You may know him as the guy from the corny, I mean, Corning billboards and WFAA promos around the city. (You know the ones– “Good Morning, Texas” with the “m” crossed out?) He’s the latest addition to the anchor team of WFAA Daybreak and Midday News. D Magazine intern Bailey Powell sat down with the new leading man.
Bailey: What time do you wake up?
Ron: I get up around 3-3:15 a.m.
How?
You just do it. You know, it’s one of those things where you decide you really like the work and you do whatever it takes.
So you’re not the type of person who has to set twelve alarms?
No. I have overslept a couple times in my career. Most recently the switch on the wall for the outlet was off and my phone died. My phone didn’t go off and I woke up at twenty after four and I had to be on the air at 4:30.
What’d you do?
Well, I was on the air by five! I have a co-anchor. She handled it from 4:30 to 5:00. And that’s where I go, “Okay, this is when I get the back up alarm,” but then you get lazy and think you don’t need it.
Do you ever get to go out and stay up late?
If I have an event or something I’ll give myself an allowance. I’ll maybe take an extra long nap or just power through. Your whole life is managed around the schedule, and if you don’t approach it with militant discipline you can get caught up.
What’s your favorite thing about Dallas so far? Do you have boots yet?
I don’t have boots yet. I went to Leddy’s in Fort Worth and they were closed. By the time I walked around the Stockyards and did Billy Bob’s, I got back to Leddy’s and it was closed. I’m kind of a foodie, so I’m liking the food. You have to learn to manage the chips and salsa, though, and margaritas, because if you eat too much of that stuff … I don’t need to get the “anchorman spread.”
What’s the anchorman spread?
Your ass is in a chair all the time anchoring the news, so you don’t want your ass and your stomach to get like … we call it the anchorman spread. It’s literally in the nacho chips. The chips can really contribute to the anchor spread so you’ve got to be careful, because everywhere you go everyone’s about the guacamole, and you need the chips as the delivery device. Then everybody has “killer margaritas,” and I’m like yeah, killer on your waistline. So I’m just trying to really find moderation with the chips and salsa and margaritas because I love the Tex-Mex.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Probably a little bit of reality TV though I’m kind of burning out on it, to be honest. Those of us in this business have a wide variety of interests. You have to know what’s happening on Dancing With the Stars but you also have to know what’s happening in Libya. Maybe my guilty pleasure is I’m so immersed a lot of times in the news, when I get on a plane I’m the first one to pick up the trashiest tabloids. Some days I even go for, like, the Examiner, they really made up s***.
What kind of music do you like?
Interesting enough, and I’m not pandering, I like country music.
Team Edward or team Jacob?
Should I get this reference?
Twilight. Saying “Harry Potter” is a valid answer.
Harry Potter, yes. I like that. Thank you for that. I didn’t know if I needed a lifeline for a friend or what. The only thing that I think could take the lead here is zombies. I’m more fascinated with the concept of The Walking Dead because I feel like the walking dead most days. I can relate more to zombies.
Does it feel weird to see your face really huge on the billboards?
I try not to let it affect what I do every day, but it’s like the message is there: “you better deliver.” So I just kind of put my head down. It’s a little embarrassing. It’s a little weird.
Catch Ron on WFAA’s Daybreak Monday through Friday or follow him Twitter (@RonCorning).
–Bailey Powell
