More Than Talk

Name: Audra Lowe
Job: Host, The Better Show, a nationally syndicated lifestyle program produced by Meredith Corp.
Location: New York

Undecided about her professional goals as a teenager, Audra Lowe decided to pursue a career in television while watching a newscast with her mother. After 24 years in the business, her work ethic and openness to change has kept her thriving in this competitive industry.

How she got the job:
When Lowe was contacted about the prospect of hosting The Better Show in 2007, the start date was only three weeks from the time the offer was presented. Lowe discussed the matter with her husband and relocated to New York. The Better Show launched nationally in 12 markets in 2007 and today airs in 180. She has interviewed a range of guests from Lisa Ling and LL Cool J to President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. “The biggest learning curve is knowing a lot about everything,” she says of her transition to lifestyle TV. “You need to know who’s who from reality TV to politicians.”

Former position:
In 2004, Lowe joined Fox Sports as an anchor and host. “I went from news to entertainment, then sports. I’ve always been a sports fan, but because it was male-dominated, I never even thought of the possibility of reporting sports.” As much as she loved sports, she found the reporting challenging. “[Sports fans] know when you aren’t truly up on your sports knowledge and are just a talking head–especially as a woman covering several sports at one time. It was tough because now I had to study the sport instead of just enjoying it. And we covered every sport so I was fully immersed. I did that for three years.”

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Education:
Lowe received two bachelor’s degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara in communications and black studies in 1993. Her intention in graduate school was to broaden her studies and fulfill her love of traveling as well, focusing on international affairs with a concentration in languages, studying Kiswahili and French. “I wanted to take my journalism [interests] to another level. I got tired of covering shootings and drive-bys. I wanted to make more of an impact on the way in which we received news and information from abroad.” However, her parents were concerned about a young, single woman working internationally, so she stayed in Los Angeles and continued to take care of her grandfather, who had diabetes and was a double amputee. She also earned a master’s in film, TV, and theater in 1998.

Training:
Aside from in-class training, Lowe interned every semester of her college career. “By the time I graduated I felt that I had already been working in the business for years. I went wherever I had to go to get that experience and figure it all out.” Lowe, who still considers herself a news junkie, started and worked in news for 13 years. “I thought that was going to be it. I didn’t plan to do lifestyle, sports, or entertainment. It all just happened. I was open to change.”

First job:
Lowe’s first job offer was in Ventura, California, at KADY-TV as an associate producer. “My first response was, ‘I don’t want to produce; I don’t know anything about producing,’ and I remember the woman saying, ‘Try it, you never know where it’s going to go.’ I got there and learned how to produce, which to this day I absolutely love.” She also learned how to write, edit, operate studio cameras, and floor direct the show she helped produce, which she says is vital experience to have in the industry. At night, after her production duties, Lowe would practice reading news scripts on camera. “I was doing that every single night when everyone had gone home–it would be midnight, 1 in the morning. I would read them over and over again–and I did that for a year.” It seemed that there was little chance of an opportunity until an on-air employee called in sick. The news director, who unbeknownst to Lowe had noticed her practicing sessions, asked her to step in. “I had given up. I [felt] I didn’t have the look, I don’t have the talent, I don’t have the background,” she recalls of her frustrations. “It was just local cut-ins, I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was so nervous. It

was maybe 30 seconds, but it felt like an hour. I did it. From there he saw that I was serious and willing to put in the work necessary to do the job. I ended up doing both: producing and a little bit of reporting.”

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Not all glamorous:
Lowe continued working in a variety of areas even after having been on-air. Her most frustrating gig was as a news associate at a CBS station in LA erasing tapes. “I had already been on the air at the smaller station and you have to be humble because it’s tough to go back in the other direction. And so here I am. There was a conveyer belt and when all the reporters finished filing their stories, their tapes would come down the belt and I would have to demagnetize them all. I did that for hours and hours overnight. The CBS TV newsroom was upstairs and I thought that if I crossed paths with the news directors, I might get an interview. Looking back, I realized I wasn’t ready for such a big step, but the ambition didn’t hurt! That may have been a test to see how bad I wanted to stay in a business that’s full of ups and downs. You get experience in all different areas of TV. It doesn’t happen overnight where you pop up on the air. You may end up doing a lot of work for free just to get the experience.”

Inspiration:
“I struggled for a long time to determine what my purpose would be and what my career would be. All I knew when I was growing up was that I was probably the skinniest, least aggressive, and most naïve kid in our family. My grandmother (aka “Granny,” a tough cookie herself) pulled me to the side one day and said, ‘Baby, if you ever want to be heard, you have to speak up. You have to learn how to use your voice.’ I was about 8 or 9, but she kept telling me over time. Now that I look back on what she said, she too probably helped me get to where I am today with her tough love and encouragement. Those same life lessons ended up being the foundation for what I get to do every day.” By the time Lowe arrived at high school, she had found her voice, but she was still unsure about what she wanted to do. Her mother suggested that she become a newscaster because she loved to talk. She ended up watching the news that day for almost 24 hours, fascinated with a career she had never thought of. “At that time, watching the news, I only saw one woman on the air who looked like me. My mother said, ‘you can do that if you want to,’ and I never looked back.”