Ladies & Gents.....
A conversation with :
( News Anchor / Journalist / Actress )
"TANYA HUTCHINS"
Whas’ Up , Tanya ?!?!?
I know U use to bring da DRAMA !!
What’s [ Really] goin
on ?
Wow…… I don’t even know where to start.
How does it feel to be on
the other side of this?
TANYA : Definitely, Different.
It’s different.....
Cause you know, after the piece you did on me for Fox..... I was like, "I’ve got to talk to her" .....cause I’ve known you for the longest.
AND…I also found out some very cool things about you. In college, U went to school with Mark
Romeneck and he was like a big MTV music director.
TANYA : Really?
Yeah,..... Madonna
videos, & winner of MTV video awards etc.
etc.
So, you went to school with those folks....
man…
TANYA : I loved it. I had my heart set on going to Syracuse. And I wanted to go to the S.I. Newhouse school of
public communications. And, I found out that
I had no financial aid what-so-ever. So my
heart was broken. BUT…. what I vaguely
remember about my application was : “Well, you know they’re asking about
race and stuff.... and, I was like....well I’m not going to write down what race I
am. I don’t want you to like put me in
because I’m Black, blah blah blah...."
Did you write down
“Other” ?
TANYA : No, I didn’t
write anything on Syracuse.
And then…. I was told that they didn't have any money.
Wow
TANYA : So... for some reason, my church said that Syracuse
was Methodist. I didn’t know that,
because I grew up United Methodist. So they
told me to try and get a United Methodist Scholarship.
So I didn’t really pursue it, and then I had applied to Ithaca. And I must’ve written down “Black”
on this application because someone called at 10:00 at night and said, “We know you
need the bucks; you got in under the regular admission, but we have a program that
doesn’t have a lot of people applying for it; it has a lot of money” and she
asked me over the phone, “Do you want to apply for it?” and, I said “YES”.
That's nuts...
TANYA : That paid like... almost my entire tuition the
first year.
Crazy.
TANYA :
I think I only paid $400 that first year.
So you got some of that
“Guilty Money” fund.
TANYA : Yes! The “equal
opportunity” program. I loved it.
Guilty Money Fund…
TANYA : Aaaaaay, it helped me get through school.
Das Wild….
I love the fact that you were
quoted as saying : [ in terms of doing
news again ]
“As long as it
doesn’t have anything to do with murder, mayhem or mass destruction.”
TANYA :
Right .
I can actually feel you on that
because the news is almost like the "Carol Burnett" show now, it’s
like a variety comedy thing going on with "the ticker" and the whole thing.
It’s just crazy.
I can feel you for wanting to get out of that mess.
TANYA :
Yeah, I do not want to cover anybody’s tragedy.... every
day.
Can you imagine?
TANYA :
Yeah, the last, I think, one of the murders I covered, was a mother who,
she lost 2 children in 1 year and the 2nd time I interviewed her, her daughter
came and started crying in the hospital, Children’s Hospital lobby, and
that’s when I turned to my photographer and I said, “I can’t do
this anymore” because I wanted to sit there & cry with her. So I just couldn’t be detached and I
don’t want to be detached.
Lil' baby Tanya
!
That’s Crazy
TANYA : I don’t want to
be one of those people that walks around and you know, they don’t have any feelings,
so…I [only] want to do "Happy Things" now.
Wow.
TANYA : People thought I was negative because I said
that, um, what did I say? I said something
like, “I’m sick of, I’m just sick of the news business, and maybe it did
sound negative but that’s why I left, you know?
I can’t imagine them
saying that, if they actually know about the news business themselves, they
should be able to see why.
TANYA :
Right, right. I just wanted to do more
positive things.
Clockwise: Bertha Coombs of MSNBC, Tanya, Traci Mitchell of Hearst's Washington Bureau & Rhondella Richardson of WCVB-TV Boston
Speaking of positive things, how’s the book
going?
Actually, you got to tell
everybody about the NEW book.
