The People Behind Your News:

By AY STAFF

Local news is of much importance and the people who deliver the news to the community play a vital role in informing and at times, inspiring. Journalists around Arkansas are well-known for their work in the industry, and in the communities they reside in. For the people who have dedicated their lives to the grind and joy

of daily news and for the people who tune in every day to watch them, AY About

You is excited to tell the stories of those who are now in the business of storytelling. In the following section, we will shine a light on the stories of people behind your news, and how they ended up in the positions they’re in today.

Tom Brannon

Tom Brannon, Melinda Mayo and Mitch McCoy, Cabot, 1976

“My neighbor would pick my friend, brother and I up after school and take us to Tasty Freeze. It was an afternoon tradition,” recalled THV11 Chief Meteorologist Tom Brannon. “But that afternoon, in the third grade, everything changed.”

On March 29, 1976, an F3 tornado ripped through downtown Cabot. Dozens were injured by debris, and five people were killed.

“My neighbor checked us out of school a little earlier than normal and got us to a safe place,” Brannon said. “My brother and I watched the tornado — we just couldn’t turn away. It was a very traumatic experience. I was afraid of storms for some time after that.”

Nearly 90 buildings were damaged or destroyed; among them was the beloved Tasty Freeze.

The Cabot tornado changed the trajectory of the little town of then 2,500 people. The lives of many, including Brannon’s, would never be the same.

* * * * * * * * *

“What started as a fear, turned into a curiosity. I had an interest in the weather, and by high school, I knew that’s what I wanted to pursue,”

Brannon said.

After graduating from Cabot High School in 1985, Brannon attended UA Little Rock for radio, TV and film. Brannon spent the next few years working in radio stations as a disc jockey, and in production shops where he made commercials.

But in his late 20s, Brannon’s love for weather called him back like a siren song. He found himself enrolled in meteorology school as part of Mississippi State’s online program, where he received a Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology and went on to receive a seal of approval from the National Weather Association and American Meteorological Society.

Brannon was brought on in 1996 as weekend meteorologist at THV11, and worked there as a morning meteorologist until 2018.

“I spent 22 years on THV11’s morning show. I went from being the weekend weather person and three-day-a-week feature guy, to being the full-time weather guy in two years,” he said.

In 2018, Brannon accepted a position as operations director and lead talent at Ron Sherman Advertising. But once again, meteorology called him back. Brannon returned to THV11 full-time as chief meteorologist in 2021.

“And voilà, here I am,” Brannon said.

Reflecting on his career, Brannon shared how lucky he was to have started his broadcasting career here at home.

“I was fortunate enough — and lucky enough — to start my TV career in Little Rock, Arkansas. So many people have to start several hours away and work their way back home,” Brannon said. “A lot of what helped me was my experience with radio and ad lib-ability. I was lucky. It very well could have been a different path. I wouldn’t have wanted to start all over right before I was 28 years old.”

But despite all of the credentials and experience that Brannon has accumulated since 1976, he is still apprehensive about severe weather.

“I don’t like severe weather because I’ve seen enough in 20-plus years to know that the outcome is not good,” Brannon said. “I don’t look forward to it because of the potential outcome. I always try to keep people calm and prepared. What you’re doing as a meteorologist is to help people from panicking. It’s all about preparation.”

Brannon shares that severe weather in Arkansas seems to be a constant, keeping him and other meteorologists on guard.

“Our severe weather season never seems to end. Personally, the older I get, knowing what could occur and having personally experienced it — it’s stressful, but you have to handle it as best you can,” Brannon said. “Each severe weather season is going to be a little different. I know that

“We have a daughter at Hendrix; she loves documentaries and doesn’t want to be in front of the camera like her old man,” Brannon said. “She loves to write and has a vivid imagination.”

Brannon offers a word of advice to the Tom Brannon of 25 years ago.

“You’re going to work with really talented people on a professional level. I got into radio because of Craig O’Neill, for example. I look up to him. He’s my mentor,” Brannon said. “A huge part of this job is being active in the community . . . hosting and emceeing events and representing organizations that help provide a positive outcome to the community.” in Arkansas, in springtime, you have the potential once or twice a week.”

