Interview with Mike Stevens
WDBJ7 Sports, Roanoke
by: Jerry Kim

Sports Director Mike Stevens worked at the WDBJ7 news station in Roanoke, Va., for 20 years. He also worked as a sports anchor at the 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 p.m. news. His hard work ethic and passion for sports was revealed just by talking to him in the interview. Stevens showed determination starting in his college years by writing for his college newspaper then working for a radio station, and finally making it to the news station. Despite his hectic schedule, Stevens knew his priorities and distinguished them from his work.

Q: So, Mr. Stevens, where did you grow up and what high school did you attend?

Mike Stevens: I grew up in Staunton, Va. and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School.

Q: Did you take any journalism classes in high school?
Stevens: I took a journalism class my senior year and was also the editor of the high school paper, The Leeword.

Q: What college did you attend? Were you a communication major?

Stevens: I graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and majored in Communications and also minored in Psychology. At graduation I was named the outstanding Communications student with a broadcast concentration.

Q: When did you know that you wanted to be in broadcast journalism?

Stevens: I knew I wanted to be a sports broadcaster at an early age, but had no idea how to achieve the goal. I really just believed it would happen. Interestingly enough, I never wrote one single sports story while working for the Collegiate Times at Tech. In three years I covered all news: police beat, education, government.

Q: Did you play sports in high school?

Stevens: I played every sport imaginable growing up, but quit playing after junior high school. I decided it was more important to have a job to pay for a car, a decision I regret now.

Q: What kinds of things did you do to prepare yourself for this career? Were you involved in any broadcast-related clubs or activities in college?

Stevens: I worked part time as a radio disk jockey at an FM station in Staunton on weekends, on breaks, and during the summer months. While at Tech, I wrote three years for the Collegiate Times. I also did a summer long internship. You must have job related experiences before graduation, or you can forget it!

Q: A career in broadcast journalism seems so hard to get into nowadays; did you have to start at the bottom? What kinds of jobs did you have before you landed your job that you have today?

Stevens: I told you earlier that I graduated as the top broadcast student in my class not to brag, but to illustrate an all-to-real point. After getting that award and making Dean’s List numerous times at Tech, I went to work at K92 Radio in 1983. My shift was 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. and my salary was $12,000 a year! Eye opening to say the least.

Q: What’s a day in the life of Mike Stevens like today at the station?

Stevens: Today, my schedule is just as bizarre, but on the other end of the spectrum. Most days I got into work at 2:30 p.m. and get home around 1 a.m. The hours are the biggest drawback of any broadcast related job. Plus, this time of year I work a ton of weekends as well. Most people do not spire to work nights and weekends. I’ve been doing it for 20 years.

Q: Does a career in this kind of field consume your life? How do you balance your time?

Stevens: Great question! If you let it, it will devour your life. It is very hard, especially when you’re first starting out to strike the proper balance. The job is always different, yet in some ways it never ends. You really have to make an effort to put family and relationships first, or they will end up getting shuffled in the back.

Q: What kinds of problems do you face at the station? Is a career in broadcast journalism as glamorous as it looks?

Stevens: There are different problems each day, just as there are different challenges and rewards. Most days the good outweighs the bad by a long shot. Technical problems that are out of your control can be very frustrating. As for the glamour, I always tell people that I wear more make-up than my wife does! Seriously, it’s not as glamorous as it appears for sure.

Q: How long have you worked at the station? Have you been with your co-anchors for a long time?

Stevens: I have been at WDBJ-7 since March of 1985. Robin Reed and Keith Humphry have worked with me all 20 plus years. Jean Jadhon has been alongside for nearly 15 of those years, so it is a very experienced and close-knit group. It is difficult working with new people and making it seem natural on the air. It takes time. 

Q: What kinds of things go on behind the scenes when you’re taping?

Stevens: Well for starters, all of the newscasts are live, and in addition, Friday Football Extra is live. The only thing I ever tape are the sportscasts that appear in the morning shows. When commercials are playing during the newscasts, all of the anchors are joking and chatting. Also, we all share a huge make-up room, so it can be comical.

Q: What kinds of things do you do to prepare yourself before you go on TV? Do you research different information about sports to prepare yourself?

Stevens: Research is important and knowing your subject matter is critical. The viewers are smart and well informed. Often times they know what you’re talking about before you say it. I just try to stay relaxed and realize I’m a messenger of information. My job is to inform, not entertain. Too often, reporters and anchors get those two things confused.

Q: What kind of advice would you give to someone who would be interested in the field? What’s the best thing you could do to prepare yourself?

Stevens: Be flexible! The hours can be a grind, but the job is different and exciting every single day. You have to be willing to do anything and work anywhere just to get a start. For instance, I began in radio. The weekend sports anchor, Travis Wells, began as a part-time photographer as did our sports reporter Grant Kittelson. You have to get in the building and let the bosses observe your work habits.

Q: How does it feel to be a celebrity in Roanoke? Does it feel different to go in public knowing that people know who you are?

Stevens: I know a lot of people recognize me and consider me a local celebrity, but I never really think of it that way. I just always try to be kind to people and answer their questions whether I’m at the mall or a restaurant. When people see you TV, they think they know you, so you have to treat them the same way. Remember there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who are humble and those who are about to be humbled.