Cash Explosion host got start at WOUB

Alissa Henry, BSJ ’09, is the host of Cash Explosion, Ohio’s only statewide TV lottery game show that has been on the air for 35 years. And she credits her time in Athens for giving her the skills and confidence to do it.

Henry grew up in Columbus and knew since she was a child that she wanted to study journalism. Growing up, Henry watched and admired Yolanda Harris, a local Black journalist, who is now a co-anchor in Columbus. As she neared high school graduation, Henry started looking at colleges with great journalism schools.

“Yolanda was someone who looked like me on television and that was so important,” Henry said. “My dad and I went to visit Ohio University, and I fell in love because it was so beautiful.”

Not long after starting college in Athens, Henry learned from a fellow journalism student about the opportunities available to volunteer at WOUB.

“I started working on WOUB radio and then worked my way into television,” Henry said. “I really value that experience because I also learned how to work with people. The professional staff members at WOUB were hard on us, but it was good.”

“I learned a lot in the classroom but at WOUB we had a news product to put out each day for the community,” Henry said. “We made mistakes and learned from them. I learned the importance of managing your time, not getting off schedule and making your deadline.”

After graduation, Henry struggled to find a job in journalism due to the Great Recession. But she eventually started working in television after winning a co-hosting job through the CW Star Contest. That opportunity landed her a reporting job at ABC 6 and Fox 28 in Columbus. In 2017, she started hosting Cash Explosion.

Henry said when she thinks back on her time at Ohio University and WOUB, she never realized that she could be the host of a game show one day.

“It’s interesting that out in the world there are opportunities you didn’t know existed,” said Henry. “I love that throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work with some of the people I worked with as a student at WOUB. I also love that having WOUB in my background and having that WOUB and Ohio University connection, it almost explains things when you meet someone. I think to myself, ‘You went to Ohio University and worked at WOUB, that means you are a good journalist.’”

To learn more about WOUB, visit woub.org.