Wayne Freedman
Encyclopedia
Wayne Freedman is a feature reporter for KGO-TV
; the ABC
owned
television station
in San Francisco, California
.
Freedman's education included Chaminade High School
near his hometown of Woodland Hills
, California
. Freedman showed an interest in reporting at an early age, and became published with a regular column in a Los Angeles
newspaper at the age of fourteen. He worked as an apprentice at KABC-TV
while earning a bachelor's degree
in political science
from the University of California, Los Angeles
. He continued his academic career studying journalism
at the University of Missouri
's prestigious program earning a master's degree
in 1978.
In the late 1970s Freedman began his television reporting career at WLKY-TV
in Louisville, Kentucky
before moving on to WAVE-TV. Freedman continued his career at KDFW-TV in Dallas, Texas
and then moved to San Francisco in 1981 to work for KRON-TV
. By 1989, he had risen to creating feature stories for a nationwide audience for CBS News
. In 1991, he began his tenure at KGO-TV
and has covered a number of notorious stories nationally for ABC News
, including the 1994 Northridge earthquake and Hurricane Katrina
. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks
, he traveled across the United States
by train
, stopping in small towns to find stories of how terrorism has affected ordinary Americans. In 2006 he repeated this trip to mark the five-year anniversary of the attack.
Freedman is the author of a book, It Takes More Than Good Looks To Succeed In Television Reporting. The text, written in an anecdotal style, explains Freedman's methods and recalls many of the stories he has covered. Freedman's book is required reading in many college journalism courses, including classes at his alma mater Missouri.
Freedman is also a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and has contributed essays to golf publications. He writes columns on golf equipment, courses, and the humor of the game for KGO-TV.
He lives in California's Marin County and contributes regularly to KGO-TV's nightly newscasts and its website. Freedman is lovingly known as "wizzle-head" by his closest friends and family members. He is the winner of the inaugural "Wizzle-Head Open" held annually in the Outer Banks, North Carolina.
chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
. He has been awarded the Silver Circle designation by the organization.
KGO-TV
KGO-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, based in San Francisco, California...
; the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
owned
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Freedman's education included Chaminade High School
Chaminade College Preparatory School (California)
Chaminade College Preparatory is a private Catholic preparatory school with two campuses in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California...
near his hometown of Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Freedman showed an interest in reporting at an early age, and became published with a regular column in a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
newspaper at the age of fourteen. He worked as an apprentice at KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
while earning a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He continued his academic career studying journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
's prestigious program earning a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1978.
In the late 1970s Freedman began his television reporting career at WLKY-TV
WLKY-TV
WLKY-TV is a television station located in Louisville, Kentucky USA, and serves the Louisville area and southeastern Indiana. The station is owned by the Hearst Corporation, and is an affiliate of the CBS television network. WLKY's transmitter is located north of Louisville in Floyds Knobs,...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
before moving on to WAVE-TV. Freedman continued his career at KDFW-TV in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and then moved to San Francisco in 1981 to work for KRON-TV
KRON-TV
KRON-TV, virtual channel 4 , is a television station in San Francisco, California, serving as the Bay Area affiliate of the MyNetworkTV programming service; the station is owned by Young Broadcasting...
. By 1989, he had risen to creating feature stories for a nationwide audience for CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
. In 1991, he began his tenure at KGO-TV
KGO-TV
KGO-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, based in San Francisco, California...
and has covered a number of notorious stories nationally for ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, including the 1994 Northridge earthquake and Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, he traveled across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by train
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, stopping in small towns to find stories of how terrorism has affected ordinary Americans. In 2006 he repeated this trip to mark the five-year anniversary of the attack.
Freedman is the author of a book, It Takes More Than Good Looks To Succeed In Television Reporting. The text, written in an anecdotal style, explains Freedman's methods and recalls many of the stories he has covered. Freedman's book is required reading in many college journalism courses, including classes at his alma mater Missouri.
Freedman is also a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and has contributed essays to golf publications. He writes columns on golf equipment, courses, and the humor of the game for KGO-TV.
He lives in California's Marin County and contributes regularly to KGO-TV's nightly newscasts and its website. Freedman is lovingly known as "wizzle-head" by his closest friends and family members. He is the winner of the inaugural "Wizzle-Head Open" held annually in the Outer Banks, North Carolina.
Awards
Wayne Freedman has received fifty-one Emmy awards from the Northern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or NATAS was created in 1955 to advance the arts and sciences of television. Headquartered in New York, NATAS's membership is national and the organization has local chapters around the country....
. He has been awarded the Silver Circle designation by the organization.