As appeared in MULTICHANNELS, Cleveland State University
Summer 2004
Annie Hoffman'88: Inside sports, entertainment
Annie Hoffman seems to have done it all.
The 1988 Cleveland State University graduate has worked in radio, TV and movies. She was the executive producer at WKNR Sports Radio in Cleveland, making her the only woman at the time to reach such a level.
Hoffman was also named Best Reporter of 1996 by CBS “Sportsline,” and created, produced and hosted “New York City Positives,” a Manhattan cable program about people making a difference in the city. She also interviewed such people as President George W. Bush, Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Shaquille O'Neal and Serena Williams. The list of TV programs and radio stations she has worked on is numerous. She is now president of Blondie Productions Inc.
One of Hoffman’s favorite classes in the Communication Department was interpersonal communication.
When asked how classes prepared her for her work, she said, “The classes were helpful with actual hands-on experience in the form of co-op experiences and internships, which led to paid jobs in the business while I was still a CSU student.”
While a college tour guide for prospective students, she heard that ABC Sports was coming to CSU for the NCAA Swimming Championships. So she decided to contact the network to help out.
Hoffman ended up being hired, which led her to cover hundreds of events for ABC Sports during her college years. Through ABC Sports she was able to work on the 1988 Winter Olympics and eventually was stage manager on “Monday Night Football.”
One of the reasons Hoffman enjoyed CSU was that the professors understood that students both work and go to school. Some of her favorite classes were taken in First College. And she remembers Dr. Robert Abelman, Dr. Susan Hill, and Dr. Jae-won Lee from the Communication Department.
Hoffman says what she likes most about her job is the chance to meet all sorts of people and learn from their experiences. “Interviewing gives me an opportunity to do that and tell their story,” she says. “It’s as if I’m on a high when I interview someone.”
Hoffman's favorite interview was also her most challenging: boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who was charged with triple murder in the mid-1960s and later released from jail.
While the movie, “Hurricane” was being made, Carter was not accepting media interviews. Hoffman had to spend six months gaining his trust before securing the interview in his Toronto home. His story changed Hoffman’s opinion about the death sentence and judicial system.
The best advice Hoffman can give future graduates is to “intern, intern, intern!” She says experience outside of class can help inside class. She also said that internships can help students learn about all the different aspects of the business and learn about themselves. “Be creative and work with the professors to help gain valuable experiences,” she adds.
Hoffman has recently interviewed former NFL star Deion Sanders for a book she is writing.
For more information on Annie Hoffman, check out her Web site at www.anniehoffman.com.
