Move over Oprah. Since 2007, Audra Lowe has been hosting the nationally syndicated lifestyle New York-based TV program, the The Better Show show and hosts The Broadway Channel.
In her 25 years of broadcasting experience, Lowe has covered the gamut, from news to sports to entertainment. L.A.-born Lowe previously hosted Fox Sports’ FoxWire and the entertainment show, FoxNOW. Lowe is still a sports fanatic; basketball and NASCAR are her favorites.
Although she is concentrating on her own career, Lowe takes time to school others on the ins and outs of broadcasting. For the past 15 years, she has conducted broadcasting seminars for aspiring journalists, athletes, musicians and financial executives — anyone looking to enhance their interviewing skills. She spends a great deal of time as an adviser to the Center for Sports & Entertainment, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing skills of youth by exposing and preparing them for diverse careers in the sports and entertainment industry.
Think Lowe is busy enough? She’s also a wife, mother and emerging entrepreneur, launching a line of products (such as maternity t-shirts) and endorsements that appeal to women of all ages.
Madame Noire: What is the most rewarding part of hosting Better?
Audra Lowe: When guests, tell me how comfortable I make them feel. It’s also rewarding knowing that, with our research, tips and guests, we may have helped someone with a part of their life. I get an overwhelming amount of viewer feedback that makes me realize that what we’re doing is effective, and is helping someone who needs a little motivation.
MN: You have been with Better since 2007. What do you still find exciting about your job?
AL: Had this been any other show, I may have been bored by now. But the fact is, no two days on our show are ever alike. Meeting celebrities isn’t what’s exciting to me. Meeting celebrities with substance is. Take actor, Tony Danza. I grew up watching him on TV and the other day, he sat down next to me in the makeup room and started chatting like we were old friends before our interview. In a matter of minutes, I realized just how intense and passionate he is about teaching and he didn’t want to talk about his TV career on the show as much as he wanted to focus on education. Taye Diggs—yes, he promoted his show but he was also so conversational, fun and engaging. We talked about being parents and he got so comfortable that we now call it “the Taye Diggs lean” on the couch!
MN: They used to say that an on-air career is shorter for women because people don’t like to see older female newscasters. Do you think this is changing?
AL: I wish I could say it is changing but personally, I think it’s either the same or—in some cases–getting worse. I wish executives would understand the value of “women over 30” and what they bring to the table.
MN: What do you do in your downtime?
AL: I don’t have any! I will never take downtime for granted again. I promise! I pretty much work 24-7 But at my husband’s request, I am working on carving out downtime for myself. If I do get a few moments, I’m redecorating. I love interior design and I drive my husband crazy by rearranging the furniture, painting, etc. I don’t think he’ll ever get used to coming home and finding entire rooms rearranged.
MN: Any new developments for Lowe Blow Tees (her line of maternity t-shirts)?
AL: Like a pregnant woman’s belly, we’re growing. We’ve got several “expecting” celebrities who have our shirts and have sent us photos of them wearing them, and we’re currently working on getting the shirts in retail stores. They started off literally as “retail therapy” for me after my pregnancy and I had no idea people would take to them this much. I currently sell them on my website and we have an Ebay store set up.
MN: How do you juggle hosting Better and The Broadway Channel, the line of shirts, the teaching seminars, and being a mom?
AL: It’s just that—a constant juggle. I’m that juggler at the circus on his first day at work: some of the balls are caught, but a few drop to the ground before I quickly pick them up. I’ve learned to focus on what my priority is for thatmoment and do the best I can with the rest.
Our first priority is our daughter. Since I’m up at 3:30 or 4 am each day, I have to turn down a lot of evening events, and that allows me a little time with my family before everyone goes to bed. If I know I have a late evening working with The Broadway Channel, I just gear myself up knowing the sleep will again wither away, and I just do it. Once that mic is in my hand, the adrenaline gets pumping and I do my job.
MN: Future personal goals?
AL: There’s quite a few, but the two closest to my heart are helping underprivileged kids with school lunches and bullying. I’m going to launch a new program on my website soon, to provide school lunches each month.
As far as bullying is concerned—I think a lot of people thought this was “the cause of the moment” but this is real. I wouldn’t make it as a kid today. Period. I was bullied growing up because of my race and was even punched in the stomach in kindergarten by a young boy whose parents were white supremacists. I remember the fear I had as a young African-American girl growing up in a neighborhood that didn’t exactly welcome us with open arms to the neighborhood. Luckily, I had strong parents who taught me love versus hate, how to use it to make myself stronger (and a grandmother who then taught me how to fight and defend myself!). But I don’t ever want children to go through what I went through.
MN: Secret passion?
AL: Sad to say, but I’ll travel to another state for a good red velvet cake or oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. I’m picky, and they’re not all created equal!
Image via AudraLowe.com
