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Northwest
Prime Time
StevePool CELEBRATING LIFE AFTER 50 IN THE PUGET SOUND REGION SINCE 1986
www.NorthwestPrimeTime.com
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Movies for Grownups Awards
VOL. 17 NO. 1 JANUARY 2017
Celebrating 40 Years on Television
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n September 8, KOMO 4 News celebrated 40 years with Steve Pool. “That warm smile and familiar laugh, Seattle’s friendly forecaster,” proclaimed KOMO’s video tribute to Steve’s four decades at the station.
“Television has been quite a journey for me,” says Steve. “Frankly I never expected to be in the business. I thought I was headed to law school, but somewhere I got off track…or on track, depending on how you look at it. I graduated from Tyee High School in Seattle where I served as student body president. Following graduation I attended the University of Washington majoring in Communications and Speech.” Upon graduating in 1978 he began his long career at KOMO as a writer, but was soon appointed to a reporter position. In the mid 80s, Steve changed directions and became the station’s lead weather forecaster when he took over for the retiring Ray Ramsey. But first he went back to the University of Washington to receive specialized training in atmospheric sciences. “Surprisingly, I found myself as one of the pioneering major market African American weathercasters in the country,” recalls Steve. “I was featured in Ebony magazine, much to the delight of my mother and father who still weren’t quite sure about the whole television thing. ‘Is that a real job?’ ” Despite being best known as
a weatherman, Steve had many steps along the way. “I wrote news copy for others to read. I did general assignment reporting, feature reporting, produced half-hour programs, weekend specials and a brief stint as a sports reporter,” he says. He also filled in a couple of times as a weatherman. “I really enjoyed it because there is no script. I was able to say things in a way that fit my personality, as opposed to reading something that was written by someone else. That little shift pretty much changed my life. One of the things I enjoyed about weather is that, hey this is something that affects everybody. Once I realized that, it really got me jazzed.” In the 80s, Steve also began hosting the program Front Runners, a Saturday evening magazine show that became syndicated in markets around the U.S. and the world. It is one of the most awarded programs Steve and his wife Michelle with their beautiful daughters, (l-r) in Seattle Lindsey (18), Steve, Michelle, Marissa (15)
Steve Pool has been with KOMO News for 40 years. The number one question people ask about Steve is “Why doesn’t he age?” Photos courtesy KOMO News.
numerous times in local publications, television history including twice with nearly 100 gracing the Emmys! cover of Seattle “The idea Magazine, and was to find young he’s been voted people all over the “Seattle’s Favorite world who were Weatherman” doing interesting many times. “My and outstanding mother was very things and doing so excited about the while overcoming ink that I was significant Steve grew up in south Seattle getting. I told her obstacles.” The show that I am already on TV every night… featured a wide range of guests from she tells me, ‘Yes, but now you’re in a a paraplegic who learned to climb magazine and that’s really big!’ ” mountains to a seven-year-old Elvis He recalls going out with his impersonator (who grew up to be wife, Michelle, when he took over as Bruno Mars, the extraordinary singer KOMO’s weatherman. “People will and world-class entertainer). say, ‘Hey, Steve, how’s the weather?’ Steve remembers another career When I first started in the business, milestone: “I had only been doing I thought people really wanted me the weather in Seattle for about a to tell them, so I would launch right year when my agent called with an into it, ‘Well, tonight we’re going to interesting offer. The folks at Good Morning America in New York wanted have temperatures in the lower 40s…’ Michelle grabbed me and said, ‘You to know how I felt about coming in know, they are really just saying hello.’ ” to fill in when their regular weather Steve believes that the Northwest person went on vacation. To say I was stunned is a huge understatement. My thrives in part because people step answer? Not just yes, but hell yah!” As up to help others in the community. it turns out, Steve did regular stints on He, himself, is well-known for the GMA from the late 80s through 2011 charitable work he does for many, many different causes, including and made many close friends there. Children’s Hospital. “It’s hard to “The added bonus was being on the believe, but it was more than 25 set for the parade of celebrities that years ago that I did my first Seattle came through the studio.” Steve’s own homegrown celebrity continued on page 14 status is a fact. He has been featured