Clayton Taylor
Clayton Taylor had a successful 45-year career in broadcasting all over Indiana, starting in Terre Haute in the mid 1970s after attending Indiana State University and getting his master’s from Indiana University. He began his career as a reporter and producer at WTHI-TV in Terre Haute before he moved to WFIE-TV in Evansville, Indiana.
He then moved to Fort Wayne in 1983 and worked at WANE-TV for two years. At WANE-TV, he began working as executive producer at that station until 1985. He then moved to Indianapolis to WISH-TV, where he worked for 16 years.
He ran an investigative reporting unit called the “I-Team” for 10 years at WISH-TV, and that team is still running today. Finally, he accepted the role of Vice President of Television Production at WFYI in Indianapolis. He held that position for over 20 years until he retired in May of 2021.
Clayton Taylor has been inducted in the Indiana Broadcast Hall of Fame.
Early Life & Entering the Broadcasting World
Taylor was born in Terre Haute, IN. When he was 3 years old, his family moved to New Jersey and lived there for about 8 years. They moved to southern Wisconsin where he lived through his freshman year of high school. His father passed away when Clayton was in the 8th grade, and he and his family moved back to Terre Haute, where his mother’s friends and family still resided.
Taylor’s first became involved in broadcasting in high school. Through his speech teacher at Honey Creek High School, he learned that there would be a summer honors seminar at Indiana University for broadcasting, and he decided to apply for it and was eventually selected. The program was a week long, and he still recalls walking into Studio Six of the Radio-TV building and thinking, “this is really cool.”
“It planted the seed,” Taylor said. “It opened up this world of possibilities.”
Clips in this video
Taylor chose to stay home for college, enrolling at Indiana State University, studying broadcasting, advertising, film production and other areas. When he graduated, he applied to Indiana University and attended graduate school there for his masters in Telecommunications.
While at IU, Taylor worked for the Indiana Daily Student, writing movie reviews, and took classes that produced newscasts for WFIU. After graduating, he still wasn’t sure about what he wanted to do. One of his teachers encouraged him to go into news, and just a couple months later, he got his first job as a reporter and producer in Terre Haute.
“I never looked back,” Taylor said.
Highs & Lows
Taylor described high and low points early in his career on a day-to-day basis. If he felt he did well and performed his tasks well that day, he considered those high points. He described that when everything felt like it was going according to plan, he felt it was a high point.
Sometimes his station would host screenings of productions and he would get to see everyone’s reactions to it, and would feel proud when he would hear them laugh at the right times, and even cry at the right times sometimes as well. He described them as really proud moments that he felt and that it wasn’t just a broadcast, but it had a life to it and a life after it that he felt proud to be a part of.
Here's a compilation of stories done by Clayton Taylor from WFIE Channel 14 Evansville.
Taylor didn’t recall having very many low moments in his career. Occasionally, workplaces can become toxic. “If somebody comes in, and they’re just unrelentingly negative, or they want to fight everything along the way,” Taylor says, “That can really be a drag.”
When he became a supervisor himself, Taylor wanted to make sure that people felt energized by the teams they were a part of, and that they were excited to be doing what they’re doing.
Clips in this video
Achievements & Proud Moments
When asked if he would do anything differently in his career, the only thing Taylor said he would change is if he knew everything he knows now, he would’ve done those things much earlier.
But in other terms of what he would have done differently, he says, he wouldn’t change anything about his career.
"Each place I worked was part of a journey, and every place i worked along the way got me to a great destination-- even if I didn't realize it at the time.
Clayton Taylor
Taylor described some of his proudest moments were when he made projects that made an impact. They weren’t necessarily things he created all on his own, but when he worked with a team to make something beautiful. Here is an example of a video WFYI made in 2016 while he was working there.
Right before retiring, during the pandemic and working at WFYI, many organizations turned to Taylor and his team for ways to get their events to the people without actually hosting a live audience. They worked on getting the events online, so the organizations could keep operating when they couldn't host live audiences.
When working at WFYI, the station received over 100 Emmys and dozens of programs went into national distribution. Despite the recognition and awards that he received, his idea of his biggest accomplishments were the connections he was able to make and being able to change people’s lives and do something, that he felt, made a positive impact on the people and world around him.
Clips in this video
Clayton Taylor has donated his broadcast archive to the Indiana Broadcast History Archive.
You can watch the full Clayton Taylor oral history interview conducted by Emma Luce in 2024 in the video below.
