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In November 1988, Dan Lucy, a sports anchor for the University of Missouri's news station KOMU in Columbia, met with KYTV reporter Ned Reynolds in Springfield to discuss coverage of the Missouri-Southwest Missouri State men's basketball preseason game.
The two NBC-affiliate stations planned to broadcast the game and Lucy thought this was a good opportunity to establish a connection with someone who — unbeknownst to Reynolds — could soon be a regional colleague.
Lucy didn't mention he was visiting Springfield to interview with KOLR10 for what would be his first job after college, but Reynolds somehow caught wind of it.
"When he was leaving, he goes, 'Oh, by the way, I know you're interviewing for a job across the street,'" Lucy recalled. "I said, 'Well, we'll see what happens with that.'"
"Why else would he be down here?," Reynolds said. "We'll put two and two together, and I knew that the job opening would be at Channel 10 ... The rivalries in a small market are nowhere near as intense as they are in bigger cities, so everybody knows what everybody else is doing."
What came next was a 37-year career covering some of the biggest sporting moments in the Ozarks area. In that time, Lucy rode the waves of the ever-changing media industry — until earlier this month, when one of those waves forced an early exit.
Lucy spent the first five years of his OzarksFirst tenure as a weekday sports reporter and a weekend anchor before being promoted to sports director in 1993. He occupied that role until his contract officially ended June 2. Lucy knew in advance the end was coming but didn't announce it to the public until his time ran out.
In addition to not renewing his contract, Lucy said the news station is eliminating its sports director position entirely as it looks toward a new system for its sports coverage.
"The philosophical approach has changed, and when you're dealing in many cases with corporate America, then your decisions are being made from elsewhere and not locally," Reynolds said. "That's one of the byproducts of the profession that we're in and the corporate money that's being used."
Lucy's departure highlights a growing shift within not just sports journalism but the professional media landscape as a whole. Gone are the days when television, newspapers and radio were the only places to get news. Now the day's news often rests in the palm of your hand.
Just as smartphones allowed news to travel across the world in seconds, the rise of social media has seen a shift from traditional sources of information to short-form, entertainment-oriented alternatives. Some consumers would rather watch a short video and hear about the news from influencers rather than reporters.
As a result, viewership is shrinking, which means ad revenue is going down, which means less money to pay the employees who staff local newsrooms and television stations.
"[The media landscape] is all changed," Lucy said. "Instead of having, like, three television stations, you've got 55 people that can give you stuff in the area on their own little YouTube or their own podcast. So, you know, that's where we're at now. Whether that's good or bad, I have no idea."
One thing that can't be easily replaced is Lucy's longevity and the continuity he provided after spending nearly four decades learning, understanding, and honoring the stories of athletes in the Ozarks.
"There is a tendency to only stay in one area for a very short time, and to probably, or at least in that individual's perception, climb the proverbial ladder," Reynolds said. "But there's some of us who chose not to do that. I didn't, and I don't think Dan did either. Dan stayed in the market for what, 37 years, something like that. And more power to them because you really develop a certain level of understanding with the people and what they want to watch and hear."
Like Reynolds and other longtime Springfield reporters, Lucy gained a loyal following through his tenure at KOLR. And while there were opportunities to move on, he chose to stay where he started.
The son of an Army colonel who moved every few years throughout his childhood, Lucy said he finally found comfort in southwest Missouri. He found a community made up of kind people that offered everything that he needed and desired. In his mind, there was no reason to leave.
"I just kind of wanted to settle down a little bit," Lucy said. "This is a great town, a great place to raise a family, and I was able to, you know, stay in one place so my son [Scott] could go to the same elementary school and the same high school for all of his years.
"It just wasn't anything that I was like, 'I just got to stay here'... the sports just continue to grow, so I was enjoying my career here. And you know, that's kind of the plus, the added bonus of all that, was that my son was able to stay with his friends and everything through high school."
Along the way, Lucy's work was recognized many times, including with his induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
"Dan approached everything with the seriousness that a broadcaster should. There was no frivolity, anything of that nature," Reynolds said. "All the big events, he was always there and covering everything that needed to be covered ... So, from that standpoint, yeah, he was Johnny on the spot. He was always right there, and did I think a very credible job."
Lucy doesn't see himself getting back into the television space anytime soon — a non-compete clause in his earlier contract limits what he can do. He plans to enjoy the summer on his own and hopes to find some form of work involving Missouri State in time for football season.
"Going to work around 1 p.m., get home at 11 p.m., I did that for almost 40 years with that shift. So now everything's kind of different," Lucy said. "It's more of a normal day. I'm not sure exactly what normal is for me, so I'm trying to figure that out. Got a lot of things to do, you know, around the house and stuff like that. So kind of just relaxing, letting the dust settle."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Dan Lucy leaves KOLR10 in Springfield amid industry changes
Continue reading...
