Radio Legend Tim Scheld Receives Lifetime Achievement Award, Regional News

FMC Fast Chat takes you inside the news so you can be in the know in 30 minutes. Hosted by Fair Media Council CEO and Executive Director Jaci Clement, Fast Chat features notables in news, media, and business.

Hi, everyone. This is Jaci Clement with a special bonus episode of FMC Fast Chat to give you some insight into the work of the Fair Media Council. Radio broadcasting legend Tim Scheldt capped off an illustrious 40-year career at the Fair Media Council's Folio Awards, where he received FMC's 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for Regional News. He did so in front of hundreds of news professionals and community leaders. Take a listen as NBC 4 New York's Kay Ingram introduces another radio legend, Rich Lamb, for Tim's award presentation. We begin with the program already in progress.

Over his five decades of reporting on the radio in New York City, Rich Lamb became known as the Dean of the New York Press Corps. Rich traveled the world on assignment for WCBS AM, but he made his name covering New York and its politics. And guys, Rich is so good. The dub that WCBS 800 newsroom. has the newsroom named in his honor. I don't know how many of us can say that we have a newsroom named in our honor.

No.

Just goes to show how big of a deal he is. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Rich Lamb, followed by Tim.

You know, when I signed up for this, nobody told me I was going to be preceded by Axelrod, Zorinsky, and Milton. So I'm just going to leave. What a trio of extraordinarily great American journalists just when we need them. I think we gotta give them another round of applause. Following them here is a distinct honor, but it's also a reminder that life sometimes provides an unexpectedly humbling moment for you. I'm feeling that right now, but I want to tell you about another humbling moment. It's 1987. Tim Sheld, then reporting for WOR 710, And I are working for WCBS NewsRadio. We're covering Reagan and Gorbachev in Washington. We each had one of those big old clunky bag phones. At one point, I stuck mine on top of a traffic signal box, and after the motorcades departed that scene, we both jumped in a cab to cover the National Christmas Tree Lighting on the Mall. Of course, on arrival, I opened my kit to discover the WCBS bag phone was missing. It was still back on top of the traffic signal box. I panicked, but Tim, calm as a cucumber, said, let me try something. I said, what are you talking about? He called his colleague, the great Lester Smith, who looked out of a hotel room window to report that my bag phone was still there on the signal box, being guarded by a D.C. cop. Tim saved my Day. By the way, it turns out the cop guarding the phone thought it belonged to the police department. Over the years, Tim has unwittingly continued to teach me further lessons in humility. So I've been working at WCBS 880 for 10 years when the management brought in a young reporter from WOR. You guessed it, it was Tim. He was a ball of energy, an eager go-getter, a veritable news machine. Think of that scene in which Lucille Ball is trying to keep up with the chocolates Zipping along the conveyor belt. In addition, his pieces were top-shelf stuff, and he was unfailingly so kind and so nice. It was so irritating. Then this gem of a colleague up and left. He goes to the ABC radio network, does all kinds of big stories around the world while I'm still doing fires and murders in the 5 boroughs. You'd think that would be enough humble pie, right? Now there's another slice. One day somebody whispers to me, I hear Tim Sheld is coming back as news director. I felt like a little kid who had been happy with a shiny red go-kart until the yellow Maserati blew past. But let me assure you, Tim's coming back as news director was greeted with hosannas. There was joy in my heart. There was wall-to-wall cheers in the newsroom and high fives. I mean, by then everybody knew that Tim was a fantastic guy, and especially among the street reporters, there was a keen awareness that he had been there and done that. However, okay, so he'd been a great colleague, but now he'd become a boss. He's out there on the management tightrope where there's no net. Pressure from above, pressure from below. There's no way he could stay a nice guy, right?

Wrong.

Day to day, he was the all-hearing management ear, constantly listening, and when it was deserved, provided lavish praise or a gentle correction. A velvet glove. The iron fist was a rarity. And when a big story crashed down on us, Tim the boss would jump in with both feet. If you were reporting in the field, he'd be on the phone double-checking and piping stuff to you constantly. Occasionally, he would show up to be with you. You just can't retrain that firehouse dog. Now, please forgive me because I still think as a reporter, so I decided to grab a few quotes about Tim from a number of his former colleagues. Here's a smattering. Wayne Cabot, who, as you know, is the morning anchor on WCBS 880. Tim is the best of a generation that grew up in small radio newsrooms covering local characters and knowing how to make the even mundane Entertaining. A news connoisseur with an instinct for telling the facts with an appropriate measure of heart. Also a manager who had your back and protected you like a mob boss. Tim always reached for more in a story. Case in point, our all-hands approach to 9/11 anniversaries. I always learned something new year after year. He rallied the troops for these recurring events As well as for breaking news. SAG-AFTRA lawyer and negotiator Rich Larkin. If you know Larkin, he's a tough nut. When I think of Tim, I think of intelligence, integrity, a passionate journalist extraordinaire, a leader, a kind, understanding individual, and my friend. Everyone should have a boss like Tim. He's smart, loyal, creative, forward-thinking, and committed to fairness, accuracy, and truth. Reporter Sean Adams describes him in these words: moral, ethical, conscientious, caring, compassionate, hardworking, thorough, fair, gentle, encouraging, and selfless. And also a good hockey player. Harvey Nagler, retired Vice President, CBS News. I have had the pleasure of seeing Tim grow through much of his 40-plus-year career. I would be less than honest if I did not say I was not happy with him when he was at a competing organization and beat my people at a particular story. It happened way too often. More from Harvey. What makes Tim special is not only his great knowledge of the business, but also the reason he has been so successful in it. It is his personality, his charming way of getting people to follow him as he leads them to be the best. His new role as chairman of the RTNDA is testimony to the high esteem in which he's held. Nagler continues, and this is it: As Tim looks back on his career thus far, I believe he will conclude that his greatest reward is that his colleagues, Have now become his truly great friends, friends he will cherish for the rest of his life. I know he is one of mine, and please allow me to say he's also one of mine. I give you Tim Shell.

