You can also hear the mastered reading of "Hillary Clinton." It's more difficult than you would think.

If you missed the newscast, be sure to tune in from now on. 88.7 KTCU "The Choice." The DJs also have awesome taste in music so you can even stay and hang out if you'd like. If you're not in the Metroplex, you still don't have an excuse. You can stream it live at ktcu.tcu.edu.

4 p.m. daily. Be there or be square.