Cameron Harper
There seemed to be two trains of thought about Cameron Harper, Channel 3’s main man for a nine-year stretch. One camp looked at his solid news credentials and his sharp interviewing skills; he was able to badly fluster then-Governor Evan Mecham in a 1987 interview that would have gone viral, had such a concept existed then. Eventually, he wound up collecting 12 Emmys for a sterling career in broadcast journalism. Then there was the other group, those who enjoyed listening to him to talk (he was dubbed “velvet-voiced” by one Phoenix publication) and sighing about his prematurely silver mane of hair: “Why did he dye his gorgeous gray hair that dumb blond color?” aPhoenix Gazette TV critic thoughtfully wondered in 1995. Still, don’t hate him because he’s beautiful. The guy is genuinely talented.
Ray Thompson
Channel 12: 1960-1977; Channel 3: 19771982
The first news director for Channel 12 (back in the days when it was KTAR-TV), Thompson is an unquestioned pioneer in the Phoenix TV industry. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, he was a comfortable elder statesman of local TV. If he lacked the crusty edge of Close, he instead offered a kinder, gentler presence. With a crisp, military-style mustache and a pleasant demeanor (he could have been a kindly family physician), Thompson set a high standard for Arizona broadcasters. For that, we always will owe him a debt of gratitude.
Jineane Ford
Channel 3: 1986-1989; Channel 12: 19912006
Ford could have been a punch line. She is blonde, gorgeous and a former beauty queen; in fact, she was the first Arizonan to hold the Miss USA title. But she is also intelligent and a hard worker, and when she decided to focus on TV news, she proved to be a natural. She was a constantly engaging presence, and not afraid to show her emotions. When she first saw images of the 9/11 attacks, she exclaimed, “Oh, dear Lord!” on camera. Would Close have approved? Probably not, but it also illustrated how Ford accurately captured the emotions of viewers.
Mark Curtis
Channel 12: 1980-1987; 1995 to present Some people have a trademark.Close had his bola ties. For Curtis, it’s an ever-present mustache. And just how famous is the Curtis ‘stache? So much so that Stephen Colbert called it out during an episode of “The Colbert Report,” humorously talking about its, um, sensual qualities. Still, don’t think that Curtis is a lightweight Ron Burgundy type. Initially a sportscaster, Curtis moved to the anchor desk during his second run at Channel 12, and has proved to be a solid, stabilizing presence, always pairing well with different partners (a task not as easy as it looks). In 2014, he was inducted into the Silver Circle Society for his 25-plus years of strong work in the world of TV news. Welldeserved.
Patti Kirkpatrick
Channel 12: 1985-1991; Channel 3: 1991 to 2013
As an anchor, Kirkpatrick went through a lot. Perhaps most mortifying: She was one of the “chicks at 6,” along with Foglesong at Channel 3 in the early ‘90s, when the two served as co-anchors. Later, she flew solo, anchoring the station’s two-hour 4:30 p.m. newscast with poise and uncommon good sense. Kirkpatrick worked at Channel 12 for six years before moving over to Channel 3, where she became one of the station’s flagship performers. Her exit from the station was shrouded in mystery; the station initially said she was on an “extended leave” until it became obvious she wasn’t returning. Sadly, she deserved better. in a 1990 Phoenix Gazette poll, even beating out (gasp!) Kent Dana. In 1993, however, she decided she wanted to focus on her family. A year later, she reflected on her decision: “I wonder how did I ever stay up until 10 p.m. and look perky?” That humor is another Foglesong trademark. She’s funny, whip-smart and bilingual to boot. You know when you see an actor and think, “Man, they’d be fun to grab a drink with?” That’s Foglesong. It’s a shame viewers didn’t get to see more of her, but props for putting herself first.
Mary Jo West
Channel 10: 1976-1982; Channel 3: 19831986
In 1976, Barbara Walters became the first female anchor of a national evening news program, teaming with Harry Reasoner. Quite famously, Reasoner was not thrilled with the woman who shared the desk. Phoenix had its own version of the scenario. Mary Jo West became the first female TV anchor in Arizona. She was partnered with Close, who wasn’t pleased with the idea (“I didn’t want her on the set,” he recalled years later). But West persevered, becoming the kind of media celebrity you don’t see much anymore in the local-TV world. The end of her marriage was reported in the press. When she played Maria in a Phoenix Theatre production of “The Sound of Music,” she broke box office records. And when she privately joked that she wanted to make $1 more a year than Alvarez, that wound up in the papers, too. Still, beneath all the hoopla, she was a solid newswoman who was able to captivate the public.
Linda Alvarez
Channel 10: 1964-1993 Here’s one way to contrast Dana and Close. If you ran into Dana in person, you’d probably have the urge to run up, give him a hug and engage in small talk.Close? The man did not seem made for hugs or chatter. But what he offered was a crusty, no-nonsense way of delivering the news in an authoritarian style. Think of it this way: IfClose reported it, you knew it had to be true. That quality led to an infamous 1982 incident. During a live broadcast, an armed man, Joseph Billie Gwin, burst into the station and took a cameraman hostage. He then demanded to read a statement. Close calmed him down and read the incoherent statement himself. Somehow, Close simultaneously reassured viewers at home and the gunman that everything would
There are many talented people that narrowly missed making the cut. Runners-up include: Lin Sue Cooney, Tram Mai, Deborah Pyburn, Linda Williams, Ken Coy, John Hook, Catherine Anaya and Troy Hayden.