KMEL-13

KMEL-13: THE STATION

Location: Fairview, Illinois
Building: Single-story, gray cinderblock television and radio station
Primary Function: Independent local television broadcasting and community-produced programming.
Operating Hours: KMEL-TV operates on a variable production and broadcast schedule. KMEL 96.9 FM broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An overnight radio announcer is normally present even after the television studios close.
Broadcast Services: KMEL-TV, Channel 13; KMEL 96.9 FM, “The Camel” — Where Every Day Is Hump Day! Radio format: Classic Rock and the Hits of Today!
Transmission Tower: 300 feet.
Television Broadcast Range: Approximately 35 miles under normal conditions, with fringe reception extending to 50 miles. FM reception varies with terrain and receiving equipment.

APPROACHING THE STATION
     The county road climbs steadily through the surrounding countryside, passing cornfields, scattered farmhouses, and stands of trees.
     Near the top of the hill, the trees thin out.
     Ahead, a tall steel television transmission tower rises against the sky. Red aviation warning lights blink at intervals along its length. Guy wires stretch away from the structure, disappearing into the darkness.
     Beside the tower stands a squat, rectangular building constructed from gray cinderblocks. It is thoroughly unremarkable, except for the bright red neon sign mounted above the entrance.
KMEL-13
     A smaller sign beside the front doors identifies the building as a public-access television station.
     The gravel parking lot can accommodate perhaps a dozen vehicles, although it rarely contains more than three or four.
     There are no decorative gardens, no carefully manicured lawns, and certainly no architectural flourishes. A few hardy shrubs struggle along the foundation.

     A pair of metal doors provides the main entrance.

    At night, fluorescent lights shine through the windows, casting pale rectangles across the gravel.

     Somewhere overhead, the tower's warning lights continue their slow, rhythmic blinking.

1. THE FRONT ENTRANCE AND RECEPTION
     The glass doors open into a modest reception area.
     The first thing visitors notice is the smell.
     Not an unpleasant smell, exactly. Just the peculiar combination of industrial floor cleaner, old carpeting, coffee, and the faint electrical odor associated with television equipment.
     Fluorescent lights hum overhead. Against the left wall stands a reception desk equipped with a telephone, a battered typewriter, an appointment calendar, and several stacks of paperwork. There is no receptionist.

     A small sign on the desk reads:
PLEASE RING BELL FOR ASSISTANCE
     The bell is missing.

     Behind the desk stands a filing cabinet, a cork bulletin board, and a shelf holding old telephone directories.
     The bulletin board carries a mixture of official announcements, handwritten messages, and notices for upcoming station events.
     A few are considerably out of date.
Visitors who wait long enough will eventually attract someone's attention, although that person is just as likely to be a television personality in full costume as an actual station employee.

The Trophy Case
     Along the wall opposite the reception desk stands a long, glass-fronted display cabinet. It contains trophies, plaques, certificates, and other memorabilia accumulated during the station's history.
     Some commemorate legitimate broadcasting achievements. Others celebrate community events, charity fundraisers, and local competitions.
A few awards are so obscure that their significance is difficult to determine.
     The cabinet is illuminated from within by a row of small lights. Its glass doors are secured by a simple lock.
     The display is a source of considerable pride for the station, even if most visitors barely glance at it. The glass is kept polished and remains highly reflective.