TANYA : Ok, it is a children’s non-fiction book for
bi-racial children. And it’s by
bi-racial children. So, I have 21 kids so far
that have written 1 paragraph pages of advice for me. And
I told them to give advice about what they say to people when people walk up to them and
say, “What are you?”you know, “Are those your parents?”, “Are you
adopted?” just how that makes them feel and what they would say to other kids who are
having a hard time.
Uh huh….
TANYA : So,
it’s great. I mean my youngest is 6
years old
That’s cool….
TANYA : And, her
mother kind of wrote down her answers I had a
7 year old that wrote her own paragraph and each kid pretty much says you know, you just
have to be who you are you know, and if they don’t accept you, they don’t have
love in their hearts. That is like a direct
quote from a kid.
Wow.
We are getting’ better
then, huh?
TANYA : We are. I’m still looking for kids.
I need a few more kids, maybe 4 or 5 more.
I need more boys, I only have 4 boys.
So you’re trying to skate out of town on us, man.
You’re trying to go to
D.C. on me ...... what is going on in
D.C. ?
TANYA :
My dad’s in Maryland, my mom’s in Virginia
and I grew up in New York, so it’s only 4 hours from New York. So I miss the East coast, I miss the big city, the
hustle and bustle of the big city and I miss, you know, that old, I love old
neighborhoods, you know.
You kinda know what REAL is.... being in Columbus,
And, that can hurt a bit if you
came from one place & ended up in another.
TANYA :
Cause , I came here from Boston and I was only there 10 months.
That’s New York annex
TANYA : I know,
I know.
You know what I mean?
TANYA :
I like it, but I don’t like cold weather, but Boston was fun. I lived in Austin, which was next to Brighton, and
it’s right between Boston College and Boston University.
So just being in the news
business in terms of uh, journalism and anchoring and things, you guys have to pick up and
move a lot., it’s like a traveling salesman almost.
The better the gig, that’s where
you’ll live
TANYA : Right, so you have to climb the "Market" ladder,
and Columbus is, a good market. It’s like the
34th largest market.
Columbus?
TANYA :
YES , It IS . There
are 212 markets. And New York is number 1,
and some place called Glenn Dive, Montana or something is 212, Columbus is 34.
Damn….
TANYA : So….I , actually had an offer in New
Haven, CT, and had an offer in St. Louis and I turned down New Haven, I was going to go to
St. Louis for the money, but then Channel 6 counter-offered and offered me an anchor
position here so I stayed.
TANYA : So
I think everything happens for a reason
It does.
TANYA :
You, know, maybe I was just meant to be here a little while longer,
but I’m ready to go now. (laughter). I
think I’ve learned everything I can here.
You know, a lot of people from Columbus have done well....
TANYA : Yeah, “Dana Tyler” is in New York
....still
Yeah, she’s still
there, I was like, I remember when she first gotten in ?????? been on the road I used to
see her a lot. I’m like wow,
everybody’s doin’ their thing. Remember
Karen Massey? She's up in
Sacremento somewhere now or Seattle.
TANYA :
She left right before I got here, but I heard about her
Yeah, she’s still doin’ her thing , too ....
So, let me ask you ....
The "SMARTLAECMUSIC" Burning Question :
"Network News"
Omni-Important ? or "Getting out of hand ?"
Okay ?!?!?
TANYA : It is.
I always tell people I never wanted to be a network news reporter because at least
with local news you can stay in the same city. The
network news reporters, they’re traveling all around the world and putting their
lives in danger and you know, there is a time when I would like to go visit the middle
east, cause there are 4 places I want to go before I die; Egypt, Spain, Belize, and Hawaii
and I don’t think I’m ready to go to Egypt right now, but these reporters are in
the middle of a war, you know?
TANYA : Right, and that’s their choice..... but
I just choose not to do that.
You could come up missing
…now.
TANYA : Right, and they’re doing it all for ratings,
you know, they want to make it sensational and
I’m just not into that
What about the photographers
that, you know, cover wars?
Can you imagine trying to get THE SHOT !
and, [consequently]
end up getting …..SHOT
Of someone getting their head blown off and
you’re trying to get the shot?
Can you imagine the head space
you’d have to be in while they’re being shot, you’re trying to get the
shot.
TANYA : No. I couldn’t
do it. I know I can’t
do it.
