Til next year Oscar...(Sandy Kenyon)

I've often said if a reporter covering the Oscars no longer gets excited at an hour before show time on the Big Night.then that reporter better retire. Me? I get jazzed by seeing all the stars together. There was a wonderful moment when Cameron Diaz was working the press line and past winner Faye Dunaway stopped by to say "I've always wanted to meet you because I really admire you!" Cameron smiled and then turned back to the press corps and said "Oh My God, that was FAYE DUNAWAY!"

I'm close enough to see the little, serpentine tattoo on the back of Jessica Alba's neck.
She was radiantly pregnant, and so was Cate Blanchett. Both looked lovely along the red carpet. The children of privilege stopped to stare on their way to their coveted seats inside the Kodak theater. This being LA, the 13 and 14 year olds sport major bling: diamonds and emeralds with couture dresses to match.

The fans in the stands are true movie fans. You can tell because Helen Mirren gets a bigger cheer than Miley Cyrus. George Clooney gets the biggest reaction of anybody. One of our fashion experts told us, "this year it's all about the men." Now, I heard this comment elsewhere, and I couldn't help thinking: 'how do they know & what does that mean??' But, the sharpest stars on the red carpet did seem to be Mr. Clooney, Colin Farrell, and Viggo Mortenson who came with his young niece.

The show featured the most beautiful set I've ever seen for an Oscar telecast, though I did feel the show lacked star power along with those big moments that one remembers even after many years. Absent was the emotion, for example, of a Halle Berry or even a Cuba Gooding. I like it when at least one winner goes over the top (Sally "You like me" Fields or Jim "King of the World" Cameron).

Jon Stewart showed a lot of class, but my favorite host after Carson & Crystal was Chris Rock. He was the only one to tweak the tender egos of the famous which I thought was hilarious. They take themselves way too seriously to ever allow him back in the room.

Hollywood may be synonymous with filmmaking, but the craft is practiced all over the world. Each of the performers who won for their acting hails from outside the U.S., and the work of each is worth seeing. Not many of you have seen the films up for Best Picture (except for Juno"), but each one is worthwhile and each went home with an Oscar for something. The best part of this whole circus is the way it draws attention to films that otherwise might get lost. The pull of the gold guy is such movies get made that otherwise would not. And that is a good thing.

Your Oscar crew from WABC-TV spent most of the night dressed in formal wear in a truck graciously lent by our sister station KABC-TV. No parties for myself, Cat McKenzie or Mike Thorne. I just keep writing and they keep translating that into sound & pictures for you. Thank God for 'em because the Oscar show is no place for rookies.

Packing the bags...(Cat McKenzie)

Packing up to go home.  Well it’s all over now.  When I look out my hotel room window, I can see the remnants of the tents and the red carpet.  If you were up this morning watching Eyewitness News you probably noticed how much commotion was going on behind Sandy as he did his reports and the crew was busy getting Hollywood Ave back open to the public.

We’ve been up for almost 24 hours straight but it’s been exciting.  Sunday morning was a different feel this year.  Because of the late start on the show the normal final security sweep that is done Saturday night was done Sunday morning right before our 9am live shot and it was done in pouring rain.  Picture the three of us – gear in hand standing in the rain literally counting the seconds down until we could get back on the red carpet it was not a pretty sight.

Normally by end of our morning live shot the “bleacher creatures” have begun to arrive, but because of the rain the Academy was keeping them inside a bit longer than usual so there was no reason for us to stay on the red carpet and chat with fans. After our morning shot the three of us separated to prepare for what lied ahead.  For Mike our cameraman it meant taking apart his whole editing system and bringing it down to our satellite truck.  For Sandy it meant heading back to the room and writing some dummy scripts so our night would go smooth.  For me it meant going back to the room getting our satellite times booked and grabbing any file video that we might need for our final story of the night, and of course getting my dress on.

When we all reconvened, it was down on the red carpet a carpet that was now filled with reporters, cameramen and academy officials all of us in formal dress.  It’s a pretty awesome site and you can feel the energy as stars start arriving on the red carpet.

Biggest Cheer? George Clooney by a mile.

Biggest Surprise? It’s a tie between Kristen Chenoweth being soooo tiny and P.Diddy walking the carpet alone.

Best Greeting? Seeing the director of the IMPACT choir making eye contact and mouthing the words “good luck” and getting a head nod that was cool.

Strange Observation? EVERYBODY has some type of camera now – so much so that when stars walked the carpet you’d first hear this big cheer – then silence as everybody as if on cue picked up their cameras, camera phones, iphones, blackberry’s ect and starting snapping then loud cheers again.

The show itself , I watched from our satellite truck.  In an attempt to get ahead we actually started editing out 11pm piece soon after they gave the award for Best Actress.  No matter it still was a scramble in the end to get the piece done and include the winners for the big five categories.

Favorite part of the show? For me it was when Jon Stewart brought the female winner for best song back out so she could make an acceptance speech. I just thought that was the neatest thing ever.

Final observations?
Great trip – I never get tired of seeing and talking to people as they are on the verge of fulfilling one of their life long dreams.  Whether they've been nominated for an award, are performing on the big show, working backstage on the big show or just going to the big show...it's very cool to see people live out theire dreams. Even though the weather this week in Los Angeles was cold and rainy the city was a gracious host (as was our LA Affliate KABC) and this year I not only got camearaman Mike his In-and-Out burger TWICE,  I remembered to get MY favorite treat  out here – Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles…best ever!!

