interesting silence
today provided one of those cool mornings where a big news event happens during the program and you have to figure out how to work the show around the fluid unfolding of events.
one of the high points was abc’s alex stone with us on the air as the airplane carrying the two ladies, just released from prison in north korea, rolled into the hangar in burbank california. alex had cancelled and re-booked the interview a couple of times in the 5 minutes prior because he didn’t know what he’d be doing (he has the fun job of actually being at the event but also has the most fluid of situations). then of course landing times change, you have to wait for the luggage to be brought off the plane and of course we have to let lisa ling on the plane before the important people get off.
all the while, you’re juggling the top of the hour news, sports, spots, monitoring multiple tv’s, listening to abc news make their warning calls over the loud speaker, checkin the internet, doing interviews and of course, traffic and weather on time, every time. (oh…and i gotta remember to tell neil we need another tv on the wall in there)
anyway, everybody finally comes off the plane, blah, blah, blah, yada yada and then the big surprise…nothing from president clinton. not a word.
humility? tired? or ordered not to speak before a debrief at langley?
these are the morning that make the job even more fun — when you come in expecting one thing and then everything turns on a dime. the key is to stay out in front and not to get hit in the apex of the turn.
thursday morning we have to remember to ask ann compton why the former president was silent.