March 2002
From KXOL's heyday, a friend and top-notch reporter:
BILL HIX, 1941-2002
When Bill Hix died Feb. 25, his legacy transcended crisp news gathering and leading the public information efforts at first Texas Wesleyan University, then the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (now the UNT Health Science Center). They knew him at the Stock Show, too, where he was arena announcer for 13 years, and in Crowley, where he worked the p.a. at football games.
Oh, and he could belt a tune past the fat-cat tables and clear to the common, if equally gussied-up, folk in the back. "He was one of the few really good singers in the show," longtime Star-Telegram editor Phil Record said of Mr. Hix's involvement in the Texas Gridiron Show, for years an irreverent musical-comedy revue satirizing newsmakers produced by the Fort Worth chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Mr. Hix, a former president of the chapter, had a chance to visit with friend and former colleague Russ Bloxom at the KXOL reunion in October. "We took group pictures and he took video. We had talked about converting his video to the KXOL Web site," Bloxom recalled. "He, too, made the transition to Channel 5, then WBAP-TV, in the late '60s like so many of the news guys at KXOL."
The late Bruce Neal and Gene Ashcraft, Bloxom and Mr. Hix "were like a band of brothers in the 1960s blazing local broadcast history and helping create new dimensions for electronic coverage of the news used today," Bloxom said. "We carried the same professional standards to Channel 5, always espousing what KXOL's owner, Earle Fletcher, instilled in us: 'First, get it right. Then worry about being first.' " As a reporter, Bloxom said, no one did that better than Bill Hix.
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'Confined' to a wheelchair? Not on your life:
PAUL WAGNER, 1957-2002
Paul Wagner had a neuromuscular disorder akin to Lou Gehrig's disease that wasted his muscles but didn't keep him from being a bang-up newspaperman. Or a loving dad, almost combative in pursuit of daughter Molly's well-being. Or a Mensa member, which didn't impress him much, or a passionate student of space exploration, whose practitioners impressed him a great deal.
It didn't dull his wit. It didn't stop him from the typing required of an editor on the Star-Telegram national/foreign desk (and before that, Sunday editor) -- he simply jammed a pencil in each fist and struck the keys with the eraser end.
It didn't stop him one Saturday from working his regular 10-hour shift at his home computer, telephone at his elbow, in searing pain with a broken hip suffered the night before when he fell trying to get out of his wheelchair and into bed. There he lay all night, until discovered by an attendant Saturday morning. He dismissed the idea that he go to the hospital for X-rays. He was scheduled to work that afternoon, and he didn't want to call in sick.
A black leather cap perched jauntily on thinning red hair, using a wheelchair held together with duct tape and nerve, "he insisted on being a full contributor to society," said colleague Lou Hudson. "And boy, was he!"
Mr. Wagner died Feb. 14 of complications after being hit by a truck in a crosswalk near his apartment Jan. 28.
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MEETINGS
Next at IABC ...
Getting to Know You
IABC is an organization of communicators, who sometimes fail to communicate effectively with each other. This month's meeting will correct that. The idea's simple. Bring lots of business cards and be prepared to tell a little about yourself. Such as:
* What are your major responsibilities?
* What is your typical day?
* What major projects are you working on?
* What are your areas of expertise?
* What's the most interesting job you ever had? Your favorite job?
* What issues is your organization facing?
* What challenges do you face, and how do you deal with them?
* To what do you attribute your success (education, skills)?
* From your perspective as a communicator, what trends do you see affecting our field in the near future?
Bring your membership directory to make notes. Also feel free to bring samples of your work.
* Time, date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, March 12
* Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
* Cost: $17 members, $22 nonmembers, $12 students
* RSVP by noon March 8: Dan Frost at (817) 735-6157 or frostdg@c-b.com
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Next at PRSA ...
Closing, Renovation and Grand Reopening:
the Story of Fort Worth's Amon Carter Museum
Imagine this dilemma. First your facility will be closed two years for massive renovation, then it reopens just a month after one of the nation's most pronounced tragedies. That's what Carol Noel, public relations coordinator for the Amon Carter Museum, faced.
Join PRSA in March as she shares the secret to maintaining visibility while the museum was closed and obtaining maximum visibility when everything came alive again last October. Emphasis will be on the steps in planning the reopening, including a Webcast put together to spotlight one of the crowning jewels in Fort Worth's acclaimed cultural district.
* Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, March 13
* Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor
* Parking: $2.50 in parking garage at 7th & Commerce streets; get valet ticket
* Cost: $20 members, $23 nonmembers, $18 students
* RSVP by noon March 11: Lisa Albert at lalbert@ymcafw.org
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Next at SPJ ...