That’s, uh….. that’s pretty
interesting
TANYA : I wish they wouldn’t be a
little bit more serious , “just the facts”, you know. But, I can be silly, I’ve had my silly
moments on television you know, but it’s not with like talking about murder or
anything.
I guess that stuff can wear you out, when you still have a heart ....
TANYA :
Right
Yea, I’m glad that it bothered me enough to get out, ya know.
But it pays the bills, so when ONN
calls, I have to go, just for a few days at a time.
TANYA : OK
I’m gonna throw some NAMES at ya
…..
You
can answer em' however you want.
TANYA : You’re not going to believe this, but I really don’t watch the news that much anymore.
I only watch the news……when I’m about to go fill in for somebody.
So, a few nights beforehand or a week beforehand, I’ll start getting caught up on the news and everything.
OK
LYN VAUGHN 
TANYA :
Lynn, I didn’t really know that much about.
Um, I liked her when I saw her on. She’s
very professional, very polished. And she
seemed like one of the serious ones.
Yeah, she had amazing flow.... I used to call her “the jazz reporter”. You know, she was so smooth, I couldn’t understand why she didn’t take that spot after Don Harrison died .
TANYA : I don’t know. Maybe she just.... sometimes you felt like you’ve done everything you can do, and it’s time for a change.
yea....But, SHE was my absolut Favorite !!!
Judy Forton
yeah.
TANYA : She was one of the reporters in Boston that helped to train me !! And, I think she's on the weekends or during the day.
Right ...
TANYA : Her, and also "Byron Pitts" on CBS. He was one of the reporters in Boston.
So, I got trained by a lot of really good reporters.
That's Wild !
And, now they got "Robin
Meade" who used to be at channel 4. [columbus]
TANYA : That’s
right. I forgot about her.
And [CNN's
] "Carol Costello" was on channel 10 here with Bob Orr.
You lyin', with Bob Orr ?!?
TANYA : She went to Baltimore and then she went to D.C. and I talked to her right before she left D.C. now she’s on headline news.
Bob Orr blew up
TANYA :
CBS, right
He reports in some of the Most
dangerous areas.
TANYA :
Right, a lot of people Columbus made it
yea, they're doin' their thing....
Angela Pace 
TANYA
: Angela Pace. See, I love Angela ......cause
Angela, every time I see her, she’s like
“I wish I could do what you did”. She
told me she had so much respect for me and that meant a lot, coming from Angela.
Yeah, she’s dope. I know she’s tired. She wants her [night] life back.
TANYA :
Yeah, she’s somebody who has made it to the top and like she totally
understands why I did what I did. And I just
feel like a lot…it just makes me feel respectful knowing that "Angela"
respects me for what I did.
Angela's ALWAYS been cool...
She use to come & see me play all the time , when I was a kid.... back in the Day !
Katie
Couric
TANYA : Oh, you’re not going to believe this: When I did my internship in Washington D.C. It was
at the local NBC station, WRC-TV. Well, my
friend’s husband is the G.M. there now well that’s where I did my internship in
1988. It was, it was my the year between my
junior and senior years. I did my internship
for Lea Thompson. Who is on Dateline. She’s like the consumer reporter. Well, I had to do research and I was logging her
tapes and I went downstairs into the newsroom to lock my tapes. So this reporter came and she sat down next to me
and she’s like, “Who are you?” She
said, “Hi, I’m Katherine Couric, I’m a reporter here”.
Katherine
TANYA : Katherine Couric was her name back then. And she told me I was so lucky because, I got to
do real work for a reporter. She said all of
the other interns in the newsroom were getting coffee and making xerox copies.
That’s crazy.
TANYA :
That was cool. That was my
brush with Katie.
Brush with Katie.
TANYA : And she actually, there was an intern that I
worked with who had a crush on her. So she
came up to the consumer unit and she kind of messed around with him a little bit, when he
was typing & she'd come up behind him & was touching his ear and stuff just
to make him laugh. He almost died.
Aiiiight ....
TANYA : She has a fun personality. But everybody always called her Katie.
Matt Lauer
TANYA : Matt ? I know nothing about Matt.
I know there are like there women that love him.
