Send us a text

In this special bonus episode of Life After News, Jason Ball sits down with Emily Barr, longtime media executive and former president of Graham Media Group. With decades of leadership at WLS in Chicago and Graham’s TV stations, Emily has seen firsthand how local journalism has changed and why its survival depends on innovation, collaboration, and nonprofit support. 🤝

Now retired from daily station management but deeply active in the industry, Emily serves on the boards of the Associated Press, the Carol Kneeland Project, and the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting / Maine Monitor (https://themainemonitor.org/).  She also writes the column Raising the Barr for TVNewsCheck, where she recently argued that local TV news and nonprofit collaborations are the only way forward. 🗞️

What You’ll Learn in This Episode 🎧

• Why nonprofit journalism is rising across the U.S.—and the funding challenges it faces 💵
• How organizations like the Maine Monitor are filling investigative gaps in small communities 🌎
• The cultural shift required for TV, print, and digital outlets to collaborate instead of compete 🔄
• Why local reporting is vital for democracy and civic accountability 🗳️
• Emily’s candid take on the business pressures facing local TV, from declining ad revenue to network demands 📉
• Insights into WPLG’s bold move to drop its ABC affiliation—and what it means for the future of independent stations 📺

Key Quotes ✍️

• “We’re way past the point of competition—if we want to tell important stories, we need to lift each other up.” – Emily Barr
• “Local journalism is as essential as hospitals and schools—it’s part of the fabric of a community.” – Emily Barr

If you care about the future of local news, media innovation, or the survival of journalism in smaller markets, this conversation is a must-listen. 🚨

👉 If you'd like to learn more about the work Emily supports, visit the Maine Monitor (https://themainemonitor.org/)

Listen now and subscribe to Life After News wherever you get your podcasts. 🎙️ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review ⭐—it helps others discover the show. 

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

An anchor from KCBS, KCAL, KTLA, and MSNBC, Sharon, gets candid about the shocking call from HR at Trader Joe's 🛒, the darker side of TV news, and her thriving career selling luxury real estate with the Altman Brothers. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.

The Shocking Layoff at Trader Joe's 🤯

🎧Sharon opens up about the moment her 13-year career at KCBS ended unexpectedly during the 2020 pandemic layoffs. She shares the raw emotions of receiving the news while grocery shopping and the surprising feeling of being "speechless." She also reflects on how the experience pushed her toward a new path.

📺 The Dark Side of TV News 

Sharon discusses the double standards and mistreatment she faced as a young, on-air personality. She recounts how her lively morning show persona was a "blessing and a curse," leading to public ridicule and a lack of support from management. Sharon reveals how a personal comment from her mother ultimately led her to leave Los Angeles for a fresh start.

From Anchor to Agent: A New Chapter 🏡

After a successful second act in journalism, Sharon found her "life after news" in real estate. She talks about why she left the industry for good, her initial struggles with the career change, and how she's leveraged her communication skills and work ethic to succeed in the high-stakes world of luxury real estate. She shares what it's like to work with the Altman Brothers, likening the experience to a high-stakes blend of "Fast Five" and "Succession."

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Adaptability is key: Sharon's journey from broadcast journalism to luxury real estate shows that professional skills and a strong work ethic are transferable across industries.
• The importance of a fresh start: Sharon's move to the East Coast helped her rediscover her value and reclaim her identity after facing personal and professional attacks.
• Teamwork makes the dream work: Whether in a newsroom or a real estate firm, Sharon emphasizes the importance of a strong, collaborative team to achieve success.

🗣️ CTA & Social

Want to hear more stories of life beyond the news desk? Listen to the full episode and subscribe to Life After News at lifeafternews.com

 What was your biggest takeaway from Sharon's story? Let us know in the comments! 👇

#SharonTay #LifeAfterNews #JasonBall #KCBS #KCAL #KTLA #MSNBC #AltmanBrothers #RealEstate #Journalism #CareerChange #LAnews #Media #SEO #Podcast #ShowNotes

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

📺 What’s next for local TV? Consolidation, new technology, and the fight to stay relevant in a streaming-first world.

In this bonus episode of Life After News, Jason Ball sits down with Adam Jacobson, Editor-in-Chief of the Radio and Television Business Report, to break down the big changes shaking up the television station business.