Hope you enjoyed our Oscar Observations. I’ll be back next time the boss sends me out on the road. Thanks for reading.

Catherine “Cat” McKenzie, Producer Eyewitness News

Heading to the Gulag...(Jim Dolan)

The stories will give you chills. There is no contact with people outside, even family members. Cell phones are illegal and possession is punishable by execution. People caught escaping are never heard from again. Family members who had nothing to do with the escape are rounded up and tortured, imprisoned and sometimes they are never heard from. Food is scarce. Heat in the dead of winter is reserved for a precious few.

It could be a South American prison or a Soviet era Gulag. But it is modern day North Korea, the most closed and oppressive nation on earth and Eyewitness News photographer Joe Tesauro and I are going there in the morning. It promises to be some adventure.

Cell phones and satellite dishes are illegal, contact with the outside world is impossible and punishable by imprisonment and torture. They can’t see out and we can’t see in. Reporters are allowed in only rarely, and are rigidly monitored when they are. It is the third nation in President Bush’s Axis of Evil and is still in a high stakes stand-off with the rest of the world in which it is threatening to develop nuclear weapons unless it is given yes given...heating oil and food.

It is fair to ask why North Korea (it is officially The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK) is spending its money developing an expensive nuclear program instead of BUYING food and energy for its people, or developing trade partners to grow its feeble economy. But no one would answer because, well, as we said, it is the most closed nation on earth and the government is not in the habit of answering questions.

Along with about every reporter on earth, I’ve been trying to get in to North Korea for well, I think I had hair the first time I wrote a letter requesting a visa. They didn’t say no. They didn’t even respond. They didn’t respond the second time either. I no longer have much hair, but I kept asking.

There has been a bit of a thaw recently recently in North Korea’s relations with the outside, with a deal between the DPRK on one side and the U.S., China, South Korea, Japan and Russia on the other.  Glasnost it is not, but it is something. They get fuel and food in exchange for a shutdown  of their nuclear program at the Yongbyon facility, where they had developed enough nuclear fuel for perhaps a dozen nuclear weapons. That is scary for everyone, but especially Japan which is, in missile terms, a stones throw from North Korea.

This is the abridged recent history of North Korea, abridged because I’m leaving in the morning for Pyong Yang, the capitol of the most closed nation on earth. In an historic overture, the DPRK reached out to the New York Philharmonic some months ago and invited them to play a concert there. (Sorry. The Rolling Stones play. The Philharmonic performs. My bad.) To its eternal credit, the Philharmonic accepted, on the condition that a few reporters be allowed to attend as well. North Korea agreed and I so I’m on my way.

I am not altogether sure what exactly Joe and I will see tomorrow and what, by extension you will be able to see thru Joe’s camera. But I guarantee this: before its over, we will experience some things we haven’t before. I have never had a nation confiscate my cell phone, but North Korea will.  They’ve already told us we have to hand over all phones on the way in. Conversations will be monitored, access will be controlled. The government will watch our every step. I can’t wait.

One last thing before we pack for the journey.  Don’t bother to DVR any of the other local stations in town in order to get their take on the trip. They’re not going. My daughter watches some show that has a theme that goes something like “we go there.” With apologies to whoever came up with that slogan, Eyewitness News: we go there.If all goes well, we’ll be on the air Tuesday night.   

Oscar night is here! (Sandy Kenyon)

This is Oscar #21 for me, but it may surprise you to learn that I have never actually sat in the theater and watched any part of any Academy Awards Show from a seat inside. I have never attended any Oscar party, nor broke bread with any winner. And yet, I have two of the best seats in the house on Oscar night!

I have always said if you take your place along the red carpet at 4 PM (7 PM EST) and DON’T get excited, then it’s time to quit. The sheer force of all that star power together is enough to run a small city. The roar of the crowd for the biggest among them like Will Smith gets my adrenaline pumping like nothing else.

If a star walks into a room directly behind you, you will turn around. I can’t explain this except to note that the force of their charisma does the trick. It’s the same special quality that draws attention to them in a crowd of people. Once, I was standing backstage talking to Jack Lemmon, who was hosting the Oscars that year. Cary Grant and Sir Laurence Olivier walked in behind him, and yes, he did turn around and glance at those two legends.

Now, imagine dozens of performers, each with their own unique personality, all collected in one block, and you get some idea of why a spot on the red carpet I so prized. Two sisters from down near San Diego come every year. Sandi Stratton and Babe Churchill started showing up here when all a person had to do was come early on Oscar Sunday and take your place in the stands. Later, as Oscar go more popular, these two ladies camped-out with friends and family in the streets of Los Angeles to be the first in line. Now, the Academy gives them tickets, but only after these grandmothers undergo thorough background checks.

OK so that’s one of the best seats in the house. The second is backstages and upstairs in the press room where the winners come just minutes after accepting their Academy Awards onstage. They are still, in the words of the old song, "blinded by the light." What never gets old for me is seeing folks whose lives have changed for the better in an instant. They are stunned and they are at a loss for words and they are overwhelmed.

