The Ever changing TV Station in Topeka

One of the reasons I decided to get out of broadcast journalism early was the uncertainty of the small market job situations. And the television station where I started was no different.
While finishing my senior year in college, I had a weekend job at a Topeka station as a news photographer (I guess today's term is photojournalist). I enjoyed the video production, writing the story, and the occasional participation in the interview of a famous local politician or a national politician which included Presidential candidates Al Gore and Michael Dukakis.
But in summary judgment, I would say my introduction to broadcast journalism was bitter sweet. You see, the television station was a fledgling station with budgetary problems and a recently rebuilt television tower replacing the tower that was toppled in the 1984 Topeka ice storm. As such, the station had a revolving door policy for some parttime employees and I was caught in that tornado. I lost my job and became very disillusioned with the field.
In 2002, a college buddy and I went to see the Red Sox double-header slaughter of the Royals. He works as a reporter for Topeka Capital Journal. He informed me that the station where I worked so long ago axed their news department because of budget problems plus the fact they finished last in the local television news ratings. I was happy when he told me. Hell, I was euphoric. This only confirmed to me that this television station was a poor start, a poor facilitator for someone dreaming to be in broadcast journalism. In celebration of this news, I bought my friend dinner.
Now, I read that today some TV businessmen are trying to rejuvenate the news department. My response: ho-hum. I don't care. The broadcast journalism I studied in the '80s is not the same as what is practiced professionally today. I am glad I stepped away and tried other options.