Communiqué
Retired TV News Anchor Frank Robertson credits his career to the unique WOUB experience
< < Back toRobertson graduated in 1973
ATHENS, OH – When Frank Robertson came to Ohio from New Jersey in 1969 to attend Ohio University, he knew he was interested in broadcasting. But he wasn’t very confident in his ability to do it.
“I picked Ohio University because it had a great reputation for broadcasting and broadcast journalism. It was one of the best in the country.” said Robertson. “But when I got on campus and saw the level of talent among the students working at WOUB, I wasn’t sure that I could compete.”
So, Robertson waited a couple of years to get involved at the radio and television station.
“The summer before my junior year, I asked my parents if I could stay in Athens and take one summer course,” said Robertson. “But I had more planned for that summer. I was going to use this as my opportunity to get in at WOUB. I thought they might be desperate for bodies at the radio station, and I was right. Doug Caldwell was the news director at time, and when I told him I wanted to do sports, he scoffed and told me he needed news people. So, that summer I did news. It taught me so much and laid the foundation.” Caldwell and Robertson are still great friends to this day.
After that, Robertson practically lived at WOUB. He anchored radio and television newscasts. He also helped start a statewide audio sharing service in partnership with the Ohio Associated Press called Buckeye Sound.
“I learned everything I could at WOUB. And all the experience I got at WOUB helped me to put together a resumé reel and got me my first job.”
Robertson started as a television reporter/photographer/back-up anchor at the ABC affiliate in Toledo, Ohio. After that, he went on to have a 36-year career as a television news main anchor in several cities including Miami and Tampa, Florida.
“I won a regional Emmy while in Tampa,” said Robertson. “We also won an award from the Education Writer’s Association (EWA) for a documentary we did on education in Japan versus education in the United States.”
Robertson retired in 2009 and started teaching at the University of South Florida. He taught a broadcast news course. It was there that he realized the uniqueness of his WOUB experience.
“There aren’t a lot of colleges that give media students the opportunity to actually do it. So many universities don’t afford students the opportunity to be on the air,” said Robertson. “WOUB was amazing. I could be fully engaged. I got every bit as much out of WOUB as I did in the classroom. It was my launching pad!”