 Battista earned a bachelor's degree in radio, television, and film production at Northwestern University.After beginning her career at a radio station in Raleigh, North Carolina, she moved on to be an anchor, reporter and producer with WRAL-TV; she was the writer and assistant producer for the 1981 documentary "Fed up with Fear", which won a Peabody Award.On November 17, 2006, Battista returned to WRAL to co-anchor a special "reunion" newscast celebrating the station's 50th anniversary.