Erica sits down with Matt Leach, to talk about Steve Pool, Seattle’s beloved and renowned weather forecaster. Steve began his career as an intern at KOMO in 1974 and later became a full-time employee. He won seven Emmy awards and was a regular on Good Morning America. Steve was known for his love for people, considering his viewers as friends. Matt was inspired by Steve as a child and later interned for him; an opportunity that impacted him so much that Matt is now the Chief Meteorologist in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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Erica:
He began his career as an intern at KOMO when he was still going to UW in 1974. A few years later, he was hired full-time right out of college. He was a broadcasting pioneer in Seattle, one of the most trusted weather forecasters in the PNW. He won seven Emmy awards filled in 70 times on Good Morning America, at least… But those accolades were just the overflow of the way Steve Pool loved people. He cherished his family and friends, and considered his viewers to be part of his friends group. He was the kind of guy who, if you saw him at the mall, he’d want you to stop and say hello. Once, there was a boy who loved watching Steve do the weather on TV. He got to meet him for one special birthday and 10 years later he got to intern for him. Now, that boy who fell in love with weather because of Steve Pool, is a meteorologist himself in Indiana. Matt Leach, welcome to Christmas SPIRIT 105.3. Thanks so much for making time for us today.
Matt Leach:
Of course. And thank you for asking me. It’s always an honor to just be included in this whole tribute because of just the kind of man Steve Pool was. So thank you for asking.
Erica:
Oh, absolutely. I loved your post about Steve. What was it about Steve Pool that drew you to the TV screen even as a kid?
Matt Leach:
I think those who watched him, whether it was growing up watching him or just watched him in their homes each night, child or adult alike, they were just drawn in by his energy. It was so clear he loved what he was doing. He was speaking to you like a friend. He wasn’t talking to you like someone who had to clock in and out. He genuinely enjoyed what he was doing to the point where, I mean, he told me he never really worked a day. And I mean, I believed it, because he wasn’t working when he was on tv. He was just having fun. He was being a person, he was engaging with people and making them feel just as important as the next person watching him. And so, I think that’s really what drew me and everyone else in, because he was a genuine person.
Erica:
He was. What did you learn from Steve as his intern? What was the number one thing that maybe you even think about every day as you’re forecasting weather yourself?
Matt Leach:
Yeah, so I lead the weather team at ABC in Fort Wayne, the ABC affiliate in Fort Wayne, Indiana. And I train meteorologists all the time, and I give them the same advice that Steve gave me during my internship, which was that news viewers don’t have to invite you into their homes. They’re watching you in their most sacred private space, which is their homes, their living rooms. And that is the choice that they make, to invite you into their home and to allow you to share weather information with them. And they can change the channel at any time. It’s the easiest and quickest thing to do. And so, Steve just said, always live worthy of their trust and of their appreciation for what you do, because it’s a fragile thing, the ability to know that they can change it any time. So just his awareness of the viewers that he served, but also the love he had for them was so obvious, and he tried to instill that in me just to never take the trust that the viewers have for granted.
Erica:
I love that. Matt, how proud was Steve of you?
Matt Leach:
I’d like to say he was very proud. Steve was usually very kind of quiet and to himself. I remember when I first started, I was of course just witnessing a giant in the TV industry at work, and he would, he’d have his pencil out on his paper, he’d be writing down notes and writing down numbers and everything. And I remember kind of being a little intimidated at first, but that really quickly went away when he’d just walk over just with these long strides, just very happy, just gait about him. And he would just walk over and he would just chat about the forecast and chat. He’d ask me my opinion and my thoughts, what I know as a college student. But he bothered to sit down and actually pick my brain and try to figure out what I thought about the forecast. And when I’d give him my thoughts, he would not just blindly agree.
Sometimes he would lovingly correct or maybe just try to guide me perhaps in a different direction how to perceive or see something. So, whether I was right or whether I was wrong about something, he never made me feel bad about it. I remember there was just one moment in particular, I was showing him a little demo I did in front of the green screen, and I was honored to work in the same space that he did in front of that green screen. But I showed him that video and I was expecting him to just flower me with praise. And he was leaning back in his chair a little bit as he watched that demo. And he said, “Okay, you’ve got some potential.” And I just thought, you know what? If anyone else had said that, I would’ve been just totally just destroyed. But Steve said it in such a fun way, and then after that, he just gave this friendly, fun laugh, and he was like, you’re almost there. Let’s get you there. And I just loved it. It was so cool that my hero was not only giving me advice, but doing it in a way that would actually help me grow and not just make me feel happy.
Erica:
It’s just incredible. And now you’re a part of his legacy. Matt Leach, thank you so much for hanging out with us today and sharing your memories of a Seattle legend. And honestly, one of Seattle’s best friends, Steve Pool.
Matt Leach:
I would agree. Thank you so much for the invite.
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