Written by Emma Luce, edited by Emerson Elledge
February 2025
Related Items
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Hard News and Features Clayton Taylor Collection |
1977 |
Coverage of several news stories by Clayton Taylor, including the 1977 Evansville plane crash, in which all 29 individuals aboard perished, including 14 players and their head coach. |
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Coverage of Tony Hulman Death Clayton Taylor Collection |
1977 |
News Center 10 |
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WISU Newsroom, etc. Alden and Anita Wells Taylor Collection |
1974 |
Rehearsals of Bulletin from WISU Newsroom updating that President Richard Nixon resigned; Pepto Bismol commercial; Music and other commercials |
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WAAC Weekend Report Alden and Anita Wells Taylor Collection |
1973 | ||
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Commercial rehearsals; President Ford takes office Alden and Anita Wells Taylor Collection |
197x |
Glidden furniture commercial practice; politics; |
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Pieces of 8 Clayton Taylor Collection |
1986-08-04 |
Reporter: Leslie Olsen; Photographer/Editor: Ron Prickel; |
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I-Team Primetime - Return to New Castle Clayton Taylor Collection |
1997 |
Producers: Kay Akard & Clayton Taylor; |
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I-Team Primetime - Return to New Castle Clayton Taylor Collection |
1997 |
Producers: Kay Akard & Clayton Taylor; Photographers: Ken Lavenberg & John Rekis; |
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I-Team Primetime - Migrant Farmworkers Clayton Taylor Collection |
200x |
Down on the Farm Producer: Clayton Taylor |
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I-Team Primetime Clayton Taylor Collection |
1998-12 |
Producers: Clayton Taylor & Eileen Waldron; |
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I-Team - Slaughterhouse Ride Clayton Taylor Collection |
2001-05 | ||
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I-Team - Pumping Profits Clayton Taylor Collection |
199x |
Producer: Clayton Taylor |
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I-Team - IPD series 1991 Clayton Taylor Collection |
1991 |
Producer: Clayton Taylor |
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Car Seats Clayton Taylor Collection |
1992 |
i-Team |
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A Place To Call HOME Clayton Taylor Collection |
1989 |
WISH-TV News Special Producer: Clayton Taylor; Photographer: John Rekis; |
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Can You Read Me? Clayton Taylor Collection |
1990 |
"Can You Read Me?" Produced and Written by Clayton Taylor; Photographer: John Rekis; |
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OnyxFest 2020: Written in Black Clayton Taylor Collection |
2020 |
"A celebration of African-American playwrights, produced in cooperation with A.R.T.I. (Africana Repertory Theatre of IUPUI) and IndyFringe. 2020 was a pivotal year for this festival. Its... |
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Veterans Coming Home to Healing Arts Clayton Taylor Collection |
2015 |
Produced & Written by: Leigh DeNoon & Kim Jacobs; Editors: Erin Earnest, Chris Capper, Pete Saetre, Brad Hoehner & Karly Krizmanich; |
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Together in Peace: Glick Peace Walk Clayton Taylor Collection |
2010 |
The Making of the Indianapolis Peace Walk Produced and Written by Kim Hood Jacobs; |
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The Voodoo of Hell's Half-Acre: A Blues Poetry Opera Clayton Taylor Collection |
2021-04-14 |
“'The Voodoo of Hell’s Half-Acre'”: The Travelin’ Genius of Richard Wright from Natchez to Chicago – A Blues Poetry Opera is a live, multimedia theatrical presentation chronicling the... |
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The Children's Crusade Revisited Slaughterhouse-Five at 50 Clayton Taylor Collection |
2020-08-12 |
The Children's Crusade Revisited: Slaughterhouse-Five at 50 is a local public television program presented by WFYI "A veteran of World War II, Vonnegut based his classic novel in part on... |
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The Art of the Matter Clayton Taylor Collection |
2013-08-20 |
Guest Host: Tania Castroverde Moskalenko; Location Crew Videography/Lighting: Frank Konermann; |
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So it Goes: A Tribute to Kurt Vonnegut Clayton Taylor Collection |
2007 |
Producer: Vincent Manganello; Executive Producer: Clayton... |
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Sky Blue Window Clayton Taylor Collection |
2016 |
"In a video magazine, WFYI explores the African American experience with interviews from legendary Hoosiers Mari Evans and Janet Langhart Cohen."--WFYI Producers: Bob Williams, Toby Capion,... |
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Remembrances: A Ballet in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust Clayton Taylor Collection |
2016 |
"Choreographer Brian Honigbaum created "Remembrances" as a way of honoring the victims of the Holocaust. Honigbaum and other members of Dance Kaleidoscope share their thoughts about creating an... |
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Ardath Burkhart Award Clayton Taylor Collection |
200x |
Judy O'Bannon - Burkhart video - Ardath Burkhart Award |
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The Natural Heritage of Indiana: A Changing Landscape Clayton Taylor Collection |
2008 |
Natural Heritage Episode 4 - A Changing Landscape Produced and Written by: Kim Jacobs; Principal Series Photography: Samuel Orr; |
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Lest We Forget: A Survivor's Story Clayton Taylor Collection |
