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WIU alumnus Jock Hedblade recently won his fourth Emmy award.
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WIU Alumnus Wins Fourth Emmy Award

May 5, 2015

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MACOMB, IL - Western Illinois University alumnus and Macomb native Jock Hedblade has won his fourth Emmy Award as part of a distinguished professional career in working in television.

Jock, who received his bachelor's degree in mass communications in 1983, is a field producer with "Steve Harvey," the nationally syndicated talk show. On April 26 the show was awarded an Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Outstanding Talk Show/Informative.

The win marked the fourth time Jock has been part of an Emmy-winning show and the second win while he was part of "Steve Harvey." The other two Emmys came for Jock's documentary work, including a 2001 win for "Smashing Pumpkins: Full Circle" for the Fox network and a 2002 win for the PBS documentary "How Chicago Rocked the '60s."

Jock has worked with the "Steve Harvey" show since it began three years ago.

"As for the last two Emmys, I owe most all of that to the ridiculously talented team at 'Steve Harvey,' especially those who guide us, Alex Duda (executive producer), Jason Kurtz (co-executive producer), Rushion McDonald (executive producer), Kevin Burke (field and post supervising producer) and of course, Mr. Harvey himself (also an executive producer on the show)," said Hedblade.

The show staff celebrated the Emmy win with an after party at the legendary Smoke House Restaurant in Burbank, CA.

"That's the kind of old school Hollywood joint that's right up my alley," Jock said.

Coming to college at Western was not an unfamiliar venture for Jock, as his parents Jack and Fran Hedblade were both University employees. He credits them and his brother Jay, a 1990 WIU graduate with a degree in English, with helping guide his career path.

Jack, now deceased but who Jock called the "most charming and loving man I've ever known," was the head photograph and manager of photographic services at Western for more than 25 years and Fran worked in the WIU Office of the Registrar for many years.

While Jack was employed at Western, Jock spent many hours "running around and exploring places I probably shouldn't have" while his dad worked after hours in the dark room.

"I literally grew up in those hallways," he said. "I often found myself alone, searching the dark TV studio or occasionally being intercepted by the legendary Elmer "Tug" Haddock, who would satisfy my curiosities by taking me through the radio studios. Those were tremendous influences."

While Jock was a student at Western, he said WIU emeritus professors Gene Kozlowski (deceased) and Jared Brown were important to his academic decisions.

"In my sophomore year, they took a chance on a kid who, though he spent a good part of his younger years performing in some manner or another, had virtually no acting training what so ever," he said. "They were instrumental in shaping me into a performer. They eventually saw enough promise, or pity, I've never really been sure, that they arranged a talent grant that paid for the final two years of schooling. The ability to understand how an actor or performer's mind work has been invaluable to me from behind the camera."

Jock also credits WIU faculty member Marc Grigoroff, who taught advanced television production, and TriStates Radio Music Director Jeff Holtz.

"Marc was the first person I remember really recognizing my potential in the field and taking me under his wing," Jock said. "He pushed me to make my projects better, but always was encouraging. It was his enthusiasm for my ideas and my execution of those ideas that lead me to really believe that I might have what it takes to do this."

Holtz worked with Jock and Jay on a pilot for a weekly radio program at a suburban Chicago radio station.

"He not only allowed us the use of his studio, but begrudgingly agreed to be our announcer," he said. "We sold the pilot of "Super Thriller Radio" to WCBR and Jeff became our announcer. That little radio show led to Jay and I being tapped to be the co-program/music directors for the first ever 20-hour live streaming radio station at WEBX in Champaign, IL. Jeff became the voice of that station. I say, with the utmost sincerity that without Jeff Holtz's support, wisdom, friendship and unbelievable talent, that show would have never gotten off the ground and likely so, neither would have my radio career."

Jock said another large part of his success is the roots he developed in Macomb.

"A big part of it is my roots in Macomb," he said. "I grew up in a magical time in that town. It was like Mayberry meets Haight-Ashbury in those days. During the day I could be out in the country, swimming in a pond or in the loft of a barn and that evening seeing anyone from George Carlin or Andy Kaufaman to Crosby, Still & Nash to The Cramps at WIU. It was a small town sensibility with an artistic and intellectual influence."

With Macomb's "eclectic group of personalities from all walks of life," Jock said he still receives encouragement from many Macomb residents, including one of his high school teachers, Sally Egler.

"That kind of eclectic environment was a perfect training ground for my line of work," he said. "I can relate to people from all walks of life. Macomb and WIU are in my blood."



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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