This August will mark my two-year anniversary at Dan Rather Reports, but it looks like I’ll be a week shy of reaching that milestone. Beginning on July 22nd, I’ll be moving to the other side of Times Square to join WNET/PBS as an associate producer for their new program ‘NewsHour Weekend.’
It’s bittersweet to make this announcement, simply because Dan Rather Reports has been such a wonderful home and training ground for me. I was blessed to be placed in an environment that provided numerous opportunities to learn, grow, and test my curiosity for news. Two years ago, I was a bewildered 30-year-old who was given a chance to take a 9-to-5 job in news. The thought of working in an office five days a week was terrifying for a girl who had spent the last eight years schlepping around New York as a hobo actor.
Working for Wayne Nelson (executive producer), Elliot Kirschner (senior producer), Dan Rather (duh!), and everyone in the DRR office has been a once in a lifetime experience; I couldn’t ask for better mentors in this world of long form storytelling. I sincerely hope the opportunity to work together again arises in the future, but as Mr. Rather told me, “Tracy, go forward and burn the boats!”
Stepping into NewsHour Weekend is both exciting and daunting. Similar to joining an “original Broadway company,” NewsHour Weekend will be a brand new program and I will have the chance to see how you put-up a new show from day one. As an associate producer, I’ll be paired with a producer and we will work as a duo to go out in the field, shoot our own stories, act as our own correspondents, come back to the office and soft-edit the piece, before we hand it over to an experienced editor who will put the finishing touches on the 6-minute report. I’ll have many opportunities to build my skills as a shooter, producer, correspondent and editor in this new role.
NewsHour Weekend is a national program that will launch Saturday, September 7th and will air every Saturday and Sunday on PBS channels across the country. (This means just about anyone with a TV can watch it!!!)
So stay tuned for more updates – the next time you see me, I’ll be a new girl with 20/20 vision (because I’m taking a week off to get laser eye surgery) and a new job!
my dear friend, Tracy….I’m so happy for you!….such an amazing fertile growth process….from Dan the man to the burning boats…I’ll be watching, but don’t forget your bipolar friend, me! I may need your kind support in the future…Mine is always with you…have fun, and work hard…be safe and know you are here to make a difference…when that stops happening, move on….love and peace…ro