by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
TV news comes across as controlled and organized. The 30-minute broadcasts are timed down to the second and there’s very little margin for error or freelancing. The segments start and end at exact moments and weather and traffic are tightly scheduled as well.
However, behind the scenes things are different. The on-camera look is very different from what you see as you walk into the studio. The set is just that, a set that consists of a desk, a backdrop and lighting. What you don’t see are the lights, seemingless endless wiring, the behind-the-scenes staff that works off-camera and the many gadgets used to show the weather and traffic.
What goes on off-set and off-camera is another world also and that’s certainly true of the morning news crew at Ch. 47. Personalities Paul Folger, Michelle Jacobs, Celine McArthur and Jamie Warriner are as different as their jobs, but they have one single focus on air — to bring you up-to-date on what happened last night, what’s happening today, the weather and the traffic.
Folger just celebrated his five-year anniversary at the station. He’s one of many that migrated from stations in Texas and also one that didn’t think TV news was in the cards.
“I actually rented cars in Charlotte and Nashville,” said Folger, who’s from Charlotte. “I just walked in one day and told the guy I worked for I was going to do what it takes to get into TV.”
Folger quit that job, got into radio and came to Jacksonville from Dallas.
“The market grows on you,” he said. “I think the great thing about Jacksonville is you realize it’s a nice place and it’s a comfortable place to live.”
Jacobs joined the crew in July after three years at Ch. 12/25 where she freelanced and worked in the business office. While there, Jacobs also worked for the Donna Hicken Foundation and plans to run next year’s 26.2 With Donna marathon in February to benefit the Foundation. In fact, Jacobs is the liaison between the marathon and the City of Jacksonville.
A graduate of Western State College in Gunnison, Colo., Jacobs — who also came to Jacksonville via Dallas — is also a part-time meteorologist and a certified pilot.
“In Dallas I did all radio and airborne traffic reports,” she said. “We don’t fly here (Jacksonville). The market isn’t big enough.”
McArthur is from Long Island and wanted to be an attorney. An 11th grade U.S. Government/History class changed her career track. Each student was asked to present the “news of the week” in any format they chose. McArthur’s natural ability to deliver the week’s news in front of audience drew the attention of her teacher, who suggested TV news.
“It was fun and I had a good time with it,” said McArthur, who insists there’s an “incredibly strong shy side” of her extroverted personality.
McArthur graduated from Boston University, has won awards for her investigative pieces in Dallas and often puts in 15 to 18-hour days.
“You have to remember that this is supposed to be fun,” she said.
Warriner is a Vicksburg, Miss. native who came to Jacksonville after working at a station in Greenville, Miss. Unlike the others on the crew, Warriner knew fairly early he wanted to be a meteorologist.
“Since the first or second grade I have loved the weather,” he said. “I read all the books I could find about it. I grew up watching the Weather Channel like some folks grew up watching ESPN.”
Warriner graduated from Mississippi State where he and other weather enthusiasts chased storms of all kinds. He’ll be here for at least three more years and that’s fine, he says.
“My wife and daughter both like it here,” said Warriner.