Friday's issue of Off Camera had some formatting issues, so we are resending.
July 2015
Emmy® Gala Special
Website
July 2015 "Off Camera":
Calendar of Events
EMMY 2015: Emmy Gala in Pictures
EMMY 2015: KCRA Takes Home Top Honors; KUVS, Comcast SportsNet, KNTV Receive Most Honors
EMMY 2015: And the Emmy Goes To....
EMMY 2015: Emmy Gala Red Carpet Highlights
EMMY 2015: Star-Studded Array of Presenters This Year
EMMY 2015: Attendees Enjoy Lavish Reception
Former KGO-TV, ABC News Correspondent Laura Marquez Dies At 56
Friends of Faith 5K Walk
New Documentary Featuring TV Pioneer Korla Pandit
S.F./NorCal Chapter Elects, Appoints Governors
After 19 Years, Tori Campbell Says Goodbye To "Mornings On 2" And KTVU
Changes at KTVU FOX 2
KXTV's Bill Carragher Retires After 33 Years
KCRA Lands Exclusive Interview with President Obama
Student Awards 2015: High School Broadcasters Are Tomorrow's Journalists
Sacramento Anchor Duo Celebrate CNN's First 35 Years
Gold & Silver Circle 2015: Save the Date for the 2015 Induction Luncheon
Our People: KRON's Terisa Estacio
Gold & Silver Circle Profiles
The Health Reporter: New Year's Resolution Update
On The Move
Do You Remember?
Write to "Off Camera"
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 OFF CAMERA

    Kevin Wing

    Editor 


the board of governors

 

  officers:

   
   President:

 Keith Sanders

 San José State University


   Vice Presidents:
   San Francisco

 Kevin Wing

 ABC-TV Good Morning America

  Sacramento

 Cynthia Zeiden

 Zeiden Media  

Fresno

 Kim Stephens

 KMPH Fox 26 

  Hawaii

 Pamela Young

 KITV 4

  Reno
   Terri Russell
   KOLO 8  
  Smaller Markets
   (Vacant)

  Secretary:
    John Odell
   CCSF Emeritus

  Treasurer:  
   Jim Spalding
   Spalding & Company

  Past President:

 Javier Valencia

 Consultant

 

nationaL trustees:

Linda Giannecchini

KQED 9

(National Awards Chair)

Alison Gibson

Media Cool

(National 2nd Vice Chairperson)

John Odell

CCSF Emeritus

Steve Shlisky

KTVU Fox 2  

Kevin Wing

ABC-TV Good Morning America

(Alternate)

 

 governors:

Kent Beichley

KRON 4

Alyssa Deitsch

KHSL/KNVN

Randy Forsman

KCRA 3

Wayne Freedman

KGO-TV ABC7 

Luis Godinez

KDTV Univision 14

Richard Harmelink

KFSN ABC30  

(Nominating Chair) 

Pablo Icub

KUVS Univision 19

Brian Johnson

KFSN ABC30

Sean Karlin

Beyond Pix Studios

George Lang

The Big Picture

Da Lin

KPIX 5

Terry Lowry

LaCosse Productions  

(Gold & Silver Circle Chair) 

Melissa Mapes

KITV 4

Joyce Mitchell

4 U Productions

David Paredes

KNTV NBC Bay Area

Pat Patton

Consultant

Ross Perich

ProMotion Studios

Manny Ramos

Manny Ramos Communications

Erik Rosales

KMPH FOX 26

Brenda Salgado

KGMB/KHNL Hawaii News Now 

Don Sanchez

KGO-TV ABC7 (Retired) 

Matt Skryja

AAA 

Stephanie Stone

KFSN ABC30

Karen Sutton

Independent

(Emmy Gala Chair)

Melanie Woodrow

KGO-TV ABC7

 

committee chairs:

Activities/Programs:

  Cynthia Zeiden

  Zeiden Media 

Archives/Museum:

  John Catchings

  Catchings & Associates

  Linda Giannecchini

  KQED 9 

Awards:

  Julie Watts

  KPIX 5

Education:

  Steve Shlisky

  KTVU Fox 2 

Finance:

  Alison Gibson

  Media Cool  

Legal/Bylaws:

  Mark Pearson

  ARC Law Group 

Membership:

  (Vacant)

Marketing: 

  Patty Zubov

  Platonic TV

 

execUtive director:

Darryl R. Compton

NATAS 

Calendar of Events

July 1
2015-2016 Calendar Year Begins For S.F./NorCal Chapter of NATAS

July 24
Off Camera Copy Deadline for August 2015 Issue

For more events and important dates, please visit the Chapter website at emmysf.tv.

EMMY® 2015 
S.F./NorCal Chapter's Entertaining, Memorable Emmy® Gala  In Pictures
 
EMMY® 2015
Excellence For KCRA;
Most Honors to KUVS, Comcast  SportsNet, KNTV

The 44th Annual Northern California Area Emmy®

Awards were presented June 6 at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco to honor excellence in all fields of television and on-line production in the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 

      Sacramento's KCRA 3 received the

new Overall Excellence/News Excellence honor. KUVS Univision 19 topped the award count in the 

Emmy Statuette

Spanish contest with 16. In the English contest, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area took home 11 statuettes, and KNTV NBC Bay Area garnered 10.

     Four Univision staff received five statuettes each: José Estrella and Sergio Flores from KUVS 19; and

former Governor María Leticia Gómez and León Felipe González, both of KDTV 14.  Newscast recipients included: NBC Bay Area News at 11, KNTV NBC Bay Area; Noticias 19 a las seis, KUVS Univision 19; KCRA 3 Reports at Noon, KCRA 3; A Primera Hora, KUVS Univision 19; and ABC30 Action News Live at 11, KFSN ABC 30.

