JARED WILLETS
Morning Anchor

What do you do in your spare time?
I spend a lot of my spare time working on home improvement projects. When time allows, I enjoy running & skating and,of course,spending time at the beach.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Giving people information they can really use to make decisions. It can be as simple as traffic problems or as important as hurricane evacuation notices.

Is there anything you dislike about your job?
I dislike being "the messenger" for the really sad news stories

How does the early shift affect your family life?
The early shift works rather well for my family. It allows me to be home when my son gets off the bus and to take him and a few school mates to after school activities...music lessons, soccer, etc. Kids who spend the afternoon call the Willets house "Camp Jared."Being home in the afternoon also gives me the chance to run errands, do yard work and catch up on household chores. When most of the work force is just getting home and facing the "things to do list", I can relax and spend time with my family. But then..when the rest of the Gulf Coast is sound asleep, I'm up and out the door by 3:00AM

Who are your broadcasting role models?
I have two broadcasting role models....Dan Ingram and Johnny Carson. Dan held down the afternoon show on WABC in New York for most of the 60's. Unlike the jocks today, he didn't have any writers or do scripted bits. He never had to stop the music to be entertaining. He could be funny six seconds at a time for four hours a day. Johnny Carson is unique. He has no equal. I admire his ability to effortlessly connect with guests and TV audience.

How did you get into broadcasting?
I hit the radio airwaves in 1970 on WNDY FM. WNDY was the campus radio station at Wabash college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. I was motivated to join the air staff by a a sign posted in my fraternity house that read "make money & meet girls!..be a DJ!"It seemed like a good idea. It didn't take long to discover that broadcasting was going to be my career path. Like many radio people, I spent many years "roaming from town to town, up and down the dial."

The switch from radio to television.
The move to television was simply part a natural progression. I often call television "radio with pictures."Radio is a great training ground for TV. Radio teaches you to connect with people using just your voice. It's a skill that enhances your ability to convey the emotion or feeling of a story to television viewers

Have you ever done anything other than broadcasting?
There were a number of years when I was "off the air."I think my most notable "other job" was a professional skydiver. I captained several skydiving teams performing demonstration jumps throughout the southeast. I was the owner/operator of a drop zone where student and experience jumpers came to "burn up some sky."Although skydiving and running a drop zone are more fun than I could ever really explain, I hung up my parachute and left the business in order to spend more time being a husband and father. I no longer jump out of "perfectly good airplanes", but I'm still a skydiver at heart.

Are you a native of Pensacola?
I moved here from New England in 1980. I now consider myself a near native. The Gulf Coast is my home and a great place to raise a family.

Your job description.
Morning News Anchor/Healthsmart Reporter

Do you have any pets?
Yes! I'm a dog person. I have had a dog in my life for as long as I can remember. Right now I have a Yorkie named Sam.

Do you have a family?
Yes! My wife Paula and I have one son..Tyler.

Other comments.....
I feel fortunate to live on the Gulf Coast doing what I love... morning television.

E-mail Jared: jwillets@weartv.com