Dave Michaels (news anchor)
Encyclopedia
Dave Michaels was a news anchor on CNN
& CNN Headline News from 1985 - 1993. He had previously anchored Eyewitness News
at KABC-TV
in Los Angeles
, and Eleven Alive News at WXIA-TV
in Atlanta.
Dave was born November 15, 1934 in Flushing, New York as David Michael Potts - but changed his name when he started working in TV.
Michaels was raised in Flushing and Franklin Square, New York
. He graduated from Sewanhaka High School
in Floral Park, New York
, and attended Hofstra College. Sewanhaka HS had an FM radio station – WSHS-FM, and he broadcast football
and basketball
games and got hooked on radio & TV. He had planned on being a cartoonist
and illustrator
.
Later he worked at NBC
in New York as an NBC Page in 1954. He ushered such shows as The Firestone Hour, The Hit Parade
, Mr. Peepers
and Howdy Doody
. He also worked around such Golden Age of Television programs as Philco Television Playhouse and Robert Montgomery Presents
.
Following his NBC days he moved to announcing radio in Binghamton, New York
and later in Freeport, Long Island. In Binghamton he hosted one of the areas most popular disc jockey shows, “Moonlight Serenade” on WKOP. He even had three fan clubs. Later he was invited to host an all night show on WINR
, all of this time using his full name, David Michael Potts. That would change when he got to TV.
On Long Island, he was a disc jockey on WGBB
, Freeport. However, he was beginning to think he wanted to be an actor
and attend the Pasadena Playhouse
in Los Angeles. With the military draft hanging over him, he decided to volunteer for the draft to honor his obligation. That way he had more control about when he would be entering the service. He was soon in uniform! After training at Fort Dix, and an interim assignment at Fort Jackson, Dave received orders to report to Third Army Headquarters, Fort McPherson, Georgia as a broadcast specialist in the Third Army Information Office.
While in service he also worked nights at WGST radio, then owned by Georgia Tech.
During his two years of active duty he changed his mind about acting and decided to concentrate on television.
Following service he took a job as a staff announcer at Atlanta's WAGA-TV
, the Storer-owned CBS
affiliate. He did everything a staff announcer in those days was asked to do and a great deal more – station breaks, morning news, daily weather, movie hosting, live commercials and even a children's show, Mr. Pix, on which his talent for drawing was displayed.
In the winter of 1974 Dave hosted AM New York for a short time on WABC-TV
and was sent to KABC-TV, Los Angeles to anchor Eyewitness News. He also hosted AM Los Angeles with Maureen Reagan
, Sarah Purcell
and a number of other well known celebrities. Maureen was a good friend, and wrote about their experience in her book First Father, First Daughter. When he left the show, Regis Philbin
replaced him.
In 1976 he returned to Atlanta to anchor the 6 and 11PM news for WXIA-TV
for nine years. He was nominated for an Emmy four years in a row. He won on his third nomination. Following his third contract he joined CNN
, anchoring Headline News in 1985, and later CNN. He also anchored CNN's coverage of the first Gulf War
.
He has appeared as himself in numerous movies and TV shows including Sharky's Machine
, Fun with Dick and Jane
, The Prisoner of Second Avenue
, Made in Heaven, and CBS's One Terrific Guy. In Neil Simon's Prisoner of Second Avenue he and Gary Owens
did the voice-over radio newscasts scattered throughout the film. He also hosted the pilot for one of Canada's most popular game shows, Definition, and during his days at WAGA-TV, was the announcer for the short-lived syndicated game show
Matches 'n Mates with Art James
.
He is retired in Atlanta and continues doing Industrial and Commercial Spokesman work. For a modest stipend - Dave also delivers a humorous talk about his broadcasting experiences and the personalities he's interviewed.
In the Fall of 2007, ILLUSTRATION Magazine published an article he wrote about his boyhood hero, Sports Cartoonist Willard Mullin - "Remembering Willard Mullin and the Lost Art of Sports Cartooning." When he was a teenager Mullin sent him an original drawing from The New York World Telegram. Dave never forgot his kindness.
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
& CNN Headline News from 1985 - 1993. He had previously anchored Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
at KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and Eleven Alive News at WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV, virtual channel 11.1 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Atlanta, Georgia. Popularly known by its 11 Alive moniker, WXIA is owned by the Gannett Company in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL...
in Atlanta.
Dave was born November 15, 1934 in Flushing, New York as David Michael Potts - but changed his name when he started working in TV.
Michaels was raised in Flushing and Franklin Square, New York
Franklin Square, New York
Franklin Square is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 29,320 at the 2010 census...
. He graduated from Sewanhaka High School
Sewanhaka High School
Sewanhaka High School is a six-year public high school located in Floral Park, New York, United States, as part of the Sewanhaka Central High School District. The school's sports teams are known as "The Indians" and the team colors are purple, gold, and white. The school's name translates to...
in Floral Park, New York
Floral Park, New York
Floral Park is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. The village is at the western border of Nassau County, and is located in both the Town of Hempstead and the Town of North Hempstead...
, and attended Hofstra College. Sewanhaka HS had an FM radio station – WSHS-FM, and he broadcast football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games and got hooked on radio & TV. He had planned on being a cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
.
