Features

AAPRC Weekly: Kim Bondy

Kim Bondy
Vice President, Franchise Units
CNN
Atlanta GA


The first time Kim Bondy set foot in a television newsroom, she was a college student at the University of New Orleans looking for easy internship credits–-she just needed to graduate and get her parents off her back. But a funny thing happened. "On the first day, I walked into the newsroom and just fell in love," Bondy recalls. "There was no doubt in my mind what I wanted to do…I knew immediately that I wanted to be a television producer."

Starting with that "convenient" internship at WDSU-TV, an NBC affiliate, Bondy took the familiar nomadic route of a television news professional. From the New Orleans internship she went to a smaller station in Lake Charles, LA and cut her teeth as producer of the five o'clock newscast. Then, when her parents decided to relocate from New Orleans to Atlanta, Bondy went with them. She sent a tape and a resume to Atlanta's WXIA-TV, also an NBC affiliate, but nothing came of it––at first. In fact, her introduction to the station was as a temp receptionist, answering phones in the newsroom. About two or three days into the gig, the assistant news director noticed the way Bondy played such close attention to the station's newscasts." She says, 'what do you really do?'" Bondy remembers. "I said, 'I just moved here from Lake Charles, Louisiana where I was producing the five o'clock news.' And she said 'well, why are you answering the phones?'"

It seems Bondy's resume tape had gotten lost in the huge stack of tapes in the assistant news director's office. The next day Bondy came in for a writing test and the day after that she was hired as a writer. With one of the station's evening news anchors as her advocate and mentor, within weeks, Bondy was promoted to producer of the noon newscast.

After Atlanta, Bondy's news journey went ever so slightly off the beaten path. She took a position as news director at CITN-TV on the island of Grand Cayman, British West Indies. "I went to the Cayman Islands because it just sounded like a really interesting thing to do," says Bondy. "I figured well, if it didn't work out, I would just go back to my parents' house in Atlanta until I get another job."

But Grand Cayman did work out. She lived on the sea. She drove a jeep. She lasted for three years in paradise until she decided that if she was ever going to become a network news producer she was going to have to leave the Caribbean. "It's a really great gig," she told a friend who was visiting from Philadelphia. "But I've always wanted to work on the "Today show" and I think unless I go and do that I'm going to have so many regrets."

The friend, whom Bondy had worked with in Atlanta, was at WCAU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. She passed Bondy's resume on to the news director there. Bondy and the news director had a terrific phone interview. She was flown up to Philadelphia and hired on the spot as managing editor. Then, an extraordinary sequence of events launched Bondy's career into high orbit.

A month after she arrived at WCAU, a CBS owned-and-operated station, CBS lost its NFL contract and a number of affiliates switched to FOX. Rather than loose WCAU, CBS traded the station and Bondy once again found herself working for an NBC affiliate. The station needed a morning show as a lead in for NBC's Today, and Bondy was charged with creating the station's first morning edition. Her shows were so successful that when "Today" decided to do a cross-country tour of some of NBC's new affiliates, WCAU was on the list. After Bondy assisted the "Today" producers with their Philadelphia broadcast, she was offered a position with NBC's "Sunrise," anchored by Ann Curry. For Bondy it would mean a return to line producing and getting to work at midnight to produce a five a.m. show. She hesitated. "And then they said the magic words: 'you'd get to fill in on the Today show,'" Bondy remembers. "I said [to myself] I'll do Sunrise for two years and then I'm going to be on the Today show. That's just how it's gonna work out."

Five-and-a-half years later, when she left NBC for CNN, Bondy was news director on the "Today" show and executive producer of "Weekend Today."

The assistant news director who'd hired Bondy at WXIA in Atlanta had been at CNN for several years, trying unsuccessfully to hire Bondy away from NBC. In 2001, though, things were different. "I needed one more big growth thing to happen and NBC is a little bit harder. There are fewer opportunities for those sort of really big jumps," Bondy says of her decision to leave the network. "There was also some personal stuff. I was ready to be closer to my family again. The planets all lined up."