In that moment they lose the protective layers that mask the human being inside of the celebrity. They are just people like you and I caught in the headlights of history. Getting to see that is better than going to any party I can ever attend or any show I will ever sit through.

PS: I never go to the parties because I’m writing the stories you will see and hear tomorrow morning. Putting them together just right, takes all night….

Rain, Rain go Away...(Sandy Kenyon)

The Kodak Theater sits across the street from the Roosevelt Theater which was the site of the first Oscar show. Standing in the banquet room which played host to a small group of insiders 80 years ago, it's mind-boggling to contemplate the global event the Academy Awards Show has become.

"What else do you know that's been around 80 years?" asked the producer of the Oscar show Gil Cates during the traditional news conference before the show; and he went on to talk about the Oscar's "magical journey" from a brief ceremony, lasting just 20 minutes in a year before the movies learned to talk, up until the present day. He quickly moved on to talk about the length of Sunday's big show, and he promised it would not last more than 3 and a half hours--not including the half hour pre-show featuring Regis Philbin.

Regis was in fine form when we met on the red carpet covered with plastic due to heavy rains here. Back in Manhattan, our Eyewitness News studio sits directly next to the set for "Live with Regis & Kelly" so we see each other all the time in the elevator and in the halls. What you learn in my line of work is there are two types of funny people: those who are always funny and those who are at their best delivering a joke written by others. Regis is a master of the ad-lib. He is spontaneously and continuously funny, and that makes him perfect to serve as the host of the Oscar pre-show. I remember going to see him tape "Live" and thinking some of the best banter came during the commercials! While the folks at home were watching ads, the studio audience was cracking-up.

Tonight, on WABC-TV Dana Fleming and I host a special called "The Road to Gold: An Academy Award Preview," and one of the most fun parts of putting it together was getting a chance to talk to Regis about his first time on Oscar's red carpet. Thirty years ago, he was the very first to do live TV reports before the Academy Awards Show for local station KABC-TV out here in LA.

He told me the whole affair was pretty simple then. He just stood behind a small barricade talking to some of the biggest stars in the world like Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton who kind of wondered what he was doing there. The TV critic for the "Los Angeles Times" called this a crazy idea, but he was wrong; and Regis was right. Now, there's a long city block worth of interviewers; and as he says, "it's a circus."

OK. I agree, and there do seem to be more people every year, but I always enjoy the international aspect of the Academy Awards. In the course of a day here, I might hear a dozen different languages spoken among the press corps. The huge press room where winners come clutching their statues resembles the United Nations on Sunday night. Call me sentimental, but I think it's kind of cool so many journalists from various cultures around the world can forget their differences for one night to talk about what Cameron Diaz is wearing.

One of the oddest aspects of covering the big show is where it takes place: in the middle of an upscale, shopping mall. The Kodak Theater was built specifically to host the Academy awards show because developers of the Hollywood-Highland complex (named for the intersection where it sits) figured the theater would act as a magnet to draw people to the mall on the 364 days of the year when the Oscar show is not taking place.

During the week prior to the show, workers and reporters alike must go about their business among thousands of tourists who move freely except in the red carpet area and the theater itself. This definitely adds to the "circus" atmosphere Regis mentioned, and this year, there's even a big tent over everything to try and protect the carpet from the rain.

The mall is designed to reflect the glories of Hollywood's past. It's modeled after the huge set D.W. Griffith built near here for his silent movie "Intolerance" 90 years ago. The mall had to be scaled down because the set itself was as big as Yankee Stadium and even taller. Like so much of Hollywood's past it was long ago destroyed.

I once read a fascinating account of making "Chinatown" by the set designer on the picture starring Jack Nicholson. The movie was made in 1974 about LA circa 1934. He said you couldn't make the movie today the same way because so many of the locations he used have since been destroyed. The houses from the 30's were still standing in the 70's, but they were long gone by the 90's.

I was reminded of that walking a few blocks over to "Musso & Frank's" restaurant. This is perhaps my favorite time capsule in the world. The place has been open continuously since 1919, and Manny has been serving me for decades. Slide into the exact same seat once occupied by Clark Gable, and place yourself back in time there with him.

Gable was just a kid in the oil fields when the menu on the wall was printed. It says a filet mignon costs a dollar, 25 cents extra with "sauce a la Frank". Folks, I was a history major in college, and a love of the past has never left me. I realize you may find other pleasures in Hollywood, but after a long week of work..that's where I took my ease.

The Ways of the World: Eyewitness News in Beijing

By Reporter Jim Dolan
Saturday, February 23, 2008

It's 4:40 in the morning in Beijing and I'm hungry. My photographer Joe Tesauro and I had two excellent meals here today, but my limited ability with chopsticks prevented me from enjoying as much of either meal as I could have. Picking up a thinly sliced steamed cucumber or any kind of eel at all is no easy feat for a boy raised on midwest beef and a razor sharp steak knife.

And, of course, the billion or so people here are unmoved by the clear superiority of a fork as an eating utensil. They seemed to enjoy it when I twice dropped the same shrimp onto the white tablecloth at
dinner. Who can blame them? Even Joe laughed.

