Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
A day in the life of a TV producer who logs a grueling 12-hour shift - and still makes time to bask in the 'majesty of New York'
A day in the life of a TV producer who logs a grueling 12-hour shift - and still makes time to bask in the 'majesty of New York'
Shana LebowitzMar 15, 2019, 21:21 IST
MSNBC/Colleen King/Samantha Lee/Business Insider
Advertisement
Colleen King is an MSNBC executive producer who's worked on shows such as "Hardball" and "Morning Joe." Today, she works on "The 11th Hour."
Her typical workday runs from noon to midnight and is jam-packed.
She keeps things lively by dispensing candy to coworkers and remembering to stop and take in the New York City views every so often.
Colleen King has been at MSNBC for more than 14 years, during which time she's worked on shows such as "Hardball" and "Morning Joe."
Today, King is an executive producer on "The 11th Hour," overseeing a team of senior producers and booking producers. Part of her job is figuring out which stories to cover and guests to bring on.
Host Brian Williams covers news and politics, like the recent trial of Paul Manafort. The show airs at 11 pm (hence its name), so King's day doesn't wrap up until just after midnight.
"The 11th Hour" is shot within NBC Studios at the world-famous Rockefeller Center, which offers panoramic views of iconic buildings like St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Advertisement
Of her unusual grind, King said, "I've worked nearly every schedule in TV - from weekends to daytimes to overnights. You find a new rhythm on each shift. In this case, the hours are long, but the days are never boring."
Here's what a typical workday looks like for King.
Colleen King is an executive producer on MSNBC's "The 11th Hour." Her typical workday runs from noon to midnight.
King is up and awake long after coworkers have gone home. "This is the only time Rockefeller Plaza is quiet," she said. "It’s just me and the Zamboni driver, Nelson Corporan, making one last lap of the ice for the night to clean the way for morning skaters. Imagine a job where you get to smooth out all your imperfections at the end of the day!"
King wakes up around 8:30 am. That's when she does her errands, like stopping at the dry cleaners, post office, and pharmacy. She also treats herself to a visit to the Three Lives Bookstore, which she described as "a tiny little shop that restores your faith in hard-copy books. It’s one of those quaint West Village corners that appear out of a movie set — you almost expect Hugh Grant to be the store manager."
Next up? Breakfast at Fairfax, in the West Village. "You’ll see screenwriters, authors, and locals holding meetings or hanging out with friends," King said. She orders coffee and eggs and gets to work. "At this point of the morning, I’m emailing with my senior producers and booking producers as we determine whom to invite on the show, and what stories we think might still be important at 11 pm."
King's office has three TV screens and two computer monitors. She hears a "chirp" every time Donald Trump tweets. "My desk gets messier as the day goes on," King said.
Some days King is so busy that she forgets to eat lunch. She runs up to the NBC commissary, grabs a coffee and a snack, then takes in the view of St. Patrick's Cathedral and Saks Fifth Avenue. "Suddenly," she said, "I’m reminded of the majesty of New York."
By mid-afternoon, King has met with her two senior producers and her daytime booker, "so we know exactly who we have and what stories we’re still chasing." At 4 pm, "The 11th Hour" team meets to run through a plan and hand out assignments.
King keeps a candy jar on her desk at all times. "While not the best health decision, it does serve as a gathering place," she said.
"Most nights," King said, "Brian [Williams, host of 'The 11th Hour'] and I are back and forth to each other’s office, with some version of, 'Did you see this?'"
From 7 pm onward, King said "it's go time." Things can get hectic, and King's desk often becomes cluttered. "I have the perfect job for procrastinators, because I face a hard deadline every night!" she said.
Around 10:30 pm, King heads to the control room. Before everyone else arrives, she re-reads scripts and checks Twitter one last time. "Then it’s showtime," she said, "and we’re off to the races!"
The team holds a post-show meeting at 12:05 am. "We run through what we liked, what we didn’t," King said, and (finally!) "wish each other a good night."
