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🎙 Bonus Episode: Is Warren Buffett Right?
When Warren Buffett says the network TV affiliation model doesn’t work anymore, people pay attention. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, just dropped ABC after 69 years at WPLG Miami—the only TV station Buffett owns.

In this bonus episode of Life After News, Jason talks with Adam R. Jacobson, editor-in-chief of the Radio + Television Business Report, about:
• The history behind Miami’s TV station shake-ups and why the WPLG/ABC split is so significant.
• Why Buffett may be right—and wrong—about network affiliations in today’s streaming-first world.
• What it takes to survive as a news-heavy, independent station in a multilingual, multicultural market.
• Parallels in Atlanta’s CBS affiliation change and lessons from stations that have gone fully local.
• The fine art of differentiating newscasts in a crowded market—drawing on KTLA’s approach.

Jason and Adam dig into the risks, opportunities, and market-by-market realities behind these bold moves. It’s a conversation about identity, adaptation, and the future of local TV news in an age when audiences can get prime-time programming anywhere.

📌 If you love local news—or want to understand the business decisions shaping it—this one’s for you.

🔗 Listen and learn more at Life After News.

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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Former KCAL 9 anchor Leyna Nguyen spent 25 years in TV news—Los Angeles, Sacramento, Augusta. What came next? A bold new life filled with reinvention:

✨ A not-so-safe-for-work podcast (“Consenting Adults”)
✨ A YouTube channel teaching English to Vietnamese speakers (100K+ subs!)
✨ And now, her true calling: building Van May Financial and helping people plan smarter for retirement 💼💰

In this episode, Leyna opens up about:

• The moment she knew it was time to leave TV news 🎤
• Why COVID was the best thing for her family💕
• How her podcast on alternative lifestyles became a hit 👀
• Why financial literacy in America is broken—and how she’s fixing it 🔑
• Building generational wealth, running her own firm, and even launching a health supplement company in Japan 🌿

It’s an inspiring story of curiosity, reinvention, and creating purpose after the spotlight.

👉 Don’t miss this candid, funny, and motivational conversation.

🔗 Links & Follow

🌐 LifeAfterNews.com
📸 Follow Jason: @mrjasonball | @lifeafternewspod
🎧 New episodes every Tuesday!

📣 Call to Action

If you loved this episode:
👍 Like it
⭐ Leave a 5-star review
📲 Share it with a friend who’s ready to reinvent their career

Because life after news isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning. 🌟

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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Beloved for turning complex forecasts into must-watch TV, Tom has traded daily broadcasts for a new mission: protecting the research, truth, and science that keep us safe.

For 45 years, Tom Skilling was Chicago’s go-to source for weather — trusted, beloved, and known for making complicated science easy to understand. Now, a year and a half into retirement, Tom is proving life after news can be just as full of passion, purpose, and even a little adrenaline.

In this conversation, Jason Ball catches up with Tom at his Hawaii home to talk about:

· 🪂 How a “joke” turned into a skydiving adventure (and why he’s tempted to try it again over volcanoes).

· 🌴 The Big Island’s wild microclimates vs. Chicago’s weather extremes.

· 📻 From a weather-obsessed 14-year-old on local radio to America’s most recognized meteorologist.

· 🌍 Why he went from climate change skeptic to outspoken advocate for weather science.

· 📺 Behind the scenes at WGN — superstation days, early computer graphics, and holding his ground against “just tell us the temperature” consultants.

· ⚡ The 38-year run of the Fermilab Tornado & Severe Weather Seminars and why public science education matters.

· 🚨 His warning about dangerous cuts to U.S. weather research.

· 💡 Advice for the next generation of meteorologists: “Be too dumb to know you’re not supposed to be able to do what you want to do — and go for it.”

Whether you’re a weather geek or just curious about how science, media, and storytelling collide, this episode is a masterclass in passion, persistence, and purpose.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe: lifeafternews.com
📱 Follow Jason: Instagram @Mr.JasonBall | @LifeAfterNewsPod

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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Tracy McMillan on Reinvention, Unprisoned & Writing What Hurts

What do TV news deadlines, Paris heartbreaks, and Oprah have in common? Tracy McMillan.

In this deeply honest, wildly inspiring conversation, bestselling author, TV host, and Unprisoned creator Tracy McMillan sits down with Jason Ball to talk about her journey from local news writer to viral sensation to Hollywood showrunner.

From writing copy for Tom Brokaw to creating her own Hulu series starring Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo, Tracy proves one thing: You can reinvent yourself—and thrive.

In this episode:

📰 How a childhood paper route led her to TV news
🧠 The power of deadlines, structure, and NOT waiting for inspiration
🔥 The viral moment that launched a new career (“Why You’re Not Married”)
💔 Writing through shame, grief—and toward freedom
🎭 Seeing her life portrayed on screen by Kerry Washington
✈️ How a stranger on a plane became her husband… and inspired her next show
🧒🏽 Why your inner child might be your best co-star
📺 The behind-the-scenes of Unprisoned and what might come next

🧡 Favorite quote:

“It’s not about being good enough. It’s about being willing.”

