Where did 2014 go? The last twelve months have flown by in a flash. They say that time passes more quickly the older you get and I have to agree with that wholeheartedly.
2014 was a mixed bag for me. Personally it was a great year. I got engaged. I earned my master's degree. I got married. That's a pretty big three if you ask me. If you'd asked me a couple of years ago that any of those things would happen I would have said there was no chance in Hades.
Professionally 2014 was a year of challenge and change. I lost two of the most-tenured news professionals in the business when reporter Jim Ryan left the WBAP/KLIF newsroom to go full-time with ABC News. Anchor Mark Watkins retired and moved to Arkansas. And late in the year I got word that longtime news department member Ellie Hogue – who formerly reported on WBAP and now produces the morning show on KLIF – would be resigning in January to spend more time with her kiddos. Come to think of it, WBAP lost morning anchor Carla Marion to full-time motherhood this past year as well. I congratulate each of these folks on their decisions. They did what was right for them. However, that doesn't make it easier trying to fill those huge shoes.
Sports Director Steve Lamb spent months on the shelf after health issues. And just a few weeks ago reporter Alan Scaia was badly hurt in a head-on collision. He's still out and will be for a while. When the people you've worked with are hurting it reminds you that a job is just a job and life is precious. Sure it's hard when we're short-handed, but I like to say that so long as it's not me in the hospital bed or home convalescing, I'll be all right. I've had my share of hospital stays and let me tell you, I would much prefer dealing with staff shortages than being stuck with needles and hooked up to monitors and feeling bad.
As we look ahead to 2015 I look forward to the new people coming on board to replace those who have departed from the department. For many years WBAP/KLIF had a very stable staff and this past year has been the first time we have seen such wholesale change. Transitions are not always easy, but they can be exciting and energizing. New people bring a new vibe to the department and it's always interesting to see what kind of ideas and ways of doing business that might bring along with it.
I can tell you that regardless of who's on the street reporting and who's anchoring or who's producing, we'll remain committed to bringing you the latest news in a balanced and timely manner. We'll work to give you all the angles and let you decide for yourself what it all means.
Even in good and bad years I always remind myself that I've got one of the greatest jobs around. I've enjoyed spending another year of it with you.
That's what I'm thinking.
Rick Hadley
24/7 News