(WSVN) - Ed Ansin, the owner of WSVN, has passed away at the age of 84, and our on-camera talent at the station reflected on their experiences with Mr. Ansin, as he was known.
“I think my reaction was shock, like a lot of us,” said anchor Craig Stevens. “We all knew his age, but he was the guy with limitless energy, here everyday. We thought he’d be here forever.”
Entertainment reporter and Deco Drive anchor Shireen Sandoval said, “I was heartbroken.”
“I was totally stunned,” said Chief Meteorologist Phil Ferro said. “I had seen Mr. Ansin Friday, leaving the building as I was coming in expecting the sun to rise once again. Then I heard the news, and it was truly like, I was punched in the gut.”
Anchor Belkys Nerey said, “Not one time did I think, ‘This could be, Mr. Ansin passed away.'”
“This is a man who came to work everyday,” said reporter Robbin Simmons, “who we saw in the halls, who decades ago could have decided, ‘I’ve done enough here. I’ve upended the industry. I’ve changed the way this work is done.’ He could’ve relaxed. He came to work everyday.”
Morning anchor Christine Cruz said, “The day I met him, he was a gentleman, a professional, just a nice human being. The last day I saw him, he was the same man.”
Veteran reporter Patrick Fraser said, “The first time I was walking out a door and I had never met him, and he knew who I was. Of course, I knew who he was. That’s the man that owns the station, first time I ever met him.”
Nerey added, “I walk over to him and say, ‘Hi, Mr. Ansin, my name’s Belkys Nerey, I’m new. Just started working at the station. Do you mind if I interview you about the event here for the United Way and whatnot?’ He just looked at me and said, ‘I know who you are. Welcome, it’s good to have you on the team.'”
Stevens said, “It’s no exaggeration for me to say, a lot of people I think would say this too, that the impact on my career and my life is profound. His decision to hire a kid with a little bit of experience, give him opportunity after opportunity after opportunity, has changed the course of my life.”
“I’ve been here already for 15 years,” said meteorologist Vivian Gonzalez. “He took a chance on me. He believed in me, a hometown girl without experience, and he gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. I owe my career to him.”
Reporter and morning anchor Alex De Armas said, “Mr. Ansin took this 24-year-old girl in and gave her a chance. He believed in me. He gave me a chance to make my dream a reality. I’ll never forget that.”
“He’s created a family here,” said Simmons. “It’s not just a workplace. It really is a family. You’ve got so many people who’ve met their life partners in this building.”
Fraser said, “He’s made such as impact on my life. If he hadn’t hired me, I wouldn’t have met my wife, I wouldn’t have a daughter.”
Nerey said, “As cliché and boring and tacky as it sounds, we really all do get along, and we all are just a big giant family under this roof.”
“He treats you like family,” added Sandoval. “Once he invests in you, he means it. He believes in you and in turn you believe in yourself.”
Sports Director Steve Shapiro said, “I just want to thank Ed for this suit. He’s been dressing me for the last 23 years. He’s been dressing me since I was a 40 regular. I’ve gotten a little bigger. Thank you, Ed.”
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