Category: Back in the day

My Current Situation XIII

November 2025 was the last blog post I entered in this Current Situation series.  What’s been happening since then?  Here’s the update – it’s April of 2026 and gas prices have spiked through the roof, home heating oil prices are extremely high, my 40`1K is up and down and up and down and the job market in general is sketchy.

 

 

On the flip side I am still gainfully employed as a Media Sales Professional by News Channel 8 (ABC) in New Haven, CT and I’m nearing retirement.  By the way, the Media Industry as a whole looks starkly different then what it looked like almost 40 years ago when I started my career so I consider myself blessed to be in the position I am in.

 

These boots were made for walking…

 

As I mentioned before it’s mid-April in the state of Connecticut and this New England changeable weather has recently taken a turn for the worse.  Last week I was wearing sundresses and sunglasses, this coming week I’m pulling out long sleeves and heavy stockings.  Winter is back – Waaaah!

 

 

On the bright side health wise I am doing extraordinarily well.  My pap smear was normal, my vision was normal and I was recently told at my annual physical  exam by a new Primary Care Doctor (a young woman in her 30s) that I should continue doing whatever it is I am doing because all of my labs were great.  Not to be funny but I was not that surprised because I gave up alcohol 6 years ago, totally cleaned up my diet, and as for drugs, I don’t indulge (smile).   For exercise I work out 5 mornings a week at Orangetheory Fitness Center in Hamden, hydrate a lot and strive to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.

 

Working out is my form of physical therapy

 

Family wise my almost 93 year old father,  Jonie B. Hollis, was recently (through the collective efforts of my sister Casandra who lives in Nashville, TN, myself in Connecticut and my brother Michael also in Connecticut) presented with a Quilt of Honor (citation and actual quilt) for his 30 years of service in the U.S. Navy.  It was a total surprise to Jonie B. — the ceremony as well as my brother Michael’s  heartfelt tribute left him teary eyed and proud.  The Old Saybrook Nursing home where he resides showed up and out – it was a beautiful affair and one for the record books.

 

Jonie B., his son Michael, daughter Lajeune and the 2 lovely women who hosted the program

 

Other Blessings:  Two babies were born into the Hollis family tree this year – my nephew Jacob who lives in Florida had a baby boy in January of 2026 and my nephew Jasper who lives in Arizona had a baby boy in February of 2026.

 

Happy Great Aunt

 

One of my New Year’s goals for 2026 was to take up something I left behind years ago.  Reading.  And reading is my jam!  I am currently reading the trilogy of Paradise stories by Elin Hilderbrand that I am loving so much I cannot put the books down.  She’s an awesome writer and puts the reader right into the thick of her stories –  I’m on the last book in her trilogy series now – it’s called “Troubles in Paradise” and it inspired me today to book a return trip to St. Thomas for our upcoming June vacation (smile).

 

 

Reading is not foreign to me.  As a matter of fact back in the early 1990s I was hosting an African American Book Review radio show with my co-host LaMonda Williams called ‘The L & L Book Review’ on AM1340 WNHC Radio while simultaneously hosting an African American monthly book club in person at Barnes and Noble bookstore in North Haven, CT.    As luck would have it, I made connections with publishing houses in New York City that started sending me hardcovers in the mail for free in the hopes that I would include their books in my reviews!  I also interviewed African American authors at the radio station as well as in person at Barnes and Noble  bookstore.   It was most definitely a labor of love for I was not getting paid to do either of these gigs (smile).

 

Feeling real good about reading at night because it exercises my brain (smile)

 

And that’s all I have to share for now – until next time.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

Before my entry into the media Industry

In my latest blog post Back to Broadcast Media Sales! of the Broadcast and Media Industry series,  I ended with how much the media industry has changed over the past 35+ years and how it continues to evolve due to the impact of  the internet and streaming channels.  You should really read the aforementioned blog post before you continue with this one…

 

 

But I need to back up now because my real beginning in the Media industry was at the tender age of 22 at a community led public broadcast TV station in Bridgeport, CT.

