Remembering newsman Charlie Gaddy
LAKE GASTON, BEAUTIFUL DAY TO
BE OUT ON THE WATER THERE.
>> TONIGHT, OUR WRAL FAMILY
IS MOURNING THE LOSS OF
LEGENDARY ANCHOR CHARLIE GATTI.
IT'S A TOUGH DAY HERE AT WRAL.
HE PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING AT
THE AGE OF 93, OUR TAR HEEL
TRAVELER INTERVIEW CHARLIE FOR
HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY. AND TONIGHT,
SCOTT MASON RETURNS WITH THAT
STORY AND PAYS TRIBUTE TO OUR
COLLEAGUE AND OUR FRIEND.
>> IF YOU LOOK ON HIM AT A MAP
OF NORTH CAROLINA, THERE'S A
DOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOARD.
DISCO IS RIGHT BESIDE THAT DOT,
CHARLIE, GET THESE HOME 10 AND
I CAN REMEMBER SITTING ON THE
STEPS OF OUR LITTLE HOUSE AND
HEARING AND MERLE FROM LONDON
WHILE THE BOMBS WILL FALL.
AND I THOUGHT I SURE WOULD LIKE
TO BE A BROADCASTER. BUT
INSTEAD YOUNG CHARLIE WENT TO
WASHINGTON TO STUDY LAW AFTER I
GOT INTO CONTRACTS TORSTEN
LEGAL METHODS. I THOUGHT, OH,
MY GOD, HE WENT TO NBC TO NBC
AND BECAME A PAGE. BOY, GOOD
MORNING AND WELCOME TO OUR
FAMILY. AT A LATER HE LEARNED
OF A JOB OPENING IN RALEIGH,
READING COMMERCIALS, READING
NEWS AND HOSTING A SHOW AND IT
GOT TO BE VERY POPULAR AND
THAT'S HOW I GOT OVER TO
CHANNEL 5 BECAUSE CHANNEL 5
WANTED CHARLIE FOR ITS SHOW.
THE SHOW THAT MAKES YOU LOVE
THOSE DOGS. AT TIMES HE WAS A
SINGING STAR BOARD. TONIGHT.
I'M GOING TO SEE NOT MUCH
EVENTUALLY HE BECAME THE WRAL
NEWS. AND GOOD EVENING. I'M
CHARLIE GADI. AND WHILE HE WAS
ON THE DESK AND IN THE FIELD
FOR 24 YEAR, THE HOT AMERICAN
SUMMER OF 1977, CONTINUES
TONIGHT. TELL ME ABOUT THE
ROBERTS. SONY A NEWSPAPER AND
THE HOSTAGE SITUATION. OH, MY
GOODNESS. AND HE HAD YOUR
AMERICAN INDIAN ACTIVISTS WENT
IN THERE WITH A SHOTGUN.
WANT TO TAKE FOR YOU TO ADJUST
TO.
>> I TALKED OF AN ISIS SAID,
HEY, YOU GOT TO PUT THAT GUN
DOWN. EVENTUALLY HE DID PUT
THE GUN AWAY.
A TORNADO THAT STRUCK RALLY IN
1988. WE WERE COMING IN HERE
WITH THE FIREMEN AND THE RESCUE
PEOPLE. THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF D-DAY AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS
PART OF FRANCE WOULD HAVE TRUE
HEROES FOR LIFE. THERE'S THE
CYBER FIGHTS RIGHT THERE IN
FRONT OF THE ACTION NEWS.
5 FOUND NEWS MADE MY LIFE.
>> ENRICHED IN SO MANY WAYS.
THE MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE NOW
AS PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN,
CHARLIE, RETIRED FROM WRAL IN
1994.
>> IF YOU FOLLOW THE TRUTH AND
YOUR FAIR AND YOU'RE JUST USE
YOUR COMMON SENSE. I DO FEEL
GOOD ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE
BECAUSE I'VE SAYING THINGS AND
I COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED
BIG-BOY FROM BISCOE AND IT WAS
AMAZING. REALLY.
