Stan Stovall

By Sloane Brown | Special to the Sun

April 13, 2008

Stan Stovall, 55, has been a TV anchor in Baltimore for much of his career -- from 1978 to 1983 at WBAL-TV, from 1989 to 2001 at WMAR-TV and from 2003 to the present at WBAL. (Sun photo by Amy Davis / March 5, 2008)

A BLACK COFFEE AT MISS SHIRLEY'S CAFE

Stan Stovall, 55, has been a TV anchor in Baltimore for much of his career - from 1978 to 1983 at WBAL-TV, from 1989 to 2001 at WMAR-TV and from 2003 to the present at WBAL. Stovall lives in Baltimore County with his wife, former WMAR reporter Yolanda Graham Stovall, and their children Stacy, 15, Stefan, 14, and Summer, 10.

Doesn't your job often demand that you live and breathe TV news?

You know, when you're a family man, you have to live and breathe a lot of different things at the same time. So, you become a very good juggler. I think that's important. Even though I work this wacky split shift. I go in at 4 a.m., anchor the two-hour "11 News Today" from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. I leave at 8. And I'm due back at 3 p.m., to anchor the "11 News at 5" p.m. It actually has worked well to this point because it's allowed me to be at every one of my kids' parent-teacher conferences, concerts, assemblies. If there's an emergency in the middle of the day and a kid's got to be picked up, that's me.

What about down time?

My down time is between shows. That is about it. So, if I'm not [doing any of these other things] I head right to the gym and grab my workout.

That's big for you?

My whole life. I was a competitive body builder for about 35 years. I've got my workouts down to an hour and a half. I try to get [to the gym] five days a week. But, when you've got three kids, it's increasingly difficult.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I just did a series on heart scans. ... From what I hear, people were shocked to find out I smoked for a lot of years.

When did you quit?

On my birthday, [a few] Sundays ago. That's the biggest inconsistency in my life. "How can you be so healthy and smoke?"

You've been in the TV business a long time. Any advice for any wannabes?

Don't. The business has changed so much since I got started. You've always had to be concerned about getting ratings. But, it's a predominant theme now in broadcasting. We live and die by the ratings. So, what happens is: it's more about flash and glitz versus substance.

What's been your most favorite and least favorite thing about the ride?

I think the one thing that's appealed to me about being in this business is, instead of being in a factory making widgets all day long, there is no monotony. It's very fast-paced. The deadlines - the pressure that's on you - I seem to thrive on that. Being under the gun, a lot of people can't operate under those circumstances. That's why my wife got out of the business. Basically, I'm doing the same thing every day. But every day is different because you're on top of things going on around the world. ... Not to mention all the interesting people you meet in our profession, all the interesting things you get to do. ... I think the least favorite thing at this point in my career - at 55 years of age and 38 years in broadcasting - is the lack of appreciation that management often doesn't give to people like me for what you bring to the table. How many times have you heard that they can replace you with a 20-year-old? I'm fortunate to be back a station that does appreciate what I bring to the table. I feel like I'm part of the process, instead of being a number.

How do you spend your weekends?

It's all kids' activities. They've got their schedules. Between running errands and doing stuff around the house, it's the kids; getting them to their practices, play dates. "Dad, I wanna hang out with my buds at the mall," which I love doing. I love hanging out with my kids. I really do. Something I take them with me on my community service time, as volunteers. The sad thing about it is I used to coach my kids' recreational league basketball when they were young. But now that they've gotten older, they've got school-based sports. ... So, I miss that. ... I used to take the kids to dinner and a movie every other Saturday night. But now that they're older, they want to go out with their buds. They're at the age where I don't have to watch any more animated movies. I can send them to one movie, and I go to another.

Your favorite things?

My children. Exercise. Friends. And, whenever I can get it - sleep.

Guilty pleasures?

I'm a big fan of movies. I belong to a movie club. That is my guilty pleasure; having some quiet time to watch a good movie. ... I'm a big fan of horror movies. I've probably seen every horror movie ever made. I like sci-fi. I like good dramas. And I really, really, really like biographical historical movies like The Great Debaters. Excellent movie, because it was based on real life. I'm a big Schwarzenegger fan. I've seen all his movies, because I know Arnold. I've worked out with him. This was before Arnold became a real big star. He was a body-building phenom, in his Pumping Iron, Stay Hungry days.

Do you read much?

All the reading I do pertains to work; politics, economic news, events happening internationally. I do most of my reading on the Internet. I think if you're going to be an effective news anchor, you need to know what's going on. Not just read words and look pretty.

What are your pet peeves in life?

I would have to say discrimination of any sort is pretty high in my book. Maybe I'm sensitive to it because of my age. ... Having lived through legalized segregation, having picketed and demonstrated for civil rights, having broken color barriers. And feeling, even now in 2008, we still have some problems. But, it's even more subtle now. That [makes] it even harder to deal with. I tell my kids, if you're an excellent student, you're a good citizen and you have moral character, nothing should stand in the way of your success. You have to motivate them that way. But, at the same time, you always have to alert them that there are going to be idiots out there who will merely judge you by the color of your skin. I [also] have little tolerance for people who play the blame game as an excuse for their own lack of effort. There is no "man" holding anybody back now.

Are there words you live by?

It's going to sound real boring. But, "anything worth doing is worth doing well."