Page 11 - IAV Digital Magazine #619

Albany CBS6 Anchor Olivia Jaquith Goes Into Labor On Air
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5LeHFsWwvQ
By Michael Mashburn
Albany news anchor Olivia Jaquith went into labor just
moments before her morning broadcast on WRGB
Wednesday, May 21, but–like a true professional–neve r missed a beat.
Her co-anchor, Julia Dunn, kicked off the show with the perfect open- ing line: “We do have some break- ing news this morning, literally. Olivia’s water has broke, and she is anchoring the news now in active labor.”
Jaquith, poised and smiling, gen- tly corrected: “Early labor, early labor, Let’s not get carried away.”
Instead of rushing to the hospital, Jaquith proceed- ed to co-anchor the entire broad- cast. At one point, meteorologist Craig Adams
joked that he may have to hoist the expectant mother over his shoulders to get her to the hospital.
Dunn repeatedly assured viewers that it was Jaquith’s decision to remain behind the anchor desk.
“I’d rather be at work than at the hospital,” Jaquith said.
The on-screen graphics team got in on the fun too, with a cheeky banner that read “Days Past due Date: 2” and, at the close of the show, “Here comes Baby P, Good luck Olivia.”
WRGB News Director Stone Grissom later
issued a state- ment praising Jaquith for meet- ing every stage of her pregnancy journey “with grace and grit.”
“We couldn’t be more thrilled for them. Olivia’s passion for story- telling, love for her hometown, and commitment to our viewers have always been evident,” Grissom said. “We’re over- joyed to soon wel- come our newest (and tiniest!) member.”
Jaquith, a Niskayuna native who returned home to join WRGB last spring, is welcom- ing her first child—a baby boy—with hus- band Tyn.
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