2. THE MAIN HALLWAY

     Beyond reception, a long corridor runs across the building, providing access to the four studios and the station's supporting facilities.
     The floor consists of square commercial tiles, polished just enough to reflect the overhead fluorescent lighting. The walls are painted a dull institutional beige.
     Framed photographs hang at irregular intervals. Some depict local celebrities visiting the station. Others show past employees, community events, and various television productions. A particularly faded photograph commemorates the station's opening.
     Several ceiling tiles have been replaced over the years, and the replacements do not quite match the originals.
     Electrical conduits and ventilation ducts run above the suspended ceiling.
     The corridor is usually quiet during broadcasts. However, it is never entirely silent. There is the distant murmur of television monitors, the occasional mechanical click of equipment, and the persistent hum of the ventilation system.
When one of the studio doors opens, music, conversation, or laughter may briefly spill into the hallway.
     The four studio entrances occupy the northern side of the corridor. From west to east: Studios A, B, C, and D.
The videotape library, break room, station manager’s office, restrooms, radio record library, radio studio, and transmitter room occupy the southern side or eastern end of the building. A connecting passage leads toward reception and the interior entrance to Elliot’s maintenance room. At the western end, double loading doors open directly into the corridor.

Note: Studios A - D each list a dhow and personality in their description but there are other hosts who utilize these stages during the week as well. Greta, for example, used to work out of Studio D.

3. STUDIO A — CHET'S KITCHEN
     The door marked Studio A opens into what appears to be a modest television cooking studio.
     Unlike the other studios, much of its equipment is permanently installed.
A kitchen counter stretches across the rear of the room. Cabinets contain cooking utensils, mixing bowls, baking dishes, and various ingredients.
     There is a working sink, a stove, and enough counter space for food preparation.
At the center of the studio stands a large preparation island.
      Overhead, several powerful television lights illuminate the work surfaces. Two cameras stand on tripods beyond the island. Their cables run across the floor, secured in places with strips of black tape.
The kitchen is functional, although it would probably not satisfy the standards of a professional restaurant.
     A few items have been selected for their appearance on television rather than their practical usefulness.
     The cookware is mismatched. Several cabinets contain things that have nothing whatsoever to do with cooking. A small collection of props and emergency supplies occupies one corner.

"The Refrigerator Problem"
      Studio A has no need for a large refrigerator of its own. The break room is located almost directly across the corridor. Consequently, Chet frequently uses its refrigerator to store ingredients for his program. This arrangement is convenient.
It also means that station employees occasionally discover unusual things occupying space normally reserved for their lunches.
     Someone has attached a handwritten warning to one of the refrigerator shelves:

CHET'S STUFF — DO NOT EAT!

4. STUDIO B — GRETA AND DUSTY'S ROTATING STAGE
     Studio B is the most unusual room in the building.
     At its center stands a circular, motorized platform occupying much of the available floor space. The platform is divided into two complete television sets. A concealed electric motor and mechanical drive assembly allow the stage to rotate through 180 degrees, exchanging one set for the other.
     This arrangement saves considerable time between productions. It also allows two programs with dramatically different appearances to share the same studio.

Side One: Greta's Horror Show
      One half of the platform is decorated as a delightfully theatrical Gothic chamber. Heavy curtains hang behind the set. Artificial cobwebs stretch between decorative columns. A comfortable, somewhat battered armchair occupies a prominent position.
     Nearby stand a small table, candles, skulls, and assorted horror-themed decorations.
     Some props are inexpensive plastic novelties. Others are surprisingly convincing. A few have interesting histories.
     This is the domain of Greta the Climate Goblin, who introduces old horror films, delivers commentary, and occasionally subjects her audience to environmental lectures disguised as entertainment.
     A television monitor positioned beyond the cameras allows Greta to watch the films being broadcast.
     The set is designed to look suitably ominous on camera. With the studio lights switched on, however, its construction becomes considerably less impressive. The stonework is painted plywood. The cobwebs are synthetic. The candles are usually electric. And behind the curtains, someone has written GRETA'S SIDE in black marker.

Side Two: Dusty's Metal Madness
     Rotate the platform 180 degrees, and the Gothic chamber disappears. In its place stands the set for Dusty's Metal Madness.
     This side features black curtains, band posters, amplifiers, speakers, and an assortment of heavy-metal memorabilia. A drum kit occupies the rear of the platform. Several guitars stand nearby. The furniture is minimal, leaving room for interviews and occasional musical performances.
     Colored stage lights replace Greta's gloomy Gothic illumination. The entire atmosphere changes. Where Greta's set suggests an old haunted castle, Dusty's resembles a small rock club.

