Wayne Shannon

Wayne Shannon (born January 16 1948) is a veteran news commentator and humorist. Shannon became popular with San Francisco viewers from 1982 through 1988 for his nightly "Just 4 You" segments on KRON-TV, where his name received billing in newscast introductions along with the anchors and weather and sports presenters. Many of his commentaries, which frequently discussed local and global topics alike, were published in the 1986 essay collection "What's It All Mean?", which took its title from the catch phrase Shannon used to end many of his segments.

Biography

Shannon was born in Spokane, Washington but moved soon after to San Francisco where he remained until age 12. Shannon attended junior high and high school in the small community of Moses Lake, where he first performed as an amateur/professional comedian. Following high school, he went to the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York City, appeared off-Broadway as an actor and directed children's theater off-off Broadway. Back in Washington, he graduated from Highline Community College in Midway, near Seattle and would eventually graduate college from the University of Washington.

Shannon began his career as a stand-up comedian and entertained the troops in Vietnam in the early 1970s, while serving with the Special Services of the U.S. Army. Upon his return to the Pacific Northwest, he worked as a typist for Boeing and eventually landed his first television job as a movie host. From there Shannon moved to Channel 2 in Detroit, where he reported on consumer issues.

At that time in Detroit at the CBS affiliate, he did not remember the interns' names with whom he worked. Over the newsroom PA he once asked for "A**** Abr*ms*m" instead of A**** Abraham -- her last name being just like the first name of a famous US President. He seemed to not be able to remember her last name. She had been working as an intern for him for months, their desks maybe 6 feet apart -- and she was a very smart and polite intern.

Also, instead of Wayne picking up a 10-year old chronically ill child dying from a tumorous brain cancer -- she was in a wheelchair and had a head halo brace who wanted to see Greenfield Village as one of her last wishes, so her mother sent a letter to WJBK asking for help, which is why he was involed as the "Trouble Shooter Community Reporter," he made one of his non-paid interns drive to her house and pick her up in a Pinto wagon and drive her to the "Photo shoot" at Greenfield Village and back to her home after it was done. He advised to the three interns he was working with that he was very uncomfortable being around such a sick child. However, he did appear on camera with her for the camera -- for a moment with him pushing her wheelchair with the the Director of Greenfield Village at their side being given a private tour with this poor child. His goal? A local Emmy nomination which never happened.

The eventual TV report had great edited shots of Wayne and the Director moving the child in her wheelchair (he grabbed the handles one time for the camera shot) through the incredible displays of locomotives, vehicles and through the Village with Wayne gracefulling asking if the child was enjoying the trip. On viewing the News story when on the News, a viewer would have seen a film shot where, at one point, the camera's view was at ground level, showing the moving silver wheelchair spokes of the dying child's wheelchair moving past the non-moving spokes of train wheels.

Camera guy great. Editor great. Story made folks cry. Wayne -- poor as a human being from those who had to work with him. Never thought about anyone but himself. And he sooned moved from Detroit.

After moving from Detroit, he moved to Philadelphia's KYW-TV where he was the station's feature reporter and essayist from 1980-82. [Garchik, L. "The Will Rogers of Bay Area TV? Wayne Shannon Tells it Like He Thinks it is. "SF Chronicle", 4 February 1985. ]

After Shannon's KRON-TV contract was not renewed, [Carman, J. "Wayne Shannon Out at KRON -- Last Broadcast Tomorrow." "SF Chronicle", 30 June 1988. ] he moved to CNBC in April 1989 [Ross, C. "NBC Cable Station Wants Shannon's Commentaries." "SF Chronicle", 26 December 1988.] as one of the network's originating commentators, delivering two humorous on-air pieces a night. Shannon and CNBC parted ways in the early 1990s, at which point he returned to the Pacific Northwest, where he currently lives.

References

1. Garchik, L. "The Will Rogers of Bay Area TV? Wayne Shannon Tells it Like He Thinks it is. "SF Chronicle", 4 February 1985.

2. Carman, J. "Wayne Shannon Out at KRON -- Last Broadcast Tommorrow." "SF Chronicle", 30 June 1988.

3. Ross, C. "NBC Cable Station Wants Shannon's Commentaries." "SF Chronicle", 26 December 1988.

4. Shannon, W. "Shannon: What's It All Mean?" "May-Murdock Publications", 1986.

External links

1. http://www.edrants.com/wayne-shannon-a-case-study-for-the-internets-failings/

2. http://youtube.com/watch?v=HJKBh1LBvaY

3. http://youtube.com/watch?v=76cjeUo5eUs

4. http://youtube.com/watch?v=scEMEonLLRk