MarketInk: Weatherman Dave Scott Retires From KUSI To Play Jazz Trombone

Dave Scott, meteorologist and television journalist, retired after 30 years with KUSI-TV to focus on his other passion as a jazz trombonist. His last newscast was on Sunday evening March 27. He started at KUSI in 1992.

“I’ll be 65 in April and I think it’s time for me to start another chapter and pursue my music dream,” Scott told The San Diego Times. “We all only have a limited time in this life.”

Scott admits the deaths of his brother and parents served as a “wake-up call”. His brother was 55 years old. Her mother died in 2019, followed by her father in early 2020.

“It was a wake-up call that we don’t have all the time in the world,” Scott said. “It makes you realize how precious life is. I’m at a point where I want to spend more time with my kids and more time with my music.

For 20 years, Scott worked weekends providing reporting for morning and evening newscasts. Some mornings, Scott took his two sons to live remotely. “They would still be asleep when I put them in the car and they would wake up on the spot at the beach or the zoo or whatever,” Scott said.

Scott’s affection for music began at the age of 12. Growing up in Hawaii, Scott heard jazz trombonist Trummy Young perform at the Sheraton Waikiki. Young (1912-1984) starred for 12 years with Louis Armstrong in Armstrong’s All Stars. “I had never heard a trombone play a melody, normally it’s just whole notes,” Scott said. “When I heard Trummy, I knew right away that was what I wanted to do with my life.

“My dad ran a typewriter business and a trombone was $300 at Harry’s Music Store in Honolulu. My dad told me if I saved $200 he would cover the rest. So, I got a job on a newspaper delivery route and saved some money. Trummy was also working at the music store at the time. So I bought my first trombone from Trummy Young.

A box of donuts was instrumental in launching Scott’s career as a weather reporter in the late 1980s when he was a student.

“I took a box of donuts and walked into the local National Weather Service office to meet with the chief meteorologist, Wilbur Shigehara,” Scott said. “They allowed me to intern there and learn all about the weather. I also interned at Channel 10 in their sports department, but I really wanted to do weather.

In 1990, Scott then took his resume videotape and arrived at a TV station in Yuma, Arizona. “I sat in the lobby all day, waiting to speak to the news director. He finally came out and agreed to watch my resume tape. Two weeks later, he called me and offered me a job covering sports.

“But, I wanted a job in the weather. So I called my dad who asked me, “Did you do all that work for a job in sports or weather?” I replied, “Time. He replied, ‘Here is your answer.’ So, I said no to the job offer. The following week, the same news director in Yuma called me and offered me a job as a meteorologist.

Scott spent a year working as a television weathercaster in Yuma, followed by a year in Tucson, before arriving at KUSI in the summer of 1992, initially wearing bow ties on the air. According to Scott, “Bow ties started because Bob Dale wore bow ties (Dale, 1925-2008, was a television weatherman in San Diego for decades).

“Bob was an idol of mine,” Scott said. “I figured if bow ties worked for Bob Dale, they would work for me. Before he died, he gave me some of his bow ties.

Over the years, Scott estimates he’s produced between 4,000 and 5,000 “World of Wonder” segments on a variety of nature-related topics. He also spent three years producing and hosting “More of the Wild,” an animal series with Joan Embery of the San Diego Zoo.

“It was great working with Joan,” said Scott. “It’s amazing how animals react to her. She has a magical gift with animals.

In 1997, Scott earned his certification in broadcast meteorology at Mississippi State University. The following year, he earned a bachelor’s degree in geosciences with a major in meteorology from MSU. In January 2001, he received an Audiovisual Meteorology Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society (AMS).

“It took many years of hard work to earn that AMS seal,” Scott said. “I’m very proud of it because I was working full time while going to school.

Scott recalls his interviews with famous celebrities including Robin Williams, Carol Channing and Neil Armstrong. “But the most amazing people I’ve met are the everyday people of San Diego, especially our military heroes and Pearl Harbor survivors like Stu Headley and Ray Chavez,” Scott said. “I had the good fortune to interview Stu and Ray on several occasions. It is important to remind everyone how the men and women of our military service sacrificed for the freedoms we have in our country.

Scott is currently a member of a band that performs weekly at several restaurants in San Diego County. He can be contacted for reservations at info@sunlandmusic.com.

