Ashley Hinson joined the KCRG-TV9 News Team in September of 2005. She anchors the KCRG-TV9 Morning News and the KCRG-TV9 News at Midday.

A native Iowan, Ashley is thrilled to have made Eastern Iowa her home. Prior to her move back to the Midwest, Ashley worked in Grand Junction, Colorado, where she was the morning anchor at KJCT. She's used to getting up in the middle of the night!

Ashley is a graduate of the University of Southern California—and is an avid Trojans fan! While living in sunny “SoCal”, she was both a news and entertainment intern at KABC in Los Angeles.

Originally from West Des Moines, Ashley worked for WOI-TV 5 in Des Moines as a camera operator and editor for their evening newscasts.

In her down time, Ashley is an avid musician. As a classically trained Pianist and Violinist, she played two seasons with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra. And you can catch her playing electric violin/fiddle, piano, and percussion with the Cedar Island Band.

Ashley is also involved in a number of community organizations, and tries to find time to fit in as many rounds of golf as she can! She also enjoys trekking up to the Northwoods of Wisconsin to Kayak or go boating. In the wintertime, Skiing is the name of the game.

She lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband Matt, their baby Maxwell, and their Wire Fox Terrier, Bogey.

1)Writing conversationally but with all the details
2)Not sleeping
3)Nerves

Anchor / Reporter / Writer Shooter Editor / Graphics

Being in the newsroom setting is ESSENTIAL. Knowing how to edit under a time crunch, regardless of what your position is, will help you to be a great asset.
Learning how to write well is also important. Most of the time in a small market, the anchors and reporters are in charge of writing their own things...and being on mornings, I re-write many stories from the night before. Your on-air appearance is important, but your presentation can only be suave and professional if your writing is up to par. ATVN needs to get a live truck (Willa and Serena...that’s the next step)

1)First off, don’t give up. This industry is TOUGH. I sent out 65 tapes before I got an offer, and I even took the first offer I got.
2) Get some armor. People will say things they shouldn’t, do things they shouldn’t, and generally under pressure act differently than they do normally.
3) Do anything/everything whenever/wherever when they first ask you to. It is what will help you not only to pay your dues, but give you great opportunities to succeed.

You will be paid nothing! Get OVER it. We don’t do this for the money. Make sure you have a GREAT cover letter. One way to get a news director to actually look at your tape is to make them like you without even having seen you. Personalize every cover letter with your resume...and put things in that aren’t necessarily broadcast related. Where you’re from, what your hobbies/interests are, and what you look forward to about their city are points that get people noticed.