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LIVE, AMBITIOUS News Director. The nation's fourth-largest TV market. Just 18 months out of college. The University of Hartford saw the will to succeed in Robert C. Melick's eyes when few others did. It was not until his senior year in high school that Robert Melick '98 officially learned about a memory problem that hindered his classroom performance. Though he was heavily involved in extracurricular activities and showed ambition in his academics, his grades left room for improvement. With some restructuring of the way he learned, and with the proper school, he was assured that success was possible. That's all Rob Melick needed to hear. And that's all the University of Hartford needed to see. "Every night, I can touch millions of people through the newscast I direct, and it is an incredible feeling," says Rob. "The University of Hartford touched me when I received word of my acceptance five years ago." Rob thrived in the structured atmosphere of Hillyer College.
These words, uttered by Rob Melick's fifth-grade teacher in a small, rural Pennsylvania town, still ring in his ears. In the University's modern television studio, Rob looked as content as a 6-year-old standing with a dollar at the candy counter. Taking full advantage of the facility's emphasis on student learning, Rob made the editing suite a second home. He mastered the latest tricks of video editing, became a campus resource for top-rate video productions, was named chief director of Channel 2 News, and organized a complete makeover of the newscast's set. But not all life was spent on the grounds of Bloomfield Avenue. Internships provided Rob with experience at the national and local levels. A semester in the sports department at Hartford's NBC Affiliate, Channel 30, gave Rob the opportunity to work under Beasley Reese (currently a Philadelphia and a national sportscaster) and Chris Wragge ("Entertainment Tonight"). He also spent the summer prior to his senior year in New York City, lending a hand in the Fox Network's national news operation. Despite a hectic final year at the UofH, Rob found time to visit elementary schools in neighboring towns, As in baseball, it is clearly understood in the television industry that you need to pay your dues in the "minor leagues" and make your mark from there. In the media world, that means starting in a small market -- usually in a rural location far from home -- doing a little of everything. Rob broke the mold slightly, starting out as a news director in Rochester, N.Y., following his 1998 graduation. But he deviated from the usual course greatly when, after only six months, Hartford's Fox Affiliate, Channel 61, hired him to direct its 10 p.m. newscast. Rob headed back to his college neighborhood, armed with cries of "Lights, Camera, Action!" Little did he know that he would soon be taking his successes full circle -- back to his home state of Pennsylvania. Climbing the ladder in any industry is noteworthy. But when "they" come after "you," it is especially noteworthy. This past October, theTribune Company, owner of Channel 61, approached Rob, wanting to move him to another company-owned station in Philadelphia, Channel 17. Rob had grown up watching Philadelphia TV. "It's always been a dream of mine to work there," he says. Now, in the nation's fourth-largest market, Rob directs the WB-17 10 p.m. newscast several nights a week, freeing him for additional special projects, editing, and sports assignments. He will also direct live coverage of parades, a valued tradition in the City of Brotherly Love. "Rob knew what it was that he wanted to do when he 'grew up' and took advantage of everything the University had to offer that would help him to realize his dream," says Jim Keener, retired director of the University's TV studio. "Rob would make the most of any and every opportunity to direct, write, crew, or edit video. He felt that he could never get enough experience." Current TV studio director Michael Martin was greatly impressed by Rob's self-motivation. "If Rob undertook a project, he completed it," Martin says. "He was a unique student, and that is why he is going places." The compliments are not one-sided. Rob is not about to forget what his college days did for him, his self-confidence, and his future. "The support from professors and the entire Channel 2 News experience at the University launched my career," he says without hesitation. "I would not be where I am today without the University of Hartford." Don't despair. Rob still has a dream unfulfilled: winding up in Manhattan, directing a national newscast. Based on history, it's more likely a question of when than if this dream will be realized. Just recently, Rob Melick's mother ran into that skeptical fifth-grade teacher and, wearing a proud smile, shared some news. "You remember my son Rob? Well, he is now a graduate of the University of Hartford and a TV news director." |
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working with youngsters on video productions. A letter nominating him for a Dean of Students Recognition Award, which he won, said of Rob, "He has the enthusiasm of someone much younger. He has the maturity and leadership skills of someone much older. In my eight years as a staff member, I have not encountered a student more motivated and willing to help others than Rob Melick."
