Have you "greened" your newsroom?

In honor of earth week, I'm just wondering if amidst all the stories people do about saving the environment if stations are taking any steps to do the same. Are all the lights left on in the edit booths 24 hours a day? Is the entire building left lit up overnight while there are three people in the building? Are the live truck operators starting the generators much too early? Batteries from wireless microphones being recycled? Have the incandescent studio lights been replaced with fluorescents?

And the big one... are managers still printing out memos for everyone on the staff when one posted on the bulletin board will do just fine?

Might make a good feature to show what your station is doing.

Wednesday's story ideas

Some truckers in the southern border states are buying their gas in Mexico to save money.

"Carbon footprint" donations. Where does your money go, and how do you know these green organizations are legit?

Homeless shelters & food banks face tough times with soaring prices. How are they getting by?

Studies show that breathing ozone can kill you. Can you protect yourself?

Things that are more expensive than gas: Soda (about five bucks for a twelve pack) and bottled water. Will consumers go back to tap water?

Political commercials. If you're in a state with an upcoming primary, explain how the political spot buys work.

It's getting warmer, and we'll soon be turning on our air conditioners. Show how shading your central air unit can save money and energy.

Feature: UFO's are back this week, with weird lights in Arizona and Florida. Take that great video from Phoenix and find some locals who have seen things that cannot be explained.

Part of the states in the south are still in a drought. Talk to a local gardening center about the best plants and flowers for the dry weather.

The going green movement continues to get bigger. Find out how your local city is keeping up with the times. Example, adding more recycling centers, parks and playgrounds.

Thanks to Melissa for those last two entries.

Got a story idea? Share it with the rest of the class. Send 'em to tvnewsgrapevine@gmail.com

Tuesday's story ideas

Trying to sell your used gas guzzler. How do you get rid of cars like this these days?

Microsoft starts selling Office software on a subscription basis.

Self service checkout becoming more popular as stores look to cut costs and shoppers are tired of dealing with cashiers who are morons. How many people actually check themselves out, and how easy is it? Might also check with post offices that have this service.

Animal blood banks. Yes, Fluffy and Fido need transfusions too. Check with local vets to find out how your pet can help those in need.

Travel bargains. An agent told me that every Presidential election year, the candidates scare people about the economy and travelers cut back. Lots of good deals are out there right now, especially on cruises.

Telecommuting jobs are become very popular as a way to avoid commuting costs. Find someone who has just started working at home. (And don't call me.)

Have speeding tickets dropped in your market since people are being told they can save gas by driving slower?

Monday's story ideas

There are different kinds of hybrid cars, parallel and series. Explain the difference to consumers.

House passes a bill to enable students to borrow more for student loans, so that they can be even more in debt when they graduate.

Air travel now moves at a pace slower than it did twenty years ago. Show ways you can speed it up by packing smart.

Work related stress is a leading cause of sleep disorders.

Do you now need a bigger down payment to buy a house in light of the mortgage crisis? Check with lenders in your market.

It's "Earth Week" so find a company in your market that has taken steps to go green.

Artificial turf is being investigated for lead content. Are the ball players in your market concerned about playing on fake grass?

You're in sweeps everyday

As we approach the May book news departments are scrambling to get those great series or single stories in the can. Promotions departments are getting sensational promos ready. And the undercurrent in all of this is the thinking that viewers are suddenly going to switch allegiance if you bust your tail for one month.

Uh, no.

Viewers are creatures of habit and when it comes to local news, very slow to change. And thanks to the term "sweeps" being brought into the mainstream by magazines like TV Guide, viewers are wise to the tricks. Stations that have been plodding along in non-sweeps months suddenly have dozens of exclusives that you have to see, many designed to scare the hell out of you. (My all time favorite was the series on escalator safety called, "Stairway to Death.") Generally every May, November and February I'm told that the following can kill me: restaurant food, water, the paint on my walls, something in the soil, chemicals in my groceries, etc. There are sexual predators living next door, someone is trying to steal me blind, and the teenager down the street is actually a gang lord.

The other nine months, I know I'll be fine.

A very wise ND once told me, "We're in sweeps everyday." You build viewers over the long haul, day after day, by beating the competition and providing stories viewers want to see. I'm always impressed when I see a local station run a great news promo in the dead of August, or during the week after Christmas when supposedly, no one is watching.

Guess what? Someone is always watching. And turning even one viewer, when ratings samples are so small, can make a big difference.

So while I know you'll all turn it up a notch during sweeps, don't just go on auto-pilot the rest of the time. You never know who's watching.