For TV news broadcast talent, two of the most important things you can possess are a good attitude and a great TV news agent. Long-time TV news talent agent Mort Meisner knows this better than most.
Having an experienced agent who’s well-connected and who believes in you holds tremendous weight in the often unstable world of broadcast television.
But when a great agent is paired with true ability and a positive attitude on the part of the talent, the possibilities are truly endless. Brandon Roux is an example of this.
Who Is Brandon Roux?
If you lived in and watched the news in the Detroit area any time between 2010-2023, you most certainly saw Brandon Roux on your TV screen. Joining the NBC-affiliate WDIV weather team in Detroit, Brandon quickly won over an audience with his warmth, kindness, and engaging persona.
Upon arriving at WDIV, Brandon was far from a newbie broadcast meteorologist. His talent had previously landed him at WBNS in Columbus, Ohio, at WFTC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at KTNV in Las Vegas, Nevada, and at KIVI in Boise, Idaho. “I’ve worked in every time zone and every climate from the Las Vegas desert to the frozen tundra of the Twin Cities,” he told WDIV.
With this vast experience, he was able to deliver accurate and engaging weather forecasts for the Detroit area utilizing new media platforms and technologies. He produced high-quality video content and possesses skills in video production, video editing, and meteorological data analysis.
But one of the aspects viewers loved most about Brandon was his passion for educating and informing the public about weather phenomena and climate change. He made complex scientific concepts accessible and appealing to diverse audiences.
Brandon is highly educated with degrees in Journalism and Atmospheric Science from Iona University and Mississippi State University. And during his time as a broadcast meteorologist, he secured various prestigious accolades, ranging from the 2009 Associated Press Award for Outstanding Weather Operation and Best Weather Continuing Coverage to the Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.
So What Happened?
When Brandon left WDIV after 13 successful years in 2023, viewers were disappointed but wished him well on his next venture. Whatever that was. There didn’t seem to be any information about where he was heading.
Unfortunately, Brandon didn’t know either. He got caught up in a buyout with many others at WDIV, which ultimately left him scrambling for work. So he turned to his agent, Mort Meisner, to get the ball rolling.
Mort used his skills and talent to generate interest around Brandon, who’s considered major market talent. But try as he might, nobody – not even the small or medium markets – was responding. This is just the way it goes sometimes in the TV news business.
Being in limbo may have discouraged someone with lesser talent to leave the industry. Not Brandon. He never lost faith in himself or in Mort’s ability to find him the right spot. While Mort continued to use his vast connections, Brandon demonstrated a great attitude. He stuck with his commitment to continue learning and improving, seeking to collaborate with other professionals and experts in the field of weather and media.
Eighteen months later (which included a short stint as a substitute teacher), Brandon recently announced that he accepted a job as a broadcast meteorologist at CBS-owned and -operated station WBBM in Chicago.
As a Chicago native, it’s a joyous homecoming.
The Value of a Good Attitude and a Great TV New Talent Agent
The story of Brandon Roux demonstrates the value of having a good attitude and a great TV news talent agent on the road to success. At the end of the day, Brandon was hired into one of the top TV news markets in the world. But it took patience, perseverance, and faith to get there.
As Mort says, “The bottom line is this. If you stay the course and keep at it, and if you believe in yourself and your agent believes in you, it usually winds up being more a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.”
Interested in how Mort can make his connections work for you? Contact him today. His success is about your success.
