Funny Weatherman High Temp in Arizona
With his familiar voice, schoolboy enthusiasm and mischievous smile, Dave Munsey has been riding the Arizona airwaves longer than anyone else in the broadcast news business: 42 years. Never at a loss for words, a friendly greeting or a funny joke, the Arizona Hall of Famer and Emmy-laurels winning weatherman all the same has a lot to say and has poured a life of excitement, celebrity, lessons and luck into his deeply human volume, "Munsey Business."
The Jamestown, North Dakota native has been working since he was eight years one-time, shining shoes, delivering newspapers and serving customers in his dad's restaurant and bar. Although his work ethic is as strong as a Midwestern cornstalk, after reading the volume, you volition soon find information technology is his gift of agreement and enjoying people, his nimble wit, cunning mind and power button that is stuck in the "on" position that fortified his place in the fiercely competitive big market radio and television world for five decades.
Munsey Business is as much a "how-non-to" as information technology is a "how-to" book. Information technology is the perfect summer read for those who don't mind laughing out loud in an airport final or on a sandy beach. There are besides painful stories that will put a vise-grip on your heart every bit he explains the tragic death of a friend'due south ii-year-sometime that sent him on a mission to effort to save lives. He began his "Spotter Your Kids Around H2o" program in 1980.
"It'southward a book of short stories, 103 chapters, not ane relates to another," he said. "Every chapter is a short story on its own, written in chronologic order."
Growing up third in a family of nine kids, Munsey describes his babyhood dwelling as noisy, full of children, "not all of them Munseys," where you could literally "write on the walls," at least in the bedrooms.
Munsey recalls the moment he knew what he was born to do. It was a typical twenty-four hour period in the household involving teasing his sister and running, screaming and proclaiming victory. His mom, Dorothy, and her friend, Lorene, were having java. Dorothy was unaffected by the chaos, just Lorene grabbed young Dave by the dorsum of his shirt.
"Lorene put her finger in my face and inverse my life forever when she said, 'I hope you go paid for that large mouth of yours someday.' I was ten years old, and that moment has been frozen in time ever since…I had been told I had a large mouth many times…just I had never been told that I could make money from my large rima oris. If this were true, I was set."
Munsey talks about how he handled rude job interviews, terrible bosses, being stalked, and working the ii to half dozen a.1000. shift in Phoenix radio. But mostly, this natural storyteller shares the joy and creativity of radio and the exciting, evolving years of television.
For Munsey, radio was a playground with an countless cast of characters he could invent and invite in for a conversation. For television, it was teamwork, a can-do mental attitude and a sense of family that he loved and kept him at Channel 10 (offset KOOL, then KTSP, now Fox10) for 42 years.
"Dave was a real trendsetter for Tv set weather people," said 602 Communications Idiot box News Consultant Doug Drew, the KOOL-TV 10 p.one thousand. news producer in the '80s. "In the early days, almost TV conditions people were science geeks. Dave was one of the kickoff TV weather people to show a real personality, a mix of entertainment and meteorology. He knew weather condition, simply he was too a real showman. Funny and entertaining. Viewers chop-chop recognized his engaging personality and his popularity took off."
In the race for ratings, Munsey describes how Channel 10 was hungry to be commencement. "We were the first microwave shot people, the commencement satellite people and the first live shot people in the land. The station owner, Tom Chauncey, Sr., took nearly three seconds to brand a decision and we were buying technology fast. Nosotros found out the night before Channel 12 (KPNX) was almost to go live for the outset time. Nosotros learned we could go a live shot if we pointed our transmitter at South Mount from the helicopter. We put a harness on the videographer then he could lean out of the helicopter and point the transmitter."
Channel 10 went for it and succeeded in getting the commencement live shot, although fuzzy. The station besides got a note from Channel 12 congratulating the team, saying it was "crude, but live."
Munsey captures the down-to-the-last-second kind of magic that happens in live television. He describes how the station decided to go for a dissever screen showing north and south borders of the state at the same time. On one side, viewers would run across Arizona Route personality Bill Leverton at the Grand Coulee with a shot into Utah; on the other side there would exist Munsey at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Southern Arizona with a shot into Mexico.