But
you know what?
I’m not a morning person.
Right ?
TANYA : And I did the morning news for 3 years. And that was the only time where I saw the morning
shows because I don’t see them anymore.
Aiiiight ...
TANYA : But I saw an old interview with Matt
where he like shaved his head or something and got a crew cut. That was a big mistake.
He’s still wearing that look....
TANYA : Ohhhh,
really?
He’s still wearing it. I think ?
TANYA :
Wow. To each his
own.
Aiiiight.
Al Roker 
TANYA :
I grew up watching Al Roker on Channel 4 in New York. And I actually have a poster that I stole off the
subway in New York City in Metro North of Al Roker in my basement.
You stole a poster of “Al Roker”
TANYA : Yes
Times Is
a changin’
TANYA : Yes. Actually I vaguely, I vaguely remember the men
coming into the Metro North railway/road in uh Grand Central. And they were about to switch the posters and I
kind of like said, “well if you’re gonna put new ones in can I have the old
one?” and they said, “go
ahead”.
"Can I have this big picture of Al ?
TANYA :
I’m walking through Grand Central Station with this big, huge thing
of Al Roker under my……..
You know I'm clownin' U when we get done with this Inner-View ?
TANYA : He’s in a yellow raincoat and
yellow’s my favorite color and it said: “one man dresses 8 million
New Yorkers every day”.
Ann Curry 
TANYA :
I thought about writing to "Ann Curry" for my book, because
she’s bi-racial.
I know
She has THE most Beautiful Smile !
TANYA : I thought about writing her..... I
thought about writing to "Solidad O’Brien
Yeah
TANYA : But I finally got the Olympic Gold Medalist to write for me……Dan O’Brien.
So he wrote my forward for me.
Beautiful. Oh man, well we got through that.
Signa
York 
TANYA :
Signa York is
crazy. Signa is like, strong, and funny and
I’ll say she’s strong
TANYA : Right ?!?! Wild
& just hilarious. We are both Pisces. Our birthdays are 2 days apart. So for years we used to have this double birthday
bash. And we haven’t had it in years
but we’re bringing it back.
Yeah, she’s a good friend.
Yáll might have to bring that party
somewhere else.....
Now
it’s time to play ……the “Either or Game”
TANYA : Uh ohhhh
I ain't gon' hurt cha....
Reporting or Anchoring ?
TANYA : Anchoring. Only because it pulled me away from the blood and
the guts and the, you know……reporting, I think everyone should be a reporter
before they’re an anchor to get that experience.
But, the part that bothered me about the crime is I was the one that had to
knock on the victims’ doors and and talk to the families and you know, have doors
slammed in my face and I think when you anchor you’re, you know, detached a little
bit from it. You can be a little bit more
reserved. Plus you can stay inside where
it’s nice and warm.
Well, of course
Journalism or Modeling
?
TANYA : Ohhh……..that’s a tough one. Some people might think journalism.
Well, being
a journalist......
TANYA : Yeah,
like that’s a very respectful, respected profession.
Some people kind of have that stereotype that like modeling is a bunch of airheads. But I kind of feel like, you know, I’ve been
there, done that with journalism and I just started modeling a little bit…
So you’re feeling it?
TANYA : A little bit. But see, no one understands that I do about 8 or 9 different things
and I like it that way, so I want to do both.
You’re just a Renaissance girl
TANYA : I’ve been doing anchoring, reporting, media relations, consulting, producing, writing, acting, voiceovers, modeling, I work at "Cord Camera" part time.
And, I babysit. [sometimes] That’s 10 different things.
You got “10 jobs” man
TANYA : And I love it. And everybody says what do you want to do?
And I said well…..
TANYA :
Right.
I just want to do more of it.
U tearin’ me up.
Jackson 5 or Sylvers
?
TANYA : Jackson 5
CNN or FOX ?
TANYA : Oooooh………….
Come on now.......
TANYA : I’m going to have to say FOX !
Even if it is
“Trash-Talk” journalism
TANYA : I
know, I know…..
That’s what people want to see, so I guess it’s working ?!?!
