James Van Messel
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James Van Messel When Jim Van Messel was pro- news director to station manager by moted at age 30 to assistant then -General Manager and now NBC news director of powerhouse O &O station group President John station WABC -TV New York in 1974, Rohrbeck, Van Messel was tapped to the self-described "blue- collar pro- take Nuell's place in the largely ad- ducer" from Flint, Mich., appeared ministrative post. headed for a very white -collar exis- After three years, Van Messel tence. But Van Messel soon came to again began pining for production. regard his cushy office as little more He considered launching a career as than a gilded cage. an independent producer. But fate, or "I was an administrator, not a hands - more accurately, friends, intervened. on producer, and I found myself want- In 1986, as ET's ratings began to sag ing the jobs of the people who worked and some stations downgraded the for me," says Van Messel, now execu- show, Paramount was searching for an tive producer of Paramount Domestic executive producer. Consultant Steve Television's leading syndicated maga- Cagle of Frank Magid & Associates zine show, Entertainment Tonight. "For the entire news department by 1971. and ET's advertising team of Ray me, the most exciting thing is to start "He was a very dedicated, bright, Jacobs & Stefan Gerber all knew Nuell with a blank sheet of paper, make a TV fast -track guy who always went for the and Van Messel from their work for program, get it on air and walk away best and delivered it," says Phil Nye, WRC -TV. So did Rohrbeck, by then thinking maybe you made the world a then a news director at wxYz -Tv, now general manager of influential ET little better because of what you did." president/GM, KBAK -TV Bakersfield, affiliate KNBC -TV Los Angeles. The Twenty years later, at ET, Van Calif. "He was also good to the people four men suggested that a NuellVan Messel oversees a staff of 180 and who worked for him. Messel team might be production challenges that rival those More than once he let Executive producer, Entertain- able to set the show of any station's news operation. the regular people off ment Tonight, Los Angeles; b. back on track. Despite the show's usually high on Christmas Eve and July 10, 1944, Blue Island, Ill.; The pair, with Nuell AA, Flint Community Junior Col- ratings, it has faced ongoing chal- stayed to produce and as executive producer lege, Flint, Mich., 1964; BA, lenges from upstart competitors. In write the entire show University of Michigan -Ann and Van Messel as 1987, Van Messel and then -Executive himself." Arbor, 1966; copyboy, writer, senior producer, Producer David Nuell reworked the In 1973 Van Messel radio/television editor, Universi- revived the show by show, rescuing it from ratings stagna- was hired by KPIX -TV ty of Michigan News Service, giving it a newsier feel, tion and possible cancellation. And San Francisco General Ann Arbor, 1966 -69; producer/ reducing the number this season, Van Messel has proven Manager George executive producer, wxvz -iv of "insider" segments, the show's undiminished mettle by Resing to be news Detroit, 1969 -73; news director, shortening interviews maintaining last season's ratings in director of the station's IPix -1v San Francisco, 1973 -74; and cutting the number the face of a new competitor created 50- person operation. A assistant news director, WABC -Tv of reporters. From a by Nuell, Warner Bros. Domestic year later, Van Messel New York, 1974 -75; senior pro- 6.9 1987 -88 Nielsen Television Distribution's Extra -The accepted an offer from ducer /executive producer /news rating, the show Entertainment Magazine. Nye, then news direc- director, wec -TV Washington, rebounded to an 8.1 by 1975 -86; senior producer, ET, Van Messel began his career in 1966 tor, WABC -TV, for the 1989 -90. When Nuell 1987 -89; current position since left Van Mes- by emptying trash and answering tele- No. 2 news slot. That 1989; children: John, 26; twins in 1992, phones for the University of Michi- the station's Eyewit- Todd and Tracy, 25. sel became sole execu- gan's public relations wing. In 1969, ness News was in its tive producer. he landed a spot at wxYZ -TV Detroit as heyday, with reporter Geraldo Ri- Beyond a standard face -lift last fall, producer of locally produced talk vera, sports reporters Howard Cosell no changes were made to ET in antici- show Haney's People. He also was the and Frank Gifford and anchors Roger pation of Extra. Increased viewing first producer of the station's 11 p.m. Grimsby and Bill Beutell, only in- options for television audiences, not news, then little more than recut stories creased Van Messel's frustration at Extra, represent the greatest challenge from the station's 6 p.m. newscast. not being able to actively produce. to ET's ratings, Van Messel says. After several months, he became a So in 1975, Van Messel took a job After eight years at the show, Van full -time news producer at the station, as senior producer at smaller-market Messel says his interest in producing it where he says he learned much from WRC-TV Washington, where he could has not diminished: "I enjoy what I do News Director, later WABC -TV General produce the news. Again he moved up and feel invigorated each time I come Manager, Bill Fyffe. Van Messel was the ladder, to executive producer in to work -largely, I think, because I promoted to executive producer over 1978. When Nuell was promoted from have such a high -quality staff." -DT Broadcasting & Cable Mar 6 1995 77 .