I graduated from college back in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Studies from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.  Media Studies was an interesting field because we were taught a little bit about different media industries such as Public Relations, Television, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines and Photography.  It was just enough to peak your interest in what you might want to pursue further.  In my case I was fascinated my both Broadcast Television and Broadcast Radio.

However, once I earned my college degree, I continued to work the next 3 to 4 months in the same sales support position I held in college.  It was at a Bridgeport, CT financial services firm.  I also continued with my internship from the Summer before where I worked at a Bridgeport, CT Public Broadcasting TV station for a Minister from a local African American Baptist church.  Minister John and I collaborated on this gospel TV show called Lifeline Gospel Videos.  He was the host of  the show and I was responsible for interviewing gospel artists over the telephone, writing up and editing their biographical stories and broadcasting these stories on air in 2 to 3 minute increments.  My segment was called Bio-Line Gospel Videos. And it took me all week long to write, create, produce and serve as the talent for one segment.  This was back in the 80s so the videos stories were saved on Betacam and converted to VHS for home use.  Working on these video stories with the gospel artists was truly a labor of love.  I am particularly fascinated by everyday peoples’ stories and I also love to share them with others so this opportunity was Win/Win.   What wasn’t Win/Win was that this was an internship so I did not get paid one thin dime and as much as I loved my job, it did not pay the rent or the bills so consequently when it came time to put in my notice to the financial services firm so I had time to devote to the field I just earned a degree in, I quickly shed the public broadcasting TV station internship as well.

In my mind I was still on the right track though as the goal post college was to gain as much experience in the media industry as possible so by starting early with the Public Broadcasting TV gig, I had a little leg up on building my resume.  I called myself being “paid in experience” so I could command a certain salary for when I entered the field of Media.  In my opinion, back in the 80s, the media industry was like a closed fist.  There were lots and lots of people looking to get in and very few openings.  So it took a lot to pry open that “fist” and receive an open position (and this was both behind the scenes and in front of the scenes) as the supply of jobs truly exceeded the demand.  And this was at a time where the pay scale in Media (especially for behind the scenes positions) was extremely low but this did not deter people from trying to get into what was perceived as the “glamour field.”

 

 

As I mentioned, post college was when I discovered that living in Bridgeport, CT was not working for me anymore as I needed to be closer to a TV station and the closest,  WTNH “Action News 8,” was located in New Haven, CT.  As luck with have it, my sister Casandra and her husband Alfredo were living in New Haven, CT at the time.  They had not yet purchased their forever home in Ledyard, CT so they were living in a large 2 bedroom apartment in the Edgewood neighborhood.  I asked Casandra (since my plans of moving to the Washington, DC area after college and working in Media recently imploded) if I could stay with her and Alfredo until I got on my feet and they both graciously agreed.  I stayed with the two of them all Summer long rent free while looking for work as well as looking for an apartment.  Casandra was instrumental in finding me my first apartment, a Studio apartment on Whitney Avenue in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, CT.   The rent was $375 a month plus utilities for essentially one large room with a teeny tiny kitchenette, a teeny tiny dining area and a separate full bathroom.  I bought a tiny dining table and chairs for the dining area, a daybed for the living area because it served the dual purpose of a couch in the daytime and a bed at night.  The kitchenette was way too small to fit in any furniture.  Oh and yes, housing was very affordable back then and this unit was perfect for me (smile).

My apartment was located right on a bus line which was ideal because my car had died on the Merritt Parkway earlier that Summer and I really had no other way to get around.

As far as work, I chose to register with an employment agency so I could make money while focusing on finding a job in Media.  Right after registering, I was sent by the agency the following day to Easter Seals Goodwill Industries in New Haven, CT to work as a Job Coach.  As it turned out, the supervisors and Administrators loved me so much that they tried to convince me to stay and make a career of it.  I made it clear to them that I was on a mission to break into the Media industry and nothing was going to get in my way (smile).  I liked everyone there and I believed in their mission but not working in media was not an option (double smile).

 

 

As luck would have it, a few months down the road I spied a Want Ad in the Classifieds section of the New Haven Register newspaper for a Local Sales Assistant at WTNH Action News 8!   I was overqualified so of course I got the job (smile).

