TV Garth Presents: An Interview with WKTV’s Don Shipman!

Greetings TV Garth readers! Don Shipman from WKTV in Utica, New York graciously agreed to do an interview with me for this blog! Shipman joined WKTV in 2004, and has covered many stories important to Central New Yorkers. He currently anchors WKTV’s morning and noon newscasts, and what follows are some interesting insights into his work at the station!

(Photo credit: Don Shipman / WKTV)

Garth Jensen: Can you tell me a bit about how you got started in broadcasting?

Don Shipman: I kind of fell into broadcasting. Originally I was going to go to college for Design. I majored in Art in high school. I applied to several colleges and got into all of them. Then at the last minute decided I didn't I want to go away to college. I ended up applying to a local community college (Herkimer County Community College) at the last minute. The only major still open was broadcasting. I said, “What the heck, why not?” And here I am today. While at HCCC and at a four-year college two years later, I did mostly radio, but I also got an internship at a local TV station. And that's how I got into the business.

GJ: You currently anchor the morning and noon newscasts for WKTV. What is it like to put on those two shows?

DS: They're both very different shows. The morning show is two hours long. The concept - get the viewers the weather they need to know to get them out the door, the latest news from overnight, news that's happening right now and news that's happening in the day ahead. And since it's morning, we try to have some fun too. I usually get to the station around 4am. We have a producer who works the overnight preparing the show. My co-anchor Megan [Koskovich] arrives a short time before me. When we first get in, we go over the show, pre-read scripts and help to update the rundown.

The noon is an hour long. Longer than most noon broadcasts throughout the country. This show has two Newstalk segments (basically interview segments). We have a mix of regular guests and topical guests (depending on the news of day). I like the noon simply because it's different from the morning show. We also have a producer for that show who prepares the scripts.

GJ: Do you feel any added pressure being the only local broadcast station doing news in Utica?

DS: Yes! But not because I feel like we have to cover more news. The pressure for me lies with ensuring that we all stay on top of our game. For example, when I cover a story, I don't get to see another perspective…meaning there's not another reporter at a competing station doing the same story, like in other markets.

GJ: I loved the "Winter Blast" segments you did leading up to the Olympics. (Especially the "wine break" during the snowshoeing, and your great sense of humour during the snowmobiling.) Can you describe what it's like putting together pieces like that?

DS: Segments like those are tons of fun. It reminds me of why I love my job. And they're so easy. All I have to do is have fun and tell a story at the same time. It's also a great way to learn more about the local area. I had never been snowshoeing before, and I got paid to do so.

GJ: The morning news team seems to have a lot of fun, and it shows on camera. How do you balance that fun with the stresses of putting on a daily program?

DS: I think the fun aspects of the show help to balance the stresses. On any given day there are several stresses, but the fun helps to ease that. It's also important to remember it's not brain surgery. No one will die in the making of the show…haha. I sometimes have to remind new co-workers that.

GJ: What would you say have been some personal highlights while working at WKTV?

DS: If you mean the stories I've covered, there have been several. We had two deadly cop shootings since I've been here at this station. I remember working nearly 20 hours on those days. Anchoring the morning show, then reporting for the later shows. And it wasn't just me, our entire station pulled together to cover this breaking story. I covered every aspect of the story. And while it was sad, it was also inspiring because we learned so much about both men killed - and their lives and their families were truly inspirational.

On a lighter note, I really enjoy covering all the live events like the Heart Run Walk and Boilermaker Road Race. There's nothing better than live.

GJ: If you could name three of your favourite places to go in Utica, where would they be and why?

DS: For me and my partner, our favorite place to be is at our summer camp in the Adirondacks. It's on a small lake. Our cell phones don't even work up there. The great thing about Utica is that it's so close to everything. A 45-minute drive and we're in the Adirondack Park on a lake -- relaxing.

In the city - there's tons to do nightlife wise. We have a great little downtown area with spectacular restaurants and bars. In the Summer there's an event called Saranac Thursdays. It takes place at the FX Matt Brewery every Thursday. It's essentially a huge keg party.

Third - I love to ski. We have a number of ski resorts just outside the city, but we also have one within city limits. It's small, but there's a ski lift and everything. It's kind of nice...and certainly unique.

A big thank you to Don Shipman for taking part in this interview with TV Garth! Check out Don’s Facebook Fan Page, as well as his Twitter! You can also visit Don’s official bio at the WKTV website!