New York journalist, Alice Allenby, is offered a job in Los Angeles, by Jackson Burns, owner and head of WNS, a twenty four hour news network affectionately called ""The Beast"" because of it's insatiable appetite for the news. Jackson believes that the viewing public both hate and distrust the media, and by placing cameras throughout the station, (except for the bathrooms), the public can see exactly what is going on behind the scenes.

Alice meets it's denizens; Reese McFadden, reporter with an attitude, Ted Fisher, newsman behind the scenes, Tamir Naipal, producer, Maggie Steech, floor manager, Sonya Topple, reporter, Ryan Brown, cameraman, Mrs. Sweeny, Jackson's assistant, and Harry, a mysterious and unseen figure who monitors the cameras within the Beast with an objective eye and sends the feeds out over the Internet.

One of the stories followed closely at WNS is the hunt for terrorist bomber, Bobby James.

Although she's unsure if she wants to work there, Alice agrees to an assignme