I am going to look fondly at my time at KQ2 as an experience that both helped me grow as a person and forge friendships that I will remember for a lifetime. I stayed longer than most and made it through roughly three generations of the newsroom. I will be forever grateful and indebted to Bridget, the news director who hired me as morning show producer in September 2012 despite me not having any real television news experience.
It was sort of rough at first, both learning my methodology for producing and learning the often outdated technology that a market 200 station is stuck using. In 2015, I feel I began to get my footing as a producer and realized this is the career I want for the rest of my life. I am so grateful to Bob, the longtime anchor on Hometown this Morning that helped me grow as a producer by giving me daily feedback and Andy, the evening producer who would later become the news director that gave me wonderful feedback when needed.
In early 2017 I moved from the morning show to the evening news shows and by late September 2017 I had received a call from the assistant news director at KFSM that they were looking for producers. I was slightly perplexed why they would be calling a small station in northwest Missouri in their search, but I later found out that an anchor I worked closely with had applied there, and I can't confirm this, but I assume they found out about my work through that. The combination of that interest and the unique market made me accept their offer. It might be a jump from 200 to 100, but the population of Fort Smith (the city I will be living in) is around 90,000 and only around 20,000 greater than St. Joseph. The market is unique because it is also based out of Fayetteville, which is a college town with a population of 80,000. I am hoping this will mean that the market isn't going to be as cut throat like a city where there is 150,000. I have gotten nothing but a down home family vibe.
I am also looking forward to beginning an adventure in the Ozarks. I can't wait until Spring when I can begin to explore all the nature trails that the northwest Arkansas area has to offer.
Keep up to date on my professional journeys by following my twitter account here: @5NEWSNielson on Twitter.
I can't wait to look back at this post and see how I reflect on it and what will mark the biggest jump I have made in my 35 years on Earth. I can only help but think of the final scene of the show that (at least partially and subconsciously) inspired me to want to go into television news, The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
"You know something, Mr. Grant? Now that it's over, I don't feel as bad as I thought I was going to. In fact, I feel pretty good, I really do."
