Argus-Leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota • Page 21

1C Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D. Friday, March 31, 1978 O-Land' ising and trying to shine in 'KEl By MARSHALL FINE Argus-Leader Staff Writer At 5:30 a.m. March 23, the only show in town is in the KELO-TV studios. And that show, "Good Morning KELO-Land," is still an hour away. Outside, frost decorates windows and lawns; the streets are deserted except for an occasional car.

Inside the KELO newsroom, the only sounds are the clack of the teletype and the uneven rhythms of two typewriters, accompanied by "America the Beautiful," which pipes from a TV set in the corner. s-11 i (Mb li yj; ill) ig -t'ir I I ZZZ? Lb fj i -A )i i'T -A mmmmammmmmmmmmmk f-'t-- i rmrlft i i in mi "This has changed my whole life style," says Sheri Brown, one of the three anchors for "Good Morning KELO-Land." "I'm up by 3 and here by 3:30. So I go to bed at 8 o'clock at night. Social life? What's a social life?" Across the desk, Joe Cooper begins shuffling scripts for the morning's show. Cooper, the show's producer and the second of its anchors, also had trepidations about the early morning routine when he began this show last August.

"I really thought it would be difficult," Cooper says. "In 30 years of broadcasting, I had always been a night person. My days usually ended at 10:30 p.m. or midnight. I thought it would be a problem to do a complete about-face.

But it hasn't been. I find that I really enjoy getting up at that time. It's a new day then. There's something about starting at the very beginning of the day that gives you the extra momentum to get things done." At 5:35 a.m., the jarring theme to "Sunrise Semester" emanates from the television in the corner. Ms.

Brown glances at the clock: "Is it that time already?" She hands the last of her scripts to Cooper and heads off to apply her makeup changes your perspective to put on makeup at 5:30 in the morning," she says). Cooper stares for a moment at Dr. Benjamin Beder-son, the New York University professor who is delivering the lecture on television. "The ICBM," the professor drones, has an adequate range to reach any point in the world with a 40-kiloton capability." "Sometimes it's boring, sometimes it's interesting," Cooper says, watching for a moment before returning to his scripts. The process of putting together a daily early morning news show begins at 3:30 a.m.

at KELO, but 5:30 a.m. is the beginning of crunch time. By 5:30, all stories and introductions must be typed. By 6 a.m., Cooper tries to have the scripts arranged in the order they will be read. He then gives a copy to director Scott Burri, who will coordinate the script with videotapes, films, commercials and color-keyed background visuals for the show.

Cooper halts in mid-shuffle, looking perplexedly at the stack of carbon copies before him. "Okay, where did I screw up?" he asks aloud. "To summarize this brief but no doubt depressing says Dr. Bederson on the television. All becomes clear to Cooper: "I didn't screw up," he decides, finding the pages he had been missing.

In assembling the show, Cooper and Brown aim at providing a service for viewer, with a focus on early risers like themselves. "If you're up this early, you're probably in bed at a reasonable hour," Cooper said. "So to those people, the news, and particularly the weather, are important factors at this time of day. We want to help fill people in on A multitude of screens show various camera shots in the control room Lloyd B. Cunningham.) during the daily production of "Good Morning by the weather, on road conditions, school closings, things like that." The idea was kicked around for several months before it was handed over to Cooper and his staff for final development last summer.

"We wanted to augment the 'CBS Morning he said. "That show tends to skimp on regional news; we wanted to give people local, area and state news, weather and sports." At 6 a.m., Cooper has arranged the scripts in the order he wants them on the show and marked them for technical cues and for who will read each item. He lays them out on a counter to compile the numerous duplicates into scripts. Ms. Brown joins him.

Jerry Jans, who this morning is replacing regular anchor Jim Woster, walks into the newsroom. Jans looks less than wide awake. For a nonregular to the early morning routine, the pre-dawn hour can be as enjoyable as shaving with a dull razor. On the corner TV, a minister is offering a "Thought for Today." Cooper notices Jans for the first time. "When did you come in?" Cooper asks.

"You were a little rushed," Jans says. "What else is new?" Cooper replies. Seeing the minister on the tube, Jans asks, "Where's I can't miss my hero." "He's coming, he's coming," Cooper says, still sorting scripts. To Ms. Brown he adds, "Just make sure we don't lose any.

We'll be all right. We've got plenty of time. Keep plugging." By 6:10 a.m., the pace has quickened perceptibly, out not so much that Ms. Brown doesn't notice when the TV preacher says, "Since those of you who feel an utter Ms. Brown looks up and giggles.

"Udder loss?" At 6:12 a.m., a story comes across the teletype which Cooper feels should be on the show. He gives it to Ms. Brown for a rewrite, then decides where to place it in the script. "This will be page lO'i," he announces. By 6:17 a.m., the script is ready.

With 13 minutes until airtime, Cooper and Ms. Brown light cigarettes and relax for a moment. Cooper hums along to the theme for "Rocky and Bullwinkle." "Don't take pictures of me smoking," Ms. Brown tells KELO Continued on page 5C -1 i. a ft i jmmmm it -rr; 4i 1 Henry David Thoreau (Dave Welch, left) expounds on "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," which opened point to fellow prisoner Bailey jwooay larocn; in inursaay.

see review, page v. Sherl Brown and Joe Cooper tort tcrlpu during preparation for their morning newt (how. (Photo by Lloyd B. Cunningham.) scene from the community riaynouse proaucuon oi.