DIRECTIONS THERE. LIKE I SAID, IT IS SLOW, IT IS MESSY.
YOUR SPEEDS AT 7 MILES PER
HOUR.
>> JENISE, THANK YOU.
THIS SUNDAY, WE CELEBRATE AN
HONOR FOR ONE OF OUR OWN.
>> WPLG PRESIDENT AND CEO BURT
MEDINA IS BEING RECOGNIZED BY
THE LOCAL EMMY CHAPTER WITH
THE SILVER CIRCLE AWARD
REPRESENTING EXCELLENCE IN
TELEVISION FOR 25 YEARS OR
MORE.
CALVIN IN THE NEWSROOM WITH
MORE ON THIS, CALVIN?
>> A DESERVING HONOR FOR OUR
LEADER HERE AT LOCAL 10.
BURT MEDINA ON SUNDAY, MANY IN
OUR INDUSTRY WILL GATHER FOR
THE CEREMONY AND TODAY WE’RE
SHARING WITH YOU THE PERSONAL
STORY BEHIND BURT’S
PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS.
LIKE MANY SOUTH FLORIDIANS,
BURT MEDINA’S STORY STARTS 90
MILES OFF THE COAST.
>> I ACTUALLY GREW UP THE
FIRST 7 YEARS OF MY LIFE AT
LEAST ON THE ISLAND OF CUBA.
>> HE WAS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD
WHEN HIS FAMILY ARRIVED HERE
IN 1969.
>> FOR ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES,
I CONSIDER SOUTH FLORIDA TO BE
MY HOMETOWN.
>> EVEN AS A YOUNG BOY, BURT
KNEW HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING
IN MEDIA.
>> I KNEW ABOUT THE AGE OF 11
OR 12 THAT THIS IS WHAT I
WANTED TO DO.
I HAD A PASSION FOR THIS
BUSINESS.
I WOULD WAIT FOR THE TV GUIDE
TO ARRIVE AT MY LOCAL 7-ELEVEN
AND I WOULD LITERALLY PASTE
TOGETHER THE PROGRAM GUIDES
FOR THE THREE NETWORKS AT THE
TIME.
>> YEARS LATER, WHILE PAYING
HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE DOING
DOOR TO DOOR RESEARCH, BERT
GOT A CALL TO BE A PART OF A
LOCAL TV FOCUS GROUP.
>> I HAD NO IDEA WHO THE
STATION WAS AT THE TIME.
>> ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
ONE-WAY GLASS WAS THE LATE
BOB, GENERAL MANAGER OF WSVN
WHO OFFERED BERT HIS FIRST JOB
IN TELEVISION AS A RESEARCH
ANALYST FOR THE STATION.
>> HE ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED
TO DO AND I SAID EVENTUALLY, I
WANT YOUR JOB.
>> FROM THERE, BERT’S CAREER
TOOK OFF.
IN 1998, HE HEADED TO CHICAGO
FOR HIS FIRST GENERAL MANAGER
POSITION WITH UNIVISION,
RETURNING IN 2005 TO LEAD A
NETWORK IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
THEN IN 2013, HE WAS COAXED
OUT OF RETIREMENT TO TAKE THE
TOP SPOT AT THE STATION HE HAD
LOVED SINCE CHILDHOOD.
>> THIS IS A LOCAL 10
EDITORIAL WITH WPLG PRESIDENT
BERT MEDINA.
>> SOUTH FLORIDA’S NATURAL
BEAUTY AND RESOURCES SUSTAIN
OUR LIVES AND OUR LIVELIHOODS.
>> HE ALSO HAD A LOVE OF NEWS,
SERVING AS EDITOR IN CHIEF OF
HIS HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER.
BEYOND HIS STORY OF
PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS,
BERT HAS FACED PERSONAL
CHALLENGES.
AT THE AGE OF 22, HE WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH A POTENTIALLY
DEADLY CONGENITAL HEART
CONDITION.
>> IT’S SOMETHING THAT HAS
AFFECTED ME PERSONALLY, BUT IT
HAS ALSO AFFECTED MANY MEMBERS
OF MY FAMILY.
I LOST MY UNCLE AT THE AGE OF
49 AND MY MOM AT THE AGE OF
52.
