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Talk to pretty much anyone in the TV business these days and you will hear how tired they are of video conferencing.
When COVID-19 first hit, engineering and IT departments worked miracles, allowing the vast majority of employees to do their jobs remotely. Microsoft Teams, Zoom and even our old friend Skype became lifesavers.
The fact stations have been able to function so well with so few people actually in the buildings is a testament to the resilience of an industry that has always been known for its ability to mobilize during emergencies. But emergencies are one thing, multi-month efforts, soon to be a year, are another.
Television stations thrive on shared energy. This is true of every department — sales, news, creative services, even engineering. Everyone who has worked at a major station knows the feeling of electricity that can go through a building after a big win. It’s not like working at a life insurance company, where success comes down to a spreadsheet. Ours is truly a people business.
Talk to any general manager of most any group and they will tell you how proud they are of the way their people have responded. Talk with them long enough and you will begin to hear how tired they are, how much they miss being in the same room with their department heads and staff members. Talk to news directors and you will hear the same thing. Everyone wants this to be over.
Of course, it can’t be over