Catching Up at NABJ
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I was not at the NABJ convention for long. I only spent about 4 hours at the convention, but I did have a few meet ups the night before the convention.
I got a chance to catch up with some old friends and got to meet some new ones.
I did spend some time catching up with Rick Ramage, an agent with UTA. It was the first time I got to see Rick in over a dozen years.
We were talking about some of the moves people were making in the business and I was surprised to find out that many of the moves we reported recently were Rick’s clients.
Last week, FTVLive told you that KCPQ Reporter Nadia Romero was leaving KCPQ in Seattle and was headed to CNN. We found out at NABJ that Romero was a Ramage client.
Speaking of CNN, Ramage also moved Omar Jimenez (OJ Trop) from CNN NewsSource to CNN’s Chicago bureau. Romero is moving into Jimenez’s old job.
We told you back in July that KTTV (LA) Reporter Danya Bacchus was leaving The Firm’s LA station and headed to CBS. She is also a client of Ramage. Staying at CBS, Ramage negotiated to move CBS Newspath London Reporter Jonathan Vigliotti to CBS News LA.
Back in May, FTVLive told you that WNBC Reporter Jummy Olabanji was headed back to her hometown to work for WRC in DC. Talking to Rick, we find out that Olabanji is another one of his clients.
It was great to catch up with Rick, one of the nicest guys in the business and a one very busy agent.
Hey Rick, I have you pencilled in for Summer of 2030 for the next time we meet up. Maybe we should get together more than once a decade.
I also met UTA agents Miae Shin and Dominique Girardi. Like FTVLive they were both at AAJA and NABJ and it was great meeting them.
I saw NWT President Carolyn Kane briefly at NABJ, but she also was at AAJA as well.
The conventions are a great place for agents to catch up with their clients and have some face to face time.
One of those I was hoping to meet up with at NABJ was WFTS (Tampa) Anchor/Reporter Jasmine Styles (Pictured). I have never met her and was hoping to run into her on the floor. She said that we did cross paths, but we didn’t talk.
OK…. now I feel like a dope.
I ran into KGO News Director Tracey Watkowski for the first time. We shared a few stories and laughs mainly about a bay area blogger that almost never gets the story right.
I saw agent Todd Foos as I was walking out the door and gave him my last FTVLive T-Shirt. Those did not last long.
It was great to see so many people, but I think my favorite people that I met were two young Reporters just getting started in their careers. One is looking for her first job and the other getting started in Sarasota. Both of these women were very smart and full of positive energy.
It made you think, that in this crazy business, there are still some people that give you hope for the future.
For all of you, and there were a lot that came up to me on the floor and said how much you read and like FTVLive….. THANK YOU!!!!!
When you are just sitting here in the office by yourself, banging out stories each and everyday for over 4 years without a day off, you wonder if people care. All those that came up to me at NABJ and the week before at AAJA, showed me that the hard work is worth it. Thank you so much!
Oh…and for all of you that asked, I did not see Gregg Willinger. I think he was busy with a 9AM, a 9:05AM, A 9:20AM and a 9:30AM meeting.
I was hoping he would squeeze me in at 9:26AM, but it didn’t happen.
Last but not least, a big shoutout to WBBM (Chicago) Reporter Dorothy Tucker, who was elected the next President of NABJ.
Over 4,000 people attended NABJ in Miami, a very positive vibe and it was clearly a huge success.
Congrats to the organization for putting on a first class event.