👏 Whether you’re in the middle of a pivot, chasing a creative dream, or just wondering what’s next?—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows.
📲 Don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe—it helps others find the pod!

📺 Family or Fiancé: https://www.oprah.com/app/family-or-fiance.html

🌐 Listen, watch, subscribe: https://lifeafternews.com/

📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod

📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday

💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!

#LifeAfterNews #TracyMcMillan #Unprisoned #NewsToHollywood #TVWriting #ScriptedTV #ViralEssay #Reinvention #WritersLife #RelationshipAdvice #InnerChildHealing #OprahMoment #KerryWashington #DelroyLindo #CreativeCareer #JournalismSkills #ContentIsKing

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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In this episode, Life After News host Jason Ball switches seats and lets his longtime friend and former KTLA colleague David Begnaud—Emmy-winning CBS News correspondent—take over the mic. David turns the tables to ask Jason the questions: Why did you really leave news? What were you chasing—or escaping? Who are you without the title?

Jason opens up about:

• 📺 Leaving KTLA at the top of his game—and why the January 6th insurrection was the breaking point
• 😰 The stress he didn’t even know he was carrying (until the heartburn disappeared)
• 🧠 Reclaiming purpose through storytelling on his own terms—with a podcast, a newsletter, and a hotel
• 🌈 Coming out, being private in a public career, and what he hopes to share about long-term love
• 🛠️ Running a bar, fixing toilets, and using breaking news skills in small business
• 🤖 Why he talks to AI every day—and what newsrooms should be doing about it now

With honesty, reflection, and a dose of unexpected vulnerability, Jason shows that Life After News isn’t just a concept—it’s a lived experience. This is an episode about identity, reinvention, and what it means to finally put yourself in the story.

“If I’m not the news director at KTLA, who am I?”

“Turns out, I’m still me. Maybe even more me.”

🔗 Episode Links

• Follow David Begnaud on Instagram: @davidbegnaud
• Related episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rewriting-the-script-michaela-pereira-on-news-grief/id1814231257?i=1000712265260

🔗 Stay Connected to Life After News

· 👨‍💻 Website: https://lifeafternews.com/

· 🎧 Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows

· 📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@LifeAfterNews

· 📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod

· 💼 LinkedIn: Jason Ball

· 🗞️ Read: Desert Dispatch — the newsletter on storytelling & reinvention

· 🏨 Stay: Old Ranch Inn

· 📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday

· 💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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💄 What happens when a former CNN entertainment producer trades celebrity interviews for contour palettes and a tour buse? Meet JD Cargill — or as Palm Springs now knows her, Anita Doll.
In this wildly fun, deeply moving, and at times jaw-droppingly honest conversation, Jason Ball interviews JD during his full transformation into Anita Doll — lashes, foundation, and all. Together they unpack how JD went from chasing fame to creating joy, and how drag didn’t just change his career — it saved his life.
🔥 Highlights from the Episode
•From KTLA to CNN: JD reflects on how entertainment news once felt like salvation — until it became spiritual suffocation.
•Drag as a Spiritual Awakening: The pandemic forced JD into stillness… and into drag. In his Pasadena basement, Anita Doll was born.
•Birth of Drag and Fly: JD combines news production chops with queer creativity to create Drag and Fly Tours, a drag queen–hosted, mobile theater experience through Palm Springs.
•The Power of AI + Imagination: How JD used artificial intelligence to design a custom tour vehicle with stadium seating and panoramic views.
•Faith and Fabulousness: JD opens up about reconciling his queer identity with his religious upbringing.
•Anita as Armor: The difference between JD and Anita isn’t just wardrobe. Anita is a superhero — bold, fearless, and full of self-love.
•The Business of Joy: From viral videos to word-of-mouth buzz, JD shares the real talk of building a brand rooted in community, inclusivity, and sparkle.
•Dreaming Big: With ambitions to make Palm Springs the drag capital of the world, JD reveals plans for The Dollhouse, The Tea Garden, The Flight Club, and beyond.
🐉 About Drag and Fly Tours
Drag and Fly Tours is a one-of-a-kind sightseeing experience hosted by drag queens aboard a custom-built, stadium-seated tour vehicle. The show combines comedy, storytelling, music, and video — all produced with a TV producer’s precision and a queen’s flair.
📍 Location: Palm Springs, California
🔗 More info: dragandflytours.com
✨ Quotes to Remember
“Drag didn’t save me from dying — it saved me from disappearing.”
— JD Cargill
“Anita is everything I need to be — fearless, fabulous, and free.”
— JD Cargill
📬 More from Life After News
•🌵 Desert Dispatch — Our Palm Springs newsletter: https://desertdispatch.beehiiv.com/
•🏨 Old Ranch Inn — Stay with us in the heart of Palm Springs: https://oldranchinn.com/
🔗 Stay Connected to Life After News
•🎧 Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more
•📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@LifeAfterNews
•📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod
•💼 LinkedIn: Jason Ball
•🏨 Stay: Old Ranch Inn
•🗞️ Read: Desert Dispatch – the newsletter on storytelling & reinvention
•📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday
•💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!
And don’t forget to share this episode with someone who needs a little sparkle.

