Welcome back. This week we are
celebrating 70 years of 12 news,
looking back at our history and
also honoring some of the people
who made 12 news What it is today.
We've had special guests joining
us all week long at 6:00 o'clock.
Tonight we are joined by two women
who spent years reporting on some
of Arizona's biggest stories.
We are so happy to have Mary
Kim Titlin Kim Covington back
with us in studio tonight and.
You know, we were talking in the
break and and I felt this when I
saw Lynn Sue and we saw Mark Lewis
and Coop yesterday and all of
the other guests that we've had.
The bonds that you make in this
business really don't break.
You can go years without seeing
someone and then see him and
it's like you saw him yesterday.
I feel like I'm home.
You guys are family and you know,
family, you know, always stays together.
So we may not see each other every day,
but you know, I'm like.
We all spent so much
time together on a day and day on basis,
you know, I mean we were with
the photographer or we're here,
but we were with each other so much and I we,
you know those bonds. Just developed.
And yeah, it's tough to break.
They are, they are. Have you guys
enjoyed taking a look back this week?
I don't know if you've caught the coverage,
but when we went to the old building,
my goodness, I remember
that building on Central.
You and I started in 2005 together.
Yeah, Kim was at the anchor
desk while I was doing weather.
What were some of your favorite memories
from doing that weekend show together?
Oh my goodness, I loved working with
you on the weekend show. We were,
we interacted with the viewers a lot.
And we did. We were, we
were silly. We had really silly. I remember,
you know, playing with your chair
when you were doing the weather
and then the chair rolls up to
above the Dell. Oh my goodness.
And it was like, that was hilarious.
So we had to go to a break.
But, like, fun things like that, we
never took ourselves too seriously. Yeah.
And Mary Kim, when I got here you are.
Let's see, you were on your way
out when I got here at 12 News.
But you were the first Native American
reporter in the state of Arizona.
You know, there's something about
being a trailblazer, right? And I'm.
I'm really proud of the fact that
there were others that followed me,
like the late Andy Harvey
and Charlie Ed City.
And there will be more because
I'm doing communications camps
now with Native American youth
in the nonprofit work that I do.
But it was a fun time when I started
in the early 90s and one of my first
assignments was covering the Phoenix
Suns when they went to the playoffs.
And I remember going on to the the tarmac
at the Sky Harbor Airport and, you know,
all the players start walking off.
And it was really my first time
being exposed to, you know,
these All Star athletes.
And I remember walking up to
KJ and I just froze.
I there was nothing that
came out of my mouth.
Somebody else came along,
a reporter and said,
so how do you feel about the game tonight?
And I was like, DA, I could have said that,
but it was so exciting. It was fun.
I enjoyed myself immensely while I was here
13 years. You were such a mainstay at
12 and and you became a rock star.
For your tribe,
and I'm not exaggerating at all,
and I'm wondering how much that
platform you had at 12 helped
you with your platform.
Now with Unity,
it's helped immensely.
And you know, people still approach me
today and think I'm still on the air,
right? I left in 2005,
but I can't think, you know my.
My boss and my colleagues and everyone
that I worked with enough for helping me
grow because that's really, you know,
you all played a role in that.
But it's helped me in so many ways.
And the work that I do now with
Native American youth, you know,
they need to see people who
look like them in the news.
In every industry.
And so I was happy to help play that role.
And
can the same can be said for you as well.
Oh, I had a great time and got so connected
to the community through school solutions.
Yes, that's what I love the most,
understanding what were the
solutions and education.
And so I was out in the
community getting connected.
And that's the same kind of work that I do
now at the Arizona Community Foundation,
which is the largest grant maker,
largest private provider of scholarships.
There shouldn't be a nonprofit that.
Don't support, like, unity.
So I got a chance to work with Kim. I
wouldn't get a chance to what I love.
What I love is that neither one of you have
completely stepped away from broadcasting.
You'd still do it even in your jobs today,
right? You're doing voiceover work.
You're also working, you know,
in television with youth. Yes,
it's a lot of fun. I just.
You know you once you
get it into your system,
you never stop telling stories.
So I am a forever storyteller.
So whether that's going to be with
the Arizona Community Foundation
or my my side hustle where I do
commercials and and voiceovers.
But I love telling people's stories
and and that's what I miss most
about this platform because this
platform allows that story to really
amplify across across the state
to tell you a quick.
Story about when I first started in Unity,
because I was involved in
the youth programs when I was
growing up as a teenager and
my nickname was Microphone Mary
and I made a career out of it.
Isn't that funny?
Because I liked holding that mic.
Speaking of nicknames,
I used to call you Waterworks.
Oh, I had never seen another news anchor.
Crime. Crime.
And I think it was one of your
most endearing qualities is that
you were yourself on the air.
And I remember
the night. That Barack Obama
was inaugurated and made his No,
he wasn't. He'd won the election.
Yes. Made his speech at
Grant Park. And I asked
you as a person of color what
this meant to you and you tears
were screaming then you
could get through that.
Could not. But it was such a real
moment and I and I think that's
what was so special about both of you.
Is that you were yourselves on the air and.
And I think that's what viewers love
is they want to know the person. Yes.
Yes. And we, we laughed a lot.
We cried a lot in the yard.
Nail fire, Remember being on set,
it felt like for 15 hours straight.
Remember that Sunday night when
the 19 Hotshots were killed?
So those types of stories you never forget.
Yeah. So yeah, there
were a lot of people that you know,
when you meet them.
You're not sure how they're going
to impact your lives, but you know,
every day, day in and day out,
we met so many amazing people.
And I covered many of
those same type of stories.
And one of the, you know,
things that I think I was
able to do was cover a lot of
stories about Native Americans.
And I'm so happy that, you know, 12 news.
Supported me in that and and
made sure that, you know,
we were diverse in our coverage of
the news and we went into Native
American communities and made sure
that we were telling their stories,
you know, and it was some of it was,
you know, controversial.
But a lot of times we just needed
to just tell their own,
you know,
it was important. We wanted to be
really important, wanted to be seen.
And I'm so glad that we both
improved equity in the work
that we did. And you changed
a lot of lives, both of you.
It is so special. That's been the
best part of this week for me.
Great is just seeing all of
these people who we know and love
and all these great memories
back and understanding
that the bonds aren't broken,
broken. And our kids growing up.
Yeah, on television.
Yeah, it's pregnant.
And on the set for, like,
yeah, like 2 years with Kim and
Mary. Kim, so good to see both
of you continued success to
both of you and what you do.
Happy 70th. Yeah.
And now I'm a grandmother to you all,
too. And I'm a grandfather.
I'm a grandfather. Yes.
That's right. All right.
Yes. Thank you both.
Thank you. Thank you so much.