And when it comes to making a difference, Brannon has. He is considered by many to be the “godfather” of the THV11 Summer Cereal Drive, a project that has spanned 23 years and has seen the influences of many familiar broadcast favorites. That project is expected to resume this year.

Brannon shared advice for Arkansans as springtime — and severe weather season — lies around the corner.

“Being prepared means knowing where your safe place is in your home. Be sure you have the necessary items, such as head protection, water, your NOAA weather radio with fresh backup batteries, important papers and flashlights. Go to the lowest level of your home or a small interior closet. Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible,” Brannon said. “We get plenty of nighttime tornadoes, and a lot of people go to bed thinking that it will be fine. Keep your phone volume up so it can alert you. Keep your technology charged up, and know the differences between watches and warnings. Know where you are and what’s coming at you.”

In the little free time he gets, Brannon said his favorite hobbies are streaming shows and resting.

“I prefer to rest and watch shows. My wife Leigh Ann and I love to stream and binge-watch shows,” Brannon said. “On occasion, I used to love going fishing, but between fishing and sleep, I pick sleep.”

Brannon shared that among the shows he’s enjoyed lately, he recommends Your Honor, George and Tammy, White Lotus, Yellowstone and Better Call Saul.

“There’s nothing we don’t watch, but we particularly enjoy crime dramas and documentaries,” Brannon said.

Brannon shared that he and his wife are empty nesters. Their daughter, Sophia, is at college.

Brannon also offers a word of advice to people interested in becoming a meteorologist.

“If there’s something you want to do bad enough, never let anyone tell you you can’t do it — keep on keeping on. I was in that position. It’s a matter of finding the right fit and timing,” Brannon said. “Find what you really want to do and go after it. Don’t give up. I had a setback, and you will have them. Never give up; surround yourself with people who make you better.”

And after taking some time to look at the past, Brannon takes a moment to look ahead.

“When I rejoined THV11, which I’m immensely thankful for, I did it with the hope of someday providing leadership and coaching. I want to stay here as long as they’ll have me. I want to be there to help out as best I can,” Brannon said. “I’ve worked with incredible people that I admire dearly, such as B.J. Sams and Robyn Richardson. I miss them, and I learned from them. You learn from the people you work with. I hope they’re doing well. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the two of them. Moving forward, I want to do what I can to help others get into meteorology and provide tips to help others.”

Lastly, Brannon is thankful for his family and his friends at THV11.

“I wouldn’t be here without the support of my Leigh Ann. She has been through it with me; she is my rock and pushes me and encourages me. Support starts at home,” Brannon said. “There are rockstars all across our business, and my colleagues at THV11 are no exception. They have been so wonderful. I am so thankful for their friendship and support.”

Melinda Mayo

Melinda Mayo’s love for news began because of The Brady Bunch. As a young girl growing up in Pine Bluff, Mayo knew once the nightly news was over; she could watch her favorite television show. While waiting for her show to begin, Mayo watched former news anchors like Steve Barnes and Amy Oliver, and developed a love for news reporting.

Mayo’s first job in the news industry was as an overnight photographer at KARK Channel 4, where she was the first woman to hold that position at the station. Her duties included taking photos of breaking news, crime scenes and anything else needed.

Mayo’s on-air break came when her stories began airing on the weekends. After six months as an overnight photographer, she became a news editor, producer, reporter, and later, a weekend and morning anchor.

Mayo, a tall statuesque brunette, wasn’t always interested in reporting the weather. She developed an interest in the science of weather when she had a roommate who was a weather girl on the morning show at Channel 4. Back then, there weren’t many meteorologists, but there were weather people.

“I’ve always loved science, and I’ve always loved being able to show my personality off a little bit more,” Mayo said. “Weather just seemed like where I was supposed to be.”

