Tag: #News8

My Night With Jimmy

I had the best time eva in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday September 30th, 2026!   I am a Media Sales Professional for local ABC TV affiliate WTNH News 8 in New Haven, CT.   All that to say it’s not uncommon to receive tickets/vouchers to a fancy restaurant, concert venue, live theater or show to treat our VIP advertising clients.  But this gift was HUGE!  Jimmy is the man!  However he normally tapes his shows from his studios in Los Angeles, California…But every now and then he comes back home to Brooklyn, NY to tape live shows for the week at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).  And my colleague Douglas Hall and I were the lucky ones on the sales team to be gifted Jimmy Kimmel LIVE in Brooklyn, NY tickets with round trip transportation (courtesy of Absolute Transportation) from WTNH TV News 8 to BAM – Brooklyn Academy of Music for ourselves and our respective clients.

I invited my VIP advertising client Elaine Sein, the Marketing Director of ACES (Area Cooperative Educational Services) who met me at News 8 at 1030am on Thursday morning in advance of our 11am pick-up.  Elaine and I walked around the tv station and then took selfies in the Promotions area before heading out to the parking lot to meet up with my Sales department colleague Douglas Hall and his VIP advertising client Michael Donkor, owner of Celebrity Homemakers & Companions LLC.

 

Taking selfies in the Promotions area of WTNH News 8

 

Fun selfie

 

The SUV car ride to Brooklyn, NY was painless.  Having our own driver (in our case Tariq from Absolute Transportation) really made our day that much more pleasant.  We could kick back and relax and enjoy conversation with each other while our driver had to deal with the crazy, unhinged drivers on the Connecticut and New York highways and byways.  Tariq took it all in stride though.  He navigated those roads like he had been doing it for a minute (smile).  Great personality too.  He made our trip memorable in the best way.

 

Our first planned stop was lunch at Cafe PAULETTE in Brooklyn, NY (only 7 minutes from the theater).  I chose Cafe PAULETTE (from the list of preferred vendors on BAM’s website) because first of all the french food sounded truly delish and secondly it was projected to be 70 degrees on Thursday and I have a thing for outdoor bistros.  We ordered our lunch and drinks at about 1pmish and waited outdoors at our table for a long while as there was only one waitress and one bartender on duty.  When the food finally arrived it was well worth the wait because it was delish!  I ordered a veggie burger with cheddar cheese, french fries and a side salad.  And I washed it all down with a ginger ale.

 

Michael, Doug, Elaine and me at Cafe PAULETTE

 

My delish veggie burger with tons of french fries and a side salad – muah!

 

After lunch Tariq drove us to BAM where we got registered for the VIP line – registration included checking our names with staff and receiving the blue JKL bands on our wrist.  We were early – it was about 330pm at this point and the doors to the theater were not opening until after 5pm so we made small talk and people watched.  Did I mention that Brooklyn is the bomb!  I love the vibe – it’s lit and the people all look to be going somewhere important.  What a fun town – definitely coming back with my boo.  Brooklyn is the ‘new Manhattan’ in my view and I absolutely loved Fort Greene and those beautiful brownstones, what a wonderful and quaint neighborhood.

 

VIP access bracelet

 

VIP line

 

Elaine repping for ACES

 

The BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) building where Jimmy Kimmel LIVE in Brooklyn is taped is in the Peter Sharp Building and it features the historic 2,109 seat Howard Gilman Opera House, the Lepercq Space and the BAMcafe.  The BAMcafe was our next stop.  This large, colorful, flamboyant room immediately reminded me of the play Moulin Rouge because everything was Red, Red, and Red (smile).  There was plenty of  finger food stations, dessert stations and drink stations.  There were also 2 service bars.  I don’t drink anymore so I had Saratoga water and Bigelow Tea (smile).  I was still full from lunch so I did not have any of the appetizers or the desserts.  The place was jam packed. We were lucky to find a high table with 4 chairs when we walked in.  There was an old school DJ playing classic hits from back in the day.   Like us, there were plenty of other VIPs enjoying Jimmy Kimmel’s hospitality including his own parents, his former neighbors, people from Brooklyn, NY and even a dear old friend he knew from Kindergarten (smile).

 

The BAMcafe is groovy for sure (smile)

 

The gang’s all here!

Elaine checking out the delish finger foods

 

Finally showtime!

Since were already upstairs in BAMcafe we did not have to travel far to our seats which were in the Mezzanine section of the theater.  Being high up allowed us to view the big screens (one on each side) as well as look down on Jimmy Kimmel and his guests.  Taping was from 530pm to 7pm.  It felt late but in reality it was dinnertime for most folks (smile).

 

The interior of the theater (former Opera House) is stunningly beautiful!

