Finding direction

Like many high school students, Steve Novak wasn’t sure what kind of career he wanted to pursue. He knew he wanted to go to college. However, he applied late to Northeastern Illinois University and by the time he could register, many classes were already full.

“I saw one course — Introduction to Mass Media — and I thought, ‘Oh, that sounds like it would be interesting,” Novak said. “So, I took that on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. I'll remember that forever. Then, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, there was an Introduction to Radio, TV and film, also at 9 a.m. and that was the same teacher, Professor Don Lash. He instilled a love of television and of doing the production that there’s no way I would have went into it had I not had the classes with him.”

Little did Novak know those courses would shape the rest of his life. Born and raised in Chicago, Novak graduated from Sullivan High School on the city’s North Side. His father owned a retail produce store and he wanted to ensure that wherever he went to college, he could still help his dad with his business. Northeastern was a school that offered the flexibility and affordability Novak was looking for.

“The teachers were very supportive and gave me some basic fundamentals, which obviously, as you get into the real world, you extrapolate into real life situations,” Novak said. “Without the basis that they gave me, I don't know if I could have done that.”

Novak developed a passion for media. Within three months of earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Performing Arts (now known as Communication, Media and Theatre) in 1976, he began working as a radio logger, someone who listened to the radio and tracked when commercials aired to prove they aired. His pay was $2.50 an hour. Six months later, he got a full-time job at WGN in the film department, then went on to work in scheduling. In June of 1979, he was promoted to an assistant director in the production department.

Novak left WGN for a few years to work at Telemation Productions based in Glenview, Illinois and later in Chicago. The company produced commercials, corporate and training videos, and video conferencing while it was in its infancy. As part of his work there, Novak directed one of the first live home shopping shows, which featured actress and Evergreen Park native Jane Lynch, who has gone on to win five Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

“Years later, I saw Jane at WGN and reminded her of that show and she said it was a great way to start because we worked from 10 at night until two in the morning,” Novak said.

Novak returned to WGN in 1984 and went on to direct numerous broadcasts including news, “The Bozo Show,” sports, “The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon” a the “United Nego College Fund’s An Evening of Stars,” the “Easter Seals Telethon,” and numerous specials, including “Stories of Hope: Facing Breast Cancer,” for which he earned one of his two Emmy Awards. He also earned a Telly Award for “WGN: Classics Bozo, Gar and Ray.”  

“Don Lash gave us some clues into working on a studio production and things we should think about,” Novak said. “He said, ‘If you’re directing a studio production, if you raise your voice it means you’ve lost control. If you’ve lost control, the show is done.’ So, I’ve always tried to keep a calm voice and a steady hand. He was always a believer in doing your research and making sure you knew what was happening, where you were going next, and if you got in trouble with a show, how to get out of it. I carried that forward.”

Novak has been encouraged by the changes that have taken place at Northeastern over the years. He noted the school’s affordability and the addition of student housing — The Nest — which didn’t exist when he was a student at the University, makes him confident that today’s Northeastern students are getting a good education at a reasonable cost and can have a more traditional college experience if they want to live on campus. He also encourages students to explore interests beyond what they already know.

“You can never get too much education,” Novak said. “Students should look at other things besides their major. If you’re interested in computer science, look at history, look at economics, look at English. I think I was able to do my job better because of the broad education I got at Northeastern.”

In July 2025, Novak retired from WGN after nearly 50 years in broadcasting. Now, he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family.

“Because of the hours I work, I miss a lot of things,” Novak said. “I missed my kids’ sporting events and a lot of school activities because I used to work until 10 at night. I’d come home and they were asleep.”

While Novak doesn’t regret the work that he did, he’s now excited to focus more on enjoying his home life.

“At the end of your life, nobody says ‘Boy, I only wish I had worked another hour, another day, then my life would be complete,” Novak said. “Make sure you spend time with the people you love, that you care about. Your work is important, but it is not the be all, end all. Hopefully, you can get a good enough education from a place like Northeastern that you can turn it into a career and life that you love.”