Copied from my Facebook post, 7 years ago....
Priscilla K Jordan
July 29, 2013 · Plano ·
Shared with Public
My blog: Kidd Kraddick
I’ve always known I wanted to be in Journalism… when I was growing up, I wanted to be a writer. I have 2 spirals where I started writing my own autobiography when I was in Junior High. Haha. When I got to Lake Highlands High School I was on the school newspaper and I knew one day I wanted to work for the Dallas Morning News. Then, my Senior year- a new class appeared- TV!! and I was an anchor for the morning newscast announcements. I graduated, went to UNT and majored in Radio TV Film. I was a reporter for NTTV and loved it. Now, I just KNEW I wanted to be a News Anchor. I have always loved the news- I could watch the 4p, 5p, 6p, 9p and 10p news if I had the time. I’m fascinated by how we have 4 different news stations here (4,5,8,11) and each one can report on the same story a totally different way. Haha. SERIOUSLY! Try it one day. Watch the 9p news on channel 4 then the 10p on channel 8. Could be covering the same topic, 2 totally different ways. It’s always intrigued me… I do however struggle sometimes with how news reporting is done- I don’t agree with always taking the controversial angle- I know the local news stations make up facts out of thin air- I’ve seen them do it. We all know the news is so eager to be the first to report something that they sometimes jump the gun and report the wrong thing- they have done that numerous times with elections- but they do it with other stories as well… I also have never understood when someone passes away- a child, a victim of violence, whoever it was who made the news- they stick a camera in the family’s face and ask them how they feel… REALLY!?! How do you think they feel? Ugh… sorry, off point… Back to UNT-
When it came time for my internship credit I reached out to that teacher I had my Senior year at Lake Highlands- I had kept in touch with him and he was no longer teaching. Instead, he was working in the promotions department at 106.1 KISSFM. He offered me an “A” if I interned for him (HAHAHA) an offer I just couldn’t refuse! (and my GPA needed it!) That was the beginning of the end. I had finally found my niche. I had been looking for my Journalism outlet all those years- and there it was. Radio just “clicked” with me. I’m even more fascinated now with radio than I was when I first started. I was already a single mom- and my parents can attest that I did anything and everything I could to do more around the station. I worked in promotions, I could answer phones at the front desk, I was a sales assistant for a few months driving around picking up client checks, I cleaned the break room fridge each Sunday for an extra $20- I worked overnights, weekends, and every holiday. Mom hated that part the most! But I did it cause I loved what I was doing… and then I worked my way into getting a break in programming, and that’s where I met Kidd. I, like most, had been waking up to Kidd for years. He was someone I had never met, but instantly felt like I knew him. He could have a 5 minute conversation with me off the air and somehow, before I knew it, had shared all my secret gossip in my life ON THE AIR! LOL. How did he just do that?!?! that is one of my first memories of Kidd… I had been at the station for maybe a year- and started dating a famous actor (and before you ask, it only lasted 3 months) I was working the overnight shift when Kidd took over at 6am and could see I was giddy- that’s a huge red flag right there cause I am 100% NOT a morning person- but there I was smiling from ear to ear at 6am about to go meet this guy who was in town… Kidd asked all the right questions to try to pry it out of me and it was like a normal conversation. I didn’t realize that at some point he had turned on the mics and I was giving all of DFW my secret scoop!! LOL!! I was mad, but had to just laugh. He always found a way to make me laugh…
That was almost 15 years ago… in that time I have had the honor and privilege to work with some of the most talented people in the world- including Kidd, Kellie and Al. Kidd has always called me “ ‘cilla ” since day one. That’s something only my mom and a few of my closest friends do. But it was Kidd, and it was ok. lol. I was more impressed that he wanted to talk to this little intern named ‘cilla who knew nothing… but he did. Kidd was smart, kind, and had a heart of gold. I am still amazed today how much he gave to not only Kidd’s Kids, but to so many people along the way who reached out and he just couldn’t say no. Radio is a small family- we all either know each other or know someone who does… those we work with so closely aren’t just co-workers. We laugh, we fight, we cry together like family- we ARE family. I was one of the lucky ones to be able to say Kidd Kraddick is family. And since Saturday, I have been completely heartbroken.
I already try to live every day to it’s fullest, yet somehow I feel like I need to do more…
Hug your mom, your dad, your entire family- EVERY day. Never go to bed angry. Never live with regrets. Make a bucket list and don’t wait to cross those things off. Tell your family AND friends you love them. You never know when that chance is gone…
We love you Kidd Kraddick- we will always and forever keep looking up- cause that’s where it all is…
XO, ‘cilla