Nothing like the first substantial snow fall of the year to show how desperate for news the local stations really are. First of all, they completely panicked this morning, forecasting a huge storm. So, the local schools closed early so kids could get home early. Community groups canceled shows and meetings early because they were worried. The problem? The big storm didn't show up when it was "supposed to", and now they're saying we won't get the heavy snow until after midnight tonight.

So just for grins, I decided to turn on the 10:00 news tonight and watch. So far we've gotten maybe two inches in Milwaukee so far, but immediately their opening story was "Team Coverage" of the big storm that's coming. They do this every year when we get the first real snow, as if everyone in Wisconsin doesn't know what it's like. Here is the typical formula:

• At least two reporters with microphones out in the field wearing their snow jackets. Generally one stands in front of a salt pile at one of the county depots, while the other stands at a major intersection watching a plow go by and talking about accidents on the freeway.
  
• Video of some poor guy shoveling his sidewalk, while a voice over warns people to take it easy on their backs, and not to over do it. Then they interview him... and he talks about how this is Wisconsin... and we expect the snow.
  
• Video of a person walking their dog, talking about how they've been waiting for the snow for a while. The camera man generally gets down low so the dog can sniff the lens. Isn't that cute?
  
• Video of a 20 something guy (with watch cap and cut short beard of course) talking about what he's going to do tomorrow. Can you guess what that will be? Snowboarding... duh.
  
• Video of a front end loader dumping salt into a salt truck, and then an interview with a guy from the county talking about spreading salt. He gets to do this every year. I'm sure his family video tapes it.

Guaranteed every station will have at least these elements, and they do it every time.

Actually the reason I watched the news was to see some video of a kangaroo they found near Dodgeville. Nobody knows where it came from, but they now have it at a zoo in Madison. I'm sure he's enjoying the snow... they don't get much of that down under.