Our people: Life in television

My name is Allan Crawford. I graduated from Floyd High School in 1997 and from Eastern New Mexico University in 2001 where I majored in broadcast production and minored in music technologies. I moved back to Albuquerque after graduation with my fiancee at the time and now wife of almost 16 years, Amanda. We have two amazing children, Emily, 13, and Ethan, 10. While in Albuquerque I was fortunate to have been there as the film and television boom took off and shows such as Breaking Bad started to put us on the map. I was very fortunate to work on this and many other major film and television programs for networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic, all national news networks, and even Oprah and Dr. Phil. I then found out about an opportunity to take the position of producer director here at KENW-TV and having gone through the program, PBS and KENW always had a special place in my heart.

What is your most prized possession?

I don't know if I would classify it as my most prized possession or not, but a favorite memento of mine is from my best friend in high school and college who enlisted in the Air Force right before graduation. This was before September 11th and after 9/11 he sent me a photo with a letter which included the pin from one of the bombs dropped on Iraq from the B-52 which he was a crew chief of. I still consider this an honor to have in my possession.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always dreamed of being a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force as a kid. I've always grown up near or around Air Force bases and have always had a love for flying and going fast, so being a fighter pilot just made sense. As I got into high school I was told that people with flat feet and short stature, as I have, are not prime candidates so I began to pursue other avenues. Given all the people I have met along the way and have had the privilege to work with, I think I might have made the right decision.

What do you collect?

I have quite a collection of media credentials for the various networks I worked with over the last 15 or more years. I have also kept a collection of different pins and challenge coins, but mostly from the International Balloon Fiesta pins that are issued to the media.

How would you like to be remembered?

I have always considered one of my greatest gifts is being a person's person. I say yes to almost any request whether it be from family, friends or people I may not even know, maybe to a fault on occasions. I would like to think that people would remember me for my kind heart and kind words as well as my services within my community.

Who is invited to your fantasy dinner party? And why?

Since I just got back from Disney World and fulfilled any sort of fantasies about having a dinner party with Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, I will stick to people I have actually met for this one. I would certainly want all of the people I worked with in Albuquerque from Production Outfitters. Celebrities I have met, some who have passed, would have to include people like Jack Black, John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Rene Russo, Greg Jackson, Jon Jones, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Vince Gilligan and absolutely Harold Ramis.

If money were no object, what would you do to make eastern New Mexico a better place?

Since my very first day back at ENMU I have been working to implement live sports production to our television coverage. We have had a lot of support to get to the point where we are at, but this is a very expensive business and requires a lot of very expensive equipment. If money was not an object, I would outfit the communications department at ENMU as well as KENW.

Who would play you if someone made a movie about your life?

I think if someone was going to play me in a film about my life it would have to be Nicolas Cage. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I think he is a pretty darn good actor and has a similar taste in cars and going fast, as per my previous comment, referring of course to "Gone in 60 Seconds." And maybe the resemblance would be close enough that he could pass for my undeniably good looks. The second and most important reason it would have to be Nicolas Cage is because, other than Tim McGraw, he is my wife's celebrity crush.

What do you hope your life will be like in 10 years?

Considering we will not have children at home anymore and hopefully they will both be self-sufficient and ready to support us, I would really like to travel with my wife. I might have to save some of the overseas travel for beyond 10 years but would certainly like to cross country travel to places such as Yellowstone National Park. And not the kind of travel where we are going for a specific event on a specific timeline, but rather see where the road takes us.

- Compiled by Staff Writer Jamie Cushman