My Chances of Staying in Charlotte…
Before I get to the Charlotte or no Charlotte conversation, here’s how the magical life of a TV dude goes… Unemployment Day 1 (UD1) spent painting the dining room to meet the real estate stager’s expectation. Unemployment Day 2 or UD2 (today… Sunday) starts at 6AM with my wife sweetly calling to me, “Michael, can you please help me?” I sit straight up in bed, hit the floor running and as I enter the baby’s room my wife is holding my son in the air away from her body and she is covered in dukie. There’s been a horrible wardrobe malfunction with his new diapers.
Yesterday we went from the size #1 diapers to size #2. It has something to do with his weight and the fact that the “size #1” diapers were starting to fit him like “Angel Flight” disco pants from 1978 (If you’re under 40, ask someone my age what “Angel Flight” means). Anyway she showered. I bathed him and we have secured the perimeter… of baby boy’s clean diaper. Onward and upward…
The oddest thing about my job is the “non-compete.”
It’s a clause in my contract that says if I leave my job for any reason: quit, get fired, contract non-renewal, retirement, death, wait… forget that last one… anyway, I can’t walk across the street and work on air at a competing station.
I can’t get a job on TV in Charlotte for one year. It seems unfair… but my signature is on the contract. I agreed to those terms. Everyone on television news in Charlotte has the same clause in his or her contract. Basically it protects TV stations from investing money in building someone’s image and then having a competing station outbid them for their services.
It makes sense if you’re the boss. If you’re a reporter who has been around a while it’s the “I thought it would never come up” part of the job.
It’s why you rarely see a reporter or anchor on the air for two different stations in one town… ever. It happens. But it’s rare. We’ve had a few at our station come from competing stations but they sat out a full year first.
The only way it could happen is if I were to appear on a state-wide or national broadcast.
I’m not complaining about it. I knew the rules. No one held a gun to my head. It’s just an oddity I wanted to explain.
The likelihood of me staying in Charlotte is somewhere around 20%. Maybe 15. Maybe less.
For that reason, I got home Friday after my last day at WCNC, I cut the grass, emceed a fundraiser, went to bed, woke up bright and early Saturday and started prepping my house to put on the market.
Today I’ll finish the dining room and get to work on the master bath. Isn’t my life glamorous? Oh lord. My wife is calling for me again.
Trying NOT to smell anyone this time… MR
PS. Get excited people. UD3 (Monday) means the Unemployment Office! Woo. Wonder what those folks smell like?
Mike – you’re the best!!! Thanks you for the years of service to the “people” of the Carolinas. Best of luck.
Mike,
I want to thank you for the joy, tears, laughter and thought provoking stories you have told through the years. Your stories have enhanced my life and hopefully, made me a better person.
I just hope that whatever you do in the future, we will all be able to follow somehow!
I wish for you and your family all the same that you have given us through the years.
Being a Yankee and living here almost 10 years now, Mike, I used your show as my own personal travel guide. I have made many a trip to some out of the way place just because you had been there. Although I sympathize with your plight, you WILL find another position and if you so desire, it will be a similar show. Mike…I see you ‘nationally’, doing a feature on each of the 50 states……oh, and Mike…take Andy with you. Thanks again for so many wonderful years. Your humor and down home personality will take you far. (but not too far, please). Perhaps I’ll catch up to you at my favorite: Cape Lookout! My best to you and your family as you now become ‘Carolina Travelers’. :-(
Mike,
My husband and I loved the Carolina Traveler and will miss you – and Andy. Best of luck to you and your family. After many years of watching you, I know you will do well wherever your travels take you!
Mike,
In the daily never ending news events of the horrors of what humans do to each other, your stories stood out as a wonderful reminder that there is a lot of good in this world. We need this “balance” to keep our feet firmly on the ground, our heads up, and a smile on our faces. You serve a purpose in this world that few attain and I look with great expectation to your future.
My 3 girls could not wait to see where you would take them to on your show every week. You were able to calm them down when my wife and I had run out of ideas, thank God for DVR too,a instant babysitter. You will be missed but not forgottten,especially by a 5 and 4 year old little girs who will remember you every time we see the Gourd Lady here at home> Thank you friend and good luck!
I FEEL like better things are yet to come with you and your family! It is going to be wonderful and U will just laff about this mornings Poopie DAYS!!:O)
News is so bad every day and U made us forget the bad news and escape for just a little while.Every body Talking about did U see what Mike and Andy did the other Day!! We got to go check that out.
I know U will be back too many people have taken you into there Homes and Heart you feel like family to just forget about you..AINT GONNA HAPPEN!! We Loves you Mike and Andy and we will be watching for You.. O I loved the Bloopers too..
OOO GO Get U a FLIP and start Posting on You Tube ~~
HINT HINT HINT!!
Please KEEP us up to date and if there is any way to HELP U ~~
If I M ABLE U just HOLLER.
A FAN 4 EVER!!
HUGS and HUGS!!
Mike,
I did not know you and you wife had a baby. Congratulations!!!!! Gifford and I have another baby boy too, he’s ten months old.
Gifford and I love you. I hope that everything goes well in what you do. You are a beautiful person and you have helped us and so many people. Thank you soooooo much for everything you have done for Gifford.
I have no idea why on earth you might find yourself in Gastonia, but if you do before the world sweeps you away, I’d like to buy you lunch.
You made this Texan feel at home here. Your style is engaging but never, EVER smarmy. That’s darned tough to pull off, but you make it look easy.
Hey, maybe I can sneak you into WSOC as a Web producer …
I hope you get to stay in the area and keep doing what you have been doing. I am selfish and want to continue to see your wonderful stories. And just for the record. WJZY is listed as a Belmont station… not a charlotte station. ;-) But I guess it is the Charlotte market.
One word…..DALLAS, TX. OK…maybe more than one word. If I recall you were a former Buckeye (me too), I moved to Charlotte for my job back in 1996 and now in 2009 here I am in Dallas. I think you and your beautiful family should follow. It should would make being in a strange town a lot more tolerable!
Come on!
Okay! How big is your place? We need a room for the baby and one for us and then my 22-year-old son comes to stay with us a lot… say are you single? Like younger men? Oh and my mom is coming to see the baby soon. She’s 85 or 6 and loves to tell you how to do everything. Cool beans?
Sweet jumpin’ Buddha, don’t go to Dallas! There’s better food in Houston, and it’s closer to the Gulf. I can show ya where to catch red drum big enough to feed you, the wife, the 22-year-old son AND your mom.
I’m thinking Waco. Can’t get enough of Waco.
Our family always stopped what they were doing to come watch the Carolina Traveler. Your show was always a breath of fresh air. Best of luck to you and your family in the next chapter of your life.
Mike–
You briefly met a group of Elon University journalism students at a workshop at WCNC… you got us all excited for doing character driven, well written stories.
Back at school, we constantly talked about your writing and conversational style, and try to follow your lead. We use Carolina Traveler to teach younger students about shooting and writing.
Feel free to come by anytime and teach us more…and we know you’ll land on your feet somewhere big soon.
Best of luck, and thanks for the free lessons,
Randy Gyllenhaal