ABC 10 News Anchor (and so much more) Walt Gray

Monday, September 24th

To say that Walt and I have "history" is an understatement. This guy is Mr. Sacramento - over 30 years on-air in the market. From the irreverent (don't get me started) to the intense (the guy who kidnapped Jaycee Lee Dugard called him from jail), Walt rarely holds back, as is evidenced in this chat.     



Polish off. Most. Firm. In addition here's some emotion. Is there. C efficacy to last time I saw you know it wasn't such that they hear us now we got we get our butts can't hear. As my first time in this building since I was told believe and I can't believe that she came back I thought about you know nor account names encompasses people who. Are known throughout the region and that was a snippet of your career but yeah that around here for 25 plus years it. I've been here for earth in this market for thirty years you've been thirty hours that would be 25 plus when it as a third with a plan I'm fine yep this is the only time in my career were ever got handed it was in this building so what you do yeah I'm back so this is kind of cathartic for me because I told my eldest daughter said. I'm back to enter com. And this is my first time in this building since I walked out with a box ball stuff. I said this is kind of dug a big thing and a good thing for me and I was wondering whether you would agree to commence an outline insistent on you wanted to meet maybe at some remote location. So you can guarantee security but not so I don't need to come back here I need to do and and I did anything good place and that it is it is now yet now the U got rid of some other people. I think there's. I don't even know where to start with you you're you've got three kids and I use since before you had kids what's the coolest part happening again these days I know they're very very busy. It's it's crazy and you've been through this yeah miles on I'm like the afternoon shuttle like today. There's like three of four different events in a four hour period so I've I've got a jam from point a to point B so it on this point see. But it's fun and you know like and I think you and I talked about this. Is that it's so crazy now but it's the crazy you'll miss when they leave the house being quiet or you know coaching Joseph in in baseball. I I'm aware that I'm going to miss it's one trying to approach the craziness. As if this is actually a K your big serve. Yes yes Abbey's going to be junior and I like odd and were already on the outskirts of looking at colleges. Jeremiah Wright now I mean it's just so fast you know. And the rain for the kids and and they don't give a crap that you are in local celebrities have been their kidneys so I don't care I'm I'm an idiot like everybody else you know and that's I wouldn't want it any other way out they don't look it. Me or or their mother who's also one TV and look at justice anything different than just do office you know he I take a beating in that house and that's right yeah that's so your merits news tends to woods correct height as me. We met at a median nights in 1997. Active parent Ares downtown. I was working the night shift oddly filling in I was morning guys Casey. Worked the night shift because we had a crew in London. And because Princess Diana hedges. Been killed. So Princess Diana had never died I never would have met my wife just by time there's that. You can expect to be talking about that are references to and a yeah if you're listening right now Princess Diana I didn't mean it that way they now. What's it like working with your wife I used to see much of each other that it's re actually on a tag team briefly but it's good because. On weekends you know over the last line weakened talk shop and know exactly what. It's not like I'm some guy who you know works for the phone company and has to listen to his TV wife complain about everything. I know she's talking about advocates say you know we can help each other with that so I think it in really helps that we work at the same place but. We never generally see each other sinners how you spin rates so timely account I get up at. 2:30 am. And I mean to work at 350. Yeah thank you you're very kind this is radio yeah he's you know he's just being kind. But yet but I get in at 3:15 AM she gets in now at noon so my day is over one hers began and so we are the completely opposite schedule for the for the children it's quite are endless are they have a mom or dad all the time somebody's around 24/7. In the house war. You know tell them what to do a drive and I'm somewhere so it's it's crazy because you got to live 33 is insane anybody who has three or more knows what I'm talking about it side. Do we have this discussion never let the children and a number of the parents while socking you got to boy out of no where that's where were you and I needed. That is not there on that area that you started. In Rhode Island your parents are still yeah he's still eleven island yet good thing you didn't ask me before my parents were too what if one of amid just passed away may have to redo this whole thing maybe I did some homework and found. Anybody still lie they art and what can you imagine us in a room together yeah I don't radio shows together a great guy and actually be dead. A pair of the 9088. Ninety and 88 dads and nine be and is kind you know like 88 moms 88 and could be seventy I had my high school reunion. Like last year and I swear