     The prestigious Governors' Award, the highest honor a regional Chapter can bestow, was presented to longtime Bay Area reporter David Louie, KGO-TV ABC 7. Governor George Lang (SC 2014), president of The Big Picture Film & Video, received this year's Governors' Citation, for his contributions to the television industry.

     Chapter President Keith Sanders presented Governors' Service Medallions for volunteer work done for the Academy to: Governor Da Lin, KPIX 5; Governor Joyce Mitchell, 4U Productions; Anthony Nielsen, TWIT; and Governor Karen Sutton, Independent.

     Continuing its annual tradition of hosting entertaining Emmy® Gala events, the Chapter's Emmy® Committee decided to build upon that legacy with something new for 2015: a spectacular Emmy® Awards show in a theatre presentation at the classy new SFJAZZ Center, located in the heart of San Francisco's elegant nightlife and entertainment district. Taking advantage of the SFJAZZ Center's acoustic endowments, Musical Director Marcus Shelby and his Marcus Shelby Trio provided the evening's entertainment along with v ocalist, songwriter and educator  Tiffany Austin .
   Jazzing Up The Emmys
   One of the many highlights of the evening was
   the performance by Marcus Shelby .
      Comcast Hometown Network , one of the Emmy® Gala's three major sponsors, presented the live event for TV audiences, while Watts Winery's Upstream Wines was served exclusively at the reception. And, the talented team at Beyond Pix Studios orchestrated the on-location event production. The Chapter thanks these valuable sponsors and appreciates their dedication to excellence.  The individual Emmy® show speeches and red carpet interviews were posted to NATAS' YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages. 

     "What an astounding collaboration of the Board of Governors, staff and volunteers," says Emmy® Gala Executive Producer Karen Sutton. "I was fortunate to work with an amazing group of people to produce an event that celebrates and honors our colleagues in the television industry."

     The program began at 7:30 p.m. in the Robert N. Miner Auditorium. Recipients of the Emmy® statuette were escorted from the stage to the Joe Henderson Lab for red carpet photographs and interviews hosted by Governor Da Lin of KPIX 5, Fresno Vice President Kim Stephens (SC 2014) of KMPH Fox 26 and San Francisco Vice President Kevin Wing (SC 2013) of ABC News. 

     "The Red Carpet interviewees had the opportunity to pour out their heart live, allowing everyone who received an award as much time as they needed to tell their story, thank their families and strut their stuff", says Emmy® Gala Producer Sean Karlin. "With the help of Rick Brown and AMV Digital Media's streaming web platform, we were also able to edit and post both the main stage and the Red Carpet videos to YouTube, Twitter and Facebook."

     "I felt very fortunate to be one of the Red Carpet co-hosts again this year," says Wing. "I wanted to keep every Emmy® recipient in the spotlight as long as I could. I loved seeing them shine. It was a wonderful evening for all."

    A dual webcast allowed online viewers to see the live stage presentation and red carpet interviews on www.emmysf.tv.

    "I watched the webcast of the Emmy® Gala live," remarks Program and Event Chair Cynthia Zeiden.  "It had fantastic quality and was extremely well produced." 

    "For the first time in almost a decade, I was not able to attend the Emmy® Awards show in person this year", says Awards Chair Julie Watts. "However, thanks to the fabulous webcast, I didn't miss a beat. The show was beautifully produced this year and I hear the venue was fabulous. I couldn't be more proud of my NATAS colleagues." 

    Emmy® Award Presenter Envelopes were provided by veteran volunteer Terry Adams. Emmy Guardians Justin Mendoza and Taylor Mosley delivered statuettes to recipients. Fred LaCosse (Governors' Award 2012, SC 1988) and Gold & Silver Circle Chair Terry Lowry (Governors' Award 2000, SC 1996) reprised their roles as our experienced Emmy® announcers.

   
Checking Out The Program
KNTV NBC Bay Area's Sam Brock (left), with KGO-TV ABC7's Wayne Freedman and Ama Daetz.
Fifteen anchors and reporters from many regions of the chapter presented the Emmy® statuettes. The presenters are listed here in order of appearance: KGO-TV ABC7 anchor Ama Daetz; KGO-TV ABC7 anchor and reporter  Carolyn Tyler  (SC 2007); Sacramento Univision 19 anchor Jairo Diaz Pedraza; Univision 14 Video Journalist/reporter Jaime Peluffo KTVU Fox 2 anchor Tori Campbell (see retirement story); KFSN ABC 30 anchor Liz Harrison; KMPH FOX 26 anchor Kim Stephens (SC 2014); former KPIX 5 reporter Don Knapp (GC 2014, SC 2009); KCRA anchor Kellie DeMarco;  KPIX 5 anchor Michelle Griego KPIX 5 anchor Veronica De La Cruz; KNTV NBC Bay Area anchor  Sam Brock former KGO-TV ABC7 traffic reporter Stan Burford; KITV anchor Pamela Young  (SC 2004); and KGO-TV ABC7 reporter Wayne Freedman (SC 2002).   

    "George Lang's acceptance provided my favorite moment. His self-effacing humor won the night," says Freedman. "That, and the how with David Louie, it felt as if half of the old KGO put on their moth-eaten best, shaved off a few whiskers, left their rest homes, and rallied. I loved that contrast with the old and the new.