The Rotation Mechanism
     The stage is operated from a control panel positioned near the studio wall.
The motor produces a low mechanical rumble as the platform turns.
     The rotation is slow enough to prevent equipment from being thrown around, but powerful enough that nobody should stand too close to the moving edges. A safety switch can stop the platform in an emergency.
     Elliot maintains the mechanism.
He has probably warned everyone at least twice not to overload the motor. The space beneath the platform also contains mechanical components, wiring, and narrow maintenance access points.
     It is not intended for people to crawl through.

5. BROADCAST CONTROL ROOM
     Between Studios B and C is a compact control room, entered from the main studio corridor. A long console holds video monitors, audio controls, camera selectors, intercom equipment, and switching gear. Racks of ¾-inch U-matic videotape decks, along with other playback and recording equipment, stand against the walls. Cables connect the room to all four studios.
     During a live broadcast, the operator watches multiple camera feeds and selects which picture and sound reach the television transmitter. During recorded productions, the same equipment is used to assemble segments and prepare tapes for later transmission. A window or monitor feed lets the operator keep an eye on the adjoining studio activity. The room is warm, cramped, and full of tiny indicator lights. 
     Someone has taped a handwritten warning beside the main switcher: DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.
     A secured service ladder near Broadcast Control provides access to the elevated lighting catwalks in the studios.

6. STUDIO C — CELESTINE AND BOB
     Studio C is considerably more conventional.
      At first glance, it resembles a modest living room. A sofa occupies the center of the set, accompanied by a pair of comfortable chairs. A coffee table stands between them. Behind the furniture hangs a painted backdrop depicting a pleasant domestic interior. A bookshelf, several lamps, and a few decorative plants complete the arrangement. Everything is positioned to look natural from the television cameras.
     Viewed from the side, the illusion is less convincing. The bookshelf is shallow. The windows are painted. And the room ends abruptly beyond the camera's field of view.

Celestine and Bob's Set
     Celestine and Bob use this studio for their programs. The basic furniture arrangement remains relatively constant, but the decorations change according to the needs of the production.
     Blankets, tablecloths, wall hangings, and assorted props can transform the room into something quite different. A few minutes of rearranging can make the same space resemble a comfortable parlor, a fortune-teller's sitting room, or an informal interview area.
     The studio also accommodates more conventional public-access programming.
Local politicians, community organizers, visiting authors, and other guests occasionally find themselves sitting on the same sofa.
     The cameras do not discriminate.

Behind the Set
     A narrow space behind the backdrop provides storage for folding chairs, spare decorations, and unused props.
Additional equipment is stacked along one wall.
     The arrangement is functional, although not especially tidy.

7. STUDIO D — AVERY AND MAX
     Studio D is the least elaborately decorated of the four studios. It is also arguably the most versatile. Rather than constructing multiple complete sets, Avery and Max rely upon careful camera placement, movable furniture, and selective lighting.
     The room contains several modular pieces of scenery. A desk stands against one wall. A sofa and chairs occupy another section. A collection of shelves, filing cabinets, lamps, and portable partitions can be rearranged as needed.
     One corner resembles a small office. Another can be made to look like a living room. With a different camera angle, a change of lighting, and a few strategically placed props, the same space can represent an entirely different location.

The Camera Trick
     The secret is not particularly complicated. Television viewers see only what the camera shows them. By keeping the camera tightly focused on a particular section of the room, Avery and Max can create the illusion that their program moves between several locations.
     A scene filmed facing the eastern wall might appear to take place in an office.
Turn the camera ninety degrees, rearrange a chair, adjust the lighting and the characters are somewhere else.
     The illusion is effective enough for public-access television. It is considerably less effective when someone walks through the wrong part of the background.