She arrived at CNN, a vice president and senior executive producer overseeing daily news operations, just before the September 11 terrorist attacks. "I got here to CNN. Nineeleven happens less than two months later, and then we're going to go to war," Bondy remembers. "So, I'm thinking to myself: I wanna go to war with CNN, because that's what they do best. I did the Today show and I did the Olympics when I was at NBC. You should always experience your company at it's best."

Bondy spearheaded CNN's Emmy Award-winning coverage of the terrorist attacks and the ensuing war, and spent five weeks in Kuwait. Since then, she has moved into more senior programming positions for the network, serving as vice president of special programming. Just five months ago, she was named vice president of franchise units for CNN, responsible for developing and overseeing the network’s medical, science, technology, weather, entertainment and sports programming. "I have a really, really great gig," says Bondy. "I get to do almost anything that I want to do here in this company and that's what's kept me challenged…CNN's been very good to me."

In terms of your career in journalism, what are you most proud of?

I think what I am most proud of is the relationships I’ve been able to build and cultivate over my career. I have had great mentors and I have watched people I have mentored go on to do great work. I’m really proud of the work I’ve done at CNN…but I am also very proud of my work on NBC’s Today Show. It was my dream TV job when I started in news and I got there and actually became executive producer of Weekend Today. It was everything I dreamed of and more. I am also proud of my role during CNN’s coverage last year. I spent five weeks in the Middle East helping lead our coverage.

What is a franchise unit? What's a typical day like for you as vice president of CNN's franchise units?

The franchise units I oversee include medical, entertainment, sci-tech, weather and sports. There is no typical day, I’m afraid. I have really strong managers in my group so I try to serve more as an advocate and less as a meddler. I’ve had a successful day if I can drive an initiative through, contribute a good idea or two and, importantly, stay out of their way.

Are there any projects on the horizon about which you're particularly excited?

My entertainment unit just completed an exciting project. We covered the Maui Film Festival. Seven days in Maui interviewing filmmakers and watching movies on a golf course, under the stars. It was a new venture for CNN and just plain fun. I am also excited about the new medical specials we are producing for Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He’s an important member of the CNN family and it’s great to have a new platform to showcase his amazing talent. The sports unit is gearing up for coverage of the summer Olympics in Greece and the sci-tech unit is looking at several exciting projects.

For a news hound, this year is a veritable buffet. War. Scandal. A Presidential election. Politics, business, entertainment––there seem to be big stories everywhere. How does a news cycle like this impact your workday?

When the big story happens it doesn’t matter where you work in the CNN family. I oversee franchises, but when President Reagan died I just happened to be in L.A. on other business and I stayed to help with our coverage. I enjoy being part of the big story and it’s what CNN does best. The good news about my workday is that no day is the same because the news is never the same.

CNN has evolved from a radical idea––news around the clock––into, arguably, a necessity. When you look at what's happening in the world and what's happening in media, what do you imagine next for the network?

CNN is doing incredibly well. In my three years here, the network has really evolved. We now have programs instead of traditional newscasts. Our prime time is really taking shape. "American Morning" has become an important brand. We will continue to focus on strengthening our programming while continuing to dominate coverage of the big stories.

Last year, CNN asked you to create and oversee the organization's Diversity Council. From that vantage point, if you had to give the broadcast news a grade when it comes to a commitment to diversity, how would the industry fare?

I can’t speak for the industry other than to say, I think as an industry we must continue to aim for parity, and there’s clearly a lot more work to be done. CNN has made a firm commitment to diversity, and I am proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and the high standards we are working toward.

What's your best advice for women and for people of color who aspire to a career in broadcast news?

Do an internship or two, but be smart about it. Intern in an area where you have the greatest chance of making an impact and getting some visibility. Get great mentors and sponsors. They will not only give you solid advice, but they can open doors for you. I would not be here today if I didn’t have mentors and sponsors watching my back…and opening doors.

What's been your biggest career challenge thus far?

I think my biggest career challenge lies ahead as I try to figure out my next "best thing." I’m having so much fun doing what I’m doing…that my big challenge is topping this!

With your demanding career, how are you able to maintain balance in your personal life?

My life is far from balanced. It just happens to be fun most of the time.

Tell us one thing people might be surprised to know about you.

That my dream job is to be a nightclub singer on a Caribbean island…but I don’t sing in public. Go figure!


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