    "I was so happy to watch Kim Stephens and Liz Harrison represent the Fresno market with their fun style of Emmy® presenting," says Stage Manager Richard Harmelink. "While they are competitors in the Fresno market, they were true friends on the stage." 

    "My biggest high was being able to share this moment with my photographer, Kyle Hayama, right out of University of Hawaii and struggling to find a place in our business," says Young. "These new graduates are our future and deserve encouragement and recognition for their efforts to take our industry to the next level."

     " This year what got me excited was the intimacy of SFJAZZ Center, a perfect setting for an awards show," says 2013 Governors' Award  recipient, Don Sanchez
    "I loved the look of the venue and the show seemed to move along at a very good pace," says Zeiden. "I especially loved the In Memoriam tribute."

    The In Memoriam tribute honored members of our NATAS family who passed away in the last year, including former KRON 4 Photographer Rick Greenwell, Dr. Stuart Hyde (GC 2012, SC 1996), founder of the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department at San Francisco State University, former KQED 9 President Richard Moore, former KGO Director Marty Pasetta (SC 1991), former KTVU 2 Anchor George Reading (SC 1998), former KGO Director Vincent Roman, KRON 4 Online News Manager and former Governor Brian Shields, and former KCRA 3 Photographer/Archivist Harry Sweet (Governors' Citation 1999, SC 1986).  

    "We are proud of our show and pleased that we have developed the platform to show it off to our fellow Academy members, both those from our own chapter and those from across the nation," says Karlin. To watch the show, go to the Emmy SF TV YouTube channel.

     "No one can appreciate how much work goes into one of these shows unless they have done it, themselves," says Freedman. "We owe Emmy® Gala Executive Producer Karen Sutton, Executive Director Darryl Compton (SC 1995) and all of the volunteers a strong thank you."

     The Emmy® Gala can only be staged with the help of the NATAS chapter community. Those not already mentioned include: Director Wayne Philippo, Design Director Jim Darski, Web Designer Jamal Nichols, Lighting Director Robert Erdiakoff, Stage Manager Steve Shlisky (SC 2014), Still Photographers Dave Golden, Mike Moya and Ken Newberry, Trophy Supervisor Kristy Wilson, Assistants Jayson Johnson, Bridget Michelsen and Sara Van Scherpe, Red Carpet staff Danielle Cheifetz and Governor Ross Perich. Staff Volunteers include Governor Kent Beichley, Troy Belton, Justin Fisher, Jeremy Grant, Steve Sanders and Robert Sutton. Marketing Chair Patty Zubov, Social Media Managers Noemi Zeigler Sanchez, Jocelyn Duffy, Maya Hernandez and Luis Godinez. Administrators Carolyn Compton, National Trustee Linda Giannecchini and Kristy Wilson.

     The Beyond Pix production staff includes: Production Manager Laura Hart, Technical Director Christine Strand, Production Crew Lewis Block, Alan Filippi, Woody Griffin, Albert Leung and Damon Meyer, McCune and SFJAZZ crew Red Carpet Assistants John Jordan and Patrick Wong, and Webcast Staff Kyle Draper, Kevin Killough and Josh Skyers.

More of our Emmy Gala coverage is on our Chapter website:



Watts half page ad_051113

EMMY® 2015

And The Emmy® Goes To...

 


 
EMMY® 2015
Emmy® Recipients Sparkle On Red Carpet







EMMY® 2015
Emmy® Presenters Shine On Stage




EMMY® 2015
Attendees Enjoy Elegant Gala Reception

Laura Marquez, 56; KGO-TV Reporter, Became ABC News Correspondent
      
      Laura Marquez Christian, an ABC News Correspondent who worked for  World News Tonight, Good Morning America and N ightline , died of complications from breast cancer at her home on June 18. 
      Marquez, 56, won a national Emmy ® Award for her coverage of the Southern California wildfires in 2007.
        Prior to joining ABC News, she was one the first journalists to work at CNN. From there, Marquez worked in TV markets across the country before coming home to San Francisco to work for KGO-TV in 1989.

      Covering the Loma Prieta earthquake, she was one of first reporters on the scene in San Francisco's Marina District, not knowing she was one of those who had lost her home in the fires. Marquez became one of the Bay Area's top political reporters, covering presidents, governors, senators and other newsmakers.

 Covering The Loma Prieta Earthquake
Laura Marquez c overing the Loma Prieta earthquake and fires, in October 1989. She learned later that her home was also destroyed by the fires. 

     Of her many career successes, her favorite job was being a mother. She once said her husband, daughter and family brought her more joy than any trip aboard Air Force One.

       Marquez was a native San Franciscan and graduated with honors from UCLA. An avid tennis player, skier, and cook, she was a lover of books. Her favorite color was lavender.

     Family and friends say Marquez was courageous, passionate, joyful, and determined throughout her 16-year bout with breast cancer.

     She is survived by her husband, the Rev. Daniel Christian, daughter Tessa, her mother and father, Maryann and Dr. Stan Levine, her father, Dr. Alfred Marquez, and by nieces, a nephew, great sisters-in-law, as well as a loving family and a wide circle of friends.

     Marquez had a deep Christian faith and was dedicated to advancements in cancer research and development.

