Steve Rondinaro Comes Full Circle

Posted July 8, 2008, 11:40 pm in Career by Growing Bolder


When all is said and done, are you going to look back on your life and ask "What if?" That's exactly what Steve Rondinaro wanted to avoid.

At the height of his career, he walked away from his high-profile job at Orlando's WESH-TV, where he was the main anchor, and moved with his family to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

Steve and his wife, Tammy, had been looking for a second home when they came across an old bed and breakfast in Banner Elk, North Carolina. They looked at it and fantasized about raising their two young children in a simpler place.

"Tammy and I both grew up in small towns and we wanted that for our children," Steve says. "The town has one stoplight, an elementary school built during the WPA and wonderful teachers."

But rather than spending their days rocking on a porch and taking care of guests at the B&B, Steve had an ulterior motive for the move -- in the same town, he found an AM radio station for sale.

"The bed and breakfast was part of a bigger business venture that allowed us to make the jump with more financial comfort," he says.

Ever since his first DJ job at age 15, Steve had always dreamed of one day owning his own station. His television career had taken him from Rochester, N.Y. to Miami, Florida, to Orlando, the country's No. 19 market, yet he still longed to return to radio.

After starting with a country AM station, he eventually added an FM and a newstalk station to his company. Steve was the station manager, news director and on-air newsman.

"And I hosted a '70s at 5 show. Talk about Growing Bolder. I was once again playing the music that had helped me work my way through college."

Never one to let another opportunity pass him by, Steve eventually sold his radio empire and bought a local TV station. Together with his wife, they built up a station that broadcasts local shows, news and children's programming.

But it wasn't long before Steve felt the tug of his old career pulling. So now, at age 53, he's back behind the desk again anchoring the 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 newscasts at WWAY, the NBC affiliate in Wilmington, N.C. There was another incentive to move from the mountains of North Carolina to the coast -- the beach, something he and his wife missed about living in Florida.

He says life is entirely different at the nation's 135th market than it was in Orlando.

"I haven't been in a market this small since college. The staff is green, but that's one of the gratifications of the job, to help train young people. I've worked for a company that had all the resources, a chopper when you needed it. But now, we have to make do with a lot less technically. But the viewership is just as sophisticated as any other place in the country."

Steve is also the station's managing editor, which allows him to have direct contact with the staff to help them mold their shows and stories. He says he's enjoying paying it forward by mentoring young, upcoming journalists the way others once took him under their wings. And his time spent running his own businesses has given him an appreciation for his career that he may not have felt had he stayed in the rat race.

"I've come full circle. I did it backwards. I jumped out in the middle and then went back in. In hindsight, it was a lot of work and uncertainty, but the kids had a great upbringing in a small town. We're not asking 'what if?' We did it. Now, at this point in my life, I don't mind letting someone else worry about payroll, overhead, bills and employees. I thought hard about what do I do best and what do I enjoy best. I realized I didn't want to be running a business. I enjoy seeing and learning new things and then telling people about it on TV."

Not only is Steve connecting with the next generation of journalists, he's also reconnecting with some friends from the past. He was instrumental in bringing former WESH-TV news director Paul Paolicelli to serve in the same position at his station. He says he uses it as an important lesson to the young staff that you should always treat your co-workers with respect because chances are, you're going to encounter them again later in your career.

He says his days of market climbing are over.

"Never say never. But I like living in North Carolina. I can see it as an interesting place to finish out the run."

Plus, the station allows him to continue a project he's passionate about -- this year marks his 30th year hosting the Drum Corps International World Championships. The event will be held Aug. 5-9 in Bloomington, Indiana.

"It's a labor of love. I started marching at age 9 in drum corps, and I still just love it."

The first 25 years, the championship was broadcast on PBS. Then it moved to ESPN2 for five years, but this year, it will be broadcast live in 325 movie theaters around the country.

There's something -- or someone -- else that Steve is really enjoying these days -- his four-month-old granddaughter, Cadence.

"Grandparenting is great work if you can get it," the proud grandpa says. "The first time I looked in her eyes, the deal was sealed. I was hooked. It's a good feeling. I really look forward to doing all the things that I did with her dad and aunt."

Want to send a message to Steve? Click here to check out his Growing Bolder profile page.


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