I feel like I won the gold. You don't get these playing hockey. I can tell you that. Wow! What a terrific crowd! The only thing missing is the sun, which is okay because we got better parking because of it. So it's good to see so many. Familiar faces and friends and colleagues and to be here. And Rich, thank you. What an honor to have you do that introduction. Someone of your stature, your grace, but bigger than that, my heart. You're my friend for life. And we met each other many decades ago when you were a giant in the business at the time. And I was so thrilled just to meet you at that moment. And the fact that we can stand here as close friends is really a treasure to me. This award also is a big deal personally because in 2019, remember, Jaci, that I was asked and honored to introduce a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fair Media Council for a dear friend of ours, the legendary Ed Engels, who was the sports director at WCBS over many years. And it was such a thrill to be able to do that for Ed. He has since passed away, but his professionalism, his generosity, and the way that he went about his mentorship post-work in the life of Ed is legendary on Long Island. I mean, he's produced journalists, some amazing journalists over his post-career lifetime. And it's really humbling to be in a place that he was for a Lifetime Achievement Award. So I'm really thrilled. Thrilled for that. What a great honor to be on the same bill with so many big names in our business: the Garden City News, Long Island Business News, WNET-TV Public Media, PIX11, and WABC-TV. Brands that are bigger than life in my lifetime. And the reasons for that are reliability, the names, the people that we know, the work that's done in the newsroom. I mean, there's no secret as to why these organizations have combined somewhere around 400 years of experience in serving the community. And so I congratulate them, and I'm really thrilled to be able to be here while you're celebrating as well. Speaking of solid and dependable, Danielle Campbell and Doug Geed. I don't know Doug very well, but I know who he is and I know of his work. And Danielle, I know very well, and it was great to finally see her in person today. But I mean, the type of hyperlocal reporting that you two did at News 12, and News 12 wrote the book. I know Pat is here somewhere. News 12 wrote the book on that type of reporting. And it's so important for the community to have those voices and those personalities. So I'm really honored to be on the same, same bill as you. Thank you to Jaci and the board of the Fair Media Council. What an organization. You know, when I became news director at WCBS, I made it a point to make sure that we did have this relationship with it because I believe so much in your mission in fostering the relationship between the local news media and the community. Hospitals, schools, law firms, accounting firms. I mean, it's so important to have this relationship, this hand in glove, and I'm so honored that you thought of me For this, because I believe so much in you and Jackie. You are a personal friend. I I always said yes to you. It's very rare that I would say no to you. I always felt bad when I had to. Your passion, your smarts, your sass are all big reasons why I keep coming back for more. Sass is a good word in my ask my 25-year-old daughter. She knows she knows sass. Shout out to all of my friends. It's so good to see the CBS folks here, Z and Jim. I waved the CBS flag very proudly when I was news director at WCBS. I have more to say about Pat coming up, but they were big fans and are big fans of radio, and they're a big reason why WCBS was so great in my lifetime because of their support. So I've always been thrilled. Shout out to former colleagues, but always friends. Carol DeOria is here, a good colleague out in the field forever, and Craig Allen, who is like, you know, the most important person in my household. When Craig speaks, we all have to stop and listen. Shout out to the CBS 2 folks and friends who have been very supportive all along the way. And frankly, it's— I have to be a bit honest, it's really kind of odd for me to be introduced for a Lifetime Achievement Award by Rich Lamb. I mean, Rich Lamb, you would think, is like right, you know, on the pillar next to to Pat Milton in terms of lifetime achievement. I've been blessed to be a friend of Rich's, and we got to work together over many years. Rich is also, like Ed Ingalls was, very generous with his mentoring and his mentorship, and legendary in our world. The number of journalists who can count Rich as a mentor in their lifetime and in big jobs, you know, really, it's a great roster. By the way, Rich's wife Peggy is here. Dr. Dolan is a very dear friend of ours, and so I'm really, really pleased that we got Rich over the Cross Island Parkway gym. And and and because we New Jersey people don't necessarily come here that much. Pat Milton. Wow! What can I say about Pat? We worked the street together as reporters on for many, many decades and many big stories in the heat of battle. This shouldn't surprise anybody here. On breaking news stories, there's no one else you want in the foxhole next to you. Pat is a journalist with a capital J, a dogged reporter who exudes trust and respect. You really want Pat gathering the facts. And when I was news director at WCBS, we used to put Pat on the radio all the time. And that was because of me. That's— I mean, obviously they want you on now because they know how good you are. But I knew how good you were. And I knew that When something big was happening, I had to text you and say, Pat, help, I need you. And she was always generous with her time. And no joke, she did write that. We covered 800 together. I didn't cover it to the extent that she did. I was at ABC News at the time, but we were alongside each other there. And the book is wonderful. The book is wonderful. And Z, I have my own signed copy as well, and I treasure it. And I talk to anybody who I can about it when they have questions about that, because it really is a wonderful—

