What better place to kick off our clippings from the newsroom floor than from an actual newsroom. The advertising recession and changing technology has brought the one man band concept to New Mexico television news. KRQE-TV 's recent newsroom hires are of the "one man band" variety or, if you will, the "one woman band. That word confirmed by KRQE news director Forest Carr.

The new reporters are known as "VJ's" and instead of just doing writing and reporting, they do it all. They report, write, shoot, and record sound, then edit the video on a laptop computer and transmit the story back to the station--typically using a broadband cellular modem rather than a traditional microwave truck.

Stations are able to save money by eliminating cameramen and maybe other newsroom positions. Other ABQ TV stations are expected to follow suit, if hey aren't already. Will loading up one person with all these duties mean a decline in the quality of the news broadcast? Probably not, but what will and is hurting TV news is simply fewer people being around to report the news. The same problem the newspapers are having. But a leaner era will also bring a new breed of young reporters who are trained to multi-task from the start of their careers.

Meanwhile, for all of you laid off reporters, have we got a job for you. Sandia Labs in ABQ is looking for a communications specialist. That sounds like a rare opening and a high paying one at that. Here's the link to apply. Good luck.

CARLOS AND JEROME

Quite a bit of e-mail on the statements we carried Thursday from Dem State Senator Carlos Cisneros regarding the prosecution of Dem NM Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block on eight felony counts. First, what Cisneros said:

Several legislators...are questioning whether the eight felony counts contained in the indictment against Block are warranted, since he already paid an $11,700 fine to the Secretary of State's Office for improper public campaign expenditures.

“You can't convict a person twice,” said Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa. “If it's the same (allegation), he should not have to defend himself again. Whether he gets convicted or not, I think it needs to be addressed.

Attorney Helen Laura Lopez was one of several who responded and who said Block can be prosecuted for both civil and criminal violations and gave examples:

A person can be convicted and penalized for DWI in criminal court and still lose his driver's license in an administrative process and additionally have his car forfeited in another proceeding....A drug dealer can be convicted and punished for drug offenses in criminal court and have cash and car forfeited in administrative proceedings. A candidate can be fined in an administrative proceeding and still be prosecuted in a criminal proceeding. Courts say it is not double jeopardy because one is civil and one is criminal....

BLOGGING WITH VAL--OR NOT

We could have wisely joined the ABQ Journal's Bruce Daniels and taken his "no Val Kilmer coverage pledge" until Val actually says something consequential about running or not running for the 2010 Dem Guv nomination, but we like living on the edge. Thursday we fell off the no-Kilmer-coverage wagon and blogged of a blog that we said was "apparently" authored by Kilmer. It turns out it is the blog of ardent Kilmer fan Shelli Carlisle who has in the past helped promote Kilmer's work, but not on a paid basis according to e-mail we received from Val's Webmaster, Jacque Talboy. And Shellie also e-mailed:

"Hi Joe, there has been a misconception that Val Kilmer--The Real Deal is Val's blog. I am so sorry for the confusion, it is not Val's blog, it is my blog. Val has absolutely nothing to do with it, the quotes are from various past interviews. Please pass that along to your readers...

Shelli's blog is affiliated with a lifestyle magazine called, Living Life...Boomer Style." We thought we might be be getting baby boomer eyes because right there on the blog is a disclaimer saying it is not Kilmer's, but Shelli says she added that note only after we identified it as a possible Kilmer authored blog.

Thanks to reporter Heath Haussamen for helping track this one down. We regret that the New Mexican's Steve Terrell picked up from us the "Not Val Kilmer Blog." Now he is demanding we buy him a double order of enchiladas at The Shed to appease him. But fear not, the Val watch will go on! Why? Now that's an existential question.

THE BOTTOM LINES

The week started out here with the news that Big Bill was spotted at a Lt. Gov. Diane Denish fund-raiser, not something you expect to see everyday considering the frosty relationship they have had. Tuesday we came with the fresh news that allies of Senate Majority Leader Sanchez do not want him counted out as a possible 2010 Guv candidate and on Wednesday we received confirmation of our sports exclusive from a week or so ago that cyclist Lance Armstrong would be in New Mexico for the Gila racing event. Quite a bit of La Politica for the slow season....

This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author