China is a nation with the fourth largest economy in the world and it is growing at a double digit rate and has been now for more than a decade. Today we visited a toy factory (remember the problems last year where they were using lead paint and other potentially dangerous materials on children's toys? We'll be reporting on that when we get back in a week or so.) where several hundred young women from the provinces work about ten hours, six days per week making toys for export to the U.S. and Australia and Canada. They are girls from what had been agrarian families who now see a chance to make some serious money for their families in a short period of time.

They make about two hundred dollars per month, roughly the price of a pretty nice tie at Barney's, but also enough to feed their entire family for eight or ten weeks. When they are finished working at the
factory, they may find even better work in Beijing and someone else from their village will take their place. It is an inexaustable supply of cheap labor because there are literally millions of people still to
be raised out of poverty here. While we might raise questions about paying two hundred dollars for 240hours of work at a sewing machine, it is feeding her family and, on a larger scale it is building this
economy. And, of course, we're buying the toys.

A woman I met while working today, lives with her husband and one child. She is only allowed one child by law, and the only way she can have another is if she divorces her husband and marries a man who
doesn't have a child. Well, this is outrageous...right? China is a nation overflowing with people.

Housing them, feeding them, and keeping them in work is the overwhelming challenge of this government. They have not solved this problem as we might in the United States. In fact, they haven't really solved it, since people in rural areas simply ignore the law and continue to have large families. But they've made progress. My new friend admits she'd like to have three or four children, but her husband would lose his job with the government and then she doesn't know what they'd do. A hobson's choice, presented by
unbearable circumstances.

All of this leads... where? The more you travel, the more you learn that American ways of addressing problems are just that. They work for us, not necessarily everyone else. I once attended a meeting between some Iraqi Sheiks and a U.S. Colonel, who was explaining to the sheiks how an election in Iraq was going to be run. You will come to the polling place, he said, and each person will go to an individual voting booth and cast his own ballot. It all seemed pretty normal to me, and the colonel, but I noticed the sheiks were grumbling to one another and one even laughed. The Colonel didn't pick up on it, so after the meeting, I asked the sheik who was laughing what was so funny. "Am I to allow my wife to fill out her own Ballot? Do you do that in America? Your daughters can vote for whoever they want? That is a disgrace,"he said, seeming to chastise me for being so weak.

In that election and at that precinct, just one man voted. He was not a sheik. Nor a sheiks daughter. But by the time the next election came around, forty eight people voted there. I never learned if any of them were sheik's daughters. But I hope so. We cherish the freedoms we have in America, and with good reason.

They are the fullest, the most inspirational the world has ever known. Trying to export those freedoms and the values that are their underpinning, though may not always work. And they are utterly impossible to impose on a people unconvinced of their superiority.

They seem, in China perfectly content with chopsticks, my own frustration notwithstanding. And how do you argue with a billion people and double digit growth.

Watch Jim Dolan reporting from China only on Eyewitness News on WABC-TV

Spending time with a nominee...(Sandy Kenyon)

For me no Oscar trip is ever complete without some one-on-one time with a nominee, and getting the chance to spend some time with Ruby Dee was a reminder of just how cool this job really is! There are so many reporters covering the Oscars now that it's actually really tough to get face time with a nominee, but Producer Cat McKenzie's persistence paid-off; and Miss Dee sat facing me just before a lunch hosted by "Essence" magazine at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

"Legend" is a word that is used WAY too often in my line of work, but it surely applies to the actress who has won nearly every major award except the Oscar. At 83 she would be the oldest winner in Academy Award history if her name is called in the Supporting Actress category on Sunday night, yet she has never even been nominated before. Yes, she told us, the Oscar nod was very important to her because she remembers, "daydreaming about it" as a child.

The veteran star told me she believes her longtime relationship with Denzel Washington led to her getting the chance to play his mother in "American Gangster." She saw him perform as a very young man in Mt. Vernon, and knew "he was going to make a name for himself as an actor." Miss Dee told me simply, "even as a kid you could tell." Later, they worked together on Broadway in a play called, "Checkmates," just before Denzel became really famous.

The moment in "American Gangster" when her character slaps his character is one of the most talked about of the year in movies; and if you watch our story tonight at 11PM, you will hear Ruby Dee tell the story of how that came to happen.

If you watch, you will see a lively, petite woman who seems far younger than her years. Miss Dee told us she had pretty much given up on ever being part of the Oscar scene, and she calls her nomination late in life a "joyous time" that shows, "the possibilities are greater for people of all races and for women." than when she started.

That was evident at the lunch thrown by "Essence." The magazine was honoring her and others such as Jada Pinkett who came with husband, Will Smith. Their friends Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes decided they had to be there, and the combination of all that star power had the place literally crawling with security guys.

"You're glowing," one reporter said to Jada. The compliment was immediately followed by a question, "so are you pregnant?" Pinkett replied, "can't a girl just be happy?" Her husband, Will, sure seemed content sitting off-camera patiently waiting for his wife to finish the TV interview.

I always find it interesting that international superstars like Will Smith have developed an ability to dial-down their star power when circumstances require it. Like stardom itself, this is an ability that's hard to define. Nobody with his degree of fame & charisma can ever be anonymous, but he has found a quiet way to avoid upstaging his wife; and that no doubt helps keep the marriage a happy one.

On the other hand there's no mistaking Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes when they move through a room. Talking to Ruby Dee, I heard a commotion next to me, but successful interviewing depends on total focus so I never looked to the side and therefore missed their entrance. Anyway, I figure they don't pay me to gawk.

Besides, there was more than enough excitement on this day: the chance to greet Motown founder Berry Gordy again and the opportunity to renew acquaintances with Quincy Jones. Hard to believe a quarter century has passed since he produced Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album.

I'd like to say this was just another day on the Hollywood beat, but I have to admit this was better than most.

A chat with Jon Stewart...(Sandy Kenyon)

Cat, Mike, and I were back in the Kodak Theater to chat with Oscar host Jon Stewart who seemed remarkably relaxed for a guy who must compress months of preparation into just a few days. The writers strike that ended last week meant his team could not get started on writing jokes for him until 10 days before the show, but he told me that was in keeping with his normal work mode which is to procrastinate until the last minute then start writing.

Stewart clearly relishes working on a tight deadline. He does not want to have too much time to prepare, and it helps that he's one of those spontaneously, funny people whose ad-libs are better than the best jokes written by other comics. Producer Cat McKenzie suggested I ask Stewart if he was a good choice as host given this is an election year. Jon told me sure, there would be political jokes; but not from the current campaign. We left him thinking maybe he could make Nixon vs. McGovern funny again.

The interview with Jon Stewart runs tomorrow at in the 6 AM hour of Eyewitness News This Morning. He's like a very dry martini to start your day, and if he's nervous then he sure does a great job of hiding it. Stewart is from Jersey, and lives in Manhattan. He remains mystified as to why people in Jersey always yell: "Springsteen rules!" at him as he goes about his day.

Oscar rehearsals stop for no man or woman except for  producer Gil Cates. Normally when I interview a star, there is a respectful silence from everyone around while we talk; but while I was speaking with Jon inside the Kodak Theater, the music played, huge pieces of scenery moved about, and technicians took turns impersonating some of the most famous people in the world. When it comes time to read the winner at an Oscar rehearsal, one line is always inserted: "And the Oscar for this rehearsal only goes to:" That's to remind everybody who may be listening that the real winners won't be known until Sunday night.

We ended our visit to the Kodak in the green room where the stars will wait before going on stage Sunday night. "Architectural Digest" hired the interior design firm of Dorothy Draper to give the space a retro look reminiscent of Hollywood's Golden Era back in the 1940's. The beautiful couches and stunning bar surrounded by crystal sit in the middle of a bleak, industrial area backstage. The contrast between the concrete hallways on stage right lit by florescents and the elegance of the waiting area is stunning.

There's been nothing 'sunny' about Southern California this week, and the temperatures have been well below the norm of 70 degrees, but that simply did not matter to the young people from Harlem's "Impact" group who arrived here last night after a flight across country.

This is my favorite story of Oscar week so far. Through a twist of fate & friendship, a song written by members of this group made its way into the move, "August Rush," and the Impact folks were asked to perform the tune themselves on the big screen in the movie. The song is up for an Academy Award as the year's best, and the group will perform live during the Oscar show on Sunday.

Imagine how you would feel if you were singing together in your neighborhood one day and in LA the next to perform for hundreds of millions of people at the Academy Awards. The young singers got off the bus at a local hotel and walked past Mike Thorne's camera into the lobby where they broke into song. I will long remember that sound and the faces filled with so much hope and excitement. We'll have the full story for you tomorrow at 5 PM.

Early morning wake-up call...(Producer: Cat McKenzie)

What a day!! That’s all I could think of when I woke up at 2am, Pacific Time this morning to get ready for Sandy’s live shot in the 6am Eastern Time hour of Eyewitness News this Morning.  I only had about 3 hours of sleep but it didn’t matter…last night’s shoot was worth having no sleep.

Last night, we were at the Sheraton Universal hotel when the Impact Choir from Harlem showed up.  The choir made up of 22 people ranging in age from 13 to 21 is nominated in the “Best Song” category for their song “Raise it Up” from the movie August Rush. And what a rush they gave us.

There’s a time in every trip when you feel the energy dip a bit – and we were there - you’ve been with the same people every day all day, you’re away from your family and working long hours you need a pick me up and this was ours.

The choir pulled in and we shot them getting off the bus and they all seemed a bit tired and I thought – ooooo, this might not be so good – but then they saw us and perked up a bit to see someone familiar, some “New York” folk.

We gathered with them in the lobby of the hotel and while Sandy and Mike were interviewing the director I just started talking to some of the kids – they were so incredibly excited to be in Los Angeles it was impossible not to be excited right along with them.  Now originally, we had planned to get them singing in a rehearsal today – but Sandy must have charmed the director because the next thing I knew the director was calling them all together and right there in the lobby of the hotel, bags all around them, with no warm up,  they broke into the gospel standard “He Has Done Marvelous Things”…and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was one of the most marvelous things we had heard all week. These guys are the real deal and I can’t wait for you – our viewers -  to get a listen and feel their energy when we run the piece on Friday at on Eyewitness News at Five.

They were soooo good Sandy and I just sat there – me with tears in my eyes – just high fiving each other – this was an interview and moment we had worked hard to line up and it was turning out to be pure magic. People including workers in the hotel (the highest form of respect) just stopped what they were doing and gathered around to listen – some were even taking pictures – it was almost like being on a New York city street corner – except for the palm trees outside and the 65 degree temperatures!!

