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.
ARCHIVES
West Oakland residents remembers collapse of Cypress Freeway 30 years ago
One of the most memorable sights after the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake was the damage done to both the Bay Bridge and the Cypress Freeway. Now, 30 years later, many in Oakland are remembering the collapse of the freeway that killed 42 people.
NuStar Energy fire: What is ethanol anyway?
ETHANOL EXPLAINED: The fire at the Nustar Petroleum facility in Crockett burned thousands of gallons of the fuel additive.
Fog delays main attraction on last day of San Francisco Fleet Week 2019
FLEET WEEK FOG: The Blue Angel's performance over the San Francisco Waterfront was delayed because of fog. The Navy's aerobatic team waited 25 minutes for the fog to burn off before starting the show.
Diocese of Oakland mourns death of Father Mathew Vellankal, visiting archbishop
Father Mathew Vellankal of the Diocese of Oakland was killed in a car accident in Northern California. Also killed at the scene was Archbishop Dominic Jala of the Archdiocese of Shillong, India. A third Pastor, Father Parekkatt of St. Anne Parish in Walnut Creek, was injured.
Flying through history: How the Blue Angels became the main attraction of San Francisco's Fleet Week
Fleet Week is now here in San Francisco, and that means the Navy's Blue Angels roaring through the city. We know they fly fast and perform intricate maneuvers - but how did the team get its start?
