Thursday, September 25, 2008

Aw, that cut of Joe Anderson brought back so many memories!

Polly Loy hired me at WKGN in the summer of 1974 as “sales secretary,” but one of the first things I did (after trying to figure out how to use the IBM Selectric typewriter, which I’d never used before!) was to chat up Joe. My goal was to become a reporter and I hung around the newsroom as much as my little “secretary” office, waiting for a vacancy back there. Sure enough, pretty soon newshound Chris Moser split for Atlanta and Joe hired me.

I remember sitting in the news office taking Joe’s “quiz” to see if I had any kind of news savvy, and he cursed, “Rats!” That was his favorite exclamation of dismay. He got up and closed the sliding patio-type doors that separated the office from the closet where the AP machine rat-a-tatted all day and night long. “I hate that racket!” I remember being amused that a news director felt so strongly negatively about the method of delivery of one of our major sources of news.

Then Joe tutored me how to back time my newscast to hit ABC Network news at the top of the hour. For a long time we taped my ‘cast and started the tape however much before the top was required. One day we ran out of time to tape it and play back—I had to sink or swim. I remember the joy and satisfaction on his face when I emerged from the news booth, having nailed it exactly. Maybe a little surprise there, too! Beginner’s luck.

Joe passed away a couple of years ago and I went to the services at a little church on South Peters Road. His ex-wife Pat was coordinating the Celebration of Life, and I was sad that I was the only non-family member there. His son and brother, among others, told stories of Joe’s younger days and I deeply wanted to get up and share the two anecdotes I just told you, but I was too upset at the time and couldn’t even speak. So maybe this will serve as a little celebration of his life and a thank-you for setting me on my path to a wonderful career.

Jean Ash
(jeanash@comcast.net)