>> AT A CAREER BROADCASTERS
WOULD DREAM OF HAVING AND SUCH
AN. KIND KIND PERSON AT THAT
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE STILL
PENDING AT THIS TIME. COMING
UP NEXT, AT 6 O'CLOCK WRAL'S
GERALD OWENS. WE'LL SHARE
MEMORIES OF HIS LONGTIME MENTOR
AND HIS FRIEND. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE AT
5.30, WRAL NEWS AT 6 IS JUST
AHEAD.
>> I'M TRYING TO GET IS
SPEAKING HERE FROM THE NATION'S
CAPITAL TRUSTED AND YOU DON'T
HAVE TO GET OUT HERE. PLEASE
STAY AT HOME, GIFTED OR ANCHORS
STATES. ENERGY DIRECTOR SAYS HE
WILL CALL UNDER PRESSURE WHERE
YOU CAN JUST.
AND DEEP LOSS FOR THE WRAL
FAMILY TONIGHT, WE LOOK BACK ON
THE LIFE OF WRAL, LEGIT.
CHARLIE GETTY.
>> TONIGHT, THE WRAL NEWS
FAMILIES IN MOURNING. WE LOST A
GREAT FRIEND. THEN LEGENDARY
NEWS ANCHOR CHARLIE GETTY.
HE DIED THIS MORNING AT THE
AGE OF 93. I WAS OFF TODAY, BUT
I WANTED TO BE HERE TO SHARE
THE NEWS WITH ALL OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I'M GERALD OWENS AND I'M LENA
TILLETT AND I'M SO GRATEFUL
YOU'RE HERE FOR THIS. GERALD,
CHARLIE BECAME KNOWN IN THE
COMMUNITY.
>> AS THE WALTER CRONKITE OF
NORTH CAROLINA TELEVISION.
HE WAS THE PRIMARY ANCHOR OF
WRAL'S EVENING NEWS FOR 2
DECADES. HE WAS A MENTOR TO ME.
ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I MET
WHEN I CAME HERE BECAUSE
CHARLIE IN BODY, BUT WRAL WAS
ALL ABOUT OVER THE YEARS.
WE BECAME GREAT FRIENDS AS DID
MANY OF OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES
WHO WORKED WITH HIM, KNEW HIM
AND LOVED HIM. THAT INCLUDES
OUR FORMER COLLEAGUE DAVID
CRABTREE. TONIGHT, DAVID LOOKS
BACK AT CHARLEY'S IMPACT ON
THE COMMUNITY AND HIS LEGACY
HERE IN THE AREA.
>> AND NOW WITH THE NEW
>> GOOD EVENING. CHARLIE.
GETTY WAS THE FACE OF WRAL TV
FOR 24 YEARS. THE GRAND CUBA
LAW.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE CHARLIE SAID
IT.
>> IT WAS SO GOOD. GOOD
MORNING, EVERYBODY. AND WELCOME
TO THE PROGRAM.
>> WRAL HIRED GETTY IN 1970, TO
DO A MORNING CALL IN SHOW.
AND LATER A VARIETY SHOW.
AND JON RAHM FISH, 5 FILET GO.
WHILE CHARLIE COULD SEE THAT HE
WAS REALLY A JOURNALIST HAVING
WORKED AS A NEWSMAN AT WPTF
RADIO, WRAL DECIDED TO PUT HIM
ON THE ANCHOR DESK, THE STATE'S
ENERGY DIRECTOR SAYS HE WANTS
TO CLEAR UP A LOT OF
MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE
GASOLINE SHORTAGE AND LOT OF
THE SUCCESS. THE STATION
ENJOYED.
>> IN THOSE EARLY YEARS AS THE
NEWS REALLY GREW AN AUDIENCE
WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHARLIE.
YEAH, MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE
NOW AS PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN.