The Prop Collection
     Studio D contains a remarkable assortment of miscellaneous objects.
Old telephones, cardboard boxes, filing cabinets, books, framed photographs, artificial plants, and other items are stored wherever space permits. Some are labeled. Many are not. Nobody is entirely certain where all of them came from.

8. VIDEOTAPE LIBRARY
     KMEL-13 has accumulated a considerable collection of tapes, including recorded programs, old movies, advertisements, and station archives.

9. THE BREAK ROOM
     The break room is located directly across the hallway from Studio A. It is one of the few places in the station that resembles an ordinary workplace.
     A rectangular table occupies the center of the room. Several mismatched chairs surround it. Against the wall stands a refrigerator, a microwave oven, a coffee maker, and a collection of cupboards.
A small sink is positioned beneath a window.
     The refrigerator is covered with magnets, handwritten notes, and reminders. Some concern station business. Others are personal messages. A few have been there so long that nobody remembers who wrote them.

The Coffee
     The coffee maker is almost always in use. A stained glass pot sits on the heating element. Nobody seems entirely certain who is responsible for cleaning it.
     The cupboards contain mugs bearing various station logos, promotional slogans, and advertisements for businesses that may no longer exist.
     A battered television sits on a shelf. It is usually tuned to KMEL-13.

The Refrigerator
     The refrigerator contains the expected assortment of lunches, leftovers, condiments, and beverages.
     It also contains ingredients for Chet's cooking program.
     Some are labeled. Some are not. There have been arguments. A handwritten notice on the refrigerator door reads:
IF YOU DIDN'T BUY IT, DON'T EAT IT.
Someone has added beneath it:
Unless it's been here since Tuesday.

10. THE STATION MANAGER'S OFFICE
     The station manager's office is located near the center of the building.
     A wooden desk dominates the room.
Its surface is covered with paperwork, schedules, correspondence, and a telephone. A filing cabinet stands against one wall. Shelves hold binders, broadcasting manuals, and old station records. A framed broadcasting license hangs behind the desk. Several certificates and photographs decorate the remaining wall space. Two chairs face the desk. Neither is particularly comfortable.

The Paperwork
     The station manager's responsibilities include programming schedules, equipment purchases, financial matters, regulatory compliance, and dealing with the assorted personalities who produce KMEL-13's programming.
     Consequently, the office contains an impressive amount of paperwork.Some files are carefully organized.Others are stacked in piles that appear to follow a system known only to the manager. A calendar hangs near the telephone. Several dates are circled. A wastebasket beside the desk is filled with discarded memos.

The Telephone
     The office telephone connects to the station's internal telephone system.
It is frequently used to contact the studios, coordinate broadcasts, and deal with callers.
     Occasionally, the telephone rings when nobody is expected to be calling. Usually, this is merely an inconvenience.
     The manager's office is where station records, personnel files, broadcast schedules, and information concerning unusual events are stored.
     The filing cabinets are kept locked. Harold has the key on his station keyring but there is a spare taped to the underside of the desk.

11. THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS
     Two restrooms occupy the space immediately east of the station manager's office. Both are small, functional, and thoroughly unremarkable. The floors are tiled. The walls are painted cinderblock.
     Fluorescent lights illuminate the sinks and mirrors. Each restroom contains the expected fixtures, including toilets, sinks, soap dispensers, and paper towel holders. The mirrors have seen better days. One faucet drips. A ventilation fan rattles intermittently.

The Plumbing
     The restrooms connect to the building's plumbing system, which runs through the walls and beneath the floor.
     Access panels permit maintenance personnel to reach some of the pipes.
Others are concealed behind cinderblock or suspended ceiling panels.
     The pipes occasionally make knocking sounds when the hot water is used.

