#MediaMonday – Dave Munsey

(Photo: Channel 10 (KSAZ))

On Thursday, October 13, Dave Munsey will be inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

He’s been in the radio and television industry for more than 50 years and has been at FOX 10 for more than 40 years, where he currently reports the weather on the station’s 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. newscasts.  Dave has a trophy case full of Emmys for his weather reporting and his water-safety initiatives “Watch Your Kids Around Water” and “Summer of Supervision.”

He’s one of the people who helped inspire my broadcasting career.  As a kid, I had the opportunity to visit Dave at work – when he was doing both the morning show at KOOL-FM and the weather at Channel 10.  He’s one of the funniest people and best storytellers I know.

Dave, time to share:

I started my career working as a radio announcer while I was in high school in North Dakota.  After attending college at the University of North Dakota, I spent two years in the Army.  During that first year, I was a TV news anchor in Alaska.  In the second year I went to Viet Nam, where I was asked to emcee the Bob Hope Christmas Show and interpret the Latin Mass for Cardinal Cushing on Christmas Eve.  That led to a spot on American Forces Radio and Television Service for the rest of my tour in Viet Nam.

I’ve been passionate about water safety since 1980, after the drowning death of a family-friend’s two-year-old son.  “Watch Your Kids Around Water” is my constant reminder!

I was born and raised in Jamestown, N.D., one of nine children.  My wife, Bunny, and I have been married for 42 years.  We live in Tempe with our golden-doodle dog-child, Mya Merlot Munsey.

Oh, “And watch your kids around water.”