The Proprietor
Going back over many years, Mike Rau has worked in just about every genre and field of mass media imaginable, including the music industry, public relations, politics, radio as both a DJ and a talk show host, TV news as both an assignment editor and web editor, theater as a set designer and builder and lighting technician, and print media as a columnist for a daily newspaper and contributor to other publications.
Although he began writing early on, and even had a few paid pieces published, Rau first made his mark in event production, including producing music concerts featuring some of the top national acts in the fields of blues, soul, and R&B, then added providing consulting services to several political and issue campaigns, and collaborated in management of dozens of other special events.
Over the years, Rau took advantage of other professional opportunities, including as host of a nightly music program on WLPM-AM radio in Suffolk, as a nightly talk show host with WTAR-AM radio in Norfolk, in two positions working in television news with NBC affiliate WAVY-TV 10 in Portsmouth and one with ABC affiliate WVEC-TV in Norfolk, and as a columnist with the Daily Press in Newport News. Rau was also a contributor to AltDaily for many years before it ceased publication in 2019.
Since leaving his full-time position with WAVY-TV in November of 2008 after nine years - six-and-a-half as an assignment editor and two-and-a-half as senior internet editor, Rau has channeled most of his professional energy into providing consulting services in various aspects of mass communications to a broad range of clients, while also holding a part-time position as the weekend assignment editor at WVEC-TV 13.
Besides being a highly experienced and respected journalist and writer, Rau also possesses advanced technical and creative skills in many areas associated with mass media and the Internet, including graphic arts, print layout, website and web content creation and management, audio engineering and video production. Additionally, Rau has continued to provide consulting and management services to multiple political campaigns and social causes.
Resumé / CV
