Why You Need a TV News Agent With Connections

May 20, 2024 by

Are you a TV news anchor, reporter, or meteorologist seeking great representation? When you start vetting agents, it can be confusing and even overwhelming.

There is a wealth of people calling themselves agents and will happily flash their “qualifications” to get you on board. Many of them are not legitimate, however. So if you’re looking for TV news jobs in the industry, where do you begin?

One of the single most important qualifications you want is a TV news agent with connections.

It’s All About Experience

When you’re looking for an agent, you want someone who knows not only where the jobs are, but where they’re going to be and whether they’re appropriate for you. Any TV news personality is going to have the upper hand with an agent who knows people in the industry.

Unfortunately, the bulk of TV news agents are either attorneys with little to no television experience, or individuals that have an interest in the news (and perhaps even a little experience) but have never been in the trenches. They haven’t worked with the important people who can help you get the upper hand.

While searching for a TV news agent, you want someone who has worked in the industry – ideally someone who has served in management, such as a news director or managing editor. Someone who was in the industry in this way likely knows vice presidents of news, news directors, executive producers, and general managers in a way that others will not.

The Internet Doesn’t Cut It

You might be thinking you can just skip getting an agent. Why bother? Why not just go to the internet and search for job postings? They’re definitely out there.

The fact is, anyone could check a website once a job is posted. Often though, the job is already taken. This is because a well-connected TV news agent knows about job openings weeks or even months before they’re posted. And news management trusts these agents because they’ve come from the same side of the desk.

Thus, their clients get dibs.

When you rely solely on the internet to get TV news jobs, you’re going at it alone. Whether you’re a TV news sports reporter, anchor, or meteorologist, working with an experienced TV news agent with connections means you have a knowledgeable ally. It’s an actual human who has your best interest at heart and will tell you not what you want to hear, but what you NEED to hear to get to the next level.

It’s impossible to put a price on that.

Ready to Consult with a TV News Agent with Connections?

Whether you’re in the early or middle stages of your career, in a middle market looking for another middle market location, or in a middle market and looking to get to a major market or network, you need a TV news agent with connections.

Mort Meisner is that agent. Having worked his way up to the highest levels of TV news management from an entry-level position, he is BEYOND well-connected in the industry.

So if you’re ready to make this crucial step in your career, contact him today. Having him in your lane will be a true game-changer for your career.

Filed Under: Blog

When Is It Time to Hire a TV News Agent?

May 6, 2024 by

If you’re a TV news anchor, reporter, or meteorologist, you may be pondering whether it’s time to hire a TV news agent.

This is a big decision and shouldn’t be made lightly.

There are many factors that you need to consider when setting out to boost your career with an experienced TV news agent. Ask yourself the following questions:

How Long Have I Been in TV News?

If you’re brand new to the industry and right out of school, chances are you don’t need an agent. This isn’t a given though.

An agent will happily take on brand new talent if they show real promise and are willing to do the work. In some cases, these newbies have heralded from a school with a broadcast journalism school that produced daily live and professional-looking newscasts so they have a solid reel. But even in cases where there isn’t a reel, agents can use their connections to help promising new talent build one.

Furthermore, when a TV news agent recognizes genuine talent, they are willing to coach such individuals to help them find the best first job for the most money, while also helping them help themselves so they can attain a great second job.

Meanwhile, candidates who have already gotten their feet wet working their first TV news job should definitely consider an agent. S/he can offer you so many advantages that you just won’t find out there on your own – regardless of how well you navigate the internet.

What Is My Life Plan?

Wow. That’s a heavy question! But what we’re referring to here is whether you want to work for a large network vs. the local level.

Many young up-and-coming TV news reporters or anchors are shooting for the big time. They envision themselves on the larger networks and want the lifestyle that goes with that.

Then there are those who know they want to stick closer to home. They may be starting a family and have a significant other who is rooted in his/her job, family, and friends in their current location. Plus, there is power in local news.

Obviously, for those who are aiming for major market 0&0s, affiliates, or network destinations and are willing to go wherever they need to go to get that, an agent is indispensable. They are well-connected and will be eager to send your tape all over the country to give you the best shot at a new job.

Yet, there is a myth that agents won’t want to work with those seeking local work. And that’s just not true. If you’re already at a local station that’s also in a major market, you’ll want an agent to negotiate your next deal at that station. S/he can also get you a meeting at another station across town if needed.