The two NBC-affiliate stations planned to broadcast the game and Lucy thought this was a good opportunity to establish a connection with someone who — unbeknownst to Reynolds — could soon be a regional colleague.
Lucy didn't mention he was visiting Springfield to interview with KOLR10 for what would be his first job after college, but Reynolds somehow caught wind of it.
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"When he was leaving, he goes, 'Oh, by the way, I know you're interviewing for a job across the street,'" Lucy recalled. "I said, 'Well, we'll see what happens with that.'"
"Why else would he be down here?," Reynolds said. "We'll put two and two together, and I knew that the job opening would be at Channel 10 ... The rivalries in a small market are nowhere near as intense as they are in bigger cities, so everybody knows what everybody else is doing."
What came next was a 37-year career covering some of the biggest sporting moments in the Ozarks area. In that time, Lucy rode the waves of the ever-changing media industry — until earlier this month, when one of those waves forced an early exit.
Lucy spent the first five years of his OzarksFirst tenure as a weekday sports reporter and a weekend anchor before being promoted to sports director in 1993. He occupied that role until his contract officially ended June 2. Lucy knew in advance the end was coming but didn't announce it to the public until his time ran out.
In addition to not renewing his contract, Lucy said the news station is eliminating its sports director position entirely as it looks toward a new system for its sports coverage.
"The philosophical approach has changed, and when you're dealing in many cases with corporate America, then your decisions are being made from elsewhere and not locally," Reynolds said. "That's one of the byproducts of the profession that we're in and the corporate money that's being used."
Lucy's departure highlights a growing shift within not just sports journalism but the professional media landscape as a whole. Gone are the days when television, newspapers and radio were the only places to get news. Now the day's news often rests in the palm of your hand.
Just as smartphones allowed news to travel across the world in seconds, the rise of social media has seen a shift from traditional sources of information to short-form, entertainment-oriented alternatives. Some consumers would rather watch a short video and hear about the news from influencers rather than reporters.
As a result, viewership is shrinking, which means ad revenue is going down, which means less money to pay the employees who staff local newsrooms and television stations.
"[The media landscape] is all changed," Lucy said. "Instead of having, like, three television stations, you've got 55 people that can give you stuff in the area on their own little YouTube or their own podcast. So, you know, that's where we're at now. Whether that's good or bad, I have no idea."
One thing that can't be easily replaced is Lucy's longevity and the continuity he provided after spending nearly four decades learning, understanding, and honoring the stories of athletes in the Ozarks.
"There is a tendency to only stay in one area for a very short time, and to probably, or at least in that individual's perception, climb the proverbial ladder," Reynolds said. "But there's some of us who chose not to do that. I didn't, and I don't think Dan did either. Dan stayed in the market for what, 37 years, something like that. And more power to them because you really develop a certain level of understanding with the people and what they want to watch and hear."
You must be registered for see images attach
Like Reynolds and other longtime Springfield reporters, Lucy gained a loyal following through his tenure at KOLR. And while there were opportunities to move on, he chose to stay where he started.
The son of an Army colonel who moved every few years throughout his childhood, Lucy said he finally found comfort in southwest Missouri. He found a community made up of kind people that offered everything that he needed and desired. In his mind, there was no reason to leave.
"I just kind of wanted to settle down a little bit," Lucy said. "This is a great town, a great place to raise a family, and I was able to, you know, stay in one place so my son [Scott] could go to the same elementary school and the same high school for all of his years.
"It just wasn't anything that I was like, 'I just got to stay here'... the sports just continue to grow, so I was enjoying my career here. And you know, that's kind of the plus, the added bonus of all that, was that my son was able to stay with his friends and everything through high school."
Along the way, Lucy's work was recognized many times, including with his induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
"Dan approached everything with the seriousness that a broadcaster should. There was no frivolity, anything of that nature," Reynolds said. "All the big events, he was always there and covering everything that needed to be covered ... So, from that standpoint, yeah, he was Johnny on the spot. He was always right there, and did I think a very credible job."
Lucy doesn't see himself getting back into the television space anytime soon — a non-compete clause in his earlier contract limits what he can do. He plans to enjoy the summer on his own and hopes to find some form of work involving Missouri State in time for football season.
"Going to work around 1 p.m., get home at 11 p.m., I did that for almost 40 years with that shift. So now everything's kind of different," Lucy said. "It's more of a normal day. I'm not sure exactly what normal is for me, so I'm trying to figure that out. Got a lot of things to do, you know, around the house and stuff like that. So kind of just relaxing, letting the dust settle."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Dan Lucy leaves KOLR10 in Springfield amid industry changes
Continue reading...
