ABC’s Amy Robach lit up the room last night as host NLGJA’s Healdines & Headliners event. Robach, who has three more chemotherapy treatments in her fight against breast cancer told the crowd that we all have battles to face, but it’s how you fight that will determine the win.
“Until it hits you here,” she said to the crowd, pointing to her heart, “you don’t really know what it’s like to be in battle. And once you get in there and get your hands a little bloodied and you see your comrades next to you, you become so powerful.” Robach told us the support she’s gotten since her diagnosis in November has been nothing short of overwhelming.
Robach, accompanied by her husband Andrew Shue, was among 300 attendees, including dozens of TV news anchors, reporters and producers who turned out for at the annual event. “They gave me the night off,” said CNN’s Richard Quest who has been front and center for the network’s Malaysia Airlines coverage.
We chatted with Shepard Smith who was trading Miami stories with his former local news colleague, now Weather Channel meteorologist Bryan Norcross. And there was a cross-network, lead-in pairing as CNN’s Noon anchor Ashleigh Banfield was accompanied by MSNBC’s 1pm anchor Ronan Farrow. Farrow told us he’s getting more comfortable each day hosting his “Ronan Farrow Daily.” The cable news newbie says he’s getting good advice from TV veterans.
Tamron Hall told us she’s still adjusting to her new schedule. The new 9am “Today” show co-host is now doing double morning duty with her MSNBC show at 11am, giving her about 45 minutes to prepare for the second show. “I have very good producers who make sure it comes together,” Hall said.
NBC’s Meredith Vieira told us the planning for her upcoming syndicated show is exciting and nerve-wracking at the the same time. “I leave these meetings, and go ‘okay, now we need to do this. How are we going to do this!'”
CNN’s Don Lemon organized an Ellen-like selfie which included Smith, Farrow, and Banfield; plus Tiki Barber, Sally Kohn and Foxies Jamie Colby, Gerri Willis, and Rick Reichmuth.
We also spotted CBS’s Michelle Miller and “CBS This Morning” EP Chris Licht; HLN host Jane Velez-Mitchelland executive Albie Hecht, a panelist at next month’s TVNewser Show. Plus FBN’s Melissa Francis, Bloomberg’s Trish Regan, ABC correspondents Gio Benitez and Mara Schiavocampo; the new late morning CNN anchor team of John Berman and Michaela Pereira; and their colleagues Brian Stelter and Jeanne Moos.
The event raised more than $65,000 for NLGJA programs and scholarships.
(Photos: Darren Gantt/NLGJA)