Ruth Todd remembers that when she was studying broadcasting at Brigham Young University, a professor said, "OK, two of you in this class MIGHT get a job in broadcasting -- it's really hard." That was disturbing, because Todd knew that's what she wanted to do.
Those were the days when she was Ruthie Jones, anchoring the KBYU News with Doug Jardine, now Ch. 4's morning anchor, and Wes Ruff, weekend sports anchor at KTVX. "My hair was down almost to my elbows," laughs Todd.When Todd graduated from BYU, she got her first job at Ch. 2. Mike Youngren, then news director, said, "Kid, you've got some talent, but it's really raw."
Soon, she had an offer to do reporting, and later morning and noon anchor, at the ABC station in her hometown, Phoenix.
When her husband, Bryan Todd, an attorney, was offered a job in Washington, D.C., they decided it was a good time for an adventure. For six years, they lived in northern Virginia, where she worked part-time for two stations.
When the Todds moved back to Salt Lake City, Ch. 5 offered her a part-time opportunity well-suited to a mom with three kids -- anchoring the noon and Saturday morning newscasts. After three years, she moved her sophisticated style to the 10 o'clock anchor slot with Dick Nourse.
"Somewhere in that blur came my twin daughters, who are now 4 years old. I was the mother of four for just 19 minutes."
Now with five children ranging in age from 4 to 12, Todd and her husband do a balancing routine. All day long, she is a full-time mom, running errands, doing house work and volunteering at her children's school.
"Everybody says, 'Enjoy them while they're little,' and it's hard because you're in this maelstrom of laundry and marker on the wall. They're so cute, and their humor is so pure and hilarious. Kids keep your feet on the ground."
When Todd goes to KSL, her husband takes over the evening parenting. "He does the homework, he does the reading and the tucking in, and he says it has turned out to be a very sweet experience."
Todd, whose father, Charles E. Jones, is an Arizona Supreme Court justice, is happy her husband has been in the trenches. "My dad was a workaholic, and we didn't see him much. Mostly, my mom raised us. But it's a different world any more. With so many moms in the workplace, it's nice to have a husband who values unpaid, at-home parenting."
At KSL, Todd's schedule varies. She may arrive as late as 8 p.m. and as early as 2 p.m., depending on her speaking schedule. She suffers some sleep deprivation.
"I go, go, go until I almost shut down for a day, and I know it's coming and then I'll get a cold or a migraine headache. I go to bed late and get up early. I unwind when I get home. I read."
Recently, she finished "Our Mothers' Daughters," by ABC's Cokie Roberts. She also enjoys biographies and historical novels. "History is so interesting, and I don't think we're so different from the people who came before us. I love some of the women of early times -- Dolly Madison, Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt."
The 37-year-old Todd also enjoys her "dream job" at KSL. "For me to be able to do both things I love -- family and broadcasting -- I'm incredibly fortunate. I'm a news junkie. I absolutely love coming into work every evening."
Todd considers her chemistry on the air with Dick Nourse to be terrific. "Usually, Dick and I will never step on each other verbally. I usually know when he is about to open his mouth. He's so utterly comfortable, and if we DO step on each other, he'll make a joke about it."
Like all women on television, she receives a lot of comments from women viewers about her appearance. "I have people call and tell me they don't like my lipstick or I should only wear those earrings at a party."
The softly attractive Todd doesn't consider herself glamorous. "I'm SOOOO ordinary! A celebrity? It is so NOT ME! Sometimes, people will stare at me, and I think, 'What? Do I have food in my teeth?' Then I realize they're trying to figure out who I am."
Among fellow local anchors, Todd has a special fondness for Michelle King. "I will always love her. When I was the new BYU kid at Ch. 2, she took me right under her wing. She's one of those genuine people who 'what you see is what you get.' How could you NOT like her? She's just so nice."