No Vacation Days For You

We can't take vacation during November. And it's not just us. Basically every station in the country won't allow it's news staff to take vacation during ratings months. So November, February and May are out. No vacation and if you call in sick, you have to have a doctor's excuse.

I've never understood this. I just can't see John and Sally sitting at home with a conversation like this. John: Hey Sally. Can you believe that Carson Clark is off tonight and it's a ratings month. Well I ain't watching them no more.

The viewers don't know it's a ratings month. And when I take vacation in October, wouldn't they be just as much inclined to turn the channel as they would during ratings?

So I propose that news people not get any vacation time. None. Or, we send a photographer to follow everyone on vacation and we have to do stories. For example, Tonight at Five, Amy George's luggage gets lost at the airport or Tonight at Ten, Jerry Hayes cleans out his gutters.