I can’t wait for this piece to air – I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we enjoyed being able to shoot it and I hope we are able to convey how truly special these kids and this moment on Oscar’s world stage will be.

Oh and for those of you who are wondering…Mike, our cameraman, got his second trip to In-an-Out yesterday for lunch…right after our interview with Oscar Host Jon Stewart. We were one of only 7 crews to get to talk to him about his big night … be sure to catch it all Friday morning on Eyewitness News.

Why the Academy Awards Matter...(Sandy Kenyon)

Oscar's stamp of approval is very important to movies that are not Hollywood blockbusters. This year only one of the films nominated for best picture has grossed over $100 million. "Juno" is also the lone ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark field that includes some pretty bleak views of the world. "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" do not offer much in the way of hope though both are stunning achievements.

This is what we talked about when we paid a visit to Peter Bart, editor of the industry trade paper "Variety" who told Cat, Mike, and myself "Juno" just might sneak-in to win Best Picture given its charm. We all agreed its young screenwriter, Diablo Cody, would almost surely become the first ex-stripper ever to win an Oscar. In recent years the two Oscars given for original screenplays and scripts adapted from another medium have become 'consolation prizes' of sorts: a way for Oscar voters to honor films that don't win the top prize. Such was the case with "Little Miss Sunshine" just last year and "L.A. Confidential" a few years before.

Peter Bart is the only journalist allowed to vote in the Oscar derby. That's due to an interesting career that's seen him change jobs a few times. He first made his mark as a reporter for The New York Times then became a studio executive for Paramount Pictures during the glory years of the studio when "The Godfather" and other great movies were made on his watch. At that time he was asked to join the Academy, and membership in that elite organization is..for life.

Peter is what we like to call "good TV," and I've used him as an expert in every job I've held for the past 20 years. He's the sort of guy who can refer to the Oscars as the "ultimate reality show" and explain what he means. We put him in a story for Thursday's "Eyewitness News" at 5 along with Samuel L. Jackson, among others, to explain why the Academy Awards still matter so much after 80 years.

The Academy does not like its members to tell you how they voted so Peter was very careful, but he did predict Jon Stewart would be a good host. The word around the Kodak Theater is that Stewart and his team of New York based writers are actually energized by the challenge of writing his material in just a few days. They were supposed to have plenty of time to prepare, but the writers strike was only settled last week which meant they had to scramble.

A veteran team of writers takes care of everything else, and they're pretty much finished. Oscar producer Gil Cates told me the scripts for presenters were sent to them yesterday less than a week after the strike was settled. No jokes please, about the quality of that material.

Getting Oscar to Stand Up...(Sandy Kenyon)

I found Oscar lying flat on his back next to Hollywood Blvd. getting ready to stand upright outside at the entrance of the Kodak Theater. This particular Oscar stands a couple of stories tall and requires a crane to hoist him into place so he can be the first to welcome the stars at the end of the red carpet. The bleachers where the fans will sit are already in place, and so is the temporary foot bridge over the street which offers such a fine view of the arrivals on Oscar night for cameras and correspondents.

Your Eyewitness News team was the first allowed inside the Kodak this year. Producer Gil Cates is staging his 14th Oscar show, but my relationship with him began years before he was ever in charge here. He's the uncle of actress Phoebe Cates and directed a movie ("Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams") that earned an Oscar nomination for Joanne Woodward. Gil is a past president of The Directors Guild, and we met when he led his union out on one of the shortest strikes in U.S. history. I covered that walkout for CNN, and it lasted just a few hours; but my friendship with Gil has endured for more than two decades since.

We found the Kodak almost deserted due to the President's Day holiday. A day off for the union crews meant even more pressure on Gil and his staff to deliver on Sunday. Delays caused by the writers strike have sharply compressed the time he has to mount a show, but as we walked around he told me cheerfully that every year has its challenges; and those challenges keep him coming back here at an age when most people are retired.

His team of veteran writers has done this so often before they got the broadcast 95% written in the week since the strike ended; and today, the first scripts will go to the stars who will be presenting the awards on Sunday night. Gil told me Jon Stewart and a separate "posse of his writers" arrived on Saturday. The producer isn't too worried because they all write "The Daily Show" together, and must come up with new material.well.daily. They're used to tight deadlines.

The Academy is really serious about keeping the set a secret until the opening seconds of the broadcast, They want folks at home to go "Aaaaah" when they see the stage for the first time so inside the Kodak security guards are everywhere to make sure our Mike Thorne never points his camera in the direction of the stage.

Producer Cat McKenzie signals we have what we need for tonight's story that you'll see on Eyewitness News at 5. That means there's just time enough to tape a quick promo with Gil right next to the stage. He riffs on whether or not he's going to be ready, then it's time to head out. Cates' small office is just a few steps away tucked into a corner near host Jon Stewart's. A computer, a big screen TV, a couple of chairs and a couch is all Gil needs. A DVD copy of our "Road to Gold" TV special sits on his desk, and you can see more with him Saturday night on this hour long Academy Awards Preview at 7PM on Channel 7 just before the movie.