 

 

I was elated.  This was my first entry into Broadcast Media as well as my first real paying job in the Broadcast Media industry so life was good – for reference please read My Entry into Broadcast Media Sales.

 

 

In the next entry of the Broadcast and Media industry blog post series I will chat about the differences between working in the sales departments of Print Media, Broadcast TV and Broadcast Radio stations.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

Just Around The Bend…

I am feeling just a little melancholy today and it could be because I am unwell.  When I am unwell my heads veers off in many directions and it’s hard for me to stay focused on any one thing.  I’m normally happy, bubbly, and full of positive energy so this is quite a departure from my personality.  And to add insult to injury,  it is the end of the year which means both Christmas and New Year’s are a stone’s throw away.  The holidays tend to bring out the melancholy in me because they remind me of loved ones who are no longer with me.   Namely my sweet mother Jean, my baby brother Shawn, my ahead-of-his-time nephew Ahmad Sr., my endearing brother-in-law Alfredo, my beloved older sister Dana plus countless aunts and uncles way too many to name.

 

 

All that to say I like to play holiday Soul music interspersed with Rhythm and Blues around this time of the year.  It alternately acts as both a mood lifter and memory generator.   I put one song in particular “Happiness is Just Around The Bend” by The Main Ingredient on re-play.  Why?  Because this song is feeling much more relevant to me now than when I first heard it as a 12 year old girl growing up in the small town of Groton, CT.   It is not surprising that it was a chart topper for The Main Ingredient back in 1974.  If you have  listened to this song and especially the  lyrics you too will find it reminiscent of the world we are living in today.

 

 

To summarize:  it is about finding clarity in chaos, about  life feeling upside down and confusing and out of whack but despite that, not giving up, but hanging on because happiness is truly just around the corner – Love will win.

This song is so deep and I truly needed to hear it today –  Fact:  When this song was recorded by The Main Ingredient back in 1974 the world was struggling with the Watergate Scandal (erosion of faith in the U.S. Government) and the continued impact of the 1973 Oil Crisis which caused widespread inflation, gas shortages and “stagflation.”

Today in 2025 we too struggle with erosion of faith in our government, economic instability and as an added burden: inexplicable developments.  Despite what is happening around us, I encourage my fellow TVFL readers to continue fighting the good fight, remain focused and positive and stay the course because I for one am choosing to believe that Happiness is truly just around the bend…

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

 

Me and Baby Brother

I have been thinking about my baby brother Shawn a lot lately.  Even dreaming about him.  It’s been 20 years since his death and although the pain has subsided, it still feels like a dull ache that never quite goes away.

 

Baby brother Shawn

 

Growing up Hollis my father Jonie B. was very strict.  He joined the United States Navy when he was just 19 years of age so I imagine a lot of what he learned in the Navy from a discipline standpoint, he imparted onto his own family.  Shawn and I were the youngest of 7 children (5 girls, 2 boys) so we bore the brunt of it.  My mother was a “housewife” at the time and was always there to make sure our childhood was as pleasant as possible.

 

Jonie Benjamin Hollis

 

Shawn was the youngest of us 7 Hollis children and the true ‘baby of the family’.  I remember being quite jealous when he was born because I was just 2 years old and no longer the baby of the family.  It reminds me of that song, “Lonely Boy,” by Andrew Gold because this baby boy, being an “only child,” was doted on by his parents until 2 years later when his baby sister came along and suddenly all of the attention and focus shifted to her.  This obviously does not perfectly apply to my situation since I’m a girl, Shawn’s a boy and there were 5 other children born before us, but I can certainly relate to that little boy’s pain (smile).

 

6th from left to right and no longer the “baby of the family”

 

Shawn had a wonderful personality and a smile that could light up a room.  The fact that he was “easy on the eyes” didn’t hurt either…People naturally gravitated towards him because of his friendly demeanor, sensitive nature and kind ways.  As I mentioned before, Shawn and I played together as siblings do but to be honest, I was more concerned with hanging out with my 4 older sisters who I looked up to and emulated as best as I could.  Being the baby girl, they didn’t want me around so I started forging my own friendships with girls my age at school and at home.

