on.”
Rick slid his chair to get in front of the phone lines. “Got it. What’s the ruckus about?”
Rick and George had become friends after Rick started hanging out regularly at the local radio station WXAS after his shift at the newspaper. It was a quiet place to relax, and George occasionally asked him to read a commercial over the air.
“Something about a loud explosion,” George said. “Take down any information you can. We need to get it on the air.”
George slid his headphone back on then flicked on his microphone.
“Okay, we’re sending out the Platters’ Twilight Time for all you cool guys and gals out there tuned in to Bankstownes’ all music no chatter on Music Till Midnight .” George flipped off his mic and dashed to the Teletype room to see what the steady stream of clatter was all about so late at night.
“Hey, Rick! Come here. You won’t believe what’s coming off the wire!”
Rick hung up the phone and rushed to see what George was so excited about. He looked at the tear sheet in George’s hand and exclaimed, “Holy shit!” then stared in shock as he continued to read.
Raleigh (AP) – North Carolina Gov. Steve Mathews has authorized National Guard Adjutant, Maj. Gen. Randolph Ackerman to deploy 200 troops immediately to the site of a strike against Coastline Railway Shops in Bankstowne.
In an emergency news conference just completed Gov. Mathews announced a large explosion destroyed the Shops water supply system and escalated the violence beyond the ability of the local police to protect the citizens and workers at the Coastline Railway facility. In ordering the troops to Bankstowne, the Gov. sternly warned this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. END
“Thanks for the biggest scoop of my life,” Rick shouted over his shoulder as he bolted out the door.
“Hey, come back here! You have to help me answer the phones!” George called after his friend.
Left all alone, George dashed back to the broadcast booth, flipped on his mic, and stopped the record. “We interrupt Music Till Midnight to bring you a breaking news story. Governor Mathews has just authorized sending National Guard troops to the Bankstowne Shops after a large explosion destroyed the Shops pump station on the Yadkin River. Stay tuned for further breaking news on this story. Now back to Music Till Midnight .”
“I’ve been trying to reach you since we got the word from the governor’s office,” Billings said as Rick burst into his office. “Here’s the teletype text. Call the mayor, Sam Johnson, and the union people.”
“But sir, do you know what time it is?”
“It’s almost midnight, but this can’t wait,” Billings said in a strained voice Rick had never heard before. “Try to get statements from all of them. I need press-ready copy in an hour. Use my office. I’ll be in the pressroom, pulling the front page run off-line. Go!”
Rick went into Billings’ office. The chair was stiff yet worn, and the desk itself was bigger than Rick’s workstation in the reporter’s pool.
After taking a moment to admire what a real office felt like, he picked up the phone and dialed his father.
After several rings, a groggy Roy answered on the other end. “Hello?”
“Daddy, it’s Rick. I know it’s late, but something happened at the pump station tonight.”
“Pump station?”
“Do you know anything about the explosion? Did you hear the governor is sending troops?” Rick spoke rapidly, barely giving his father time to hear the questions, let alone understand them.
“Calm down, son,” Roy said, the exhaustion in his tone audible. “What’s going on?”
“That’s why I’m calling you. Call anybody you can to find out what is going on. I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes. I’m on deadline.”
“An explosion at the pump station you said?”
“That’s right. The governor is sending in troops.”
“Sounds bad,” Roy said, finally seeming to grasp the situation through
Rick slid his chair to get in front of the phone lines. “Got it. What’s the ruckus about?”
Rick and George had become friends after Rick started hanging out regularly at the local radio station WXAS after his shift at the newspaper. It was a quiet place to relax, and George occasionally asked him to read a commercial over the air.
“Something about a loud explosion,” George said. “Take down any information you can. We need to get it on the air.”
George slid his headphone back on then flicked on his microphone.
“Okay, we’re sending out the Platters’ Twilight Time for all you cool guys and gals out there tuned in to Bankstownes’ all music no chatter on Music Till Midnight .” George flipped off his mic and dashed to the Teletype room to see what the steady stream of clatter was all about so late at night.
“Hey, Rick! Come here. You won’t believe what’s coming off the wire!”
Rick hung up the phone and rushed to see what George was so excited about. He looked at the tear sheet in George’s hand and exclaimed, “Holy shit!” then stared in shock as he continued to read.
Raleigh (AP) – North Carolina Gov. Steve Mathews has authorized National Guard Adjutant, Maj. Gen. Randolph Ackerman to deploy 200 troops immediately to the site of a strike against Coastline Railway Shops in Bankstowne.
In an emergency news conference just completed Gov. Mathews announced a large explosion destroyed the Shops water supply system and escalated the violence beyond the ability of the local police to protect the citizens and workers at the Coastline Railway facility. In ordering the troops to Bankstowne, the Gov. sternly warned this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. END
“Thanks for the biggest scoop of my life,” Rick shouted over his shoulder as he bolted out the door.
“Hey, come back here! You have to help me answer the phones!” George called after his friend.
Left all alone, George dashed back to the broadcast booth, flipped on his mic, and stopped the record. “We interrupt Music Till Midnight to bring you a breaking news story. Governor Mathews has just authorized sending National Guard troops to the Bankstowne Shops after a large explosion destroyed the Shops pump station on the Yadkin River. Stay tuned for further breaking news on this story. Now back to Music Till Midnight .”
“I’ve been trying to reach you since we got the word from the governor’s office,” Billings said as Rick burst into his office. “Here’s the teletype text. Call the mayor, Sam Johnson, and the union people.”
“But sir, do you know what time it is?”
“It’s almost midnight, but this can’t wait,” Billings said in a strained voice Rick had never heard before. “Try to get statements from all of them. I need press-ready copy in an hour. Use my office. I’ll be in the pressroom, pulling the front page run off-line. Go!”
Rick went into Billings’ office. The chair was stiff yet worn, and the desk itself was bigger than Rick’s workstation in the reporter’s pool.
After taking a moment to admire what a real office felt like, he picked up the phone and dialed his father.
After several rings, a groggy Roy answered on the other end. “Hello?”
“Daddy, it’s Rick. I know it’s late, but something happened at the pump station tonight.”
“Pump station?”
“Do you know anything about the explosion? Did you hear the governor is sending troops?” Rick spoke rapidly, barely giving his father time to hear the questions, let alone understand them.
“Calm down, son,” Roy said, the exhaustion in his tone audible. “What’s going on?”
“That’s why I’m calling you. Call anybody you can to find out what is going on. I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes. I’m on deadline.”
“An explosion at the pump station you said?”
“That’s right. The governor is sending in troops.”
“Sounds bad,” Roy said, finally seeming to grasp the situation through
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