Where are all the former news anchors?

[Midtowner]

I'm a former news anchor -- KCSU, Channel 22 in Edmond, OK.

Yeah, that probably doesn't count

[Joe Schmoe]

So are you looking for broadcast work now or was Broncho TV enough for you?

[Midtowner]

Everyone tells me I was pretty good at it and could have probably made a career out of it -- still could probably. I was more interested in corporate communication -- specifically in the area of video training (I'm also a pretty decent video editor if someone else can make the CG's).

Things have changed since then. I'm now in the legal field and am hoping to start on my JD next year. Broncho TV was fun though and very educational. Many of the folks from there go on to get pretty good jobs. One that comes to mind that graduated recently is Amy McCree (sp?).

[Patrick]

That's interesting to know...I don't realize Amy McCree was from UCO. Boy, guess I'm not such a dedicated Broncho alum!!! Anyways, that's really cool to learn.

[Joe Schmoe]

My son is at UCO this year. He wants to get into physics. I think that would be cool, but I hope the math doesn't eat his lunch.

He's been a computer tech for a couple of years, now he wants to go back to school. I think he misses the girls.

[Midtowner]

Joe, the females at UCO are the best of any university in the state, bar none.

[Midtowner]

That's interesting to know...I don't realize Amy McCree was from UCO. Boy, guess I'm not such a dedicated Broncho alum!!! Anyways, that's really cool to learn.

Patrick, the broadcasting school at UCO is undeniably the best in the state. We have students working for major stations all over the US and even some working for CNN, etc. The school at UCO is nationally recognized and just churns out some very talented people. The key to UCO's success is the student-run news cast that airs 4-5 nights a week as opposed to OU and OSU only doing one once per week or less.

The toughest part about being a reporter is when your producer tells you "just go find something, have me a package in 4 hours". I was often throwing on my anchor clothes in the editing booth trying to get the b-roll video layed on my package at 4:59PM (show started at 5). There, they teach quick work, good reporting skills, and the professors (all former broadcast newsmen) know their stuff.

It's always amazed me how the stations in the area hire so many OU/OSU grads when UCO clearly puts out a superior product.

[Patrick]

Hey Joe Schmoe, if your son misses the girls tell him to walk into the Liberal Arts Building.

[Midtowner]

Hey Joe Schmoe, if your son misses the girls tell him to walk into the Liberal Arts Building.

Nah.. join a fraternity there.

No better way

Having greek letters will turn you from a 5 to at least a 7

[C Sullivan]

BBC TV news recently reported that a major figure in Brit. popular music, a radio DJ named John Peal (65) had died. Nothing particularly earth-shattering about this, but then they had a short tape about when he started in radio back in the 60s under the name John Raven-Craft at KOMA. And this week there was an article in the Oklahoman showing Harry Volkmann retiring from a Chicago station where he had been for 40 years. Harry was the local weatherman on WKY TV in the 50s.

[mranderson]

Bella Shaw who was with KFOR several years ago is turning into the infomercial diva. She has been the hostess of several for Carlton Sheets. Plus a couple of others.

Man. She STILL looks good.

[1adam12]

Hey, wasn't she the one with real big lips? She was cute, despite her lips.

[Keith]

I watched channel 4 news at 10:00 last night and found out that one of their former anchors, Bob Friar, is now anchoring in Orlando, Florida. Personally, I don't really remember him, but he was still at KFOR when the May, 1999, tornadoes hit.

I also learned that Uze Brown Washington, a very beautiful, and one of the most talented black ladies I've ever seen anchor the news, is now working in community relations in Philadelphia, Pa.

[floater]

A second on Bella Shaw. She's seemed to only have gotten better with age. I wonder what Patti Saurez looks like now, or Heather Unruh.

Speaking of black reporters, I thought Lee Park (?or something like that) was cute. She was a fellow OU PoliSci grad. But tragically, I heard she died in a car accident.

[mranderson]

I know to whom you are refering when you said Lee "Park." I can not rememeber her last name, however, I think she is the one killed a few years ago at NW 36 and Walker. She was with KFOR at the time.

Yes. Bella has improved with age. I did a little background check on line not long ago and found she started her career at the age of 19, which places her at 39 or 40 today. Funny thing is moments after I wrote about Bella I saw one of her infomercials on a weight loss product. By the way. Not a bad choice in names by her parents. Bella is Italian for Beautiful. It fits.

Patty Suarez left KWTV to move to Los Angeles. She was still there last time I was in town. She was with KCAL. That was in 2000. However, checking the websites, I can not find her anymore.

Another KWTV alumnus that is in Los Angeles is Phil Shuman. He is with KNBC and does entertainment reporting.

I thought Heather Unrue retired to raise a family. Could be incorrect about her.

[floater]

Yeah, Lee's last name passes me. We really must have caught Bella early in her career. Makes me wonder, for you guys in the TV biz. Is there a preference for locally-raised reporters for local stations? Is there sort of a set local-nonlocal mix of talent? Do they hire only those who they think will stay, or are they realistic that some use stations to advance their careers onto bigger markets? Is that a question in the interview process? I'm pretty sure some who thought that they would work here temporarily find themselves wanting to stay.

[mranderson]

I remember when I was in my twenties and still had a realistic chance of getting a broadcast gig. The idea was to start in a small market like Lawton, Ada or Ardmore, then work your way into markets like Oklahoma City, then to markets like Dallas* or St. Louis, THEN you would make Los Angeles or other top ten markets then if you were lucky, you would make network.

*=Dallas was not a top ten market in the 70's.

