The current economic crisis has resulted in downsizing for many corporations.  However, this one is absurd.  In a cost cutting effort, news anchors at a D.C. Fox affiliate will work their own teleprompters.  The reporters will control the teleprompter using hand levers and foot petals, all the while reporting the news. From the Washington Post:

WTTG, known as Fox5, intends to train its newscasters to operate prompters using a series of hand levers and foot pedals, all while they’re reading the news as it scrolls by.

Some at the station worry that such a roll-your-own system could increase the potential for on-camera blunders, as anchors fumble for the right spot in their scripts. They also say that viewers may notice some awkward cranking and pumping beneath the anchor desk.

“Instead of orchestrating coverage, fact-checking, handling breaking news, paying attention to the [newscast], engaging reporters, questioning authorities, covering bad writing and technical mistakes, anchors will now spend most of their time” running the prompter, said one newsroom employee, who asked not to be identified because he’s not authorized to discuss the change. “It’s kind of like a literal one-man band — singing, banging a drum, crashing cymbals, playing a trumpet and strumming a guitar . . . except we’re not playing show tunes here.”

I wonder how President Obama would fare, if he had to run his own teleprompter.