Amy, Janice Huff, and Rob Shuter have fun! 
Did you ever wonder what goes on before a live TV show actually goes on the air?? A lot is the answer!! I mean, of course the bigger the show, the more that goes on, but yesterday on our set we were running around before and during the show, and it got me thinking. I should tell you guys how our show is put together.. What really goes on behind the scenes before you all see it at 3pm when everyone looks beautiful and all seems so orderly!!
Live TV is by far (to me) the most challenging and the most exciting type of TV to work on. You are flying by the seat of your pants during the show and if you make a mistake there is no edit room to go into to fix it before the viewers see it.
Every morning we have a production meeting in our office at 8am (which is across the street from 30 Rock). The production meeting is a time for everyone on the staff to throw out ideas that would be good for our A block. The A block is more of what’s going on in the world. (Not the hard news world, the pop culture world).
We usually have 4 taped pieces in our A block, which are edited by REALLY talented young editors who are amazingly fast and creative. (Everyone is young to me these days!).
I really like music and I think it adds so much to a piece, so the editors know that they have to chose music that I like and music that our audience will like and hopefully know! It keeps me up with all the new songs which give me brownie points with my kids!
Our B block is usually a celebrity and a local NY story (food, restaurants, etc) I am telling you, I am not a foodie, but I have learned so much about where to eat, what to eat.. blah blah blah… Let me brag here a little, and it has nothing to do with me.. but our show gets REALLY GREAT celebrities for a local show. A show like the Today Show or GMA, well that’s a no brainer that a celeb and their PR people would want them to appear on their shows, but we are a local NY show and we get most of the same guests as the big shows, and that’s really a tribute to our little show!! Every Celeb that leaves says the same thing.. “It’s so much fun here!’.
The C block of our show usually has fashion. We love fashion and believe me, it’s the only way that I know the trends and can keep up! Lilliana, Lauren and Raina are great on this beat! Broadway is a HUGE part of our show and I am so proud of how we have covered it for the past 3 years. It’s such an important part of NYC, and we have had most of the biggest stars on Broadway in our little studio! Kuddos to the producers! (KAT AND HANNAH)
The D block is usually Ben Aaron (who is so creative, it’s CRAZY!!) and maybe another pop culture piece.
The E block is such a fav of mine cause it’s gossip with Rob Shuter, who I adore!!! Rob started out on our show maybe once a week and now I MUST have him here everyday or my day is not complete!Its good to be the Exec Producer!
Anyway, after the meeting is over, the editors are assigned what pieces they will edit. The reporters, Ben, Siafa, Lilianna, Raina, Lauren, Joelle will go out and shoot their stories all over NY and make their magic!
All day in our office the producers work on their segments. They write the clever scripts that Jane, Jacque and Sara voice over when they arrive. (They are not in as early as we worker bees!) Sorry, I have to give a little shout out to the behind the scenes people. Jane, Jacque and Sara come in about 9:30 and are briefed by the producers as to who’s on the show and what they should know. Jane is a nut when it comes to preparation. She reads every book, article, scrap of paper to get background on a guest. This is a compliment Jane!! ANAL!!!!
At 1pm Jane, Jacque and Sara go across the street to 3o Rock to start with their hair and makeup. Rob is just so naturally beautiful, he needs very little makeup. Maybe just a little mascara!!!
At 2:30 Nick and I go into the edit room to see the taped pieces that will air that day..CRUNCH TIME.. ONLY A HALF HOUR FROM SHOWTIME! Nick and I make little changes, and decide what order those first 4 pieces should air .
We call Terri in the control room at 30 Rock and tell her the order. She is the line producer and keeps the show on time! I would NEVER be able to do that job! And, remember it’s live TV so if a guest comes on (like Joan Rivers) and I am loving the segment, I just say, “keep this going, we will cut something out later in the show!”. Drives the control room crazy!! Sorry, but I think if something is fun and working on tv, you should just keep going!
In the meantime, The fab producers, Morgan, Jessica, Jeannine and Jen handle all the craziness of the live guests which we have on the show every day! And believe me, there have been some DIVAS coming thru our studio and it’s not all peaches and cream before they smile when the red light on the camera goes on!!
I used to go to the control room, but I am a producer who loves to be on the studio floor during the show. More fun!!!
Nick stays back in the office during the show cause he’s such a hard worker and he begins to plan for the next day. ANAL!!!
During the commercial breaks is fun. Jane applies lipstick, and researches more!! New guests are coming and going, the interns are mingling in the studio and Richard our floor manager, whom I have come to love, is crazy running around, trying to keep order, which I say, he should just throw his hands up in the air and say “I give up! . Hayley, our star PA is busy running around trying to make EVERYONE happy (impossible) taking pictures (that u see everyday) and trying trying to keep Richard happy! Hayley STOP TRYING!!
Anyway, an hour later, the show is over. What you see is what you get. Mistakes, bloopers, laughs, the real deal. We all walk out together, say goodnight and try and have some sort of personal life!! NOT EASY!!
And remember, if you too want to be a part of this crazy world of on air TV- Jane Hanson and I are running a TV 101 bootcamp (we will be nice!)
August 4th – time and place and price to be determined.(not expensive)
let me know if you’re interested.. Amy@RosenblumTV.com
Stay cool today! xo
(Hayley Rowe star PA) 
(Morgan Landau star producer)
I loved this — and of all my years a publicist working taped and live TV, live is my favorite for the same reasons. Love that you have the power to roll with something good when your gut tells you. If you ever need another pair of hands, let me know. I love live TV
Thanks Barbara.
Did you know the show is cancelled as of sept?? oyyyyy! what can I say?????? thanks for reading the blog!
Yes, I did read the blog that said it was cancelled – but knowing you – you’ll not stop working for 5 minutes
You’ll be somewhere else soon where they also let you roll with your instinct!
This is a really fun look at what happens behind the scenes everyday. I’m really in awe of how NY Live’s production staff can come up with so many creative live segment blocks every single day. You’ve really zeroed in on what I will miss most about this show. I’ll miss the anchors and reporters, but I know they will pop up on LX TV and other NBC news shows. What I will REALLY miss are the local food, fashion, film, book, and broadway segments. I have lists of restaurants, shops, designers, movies, and plays I want to go to because I found out about them on NY Live. Surfing through New York, Time Out New York, and the Times for local stuff just won’t be as productive or fun. That is a niche that your show really filled and your departure will leave a huge void.
Thanks for writing to me. Such a nice email. I will also REALLY miss doing the show. What can I say??? Not my choice!!!!! i really appreciate your words. Very nice! Amy