Becky Otto is retiring from Keloland Television after 43 years of faithful service and I, for one, am not quite sure how the place is going to get along without her.
In fact, if you were to talk to every Keloland General Manager she’s been Administrative Assistant to over the years, you’d be surprised to see that they’re not all missing a limb because I guarantee each will say that Becky Otto was their right arm.
It’s hard to say what Becky’s specific duties have entailed..but whoever inherits her rolodex will find entries from the U.S. Capitol, the Governor’s mansion, the finest eateries to the nearest flower shop and discover that she’s on a first name basis with everybody on the list.
Current G.M., Jay Huizenga told me that when his predecessor, Mark Antonitis, first took over the reins, he was wondering aloud how to get in touch with the Senate Minority leader for something. Becky said, “I’ll give Tom (Daschle) a call.” And, she did..on his private line..which she had. After that, Mark knew he was in good and capable hands.
In our conversation, Jay told me how Becky has been so indispensable to the operation of Keloland..especially during his stint as GM over the past 7 years. “I consider myself the luckiest of all. I don’t know what I’d have done without her there in the beginning.” “Her institutional knowledge, easy going style and love of our legacy has helped make this station the success it is today.” He said.
“Oh, come on Jay,” I said. “You must have seen Becky lose her temper a time or two.”
“Nope.”
“She will disagree..and speak her mind..but smile while doing it. Plus, she’s my count-to-ten barometer.
I’ve been known to lose my temper and be ready to lash out in person or via e-mail when Becky basically prescribes a chill pill and snuffs out the flames. A good thing.”
I was curious why Becky Otto, with all her administrative skills, never sought to be the “executive” instead of the “assistant.”
“I think,” Jay told me, “Becky has always loved her role of helping to organize things here and then go home and be a wife and mom. But, don’t kid yourself; Becky has excelled at representing this station at an executive level on several occasions.”
I have no idea why..but over the thirty some years we worked together, Becky always called me “Mr. Lund.” I think she’s just kidding around because I’ve never sought and certainly would never expect such formality. I think she did it with Hemmingsen too. (Maybe a respect for your elder’s thing.)
Our relationship has certainly been anything but formal. Don’t get me wrong..Becky worked for the boss, toed the company line and everybody knew that but she was always so doggone cheery and approachable.
She has not only assisted those on the executive wing to keep their ducks in a row, whenever the rest of us needed anything from help with a confusing form..something to be notarized..tickets to an event..a guaranteed laugh at the latest joke…advice on how to approach management..or even a shoulder to cry on after an ass chewin’ Becky’s was the office door you knocked on.
So, how do you find a replacement for someone like Becky?
You give the job to Becky.
After going through at least 50 applications, she has found Sheila.
Becky tells me that, after a few weeks of training, Sheila is more than up to the task.
Of course Becky would say that.
I’ve never heard her speak ill of anyone ever.
I hope she feels more ready to go than some of us are to let her go.
No doubt her husband, Sonny..along with her son..daughter and soon-to-be third grandchild will see to it.
8 Responses
Congratulations Becky!! You have accomplished so much and won the hearts of many in your time at KELO! Always there with a smile and kid word for everyone! Your presence puts everyone at ease and you do so much (I’m sure much more than many of us even know about)! Enjoy all that’s ahead for you!
Good Luck, Becky. I concur with what everybody said and always enjoyed our discussions about substantive and non-substantive topics. Now, who gets custody of that closet full of keoland skeletons?
Congratulations and best of everything to the best!
Becky worked a long time with Keloland General Manager, Mark Antonitis..who took over the reins after the station was sold to Young Broadcasting in 1996. I asked Mark if he’d share some memories about working with Becky and received the following e-mail:
Doug:
Good speaking with you and glad to hear things are going so well. You deserve it!
Becky Otto is a person with passion, intelligence, but most of all empathy, and when I really needed it while working for Young Broadcasting, sympathy. She was always that person I could turn to for staid Midwestern perspectives that balanced my Philly-boy hyperactivity.
I recall the first week I was there as GM we had a major blizzard – a South Dakota whopper of mammoth proportions the likes of which I guy like me who grew up in the chilly at times Northeast US could not have fathomed. Out my new office window all I could see was window. Everything else was white. And curiously all this white was somehow inexplicably and counter to all previous experience and laws of physics; this white was moving. Sideways.
