I grew up in the Midwest, with dreams of becoming an engineer and pilot. But, I got my first taste of broadcasting in high school at our ten watt radio station and from then on I was hooked. In college I worked at two different radio stations doing everything from turning on the transmitter Sunday mornings, to spinning records, writing news and even reading the obituaries on air. That latter job may sound macabre, but the switchboard would light up if we didn't do them, or if we mispronounced a name. After college, I got a job writing radio news at the princely sum of $4.50 per hour. It was a great experience. I learned how to write breaking news and long form stories that looked into the deeper issues of crime and poverty, and sports versus education. I worked with some of the best broadcasters in the business and picked their brains for every bit of information about our industry. Fortunately, they were more than willing to help and I can't thank them enough.
In 1989 I took my first TV job in St. Louis working midnight to 6 a.m., doing 30 second live news cut-ins at the top of every hour. It wasn't glamorous, but it got my foot in the door. After six months of volunteering to go out on every story, and do every interview, and generally making a pest of myself, I was hired full-time; undoubtedly just to shut me up.
In 1994, I joined ABC7, and it has been a dream come true. My family simply loves the Bay Area and I love working with the professionals that make ABC7, one of America's best sources of news and information; and believe me only professionals should see each other without makeup at 3:30 in the morning. That's when we'd arrive to prepare for the ABC7 Morning News. The newscast is as fresh and fun now as it was when I joined the program in 1996.
BTW, when I'm not on the air I'm probably buried in some history book or out throwing a football around with my kids.
I enjoy reading your comments, almost as much as I enjoy a good book. Find me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter.
Eric Thomas is a reporter and weekend anchor for ABC7 News. He also reports on aviation and the military.
Eric's Stories
BART riders could pay more for parking as transit agency tries to add housing, retail to transit hubs
WOULD YOU PAY MORE TO GET MORE?: BART is trying to get commuters out of their cars, and develop transit hubs with housing and retail. That may increase prices at BART parking stations.
BART looking for ways to rebuild declining ridership after losing 10 million riders on night, weekends
Ten million fewer riders took BART on nights and weekends last year than rode the trains just four years earlier.
Coronavirus: Bay Area native living in Wuhan describes city as 'absolute ghost town,' says 'we avoid everyone'
'IT'S A SCARY SITUATION': A Marin County man living in Wuhan, says he can't come back to California because his girlfriend, a Chinese National, can't get a visa and he doesn't want to leave her behind in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic.
Coronavirus: Lawrence Livermore Lab researchers examine virus in hopes of blocking, treating it
Lawrence Livermore Lab researchers are exploring the basic building blocks of the coronavirus in hopes of blocking and treating it.
Kaiser teams up with Oakland agencies to find permanent homeless housing
"No human being should be in that position ever" Kaiser and other agencies are combining their efforts to house the homeless living in a Oakland Park.
Developer reveals plan for hundreds of new homes on Richmond bayfront despite opposition
The Southern California developer is planning on building more than 1,200 homes that will include single-family homes, townhomes, detached and attached. It says the development will also include nearly 70 affordable housing units.
Caught on camera: Wheelchair-bound man dumped onto ground inside Pleasant Hill Target after incident over handicapped parking spot
"The thing that most hurts is that nobody did anything."
8 arrested after sheriff's seize $2.5 million worth of cash, laptops from Peninsula fencing ring
'OPERATION SHATTERED GLASS': San Mateo Co. Sheriff's deputies arrested 8 people from a Bay Area fencing ring with more than $2.5 million worth of stolen property, mostly from car break-ins.
Presidential candidate, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg opens campaign office, holds rally in Oakland
BLOOMBERG IN OAKLAND: Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg took BART from San Francisco to Oakland, where he met up with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. The two had coffee at a nearby bagel shop before Bloomberg spoke to supporters at his rally.
Heavy rains cause headache for East Bay sewer treatment plant officials in East Bay
Too much stormwater infiltration could create overflows and spew untreated sewer water into the bay, so East Bay MUD officials opened up another treatment facility in Richmond to divert and store some of that excess water until things calm down.
