MY TV JOURNEY

Watching another “news” story today about another partisan battle in Congress reminded me of a more peaceful and bi-partisan time that I spent in DC  - a long day directing a film segment covering the last day before Senator Clifford Case - a very popular Republican Senator, retired after 10 years as a congressman and  24 years representing New Jersey as one of our two Senators. We packed a van at 3:AM for the long  ride south to Washington.  Kent Manahan, a new reporter for our nightly news had somehow arranged that we would have total access to this busy Senator’s time - she was new to TV but quickly became an excellent reporter and in a few years the anchor of the news show.  We finally arrived at sunup before the daily traffic surage and got a spectacular view of the Capitol building - majestic and monumental in the golden dawn of a clear cold January day.  We had access to a  special parking lot near the Old Senate building which was also a beau...

      My next milestone, like all of the NJN producers/directors was to produce a new weekly series and one of the few times on any job that I truly wondered if I could actually do the job.  Why?  First, I had the feeling that Program Director Doug was dubious that I could produce and direct a successful program with only one year of TV newscaster experience.  I was sure he watched me closely and waited for me to fail.  (Paranoid? Properly but maybe not?)   Second, I had no idea where to begin. All my life when I started going in a new direction  - I would tell myself, “Take your strengths with you.” After a couple of sleepless nights I took my own advice.  I thought of where I came from and what I had learned along the way.  I came from a teachers college...I taught junior high...I had a PR graduate degree and many friends and mentors in New Jersey schools.  I decided to use that knowledge to produce my TV series about the s...

NJ Network's fourth channel WNJS - 23, whose tower loomed as the highest structure in South Jersey, was set to go in October 1975;   it was the last of the NJPTV network to go live.  Once again, Iwas assigned to produce the "first program" to be  aired. I checked the dates in October and to my surprise found October 23rd was our first broadcast date.  Coincidence or fate?  I started to produce a program with a mandate “make it historic"!  I had a real challenge on a very limited budget.  I  knew I needed help as the project took shape and I asked staff producer Gary Moscowitz to co-produce the program.  We started with a  brain-storm seesion and ultimately settled on a show that could attract its own audience - because it would feature well known local acts from the region and be hosted by our on air talent who were becoming “semi-stars” in the rest of the state.  Our premise,  produce a two hour special that was sure to  ...

My year of first continued into the fall of 1974 as three other channels one by one, channels 50 and 58,  went live and added to the network with Channel 52 that would cover most of NJ. Channel 23 would come online next to complete the coverage map. Along with our weekly directing duties, Doug requested that each of the producers work on a special project.  I wrote a proposal and got the OK to produce and directed the first documentary film done at the network and once again my focus was on South Jersey and a subject I knew about. The Seafaring Farmer explored the Delaware Bay’s diminishing oyster industry and documented why it was in serious trouble.  The content of this half hour film would be recognized as one the reasons that this historic Jersey endeavor made  a remarkable comeback.  Apparently,  many of the state’s decision makers saw the production and passed a funding grant to Rutgers School of Agriculture grant to study the "oyster drill" parasit...

My first time in the director’s chair was a blur and I don’t remember much of my actual “directing”.  I do recall that there were a bunch of false starts and missed shots – but Sam, always the wise mentor, made me continue even though I came close to abandoning my seat and fleeing to the bullpen. From that rough start I directed First Person for two years until Betty ran out of people to interview.  It was the greatest start anyone could ask for as I got to meet a “Who’s Who” of rich and famous New Jersey natives.   Dore Schary, Newark born and the former head of MGM and RKO arrived at our studio in a double stretch limo. He knew Betty "from his old NYC days."   We traveled beyond our tapings in the studio to shoot many of the guests on film. Yogi Berra, who lived in NJ during his baseball days, was filmed from the home team dugout in Yankee Stadium.  George Gallup, the national pollster, was filmed on the Dinky which he took to NYC everyday (a small train that...