A strong work ethic, faith in people, and knockout good looks can all help you get a career in broadcasting. But you still have to earn it.
Abby Hornacek has a vast array of experience in media at 28 years of age. She said her experiences at Fox Nation have been extremely rewarding and have offered her access to fascinating experiences.
“Every day is different,” Hornacek said. “That’s what I live for.”
Her show PARK’D on Fox Nation just dropped season six.
“We visited five new national parks this season,” Hornacek said. “We did a very special show on Yellowstone.”
During her career Hornacek said she and her producers take topics and flesh them out to the fullest degree possible.
“Sometimes we deal with news-related topics,” she said. “We have an expert on the show who can explain how something works. We had a guest who explained the midterm elections in detail. People wonder how things work. People have a curiosity about many things. We show how something has worked, how it has changed.”
On PARK’D Hornacek said she went to a national park in Kentucky that had a dairy barn. She said she got the chance to milk a cow.
“They made special ice cream out of the milk and I got to hang out for the day,” Hornacek said. “They told me if I ever wanted to come back, they had a place in the barn where I could stay. I thought it was my calling. I called my mom and told her I think I want to be a dairy farmer.”
During Covid, Hornacek said she discovered a silver lining, despite all the pain and inconvenience the pandemic caused.
“I was able to connect with my family,” she said. “I have two brothers and we were always close, but we really started to listen to each other when we were isolated.”
Hornacek said people have a tendency to take the family for granted, with all the daily obligations.
“We’re all caught up in the speed of life,” she explained. “When you’re younger you have this big idea of what you want to do. I don’t know if I dreamed of something super-specific in a career, but I knew I wanted to work with genuine people. I knew I wanted to be happy every day.”
Also during Covid, she took the opportunity to take on her father in sports challenges.
I went home for a few months and I think it was a blessing in disguise,” Hornacek explained. “I told my dad we had to get outside as we were going stir-crazy in the house. We had strange competitions we just came up with on the fly. Like throwing a basketball at the curb and letting it bounce back into a big garbage can. My mom was forced to film it all. We didn’t have a basketball hoop.
Really? No hoop?
Her father Jeff Hornacek was a professional basketball player for 13 years, many of those with the Utah Jazz.
A former NBA star didn’t have a hoop at his house? That’s like Michael Phelps not having a swimming pool at his house. Like a chef not having a stove.
“My father is a very nice guy,” Hornacek said. “People ask me about him all the time. I tell them as good as a basketball player he was, he’s even a better dad. My mom too. I’m blessed with wonderful parents.”
Hornacek said at the tail end of her father’s playing career, she recalls going to games. Her father played alongside NBA Hall of Fame player, John Stockton.
“Lindsay Stockton was one of my best friends,” she said. “Karl Malone’s kids were there too. I never thought about it as going to a game. It was always going to the place my father worked. After a game, it was just like he was coming home from his job.”
A very athletic woman, Hornacek said she played all sports.
“I just loved them. At one point my mother asked if I’d thought about going into a career in sports broadcasting. I was super shy. I had to overcome that, exercise muscles to gain confidence. “I’m not the most outgoing person. I always had my friends, my sports. I didn’t want to give speeches. Never thought I’d be doing what I am now.”
She credits her athletic career for helping her get out of her shell. In college at the University of Southern California, Hornacek was a journalism major, with a sports media minor.
“In my first experiences with the journalism classes, I felt I didn’t really want to do it,” she said. “I immediately switched my major, sort of questioning things. The classes in writing were so strict. If you strayed from the curriculum, you were penalized. I wanted to do my own research.”
She eventually switched back to journalism, but still felt the curriculum was parochial.
“I knew I had to learn about structure with writing, but I didn’t like that I wasn’t able to introduce myself. But then I switched back to my former major. I had an internship with Fox sports before I graduated.”
FOX Nation will host its fourth annual Patriot Awards on Thursday, November 17th as the streaming service nears its four-year anniversary. The event will take place at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida at 7 p.m.
A portion of the proceeds from the evening will be donated to the American Red Cross in support of Hurricane Ian relief that impacted thousands of Florida residents.
“I’ve been going for the past several years,” Hornacek said. “What we do at Fox Nation. We honor people who are everyday heroes. We have the Grammys, Emmys and other award shows. This show is about what good people have done in their community. It’s very inspirational and it gets emotional at times. Last year we honored the parents of troops killed in Afghanistan. People tend to learn about their lives.”
Hornacek said her main goal in her career is to connect with people. Her faith has been a companion throughout her life.
“I say a prayer before I go to bed at night,” Hornacek said. “God’s light shines through me. I’m not saying I’m great at what I do. I remind people there are great things out there. No matter how stressed we get, I like to offer a glimmer of hope. That’s the goal of PARK’D. I’m blessed to work with people that are genuine. I’m around so many smart people in the industry.”
Both of her parents raised three children in the church.
“In recent years my faith has grown,” Hornacek said. “I went to an all-girls high school and went to church every week. My parents never forced us to go to church. They told me my life had been so blessed, so many people don’t have it as good. That’s not a coincidence, that’s God. Be grateful for everything you have.”
Another reason Hornacek loves her job is she gets to go everywhere around the United States and has seen pretty much all of it.
“I love to travel and get to see our great country,” she said. “When I grew up we were always outside hiking, camping. We never really played games inside. I look forward to coming home and doing those kinds of things. Now I live in New York. It doesn’t come naturally to live in a big city. I’m more of a back porch, beer in my hand, and listening to crickets kind of girl.”
Jim Cryns writes features for Barrett News Media. He has spent time in radio as a reporter for WTMJ, and has served as an author and former writer for the Milwaukee Brewers. To touch base or pick up a copy of his new book: Talk To Me – Profiles on News Talkers and Media Leaders From Top 50 Markets, log on to Amazon or shoot Jim an email at jimcryns3_zhd@indeedemail.com.