Curl Up with a Good Program
On covering the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Star-Telegram columnist Jim Reeves wrote: "Before arriving here, I thought Nordic combined was a tryst between Elke Sommer and Bjorn Borg. Curling was something my hair did when I slept on it wrong. A parallel giant slalom was the trail two big slugs made on the back deck. Short track was nothing more than organized chaos." Actually, he was right about the last one. And all the rest, he's right about them now.
It is a wiser Reeves, thoroughly entertained and full of tall tales, who will detail the Olympic high points (and maybe some of the whiny lows) at the March meeting. Relive the sights and sounds, the storied glory of arguably the best Olympics -- certainly the splashiest -- ever on American soil.
* Date: Wednesday, March 20
* Time: mingling 5:45 p.m., dinner 6:15, program 7:15
* Place: Water Street Seafood, 1540 S. University Drive
* Cost: program free; to eat, $13 members, $17 nonmembers, $5 students; no food orders taken after 6:30
* Menu: choice of seafood enchilada, Southern fried catfish, mesquite-grilled chicken or shrimp harpoon, all served with a salad, vegetables and seasoned rice, fresh-baked bread and tea, soft drink or coffee; cash bar
* RSVP: Kay Pirtle at mkpirtle@yahoo.com
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STRAIGHT STUFF
It's a long drive to challenge the Mexican food you get at Caro's on Bluebonnet Circle, but the SPJ Region 8 conference March 22-23 on the can-it-get-any-better-than-this San Antonio River Walk will be worth a shot. Confirmed speakers include Carolina Garcia, head of the American Society of Newspaper Editors' diversity committee and managing editor of the San Antonio Express-News; Wayne Slater, the Dallas Morning News' top reporter on the George W. Bush presidential campaign trail; and Dave Garlock, UT Austin journalism teacher and author of several books on writing. More at spj.org/sanantonio/. ...
The GFW PRSA 2002 community service committee is helping MediSend International, a North Texas-based humanitarian organization, develop a communications program and promote a gala and silent auction held in conjunction with the NFL Alumni Association's (Dallas chapter) 22nd annual golf tournament. The gala will be Thursday, April 25, at the Hotel Intercontinental. To assist with news releases, story pitching (especially for those unusual auction items) or just program support, call Patti Green, (214) 696-0901, or Carolyn Hodge, APR, (817) 410-3779. MediSend manages the collection of medical supplies and equipment in the United States and their distribution worldwide. More than 350 shipments valued at almost $8 million have been sent to 66 countries. ... Deadline is March 15 to enter Communication Arts magazine's 43rd annual illustration and photo competitions. Winners will appear in either the July illustration issue or the August photography issue; more than 73,000 copies of each will be circulated. For guidelines, go to commarts.com/competition. ...
The National Association of Hispanic Communicators meets at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 2, in the conference room at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas' Fair Park. The NAHC's Super Bowl Fiesta Pep Rally, spearheaded by organizers Gary Pina, Veronica Perez-Thomison, Raul Hinojosa, Krista Villarreal and Carmen Garcia, raised $1,965 for scholarships and as funding for the awards banquet April 6 at Cityplace Conference Center in Dallas. And see dfwhispanic.org for information on the annual NAHC high school writing contest. ...
SPJ national update: 1 new leader, 1 new award, 1 continuing stalemate, 1 help-wanted. Terrence G. Harper is the new executive director of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. A former executive director of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and its endowment fund for nine years, from 1990-1999, he comes to SPJ and the SDX foundation from the Indianapolis-based Kiwanis International Foundation, where he had been fund-raising director since August 2001. He worked as a financial adviser for UBS PaineWebber from 1999-2001. He succeeds former executive director Jim Gray, who resigned in November. Almost 120 people applied for the job. Said SPJ president-elect Robert Leger, chair of the search committee and editorial page editor of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader: "Those who have worked with Terry describe him as committed, driven, hard-working and detail-oriented. ... Our 23-member board will keep SPJ focused on improving and protecting journalism, while Terry's ability in building finances and membership will give us the strong foundation we need." ... Submissions deadline is April 1 for the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation's first Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award. The $10,000 cash award will honor those who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. It will be presented in mid-September at the 2002 SPJ national convention in Fort Worth. Eugene Pulliam, publisher of The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News until his death in January 1999, was known for consistently supporting activities that educated the public about First Amendment rights and values. Info at spj.org/news.asp?ref=121 or from Paul McMasters, Sigma Delta Chi Foundation president, (703) 284-3511, pmcmasters@freedomforum.org. ... News organizations and lawmakers have been unable to compromise on a bill that would exempt the Indiana Legislature from the state's open-records laws, raising concerns that the issue could remain unresolved until next year. The Legislature passed the bill in April, but Gov. Frank O'Bannon vetoed it, calling it a "step backward" in efforts to open up legislative matters. In November, House Speaker John Gregg called off plans to consider overriding the veto and urged both sides to find common ground. At the heart of the matter is whether lawmakers should be able to decide which of their documents will be open to public view. ... SPJ seeks a graduate j-program to host the Ward Neff Internship for two years beginning Sept. 1. The internship pays $14,000 plus tuition to a student and $2,000 to a supervising professor. The intern compiles SPJ PressNotes each business day and writes briefs and obituaries for Quill magazine; the professor edits and distributes PressNotes and coordinates with the Quill editor. Contact SPJ campus chapter VP James Highland at jhighland@spj.org. Deadline March 15. The University of Florida has hosted the internship since 1999.
