News anchor Tom Britt, who began working at WBBJ TV in September, 1992, retires after an almost 30 year career. Tom visited with Grace Media Group to discuss his career in radio and television and what’s next for one of West Tennessee’s most recognizable people.

Question: First, would you give us a little background information – where are you originally from, family, education?

Answer: I was born in Madison County at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in 1951 and was raised on my grandmother’s farm in eastern Madison County sitting on the Madison and Henderson County lines.

I picked and chopped cotton by hand, milked the cows, fed the hogs, gathered eggs from the chicken house and worked in the vegetable garden. I attended Beech Bluff school – which was grades one through 12 – graduating in 1969.

I have one older brother. I had planned on being a coach since I loved sports and played junior high and high school basketball and baseball and also played baseball in the old Dixie Youth League that played teams across across Madison County.

In my senior year of high school I started hanging around a friend who was working at a radio station in Selmer. He allowed me to voice an ad or two and once I heard my voice on tape and on air I was hooked.

So, I started looking around for a broadcast school to help me hone my voice skills. I had already done some plays and singing in high school chorus and at church. I found the Tennessee Institute of Broadcasting in Nashville, enrolled and a year later graduated and came back to Jackson and went to work for AM 1310 WDXI on April 1, 1970.

Question: There are those who do not remember you were in radio before you began working at WBBJ TV. Where did you begin your radio career and where did it end before you accepted a position at WBBJ?

Answer: I worked at WDXI for a couple of years and then went to WTJS 1390 AM and 104.1 FM for a year. At the time WTJS was owned by The Jackson Sun.

Fun times and a free afternoon newspaper hot off the presses and on your desk by 1 pm.

After the WTJS year I returned to WDXI whose new ownership had added 103.1 FM WMXX.

I was an announcer, program director, sports director – doing high school and college games – and an on air personality before switching over to news when automation of stations begin eliminating live Djs.

In August 1992 the general manager at WBBJ TV gave me a call and asked if I would be interested in coming over to the news department … and since the radio stations were being sold I decided to make the move.

I had done some football and basketball games on WLJT along with telethons on WBBJ.

Question: What was the biggest adjustment you made when you went from radio to television?

Answer: In radio it is more of an open format with a lot of ad lib and as a DJ-sports announcer you do almost all of the on air presentation by yourself. In television you deal with producers, reporters, directors, graphics operators, audio-video operators and camera ops to get the news on air.

The news is mostly scripted unless you have breaking and developing news live on air, flying without scripts using notes and ad-libbing.

Question: After crossing over to television, you continued in radio as the ‘Voice of the UTM Skyhawks.’ How many years have you broadcast UTM football and basketball games, and would you tell us about the experience?

Answer: I started on the UTM Martin Sports Network in September of 1979 and broadcast basketball and football.

For the first time since 1979 I didn’t do fall football in 2021. I am doing some basketball games with Network Coordinator Chris Brinkley on the UTM network and ESPN+.

At one time I was the second longest continuous football broadcaster in NCAA – don’t know about now and didn’t know it at the time.

UTM coverage has taken me to games in Alaska, Hawaii, California, along the east coast and the gulf doing games at some of the biggest schools, programs and facilities in the country.

I have been blessed to do hundreds and hundreds of games and a number of OVC Championships and NCAA playoff games.

During the two decades the NAIA Division Women’s Division Championship playoffs were in Jackson, I along with Joe Holloway, fed games to stations and schools all across the country and Canada including several championship games.

Question: What are some of the biggest changes you saw in television during your career at WBBJ?

Answer: We have grown from a small staff doing just a few newscasts a day to doing two hours in the mornings, midday and afternoons, along with a 30 minute show at 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. That, in addition to news on the weekends.

We have improved out facilities, equipment … with onset digital we also stream our shows and produce news on the internet.

Question: What does retirement hold for Tom Britt?

Answer: More free time and not having to meet deadlines, without fail, on time each day with the pressure of making sure you fill the amount of time for each show.

I enjoy staying at home on snowy and icy days rather than going to work and telling people it is too bad to drive.

I became engaged on Christmas to a wonderful lady that I want to do many things with and plan a future.

Also, I want to continue to see my grands grow and become productive adults – and lastly, I want to dig in the dirt, grow vegetables, and work on my lawn.

(PHOTO: Tom Britt)