2006 |
Lest We Forget: A Survivor’s Story follows the journey of Gustav Pothoff from his birth in Indonesia to hellish conditions as a prisoner of war (POW). Even after the war was over, Pothoff was... |
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Across Indiana: The Joy of Uke Clayton Taylor Collection |
201x |
Across Indiana Produced by: Clayton Taylor |
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Journey of a Lifetime - The Making of Eva A-7063 Clayton Taylor Collection |
2018 |
"As a 10-year-old Mengele Twin, Eva Kor suffered the worst of the Holocaust. At 50, she launched the biggest manhunt in history. Now in her 80s, she urgently circles the globe to promote the... |
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Indy in the '60s Clayton Taylor Collection |
2011 |
This program shares what life was like in Indianapolis in the 60’s. The host Mike Ahern facilitates oral interviews of people recalling different events and experiences from this time. The... |
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Indiana Unites - 2016 Bicentennial spot Clayton Taylor Collection |
2016 |
Indiana Unites - 2016 Bicentennial spot |
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Indiana Expeditions: Where Trash Goes Clayton Taylor Collection |
2010 |
Host/Producer: Rick Crosslin; |
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Indiana Expeditions: Underground Indiana Clayton Taylor Collection |
2010 |
Host/Executive Producer: Rick Crosslin; Vice President of Production: Clayton... |
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Communities Building Community: Inspiration Cast In Bronze Clayton Taylor Collection |
2009 |
Inspiration Cast in Bronze Producer: Gary Harrison; Director of Production Operations: David DeMunbrun; |
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Indiana Expeditions Clayton Taylor Collection |
2010 |
Host/Executive Producer: Rick Crosslin; Associate Producers: Chris Capper, Holly Moore, Shane Trowbridge, Andrew Warren & Andy Young; |
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Fleeced: Speaking Out Against Elder Abuse Clayton Taylor Collection |
2013 |
Producer: Kim Jacobs; Graphics: Leana Kruska; |
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Eva Clayton Taylor Collection |
2018 |
Preview to a film called "Eva" A film by Ted Green & Mika Broan |
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Butler Arts Fest Clayton Taylor Collection |
2014-05-28 |
Producer and Editor: Kyle Travers; Camera Operators: Chris Capper, Brad Hoehner,... |
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Bicentennial Image Spot Clayton Taylor Collection |
2016 |
Hoosiers: The Story of Indiana |
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Baby Boom to Aging Boom Clayton Taylor Collection |
200x |
"It is certainly possible to grow old and retain an excellent quality of life, but the volume of individuals crossing the threshold from middle-age to “senior” status will have implications... |
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Journey in Search of Justice Clayton Taylor Collection |
2020 |
An original play by Asante Children's Theatre "The struggle for equality is a long time coming. Follow some young actors as they explore a painful past. It's been a long journey from... |
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Artrageous with Nate Clayton Taylor Collection |
2013 |
Artrageous creates engaging, educational content focused on the power of creativity and innovation. Creative Development: Amy Goldsmith, Jessica Heck, Isaac Pellerin & Clayton Taylor; |
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An Evening with Carrie Newcomer Clayton Taylor Collection |
2017 |
Singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer's concert performed at Buskirk-Chumley Theater Carrie Newcomer: Vocals & Guitar; |
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American Pianists Association's Jazz Fellowship Awards Finals Clayton Taylor Collection |
2016 |
Hosted by: Christian McBride & Jill Ditmire. Performances by: Kris Bowers, Zach Lapidus, Emmet Cohen, Sullivan Fortner, Christian Sands & Sullivan Fortner. Program at Hilbert Circle... |
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Across Indiana: The Heart of the Beholder Clayton Taylor Collection |
199x |
The Heart of the Beholder. A story on Bob Beckmann a supporter of the arts in Indiana. A new theater was named in his honor. The dormitories of Central State Hospital, was closed in 1994 due to... |
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A Writer's Roots: Kurt Vonnegut's Indianapolis Clayton Taylor Collection |
2015 |
This video is a Biographical documentary video on the writing career and life of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. It goes through his childhood, to his early years, to his time in the war, and well into his... |
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WFIE News Reports Clayton Taylor Collection |
1982 |
This video is a compilation of stories done by reporter Clayton Taylor from WFIE Channel 14 Evansville. Taylor is a news reporter and covers local and abroad stories about fires, crime, natural... |
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Taylor, Clayton Oral History Collection |
2024-02-27 |
Emma Luce interviews Clayton Taylor |
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Clayton Taylor's Hall of Fame Video Bio Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Collection |
2023 |
Clayton served as Vice President of Television Production at WFYI for 20 years. Under his direction, WFYI became a major producer of documentaries, arts, public affairs and cultural programs,... |
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News 15 Ken Owen Collection |
1984-10-08 |
Directors: Steve Kremer, Rick Potrikus & Dave Whitener; |
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