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TUFF Enough: Honoring Creativity of Adversity Born
The Fort Worth Chamber captured an ACE Award of Communications Excellence from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) for the "Tornado 2000: Communicating in a Crisis" campaign.
In the aftermath of the tornado that ripped through downtown March 28, 2000, the chamber, the city, Sundance Square Management, the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau and Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., forged the TUFF (Team United For the Future) coalition to develop a disaster relief strategy aimed at displaced businesses. Award-winning Witherspoon materials included the memorable "No Gusts, No Glory" ads.
The TUFF partners, along with Witherspoon and the Texas Department of Transportation, reconvened to score an ACE Award of Merit for the "I-30 Overhead/Lancaster Corridor Redevelopment" campaign aimed at capitalizing on the demolition of the Interstate 30 overhead. The goal was to raise awareness of Fort Worth revitalization, as well as to celebrate the end of the old freeway bridge.
"The collaborative climate between the public and private sector in Fort Worth is unique and continues to impress city and chamber officials nationwide," said Marilyn Gilbert, senior vice president of marketing for the Fort Worth Chamber. Gilbert will accept the awards March 8 at the ACCE Management Symposium in Orlando, Fla. The competition drew 286 entries from 200 chambers throughout the country.
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'No Stronger Voice for Fort Worth' --
but You Could Throw Big D in the Dumpster
by Nancy Bartosek
Amon Carter was at the February SPJ meeting, not in person but certainly in spirit as former Star-Telegram ombudsman and editor Phil Record regaled the group with stories of the man whose influence shaped the city like no other. Archivist Joe Helmick, who is overseeing the cataloging of the Amon Carter papers in the TCU library, brought an expanded perspective through memorabilia found in the late publisher's collection.
Growing up in the age of Amon provided copious memories, beginning in childhood when this large man in a white coat would drop by at Christmas with a bottle of 25-year-old Scotch for Record's father. In the family tradition, Record joined the Star-Telegram, as a copy boy, and was one of the few people allowed in Carter's office. On one occasion, he knocked something over on Carter's desk. Carter barked, "Philip, that was stupid."
The next day, Record was summoned, handed a $5 bill, instructed to run an errand across the street and to keep the change. The change was $4.10 -- about one-quarter of his monthly salary. The young man alerted Carter's secretary to what must have been a mistake and was told: "That's Mr. Carter's way of saying he's sorry." Record pocketed the change.
Carter's loyalty extended to all his employees, and when the main hospital in town wouldn't treat his black chauffeur, Carter took his and his workers' medical needs to St. Joseph's and urged his business friends to do likewise. "When he liked someone and you did something for him, he took care of things," Record said.
Helmick explored Carter's civic presence by sharing from the archives -- a pair of boots worn by good friend Will Rogers; pages from Carter's Shady Oak guest books signed by luminaries such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Carter collection, which is open to the public, spans 1901 to 1981 and stretches 205 linear feet. It offers a robust look at the 1936 Texas Centennial, the original Casa Mañana and various manifestations of Carter's unabashed disdain for Dallas.
Fifteen subseries include letters from Carter's son, who was a World War II prisoner of war in Germany; documents from the early years of the Fort Worth Star and the Fort Worth Record, including a group of bound editions and special editions; and information about designating Big Bend as a national park, as well as a wealth of photographs and personal correspondence.