mom 88 looked better. Way better then more than half of the gals in my graduating class on the line yeah mom what's awesome enough to get back. We get back. Once a year in mid June and then nine now that there are a little older I tried to shoot back around Christmas just to pop in usually it's a surprise and they were coming up they may be coming up for this Christmas but you know as they get. Older that plane trip at 3000 miles not easy especially for that you know we always comes up with some random cough that lasts six months writes that or he's getting on the plane right cats like Kramer you know happy he associates points travel now with asthma. You know explicit yes. Did you know your whole life that you wanted to be in some sort of broadcasting field you come from a family there's politics and there's media ya. And racism and do what was planned a rather plans they are going to be. Now it was always going to be something in the media I was always going to be a newspaper reporter sports reporter. And so my degrees and I am print journalism so was until my senior year of college that I start to mess around with the college radio station. And I dated intern ship and TV station in the NFL body can still do everything you want hitting journalism writing wise but you can broadcast. It's almost a two for one. So. You know my dad always reported for the Providence journal he was Press Secretary to the governor he was a state senator and so all of that was EE you know journalism. Related and then public service so. You. To skim milk flashback when you were talking closed her eyes when you're telling your story and to be back to death and you know it viewing you barely focusing on things you colleagues playing cannot close your eyes light on TV but. I do again literally I do it's not a good luck and I can't get away when walker wake up yes some gather radio show that we had together and let me just publicly apologized to cat. Cat who worked at the station for like a thousand years and that works with me for knocking markets and she gets canned the same day I do don't think that's not a cross I'm not bearing. I'd do it looks you look great action yeah yeah you well rested there's no stress on you like this yeah that's good I'm glad so I mean we're okay and you and I again I guess I have I have contacted you or not OK yeah now probably. On and on the out yet you spent some time you didn't grow up in India but you spent some time. Living in India yeah we lift for two years in New Delhi. My dad took a job Bob with the US embassy there and my wife and I've always planned to take the kids back you know so we just went. We went in the end of march we went to India the five of us and my in laws tagged along. So we did all of New Delhi weeks rented a van went to the Taj Mahal and so we were waiting for my youngest to be old enough so he could remember her and he's now eleven and that was the age when I was there. So it was amazing we flying in and it smoky. Air quality is horrible. There's monkeys running in the street like like dogs and dogs run an industry to win. It's crazy but that's what you want on a vacation like that we are able to show them that the weather still things their everything we went down I took my son on the Little League field at the end dishonestly on. And we got a tour of the school the American Embassy school I went to and I took them to the house I used to live. And so and driving around I was able to him were in with a cabbie and I'm like take this left here cause you know wanting to write and it still worked. So it was it was really really cool it was just everything we hoped it would be everybody loved it. Because it's so different I I certainly don't go there and yes I think a lot of people sadly say no not fair Adam yeah. It's not a vacation cat it's really and experience and there's nothing wrong with an experience you can do all the timeshare resorts and all inclusive you want and chill and have fun. And you can also you know go to the Congo and and see what other people lie you know and both are are totally fine. Going back tier broadcasting career you have been an anchor you. I remember first meeting your. A sportscaster. What was your favorite chunk or are or is that still yet to come unused over sports or sports over news. I would say the sports with so much fun and I stopped doing that in 1993. And I think that that was a good time. To leave on local TV sports for meat may be for others not so much. Because with the advent of ESPN and and phones you don't necessarily what you don't need to wait up until 11 o'clock at night. To find out how your team did everything is instant communications now so I think the switch to news was great for me. And I still loved doing that if there's something in sports I would like to do then you know I can always do a story on that tuba. The news thing really I think the timing of it I was one of the first. To be a sportscaster to move into news so. I have known you for very long time up and I need before marriage any of the foreign kids and you and I have talked about this before how. Reporting a story. Became different after you became apparent you could greet you game and can make it through just about any story now but after you had you know your kids and their you're talking about a child molester or. You know these awful people you are saying that sometimes it was hard today to get through the the newscast. Yet