>> HE’S HAD HIS OWN BRUSH WITH
DEATH DURING MULTIPLE
SURGERIES TO REPAIR HIS HEART
BACK IN 2012.
>> I DIED MULTIPLE TIMES AND
THEY BROUGHT ME BACK.
AND YES, I SPENT TWO MONTHS IN
THE HOSPITAL WITHOUT BEING
ABLE TO GET OUT OF A BED.
SUFFICE TO SAY THAT I AM HERE
BECAUSE THE GOOD LORD WANTS ME
TO BE HERE AND MY MISSION HAS
NOT BEEN COMPLETED.
>> A BIG PART OF THAT MISSION
IS TO HELP OTHERS.
AMONG HIS MANY CHARITABLE
EFFORTS, BERT SERVES ON THE
BOARD OF A FOUNDATION AND
TAKES AN ACTIVE PART IN
RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE
DISEASE.
>> AND NOW IS NOT UNHEARD OF
FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE
DISEASE TO LIVE INTO THEIR
70’S AND 80’S AND BEYOND.
SO THE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS
PRETTY MUCH NORMAL.
WHERE AS 20-30 YEARS AGO, LIFE
EXPECTANCY WAS ACTUALLY IN THE
40’S AND EARLY 50’S.
SO IT HAS AFFECTED MY LIFE BUT
I’VE BEEN VERY BLESS EDED THAT
I’VE BEEN ABLE TO LIVE A FULL
AND COMPLETE LIFE.
>> LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST
HAS INCLUDED EMBRACING HIS
LOVE OF TRAVEL.
VISITING ALL 50 STATES, ALL 7
CONTINENTS, A TOTAL OF MORE
THAN 100 COUNTRIES.
>> IT’S LIKE HAVING AN OPEN
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF KNOWLEDGE BUT
LIVING IT.
AND THE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE
AND INFORMATION THAT I’VE BEEN
ABLE TO GATHER FROM THAT HAS
BEEN PRICELESS.
>> AFTER MORE THAN 37 YEARS IN
THE TELEVISION BUSINESS, BERT
SAYS THE BIGGEST REWARD ISN’T
IN THE NUMBERS, THE REVENUES
OR THE RATINGS, IT’S IN THE
PEOPLE HE’S MET ALONG THE WAY.
>> I WOULD HAVE TO SAY I
CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE THE
LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE.
I’M LIVING THE BEST LIFE ONE
CAN LIVE THAT IS SURROUNDED BY
LOVED ONES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS
FRIENDS.
AND I COULDN’T HAVE DREAMED OF
A BETTER CAREER PATH FOR ME
THAN THE PATH THAT I’VE BEEN
ON AND THAT I’M STILL ON.
IF I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO
HAVE A LEGACY, I CERTAINLY
HOPE THAT IT’S ALL ABOUT THE
LIVES TOUCHED ALONG THIS
JOURNEY.
>> WHAT A STORY.
I HADN’T SEEN THAT STORY UNTIL
NOW.
SO KATHY, GREAT JOB IN
PRODUCING THAT.
BERT IS ONE OF THE SILVER
CIRCLE RECIPIENTS THIS YEAR.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF
THEM.
BUT A VERY SPECIAL
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GUY
BERT.
AND I MUST SAY THAT WE ARE
QUITE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM AS OUR
PRESIDENT.
NOT SAYING THIS FOR BROWNIE
POINTS AT ALL, CLEARLY MY SKIN
IS BROWN ALREADY.
BUT THE REASON WHY I’M SAYING
THIS IS BECAUSE HE LOVES NEWS
MORE THAN WE DO.
IT’S INCREDIBLE HOW MUCH.
>> I’LL GO ONE STEP FURTHER,
CALVIN.
HE LOVES THIS COMMUNITY WITH
ALL OF HIS HEART.
>> YES, HE LOVES TO GIVE BACK.
>> FOR BERT, IT’S ALL ABOUT
GIVING BACK AND HE’S INSTILLED
THAT IN ALL OF US HERE, WHICH
IS WHY YOU SEE SO MANY
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES WE’VE
LAUNCHED HERE AT LOCAL 10,
THAT IS ALL BERT.
>> SO WELL DESERVED.
>> IF HE HAD HIS WAY, WE WOULD
BE A 24 HOUR NEWS SOURCE HERE
IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
[laughter]
>> YOU KNOW I’M RIGHT.