I'M CHARLIE GET IS SPEAKING
HERE FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL
IN THE 70'S AND 80'S. CHARLIE,
HELP TO WRAL NEWS ACHIEVE
MARKET DOMINANCE YEARS AND A
NATIONAL PROBLEM THAT I THINK
HE PROBABLY IN THOSE DAYS WAS
TO SEW WRAL NEWS. IN MANY,
MANY WAYS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO
GET OUT HERE, PLEASE STAY AT
HOME. AS AN ANCHOR, HE WAS A
GIFTED COMMUNICATOR. AND YOU
FELT LIKE CHARLIE WAS TALKING
TO YOU THAT READING TO YOU NOT
PREACHING TO YOU.
>> OR ANY OF THAT JUST SIMPLY
SITTING BACK AND TALKING TO US
AND GLAD YOU GOT OUT CHINESE
CONNECTION TO VIEWERS
TRANSCENDED TELEVISION. BUT I
REALLY THINK THAT WAS TO CHARM
AND THE MAGIC OF CHARLIE AGAIN.
>> IS THAT WHEN YOU SAW HIM
ON TV, HE WAS TELLING YOU ONE
NEIGHBOR TO ANOTHER. WHAT WAS
GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT
DAY.
>> FOLKS BELIEVE THEN AND THERE
THAT ARE REASONABLE, EVEN JOHN,
IT WAS.
>> UNBELIEVABLE. WHEN WE DROVE
IN HERE, WE WERE COMING IN HERE
WITH THE FIREMEN AND THE RESCUE
PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE
THAT EARLY. CHARLIE ONE SAID
THAT 2 OF HIS MOST DEFINING
MOMENTS AS A NEWSMAN CAME IN
1988. WITH A DEADLY TORNADO
THAT HIT NORTH RALEIGH, THE END
OF THE ARMED TAKEOVER OF THE
ROBERTS O DIA NEWSPAPER IN
LUMBERTON.
>> CHARLIE TALKED ON THE AIR
WITH ANY HATCHER. ONE OF THE
2 MEN HOLDING THE NEWSPAPERS,
EMPLOYEES HOSTAGE.
>> I WAS NERVOUS. I WAS AWFULLY
NERVOUS ABOUT THAT.
AND YET AND YET I THOUGHT IT
WAS IMPORTANT TO ASK THEM AND
WHAT HE WANTED.
>> ATTORNEY RETIRED FROM WRAL
IN 1994 BUT RETURNED A DECADE
LATER TO HOST A DOCUMENTARY ON
HURRICANE HAZEL. HAZEL WAS ONE
OF THE MOST DEVASTATING
HURRICANES EVER TO HIT THE
UNITED STATES. HE ALSO BEGAN
HOSTING THE COMMUNITY TOWN HALL
PROGRAM. AGAIN, WRAL LISTENS.
HELLO AND WELCOME TO WILSON
COUNTY. LONG AFTER HE RETIRED
FROM SHAWNEE REMAINED THE SOLE
OF WRAL TV AND HE WILL ALWAYS
BE A PART OF OUR FAMILY.
I JUST FEEL LIKE I WAS IN THE
RIGHT PLACE.
>> THIS WAS WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED
TO DO.
>> AND I WANTED TO DO IT WELL.
>> IN 2012, GABBY WAS INDUCTED
INTO THE RALLY HALL OF FAME.
NOT ONLY FOR HIS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE NEWS
BUSINESS BUT ALSO HIS SERVICE
TO THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING WORK
WITH CHILDREN THROUGH GROUPS
LIKE UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY AND
CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK.
>> IT'S GREAT TO SEE DAVID
THERE AND CHARLIE. AND YOU
KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE,
I MENTIONED MANAGEMENT MADE
SURE THAT CHARLIE IS ONE OF
THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT I MET
HIM BECAUSE HE EMBODIED WITH
WRAL WAS ALL ABOUT EQUITY,
HONESTY AND FAIRNESS. AND I
QUICKLY REALIZED CHARLIE'S THE
PERSON YOU GO TO TO MAKE SURE
YOUR COMPASS IS POINTED IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION AND YOU REMAIN
FRIENDS WITH HIM. ABSOLUTELY.