 

Donations can be made to:

 

San Francisco Theological Seminary

www.sfts.edu/giving

 

and/or

 

Marin Cancer Institute

www.maringeneral.org/donate

 

Friends of Faith Breast Cancer Challenge 5K Walk Around Lake Merritt Aug. 22 
      
Friends of Faith
Barbara Rodgers (center, pink jacket) and other   Friends of Faith Fancher battle cancer in her name.
       Friends of Faith are gearing up for the 11th annual  Faith Fancher  Breast Cancer Challenge. This year's walk will be held on the morning of  Saturday, Aug. 22 - one day before what would have been Faith Fancher's 65th birthday.
      The beloved, longtime KTVU Channel 2 reporter, who worked at the station from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, lost her battle with breast cancer in 2003 at the age of 53.
       Since her death, the Friends of Faith organization has carried on in her name and helped so many others with breast cancer to survive and thrive. This 5K walk around Oakland's Lake Merritt raises money to help low-income women and men diagnosed with breast cancer. 
       Barbara Rodgers,
anchor, reporter and show host at CBS 5 from 1979 to 2008, again will gather her team, Barbara's Buddies, for a fun morning of celebration, friendship and matching headpieces! What will they be wearing this year? Join her team to find out.
      Registration page: 
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/barbararodgers/2015

      Every penny donated stays in the Bay Area to help individuals with breast cancer who have limited resources. The fundraising page can be found at: http://www.firstgiving.com/faithfancher5k/2015

      Photographs from the Aug. 22 event will be featured in the September issue of Off Camera.  

 

Documentary Screening Features 
Pioneering TV Organist Korla Pandit 
Free Event July 22 at San Francisco's Dolby Labs
      You are invited to a free screening of the documentary,  Korla , o Wednesday, July 22, 7 p.m.  at the  Dolby Labs Screening Room , 100 Potrero Ave., San Francisco and an opportunity to meet producers  John Turner and  Eric Christensen

     Exotica organist Korla Pandit is best remembered as a pioneer who appeared in television's first daily all music program, which aired on Los Angeles station KTLA from 1949 to 1951.  Amazingly, over the program's 900 episodes, Pandit didn't speak a single word, yet captivated his daytime audience of housewives with his hypnotic gaze and his theatrical performances of popular tunes and East Indian compositions, played on the newly developed Hammond B3 organ.  Also at that time, Pandit was the musical director for a children's television puppet program, The Beany and Cecil Show. Pandit also attracted fans in the Bay Area with shows on KGO-TV in 1956 and 1962. Later, he had a program on KNTV.

      While he presented himself as an Indian musician from New Delhi, Korla was actually

John Roland Redd, an African American from Columbia, Missouri.  Although he appeared in several films, and was the toast of Hollywood, his career ground to a halt when he was replaced by another master of the keyboards, Liberace. Pandit took his secret with him to his grave in 1998 and is now celebrated posthumously as the first back entertainer to have his own TV show.  For more information about the documentary, visit korlapandit.com 

      Please RSVP to attend the free screening on
Wednesday, July 22,  7 p.m. at the  Dolby Labs
Screening Room, 100 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco. 
RSVP E-mail:  office@emmysf.tv  or call (650)  341-7786.

New Governors Elected, Appointed 
To  S.F./NorCal Chapter's Board
New S.F./NorCal Chapter Governors
Manny Ramos Randy Forsman Don Sanchez Alyssa Deitsch

      Members of the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences voted a unanimous ballot to elect 13 Governors for the 2015-2017 term.  
      Three new to the Board:  Randy Forsman, director, KCRA 3; Manny Ramos, Manny Ramos Communications; and Don Sanchez , retired anchor/reporter from KGO ABC 7.  
      Ten incumbents were re-elected:  Pablo Iacub , news director, KUVS Univision 19; Brian Johnson, reporter, KFSN ABC 30; George Lang , president, The Big Picture Film & Video; Melissa Mapes , creative services director, KITV 4; David Paredes , Investigative Producer, KNTV NBC Bay Area; Pat Patton , consultant, formerly with KRON 4;  Ross Perich , general manager/creative director, ProMotion Studios; Erik Rosales , reporter, KMPH Fox 26; Matt Skryja , Media Relations, AAA NCNU Insurance Exchange; Stephanie Stone , anchor/reporter, KFSN ABC 30.
      The board also appointed Alyssa  Deitsch anchor/reporter, KHSL/KNVN, to serve an open position until July 2016.
      With the Chapter membership now over 1,200, it is allotted four national trustee positions. 
      The board elected three to serve for the 2017 term:  Linda Giannecchini, assistant director, KQED 9 (incumbent); John Odell, emeritus faculty, City College of San Francisco; and  Steve Shlisky , producer/editor, KTVU Fox 2. 
      Kevin Wing, a San Francisco-based producer for ABC News and current San Francisco vice president on the Board,  was elected as the alternate trustee. 

      Cynthia Zeiden completed her four-year term as trustee. She will continue to serve as the national awards chairperson. 

     Officers, committee chairs and the remaining 12 governors will continue to serve until July 2016.

 

A full listing of the Board of Governors can be found on emmysf.tv, in the 

About Us section:

Board of Governors Listing and Bios

 

 

Zeiden Completes Four-Year NATAS Trustee Term
Cynthia Zeiden receives the Trustee Service Plaque from NATAS National Board Chairman Chuck Dages at the recent trustees meeting in San Diego. 

