Left to Right: Dade Hayes, Alyssa Kaufman, Freddy James, Jay Blumenfield and Ross Babbit at ATVfest. Image courtesy of zimbio.com.
Ross Babbit graduated from Ohio University with a B.A. in sciences, specifically telecommunications. After school he worked his butt off on freelance jobs. His hard work and dedication to the industry led to him working as a producer for CBS Early Show. Babbit went on to work for the DIY Network where he produced shows like Room Crashers, Turf Wars, and Man Caves. He was eventually promoted to VP of Programming Partnerships and Special Projects. Ross Babbit is now the senior VP of Programming and Development at Travel Channel. I sat down with him to ask him a couple of questions about his career and the future of television.
Jordan Di Pirro: What’s one of the hardest parts about your job or one of the most challenging things you’ve had to do?
Ross Babbit: It’s always challenging in a crowded television landscape to find a truly fresh and unique idea and/or talent. When you do find one, it’s the most exciting thing in the world.
JD: With people not watching cable, do you find a real pressure to put content in web media and to promote them on social media?
RB: Yes, certainly with the younger audience consuming their content not on television, but on the web or in other over-the-top ways. It’s important for us to expose our content on those platforms. Every show we do has what we call “shoulder content” that are small short-form pieces that compliment the long-form show on the air, so you can experience the show in different ways.
Ross Babbit at ATVfest. Image courtesy of zimbio.com.
JD: After graduating from college in Ohio, did you ever think you’d be where you are today?
RB: I certainly didn’t think I would be working right now for Travel Channel in Washington DC, but I hoped that I was going to be working in the television business in someway. I’m grateful and feel blessed that I’m able to continue to work in television, which is the greatest business out there to me.
JD: Do you have any advice for college kids wanting to go into the industry?
RB: The number one piece of advice and excuse my French is to work your a** off. No matter what you are doing, whether it’s a production assistant or craft service or a writer or a director, whatever it is you are doing just work really hard. People will notice. I always believe that for the people who work hard, the cream always rises. Make relationships. Make friends with your collegues. Work really hard and good things will happen for you.
JD: Lastly, since you work at the Travel Channel what’s been your favorite place to travel?
RB: My favorite place to travel … I’d have to say is actually for a show I worked on when I was a producer for the Food Network and that was Bali, Indonesia. I find it to be the most beautiful place on Earth.