News or no news, something has to fill the broadcasts

The news never stops. Even when there seemingly isn’t any.

Christmas Day is typically a day of rest for criminals, businesses and government offices. But not for some journalists, who are still expected to file a story — any story.

“It takes imagination. You have to be creative. And you have to dig and plan ahead,” said Susan Davies, environment and weather reporter for KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs.

Tuesday afternoon, the skeleton crew at KOAA went over the schedule for 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.

“We have a Gazette reporter here to see all the news we have for today,” Davies said into a telephone speaker, with producers Sharon Brandman and Daneya Esgar on the receiving end.

“Oh jeez. All none of it?” one of the producers responded.

The pickings were slim. The police scanners fell silent. Even the snow wasn’t all that newsworthy, wreaking havoc almost everywhere in Colorado but Colorado Springs.

Among the stories to be aired: a re- worked version of a report that aired last month on transmitter bracelets for people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other health conditions; an update on the climate forecast in Colorado; and the Miracle on Tejon Street at the Old Chicago restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs.

“That’s the old standby,” photojournalist Gene Cotton said of the annual charity event. “Can’t go wrong.”

Reporter David Tauchen had another possible story idea about The Salvation Army, but he told his producers he couldn’t get ahold of anyone. Instead, he covered the Miracle on Tejon Street.

“You can’t call people on Christmas, you can’t barge into people’s doors and it’s not a working day,” he said. “And unless it’s breaking news, I don’t think people want to see anything bad. They want to see Christmas cheer on Christmas.”

Davies tried to make the best of Christmas Day. Instead of spending the holiday at home with her family, she got to eat 3-day-old leftovers, stay away from the new family pet lizard and see her story on the transmitter bracelets run first in the newscast. She said her report would have been buried late in the program most other nights.

She was also given an extra minute for her story for a total of two minutes and 37 seconds of air time.

“In television, that’s unheard of,” she said. “But that’s the silver lining of working on Christmas: You get to be a little more creative. You can always find something. There is never no news.”

CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-4813 or kim.nguyen@gazette.com