DENVER — All this week on 9NEWS mornings, you’re going to see some familiar faces. We’re invited former anchors and reporters to join us.
Ward Lucas began his broadcast career in 1974 at KIRO-TV and Seattle but came to Denver in 1976 to begin a decades-long career at 9NEWS.
Lucas recounted how he was contacted by the news director of KUSA while working in Seattle and was asked to send a tape. Lucas said he dubbed a show onto the tape and sent it off Denver, but didn't hear anything until eight months later. At that time, he said the news director asked him to send another tape. He said he was hesitant because, at the time, those tapes were expensive.
"I said I already sent you a tape," Lucas recounted. "He said, 'C'mon, send me another tape,' so I dubbed my show off on to this tape and sent the $35 off into the mail."
Three months later Lucas was contacted again, by the new news director at KUSA, who once again asked him to send a tape.
"I said, I'm not going to keep your newsroom filled with tapes at my expense, you send me a tape, I'll dub off my show and send it back to you," Lucas responded. "He sent me a tape."
Lucas dubbed the show, sent it off and not long after was in Denver interviewing to work at channel 9.
In all, Lucas spent more than 40 years in investigative journalism and was the first reporter to cover the DB Cooper hijacking and the Ted Bundy murders when he was working Seattle. Several years, later while working at 9NEWS he flew to Aspen on his own to cover the Bundy case. Tom Green recently sat down with him to talk about his coverage of that case. You can watch that story below.
Since leaving TV news, he's written three books, including Neighbors at War! The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowner's Association, Sometimes Ya Gotta Ride the Elephant and The Wacky World of a Recovering Army Brat Family.
Throughout the week, those joining us for Reunion Week will be updating our briefings on Alexa. You can sign up for the briefings to get updates any time of the day through your Amazon Echo device.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Feature stories from 9NEWS