 

Tori Campbell Retires From KTVU
After Radio Career, Anchored "Mornings On 2" For 19 Years

        Tori Campbell concluded her long tenure as co-anchor of KTVU's Mornings On 2 on June 19, wrapping up a 19-year career at the Oakland station.
       Campbell began at KTVU in April 1996 after working as a news anchor and news director at Bay Area radio stations KKIQ in Pleasanton and KGO in San Francisco. 
       Her tenure as a co-anchor on the station's long-running morning newscast, which began in January 1991 as one of the nation's first morning shows to go head-to-head with network morning broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC, is presently the longest in the show's history. Originally co-anchoring with Frank Somerville until 2008 when he moved to evenings to co-anchor the station's 10 p.m. newscast, Campbell had been anchoring with Dave Clark since then. 
      Along with a look back at her career at KTVU, Campbell was flanked by many present and former KTVU colleagues, including anchors Clark and Pam Cook, former anchor/reporter Diane Dwyer and former business editor Brian Banmiller, former Mornings On 2 host Ross McGowan and former Mornings On 2 executive producer Rosemarie Thomas Schwarz. Campbell's husband, Larry, and son, Lawrence (seen in the yellow 2015 Warriors Championship T-shirt), were also there to help her celebrate her KTVU career. 



Changes at KTVU FOX 2
New 4 p.m. News, Sunday Sports Show, Anchor Changes

 

KTVU's New 4 p.m. Newscast
Keba Arnold and Mike Mibach 
co-anchor the new afternoon broadcast. 

      A new newscast, anchor changes and a new sports show are just some of the recent changes at KTVU FOX 2.

      First, KTVU FOX 2 News at 4 premiered June 22, joining KGO-TV ABC7 as one of only two 4 p.m. newscasts in the Bay Area. 

      KTVU's Mike Mibach co-anchors the hour-long newscast with Keba Arnold, who arrived from KXTV in Sacramento. In making the announcement, KTVU Vice President and News Director Dana Hahn said, "Keba is a self-described 'news junkie' so she'll fit right in with the team here at KTVU. We know her energy and passion for delivering the news in her home state will resonate with our viewers."  

     Arnold also takes over anchoring duties on KTVU FOX 2 News at 7, which airs on sister station, KICU TV 36.

     Also, KTVU's Gasia Mikaelian became co-anchor of Mornings on 2 June 22. Mikaelian fills the void left by the retirement of longtime KTVU anchor Tori Campbell June 19. Mikaelian co-anchors the last two hours of the weekday broadcast from 7 to 9 a.m. with co-anchor Dave Clark. Mikaelian also anchors KTVU FOX 2 News at Noon weekdays. 

    With Mikaelian's move to mornings, Julie Haener now co-anchors KTVU FOX 2 News at 5 with Frank Somerville, in addition to her duties on KTVU FOX 2 News at 6 and The 10 o'clock News.

    In the sports department, KTVU's Sports Wrap has been expanded from the last quarter hour of the Sunday 10 p.m. newscast to a full 30 minutes beginning at 11 p.m. Sundays. Joe Fonzi and Jason Applebaum bring you sports highlights and scores. 

    Applebaum joins KTVU after serving as executive sports producer at KRON. 


KXTV's Bill Carragher Retires
Photojournalist Retires After Three Decades At Station

By Joyce Mitchell
Chapter Governor, Sacramento

      Numbers. A good reason for Sacramento KXTV Photographer Bill Carragher to retire after nearly 34 years. "My last password code to log into the station's computer was 1515," Carragher says. "So 5-15-2015 seemed like a good day to retire. Picking the date was strictly about numbers."
Bill Carragher on location in Ethiopia.
      Carragher says that his career has been adventurous, gratifying, successful, and happy. "It gave me the opportunity to travel the world," Carragher says." I've gone to Ethiopia and Mexico and covered so many major breaking news stories that I don't know where to begin in naming even just some of them."
      Carragher is a three-time Emmy Award recipient and has multiple nominations. He definitely rocks to the beat of his own drum. Maybe that's because Carragher spent his college days in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, hanging out with the likes of Paul Kantner of the counterculture psychedelic band Jefferson Starship.       
      The introduction to Kantner and lead singer Grace Slick evolved as a student project while Carragher was attending San Francisco State University where he graduated with a degree in Broadcast Communication. "I met Jan in college and helped her with her last final project that was about the Jefferson Starship," Carragher says. "She called someone with the band, they invited us over and I provided technical support. The band gave us several video clips to use and Jan narrated. We used some still photographs and produced essentially a documentary." But Carragher emphasizes it was Jan's project. 
      Carragher is referring to college friend Jan Richard, whom he married 30 years ago. Jan Richard-Carragher remains an assignment editor with KCRA, where she's worked for decades. "We're another media couple," Carragher says. 
 Wedding Bells
 Bill and Jan Richard-Carragher
      Back to Kantner for a moment. The video produced by these two college students was well before the days of MTV. "Because the band liked it so much, they talked with me about doing other videos," Carragher says. "Kantner mentioned Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead." While Carragher didn't take Kantner up on the video offer, he did say "yes"  to a few backstage concert passes. 
      After college, the Carraghers oddly enough ended-up getting jobs at the same station."We met in college, started dating and both landed at KIEM in Eureka where our relationship blossomed," Carragher says. "We were really good friends. Friendship is a great way to get into a lasting relationship." 
      From KIEM, Richard-Carragher went to KCRA. Carragher ventured off from then-CBS affiliate KIEM to CBS station KTVN in Reno. "I was mainly a special events photograp her and did a lot of live coverage," Carragher says. "The station was very progressive, way advanced in the market size that it actually is." 
     Scouting jobs in Sacramento, Carragher was hired by KXTV as a photographer. This month would have marked 34 years. "The main reason I am retiring is to retain my health," Carragher says, referring to back issues many photographers experience who've been shooting news a long time. "I want to maintain my health and since retiring, not lifting the camera and tripod, my back is actually improving. It was time to get out and get better," Carragher says. 
      Carragher is cycling, stretching, and trying not to get bored. "I have a pretty extensive 'honey-do' list and a very clean house," Carragher says with a smile . "What's next? I'm going to enjoy th e summer and then visit the options."
      The Carraghers have two children. Daughter Lauren is 22. "She's a very good photographer at Chico State," Carragher says. It appears she may have inherited the gene. "As a kid, I was kind of a photo geek back then before geeks were even invented."          
      Son Nathan is 25 and a manager at Safeway. He starts an engineering MA program this fall. "Our kids are for sure not going into TV because of us," Carragher says. "They think we both should be committed. Probably hoping the sooner the better. That way we'll be out of the house and it will become theirs," Carragher chuckles. 
     A well-honed dry newsroom humor interspersed, Carragher says that he will miss his friends and covering stories that make a difference in the community. Nearly 34 years of working in Sacramento TV news -- and 30 years of marriage -- for this solid photojournalist, getting the facts right is of utmost importance. 
      That's why he went out of his way to spell out how he and his wife got together. Carragher wants the world to know that his wife Jan "hit on me," Carragher says. "I just want to make that clear."