"This was a period of history that was vital to the country, and this collection documents many changes happening during those years. It tells us a lot about ourselves," Helmick said, adding, "There was no
stronger voice for Fort Worth and against Dallas than Amon Carter."
stronger voice for Fort Worth and against Dallas than Amon Carter."
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PEOPLE & PLACES
Ryan Bishop has been promoted to PR account executive and A.J. Rich and Dustin Smith to art directors at Stuart Bacon Advertising-Public Relations. Bishop joined Stuart Bacon in May 2001 as an assistant account executive following an internship with GCI Read-Poland-Dallas, a New York-based global communications agency. A UTA grad, he is also the adviser to his alma mater's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Rich joined Stuart Bacon in August as junior art director. A graduate of Brigham Young University, he was the athletic publications graphic designer at the school two years ago when he received the College Sports Information Directors of America's Best Cover Design award. Smith, a UNT graduate, joined Stuart Bacon as an intern in May 2000 and was named junior art director a year later. He won two Addys last year.
Kudos & Contracts ... Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations received Best of Show honors, 22 gold awards and 13 silver to pace this year's Addy Awards, the annual competition of the local advertising community. Graphic Concepts Group also was a big winner, with 14 gold and 10 silver Addys, as was Circle R Group (RadioShack in-house), with six gold and 14 silver. Other multiple winners were Stuart Bacon Advertising-Public Relations, seven gold and two silver; Dally, two gold and four silver; Immotion Studios, one gold and six silver; Blanchard Schaefer Advertising, two gold and two silver; Maverick Advertising, one gold and four silver; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., two gold and three silver; and Quorum International, a Fort Worth ceiling fan manufacturer, three gold and one silver. Murray Brown Creative Group (four gold) and the Star-Telegram (three gold) each received Special Judges awards. Kevin Dunleavy and Marion Kohl, December TCU grads, shared student Best of Show. The winners advance to district competition next month.
Kudos & Contracts II ... Belated k's to KTCU DJ Janice McCall, the Fort Worth Weekly staff's choice last year as the area's "most seductive radio voice," and to TCU's "The Good Show" cohost and UTA Shorthorn ex Tom Urquhart, handed the same accolade by FW Weekly readers. They do talk nice at TCU. ... Fowlkes, Norman & Associates, a landscape design, installation and maintenance firm with clients ranging from the Dallas and Fort Worth zoos to the Kimbell Art Museum, has selected Stuart Bacon to develop a comprehensive communications program. FNA is landscaping the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, set to open in June. ... Witherspoon was awarded one Silver Award and two Certificates of Merit in the Texas Public Relations Association's Best of Texas competition last month. ... Texas Motors Ford has selected Witherspoon as its agency of record. Witherspoon will develop the dealership's print and broadcast advertising, PR and brand development strategies.
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GET A JOB
The UTA Office of Public Affairs seeks a writer. Requirements include bachelor's degree in English or journalism (3-5 years experience in news media or PR preferred), knowledge of Associated Press style, and strong editing and writing ability. Contact Donna Darovich at (817) 272-2761 or darovich@uta.edu. ... Cook Children's Health Care System has an opening for a public relations technician. Two years experience required in an office, consulting firm, ad or PR agency, or nonprofit. Tasks include writing, desktop publishing, special events and promotions. See the Cook Children's Web page, cookchildrens.org/cc/cook/jobs.asp, or send inquiries and resumes to zemploy@cookchildrens.org.
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WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS
PRSA ... Catherine Barney with American Mensa; Kent Best with Texas Health Resources; Karen Coan with Trinity Valley School; Roy Hayhurst, Jr. with the UNT Health Science Center; Erin Maly with Choice Homes; Leslie Post with the Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce; Liz Moore, a free-lance writer; and Lauren Vargas-Gee with Wilson & Co.
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COMINGS & GOINGS
Additions ... at the YMCA: Lisa Albert as a marketing assistant ... at Witherspoon: Brent Norman as a senior account executive; formerly vice president of Hill & Company Advertising in Bedford, he also was with Witherspoon as an account executive from 1989-1992
Exits ... after 3 1/2 years with the Star-Telegram, Arlington page designer Brian Medricka to The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif.
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PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Kristie Aylett, APR; GFW PRSA
The evaluations say it better than I ever could: "Best district conference ever!!!" "Went to national conference in October -- this was just as good!" "Wonderful conference! You offered outstanding speakers and real value." The Southwest District Conference last month was a resounding success, with more than 120 people from a six-state area gathering in Arlington for two days of networking and professional development. One hundred sixty attended the inspirational keynote lunch with PRSA past board chair Kathleen Larey Lewton, APR, Fellow PRSA. She was impressed, adding that this was the largest district conference in the past two years. Roger Partridge is still tallying the finances, but initial results look positive there, too.
