Times change. Jack retired. I moved on to WNEP.
When Jack passed on a few years ago, WNEP's news director kindly and wisely decided we should mention Jack's death. Jack was a pioneer and the man deserved to be recognized.
Because I knew Jack and I was a WYOU alumnus, the obituary piece fell to me. It was an honor to write it. I needed video and I didn't have it.
I asked a couple of former co-workers if there was a chance WYOU management would give me some video of Jack's work. The response was the same from both: no way. News Director Rod Jackson was fiercely competitive, and he would never help the other station in town.
You miss 100 per cent of the shots you never take, so I emailed Jackson with the request. Not only did Jackson give me more than I asked for, he sent a follow up email to make sure the electronic video file transfer worked properly. It did.
Rod Jackson later moved to a station in Charleston, West Virginia. That's where he died last week. Cancer. My sympathy to his family, friends and co-workers, past and present.
The morals of the story: some people have a bigger bark than bite, and there are pockets of decency in a frequently indecent business. Plus, it never hurts to ask.
