Dynamo on The Floor

By Nancy R. Gibbs

The ideal candidate for the job would stand about 6 ft. 8 in., for easy spotting above the crowds, with the bulk of a linebacker and lungs like a foghorn. Throw in bottomless stamina, seamless charm and flawless news judgment, and the portrait of the perfect producer begins to emerge. CBS News's Susan Zirinsky may not have those physical characteristics (she stands 5 ft. 1 1/2 in. in her sneakers), but she's got the rest down cold. In fact, when Film Director James Brooks needed a model for Holly Hunter's role in Broadcast News, he chose the 36-year-old dynamo. Last week Zirinsky was -- where else? -- in the heat of the action down on the Democratic Convention floor plotting stories, gathering information and arranging interviews with Correspondent Ed Bradley. A night in the real life of a floor producer:

8:30 p.m. In Dressing Room 5 of the Omni Coliseum, Zirinsky and Bradley don their battle gear: battery packs around their waists, headsets and microphones. They have spent the evening prowling the floor stalking stories. Bradley agreed to cover the convention only on condition that Zirinsky be his producer. "She's got a good nose for news," he says, "and she's fun to be with."

8:45 p.m. Back on the floor, Bradley is swamped by autograph seekers, but Zirinsky runs interference. "It's like traveling with the Dalai Lama," she jokes. She spots Senator Gary Hart and asks Floor Producer Andrew Heyward, high above the convention floor in the CBS spotters' booth, if he wants a quick interview. He is not interested.

9:03 p.m. Zirinsky bobs through the crowd searching out camera angles. The pair have prepared a 55-second summary of the day's platform fights. While Bradley is on live, Zirinsky stands guard, holding delegates at bay and deflecting a woman who nearly walks into the shot.

& 10:02 p.m. Heyward has changed his mind about Hart, perhaps because the Senator is being interviewed by ABC. Bradley and Zirinsky are not happy; they could have got to Hart first. Now they rush over, divert Hart from an imminent interview with a Spanish station and bag him for Bradley.

10:50 p.m. Before Jesse Jackson's speech, Bradley is scheduled for a short item on the candidate, but there are no CBS minicams in sight. Zirinsky spots a distant stationary camera and frantically waves her notebook marked by a bright yellow Z. The cameraman sees her and dips the camera up and down in recognition. Bradley airs his spot.

10:57 p.m. Jackson appears, and the hall goes wild. Bradley and Zirinsky are determined to collar the candidate right after his speech and conclude that he will probably exit from the right. They stake out their position near the podium. Then Heyward orders them to move to the left side. "Tell them no," snaps Bradley.

"Amazing, isn't it?" says the producer, as she listens to Jackson's speech. "You can feel it right here," and she thumps her chest. It turns out that their instincts are correct: Jackson moves to exit on the right. As he passes, Bradley gets in the first question. Both Bradley and Zirinsky are jubilant. "After you get off the floor," says Zirinsky, "it's hours before you can come down." Holly Hunter couldn't have said it better.

With reporting by Naushad S. Mehta/Atlanta