Producing our Oscar Coverage--(Cat McKenzie)

Hello!! My name is Catherine McKenzie and I am a Special Projects Producer at WABC-TV.  I have been at WABC for 11 years. Whenever I tell people I am a producer they always ask what does that mean?

Well on a trip like this I am in charge of helping get out product out on the air while we're on the road.  That means everything from making sure our satellite feeds are up and running to setting up interviews to actually doing an occasional interview to help our reporters round out their coverage.

It's great to be here in  Los Angeles for the second year in a row covering  Hollywood's big night.  Little known fact about me,I LOVE AWARD SHOWS and as far as they go this one is the "granddaddy of them all"

As Sandy wrote, we are in the thick of it staying at the hotel connected to the Kodak Theater where the Oscars are held.  So far in our hotel - we've seen members of the band AC/DC and Mickey Dolenz from the Monkees.  They are all here for a program called "Rock Camp" where adults pay around $10,000 to learn how to play rock-n-roll from the best.  Last night was their final concert at the House of Blues and the camp participants along with their mentors were all out celebrating their week making music together.

There's a certain excitement in the air because so many people weren't sure this week would come to pass. Everyone we meet and talk to is so grateful the writers strike is over.  It means not only work for the writers and for actors but for countless people who help put the TV shows and movies you love to sit and watch, together.  This being an "industry town" you can feel the energy of it moving again. It's almost like the first day at school or at camp when everyone is eager to get the job done, get it done right and also have a good time while doing it.

We've also been able to work with our colleagues at our sister station KABC. Their facilities are fairly new and extremely up to date  -- they have been the most gracious of hosts helping us with everything from getting the right credentials to helping us feed our product back to our viewers in the Big Apple.

The other exciting thing for us that might make you laugh In and Out Burger. Our cameraman, Mike Thorne's favorite fast food joint.  We've already been once - and he's hoping for a second time as our hours get longer as the week progresses.

Today we start getting the "star" treatment as we head to our first set of guest suites that you always hear about.  Places where the rich and famous go to get free stuff. Unfortunately we only get to LOOK at the free stuff - but it's always a thrill.

Oscar Week Begins...(Sandy Kenyon)

I’m here in Los Angeles which is anything but La-La land during Oscar season. Like the rest of the 1800+ members of the press corps, yours truly along with producer Cat McKenzie and photographer Mike Thorne are here to work! I’m covering my 21st Academy Awards show, but I’m still a youngster compared to Oscar who turns 80 years old this year. Covering the big guy never gets old because there is always some new wrinkle or surprise that keeps it interesting.

This year, the surprise was provided by the writers strike which was settled just in time to avoid compromising the show. In a show of solidarity which is unusual in this competitive business, union actors refused to cross Writers Guild picket lines; and that meant no stars at The Golden Globes. Nobody wanted that to happen for the first time in Oscar history. In fact, one Hollywood insider told me the writers strike might have lasted a year or more without the desire to get a deal in place before the Oscars.

The scramble to get the show written in HALF the usual time is the part of a larger story we are doing for "Eyewitness News" on Hollywood going back to work. Before we can begin, Cate, Mike, and I must make the mandatory first stop for anyone hoping to cover the Oscar show. This morning we have our pictures taken for our credentials. They come complete with special holograms that allow us access to the areas in and around The Kodak Theater. The closer it gets to Oscar Sunday the tighter the security, and applications to cover the event were not accepted after last Thanksgiving.

This afternoon we will be inside talking to Oscar show producer Gil Cates, so watch this space for more on our visit. The Kodak Theater sits in the middle of the Hollywood & Highland shopping center which is named for the intersection where it is located. The Renaissance Hotel is right next door, and that’s where we will be staying: close to the action and ready to bring it all to you.

Covering John McCain--Jeff Rossen

The band is playing. The donors are arriving. And I’m munching on a pizza I just bought at a small joint down the road. There are, at last count, 22 satellite trucks in the parking lot and about 40 cameras inside. Welcome to John McCain’s election night headquarters in Phoenix, AZ.

This is Sen. McCain’s home state and he expects to win it. But all eyes are really on California with the most delegates up for grabs tonight.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a HUGE political buff. I follow politics, of course. But, I’m normally not “obsessed” with it. This election year, I am. It’s the human drama. It’s the strategy. The ups. The downs. It’s riveting. Look at this night Super Tuesday night as a study of the human element. It’s interesting to see how each candidate handles the pressure.

This hotel ballroom is filling up now. And I find it fascinating, how McCain aides work behind the scenes. They are escorting famous McCain supporters around the room, hoping the cable nets will invite them on to push McCain. Makes sense. This is all about spin control. As many states as these candidates hit, there is nothing like the power of television. And boy, do the candidates know it. Tonight, Jack Kemp was bouncing from camera to camera here telling each anchor on the other side just how amazing of a president John McCain would be. It was interesting. I followed Mr. Kemp from camera to camera to camera three different interviews…and he used the same words. In some case, the EXACT same sentences. It hit me, how “prepared” they are McCain aides have a message, and it takes a tidal wave to knock them off message. Every word is chosen carefully. I have some friends who cover these candidates every single day…on every single stop. They always told me, “they deliver the exact same speech at every single stop.” I hardly believed them. After all, how is that possible? But, in seeing this up close tonight, I believe it now!

