Meet AM: Rick Saleeby – Writer

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/04/10/saleeby.acdc.art.jpg caption="Rick Saleeby yelped upon seeing a camera, and asked us to use this photo of him with favorite band AC/DC instead."]

Each Friday in “Meet AM,” we’ll introduce you to the people who get American Morning to air.

Today, we’d like you to meet Rick Saleeby. Rick writes for American Morning, which he says means “making people care in under 30 seconds” – he writes short and to the point, as you’ll see. You might recognize his name from his daily blog, which explains what’s on tap for the day. He’s been working in television since college, and has been with AM for one and a half years. Rick is known for his sense of humor and is unfailingly friendly to everyone.

How did you end up being a writer?
I majored in Radio and Television at St. John’s University in New York. Realizing I had a face for the former, I did mostly sports radio and play-by-play in college. An internship at a local TV station later spring-boarded me into a career of teleprompter decorating.

Describe your average day.
12am wake up time, devouring the papers (local and national) and 24oz. 7/11 coffee, and writing anywhere from 25 to 30 informative and/or witty scripts and teases across three hours for American Morning.

What’s the hardest part of your job?
Falling asleep on Sunday evening and reverting to the graveyard shift.

What do you like most about working at AM?
Teamwork between writers and overall staff. We are each other’s life preservers.

What do you do outside of work?
Sadly, watch the news. I’m a regular at the gym, for now. At home, a TiVo bursting with goodness is not stopped enough.

What do you do for fun?
Love taking road trips and visiting as many baseball parks as possible. There are two new ones here at home that must be seen this year. I also love finding undiscovered music that somehow synched to my iPod.

Favorite animated character?
Bugs Bunny or Homer Simpson.

What else do you think people should know about you?
I recently tried to eat a 5+ pound cheeseburger and nearly succeeded.

From Aparnaa Seshadri, CNN