America's Weather Anchor Sam Champion Talks Forecasting, Changing Weather, Dancing, & More

FMC Fast Chat takes you inside the news so you can be in the know in 30 minutes. Hosted by Fair Media Council CEO and Executive Director Jaci Clement, Fast Chat features notables in news, media, and business.

This is Jaci Clement, and I have the privilege of bringing you Sam Champion to Fast Chat today. So Sam, thank you so much for joining us. You know, I feel like you're a celebrity in your own right, and you really don't need a formal introduction because you've been our weather anchor for so many years. And of course, Dancing with the Stars really, you know, brought you back into the spotlight in a different way.

Yeah, that is a whole other light.

Yeah. But we want to talk to you about all of that, basically.

So if you're game, I think let's start with, can you give people an idea what your typical day is like Well, now in the business that we're in, this, this end of the business, uh, that I'm in, um, I came out of retirement to work at ABC7. Um, and so I work 4 days a week here, uh, and then I return to my family, um, for 3 days a week. And, uh, my day starts at 2 AM when the first alarm goes off. I have 3 alarms. Usually, I don't know that I've ever needed all 3 of them, but I feel better having 3 alarms as the just-in-case scenario. And then the first thing I do is stumble toward the coffee pot. As soon as the coffee's on, everything seems to work a little bit better. But until then, there's no conversation, there's no checking of anything. But after that, I seem to be able to get a morning going. And then I'm at work by 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, depending on the load of the day, on what the storms are, the weather pattern is of the day. And our first show starts at 4:30.

Okay. And then what time do you clock out by?

It's actually not a bad— you know, it's a 10-hour studio day when you kind of like look at it all. But after the morning shows, I get a nice break at 9:00 AM. I get a chance to go do some gym, have a little lunch. It's my version of lunch. And then come back for the noon show. And so, you know, back at studio by about 11 o'clock to start the noon and do the noon all the way until 1 o'clock.

Okay. All right. One of the things I find interesting about your career is you've done local, you've done national, Yeah. Now you do local and national. There have been some different stops in between. Can you explain for people who aren't in the news business? I want you to give some insight into, you know, do you feel a different connection with people depending on if it's a local versus a national show?

It's funny, Jaci. I, I try— my answer is I try for there not to be a difference in the way that I talk and communicate with people. I don't actually— I let the bosses see the difference in the format. For me, I'm talking to you. My job, whatever my job or whatever information my job is to deliver that day, it's to deliver it to you. So I want it to be the best information it can possibly be, the most accurate information it can be, and I want to present it in a way that you can hear it and take it in and understand it. and that you feel good about it before we're done. So for, you know, I've, I know there's a difference in the audience, local I think versus national. I think people will tell you that they've done research and they see a difference or whatever that is.

Yeah.

But I think in the way that we communicate, we just talk to each other. And I think that my biggest difference between national and local is the amount of time you have. I made sure because I had, I had said no to Good Morning America for a very long time because I loved my job at Channel 7. And at that point I was doing 5, 6, and 11 o'clock at Channel 7. I started doing that in 1988. And in 1989, I started as Spencer Christians' full-time fill-in. So I've been on local news since 1988, which most people who are watching this probably were born after that, right? And, and I've been on Good Morning America since 1989. So, you know, but the thing for me is you get more time to discuss more on a local broadcast. But when I did go to national, when I finally said yes to go to that show, I had it written in my, my contract that I would never have less than 2 minutes. And then later it kind of got knocked down a little bit, but initially it was never less than 2 minutes because I think weather information is important. I think what we have to say to people is important. And I think that if you're doing a good breakdown on what people can expect, and these days you need to talk about the climate of it all too, and the whys of it all, and how different it is from where it was 10 years ago. Or how different it was from 20 years ago. So in order for people to have that real walk-around knowledge of their weather pattern and their weather of the day, I think you have to do it with some time. I don't think you can do it in 20 seconds. You know what I mean? So that to me is the biggest difference in the shows itself, is that we get more time to talk on local, which I appreciate a lot more. But I tried to carve out that time at the network when I was there. It was just a constant battle to be able to keep that time because, you know, they're covering the nation and they're very jealous about the time in the show and they don't necessarily want it. News doesn't want to necessarily give it up to weather. You know what I mean?

