Dick Heidt - City Magazine

What drew you
CM: to journalism
and the media in the first
place?
HEIDT: The economy. I
was in charge of the kids
who hawked products in the
stands for Bismarck’s minor
league baseball team back in
the early to mid-60s, but the
team was not that
good and attendance
was poor.
I knew they
were thinking of
cutting back in
the concession
stand and, since
I was the youngest
one, I knew I
would probably
be cut. So when
the opportunity
presented itself, I
went to work as a
sports reporter for
the Mandan Daily
Pioneer newspaper.
At age 19, I became
sports editor.
CM: You’ve
spent
most of your career
in television news.
What did you like best about
reporting?
HEIDT: It’s something that
still invigorates me each and
every day. After 40 years in
television, I’m not tired of it.
Granted, I’m not on the news
side now, but still, it’s the
same thing—always something
new, a new challenge.
It’s not an eight-to-five job
where you get tied down to
tedium. The stories and the
people that you meet every
day make it exhilarating.
Monica Hannan is our news
director, and I’m very cognizant
of trying not to look
over her shoulder too often,
but she allows me, thank
goodness, to be involved,
because I don’t think I could
ever totally give up news.
DICK HEIDT
Title: General Manager, KFYR-TV
DOB: July 22, 1947, Mandan native
High School: St. Mary’s, class of ‘65
College: University of Mary, bachelor’s in
college studies with journalism emphasis
Military Service: U.S. Navy, 1970-74,
including Vietnam
Family: wife, Connie (Schwede), married 29
years; three grown children (Jeff, Jenny and
Amanda; four grandchildren)
Hobbies: family outings, golf, bowling,
photography, listening to the oldies on his
ipod, sports memorabilia collecting
Favorite Sports Memorabilia Item:
baseball signed by Mickey Mantle
How does KFYR-
CM: TV serve the
community?
HEIDT: In a variety of ways.
We sponsor events, from
health clinics to parades.
We also give free air time,
in the form of public service
announcements, to community
events we can “tie our
wagon” to.
The other thing that is so
important, and why I like TV,
is that, in times of disaster,
emergency or danger, KFYR-
TV, as are all TV stations, is
there to provide information,
data and warnings to inform
the public and make the situation
as safe as possible.
You’ve seen some
CM: major technology
changes in the newsgathering
business.
What has amazed
you the most?
HEIDT: The move
from film to videotape
revolutionized
how we worked.
When we had film,
we had to be done
shooting by 4 p.m.
every day to develop
the film and
get it on the evening
news.
If we went out and
shot sports at night,
we had to be back
to the station by
8:00-8:30 p.m.—we
didn’t get much action
and may have
missed the winning
basket. Videotape
doesn’t even have
to be edited. If it’s something
dramatic, it can go instantaneously
as soon as you get
back to the station. It’s what
makes TV such a big thing
today.
Is there anything
CM: you personally
lament about how TV news
has evolved?
HEIDT: The line that has
been crossed on “Talk TV.”
Newscasters are now opin-
April 2009 7