Thanks to Roger, Mary Dulle, Holly Ellman, Pamela Smith and Ann Genett-Schrader, APR, for putting the conference together and making sure everything went smoothly. PRSSA students from TCU and UTA helped with on-site registration and collected evaluation forms after every session. Alcon, Cook Children's, the Fort Worth Public Health Department, TCU and UTA contributed items for the goodie bags. And a special note of appreciation to Kim Speairs, APR, for sharing her wisdom gained from the 2000 Southwest District Conference.
I'm extremely proud of our chapter. More than 50 of our members attended the conference. Plus, our board approved scholarships so that PRSSA members from our three affiliated universities could attend, too. That kind of support speaks volumes to the rest of the district and to PRSA's leadership. It makes the hard work worthwhile.
News from national: Last year, we launched a special interest group for independent practitioners. Now national PRSA is seeking members and nonmembers who are solo practitioners to take an online survey. Those surveyed must derive their primary income from the practice of public relations, be in business for themselves and have no other full-time staff, although they may form alliances with other solo practitioners who provide services to their clients. To participate, send your name and e-mail to cedric.bess@prsa.org.
Be on the lookout for your new PRSA membership card this month. It will have your name, member ID number and join date, as well as contact information for all PRSA program areas. As our members-only offerings expand, you'll need your member ID to access them.
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
Cecilia Jacobs, IABC/Fort Worth
Watch your mail. It's time to win a Bronze Quill or two or three. Guidelines and entry forms are at the press and should be ready to mail early this month. Early-bird deadline for entries is April 5. Bronze Quill chair Debbie Young and her committee have worked relentlessly to expand categories -- everything from printed newsletters to Web sites. Debbie will be available at our March 12 luncheon to hit the highlights and answer questions.
Speaker for the March get-together? YOU! That's right, IABC/Fort Worth members are asked to bring a small portfolio and take 3 to 5 minutes to explain what they do and to share a few of their daily challenges. The idea is to learn from one another and to connect with those who have similar responsibilities. We may even hum a few bars of "getting to know you, getting to know all about you" from "The King and I."
Communications chair Lori De La Cruz represented us at February's IABC Leadership Conference, and past president Arden Dufilho will present our midwinter report to the District 5 board March 8-9 in Kansas City. Fort Worth is the fastest growing chapter in the district. That's because people like you are spreading the word.
Get ready for our May professional development program. If you have ideas for speakers or workshop topics, call me at (817) 871-6744 or president-elect Patrick Grady at (817) 415-3981. We usually shoot for three 45-minute workshops and a luncheon speaker.
Look forward to seeing your smiling, scintillating faces March 12. There's no group of people I'd rather rub shoulders with. You're the best.
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OVER & OUT
John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ
Welcome to new advertisers Jane Schlansker's InterStar firm and the TCU Daily Skiff. We need more shooting stars and Horned Frogs, especially purple ones. ... All those years piloting UTA hands-on journalism gave Dorothy Estes a surgeon's touch at devising conference topics and finding speakers to bring them to life. She's still in top form, abetted by a quick-thinking team, and you'll see the results at the SPJ national convention Sept. 12-14 at the Renaissance Worthington. Meanwhile, contact Jack Raskopf -- j.raskopf@tcu.edu or (817) 257-7425 -- for a promotional video perfect to show civic groups or anyone hip enough to know a good time when she sees one. It's worth viewing just for the scene of Jack portraying a conventioneer, suitcase in hand, standing at a rustic turn-of-the-century door in Log Cabin Village looking dismayed that it's not the Ritz. And is that Debra Winger atop the Billy Bob's stuffed bull? Nope, convention chair Kay Pirtle. ...
Plumbing the depths, corporate ogre division. Gannett is appealing the unemployment benefits awarded to fired USA Today sports staffer Karen Allen, who found temp work with the International Olympic Committee in Utah. On the day the appeal was filed, Allen had a wordless encounter in the press room with sports editor Monte Lorell. Recall that Allen and two colleagues, one of them UTA Shorthorn ex Cheryl Phillips, lost their jobs in December over minor damage they did -- and offered to fix -- to a spherical blue Lita Albuquerque sculpture at Gannett's headquarters in Washington, D.C. The "blue ball three" registered formal complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging age and sex discrimination. Said Allen's attorney, Steve Hoffmann: "To go after unemployment benefits -- that's a level of malevolence I don't often see."