This leads us to the most important question:

So Where Can I Find a Great TV News Agent?

Sure, it might seem easy enough to resort to job searches on the internet to find work. And you can do that.

But consider this. An experienced TV news agent who has connections with station news directors and general managers is going to have backdoor access to information that no website will ever have. Plus, by the time curious applicants see job postings on the internet, they’re typically already taken. A TV news agent can share your info and reel long before that happens.

So once you feel you have some chops in the industry and are ready to explore hiring an agent, you can ask other TV news reporters or anchors for recommendations. In addition, attend conferences and take advantage of networking. Meeting your prospective agent face-to-face will give you a good feel for whether he or she is right for you.

Feeling Ready to Hire a TV News Agent?

Whether you’re a TV news meteorologist, reporter, or anchor, deciding to hire a TV news agent could be the biggest game changer in your career.

So if the above questions have left you feeling ready to take this next important step, contact us today.

With over 30 years of experience in broadcast news, TV news agents Mort Meisner and Steve Koles know the people and players that fuel this industry. We make the connections that will get you in the game.

Filed Under: Blog

Julianne Pelusi

April 19, 2024 by

Fast Facts

Name: Julianne Pelusi
Market: N/A
Current Station: N/A
Current Title: Sports Anchor/Reporter
Preferred Title: Sports Anchor/Reporter
Experience: 10 Years

Agent Name: Steve Koles
Agent Phone: (248) 545-2222
Agency: Mort Meisner Associates

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Filed Under: Anchors & Reporters, Sportscasters, Talent

Brian Ojima

November 20, 2023 by

Fast Facts

Name: Brian Ojima
Market: #66
Current Station: KITV
Current Title: Sports Anchor
Preferred Title: Sports Anchor
Experience: 20+ Years

Agent Name: Steve Koles
Agent Phone: (248) 545-2222
Agency: Mort Meisner Associates

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Filed Under: Anchors & Reporters, Sportscasters, Talent

Scott Koral

August 16, 2023 by

Fast Facts

Name: Scott Koral
Market: N/A
Current Station: N/A
Current Title: N/A
Preferred Title: Anchor/Reporter
Experience: 20 Years

Agent Name: Steve Koles
Agent Phone: (248) 545-2222
Agency: Mort Meisner Associates

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Filed Under: Anchors & Reporters, Talent

Sam Ali

August 8, 2023 by

Fast Facts

Name: Sam Ali
Market: #77
Current Station: WEYI/WSMH
Current Title: Sports Director
Preferred Title: Sports Anchor/Reporter
Experience: 10 Years

Agent Name: Steve Koles
Agent Phone: (248) 545-2222
Agency: Mort Meisner Associates

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Filed Under: Anchors & Reporters, Sportscasters, Talent

Ashley Howard

October 28, 2022 by

Fast Facts

Name: Ashley Howard
Market: #22
Current Station: KOIN
Current Title: Lifestyle Host/Anchor
Preferred Title: Lifestyle Host/Anchor
Experience: 5 Years

Agent Name: Steve Koles
Agent Phone: (614) 598-5007
Agency: Mort Meisner Associates

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Filed Under: Anchors & Reporters, Talent

Mort Meisner Associates Welcomes Steve Koles

July 20, 2022 by

Steve KolesSteve Koles has joined Mort Meisner Associates as an agent.  Steve has deep experience as a News Executive and News Director for more than two decades and has previously served at the CBS Affiliates in both Columbus and Rochester.

Steve will be responsible for recruiting and representing new clients to the long-time, established agency for tv and news talent.

While Mort Meisner Associates is based in suburban Detroit, Steve will be based in upstate New York and will utilize his 25 years in the news industry to assist in the growth of the agency.

About Mort Meisner Associates

Mort Meisner has decades of experience as a top news executive and decision maker at legendary stations such as ABC Owned and Operated WLS in Chicago, CBS Owned and Operated WBBM in Chicago, FOX Owned and Operated WJBK in Detroit, ABC Owned and Operated WXYZ in Detroit, and NBC affiliate KSDK in St. Louis.  Mort Meisner Associates is the premier agency in the United States for tv news talent.  Mort’s team has more than 30 years of experience in one of the most difficult industries and has a reputation that is second-to-none.

To learn more please visit https://www.mortmeisner.com/mort-meisner/.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With:

Allegations of Sexism and Racism At CBS

January 27, 2021 by

One of the most interesting aspects of Mort Meisner’s new memoir Enough to Be Dangerous is looking back at how sexism and racism thrived in the news industry in the 1980s.

