Lynne Gross’ career has been focused on media and has encompassed teaching, TV production, writing, consulting, public speaking, and involvement in trade organizations. In retirement, she has focused mainly on giving back through non-profits.
She has taught radio-TV-film production, writing, and theory full-time at California State University, Fullerton (where she was also Vice Chair of the Communications Department), Pepperdine University, Loyola-Marymount University; and Long Beach City College. She has also taught part-time at UCLA and USC. Her teaching has taken her to a number of other countries such as Malaysia where she taught documentary production; Swaziland for radio production; Guyana for TV production; Estonia for TV news magazine production; and Australia for TV production and writing.
Lynne teaching at Cal State Fullerton
She has served as Associate Producer for “Journeys Below the Line,” a series of instructional videos about TV craft and technical jobs, produced by the TV Academy Foundation. In the past, she was Director of Programming for Valley Cable TV, and has produced numerous radio and television programs including “From Chant to Chance,” a 45 program music series for public broadcasting stations; “Surveying the Universe,” a 45 program astronomy series for KHJ-TV; and “Health for Effective Living” for KABC.
Lynne on the set of “ER,” one of the programs profiled in “Journeys Below the Line.”
She has published a dozen books, most of them media textbooks that have gone through multiple editions. Ones that are used most widely include Electronic Media: An Introduction, (11 editions) published by McGraw-Hill; Video Production: Disciplines and Techniques, (11 editions) published by Holcomb Hathaway; Digital Moviemaking, (7 editions) published by Cengage; and Audio Production Worktext, (6 editions) published by Focal Press. In addition she has written over a hundred articles for such publications as Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journalism Quarterly, Journal of Research, Media Information Australia, Billboard, Broadcasting & Cable, Radio Ink, TVB Europe, Emmy, RTNDA Communicator, and International Broadcasting.
Lynne working at her computer
Her United States consulting clients include CBS, Iowa Board of Regents, Children’s Broadcasting Corporation, KCET, RKO, Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, Visa, the Hispanic Urban Center, and the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange. Internationally, she has consulted for the Pacific Film and Television Commission, New Zealand Broadcasting School, a Russian movie “The Murderer,” and Channel 3 in Shenzhen, China.
Lynne in her 1984 Olympics uniform
Most of her public speaking has been related to media and includes presentations to conventions or conferences for the American Film Institute, Broadcast Education Association, National Federation of Local Cable Programmers, Rocky Mountain Film and Video Expo, University Film and Video Association, and Women in Communications. She has also given quite a few workshops related to combining career and family, and she has spoken to many local groups about the history of a local aquarium and about undertaking ancestor research.
The two main trade organizations she has been involved with are the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Broadcast Education Association. She is a past governor of the Television Academy and has also chaired that organization’s Library Committee, Student Activities Committee, and Educational Programs and Services Committee. As such she was instrumental in setting up the Academy’s student internship and student awards programs. She is a past President of the Broadcast Education Association and has also served that organization in many capacities including Secretary-Treasurer, Convention Program Chair, and Publications Chair. During her tenure as President she increased membership 24% and funding 59%.
Lynne with TV Academy people before Roger Ebert hosted a student awards ceremony
For her work, she has received numerous awards. Among them are the Rosebud Award for Outstanding Media Arts Professor in the California State System; the Distinguished Education Service Award, the highest award from the Broadcast Education Association; and the Frank Stanton Award for Distinguished Contribution to Electronic Media Education given by the International Radio and Television Society. She has also been named a Danforth Associate for her outstanding concern for the development of undergrads.
Lynne receiving the Rosebud award
In retirement, Lynne has undertaken volunteer civic activities for her hometown of Manhattan Beach, California. These include serving as president of the board that oversees the Roundhouse Aquarium, being on the board of the Neptunian Woman’s Club and the Coordinating Council, writing stories and proofreading editorials for the Beach Reporter, acting as block captain for Neighborhood Watch, and serving as the campaign manager for a city councilman’s bid for re-election.
Lynne presiding as president of the Roundhouse Aquarium board
She received her bachelors degree at the University of Pittsburgh, her masters at Long Beach State, and her doctorate at UCLA. She and her husband, Paul, raised three sons and they now have four grandchildren.