 

Shawn was smart as a whip from day one and also very sensitive by nature.  As he got older his sensitivity became more and more of a liability as people tend to equate a gentle nature and kindness with weakness.  Still it did not seem to faze him, he did not try to change his personality, he just lived out his truth.

 

Like a lot of boys at the time, Shawn joined the Boy Scouts to fit in.  This ended up  backfiring on him though because most of the activities were father-son related and our father was out to sea a good portion of the year living on submarines to build his Naval career.  In other words, not able to be there for Shawn like the fathers of the other boy scouts were there for their sons.  My mother tried to help out but it wasn’t the same…

 

My mother Jean with her 2 sons Shawn and Michael

Shawn was gifted with a creative mind so he became a self-taught musician – he taught himself how to play guitar at a very young age and drew on inspiration from a relatively unknown Indie musician at the time named Prince (smile).  I remember hearing Prince’s music coming from his bedroom and thinking, who in their right mind could listen to that mess (smile).   When Shawn graduated from high school he applied for and was accepted into the prestigious Berkelee School of Music but dropped out after a few semesters due to financial issues as well as feelings of loneliness and isolation.

 

Shawn also had a short stint in the U.S. Army but the service life did not agree with him.

 

When Shawn passed, I had just started working months before as an Account Executive at WTNH TV News 8.  As it turned out, learning my new gig (broadcast television sales) felt like learning a whole new language.  However this learning curve turned into a blessing in disguise because it acted as a good distraction for me after the heartache of losing a loved one.  I was having a difficult time processing the loss of my baby brother and to be honest, I even felt a little guilty about what more I could have done as his sister who was closest in age to him and probably understood him more from our shared experiences in childhood and such.  The funeral was surreal, people from our childhood in Groton, CT showed up, as well as family, friends, and member of my Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church family.  My News 8 sales managers and sales colleagues showed up in full force which meant the world to me, a mere newbie at that time.

 

Little Brother with Big Brother
Left to Right – back row – Dana, Shawn, Michael, Elena, Lajeune front row – Casandra my mother Jean, Joandra

 

As what usually happens after a funeral, a flood of memories arrived of our brief time together.  Relatively speaking, I have way more memories of our short lives together growing up Hollis than I do of our lives after high school and college.   Shawn became somewhat reclusive in his last 10 years on earth.  And it was hard to reconcile.  Life hadn’t turned out the way Shawn expected so most of the news that I received about him was from my dear mother Jean when I swung by to visit her over the weekend.   Growing up though Shawn and I, being the youngest in the family, got along pretty well.   We had fights like brothers and sisters do but for the most part we played nice.  Shawn was so easygoing and likable it was hard not to get along with him.   My mother also made sure that we kids were all involved in some kind of activity after school as well as during the Summer months so there was always something going on.  As we got older and started high school, the other kids had moved out so it was just me, Shawn and our mother at home.  My parents had separated by then.

 

A collage of Shawn that truly captures his spirit – thanks for putting this together Big Brother Mike

 

Looking ahead, what Shawn’s short time on this earth has taught me is to be kind, you never know what someone is going through or has gone through.  Be compassionate as compassion is free and show empathy to those people who may be different from you.  Life is too short to not appreciate it as and for the gift that it is.

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

 

 

 

Back to Broadcast Media Sales!

In my last blog, My Entry into Broadcast Media Sales, I ended it with how I was starting to feel antsy working in print sales at Umoja Newspaper which led to me thinking about my next challenge.  Coincidentally I received a phone call from the local sales manager at WEBE 108FM and WICC 600AM.   She said one of their seasoned players did not work out and there was a “list” for me if I wanted it.  A “list” in broadcast media sales is a written guarantee of  accounts that show that a seller is going to make a certain amount of money within the year by servicing these accounts.  I was very happy to return to WEBE and WICC, this time with a “base” to work from as well as a team that I felt more aligned with.  This was back in the 90s when there were lots of incentives put forth for good sellers to stick around.  At WEBE and WICC these included trips to the Caribbean if  quarterly team budgets were met, cash bonuses and lots of local restaurant trade for sellers to use on their advertising clients.  Here’s another: if we lived in a nearby city (at the time I lived in New Haven, CT) we were encouraged to get a gas and oil change trade to use for our own car(!) as well as to be shared with the radio stations news vehicles.  Win Win!  I got it done and spent the following year enjoying free gas and free oil changes!  Again, very different times (smile).