I glanced at the TV and we were beginning to wrap up our morning news show it being now just minutes before 9. I knew in that instant we should, we MUST, continue to cover this gargantuan storm. I ran, and I do mean ran, to the newsroom, punched the secret entrance code I had that day memorized (1-2-3), made a mental note to work on upgrading station security, and dashed into the newsroom.
There several people stared at me in wonderment while I bloviated to no one in particular something along the lines, “Stay on the air! Must keep going! Big storm!” I turned to Dexter the assignment editor who stood just feet away in rapt attention. “Dexter,” I bellowed, “do you see what’s happening out there?” Dexter stared at me a moment then looked out the window across the newsroom. Then he looked back at me. “Yes, it’s snowing. That happens here sometimes where we live. In January. Here in, ah, South Dakota.”
It was at that moment my throat started seizing up and I began coughing. I was trying to get my words out, but my throat was only throwing out woodchips. By this time everyone in the newsroom was looking at the spectacle; the new GM sputtering and coughing about snow. In January. In South Dakota.
Then someone behind me lightly tapped my right shoulder. I turned and saw Becky Otto standing there with a cup of water in her hand. She handed it to me saying, “Here, drink this.” While I swallowed she gently told me, “Just tell them what you have in mind and they’ll do it.”
I have no idea where she came from our how she anticipated my desperate need for hydration. More important her gentle countenance quickly calmed me down. I was able to give everyone instructions, which were essentially, this is a big story and we’re staying on the air. From that Thursday through most of the weekend we stayed on the air. Nonstop. It turned out to be a major national story. The snow wouldn’t stop nor would the wind. One woman near Watertown was trapped for days in her car and rescuers found her by triangulating her cellphone signal. As I recall it was the first time such technology had been used in that way. National media did numerous stories on that one incident including Dateline NBC.
Early on we labeled the storm, “Blizzard of ’97.” Fact is there were probably another ten blizzards in 1997 why I picked that one to pounce on I’ll never know. I got lucky I guess. Damn lucky. That sucker could have just as easily turned out to be one of Jay Trobec’s two-to-fivers.
We had email at the time, but no one in KELOLAND used it. At least not the people who sent us a couple hundred letters written in longhand thanking us for our coverage. Becky put all of them into booklet form. We passed it around to the staff. Everyone at the station felt great about our coverage and the folks who just hired me were feeling good about the new guy. Becky made sure they all got copies of the letters.
After it was all over and the afterglow of success had worn off. I asked Becky what she thought of our coverage. She was complimentary, but tried to give me some much need perspective. “Mark, you did a great job pulling everyone together. You should be happy. But you know, in January in South Dakota, it does tend to snow from time to time.
The next time it happened, we just went to regular programming.
Hope this is what you’re looking for!
Mark
Mark Antonitis
General Manager
KTSF Television
100 Valley Drive
Brisbane / CA / 94005
Becky is a warm and loving individual. She is also incredibly strong and supportive. I leaned on her and learned from her during my tenure as GM. Her quiet and steadfast manner made my time so much easier. Thank you Becky…you are a giant force for good in my book.
Congratulations Becky, and thanks for all the acts of kindness you did so graciously. I probably have never thanked you for watching out for those of us from the lesser realm across the street. Especially on those cold winter evenings when Mr. Floyd senior would invite me over for a “conversation”. I knew I was in good hands when he would instruct you to “open the world”. Thanks for honoring our shared heritage and keeping the legacy alive. We won’t miss you because we know where you live and fully expect to see you around. Again congratulations and best wishes!!!
Doug:
Thank you so much for taking time to remember me in your Blog….and to feel it was worth a mention! Wow!
What a ride! To spend this amount of time with one company and have each day be fulfilling and rewarding…I only wish that for everyone in their careers! I have “drank the Kool-Aid, and own (several of) the T-shirts!
It’s been my great pleasure to work beside all of you, past and present, for all of these years!
Now on to new adventures!
Becky—you were always that warm voice on the other end of the phone. It will seem so strange to call KELO and not have your cheery voice say, “Hi Cindy, how are you”. Enjoy your retirement and those grandchildren and thank you for your professionalism all those years. KELO was lucky to have you on their team.