🔑 What You’ll Hear:

• 📉 Consolidation Nation – What it means when just three groups could own half the nation’s TV stations.
• 🚀 NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) – The new broadcast signal that makes over-the-air TV feel like Netflix or YouTube.
• 💰 The Ad Shift – Why digital, streaming, and personalized ads are the future of local TV revenue.
• 🔌 Cable’s Role – Why cable and broadcast still depend on each other (for now).
• 📰 Local News Survival – How many newsrooms can a market really support, and why the smartphone may be the most important screen of all.

🎧 Adam also shares what he’s learned from his InFocus video podcast, where he talks with industry leaders shaping the future of broadcast media.

🌐 Links & Mentions:

• 🎥 Adam Jacobson’s InFocus Podcast & Video Series → rbr.com
• 📲 Follow Jason on Instagram: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod
• 🌵 Visit: LifeAfterNews.com

👀 Coming Up Next:

Tuesday’s episode features Sharon Tay—former MSNBC, KTLA & KCAL anchor—now selling super-luxury real estate in Los Angeles.

💡 If you like the show: subscribe, rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, review, and share with a friend!

#LifeAfterNews #BroadcastTV #NextGenTV #LocalNews #TVNews #MediaBusiness #Podcast #JasonBall #AdamJacobson

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

In this episode of Life After News, Jason Ball sits down with Tony Morrison—a media pro whose career path took him from CNN📰 and Good Morning America ☀️ to advocacy work at GLAAD 🏳️‍🌈, and now to launching his own media company, the Morrison Media Group 🚀.

Tony’s journey is anything but traditional. He started as a business major who couldn’t pass finance 📉, discovered photography 📸, and wound up behind the camera in TV production. From hidden cameras on What Would You Do? to overnight shifts at CNN New Day 🌙, Tony built his foundation in fast-paced, collaborative newsrooms before moving into the high-energy world of GMA.

But Tony’s story goes deeper ❤️. At GMA, he found the courage to come out more fully—not just as a gay man, but also by sharing his HIV status through a personal essay that helped break stigma and inspired others. That leap toward authenticity eventually led him to GLAAD, where he championed inclusive storytelling across newsrooms, Hollywood 🎬, and publishing 📚.

Now, Tony is creating his own vision for storytelling. With Morrison Media Group, he’s focused on digital video 📲 and authentic narratives that bridge gaps in representation—especially for LGBTQ+ communities and nonprofits that often lack the resources for high-quality production.

This conversation dives into:
🌙 Lessons from CNN overnights + GMA’s morning magic
📲 Building social media strategy from scratch
🧡 Publishing his personal HIV story—and the surprising reaction
🌈 Why representation in media matters
🚀 Taking the leap to launch his own media company
💡 Advice for anyone considering stepping out on their own: “Don’t worry about the plan. The plan will reveal itself.”

🔗 Morrison Media Group:  https://www.morrisonmediahq.com/home

📝 Tony’s personal essay on living with HIV: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/personal-essay-learned-living-hiv-secret-years-79392051

👉 Follow Jason on Instagram: @MrJasonBall | @LifeAfterNewsPod

🌐 Visit lifeafternews.com

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

🎙 Bonus Episode: Is Warren Buffett Right?
When Warren Buffett says the network TV affiliation model doesn’t work anymore, people pay attention. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, just dropped ABC after 69 years at WPLG Miami—the only TV station Buffett owns.

In this bonus episode of Life After News, Jason talks with Adam R. Jacobson, editor-in-chief of the Radio + Television Business Report, about:
• The history behind Miami’s TV station shake-ups and why the WPLG/ABC split is so significant.
• Why Buffett may be right—and wrong—about network affiliations in today’s streaming-first world.
• What it takes to survive as a news-heavy, independent station in a multilingual, multicultural market.
• Parallels in Atlanta’s CBS affiliation change and lessons from stations that have gone fully local.
• The fine art of differentiating newscasts in a crowded market—drawing on KTLA’s approach.

Jason and Adam dig into the risks, opportunities, and market-by-market realities behind these bold moves. It’s a conversation about identity, adaptation, and the future of local TV news in an age when audiences can get prime-time programming anywhere.

📌 If you love local news—or want to understand the business decisions shaping it—this one’s for you.

🔗 Listen and learn more at Life After News.