TANYA : I have to say -- there’s a bit of me
that’s, they call it, when they’re looking for somebody who’s a reporter at
FOX, they want somebody who’s "foxified".
I kind of understand that because it’s hip, they’re looking
for…..I don’t know.
Oh man
TANYA :
I like the hard news part of CNN and they’re serious, but I kind of
like that hipness that FOX has.
That “Shepard Smith” energy. A friend of mine is at FOX actually, I haven’t seen her in a while.
She plays classical piano.
[anchor] Lauren Green.
TANYA : Really
?
I haven’t talked to her in a grip. We used to go over Prince’s to Paisley Park. She’s from Minnesota.
Prince didn't know we use to go
over & play his Piano in studio A
She would just whip out all of these great pieces of Music ...And, just play & play
Photo:
FOX news
TANYA : Oh,
ok…..
And we'd just hang out. She’s real cool. I haven’t talked to her in a while. She’s still over there. I guess she’s "foxified",
if you will.
TANYA : Right
yea....
TANYA : Well , I don’t think I 'd have a problem with FOX news, as long as it isn’t sensational.
Like, I don’t want anything to be…..as long as you’re telling the truth, I think it’s ok.
But, don’t blur the truth.
Or to Give it "extra cheese" !?!?
TANYA : Right !
On Location or in the Studio ?
TANYA : Hmmmm………
Depending on where you’re going , I guess,
huh?
TANYA : Yeah
[
if it’s ] Beirut: you might want to take it in the studio,
huh?
TANYA :
Right. It depends. If there’s no danger involved, I’ll go on location.
Gold or Silver ?
TANYA : If
I’m wearing black, it’s silver.
If I’m wearing something colorful, it’s gold.
Sounds like you could actually give a damn. It just Accessories ?!?!
TANYA : Right
70's or 90's ?
TANYA : Oh, 70’s!
I am I’m like Ms. Comfest, tie-dye…..I am a child
of the 60’s. I have to
say 60’s maybe
Damn, alright ......no, that’s a beautiful
answer
TANYA : I
still wear tie-dye
70’s or 90’s, and you
say: 60’s!!
Hard News or "Fluff" Reporting ?
TANYA : Hard
news. But I mean the hard news only because I
like the facts. I like the seriousness of it. When I think of fluff reporting, I think of
stupid things that shouldn’t even be on television
photo : sigi tischler
Right
TANYA : But, I’m not talking about the “fun”
reporting. I had fun going to Cedar Point and
doing a report for kids.
But some people would consider
that fluff.
TANYA : Right. So to me….
But you had fun ?
TANYA : YES !!
I mean like I like soft news and feature news. I like feature news. I guess now that I’ve
left the hard news business, I guess what I do now is considered fluff, but as long as
it’s serving a purpose .....it’s ok.
Snow or Rain ?
TANYA : Snow.
I love it.... I
still go sledding with kids.
How did you feel about Sept. 11th….. from a *Journalists* viewpoint ?
TANYA : Ummm…….that effected
me for a long time. It still effects me. I think, at first, I couldn’t believe
it….you know, just like the normal persons reaction.
Umm., but I think it is so sad that we just can’t live in peace in this world. I think I was born before my time. I just totally don’t understand why we
can’t live in peace. In the middle
east, in northern Ireland, in Africa, I just, I don’t understand.
I don’t either.
TANYA :
I just wish there were a way that we could just bury the hatchet and
agree to disagree and just live in peace so we could save our children and our
children’s children. I just don’t
understand.
And we should just probably leave it at that.....
Thank you, Tanya !!
TANYA : " Thank you , Foley.
That was Fun !!
TANYA :
Yes, it was.
No, you won’t sound weird at all.
This is just funny that
you’re on the other side of it.
And you have a non-journalist interviewing a journalist.
TANYA : Oh.
I know
How trippy is that shit?
TANYA :
Ha ha ....I don’t know whether to call myself a former journalist or a
part-time journalist.
Right ?
TANYA : Maybe
I’m part-time…..freelance, I’m freelance!
You're just free..... to be.
TANYA : YES !!
Alright, Baby-girl We're Done .....
TANYA : “Thank You”
"Thank YOU"
U know WE go waaaaay back !