Yeah, no, I understand. But in your defense, there are people that say weather is in fact the biggest story of our lives now because of the way weather has changed so much and continues to change. So I am wondering, You know, since you started in this game, has it become more complicated or is weather forecasting easier now because you have newer tools?

Such a great question, Jaci, because we definitely do have better tools. The forecasting, I think, is more accurate than ever before. I think because of the amount of money, time, and effort that has been spent on computer models, We are very capable of following weather patterns not only across the country but all over the world and knowing how they're going to impact different parts of the world. And really good. I mean, you can just see the last snowstorms that hammered the West Coast and the East Coast and how good the forecasting was for those and how right on it was. So in many ways, that much is easier because you can be more accurate. But again, to put it in context, and my big concern now is that young people who have grown up in a time of global warming don't have context with what a normal pattern is. And it's not the joke that it used to be when grandpa used to say, well, in my day, we walked to school in the snow and we walked uphill to get there and back. It's a funny joke, but The fact that we have people who don't really understand the seasons in a place like the Mid-Atlantic or New England because they're not seeing them. What they're seeing is bursts of cold air, but you don't get a solid— you don't get the feeling of a winter season with a lot of the consistent snow and snowfall totals that we had. And I think, you know, in order for people to understand climate change, they have to understand the context of what's changed. So in that way, I think it's tough. It's difficult. People— it's difficult to make people care about context in a forecast when they just want to know, what is it? Do I need to— do I need a coat? Do I need to put a scarf on my kid? You know, that's what they're looking for right now. But I think it's so much important information needs to be delivered with a forecast.

Yeah, especially with weather today where you may need a coat in the morning, but in the afternoon it's really hot. Right.

Well, yeah, or one day you're in full winter gear and the next day it's 60 degrees. We're getting those huge slams right now, big changes in temperature, big changes in weather patterns on a daily basis. And when we use information like 100-year storm, because for years we would just take an average of the weather and say, well, this kind of storm would only happen every 100 years. That doesn't mean the storm literally happens every 100 years and we've had 2 of them this year. What it means is in a normal weather pattern, on average, you would expect a storm to that strength not to come by for 100 years. So now when you're having them back to back and when you're having 4 a season, that's huge. But the problem is when you grow up with that, you think it's normal.

Yeah, I understand. Now, I'm wondering though, because every now and then you'll see mention of meteorologists talking about models that conflict with each other, you know? So is there sort of an element of art as well as science that goes into weather forecasting? Or how do you choose which model to believe?

I think, you know, for most of us, and remember, I started, you know, I went to school, I'm a broadcast journalism major. So I found weather along my career path. But I think most of us who forecast what we do and models get new data, get new information every year. And so one model that can be great with winter last year might not be my favorite model for winter this year. And I think you'll hear a lot of forecasters say that. So what we tend to do is watch all of them at the same time. And I think it's important to have an understanding of your region, of your area, and kind of understand it. So that you have a good feel for it. Just this yesterday, as a matter of fact, we not only use models, but we have a wonderful forecast service that we talk to as well. But I didn't like the feel of their forecast. It didn't feel right to me. And I said, looking at the models, this is going— most of the moisture, this is going to push east, and we're going to be left with a lot of dry air in western areas. But your snowfall totals don't reflect that. So you need to go back, work on snowfall totals. I'm going to work on snowfall totals here until we come into agreement. I like a weather discussion. I like putting all the information in front and basically treating it like you're reporting a story. Show me the truth. And then when I see it, when I, when I get it, I'll deliver it to the audience. But, but to me, it's, it's really a process of putting all the information down and seeing what works, what doesn't work, what's likely to be right, and what you can just throw out the window. And I think I mean, for models, which was your original question, I'm sorry I digress. For models, you really just have to watch them and you'll pick a favorite. These days it's almost every season you have a model that you like for the season and a model you don't, and the next year it's going to change again.

Okay. All right. So in your mind, what would you say your accuracy rate is?

