On the 30th anniversary of his first broadcast in Chicago, WLS anchor Ron Magers reflects on his legendary broadcast career in an interview with Chicago media reporter Robert Feder. “I work in a business that requires us to live in the moment and always be looking for what might be coming next,” Magers said. “I’ve done it so long that I’m not very good at looking back.” Magers, who has worked at both WLS and rival station WMAQ, shares his thoughts on developing his reporting chops in Chicago:
I will take credit for surviving, and that’s not always an easy trick in this business. Over the years it has been my great pleasure to be in the company of some really smart people who want television journalism to be the best it can be. Without their company I wouldn’t be here today.
Nearly 30 years ago I did a story on police bodyguards provided to city officials. At that time even the Chicago Public Schools superintendent had a bodyguard detail. When I questioned a city official about the practice, he looked at me incredulously and said: ‘You’re not from here, are you?’
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