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It’s nearly 4:30 a.m. on a Tuesday at the NBC Action News station in Kansas City. The anchors, Christa Dubill and Curtis Jay, as well as the meteorologist, Brett Anthony, add the final touch-ups to themselves to look camera- ready. The two camera men give the signal as the teleprompter sits ready at the computer. Minutes later, the newscast begins, and the team works to ensure a flawless broadcast.

Ashley Muffit, teleprompter operator, communicates on a headset with the director of the show. Mufit is one of the many “behind the scenes” workers who help make the broadcast run without errors.

‘When we lost the live feed from the reporter on the street today, the director was immediately in my ear saying I needed to advance the teleprompter,’ Muffitt said.

As the show rolls, the anchors, weatherman, reporters and pre-recorded clips are all scripted together. The cameramen tell the anchors when they are going on air, if they will be both seen and heard and what the angle of the camera will be. Dubill and Anthony plan out a staged moment of playful banter to lead in a polar bear story.

During breaks, the anchors review upcoming stories on their iPads. They query the producer to ensure the facts are correct.

‘If the teleprompters go down we have our iPads next to us with the script for the entire show.

We used to have to rely on giant stacks of paper,’ Dubill said.

Next door is the director’s room containing computers, a soundboard and tv screens that

display the broadcast, competitor stations and the remote reporters. Operating there are the director Brent Laster; the morning producer Lauren Fischer; the computer graphics manager Sean Clark, and the technical director Drew Schauner.

‘I come in at 11 the night before every show to research and develop stories. I get my news from CNN, Google, police scanners and national AP wires,’ Fischer said.

Fischer also creates the show’s rundown, communicates with reporters and directs the traffic officer Major Miles.

‘We have our reporters come in at 3:00 AM in the morning and we give them an hour to review their stories. Then we send them out onto the streets,’ Fischer said.

Fischer admits she struggles to find content on slow news days, and that breaking news is challenging, because she has to reassign reporters.

‘One of my reporters was doing a story on the city budget, and I had to send her to a stabbing,’ Fischer said. ‘Then, another reporter was [reporting] live from a farmer’s market, and I had to pull him to cover a house fire.’

Fischer is in charge of re-directing the team when something goes wrong. During the show, when the live shot of a reporter failed, Fischer had to get in the anchor’s ear and tell her to improvise. She also made an error during the scheduled Major Miles traffic report.

‘We are the only TV station Major Miles works for, but he also works for radio stations. We

accidentally called him during his radio broadcast. We just have to move on,’ Fischer said.

When the show ends at around 7:00 a.m., the team’s day is not over yet.

‘After every show we go to the post-meeting where the team gathers and talks about

what we did wrong and right, and what we can improve on for tomorrow,’ Dubill said.

At the post-meeting the team mentions the anchors not being ready at certain times. They also discuss losing the reporter, and not being able to reach Major Miles.

Fischer laughs when asked what she will be doing after the show.

‘After I write my web stories, I will definitely be going to bed,’ she said.