Transitions. Everyone has them in their lives, some more than others. Marcia Kling, in-volved in television since 1962, has had her fair share of transitions in life and career.
Kling grew up in Westchest-er County outside of New York City. She came to Tennessee to attend Maryville College, and prior to graduation, a member of the sociology department spoke to her about a position open at a church in Chattanooga for a director of Christian education.
Kling had majored in speech and theater with the intention to go back to NYC to try to break into professional theater, and had no experience in Christian education. Tentatively embracing the spirit of change, Kling visited Chattanooga for the interview with no intention of taking the position.
Yet she really liked the congregation and thought she could do the job they were looking for. She stayed with the church for two years before moving back to New York to take a similar position, and in the meantime met her husband whom she would return to his Chattanooga home to marry almost a year later.
Although this seems like quite enough transition for anyone, Kling has plenty more under her belt. Back in Chattanooga, she took a job at St. Jude school teaching fourth and fifth grade, still without a background in education, she muses.
“I was able to make it through and the children didn’t suffer too much,” she says.
As the Klings began building their family, she was a stay-at-home mom for about 18 months and volunteered at the Little Theater of Chattanooga. Through a television appearance of the Little Theater Group, she found that the committee chair of the group was also Miss Nancy of Romper Room School and would be leaving her position in Chattanooga soon. Talking to her, Kling expressed interest in being involved with Romper Room, submitted her application and soon became Miss Marcia of Romper Room School, thus officially beginning what would be many years in television.
“It was all very serendipitous. Nothing planned at all,” she says. “Television was the last thing I’d thought of … as a matter of fact I’d never even watched Romper Room.”
Kling did Romper Room for a year, but as an internationally syndicated program, she felt the activities of the show weren’t all relevant to children of the area. Kling’s general manager asked her if she wanted to do a program of her own design, and she leapt at the opportunity.
“I thought I could make it more relevant to the needs of the community. I felt I could do things that would help prepare the children a little bit for the first grade,” Kling says.
This endeavor became the 15-year-long local favorite “Fun-Time.” Kling enjoyed the children she got to interact with as well as the parents in this program who attempted to be both entertaining and educational. Kling’s time with the program ended on the same day she took her son to Georgetown University.
“I always say I lost two babies in one day,” she says with another smile. As much as Kling hated to see “FunTime” go, the change into programming for children ages six to 12 was welcome. Kling’s “Nifty Nine,” later “Nifty Nine News Brief,” auditioned children all over the area from the ages of 11 to 13 to be a part of writing the show, formatting it and recording it. This was another long running program until 1992.
During this time, Kling took a variety of roles in the community on various boards and committees and many different career extensions. She became Channel 9’s station director of children’s programs and director of community affairs, produced a program called “Weekend,” and began one of her most interesting transitions in 1992 when the general manager asked Kling is she would be interested in doing a program for seniors.
“I was technically a senior at that point in time but I loved working with kids and still enjoy it thoroughly,” Kling says. “My son John said it only made perfect sense because I was doing children’s programming when they were little and now that I was getting older, I get this.” Initially rankled by her son’s comment, she found that he was absolutely right.
“I have been so fortunate to have my career unfold as my life has been unfolding,” she says. This program, known as “Life Watch,” was done in conjunction with Kling’s 10-year running “News for Women” program. Through all these programs, Kling realized that “men lead lives of quiet inspiration.”
“[During this program,] I met people who had all kinds of challenges who had overcome them by just putting one foot in front of the other every single day and they had triumphed over what looked like tragedy in their lives,” she says.
In 2002, Kling decided to retire. When she put in her resignation, she was asked if she would consider staying on part time. Kling agreed and continues to do “Life Watch” during Don Welch’s “ThisNThat” weekday program. Although she didn’t bargain for a life in television, Kling says she can tell us very easily what appeals to her about it.
“The main thing I think is the ability to communicate with a wider audience and build a heart connection with them. People have been wonderful for me over the years and have made my life such a fulfilling experience … and I’ve been very thankful for that,” she says.
“I also love communicating with people and sharing information. Nobody can know everything there is, but if you can add a piece to somebody’s knowledge, then that’s a good thing. The other thing I love is … writing. I don’t care a thing about appearing on television, but I am a writer and always have been.” Kling has had many changes in her career, and with an attitude as positive and open as this, she’s ready for whatever life throws at her.