Interview Transcript with Jeff Autry

1. How did you get started?

I was in college at UNC-Charlotte during my senior year (22 years old) and I saw a flier on a
bulletin board for an internship opportunity at NBC News Channel (the affiliate service for all of NBC
which just happened to be based in Charlotte not New York) in their sports Department. I loved
sports, knew I was about to graduate in the spring and needed a job, so I called them. I called and
spoke with them three different times, each time asking them to take me on as their new intern, but
it wasnt until the third call where I showed continual persistence and interest that they decided
to take me on. And the rest as they say was history! I started as an intern, was hired full time six
months later and ended up working there over 18 years. I began managing people at age 26 and led
people in every role during my time there since (14 years). I also worked in multiple departments,
traveled the world on business (Super bowls, inaugurations, political conventions, Olympics, etc.) ,
worked on Capitol Hill, met numerous famous people and did much, much more. I have to say
the job had multiple thrills of a lifetime for someone who was initially begging to be their intern.

2. What was a typical day for you?

I held multiple positions within the company during my time at NBC News Channel. I worked in
Sports, News, Operations, Production, Politics and even in my last few years there in Technology
and IT. Each role was different, but the understanding of the business helped me support each
position along the way.

3. How did the industry change during the time you worked as a
broadcaster?
The industry became much more digital and fast moving during my time there (1992 to 2000).
For example, when I first joined the company, we werent supporting any websites; however by the
time I left, everything we supported was digital not just what we produced for television. In
addition, the big three TV networks (NBC, ABC and CBS) were dominant in the early years, but as
cable television exploded, consumers had more options to go find their news. In fact, MSNBC and
Fox News Channel did not even exist when I started working at NBC. However, there are numerous
cable channels now, news networks on both cable and the internet. Thus, the need to be able to
support all of those channels quickly was paramount to our success. We had to be nimble, fast
moving, and smart.

4. How would you suggest a s tudent like me gain experience and

what classes are in my best interest concerning this field.
College is certainly a great starting point for anyone looking to learn first before diving into a
broadcasting job directly. Core classes such as Intro to Public Speaking, Intro to Media, Intro to
Communications, etc. will build the initial foundation. Being able to speak, work with media, and
understanding how communications are changing and growing are each core areas of understanding
and study. The communications field is extremely broad. Does someone want to work in television,
magazines, newspapers, film, public relations, community relations, or another area focused on
communications? Those are important to consider as well. To start out though, I think broad
 diversity of knowledge is important for a high school / college level student. Internships or first jobs
at multiple locations will build that broader knowledge and look great on a future resume, plus it
allows the student time to see what they truly will enjoy doing in their career as well.

5. What would you say was the most challenging part of your job?
The time commitment working for a 24/7 news organization was significant for me. In order to
maintain a good work/life balance, I had to be mindful of how my time away impacted my personal
well-being as well as the support of my family. That said, many jobs in this day in age are that way.
My first few years working in sports, I worked 5pm to 2am during week and on weekends. As the
new person on the block working in a department that covered events which often happened during
night hours rather than during the day, I had to work late night shifts. Conversely though, my last 5+
years were all basically 8am to 5pm assignments. Working isnt meant to be easy, so I would stress
the importance of balance in parallel with the importance of work ethic. Both are important to
personal and professional success and stability.

6. How does someone progress in your field? (how they advance)

This one is easy: work hard, be curious, ask questions, deliver results, and always be
comfortable with the uncomfortable. In a world changing faster than any time in history, being able
to accept and adapt to change is key for any employees success, particularly those new to this
business. I also practice the 4Hs at my work (happy, helpful, hungry and humble). Work hard and
follow the 4Hs and you will go far in life.

7. What are a few skills that are necessary to do well in

broadcasting?
Personally, one of the reasons I believe I had success was that I learned a little bit of everything.
I didnt just focus on sports or news or production, etc instead, I focused on learning something
about each one every chance I had. By building that base of knowledge across multiple disciplines, I
made myself more valuable to the organization and others sought me out more for answers. It also
made it easier to be promoted since executive leadership knew I was already prepared in some of
those areas to take over support of those teams as well. Theres also a people side to learning and
skills as well. Being a good listener, a good sounding board, and a good friend to colleagues goes a
long way to being successful. Those intangibles can differentiate one employee or applicant from
another.

8. How did your job as a broadcaster affect your lifestyle?

See question 5. I would add, however, that it allowed me to support my family my #1 priority
for working.

9. Do you have any advice for someone who is considering

broadcasting as their career?
Stay humble. Listen. Learn. And be flexible. Whether it means moving to take on a new job or
convincing management that you can do something besides your current department, sometimes
you simply have to be bold or speak up in order to gain the opportunity. A great example of this is
when I was in Sports. After two years in that department, I was ready to do more, so I went to our
leadership team and told them I could do more and that I wanted to move to news. It took very
 little time for them to agree to this change for me because they knew I had prepared myself in other
ways that would subsequently make me successful as I moved from sports to news.

10. What classes did you take in college that you would say helped
you the most?
My college did not have a communications major at that time, so I had to minor in Journalism.
Those classes were basic intro classes, but the one I remember most was my Technical Writing class.
What I learned from that class the most is that theres 100 ways to do things, but only a few to make
something 100% right.

11. If you could do everything over again, would you do it any

differently?
I probably would have switched companies sooner. I work in the communications department
for Lowes Corporate now where Ive been since I left NBC. Leveraging the transferable skills I
learned at NBC helped me significantly as I transitioned to my position at Lowes.

12. When you c ome home from work can you leave work at the
office or do you continue to work at home?
I think this is more of a personal question. Some people are wired to think about work 24/7,
some are not. Some have responsibilities after they leave work, others do not. Some want to work
at night so they can get ahead with their work, or do more, or show more value to their company
and leadership team; others do not. I believe in the majority of cases though when done right,
most jobs can have their work left at the office, particularly for people new to the business, with no
management responsibilities.