REMEMBER THAT?? "FROM THE DESERT TO THE SEA"…

IF YOU GREW UP IN LOS ANGELES, OR KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT NEWS PERSONALITIES IN THIS TOWN…HEARING "FROM THE DESERT TO THE SEA", YOU'LL IMMEDIATELY KNOW I'M TALKING ABOUT JERRY DUNPHY.  WELL, RECENTLY I HAD A CHANCE TO WORK WITH HIS DAUGHTER, ERIN DUNPHY ON A SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT FOR KTLA.  SHE WAS OUR FIELD PRODUCER ON A THANKSGIVING SPECIAL.  AS EXPECTED, SHE IS A YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL WOMAN... BUT MOST STRIKING ABOUT HER IS THAT AFTER WATCHING HER IN ACTION FOR SEVERAL HOURS IT WAS OBVIOUS SHE IS A DOWN TO EARTH AND A HARD WORKING JOURNALIST LIKE HER FATHER. WHAT I APPRECIATED THE MOST WAS THAT AT NO TIME DID SHE INSINUATE OR SUGGEST MY CREW AND I RENDER HER ANY TYPE OF SPECIAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF HER FATHER'S LEGENDARY STATUS.

WELL, AS A REPORTER, I COULD NOT MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU... :)

EE: WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GROW UP WITH JERRY DUNPHY? 

ED: HE WAS FUN, MOST DON'T KNOW BUT MY DAD LOVED TO WRITE MUSIC…HE IN FACT SPOKE WITH DOLLY PARTON IN AN EFFORT TO WRITE MUSIC FOR HER…WHO KNEW RIGHT?!

EE: WAS JERRY A STRICT FATHER? 

ED: YES, HE WAS VERY MUCH BY THE BOOK, BORN IN 1921, HE WAS VERY TRADITIONAL, ALWAYS UPHELD ALL THE CATHOLIC TRADITIONS, MORALS AND VALUES…AND YES HE WAS PROBABLY THE TOUGHEST ON ME BECAUSE I AM THE YOUNGEST OF 6 KIDS!

EE: DID HE EVER SIGN ON OR OFF WITH HIS INFAMOUS "FROM THE DESERT FROM THE SEA" AT HOME? 

ED: NOT REALLY BECAUSE I SAID IT FOR HIM.  YOU SEE, EVERY TIME WE HAD THAT FATHER DAUGHTER CONVERSATION ABOUT MY CAREER GOALS,  AND PLEASE KNOW MY FATHER REALLY WANTED ME TO FOLLOW HIS FOOTSTEPS IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM, I WOULD SAY YES DAD I WILL JOIN, IF HE  INSISTED I WOULD RECITE HIS LINE AND HE KNEW IMMEDIATELY I WAS JOKING AROUND WITH HIM AND WITH A CUTE GRIN ON HIS FACE, HE'D MOVE ONTO ANOTHER SUBJECT.

EE: DID YOU WATCH HIM ALL THE TIME? AND WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?  

 ED: YES, AS A CHILD I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT BUT I KNEW MY DAD WAS A TV PERSONALITY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY IN MY EYES, HE WAS A VOICE FOR OTHERS AND HAD THE ABILITY TO TELL ON THOSE WHO WEREN'T DOING RIGHT.

EE: WHAT WAS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU REMEMBER YOUR FATHER GIVING YOU? 

ED: THERE IS A LOT, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO SAY HE TAUGHT MY WORK ETHIC…MY FATHER WAS DEDICATED, SOO DEDICATED HE NEVER RETIRED FROM THE NEWS BIZ!

EE: CONSIDERING YOUR FATHER NEVER RETIRED, WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR FATHERS LIFE? 

ED: JERRY WAS A GOOD FATHER, BUT I REALIZE BALANCE IS A MUST IN EVERYONES LIFE.  MY FATHER WORKED A LOT, AND YES HE DID SHOW UP FOR SCHOOL FUNCTIONS…BUT I REALIZE HE SPENT MORE TIME AT WORK THAN AT HOME. I WILLSAY MY FATHER WOULD PROBABLY BE DISHEARTENED WITH THE STORY SELECTION OF MOST NEWSCASTS TODAY, AND THE FACT THAT REPORTERS AREN'T GIVEN A CHANCE TO HUNT STORIES DOWN LIKE THEY USED TO.  I REMEMBER MY DAD--HE WORKED TIRELESSLY ON HIS STORIES AND BASICALLY LIVED IT AND BREATHED IT UNTIL COMPLETION.

EE: WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A JOURNALIST? 

ED: THERE IS SOMETHING AMAZING ABOUT OFFERING OTHERS KNOWLEDGE…IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF REAL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE TALKED ABOUT OUT IN THE OPEN. I WOULD GO TO A SMALL MARKET-- I AM PRESENTLY LOOKING AT ALL OPPORTUNITIES….

EE: YOUR FATHER CAME UP WITH ONE OF THE MOST LEGENDARY ON AIR SAYINGS….WHAT WILL YOU SIGN ON OR SIGN OFF WITH? 

ED: I WANT TO CARRY ON MY FATHERS LEGACY…I LOVE HIS LINE, "FROM THE DESERT TO THE SEA" BECAUSE THERE IS HISTORY IN THAT...AND IT INCLUDES VIEWERS FROM ALL OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA! 

THANK YOU ERIN, IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING YOU...I AM VERY EXCITED TO SEE ALL THE GREAT THINGS YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH! CHEERS!!