southview@.at.albanyherald.com
SAVANNAH — You don’t have to be able to sing and dance to become a television star these days.
Some make it into show business simply by showing up for work.
Tifton native Frank “The Big Guy” Sulkowski, 33, former sports anchor at Albany’s WFXL Fox-31 television station, can be seen beginning Wednesday in the second season debut of TV Guide Network’s “Making News: Savannah Style.”
The show will give viewers an inside look at the inner-workings of a two-in-one station — ABC affiliate WJCL-TV and FOX affiliate WTGS-TV, where Sulkowski serves as sports director — as they try and make their way back from scandal and low ratings.
The series will go inside the dramatic world of local news and follow the daily struggles of a diverse news staff, as they do anything to get their story and produce their nightly newscasts.
“The first couple of times it was weird to go out with them,” said Sulkowski about the challenges of working while being filmed for the show. “You’re trying to do your thing and, especially with sports, you’re usually by yourself. Now I’ve got guys behind me filming everything and I have to explain to people what they’re doing. It does slow you down because they have to get everyone being filmed to sign waivers.”
Taking an in-depth look at what it takes to run a local news station and the drama that ensues behind-the-scenes, the series will focus on the people who put the news together including the anchors, reporters, trainees and producers. The 13-episode series was filmed entirely on location in historical Savannah over a six-month period.
“We learned last season just how fun and funny watching a station put on the news in a small market can be,” Executive Producer Nick Davis said. “The challenges any local station face are so immense — limited resources, limited experience and a show to put on night after night. But this season, the challenges faced by the group in Savannah are unreal, truly monumental.”
New Vision Television, which purchased both stations in September 2007, hired a new general manager after the previous one was arrested for embezzling funds from the station. Also newly hired is a self-proclaimed hippie news director, set to whip the cast of newbie anchors and reporters, along with seasoned veterans, into shape, all while trying to reclaim their throne in Savannah and become No. 1 in the market.
Sulkowski left Albany in January 2006 and says that while the new station is in a bigger market and offered more money, it isn’t without major challenges — many of which are the focus of the television show.
“When (station owners) told us we were going to be followed for the show, they said to be honest about things,” said the 12-year veteran of the news industry. “We have the people here that can do the work; it’s the technology that’s holding us back.”
New owners appear ready to make an investment to improve the station, he said. As one of the opening episodes depicts, both the station and equipment are in dire need of repair or replacement.
“Cameras are duck taped, the chairs break, the computers lock up — you name it, it’s messed up,” said Sulkowski, noting that while the station receives some compensation from TV Guide, those participating in the show do not. “The station is rough. It’s not pretty. Our live trucks are nicely wrapped with our logo and they look good, but they don’t always work.”
At least one live truck was working, however, on the night of the Savannah sugar refinery explosion in February, when Sulkowski, seeing no one was taking the lead, opted to jump in a live truck and run it himself, something he’d never done before.
“They said that story would be on the show. The only thing that would keep them from using it was all the cussing,” he laughed.
All in all, Sulkowski said the experience was a good one and hopes it will show the public how tough the news business can be, noting that most don’t realize he shoots his own sports footage before racing back to the station to write the script, edit the film and anchor three newscasts, often not getting home until after 1 a.m.
“It’ll be funny to see the fallout on Thursday mornings after the episode runs the night before in case somebody says something about someone else,” said Sulkowski.
The show has other Albany area connections as well, including Casey Jones, Blackshear native and former news anchor at WALB, now anchoring at the Savannah stations depicted in “Making News.”
In addition to the news crew, one episode deals with a reporter attempting to get a live shot outside The Lady and Sons restaurant owned by Albany native Paula Deen. The story centers on a protest outside her restaurant by individuals upset that Deen endorses Smithfield Foods, alleged to abuse workers.
Prior to joining the Savannah station in January 2006, Sulkowski served as the sports director and anchor at various local stations in Georgia. He earned a reputation in Georgia for covering local athletes and was named “Outstanding Broadcasting Alumni” at Georgia Southern University. The Special Olympics of Georgia has also recognized him for his outstanding coverage of their activities.
As far as The Big Guy’s ability to sing and dance, he’ll save that for another season.
“Making News: Savannah Style” will begin airing at 8 p.m. Wednesday on the TV Guide Network. It will be broadcast weekly at the same time and day.
K.K. Snyder is a freelance writer who resides in metro Albany.
• WHAT: “Making News: Savannah Style”
• WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday
• WHERE: TV Guide Network