Brendan McLaughlin

TAMPA - Like many television journalists, I worked in several other media markets before finding my broadcast home here in Tampa Bay.

I grew up, earned a business degree and started a family in the “other” Bay Area of San Francisco. My late entry into broadcasting at age 29 qualified me as the oldest intern the CBS affiliate in San Francisco had ever had.

The first on-air job offer came from a station in Austin, Texas. In one of my first assignments, they sent me right back to San Francisco to cover the Loma Prieta earthquake that interrupted the World Series and claimed 63 lives in 1989.

My next assignment in Seattle, Washington involved a lot more rain gear, Starbucks coffee, and travel.

In a few short years, I filed dispatches from Cuba, Iraq, and Vietnam, picking up a regional Emmy award for reporting. I also spent weekend evenings in the anchor chair.

When WFTS television in Tampa  picked up the ABC network affiliation in 1994, I, along with over a hundred other professionals moved to Tampa to start a brand new news operation. I’ve been proud to anchor the evening newscasts ever since.

In my spare time, I play a little guitar, read books, and get dragged around the neighborhood by my 90 pound canine companion, Finnegan.

My two children grew up in the Tampa Bay area and are now living in New York and Chicago.  My wife and I live near downtown Tampa and are excited to see all the new development going on in the downtown, Ybor City, Channelside, and Tampa Heights.

Here at ABC Action News, we believe information is fundamental to a healthy democracy. A good newscast should connect us to our community and to each other. And the news shouldn't be all bad. We have much to celebrate and much to be proud of here in the Tampa Bay area. But our highest calling is to point out ways we can improve our families, our schools, our workplaces and our government. “Taking action for you” is a motto we take seriously.

And we want you as a partner in this mission. So stay in touch. Let us know what’s important to you, and how we can serve you and our community better. And thanks for watching ABC Action News.