Early Birds Flock for a Shot on Morning Shows

NEW YORK — Lenny Boyette is a fixture on NBC’s “Today.”

He’s not a foreign correspondent, a cameraman or a guest. Still, all the security guards know him and wave when he arrives at Rockefeller Plaza. Even Matt Lauer and Katie Couric shake his hand and call him by name.

Boyette is a 57-year-old retired military cook from the Bronx. And every weekday for the last five years, he has stood behind the barricades at the outdoor set to watch “Today” being taped. He arrives between 5 and 5:30 a.m. and stands at the barricade closest to the building. His face gets on camera almost every day.

“If my relatives in Waterbury don’t see me on TV, they get worried,” Boyette said. “I like to get up early in the morning, and I love the news. I especially like the interesting people.”

Boyette is the exception. For most people, the opportunity to appear on network television is rare. And when they have that chance, they’ll do just about anything to capitalize on it.

Since NBC completed its street-side studio in 1994, it has become a regular stop on tourists’ lists of things to see in New York. ABC and CBS have followed suit, although neither gets the crowds “Today” gets.

“Today” is so successful that the network recently announced it will add an extra hour to the show starting in the fall.

CBS hasn’t yet attracted mass audiences to its 59th Street studio, which is still under construction. So far, “The Early Show” co-anchors Bryant Gumbel and Jane Clayson only do occasional segments on the plaza outside their studios.

Back at NBC, seven women wearing springtime bonnets and red shirts that say “Louisiana Ladies Do New York” have taped to the barricade a sign that reads “Free Kisses From the South.” They awoke at 4 a.m. to get a prime spot up against the center barricade.

They have a theory: If they bribe the cameraman, he will get them on TV. To do this, “Louisiana Lady” Pam Holloway of Farmerville, La., will present him goodies from the South, including Cajun potato chips and barbecue sauce, all packed in a straw case in the shape of an L.

“We’re praying Matt is out here today,” said Nancy Post, another “Louisiana Lady.”

Farther down the barricade, Boyette, an old pro, stands stoically as Al Roker makes his way outdoors. Hundreds of others gathered in Rockefeller Plaza wave their arms and scream, “Roker, Roker, Roker.”

This moment has been a dream of Holloway’s.

“A year and a half ago, I had my 40th birthday,” Holloway said. “I made a wish, and it was to come here. I am an early riser, and I watch the show every morning.”

But not everyone is this jubilant.

On the far end of the barricades, by Dean & Deluca (the shop made famous by WB’s “Felicity”), is Cheryl O’Connell from West Chester, Pa., who left her house with her husband and son at 2 a.m. to arrive in time for the show. A sign taped to the barricade in front of her says “Lyme Disease Awareness” next to a flag with a tick on it.

She’s imploring Barry the cameraman to get her signs on TV, and explaining her cause to him.

“Part of me gets angry. I understand this is an arena for fun but we have a desperate issue,” O’Connell said. “We’re hoping this is a good place to get our message across. I don’t have good enough legs to bribe the cameraman.”

As the show goes to commercial, Barry waves his hand and encourages the audience to scream, wave and jump.

“Basically, I try to get everyone on who comes down,” Barry said. “We figure if they bother to come, we should try to get them on.”

Using Crowds to Get Messages Across

With so many people watching, the morning show, crowds have become prime real estate for getting messages and even advertising across to viewers.

Hordes of young people handing out bright orange Knicks T-shirts work the crowd, telling people that if they wear the shirts, there’s more to come. Other publicity people are handing out bright yellow Barnes & Noble T-shirts, but they’re losing out to the Knicks paraphernalia.

A few blocks away, at the Times Square studio of “Good Morning America,” at 44th Street and Broadway, huge windows allow passersby to look in on the taping. Unlike “Today,” onlookers here can enter the studio, after passing through a security gate, to watch hosts Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer do segments. People start to line up at 6:30 a.m. for a prime spot.

There’s even a person whose job it is to make sure the audience is comfortable and happy.

On this day, a select group of audience members was picked to offer opinions on ice cream for a consumer segment.

Elaine Mah of Los Angeles arrived at 6 a.m. and was chosen to be part of the taste-testing segment with Sawyer.

“I thought it was great,” she said later. “I’ve never been on television.”

Meanwhile, weather forecaster Tony Perkins heads outside through a side door to do a segment in front of the windowed studio. He’s selected a group of four women from Missouri to stand behind him and answer a question that’s been debated on the show since the beginning of the week: How do you pronounce “Missouri”?

The women, all in New York on a business trip, are thrilled. They arrived after 8 a.m. and were turned away from the studio audience. Perkins saw them being rejected and asked them to join him on camera.

“This was a goal of the trip,” said Roxi Stiles of Trenton, Mo.

“They were so nice. We were just hoping to wave on TV,” said Betty Trimple of Jamesport, Mo. “We don’t even have a sign.”