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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📺 In this special bonus episode of Life After News, Jason reflects on the powerful new documentary Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything (🎬 stream it on Hulu), Barbara’s 2008 memoir Audition, and her complex, groundbreaking legacy in the news business.

🔍 Topics covered in this episode:

· 🛫 Barbara’s rise from “Today Girl” to Today co-host—over Frank McGee’s dead body (literally)

· 💰 Becoming the first million-dollar anchor at ABC—and the sexist backlash

· 🎤 How she redefined interviews, disarmed world leaders, and helped shape global headlines

· 📚 Jason’s reflections on Audition and why he still recommends it to young journalists (especially women)

· 🎭 The intense behind-the-scenes rivalry with Diane Sawyer

· 🎥 The record-breaking Monica Lewinsky interview—and how she outmaneuvered Oprah for the exclusive

· 🧠 How Barbara’s childhood trauma and complicated family life fueled her drive and perfectionism

· ❤️ Personal takeaways: what Barbara sacrificed, what she modeled, and the importance of balance

💬 Favorite quote:

“Mostly I just worked and didn’t whine.” – Barbara Walters

🧠 Jason's takeaway: “She wasn’t just the role model—she created the role and the model.”

🎁 Want Jason’s copy of Audition? Follow him on Instagram and DM your interest! First come, first mailed.
📸 https://www.instagram.com/mrjasonball
📸 @lifeafternewspod

🎧 Referenced Media:

· 📺 Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything on Hulu

· 📖 Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters → Find on Amazon

· 📹 2008 20/20 Special with Charles Gibson → Watch on YouTube (insert correct link if different)

🗨️ Have you seen the doc or read Audition? Let Jason know your thoughts—DM or tag him!

⭐️ If you enjoy Life After News, leave a 5-star review and share it with someone who grew up watching Barbara (or interviewing like her). Until next time…

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

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🎙️ God, Gossip, and Getting Real: Dorothy Lucey on Life After Morning TV

🎧 Episode Summary

In this wide-ranging conversation, Jason Ball sits down with Good Day LA alum Dorothy Lucey to talk about fame, faith, fire—and finding purpose after live TV. Best known for her role in the iconic morning trio with Steve Edwards and Jillian Barberie, Dorothy gets candid about the real dynamics behind the scenes, how it all came crashing down, and the unexpected gifts of life after news.

From being told her voice made someone’s “eyes bleed” to saying goodbye to the show, Dorothy shares it all with her signature humor and honesty. She opens up about volunteering with Mending Kids, her journey of teaching journalism, navigating faith in Hollywood, and surviving the devastating Palisades fire that nearly destroyed her Malibu home.

Jason and Dorothy reminisce about their late friend Sam Rubin, swap newsroom war stories, and imagine a new kind of media—one rooted in meaning, spirituality, and real connection.

🔑 Key Topics

• Behind the scenes of Good Day LA: chaos, chemistry, and candid moments
• Getting fired and finding identity after a long TV career
• The “gift wrapped in sh!t”: parenting after leaving morning news
• Global medical missions with Mending Kids
• Teaching the next generation of journalists at Chapman and Pepperdine
• Balancing gossip and grace: Dorothy’s faith blog and spiritual life
• Surviving the Palisades fire and the trauma of natural disaster
• Remembering Sam Rubin: legacy, friendship, and laughter
• Reimagining purpose: from gossip reporting to soul work

🧭 Notable Quotes

“We were the housewives of morning TV—minus the booze.” – Dorothy Lucey
“I always say it was a gift wrapped in sh!t.” – Dorothy on being home with her son post-firing
“We can all be more than one thing.” – On faith, gossip, and being a whole person
“My faith has made me a slightly better person—I hope.”

🔗 Links & Mentions

• Mending Kids – global nonprofit Dorothy volunteers with
• Chapman University – where Dorothy teaches journalism
• Follow Dorothy’s faith reflections: @DorothyLucey on Instagram

🙏 Gratitude

Thank you to Dorothy for sharing so openly—and reminding us that life after news isn’t just about what comes next, but who we become along the way.

🎙️ Next Up

Sometimes, life after news can be a drag. Former TV news producer J.D. Cargill now performs as drag queen, Anita Doll. J.D. owns and operates Drag and Fly Tours in Palm Springs. It’s one of the best lives after news so far.

🔗 Stay Connected to Life After News

· 🎧 Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more

· 📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@LifeAfterNews

· 📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod

· 💼 LinkedIn: Jason Ball

· 🏨 Stay: Old Ranch Inn

· 🗞️ Read: Desert Dispatch – the newsletter on storytelling & reinvention

· 📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday

· 💌 Love the show? Share it

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.