[FARC] NBC on Towers

Thu Jul 24 09:07:20 EDT 2008

I too worked in the news area.  I was a soundman in TV news film.

The NEWS companies have a product to sell and it is NOT the news, but 
sensashalism.  In other words how to present it to the public to get the 
biggest bang for the buck!

73's Howard W3CQH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roy Bates" <n2csq at madxra.org>
To: "Frederick, Maryland ARC" <farc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 8:55 AM
Subject: Re: [FARC] NBC on Towers

> The last DoL stats I read were for highest per-capita deaths
> among powerline highwire riggers and test pilots. Fewer in
> total numbers, so not of as much interest to NewsHawks? K2AVA
> and I *worked* in TV news. I don't know about Herman, but I
> *never* watch the stuff since I know how it's made: to shock,
> not to inform.
>
> 73
>
> Roy
> ___BATES
>
>> Dan, I turned the program off after about 15 minutes as my
>> feelings were very similar to yours. Tooooo bad, it could
>> have been good and an educational one. Jim Devilbiss WA3FUJ
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:45:51 -0000
>>  "K3SKE Dan Szymanski" <k3ske at edurostream.com> wrote:
>>> Thought I would pass along comments via the PVRC
>>> reflector referencing "Tower Dogs"...
>>>
>>> Those deaths referenced on the program were just trained
>>> tower climbing professionals.
>>> Many tower companies became very alarmed when that spell
>>> of deaths ran its course.
>>> For what it is worth the critique of the program at work
>>> this morning was not very good either.
>>> Those I work with had many issues on what was aired. If
>>> you paid attention when the rope was dropped off the
>>> tower striking the Dateline program producer, he was not
>>> even wearing a hard hat in that work area. In my opinion
>>> the is the direct fault of the crew chief (who always has
>>> responsibility for safety) on site. You could point the
>>> blame at either the tower companies crew chief or the
>>> tenant/tower owner who was on site with these crews when
>>> the work was being performed.
>>>
>>>  It is difficult to work quickly and to comply to safety
>>> regulations 100% of
>>> the time.
>>>
>>>  It was a shame that NBC basically selected the lowest
>>> end of the talent
>>> pool of this profession, excluded some very talented and
>>> very professional people to perhaps make the program into
>>> a one hour version of the "Deadliest Catch" or "Ax Men".
>>> FYI the reference made to the tower industry having the
>>> highest per capita death rate is a fact. Department of
>>> Labor statistics should confirm the statement. Now I do
>>> believe that those who fish for King Crab and cut timber
>>> have a higher percentage of injuries while on the job. I
>>> have no sea legs, don't like icy surfaces and hate chain
>>> saws anyway.
>>>
>>>  Dan
>>> K3SKE
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Boyd"
>>> <richardlboyd at gmail.com>
>>> To: "Alfred Laun" <hs0zar at gmail.com>
>>> Cc: "PVRC Email Reflector" <pvrc at mailman.qth.net>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 04:24
>>> Subject: Re: [PVRC] NBC on Towers
>>>
>>>
>>> >I agree.  I could heardly believe it when I heard that
>>> guy, Ernie,
>>> > gets paid $14 an hour and he's their best!  I was
>>> thinking, "Did I
>>> > hear that right!?"
>>> >
>>> > Amazing.  He should be getting at least $50 an hour I'd
>>> say. In my
>>> > experience, professional tower companies charge
>>> $75-$120 an hour per
>>> > man, often with a minimum of a "three man crew."
>>> >
>>> > 73 - Rich  KE3Q
>>> >
>>> > On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 11:53 PM, Alfred Laun
>>> <hs0zar at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> Thanks to the heads-up from members of more than one
>>> list I subscribe
>>> >> to, I did watch the NBC Dateline program featuring
>>> "Tower Dogs".
>>> >>
>>> >> My only observation is that the company featured on
>>> the program
>>> >> apparently tries to low bid against other companies in
>>> the same field,
>>> >> promising to do the job for a fixed amount if they win
>>> the bidding.
>>> >> Apparently cost-overruns are a no-no, unlike, for
>>> example, in the case
>>> >> of Pentagon contracts.
>>> >>
>>> >> All I can say is this is not the way any of the people
>>> I have hired to
>>> >> do tower work at my place do the job.  You never know
>>> how much the job
>>> >> will cost until the work is done, and I wouldn't have
>>> it any other
>>> >> way.  As was hinted at in the program, the fixed-price
>>> bid game can
>>> >> encourage undue haste which can lead to very real
>>> danger.  Though in
>>> >> the jobs shown proof-of-performance was apparently
>>> built into the
>>> >> contracts, in my own case a fixed price could also
>>> lead to the cutting
>>> >> of quality corners which I would not be fully equipped
>>> to evaluate.
>>> >>
>>> >> The fact that the company's most proficient climber
>>> only makes $14 per
>>> >> hour was also a bit of a shocker.  Can there really be
>>> that many
>>> >> companies out there in the business that
>>> telecommunications companies
>>> >> can get people that cheap by playing them off against
>>> each other?
>>> >>
>>> >> Just my $0.02 worth...
>>> >>
>>> >> 73, Fred, K3ZO
>>> >> _______________________________________________
>>> >> PVRC mailing list
>>> >> PVRC at mailman.qth.net
>>> >> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/pvrc
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Rich Boyd
>>> > 301-430-5296 regular phone
>>> > 301-980-7424 cellular
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > PVRC mailing list
>>> > PVRC at mailman.qth.net
>>> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/pvrc
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
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