Alabama Public Television has tapped Alabama Daily News publisher Todd Stacy to temporarily host Capitol Journal in the stead of longtime executive producer Don Dailey.
Dailey has served as host and executive producer of Capitol Journal since December 2011.
“For the last decade, it has been a high point of my career to bring Alabamians important news from the Statehouse and the Capitol,” Dailey said. “It has also been an honor and a privilege to interview leaders from all aspects of state government. I am so very thankful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me by Alabama Public Television and I look forward to the next chapter of my life.”
Before joining APT, Dailey worked for some 25 years in radio news in Birmingham and in the Wiregrass. Dailey actually started work in a small radio station in Demopolis while in high school and worked at various stations in Monroeville, Troy and Montgomery throughout his college years.
“I’ve literally been on the air somewhere in Alabama for 40 years,” Dailey said.
APT announced Dailey’s retirement at the end of November, simultaneously announcing Stacy’s selection to serve as the show’s host during the 2022 legislative session.
But Dailey’s role as executive producer and host is a state position and can’t be filled so immediately.
That’s why Stacy was selected to fill in as a contractor, said Mike McKenzie, director of programming and public information.
“Of course, with the legislative session starting right at the beginning of January and the last show of the year in the middle of December, we had to figure out really quickly how to get things together and have somebody there that could be with the team a little bit before (Dailey) left,” McKenzie said. “Todd is somebody that has worked off and on with the team in Montgomery in the past. The way the state process works — (Dailey’s) position is a state position — it would be a month just to advertise and another extended period to interview candidates. We checked with personnel, of course, and chose to hire Todd as a contract employee for six months to get through the legislative session.”
With Stacy in place to keep the show running during the next legislative session, McKenzie said APT will be able to start the full job search process in the first quarter to find a permanent replacement for Dailey.
Stacy founded Alabama Daily News in 2018 covering state politics after a decade of serving in communications roles with some of the state’s most powerful Republicans. He served as press secretary of then-governor Bob Riley from 2008-2011, communications director of former Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard from 2011-2012 and for U.S. Rep. Martha Roby from 2012-2018.
“He’s worked off and on with Don for a couple of years and knows Karen (Brown) and Randy (Scott) really well, all reporting in the same building,” McKenzie said. “I think his work at the Daily News has been to try to come down the middle of the line and fairly report things from both sides. I know Don expressed his confidence that Todd could do that well, as Don has done for so many years for us.”
Dailey’s final broadcast will air on Dec. 17 and Stacy will take over in January.
“I’m grateful to the Alabama Public Television leadership for their confidence in me to host such a meaningful news space in Alabama politics,” Stacy said in an article on his Daily News site. “I grew up watching APT and have enjoyed working with their team professionally over the years. It’s more than a little intimidating to fill the shoes of Don Dailey, who is a mainstay at the State House and universally well respected, but I’m honored by the opportunity and eager to get started.”
During the legislative session, Capitol Journal airs at 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 p.m. Friday.
The 2022 session begins Jan. 11 and APT will have special coverage of Gov. Kay Ivey’s state of the state address beginning at 6:30 p.m.
