Image provided by: Friends of the Sandy Public Library; Sandy, OR
About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 1977)
Thur«.. July 7. 1877 (Sac. 2) SANDY (Ora.) POST - 15 B EFO R E RICK Metsger deliver» sporU new* live Io area television audiemes on weekend», he rehearses with a stop watch. Kick doesn’t memorize his script because he found that gets him In "trouble " RICK M E T S G E R . KO IN television weekend sports broadcaster, is on air. Preparation of news script, practice for timing and last minute grooming lead up to the brief time on air. Live into your living room The room buzzes with noise Teletype machine« clack School teacher. Is happy when he has pre The floor director shouts the time Camera« are moved around by a floor crew checking different angles Rick Metsger sits at the KOIN television sports desk and practices his script aloud, preparing for his brief air «pot It s 10.80 p m and he’s nervous As the minutes tick down, the weekend sports broadcaster does some last minute p rlm p ii* In front of a m irror he keeps in his desk At exactly 11 p m the camera cuts to a live shot of the newsroom and the show is under way. Rick, a 1WW Centennial High School graduate and former Sam Barlow High show jitters, "When I ’m nervous, I do OK," Rick said with a smile ’’When I ’m confident I blow It” Is he conscious of the television audience as he delivers the latest sports news’ "When I was first on the air. I did feel all those people at home watching m e." he remembered ’’Now I ’m just talking to the camera " Rick landed his job as a sports reporter with a top 25 market television station in an unusual way. " I ’m not really the best example of how moat people get a job on television,’’ he said His was a case of being remembered at the right Ume. "1 was coaching and teaching at Lewis and Clark College when I decided I didn't want to continue teaching I went to see Ted Bryant, news director here, in December 1875 I knew his son because I was trying to recruit him for basketball. " Rick told Bryant he would like toqpme in and talk about the business "A fte r we talked at length, he said it was essentially impossible to break into a large m arket station without working your way up through smaller stations. "M y wife Kay (Lauderback), who graduated from Barlow in 1970, has a great Job at the University of Oregon Medical School, and I wasn’t anxious to leave the area.” Rick had abandoned further thought of a broadcasting career until he received a call from Bryant a year later “ He said he had an opening in the sports department and asked me if I wanted to audition " Rick was offered the job in late January. "They really stuck their neck out to hire m e," Rick said " I hardly knew what a cam era was ” He has learned quickly. He came on the job as the T ra il Blaters approached the play-off series. Brian Drees, the main sports reporter for Channel 6. ac companied the Blazers while Rick held down the fort at the studio " I didn’t really have to do much with a great story like that," he said " I t was hectic, though." When CBS neglected to give locker room coverage after the championship game, K O IN decided they had better do a special as soon as possible " I found out at 11 a m. Monday morning that I would do it that night," Rick said, shaking his head "W e really had to put SJ’ our tails to the grindstone "E ven when we went on a ir I wasn’t sure how much time it would take It might have been s h o rt-b u t it came off well " Rick’s work day starts at 10 a m. on weekdays He is the sports anchorman on Saturday and Sunday with shows at 5 and 11 p m . "On weekdays I come and prepare film and stories for B rian," he said Rick is not necessarily assigned stories — he is responsible for bringing in his own. "W h e n I'm in the field w ith a cameram an, my first job is to interview the principal party Then I talk to the camera person to give him an idea of the story for the cover film . "Once the cameraman gets the idea, it ’s isiually up to him to create the visual scene He’s the professional. For example, he might film a person storting out of track blocks which would be used with the voice of a coach 1.IFF. IN a lelevlsl«» newsroom I« generally disciplined, but a sense of humor Is never «mt of place. Rick Metsger takes a ;//a ' break while editing his copy for the I I p.m. Munday news. "Sometimes the film saves the story by telling it," Rick said " In the case of a meeting, it can be the other way around Rick has learned about interview techniques "There are good and bad interviews." he said. " I try to ask questions that w ill put people at ease The worst questions are ones that require just yes and no answers " I try to make people evaluate their own answers. If they give a short answer, L . M Aw ? might ask them what they mean Jack Ramsey is a super interview. Rick said. "H e's concise’ and articulate. Brian T iler of the Tim bers is good, too — he tells you what you need to know " Before each show, Rick writes up his stories He then rehearses with a stop watch, since timing is essential He also has to make himself up "Y o u ’re* responsible for how bad you look," he said with a laugh Rick has had some close calls with timing. One night he didn’t know the final score of his lead story "The Mavericks' game was still going on when the show started I kept waiting for the phone call with the score, but it didn t come "Just as I was finishing the report, it was handed to me Rick didn t pause as he said "And thev went on to win 9 to t." He is his own biggest critic He reviews each show when he's finished. " I can pick up a lot of little things that way. I tend to talk too fast," he said. "One night I may be bouncing around Rick has avoided any bad bloopers on a ir "1 used the wrong tense when ad libbing once." Ratings at K O IN have been high while Rick has been with the station. "That means we’U all keep our Jobs for a couple months." he smiled One of Rick’s biggest fans is his mother, Velm a Hall, a Gresham High School secretory His father. John Metsger, is postmaster in Sandy, where Rick attended grade school Rick thanks his proverbial "lucky stars for the chance at being a sports broacE caster He wants to stay in TV sports "N o one ever calls you out of the blue like that," he said He recommends a more conventional route for persons interested • in the field " I t ’s .easier to get on in a smaller m arket, A person should be willing to write, film , edit or just help out. You've got to have initiative "A n internship through school is a good experience So is radio work Then when you want to move to a bigger market, you'll have credibility.” IF YOU look bad on camera. It’s your own fault. Weekend television »port» reporter Rick Metsger. longtime area resident, makes a few last minute adjustments before he steps into the newsroom. story by V icki Irwin photos by Douglas G antenbein