even now you bring that up and I'm like oh yeah and that you know it's an ATI yeah I think everybody changes when they have kids. And you know I'm so we're so used to doing the straight news you know it's somebody else's kid it's also a lot of it can be white noise. And then you know I'm doing stories about you know these kids are Qaeda who may be plucked off there bicycle on the way to school and I'm thinking my kids are on the way to school on a bicycle right now. And you put yourself into that and you can't completely. Feel. How that family feels you know or you know the death of a child due to anything an illness or whatever in. You know it's just you'd you'd change when you have when you get married and when you have children and I think that that comes through hopefully it does Seattle more empathy. Now. I was in my car washed and CNN was on. And there was my friend Walt great talking about how Phillip garrido the monster who abducted JC Italy do guard. Was captured and put in jail and he wanted to talk to wall African grey yeah. Yeah it was it was twenty minutes till five on weekday in and getting ready to anchor the 5 PM news over Casey Arian the assistant news director Jim Stinson says Phillip garrido is on the phone for you. A sweet talk you know have my coffee does and and so we go on the record with like this and it's him on the phone. And he says you know Walt greatness in that I wanted to speak with you by and so I'm like. Until I know what's going on I know this is probably the biggest interview of my life. Which I've had zero rope prep time for which the you know all these things are flash factory head. So. Yeah we had a discussion in. He wanted everybody to know that this was a wonderful story that was gonna come out and about. Him and and his family. And so I just was trying to hold on and not screw it up. And then subsequently over the months he would send media now letter at the station maybe once every couple months. A you know trying to update me on this and Madden in nature Jaycee gets the proper representation. And so I got thrown into that although many times I tried to interview him. At the Eldorado county jail on just outside class bill and he wouldn't come out so that was kinda weird too it's like dude why he would communicating with me and not you know. Sit down by it but it was funny you know mention. I was on CNN give being interviewed on The Today Show in MSNBC. In New York Times mean it was. It was everybody has their fifteen man it's that was mine you know and going back to mediocrity. Here I have yeah. I will tell you I remember calling you and saying you know congratulating you and I recently to do and I think it's an island to crawl through the receiver and choke him out. Idea I just remember that's it's been many years that when that thing capital limited to please them. Yet because you we all knew when it happened and again you know I had had kids and I think it while this could have been my kids were kids and you know disguise crazy and thankfully it all worked out as well as it could JC seems to have Obama. You know dealt with that in in in a great way eyes and hopefully her kids. Whose father is still garrido are going to be able to and they're getting a lot of help. Would they're going to be able to go forward and lead a productive lives and I'm sure their mom's gonna have a lot to do it. Let's talk about your kids again which is still one mostly Q. While abbey probably the oldest is is probably most like me Kelly the middle is like mom she's. She's like mom is Kelly's still ample issue Alex and handful not to say the mom is there isn't careful a city I don't wanna get in trouble here. Yeah so and Joseph is is my buddy media a coach him and all his sports basketball soccer baseball. So we're together quite a bit and he's a really sweet kid. I ate I may have seen him get mad me be once in his life and it's not like he's like this confused. Kid and he's just even tempered and he's just you know easy money you know so when you see him mad. Which is rare and never he's got a good reason I'm I'm believe in whatever story you tell an -- sisters you know you know they're always trying to blame him for stuff. When you are out and about view that you might be as youth I said at a complete idiot here kids that you are a recognizable face in this community. How do you. React when people say hello to you. Are you a kind are you. I mean I'm really mean to people. No way down to activate when when someone recognizes you I would say 95% of the time it's in a positive way. And I learned all of that how to deal with that by being like the little sidekick to Stan Atkinson when he was Casey are all those years. We would go out. After after worker you know have a have a drink. People literally were crawling over me to get to him move aside it literally if even it was like oh my gosh people brushing me aside. And he was so nice. He would walk past people who didn't even recognize him in he would say Howard you and I mean he goes out of his way. To be friendly which is way more than most people it's like most people would wait to be recognized and and kick it into a house or go on that's right yeah. But he wouldn't he wouldn't ish. And I'm like this is this is how it should be. On. Most that most of the time it's calm it's recognized from like 25 years that Casey array. And a lot of that from lying about one year here at the eagle. Just people