 

Big screen TV and Jimmy Kimmel’s excellent house band

 

Elaine and I in our seats watching the process unfold

 

As expected once she show started we could not take pictures but we were delighted by the guests that evening – first of all Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick Guillermo who made it back to New York from Los Angeles where he has been appearing as a guest dancer on Monday and Tuesday nights on Dancing with the Stars – Guillermo’s a hoot in person (smile).  The legendary actor Robert DeNiro, who played a baseball bat carrying crooked head of the FCC.  The always phenomenal Billy Crystal, who spoke about his poignant new play which centers on the loss of his and his neighbors homes in the horrific Pacific Palisades fires on January 7, 2025.  Acting great and charismatic Mahershala Ali who I remembered from his two Oscar winning performances in Moonlight and Green Book and who was promoting his new movie, a thriller called Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.  The musical act was supposed to De La Soul but for some reason or another they canceled and were replaced at the last minute by singer songwriter Audrey Hobert.  Between the set changes, the guest interviews, the pictures that Jimmy Kimmel took with the guests and the house band selections, the taping took 90 minutes.  After the taping we went back to BAMcafe for more appetizers and drinks and then I texted Tariq to come and pick us up as we were ready to go.  Jimmy did not appear in the BAMCafe, I pulled his friend from Kindergarten who told me Jimmy Kimmel had another engagement but that he was a genuine person who really cared about people.

 

My night with Jimmy was a memorable evening indeed.  One that I will hold high in my memory bank.

 

P,S.  If you check on Jimmy Kimmel’s website for the 9-30-2026 show, you will catch me, Elaine, Douglas and Michael on TV (smile).

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

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 401K 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 demand exceeded the supply.  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

 

My Current Situation Part VII

I am writing this blog post on a semi-wet and blustery Sunday afternoon in the month of May.  We are having a true Spring this year and it’s not easy getting used to.  Also it’s been 14 months since the pandemic officially started in Connecticut and although some things have changed, others have not…

 

 

This is the 7th installment of a (hopefully) limited series of blog posts related to my Covid 19 experience – but 7 is my lucky number so I’m going to go with that (smile).

 

But first things first, I am still working hybrid — one day operating from home, the next day from my News 8 local sales office — which I absolutely love doing but I fear the end is near…

 

 

…the state of Connecticut is fully opening up on May 19th which is a pretty good sign that things are moving towards what is being deemed, the “new normal.”

 

 

 

I can’t lie, I want the “old normal” back and I promise not to complain about anything anymore (double smile).

 

I’m also still attending my church home, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, via Facebook live.  There’s something to be said about hearing and learning about “The Word” virtually from the safety and comfort of your own home…

 

 

 

And I still work out 5 days a week at I Love Kickboxing in North Haven, CT.  What has recently changed at ILKB is this:  there are no more mask optional classes (just mask-mandatory) nor are there any more limits to class sizes.  So with the arrival of earlier sunrises in Connecticut, these early bird class sizes will sometimes swell to capacity.

 

 

 

I’m also super excited to announce that I am now fully vaccinated so a simple mask is my new entry point to getting some of my life back, Yay!

 

 

I’m not going crazy though.  I am slowly easing myself back into my new life.  Pre-Pandemic I was Go-Go-Go, trying to cram everything in all at one time without once stopping to take a break.

 

 

Nowadays I’m learning to appreciate the simple things in life.  Things that bring me love, peace and joy.  I’m also planning for my retirement over the next 4 or 5 years where I will look forward to enjoying a much slower and leisurely pace.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

 

 

My Current Situation – Part III

We are now entering the 6th month of living in a pandemic and needless to say, things have changed for me in Connecticut… here’s what I’m noticing:

 

Masks are still required when you walk into any workplace/school/retail store/restaurant/bank etc. (which, by the way, is not a problem to me…)

 

 

Gyms continue to operate at 50% capacity which forces me to work out from home on an online app 3 days out of the 5…and go to my gym I Love Kickboxing (at 5am) the other 2 days..

 

We Local Account Executives at News 8 continue to work from home every other day in a team hybrid fashion and to be honest, I’m not mad about it (smile).

 

 

Zoom calls (the way we now converse with each other and with our clients) are beginning to feel “natural” and “the norm.”

 

 

And I just returned from an actual vacay in Delaware where we drove to visit family and because I brought my latop with me, I did not miss a beat on my work load…

 

 

Virtual church is becoming “a thing” now, I can hear ‘The Word” from Pastor King at Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church right from the safety of my living room…

 

 

As far as golf goes, social distancing was already in place so other than having an electric cart all to myself, not much has changed there…

 

Self Care is becoming extremely important during this anxiety-ridden time…I am not feeling guilt at all about taking out quality time for myself as often as I need it…

 

 

And finally, my father and sibs mean the world to me so catching up with them via consistent family Facetime chats has become the best part of my week (smile).

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL