Tommy Reporting in From Tampa

Hi everybody!
I'm sorry I haven't written in so long, but I've been working a lot since Christmas!

I've been helping out at a TV station in Tampa, Florida!

My new friend Jennifer took me in to work with her. She's a television producer. She's produced news since 1997, and before that, she produced a live talk show with a studio audience... all at the same station.

She's been working there for 23 years. I don't understand it, she only looks 28. (!!!!)

Anyway, I thought I should send some pictures for the blog. I hope it's ok if I send a few. I've had a lot of fun working at the station. They made me an intern! I don't get paid, but I get to do lots of stuff. Here, I'll show you.

1. This is me arriving at the station. Jennifer's show goes on the air early in the morning. It's called "Good Day Tampa Bay." It takes a long time to put the show together, so we go in around 11 pm. It's dark in the parking lot when we get there.

2. This is in the newsroom. I'm sitting at Jennifer's desk with her. There are TV's everywhere. You always have to keep up with what's going on!

3. Jennifer's really busy during night, so I have lots of time to run around before the show starts. Here I am posing by the American Idol poster. I like that show. Sometimes, the winners come here for interviews. Wonder if I'll meet anyone famous while I'm here?

4. I decided to go check out the set in "Studio B." Here I am sitting on the couch. Can you see me?

5. Next I decided to check out the kitchen set. Don't worry, the oven's not on!

6.  Speaking of food, I'm getting hungry. Let's go check out the break room. I hear they have lots of snacks in their vending area. Wow, that's a lot to choose from! But I forgot my money. Good thing one of the photographers told me about a special candy dish back in their offices.

7. Here it is! They told me to help myself. I hope I didn't get too carried away!

8. I better get back to work. Here's me practicing with a weather map. I have to learn this so I can help Dave the meteorologist.

9. Here I am in Dave's weather office. He has so many maps and radars! He's from Rhode Island originally, and really nice and funny. He lets me come into his office early, before he gets in (which is about 3am) to set-up all the computers for him.

10. I also have to check the lights before we go live. There are so many of them!

11. Now it's getting really busy. We're live, on the air! Sometimes, I run the sound board. It controls the volume of the anchors' microphones and all the music and the reporters in the field. It's fun, but busy.

12. Sometimes I get to run the cameras.  That's one of my favorites! I point them at the anchors or Dave or the traffic reporter or guests who come in to be interviewed.

13. Maybe I better get ready in case they want to interview *me live on air. I better go to the makeup room and get ready.

14. Nope, I got paged to the control room. Alyssa the director (!) needs my help.  She makes sure all the cameras get the right shots and that we go to commercials on time.

15. Now Dave needs my help in editing. He gets all the video ready for each story.

16. Now Steve needs my help. He takes in live pictures from all over the world! He tells Jennifer what he's got, and she decides if she wants to show it.

17.  Every day after the show, we have to go to a big meeting in the big conference room and sit at a big table. I got there first, so I got to sit at the head of the table! Can you see me way down there?

18. By the time the show's over, it's morning, and really bright and sunny outside. Here we are leaving the station one day. Since we're channel 13, there are 13 really tall palm trees out front, and the tall weather radar, called "Skytower." I hope Dave the meteorologist will take me up there before I have to leave. He goes up there a lot during hurricane season here in Florida.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my time working at the tv station as much I did.

Check in with you soon.

Love, Tommy