used to listen to you and it's like firefighters. And law enforcement listened to the eagle like nobody's business so odd they still like you know I still get a lot of eagle and I still get a lot of Casey. Podcasts is called nor account names and you have lived all over the place feasible here why. I got here in 88 had been working in Miami and this was a great opportunity professionally. On great station and like anybody back east you know they say year insect you going to Sacramento animal like communal world like where's as a near San Francisco has between Iraqis have no idea where Sacramento. And so got here figured I'd do maybe 345 years go to Boston. Go back east that's with a fan and he has but when ever. On I was available there wasn't a job open in whenever. You know I was looking for a job they didn't haven't an aide just the timing never worked and thank goodness. I think about all the things I've done where I really tried to do something and it didn't work out. He worked out. And I'm glad it didn't. You know I'm glad I stayed here on it's rare that you arena city for thirty years on on on any broadcaster and newspaper whenever so. I tried to go. I didn't go and I'm glad it worked out I mean related it's a great place to be lightning round and get fundamentalists. Bucket list would be I am my my daughter wants to go to Bora Bora in hand in stale one of those little docks where he can fall out of bed into the ocean or whenever it is. Com I'm excited about what my next thing will be in the next few years what I will do. And I really had a job in college delivering US mail. And I checked it out the other guys thought that if one I get out of a TV I would like to see Aleman. Because of the outdoors I never had an outdoors job and this is an outdoors job where you're meeting people and you're walking 67 miles a day what's it. So you know I'm I'm kinda start to think about what could be whenever that might be. So there restaurants in town and pop. Up Popeye and here is at a restaurant and my job interview was at beaver restaurant in Sacramento and whenever my parents come out which is basically every year they insist. I'm going to a Bieber restaurant and seeing Bieber herself so. That was always the number one place. And that's you know there's a million new restaurants in town and bars. And you know tab burns and brew pubs and all that this is a great place to between 38 adult beverage of choice. One that's missed some passionate about I don't know I. Being for eggs you know I'm I'm really enjoying. Or load these days on trying to you know basically. Catch a buzz in and not have beat too fattening. Do you still saying. Not that much I don't think I'm as good as it used to be. But again if people drink a lot before icing on. There so yeah. Motorcycles is still has not been on a bike Canada. Just with weekends with the kids. It's been difficult to find time. If I were to have the motorcycle and take off for seven hours with my friends I would come home to a pitchfork. And I don't need to. And I and I understand I mean the kids are all so many activities on the weekend and as my wife's weakened to it's it's like the guy who can get away with taken off to play golf when he got little kids at home hey hey it's I hate Biden you've got to June this man to pull that off. Yeah it and stole them so it must be paying him back for that as that war yet as it were. Are Duca. I do love to cook I had steaks on the girl last night Monica chopped up some on. Vegetables and squash like ruled that. I have a pasta dish which is kind of my go to that has Italian sausage and all kinds of peppers and mushrooms so. On I'm not a baker and I think if you said do you bake I would say do not the same way I can't say I'm not the lasagna guy or anything like that so. I can do basic guy's stuff off the girl and a and stuff like that. Would you most. And probably the kids mean and the fact that I you know from mild thing have lasted is as long as I have in this business where. Everybody I came up with is all gone off to PR jobs or retired navy still time for that. Com yeah I I would think that you know and I still enjoy it as much as I ever did you know where I am now at ABC ten. They are a pretty bluntly do what I am gonna do and having fun yet it's it's very cash. And so it's. I enjoy that inning in relief I don't dread going into work I did in fact it's at 3:15 in the morning. In Illinois tell people it's like. You do that says feel like I'm jetlag pretty much all the time. Even but that's you know a mornings are best suited for me that's when you can have some fun. Now like he can relief joke around at 6 PM and there's all kinds of bad stuff going on so I think it's a good it's a good time. You'll. You know news or is this the end could OK okay you asked me if anything you ask your enjoying being back here. Yeah everything happens for a reason I'm the Gramm line now. Why don't woody called little matches don't play a delicious dump yeah I got up early years and it's nice to wake up at six. To work. That's amazing after eight that's and it changes everything because you were morning's forever for ever. And and it's nice to see somebody. Like you who's on a different shift now in the business or. I hear from a lot of people who were out of the business through like you she did it is a whole other world there it's awesome. Argued that it can decade. Thanks for coming and playing my pleasure. Things.