Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Vinnie Politan is a ball of energy. He has a hard time sitting down. On his new 11 Alive "Atlanta Alive" morning show launching at 5 a.m. Monday morning, seats are going to be hard to find. The set will accommodate his desire to stand and move around.
The former prosecutor and attorney spent four years as a local reporter in New Jersey, then Orlando. He then spent nearly a decade with Court TV out of New York and the past five years at HLN hosting a variety of justice-related shows out of Atlanta. But with HLN changing its focus to millenials and away from court coverage, Politan decided it was the right time to leave.
He said he could have sought another job with a national audience but didn't want to uproot his family, which includes two boys, ages 10 and 16. So when he heard 11 Alive had an opening after Ted Hall left for Knoxville, he sought it out.
"The driving force of me doing this was personal," Politan said. "I want to raise my children in Atlanta. It was a perfect fit. The timing was great. I want to stress that I'm here by choice."
He said when he moved here in 2009, he and his wife Dolly channel surfed for a morning show and landed on 11 Alive, when Jill Becker was still there. They became loyal viewers. He felt the news there "had a soul," he said. "They are really trying to help make Atlanta a better place. That makes it a more fulfilling job every day."And when he met news director Ellen Crooke, he felt a connection. "We're on the same wavelength," he said.
Immersed in Atlanta, he said he plans to tackle local issues with the mindset of an attorney. When talking to people, "for me, it's like a cross examination. I don't feel I wasted my years of life practicing law. I still use those skills as a journalist. The opening statement is like explaining a story. The camera lens and audience at home is my judge and jury every day."
He wants to emphasize he is now an Atlantan through and through. "I've battled the commutes. I've battled the ice storms and humidity," he said. "I see things through the eyes of a parent. At the end of every show I'll remind Atlanta, 'Don't forget to hug your kids.' "
"Atlanta Alive" will be focused around Politan, with Chesley McNeil providing weather and Fred McFarlin and Christopher "Crash" Clark handling traffic. Tracy Humphrey will read the headlines. Regulars who had been on the previous morning show - Karyn Greer, "Commuter Dude" Jerry Carnes, education reporter Donna Lowry and "Ways to Save" reporter Valerie Hoff - will report during the rest of the day.
And while Politan will have to read off the teleprompter at times, he likes to wing it. "I work a lot off the script," he said. He will spend a lot of time interacting with the reporters and the other show members. His four primary reporters will be Jennifer Leslie, Kaitlyn Ross, Ryan Kruger, and Blayne Alexander.
The toddler in the hot car case is right up his alley. In fact, he was covering it to his final day on HLN July 3. "I'm not going to leave my expertise at the door," he said. "We can cover it at a different level and add different layers."
Politan has a connection with "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. "She was a reporter at Court TV when I was an anchor," he said. He remembers seeing her first live shot and thinking, 'Wow. She's really good!' " He hopes to re-connect with her when the show does its "Today" show promos during the 6 a.m. hour.
He knows how hard it is to change people's habits in the morning. (11 Alive is generally in third place behind Channel 2 Action News and Fox 5.) His show is launching when school is restarting in many metro Atlanta counties, a time when people are potentially more likely to sample new shows.
"I'm trying to be a different cup of coffee," Politan said. "Try it out. See if you like it. Don't dismiss it outright."
TV preview
"Atlanta Alive," 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., starting August 4, WXIA/11 Alive
