One would be hard-pressed to find anyone in Kansas City media circles (or in Topeka and Wichita where he also worked) who would say something negative about veteran WDAF-Fox 4 anchor John Holt, who has been anchoring the 5 and 9 p.m. newscasts at the Fox affiliate for several years.
Holt, who joined Fox 4 in 1994, not only does an admirable job anchoring the news and as an investigative and special projects reporter, but it seems as if there are very few community events where he is not emceeing charitable activities or serving on a board. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago he has become an outspoken advocate for men to have screenings for the disease.
John Holt is the TV person who it seems as if everybody knows him-whether they have actually met him in person or not. The person you see on the air is pretty much the same person when not on the air.
Maybe it is because of his background. He is immensely proud of being from Great Bend, KS. He recently went back there to help salute Jack Kilby, who grew up there and was credited with inventing the integrated circuit and hand-held calculator.
While he had no trouble discussing a variety of topics, he did become emotional discussing covering the devastating tornado that tore through Joplin, MO last year and killed 160 people and caused $2.5 billion in damage. He was one of the first people on the scene and says what he witnessed there will stay with him forever.
He graciously sat down at a local eatery with Bottom Line recently to answer some questions about his life and TV career.
Of course, there were frequent interruptions since almost every diner seemed to know him personally…

Name: John Holt

Title: Anchor/Reporter Fox 4

Hometown: Great Bend, KS

Educational background?
BS University of Kansas School of Journalism; JD University of Kansas School of Law
Marital Status (Children?) Married to Suzy. Parents of Jack (West Point 2011) and Katie (Creighton 2013)

How long have you been in your current position?
I arrived at FOX 4 when the station switched from NBC to FOX in fall of 1994! I snuck in the back door when they hired more than 50 people to beef up the newsroom, starting as the weekend morning anchor, and then anchoring our coverage of the OJ Simpson Trial. 

How did you get into your chosen field?
I became interested in broadcasting in high school. Long hours driving a hay swather during a couple of summers working on a farm had me making up play-by-play games in my head. I wanted to do sports. But I had the opportunity to work at my hometown radio station (KVGB) and do everything, from news to farm reports to dee jaying. I fell in love with broadcasting in general.
When I got to KU I continued radio work, and then, my junior year, earned an internship at WIBW-TV in Topeka. It was a news internship, and I was able to write, edit, on-air report, and by the end of the summer fill-in anchor on a Saturday morning news show. I was hooked on news for good!
After that internship, I continued my senior year and during law school to work for WIBW. My 3rd year in law school, WIBW’s 10 p.m. anchor left, and I adjusted my schedule to become the M-F 10 p.m. anchor. Law school by day, news at night, and I was set to remain in journalism post-law school. I stayed at WIBW for three years after that and despite flirting with the law part-time, never looked back!

Previous jobs?
In addition to radio jobs at KVGB in Great Bend, and KLWN/KLZR in Lawrence, my TV jobs were:
WIBW-TV-AM-FM in Topeka
KSNW-TV in Wichita (started as a reporter, then moved to anchor desk 5, 6 and 10 pm)
WDAF-TV Kansas City (’94-present)

Major awards/honors?
Emmy 2004 News Series; Emmy 2004 Investigative Reporting; Emmy 2007 On-Camera Talent/Anchoring; Emmy 2009 General Assignment Reporting
KC Media Professionals: TV Anchor of the Year 2000
KC Media Mix: TV Personality of the Year 2006 and 2008

Has your chosen field changed over the years?
Journalistically, the business has evolved in many ways. Television news has become more video driven, breaking news driven, and in some ways, personality driven. One of the great things about working for a TV station like FOX 4 that does so much news is the ability to still do long-form storytelling, whether it’s investigative or feature driven.
Technologically, the business has changed in many ways too. It’s all digital now, which of course makes for a higher quality product (though it’s been a high def challenge for some of us on camera! LOL). But with the arrival of the internet and social networking, it also means we are working across a variety of platforms.
I’m not only writing for broadcast, but for the web, and integrating Facebook and Twitter as a means of delivering content and sharing our work. Additionally, with station websites now part of the mainstream, our deadlines aren’t “next show up,” they are “right now!” We have to be competitive on the web journalistically, so we can be competitive from a business model standpoint. The web is now a revenue source for the “business” of television news.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Least rewarding?
The most rewarding part of my job is still storytelling. I love working on a story, developing it, and writing it in a way that hopefully is compelling and perhaps even evokes some emotion.
The other aspect of my job that I love is working in the community to help charities, be it serving on a board or emceeing an event. It’s my way, and the culture of FOX 4, to be a part of the community we live in. In addition, it’s a great way to meet people, network, and even generate story ideas that hopefully lead to good journalism!
I have few “least rewarding” experiences, other than the many nights, weekends, and holidays I’ve worked. I missed out on a lot of my kids’ experiences, but having a great family who understood why I wasn’t always there made it easier. I’m not alone: my colleagues and competitors deal with these challenges too!

