Random Thoughts on 2006

End of the year news is so predictable.

You could almost find last year's scripts and change the dates and there you go.

What were the biggest stories...how did the cops do this year..blah blah blah.

Personally, I find end-of-the-year stories so lame, I sent Darry, our morning photog, out on two house fires Wednesday just to get some spot news.

I hate covering house fires because there is no real community benefit to the story, but we got some good visuals.

If someone is seriously hurt or killed it is news, but I don't see an abandoned house fire as interesting news.

I know some media folk brag about covering fires and being "first on the scene" and all that other sensational stuff, but I'd rather ignore the house fires and give the audience something that they can use in their daily life.

That's not to diminish Darry's work... he got us some impressive video, flames shooting through the roof, etc.

I guess if fire stories are used as the gage, we ruled the morning.

We did a story two weeks ago about how the Red Cross is straining to keep going because of all the house fires. It is really putting a burden on their budget.

I was kind of flattered to see the same story in The Enterprise this week.

This is the type of story that actually benefits the community.

I noticed the peanut gallery at the Underground is silent when KBMT is the lead, but let us miss a kicker story and they're all over it.

Never the less, I'm flattered when other media folk follow us or look to KBMT for news leads.

At least one station goes as far as to eves drop on our dispatch radio hoping to get some crumbs of info.

One of the highlights of the year happened when our chief photog told me they were doing this.

I didn't believe him, but to find out I started talking some smack on the air to see if anyone responded.

They did, and even had the nerve to call and complain that they got their feelings hurt about the things I was saying.

One of our competitor's photogs even had the nerve to threaten me in the channel 12 parking lot over the issue.

Oh well, that's the media for you.

Looking forward to 2007...

• What is Judge Walker's Jefferson County going to be like?
• Are we going to see the predicted economic growth?
• Is Port Arthur going to make progress in squashing crime?
• How is our area going to make the transition to digital TV?
• Will Direct TV follow Dish Net and give its subscribers local stations?
• Who are going to be the big name deaths in 2007?
• Is Mr. BASF going to run for office?
• Will Gary Sinegal go to trial this year?
• Will Jeff Co and Orange Co get the Finley case to trial?

Oh, wait...that sounds like next December's look-back stories.