Ron Corning

I remember those late nights in college -- writing papers, reading, studying, and just trying to get through final exams. I found an unexpected companion one night while flipping through the channels.

Among the infomercials and color bars was ABC's "World News Now." I'd never seen anything quite like it, and as an aspiring TV journalist I was drawn to the idea of covering the news while not being afraid to be irreverent and self-effacing.

Aaron Brown's tie was loosened, his sleeves rolled up. Lisa McRee was talking about the news of the weird while taking jabs at her co-anchor. And who had ever seen an accordion player singing about the news? I made WNN a regular part of those overnight study and cram sessions, hoping someday I might be part of "that" kind of newscast.

Many anchors have come and gone since I first discovered WNN. I've watched most, if not all, of them. Working early morning shifts from Clarksburg, W. Va., to St. Louis to Seattle, I always checked in on the show, wondering if my career might someday take me there.

During the first seven years of my career I compiled a diverse body of work. I covered the Midwest floods for CNN in 1995. And while at Seattle's Fox affiliate, I covered other stories of national importance for Fox News. In 2000, L.A. came calling, and the time felt right to leave news and flex a different muscle: covering entertainment from the entertainment capital. It was an exciting step, and a time of self-discovery.

I realized early on that my career was better served by striking a balance between entertainment and hard news. That's when "The Daily Buzz" came along. This live, three-hour morning show debuted on 10 WB affiliates across the country in the fall of 2002, and it was "that" kind of newscast -- a place to cover important news, chime in on pop culture, interact with my co-hosts, and not take myself too seriously. I settled in, the show grew, and ABC called.

The pieces of the puzzle were coming together. My experience in news and entertainment, and my work as a reporter and anchor had brought me to WNN some 12 years after I had become a loyal viewer. It's amazing how life can come full circle.

Since I started at WNN in August 2004, I've found that staying up all night isn't as easy as it was back in those college days. I need more sleep and coffee, and I don't get that second wind for the weekend as readily as I once did. But being part of ABC and "World News Now" is more rewarding than I could have imagined, and just as fun as I remembered.