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Gina Maravilla returns to TV
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Gina Maravilla prepares traffic maps
“Don’t laugh at me but I’ve become a total traffic geek!”
Gina Maravilla gives a little laugh of her own and jumps into action, donning a headset to communicate with the producer of Channel 3 (KTVK)’s Good Morning Arizona. “Tyson- that wreck has moved off to the left.” It is 8:30 a.m. and Maravilla’s adrenaline is already pumping hard.
Ahhh… morning traffic in Metro Phoenix. Congestion on the valley’s freeways has thickened dramatically in the past 20 years, in line with the population. As that problem grows, media executives see opportunity.
KTAR radio has arguably the best-known traffic spotter in town. “Detour Dan” Beach has been keeping track of the commute while flying high above the valley’s roadways for more than two decades. Television was slower to key into the trend, but all the morning TV newscasts now manage to cover traffic in one way or another.
At KTVK, news director Brad Remington is a recent transplant to Arizona. He believes covering traffic is a key to success. “Phoenix has one of the worst traffic problems in the country,” he said. “And we want to beef up our coverage.” To that end, he lured Maravilla back onto the air.
Hers will be a familiar face to many viewers. Maravilla most recently worked as a news anchor for Channel 5 (KPHO) before deciding to stay home for a couple of years to begin a family (she and her husband now have two children). Prior to that, however, she cut her teeth as an intern and then reporter for more than ten years at KTVK—making her new gig a homecoming of sorts.
“I was here when it was just I-10 and the Durango curve,” she said. “That’s cool to take all those years of reporting and do this.”
Nowadays for Maravilla, “this” means arriving for work at 4am and going straight to the traffic computers. Remington ordered changes to the news set to create a “traffic center” for her. And, he said, having her in the studio will free up former helicopter pilot Bruce Haffner to provide more coverage as a roving reporter. “Bruce will be in the field; Gina will be in the studio,” Remington said. “Gina will be the primary traffic reporter, with support from Bruce who does lots of other reporting. He will help tell the traffic story heading to problem areas in our ‘skype truck’, but he will do other breaking news and community events.”
For her part, Maravilla is thrilled. “Brad has given this to me as a beat,” she said. Then the traffic screen caught her eye again. “OOH what’s this! Now look at this- it has this great little icon. Central and Southern has a traffic light problem!”
Few people get excited about traffic troubles. In fact, traffic is a big contributor to stressful mornings. Maravilla has already explored that aspect, and produced a news report featuring a morning commuter wearing a heart monitor during her drive to work. “This is who I am. All those years of hard news, well this is how I give to my community now. It’s still journalism.”
She cocks her head and smiles for the umpteenth time this morning. “I know that sounds really corny.”
No, Gina.. just a little geeky.
Watch a recent traffic report with Gina Maravilla:
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