In any event, we are with the McCain camp tonight, sorting through the spin. And we’ll be with you all night on the web, and on air. Yep, I’m obsessed. This is exciting. See you soon.

My first Super Bowl parade!--Heidi Jones

by Heidi Jones
Tuesday, February 5, 2008

My First Ticker Tape Parade. Admittedly, everything is still coming up roses for me in  New York City.  What I mean by that is that after only two years here, I am still in my wide-eyed, honeymoon stage.  I still get excited about the city, its people and most assuredly its sights.

However, the Giants Super Bowl Parade makes every excited moment to this date, dwarf in comparison. I stood with my crew of photographer, Dorinda Bagwell, and producer Armando Gonzalez and did what every New Yorker tells you not to do looked up! I couldn’t help it. 

There were people on every floor of the buildings at the intersection of Broadway and Liberty. 

They were hanging out of windows, throwing sheets of paper down at the crowd that stood 15-20 rows deep leaving me to wonder what was on those sheets of paper.  These weren’t strips of shredded paper, but documents that came pouring out of the windows so fast and furious that the sky went white for a split second maybe it was the fact that I had been staring up for several minutes and my equilibrium was off but I like to think it was the massive amount of paper.

Conversely, the confetti that snowed down when the parade began was so small that it stuck to everything to eyelashes, hair, jackets, even small dogs were peppered with pink, blue and yellow squares.

An unusual but oddly appropriate sight (only in New York City) was rolls of toilet paper that dropped 20 feet from open windows leaving an endless streamer floating from the city buildings.

People from both sides of Broadway seemed to know each other on this day. Footballs were thrown from one side of the road to the other. Pictures were taken by strangers of strangers. Everyone gleamed of a pride that you normally see on a proud parent when their child is valedictorian.

It was as my boss, Kenny Plotnik, said ‘everything is now right in the world.’

There was a balance on the Canyon of  Heroes that is so fleeting in the city that never sleeps it was nearly magical.

I even met a Jets fan who wasn’t harassed for his presence, but accepted with all the other Giants fans.

This day was the most amazing professional experience I could ever imagine.  I’ll never forget what many are calling a ‘once in a lifetime moment.’

And, it didn’t hurt that I caught a glimpse of my favorite quarterback’s brother and had a brief and very weak moment whereby I wanted to shout tell Peyton Heidi is his biggest fan. I didn’t do it. But, I thought of it as I looked at the broad smile on Super Bowl 42’s MVP as he held the Lombardi trophy.

What a day! Thank you Giants!

Now, please do this again next year as I most definitely want to be covering the sideline again!

Game Time Greetings from Arizona!

From: Nina Pineda
Sunday, February 3rd

Greetings from Arizona!  The Super Bowl just began and we at Eyewitness News are in our trailer near our satellite truck in the parking lot of the University of Phoenix stadium. The F-16's just flew over and you can feel the anticipation in the air.

At the Game: Executive producer John stone on my left and Tim Ledbetter, engineer and me between broadcasts

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Tailgaters are giddy. The Giants were never expected here so it's made the Super Bowl even more special for people from our area who flew, drove or trained it to the desert to represent big blue.

We met former team members yesterday with the big blue charter club. What an amazing party they threw in Scottsdale. I had the chance to interview the legendary "L.T."  Lawrence Taylor after he was called on stage to address the faithful fans who supported the Giants all along... even before they caught fire.

But fans there welcomed those who jumped on the bandwagon, too and today anyone wearing Giants blue and red had instant camraderie with each other.

It's New York in the valley today. Go Blue!  I'm going to walk into the game now, then get ready to show you the tailgaters celebrating a win. That's tonight at 11pm!

See you then.

Best,
Nina.

'Special' Prodcuer on the road...(Cat McKenzie)

My name is Catherine McKenzie...and I am a Special Projects Producer at WABC-TV.  I have been at WABC for 11 years. Whenever I tell people I am a producer they always ask what does that mean?
Well on a trip like this I am in charge of helping get out product out on the air while we’re on the road.  That means everything from making sure our satellite feeds are up and running to setting up interviews to actually doing an occasional interview to help our reporters round out their coverage.

We arrived here in Arizona on Sunday … greeting us? Pouring Rain!!!  The rain kind of fit my mood.  You see as excited as I am to cover my first Super Bowl I still haven’t really recovered from my beloved Packers loss to the mighty Giants.
That being said…

Covering the Super Bowl is something I’ve always wanted to do.

For a special projects producer – there are a few big events you want to help cover…the Oscars…The Olympics a Presidential Inaugration..ect. and this is one I haven’t gotten a chance to “tackle” yet.

Every remote has it’s challenges – for us it’s mainly been the time difference and the fact that the Phoenix area is very spread out.

The time difference means we’re live here around 3pm – that means we have about 2 hours less to cover stories, write and edit and feed them back then we normally would.  That combined with the fact that every thing we do is about a 45 minute drive from the next thing we do has made a lot of my job on this trip “time manager”

The reporters are quite sick of hearing me say…gotta feed now…gottta leave this shoot now…and their favorite “no we don’t have time for that”

That being said – this has been the work trip of a life time…long hours but we’re sitting and watching history no matter who wins the game….but I suppose even a Packer fan like myself – has to say GO BIG BLUE!!!