You know, it's funny, Jaci, I let people tell me what it is. Um, my, my whole thing is if you feel like you got the forecast right, if you feel like, if you feel like that we got the forecast right and that you got it right, that you walked out the door knowing what is happening, then I'm good with that. I don't really need someone to tell me that, you know, pat me on the back. I just want to make sure that you got the information that you needed and that it was clear and it was concise and it was accurate. And for the rest of that, the rest of that was just never really that important to me.

Okay. All right. I ask because weather is one of these things that when you look at news in its totality, Yeah. Weather is something that if it's right or wrong, it's pretty evident to people. Where in news stories themselves, you don't have that kind of clarity. So I imagine people can be pretty tough on the weather guy at times.

You know, it's funny when, you know, most of the places that I've been, I've been for a very long time, you know, and you mentioned how long I was in New York and how long I was at GMA and even at the Weather Channel. I think the audience knew me From both of the other places. So I think building a relationship with the audience is important. They have to know that you, that you take what you do seriously and that you're really in it for getting it right. And I think that, you know, if there's a rare occasion where something may surprise you, they're forgiving because they know how hard you've worked the rest of the time to make that right.

Yeah.

I don't, you know, to answer question earlier, I don't remember the last time I really got it wrong, but I would just move on. You know, I want— I would go in, if I did get something wrong, I would explain to you why it was wrong and then immediately just start working forward. I'm not going to dwell on, uh, on that. And, and I, I hope to be right a lot more often than not, you know what I mean?

Yeah, no, fair enough, fair enough. So you had mentioned that you sort of fell into weather. That I guess your interests really began with broadcasting. But how did, how did even the broadcast interests come in for a kid growing up in Kentucky? How did all that happen?

And a military brat who moved every 2 years, really, and all over the East Coast and Northern Europe. I had a bug about traveling. I pictured myself being that foreign correspondent who would, you know, in the trench coat. And these are the early days of news that would travel the world to tell the story. And when I came out of college and I started working at a news station, part of my job, because they just started computer weather, this is when they had gone from, you know, drawing on a board to initially using early computer graphics. And because I was the youngest person there, they just assumed that I'd be the guy who would figure that out for the meteorologist. So I, as part of my job, was doing the weather graphics. Because I was the youngest person there. So they just were like, well, it's computers, he's young, you know, put him in there. And I fell in love again. I'm a storyteller. I fell in love with using graphics to explain something to people that had previously been kind of mysterious, you know. But using graphics, you can show people where that storm is, where it's moving, how it develops, how it impacts them, and when it leaves. And you can literally Tell them their entire day part based on the weather. And only graphics can do that. Only weather graphics can show you that. So that was my passion. It became a huge passion, and I just kind of ran with that, you know, building graphics to tell the story of weather.

And when did the green screen come along?

That, you know, it's funny. I think green screen was like an old, always part of television because they were able to change the background to whatever they wanted to in a studio. They could take either a picture image or any image they wanted and put it behind you. When they had weather graphics, they could do that as well. I've worked on green screen and then I've gone to big screens that are digital screens that are full-on. Real digital screens, and I've— and I still work green screen and digital screen. Um, there's a— there are benefits to both.

Okay, okay. Now I'm wondering, if you're standing in front of something that doesn't actually exist, how do you know you're pointing in the right place?

That's right. From the early days of weather, it's what people would always say, and then someone would be like, and isn't it a little backwards? And I'm like, yeah, but you know, you shave in the mirror. And, you know, you— or you put lipstick on in the mirror and you kind of get used to it. You know, you don't, you don't shave your eyebrow and you don't put lipstick on your ear. You know, you, you kind of— it's, it's a, it's a quick, easy thing that you just kind of adapt to. Um, you do need to have monitors when you're working a green screen. You need to have monitors strategically placed. I like a good-sized one in front of me, and I like, you know, one on the left and right so that I can read. the numbers and we can accurately point to cities, you know. But with those, with those little hints, you can get there. That's the great thing about having a real digital screen behind you, because you're like, there it is, and it really is right there, you know, you can see it. But on green screen, you know, you need to have those monitors placed.

