Since leaving KARE-TV, Channel 11, three years ago, Roxane Battle hasn't covered any news, but she has made some.
Using her married name, Morrison, the former reporter and anchor has created a cable TV program in support of her husband's ministry at Speak the Word Church International in Golden Valley. The program recently won a Telly Award in an international competition that included such heavyweights as the Weather Channel and Harpo Studios, Oprah Winfrey's production company.
It's a David and Goliath story, she said, meaning it in the metaphorical rather than biblical sense. The show is the work of four staff members -- counting her -- and 30 volunteers from the congregation.
"We all multi-task," she said. "I think the fact that my little crew of eager workers and volunteers won is pretty remarkable."
The show, shown at 9 p.m. Saturdays on Comcast's Channel 6 (and repeated several times during the week), is called "A Common Sense Approach to Life With Randy Morrison." It features excerpts from his sermons, but that's not its main focus.
"I wanted to create a show that is different from the others" that support ministries, she said. "Most of them are built around people standing in a pulpit, preaching. We go out into the community and show the gospel at work. We don't just teach the gospel, we demonstrate it."
Although she no longer gets the adrenaline rush that comes from covering breaking news on a live broadcast, she has discovered a new payoff.
"Sure, I miss being on the front door when news happens," she said. "But what we're doing is having an impact on people. I used to cover people's lives from a distance; now I'm part of them."
