C O M M E N T A R Y
Some Things
Are Miss ed
By John Wilson
John Wilson
Some of the very best ideas for my
commentaries came from viewers, and
that is why many TV news managers are
beginning to pay more attention to those
highly intelligent individuals, their
viewers. I also miss the compliments and
criticism from the public. The letters, calls
and e-mails and even surprise visits in
the lobby were always interesting. I now
find myself spending more time at my son
Paul’s advertising agency doing research
and planning strategies, visiting our son
Patrick and his family in Montclair, New
Jersey, and watching our son Mark, who
took my place at FOX 13. We are enjoying
my family home in the mountains of
Southwest Virginia that serves as a refuge
from time to time when we feel the need
to get away.
I must admit that I do miss anchoring
the news with Kelly, Cynthia and the
others, exchanging quips with Paul and
IFIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE
it’s been a year and a half since
I retired from television news.
After thirty-five years of anchoring
the “evening news” on TV in Tampa
Bay, its taken awhile and several
reminders from my wife Mary K. to
stop saying, “I work for FOX 13.”
However, it didn’t take much time
to realize that I need a plan and
would have to learn to manage my
time.
I’m often asked, “Do I Miss It?”
Sure I do. I miss putting on makeup
beside my son Mark and other such things,
but I don’t miss the daily grind of filling
time between commercials. Yet, working
with the talented people at FOX 13 and
having the opportunity to anchor the
news was always thrilling to me. So, I
do miss being part of the big news events
of the day that shape history, and I miss
the chance to give my weekly commentaries
that allowed me an uncensored two and
half minutes to say whatever I wanted to
say. But, even for them, I knew that when
taking on political subjects, I should not
criticize one party at the expense of the
other. It doesn’t take much research to
find more than enough examples of poor
judgement by politicians who are
practically begging to be criticized.
I believe that doing so becomes biased
criticism by “Talking Heads,” and that
disturbs me as I’m home watching the
news.
Chip and trying to explain the news
of the day; but I do not miss my daily
drive across the Howard Frankland
Bridge up to four times a day.
We are spending more time with
our grandchildren; and for the first
time, Mary K. and I can now enjoy
holidays together and go out to eat
or see a show when we want to.
I am also spending more and more
time with our sweet old dog Jake, a
border collie; and, due to my newly
acquired landscaping skills, our yard
is looking better than ever. Mary K.
and I are still singing when we are invited
and our schedules permit.
Television news is vastly different now
from when I started for many reasons, but
I watch it whenever something important
has happened or when I feel the need to
check on Mark to see if his tie is straight.
Otherwise, if you ask me if I miss it, first
you have to define “it,” and the odds are
the answer will be, “Do pigs fly?”
9
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Wilson ended 50
plus years of radio and television news
broadcasting with his final goodbye on WTVT
Fox 13 on November 26, 2014, the day before
Thanksgiving.
150 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE MARCH/APRIL 2016