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

Former KCAL 9 anchor Leyna Nguyen spent 25 years in TV news—Los Angeles, Sacramento, Augusta. What came next? A bold new life filled with reinvention:

✨ A not-so-safe-for-work podcast (“Consenting Adults”)
 ✨ A YouTube channel teaching English to Vietnamese speakers (100K+ subs!)
 ✨ And now, her true calling: building Van May Financial and helping people plan smarter for retirement 💼💰

In this episode, Leyna opens up about:

• The moment she knew it was time to leave TV news 🎤
• Why COVID was the best thing for her family💕
• How her podcast on alternative lifestyles became a hit 👀
• Why financial literacy in America is broken—and how she’s fixing it 🔑
• Building generational wealth, running her own firm, and even launching a health supplement company in Japan 🌿

It’s an inspiring story of curiosity, reinvention, and creating purpose after the spotlight.

👉 Don’t miss this candid, funny, and motivational conversation.

🔗 Links & Follow

🌐 LifeAfterNews.com
📸 Follow Jason: @mrjasonball | @lifeafternewspod
🎧 New episodes every Tuesday!

📣 Call to Action

If you loved this episode:
👍 Like it
 ⭐ Leave a 5-star review
 📲 Share it with a friend who’s ready to reinvent their career

Because life after news isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning. 🌟

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

Beloved for turning complex forecasts into must-watch TV, Tom has traded daily broadcasts for a new mission: protecting the research, truth, and science that keep us safe.

For 45 years, Tom Skilling was Chicago’s go-to source for weather — trusted, beloved, and known for making complicated science easy to understand. Now, a year and a half into retirement, Tom is proving life after news can be just as full of passion, purpose, and even a little adrenaline.

In this conversation, Jason Ball catches up with Tom at his Hawaii home to talk about:

·       🪂 How a “joke” turned into a skydiving adventure (and why he’s tempted to try it again over volcanoes).

·       🌴 The Big Island’s wild microclimates vs. Chicago’s weather extremes.

·       📻 From a weather-obsessed 14-year-old on local radio to America’s most recognized meteorologist.

·       🌍 Why he went from climate change skeptic to outspoken advocate for weather science.

·       📺 Behind the scenes at WGN — superstation days, early computer graphics, and holding his ground against “just tell us the temperature” consultants.

·       ⚡ The 38-year run of the Fermilab Tornado & Severe Weather Seminars and why public science education matters.

·       🚨 His warning about dangerous cuts to U.S. weather research.

·       💡 Advice for the next generation of meteorologists: “Be too dumb to know you’re not supposed to be able to do what you want to do — and go for it.”

Whether you’re a weather geek or just curious about how science, media, and storytelling collide, this episode is a masterclass in passion, persistence, and purpose.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe: lifeafternews.com
📱 Follow Jason: Instagram @Mr.JasonBall | @LifeAfterNewsPod

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

Tracy McMillan on Reinvention, Unprisoned & Writing What Hurts

What do TV news deadlines, Paris heartbreaks, and Oprah have in common? Tracy McMillan.

In this deeply honest, wildly inspiring conversation, bestselling author, TV host, and Unprisoned creator Tracy McMillan sits down with Jason Ball to talk about her journey from local news writer to viral sensation to Hollywood showrunner.

From writing copy for Tom Brokaw to creating her own Hulu series starring Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo, Tracy proves one thing: You can reinvent yourself—and thrive.

In this episode:

📰 How a childhood paper route led her to TV news
 🧠 The power of deadlines, structure, and NOT waiting for inspiration
 🔥 The viral moment that launched a new career (“Why You’re Not Married”)
 💔 Writing through shame, grief—and toward freedom
 🎭 Seeing her life portrayed on screen by Kerry Washington
 ✈️ How a stranger on a plane became her husband… and inspired her next show
 🧒🏽 Why your inner child might be your best co-star
📺 The behind-the-scenes of Unprisoned and what might come next

🧡 Favorite quote:

“It’s not about being good enough. It’s about being willing.”           

👏 Whether you’re in the middle of a pivot, chasing a creative dream, or just wondering what’s next?—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows.
📲 Don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe—it helps others find the pod!

📺 Family or Fiancé:  https://www.oprah.com/app/family-or-fiance.html

🌐 Listen, watch, subscribe:  https://lifeafternews.com/

📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod

📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday

💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!

#LifeAfterNews #TracyMcMillan #Unprisoned #NewsToHollywood #TVWriting #ScriptedTV #ViralEssay #Reinvention #WritersLife #RelationshipAdvice #InnerChildHealing #OprahMoment #KerryWashington #DelroyLindo #CreativeCareer #JournalismSkills #ContentIsKing

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

In this episode, Life After News host Jason Ball switches seats and lets his longtime friend and former KTLA colleague David Begnaud—Emmy-winning CBS News correspondent—take over the mic. David turns the tables to ask Jason the questions: Why did you really leave news? What were you chasing—or escaping? Who are you without the title?