Sacramento's KCRA Lands  Exclusive Interview With President Obama

Interviewing The President
KCRA's Edie Lambert conducts a "Live from the White House" interview on trade and the economy with President Barack Obama in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on June 3. 
Official White House Photograph: 
Chuck Kennedy

 

By Joyce Mitchell

Chapter Governor, Sacramento

 

       One day, KCRA Anchor Edie Lambert received a call from the White House. The following Tuesday, June 3, after much newsroom discussion and fast planning, the whirlwind journey to Washington D.C. was underway for Lambert and PhotographerMarcelino Navarro.

       Lambert was among a handful of station anchors from the West Coast and Texas contacted by the White House to interview President Barack Obama about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. The interview was exclusive to the Sacramento market.

       At that point, Sacramento Representative Doris Matsui was one of about a dozen House Democrats still undecided on the trade agreement. Lambert believes that was the reason the White House focused on the Sacramento region. But beyond the insider politics, California's huge economy and location on the Pacific made the topic important for viewers. "The interview focused on the impact the trade agreement would have on this region," Lambert said. "Whether people agree with it or not, it was an opportunity to hear firsthand from the President of the United States about why he believes Northern Californians would benefit. We also covered specific concerns from his opponents, including the California Labor Council."

     Interviewing the President is no easy task. "We got a call Friday from the White House saying they were inviting local anchors to the White House as the President was focusing attention on trade," Lambert said. "It was already on my radar screen and I had been researching the Trans-Pacific trade agreement and specifically how it impacted California. But I still spent my weekend cramming. It's a very complex agreement and there's a wide range of concerns about it."

    Lambert had interviewed the President once before in 2012 and is well-versed in politics, having earned a degree in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and she has covered politics extensively over the years for KCRA. "Our job was to help viewers better understand the impact of the trade agreement on California," Lambert said. "In our region, farmers export billions of dollars worth of crops, the tech industry is watching the agreement carefully, and groups from unions to environmentalists are raising serious concerns. This was a great opportunity to better educate our viewers about what could be the biggest trade agreement in history."

    Lambert and Navarro's flight landed 45-minutes later than planned. Fighting traffic from the airport, hustling up credentials via phone in a cab -- performing a near a miracle, as news crews often do -- the two somehow made their time slot live in the 5 PM newscast, interviewing Representative Matsui, Ami Bera and Tom McClintock.

    The next day, logistics for the interview with the President were also challenging. The two-person crew of Lambert and Navarro had to figure out how and where to edit and feed footage on the fly. It's a total team effort. "For me, the biggest challenge was the limited amount of time we were allotted with the President," Lambert said. "You want to make sure you are prepared, making the most of every second."

KCRA photographer Marcelino Navarro and anchor Edie Lambert work quickly side-by-side to make the live report.

     Lambert was slated for five minutes with the President in the West Wing of the White House. The interview turned out closer to eight minutes because Lambert at the very end slid in a question he wanted to answer. "I was very focused because I had pretty limited time," Lambert said. "I thought I only had time for two questions and I wanted to make sure that I got one in about the drought. But then the President brought up Sacramento Congressman Bera. It opened the door for me to raise some political issues surrounding Bera and that extended the interview.

    Once the interview was over, the crew had a quick turnaround to transfer the footage and feed it back to Sacramento." Lambert credits Navarro for his experience and know-how in making it all work. "The two of us sat side-by-side, logging, editing, and pulling sound bites," Lambert said. They filed three reports, one live at 5 and two packages for the 10 and 11 PM newscasts. The report with the President ran nearly six minutes, a length that is a rarity on the local market level these days.  

STUDENT AWARDS 2015
High School Student Broadcasters
Are Journalists Of Tomorrow

 

By Steve Shlisky

NATAS NorCal Education Chair

 

NATAS Education Committee Chair  Steve Shlisky presenting awards at  Mill Valley's Throckmorton Theatre

      As the celebratory glow and spectacle of the Emmy Gala diminish, it reflects our own modest beginnings. No producer or writer, editor or media creator comes to this banquet fully versed with journalistic ability. Many early careers are assuaged by the mentors, teachers, parents and advisors encouraging us, while neophytes, to find their voice, discover untapped talent, and hone creative skills. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) honors these humble stages with awards presented to high schools and, especially, to their students.

      In May and June, the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored nine high school video media programs with: "Awards for Excellence," an engraved glass pillar, presented to schools and "Awards for Merit" presented to students. Each student participating in the award-worthy entries received a certificate specifying their role in the productions. Student work, rendered during the 2014-2015 school year, were submitted to our chapter's region, Visalia to the Oregon border including Reno and Hawaii.