On occasion, a reporter would get a big story that hit the network from a market like Oklahoma City, or win the one and only Emmy, and go directly to network. Case in point. Bob Dotson was with KFOR (then either still WKY or already KTVY), and won the first ever Emmy for his report called "Through the looking glass darkly." His producer (name escapes me) was a customer of mine when they won the Emmy. I actually held it. Man! Are they heavy!

Basically, you had to work your way up the ladder or through the ranks. I interviewed in the mid 70's with KOCO for a reporters position. I did not get the job but was recommeded for one in Ada. I did not want to move, so I passed. Big mistake. The news director (again, name escapes me) told me the only reporter he ever hired with no experience was Terese Arena. She later went to Dallas.

Most reporters look to the "big time." There are those who intend to stay. I bet Kelly Ogle is one of those. He has said he has had offers in a lot of larger markets, but has passed. Others, Robin Marsh, for example, started in small markets. Robin started in Lawton, where she was raised. My bet is she intended to move through the ranks, but changed her mind. Others like, Cherokee Ballard had no intention on moving up to the "bigs."

Today, a lot of reporters will go immediatly into larger markets. Many have gone straight from college to a job in Oklahoma City. Cherokee Ballard did her internship at then KTVY, then went straight to KOCO where she concluded her broadcast career eariler this year. Some reporters will step down in market size. It is a fickel area.

So. Things have changed some. As far as hiring, mostly for the worst. The only typical looking people I can name that have made it in the business in this market are Teri Watkins and Mick Cornett. For the most part, you have to look like the cover of GQ or Vouge to make it. Typical looking people stand no chance at all.

[Keith]

I also believe that there are reporters that start in the small markets, just so that they can make it to the big markets. Of course, there are those like Linda Cavanaugh, Bob Barry, The Ogles, Gary England, and Mike Morgan that are set for life at the stations they work at.

I remember when Mitch Jelniker was with KWTV, and did an outstanding job. There was some big story that he reported on that got him national recognition. Because of that story, he was offered a better position at another station in another state.

As far as Patti Suarez goes, KWTV interviewed her about 6 months ago, and I believe she was living in Los Angeles, and she was doing some acting. She was no longer in the broadcasting business. You could tell she had aged, however, she is still as beautiful as she was when she was doing the news.

There were two other reporters from channel 9 that actually begin a relationship when they started working together, and they eventually got married. Shortly after they married, they dissappeared from TV, and I have no idea where they went. I believe one of the reporters' names was Curt Autry.

How many remember Bill Mitchell? He was on two different stations in OKC, and he basically dissappeared. If I remember correctly, last time I saw him was on OETA doing some reporting.

Then there was Randy Renner who was with KWTV. He got caught with his pants down at Trosper Park as he propositioned an undercover male police officer acting as a prostitute. He was arrested, and not long after, he was gone from channel 9. Again, not too long ago he was reporting for OETA.

How about Brady Brus, the former meterologist from KWTV? He is now vice president of KSBI TV, channel 52. His sister, Brenda Bennett, who has been doing commercials alot and had been on the radio with her own show is also part of KSBI.

So, what happened to Jerry Adams and Jack Bowen? Both men have been in trouble with the law, and I haven't seen either in a long time.

It sure goes to show that if you are in the broadcasting profession, especially in TV, there is no use in buying a house and settling down, because you never know when it will be time for you to pack up and leave once your contract expires.

[mranderson]

Actually, Brady Brus is the President of KSBI and owns controlling interest. From what I hear, the station is not doing well financially. A prosepctive owner no longer has to prove solvency for a set number of years, and Brus was able to buy the place for 25 million borrowed dollars. His weather center set him back half a mill.

Jerry Adams? Who knows. I could care less. I met him when I was interning at KTOK. What a jerk. Jack Bowen. Who knows.

By the way. I can give you a lifetime million dollar per year contract as the reason England stays. He has been offered every network weater job in the country. When you have the best in the country, you pay them to stay.

[floater]

Holy cow!! Are you serious? Does that make Gary the highest paid media personality in OKC (including radio and print)? No wonder he's still around!!! Anyway, thanks for the insights, mranderson.

[floater]

Hey Keith, what trouble with law did Jack Bowen run in to? I heard he was a standup guy.

I remember Bill Mitchell, just from him heading up the short-lived South OKC bureau of KOCO.

The tradeoff of the profession is that there are only so many TV reporter jobs in a given market. You either have to relocate to move up or even just find employment, or find another venue for your skills (pr, radio, print, or another TV station) if you want to stay in the area.

[Keith]

A while back, Jack Bowen was doing commercials for Economy Hearing Aids with George Tomek. Evidently, Jack had divorced his wife and was seeing another woman. Evidently, Jack ticked his girfriend off and she told him to get lost. One day, he showed up at her place of employment, dressed like Santa Claus, and started cursing her out and doing other unmentionables. Because of that, he was arrested for disturbing the peace and for stalking. It made the news headlines on TV, as well as in the newspaper.

Thta's why he is no longer doing commercials for Economy Hearing Aids..they fired him. They didn't want a person that had been arrested doing their commercials. At the time, Jack was considered a role model. So much for that. I haven't heard nor seen him since.

[Midtowner]

I've heard worse things about Jack. But nothing I'd repeat on here as they are just rumours

I played in the pit orchestra a couple times back when he MC'd the "5 Who Care Awards".

[Patrick]

Actually Jack asked the lady to marry him and she turned him down. That made Jack angry, and thus the resulting behavior.

[Midtowner]

Actually Jack asked the lady to marry him and she turned him down. That made Jack angry, and thus the resulting behavior.

Oh, okay, sounds personally rational to me