By Sydney Sadick
He delivers America’s late-night news, but the anchor and journalist’s day is anything but slow.
Here’s how he spends his time before going live on-air five times a week.
11 a.m.
Take a run with my dog, Gilley
12 p.m.
Practice my swing on the courts
7 p.m.
Hair and makeup at the bureau
7:45 p.m.
Get mic’d up for the show
8 p.m.
Go live on the West Coast!
As the anchor of Fox News @ Night With Trace Gallagher for the past three years, what’s one thing you do each night before going live?
Fifteen minutes before showtime I go back into the show rundown, I reread “Common Sense” to see if it makes sense. I make sure we have the latest information. Then I scan the headlines of five major newspapers, and I scan the wires and social media to make sure we’re not missing anything.
Tell us about your signature “Common Sense” segment.
The “Common Sense” department is a one-minute-and-15-seconds editorial of one key story of the day; it should be so simple to understand but somehow gets mired in a wacky political narrative. So the segment will use a fair dose of snark and sarcasm to get the point across. We want it to be clever but also clear and correct.
What are your favorite stories to report on?
As Shakespeare would attest, tragedies get most of the attention and headlines. So it sure is nice to report on victories once in a while, like peace deals, patriotism, and military success. From mom and pops to presidents, we end up jeering a lot more people than we cheer.
What are some things you like to do when you’re not working?
I enjoy listening to jazz, drinking good Italian wine, cooking or going out to eat, surfing, skiing, playing tennis and golf. I also enjoy reading and walking mile after mile. I don’t love to travel because for the past 30 years I have traveled extensively for my job. But I do enjoy getting in the car and driving to the desert or the lake or the mountains.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
That I was a professional water-skier for five years; that I was once voted one of San Diego’s best bartenders; and that before I got into TV I used to announce fashion shows, because the more time you spend talking, the better you get at talking.
What’s a misconception about being an on-air host/personality?
I think a lot of people believe that TV news anchors are Ron Burgundy types, who just want to be talking heads. The truth is that all the best anchors are TV journalists who wanted to travel the world and have a front row seat to watch history unfold.
Any holiday traditions?
Christmas Eve with my family. First comes Mass, then dinner at a nice restaurant, back home to open Christmas stockings filled with fun gifts before playing games and getting ready for Santa to arrive. When my girls were young, Christmas also involved hiding Bibble, our Elf on the Shelf. These days Bibble spends his time sitting in a closet waiting for grandchildren to join the festivities.
Resolutions for the new year?
My resolution is always to get better at tennis and better at playing the guitar. Maybe I should move on to things without strings because they always leave me baffled.