Did you ever consider another career?
I considered law, and indeed worked part time for an Overland Park law firm while working in Topeka just to see if I would enjoy the practice of law. I enjoyed the experience, but in the end my dream and calling were journalism.

Do you have a mentor?
In high school I had a Constitution teacher who pushed me to dig, and investigate, and ask questions of everything and everyone. Homer Kruckenberg played a major role in pushing me to excel. My debate coach Gene Specht taught me the art of public speaking and taking complicated content and boiling it down to make a point or tell a story. My high school journalism instructor John Mohn also taught me to love journalism and storytelling.
In the business I had many news directors, executive producers, and even fellow reporters and anchors who guided me and helped me. But perhaps the biggest influence for me was a man I never actually worked with, but knew about and modeled my career after: Kansan Bill Kurtis. Bill worked at WIBW before my time while, as I did, attending law school. He chose to use his law degree in journalism and or course, has had an outstanding career. I had the opportunity to meet him a few times and believed I could use my law degree in journalism too. Not a day goes by that I don’t draw on that education and experience. Bill Kurtis proved to be a great mentor indeed.

What is the strangest thing you have come across in your job?
No one thing really stands out, though I’m amazed at how people have misconceptions about our roles. For example, some assume that because we are a FOX affiliate we’re told by the network how to report and that we have a conservative bent. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our job is to tell both sides of every story and stay as free from bias as possible. We’re human too, but I think by and large most TV journalists in this town do a good job.

What is your favorite thing to do in Kansas City?
I’m a sports fan at heart, and grew up following the Chiefs and Royals. So a day at Kauffman or Arrowhead is my idea of a great time. The drama of sports is unscripted, without political bias or agendas! I’m a loyal fan: I believe we will win again on both sides of the Truman Sports Complex!!

What do you do in your free time? Hobbies?
I’m an avid reader, and love music. So I often combine those two. When I have time I love to play golf. And I enjoy public appearances such as emcee roles for local charities.

“People might be surprised to know that you …”
…have no use for movies. Give me a good book and tunes any day!

What is your favorite TV show(s)?
Why Fox 4 News at 5 and 9 p.m. of course! Beyond that, sports and news programming.

Who was the biggest celebrity you ever interviewed?
I’ve had my share of political interviews over the years: Hillary Clinton during her husband’s initial campaign, along with Bob Dole over the years as a senator and presidential candidate. Do you sense a political theme here?

Who is the most interesting person you have interviewed or met?
I don’t really have a specific individual here, but often the most interesting interviewees are regular folks who have a great story to tell! From tornado victims in Joplin to victims of scams. I love that aspect of my job!

Who do you follow on Twitter (in addition to bottomlinecom.com)?
I follow lots of newsies like our own desk guru Sam Atwell, and even competitors and friends like Kris Ketz (KMBC anchor). And I follow my daughter, just to keep up with her. Ha! I also follow a number of sports and news tweeters (FOX News of course), and use it to keep up with breaking developments on both fronts. I tweet as well, but try to use it more to interact with my followers rather than to push content. @JHoltFox4KC

How did Joplin affect you?
I’ve covered many storm disasters over the years, including a flood that hit my own hometown and family, and the Andover tornado in the early 90’s that claimed nearly two dozen lives. Each time I was able to compartmentalize my role as a journalist and do the work, without feeling any emotional ties to the victims (other than my parents who were flood victims).
Joplin tested me like no other story. I had never covered anything quite as devastating in loss of life or damage to property. Those of us in Joplin had to fight through wanting to help and feeling helpless, to do our jobs. Joplin needed journalists to share the town’s needs while at the same time not getting in the way. It was truly an amazing experience.
The hardest for me: the days and weeks following. I struggled when I got back to the safety of my home and quiet neighborhood and family, knowing what I’d left behind. It was the toughest time I’ve had as a journalist dealing with a story, having witnessed the profound sadness over loss of life and livelihoods.
That’s why I insisted on going back to help cover the anniversary and report on Joplin’s progress. For the first time ever in my career, I got a bit emotional following one of my stories (on high school seniors and what they’ve dealt with this past year). It wasn’t scripted, it just happened on-air, and it shocked me a bit. But on reflection, I think it was just bottled up inside and in a small way worked its way out. I was honored to have chronicled that major story.

What do you see in your future?
Hopefully a World Series, Super Bowl, and lots of wins for my beloved Jayhawks, but as for me, that’s a great question. I’m blessed as a prostate cancer survivor to have a future.
I love what I’m doing and don’t have any desire to move on, though in our business one never says never. I hope I can continue to grow and adapt to the changes and challenges of modern journalism, and continue to enjoy what I do.
One thing I wouldn’t mind doing at some point is returning to my radio roots in some fashion. I loved radio, it’s a very intimate medium, so I’d be open to those opportunities in conjunction with my TV work. But most of all, just keep having fun!