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Anchor’s new gig back home significant one
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Brand new Action News reporter and anchor Justin Farmer had a doozy of a first assignment this week: covering legendary Braves announcer Skip Caray’s funeral. And while he had to hit the ground running during a live shot outside 103 West in Buckhead, Farmer had his research firmly committed to memory.
The late broadcaster was college roommates with his dad, former WSB anchor Don Farmer, when the pair studied journalism at the University of Missouri. And dad turned out to be Justin’s first on-air interview. The elder Farmer retired from WSB in 1997.
“He said, ‘Is it OK if I interview my father for the
story?’ ” WSB news director Marian Pittman told Buzz laughing. “I said, ‘Sure, since Don is able to provide such unique perspective on Skip for our viewers. Plus, it was just wonderful to see Don back on the airwaves here.”
“What are the odds, right?” Justin said. “It’s been a rough week for my dad and so I approached the interview with some sensitivity. He had just lost a good friend. But I also think it was kind of special for Dad to see me back in Atlanta and working at a station he loved.”
Pittman has tracked Justin Farmer’s on-air work for years and signed him last December while he was still working out a contract in Dallas.
“Justin is a Georgia native and knows the area and the people here well,” explains Pittman. “Whenever you can hire a reporter with that kind of intelligence and who knows Georgia’s history as well as he does, it does a lot to enhance WSB’s legacy.”
“In this business, you tend to bounce around a lot,” Justin says. “It’s very satisfying to be back home. I’ve even been getting e-mails this week from my old seventh-grade classmates in Alpharetta.”
Plus, the Atlanta Falcons have a returning fan at the Georgia Dome this season. Farmer graduated from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan’s alma mater, Boston College.
Said Farmer: “You can be sure I’ll be out there watching as Matt experiences his first bruises and bumps here in Atlanta this season.”
Texting tutorial
East Cobb County grandmother Betty Smith was among the first in line at Thursday’s “Cell Phones For Seniors” session at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta. She turned up to learn how to text message her 12-year-old grandson Tommy Woodyard of Cumming. “It’s really the most effective way to communicate with him,” Smith, 74, told us. “I wanted to increase my confidence.” Smith and her husband, Joe, were among 50 seniors who attended the free tutoring sessions set up by AT&T, OASIS and the Atlanta Regional Commission/Area Agency on Aging.
“Most people wanted to increase their comfort level,” AT&T trainer Cedric Washington explained. “A lot of folks wanted to know how to retrieve a text message, how to send one and how to set up their speed dials.” Washington said Smith caught on right away.
Said Cedric: “Miss Betty could end up in the national texting championship if she keeps this up.” Smith also selected a new ring tone during the session. “I don’t know the name of it, but it’s pretty,” she said. “But I have to keep it on the loud setting these days if I’m being honest with you.”
Bid on Sir Elton’s jacket, Vegas show
The auction is more than 72 hours away, but bids already are coming in from as far away as Arkansas and New York. A certain Peachtree Road resident once again is flinging open his closet door to benefit this year’s Fashion Cares fund-raiser for the city’s breast cancer and AIDS charities set for Aug. 25. Sir Elton John has donated a hound’s tooth jacket from his wardrobe to be auctioned off live on the air Monday on the Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke morning show on B98.5 FM. Helping the duo to start the bidding? This year’s Fashion Cares’ celeb designer attendee Isaac Mizrahi. As usual, Sir Elton is feeling generous: In addition to the jacket, the Elton John AIDS Foundation is throwing in a pair of tickets to his “Red Piano” concert in Las Vegas, first-class Delta airfare and a two-night stay at Caesar’s Palace.
The bidding starts at 8 a.m.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Rose-Marie (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”) is 85. Actress Pat Priest (“The Munsters”) is 72. Author-journalist Linda Ellerbee is 64. Songwriter Jimmy Webb is 62. Actress Debi Mazar (“Entourage”) is 44. Actress Debra Messing (“Will and Grace”) is 40. Actor Anthony Anderson (“Barbershop”) is 38. Actor Ben Affleck is 36. Singer Joe Jonas (below) of The Jonas Brothers is 19.
HARRY’S ON HOLD
Hold onto your wizard’s hat. The next Harry Potter movie just got bumped to 2009.
Warner Bros. officially has moved “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” from Nov. 11, 2008, to July 17, 2009.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the studio is blaming the move in part on the writers’ strike, which created a limited number of big releases, especially for summer 2009.
Contributing: Bob Longino and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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