It’s also one of the saddest.

First, because treating women and people of color as second class citizens was acceptable behavior. This always bothered Mort and he would not tolerate it in his newsroom.

But second, the latest news of allegations of sexism and racism at CBS shows that things hadn’t changed everywhere as much as we’d hoped they had. However, the quick response to it has.

The Dawn of a New Day?

For many of us, we felt a collective weight lifted from our shoulders in the last seven days. This past week instilled new hope and put at least a little of that proverbial skip back into our steps.

And in the midst of the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements back in 2018, it looked like CBS was ready to start cleaning up its act when they invited employees to report “sexual harassment, retaliation or the unfair treatment of women.”

But looks can be deceiving.

A year earlier, Margaret Cronan had walked away from a prestigious and high-paying position she loved at a CBS station in Philadelphia because she could no longer stomach the rampant sexism and racism. Especially coming from the President Peter Dunn and a top lieutenant who went to great lengths to bully female managers and block efforts to hire and retain Black journalists.

She stepped up to the plate to offer what she’d experienced. And when others offered allegations of serious misconduct, she was relieved that they would finally be exposed.

But it took until January 24th, 2021, to see justice served.

Some Positive Changes at CBS

CBS can’t be accused of being completely in the dark ages.

Sure, Charlie Rose was fired three years ago amid allegations of sexual misconduct. CBS also gave other bigwigs the boot for abusive behavior. Furthermore, they now offer programs that prominently feature Black characters and have brought Black men and women into the folds as managers, news directors, and even executives.

Yet, despite the allegations, Dunn continued to run a chain of 28 CBS-owned TV stations that employ 2,800 workers. He ran a tight ship; with final say over which local anchors and reporters appeared on CBS. And you can bet that women and people of color were the vast minority.

One station of particular interest in these allegations has been KYW in Philadelphia. The station made a major move when they brought on Ukee Washington as lead evening anchor. He’d been with KYW for over 30 years and was Black. And his expertise and professionalism are what inspired Cronan to return to TV news.

Yet in a 2016 meeting, when Dunn asked about Washington’s transition to lead anchor, he said, “He’s not doing that ‘jive talking’ anymore? Sometimes, he’s just not speaking my language.”

Cronan was shocked.

As they set out to retool their morning lineup, Cronan remembers Dunn asking of a potential host if he was “too gay for Philadelphia.”

How could this possibly be happening in 2016? Why were these two men permitted to keep their job?

Allegations of Sexism and Racism At CBS Put Nail in the Coffin

Finally, after a revealing article from the Los Angeles Times exposed both Dunn and senior vice president David Friend and the long line of allegations against them, they were required to take administrative leave.

It was much too long a time coming though.

During her time as news director, Cronan witnessed racism and experience verbal assaults – even being called a fucking idiot.

Cronan finally left her job as news director at KYW in 2017. “I no longer could tolerate a culture in which I was expected to defend corporate decisions that I found offensive,” Cronan told The Times.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Unfortunately for them, KYW has lost several prominent Black journalists. In 2015, Steve Patterson hit the bricks and headed over to the more receptive NBC News. In 2016, the stations’ only Black male reporter Justin Finch, also left to head over to NBC.

And Rahel Solomon is now at CNBC after leaving as KYW’s morning co-anchor. Dunn wouldn’t extend her contract. During a two-hour-plus phone call to discuss the matter, one of the objections he raised was that, “I hate her face.”

It’s vile, disgusting, appalling, and so incredibly shameful that this was allowed to happen for as long as it did. And despite the fact that these two key figures were finally relieved of their duties, Mort Meisner was heartbroken by it all.

Still, he can’t help but to feel that his continued fight against sexism and racism is making a difference. So he’ll continue to fight the good fight into 2021… and beyond.

Insisting on Higher Standards

That these allegations of sexism and racism at these specific stations is definitely disappointing. But we HAVE made progress since Mort’s days in the 1980s newsrooms.

To get a glimpse the ways Mort fought sexism and racism and refused to accept them as “business as usual,” grab a copy of Enough to Be Dangerous.

It’s an inspirational read during a time when things are finally looking up.

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Writing a Memoir; Growing a Friendship

December 18, 2020 by

When Mort Meisner set out to write his memoir, Enough to Be Dangerous, he had no idea he’d gain a friend along the path.

