Description

"My Life as a Local Television Reporter, and the Irony of It All"

Featuring Steve Stoler, Collin County Bureau Chief for WFAA-TV

About the Program:

Come and hear WFAA's Collin County Bureau Chief Steve Stoler talk about his favorite stories, how he once became a story, a behind-the-scenes look at chasing severe weather and maybe the most ironic thing that's ever happened to Steve in 27 years of broadcast journalism.

About the Speaker:

Imagine working in a newsroom where just a few feet away, 300-pound professional wrestlers are slamming each other hard to the mats.

Imagine anchoring the news with two different kinds of studio cameras that make you look like two different people.

Imagine answering phone calls after anchoring the news and hearing viewers say, "You guys are funnier than Saturday Night Live!"

Yes folks, that accurately describes my first job at WCWB-TV in Macon, Ga., the station that provided me with my start in broadcast news, back in 1980.
I've got to admit, I've worked in some pretty unusual places, especially for a guy raised in hot, sunny South Florida. Have you ever heard of Kearney, Nebraska? Put a pencil on the center of the United States and you'll be right on Kearney.

To a South Floridian, any temperature under 60 degrees is cold! In Kearney, I experienced wind chills of 75 degrees below zero. And to make things even more interesting, the NTV Network is located in the middle of a corn field, about 15 miles out of town.  I couldn't get used to blizzards, snowdrifts, barrows and gilts, or snow covered heifers. That's why I went job hunting again and found paradise in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, N.C.

Climbing the career ladder, I then went through the West Texas town of El Paso and finally on to KDFW-Fox 4 News in Dallas, where I spent the last 17 years. I made the change to WFAA in December of 2002. I've spent more than a decade in Collin County, meeting wonderful people, covering incredibly interesting stories, and at times, watching history unfold before my eyes.

I've covered the environment, the Texas Legislature, two national political conventions, presidents, and a wide array of daily stories affecting the lives of North Texans.

Remember the Branch Davidian saga in Waco? I was there. Remember the little girl who fell into a well in Midland? I was there. Tornados, plane crashes, the birth of octuplets and a hostage standoff at a daycare center.

I look forward to continue telling the stories that are important to our viewers in Collin County and across North Texas.