A very warm welcome to my guest today in 'Talk on the Wild Side', jetting in from sunny Las Vegas, Dayna Roselli. Every weekday morning, bright and early, Dayna is the Co-Anchor on the morning news television show at KLAS-TV (8 News Now). She also presents an entertainment segment and writes a popular blog. Dayna has established herself as one of the most prominent entertainment reporters in Las Vegas and she has interviewed numerous famous celebrities who now call Las Vegas home. Dayna had co-anchored the morning news show since 2008 with Dave McCann who recently moved on from Las Vegas and she is currently awaiting a new permanent co-anchor on the show.

Dayna is originally from Rochester in Upstate New York. I wondered what her childhood dreams and ambitions were and how she began her career.

"I actually didn't really have any. I never thought, 'I want to be this or that'. I did like playing in front of the camera and I always enjoyed watching the news. Once I got older, that's what I decided to pursue. When I left college I got a job as a weekend assignment editor at a CBS station in my home town of Rochester, New York. From there I was able to make a more professional looking resume tape and I applied for a reporting job at a new station in a small town called Jamestown, New York. I got the job! I shot my own stuff, I wrote, I edited, I did it all. After that, I got a job at the NBC affiliate in Elmira, New York. It was a morning anchor job and I was thrilled. I really enjoyed the 'ad-libbing' side of the news and so I knew this show format would allow me to do that. Then I moved on to a Fox station in my hometown. I reported and anchored. Eventually I ended up as a helicopter reporter in Las Vegas in 2004. I wanted to try out the West Coast and see if liked it. KLAS-TV has been great to me. They have promoted me through the years, and I have just celebrated 8 years at the station."

Co-anchoring the morning news show means an early start for Dayna and her daily routine keeps her very busy.

"The show starts at 4 a.m. and goes until 7 a.m.. We then have post-show meetings and promotion spots to tape. We also have some live news cut-ins. I then update online content and social media sites and prepare for any pre-planned segments for the next day. Live interviews etc. I leave work before noon and usually run some errands on the way home or sometimes people meet for lunch. I sleep in the day time for about 4 hours. I get up and have a small dinner and then hit the gym. I make some phone calls. Sometimes I'll head to a Las Vegas event. I then prep for the next day and head to bed for another 4 hours, before doing it all over again!"

With such a full day and a busy life, I wondered if Dayna ever managed to relax.

"I often relax by going to get a pedicure or facial spa treatment. That's a real treat for me! It allows me to just sit and get pampered. I also love laying in the sun. It's 'SO' relaxing to me. I love swimming too. I often read fiction books. I like escaping into a fictional world and using my mind to picture the story. I actually don't watch much TV. I recently went to a movie by myself for the first time. I really enjoyed it!!! I love 'live' music. It's one of my favourite things. I'm so glad that Las Vegas is bringing back the live music scene more and more."

I asked Dayna if she had any guilty pleasures when it came to her favourite food.

"Mexican food is my weakness. It's my favourite. Pretty much anything will do. I also love my mother's Italian food. Nothing beats a great bowl of pasta, gravy, meatballs, and braciole!"

In her entertainment segment, Dayna has interviewed some very famous people. She also once famously inteviewed Bill Clinton. I asked her who decides who she interviews. I also asked about the former President.

"I decide who I will interview. It's my segment, so I produce, set up the shoot, and I write it. Of course I bounce ideas off my managers and many times they will have a suggestion too. We all come up with ideas. I was once covering a campaign stop for Hillary Clinton when she was running for New York Senator. Bill Clinton was the President in office at the time. He attended the event in Binghamton, New York. I stopped at the side of the road near the event location to interview some supporters with signs.While there, the President's limo stopped and he got out. I couldn't believe my eyes. I wasn't too nervous, but I tried to think, 'What could I ask him that he would answer?'. When it comes to the President, you can't just throw your microphone in there and ask him a serious question. He most likely won't answer. The press corp showed up and did just that. They saw we were there and started shouting questions.He didn't answer any of them. As he shook hands with supporters, I got in there and shook his hand, stuck my microphone out, and asked "Mets or Yankees?" (The subway series was taking place at that time and baseball was a fun and timely hot topic) He laughed.....and looked me in the eye and gave me a two minutes response. He told me that he had been watching the games at the White House. It was great. I had a one on one soundbite from the President of the United States!"



Dayna's guestlist for her entertainment segment has been most impressive and I wondered if there was someone she was still desperate to interview.

"I would like to interview Celine Dion at some point. I have seen her at press conferences and attended both her shows at Caesars Palace. But she's hard to get a one on one interview with....maybe some day! When it comes to a big star that I admire and hope to interview and meet some day, that would be Tom Cruise. I'm a huge fan of his work. I'm still waiting for him to win an Oscar!"

Dayna has interviewed several cast members from CSI. I asked her if she watched the show and ever fancied having a cameo role in an episode.

"Yes, I've pretty much interviewed every cast member from CSI (the original one that takes place in Las Vegas). They were here for the opening of the CSI Experience at the MGM Grand.  I interviewed them on the red carpet and even toured the attraction with George Eads. I have also interviewed Eva LaRue from CSI Miami. I've actually had a cameo of sorts already. They used a shot of our news helicopter for a few scenes in an episode. I was in the chopper at that time. We had to fly by the Stratopshere tower and the Wynn several times as another helicopter filmed it. That was me inside! :-)"

In the US, awards are very big. I asked Dayna about any that she has won.

"I'm not big on awards. I hardly ever apply. I'm not sure why. Some co-workers always tell me I should, so I recently submitted for an Emmy in the Entertainment category. I'm not sure if I have been nominated yet. I did receive an Electronic Media Award for Best Spot News. This was when I was reporting in the helicopter. It was a tough job because I worked the camera and ad-libbed breaking news at the same time. My pilot and I happened to see a plane crash while doing a traffic report near the highway. We immediately turned our attention to it and started covering what happened on 'Live' television. I am proud of that day. It was amazing. Everyone survived the small plane crash and we watched it all unfold. We watched them crawl out of the plane."



Having visited Las Vegas myself, and loving it, I asked Dayna what she likes about the city.



"I like A LOT about Las Vegas. The people are nice, number one. There is a sense of community here, even though it's a big city. I love the Strip. I love the shows and entertainment. It's great knowing that if you 'want' to do something you can. You can go out and listen to live music or watch a stand-up comedy show. I like having choice. Outside the Strip, it is a normal community. There are neighbourhoods, parks, local businesses, great restaurants. It's very convenient too. Stores and restaurants are open late, many 24 hours! I also love that parking is free, even valet! It's a real treat compared to some other cities that charge as much  as 40 dollars for a quick stop.It's also nice that we have no state taxes!"

Las Vegas is known for its 24 hour casinos, but there is a whole lot more than that.

"There is so much to do besides gamble. Free things on the Strip. Sights to see. There are amazing pools and gardens. We also have the best shows and restaurants in the world! The shopping is amazing too. You name the store, we probably have it here. Off the Strip, we have Lake Mead, Lake Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, and so much more!"


So, if you get the chance to visit Las Vegas, start your day by watching '8 News Now' with Dayna. It really is a great city.

My thanks to Dayna for breaking off from busy schedule to take some time to join me today.
As always, many thanks for reading.....