(Wavy 10’s Aesia Tolliver and Jeff Myers)
By Joel Rubin
Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps competed in five Olympics, winning 28 medals, 23 of them gold.
WAVY TV’s chief photojournalist and news operations manager Jeff Myers has never swum, skied, run or “luged” in any summer or winter games, but like Phelps, he’s also been to five Olympics (Atlanta, Sydney, Beijing, Paris and Milan/Cortina). “I’m the technical team leader, working with a half dozen or so other journalists from stations like mine that are owned by Nexstar,” says the ODU grad. “My main job was to turn a hotel room in Milan into a mini-television studio with microphones, lights, and cameras – nine cases of equipment in all – so reporters could ‘show the flag’ in Italy.” Literally because part of Jeff’s role, besides assuring that producers back in the states could see and hear the talent, was to have the right Nexstar station “flag” on the handheld microphone.
Channel 10’s Aesia Tolliver was one of those on-site anchors in Milan, chatting for a few minutes each morning or evening back to an unseen morning or evening newscast set. Such as, “Yes (Alice in Atlanta), men’s curling will be this afternoon, and the American team has a shot at a medal.” Jeff set up a pair of positions with colorful outdoor backdrops, one for NBC affiliates (like WAVY) and the other for Nexstar outlets that were not with NBC. “I had to keep everything straight, including the times and station for each five-minute window as well as who would be speaking and to who back home. And I was there for both daily feeds, early and late, which were seven or more hours ahead of us in the U.S.” Jeff figures he oversaw a thousand live shots over the course of the month he was in Milan. “Jeff was crucial to the operation,” says Aesia. “Without him, I don’t think anything would’ve made air.”
Aesia and the other on-air folks from Nexstar would leave the hotel between those live exchanges and go to the sports venues in Milan, Cortina and Livigno to grab interviews with American Olympians as they came off the slope or ice to feed back to local NBC stations. “They called those areas the Mix Zones,” says Jeff, “and the athletes could choose whether they wanted to answer questions, often based on how well they did.” For Aesia, it was a workout. “I walked more miles than I ever expected. But there were quiet moments when I had to stop and take it all in, because I couldn’t believe where I was or what I was doing.”
Jeff says the host cities were very welcoming, and the fans who came from around the world were very into the Olympic spirit. For him and the other broadcast pros from the states, there was fortunately time to be a tourist too. “On the weekends, we could go to any venue and with our press passes, get right in.” Some of those though were five and a half hours away. “Fortunately Nexstar covered our Uber rides as well as our rooms and meals, and the food was great. We were in Italy after all.”
Jeff has now experienced the culture of multiple continents although the China trip was the oddest. “It was during COVID and the government didn’t allow anyone to attend the events.” Milan/Cortina was wide open of course, making it one of Jeff’s favorite worldwide destinations. “I’m going to take my wife to Italy this spring because of how much I loved the country.”
As for the next Olympics, which will be in Los Angeles, in 2028? “I know that the company will want me to go,” says Jeff, “because of my experience, and it should be easier there because we all speak the same language and use identical plugs.” But he will be 68 that year and must decide if he’s up for it. “Let’s see how I feel then.” The next Winter Games will also be domestic, in Utah in 2030.
In the meantime, Jeff Myers is back in WAVY’s Portsmouth newsroom, taking care of cameras and cameramen as well as the quality of the images we see on the air each night. “I’m a Hampton Roads native and have been at the station for 41 years. It’s been a blast.” Whenever he chooses to retire, he will always have Italy and Australia, France and China plus 15 Daytona 500’s, some foreign wars and natural disasters under his belt. “It’s been a fascinating career, and I thank my bosses for trusting me with such demanding yet rewarding assignments.”
Adds Aesia, who just finished her first Olympics, “Little Me would be very proud of how far I’ve come. But so is Big Me.” As are We.