Jake Whittenberg
Encyclopedia
Jake Whittenberg is an American
television news reporter. He began his career in newscasting at KTVQ-TV
in Billings, Montana
before moving in 2007 to Columbus, Ohio
where he was a general assignment reporter for WSYX-TV
and their sister station WTTE-TV
. He then moved to Seattle, Washington
where he is currently Bureau
Chief Reporter at KING-TV
.
becoming one of the top high school performers in the country. He studied media and theater arts at Montana State University-Bozeman and New York University
. Jake worked as a "stand-in" and personal assistant on several film and television sets. Highlights include reading lines with Academy Award-winner Jessica Lange
and Sam Shepard
on the film, “Don't Come Knocking
,” and serving as an assistant to Dave Matthews
on a music video, “Gravedigger.” Jake made several films of his own, and earned "Best Fiction Film of the Year" in 2004 at the Montana Tracy Awards. To stay grounded, Jake spent time with his improv
troupe at Venture Theater in Billings, Montana
, performing to appreciative audiences every week.
for KTVQ-TV
, CBS
affiliate in Billings, Montana
. When Hurricane Katrina
hit land in 2005, Jake became the only Montana
reporter to travel to the Gulf Coast where he filed reports for two weeks. He became recognized and made the quick jump to reporter at WSYX-TV
and their sister station WTTE-TV
in Columbus Ohio. He covered the historic 2008 presidential election where Ohio
was center stage, and reported live from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
during the unprecedented floods of 2008 that devastated the region.
for three years, Jake applied for a position at KING-TV
in Seattle, Washington
. After a short interview
process, Whittenberg was granted the job at KING-TV and jumped over 20 markets to Bureau
Chief Reporter at KING-TV in Seattle, Washington
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television news reporter. He began his career in newscasting at KTVQ-TV
KTVQ
KTVQ is the CBS TV affiliate in Billings, Montana, USA. It broadcasts on channel 2 and is owned by the Evening Post Publishing Company...
in Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
before moving in 2007 to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
where he was a general assignment reporter for WSYX-TV
WSYX
WSYX, channel 6, is an ABC-affiliated television station located in Columbus, Ohio. WSYX is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also operates Fox affiliate WTTE through a local marketing agreement...
and their sister station WTTE-TV
WTTE
WTTE is the Fox-affiliated television station for Columbus, Ohio. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter on Stimmel Road. The station can be seen on Insight, Time Warner, and WOW! channel 8. For high definition digital cable, it is offered on Insight...
. He then moved to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
where he is currently Bureau
News bureau
A News bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; foreign bureau is a generic term for a news office set up...
Chief Reporter at KING-TV
KING-TV
KING-TV, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the NBC network. Owned by Belo Corporation, it broadcasts on UHF digital channel 48. Its offices and broadcasting center are located just east of Seattle Center...
.
Early life
Jake began as a performer in speech competition at a very young age. In 1999, he competed at National Forensic League national tournament in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
becoming one of the top high school performers in the country. He studied media and theater arts at Montana State University-Bozeman and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Jake worked as a "stand-in" and personal assistant on several film and television sets. Highlights include reading lines with Academy Award-winner Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange
Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. The recipient of several awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and one Emmy, Lange is regarded as one of the première female actors of her generation.Lange was discovered by producer...
and Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
on the film, “Don't Come Knocking
Don't Come Knocking
Don't Come Knocking is a 2005 film, a comedy-drama road movie directed by German director Wim Wenders and written by Wenders and actor/playwright Sam Shepard. The two had previously collaborated on the film Paris, Texas...
,” and serving as an assistant to Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
on a music video, “Gravedigger.” Jake made several films of his own, and earned "Best Fiction Film of the Year" in 2004 at the Montana Tracy Awards. To stay grounded, Jake spent time with his improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
troupe at Venture Theater in Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, performing to appreciative audiences every week.
Career
After graduating from Montana State, Jake followed in his parents journalistic footsteps and became a reporter/anchorAnchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
for KTVQ-TV
KTVQ
KTVQ is the CBS TV affiliate in Billings, Montana, USA. It broadcasts on channel 2 and is owned by the Evening Post Publishing Company...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate in Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
. When Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
hit land in 2005, Jake became the only Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
reporter to travel to the Gulf Coast where he filed reports for two weeks. He became recognized and made the quick jump to reporter at WSYX-TV
WSYX
WSYX, channel 6, is an ABC-affiliated television station located in Columbus, Ohio. WSYX is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also operates Fox affiliate WTTE through a local marketing agreement...
and their sister station WTTE-TV
WTTE
WTTE is the Fox-affiliated television station for Columbus, Ohio. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a transmitter on Stimmel Road. The station can be seen on Insight, Time Warner, and WOW! channel 8. For high definition digital cable, it is offered on Insight...
in Columbus Ohio. He covered the historic 2008 presidential election where Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
was center stage, and reported live from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
during the unprecedented floods of 2008 that devastated the region.
Emmy
In 2009, Jake won an Emmy Award for Breaking News Reporting. He has also received awards from the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists.Moving
After living in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
for three years, Jake applied for a position at KING-TV
KING-TV
KING-TV, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the NBC network. Owned by Belo Corporation, it broadcasts on UHF digital channel 48. Its offices and broadcasting center are located just east of Seattle Center...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. After a short interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
process, Whittenberg was granted the job at KING-TV and jumped over 20 markets to Bureau
News bureau
A News bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; foreign bureau is a generic term for a news office set up...
Chief Reporter at KING-TV in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.