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From staid student
Karen Heller takes
By LORA BEST
Reporter
Karen Heller, who sports short, brown hair, a hint
of make-up and flashing brown eyes sits on the
bench, animatedly talking and occasionally break
ing to talk to friends who walk by. The 21-year-old
wears her Aggie ring, a gold chain and a gold ear
cuff. Her books are on the bench nearby, much like
any other Texas A&M student's.
But six days a week she dons heavy make-up and
a bubbly personality to become Karen Kay, a video
jockey for K05HU, better known as TV-5, a low-
power music television operating in Houston.
Heller commutes from Houston to A&M every
Tuesday and Thursday to take her final six hours to
ward her journalism degree. She got the job last
summer as a result of her persistence and the keen
eye of a friend.
"I knew that I wanted to do something in broad
cast or in law," Heller says. She had a summer inter
nship set up with a lawyer in Virginia because she
wanted to learn more about law and has the desire
to go to law school. Then a friend of hers saw the TV-
5 advertisement for VJs in a newspaper.
"The ad said to mail in a resume but I hand car
ried mine," she says. She even insisted on an inter
view because she said her resume wasn't capable
of describing her the way an interview could.
Out of the 2,000 people who sent resumes to the
station, Heller and 600 other people were granted
interviews. Of those, 150 got auditions and 50 got
second auditions. The station hired 25 people.
"I was so happy and excited to get the job that I
walked around with a smile on my face for a week,"
she says. "I couldn't even talk, I just smiled. I knew
that I could do it, but I had never done it before."
She says she was very nervous at the auditions
because the other applicants seemed more qual
ified. Some of the people who auditioned for the sta
tion were models and people with previous experi
ence and backgrounds in television.
But she got the job and even has her own show,
called Hit City Video. It airs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday through Friday. She also has a Sunday
show called Sunday Brunch with Special K.
But don't expect Karen Heller, the student, to ap
pear on your screen. A new Karen Heller appears,
Karen Kay.
"Karen Kay is happy all of the time," Heller says.
"She never gets angry and she is never in a bad
mood."
Heller explains that her first few weeks on the job
were difficult because she couldn't found her niche
as a VJ. She tried using props, being goofy and then
she tried being herself. Karen Kay is an extension of
herself for the camera.
She uses some props in he
technique is to use puns deali
or the titles of songs.
"C'mon and take a right ti
with Aretha Franklin ...," Hel
pie of her style.
But her change to Karen Kc
stantly. To prepare for her 7 p.:
start getting ready at 4 p.m. r
putting on makeup and fixing
lots one hour for the drive to t
cause of the infamous Houston
One hour before she goes or
materials she can use during tl
"I read Rolling Stone and
never read otherwise," she 1
trivia and interesting facts c
slated to be seen during her sh
Fifteen minutes before her
was so happy a
get the job that I wo
with a smile on my
week. I couldn't eve
smiled. I knew that
but I had never dom
her makeup again. "I need a rr
to follow me around," she k
needs to wear a lot of make-i
cause the lights will wash-out 1
Once on the air, Heller ha;
music that plays because a ]
mats the show. She does hav<
during the breaks in the music
last from 15 seconds to one
breaks per hour. Another dut^
the request line.
"Sometimes it seems like no
except for children who have
than call," she says. "Occasi
call and say that her kids wa
she likes it too." She says it is re
people other than little kids wa
She also has regulars that c
old boy who does a Billy Crys
she looks marvelous. Anothei
who always asks her out.