At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when TV reporters and anchors were broadcasting from their kitchens, living rooms and spare bedrooms instead of studio locations, Steve Atkinson was at his Rancho Santa Fe home and looked at Katherine, his wife of 32 years.
“It was between shows when we looked at each other and asked, ‘How much longer can I do this?’ The consuming schedule of working in TV news can take a toll on personal and family life,” Atkinson told Times of San Diego. “That night we talked about the next chapter in our future because you can’t take anything for granted.”
At age 56, Atkinson’s new chapter has included leaving KGTV-TV/ABC 10News, where has co-anchored the 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts since arriving from Denver in May of 2006.
He worked in TV news for 32 years for ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates in Arkansas, Texas and Colorado. He won more than a dozen Emmy Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Award. His interviewees have included presidents, world-class athletes, billionaire entrepreneurs and change-making executives.
Atkinson’s new job is vice president of executive media engagement with The Seismic Collaborative, a West Coast public relations and communications agency specializing in clients in the health and life sciences industries.
“I’m making a change and a transition into a wonderful opportunity with new adventures and exciting times ahead,” Atkinson said. “I’ll be involved in media training, content creation and telling stories about how the life sciences industry is making a difference in the world and saving lives. It’s my turn in life to embrace change and be bold into new frontiers.
“As long as I can remember I have been a storyteller. Telling other people’s stories has had a profound impact on my life and career because for me there is no greater connection than an emotional connection. I’ll be using some of the same skills from TV news to tell inspiring and motivating stories about a bright new future. I’m excited for this new opportunity to shape stories about health and life science innovators and change-makers.”
Atkinson will establish and lead Seismic’s new executive media engagement practice, where he will be responsible for preparing CEOs and executive teams for impactful media exposure, a statement said. “He will apply both his experience in a modern newsroom and his relentless curiosity about people, platforms and processes to elevate Seismic clients’ stories across all media formats, print, broadcast, podcasts, social and emerging digital channels,” said the statement.
“My wife has worked in the biotech and health-and-science related industries for years, so I’m familiar with many of the Seismic clients,” said Atkinson. “I will be based in San Diego and work from home. Fortunately, I’ll also have the freedom to work remotely if I want to travel with my wife on her business trips or need to spend time in Texas checking-up on my aging parents.”
Atkinson said he was recruited by Lisa Rodriguez, CEO of The Seismic Collaborative. “I’ve been talking with Lisa for a long time and the possibility of setting up an executive media engagement practice. Finally, the time was right for both of us. At 10News, I worked with an amazing newsroom of fantastic journalists and I will miss them.”
“Steve knows and understands firsthand what members of the media desire when choosing their subjects and how they formulate their stories,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “As someone who intrinsically knows how the media is evolving, he will be empowered to seek ways to ambitiously socialize stories for maximum impact.”
Black Podcast and Radio Audiences Growing Nationwide
The number of Black Americans listening to podcasts grew from 2.6 million to 6.7 million, a stunning 158 percent increase from 2014 to 2021, according to a recently released report from media data firm Scarborough.
As reported by Insider Radio, a radio industry trade publication, participation levels of audio consumed by Black listeners is rising across several categories. Streaming audio increased 57 percent to 18.7 million Black listeners ages 18 and older from 2014 to 2021. Satellite radio also grew 44 percent from 3.2 million to 4.6 million. Broadcast radio remains the largest platform for Black Americans with an audience of 26.2 million.
The Scarborough report plays up audio as a way to reach the expanding Black population, which increased 18.7 percent from 2005 to 2020, and now totals 47 million. African American buying power reportedly has soared from $971 billion to $1.6 trillion from 2010 to 2020, and is on track to reach $1.8 trillion by 2024.
Sara Jensen Promoted at Innovative Employee Solutions
Sara Jensen has been promoted to senior VP of growth and strategy at San Diego-based Innovative Employee Solutions, a provider of contingent workforce solutions.
In addition to overseeing the marketing and sales departments, Jensen will play a pivotal role in strategic revenue generating initiatives, the company said. Her expanding responsibilities will focus on company growth and expansion of current and new enterprise clients, leading international expansions strategy and creating new partnerships to expand market and product offerings.
Prior to joining IES in 2011, Jensen worked in development for nonprofits, including the American Cancer Society and Social Advocates for Youth.
Jensen has earned the Certified Contingent Workforce Professional designation from the Staffing Industry Analysts. She also is a member of the American Staffing Association’s Women in Leadership Council, Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce’s Young Leaders and Advance program and San Diego Sales and Marketing Alliance.
Alternative Strategies Announces 2 New Hires
Alternative Strategies, a San Diego marketing agency specializes in the restaurant and hospitality industries, has announced two new hires, including Arantza Rodriguez as social media manager and Alan Habib as graphic designer.
Rodriguez , a native of Bilbao, Spain, has studied at the University of Deusto in Spain and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She has experience working as a copywriter, social media strategist and content creator.
Habib, who migrated to the U.S. in 2006, graduated from San Diego State University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. He previously worked for DeLorenzo International, San Diego Community College District and SDSU Research Foundation.
Alternative Strategies was founded in 2000 by William Lopez, who today serves as CEO.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
