Kenny Heatley started out as a snow reporter before picking up a gig with Snow FM in Jindabyne hosting the ‘Hot 20 Countdown’.
Many radio jobs and different stations later Kenny made the jump to TV in Sydney and started presenting the weather on The Weather Channel on Foxtel.
In 2012 he was picked up by Sky News, and eventually started reading the news both for Sky and the Nova Entertainment stations.
Now he presents for the Prime7 Network out of Canberra and can add author to his arsenal having just written a book ‘Screenpath An honest and real guide to landing your dream job on air’.
radioinfo caught up with Kenny (left)about his latest project.
What encouraged you to write the book?
“You know, I never really stopped to think if it was a good idea or not! Once I had the idea to do it, I started writing almost instantly and didn’t stop. The original idea came to me when I was thinking about all the times I was asked to train new presenters over my career by network managers in radio and TV, and people in the industry have always seemed to come to me for advice, so I guess I thought I had something to offer and I really enjoy helping people in their careers, help them make decisions and to work out what they want to do next and to create a strategy for them. Maybe I could help and reach more people? Then I thought wouldn’t it be more awesome to get some of my famous mates involved and make it into something much bigger than myself! Then it really took off and I’m extremely proud of the final result.”
You say Screenpath is an honest guide to landing your dream job and it covers the industry as it is currently and for some cynics it’s about newsrooms being shut down or downsized – do you look at the reality of that and talk your ‘readers’ through those realities?
“In my opinion, there’s been more changes to the TV industry than the radio industry in the last 10 years or so. No doubt about it, network revenue has taken a massive hit now that we are sharing it with the internet we all know that and I do go into it quite a bit in the book. I’ve seen my friends being made redundant around me and experienced presenters and journos struggling to find work. Systems have been getting automated to save money on wages which affect production staff numbers, newsroom budgets have been slashed – but here we are just talking about traditional TV. What about all of the new opportunities that have been created as a result of the internet? Everything is video driven now with companies opening up marketing budgets to create ‘content’ on a daily basis. Yes some aspects of traditional media has taken a hit, but if you’re savvy enough to tap into the stream of new opportunities, you are only held back by your imagination.”
You have interviewed industry names, can you tease us with some of the advice they have offered?
“The Q&As in my opinion is the best bit. I still struggle to believe how I managed to get these people to contribute to ‘Screenpath’. I am so honoured and extremely fortunate to have known and worked with such incredible talent, who have shaped my career to what it is today – and I’m happy! Really happy with what I do – it’s a dream! I wish everyone could experience it. I was turned down by quite a few people as well, but that’s to be expected. And what I love is, every answer is different. They all have unique pearls of wisdom that I think anyone who wants to get into presenting on TV or radio should read. This is the book I would have loved to have read when I was first starting out.”
It’s 2016 media is everywhere and anyone with an iPhone can capture content for both radio and TV – what’s the key to working in the industry as it now compared with 20 years ago.
“For one, smartphones have made the news cycle incredibly fast paced, but also extremely exciting. We now get to see EVERYTHING. News was very different 20 years ago. Now news breaks on social media first, and it doesn’t take long for smart phone vision of an event reaching the media outlets via internet uploads. People are engaged more than ever in the conversation – how many shows do you see running social media comments at the bottom of the screen? Technology and graphics are incredible including weather presentations and how awesome is it that I can be anywhere in the world and listen to Nova or Triple J? I think it’s more exciting than ever being a TV news presenter, and the TV executives should continue to look for ways to push the boundaries. In the book I talk a little about where I think things might be going in the future and how I think we will consume content and it’s incredible to think about it now, but in 10 years time it will probably be common place with things moving so quickly. You have to stay ahead of the game all the time, and one of the questions I ask in the interviews is this; “Is the life of a presenter going to be different in 10 years time? If so, how would you prepare for it now?” I think it’s important to at least think about it, and have it in the back of your mind if you are serious about taking yourself all the way to the top. It’s also about being knowledgeable about the best and latest technology, so you have the best chance of being ahead of the pack.”
A portion from the sale of your book goes to the WWF – that’s a nice thing to do?
“Over the years I’ve been involved in charity events, but I’ve always wanted to do something that would not only be significant, but ongoing. More work needs to be put into tackling climate change and helping endangered species brought about by human activity and WWF was such an easy option, because they do great work but also they are worldwide and deal with a whole range of issues at the same time. It’s also a great way that I can thank the people who contributed and gave up their time to help me with this project, and it turns it into something positive. It makes the book not just about me, but more about them and their contribution and of course anyone who may buy a copy. I believe gratitude and contribution are the keys to fulfilment in life.”
