We had an email come in to QZVX. Patrick asked a question about Seattle TV news around 25 years ago. His question stumped me, but I have never watched much television. His Channel 7 news anchor scenario is amusing. He wondered if any of our readers would have an answer to his question.
“About 25 years ago or so, KIRO had a new news anchor. She did not last long. There were several comments and statements she would make that were off color and inappropriate. It became a person I had to watch to see what would happen next – like Ted Baxter.
Then on one broadcast, she made a statement about a certain news report, specifically she said: ‘That sounds like some guy’s wet dream.’
There was stunned silence on the set for what seemed like forever – maybe only a couple seconds. They cut to a commercial before going to national news. When they returned to the local news, she was gone and I never saw her again.
Any idea who that might have been? I wonder if she was ever able to get another job in broadcasting.”
—–June 12, 2024—UPDATE
Thank you, Michelle for the link to the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhZpsrcIRZM
******* Anchor identified as Sasha Foo **********
Presently editor and historical writer with QZVX.COM in Seattle. Former radio broadcaster and radio station owner, 1970-1999. Journalism and speech communications degrees. I enjoy researching articles and online reporting that allows me to meld together words, audio and video. P.S. I appreciate and encourage reader comments and opinions. View other articles by Steven Smith
I was looking for some KIRO history today and I came across this post. I am pretty certain I have the video clip–it’s from 1991. The anchor doesn’t mention her name and I don’t recognize her so I’m not sure who she is. Would the person who asked the original question still be able to be contacted? I can post the clip to YouTube unlisted and provide a link if anyone is still interested.
Michelle,
Is it on Youtube? You can provide the link and I will post it… if not, feel free to email the clip to fyi@qzvx.com
Thanks!
I will be interested to find out if it is what was remembered. I can’t imagine it happened twice! Here is the link: https://youtu.be/GhZpsrcIRZM
The link has been added to the post–thanks, Michelle. I don’t remember the anchor. Hopefully, this jars someone’s memory and we can come up with a name of the anchor.
JANET WU ???
https://www.wcvb.com/news-team/0bde3721-c549-4b4f-8de3-445152a566c0
She worked at KIRO — then Boston …
can anyone confirm?
Before joining WHDH-TV in 1996, Wu was the weekday morning presenter for KIRO-TV in Seattle. Before that, she was the weekend presenter and reporter at KGMB in Honolulu, Hawaii.
It was Sasha Foo and here she is on a live shot during a snow event. You can see her at the 54 second mark.
https://archive.org/details/capture-a-570
She was Sucha Fool to make the wet dream comment.
As Mr. T would say, I pity the Foo.
KIRO kept her through the end of her one-year contract in September 1992 but took her off the weekend anchor desk in May. Aftert that, she bounced around Boston, New York, and L.A. before spending 17 years at KUSI in San Diego.
And here’s a little-known ode to her: https://youtu.be/oEwP-zDNT0s
Someone should have written a song about Sandy Hill. She was a hottie in her day.
A few years ago one of KING TVs anchors referred to “The upcoming erection” followed by a deer-in-headlights look into the camera. She recently retired after 40 years at KING.
From the novel by Patrick Dennis, “Auntie Mame”:
Q: When do the Chinese hold their elections?
A: Just before bleakfast.
Jean Enerson?
Just spitballing here…….Could it have been Monica Hart? Although that comment would not have been expected.
Monica Hart went on to a stint at KOMO radio.
By CHUCK TAYLOR September 29, 1993 Publication: THE SEATTLE TIMES Page: E1
As the station seeks a permanent female partner for anchor Steve Raible, KIRO-TV is losing another woman from its on-air ranks.
