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Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism University of Southern California
ALUMNI

Ernest Kung

Class of 2004, Bachelor's



Survey

What were your duties at ATVN? :
I made a lot of graphics. I was the Art Director for about four years. 
In addition, I was a producer, along with serving as an associate director in the control room. I should say, I enjoyed every moment of it. Many people will tell you they lived their lives at ATVN… I was no exception. Sometimes I was in the newsroom before people arrived, sometimes I was the last one to leave. I can say I learned a lot every moment I worked there.


How did ATVN prepare you for your career?:
For me, it all started with the two-credit course, J210X, Basics of Broadcast Newsroom Production. I was hooked from day one. I relished the hard work, and I truly appreciated the group effort it took to put on a great newscast.

As I look back today, my time at ATVN is so interesting to me as technology changes so quickly. As automation becomes the norm in our industry, it's incredibly helpful to remember how each of the positions used to work. There are things that are possible in live TV news production that a computer will never tell you about. The real challenge these days is to see if you can get a computer to do what was possible before, and occasionally even improve on what a human operator could have done.



Describe your typical workday including assignments, workload and deadlines.:

I work the overnight shift five days a week, and people call me a "vampire." I produce newscasts as assigned, currently it's the weekend morning shows. I also write for the weekday morning shows. The deadlines are always short. It's always a challenge to balance quality versus speed.



What are the most common news stories in your market? :

There are a lot of crime and entertainment stories. It's a treat when we get a story that breaks the mold.



What do you enjoy most about your job? What makes it worthwhile?:
What makes you think I enjoy my job? Get out, get out now! (Just kidding.)
The hours are often tough, the pace is fast, and the pay is often low; but if you work with great people and the product truly serves the greater public — the job can be infinitely rewarding. It's just like at ATVN, I will always appreciate a whole-hearted group effort to put on a great newscast.
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