Later he worked at NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in New York as an NBC Page in 1954. He ushered such shows as The Firestone Hour, The Hit Parade
Hit parade
A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...
, Mr. Peepers
Mr. Peepers
Mr. Peepers is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from July 3, 1952 to June 12, 1955.-Overview:Mr. Peepers starred Wally Cox as Jefferson City's junior high school science teacher Robinson J. Peepers...
and Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
. He also worked around such Golden Age of Television programs as Philco Television Playhouse and Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example,...
.
Following his NBC days he moved to announcing radio in Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
and later in Freeport, Long Island. In Binghamton he hosted one of the areas most popular disc jockey shows, “Moonlight Serenade” on WKOP. He even had three fan clubs. Later he was invited to host an all night show on WINR
WINR
WINR is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Standards/MOR format. Licensed to Binghamton, New York, USA, the station serves the Binghamton area...
, all of this time using his full name, David Michael Potts. That would change when he got to TV.
On Long Island, he was a disc jockey on WGBB
WGBB
WGBB is an AM radio station licensed by the FCC in Freeport, New York. It is located at 1240 kHz on the AM dial.-History:WGBB has been serving the Long Island area since 1924. WGBB serves western Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn and parts of New Jersey.It was founded and managed by Harry H...
, Freeport. However, he was beginning to think he wanted to be an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and attend the Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
in Los Angeles. With the military draft hanging over him, he decided to volunteer for the draft to honor his obligation. That way he had more control about when he would be entering the service. He was soon in uniform! After training at Fort Dix, and an interim assignment at Fort Jackson, Dave received orders to report to Third Army Headquarters, Fort McPherson, Georgia as a broadcast specialist in the Third Army Information Office.
While in service he also worked nights at WGST radio, then owned by Georgia Tech.
During his two years of active duty he changed his mind about acting and decided to concentrate on television.
Following service he took a job as a staff announcer at Atlanta's WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV, virtual channel 5.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Television Network and based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
, the Storer-owned CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate. He did everything a staff announcer in those days was asked to do and a great deal more – station breaks, morning news, daily weather, movie hosting, live commercials and even a children's show, Mr. Pix, on which his talent for drawing was displayed.
In the winter of 1974 Dave hosted AM New York for a short time on WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
and was sent to KABC-TV, Los Angeles to anchor Eyewitness News. He also hosted AM Los Angeles with Maureen Reagan
Maureen Reagan
Maureen Elizabeth Reagan was the first child of former President Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman...
, Sarah Purcell
Sarah Purcell
Sarah Purcell is an American former talk show host, game show host, and panelist.She was co-host of The Better Sex , Real People , America , and The Home Show , and made guest appearances on several TV dramas. She also co-starred in the 1981 film Terror Among Us with Tracy Reed...
and a number of other well known celebrities. Maureen was a good friend, and wrote about their experience in her book First Father, First Daughter. When he left the show, Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
replaced him.
In 1976 he returned to Atlanta to anchor the 6 and 11PM news for WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV, virtual channel 11.1 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Atlanta, Georgia. Popularly known by its 11 Alive moniker, WXIA is owned by the Gannett Company in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL...
for nine years. He was nominated for an Emmy four years in a row. He won on his third nomination. Following his third contract he joined CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, anchoring Headline News in 1985, and later CNN. He also anchored CNN's coverage of the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
He has appeared as himself in numerous movies and TV shows including Sharky's Machine
Sharky's Machine (film)
Sharky's Machine is a 1981 motion picture directed by Burt Reynolds, who stars in the title role. The movie is an adaptation of William Diehl's first novel Sharky's Machine , with a screenplay by Gerald Di Pego....
, Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977 film)
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 American film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle-class couple who lose their jobs, fall through the cracks of society in the United States and then become high-class thieves to get back all they lost. The comedy was directed by Ted Kotcheff and...
, The Prisoner of Second Avenue
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
The Prisoner of Second Avenue is an American black comedy play by Neil Simon, later made into a film released in 1975.The play ran on Broadway from November 1971 until September 1973, with Peter Falk and Lee Grant starring as Mel and Edna Edison, and Vincent Gardenia as Mel's brother Harry. The...
, Made in Heaven, and CBS's One Terrific Guy. In Neil Simon's Prisoner of Second Avenue he and Gary Owens
Gary Owens
Gary Owens is an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens is equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is...
did the voice-over radio newscasts scattered throughout the film. He also hosted the pilot for one of Canada's most popular game shows, Definition, and during his days at WAGA-TV, was the announcer for the short-lived syndicated game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Matches 'n Mates with Art James
Art James
Art James was an American game show host, best known for shows such as The Who, What, or Where Game and Pay Cards!. He was also the announcer on the game show Concentration....
.
He is retired in Atlanta and continues doing Industrial and Commercial Spokesman work. For a modest stipend - Dave also delivers a humorous talk about his broadcasting experiences and the personalities he's interviewed.
In the Fall of 2007, ILLUSTRATION Magazine published an article he wrote about his boyhood hero, Sports Cartoonist Willard Mullin - "Remembering Willard Mullin and the Lost Art of Sports Cartooning." When he was a teenager Mullin sent him an original drawing from The New York World Telegram. Dave never forgot his kindness.