Lisa's Day

There are two shifts per day: the early shift (4am until noon approximately) and afternoon/evening shift (about 1.30/2pm until 10/11pm). Met Office data is faxed twice daily and arrives about 4.30am and pm. The morning shift is more hectic since a whole new 'stack' of graphics must be drawn as soon as possible, and also there are more slots on air per hour (it varies from 4 to 6 when including destinations and pollen reports). Hence, it is necessary for two people to work together in the mornings, but the evening shift is alone (fewer weather broadcasts per hour, so one can amend morning graphics and present).

As I tend to do early shifts, I will outline a 'typical day' for such a shift. Monday to Friday we usually work with Chris England (Ph.D. Atmospheric Physics) who concentrates on drawing graphics for Britain and Ireland, scripts, long range forecasts, pollen reports, regional graphics for SKY News Active and computer problems! However, at the weekend one of the 'presenters' will do this... so just because we're not 'on-air' doesn't actually mean we're not at work behind the scenes!

If I'm presenting, I rise about 3.30am, with the aid of three alarm clocks (just in case!) and get to work for 4am. Once there, I amend the euro today graphic & render it, complete script for the 'pub channel' & forward, then after the most delicious cup of tea (it tastes so good at that time of the 'morning'), I head off to make-up for 4.30am. This is the most relaxing part of the morning! Back in the office, we compile satellite movies, read all the Met Office words and talk through the graphics/day's weather.

The first on-air broadcast is at 5.25am and from there on it's at least every fifteen mins. In between broadcasts, I compose euro graphics for that night & the following day, and a new 'destinations' graphic. The most hectic hours are between 6.30am and 9am where there are effectively six broadcasts an hour, encorporating four weather reports, one pollen and one destinations report. We continuously update satellite movies, use visible satellites when the sun comes up on our side of the hemisphere (!) and add to the graphics stack. During a couple of breaks two recordings are made (a minute and 30 secs) to be played out later in the day, before the afternoon shift arrives.

Sunrise is off-air at 10am, at which point I remove microphone, radio pack, make-up, jacket and return to complete graphics. Chris and I then complile a tape of U.K. regional and euro graphics for SKY News Active, which I voice over with one of their editors.

Back in the weather bunker, scripts are completed for the news presenters, graphics arranged in different 'stacks' for 'betacart', people responsible for playing them out for news, and also for the afternoon shift. Usually all is complete by midday, at which point I return home, devour a huge lunch, and sometimes sleep if I'm very tired. However, I try not to sleep if I'm on an early shift the next day, since I'd have difficultly getting to sleep that night as a result! I aim to be in bed by 9.30pm, but do find it so hard to force myself to bed early. Yet when I've had a good rest I feel like a different person and fly through the morning!

Next day, three alarm clocks in sequential sequence wake me once more and the cycle continues, but with a different jacket! It's all fun and games!