Nick Janes

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Nick Janes joined KOVR/KMAX in December 2008 as a reporter.

Nick comes to Northern California all the way from the Midwest. He spent two years as a general assignment reporter at WICD-TV, the ABC affiliate in Champaign, Illinois. You can trace his passion for journalism back to high school, where he co-founded the school’s newspaper. Nick’s internship at MSNBC while in college cemented his desire to be a reporter.

He thanks his lucky stars to leave the chilly, snowy weather of Illinois behind for the sunshine of California. His huge Italian family back in the Chicago area and Wisconsin is jealous!

Janes earned a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Getting Answers with Nick Janes

1) How long have you lived in Northern California?  4 1/2 years

2) Where are you from originally?  I was born in Hinsdale, a Western suburb of Chicago and lived in Illinois and Wisconsin, then back in Illinois before heading West.

3) Do you have any siblings?  Two younger sisters: Anya and Lenora.

4) Do you have any pets?  No

5) iPhone or Android?  Recent iPhone convert!

6) What’s your favorite app?  It’s a tie between Facebook and Tweetcaster.

7) What’s your favorite thing about working in news?  This is a cliche, but I love coming into work and not knowing where I’ll go or who I’ll talk to every day.  Also — nothing beats the adrenaline rush of breaking news!!

8) What’s your favorite book?  To Kill A Mockingbird

9) What’s your favorite movie?  I can’t pick one so here are a few: Magnolia, 2001: A Space Odyssey & Annie Hall.

10) What’s your favorite TV show?  Homeland!!!  Best show on TV.

11) Who is your favorite band?  Well…I love jazz and underground hip-hop.  My favorite musician is John Coltrane.

12) What’s your favorite concert you’ve ever been to?  I once saw BB King & Eric Clapton — incredible.

13) What’s the one thing about you that would surprise us?  My friends and family know this, but I love to cook gourmet Italian food!!!

14) What’s your favorite past time?  Watching sports (Chicago Bulls, Bears & White Sox) & working out!!

15) If you could drive any car – what would it be?  I’d have to choose between a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche.

16) Who’s the person you most admire?  My parents: my mom and dad taught me everything I know.

17) What’s your favorite quote?  Generally anything from “Deep Thoughts,” by Jack Handey.

18) What’s the one place you’d like to visit that you’ve never been to before?  Italy — I still have relatives there in several regions of the country.  It’s on the bucket list.

19) What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?  Back when I lived in the Midwest, I would’ve said California, but now that I’m here… it’s gotta be Hawaii!!

20) If you were stranded on a desert island, and had the chance to take just one item with you, what would it be?  It’d have to be my iPod; I can’t live without music.

21) What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever overheard someone say?  This is a tough one.. in the context of the job, when we’re out on a story and someone recognizes me as someone else at CBS13.  That’s always worth a laugh.

22) Who’s your favorite actor/actress?  Can I say I don’t have one?  My favorite directors are probably Darren Aronofsky, Stanley Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson.

23) What’s your favorite line of dialogue from a movie?  ”I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” (2001: A Space Odyssey)

24) What do you do for exercise?  P90X, Insanity & Asylum (though mostly P90X these days).

25) What’s your favorite area restaurant?  Gotta go with Il Fornaio; I’d eat there a lot growing up when visiting my family in Palo Alto.

26) What food could you not live without?  Pasta!!!!!!!  I have it just about every day.

27) What’s your favorite Northern California attraction?  Can’t beat the coast.  Close second-place finish to NapaValley, and a bronze medal for Tahoe.

28) Where’s the strangest/farthest place you’ve been recognized?  Any airport that’s not in Sacramento when I’m about to board a flight back to Sac!  It’s always a shock until I put two and two together.

29) At what age did you decide you were interested in news?  From a very young age — I used to do play-by-play to my sports video games.  I always thought I’d end up doing something in communications or journalism.

30) What’s the world’s biggest question that you’d like to find the answer to?  When will the Bears next win the Super Bowl?