OVER THE YEARS YOU HAVE DINNERS
AND LUNCHES AND TALKED ABOUT
LIFE AND ABOUT NANCY IS THE
LOVE OF HIS LIFE. I WANT TO
JUST ONE STORY BLESSING AND
LATER, BUT WHEN HE MET NANCY AT
NBC, BUT HE ALWAYS TALKED
ABOUT HER. THE CPP BASICALLY
HUNG THE MOON, IMMENSE AND
OTHER TOGETHER BACK TOGETHER.
SO BEAUTIFUL. I WAS THINKING OR
WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST TIME I
MET CHARLIE GOTTI. IT WAS A FEW
MONTHS AFTER I STARTED. I WAS
WORKING AT MY FIRST CODES FOR
THE CHILDREN TELETHON AND HE
WAS THERE EVEN IN 2016 BECAUSE
THAT'S HOW ICONIC IN.
>> AND JUST SYMBOLIC. HE WAS
FOR WRAL AND HE STILL WORKED ON
EVENTS LIKE THAT. AND I WAS
NERVOUS BECAUSE I WAS STANDING
NEXT TO DEBORAH AND GERALD AND
DAVID AND THEN CHARLIE. AND
AFTER I WAS DONE, HE TURNED TO
ME AND HE SAID, YOU FIT RIGHT
INTO A NEW ARE SO TALENTED AND
YOU HAVE HEART AND THAT MEANT
EVERYTHING TO ME.
RYAN, YOU MENTIONED YOU, YOU
YOU, YOU KNOW, GREW UP IN FEW
KUWAIT AND BACK BEFORE THERE
WAS THE INTERNET. WHEN YOU WANT
TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, SAT
DOWN IN FRONT OF A TV AT 6
O'CLOCK IN TURN ON CHANNEL 5 TO
CHARLIE WAS IN OUR HOUSE.
>> EVERY NIGHT AND JUST LIKE WE
SAID IN THAT STORY, HE WAS THAT
PERFECT BLEND OF CREDIBLE YET
BUT FRIENDLY LITTLE SOUTHERN AS
YEAH. YOU LOOK AT THAT. HE WAS
A GREAT BROADCASTER, GREAT
COMMUNICATOR. I DON'T KNOW IF A
LOT OF PEOPLE AT HOME KNOW
THIS, BUT IN OUR INDUSTRY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND I'VE
WORKED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
PLACES. WRAL IS UNKNOWN.
>> NEWS INSTITUTION AND VERY,
VERY WELL RESPECTED. AND IT
WAS BUILT ON THE WORK OF
CHARLIE COUNTY. AND I'M SO
GRATEFUL AND I KNOW ALL OF US
ARE TO BE A PART OF WHAT HE
BUILT IN THERE. I CAME TO WRAL,
94. MY FIRST DAY WAS CHARLIES
BECAUSE I HAD BEEN WATCHING HIM
BECAUSE MY BROTHER USED TO LIVE
IN CARY, NOT IF I CAN'T WAIT TO
WORK WITH CHARLIE GETTY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS HIS
LAST DAY FOR THE STUDIO.
HERE WAS FULL OF SINGERS AND
DANCERS CELEBRATING THE FINAL
THAT WHAT I'M GOING TO OF
CHARLIE WOULD SAY, THOUGH, SO
MANY PEOPLE BEHIND THE CAMERA
THAT YOU PEOPLE AT HOME DON'T
SEE RIGHT NOW.
>> WHO ARE HURTING JUST AS MUCH
AS WE ARE. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE,
WE'RE ALL WE LOVE CHARLIE.
>> WERE IN PAIN THAT HE'S GONE.
BUT WE'RE HAPPY THAT HE'S WITH
NANCY AND HIS LEGACY WILL NEVER
BE FORGOTTEN. AND WE CARRY ON
HIS LEGACY AS HE WOULD SAY THIS
THE NEWSCAST BECAUSE CHARLIES,
NO BONUS THAT WE HAVE A JOB TO
DO. AND THANK YOU, JERROLD, FOR
BEING HERE FOR THAT. AND THANK
YOU, CHARLIE, FOR BEING SUCH
AN INCREDIBLE BE THERE. SO MANY