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CBS 2 news director Nancy Bauer Gonzales is well-known to LA Observed readers as the stickliest control freak to run a Los Angeles newsroom. Her memos banning scents and critiquing messy desks are legend. The station's impending move out of Hollywood to new digs in Studio City is bringing out an even more neatnik side. Gonzales' latest decree treats Channel 2/9 professionals like teenagers (OK, maybe defensible — it is TV) but violates hoary journalism tradition by fordbidding the possession or use of coffee and/or bagels in the newsroom. No one would have dared to tell Ed Murrow not to grow mold in discarded coffee mugs on his CBS desk, by God (or flick ashes from his Chesterfields on the carpet, but that's for another memo.)
From a source at Columbia Square:
From: Bauer, Nancy
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 6:20 PM
To: @KCBSTV Staff; @KCAL TV All Staff
Subject: PLEASE READ
A few housekeeping notes about OUR BRAND SPANK' IN NEW NEWSROOM!!!!! We ask that you please follow these simple rules.1. As most of you have seen, we now have plenty of room. Nearly every person has a desk of their own. From now on please sit at your own desk. We want you to experience the next round of rehearsals from your own desk. If there is not a computer installed, please find me and I will relocate you for the day. I would like to ask all employees to respect the assigned seating and their co-workers' workplace. Daily hire producer/writer desks are clearly marked. If you are a daily hire producer/writer, please sit at one of those desks. We have also created several positions in the newsroom on the south side of the assignment desk for all others who do not have a dedicated desk. (promo writers, photographers, directors, etc.) I also ask that if you are sitting in one of those designated spaces and you are not working directly on a show, to please vacate that seat for a person who is performing duties for on-air product. This rule is in effect 24 hours around the clock, regardless of your position or shift.
2. Your desk in the newsroom is to remain clean and streamlined. A picture or two in a frame on your desk is fine, but that is it. Your purse, lunch, bag, etc. should go in one of your drawers. Nothing is to be taped to the glass. The glass will be cleaned each night and if there is anything taped to it, it will be thrown away.
3. If you have an office, or sit with others in an office, it is to remain clean and streamlined. I need to approve anything you hang on your walls, but I also want that to be kept to a minimum. I need to approve all plants and living things. Do not let junk sit on your floor near the windows. When you leave for the night or the weekend, please open your blinds all the way to the top so that the sun comes in for the folks in the newsroom.
4. NO FOOD OR DRINK (except water) IS ALLOWED IN THE NEWSROOM, OFFICES, CONFERENCE ROOM OR CONTROL ROOMS.
Obviously the point of all of this is that Don and the company have built us the most beautiful newsroom most of us will ever work in and we want to show our respect and thanks by keeping it that way. There will be more procedural memos to come about parking, mail and coffee areas. We are working on all of them now and will get info to you as soon as possible. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Caps are hers. Can't wait for the parking memo.