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Dave Busiek, BJ '76

Originally from St. Louis, Busiek accepted a news radio position with WHO-AM (1040) in Des Moines. After working three years at WHO-AM radio, Busiek became a reporter at KCCI-TV in Des Moines in 1979. He was promoted to anchor in 1983, and in 1990, Busiek became news director of KCCI-TV. In addition to his Mizzou heritage, Busiek is also proud to have been elected chair of the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) from 2002-2003.

Can you describe what a typical workday is like for you?
I get up early in the morning and start my day reading the online news. Then I watch the 5 a.m. morning newscast. I arrive at the station at 8:45. We have a 9:30 a.m. story meeting in the conference room where we make decisions about the news stories. Then throughout the day, I deal with a lot of issues and problems. It's a day of interruption. We also have meetings at 12:30 and 2:15. I watch the 5 and 6 o'clock newscasts, and I am out the door by 6:45.

What do you like best about your job?
A busy news day. It's exciting when there is a lot going on in the news. This is a really great job for a curious and restless person.

What do you like least about your job?
Having slow news days; every community has them. Des Moines is a good news town, the state capital, a financial and political center, but there are slow days no matter where you work.

If you could change anything about broadcast news, what would it be?
I would want there to be fewer commercials. There would be more time to tell the news stories with less commercial interruption.

Is there any hope for good quality television news?
Clearly, there is a lot of quality journalism being done today in broadcast and print. The various scandals are exceptions to the rule, and a part of the process. Journalism is a human endeavor, and humans are far from perfect. That's not to excuse sloppy journalism, or in the case of Jayson Blair, deliberate malfeasance. But in all of these cases, the problems developed and were fully smoked out; often by other journalists. Unlike a lot of professions which can bury their problems, everything journalists do is out in the open and subject to public opinion and commentary. We work in a fishbowl; that goes with the territory. News consumers have never had a broader selection of outlets to choose from. If they want glitz and glamour, they can get it. If they value quality journalism, they know where to find that, too. I'm not too concerned about the level of quality that's available.

What is it like working in Iowa Cyclone territory?
The newsroom is basically dominated by them, but there are other J-School grads here. Chris Nagus and Emily Givens (BJ '01) are reporters here at CBS affiliate KCCI. Patrick Dix and Dave Price are Mizzou grads working at NBC affiliate WHO. I try to recruit Mizzou grads whenever I can.

What does the Missouri School of Journalism mean to you?
J-School means everything to me. They took a 20-year-old kid and made me into someone who could get a job in any newsroom. They really cared about the quality of journalism and preparing kids to find jobs. I have made a lot of friendships between faculty and students.

Do you have a favorite memory of the J-School that sticks out?
I was terrified the first night I went on the air at KBIA. I'm sure my voice sounded like a seven-year-old girl. I was just thrilled about being on the air.

Were there any J-School faculty or staff members who influenced you in any way?
Rod Gelatt, a former J-School professor, was so funny and smart. He taught me so much. I've always been deeply appreciative of what he did for me and other students.

What are your future career plans?
I don't know. I've made my home and my life in this community. I would be interested in a larger station, in some corporate or GM position. However, there would be worse things than staying news director at KCCI.

What is your favorite major league baseball team?
I am a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan. I keep up on them by reading the St. Louis Post-Dispatch every day.