      This round saw nine Pillars for Excellence awarded, an improvement from the five given last year, and seven Awards for Merit. Maui High School, from Kahului, Hawaii and Whitney High School from Rocklin, California, each received two Awards of Excellence. Wai'anae High School's Searider Productions from Wai'anae, Hawaii, received an Award of Excellence and four Awards of Merit. 

      Other Excellence and Merit recipients from California High Schools included: The Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media, Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley; Franklin High School in Elk Grove; Enterprise Alliance at KDOL-TV from the Oakland Unified School District; and Sheldon High School in Sacramento. Moanalua High School from Honolulu, Hawaii students also received Awards of Excellence a

  NATAS Governor Joyce Mitchell and Animation           Class Advisor Brad Clark

nd Merit.

       Two NATAS Education Committee members, Joyce Mitchell and Pamela Young, and the Education Committee Chair Steve Shlisky personally presented awards to six of the winning schools.

   On May 22, Mitchell presented awards to Elk Grove's Franklin High School in front of School Advisor Brad Clark's Animation Class.  

      Cameron Pon, who received an Award of Excellence, says: "I put a lot of hard work into the project and it really paid off." Pon inspired about the next step of his journey: "I am majoring in Computer Sciences and will be attending UC Santa Cruz next year. I love computer based animation."

Award of Excellence Recipient 
Cameron Pon with Franklin High School Principal 
Chantelle Albiani

      Franklin High School Principal Chantelle Albiani says the TV Program: "Is just off the charts. I am really proud of all the hard work being done here on our campus." Clarke, whose classes have received NATAS awards in the past, enjoys recognition from our chapter: "Especially at this level (it) is really an import and a driving force to encourage students to do the very best work possible."

     Mitchell also presented two Awards of Excellence during Whitney High School's broadcast banquet. The Photography Award went to Michael Abshear who says he is "Honored" by the award: "Moving forward, I hope to carry my achievements with me to college, and into my adult life, as I pursue a career in TV and film." Thrilled by his award for on screen talent, Matt Judy says: "It is a tremendous honor and a validation of so much hard work. Being an Award for Excellence winner will open many doors and set the foundation for my career goals of becoming a sports broadcaster."

  Moanalua High School Award Recipients with
  Pamela Young

     Small Market - Hawaii, Vice President Pamela Young represented the NATAS High School awards in Hawaii. Along with her husband, NATAS member and Silver Circle inductee Gary Sprinkle, Young handed out Awards of Excellence and Merit to Moanalua High School and Wai'anae High School. Both schools are on the island of Oahu.

      Wai'anae High School's Searider Productions is a multi - media program on the leeward coast of Oahu, Hawaii.  The school has an end-of the-year banquet; this spring well attended by more than 200 people. Many of the past semester's Eighty-five broadcast students were in attendance as well as their supportive friends and family. The NATAS awards were a special part of the celebration.

      Their program has over three hundred students in 3 majors - Film, Journalism and Digital Media.  Faculty Adviser John Allen III says: "It's an honor for the students to be recognized for all their hard work...It's the only class where the students' homework is out there for everyone to see. Allen is grateful for the NATAS Awards program: "For being able to recognize these students in front of their parents and friends." This is Wai'anae High School's third consecutive Award of Excellence for their Broadcast News Show program.  

      NATAS Governor Young says: "Despite our geographic isolation, the Hawaii students are excelling, thanks to incredibly supportive instructors like John Allen III. The students are from an area considered disadvantaged, but they are passionate about the visual arts and extraordinarily talented.  They have something to say and are using this medium in which to say it."

MEA Student  
Nelzy Gonzalez, NATAS Chair
Steve Shlisky, MEA Student 
Ja'Lenn Polar, and Program Advisor Jake Schoneker 

     On May 28, Education Chair Shlisky presented "Certificates of Merit" to Oakland Unified School District's Media Enterprise Alliance (MEA). MEA assists underserved students acquire the skills necessary to move on to college and the workforce.

      The awards were presented during this year's graduation ceremony and held in the KDOL studios. Recipient friends and family were also treated to an airing of the semester's best work. MEA Program director Jeff Key says these awards mean a lot to his students:  "Having the NATAS award on their resume has increased their sense of pride in their accomplishments. We appreciate NATAS for providing high school students with the opportunity to win a prestigious award... and NATAS provides a good introduction for them to work with a professional organization."

   Co-Master of Ceremony Patrick Shore, Linh Huynh, 

   NATAS Education Chair Steve Shlisky, Cam Vernali

   Hana Dahl, and Co-Master of Ceremony Jake Isola-Henry,

   Mt Tamalpias High School's 12 Annual AIM Film Festival at

   Mill Valley's Historic Throckmorton Theatre

 

     On the evening of June 4, Education Chair Steve Shlisky attended the Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media (AIM) film festival. For the sponsoring Mount Tamalpais High School, this is AIM's 12th end-of-the-school-year student feature extravaganza (screening 12 student works). For the fourth year, Mill Valley's historic Throckmorton Theatre housed the event. Shlisky awarded the school with the handsome etched glass Award of Excellence pillar and six Awards of Excellence and Merit Certificates to its students.

       Mt. Tamalpias High School AIM teacher, Sharilyn Scharf respects the fact that industry professionals judge these entries: "Students are receiving validation from an authentic and credible source."

      The Tamalpais High School Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media (AIM) is a challenging, two-year, three-subject program that blends social studies and English courses with media electives, providing students with the opportunity to get hands-on experience using digital video and audio production, web design, and other media applications through rigorous, inter-disciplinary projects. 