12. RADIO RECORD LIBRARY
     The radio record library is reached through a door on its northern wall, opening from the main studio corridor. Rows of shelving along the southern wall hold LPs and 45s in paper sleeves, along with a few newer compact discs and promotional recordings. The records are arranged by artist and category, although the system is only as orderly as the last DJ who used it.
     A counter provides room to inspect sleeves, prepare a playlist, and sort requests. Record-cleaning supplies, replacement styluses, spare headphones, and handwritten charts are kept nearby. Linda Lawson, who oversees much of the music rotation, tries to maintain order. Other announcers are less diligent.
     One battered cardboard box is from Dusty's personal collection for his Friday and Saturday overnight program. He treats the albums like old friends and has stories about the musicians and crews behind many of them.

13. RADIO STUDIO — KMEL 96.9 FM, “THE CAMEL”
     The radio studio is a compact, sound-treated room with a broadcast desk, microphones on articulated arms, headphones, a mixing console, telephone lines for requests, turntables, and tape and cartridge playback equipment. A clock hangs where the announcer cannot miss it. The walls carry acoustic treatment, a few concert posters, and the station's cheerful camel logo.
     A sign identifies the station as KMEL 96.9 FM — THE CAMEL, followed by its slogan: WHERE EVERY DAY IS HUMP DAY! Beneath it appears the format: CLASSIC ROCK AND THE HITS OF TODAY! The slogan has inspired a remarkable number of jokes, few of which improve with repetition.
     Unlike the television studios, the radio booth is occupied around the clock. During the day, the DJs play records, take calls, read local announcements, and conduct occasional interviews. At night, the room becomes one of the few brightly lit spaces in the building. The overnight announcer can hear the ventilation, the faint hum of electronics, and sometimes the sound of somebody moving in the corridor.

14. TELEVISION AND FM TRANSMITTER ROOM
     Near the eastern end of the studio corridor, beyond Studio D, a secured room contains the station's television and FM transmission equipment. Equipment racks carry transmitters, monitoring instruments, power supplies, and associated control gear. Cooling fans run continuously; indicator lamps cast small red and green reflections across the metal cabinets.
     Heavy cables and transmission lines lead toward the tower immediately east of the building. The room is kept locked, and access is restricted to personnel who know what they are doing. Elliot is frequently called here when a meter behaves strangely or a fan begins to rattle. During an outage, the backup generator can supply essential equipment, subject to its capacity and condition.

15. THE BOILER ROOM, GENERATOR, AND ELLIOT'S WORKSHOP
     Near the eastern end of the building, an interior fire-rated metal door opens from the reception-side hallway, just beyond the eastern end of the trophy case. A second, exterior service door opens on the east side of the maintenance area.

     A sign reads:
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

     Beyond it lies the mechanical heart of KMEL-13. The room is warmer than the rest of the building. It smells of machine oil, dust, hot metal, and cleaning chemicals.
     The boiler occupies one side of the room. Nearby stands the station's backup electrical generator.
     Electrical panels, conduits, and various mechanical components line the walls. Pipes run overhead. The generator is designed to keep essential equipment operating during a power outage.
     When running, it produces enough noise to make ordinary conversation difficult.

Elliot's Workshop
     The remaining space serves as Elliot's maintenance workshop. A heavy workbench stands against the wall. Its surface is covered with tools, electrical components, spare parts, and various projects in different stages of completion. Pegboards hold wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, and other tools.

     Shelves contain paint cans, replacement light bulbs, electrical tape, extension cords, and miscellaneous hardware.
     A toolbox sits beneath the bench.

The Janitorial Supplies
     Because the station does not have a dedicated janitorial closet, Elliot also stores the cleaning equipment here.
Mops, buckets, brooms, and industrial cleaning supplies occupy a corner. A utility sink is available for washing equipment.

     The arrangement is crowded but workable.

