Appalachian alumnus appears on popular CNN show
Appalachian Communication Alumnus Adam Hicks made his television debut in a big way: he bravely appeared on CNN’s “Nancy Grace” show Sept. 29.
Watch the show here:
Hicks is news director for High Country Radio AM 1450 WATA, NewsTalk 1200, Mix 102.3fm, Mac 100.7, Highway 106.1 and news website www.GoBlueRidge.Net. He was on the show to discuss two girls from Mooresville, NC, who had apparently been abducted by their stepfather.
According to CNN, “Nancy Grace is television’s only justice themed/interview/debate show, designed for those interested in the breaking crime news of the day. Grace challenges guests on the most high-profile legal issues of the day by drawing on her unique perspective as a former violent crimes prosecutor and as a crime victim herself. Nancy Grace provides viewers with a clear understanding of not only the top crime stories, but also the cases often overlooked.”
Grace is known for her aggressive, unrelenting questioning of guests.
Jodi Hartley, communication director for the College of Fine and Applied Arts, asked Adam to talk about his experience.
First, how did your appearance come about? “Tuesday afternoon, I was in the news office at the radio station, when our office manager, Cindy Cafaro, walked in and said that some lady from CNN was on the phone and would like to talk to me. First, I thought it was some type of joke or that maybe it wasn’t ‘the’ CNN. Turns out, it was a producer from the Nancy Grace program calling and she asked if I was familiar with the story about the two missing girls and their adoptive father in Mooresville. I said that I was, and she asked if I would be interested in appearing as a news correspondent on the Nancy Grace show that night. I actually tried to get the producer to contact our sister stations’ news director in Lenoir since they are closer to Mooresville and may know more about the situation. The producer said that since the Lenoir stations are also part of Curtis Media Group, the news director in Lenoir wouldn’t have any information that I don’t know and asked again if I would like to appear on Nancy Grace, so I said that I’d be glad to.
“Although I was pretty familiar with the case, the producer kept me up-to-date with all the breaking new information as the day continued.
“I still think it’s one of the strangest things that have ever happened to me. When I woke up on Tuesday morning, I had no idea that I would be on national television during primetime later that night. That’s why I love broadcasting. You never know what’s going to happen next.”
How was the experience? “To be honest, I was a little scared to go on Nancy Grace. I’m very familiar with the program and I have seen her really lay into guests. Ha Ha, she’s known for chewing some of her guests up and spitting out bones. Although Nancy was very quick with her questions and quick to move on, I never felt that she was being rude toward me, but that she was quickly moving on with the program.
“While I have minimal television experience, my radio experiences paid off with realizing when Nancy would have to hit ‘hard breaks’ within the program, how to quickly wrap up ideas so the program could continue, and knowing how to relax. There was no camera on me and I was simply live on the telephone with Nancy, so it really wasn’t any different than being live on the radio.
“I was also in contact with the producers of the program during commercial breaks. They would let me know about when Nancy was going to ask me a question. I think I did an alright job on the show too, because the producers asked me to come back on the program the next day if the girls were still missing. It turns out they found the girls the next morning, so they didn’t run the story. While it would’ve been fun to go on the show again, I would never trade the safety of those girls for another night on T.V. I’m just glad they were found.
“Before I went on the program, one of the producers I spoke to told me that CNN doesn’t have a correspondent in the area and that if things go well, they might use me for other North Carolina stories. When I found out I wouldn’t be on the program again Wednesday night, I told the producer that I would be happy to help them out with stories in North Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia if they ever need any help. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get a chance to help with CNN again sometime in the future.”
Do you have aspirations to have a show similar to Nancy Grace’s? It would be fun to work for a show similar to Nancy Grace’s, but I have to say that I don’t have the personality to pull of Nancy’s demeanor. I am open to and interested in any opportunities a career in broadcasting may bring my way. To be honest, I credit this attitude to the outstanding electronic media department at Appalachian State. I enjoyed every broadcasting class I took at App State and feel that they prepared me very well for real-life scenarios. The work that Dan Hill does with WASU and the Kellar [Radio Talent] Institute is amazing, and I’m proud to say I was involved with the campus radio station. Dr. Carl Tyrie prepared me very well for any writing or producing opportunities that may come my way. Steve Smith and Kevin Balling taught me everything I know about audio and video production, which is the backbone to any career in electronic media. I learned so much about the production end of television in Larry Cornelison’s T.V. studio class. I can’t tell you how much I learned from Randy Jackson’s performance class. Dr. Frank Aycock and Dr. David Spiceland also taught me so many applicable items on the management and programming end of broadcasting. Also, I really benefited from the way David Jackson and the Appalachian ISP Sports Network work closely with the electronic media department.
“I could go on and on, but I can’t say enough about the communication department. I’ve heard people say if you want to be in the media field, you should go to Syracuse or Chapel Hill. I disagree. I can’t imagine any other university having a better broadcasting environment than App State. I’ve also heard at Chapel Hill and other larger schools, you can’t even touch the broadcasting equipment until you’re an upperclassman. I think that is a terrible waste of time. If I were an employer, I would rather hire someone who has had a chance to get their hands dirty and actually apply the theories they learn in the classroom. Students truly get that opportunity at Appalachian.
“I kinda got off on a tangent, sorry about that. This sounds cheesy, but I’ve kind of always wanted to write, host, or produce a program like Saturday Night Live or the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. I think that would be a lot of fun.”
What are people in Boone saying to you about the show and your appearance? “I’ve heard nothing but good things from people here in Boone. I can’t tell you how many encouraging e-mails, phone calls, text messages, and comments on GoBlueRidge.net I’ve received over the past few days. I really appreciate all the ‘atta boys’ everyone has been giving me. Several people have jokingly asked for my autograph or said things like, ‘Don’t forget me when you take Anderson Cooper’s place.’ One person told me they were very impressed with how I handled myself because Nancy Grace is ‘one tough cookie.’ I don’t know how familiar you are with GoBlueRidge.net, but people are allowed to make comments on news items that are posted on the website. Some of the comments can be very funny. There’s one poster in particular, “Paulman1” who was joking that Nancy Grace and I fell in love and are getting married.
“When I read my newscasts live with the air talent on our radio stations, they joke with me on air and say they didn’t think they’d ever talk to me again because they thought I would get ‘discovered’ on T.V. and get a job with a network news organization.
“I think it’s all pretty funny. I just feel extremely blessed to have had an opportunity to bring publicity to our group of radio stations and the town of Boone.”