I see. Okay. You did bring up, um, in several of your comments here, there's sort of a theme that's emerged, which is your longevity. On the air. Now, the news—

Has anyone around this long?

No, that's not what I was going to say. But, you know, it's like constant turnover. I mean, you and I go back when I think you were new in the job. I was new in this job at about the same time.

Really?

So I think everything has changed around us.

Yeah.

But how do you explain, or maybe there's some lessons in here for younger people on how you have managed to keep your career not only going but thriving all these years in such an atmosphere where there is so much change going on?

First of all, thank you. It's kind of you to say all those nice things. I'd take even one of them, but they were all very nice lumped in together. I didn't— I think you approach it from a passion, and I think that's something that everyone says, but I want to try to explain what I mean. I love what I do, and I discovered I loved it when I retired. I missed doing it. I missed communicating it. And so I still come in and I love that I do it. I did not have a plan that I was going to start in Paducah, Kentucky, go to Jacksonville, Florida, and my third job be the number one market in the country, and then have offers from network as soon as I got here. that I would then put them on hold for 17 years until I accepted. You know, that wasn't a plan. These were all things that I did what I loved to do every day. No matter where I was, I enjoyed it. I loved the town that I was in. I loved the work that I did. And when an opportunity came, I never went looking for a job. I never really went to a job interview until New York. And they required the interview even though they asked me. to come for the interview. But I didn't have a strategy on career, and I still don't. You know, will I be here at WABC for, you know, 5 more years? I have no idea, Jaci.

It's—

I love what I'm doing as I do it. And when things look interesting over there, I'm like, well, wait a minute, let me see what's over there. I never thought I'd get a chance to work at The Weather Channel. I thought my career had kind of like slid by that. But when that opportunity came up and I had the opportunity to be management, to actually make decisions and to build things and not just do kind of what I was told as I had my entire career, I was like, oh, I want to try that. I want to do that. And when their goal was to sell the Weather Channel and they were like, well, we've done our research and we think you are the brand that can help elevate us to get the price that we want, and we'd like you to build whatever you'd like to build while you're there.

Okay.

I'm like, fantastic, let's do that. And, you know, and that was kind of a, you know, and most people would've been like, what, what are you doing? But it felt right to me at the time. And I didn't think much about it other than I really want that opportunity. I want that experience. And that's where I am today, you know, sitting at WABC, working with the people that I love in the morning. And, and it's a joy even at 2:00 AM. It's a joy to get up. And, you know, I couldn't have strategized that. So I think if you really like it, and I mean really like it, it's the right place for you. If you don't, I think you will always find work somewhere. I think you can always do something to earn a living. But to love what you're doing so much, I wish that for everyone. I really do.

Yeah.

Now, if it wasn't weather and broadcasting, what do you think you would be doing?

It's funny, I thought I was going to be an architect. And so in high school, I was a draftsman's apprentice for 3 years. And I really do love design. And it's one of the reasons why I really love— it's not why I love my marriage, but it's one of the wonderful things about my husband is that he's an artist. And so I get to live that design through him and my passion for design and the way that he creates. needs and the conversations that we have about it. But there was a time that I thought I was going to be an architect. It's just that I built my model and applied to the University of Kentucky and got accepted into architecture school. But then the thought of sitting in a room designing for hours on end and not talking to people scared me.

Yeah.

And I wanted to talk to people. And I had kind of grown up pretending to interview people. And I thought, let's just give it a try.

Okay. All right.

Yeah.

And that's the other thing that kind of keeps resonating as you speak is the willingness to do something new or to try something else. So is that how Dancing with the Stars came about?

What a great question that is, because that's another— how did that occur? And, and I had said no to Dancing with the Stars even my time at Good Morning America. And I said it out of fear. I said it because I'm not a good— there's a difference between someone who hits a dance floor at a club, you know, and, and you feel good, right? You feel great.

Right.

And doing dances that are to particular steps, to particular rhythms, to particular music with a partner. And, and I didn't have any talent or skill at that, and I was afraid of that. At 60 years old, when the call came, I thought, you know what, why not?

Yeah.

