RPA_07_WELLS_GM

Heather Wells

Anchor Intro:

Automaker General Motors is trying to make a come back after filing for bankruptcy back in June of 2009. GM has come out with their newest model, hoping that this is the car that will bring back the thousands of employees that have been laid off. TV-2 reporter, Heather Wells, has the story.

Script:

NATSOT: Moving parking lot truck

There may not be as many cars in the GM parking lot as there used to be, since the automakers bad luck with bankruptcy. But this holiday season, the company and its employees have something to look forward to.

UAW Lordstown President, Jim Graham, says that their new car, the Cruze, is selling better then they ever could have hoped for.

GRAHAM: “IT’S DOING EXTREMELY WELL. WE’VE FORMALLY SOLD CLOSE TO 200,000 UNITS IN EUROPE, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF BECAUSE EUROPEANS DO NOT LIKE OUR CARS.”

STANDUP: EMPLOYEES HERE AT THE GM PLANT IN LORDSTOWN, ARE EXCITED FOR THE CRUZE AND THEY’RE ESPECIALLY EXCITED FOR THE APPROXIMATELY 400 MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE A YEAR THAT THE CRUZE COULD GENERATE. ANDREA WATKINS, AN EMPLOYEE HERE AT THE GM IN LORDSTOWN IS ESPECIALLY THANKFUL THIS SEASON, NOT ONLY FOR HER JOB BUT FOR THE CRUZE.

ANDREA: “IT’S TRULY A BLESSING THAT OUR PLANT WAS ABLE TO GET THE CRUZE AND BRING IT TO THIS AREA. JUST THESE ARE REALLY TOUGH TIMES IN OUR COUNTRY, SO TO JUST BE ABLE TO HAVE A JOB TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HOLIDAYS.

Graham says that for every one job in the plant, we affect seven to ten jobs outside of the plant directly and indirectly. That means, if there are 5,000 people working in the plant, 35,000 people on the outside are affected by GM.

GRAHAM: “GM IS COMING OUT OF THE BANKRUPTCY A LOT FASTER THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE INITIALLY THOUGHT. SO WE HAVE A VERY SECURE FUTURE, NOW WE HAVE TO WORK ON THE NEXT CAR.”

For TV-2 News, I’m Heather Wells.

Anchor Outro:

GM is expecting the Cruze to sell because it can get up to 40 miles on a gallon of gas. If the Cruze is a success, General Motors hopes to bring jobs back to their company.

Take PCKG: 1:35

CG: Jim Graham/UAW GM Lordstown President/ 0:21

CG: Heather Wells/TV-2 Reporter/ 0:30

CG: Andrea Watkins/ GM Employee/ 0:51

Outro Cue: “For TV-2 News, I’m Heather Wells.”/ 1:31