IN 1993, I HAD MADE THE
FATEFUL DECISION OF GIVING A
SPEECH TO A GROUP OF
CONSERVATIVE, POLITICALLY
ACTIVE CHRISTIANS IN
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
I HAD BEEN ANCHORING THE
NEWS FOR THE NBC AFFILIATE
THERE FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS.
AND SPOKE ABOUT THE
MAINSTREAM MEDIA'S BIAS
AGAINST THEM.
THAT SPEECH GOT ME
SUSPENDED, AND ULTIMATELY
FIRED FROM MY JOB.
ONE OF THE FIRST PHONE CALLS
I RECEIVED AFTER BEING
SUSPENDED FROM MY JOB WAS
FROM PAT ROBERTSON.
AND THAT PHONE CALL LED TO,
A YEAR LATER, HIM HIRING ME
TO BE THE NEWS ANCHOR FOR
"THE 700 CLUB."
COVERING THE REPUBLICAN AND
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS WERE
SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY
TIME HERE.
HE NEEDED TO EXPLAIN TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIMSELF
AND GEORGE BUSH.
BY THE TIME WE GOT INTO
THE STUDIO, IT BECAME
APPARENT THAT OUR ENTIRE
"700 CLUB" BROADCAST FOR
THAT DAY WAS GOING TO BE PUT
ASIDE, AND THIS WAS GOING TO
BE OUR COVERAGE.
AND, IN FACT, I THINK THAT
PAT CAME OVER TO THE NEWS
SET EARLY ON, AND IT WAS
JUST PAT AND ME STANDING AT
THE NEWS SET.
I WENT TO A LOCAL CHURCH
HERE IN SLIDEL YESTERDAY,
AND FRANKLY, I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT TO EXPECT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I
DISTINCTLY REMEMBER ABOUT MY
TIME IN SLIDEL, LOUISIANA,
AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, WAS
WORSHIPPING AT THE METHODIST
CHURCH THAT HAD BEEN
DESTROYED BY THE
FLOODWATERS.
THE COMMON BOND EXPERIENCED
THROUGH THAT TRAGEDY WAS
KNOWING THAT THEIR SOVEREIGN
GOD STILL LOVED THEM AND
WANTED TO HEAR THEIR PRAISES
THAT MORNING.
I THINK WE WERE ALL EXCITED
GARY BUSEY WAS GOING TO BE A
GUEST ON "THE 700 CLUB."
AND THEN THERE WAS A
COMMERCIAL BREAK AND THEN I
HAD A SEGMENT.
HE SAT DOWN NEXT TO ME, AND
HE DECIDED HE WANTED TO
INTRODUCE THAT STORY.
HE WANTED TO COME OVER TO
THE NEWS.
SO HE WANTED TO KNOW HOW I
READ THE NEWS.
SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GIVE
YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ
THE INTRO TO THIS STORY.
IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT
STORY.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR
ME, TOO.
WHAT MADE IT AWKWARD WAS
THE STORY WAS A VERY SERIOUS
STORY ABOUT CANCER AND
DEATH.
AND SO IT WAS ONE OF THE
MOST AWKWARD MOMENTS, BUT IT
WAS ALSO PRETTY HUMOROUS,
TOO.
THE THING I WILL TAKE AWAY
OVER
MY 19 YEARS, AND THE
RELATIONSHIPS BUILT OFF THE
SET, BEHIND THE SCENES.
BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH
PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE THE
GIFTS AND TALENTS THAT GOD
HAS GIVEN THEM.
BUT THE LOVE AND CARING
CONCERN THAT EVERYONE HAS
HERE FOR EACH OTHER.
IT HAS BEEN A GREAT SOURCE
OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME.
