Time flies! 15 years ago (on Monday to be exact), we made broadcasting history of sorts in San Antonio when the San Antonio Living show launched. It’s an anniversary that will be celebrated Monday at 10 a.m. on News 4 WOAI. Shelly Miles, Leslie Bohl and I will share a fun hour of laughs and memories of all the years that have flown by. Each of us has hosted the ever changing show.
I haven’t written much about my tenure on Living, but it’s appropriate to do so now to give credit where it’s due. We started Living on a tiny shoe string. Patty Tanner, one of the most talented producers I’ve ever worked with, and I began with a mission–to produce one hour of entertaining, live TV that also empowered and improved others’ lives. We wanted to give voice to those who deserved a stage and shine light on our city’s small businesses who didn’t have big time media budgets to advertise.
Our first news director at the time had no idea how to control us, so he pretty much gave us control of the show. 🙂
Our general manager back then at KMOL (aka today’s WOAI) was Don Perry– hands down, the best boss I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. Don understood the passion Patty and I had for the show, and he moved mountains to help us succeed.
Living was the first local, live, one hour morning broadcast to air in San Antonio that wasn’t news based (that I’m aware of), and it’s been the most successful. Living’s coverage of local issues, trends and trendsetters continues to inform South Texas. What I remember most isn’t the big name stars we interviewed on the show. I remember the brave, amazing folks– local heroes who shared their survival stories, their personal journeys with our audience to help improve the lives of others (they did mine), and those stories continue to be shared on the show today.
I have some special friendships as a result, and I’m sure you do too.
If you’re around a TV on Monday, I hope you’ll join us. We’ll toast the past but more importantly, raise a glass to the future. Like all of our lives, Living’s best days are yet to come!
“I haven’t written much about my
tenoron Living,…”“tenure” is your word there unless you sang your way through the show.
Yikes…thank you!!! No, if I had sang my way through the show, there would have been no audience! 🙂 I can’t carry a tune. Thanks Tony.