By Josh Smith
Anchor / WJHL
Published: January 22, 2010

It’‘s been a while since I’ve filed a “behind the scenes” entry here on the Morning Show blog.  So today, I share with you a personal mess-up moment from this morning’s newscast on 11 Connects that happened behind the scenes but made its way on air.  (HATE it when that happens.)

Around 6:20 this morning, our producer Rick Harker told me through IFB (the little thing in my ear that keeps me in touch with the folks behind the scenes) that we were a bit heavy.  Lucky for Rick, that wasn’t a critique on my weight.  He was referencing the fact that we were a little over on time, running a little late.  In other words - speed up Josh and Rob.

While a story played about new movies opening in theaters, I quickly told Rob about our timing delima.  Being the nice guy that he is, Rob said he could shorten his travel weather forecast which was still about 8 minutes away.

Why I did it - I’ll never know. 

Seconds later when our studio camera operator cued me, I said, “Time for a look at travel weather.“  Translation: I had just cut a huge block of content out of the show.

Silence.

“Is it already time for travel weather?“ Rob said, trying to figure out why I’d just skipped ahead past a commercial break and Kenny Hawkins’ sports report.

“Toss to break,“ our producer Rick pleaded through my IFB.

What did I do?  I burst out laughing, covered my face with my hands, and joined Rob in acknowledging to our viewers that it’s live t-v.

I could almost hear the thud of my news director as he slid out of his chair and hit the floor while watching the news from home.

Oops.

Once upon a time, I - like many in the TV news business - took myself so seriously that this would have slayed me.  Fortunately, I figured out a few years back that it’s just TV.  Gosh.  Some viewers have told me they actually enjoy watching TV news anchors flub up every once in a while.

Hmmm.  May that’s why our ratings are going up.