From Camera-Ready to Listener-Friendly
Larry Carroll and Tracie Savage are familiar faces on the local television news scene. But the two veteran anchor-reporters now prefer to be heard and not seen.
Carroll and Savage both say they have been rejuvenated since joining forces as the evening drive-time anchors on KFWB-AM (980). The two have been working the 3 to 8 p.m. shift together since mid-September 2001 and are still amused when they are “found” by listeners who recognize them from their TV days.
“The response is, ‘Oh, we finally found you,’” Savage said with a laugh during an interview at the station. “They say it’s like getting back in touch with an old friend.”
The teaming of Carroll and Savage brings a positive twist to their respective involuntary exits from TV news. Savage, who had worked at KNBC-TV Channel 4 for the last seven years as a reporter and weekend anchor, was let go last year along with several others in a major shakeup and restructuring.
Carroll’s comeback is even more dramatic. He had largely been off the airwaves since 1999, when he faced felony fraud charges, including conspiracy and securities fraud. While Carroll was engaged in his legal battle, his contract expired at KCBS-TV Channel 2, where he was an afternoon anchor, and management decided not to rehire him at his $330,000-a-year position. A San Bernardino County judge dismissed the charges in December 1999.
In landing at the all-news radio station, the two seasoned veterans--both equally comfortable sitting behind an anchor desk or doing a quick live remote report--had to start all over again, in some respects, to adapt to journalism without pictures.
“Radio is just a totally different beast, and I had to use totally different skills,” said Savage. “We are literally on the edge of our seats. Every second, there are four decisions that have to be made. There is just so much that goes on.”
Added Carroll, “A TV reporter or anchor is only one part of a program. Here, we are the entire engine. We deliver the copy, we do the sound, we produce the show, we do the commercials. We’re developing new stories.”
But the more frenzied world of radio has also brought them welcome surprises. “I love the freedom that radio affords,” Carroll said. “It all comes down to the words. There’s no need to get a crew or worry about how we look.”
“And there’s no worry about getting somewhere in traffic,” added Savage.
Another advantage, Savage quipped, is strictly financial: “I have barely any casual clothes. I have about 200 suits in my closet that I used for being on camera. Now I don’t have to look a special way. And it’s nice that I save a lot of money on makeup.”
Making the transition was easier for the TV veterans because they had each other to lean on. Landing at KFWB represents a reunion for Carroll and Savage, who were among the first hired at KCAL-TV Channel 9 in 1991, when that station was launching its three-hour prime-time news block.
“We used to sit next to each other at KCAL,” said Carroll. “Now we’re sitting across from each other.”
“We totally depend on each other, and carry each other,” Savage said.
They also share a similar perspective on moving from the more glamorous, high-profile TV news to the relative obscurity of radio, citing what they see as negative trends in the former medium.
“I really don’t feel that there’s a reduction in status,” Savage said. “More importantly, television news has changed a lot. There are not the high journalistic standards that existed in previous years. Now, it’s the pictures first, and the story is second. The video defines the story. With our newscasts, you get solid news all the time, and I think that brings a lot of respect. And it’s nice to work in a medium where experience and reputation matter. When you look at TV, it’s clear that doesn’t matter as much.”
“You’re not going to find stories about birthday parties for house cats on our news,” said Carroll. “When the story or the facts change, we can change with them.”
Still, both say they harbor no bitterness toward their former stations.
“I left in the middle of a lot of bloodletting,” Savage said. “I didn’t take it personally. There was a mandate to cut costs, and it was clear that highly paid people whose contracts were up would be very vulnerable.”
As for Carroll, he said he was delighted not only that the charges against him were dismissed, but that he now has an opportunity to explore other areas--and see his two young children grow--after a few decades at KABC-TV Channel 7, KCAL and a stint at NBC News.
KFWB General Manager Roger Nadel said having Carroll and Savage on the station “has renewed in the minds of our staff KFWB’s commitment to attract quality people. They both are at the highest levels. They have voices that are familiar enough to be comforting. [And] they can paint those words pictures.”
Because radio ratings are issued quarterly, it’s difficult to track the impact their arrival has had; still, Carroll expressed confidence that the audience is responding.
“I believe there are more people listening to us now than ever saw us on TV,” he said, smiling. “After all, we’re on for five hours a day.”
