Best of Rochester

Best TV newscaster

By Megan Malugani

1. The word “WinOOna” is his nemesis. Overlie’s first main anchor job was in North Dakota, where he adopted an accent a la the movie “Fargo.” Then he moved to the anchor job at KTTC in Rochester. “The first couple of times I said WinOOna on the air [former co-anchor] Betsy Singer looked at me out of the corner of her eye and gave me that glare. She said ‘you’ve gotta drop that hick North Dakota accent.’ I was really big on the O’s.” That was eight years ago, but Overlie is still scared of mispronouncing the word. “I’m not kidding—every time I say Winona on the news or just in conversation I always have to swallow a bit and make sure I say it correctly.”

2. Don’t ask about Betsy. Overlie co-anchored with Betsy Singer (“she’s like a sister to me”) for seven years before she left KTTC more than a year ago. And one year later, he is still asked the same question, again and again, every time he is out in public: “How’s Betsy?” Or, sometimes, “Where’s Betsy?”

3. He’s a lot slimmer than he looks on TV. Apparently the camera adds not just 10 pounds to Overlie, but 30. “I can’t tell you how many times people tell me, ‘Oh, you’re much taller and thinner in real life,’” he says. “People are very bold about that. They say ‘Oh, you don’t really look that fat at all!’”

4. He’s a lot sillier than he seems on TV. Overlie’s co-anchor in North Dakota made him laugh so hard during commercial breaks that “I honestly sometimes thought I would pee my pants.” Currently, meteorologist Randy Brock is the guy who makes him howl with laughter. “I frequently wish people could see and hear what we’re really seeing and saying [behind the scenes],” Overlie says. “We have to quick switch gears and be serious TV people.”
  
5. He’s spoofing himself and his industry in a series of books. Overlie is writing a series of books for young adults called “The Newsroom.” “It’s like the Hardy Boys on double espresso,” Overlie says. The first book, a murder mystery, details the workings of a small market newsroom (“their ratings suck and they’re constantly the underdog”) and news reporters who find themselves in “awkward and sticky situations.” “My TV newsroom is fuel for this book project,” Overlie says. For instance, Overlie was anchoring recently when a bag of burnt popcorn set off fire alarms—and attracted fire trucks to the station—in the middle of a live newscast. It’s going in his next book.

6. The “style over substance” trend doesn’t bother him much. Like most TV personalities, Overlie gets a lot of input from audiences on his appearance and his style. He’s good-natured about it. “Obviously people listen and they hear the news, but the other stuff—the ties, the clothes—seems to be important to them, too ... People rarely comment on the news reports I give, but on the clothes I’m wearing.”

7. His job keeps him humble. Overlie has won Emmys and many other awards (he’s won his share of Rochester Magazine’s “Best TV Newscaster” voting). But his daily routine keeps him grounded. “It is really hard to have a big head in the newsroom at KTTC. The moment you walk in the door, it’s all hands on deck.” During severe flooding a few months ago, Overlie grabbed a camera, headed to Iowa alone, and was soon up to his knees in floodwaters. “We’re there to report the news and to bring our friends and viewers the news. It’s hard to have a big head when you’re in the trenches and you’re muddy.”

8. He loves philosophical discussions. Overlie loves to laugh, but he also enjoys “good, in-depth conversations with friends about really serious stuff.” One of his favorite topics is “religion, believe it or not.” Overlie’s parents were Lutheran missionaries.

9. “Floss daily” and “Tell the truth always” are his personal mottos. “I’m going to be 40 next year, and as I’m getting older I’m realizing the simple truth: it’s hard to always be truthful, but I’m finding that is the best way.”