      A complete list of the awards: http://emmysf.tv/students-2/high-school-awards/

      The San Francisco Northern California Regional Student Television Awards for excellence, which promotes best practices to high school students, is intended to be an incentive for the pursuit of excellence in television journalism and to focus public attention on outstanding achievements in television produced by high school students. Faculty involvement can only be advisory.

      NATAS' High School Awards is underwritten by The TV Academy Fund, Inc., a non-profit, 501(c)(3), established to administer scholarships, grants, fellowships, research and programs that will advance the art and science of the television industry.
 

Students Page on emmysf.tv

 

Chapter Governors Joyce Mitchell and Pamela Young contributed to this story.

 

Sacramento Anchor Duo Celebrate CNN
Walker, Hart Mark 35 Years of "Cable News Network"

By Joyce Mitchell
Chapter Governor, Sacramento

      Cable News Network (CNN) alumni held a bash in Atlanta celebrating the 35th anniversary of the network. Back then and today, it remains a big deal. CNN was the first network ever to provide wall-to-wall, 24-7 news coverage. 
      For Sacramento anchor team  Dave Walker and  Lois Hart , taking a chance with CNN was truly a gamble. But they decided to toss the dice. The two quit their jobs at Sacramento NBC Affiliate KCRA and on June 1, 1980, sat behind the CNN news desk, anchoring the first newscast that launched the network. "It changed the landscape of TV news," Walker says. "No one thought we could do it. In fact, they called us 'chicken noodle' news in the beginning." 
   Celebrating CNN's First 35 Years
   Dave Walker (center, blue shirt) and Lois Hart (right, black dress)
   gather with CNN alumni at 35th anniversary of the network. 
      Thirty-five years later, June 1, 2015, 450 of CNN's early employees re-lived history in an Atlanta Hilton ballroom, reminiscing, reconnecting and rehashing the nuts and bolts of what it took to start a first-of-its-kind network. Walker and Hart have been married for decades. Now retired, Hart is Lois Walker. "Of the hundreds of people attending, probably only about fifty of us represented the original bunch who were there in the beginning," Lois Walker says. "We had a great time catching up, there were presentations, a funny reel and memories galore." 
      The Walkers remained at CNN throughout the 1980s and then went to CNBC for a year before returning to the KCRA anchor desk where they stayed until retirement. "There's a big, long history at CNN," Lois Walker says. "While we were the first anchor team, the focus was not on us but rather about all of the people who pitched-in to make the news effort happen. No one expected it to succeed. Today, everybody feels the bond of what it was like pulling together against all odds. Getting together, we felt like it was just yesterday that we embarked upon that pioneering journey." 
      Dave Walker said a few words at the event and maverick CNN founder Ted Turner made a video presentation. "It was terrific," Dave Walker says. "It was more about reacquainting with old friends than anything else. We shared a collection of war stories with people you bonded with during the launch of something this big. Again, no one knew it was going to work. It was more, hey kids, let's put on a show. We didn't know if we could even do news 24-7. We were all pioneers in this including Ted who had the vision." 
      CNN is now available to nearly 100-million households. Other personalities to come out of the network include Larry King, Bernard Shaw, Paula Zahn, Wolf Blitzer, and Anderson Cooper -- to name a few. "It was a leap of faith," Dave Walker says. "None of us knew if we'd have a job the next year." For the Walkers, the reunion was remarkable. They says that it's hard to explain, even comprehend, the pioneering journey that to everyone's surprise ended up such a big success.



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The Health Reporter

 

       

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How's Your New Year's Resolution Working For You?


 

        If you made a promise to exercise more starting on the first of the year, six months have now passed. You're now halfway to 2016! If you enthusiastically invested in the latest and greatest home fitness equipment or a membership at the nearest gym, how many hours have you logged in so far?

        If you've had trouble sticking with your exercise regimen because it's become too hard, too boring or just too _____ (fill in the blank), here's a New Year's Resolution 'addendum' that may help.   

        Don't be an exercise "perfectionist". That is, drop the "All or Nothing" way of thinking when it comes to exercise. Sometimes life gets in the way. You're on deadline, covering breaking news or you have a family emergency.     That's a fact... just as long as it's not an excuse.                                                           

 

On the Move

      Have a new job? Got a promotion? We'd like to know about it. Please let On the Move know by writing to Off Camera Editor Kevin Wing at kevin@emmysf.com.

Do You Remember?

Who are the two  Emmy® recipients? What year was the photo taken? Which station did they work for?

Hint: One of them is a member of the Silver Circle 
and has received 51 Emmy® Awards.
The answer in next month's Off Camera!
_________

In the June issue of Off Camera,
we asked you to name the year, the "chorus line" 
and the location of the 25th NorCal Emmy® Awards.

Answer: May 11, 1996   (Left to Right) David Louie, Diane Dwyer, Scott Singer, Thuy Vu and Don Sanchez at the Fashion Center.

 
Write Us! Off Camera Wants to Hear From You!

        Off Camera always wants to hear from you. Have a great story idea? Interested in writing a story for us? Want to tell us how we're doing? Whatever it may be, please feel free to drop us a line. 
        Write to Off Camera Editor Kevin Wing at kevin@emmysf.com
        Thank you!

Contact Information:

National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
San Francisco/Northern California Chapter
Darryl Compton,
Executive Director
4317 Camden Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403-5007
Phone: 650 341-7786 or 415 777-0212
Fax: 650 372-0279
darryl@emmysf.tv

 

The name "Emmy®" and the graphic image of the statuette, are registered trademarks of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.