He was hired as a mail clerk at a local TV station while attending the University of Pittsburgh. He worked his way up to assistant news director, then went on to Cleveland, Philadelphia, and New York.
He brought innovations to local TV news in the 1960s and 1970s, including replacing the lone staid anchorman with a band of roving "eyewitness" reporters and a cast of bantering on-set personalities covering sports, weather, and other topics.