Houston - NBC Regional News Bureau?

[rsb320]

I remember for a time, news stories, even about Houston (Enron) - they would end the story with "NBC News, Dallas". I've noticed recently that they are saying "NBC News Houston", even for a story about PEORIA, IL! Where is their camp set up, CH2?

[editor]

NBC has been cutting bureaus lately ("streamlining" they call it). I'd be surprised if Houston ended up with a bureau, since NBC has its graphics hub (does graphics for almost all of the NBC owned and operated stations nationwide) in Dallas. But stranger things have happened. I know that at least one NBC reporter used to live in Houston, but flew to Chicago to do her reports. Don't know if that's still the case. I'm sure ChannelTwoNews and FiloScotia can fill us in.

Last I checked, NBC only had domestic bureaus in Atlanta (which ate the Miami and New Orleans bureaus), Chicago, Dallas, New York, and Washington.

CBS has:

• Atlanta
  
• Chicago
  
• Dallas
  
• Los Angeles
  
• Miami
  
• New York
  
• San Francisco
  
• Washington
  

ABC has:

• Atlanta
  
• Chicago
  
• Dallas
  
• Los Angeles
  
• Miami
  
• New York
  
• San Francisco
  
• Seattle
  
• Washington
  

FWIW, CBS used to have a bureau at KHOU. It closed around 1999, and KHOU inherited Dave Fehling and shared him with CBS or vice versa.

[rsb320]

Here's something I found on tvweek.com.

Domestically, the trend toward a regional or “zoned” approach will continue, with some tweaks. Atlanta, which has managed Miami and New Orleans assignments, will add Dallas. Chicago will report in through the Northeast bureau.

Mr. Capus said there are no plans to pull all personnel out of any of these cities. He said it just makes more sense for correspondent Janet Shamlian, for example, who lives in Houston and has been jetting to Chicago at the start of each week and flying from there to assignments, to fly directly from Houston to her assignments.

[gripper]

The correspondent's sign-off is supposed to refer to the city where the story occurs, never simply where they are based. Also the correspondent should refer to the city only when he/she has actually been there working on the story. They can't say "...NBC News, Missoula Montana" when they've been sitting in Chicago the whole time. In that case they just say ..."NBC News" and leave it at that.

NBC had a Houston bureau in the 70's and 80's, into the 90's, located next door to KPRC in the one story condo-style offices. Joyce Barnell (RIP) was the crusty old gal who ran it, but then Larry Weidman who had been news director at 2 became the bureau chief, and for several years Sandy Gilmore was the correspondent. Then NBC pulled up stakes and moved the bureau to Dallas, with Larry still serving as bureau chief. The late Jim Cummins who had been a long-time NBC reporter in Chicago became the NBC Dallas correspondent.

[rsb320]

I just remember big stories such as Enron, Allison, Andrea Yates, etc. and they ended the piece with (name) NBC News, Dallas. I remember thinking, boy, I bet Dallas really appreciates that.

[editor]

The correspondent's sign-off is supposed to refer to the city where the story occurs, never simply where they are based. Also the correspondent should refer to the city only when he/she has actually been there working on the story. They can't say "...NBC News, Missoula Montana" when they've been sitting in Chicago the whole time. In that case they just say ..."NBC News" and leave it at that.

It depends on the organization. Broadly speaking, it's bad form to leave a story undated like that ("...NBC News").

The sig out (I've never heard it called a "sign off") is supposed to be where the reporter did the story from. If a story about a hurricane in Houston was pieced together with material sent to a reporter back in Dallas, then the proper sig out is "...KZYX News, Dallas." ABC News does this all the time. You'll very often hear stories about something happening in Kansas with the reporter ending, "...ABC News, Chicago." Sometimes the reporter standup is even done in Chicago, even though the story is happening in Kansas. 99% of America can't tell Kansas City from New York City and sadly don't care anyway.

Sometimes it's a little flexible. For example, if a reporter spent the whole day working on a story in Montrose but if portions of the audio track and editing were done back at the station, some organizations will permit a "KZYX News, Montrose." Leaving something just "KZYX News" implies that all of the work was done in the newsroom.