You're never gonna get this opportunity again. You're actually too old for it now, but why not? Why not give it a go and see how far you can go and how much you can learn? So my expectation was really low coming in out of this. I thought, let's go 2 weeks, you know, before they send you home. And I, I, I, I learned a lot, something brand new. Um, Rubén packed up with me and we moved to LA and literally lived there for 5 or 6 weeks and, and were on the show, um, through what we were judged for 4 weeks on the show, which is twice as long as I thought I would make it.

Oh, good for you. Now, I competed in ballroom dancing for a long time.

Well, then you know what this is all about. You should have told me that earlier.

Well, no, I could not watch you because I would get so nervous for you. I'd have to leave the room.

Me too!

Because people don't understand just how nerve-wracking it is. And for someone like you who lives in front of a camera, you would think, oh, this is going to be natural.

Not at all. And, you know, it's funny, Cheryl's a wonderful partner and a wonderful person and spiritually a wonderful person. And she would have to spend a lot of time doing breathwork with me before the competition because I would get So nervous that I would forget everything. There's— it has nothing to do with being on camera. You're in a performance arena with lights and music and confetti and an audience. And you not only have to remember the steps and do them to the music, but they have camera blocking. So I have to know that in the— at this moment in the dance, I need to turn and face that camera.

Mm-hmm.

At this moment, when I'm picking up Cheryl, We have to look up at the camera that's above. There's so much to this and there's so much to remember. And had I known that, I would, I would have, I would have stuck with my previous nos. But this, this is, this is something that's all, you know, you're just like, once you say, sure, let's go for it, you have to give it everything you can. And you, you just, you just do. And the experience was life-changing for me. I think I was in a rut. Physically, I think I, you know, because of COVID had really just not— I wasn't pursuing a workout. I didn't have necessarily an active physical passion. And this really put me back on track. Ballroom dancing is— you know how physical. It's crazy. These people are in amazing shape.

Yeah. Now I'm wondering, how many hours a day did you practice preparing for a routine?

I would— it's all day. And because I didn't have any dance skill, I would go down into the gym area of the apartment that we were in. And I had my notes, and I had a camera, and I had my music. And even if Cheryl wasn't there, even if it wasn't a scheduled practice, I would be practicing all day. I would have my notebook even at meals. And I would go over in my mind, this is— these are the steps. This is when I turn. This is the complicated sequence. This is when we come out. This is when I spin her. So it's because you have no dance language, you— it takes all day, every day.

Yeah. Did you have any input on the costuming?

No, not at all. And I didn't care. Um, it's so funny that for me, I just kind of walked in and went, all right, do whatever you're gonna do. And they were, they were really nice to me.

They—

the, the, the wardrobe people were the most fun people on the set.

Yeah.

That wardrobe team, they're just amazing.

Good for you. Well, now when you look back, you must be, like, thrilled that you did it.

I forget that I did it. I constantly forget that I did it until someone like you says, oh, and Dancing with the Stars. I'm like, oh, that's right. I did Dancing with the Stars. That was just last fall, right? But so much happens in our lives, especially in breaking— when your life is breaking news, so many events happen that that seems like a lifetime ago. Yeah.

So do you have anything on tap for what's next or any ideas of what you might like to do next?

I'm not building a career. I mean, I feel like I had a career. I loved my career. I think, you know, and if I'm going to pat myself on the back, I had a pretty great career. You know, I went from Paducah, Kentucky, to Good Morning America, and I'm happy with that. I love my time at WABC. So I'm not looking for anything. And I think I'll continue to do what I love to do for as long as I love to do it. That's kind of my thought.

Yeah. No, great. We have— we're at time. So I have one more question for you, and I thank you so much for being a great sport. It's kind of a standard fast chat question that we use, which is, what's the best part about being Sam Champion?

That the last name is real and I get to use it. It's, it's, um, I, I, I, and it is true. I have, I have enjoyed every minute of having that last name and every minute of the eyebrow raising and every minute of the, you know, no matter where you are, where someone's like, is that really your last name? It's a conversation starter. Um, and to my dad, who actually had the better version of it, he was a Marine, so it's Colonel Champion, and you can't get any— that's a superhero, really, if you think about it.

That really is.

But, you know, I think the best part is, is having the name.

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