Four Inane Questions with KCTV5 Anchor Carolyn Long
Photo Courtesy of Carolyn Long
After a distinguished 30-year TV news career at KCTV5, Carolyn Long is signing off later this week. Over the years, Long has—at one time or another—anchored every newscast time slot on the station.
The Ohio native tells us she was raised in the Buckeye state and after stints in both Ohio and Connecticut, she found her home in Kansas City. Through the decades, Long has become known for her warmth and credibility. “I have a deep connection to the KC community,” she says.
Long, who last year anchored ten straight hours on the day of the Chiefs rally shooting, says many of her stories make an impact—some much more than others. “I once did a story we called ‘cardiac arrest,’ where I fake arrested folks at a food court in the mall and had them do a heart scan on the spot,” says Long. “I kid you not, one man who was scanned had a stent put in that very same day. Talk about a lifesaver!”
While most viewers see Long on the airwaves, she’s also a constant staple at countless philanthropic events. If she isn’t emceeing your charity wingding, can you even call it a wingding? During her tenure, she’s hosted hundreds of annual fundraisers for the Kansas City Zoo, Down Syndrome Guild, Wayside Waifs, and Bra Couture KC, just to name a few.
When she’s not reporting or giving back, Long is known for her sense of adventure. (Girlfriend tells us she’s leaving for a bare-bones wilderness trip to the hinterlands of Alaska in mere weeks.) Long mentions she’s also the ultimate bargain hunter and skier. “Snow and water skiing!” she adds.
Last week, we set up lights, a camera, and microphone to ask her our oft-puzzling four inane questions. We wanted her to feel right at home. Bless.
Photo Courtesy of Carolyn Long
The Pitch: At the gym, what exercise do you hate with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns, but still do—albeit begrudgingly?
Carolyn Long: Burpees. I loathe burpees with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns and maybe a few bonus solar flares. They’re like the overachievers of the exercise world—part squat, part push-up, part jump, all misery. And yet, I do them. Begrudgingly. Mostly out of fear that if I stop, some overly enthusiastic trainer will pop up and make me do double.
Retirement may mean no more deadlines, but apparently, it doesn’t exempt me from burpees.
Finish this sentence: I could eat my weight in…
Ice cream. Most any flavor. Though, if pressed to choose just one, it’s hands down chocolate peanut butter. I’d consume it without shame, without blinking, and possibly with two spoons. It’s the perfect combo: smooth, rich, a little salty, a lot sweet, and dangerously close to becoming its own food group in my retirement diet.
If loving it is wrong, I don’t want to be right—unless being right comes with sprinkles.
Photo Courtesy of Carolyn Long
If you were a brand of hairspray, what brand of hairspray would you be?
I would be my go-to favorite: Bed Head in the teal bottle—strong, a little flashy, adds a touch of shine, and absolutelyrefuses to let things get out of place (especially all of the wiry, gray ones).
Like me, it’s been around a while, knows what it’s doing, and doesn’t back down when things get messy. It holds up under pressure, looks good on camera, and has a personality that says, “Retired? Maybe. But still fabulous.”
Who is the one person you almost, nearly, possibly interviewed, but fell through for whatever reason and you’re still bitter about it?
Martha Stewart. I had the chance. The stars aligned. The calendar was open. But I was such a fan—like, own-the-cookbooks-and-watched-every-holiday-special level of fan—that I hesitated. What if she wasn’t everything I’d imagined? What if she didn’t love me back?
I let the moment pass, partly out of nerves and partly to preserve the perfect pedestal I’d built for her. Do I regret it? Maybe. But my idea of Martha remains flawlessly intact—and honestly, that might be the most beautifully curated outcome of all.
Bonus 5th Question: What’s your favorite on-set light? Key, fill, or back? Or something else?
We actually have a small “chin light” embedded into the news set desk. It’s the MVP, the Beyoncé of the lighting trio—front and center, doing the heavy lifting, and making sure I don’t look sleep-deprived. It brings the focus, flatters the face, and hides the sins of too many chocolate peanut butter ice cream scoops.
After 30 years in front of the camera, I’ve learned to love anything that says, “Here’s your best angle, darling.” Besides, without a good chin light, even the best story can fall flat—and I’ve always tried to not fade too far into the background.