In October 1995, Mayo was vacationing in Florida when Hurricane Opal hit the Fort Walton/Destin area. She reported live on the evacuation and storm damage from one of the beaches as Hurricane Opal made landfall. She and her team were evacuated from their hotel and moved to a different location to allow Mayo to report the storm’s severity.

“We don’t get a lot of hurricanes in Arkansas,” Mayo said, reflecting on the opportunity that ignited her passion for meteorology. “We get tornadoes and sometimes remnants of a hurricane that will bring a lot of rain. It was exciting to experience the storm and warn people. For folks in Arkansas, I was telling them about the weather in places where they like to vacation; Destin, Fort Walton and Pensacola,” she said.

Since then, her interest in weather has expanded to become the focus of her television career.

Mayo continued her education at Mississippi State University, where she was certified as a Broadcast Meteorologist by the Department of Geosciences. Mayo was the first female meteorologist to work on television in Arkansas.

After spending eight years at Channel 4 reporting on the news, Mayo was hired at Channel 7 to report the weather, where she has been for the past 27 years. Mayo has been a part of the Little Rock television market since 1987.

As co-host for KATV’s “Daybreak” and “Good Morning Arkansas,” Mayo’s day begins early with a 2:30 a.m. alarm. Once she arrives at the studio, she begins to put weather maps together, look at new data collected overnight and update the forecast—all before doing her hair and makeup and going on-air at 4:30 a.m.

Because of her considerable time and expertise in the news industry, Mayo has seen a lot of changes, especially in technology and a new way of doing business as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. With her previous experience, Mayo feels lucky to have old-school knowledge and help up-and-coming news reporters, just as former news professionals helped her in her career.

“Today, many people are MMJs, multimedia journalists,” Mayo said. “They can do it all. A backpack and a cell phone are all you need to report from anywhere, and it’s much easier now to gather news and present it than it used to be. I’m lucky to have started my career with old-school technology and worked with different people during the sort of golden days of Arkansas television, such as Dave Woodman and Roy Mitchell. Today, I am helping to bridge the experience gap with a new group of broadcasters and new technology.”

Mayo has seen how social media impacts the news industry and the importance of getting correct news information to followers across multiple platforms as soon as possible.

At the beginning of this year, Channel 7 moved to a new studio in Little Rock’s Riverdale area after being at the studio location at the corner of 4th Street and Main Street for over half a century.

“It has been bittersweet to leave a building that many of us have spent half of our lives going to work in,” Mayo said on the big move. “There are a lot of great memories from the old building, a lot of people we lost while we were there, like Paul Eells, Anne Pressly and Dale Nicholson. We lost all those people while working there; I can still look down the hallway and imagine them. We’re working hard to bring their memories to the new station; it’s been tough.”

Channel 7’s meteorology quartet, consisting of Mayo, James Bryant, Barry Brandt and Todd Yakoubian, has been together for several years, and Mayo describes their connection as a family. And like family, they each also play a unique role in reporting Arkansas weather.

“We work closely together,” Mayo said. “We text each other at night to ensure we have everything covered. We have our weather geeks, as they affectionately call themselves. They say that I’m the calmer optimist, and it’s a good balance.”

Mayo knew early on she wanted to stay in Arkansas. Along the way, she met her husband of 27 years, Mark, on a blind date. While she and her future husband attended the same Pine Bluff high school, they did not know one another until years later.

“We both had first marriages. When we were both single, we got set up on a blind date. My husband wasn’t sure if he wanted to go out with someone on a blind date,” Mayo said. “His friend said, ‘Dude, she’s on TV every morning. Check her out.’ Mark got up early to watch me, and went to work the next day and said, ‘Okay, I’ll go out with her.’”

As an Arkansan at heart, Mayo never imagined taking her career elsewhere, instead keeping her talents reserved for The Natural State.

“I know people always think about the big markets, but I just love Arkansas,” Mayo said. “I have family here. I considered going elsewhere, but I have seen many friends go to the bigger markets and come back here to raise their families and work. I said that I was going to stay here. My husband works here, and my stepson lives in Conway. I’ve loved Arkansas my whole life.”