The Exterior Service Door
A metal door opens directly outside.
     This entrance allows equipment, supplies, and heavy objects to be brought into the building without passing through reception.
It also provides Elliot with convenient access to the exterior electrical equipment and transmission tower.
     The door is normally kept locked.

16. THE TRANSMISSION TOWER
     Although technically outside the building, the transmission tower is an essential part of the station.
     It stands immediately east of the structure. The steel framework rises high above the surrounding countryside.
     A series of red aviation warning lights marks its height. Cables connect the transmission equipment to the station.
     A small fenced area surrounds the base. Signs warn unauthorized personnel to keep away.

The Tower Base
     The lower section contains structural supports, grounding connections, and equipment associated with the antenna system.
     Maintenance access is restricted. Climbing the tower requires appropriate equipment and training. In strong winds, the structure may produce faint metallic noises as cables and supports respond to the movement. The red lights blink throughout the night.

The View
     From the hilltop, the surrounding countryside stretches away in every direction. On clear nights, distant towns appear as clusters of lights along the horizon.
     The county road winds down toward the valley. Few buildings stand at a comparable elevation. This isolation is useful for broadcasting.
     It is considerably less comforting during a thunderstorm.

17. PROP STORAGE AND LOADING ACCESS
     A long prop-storage extension runs behind Studios B and C, with separate doors opening directly into each studio. Shelves and rolling racks hold painted scenery, furniture, costume pieces, artificial plants, spare flats, and containers of decorations. The assortment is eclectic, and not every item is labeled.
     The north exterior wall has an ordinary personnel door and a roll-up loading door approximately eight feet wide and nine feet high. Trucks can approach from the service side to deliver bulky scenery and equipment. At the western end of the main corridor, a separate pair of double loading doors opens directly outside without an intervening vestibule.

18. ROOF ACCESS AND OVERHEAD LIGHTING
     The four television studios have ceilings approximately seventeen feet high. Steel lighting grids and selected narrow catwalks stand about twelve feet above the studio floors. The open-grating walkways, roughly thirty to thirty-six inches wide, have guardrails and permit technicians to service lights and overhead cables. A fixed service ladder in a secured alcove near Broadcast Control leads up to this system.
     A separate fixed exterior ladder is mounted on the north wall near the building's eastern end. Its lowest five feet have been removed to discourage unauthorized climbing. Elliot uses a portable ladder to reach the remaining rungs when roof access is necessary.

RUNNING KMEL-13 AS AN ADVENTURE LOCATION
     The station works particularly well as a recurring setting because it is both familiar and surprisingly complicated. Most of its rooms are mundane.
     The studios are full of artificial environments, while the offices and supporting facilities are thoroughly ordinary.

During Normal Operations
     The station is a busy, occasionally chaotic workplace. Programs are recorded, equipment is moved, and employees wander between studios. Greta might be preparing an introduction while Dusty waits impatiently for the rotating stage. Chet might be searching the refrigerator for missing ingredients. Celestine and Bob could be rearranging their furniture. Avery and Max might be arguing about camera placement. And Elliot is probably fixing something.

After Hours
     At two o’clock in the morning, the station becomes a different place. The FM station is still on the air, but most of the television staff have gone home.
    Most of the overhead lights have been switched off. The studios stand dark and silent. Television cameras resemble strange mechanical creatures beneath their protective covers. The fluorescent lights in the hallway hum.
     The refrigerator compressor starts and stops. Somewhere in the building, a pipe knocks. Outside, the tower's red warning lights blink against the night sky.
     In the radio studio, an overnight announcer keeps the music playing. On Friday and Saturday nights, that may be Dusty, fresh from his television shift. A voice on the radio does not necessarily mean anyone else is nearby.
     The building is not particularly large. There are only so many places someone can hide.

(Left to Right): Bob Mercer, "Dusty" Ray, Max Donnelly, Chet Caldwell, Greta Whittaker, Elliot McKenna, Janet "Madame Celestine" Moore, Harold Jenkins, Lionel Avery