Jason opens up about:

• 📺 Leaving KTLA at the top of his game—and why the January 6th insurrection was the breaking point
• 😰 The stress he didn’t even know he was carrying (until the heartburn disappeared)
• 🧠 Reclaiming purpose through storytelling on his own terms—with a podcast, a newsletter, and a hotel
• 🌈 Coming out, being private in a public career, and what he hopes to share about long-term love
• 🛠️ Running a bar, fixing toilets, and using breaking news skills in small business
• 🤖 Why he talks to AI every day—and what newsrooms should be doing about it now

With honesty, reflection, and a dose of unexpected vulnerability, Jason shows that Life After News isn’t just a concept—it’s a lived experience. This is an episode about identity, reinvention, and what it means to finally put yourself in the story.

“If I’m not the news director at KTLA, who am I?”

“Turns out, I’m still me. Maybe even more me.”

🔗 Episode Links

• Follow David Begnaud on Instagram: @davidbegnaud
• Related episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rewriting-the-script-michaela-pereira-on-news-grief/id1814231257?i=1000712265260

🔗 Stay Connected to Life After News

·       👨‍💻 Website: https://lifeafternews.com/ 

·       🎧 Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows

·       📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@LifeAfterNews

·       📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod

·       💼 LinkedIn: Jason Ball

·       🗞️ Read: Desert Dispatch — the newsletter on storytelling & reinvention

·       🏨 Stay: Old Ranch Inn

·       📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday

·       💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

Send us a text

💄 What happens when a former CNN entertainment producer trades celebrity interviews for contour palettes and a tour buse? Meet JD Cargill — or as Palm Springs now knows her, Anita Doll.
In this wildly fun, deeply moving, and at times jaw-droppingly honest conversation, Jason Ball interviews JD during his full transformation into Anita Doll — lashes, foundation, and all. Together they unpack how JD went from chasing fame to creating joy, and how drag didn’t just change his career — it saved his life.
🔥 Highlights from the Episode
•From KTLA to CNN: JD reflects on how entertainment news once felt like salvation — until it became spiritual suffocation.
•Drag as a Spiritual Awakening: The pandemic forced JD into stillness… and into drag. In his Pasadena basement, Anita Doll was born.
•Birth of Drag and Fly: JD combines news production chops with queer creativity to create Drag and Fly Tours, a drag queen–hosted, mobile theater experience through Palm Springs.
•The Power of AI + Imagination: How JD used artificial intelligence to design a custom tour vehicle with stadium seating and panoramic views.
•Faith and Fabulousness: JD opens up about reconciling his queer identity with his religious upbringing.
•Anita as Armor: The difference between JD and Anita isn’t just wardrobe. Anita is a superhero — bold, fearless, and full of self-love.
•The Business of Joy: From viral videos to word-of-mouth buzz, JD shares the real talk of building a brand rooted in community, inclusivity, and sparkle.
•Dreaming Big: With ambitions to make Palm Springs the drag capital of the world, JD reveals plans for The Dollhouse, The Tea Garden, The Flight Club, and beyond.
🐉 About Drag and Fly Tours
Drag and Fly Tours is a one-of-a-kind sightseeing experience hosted by drag queens aboard a custom-built, stadium-seated tour vehicle. The show combines comedy, storytelling, music, and video — all produced with a TV producer’s precision and a queen’s flair.
📍 Location: Palm Springs, California
🔗 More info: dragandflytours.com
✨ Quotes to Remember
“Drag didn’t save me from dying — it saved me from disappearing.”
— JD Cargill
“Anita is everything I need to be — fearless, fabulous, and free.”
— JD Cargill
📬 More from Life After News
•🌵 Desert Dispatch — Our Palm Springs newsletter: https://desertdispatch.beehiiv.com/
•🏨 Old Ranch Inn — Stay with us in the heart of Palm Springs: https://oldranchinn.com/
🔗 Stay Connected to Life After News
•🎧 Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more
•📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@LifeAfterNews
•📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod
•💼 LinkedIn: Jason Ball
•🏨 Stay: Old Ranch Inn
•🗞️ Read: Desert Dispatch – the newsletter on storytelling & reinvention
•📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday
•💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!
And don’t forget to share this episode with someone who needs a little sparkle.

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.