In 1992, a young, Northwestern University graduate looked to the future with a dream of one day being a leader in a major newsroom.
After 19 years of news reporting, her dream is coming true.
Kristyn Hartman will be joining the news team at WBNS-TV, a local CBS affiliate, in April. The station is the most watched news channel in Columbus, Ohio, according to the latest information from the Nielsen Company.
Hartman, who is currently a reporter in Chicago, said her goal has been to find a place where she can anchor, report and serve the community at a high level.
“My contract was coming to an end here in Chicago and I set out to look for what would be the perfect fit,” Hartman said. “WBNS is, in my opinion, the perfect fit for what I want to do and where I want to take my career. Columbus is a fabulous city. So I am very, very excited.”
Hartman will be replacing Andrea Cambern, a longtime anchor at WBNS-TV, who joined the station in 1991.
Cambern said she has not met Hartman yet, but she has been corresponding with her through emails.
“Everybody who’s met her just has great things to say about her,” Cambern said. “So I’m anxious to meet her and introduce her to Central Ohio.”
Jerry Revish, with whom Hartman will be co-anchoring, met her when she auditioned for the position.
“I’m excited about her,” he said. “She’s a really strong anchor from what I’ve been able to see of her work [and] she’s a strong reporter, too. I’m looking forward to establishing chemistry with her and keeping 10TV No. 1.”
Revish also said she seems to be a very warm person.
“Beyond having the requisite professional skills, she seemed (to be a genuinely) caring person, not only about the business of news, but also about people,” he said.
Hartman is a reporter and fill-in anchor for WBBM-TV in Chicago, which is branded as CBS 2. Prior to that, she worked at stations in Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix, Peoria, Ill. and Joplin, Mo.
Hartman is moving down 31 television markets for her new job. Chicago is the No. 3 market and Columbus is No. 32, according to the latest Nielsen Company market rankings.
“I think she wanted some stability and (in Columbus), she’ll be operating from a position of strength,” said Bill Kurtis, a co-anchor at WBBM-TV. “So I think it’s a good move for her.”
Rob Johnson, another anchor at WBBM-TV, said he didn’t think there were any anchor opportunities at their station and Hartman went on her journey to find a job.
“It was time for her to become a main anchor somewhere,” Johnson said. “Everybody knew that. Everybody could see that.”
Johnson said Hartman is replacing someone that is highly regarded.
“[She understands] that somebody else has really paved a really nice path for her prior to her arrival,” he said. “So I think she’s grateful to have this tremendous opportunity.”
Hartman said her interest in news started as a kid.
“My dad always expected us to be pertinent in current events,” she said. “He was an everyday newspaper reader and at the kitchen table, we talked about current events. That kind of is what hooked me initially.”
She went through a phase where she wanted to be a doctor, she said, but eventually decided to work in news.
“Writing was my strong suit and my love,” she said. “I channeled my energy into something where it would be productive for me and I love learning. This is a business where you learn something new every day.”
Hartman said she is involved in philanthropic efforts and hopes to continue that in Columbus. She said cancer research is a big thing for her.
A young cancer patient inspired her to run a marathon for cancer in 2006, she said, and it was a life-changing experience.
“That’s why I hope to run another one and that’s why I hope to raise money in my time for cancer research initiative when I get to Columbus,” she said.
She also works with the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation and said she would love to see that program come to Columbus.
She said she hopes to be on the air reporting in April and begin anchoring in June. Her husband, Chris, and their dog, Roxy, will be coming to Columbus with her.
Hartman said the thing that excites her most about coming to Columbus is the people, “hands down.”
“When the announcement was made, I have not received a greater tide of goodwill ever in the course of my career than I did from the people of Columbus,” she said. “So I can’t wait to call them neighbors and work for them.”
