"Power Lunch" Producer Gives inside Look at how Popular Business Show is Put Together

Finding the financial angle to every story is part of the daily debate and analysis that goes into producing the highly rated CNBC show. Arun Khosla gives BusinessJournalism.org a blow-by-blow account.

Today's program actually begins nearly 24 hours before it goes on the air. After our program wraps up at 2 p.m., I attend an editorial meeting, where I and other "Power Lunch" producers and representatives from the assignment desk discuss what stories CNBC will be covering the next day. Key economic data, earnings releases, and scheduled speeches from Fed officials are all listed in the daily handout passed out at the meeting. But apart from being a forum to discuss set events and scheduled earnings and economic releases, this meeting provides an opportunity for producers to discuss new ideas and trends. These discussions often lead to informative debates among producers, which generate ideas we then incorporate into our coverage the next day.

After the editorial meeting, it's off to a separate meeting with the Power Lunch segment producers and anchors. It is during this meeting that the basic skeleton or outline of the show is formed. We go through each segment of the program, aiming to create an ideal mix of top stories, provocative debates and features. I love that business news allows my show to cover a variety of topics. The world is run by business and you don't have to look far to find a story.

One of the keys to making "Power Lunch" a success at CNBC is finding a financial angle to every story, while making it compelling for the viewer. Our 'A' block at the top of the broadcast may lead with breaking news on the release of the Philadelphia Fed Survey. But then we can switch gears and talk football with former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka and ask him how the recent hiring/firing of NFL coaches is similar to the debate over hiring contracts for CEOs.

On the day of the program, I'm still on the lookout for possible story ideas. I have to be open to the fact that any news item, even if it occurs one minute before "Power Lunch" goes on the air, can become our lead story and force me to change the entire rundown. Also in the hours ahead of the program, I start taking a closer look at its timing. Like most television networks, we take commercial breaks at the top and bottom of each hour. It is my responsibility to make sure that I time out each segment properly in order to meet those breaks. As a producer, I often feel the clock is my worst enemy because I am constantly juggling the timing demands of one story versus that of another.

Once "Power Lunch" goes on the air, I will serve as another set of eyes and ears for our anchors. "Power Lunch" is unique at CNBC because, instead of being shot at a traditional anchor desk, its entire two hours is shot within the newsroom. I need to constantly communicate to our anchors what's coming up next, where they need to stand, and if there are any changes to the rundown. This constant level of communication is crucial to building a sense of trust between an anchor and a producer. How well a producer and anchor communicate becomes most evident during breaking news situations. Sometimes the anchors are not near a computer when they are delivering breaking news and I am literally reading to them wire copy as they break the news to viewers. These high-stress situations provide me the most satisfaction because being the first newscast to break a story is something to which every producer aspires.

While I am the one talking directly to the anchors, there is a very dynamic team concept at work during each program. Each member of the team plays a crucial role in making sure "Power Lunch" makes it to air without any mistakes -- whether it's a segment producer booking guests, a technical director punching up the right split screen with reporters, or the camera person making sure the shot is steady. I'm in the enviable position of dealing with everyone on both the editorial and technical side of "Power Lunch." I basically serve as the quarterback for the entire program. We have several players who need to execute the play successfully in order for each segment to work and help us score a touchdown. The hardest part, but also one of the most crucial, is directing traffic to make sure everyone is on the same page and knows what's coming next. There's nothing more frustrating than a shot or segment not making it to air because there was a breakdown in communication. Once the clocks strikes 2 p.m. and we toss to "Street Signs," it's off to lunch and then planning for tomorrow - we have 22 hours and counting.

Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism