Tag Archives: wsav

My Last Friday

18 Nov

Need an ego boost?  Quit your job.

Play at Work

What a day!  It was so touching how many people said nice words, gave presents or cards or just a pat on the back to let me know I’ll be missed.  The newscast was as easy (thanks reporters and photogs) and clean as it could be (thanks to our director Jeff and production) and I was as emotional as I could be.

While I am so very happy to start this next adventure in my life, I’m also so very sad and scared to let go of the old one and the people that were part of it with me.

Much of my time there kind of blurs together but here are some of the highs and lows:

  • I started in May of 2000 – ten days after graduating college. My first duty was weekend producer and weekday assistant producer – I did that for a year and a half until I moved to the weeknight 11:00 and then about six to nine months later, the 6:00 newscast.
  • Weeks after I started, both the executive producer and news director were fired.  Both firings happened on a Wednesday – one of my days off.  I remember Anna (a producer I looked up to) called me to let me know.  She thought I must have been really doubting my decision to work there.  I was so immature and inexperienced that the seriousness of the situation didn’t sink in then. For the next few months we were babysat by the main station in our company – then Kevin was hired as news director.  He was/is an incredible boss and I feel so fortunate to have learned from him.

    • In Kuwait

  • I was spoiled during two pregnancies there. When I was expecting Nia and Andrew was deployed, I received so much support and concern from just about everyone at the station. One of our reporters, Tim, even did a story about what we were going through.

Comfy with Ginger

Another reporter there, now my really great friend Ginger, became a source of strength for me as my birthing coach.  She went through the whole experience with me – threw us a baby shower – even read weekly online updates of what I’d be going through.  Words really can’t say how much she means to me – I’m so very grateful for her friendship. Even after I had Nia and returned to work, the support from everyone continued. There were so many times I would have to have Nia at work with me – sitting on my lap as I tried to finish the newscast or as I boothed it. Ginger or Paul Rea would always be there to watch her so I could get finished.  Nia was there so much people would joke she was assistant producer.

Assistant Producer

No one ever made me feel like I was bothering them by bringing a baby to work – in fact it seem like people enjoyed it. (Even if she wasn’t so sure!)

Goofing Off

I am so lucky that I was working with such wonderful and caring people during that time – they all made me feel so loved and so happy and I never will forget all they did for our family.

  • I had to watch so many good friends and people leave before me – something that got harder the longer I worked there. I also just had to leave quite a few people who mean the world to me. Each of them has a special place in my heart and memories and I will always wish them well and hope we stay in touch. I also thank them for all the laughter and comforting moments they’ve given me – I only hope I returned the honor.
  • The station went through so many changes during my time there- I experienced one General Manager switch, a new set, new high tech editing equipment and cameras, 3 studio controls (remember when we had to booth out of the back room of master control?!?! or how about that hole in the wall shaped like a triangle?!?!) new branding, new personalities, new breakroom, new logo…

I could keep going but I think I’ve captured enough.  There’s just one more thought I want to share though – when I first interviewed to work in the Savannah market – I could have taken a job at WTOC – the number one station here. I would have been paid more and had a larger staff to work with – but I chose WSAV.  I chose WSAV because of the people.  The moment I walked in that messy newsroom filled with a bunch of talented characters I knew it was where I wanted to be. It’s funny how some things never change.

Anchor Nia

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My Last Thursday

17 Nov

So today Kevin offered to take me out to lunch.  “Pick somewhere nice – you know where it’s 8 bucks a meal,” he said jokingly.

My options were endless – I could pick something that’s uniquely Savannah – I could pick something fancy and make him really pay – or I could complete my 6 years at WSAV and finish it where it all began.

I chose Applebee’s.  And it wasn’t just any old Applebee’s – it had to be the one where my first Executive Producer took me (the one who got fired like just weeks after my first day).  It was funny when I told him – he was like “really?”

We had a nice lunch – my current Executive Producer came with us and we gossiped and talked about my evolution at WSAV.  How I went from a cry-baby basically to a cry-woman with some balls.  Kevin reminded me of our two “grow some balls” conversations – it took me a few tries but I think I eventually got them.

Really though, I think more of what it was is I grew a baby.  It’s funny how much something like that can change you.  I think it’s because I had something more important to worry about and the last thing I wanted to deal with was stupid stuff at work. Little Bean (as we called her) made me put everything in perspective.  I mean I produced the newscast that won a national Murrow award while I was 6 months preggers with Nia and while Andrew was in Kuwait waiting for word of war.  I guess my job helped me get my mind off the hard parts and all of the work crap that people would complain about just seemed so trivial to me.

It even continues today – I don’t want to know what so and so said about another person or that it stinks you didn’t find out about an assignment 2 hours ahead of time – just do your job!   I’d rather be with my kids but I can’t be so I try not to waste my time away from them bitching and moaning.  Make the most of it – if something gets in your way or upsets you – put more into your performance – don’t waste energy agonizing over issues that won’t get you anywhere – instead put that energy into your work where people will notice – I know when I did that I felt my time away from Nia and Nate was well spent.

Looking back on this it seems – with the births of Nia and Nate – I essentially did grow a pair!  Thanks for making mommy tougher kids!

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My Last Wednesday

16 Nov

What a great day!  I was only there for part of it! I had to leave early so moving company people could come and look over all our stuff to give us an estimate.  Despite my half day though – I still have something to say about my time there.

Today I was stumped with how to put together the newscast.  Usually, when I know what my lead story is everything else just falls into place but today I felt like I didn’t have much to work with (that is until that one AWOL soldier barricaded himself in a house for 3 hours). What it really boils down to is that I just didn’t want to be there but I still did my best to make the cast as good as it could be and I still added breaking news to the website and sent out emails about crazy viewer story ideas.

I find it so frustrating that I care so much about not caring!  Part of me wishes I could just walk in there and not answer the phones – tell annoying reporters to grow up and do their jobs and to get a brain so I don’t have to do their work for them – rebel against updating the web just because I’m tired of being told how freaking important it is to do it – and probably the thing I wish I could let go of the most – the need to have every script the way I want it.

My half day is writing out like a whole day but I won’t have to worry about it next week!  Next week I’ll be working to keep two busy kids (and myself) alive while trying to move – finish preparing for Nate’s baptism and finding a sweater to wear over this cute dress I bought for my 10 year reunion (Ginger, remind me to ask you if you have one!)

It’s funny because today I got a small dose of what My First Wednesday as a full time mommy will be like – Nia was coloring in her room in the middle of 15 or 20 coloring books and I was standing right next to her sorting through her dresser drawers when a funny sound coming from Nia’s crayon.  It was then that I realized she had been coloring on the carpet!  Like really coloring – like putting her whole arm into it –

When I saw her I said with a gasp “NIA!”  She immediately started crying, you guessed it, “I wanna listen.”  When I asked her why she colored on the carpet she said, “Cuz I don’t want to.”

What?!?!

Let the adventure begin!

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My Last Tuesday

15 Nov

(You guessed it – I plan to do one for each day this week until my very last day at WSAV!)

Today was an extremely typical day at the station.  I put together what I thought was a pretty decent newscast and then it became a race to get it all finished and a task to turn certain scripts into halfway ok stories for air.

BLAH.  I just cannot understand why reporters tell me their scripts are finished and I’m supposed to check them when they are a bunch of CRAP.  They don’t have any of their graphics in – they don’t have their commands correct and more importantly they don’t even attempt to make the story interesting or write it in a way to let certain viewers know why the heck they should even care!

I’m just so tired of it all and can’t wait to be finished.  I just need a break from the tv news biz – I need some time to remember why I even wanted to do what I do and I want to work with a GROUP of people that inspire and impress me again.  People who worked with you when you wanted to try something creative.

Don’t get me wrong – there are a few reporters there who I really enjoy working with and watching their stories – but the others – they just make me exhausted.  Sometimes my brain actually hurts.  In fact – you know how I was worried about being a full time mom – working at WSAV I feel like I already am – and not in the loving, let me kiss your boo-boo when you get hurt sense – but in the sense that “I’m going to put you in time out if you don’t stop complaining about which photographer you’re with or wah-wahing about who’s in what edit bay or rolling your eyes because you really don’t want to do that story.”

This last Tuesday really made me count the days I have left there – so imagine my disappointment when I remembered it wasn’t Wednesday like I thought it had been.

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My Last Monday

14 Nov

Today was my last Monday at WSAV.

It is so hard to believe I have been there for as long as I have.  I started 10 days after I graduated from West Virginia University and now, almost 6 and a half years – a husband – 2 kids – a dog and oh about 20 pounds later, I’m saying see ya.

I couldn’t be leaving at a better time really – our general manager has announced he’s leaving – our executive producer is moving on to much bigger and better things – and while there are a few people I will miss bunches, Ginger, Tim, Paul and Jordan don’t work there anymore.  I’m also just tired of tv news.

Despite all of that though – I’m scared about what’s next.  This is really the only job I’ve ever known and I’m worried I’m not going to be able to handle my new full time job as mommy.  I know it sounds silly – I mean people do it all the time – I just hope I’m built for it.  (And I hope they don’t devour me alive.)

I guess with a last Monday comes a first.  Next week will be my first Monday in my new position – I really hope I make it through the day without getting fired.

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