 

It gets better.  On my first day back to work, I found out the WEBE and WICC combo sales team had just achieved their quarterly sales budget so, as they say,  I stepped into it.  Since I was the one who had replaced the dismissed Senior Account Executive, I automatically qualified for an All-Inclusive 6 day 5 night trip to Half Moon Bay in Montego Bay, Jamaica!  Since I wasn’t a “real winner” like the rest of the sales team  I could go,  but I could not bring a date.   No matter, I still enjoyed my very own Junior Suite, copious amounts of  delish food and drink, quality beach time and plenty of sight seeing  with the only other 2 “single ladies” on the trip and I had a blast!  What a way to start a new job (smile).

 

Half Moon Bay Resort
Truly loving my free trip to Jamaica!

 

With my co-worker Tom – hated to leave…

 

I truly enjoyed being back at WEBE and WICC radio for the second time around.  Now I was making good money, I got along very well with the staff and the local sales team, dined out at some of the finest restaurants in Fairfield County, and enjoyed many other occupational perks.  However, I still felt like something was missing.  So when I got a phone call from the then General Sales Manager of Star 99.9FM, WPLR 99.1FM, and WYBC 94.3FM, I took it.  We met up and he told me in person that they had created a position just for me.  I would be the New Business Director of WYBC 94.3FM.  I would have my own office at their Milford, CT headquarters and I was to be charged with creating a media kit from scratch as well as sales one sheeters and such.  I would also hire local Account Executives strictly for WYBC and train them as well as train the Star 99.9 and WPLR 99.1 Account Executives on how to sell a black radio station and more importantly, how to sell to the Urban community.  Management had evidently did their homework on me…I was up to the task and lasted 5 and a half years.   I was forced out in the end when things started to get ugly in the Radio industry.  It was transitioning to Wall Street which meant lots of mergers and the introduction of satellite radio.  Positions like mine were cut and heads rolled out the door.  My beloved Radio was becoming a part of my not too distant past and I had no choice but to finally let go…

 

I started interviewing for Account Executive positions with local television stations while I took advantage of my time off with severance pay.  A good friend of mine named Catherine (who is now one of my fav clients!) suggested I start there.  I also met with another industry friend of mine named Paul who worked in local sales for both radio and television stations and told me that it’s like “going from the basement to the penthouse.”  Paul was not wrong (smile).  I ended up back at WTNH News 8 (ABC) my first choice even though I interviewed with all of the other local network affiliates:  CBS, NBC and FOX.  WTNH News 8 was appealing to me because of my previous (and positive) work history there and because I truly loved the station and it programming  – Me and my family watched Channel 8 back in the day when I was Growing up Hollis in Groton, CT – Sports Nut.  Again, WTNH News 8 was the last tv station I interviewed with.  On purpose as I learned a lot from the other interviews and used that knowledge to convince the then Local Sales Manager to hire me in a week’s time (including getting a drug test)!  I basically said something to the affect of, you can hire me here to bring in New Business or you can watch while I bring it to your competition and he was SOLD (smile).

 

It is now 20 years later and I sell 2 local TV stations – WTNH News 8 and WCTX My TV; a station website, WTNH.com; Integrated Sponsorships for our local lifestyle show, CT Buzz; and local News and Community sponsorships.  Since we are now owned by Nexstar Media Group out of Texas, I also sell Nexstar digital products including  but not limited to SEM/SEO, Video Marketing, Email Blasts, Social Media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and You Tube) and OTT/CTV.

 

Looking back over the past 35+ years, the media industry has certainly changed.  Local media continues to evolve.  My story will not be fully written until I retire and can really kick back and look at things from a perspective not clouded by the  stress of my daily work life.  Stay tuned…

 

TVFL