One of Hamilton’s top television broadcasters didn’t start out with stars in her eyes. Veteran CH reporter and on-air personality Annette Hamm was just following her Dad’s advice. 

“In Grade 13, I applied to three universities for psychology,” says Hamm, “but my Dad suggested I look at a college course – something with a job at the end of it. He asked me what my job would be graduating from psychology, and I really didn’t know.” 

And so she hatched a new plan. Hamm loved English courses in high school, so the Broadcast Journalism program at Mohawk College immediately caught her eye. She was later accepted to all three of the universities she applied to, but opted instead to stay close to her Langton, Ontario, roots, pursuing her studies in what would become her adopted hometown of Hamilton. 

These days, Hamm lives on the Hamilton Mountain with her husband, fellow Mohawk alumnus Daniel Smith, and their two cats, Emma and Rudy. For many Hamiltonians, she is half of the trusted team that starts each weekday on CH Morning Live, which Hamm co-hosts with fellow anchor Bob Cowan. Since making her move to the anchor desk less than one year ago, Hamm might seem like a new face to some fans of the show. But she’s actually a CH veteran with roots extending back to her early college days in the mid-eighties. 

In fact, her first foray into the professional newsroom came a few months into her studies. 

“CH at that time hired more part-time students,” Hamm remembers. “In the middle of our second semester, our instructor came in looking for part-time writers at the station.” Hamm jumped at the chance, and was brought on board. Her talents shone early on, and before her first year at Mohawk was through, she had landed a job at CH that lasted through the summer. It was the beginning of her future career. 

Hamm commends Mohawk for preparing her with skills she could put to the test immediately. The Broadcast Journalism program’s first-year concentration on radio broadcasting and second-year focus on television production allowed her to first build her skills as a news writer, then learn the tricks of the trade that would get her noticed as a fresh-faced reporter. A year later, with Mohawk’s Broadcast Journalism diploma to her credit, Hamm became a dedicated member of the CH news team. 

In the years since her on-air debut, Hamm has covered everything from general assignment to the environmental beat. As a crime reporter, she got used to catching the latest buzz on a police scanner she carried around with her. When she moved to the anchor desk, Hamm found it tough to draw herself away from the constant flow of information. So much so, that the sound of static still makes her ears perk up. 

“What I liked best about being a beat reporter was not having a job where you’re doing the same thing all day,” laughs Hamm. “Beat reporting is almost like job shadowing. You’re meeting people in different life and work conditions, and you’re doing a little bit of what they do.” A case in point was one of her favourite assignments back in 2003, when she shipped off to the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, to profile a local police officer training with the bureau’s international program. 

Hamm has always loved the adrenaline rush of being a reporter. But even as a CH Morning Live co-host, she is still privy to the excitement of breaking news. 

“Working in the studio, I like being there when something happens, and letting people know about it right away,” she says. 

In the months since her November 2004 debut at the anchor desk, Hamm has become a part of the trusted CH team Hamiltonians rely on for accurate news coverage. Ringing in the day’s top stories is a privilege she shares with a handful of Mohawk alumni who mold the city’s news coverage both on air and behind-the-scenes. The most recognizable of these include Matt Hayes, the weathercaster known for his roving reports; Connie Smith, a long-standing CH anchor and host with over 25 years on the air, and weekend sports anchor Clint “Bubba” O’Neil, the local play-by play voice of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 

“We get along very well,” says Hamm, when asked about her famous coworkers. “The pressure in this business gets people aggravated, but we’re good friends as soon as the deadline has passed.” 

Though her on-air profile is rising, Hamm jokes that she is seldom noticed in real life – except when she’s out for a run or taking out the garbage. No matter what the circumstances, she’s become conscious of putting on a “public face” when interacting with her viewing audience outside of work hours, though her cheerful and pleasant demeanor make that an easy task. Hamm says that in her experience, folks around town have been warm and welcoming. 

“When you’re in their living rooms on a daily basis, people feel like they know you,” she says. 

People may indeed feel like they’ve come to know the personalities at CH – but what they might not know when tuning into Morning Live between 6 and 9 a.m. each weekday is that Hamm and the station staff have been hard at work since three o’clock in the morning. 

Arriving at the station with wet hair and no makeup, Hamm spends about an hour getting ready for her time on air, with the help of professional stylists. She then spends the next hour or so reviewing scripts and making notes to help with any introductions or interviews. 

CH Morning Live is taped from six until nine o’clock. During that time, coffee is supplied and hosts are able to eat at the anchor desk when breaks allow – which Hamm points out is a unique CH perk and uncommon in the television industry. 

Another rarity is a show that progresses without a few bumps along the way. “On CH Morning Live, our job is to get information out as soon as we get it. That’s the beauty of a morning show – people don’t expect it to be as structured (as later broadcasts) because they’re just out of bed as well. They accept more breaking up of the format to accommodate the latest stories, and I love it. I thrive on breaking news.” 

When the show wraps up for the day, Hamm and co-host Cowan tape promos for the next day’s program before sitting down with the Morning Live staff to work ahead on upcoming stories. Hamm also works on the reporting assignments she files for CH News at Noon. 

“You have to be well rounded in everything. Read newspapers, read magazines and watch other newscasts -- you have to be very aware of what’s going on out there.” 

In her current role, Hamm’s work centres more on crafting features rather than rushing to cover breaking stories. Often, her pieces don’t even hit the airwaves the day they are taped. Unfolding events are covered by a new generation of beat reporters, while Hamm now savours the opportunity to develop the knowledge she needs to bring credibility to the anchor desk. She no longer relies on a police scanner, but instead on a working business background to conduct regular interviews for the show. She also needs to know “a bit about everything” to handle the constant barrage of breaking news that needs to be delivered intelligently to a critical audience. 

In just short of 20 years in the television business at CH, Hamm’s love of the news is part of an even greater love for Hamilton. The escarpment, the walking trails and visits to the market are all part of what makes the city feel like home to her. With family members who have lived in town over the years, and frequent visits to Hamilton as a teen, Hamm says she has always felt a special connection to the city and the people here. 

Part of Hamm’s connection comes from the hours of service she offers to agencies around town. She’s a dedicated member of the Hamilton YWCA, sits on the Board of Directors for Charlton Hall Child and Family Services and volunteers with the Hamilton Burlington SPCA. Her interests extend to her former alma mater as well – so she’s happy to offer what advice she can to those striking out in the television industry. 

When talking to new grads, Hamm advises they focus their attention on all kinds of news events, not just the specialties they aspire to later on, like sports or entertainment. Choosing a specific field too early just cuts other jobs out of the running. 

“You have to be well rounded in everything,” remarks Hamm. “Read newspapers, read magazines and watch other newscasts -- you have to be very aware of what’s going on out there.” 

As for Hamm, she continues to watch and learn from the city around her – striving to bring her best to the anchor desk at CH Morning Live. 

This story was originally published in Fall 2005 of the Mohawk Alumni In Touch magazine.