“It’s hard to believe how quickly 30 years go by,” Scott said. “I am so grateful to the McKinnon family (owners of KUSI), my KUSI family and to be part of the family of everyone watching at home. But, all the stars have aligned to say it’s time for me to move on.

KPBS will unveil the new name of the renovated building

KPBS, San Diego’s Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio Affiliates, will announce a new name and unveil signage for its renovated building at San Diego State University at a press conference on Tuesday. morning March 29.

Construction of the building at 5200 Campanile Drive has been underway since November 2020. In 2017, KPBS launched its “Building on Trust” fundraising campaign with donations intended to expand the building by approximately 12,000 square feet, renovate some existing spaces, upgrade technical equipment and invest in future funding for programming and technology.

Announced donors to the campaign included $8 million from the Conrad Prebys Foundation and $5 million from Carol Vassiliadis, the largest donation in KPBS history from a living individual. The $85 million fundraising campaign is the largest campaign in KPBS history, a spokesperson said.

In a statement to The Times of San Diego, Nancy Worlie, Acting Managing Director of KPBS, said: “We have been quietly raising funds for this important project since 2017. On top of that, we have not been able to hold an event. revolutionary because of the pandemic. But now we’re about eight months away from completion and our excitement can’t be contained any longer. For nearly 62 years, KPBS has served the public. This building represents the physical manifestation of this public service mission. Front and center is a center for community engagement, and our lobby is open and inviting like the rest of the space. I am so excited to share the home of KPBS with the community and all it means for our future.

KPBS said the Building on Trust campaign will move into a public phase this summer, when KPBS members and the general public will be invited to donate to the campaign.

Heather Milne Barger, KPBS Director of Communications, confirmed that speakers scheduled for Tuesday’s press conference will include: Worlie, acting KPBS GM; Adela de la Torre, President, San Diego State University; Grant Oliphant, CEO of the Conrad Prebys Foundation.

Once construction is complete in early 2023, Milne Barger said an open house event for the public with tours of the building will be planned.

Pizza by Fox 5’s Heather Lake added to Sammy’s menu

KSWB Fox 5 San Diego morning reporter Heather Lake cooked up the winning pizza recipe during a recent pizza-making challenge hosted by San Diego-based restaurant chain Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza.

Lake’s winning “Hot Honey” pizza consists of pepperoni, prosciutto, bell peppers, red onions, homemade tomato sauce and spiced honey. The dish has been added to the spring menu at all seven of Sammy’s restaurants.

The pizza challenge, held on National Pizza Day in February, was judged by Pam Kragen, restaurant and feature reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune, Mia Stefanko, co-editor of Ranch & Coast Magazine and Sami Ladeki, the founder of Sammy.

As part of her win, Lake’s designated charity received a $5,000 donation. She chose Monarch School, a public school that serves 300 homeless students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Other pizza challenge contestants included KUSI-TV’s Jenny Milkowski, KFMB-TV’s Eric Kahnert, Televisa’s Blas Galindo, XHTZ-FM Z-90’s Rick Morton and KHTS-FM Channel 93.3’s Geoff Alan.

San Diego AMA Offers Traffic and Development Workshops

The San Diego Chapter of the American Marketing Association will present two in-person content marketing workshops, both led by Frank Cowell, CEO of Digitopia.

“Drive Traffic” is the theme for the workshop on Tuesday, March 29 at the Hera Hub at Mission Valley, 8885 Rio San Diego Dr., San Diego. Topics will include Google keywords that drive measurable results, a feed content strategy to convert visitors, how to engage ready buyers now, podcast production, and strategies for Linkedin and social media platforms.

“Nurturing Leads” is the theme for the workshop on Tuesday, April 12 at Downtown Works in Pacific Beach, 4438 Ingraham Street. Topics will include developing people-to-people relationships with potential customers, follow-up strategies that take contacts to the next stage, long-term strategies for brand awareness, and email marketing tactics to keep your favorite brand when it’s time to buy.

The times for both workshops are from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The cost to attend each workshop is $40 per person. For more information on registration, visit sdama.org.

Rick Griffin is a public relations and marketing consultant based in San Diego. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in the Times of San Diego.