Munsey'south team arrived at nigh 4 p.yard., plenty of time to set up for "Alive at 5." What they didn't expect was the metal-reinforced steel gate chained shut, keeping out anyone who wanted access to the high point of this national treasure. Munsey writes, "I was standing but looking at the chain around the gate when the live truck engineer said, 'I've got a hacksaw in my toolbox.' I could have kissed him. 'Become it,' I said. 'We're breaking in.'"
It may have been a federal offense, but they got the live shot, with no time to spare.
"Dave was simply as funny in the newsroom equally you saw on the air. Maybe funnier," said Drew. "He was always cracking jokes, ever a trick up his sleeve from the moment he stepped into the newsroom each day. A joy to work with, Dave brought a level of levity to the newsroom, unremarkably a identify of high stress and tension."
"Munsey Business" chronicles significant celebrated events like the Vietnam War and what it meant to American servicemen and women when Bob Hope arrived in Long Binh with his Christmas bear witness. Munsey was there, serving in the Army, and shaking Hope's paw backstage.
He talks about the late '70s and early '80s, working with people like pioneering anchorwoman Mary Jo West, gruff news legend Bill Close, helicopter pilot/hero Jerry Foster and upward-and-coming newswoman Linda Williams. "When y'all're young, back in those days when you're all kids, you're grabbing onto the brass ring. We were not merely on our own, we were a squad as well. We were family."
"He always would stop at my desk with a story that was funny, interesting or hysterical. What amazed me was he was constantly upbeat! He'due south one of those guys who yous want to order whatever he had for breakfast, considering he ever walked 'on the sunny side of the street!' (pun intended!)," said Williams, who refers to him equally a "Koolie," referencing their KOOL days. "I have told Dave Munsey a million times that he should write a book, because no one tin can tell a story with the wit that he tin. I was thrilled when he finally did write down some incredible stories that you lot couldn't make upwards if you lot tried."
Munsey offers respect and praise for his station owners, managers and co-workers. He is especially grateful to his high schoolhouse English language teacher Bruce Berg, to whom he dedicated the volume. "If i person had more influence on my life than anyone, information technology was Bruce Berg. He helped me get into speech class. He approached me on an adult level, told me that I had the Ten factor, the power to win over an audience. He helped me with my writing, and he taught me about improv, to be given a topic and so talk about it intelligently for five minutes, how to advertizing lib, to tell the story as the story should be told."
In the book's Forward Berg writes, "There is a bounce and vigor in Dave'due south style that shouts that this man loves what he is doing."
A chapter also is dedicated to his wife of 47 years, Bunny, who saved every annotation, newspaper clipping and photograph of his career.
For long-time Arizonans, "Munsey Business" is deliciously cuddly and familiar similar comfort food. It reminds the states of iconic restaurants like Durant's in downtown Phoenix (where Munsey earned his own booth, number 28), and former friends similar Glen Campbell and Ladmo.
Munsey retired in June 2017 and has received a number of awards in his career. Mary Jo West successfully nominated him to be inducted in the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
If he were to offer just one tip for a half-century of broadcasting success, information technology's on page 165: "If you physically impact someone, shake their manus or give them a hug, they will picket y'all."
Indeed, Arizona will no doubt continue watching as Munsey soldiers on in his mission to save lives. He is the official spokesman for "Teach Kids to Swim" at the Valley of the Dominicus YMCA.
What'southward your next adventure?
"I'm thinking of writing some other book near, called 'Did Y'all Hear me?'" (A follow upward to his "Picket Your Kids Around H2o" program.)
Who exercise you admire?
"Jim McCord was a high school basketball game bus in Jamestown, N Dakota. The squad was going to the state. Days before the tournament, he found out his star player had been drinking. The motorcoach suspended him. He gave up a state title for principle."
What advice do you lot have for aspiring broadcasters?
"Ignore whatever criticism. Y'all feel it. Everybody feels it."
What character traits practise you most appreciate?
"I like being effectually people you can trust."
What was it like to write Munsey Business concern?
"Information technology was similar I had a actually good friend staying with me. And then he left." FBN
"Munsey Business organisation" is available at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe.
Source: https://www.flagstaffbusinessnews.com/arizonas-water-safety-weatherman-sharing-stories-of-a-colorful-life/
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