Mort had some reservations about the first writer he commissioned to help him with the project. When the writer decided to depart to a foreign country with no explanation, those reservations were confirmed.

Feeling slighted, and justifiably so, he wasn’t in any rush to find someone new.

And as is so often the case, he would find what he was looking for when he wasn’t actually searching.

A Chance Encounter

One morning, Mort went to his usual café to grab a coffee before work. A small group of friends was sitting on the patio; a group he nodded to and smiled at every morning. Being the quintessential “people person” that Mort is, he finally introduced himself.

They were warm and receptive and welcomed him to join them.

Among them was a former drug counselor, a musician, and… a writer. He felt he’d stumbled upon something really good. And he had. Not only would he cull some amazing bonds and friendships within the group, but he’d unwittingly stumbled upon the writer who would help him pen his memoir.

Making the Connection

Mort was quick to form a connection with the writer, Stephanie Ruopp. He needed someone to write posts for both his agent business and cannabis marketing business blogs. She was happy to oblige.

Meanwhile, he joined the group each morning before work for coffee. And as his professional relationship and personal friendship with Steph continued to grow, it dawned on him that she could be the one to help him with his story.

He asked if that would be something of interest and she was open to the opportunity. They decided upon a trial run to see if they “clicked” well during the writing process.

They did.

Writing a Memoir Takes Courage

Steph soon discovered that Mort had a wealth of amazing stories about his life in the news industry and as a rock and roll promoter. They were stories that would wow people at parties. And they would certainly be a great part of the book.

But there had to be more than just those.

Steph noticed that Mort also talked frequently about the “funny” things his father said to him as a child about being lazy or generally worthless. Except they weren’t funny at all. They were cruel.

From the memoir:

My dad was clearly depressed. I see it now. But as a child and teenager, he just seemed crazy and out of control. Even in later years after we left Detroit to live in the suburbs, he sometimes got very dark and headed to the attic. First he pulled down the creaky stairs, then he began to heft his heavy body up them.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“I’m going up to the attic to hang myself,” he responded. “Do you want to come?”

I always laughed. But it wasn’t funny.

There was also physical abuse. And though the relationship with his mother was marginally better, there was verbal abuse on her part as well. All of this, while growing up in poor Detroit neighborhoods in the racially tense 1960s.

These were the stories that also needed to be in the book. But it was tough.

As Mort began to convey more of these stories to Steph, those old feelings from childhood crept back in and surfaced. It was as if he were experiencing the trauma all over again. And to some extent, he was.

Deciding What to Disclose

Obviously, Mort found it difficult to share the stories about his parents and the abuse he suffered during childhood. Yet Steph kept gently encouraging him to explore those stories and include them in the memoir. After all, they were an inherent part of Mort’s life story and pivotal in making him the person he became.

He had to agree.

There was another aspect of his life he wasn’t sure he was ready to share, however. In fact, he didn’t know that he ever wanted to share it. And that was his cocaine use.

It was something he hadn’t yet disclosed to his adult children.

Meanwhile, as the months wore on, Steph and Mort continued to grow their friendship – meeting with the group every morning for coffee. He continued to support her and connect her with others who needed her writing services, and she, in turn, used her training as a life coach and yoga instructor to offer ways for Mort to cope with his dark past so they could keep forging ahead.

They trusted each other implicitly. And this made their collaboration all the easier.

Eventually, Mort told his children about his cocaine use and included it in the book. It was agonizing at times and he struggled with the usual feelings of shame and regret. But as is often the case with such admissions, it was also incredibly liberating.

A Bond That Can’t Be Broken

Mort and Steph had no idea what to expect as they embarked on the journey to write Mort’s memoir nearly two years ago. And there have certainly been plenty of other valuable players along the way that were essential in making the book a reality.

But at the end of the day, working together to tell Mort’s story enabled them to forge a solid and enduring friendship. Even now, in the freezing cold of winter in the middle of this pandemic, it’s not unusual to find that same small group, bundled up, seated six feet apart, and drinking coffee in a tent.

And central among them are Mort and Steph – forever grateful for their bond that can never be broken.

Mort Meisner Has Lived a Rich Life

If you’re interested in reading the fruits of Mort’s and Steph’s labor of love, pick up a copy of Enough to Be Dangerous today.

You can purchase it from independent sellers such as Paper Trail Books in Royal Oak or Book Beat in Oak Park. You can also purchase it on Amazon.

It’s the perfect read for over the holidays!

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