30 years of Boston 25 News: Celebrating three decades on the air

September 9th marks a big anniversary for this television station. Back in 1996 we launched our very first newscast and 30 years later, well a lot has changed here at WFXT and in the world, but some of the people who worked on that day are still here today to talk about the ride. Live, this is Fox News Boston. And from the very first newscast, I've gone back to watch it and you could tell, you could tell that everybody was just putting everything they had into it. I was excited to get going. I'm Karen Adams. And I'm Dave Barker. We were called Fox News Boston back in 1996 and it really was all for one, one for all kind of an attitude. It was all of picture this, imagine this, this is how we think it's gonna go. Are you in? Yeah, I mean it was exciting, right? It's also where she first started feeling ill. Being the underdog is what pushed us to get that first show on the air because I think we felt like we had something to prove. Well the road to the playoffs a little rockier than the socks had hoped. Basically, we were told we wouldn't make it. It really was the crew and the vision that that made this grow to what it is today. For the latest on that and your Fox first forecast, here's meteorologist Kevin Lemanowitz. Kevin. Thanks Dave and Karen. We do have another storm. The technology in 30 years is tremendously different. Well, I mean at the beginning it was all phone books, if you can remember, if anybody can remember phone books. Back in 1996 we used these big map books to find our way around. So the photographer would be driving the car, I would open up the map book and I would start saying okay we go up here, get to that stoplight, turn right, turn left over here. When we started in 1996, not only do we not have internet access, we didn't have email. When I started the station, I was issued the station beeper that I carried around with me in case there was an emergency and they had to beep me somewhere. You had to rewind and you had to wait for it to get to where you needed to go on the tape. It has changed so much in terms of live shots. We used to have to have a van with a microwave antenna or a satellite dish. We don't have to wait for the the time in the newscast to go live with a story, we can just do it on our phones. All of that was science fiction back in 1996. Probably one of the most exciting things we did here was moving into this building. And right where we're sitting now was a parking lot. And where the control rooms and editing are now used to be a General Motors facility. So we connected those two and built this amazing newsroom. So going from sort of a basic set to this state-of-the-art facility at the time was just, you know, that was sort of a dream come true. Fox News reporter Bob Ward is live in Rockport with the latest, Bob. Karen, here in Rockport. Our newsroom was so special and so profound that I have a special bond with all of the people I worked with back then. Exactly, and I built my family here over these last 30 years. Getting married, going to people's weddings, and having kids, having the little kids come in. And now these kids are in college or they've graduated college. So this is really a second family. But I left here a better person than I was when I walked in the door as a 26-year-old kid. And a lot of that is because of the people who were here. Goosebumps right now, actually, tell you the truth. It's been special. It's a special run. It has been. And I wouldn't have given up for anything. Really, just amazing. It's crazy. Three decades. Crazy, isn't it? It's amazing. 30 years. 30 years of news for our station. It's a great accomplishment and there are going to be many, many more years and decades ahead. This station will not be denied and we'll keep going. And I'm proud to have played a part in the launch of the station. See you right back here tomorrow night at 10. Good night, everyone. Good night. I want to know those who said we wouldn't make it. Who are you? Where are you? What do you have to say for yourself now? Two originals, Bob Ward and a reminder, be a Bob Ward. And the folks who keep us going behind the scenes, of course, you saw on there, Director Mike Finity, Assignment Manager Scott Tetreault, Editor Todd Krupa. And a shout out to photographer Bob Goodale. Goodie was out when we put this together. We couldn't have made it 30 years without you.