Thank you.

Record of what happened, which was an amazing story, and the passion with which the investigators took their work and how serious it was. That story is really, you know, touches your heart, Pat, when you read that. So just a few things before I finish. Why are we here today? Well, we're here to let you know that you don't get anywhere in life or in a career without grabbing something from the people that you walk alongside of during the course of your Of your work. And so, to the young people out there, you know, learn something new from the folks that you're with every day. Some quick lessons that I learned from Pat and from Rich: always be prepared for the story or the beat you're covering, because there's nothing worse than someone asking you a question and— Jim, you know this— someone recognizing that you don't know really what you're talking about. So always, always learn your subject matter. Study up. Be curious. In the case of Rich Lamb, always be prepared. Right, the right gear, the right clothing, have a power bar and a bottle of water, right? We've been caught in places without some of that. Pat taught us in our shop the value of good networking, good sourcing, and working those sources hard. Both Pat and Rich taught me the value of trusted relationships. These are the same lessons that Jim Axelrod learned, and Susan is sort of the dean of the university of that at CBS. Now I speak to you finally in my— now that I'm out of WCBS, in my sort of post-career as the RTDNA head chair. It's not a paying job, it's a volunteer job, but I love it because it keeps me involved and engaged in the important things that are going on in our industry, including working to build the trust in our business that it deserves because of people like Pat and Danielle and Doug and And Rich and the others, we work hard for the truth and people need to know that. So a couple of things as I kick out of these remarks, and I like to say this at any of the events that I talk for the RTDNA, to the reporters in this room, your work matters. It really matters. Sometimes it's hard to understand how much it matters, but the fact that there's community and reporters in this room, You really know that the work you do and the sweat you put into it matters. Your stories make a difference in the lives of the people that you cover. Never forget that. To everyone, the truth matters. We all need to be dedicated to the truth and be transparent about how we get there. And I think that's one of the things that Pat has done great in her career all along. To everyone, and it sort of jumps on what I've heard here today, do your jobs with empathy. Do your jobs with empathy. In the news business, we tend to see people on their worst day. So I always say, you know, be your best human self for them on their worst day. We don't just cover the communities that we're in, involved in news stories. We live there. This is our life. This is where we are. Be empathetic about that and challenge yourself to learn new things about people that you never even thought that you Had an interest in, and and that's that's a great way to do a job. And finally, this is sort of I always get this the side eye as a news manager when I say this out loud, but I'm really sincere about this. You are not your job. You are not your job. You are a friend. You're a partner. You're a husband. You're a wife. You're brother, sister, father, and mother. Those are important titles in your lifetime. Now your job is important. No question about it. But these other titles that you have will be with you long after your work titles go away. And I think it'll help you do your job better. In my case, I'm a father of 2 great adult children, Tucker and Marley. Tucker's getting married in a couple of months, and that's going to be a big moment in our life. I'm also husband to Kathy. Will you please just wave, Kath? 31 years marriage. Kathy never Never comes with me to any work events. So this is like, this is like a, you know, a unicorn thing going on with— but in a way, she's with me every day where I am, meaning that I am not even half the person I am without her influence. And I would never have ever been successful in this business, especially being a manager. Well, and even reporter, without having her support, without having her ability to take the kids when I had to go and fly somewhere around the world to cover a story. It's a really difficult life to be a reporter. And so to the people who are reporters and have families, make sure that you appreciate the family and make sure that you know that they have, you know, that they get that appreciation out loud. And so when I accept this medal, although, you know, I'm not sure Kathy's going to wear this with her dress, I accept it on behalf of her as well because she owns a part of it as well. So thank you very much.

The Fair Media Council is a 501 nonprofit organization. advocating for quality news and working to create a media-savvy society. For more information about the Fair Media Council and upcoming Fast Chat shows, check out fairmediacouncil.org.

Thank you.

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