Scott Saville’s television legacy in Eastern Iowa is a darn good one.
Saville, 62, has been the sports director at KCRG-TV9 the last 12 years. He is retiring after his last newscast on Friday after 29 years as a reporter/anchor at the station. As did his former boss, John Campbell, he leaves a template for those who follow.
That’s celebrating community, recognizing people who achieve, connecting with viewers of all ages, and being a constant reminder that this sports stuff is supposed to be fun, that laughing regularly is a good thing.
“Scott’s known for being a bit of a goofball thanks to his wild challenges with high schoolers in Athlete of the Week and his weekly Golden Klutz Awards,” KCRG anchor Beth Malicki said, “but in the newsroom he’s more subdued. He cares deeply about sports in all its forms and takes the responsibility of elevating local athletes very seriously.”
“There is a serious, competitive side,” Saville said. “I take my job seriously, but I have fun doing it.”
Behind Saville’s on-air persona is someone with a work-ethic equal to the thousands of athletes and coaches he has featured over the years. All the years of working nights and weekends, all the editing before and after newscasts, all the time spent traveling for one story or another. Whatever it took, he did it.
It wasn’t unusual for him to do his Friday night high school highlights show, then get in a car and drive through the night to wherever Iowa’s football team was playing the next day.
He covered Zach Johnson’s first PGA Tour win, in Atlanta 21 years ago. How? By leaving Cedar Rapids by car on a Saturday night for Sunday’s final round with a feeling Cedar Rapids native Johnson would prevail.
“The clock meant nothing to him,” Campbell said. “You work until you get the job done.
“I could always count on him to get the job done on time and get it done well. He’s been an absolutely great colleague.”
The March 10 episode of “On Iowa Live” on KCRG 9.2 was the last one of Saville’s 15 years as host. He talked Hawkeye men’s and women’s basketball for the first segments, but then spent time showcasing Mount Vernon’s state-champion girls’ basketball team and Alburnett’s state runner-up wrestling squad.
Sitting in the audience, it was easy to see the attention and respect those kids got from Saville meant a lot to them and their families, and surely their towns.
“Scott celebrates the athletes for much more than their stats,” Malicki said. “He sees their resilience and heart and weaves that so well into his coverage.
“He's open-minded and openhearted and really tries to understand where people are coming from.”
Saville called going to high schools for those Athlete of the Week features “my favorite part of the job. I love high school sports, the purity of it. The communities, they’ve been so nice. That was so much fun.”
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Saville, 62, has been the sports director at KCRG-TV9 the last 12 years. He is retiring after his last newscast on Friday after 29 years as a reporter/anchor at the station. As did his former boss, John Campbell, he leaves a template for those who follow.
That’s celebrating community, recognizing people who achieve, connecting with viewers of all ages, and being a constant reminder that this sports stuff is supposed to be fun, that laughing regularly is a good thing.
“Scott’s known for being a bit of a goofball thanks to his wild challenges with high schoolers in Athlete of the Week and his weekly Golden Klutz Awards,” KCRG anchor Beth Malicki said, “but in the newsroom he’s more subdued. He cares deeply about sports in all its forms and takes the responsibility of elevating local athletes very seriously.”
“There is a serious, competitive side,” Saville said. “I take my job seriously, but I have fun doing it.”
Behind Saville’s on-air persona is someone with a work-ethic equal to the thousands of athletes and coaches he has featured over the years. All the years of working nights and weekends, all the editing before and after newscasts, all the time spent traveling for one story or another. Whatever it took, he did it.
It wasn’t unusual for him to do his Friday night high school highlights show, then get in a car and drive through the night to wherever Iowa’s football team was playing the next day.
He covered Zach Johnson’s first PGA Tour win, in Atlanta 21 years ago. How? By leaving Cedar Rapids by car on a Saturday night for Sunday’s final round with a feeling Cedar Rapids native Johnson would prevail.
“The clock meant nothing to him,” Campbell said. “You work until you get the job done.
“I could always count on him to get the job done on time and get it done well. He’s been an absolutely great colleague.”
The March 10 episode of “On Iowa Live” on KCRG 9.2 was the last one of Saville’s 15 years as host. He talked Hawkeye men’s and women’s basketball for the first segments, but then spent time showcasing Mount Vernon’s state-champion girls’ basketball team and Alburnett’s state runner-up wrestling squad.
Sitting in the audience, it was easy to see the attention and respect those kids got from Saville meant a lot to them and their families, and surely their towns.
“Scott celebrates the athletes for much more than their stats,” Malicki said. “He sees their resilience and heart and weaves that so well into his coverage.
“He's open-minded and openhearted and really tries to understand where people are coming from.”
Saville called going to high schools for those Athlete of the Week features “my favorite part of the job. I love high school sports, the purity of it. The communities, they’ve been so nice. That was so much fun.”
Scott Saville left us laughing, but also leaves local TV with a how-to in respecting the public
Saville’s 29-year stint as a reporter and anchor at KCRG-TV9 was built on good-natured fun and hard work. His last newscast with the station is Friday.
www.thegazette.com
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