August 13, 2008

John Charlton comes to the Northeast for the first time in his broadcast journalism career which began in the mid-'90s in Miami, where he worked as a news writer at WSVN-TV.

John's first job in front of the camera took him to Dothan, Ala. where "he was" the Sports Department. It didn't take long for John to make the move to news and move back to Florida.

For 3 years, John got a great workout and a better appreciation for all aspects of news production as a "one-man-band" at former Tribune station Central Florida News13 in Orlando. As a "videojournalist," John reported while doing all his own camerawork and editing. Notable stories while in Central Florida include the '98 Florida Wildfires, the 2000 Presidential Election Florida Recount, and numerous Hurricanes.

John's next move brought him to the Bluegrass State and WLKY-TV in Louisville: home of bourbon and the Kentucky Derby. There, John covered five Derbys, and in 2005, won the prestigious Murrow Award For Large Market Spot News for reporting on what was a peaceful protest against police that turned violent.

You'd think the climate change to Hartford would be dramatic for John, but he's used to changing surroundings and environments. As the son of an American Diplomat, John was born and raised overseas, living in the Caribbean, Asia, Canada, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

John loves to travel, saying "nothing beats hanging out with a local in a foreign land." That's still a favorite, even though life overseas coincided with Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and John and his family were taken hostage, or as Saddam Hussein preferred to refer to them as "guests." Fortunately, they all, John, his family, and even their dog, were eventually freed.

When he's not reporting the news, John enjoys sports and cooking for his girlfriend.

Email John