Monica Hart, who has worked at Channel 7 as an anchor and reporter since 1986, announced today she is leaving the station after next week. “I just need a break and I’m going to enjoy life for a while,” Hart said. “I’ve done just about every shift and every show.” Hart follows Susan Hutchison, who left Channel 7 last spring in the midst of turmoil during the station’s failed “out-of-the-box” format, which was recently junked under new news director Bill Lord. Most recently, Hart has co-anchored the noon news with Gary Justice. She said major changes under way in the newsroom have been positive. “I think he’s been a wonderful addition,” Hart said of Lord. KIRO director of corporate affairs Nick Latham said a temporary noon co-anchor will be in place on Oct. 11. Hart’s departure leaves Nerissa Williams as the most prominent female anchor on KIRO – and the strongest in-house candidate to permanently join Raible in anchoring all three evening newscasts. Hart grew up in Bellevue and attended Interlake High School.After graduating from the University of Washington, she landed a job doing news with a cable channel in Wenatchee. From there she went to KHQ-TV in Spokane. In 1986, Hart joined KIRO. Hart said she isn’t ruling out a return to Seattle television at some point. In other news at KIRO, former KING-TV sports anchor Tony Ventrella, who joined KIRO-AM-FM recently, is off the radio until he joins KIRO-TV next year. Joe Abel, vice president and general manager of the KIRO radio stations, said there was already a full complement of sports personalities and there wasn’t room for Ventrella. Abel said the decision to have him leave radio was mutual. Ventrella’s KING contract forbids him from appearing on a competing TV station until April 1. He will join KIRO-TV then.
Jay…that is a class act all right.
PSM has a wide enough reach I am hoping somebody will pop in an say…oh yeah…that refers to such and such and it is exaggerated or whatever. I have over the years had stories I was working on and when I found out the actual facts they were kind of correct but not really. The Lujack VW car dealer story is one where it ended up much tamer than the legend.
The absolute worst broadcast faux pas I ever personally heard was while I was PD of KSEM (now KBSN) Moses Lake in 1963-64. I would occasionally tune in our Top-40 daytimer local competitor KWIQ. I have no idea who their jocks were, but their afternoon drive guy had just run some kind of on-air contest asking for a particular phone-in caller to answer a question. After the caller gave the correct answer the jock said, and I quote …. and this is the absolute truth … “Congratulations, you’ve just won a truckload of dead babies!” I thought to myself, what if that listener had recently had a miscarriage or something. I could not believe my ears. At my station that jock would have been out the door in a heartbeat.
The information may be incorrect, but I have been in contact with the man and he is sincere in his inquiry. I think there would be less thrill in getting us to post a question at PSM than conning Geraldo into doing a hundred thousand dollar network special on Capone’s vault. So it may be wrong, and could be just a legend, but asking readers if they know anything about it seems harmless enough. So far it seems to be ringing no bells.
Steven, I totally agree with you. I have absolutely no problem with posting that information to see if there is any validity to the story. I’m just expressing my doubts. Television news anchors of any gender just don’t walk in off the street and get a job. I would imagine a new TV anchor would scarcely have begun paying off their college loans and to jeopardize an income in their chosen field in this manner just is hard to fathom … but on the other hand it wouldn’t have been the most stupid thing ever done by a television news personality that has come to light over the past few years.
I was in Phoenix during this period, so was not a regular viewer to Seattle TV. I agree that this would be legendary, but there are no names to attach to the anchor based on what I could glean from the Times archives. Someone may remember and respond here, so we will keep it open. Video would be great! There are youtube videos of tv anchors from that time period, but this isn’t among those I have viewed.
The person writing it claimed to recall this personally and saw at least some of these broadcasts. And he left full contact info…a professional engineer in the Seattle area, so it was not spam from someone trying to spoof us. Therefore, we threw it out there to see if this jogged any of our reader’s memories. As for how much of it happened we do not know. It seems this would be a well known story among TV news people. Like the way in radio we know of Lujack getting fired in Spokane for using a WW2 German accent as in the movies when doing an ad for the local VW dealership.
I’m sorry, but I’m still not dissuaded, with contact information available or not. I remember in 1986 a prominent TV journalist claimed there was a secret Al Capone vault located beneath the old Lexington Hotel in Chicago. TV viewers spent two hours watching him dig up nothing but dirt. That guy’s contact information is still available too!
I’m sorry, I may be naive, but this sounds like absolute total urban legend to me. If a major market female television news anchor actually uttered these words, one would think her name would not have been lost in the broken teleprompter of time … it would instead be legendary!
Mike James anchored weekends on KIRO circa 1997 with co-anchor Lisa Hughes. Does this ring a bell? I can find no other possibilities.
Lisa Hughes is now at WBZ Boston. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBkl5wPpbSM
I wonder who this newscaster was. This would have been 1996-ish? Going back to 1993 and Susan Hutchison, the archives of the Seattle Times have not revealed a name I can pin on this. Anyone have an idea?